The next thing I remember, it was morning…… somehow we were on the yacht and sleeping in our respective state rooms.  From this I instantly learned (a) never drink more than 2 Rummers, and (b) we were definitely going to need lots of photographs if there was to be any chance to remember this trip.  Having said that, we awoke to a spectacular island morning.  The Starbucks coffee was brewing on the stove, roosters were crowing, Jimmy Buffet was singing, and for some unknown reason the boat was moving.  Luckily for us the marina people knew what they were doing.

We tied up at the dock and proceeded to load all of our provisions onto the boat. By the time we were done the inside of the boat looked much like isle numbers 3 through 7 at your local Loblaw’s.  Apparently, you don’t want to run out of food or water when you’re sailing the islands.  At the very end of the ordeal, and “because we could,” we loaded the boat with numerous bottles of Mount Gay, Single Malt Scotch, Gin, and cases of beer.  All of which we were told were absolutely for medicinal purposes only.  My father would have been proud and probably a little jealous.

By mid day, we left the dock, unfurled the sails, and were on our way.  The winds were out of the northeast at around 20 knots as they are pretty much every day of the year in The Grenadines.  Those trade winds ensure that your daily sailing experience is quite a ride.  Big rolling waves from the east meet you as soon as you leave the harbor.  They are perfectly offset by the strong easterly winds and the 8 tonne lead keel attached to the bottom of the boat.  We sailed effortlessly along, speeding toward our first destination, the famous private island of the stars called Mustique.  Silvia and I had spent much of our honeymoon in Mustique in 1996 at a friend’s home and could hardly wait to return.  In a few short hours we would be there.

Since our visit to Mustique in 1996, I had forgotten just how beautiful the color of the water really was.  The stunning shades of blue, green and turquoise were simply breathtaking.  Throughout this entire trip, from one incredible island to the next, the color of the water was enough to take your breath away.  It was as if a warm and beautiful carpet of the finest quality had been placed between all of the islands.  Even after our return home, the memory of the vivid colors of the ocean water stir up warm, peaceful memories.

Basil’ Bar, Mustique

Just before we reached the harbor at Mustique, Silvia, who was sitting with Julie on the port rail, looked at me with a sweet, gentle smile.  Without any need for words, she knew “we had arrived”.  I knew that once we anchored it would be quite the challenge to get Silvia to leave Mustique and continue the trip.  Luckily, the decompression process was in full gear.  At that moment I looked over at Shmeeber.  He was in the middle of telling Dave one of his many island stories. This particular story ended with the now famous saying “less is more, nothing is best”. This became our motto for the entire journey.

In following the “less is more, nothing is best” way of life, we were able to completely relax.  The stresses of life in Toronto magically disappeared and were replaced by the charm and beauty of the islands.  As we traveled from one island to the next, the entire team absorbed the natural beauty which surrounded us.  This would be a trip we would never forget.  Every anchorage chosen by Shmeeber (now affectionately named “the Admiral”) provided a perfect post card photo and each sunset seemed almost mystical.

As an example, the anchorage in Mustique is on the west side of the island.  Both locals and visiting sailors meet at Basil’s Bar each night to watch the sunset.  Basil’s offers an unobstructed west view of the horizon and sunsets like nothing you have ever seen before.  After the sun disappeared behind the end of the earth, we were treated to a superb dinner including Callaloo soup and spiny lobster.  Like many nights to follow, we returned to our ship to be entertained by a crystal clear night of shooting stars and tall tales.

That famous sunset