Grenada

Before leaving Carriacou we had Regatta week to enjoy. It is a small island regatta with mostly local boats and a few cruisers entering. Our friends on Tumultuous Uproar and Four Seasons had both entered for the double handed round the island open races and had great fun. Uproar also entered the crewed race. Both won prises and Uproar was first in both races and overall winner.

We decided to walk to Paradise beach to watch local boats leaving from there and the following day we went out on the Carriacou Fun Runner to watch the races up close.

On board the Fun Runner

The roof of the Fun Runner - Rene and Stacey plus others

A local sloop hiked well out.

The beach start for local boat, very frenetic

There is also a fund raiser for the local Children to aid them with school supplies and attending higher education. So we volunteered with our friends to sell all the donations. It was a very long day and although a slow start it was just short of last years record high in money raised.

Keith, Micheal and Devin at the Tech Table.

While in Carriacou we noodled 3 times a week with Liz often leading the exercises, the numbers were often over 20 people!

Ariel photo of noodling from a drone.

We arrived in Grenada in the southern bay of Clark's Court and took a favorite spot at Calvigny Island cut. It is a very exclusive private island with some famous guests renting it for weeks at a time. 

Calvigny Cut

Sun Set at Calvigny Cut looking at Nirvana64

Of course we had to attend the Carnival in Grenada, we have done it before but missed the lighted parade so we decided to buy the party pack and go for it this year. It was a slow start as everything is still on Island time, but eventually we found our beer truck and dutifully paraded around it while enjoying the ambiance of the night (and a beer or to).

Linda, Keith and Devin, Russ behind us.

It is a huge night parade with lots of people out.

We were here for almost four weeks and have to share just how delicious Liz' makes a pizza these days, it really makes me not want to go out for one.

To die for good!

We had a walk around the new Clarks Court Boatyard to see the boat lifts, workshops and chandlers. It all looks very impressive with lots of on-site facilities and a nice large Chandlers. We might haul out here in future so it was well worth a look.

More wonderful sun-sets in the Cut, it is just and easy place to stay with a great breeze of the boat in the hot summer temperatures.

Very Nice sun set

While we were here the guests had a wonderful firework party which we of course had ring side seats to enjoy. Pipe muh Bligh was a little too close and stood by with buckets of water just in case. No issues though and some ear shattering booms on their boat no doubt.

A great display for free!

We had a lot of friends in Secret harbor and with a walk to town go right past the Pub with its own micro brewery, well need I say more? We took several trips to imbibe the wonder real ales made on site and had wonderful evenings with friends to treasure ever after.

The selection of real ale and Cider

The Brewery has a good following with our friends

Well we had renewed Devin's US passport at the consulate here and extended our Grenada vise at St Georges so we were all done for the main Island and wanted the peace and quiet of Carriacou again. Do not mistake us, we do love all the activities and friends in Grenada but it feels very busy there but we crave the quiet. So as we leave Grenada we decided to visit the sculpture park where a local Artist has sunk lots of statues over several years and allowed the reef to claim them.

Anchored of St Georges

The wonderful beach at St Georges

We snorkeled the site for just over an hour and to our knowledge only missed a few of the statues, maybe we will get them next time.

A plaque

Liz though this looks like Charley Chaplain?

Maybe a Mayan influence?

They are all over in this one gully

The newer of the 2 standing rings

Saying a prayer

The older standing ring has much more growth on the figures

Wonderful growth on some

The surface view of one ring

Salutations

The working man?

A mermaid in shallower water

Fabulous coral growth

A golden headed girl

There were of course a few fish in the coral as well.

Here is a short video of the Standing Ring, it was a single free dive for Devin.

We had a wonderful sail to Carriacou with a motor behind Grenada for an hour to catch the breeze and no need to tack before arriving at Sandy Island.

Western side of Grenada as we go north.

Coffee underway

We hope everyone is have a great summer.

Still in Carriacou

Well we enjoy it so much in Carriacou we are still here a month later. Lots of friends have come and gone be we seem to be stuck. We really enjoys the hiking with awesome views and trails as well as noodling and diving in the clear waters.

We enjoyed another wonderful evening at Ms Lucky's with Greg, Jo, Keith and Linda. It is always a great night with BBQ chicken or ribs and Clark's Court rum.

