13:00.179N 61:14.58W

Monday 14^th May 2012

Distance run: 71 nmiles

Unusually for us, we decided to make the 70 nmile passage to Bequia as a day passage rather than a night one.  With fair winds forecast and not-too-lumpy seas, we lifted the anchor at 0530 yesterday and set a course for Bequia. We are now sailing new waters again, as we turned north from Rodney Bay last year.  In the lee of St Lucia we sailed some and motored some, but when we crossed the passage between St Lucia and St Vincent we had 15-20 knots over the port quarter and we stonked along.  Again the wind died and became flukey in the lee of St Vincent (which very few boats stop at as it has a poor reputation) so the engine was in use again to keep up speed, and as we entered the Bequia Channel the wind picked up again and we had a glorious sail right into Admiralty Bay on Bequia.  By 1700 the anchor was down in a nice spot just off Princess Margaret’s Beach.

This morning we took the rib ashore to do the formalities to get checked in to St Vincent & the Grenadines.  We had a wander around Port Elizabeth which is the only town on Bequia, stopped for a coffee, and made some enquiries about diving in case we return with James in a week or two.  Steve was keen to have a roti for lunch, but they seemed to be taking forever to cook, so instead we went to a local bar for a beer and then back to the boat for lunch.

Port Elizabeth on Bequia