An Epic Ocean Sail to the Grenadines

We pulled up the anchor in Sainte Anne, Martinique at 2:30 a.m. and headed out into the night under motor with the mainsail raised. Fortunately there was a glorious 3/4 moon which bathed the Caribbean Sea in a beautiful blue hue and sparkled like diamonds on the waves.  As we came around the lee of the island, the winds began to build and we were able to pull out the jib in 14 knots of winds.  We had a fabulous sail, moving along at 7+ knots. 

We reached the top of St Lucia at twilight, with the lights of the island suggesting that islanders were getting up and ready for their day. 

St Lucia is clearly a popular cruise ship destination.   We sailed by 3 massive cruise ships all headed into port that morning. Even though they passed quite close, our timing was perfect.   We did not have to alter course to avoid them or hail them on the VHF radio to make sure they saw us.  

Under the lee of St Lucia, we were able to prepare breakfast and cappuccinos for the hungry crew, which we enjoyed while watching the spectacular sunrise over the island. 

Overnight we had dressed a little more warmly, but as the sun came out, we were able to shed some layers and there were happy faces all around. 

 

A short time later we passed the majestic Pitons, two towering volcanic spires at the southern end of St Lucia.  The Pitons are the major iconic landmark of the island, standing about 2500 ft high. 

The wind was relatively light and on the nose, so we continued motoring for a while as we passed the tip of St Lucia.  After helming for several hours, Roger went for a quick nap, and I took the wheel.  A short while later, the wind picked up to 16 knots and became a beam reach.  Pamela and I pulled out the jib and shortly we were moving along at 8 knots.  With gusts to 20 we got up to 9.5 knots.  As Pamela said, it was her best sailing day ever!

When we arrived in St Vincent, we were happy to quickly find a mooring ball.  Within 30 minutes we had the dinghy launched, raised on yellow quarantine flag, and were headed in to do customs and get the clearance for Pirate.  While the crew went ashore, the officials required that I wait in the dinghy until the veterinarian arrived.  When she finally got there, we were all relieved - and especially Pirate who needed to do her business.  Pirate waited patiently through a full examination, including a temperature check, before the vet provided us the final import permit.  

With papers in hand, we hurried back to the boat and headed to Bequia, as our mooring at the south end of St Vincent was not very protected and would likely prove to be a little rolly overnight.  In Bequia, we found another mooring ball and finally sat back to relax and enjoy the sunset. After 90 nautical miles, and a very full day of travel, we were ready for an early night. 😉 Everyone turned in with great expectations of exploring this beautiful Caribbean town first thing in the morning.