Swimming with Turtles

Sailing in the Caribbean is all blue skies, warm steady breezes with cotton-wool clouds drifting by….. Wrong! It rains here. Every day. Heavy showers fall from leaden skies in gusts that can reach 28kts. Despite that we’ve had a lot of fun. Sue Clutton joined in Grenada and we have sailed North, stopping at Carriacou, then Union Is, and the Tobago Cays.

Salt Whistle Bay in the corner of Mayreau Is. is a stunning anchorage in the Tobago Cays National Marine Park. Creeping around the reef, and up to the beach, we dropped the hook in just 3m, then swum ashore to sit under the palm trees that stretched over the turquoise water lapping around our toes. We enjoyed that cold beer.

The Cays were awesome. Slipping into the crystal clear waters it wasn’t long before turtles surrounded us. Big leatherback turtles looked us in the eye, as curious of us as we were of them. Quietly we watched them feed as fish of all colours, patterns, shape and size darted around us. The open patches of sand were littered with big starfish. Stingrays cruised through, and barracuda kept a steely vigil on all that went on.

This is pirate country. Jonny Depp style. It was here they were marooned. Moving just a few miles further north we dropped the anchor in Wallalibou bay and tied the stern to the same jetty that JD stepped onto. Much of the film set is still there, along with costumes and tales…….

The cruising lifestyle wasn’t for Roy. He is returning home.. He missed all the treats of the Cays, leaving them to Sue Clutton and me.

We are now in St Lucia. Marigot Bay has changed beyond belief. The snug anchorage and hurricane hole at the head of the bay is now full of moorings and pontoons. The anchorage is busy, the bars and restaurants are lively, and the rain is very, very wet…..