There aren’t many places you can listen to top musicians in a locale no more than 10 feet from a sugary-soft, white sand, tropical beach. These are two claims to fame of the Bequia Music Festival. Set for January 18-21, 2018, venues this year are the Frangipani Hotel, Bequia Plantation Hotel and De Reef Bar & Restaurant, all overlooking Admiralty Bay. What’s more, one of the headliners is New York’s Sean Harkness, an instrumental guitarist who earned the BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award for Best CD Release in 2014.
Caribbean artists include Anguillan vocalist and X Factor contestant, Deanna Mussington; Trinidadian classical and flamenco guitarist, Stefan Roach; and Bequia’s own amazing singer/songwriter, Amanda “Cloud” Gooding. Most concerts take place in the evening, which gives all day to enjoy sightseeing around this 7-square-mile Grenadine island known as a fantastic cruising destination.
The islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines form one country that stretches along 40 miles of the eastern Caribbean in a northeast-southwest direction. The better known gem-like Grenadines include Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Tobago Cays, Mayreau, and Union Islands. But there are many spits of sand and one-boat anchorages to drop the hook, feel the trade winds on your skin and ponder the meaning of civilization from the shady comfort of the cockpit.
We make much of the term “civilization”, as if it signals a respite from an otherwise inhospitable environment. The word means different things to different people. For some, it’s WiFi, lattes, rental cars, and restaurants. For me, it’s a capable boat, cool drinks, aquamarine waters, and friendly locals, which aptly describe this island country.
St. Vincent is a lush island and a convenient jumping-off point to the Grenadines when arriving from the north. (If chartering, it’s best to start in Grenada to the south where many charter companies are based.) There’s much to do ashore on the big island. Fort Charlotte overlooks Kingstown. Take a guided tour of the botanical gardens with exotic plants and the St. Vincent parrot whose blue, green and yellow plumage inspired the country’s flag. Guides for hire bring the garden to life with good humor and education so that even the flora-challenged enjoy the scenery.
A nice place to catch a mooring before departing for points south is near Young Island at the bottom of St. Vincent. A nearby rocky pinnacle is home to the ruins of Fort Duvernette. Climb the 255 steps to inspect the cannons and the views from the top before getting under way.
Adventure Jeep tours offer visitors the opportunity to explore Grenada’s natural beauty.
C&N’s Port Louis Marina boasts the vibrant colors the islands are famous for. Photo: Camper & Nicholsons International
Cannons watch over the walls of Fort Charlotte constructed in 1806, which has spectacular views overlooking Kingstown and is always worth a visit.
C&N’s Port Louis Marina is also a popular charter destination. Photo: Steve Brett
Snorkeling in Grenada is only one of the many activities to enjoy while out on the water.
The Grenada Sailing Festival takes place every year on Grand Anse Beach. The friendly rivalry of this close-knit community is often expressed in Grenada through the creation of many local regattas and competitions to see which competitor has the fastest vessel. Photo: Joshua Yetman
The Grenada Sailing Festival takes place every year on Grand Anse Beach. The friendly rivalry of this close-knit community is often expressed in Grenada through the creation of many local regattas and competitions to see which competitor has the fastest vessel. Photo: Joshua Yetman
The carnival activities in Grenada begin in July, although they don’t pick up until the beginning of August with nightly calypso shows. A week before the Grenada Carnival begins, the carnival queen show takes place with a parade through St. George’s streets.
Few people do more than dip a toe in the water on Union Island. Swimming and surfing are banned on La Réunion in all but a few places because of a fear of shark attacks.
The world’s first underwater sculpture gallery on Grenada attracts divers. Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor
An easy run south is beautiful Bequia (pronounced Bek-way), the largest and northernmost of the Grenadines. The friendly English-speaking population is very welcoming. Bequia’s Admiralty Bay provides lots of easy anchoring and moorings off the beach of Port Elizabeth. The islands’ “boat boy” culture involves men and women entrepreneurs who come out in their small boats to assist with hooking up to a mooring ball, deliver fresh baked goods, haul away trash, or deliver ice. Tip them well and they’ll take care of nearly anything you need.
Shopping in Port Elizabeth is colorful; bright T-shirts flap in the breeze outside vibrant gift shops. Street vendors offer everything from fruit and locally made jewelry to boating souvenirs carved from coconuts. Stroll down Belmont Walkway, a stone path along the bay lapped by the waves and lined with cafes and bars. It’s almost window-shopping for a place to relax; we like the Whaleboner Bar followed by Mac’s for pizza.
