Barbados Part 1

We checked in at Port St. Charles as recommended in the latest cruising info. It is a relatively new marina built in 1997 and is very well kept due to the yacht club here.

Customs & Immigration building

Moosetracks anchored off. 

The nice dinghy dock.

 After checking in we moved to Carlise bay

The old dock with unusual screw lift

The nearest beach bar for wifi

You always feel safe due to these guys patrolling

 We spent a day exploring the Garrison at Savannah.

The race track and finish line

One of the historical garrison buildings

A collection of cannons
 

Another walk was to vist the north of Bridgetown, the Mount Gay bottling plant & visitor center being a good reason to walk and not drive! The tour of the plant is a bit short but they do have a nice video room as well. they are also very generous with the rum samples. If you wear your red sailing regatta hat like Devin did you get in free too!

The bottling plant

Just a few of the famous red hats

Our very knowledgeable guide Rumal

 We stopped to see Kensington Oval the center of Barbados cricket.

The Oval

Some batting practice

We finished off walking back to Bridgetown for lunch and more sight seeing.

Parliament building

Lord Nelson in Trafalgar square

The Barbados Parliament buildings

 We continued to St Michael's cathedral in the center of town since 1665.

The alter

The organ

From the balcony

 And back to little poop (the dinghy)

The dingy tie up in the carenage

Almost every day we are anchored here these horses are brought to the beach for exercise by their trainers. It was fun to watch the horses having a great time swimming out in the bay, they get right amoung the boats anchored here.

Quite by accident we arrived in Barbados during race week and the culminating race around the island. the blue trimaran below was the eventual winner.

Warming up

They are off

The 2 trimarans battling it out.

 We had a wonderful tour of the island by our fantastic friends Hendy and Ingrid. The both grew up on Barbados but left like so many for jobs overseas. They me in New York, NY, and married there before moving to Florida. In Florida we were lucky to buy the house next door and we became great friends.

St James old of the oldest churches

The beautiful ceiling

The unusual organ

 On to Port St Charles and its beaches.

Devin, Ingrid and Hendy

 A short stop at St Peter where Ingrid still attends services as she did as a girl.

St Peter's church

Next we went to St Nicholas Abbey and grounds. it is a well maintained plantation house and sugar plantation. They now have resored much of the plantation buildings and built a new distillery inside them.

opened fully

The valentines made of shells.

A gentleman's chair

We bought an aged rum and had the bottle engraved "Private Reserve of Moosetracks 2016"

Engraving our bottle

The steam engine

Inside the disitllery

Explaining the new still capabilities

A wonderful group shot

The abbey grounds

 Back on the north eastern coast for a few photo stops.

The view at Cherry tree hills

Morgan Lewis wind mill

Driving past the eroded coastal rocks on the shore and a stop for lunch at Bathsheba

The eroded limestone rocks at Bathsheba

The Anglican church 

 On to Codrington college and the lovely grounds of the seminary. It is really peaceful and must be wonderful to study in such calm surroundings.

The pond in front

The seminary

The rear view

We finished the island tour with dinner at the fish fry shacks at Oistins. Hendy has a favorite guy he always goes to, it  was well worth waiting for a table as the food is delicious.

Dinner in Oistin 

Oistin is very busy at weekends!

We hope all our friends and family are well.