Canouan to Tobago Cays to Mayreau to Union Island

We are now on Union Island and have our first opportunity to access the internet since we left the Tamarind Beach Hotel in Canouan. When we got back to the boat that day, Thorston and Angelika came by on their dink with a six pack and a fruit juice for me the teetotaler.

It was quite pleasant. Actually, I hope to visit them one day in Hamburg. We sailed the next AM for Tobago Cays which Thorston said he and Angelika had left almost immediately after arriving because of the crowds. I had this fantasy that we would be in isolation there and skinny dip and just be alone with nature. What a fool I was! It was very crowded but Roger picked an anchorage that was outside the main area and it was really lovely. We spent two nights there and took our dink to the main anchorage behind Horseshoe reef where there was a spit of beach crowded with our dink and others. The spit was lapped by waves on both sides

and it made for uncomfortable and murky snorkeling. We climbed the little hill of Baradel Island and then took our dink to the beach on Petit Bateau, one of the little islets that make up the Cays (pronounced "keys"). We snorkeled there and it was really nice but we were spoiled by the fish and coral at Pain du Sucre (Ile des Saintes) and at St. John, USVI where the snorkeling was great. BTW, the weather lately has been spectacular. There has been little rain, light wind but plenty to sail, and sunny skies with the breezes to cool us.
One day the ever present and beloved boat boy sold us a 6 lb. black fin tuna which he had caught that morning and filleted right in front of us on his boat with our knife. We had two dinners from it and it was yummy.
We left on the 3rd morning and sailed with jenny only the less than two miles to Saltwhistle Bay on Mayreau. This was such a pretty anchorage. ILENE is furthest away, in the middle of the photo, the boat with two headsails.


The wind blows steadily from the east, forming misshapen trees which frame Ilene, the person, with a bit of water outside the bay behind.


We spent 3 nights there and almost as soon as we arrived, we had a visitor by dink. They are Elsa and Glenn Gustafson on Windara (in Aborigine that name means "Which way?", they explained). The boat is a beautiful 2001 J46 which is known for its speed and quality. We had our Caribbean 1500 flag flying and they spotted us because they were participants as well. They were in the racing division and came in 2nd place! They lived in Chicago for years but have since retired and now, after spending two seasons in the Bahamas, they will be leaving their boat down in the Caribbean and will return to sail next winter --like us.. We had dinner and breakfast on our boat after spending an hour or two on their boat for cocktails and snacks. Spending time with other sailors is very entertaining and enhances the network of friends we have down in this part of the world.

We left Mayreau this morning and headed to Union which is the most southern Grenadine and although we just arrived a few hours ago, we did take a quick dink ride into town. It is charming! I am looking forward to spending more time here. The cruising guide says this island has the best hikes of all the Grenadines AND, although it comes and goes, we can get the internet on the boat here. That hasn't happened since Antigua!!!