The Catamaran Adventures of Noel and Ceu

Swimming with Turtles (Tobago Cays) and Schmoozing with the Stars (Mustique)

From Carriacou we had a short sail to the Tobago Cays.

The Tobago Cays are idyllic. You know those brochure pictures of turquoise seas, sandy beaches, a few yachts dotted around at anchor, and turtles swimming just off the beach. Well, this is it.

Did I say turtles?

Yep. Not just one or two, but dozens of them!  They were grazing off the sea grass at the bottom – maybe 20 feet down, then they would come up for some air, and swim down again for some more lunch.

And then we saw a ray swimming past, just a few inches above the bottom.

Oh, plus the usual amazingly colored tropical fishes.

The next morning we set off for Mustique. To get there we first had to sail out of the Tobago Cays which, since it is surrounded by reefs we had to go all they way out one side, and then double back again.

But once we were out on the open sea it was a fresh force 4 to 6 with some bouncy seas. With a NNE wind and the current against us, it was a tough beat. We sailed for about an hour eastward and then tacked for Mustique. One long tack, and we were almost there, just 2 miles off the shore.

Another tack or two and finally we were picking up the mooring balls and heading for shore.

Ah, Mustique! Probably the most exclusive island in the Caribbean, with homes belonging to Mick Jagger, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, Tommy Hillfiger and many others is a lovely peaceful little island with a tiny village and a couple of posh restaurants. We took an island tour to see some of those famous houses – all with price tags of $30 million and up. I must  say, the island is very impressively maintained. I reckon half the people employed on the island must be gardeners.

The whole island is owned by the Mustique Company, which is jointly owned by all the home owners. No one can live on the island unless they own a house, or are employed by the company, so there are no lazy layabouts and everyone is very friendly and helpful. All very interesting.

But we got to live there for three days in our waterfront apartment! 🙂

Brittania Bay, Mustique

Brittania Bay, Mustique

But first we attempted to go to a village barbecue. But when we got there, there were a bunch of people mixing cement in the middle of the bar’s floor!

Hmm, lovely view over the bay, but not wishing to eat in the middle of a building site we decided to go to Basil’s Bar instead.

Basils Bar Mustique

Basil's Bar in Mustique

Here we had a lovely meal, with a delightful chat with the waiter who had served many of the stars over his 7 years there – and had some funny insights into some of them.

However, it seems the stars and their friends basically come to the island only over the holidays, such as  Christmas, so I guess we were just out of luck for some real schmoozing.

Oh well, it is so beautiful here that is isn’t exactly a hardship!

Next stop is St. Vincent …

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