GRENADINES

GRENADA TO ST. VINCENT

Leave St. George's in Grenada early in the morning and stop off at the perfect sandy islands in Carriacou (40 miles). Here anything goes, this is the epitome of the perfect tropical island. The beach is as it comes with anything on or nothing to cover at all. Perhaps a look ashore at the small, rustic town on this island and cocktails in the bay to south. Here the boat boys will bring you fresh water oysters if you have the taste. He shucks them right there for you. Great Bay for water skiing.

A good sail out to Petite St. Vincent. This is a very exclusive resort which may be a good spot to choose to dine ashore or just anchor off for the evening. Your Captain could call ahead on the VHF radio if you did want to go ashore. This resort has been written about in many of the top travel magazines, so the food can be guaranteed to be good. Spend most of the day exploring the reefs and tiny tropical beaches. An afternoon sail down to Palm Island. There is a great little boutique on this atoll and the Pina Coladas are excellent. An evening of fun with old wine and good friends or is it old friends and good wine?

After breakfast sail south to Maru Island and Salt Whistle Bay. On arrival swim in the crystal clear waters and visit the rustic resort. After lunch a short trip across the bay to the Tobago Cays. This is the best snorkeling in the world, either directly from the yacht or head out to the reef in the dinghy. The boat boys will keep you entertained selling anything from T-shirts to fresh bread and lobsters. Perhaps tonight will be the lobster feast for dinner. You'll want to spend another night here.

After breakfast and a swim it's time to set the sails and head for Mystique. Mystique is a huge botanical garden. Tour by foot, taxi or horse back ride past the homes of the rich and famous - Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Princess Margaret and others. Shopping is very exclusive and charming here. Visit the airport if you dare, but be sure to duck when the planes land! Visit the secluded beaches of Macaroni Bay and Sandy Bay. Enjoy afternoon tea at the Cotton House and imagine you have stepped back in time. For divers there is the wreck of the Jonas, a 90 foot dredger that lies in 40 feet, or drift dive at the Pillaries, a steep slope that drops from 20 to 90 feet. Large, soft corals, reef fish, nurse sharks and barracudas abound. Sundowners at the famous Basil's Bar - you can't miss it and you just never know who might be there!

Sail across the bay to Bequia. See traditional boat building or perhaps shopping at the local markets. Bequia was once the home of whaling in the Caribbean. For the divers, Moon Hole is a deep dive or Devil’s Table which is a wall dive. Enjoy maximum visibility in crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. Snorkel the reefs of St. Margaret's beach, for hikers, there is a beautiful coastal walk to French bay, or experience the open market run by the Rastafarians. Dinner onboard after sun downers and for those who like to party a trip ashore will be exciting. A choice would be to listen to the Bequia string quartet at the Gingerbread House (island music).

After breakfast set sail for St. Vincent, a comfortable sail, watching out for whales and dolphins. The whales come to breed here in the summer months. St. Vincent is an island of towering mountains and dense green forest. After lunch see Soufriere, a 3000 foot volcano. Dive or snorkel off bottle and the deep clear waters filled with fish life and dark volcanic sands. A trip to the falls of Baleine is recommended. Enjoy a restful dinner with friends and family and relax those legs after some steep hiking.