Commodore
January 25, 2021

Sandy Lane Marina here we come

I like going into marinas, so that I can step off the boat straight on to land whenever you want and not have to get the dinghy out. Plus you can use oodles of water. Rowan would rather be out anchored somewhere. I actually think marinas are much more sociable too, as you stop and talk to people along the dock. So I was very excited to be going in, especially as I had read in the Chris Doyle guide book (the cruiser’s bible!) that it was a very nice marina with manicured gardens.

Rowan went for a very good snorkel in the next bay, he swam around a corner and on return saw a boat with some locals looking very interested in JeldiJeldi, I think he may have got back at the right time.

We left after lunch with the motors on as it was not far at all. After passing the airstrip and a lot of construction works, l began to set my expectations lower. Suddenly we rounded the headland and two very impressive lighthouses on long spits guided us into a very colourful avenue of fake Italian style buildings. The marina is enormous and the smartest I have ever seen. An Irishman and a partner built it and have sunk enormous amounts of money into it. It has cobbled walkways with wonderful landscaping. They can take 120 boats up to 120m long but in these gruelling times we are the third boat to moor up. There is an enormous gin palace which is here when not chartering, so empty except for the enormous crew. Otherwise it is a charter yacht, and a small gin palace that was behind us in Young Island Cut quarantining, with the man who paddle boarded and hydro-foiled with his dog (since chatting to them here we have discovered it is a rescue dog who loves being out on the water). How on earth a place like this can survive for long with fancy restaurants, so many staff and very expensive infrastructure. The backers must have huge amounts of money, we intend to enjoy it to the full, even if Rowan is smarting at paying $240 a night (and you have to sleep in your own bed!).

Passing the airstrip to go around the headland to the marina, great volcanic mountains

The lighthouses guiding us in

The entrance with all the new build apartments with wrought iron balconies

The empty marina

We walked to the beach which is a good long walk as the marina is so long, and had a swim in the amazingly blue water. It is a beautiful white sand beach with acacia trees lining it, looking out towards all the volcanic little islands of the Grenadines. While walking 3 yachts turned up and all anchored outside, it looked pretty rolly to me so I’m grateful to tied up tight at night.

We had supper at the beach restaurant which was lovely as it is virtually outside and very airy – something we really like in these Covid times. It was a very good meal and maybe the rum punch was a little too good…… I just couldn’t face driving JeldiJeldi home even though it was only about 50m across the water back to PolePole.