Lobsters On The Grill: St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Caribbean dreams do come true. All I wanted was a grilled lobster, and we found them in the Grenadines. Our first stop was Union Island, a tiny little spit of land where the winds blow strong from the east all winter long. It’s a haven for kite-surfers and the kids took a lesson at Happy Kite, whose base is a cool catamaran café. Kite surfing is hard and at the point where you have to drag your body through the water they both decided they’d had enough.
Our Austrian friends on S/V Firefly (last meeting Fuerteventura) were in the same anchorage, and the rum punch on the beach was flowing. We brought our freshly bought lobster (from a local fishing boat) to Tracy’s where she grilled it up and served it seaside along with Caribbean specialties. It rained and blew hard off and on but we were able to enjoy the meal before heading around to Clifton, the main town, the next day.
We snagged a mooring ball in the wind and toured this tiny town, where most of the livelihood is tourism. After one windy night we moved onto Twassante Bay in Mayreau, where the island protected us from the easterlies. We discovered the Mayreau Beach Club and Restaurant, a beautiful little hotel with a restaurant and swimming pools that they welcomed us to use provided we ate at the restaurant. Happy to do so! It was the best food in the Caribbean so far. The kids enjoyed the white sandy beaches and Rosie never says no to a swim-up bar.
Around the corner are the tiny islands where we spent a day at the famous Alphonso’s (all-you-can-eat) lobster bbq. It’s totally overpriced (we may say this a lot about the Caribbean because things are just so darn expensive) but for a toes-in-the-sand/beer-in-the-hand lunch and then an afternoon swimming with sea turtles, we weren’t complaining. Unfortunately, Gus, who contacted Covid while in Grenada, was relegated to his seat on the bow and didn’t quite enjoy this part of the trip. We are relieved to report that it is possible to be careful even on a small boat and no one else got sick.
The last stop in the Grenadines was the island of Canouan, where a beautiful new marina sits almost completely empty. It’s ready for the megayachts, the air strip is next door, the beach club vibe is happening, the marina grocery is stocked with prime beef and caviar (no kidding), but it’s one of those places that just hasn’t taken off yet. We enjoyed the extremely quiet stay, and Russ and I got to have a spa day at the Mandarin Oriental on the island. But don’t get too relaxed!! Early the next morning we were woken to the sound of the gennaker unfurling itself in the wind. With some help from the sailors next door, five of us got it down and secured. There is always something on a boat….
Later that morning, the sweet ladies at the grocery store offered to braid Rosie’s hair (me too, please!) and we were again on our way, bouncing between islands with the wind and waves on our starboard beam heading north to St. Lucia.
