St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a Leopard 46 - observations/experience

[Saleen411]

Thanks for the write up. We ALMOST did this a couple of weeks ago but did the Abacos instead.

I was actually talked out of the St. Vincent to Grenada trip by the charter company....seems they didn't have a high opinion of the people we would meet along the way as opposed to the folks in the Bahamas....who were REALLY REALLY nice!

I think we may still will give this a go next year if we don't do Phuket instead. We too travel extensively and am really wondering if we really need to buy a large cat at all. The last one we just sailed had A LOT of mx issues.....it was nice to just make a call and have the chase boat mechanics deal with our issues.... and then hand in the keys when we were finished.

[sjcdwright]

Starboard tack the whole way would mean very unusual wind Conditions for this area. I guess long term sailors and charterers see these islands in different ways. Tyrrel bay is a favorite amongst long term sailors here for its safe anchorage, cheap food, haul out facilities, proximity to Grenada for shopping, and bequia, Tobago cays, mayreau, etc. There are neglected boats everywhere Inc Florida which may even have worse spots![/QUOTE]

[Clamdigger]

Your plan to fly to different ports around the World and just charter for 2 weeks at a time is solid! That is a great way to enjoy sailing with family and friends who may not be diehard sailors. Enjoy!

[ol1970]

So couple of follow-up points.

• With respect to Sargassum seaweed...we noticed a few patches out in the open water, none in any of the anchorages. But when we flew out going north I noticed gigantic patches that I thought were literally islands. Thankfully we didn't encounter any of that.
• It is crazy and they absolutely will let anybody charter a boat down there! Sorry I'm still learning all of this sailor lingo on tacks and jibs and stuff. Other things I admittedly screwed up: Forgot to bring the main back to center on a tack and didn't make it through. Anchored temporarily in an exposed spot with a current going opposite the wind and waves...but visiting Mopion's umbrella was worth it. Put our groceries to stay cold in the freezer and our ice in the refrigerator for the first day and a half...and we lost our swabbing bucket at sea. Very embarrassing.
• Lobster cost: I think they were charging about $5/pound. Honestly I didn't bother negotiating much because I like paying a little extra to people who obviously need the money and they are willing to work for it. For dinners they prepared on shore they would give you a 2+ pounder with sides for $40/person. I'm sure everything is negotiable, but again I'm happy to pay a little bit more when visiting new places.
• Tyrrel Bay - I agree with others commenting that I probably didn't get to see the best of what it had to offer. My impression was just this one day, in a particular part of the anchorage that was surrounded by people and boats who checked out of life sometime around 1988, about the same time they last sailed their boats lol. I bet in season there is a ton of fun stuff to do and we didn't go explore the island at all which is not a fair representation of what that anchorage has to offer. We'll be back hopefully with more time on our hands...that's the problem when your cruising friends have pesky jobs to get back to!
• We are travel junkies, and I totally get the concept of living on the boat. I'm pretty confident that is something we are going to do in the future as well, my only observation for us personally is we may change our method to what makes us happy. I originally was thinking a really nice boat to live aboard full time...it was just eye opening to see so many really nice boats (once upon a time) in such a state of neglect. I get it that it is simply a single snap shot during off season in one location, but I think it just made me really realize how these things are all going to end up in a boat graveyard someday. So actually it has me trading my idea of having Outremer 5X to sail the world in style at speed to having a nice 45' Monohull that is nice but not so nice that I feel bad leaving it for a month or two at a time while we go travel home or do some other adventure. We realize that we are very lucky in life because in our early 40's we've done all the hard work and sacrifice, now our investments can fund our fun lifestyle in perpetuity. Add to that access to free air fair and friends on every continent, the list of adventures to be had starts to get out of hand! At some point I see us having a small but beautiful place in one of the tropical locations we are visiting (trying to determine our forever home), having a reasonable size sailboat to explore places until we are ready for the next spot...or to take a break from it. I think keeping things as simple as possible will bring us the most happiness.
• In the past year We've sailed the great lakes here in Michigan, the Abacos, the Archipelago off Sweden's west coast and the Abacos. All spectacular and unique in their own way. I actually liked Sweden the best both from a people and physical beauty standpoint...but I doubt many here would/have sailed their boats there to see how majestic it is. We have go so many more places to visit it's hard to count...next year is sailing Greece and French Polynesia, hopefully they will make our previous trips seem boring and drab in comparison!

