After 4,000 miles in 31 days under sail from St. Helena in the Picton Castle all hands enjoyed their time ashore on the tranquil island of Carriacou. A small island only 6 miles long with maybe 8,000 residents and little tourism, yet plenty to do and see. Hilly but low and pretty dry, it’s pretty sweet at Carriacou. Wooden boatbuilding at Windward and Petite Martinique with two big fish boats in stocks, heavenly beach swimming at Mama Joy’s Hardwood Café at Paradise Beach. The Kayak Café in Hillsborough saw a good deal of us with Sean’s fine hospitality and Martin’s great cooking. Friendly Cuthbert’s near the town jetty was a regular stop too. But soon we must sail onwards. Next port of call was St George’s, capital of Grenada and 30 miles to the south.
After breakfast and a morning swim call the gang loosed sail, hauled back the anchors and sailed Picton Castle off the hook on a lovely light tradewind day. Soon we had yards squared as we cleared Kack-a-Dan and were sailing past Tyrell Bay, past Kick ‘Em Jenny and then along the lee or western shore of Grenada. The wind pooped out once well under the lee, near the town of Guave so we motored the rest of the way to anchor off St George’s Harbour towards the southern end of Grenada.
At Grenada lots happened. It all deserves more of a story, but time is moving along and so are we in Picton Castle. We reprovisioned as cupboards were getting bare after the big food shop in Cape Town, filled galley stove propane bottles, had BBQ at Donald’s place ashore with his family and friends, saw old friends, enjoyed island cooking. Some went on island tours that included waterfalls, rain forest, Carib Leap, meeting monkeys, old-very-old sugar and rum refineries dating to the 1600s and still working. Making a strong rum,100,000 bottles a year that never leave the island. But the factory is the thing. An amazing fully functional slave-age sugar plantation now making only rum and a good living to it seems. Also spice factories for cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and many more. Grenada, small as it is, is still a major producer of these lovely spices. Spices adorn the Grenadian flag. Vanilla in quart bottles for shockingly good prices in the market. Ah, the market! Old markets with ladies selling spices, fruits, vegetables (aka “ground provisions”) the sounds of reggae music and the slap of domino games under way. And the settings and locations for that great Harry Belafonte / Dorothy Dandridge film Island in the Sun, while over 60 years old, all still quite recognizable.
The anchor held well in some strong squalls. They needed the rain. But we must sail ever onward. Back to Carriacou for a day in the boats, then on towards Bequia. The day came in overcast and squally as it had been all night. No attempt at sailing as this was going to be a dead to windward passage back to Carriacou. A bit rough but we got to Hillsborough in time to launch the boats so most hands could have an afternoon of sailing, swimming and snorkeling around Sandy Island in the southern part of the bay. In the meantime Tammy and I cleared the ship out of the nation of Grenada, bound for Bequia in St Vincent and the Grenadines to the north.
