Carriacou to Union

We left Anse la Roche around 9AM and hoped to make it to Clifton Bay, Union Island before noon – whereafter customs and immigration might charge overtime fees.

We set two reefs in the main and let out half a jib (foresail), and still sailed at between 7 and 8 knots (m/h). I put out a line, hoping to catch a fish but the journey was so quick, we were anchored at Union just before 10am, atop the clearest, crystal waters.

As per tradition, we dove down to check the anchor, swam around for 10min, and then got ourselves ready for checking into a new country – we had arrived in “Saint Vincent and the Grenadines”!

At customs, we met two Americans (Paul and Lindsay) and a Brit (Craig) sailing on SV Tintas. We agreed that we might meet again on Happy Island later that afternoon.

We cleared customs by 11:45 and walked next door to immigration, where the long-nailed-refuse-to-look-up-or-smile-or-exchange-niceties lady asked us for 35 EC Dollar for overtime. We pointed out the time. She reluctantly stamped our passports.

WindKat (another RSA boat) recommended we stock up in Carriacou to avoid paying double for almost everything on Union. Thank you for the advice Nelia and Johan! Union is literally twice as expensive.

Some things are worth spending double and even triple it’s worth…like Happy Island drinks and cocktails. We made our way to the famous, man-built island in the middle of a shallow sea curving around the bay. We pulled up to find Paul on his back in the hammock, Lindsay wiggling what her mama gave her, and Craig sucking on a cigarette. They’d been there for a while…or however long it takes to sip down four rum cocktails. We weren’t planning on catching up… I’m a lightweight and a cocktail costs about R140 each. In hindsight, that’s nothing given that Jonti had spent years and years building the most spectacular bar and grill atop hundreds of conch shells in the middle of the sea. It is a paradise. So much so that we spotted a local from Carriacou who had just popped over from the other island for a stop-in. It is really impossible to describe this place.

Our new friends plus Andy (Scottish racer/sailer boat name “the project”) had long chats and a few drinks together. Promises were made of early morning swims, coffees, and breakfast. By about 10:30, when the Americans lifted anchor and motored out the bay, we accepted that these were made under the influence – not a binding social contract due to levels of intoxication.

By then, Muir and I had gotten Ongemak so nicely set up for guests that we spent the morning enjoying her by ourselves, eating guacamole for breakfast. I cooked a peanut satay vegetable dish with rice a-la Gabi (Gabi’s recipe) for lunch.

With tummies filled, we headed for a long snorkel in what feels like an aquarium. The reef is simple with lots of small fish. The most interesting thing we saw happened to be right underneath our hull – a school of what I can only assume are baby cuttlefish. Off the charts cute. I bet they’re still there now. If I wasn’t stretched out on the saloon bench so lazily, I’d get the underwater camera ready and charged to snap a pic…sorry.

It’s not all just fun and games. Tomorrow is Monday and I’m off to the office at dawn…the office being Happy Island where Jonti agreed I could use the WiFi and attend my 6AM meeting. It’s lucky only about 5min away by dingy or Charly (our inflatable kayak).