Liz, Greg, Jo, Devin Keith and Linda

We arranged another walk to the peninsula to the north of the bay, stopping at the secluded beaches

Our group for the walk

We lead another group walk to the south of Carriacou.

Lots of smiles

We took anothe Lionfish hunt with Diane and Richard of Lumbadive. This time we got some nice video and pictures of a lobster in a marine park, so no taking even though I'm holding a spear.

A spotted Drum

A cow fish

A lobster smiling in the park.

We did another walk to the south point of Carriacou and around to the wrecks off the coast.

Another large group of walkers

The wreck we found - a very old Scottish ship we think.

Of course with so many friends in the bay we had some over to Moosetracks for sundowners.

John, Jo, Keith and Linda

On another walk we took a differnet group around the hills behind Tyrell bay.

Cows on  the beach in Tyrell bay

The girls and the spiked tree.

A very small tortoise

Happy we are at the top of the walk?

Our group

Liz, Jo and Linda

Of course it included a stop at the bakery

We are so regular they gave us a tour of the wood fired oven

Jo from Out of Africa had a birthday party at the Iguana restaurant, we all had a fantastic night.

Stacey, John and Jo

Lighting the cake

Diane singing at the party

Devin, Mike, Rene

Liz, Linda and Jo dressed up.

Well Devin had to do another dive with Lumbadive before leaving the bay so off he went again.

Lots of life on the reef

Nice spotted drum

Lionfish kill shot

One off the reef in the bucket

Beautiful Angelfish

Lovely colors

Devin

A great Angelfish shot

Well it does happen very rarely but it was bath time for the boys on Moosetracks. They don't like it when they are still wet at bedtime and have to sleep in the cabin. But they do love the views while sunbathing on deck.

Bath time

Chrssie and Moosie sun bathing

We had a walk of the the ruins of the resort at Cassada.

Another walk on the east coast with a large group

Chris come up to the resort

It must still has wonderful views

Stunning island views too

There was a call on the radio for a full moon dinghy drift so we all prepared appetizers to share and took our drinks for a late night drift in the mangroves.

Music at the drift

Well attended too

The full moon over our dinghy drift

We organised another long walk around from Hillsborough to Windward where they make local boats from the forest trees. We took the local bus to Hillsborough to start and return by local buses from windward after a 4 hour hike.

The start of the trail

The beach was stunning

Taking a rest on the beach

The path back up the other side of the beach

A local careening his boat in Windward

A local boat yard with boat in progress

Another builder with a fishing boat under construction

We went to Hillsborough again to do some shopping and enjoy the local Mango festival,

Ice cream at the festival was lovely

Of course with lots of mango's

Liz helped each Saturday to give local kids swimming lessons on the beach. Organised by Lumbadive it is a program to get kids swimming and to enjoy the local water

Liz teaching a local girl

Diane teaching local kids

We also celebrated Richard's birthday at their nearby home. Lots of locals and friends turned up and we had a wonderful evening.

A party on the lawn

We loved the walk to Black beach bay so much we took some more folks there.

Look what we found

One of two wells on the walk for local wild stock

Our group

The beach has many of these volcanic rocks all over it.

Nice picture Liz

We had to stop at the car repair and bar again.

We also joined the goup of cruisers to volunteer at the Children's auction and flee market. It was well attended and we raised a near record amount for the event, only surpassed by last years total. It all goes to helping the kids attend schools and colleges locally.

The volunteers

Well it's regatta time so we took off to Paradise beach to watch the first day.

Carriacou sloop racing from the beach

The dramatic start off the beach

Racing is hard work so you need to keep hydrated

Post race back on the beach

The nice sloops

We booked a day out on Sunday with fellow cruisers on the Carriacou Fun Runner a modified catamaran that takes day tours. Our trip was to watch the local built Carriacou sloops, of all sizes, race around the bays. It was a great day out and included a snorkel of of Sandy Island as well, just a shame we didn't get any great photos as our battery ran out.

Well with the regatta over we are off to Grenada for Carnival and a bit of shopping. We love Carriacou but the shopping is a bit limited and we need a few things that are difficult to find here.

We hope all our friends are having a great summer.