Union Island

Moved from Petit St Vincent after only one night and made the short uneventful crossing to Clifton Harbour on Union Island.  The crossing may have been uneventful but the anchoring certainly wasn’t.  We had touched by Union Island on the way south a few months earlier but had not stopped other than to clear out with immigration and customs.  This time after clearing in we planned to stay a couple of days for a look around.

The small harbour is interesting in that it has a significant reef right in the middle forming two distinct anchoring areas either side which meet just off the town.  i.e. the clear water forms a horseshoe shape.  On one side the harbour is enclosed by fringing reef and on the other side the by the island and the town of Clifton.

We came in to anchor on the inner side of the reef, set down the anchor and laid back on it.  Once we had snugged up it felt like we were lying too far into the channel so we upped that anchor and tried a different spot in between a couple of moored boats a bit closer in which was shown to us by one of the local boat boys.  We set the anchor but were still not happy and when we went to recover anchor the windlass froze.  Later it appeared that the anchor had snagged on the seabed and this had tripped the windlass breaker.  Anyway there we were tethered to the seabed with the wind pushing us around on the surface.

Everything then seemed to happen at once.  The wind started gusting and pushing us sideways towards another anchored boat. Scott was down below working on getting the windlass power restored, we had a local diving on the anchor trying to free it and another local onboard assisting.  Nic, Sam and Calley manned the starboard rail with fenders and we settled alongside the other boat.  Luckily the impact was very soft and we had fenders well positioned so no damage was sustained to either vessel.

Happy Island from our anchorage

The diver freed the anchor and we motored across to a free nearby mooring and secured Dulcinea.  Scott fixed the anchor windlass which was, we think, just the breaker tripping.  Meanwhile the owner of the boat we had touched came out in a dingy and made a big show of looking for damage on his hull and then tried to tell us that a scatch in his bow was caused by us.  This was complete BS and Nic very nicely informed him of this.  Luckily the local guys were our witnesses and they confirmed we had not damaged his boat.  That did not stop him circling our hull looking for a matching scratch.  In the end he had to admit there was no damage.

After calming down, Scott and Calley walked to the airport to clear the boat and passengers in through customs and immigration.  We then slipped the mooring and anchored in some clear water nearer the entrance to the harbour across from a little island on the reef called Happy Island.  There is only a dingy dock and a bar on the island.  Hence the name I guess.

Clifton is a really nice town.  We were ashore the next day after school and had a look around.  It is quite busy as it services a small upmarket island/resort called Palm Island which lies just offshore, the Tobago Cays and probably Petit St Vincent.  They had some colourful stalls with even more colourful fresh fruit and vegetables for sale.  We also found a kind of goumet deli run by an interesting French lady.

Clifton Main Street

Stalls in Clifton

The weather changed for the worst over the next two days.  On the first day and night we had thunderstorms with very heavy rain falling in squalls with winds to 40kts.  Luckily we were in a pretty secure anchorage and although open to the wind the reef broke the seas.  Even so there was a bit of movement on the boat.  

We get bad weather here also

In the middle of the second night we heard a “pan pan” call on the radio from a boat which had dragged its anchor not far from Dulcinea.  A “pan pan” is put out for a serious emergency but one in which the vessel or crew is not in immediate danger.  The boat, a 44ft charter vessel called Brio, had dragged its anchor and had drifted onto the reef in the middle of the harbour and was now rocking back and forth on its keel.  Scott heard the call on the radio, got up and spoke with them initially just relaying messages to a St Vincent coastal station which would hopefully be able to get some assistance.  With no immediate help forthcoming Scott and Sam loaded the dingy with rope, chain and a spare anchor and went across to assist.  The idea was to set a second anchor which would allow them to winch themselves off the reef.  

Once at the yacht it was apparent that the second anchor idea was not going to work for one reason or another and instead Scott decided to go into town and try and raise some local help.  In the end he managed to get a local with a boat boat with a big outboard to come and tow them off.  When we saw them in the morning everything was good although Sunsail were negotiating with the locals who were after a US$2000 salvage fee.

We left Clifton yesterday (3rd Dec) and motored around to the leeward side of the island to a bay called Chatham Bay.  This is such a beautiful spot; deep, calm, protected, beautiful beach and hills all around with only a handful of beach bars/restaurants onshore and half a dozen yachts nearby.  The locals are eager to sell us what we need in the way of bread, lobster, fish etc.  It is great to be in a totally protected bay again as we have been rocked about to some degree ever since leaving Grenada.

Chatham Bay

Only issue is one of nudity - not on our part but others.  There are some in the sailing fraternity who espouse a greater obsession with being naked and it is not uncommon in an anchorage to see people getting their gear off.  For some reason or another the French seem particularly fond of this.  Generally, we are of the opinion "each to his own", however yesterday we had a boat anchor just about on top of us and then proceed to get naked and go swimming.  Maybe we are prudes but I think not.  Bottom line is get as much gear off as you like but if this is your intention don’t anchor right on top of someone.   

We will stay here a couple of days doing, yes you guessed it - school, and have a look around onshore.  The calm water will also allow us to take the kids kneeboarding.