An Easter Weekend Staycation In Grenada

It’s been 11months- almost a year since we settled down in Grenada. The seasons have changed and the cooler months of winter are coming to an end. My feelings for Grenada ebb and flow with the tide; one minute all I can see is the beauty here, the bright, the bold, the colourful, the uncomplicated friendliness of a small island. I enjoy our life here and I can see a future. Everything is great in my little piece of paradise. The water sparkles, the boat bobs gently in a calm breeze. The sky is the brightest blue and the birds chirp brightly. Ashore the land is lush and plentiful, palm trees bend gently in the wind, and flowers burst in colour and fragrance. Locals and friends greet you with smiles and charm and I genuinely feel lucky and privileged to be here; especially when there is so much craziness and uncertainty in the rest of the world.

View from the bus stop above Whisper Cove - Clarks Court Bay and Hog Island.

Then the tide turns and my feelings rush in the other direction, I long to get out of here, to set sail and be free.  The heat is oppressive, the friendly faces unwelcoming and the bureaucracy of a small island and community are draining. But these moments are less and less these days as we find our groove here. Sure there are moments when im just itching to leave and start quizing Sim about how long he wants to stay here. But then I remember what I often tell people, that I love living on a boat and travelling but that I can take or leave the sailing part. So perhaps this is the best place for us for now....until I work up the gumption or we save enough cash to go sailing again.

Wandering Star in her spot at Hog Island

 Sim is happy at work and enjoys his weekends pottering. I take huge pleasure in exploring this gorgeous island and have been lucky enough to do plenty of that recently with friends or on hashes.  Together we keep the boat running, Sim fixes things as they arise and I take care of the daily chores.  Noodling in the mornings with the girls (and some guys) is a godsend to my sanity, without which I would probably lose my mind and I also get a little exercise as well. 

Easter weekend has been and gone and Sim, who was still on holiday after a visit home to see his mum and family in the UK, had a few extra days off. So we shook out those sails and meandered around to St George's for the weekend.  It was a great break and good to way to make sure Wandering Star is still in working order.  The engine purred and the winches, sails and windlass all still work.  We had a chilled and relaxed few days pottering on the boat, snorkelling on the reef off Grand Anse Beach and beach combing on Pandy beach.  The water was clear and inviting, unlike in Hog Island and thankfully it wasn’t too rolly for the time we were around there.  Sim cooked the most amazing pork roast on Easter Sunday and Monday we pootled back around to Hog Island. We picked up our mooring and back to work (for some) it is.

Finally a sail after 11 months of not moving!

What do we get on the sail to St George's but a glorious sundog or sun halo.

Sim sitting patiently on Pandy beach while I hunt for sea glass.

Me and some of the noodle girls having a farewell coffee morning for those that are leaving.

Easter is traditionally a time for kite flying in the islands.

A quiet Hog Island....except for the cows.

Mum, Dad and baby cow on Hog Island.

Our favourite little furry thing

Beautiful Grenada, La Sargesse beach,  Lance Aux Pines beach and a goat!

On some of the hikes and hashes in Grenada 

Nature's amazing shapes and patterns.

The hiking gang, Cathy, Cathy, Cora and Andy. Grand Etang lake and Cora and I sitting at the top of Mount Qua Qua.

Tracy and I have been on lots of little outings recently including the various forts around St George's.

Grenada - A Little Bit Of Paradise

The bays in Grenada are starting to fill up as boats continue to arrive for hurricane season. Every day there are a ton of activities to chose from depending on where you are. Thai chi or yoga in Prickly Bay, Zumba, Mexican train dominos, quizz and bingo nights. Live music in one of the bars, in one of the bays almost every night. Shopping busses, Turtle watch busses, busses to the weekly hashes on a Saturday or the food festival up in Gouyave on a friday. Free busses to Budget Marine or Island Water World. Not to mention monthly full moon parties, boat jumbles and dinghy concerts held on a barge.

