Mayreau and The Tobago Cays

May 28 - 30, 2014

Yesterday I sent an email to a Dutch couple that we met in Turks and Caicos.  They were the first couple we met on the trip that we clicked with -- friendly and fun.  We got together three times while our dockage overlapped.  Wilma and Abraham gave us great suggestions of what to see and where to stay all of the way to Granada.  That is why I was writing to them.  I wanted to thank them again for their input and tell them how helpful their notes have been to us.   When we saw them last, they were preparing to return to their home in Portugal, before moving their boat from Florida to New York to celebrate Abraham's 60th birthday with friends and family that were flying in.  This morning we got an email from Wilma that told us Brahm had died suddenly of a stroke.  We are heart broken.  Two ships cross paths and by the grace of God a special friendship occurs.  Abraham was a great life example:  retiring at 53, sailing Europe, South America and the islands for three years and a full agenda ahead of him.  Once more -- a reminder to not let planning and saving get in the way of living your dreams.

35 - Martinique,  36 - St Lucia,  37 - Bequia,  38 - Mayreau and Tobago Cays 

A -- Saline Bay,  B -- Salt Whistle Bay,  C -- Tobago Cays
Green indicates land and yellow indicates the reefs.

Mayreau Bay -- Just look at that beautiful water!

This beached freighter on rocks near Bequia, kept
the conversation going as we tried to imagine how
did this happened.

Mayreau is part of the Tobago Cays which are in the Grenadines.  The Grenadines include all of the islands from St Vincent to Union Island.  We decided to skip St Vincent checking in at Bequia and out at Union.  

We ordered banana bread from Yellow, one of the
boat boys, last night.  It arrived at 8 AM still warm
from the oven.

The trip to Mayreau was short but rough with waves reaching twelve feet for about an hour.  Brian and I both commented on how much braver we have become.  Our first stop was Salt Whistle Bay.  A lively little spot that is very picturesque with it's half-moon bay, rustic restaurants and shops.  Unfortunately, there were no over sized mooring balls and the seabed was too grassy for our anchor to catch.  We moved on to Saline Bay.  It is lovely, but does not have the personality of Salt Whistle. 

Thursday morning we made another attempt to anchor in Salt Whistle Bay.  Our boat boy, Yellow, was there to show us a spot where we could get a good bite in the sandy bottom.  It was a much easier maneuver as several boats had

Shouldn't this be a movie set? 

already left.  This is a fun location.  There are lots of boats in a small area, which is a little unnerving until you see that they are all well anchored and floating in a co-ordinated dance.  The dingy was launched and it was time to see what was on shore.  The sandy beach felt like pumice under our feet.  We had it mostly to ourselves.  And, the translucent aqua blue water was comfortably warm.  At one point, the land narrows to a width of 50 feet.  Walk across it and you are on the windward side of the island looking at the Tobago Cays.  Our lunch spot was the Salt 

Whistle Bay Club.  Each group is seated at a private table with a thatched roof.  The tables and benches are beautifully made of stone.  After lunch we continued our walk to the end of the beach and a second restaurant called The Last Bar Before The Jungle.   We didn’t venture beyond to see if he was telling the truth.   

A peek of Gotta Smile from our
 lunch table. 

Food in the islands is prepared after you order.
Fast food is not a term used down here.
Brian rested while we waited for lunch to be served.

Rested and fed -- he's a happy guy.

Time for a stroll to the other end of the beach.  And...

The Last Bar Before The Jungle.

Unfortunately, these pictures don't show all of the
colors in the water.  You will just have to come and
see it for yourself.

For those of you coming this way, establish a relationship with one of the boat boys immediately when you enter a bay.  They are very friendly, will do anything for a small amount of money and they respect each others' territory.    Don’t be afraid to say ’no thank you’ if you don’t need what they are selling.  They will quickly be on to the next boat. 






































It was just a over a mile from Mayreau to the Tobago Cays National Park, where we anchored Friday morning.  The water is spectacular with more colors of blue and green than I could count.  Seagulls’ wings reflect the water's color making them look more like wild parrots.  The Cays are an uninhabited series of small islands protected by Horseshoe Reef.  Anchored, we look out to nothing but ocean.  The waves break at the reef, framing this beautiful park and protecting some of the most beautiful anchorages in the Eastern Caribbean.   Go beyond the reef, travel for 19 days and you will arrive in Africa.  No, thanks!





Gotta smile -- we're lovin the ride!