All of our Sea Cloud voyages to the Caribbean have one day dedicated to exploring the islands of the Grenadines. Unlike most of the mountainous and volcanic Windward Islands, the Grenadines are uplifted limestone and fossil coral islands of white sand beaches, coral reefs, and coconut palms. Some of the islands are part of the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and others are part of the country of Grenada. Today we opted to explore the island of Carriacou—though it is part of Grenada, it has quite an independent history and culture. After an exciting morning sailing, we spent the afternoon snorkeling, swimming, or walking the town before returning to Sea Cloud for an incomparable gala dinner.
2/22/2024
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Sea Cloud
St. Lucia
We dropped anchor in Soufriere Bay beneath the majestic Pitons. Both Pitons (“Gros” – 2600’ & “Petit” 2500’) are designated world heritage sites and are sentinels guarding the entrance to Soufriere Bay. Our excursion began inside the caldera where the hot sulfuric gasses and molten waters and rock are still quite active. St. Lucia is 238 square miles with a population of 180 thousand and is the birthplace of two Nobel Laureates. The official language is English, but everyone speaks the vernacular Creole French. Our next stop was the Diamond Botanical Gardens. Plants of every sort abound in profusion. The bamboo, the national plant of St. Lucia, can grow 8 inches a day and reach 30 feet. Our next stop was Hummingbird Beach. The snorkeling was good and is set against the sheer rock cliffs which contains the famous bat cave. We also enjoyed the hospitality and refreshing cold drinks at the Hummingbird Beach Club. Today’s lunch was a delight: pasta swirled inside a 100-kilo wheel of reggiano parmigiano cheese until fully coated. At night, our captain gave us a wonderful farewell toast to send us off safely to our homes. We boarded Sea Cloud as strangers and left as mates.
