This trip will always be remembered as the one with the “Dubya Watch”.  Everywhere we went, there was talk about the U.S. Election, and of course, “W”.  We just couldn't get away from that man.

Lambi on Union Island finally replaced his antique black and white TV that had been nailed to the rafters since the beginning of time.  A brand new color set stood in its place, complete with CNN providing nonstop post-election coverage.  It was “All W, all the time.”  Despite the endless speculation, nothing moved forward except that battalions of lawyers that were appealing everything, including the appeals.  The locals were rather amused by the whole thing.  We were not.

Get Me Outta Here!

By the next day, microscopic improvements in the weather could be measured.  It was only lightly showering with the occasional downpour.  We were grateful, but did have higher expectations.

There was a general feeling that it was time to head towards Grenada.  Although it made absolutely no sense, we hoped that the weather would be substantially better in Carriacou, 10 miles away.  It was time to get outta where we were.  We were beginning to lose it. 

So, it was no surprise that the weather remained unchanged when we arrived in Tyrrel Bay, two hours later.  It did improve overnight and by morning, we dared to hang wet towels out to dry.  Anybody familiar with this process knows that it always starts to rain precisely five minutes before the towel is completely dry.  The towel becomes soaked and must be left outdoors in an attempt to dry it again, only to be rained on just prior to becoming dry.  A vicious circle.  In an effort to control the weather, I forbid anybody to hang towels outside.

Finally, the day of our departure for Grenada, we awoke to clear skies and an absolutely a brilliant sunrise.  It was amazing, like somebody flicked a switch.  You could tell that we were in a different weather pattern, and we liked that very much.  The sail down the leeward cost of Grenada was absolutely glorious!

Choices, Choices, Choices . . .

I was a bit apprehensive when we arrived in Grenada.  This was a big Caribbean country with so many options and I did not want to miss a thing.  We chose to anchor in True Blue Bay only because Gord and Shayron were booked at the resort right there.  It was convenient.

I failed to develop a reasonable itinerary from reading the Doyle Guide.  Unlike The Grenadines, where each anchorage has just a few attractions to focus on, Grenada was much more complicated.  There were many anchorages and so many things to do.  I was concerned that we would spend too much time in one place, only to discover The Perfect Anchorage with insufficient time to really enjoy it.  Being in paradise does have its logistical problems.

This concern was addressed by implementing a technique I frequently use when I visit a new destination.  I like to make a very quick but broad sweep of the entire place, then decide how I want to spend the rest of my time.  It relieves any concerns I might have about missing something good, and lets me plan my stay with minimal investment of time.

We decided to take a day to motor through each of the anchorages by boat, then spend a second day touring the entire island by taxi.  We expected further inspiration to follow, perhaps aided by a Rummer or two.