Land Ho!
Last week, after 31 days across the South Atlantic from St Helena and over 4,000 nautical miles of bowling tradewinds and rolling tropical seas, the Barque Picton Castle sailed around Gun Point into the harbour at Hillsborough, Carriacou, part of the nation of Grenada in the southern eastern Caribbean. Before that by a few hours, the peak of the tiny island of Petite Martinique pushed out of the sea haze on the lee bow off to the west, just after mid-day. The long low profile of Carriacou emerged soon thereafter. Blue skies and puffy cumulous clouds scooting with the winds overhead, we were making 7 and 8 knots under every scrap of canvas we could set apart from studding sails. All hands were called – not just to handle the ship and sails properly but also to take in this wonderful moment and landfall. What a great passage under sail this has been! Averaging 135 miles a day with quite a few 180 mile days. A pretty sweet landfall for us.
Soon our ship was at anchor in the calm lee of delightful Carriacou. First thing to do after stowing sail (topsails had been set for all 31 days) and bracing yards was, of course, a swim call. We had already gone over an orientation to these wonderful islands a few days earlier. What to do, what NOT to do. The main message being “give respect, you will get respect.” We would be on two watches. We had been told that there was a fun regatta over at Petite Martinique. A local regatta with locally built boats and snappy sailors. Some went over the first day, more went the second day. Reports were all positive. Music on the beach, dancing in the sand, all different classes of boats and ages of sailors in the mix. Some PC crew got to sail as well. How? By just asking. Big loud music heard everywhere, and the atmosphere chill and very friendly and gracious. PM (as we call the island) is one quarter the size of Pitcairn Island and yet makes a home for over 500 folks with room for more. Many residents are mariners, fishermen and boat builders, as well as shopkeepers or hostelers. Students head over to Carriacou every morning for school in the island ferry. It is a short 20-minute trip to town. Or you can take a pounding speed boat trip in just a few minutes to Windward.
Carriacou is one of the few Caribbean islands not named by Columbus and that retains its original Carib name. The name means “island of many reefs.” And true enough. A barrier reef on the windward side of the island creates a safe harbour that also is nice and cool in the ocean breezes blowing in from Africa. And logically here the village is called Windward. A well-known center for boat-building (check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaVLGLDtFaQ) – and PM builds a lot of boats too.
Crew took trips all around the island for the four days we were there. Tyrell Bay, the town of Windward where wooden fishing boats were under construction – or just hanging out in charming Hillsborough with Cuthberts rum shop right off the town jetty, or the Kayac Café just down the street for a wonderful West Indian meal and the Steamboat for some fried chicken straight away. Also Dave Goldhill’s wonderful Bayaleau Point Cottages overlooking the anchorage at Windward and the blue Caribbean. I could stay months there. From here you can see islands off to the North and Northeast, local boats zipping back and forth and sometimes the strains of reggae music waft up as well. A driving tour of this island only six miles long will bring a visitor past old slave and cane era stone sugar windmills, up to the hospital for a stunning view of the harbour and its dazzling turquoise coral waters. A number of big cannon also overlook the bay suggesting that this spot was not always a hospital. You can see Sandy Island, a tiny cay in the bay where it seems the yachts prefer, an itty-bitty patch of sand, now with many recently planted coconut palms. Down around the point to L’Esterre Bay we find the perfect Paradise Beach and Mama Joy’s Hardwood Café. Mama Joy was looking good and it was great to see her again. The crew found this great spot swiftly and are starting to grasp why we sing the praises of the Caribbean in the Picton Castle as we sail about this water world.
Boat building at Carriacou
After four days at serene Carriacou, it was time to sail for Grenada, 30 miles to the south. It was nice to start our Caribbean days in cool Carriacou. Now off for bustling and vibrant Grenada.
