Mustique to Canouan

We are on borrowed time so the post will be short, meaning that we are renting a computer at the Tamarind Beach Hotel at a rate of $5 US per 30 minutes.
We had 2 rainy days on Mustique which came with a couple of minor leaks through the starboard fixed port and the mast boot. This was only for a few minutes of very heavy driving rain.
On our last full day on Mustique we took a walk to see The Cotton House, a former plantation turned super luxurious resort hotel. It has only 17 rooms and we were able to visit one because we'd made friends on Bequia with a German couple who we then ran into at the hotel. Even though they were chartering a catamaran, Thorsten who is much more of a sailor than Angelika, promised his wife several nights in a hotel. He bought us a drink and then invited us to see his room. Wow! Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the beach, the sea and far off the island of Bequia. Roger and I decided to have dinner as they had a special BBQ that night which turned out to be delicious and actually quite reasonable.
We sat at a table for 6...us, Thorston and Angelika (who own a scaffolding business in Hamburg) and another couple we met at the bar before dinner who had just arrived from London for 10 days ($700 per night w/o food) -- and this was their 7th visit to The Cotton House. It was a very pleasant and international evening. The Cotton House provided us with a driver who took us back to the dinghy dock when we were done.
We shopped early Sunday AM at the local (and expensive) food market before we left as we had been told the islands we were planning on going to next (Canouan, Mayreau and Union) would have less provisions and be even more dear.
We arrived in Lower Bay of Canouan after a 2 hour sail (which Roger is itching to describe) and dropped anchor and pent two nights there. It was fairly peaceful and we did lots of relaxing, some swimming and reading. Roger actually did an unbelievable job cleaning our stove and oven which hadn't had that kind of cleaning since I can't even remember.

{Roger here: The wind was 20 to 27 knots from 230 magnetic, directly behind us. So we sailed 260 and then 200, with a jibe in between. We covered the 12 miles in two hours with double reefed main and no headsail, with waves pushing us. Rounding the north end of the island we had intended to anchor in Corbay, described as very small and the most protected but a bit industrial. However, we blew right past it without seeing it and anchored in Little Bay in 20 feet of water with 70 feet of chain. We were behind a small headland and projecting reef that broke up the incoming swell somewhat, and about 100 feet from the western shore on which the remaining swell broke on the rocks. We were there with three very small boats sailed by Frenchmen (one of whom had a woman with him.) They had sailed here from Europe via Brazil on a 25 foot boat. Next morning they left and a 90 footer and two catamarans joined us. The anchorage was uncomfortably rolly -- at one point 10 degrees on either side of horizontal.}

Today, Tuesday, we left the anchorage at about 9 AM, for the one mile motor trip into Grand Bay which is the main harbor on the island. Whitty loves to sit on top of the bimini as soon as we turn on the engine and begin moving. I generally have to capture him and put him below until Roger raises the sails. Since we didn't raise the sail I let him be. Never again!!! What a scare we had. All of sudden he wasn't there and wouldn't respond to my shaking his treats....which he ALWAYS responds to. Roger turned the boat and we got ready for a search and rescue at sea. Then Alpha Girl jumped onto the dodger and up onto the boom and went all the way forward and into the stackpack (sail cover) . Could he be there? He was. They are really unbelievable mates and AG led us to him.
We took a mooring, gathered laundry and let Alvin...boat boy....take us into town with our garbage and laundry. We walked for hours, had a local lunch, found this place so we could communicate a bit with you, and we will head back to the boat as soon as Alvin meets us at 3 PM. Tomorrow we decided to sail the few miles to the Tobago Cays for their world famous snorkeling as the winds are supposed to lessen a bit and we will be even more comfortable there with less wind. The cays are several small low lying islands that stop the waves but not the wind. There is absolutely nothing there but land and sea so we sleep, read snorkel and rest and eat. I am looking forward to that experience.