Grenada, Carriacou, Sandy Island, Union Island, Tobago Cays and beyond …..

Mira waited patiently for us at Port Louis Marina while Glenn and I celebrated Christmas and New Year’s in Atlanta. January 12 was the official launch day of Mira! Our plan for the next six weeks or so is to sail from island to island north up through the Eastern Caribbean Windward Islands.

So many questions ??? Do we anchor in the middle of the ocean? Do we ever stop? How long do we sail? Do you sail at night? Do you ever have happy hour?  The last question is a resounding “yes”! but not usually while we are sailing 🙂

Answer — a typical day for us goes like this — up early with the sunrise (sadly no blackout shades on Mira), breakfast, attempt at exercise, raise the anchor or release the mooring ball (a floating ball attached to a large concrete block that acts like an anchor for Mira) and we head off. We sail anywhere from 2 hours to 7-8 hours to our next destination stop for the night. At this point in our duo sailing adventure, we don’t plan to sail at night :). Before leaving Grenada, Glenn and I outlined a general sailing plan for the next couple of months. But, this plan is very flexible – — we are slaves to the wind and weather.

For an example of a typical day — Mira rests quite happily 20 yards from a tiny deserted island and reef in the Tobago Cays – while we swim, hike, explore and snorkel. The next morning we drop the mooring ball around 9 am and sail 4 hours to the island of Bequia. We enter the harbor at Admiralty Bay, pick up a mooring ball and plan to explore Bequia for the next days. We use our 11 ft dinghy (Franklin) as our “car” to go back and forth to the island. Franklin (named by Patrick – don’t ask) is essential to our sailing life. He carries us, groceries, trash, laundry, boat papers to customs – all the essentials!

Just before taking off with Mira, Glenn and I climbed to the top of Fort George, Grenada, late one afternoon and were treated by the most amazing views of the town of St. George and the lagoon at Port Louis.

Mira set sail on January 12 and spent her first night in Tyrell Bay on the island of Carriacou. The smaller islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique are all part of Grenada. . Carriacou is a Carib word meaning “island surrounded by reefs”. We found the island of Carriacou and its people to be enchanting. Carriacou is one of the last unspoiled islands in the Caribbean.

Sandy Island is a tiny strip of sand off the coast of Carriacou surrounded by a perfect snorkeling and diving reefs. Mooring balls are provided by the Marine Park – no anchoring is allowed because boat anchors damage the delicate reefs. We spent two nights at Sandy Island – doing some boat work, snorkeling and swimming.

Mira had a quick motor sail up to Union Island.  We cleared customs in Clifton – as Union is part of St. Vincent and Grenadines. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is one country comprised of the main island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which are a chain of smaller islands stretching south from St. Vincent island to Grenada.  The islands and the people of the Grenadines are friendly and welcoming – and their islands spectacular. Mira plans to visit as many of the Grenadines as possible. We spent only one night on Union, but managed to collect some fresh tuna, delicious fresh fruits and vegetables and have a wonderfully romantic dinner on the beach.

Quick motor sail from Union Island to one of our favorite places on Earth – the Tobago Cays. The Tobago Cays are a group of small uninhabited islands protected from the Atlantic by a horseshoe reef. The Cays are also famous for being one of the locations for the Pirates of the Caribbean. We last visited here on a bareboat charter 9 years ago. The islands and reef haven’t changed very much, but sadly – the rest of the yachting world has discovered it! Still, we spent 2 delightful nights here on a mooring ball tucked away from the crowds near Jamesby Island. Days were spent snorkeling the marvelous reefs, swimming and sunning – oh! and of course, the requisite grilled lobster beach BBQ one evening.