MAYREAU (MY - row)

We learned how to "dress the boat" for festive events...You fly every flag you have! 

The last time we had a specific date to be somewhere while cruising the Caribbean was when we tried to rendezvous with family in St. Kitt's in early March.  You may remember reading that we were delayed four days due to a ripped headsail.  Well, we'd like to think that we've gained more experience sailing in heavier winds since that time, and so we agreed to meet friends in Mayreau at Black Boy & Debbie's Bar for a pigroast on the beach,  graciously hosted by Willie and Mark of s/v Liahona.

s/v Tiger Lilly was "dressier" due to her circumnavigations.

For more details on the fun see Mark & Willie's blog entry:
 http://svliahona.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/piggin-out-in-saltwhistle-bay/

We arrived three days early and were faced with an overcrowded anchorage.  So we dropped the hook with our aft fairly close to a reef that lined the southern shore of Salt Whistle Bay.  Mark encouraged us to move forward and squeeze Exit Strategy's 46 feet amongst the crowd, but we stayed put.  Many of the vessels there were charter boats that left before the BBQ, so we happily moved forward to take a mooring for the night. The pigroast was a grand potluck event in cruiser style with everyone bringing a favorite dish to share and their personal plates & utensils.  (In fact, one can readily tell who is not a cruiser when outsiders show up at a fest, such as this pig roast, and politely ask, "Where are the plates?")

Mayreau is rimmed with gorgeous sandy beaches and ever-clear water. It is another small island of the Grenadine chain, so Lilly & I were able to walk every road in about two hours.  Every turn we took onto a worn path was rewarded by superb views of the neighboring Grenadines.

We always try to attend Sunday Mass if we can find one on the island we're visiting.  While in Mayreau, the Captain & I went to Mass at the smallest Catholic Church yet.  On Saturday, a man at the church told us that Sunday Mass began at 8am... We arrived at 7:45am... The priest arrived and told us that mass began at 8:45am... A duet of bells and a howling dog rang at 8:30am...and Mass finally began around 9am.
(Think "island" time.)