Sailing Log of a Mahe 36: True Blue Bay, Grenada

Alex was up early again this morning disappearing off to hand in her assessments just along the dock at Aquanauts even before breakfast. However she came back grinning within half an hour, she had passed and was now a PADI Advanced Open Water diver.

Today we took Invincible of the surgy dock at True Blue Bay and Kevin, Alex, Mark and Ziggy went out fishing for the day. They had a good day out I gather with a couple of half strikes (bait eaten but fish not hooked up) and a hook up that got away plus a nice tour of the island and some dolphins. Also not to mention Ziggy’s very famous and much admired sandwiches.

I headed into St. George’s to retrieve our gas bottle being long overdue for collection and the current bottle being nearly empty, collecting Donna on the way for her experience of reggae buses. We had a drink at Grenada yacht club, where as soon as I went to the bar Donna was talking authoritively to some other yachties about propane gas fills in Grenada as I looked on amused! We went back for some lunch at the mall then to sit round the pool and wait for the fishing crew to return.

Meanwhile Dad has also been diving with the school located at his hotel, where his dive gear now was, having one of the best dives he has had for years with several sharks and lots of other bigger pelagic fish life such as grouper and barracuda on a wreck about 3 miles off Port Saline, plus 2 other good reef dives. Mum had enjoyed some relaxation on the beach with a book and they had both really enjoyed their week at the Rex, the grounds are very large and incorporate a large lake with small islets in which attract lots of local birdlife, Mum described a bush so full of egrets that it looked from a distance like white flowers.

Beach at the Rex Hotel

Dad enjoying some diving in Grenadian waters

We all joined them at the Rex for our final dinner together that night and everyone was really impressed with the variety and quality of the food. Mum and Dad were there on an all inclusive deal with Virgin Holidays and all those who had been AI before said it was the best they had seen. We all tried something of everything – crab cakes with papaya chutney, grilled marlin, roast pork, callaloo in coconut milk, various vegetable dishes, sautéed potatoes, salad bar, local soups etc and that’s without even mentioning the deserts though I think the banana pudding was the unanimous favourite. Several rum punches, beers and even pina coladas were enjoyed to celebrate the end of a fantastic week for Donna, Mark and Alex and fortnight for my parents Pete and Jan.