Mustique is a 10-mile jaunt southeast, a mostly private island with vacation homes for the rich and famous. You cannot anchor here and must take a $200 EC ($75 U.S.) mooring. A highlight is Basils’ Bar and a golf cart tour of the islands. The best time to visit is during the Mustique Blues Festival, usually held in January.
From Mustique, it’s 21 miles with a beam wind to Horsesho e Reef which surrounds the Tobago Cays. Postcard vistas of white sand beaches and swaying palm trees make up the mostly uninhabited cays where every angle presents a paradise of kaleidoscope colors. The four idyllic islands hide in protected waters. They were designated as a national marine park in 1998 so rangers ask for $10 EC (40 cents U.S.) per person per day, which is a fair price for guardianship of the area.
There are few distractions here and no nightlife other than the odd beach BBQ coordinated by the boat boys. The spectacular reef provides mostly protected water, and great snorkeling is near the roped-off sanctuary off Baradel Island; rays glide by and turtles feed on grass so close that you can hear them munching as they graze.
Parts of Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed in the Cays, so if you take your camera and troll the various beaches, you might find a few angles that look like Captain Jack Sparrow is about to swagger around the corner. Remote and pristine, the Cays are about bringing your swimsuit, a good book, cooler of beer, and forgetting the world for a while.
With good light and eyes focused on the crystalline water, it’s possible to thread the unmarked reefs and head out of the Cays’ southern entrance enroute to Union Island, a mere three miles away. Its highest peak, Mt. Parnassus, is nearly 900 feet so you can’t miss it. The main town of Clifton provides great provisioning with an open-air produce market and several grocery stores that sell gourmet coffee, chocolate and bread. A sundowner at Janti’s Happy Island in the harbor is mandatory and can only be reached via dinghy because it was built on the reef out of thousands of conch shells gathered by Janti himself. Clifton is on the windward side and if the weather is a bit sporty, it may be time to hide in Chatham Bay on the western end. This large bay with a long beach has multiple shack-style restaurants advertising lobster dinners.
When Columbus plied Caribbean waters, St. Vincent was known by its inhabitants as Hairoun, which means “home of the blessed”—it’s also a brand of a popular local beer. The region had a tumultuous history and was settled by various groups including the peaceful Arawak Indians, the not-so-peaceful Carib Indians and a mixed bag of Europeans who ping-ponged the region’s ownership back and forth for hundreds of years. Missionaries, wrecked slave ships and rumors of cannibalism made for colorful, if grim, beginnings. A succinct synopsis of the islands’ evolution is told and retold with imaginative flair by proud locals who tend to insert their own “historical facts”.
The postcard-perfect Grenadines differ from one another and you can experience a wide variety of terrain and culture in a compact area. It’s such a unique location that once is not enough when visiting these quintessentially Caribbean islands. I, for one, will be back soon, since civilization in the literal sense is overrated, but civilization redefined is sublime.
INSIDER TIP: Any time is a good time to visit the Windward Islands since temperatures hover around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the trade winds blow a refreshing breeze year-round. Many cruisers slip down to Grenada just south of the Grenadines during hurricane season (June to November); some insurance companies consider it to be below the hurricane belt.
Outside of the Blue Lagoon at the southern tip of St. Vincent, there aren’t many marinas in the Grenadines. Mooring fields are plentiful with prices ranging $20-45 EC. The best selection of charter yachts, including power catamarans from The Moorings, is in Grenada. Sunsail, Moorings and Dream Yacht all have bases in St. George’s. Note: check-in and check-out is needed when cruising between the Grenadines and Grenada, which are separate countries.
Provisioning is good especially on Bequia and Union Islands. Local grocers can be a fun exploration of items like sugar apples, durian, callalou, wax apples, and soursop.
