Somehow Admiralty bay Bequia was a beautiful night. Cool breeze, late anchor, on the second attempt, the hook was set, we cursed the windless, but damn if I didn’t sleep like a baby at the better anchorage location, only getting up twice to check on the world around. Well actually a few more times, but re-assured myself by looking out the window and spotting our neighbors, and consulting the gps, whose batteries were ‘low’, but a great nights sleep.

Didn’t even notice the ferry’s leaving that send rollers through the anchorage, almost cold, used the sheet as a winter parka to stay warm.

Woke up a bit hungy, so breakfast was in order. Diet coke it was. We still needed beer, and had plans to get going sometime today, not very far, but around the island and further east, to Mustique.

Made some bacon and scrambled eggs with home fries, getting pretty good at my home fries. Course bacon always rules.

Christine cleaned up my mess, and it was time to go ashore, beer beckoned.

Holy dingy dock, not a spot one. However, we found a pseudo spot on the corner, we came with 3 cases of empties to recycle, a bit of trash, and in search of a tater, green pepper, and any fruit, we could come by. The fruit stand is next to the trash, so we headed there first, left the empties in the dingy. Some new lady has setup her own stand 1/2 between the dingy dock and the real veggie/fruit market. Lots of action there. Felt sorry for our regulars in the fruit market. We dropped off trash and were heading back to the new lady, but fruit market guy recognized me, I’m stuck. He had Fresh tomatos, awesome ones too, we picked up a a few and a papaya, my favorite. RESPECT the locals and they remember you. Tho we did visit the new lady cause she had the avocados that looked good. Hard but good, talked her out of the 3 minimum requirement and our veggie fruit shopping bag was full.
Just adult beverages left.

The closest grocery store had what we wanted, but wanted to charge deposit, but hey, I had 3 cases of empties in the dingy, and they were of the same brand “Carib”. Ran, er, walked, to get them. Wrong, the carib from Grenada is different from carib from SVG, the glass bottles are different colors, brown vs clear, so its pointless to recycle.

Christine negotiates her Shandy’s down 30% off the initial price, to make em closer to my beer price, now if she can do that with the Vodka drinks we’d retire early.

Back to the boat, a few mins of internet, and we are off. Well as fast as our finicky windless will allow us, motoring around the corner directly into the wind. Up the coast, we drop the fishing lines, make water, and turn on the inverter to charge laptops, etc. Its getting rough, big waves as we clear the north east coast of Bequia. We head out into the atlantic bare poles, with out sails. We see our course, we head to wind, raise the main, 2 reefs its blowing 26 knots, fall off and pull 2 reefs on the jib, leave the motors running, making water and charging laptops. Not making enough electric to cover what we are burning, but top off both tanks with water.

Damn birds keep following our lures, then finally it happens. The big seagull picks up the line, with lure and tries to fly away, WTF? I thought fish were stupid but birds too? Looked harmless enough, kind of like we were flying a kite. Fishing line in the air, bird flying, but then the line wrapped around its wings. Into the water it fell, and now drug behind the boat. Doh. We slow the boat, reel in the line, and damn bird has a 4 inch beak and bitting anything close to it. Get it on the transom without it biting me, and it bites the swim ladder. I’m convinced the swim later now has the bird flue. I notice the fish hook hasn’t actually stuck the bird yet. So there is hope. Gently pulling the line, and swinging it over one wing at a time, I was able to get the bird untangled, and it fell into the water behind the boat. And then it flew, slowly, with difficultly at first, but it gained flight, and its buddies all clapped and high-fived his efforts.

A little while later the other reel started to sing, something small. Slowed the boat, something silver this time. A fish. Got closer it was a cuda, a quick action with the pliers and he was swimming again too. Done with fishing for the day, we are almost to the Rich and Famous.

We got here, a few moorings available, 3 or 40ish. We chose our favorite location, not easy to pick up the mooring, we had 3 options, but before we could execute either of them the harbor master showed up and plan 4 was executed and done much easier, we are hooked. For the next 3 nights.

Now, if you get here late in a ‘small boat’, under 60 feet you are allowed to anchor if the balls are all full or if you are over 60′ you are required to anchor. This is where the comedy starts, the 70+ beautiful sail boat, tries umpteen times to anchor all over the bay. Finally 1.5 hours later they get hooked. An Ex-charter boat, anchors next to us, little scope, it looks good, they dive on the anchor, 2 of the 4 crew think its good. 30 mins later we look up, they are 300 feet from us, oblivious that they are dragging back to venezuela. Finally they realize as I’m about to drop the dingy and tell em, and the harbor master see’s em trying to re-set the anchor next to us, takes them to the ‘rolley’ side of the anchorage, maybe they’ll set the hook there.

Cold beverages and good wifi, we are part of the rich and famous. Pesto chicken and pasta for dinner. Cold north wind, and by cold I mean 79 degrees, but we are sporting long sleeves on the foredeck.

Tomorrow, maybe some boat projects, a snorkel, a hike, who knows…..

Working hard has its meanings. Paddling out delivering bread and fruit in the morning.

Snack. Don’t mind the empties in tags sink.

Yes. The water is that color.

Boat that anchored next to us. About to realize they are not anchored at all.

Fun