Yankee Clipper - Grenadine Islands - March 17, 1997
Deb & Rick Ball
Getting There:
After getting up at 3:00AM, we left Cleveland
on a cold, snowy, blustery morning. The plane had to be de-iced
twice! What a change from the weather that was to come later in
the day. Every flight we had was delayed at least two hours: out
of Cleveland, changing planes in Atlanta, and changing planes
again in Miami to the BWIA flight. After a brief stop in Antigua,
we finally arrived at Point Salines airport in St. Georges, Grenada
at about 9:15PM, about three hours later than scheduled. We cleared
customs with no problems and got a taxi outside for $5 per person.
This was my first experience with driving on the left side of
the road, and it was unique to see cows and goats roaming on the
roadside. We were quite relieved to finally arrive at our destination,
the Flamboyant Hotel, in time to enjoy a drink at the bar before
they closed at 10:00PM. We were also relieved that we brought
only carry-on bags with us as the climb up to the room on a steep
hillside was tiring, but definitely worth the view! Our only regret:
we arrived too late to enjoy a dinner of Grenada cuisine which
we had hoped to sample.
Sunday - Grenada:
After an enjoyable breakfast of fresh fruit
and banana bread (surrounded by birds) and enjoying a great view
of St. Georges harbor, we spent a beautiful morning at the beach.
Flamboyant Hotel is located at the far south end of Grand Anse
beach, so the view is great. Very few beach vendors were out because
of it being Sunday, but I did manage to buy three spice necklaces
from one guy for $17 (didn't know any better, so I don't know
if that was a good price or not!) Our hotel room was very spacious
with a kitchenette and a big shower (the last big, HOT
shower we would enjoy for the week! Tee-hee!) We recommend the
Flamboyant as the WJ price is not bad and the people are very
friendly and laid-back. Everyone speaks English with a delightful
Caribbean accent. We also got a quick lesson in "how to slow
down" as it took forever to check out, although the desk
clerk was very nice.
Took a $10 taxi (again $5 per person) to the
dock and dropped our bags at the ship. Our FIRST view of the Yankee
Clipper, and she looked great! We had the cab take us over to
the Nutmeg as we had heard that was the place to meet other WJammers
before boarding; however, since it was only 1:30PM, (the Nutmeg
was still closed until 2:00PM) we strolled around the Caranage.
(Be advised: NOTHING is open on Sunday in downtown St. George's,
so we advise going to Nutmeg no earlier than 2:00PM.) As soon
as the taxi dropped us in front of Nutmeg, a guy approached us
saying he "worked part-time for WJ" (yeah, right!) and
wanted to give us a walking tour towards the old fort. We were
suspicious, so we declined and went the other way. This guy continued
to follow close behind us; although never really a problem, he
was just sort of a nuisance. He finally left us and we saw him
use the same approach with others. Finally, Nutmeg opened and
we enjoyed a late lunch of flying fish and positively lethal rum
punches! Oh yes!...we met a few of our fellow shipmates there,
too!
At 5:00PM, all of us headed for the YC. First
Mate, Glenn, met us at the end of the ramp and Capt. John greeted
us as we boarded. After setting up our on-board-charge-account
with purser, Kim and purchasing our first set of "doubloons"
for the bar, we checked out our cabin. We had a Captains cabin
on the main deck forward which was slightly bigger than a regular
cabin, but certainly not spacious. It would suit our needs just
fine though! The a/c worked fine, had a larger lower bed and upper
bunk, small refrigerator, and a shower that stayed on without
having to push the button! The head is an all-in-one that includes
a small corner sink, john, and shower. After a buffet dinner topside,
there was a 3-piece Caribbean band for music and dancing into
the evening. It was a great feeling to finally be aboard the ship
which we had looked forward to for a long time!
Monday - Grenada & Sailing:
Open seating breakfast was from 7:30 to 8:30AM
with Western omelets, hash browns, and cereal. Since it was ST.
