Welcome to Tuesday

Wooooooowwwwwwww did the wind whip and howl last night. After an evening shower, the precip held off for the remainder of the night however, which was nice for all of us sleeping with open hatches and nice for Zack who didn’t have to do his 0-60 deck sprint to close said hatches because of sudden rain.

Prior to bedtime, a handful of us (names omitted to protect the naked) jumped in for a sparkling skinny dip. I say sparkling because kicking legs and moving arms activates bioluminescence which sparkles and glisters like a million stars beneath the surface. But there was wind and current and we had to keep a sharp eye on our proximity to the boat. Still, fun, and the perfect way to end a big busy day.

Day two looking a little less like a squinty winter mole….

About 0630 the wind seemed to ease off on the gas a bit, and stayed that way until about half way through our morning swim. We opted for a timed out and back route south along the shore, knowing full well we’d be heading back to the boat in an oppositional current and wind. Fun. But our ladies were game, and they charged through slop and surge looking strong and collected. Up just ahead, Alina and Kendra made the call to turn back when things got a little too sporty, and we gladly obliged. It was a good decision, and it’s so comforting to work with guides who know exactly how far to push and when to turn around and opt for a different adventure.

 Heads down, back into the current and wind. Strong strokes, cool heads, we made good and solid progress. We tucked back into the corner of the bay, with its white sandy bottom which makes for easy turtle spotting. It’s morning and turtles were on breakfast break, so we saw lots of them. We paused here to rest and reflect on the salty chaos we had just come through. We discussed mantras. When the waves get big, I always remind myself “It’s just water”. I also recalled how Alina once counseled our dear swimmer friend Myssie on a swim in Greece when she was feeling particularly anxious. Alina said to Myssie, “Just take that fear and stick it in your buoy. You can’t lose it altogether but it will be floating behind you”. Such good advice, then, and now. Myssie was supposed to join us this week, but at the last minute, life got in the way. Myss, we miss you! And I hope you’ve remembered self care this week! XO

We explored the rocky ridge reef again, full of tropical fish species. I hoped to see the nurse shark again but she must have been out for brunch. At last we decided to head home, somehow also into the wind even heading in the opposite direction (This happens in bays). I called for a conga line – a little drafting exercise we like to play with on SwimVacation where we line up single file and head to toe. Everyone takes a turn at the lead, and the person in the back barely needs to swim, the pull is so strong. We were doing pretty well with it until all of the turtle disruptions. The bay was rotten with turtles, and well, it’s just hard to keep on when there’s an adorable turtle doing something turtly beneath you. Eventually, we made it back and climbed aboard to crepes. Not bad, not bad at all.

A little video from our morning swim. The chaos of wave and chop never comes through in pictures, but trust me it was rough and these ladies took it in stride. The turtles were a welcome disruption.

We are on another long bumpy sail now, white water geyser rising above the bow. The show from the fly bridge is pretty spectacular, even in the strong hair whipping wind. I think I’ll head up to join the gang.

Welcome to the Grenadines, or at least the portion of them that belong to Grenada! We ended our bumpy sail at an adorable little islet called Sandy Island not far off the shores of Carriacou. This island is a narrow spit of sand atop reef rubble, with a few palm trees and a little water hole right in the middle. The whole thing is no longer than a football field, and not nearly as wide. At the northern end of it is an exquisite reef with an abundance of very healthy coral and teeming with fish of all kinds. The only trick is getting to it…the mooring ball field where our boat is at rest is about a quarter mile down a ripping current from the reef. I gave our ladies two options: swim to the island and walk on the sand to the top of the island to get back in the water at the reef, or swim up-current to the reef. Either way we’d enjoy a speedy drift home. They opted for the swim, citing this is SWIMVacation! Ok! Into the breach!

We splashed in and immediately felt the pull of the significant current. We tucked in close to the beach where the going was just a little easier. I spotted a mid sized barracuda, and a squadron of squid, maybe 50 or so. Tough to see and even tougher to photograph, especially in the current, but everyone got a look. Before long we made it to the reef. Ahead of us was a menacing break with waves crashing atop the shallowest parts. Dramatic skies developed and the rain came. Below us a thriving world of blues and greens and mountains of coral. The whole scene was a wild ride for the senses. We bobbed around and dove down looking at little things and big things and generally oooohing and ahhhhing. Eventually we decided it was time for cocktails, so we let go and let the current carry us back to the boat. 

A few of us bobbed around in the dark sky bright light combo of a confused atmosphere that couldn’t commit to storm or calm. Beams of light came down through the clouds, lighting up the waves crashing behind us. The whole scene was pretty spectacular.

Ali has been filling us with whole and nutritious meals, light but filling, varied and full of local ingredients. Today (after this morning’s crepes for second breakfast) she presented a beautiful Nicoise salad for lunch, complete with fresh tuna. Happy hour included a red beet hummus with fresh corn chips, and dinner was fresh baked roti with with beef or chicken curry to fill, sided by coconut rice and salad with green goddess dressing. Don’t say uncle yet, because shortbread chocolate chip cookies appeared for dessert. Thank you, Chef!!

I guess I better swim upstream in the morning too, as I ate more than my share from today’s menu.

Everyone is in bed but I’m looking for a night dip….maybe I’ll stomp around just a little and see who turns up….maybe not.

Goodnight from Sandy Island,

Heather