Provisioned and tidy we arranged a taxi to go do the return trip to the airport to meet my parents. We weren’t sure how long it would take to get through the airport with the additional COVID checks currently in place so we sat at the airport bar and waited for people to start to depart the terminal. It wasn’t too long a wait and my parent emerged from their flight, hot and bit tired but excited to see us and us to see them. The journey back from the airport was pretty quick and we got mum and dad settled before heading to the marina bar for welcome drinks.
We had planned to stay in the marina till the end of the 1st week of their visit, during this time we’d arranged a private island tour via Real Grenadian Tours, Ross and I hadn’t explored much further than St George’s so the tour was an excellent way for us all to see the island. We had a wonderful day, we visited some herb and flower gardens, where they brewed they own personal rum punch and had a tasting.
Next we went to the Annandale waterfall, set back a little from the main road we smiled our way past the seller trying to get us to purchase nutmeg and spice necklaces to see the waterfalls and watch the local who touted for tips by jumping off the high falls into the water below. Rather him than me although the water did look inviting and you could go for a dip if you wanted to, maybe another time.
For lunch we stopped at a local canteen style restaurant in Grenville on the east coast of Grenada, with a view over the windward side of the island. You can bring your yacht inside the reef but the entrance looked incredibly tight and the anchorage didn’t look comfortable, only a few boats sat inside and none looked like they moved or been lived on in years.
After lunch we went to the chocolate factory, to see, briefly, (the tour wasn’t the best) the way the cocoa is processed, buying a few bars of Grenadian dark chocolate flavoured with nutmeg and ginger - delicious. Our last stop was Clarke’s Court Rum distillery, we toured the facilities seeing both the old and new equipment used in the process and obviously to taste test the selection of rums and liqueurs. Heading home with had our bags stashed with rum, chocolate liqueur and a passion fruit liqueur which were delicious.
The Six Nations rugby was still on, so we took my parents to the brewery to watch the match and sample the many ales and ginger beer, it was a fun afternoon tasting the various ales and enjoying the atmosphere of the match.
Making sure we made the most of the swimming pool and proximity to the supermarkets we relaxed for a few more days, stocked up and then early one morning left Port Louis Marina for the anchorages in the south.
The sail down to the bays was initially calm and lovely on the downwind leg, but as we turn east towards the southern end of the island, the Atlantic swell and prevailing winds meant for a bouncy motor. Luckily it wasn’t too far to our first stop Prickly Bay.
The radio net had given us plenty of information on the services and various restaurants, happy hours and specials available, so we spend a few days trying out the local area before heading further east into Clarke’s Court and dropping the hook for a week of swimming and relaxation. The new outboard engine was proving much better especially with 4 of us onboard however upwind everyone does get a little, if not very wet.
Hog Island is written about in all the cruisers guides and was a nice spot for a beer, swim and chill. The anchorage/ mooring field is full, mainly with yacht that haven’t moved in years or been hurricane holed here and never left. It did mean we couldn’t bring the boat round into these calmer waters so the dinghy drive would have to be done to visit.
On the return journey you have to go straight into the wind and once out of the shield of the island its a lumpy and damp ride. On one such occasion my mum took a wave straight in the face making her laugh for the rest of the journey and I found myself frantically bailing to try and ensure we didn’t sink Mini Mist. You can fit four people in our dinghy but two is better especially heading into the wind.
Spotting turtles off the back of the boat became a daily pastime, however being at anchor is hard work, climbing in and out, plus the constant movement of the boat isn’t for everyone, so we made the decision to move to the marina at Le Phare Bleu for the last week of their stay. The marina is lovely, you can make use of the pool, restaurant and the coffee shop with its delicious pastries and cakes. The coffee shop also runs the laundry meaning I could eat cake and enjoy a coffee whilst the laundry was doing its thing.
One of the best (and a bit pricey) shops for provisions was at the marina called Meat and Meet, a wonderful delicatessen/butchers ran by two french ex-cruisers, where you could find treats, cheese (french obviously) and meats not easily found in the Grenadian supermarkets.
From the dock you can see the excluding private residence at Calivigny Island, you can rent it out for exclusive use at a mere $132,000 (Mar 21) per night for up to 40 guests, we just looked at it from from afar and viewed the pictures online, but it was a beautiful place.
During the final week of their stay we were celebrating my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary and Ross’s birthday. We arranged for a taxi with one of the cruisers recommended drivers Chico, as it was a weekday. Our plan was to head back into St. George’s to a restaurant called BB’s, however when he picked us up and we were chatting about the celebrations he made an alternate suggestion for a restaurant called The Sand Bar, near Prickly Bay. Local knowledge is a great advantage so we took his advice and had a wonderful meal. The team cracked open a complimentary bottle of fizz, and those celebrating got free cake for dessert, in fact as the only one not celebrating anything directly I was the only one who didn’t get cake...
As the final days of their stay rolled in we chilled out, tried the cocktails and even attempted a little snorkelling, but the waters so far have been disappointingly green and visibility isn’t great in Grenada.
It was soon time to say goodbye, see you soon and my parents flew back to the UK after a wonderful break and a chance to experience (with a little holiday thrown in) a little bit of this cruising life Ross and I are living.
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