As suggested in our last email we did enjoy another bounty of lobster and conch before we left Union Island in favor of Petit Saint Vincent (PSV). This tiny island is home to a very exclusive and private resort and is surrounded by a huge coral reef. We enjoyed a very quiet and picturesque anchorage there for several days before deciding it was time to head over to the Tobago Cays. Shortly after leaving PSV a rather nice sized tuna attached itself to my little green Magnum lure. Landed and filleted in short order we made a fast decision to change that night’s menu from beans and cornbread to mesquite grilled tuna. “Tanee” had not joined us on this leg so it was up to the crews of “Runal” and “Ma’alahi” to go it alone with the task of eating the fish. With no reinforcements available we were not up to the task, although many gallant efforts were made. However, with the aid of refrigeration the job was completed at the next day’s noon meals aboard both “Runal” and “Ma’alahi”. After a week of snorkeling the beautiful reefs and enjoying one of the premier spots in all the Caribbean we left the Tobago Cays and headed north for Bequia where “Runal’s” mail should be waiting and we would have a close encounter with another tuna. “Runal” got their mail but due to a tactical error upon hooking the fish we crossed over the line and it cut loose. We obviously need more practice.

Although we’ve now been in Bequia for 11 days we haven’t done very much ashore due in part to the fact that we were here in July and saw most of it then and that the weather has been quite windy and occasionally squally. One day, though, we all took a hike over the mountain to Hope Beach. The hike was straight up and straight down but we were treated to a fantastic beach lined by an enormous stand of coconut palms. With our machetes we hacked open greens ones to drink the coconut water and hacked the nuts out of the brown ones for the meat. We’ve been snacking on fresh coconut every day since and we’ve made an interesting discovery: Miss Augie LOVES coconut! This crazy dog very seldom begs for food (it’s usually Claudia begging her to eat) but she’s made a big exception for coconut.

Well, we’ve been patiently waiting for a break in the weather in order to get to sail north up to Martinique but the strong trade winds have been blowing stronger every day out of the northeast and the seas have been building as well. The high pressure system up in the Atlantic that has caused all this is now finally starting to move east and should be replaced by a low coming off the U.S. east coast in the next day or two which should calm the winds a bit and bring an easterly or east-southeasterly flow. We’re getting ready to take advantage of it and hope to clear out of Saint Vincent on Wednesday and head north. We’ll send another update from France. In the meantime, how about letting us hear from YOU!

David and Claudia