Hog Island anchorage.

We have been kept around in the Clark's Court Bay area (we are currently on a friends mooring in Hog Island while they are away), as Sim has started to work at Palm Tree Marine at the Clark's Court Boatyard. So while Sim is out earning a few dollars I'm left to take care of the boat. But what with noodling most mornings, a weekly shopping bus trip, a laundry trip, trips into St Georges, water runs, hashes and hanging with friends, I don't actually get much maintenance done! Luckily after all the work in the boatyard in America, Wandering Star is doing great. And I promise to step it up a notch when I return from a visit to the UK. 

The carenage St George's

We are loving it here in Grenada, it is truely glorious. And while political turmoil goes on in the rest of the world, I think we are grateful for our little piece of paradise right here.

Beautiful purple water Lillies

I joined Trudy and Andy from Manurava for a hash in the nearby Springs area.
Despite a grey day - I still love walking through the Grenadian countryside.

The monthly boat jumble at Secret Harbour Marina

The dinghy concert on the barge at Caliviny Bay.

Mr Killa and the rebel band were awesome.
Apparently he's a big Grenadian star and we were honoured that he would do such a small venue.

The Carenage, St George's

More of St George's waterfront.

Christ the deep statue overlooking the carenage - a thank you gift to Grenada for helping the surviours of the Bianca C cruiseship

A church up one of the side streets in St George's.

Beautiful pink climbing vines at Mount Hartman.

Mango trees dripping with fruit on the hash in Springs.

One of my favourite flowers the purple waterlilly.

With all the rain we have been getting, everything is in full bloom - top to bottom, left to right..
Red Flamboyant tree, yellow Flamboyant tree
Mango tree, Breadfruit tree.

Mum And Dad Join Us For A Jolly

Prickly Bay from Lance Aux Epines Beach

My Mum and Dad arrived last Tuesday.  Although they are staying at the lovely Lance Aux Epines cottages on the beach at Prickly Bay, we took them out for a sail and a spot of fishing over the weekend.  Sadly we did not catch anything as we trolled the line back and forth.  The winds were light but we had decided only to use the headsail and engine as the protective sun bimini needs to come down in order for the mainsheet to be attached to the main.  A feature we don’t like but there you go.  We wanted sun protection for Ma and Pa.  We trolled the line back and forth, then two miles north of St Georges – as squalls and clouds gathered around us, the engine decides to die and we get air in the system.  The way it is set up at the moment it is not an easy fix at sea.  Because of an odd on shore breeze we quickly hosted the mainsail and then coasted along at 2kts with the current, hoping to make it into St Georges before the tides changed and the wind pushed us the wrong way.  We anchored for the 2^nd time this year very successfully under sail.  Sim went about changing fuel filters and bleeding the system.  All was well again.  We had a BBQ that night and hoped to glimpse the partial eclipse of the moon.  Sadly it was too discrete to see.  What we did get to witness was a moon bow – like a rainbow only the light is from the beaming full moon rather than the sun. Unfortunately no photos but it was pretty cool. 

Mum and Dad being taken for a ride

The next day we moved up to the snorkel park at Molliniere Point. Here Dad and I snorkeled on the underwater sculptures that encourage marine growth.  We didn’t stay for long as a big squall came in.  The sky clouded over and the calm seas turned into breaking waves.  Wandering Star was pitching on her mooring, we were keen to get underway as these mooring buoys are notorious for breaking free.  We were only a couple of hundred feet away from a rocky shore.

Viscisitudes

Now we are safely back in Prickly Bay on a (maintained) mooring that someone has very kindly let us use while we try to figure out how out how to repair a bleed nipple that we (I) broke off the steering gear while we were bleeding the system!  Ooops  

The calm before the storm

Bright Coral

Sunday Burger day at Lance Aux Epines cottages

Lance Aux Epines Beach

St Georges anchorage

Squally day