A quick sail finds us in Mayreau – the absolutely beautiful, picturesque island of your Caribbean dreams. While there were plenty of other salty sailors anchored in Salt Whistle Bay, we found a spot in front of the beach and an excellent view of the kiteboarders spinning tricks just off our bow. Jesse, being a semi-pro himself, hauled his kite gear to the beach and took on the waves for a fun evening session.
That night we enjoyed a feast of tuna steaks and conch thanks to Romeo (of the amazing lobster BBQ in the Tobago Cays). Too much food and plenty of rum lead to such a great nights sleep that Jesse woke up extra early to get another kite session in, this time enjoying the waves all to himself. We complete our final exam later that day, and anchor in Bequia for a night out on the town to celebrate our new “Skipper” statuses.
As morning came, the weather turned on us a bit and we were faced with huge swell and cloudy skies on our passage back to Barefoot. Two other Barefoot skipper course sailboats were headed back at the same time, resulting in a three-way race (Fun Fact: any time two sailboats are near each other and headed in the same direction, those boats are automatically considered racing. Prepare yourself.). As we neared St. Vincent and the safety of Blue Lagoon, the wind ramped up and we saw gusts upwards of 30 mph. Yikes!
After successfully anchoring La Mouiette, packing our gear, and saying ichao! to our sailing companions, we hopped a dingy ride over to Fort Duvernette. This fort was built around 1800 to protect the original chief town of Calliaqua; now, it’s a great excursion for anyone visiting St Vincent offering a quick workout and 360 degree views from the top.
Our trip throughout St Vincent and the Grenadine islands was incredible, to say the least. We can highly recommend Barefoot Offshore Sailing School to those interested in earning their skipper ASA certificate. We fell in love with Union Island and hope anyone visiting there would stay at Saint Joseph’s House for their helpful, friendly staff and amazing views, and check out JT Pro Center – kiting or not, this is a great beach with cold beer and wifi access for a small day fee. If you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean and want something other than a typical resort style vacation, check out our other Pirate’s Life videos to see everything we did while visiting the Grenadines!
Gear
Olympus OM-D E-M5 MarkII
Olympus 14-150mm f1.4-5.6 lens
Go Pro Hero 3 Black
Feiyu Tech G4S Go Pro Gimbal
Benro A2573FS4 Tripod