GRENADINES CRUISER RESOURCES:
MARINAS: Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina
Ratho Mill
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
+1 (784) 458-4308
Port Louis Marina
St. Georges, Grenada
+1 (473) 435-7432
Enjoy island-style partying during St. Lucia’s Carnival celebrations taking place throughout the month. The fun kicks off on July 2nd and runs through July 19th, with shows, events and parades filling the streets of St. Lucia’s capital city, Castries. In between the festivities, the Kings and Queens of the Band competition entertains with dancers wearing huge, extravagant costumes that take an entire year to construct. This competition is held at the National Cultural Centre, inland from Castries Harbor. If you appreciate steel pan music, head further inland to the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium for the National Panorama Competition on July 15th. Located near Gros Islet, the stadium is only a 5-minute drive or 30-minute walk from Island Global Yachting’s 253-slip Rodney Bay Marina. The official event website (stluciacarnival.com) is a great resource, but be sure to call the Carnival Planning Management Agency (758-452-5646) for the most up-to-date event information. For tips on yachting navigation and anchorages, browse avid Caribbean cruiser Frank Virgintino’s free online cruising guides, particularly the guide to the Lesser Antilles, Vol. III: The Windward Islands, which has a wealth of up-to-date information on St. Lucia. freecruisingguides.com
Multi-island poker run
Hands down, powerboating rallies called Poker Runs are surging in popularity throughout the Caribbean. This month, the second Annual SXM Poker Run takes place on July 24th out of the Port de Plaisance Marina, a 90-slip facility in Simpson Bay, St. Maarten. “We expect 30 to 50 boats coming from St. Maarten as well as the B.V.I., U.S.V.I., Guadeloupe, Martinique, and [we hope], the U.S. mainland,” says event organizer, Colin Conner. The five-stop run begins with the first card pickup in Great Bay, Phillipsburg, St. Maarten. Next, the fleet cruises north to Grand Case, St. Martin. Watch the sleek powerboats roar in and join the crews for a chicken, ribs and lobster lunch at the famous beachside barbecue shack, Lolo’s. Next, card picks three and four take the fleet north to the breathtaking Rendezvous Bay and the village of Sandy Ground on the neighboring island of Anguilla. The fifth card stop is back in St. Maarten at Mullet Bay, and then everyone returns to the Port de Plaisance Marina for the prize announcements and a party. A total of up to $5,000 is designated for the winner. “Next year, we plan to add a land race division as well so [that] more people can participate,” says Conner. sxmpokerrun.com
Maritime history in Bequia
The seven-square-mile island of Bequia, the second largest island in the Grenadines located south of St. Vincent and north of Grenada, is a treasure trove of nautical history. It’s known as the model boat capital of the world, and is home to several boating workshops around the island, including the Sargeant Brothers Model Boat Shop in Port Elizabeth. Here, with handheld tools such as chisels and machetes, the Lawson brothers convert locally grown white pine into extraordinarily detailed vessels, including a 5-foot replica of the Royal Yacht Britannia. Models at the shop are for both show and sale. Nearby, the Bequia Maritime Museum boasts an intriguing collection of art and artifacts, including aged photos of the island’s whaling past. If you’re up for a hike, explore the ruins of the 18th-century Fort Hamilton where old cannons rest and a panoramic view of the harbor reigns. bequiatourism.com
By Carol Bareuther, Southern Boating Magazine July 2016
August is an awesome month to charter a yacht out of the southern Caribbean island of Grenada. “The clarity and calmness of the seas makes for great snorkeling,” says Jacqui Pascall, who with husband James manages Horizon Yacht Charters’ base at the True Blue Bay Resort & Marina. The company offers bareboat, crewed and learn-to-sail charters aboard a fleet of Bavaria monohulls and Fountaine Pajot and Lagoon multihull yachts. “There are fewer crowds during the summer so you can always find a lovely anchorage to overnight. Plus, the reduced low-season charter rates make it easier for families to enjoy the trip.” It’s possible to visit Grenada’s offshore island of Carriacou to the north as well as islands in the Grenadines such as Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, and the Tobago Cays during a one-week sail. What’s more, there are several ways to partake in island cultural events this month.
The Carriacou Regatta Festival kicks off on August 1st with a single-handed race around the island in traditional wooden boats. The sailing competition continues through August 4th when prizes will be given on the beach in the main town of Hillsborough. Several shore-based activities happen at the same time such as beach games by day and shows at night. Grenada’s SpiceMas Festival takes place August 7-12. This annually anticipated event features a week of food, music and traditional arts. The Pretty Mas Pageant on August 1st is a feast for the eyes and ears with Calypso, Soca and steel pan bands and dancing troupes of costumed revelers on parade. There are a number of excellent viewing spots and quaint cafes throughout the historic town of St. George. Chocoholics will enjoy the Grenada Chocolate Fest at the True Blue Bay Resort August 18-24. This chocolate extravaganza includes a tour of a working cocoa estate, chef competitions and samples of decadent chocolate treats.
World-class sport fishermen and fishing aficionados from around the globe are invited to the 2nd Annual MarlinFest. Set for August 5-11, the event is gathering a groundswell of interest by turning the U.S. Virgin Islands/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament in St. Thomas into a spectator sport. “It’s a place to gawk at some of the finest fishing machines in the world docked one slip next to the other at the American Yacht Harbor Marina, a place to personally meet owners and builders, and a place to learn angling techniques from the crews whose photos you see in magazines,” explains tournament and fest organizer Jimmy Loveland. Day trips to the B.V.I., sunset parties, a center console competition, arts and crafts festival, and carnival-like Jump Up complete with a chowder competition are all part of the fun. abmt.vi/pages/mfweb.htm
