Bequia, The Grenadines, Windward Islands
As the sun rose so did our sails as we charted a course due west, leaving the Atlantic and heading back into the Caribbean. With all the canvas out it was not long before we entered the channel between the islands of St. Vincent and Bequia, the largest and most northern island of the Grenadines. Columbus first sighted these jewel-like islands surrounded by treacherous reefs on the feast day of St. Vincent, 22 January 1492. For more than 100 years the fierce Carib Indians managed to repel all attempts by the Spanish French and English to settle the Grenadine islands. However, as the tales of the men living free reached the Barbados, the Grenadines became a magnet for runaway slaves. Today, these same islands are a magnet for yachtsmen from far and wide. The Sea Could II dropped anchor in to the sheltered harbor of Port Elizabeth, the largest town on Bequia. Anxious to stretch our legs after a day at sea, we went ashore in Zodiacs and climbed aboard one of the seven brightly colored taxi-trucks for a tour of the island. First stop was Old Fort, the last remaining British shore battery. Climbing the steep lush slopes behind Port Elizabeth our convoy of open taxis crossed the island and headed north to Industry Bay, the home of the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary. Orton King, a retired fisherman and diver gave us a tour of the facility where he has been rearing Hawksbill turtles since 1995. His efforts have greatly increased the numbers of turtles who inhabit the local reefs. Those who did not take the drive, set off for a leisurely afternoon of swimming and sun tanning on Princess Margaret’s beach just south of Port Elizabeth. As the sun dipped behind the western horizon we got ready for a deck buffet and a performance by “the King of Strings” a local calypso band. Can a day in the Caribbean be more perfect than this?
As the sun rose so did our sails as we charted a course due west, leaving the Atlantic and heading back into the Caribbean. With all the canvas out it was not long before we entered the channel between the islands of St. Vincent and Bequia, the largest and most northern island of the Grenadines. Columbus first sighted these jewel-like islands surrounded by treacherous reefs on the feast day of St. Vincent, 22 January 1492. For more than 100 years the fierce Carib Indians managed to repel all attempts by the Spanish French and English to settle the Grenadine islands. However, as the tales of the men living free reached the Barbados, the Grenadines became a magnet for runaway slaves. Today, these same islands are a magnet for yachtsmen from far and wide. The Sea Could II dropped anchor in to the sheltered harbor of Port Elizabeth, the largest town on Bequia. Anxious to stretch our legs after a day at sea, we went ashore in Zodiacs and climbed aboard one of the seven brightly colored taxi-trucks for a tour of the island. First stop was Old Fort, the last remaining British shore battery. Climbing the steep lush slopes behind Port Elizabeth our convoy of open taxis crossed the island and headed north to Industry Bay, the home of the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary. Orton King, a retired fisherman and diver gave us a tour of the facility where he has been rearing Hawksbill turtles since 1995. His efforts have greatly increased the numbers of turtles who inhabit the local reefs. Those who did not take the drive, set off for a leisurely afternoon of swimming and sun tanning on Princess Margaret’s beach just south of Port Elizabeth. As the sun dipped behind the western horizon we got ready for a deck buffet and a performance by “the King of Strings” a local calypso band. Can a day in the Caribbean be more perfect than this?