Patrick's Day, several of our shipmates were showing up with green
shamrock stickers stuck on various places! After breakfast was
a mandatory safety drill with life jackets on the top deck followed
by our first "Story Time" where Capt. John discussed
safety aboard ship, "decks can get slippery", "no
sitting on the rail", and a stern warning against any illegal
drugs on board! Purser-Kim talked of the various tours available
in Grenada that morning, and we opted for the island tour. Got
the launch back to shore and hopped in a van with about 8 other
shipmates. Monday was a busy day in the downtown harbor area,
so we headed through the traffic out to Amba Kaila Spice Shop,
Annadale Falls, and Grand Etang Nat'l Park. Judy, part of a teachers
group from Colorado, was our "interpreter" relaying
to those of us in the back what the driver was saying up front.
Good job, Judy! This tour was fun, but not enough time to see
the park at Grand Etang.
After the launch ride back to the ship, had
a great buffet lunch with fresh snapper! Then we helped raise
the sails to the tune of Amazing Grace! What a feeling!....we
were finally jammin'! Several of us felt pretty bad for one of
our shipmates, John from Ireland, whose luggage never showed up
(until almost the last day of the cruise!) and his wallet blew
off the back deck shortly after we set sail that first day. In
a typical WJ fashion, he didn't seem overly upset about it and
took it all in stride; we also got quite used to him showing up
in the same clothes every day!
The first day sailing was ever-SO relaxing.
We headed north for a 14-hour sail to Bequia. Saw a school of
about 30 dolphins off the starboard side. Grabbed a deckpad and
laid back, staring up into the sails and blue sky while listening
to some of my favorite music by Enya (Good taste, WJ!!) Swizzle
time about 4:30PM and a great sunset! Dinner was lamb or flank
steak. That first long sail "got" to several people
as they complained of feeling sea-sick. I was just plain tired
(probably from the effects of the Bonine I had taken earlier),
so I left dinner early and slept in the cabin until my husband,
Rick, returned to the cabin after midnight. It was lovely to be
"rocked" to sleep while sailing. A few shipmates slept
out on the top deck despite a light rain during the night.
Tuesday - Bequia:
The harbor at Admiralty Bay, Port Elizabeth
on the island of Bequia is beautiful! Not a very populated island
of only about 10,000 people, but a lot of private yachts anchored
there. After breakfast of pancakes & sausage or cereal, Purser-Kim
told us the various tours available during "Story Time":
island tour, Moon Rock, or an all-day sail to Mustique where the
"rich & famous" live. We chose to just take the
launch to the town dock and roam the town for a bit.
Port Elizabeth is a very pretty little town
and, as usual, the natives were very "laid back" but
also quite friendly. A young teen with a warm smile played "Auld
Lang Syne" for me on the small steel drum he had for sale
at one of the shops. Bequia was one of the first (and last!) "shopping"
islands (the rest of the islands would be virtually unpopulated),
so we naturally bought a few T-shirts and then took the launch
back to the ship. At this time, since most of our shipmates were
still gone elsewhere, we had the top deck virtually to ourselves,
so we spent the time taking lots of pictures and even relaxing
in the "widows net" on the front of the ship!. Try it!.....You'll
like it!
Buffet lunch topside consisted of crab salad
(great!), curry chicken, shell mac'n'cheese, and wonderful chocolate
chip cookies. During the afternoon, the launches ran every 1/2
hour to Princess Margaret Beach. Here was our first snorkeling
of the trip...on the north end of the beach. The snorkeling here
was only fair, but got much better later in the trip. At Bequia
and all the islands later in the week, the ship takes the bar
to the beach. So we used our doubloons at the beach bar and strolled
the beach down to the cave walk at the south end. A great place
to take pictures! Launch back to ship at 4:30PM.
Capt. John told us early in the trip that Caribbean
time is "ish" time, meaning nothing is precisely exact.
That was fine with us! So at 5:30ish, we were treated to crab
races on the top deck with 12 hermit crabs. Don't miss this! A
lot of fun and a raucous time with a few bets (no luck - we lost!)