I still have a lot to learn and thankfully my loving partner doesn't realize how little I actually know but does understand I'd never put her in harms way

[sjcdwright]

Just like ashore people living on their boats have widely varying incomes. Some have superlative boats and spend 4 to 5000usd per month , eat out lots, travel the islands they visit, other live hand to mouth with very little disposable income. These boats look drab in a hurry. I think it better to wait a few years and ensure you have a solid income from investments rather than jump off with little to spare, assuming your health is good of course.

[ol1970]

Originally Posted by sjcdwright

Just like ashore people living on their boats have widely varying incomes. Some have superlative boats and spend 4 to 5000usd per month , eat out lots, travel the islands they visit, other live hand to mouth with very little disposable income. These boats look drab in a hurry. I think it better to wait a few years and ensure you have a solid income from investments rather than jump off with little to spare, assuming your health is good of course.

I couldn't agree more...I waited too long to retire as my budget ability outweighs the lifestyle that makes us happy without having to touch the principle or sell our land based home, others pull the plug at $1k month. I waited too long for because I'm so damn conservative financially and remember what its like to roll pennies for gas money, others throw caution to the wind...then end up with no back-up plan and a wreck of a boat they can't afford to maintain, but they have some pretty great stories to tell I bet! Somewhere in between is probably the right answer.

[edsml]

ol1970 Thanks for a concise and informative review; you've inspired me to do my own here. I'll have an update for Lihuedooley77 next month after sailing Martinique and Ste. Lucia on a Lagoon 42. I agree with you on Sweden, although I sailed the Stockholm archipelago in 2017. I though it was a "one-off" as a change, but now hope to return. I was also surprised that I was readily able to recruit crew for that sail, which brings me to the 'when you can afford it' question. I started getting friends together in my thirties to split the costs, and 20 years later it's still really the only way I could do it, or want to. The boats have gotten larger (Lagoon 52 this Jan. in BVI), and the costs a little higher, but I still keep it in the $1,200-$1,500 range per person, which even includes meals aboard. I'm now up to about four, one-week+ sails a year. If you're delayed getting to Fr. Polynesia, I may see you in the Society Islands in May 2020 (next June is Sicily and Montenegro).

[rhumbfish]

Originally Posted by Brunet27

Hello. I will returned to my sailboat.....stored in Grenada for the hurricane season. I would like to know about the sargassum seaweeds around there. Thanks.

In early October I saw thick patches of sargassum off of Soufriere, St Lucia, piled up in an eddy under the pitons. The fishing underneath the grass was amazing, and once we passed the St. Vincent Channel the water was clear all the way to St. George. Have a safe trip. Many beaches had sargo at the high tide line but offshore was typically small patches full of mahi, so bring some islander lures.


--Rhumbfish

[bargeisla]

Hello all,
Don't want to be rude or out of context, but I noticed in this thread many "travel junkies" with similar interests in chartering cats.
Just as an FYI, I own a Lagoon 52 with a large charter company and can offer great value on owner's time that I'm not able to use myself (I unfortunately still have to work).
For any details, please get in touch privately.
Thanks & happy sailing.

[cheesewhiz]

Thanks for the write up. My wife and then 13 year old son did this trip in reverse (north) a few years ago on a 41 cat with Horizon and absolutely loved it.

For those planning it:

-Don't miss Bequia. We loved the vibe there and walked all over the island. The burger at the Sugar Reef resort was one of the best we've had. The only thing I'd skip is the Turtle sanctuary, which felt like it was there to entertain humans and sell tickets as opposed to saving turtles

-The people we met were awesome. Didn't have one sketchy interaction except the bread guy in Bequia who didn't return the next morning with our goodies. We heard bad things about Union Island but ended up hitching back from Clifton to Chatham Bay with some of the nicest folks ever. Chatham bay was one of our favorties too (Sekie and Vanessa are great people if you want to support a local restaurant)

-If you are a rookie BVI sailor like I was on this trip get ready for more boisterous conditions (larger seas, currents, island effects). This sailing makes the BVI's feel like a large lake in comparison.

-Tobago keys are as awesome as advertised.

Here's a summary of the trip I did on my blog for those that want more of our experience: https://markjmcguire.com/2015/03/17/back-in-the-saddle/