The Grenadines is a chain of over 600 islands in the Windwards, lying between the north end of St. Vincent and the south end of Grenada.
The whole area is well known for it's crystal clear waters and superb diving and snorkelling sites.
I will touch on just a few of the major ones here that we know.
Mustique, one of the more popular islands that we visited, is also one of the wealthiest, and has, over the years, attracted a number of celebrities: Bill Gates, Amy Winehouse, Noel Gallagher, Princess Margaret, Mick Jagger, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Kate Moss, David Duchovny, Tea Leoni, David Bowie, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugh Grant, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Pierce Brosnan, Alex Beard, Jeremy Clarkson and Nigella Lawson. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip made private visits to Mustique in 1966, 1977, and 1985.
One of our very favorite islands is Bequia. It is the second largest island and it is held by some historians that the famous Captain Edward Teach had his base there. The opening shot of the movie Blackbeard, Pirate of the Caribbean, made by the BBC actually displays a replica of his first ship off the coast of Bequia in the St. Vincent passage. According to local legend, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was not only Capt. Edward Teach's base, but also Sir Francis Drake's from where he planned his attacks on the Spanish admiralty.
Another of our favourites is Union Island, a part of the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
It is the southernmost island of the Grenadines and lies 90 kilometers southwest of Barbados, within view of the islands of Carriacou and the mainland of Grenada, which lie directly south.
The most extensive and well-developed coral reef complexes in St. Vincent & the Grenadines occur on the shallow shelves around the windward side.
Whenever I think of this island, a funny story always comes to mind.
Several years ago, I was on my way to check in at customs there, along with a friend of mine in his dinghy. As we pulled up to the dock, a young lad took our line and said that he would look after our dinghy while we checked in. Brent said, "No, thank you very much". The young lad then made his mistake. He said, "Well, you never know what will happen to your dinghy while you're away". At this point Brent, who just happened to be an ex-NFL player, slowly rose to his full 6'5" and said, "Don't worry...NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THIS DINGHY". This had much more than it's intended effect as the poor lad quietly shrunk into the background.
Most of these islands are fairly poor, and so there are many of these 'boat boys' as we call them, looking to make some pocket change in any way they can. They're mostly good kids and cruisers understand this, so are typically quite generous with them. The main thing to remember though is that if you see one you like, appoint him for your vessel and then ask for his name. That way, when other boat boys approach you, you simply say, 'Sammy' is our boat boy... and they will respectfully leave you alone... no argument.
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