Bequia

Squally day on the east coast of Bequia - Mustique in the distance

After a nearly 10 hour mostly uneventful sail (a squall or two early in the trip), we reached Admiralty Bay in Bequia.  Bequia is in the St. Vincent Grenadines, just south of the main island.  When we investigated and found the anchor to be securely set, Brian went to shore in Port Elizabeth to clear us into St. Vincent.  Kendall and the kids had just put down the swim platform and were ready to get in the water when Marin noticed that the boat next to us was a kid boat!  The kids were getting in the water and swimming our way - and they were speaking English!  Finn (10) and Rada (8) invited the kids to their boat and they all swam over.  Soon the girls were jumping off the roof and Eoin was discussing wildlife sightings with their dad.  Once Brian returned from customs and immigration, he and Kendall dinghied over to the other boat for a visit.  They were a family from Australia living aboard a Lagoon catamaran, traveling, and kiteboarding.

We did not go to shore as a family that night, preferring to rest and have a quiet dinner aboard.  The next morning, went into town on the Belmont Walkway, a trail that winds along the shoreline from Princess Margaret Beach to Port Elizabeth.  The town was beautiful and charming, and we loved it right away.  We walked along the lush greenery on the waterfront road until we reached the Bequia Bookshop, where we perused the many books by West Indian authors they had in stock (and buying a few of them).  After that, we walked to the other end of the town, stopping to visit a model boatbuilding shop, a grocery store, and a batik store.  We also were  fortunate to meet Silma Duncan, Bequia's poet laureate.  She recited a couple of her poems for us and we purchased a children's book she wrote about whales, which she signed for our new nephew/cousin, Seamus.  We were hungry, so we stopped for lunch and had a very enjoyable and informative conversation with our waitress about Bequia, its culture, expats, Moonhole (see the next post for more), and visitors who come by boat.

Later that afternoon, we caught a ride in a pickup truck taxi (a very common mode of transport in Bequia) to visit the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary.  We had a brief tour of the facility, learning about the efforts to protect the endangered Hawksbill turtles.  ​We loved Bequia; it is a place we would like to return to someday.

looking toward the entrance to Admiralty Bay

Marin takes the helm and does all the maneuvering while Eoin raises the anchor. We left Admiralty Bay for the Tobago Cays.