Dinner aboard was either Garlic Shrimp or Duck
a'la orange, but we chose to eat ashore at the Gingerbread. Wonderful
candlelight dinner with a Caribbean quintet playing and singing
while we ate. A real treat! Some of the crew and other shipmates
were headed to a "Jump Up" later that evening at one
of the bars, but we were pooped from "too much fun",
so we caught the launch back to the ship, ready for bed. Some
shipmates (who were mostly hung over the next morning) told us
they had a great time at the "Jump Up". Sorry we missed
it!
Wednesday - Tobago Cays and Palm Island:
YC set sail at 5:30AM. Bloody Marys and almond
croissants were available early. I stuck with just coffee as the
seas were bothering me this morning (i.e. brief bout of seasickness
off the back deck). This morning was a "sailing class"
with First Mate, Glenn, on the top deck discussing navigation,
charting, etc. Very interesting and I learned some things! Since
a large cruise ship appeared to be anchored at Mayreau, Capt.
John headed us for Tobago Cays which is a "desert-type island
that normally gets very little rain."
After Story Time, the launches took us to the
beach where a few T-shirt vendors strung their wares. Several
of us took the skinny, sandy footpath to the far side of the island.
The snorkeling here was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! - a large reef, lots
of brain coral, numerous schools of fish, yellow needlefish, etc.
Lunch on the beach consisted of sub-sandwiches (delicious!) and
macaroni salad. Just as we were eating, a rain shower blew in,
so we hauled all our stuff back to the other side of the island.
Even huddling under the trees in the rain, we still had fun! We
debated whether to stay on the island, but finally were convinced
to take the last launch back to the ship where the crew was busy
wiping down the whole deck. By the time everyone was back on ship,
the rain had stopped. Everyone was still smiling even though we
were totally soaked and it would take days for everything to dry
out. Hopefully, Capt. John didn't mind too much that we all made
the ship look sort of like a "Chinese junk" with wet
towels and clothes strung everywhere to dry out!
Time to set sail for a lovely afternoon cruise
to Palm Island. Very calm waters now. Saw a Seabourne ship anchored
off of Mayreau. Palm Island is a private island owned by John
Caldwell and his family; he and WJ have had a close relationship
for over 30 years. Tonight was a beach BBQ with chicken and ribs,
but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it much as a young steward from
the ship managed to dump a blueberry dessert all over my T-shirt
and shorts. So I took the first launch back to the ship to change
clothes and soak my clothes. After a short nap, we took the launch
back to the beach to meet John Caldwell and had him sign his book
"Desperate Voyage" which we bought for $20.
Thursday - Palm Island and Mayreau:
Slept in till 8:15AM as it was a rather cloudy
morning, even though some shipmates had taken the 7:00AM "walk/jog/run"
around Highway 90 on Palm Island. Breakfast was a buffet of West
Indies food. After Story Time at 8:45, the launches again headed
for the beach. We opted to just relax and read aboard ship, just
what we needed this vacation for! After a 12:30ish buffet lunch
topside, we set sail for Mayreau. Enjoyed some great snorkeling
off the rocks on a reef at Mayreau; also a nice sandy beach where
the sand was tan (not white!) Most shipmates we talked to agreed
we would have preferred more time at Mayreau and less at Palm
Island.
Back on board for snacks and rum swizzles (I
think Rick had a few too many!) Tonight was the B,L,T, &P
party (with prizes for best costume!) so many came to the buffet
dinner (beef, pork, and ham) in their costumes; some as Black-eyed
Peas, a lion, togas, bed & pillow, but we really thought the
best one was the girl dressed as a giant tampon. (And if you see
Glenn, the first mate, ask him about his "unique" toga!)
After dancing away the night topside under the stars and a bright
moonlit night, some hardy souls (translate: Rick, First Mate-Glenn,
and a few other guys) closed the saloon late into the night with
a round of joke-telling. Strokie, the chef, had some great ones!
Friday - Carriacou:
Left anchor early. Breakfast was eggs, bacon,
hash browns, and tasty sugar doughnuts! A beautiful sail this
morning with bright blue skies, calm waters, and my favorite Enya
music once again. Dropped anchor at Hillsborough, Carriacou, and
after Story Time the launches again left for shore to the town.
