St. Vincent

Anchor to anchor - St. Lucia to St. Vincent - 12 hours - 47 miles

Even though we couldn't see St. Vincent Island when we arrived in the dark, we most certainly could smell it. This is the first island where we noticed a distinct green, earthy aroma from offshore.
We lay anchor in Chateaubelair Bay at 2230 hours.
In the morning, a local fellow (Dennis), swam out to bring us oranges. That afternoon he escorted us on a hike through the rain-forest to Darveo Falls.
To reach the falls we crossed a swinging bridge made of bamboo tied together. We were sure to hold the wire railing tight as we made our way across the slippery wood in the rain.
The falls were magnificent, set amongst gigantic bamboo. While there we were in the company of several youths playing cricket in a clearing, while a woman washed her 2 small children in the fresh water of the falls. On the walk to the falls we passed women doing their laundry in the stream, banana trees and a huge length of water-pipe (made of wood) which wound its way to the hydro plant.
The plants in the rain-forest were of gigantic preportions.
The restaurant/bar that we were anchored off of hosted the "Queen of the Carnival" competition that night. We enjoyed the excitement during dinner there, but left before the finale of the festivities, after an amazing day of discovery ashore.