After checking into Grenada at Hillsborough, Carriacou, we had a very rolly night.
With administrative duties complete, it was time to move some where more protected.
Leaving Hillsborough behind
We decided to sail around the point to the next bay called Tyrrel Bay.
As we sailed around the point we passed Sandy Island, a Nature Reserve.
Sandy Island Nature Reserve
This is a famous snorkeling spot. Unfortunately you have to pay to use one of the parks anchor balls now if you would like to visit it.
Yes, Sandy Island is a beautiful beach, but how many of you can recognise the distinctive shape of the island in the back ground?
Within a couple of hours we sailed around the point and entered the protected bay of Tyrrel.
Sailing into Tyrrel Bay with Mangroves on the (left) north shore
This is a popular anchorage on the island with a large mangrove lake as a ‘hurricane hole’. You are only allowed to anchor in the mangroves when a hurricane is forecast.
A pretty anchorage in shallow turquoise waters surrounded by a lovely beachThere is a ‘working’ slipway in the south end of the bay
The bay reminds me ‘a little’ of Marin in Martinique.
Lots of ‘live aboards’ or ‘unattended’ boats anchored in a protected bay. Also lots of dingies zooming around the place as the restaurants, cafes and general stores are spread out along the shore line.
The bay is very shallow all around so boats can anchor well off shoreAshore in Tyrrel BayThe new cafe, general store/chandlery and Marina office on the south shoreThey have full lift out facilities here and you can work on your own boatThere is a ‘reasonably’ priced restaurant right beside the Marina lift out, if you get sick of the food at the cafe
A large dive centre and restaurant further along the beach front
One of the most popular restaurants in the bay for cruisers to meet up
It does have a nice view over the bayAs you go further down the beach you get a more rural feelRum shack on the beachAs usual, in more rural areas, you may have to share your space with a goat or twoYou may even need to share a rum with the local wild lifeThis end of the beach is where you find a few general stores for suppiesThey may not contain very much food, but they have a fax machine!There are a few more restaurants down this end tooThey still have great views over the bay
If you are not ‘in to’ restaurants, there is always the mangroves to explore.
When a weather warning goes out, hundreds of boats come here to hide within the mangroves until the high winds have passed. The local charter boat companies move there entire fleets in here if there is a bad storm predicted.
The entrance to the mangroves
It is illegal to anchor your boat here normally, but a few boat or their shells seem stuck here.
They say hundreds of boats come here when a weather warning goes out. Some do not appear to weather the storms well.
A few boats seem determined to stay in the protected ‘first pond’
A broken coral and sand reef protects the entrance of the mangrovesYou go through a shallow passage to get from the first pond to the big mangrove lake further inside
The biggest mangrove lake I have ever seenThe mangrove trees produce their own little ecosystemsThe roots of the trees create protected waters for other plants and animalsIf you look closely you can see all kinds of organisms taking advantage of the mangrove root systemsAll kinds of colourful spongesFilter feeders and small fishbarnacles and oysters also grow on the mangrove roots
The mangrove oysters are meant to be a local delicacy, but to protect them, only licensed locals can collect them from the protected marine park.
But you can ask someone like Simon, below, to collect you some fresh.
Simon will collect you a dozen ‘good size’ oysters, clean and open them for you for $40 ec
All you have to do is add the condiments and enjoy!