Irishman John's luggage finally arrived this morning! We toured
the other cabins below deck with shipmates Jackie & Bob so
we could compare them to ours; not a whole lot of difference,
although ours was slightly bigger and a whole lot more convenient
being on the main deck in case you needed something at the last
minute. Jackie & Bob had 3rd-Mate-Julian chart our course
on a map of the Grenadines they had purchased - a great souvenir!
Lunch was buffet again - fried chicken and french fries.
After a short time motoring to the other side
of the island, we took the launches to Clipper Beach. Only two
other people were there, and we must have scared them away after
our launches arrived, so we had the whole beach entirely to ourselves
from the Yankee Clipper! We were warned to be careful and avoid
sitting under the manganeel trees which are poisonous. Some of
our very favorite snorkeling was here at Carriacou. We were among
the first into the water and delighted in being completely surrounded
by a HUGE school of thousands of fish! The weather was absolutely
beautiful, and it was here that we had the most beach time (about
3 1/2 hours) of any island. A great and beautiful place! We felt
like we were "marooned" on our very own tropical isle!
Back on board ship by 5:00PM. This was a melancholy
moment as the last raising of the sails and hearing Amazing Grace
for the last time. What a gorgeous sail into the sunset off the
starboard side as we headed south again for Grenada! Tonight was
the Captains dinner (e.g. clean T-shirt) with two seatings. Choices
were either prime rib or Wahoo fish; we chose the fish, which
was just great! Chief Steward, Kenny, treated us to a Caesar salad
preparation, and then we all headed topside for bananas flambeau
on the top deck. This was the night for LOTS of pictures in the
saloon area with our shipmates and new-found friends. But not
too late of a night since over 1/2 of us had to catch the early
BWIA flight out the next morning.
Saturday - Heading Home:
After an early 4:15AM "knock-up"
(translate: wake-up "call"), we hurried through a quick
buffet breakfast to catch the taxis on the dock by 5:30AM. All
or luggage was placed into the back of a pick-up truck, and those
of us in the front taxi-van endured a careening adventure to the
airport following the pick-up about 1-foot off his bumper. For
a slow Caribbean island as is Grenada, why this driver had to
drive like a New York cabby is beyond me! In any case, it was
sad to have to leave the YC and we found ourselves very envious
of those that had arranged to stay another week (two shipmates
stayed aboard for another week on YC, another left for the next
week aboard Flying Cloud, and several others were staying for
a few days at the Flamboyant Hotel.) We'll know better next time!!
Our Critique:
Did we enjoy the Yankee Clipper? ABSOLUTELY!!
Will we be back for another WJ cruise? WITHOUT A DOUBT!! What
sold us on the Yankee Clipper was the great sailing she did and
the fabulous snorkeling at obscure out-of-the beaten-path islands!
The weather cooperated most of the time in being quite warm and
sunny, despite the brief shower at Tobago Cays and a few drizzles
at night for those attempting to sleep on the top deck (something
we had hoped to try but never did!) The food aboard ship was fine,
not gourmet and not dramatic, but good and certainly plenty of
it! The accommodations took some getting used to, but you learn
to live "within your means" (small cabin) and actually
learned to NOT worry about not having a key to lock the cabin.
Nobody bothers anything! The best feeling was that of NOT having
to dress up, forget about doing hair and make-up for an entire
week (nobody cares what you look like!), and NOT having to wear
shoes! If we have any negative comment at all, it's that we feel
we spent too much time at Palm Island and didn't do justice to
Mayreau. However, the ship is beautiful with all that wood, and
Capt. John, First Mate Glenn, Julian, Kim, and the rest of the
crew are all professional and very friendly!
A word to the wise: 1) Remember to pack light!
We had been warned, but we still packed too much even though we
had only one carry-on a piece. 2) You are very near the equator
in this region, so bring lots of sun block and/or be sure to have
a good base tan.
We are VERY MUCH looking forward to our next
Windjammer cruise!!!
Any comments or questions, please e-mail to rlbdlb@aol.com.