It's now early December, 2024, 5 months after Hurricane Beryl hit the Grenadines, especially Union and Mayreau islands. I appreciate your video because when I sail out of St George's in late March/early April 2025, I anticipate that many buoys and markers will be off station. We will be using naturally occurring ranges, polarized glasses, sounder, and your videos as reference conning our way in to Tobago Cays in our bareboat. Undoubtedly sands have shifted as well. I LOVE Oysters so it's fun to watch you guys living the dream! Aloha, Doug
Hi Doug. Thanks for the kind words. So happy to hear you'll be bareboating in such a beautiful area. It's how we got our start. As for navigation, I would advise relying on the chartplotter first and watching for any notes on the charts saying things about random coral heads. This isn't a common note in most places (Anegada, BVI and Barbuda come to mind), but absent that you'll find the charts to be reliable. During the charter base checkout of the boat take tons of pics of any damage or scratches you might see (just like renting a car) and then make absolutely sure you understand the chartplotter operation. Most charter operators will update the charts at the beginning of the season, and if you know the exact boat you'll be chartering you could try calling them to ask what brand of plotter is there. Raymarine is most common, but I've seen B&G and Garmin too. The boats are generally privately owned these days. With that information you can research how the plotter works in advance. Mostly you'll be dealing with reefs, and these are your main concern. Codrington harbour at Union Island has several right there. Expect "boat boys" to arrive offering to help you to a mooring ball, and we use their services pretty much every time, as work is hard to come by and we respect their industriousness. It's a $10 tip, or whatever you happen to have. Balls will be another $35 or $40, but payable to the harbour officials. They come by in a dinghy to collect and give you a written receipt. Make sure to have fun and let us know how it went.
@@SailingTalisman So great to hear from you and Mahalo! I'll follow your advice and make a note on my calendar to contact you once I return in early April.
You guys do a great job of showing the practical side of sailing. I learn a lot watching your videos. I did a moorings trip 15 years ago and Union Island or the town has not changed. Had an interesting encounter with that sandbar in the middle of that harbor. 😱
It's easier these days since everything (mostly) is charted. But I've come across cruisers who refuse to download new charts, claiming they're too expensive and a ripoff (at $99 or something like that through Navionics). I shake my head.
Hi Kevin, great video lots of great tips. Particularly using the bow thruster. On my boats I had a Turks head tied on the steering wheel which looks great but always tells you where the rudder is quickly in the heat of battle 😊
Hi Sally. I think we have more cable in the steering than some boats. We have a Turks Head too, but it’s a full turn-and-a-quarter each side, so two-and-a-half turns lock to lock.
Well perhaps next year we'll focus more on that. But comments, subscribing, and hitting the "like" button help get us more views from TH-cam's algorithms.
Hi Tracy. Nope, we're still in the States, but will leave on the 13th for Antigua. Unfortunately, we'll be in the either Sint Maarten or (later, end of November) in the BVI's for family. However, we'll be back in the Antigua region after New Years, and we'd love to catch up.
Hi Robert. If you spend $3/day for coffee each work day (5 days), times 52 weeks, you'll spend $780 per year on coffee alone, so I'm concerned about looking too closely on what we spend on restaurant and bar tabs. But that said, we eat out 3-4 times a week and eat on the boat the rest of the time. We don't eat breakfast, and rarely eat lunch out. And I swear I'm not being defensive about it, but if I had my way and we could afford it, we'd eat out every night. But as for the the channel, I've always felt that highlighting the local establishments would be more interesting to the viewers. Maybe I get that from what is shown on TV here in the U.S. Who knows, maybe this upcoming season I'll show Wendy more as the culinary genius that she is. There's a reason we bought a new stove for the galley this past off season. Anyway, good question.
@@SailingTalisman Thanks. I know that the places that you do choose to eat at are really good. I guess if they were not that great you wouldn't put them in your videos. Your living the life for sure. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to afford after I build my boat but think I'll be able to do close to the same hopefully. I don't recall you doing a cost break down video. Not sure if that's something you would be interested in doing or not but I'd for sure would watch it to give me a better idea as to what to expect. I would like to see you travel across the Pacific and also around South America.
Very beautiful islands in St Vincent and the grenadines 🇻🇨🇻🇨🇻🇨🇻🇨🏝🏝🏝 🏝
Thanks so much!
I really enjoy your style. You two both have a beautiful yacht and an incredible way of showing us the world around you.
Thank you so much.
Thanks Tim. It's a ton of fun and we're glad to share.
It's now early December, 2024, 5 months after Hurricane Beryl hit the Grenadines, especially Union and Mayreau islands. I appreciate your video because when I sail out of St George's in late March/early April 2025, I anticipate that many buoys and markers will be off station. We will be using naturally occurring ranges, polarized glasses, sounder, and your videos as reference conning our way in to Tobago Cays in our bareboat. Undoubtedly sands have shifted as well.
I LOVE Oysters so it's fun to watch you guys living the dream! Aloha, Doug
Hi Doug. Thanks for the kind words. So happy to hear you'll be bareboating in such a beautiful area. It's how we got our start. As for navigation, I would advise relying on the chartplotter first and watching for any notes on the charts saying things about random coral heads. This isn't a common note in most places (Anegada, BVI and Barbuda come to mind), but absent that you'll find the charts to be reliable. During the charter base checkout of the boat take tons of pics of any damage or scratches you might see (just like renting a car) and then make absolutely sure you understand the chartplotter operation. Most charter operators will update the charts at the beginning of the season, and if you know the exact boat you'll be chartering you could try calling them to ask what brand of plotter is there. Raymarine is most common, but I've seen B&G and Garmin too. The boats are generally privately owned these days. With that information you can research how the plotter works in advance. Mostly you'll be dealing with reefs, and these are your main concern. Codrington harbour at Union Island has several right there. Expect "boat boys" to arrive offering to help you to a mooring ball, and we use their services pretty much every time, as work is hard to come by and we respect their industriousness. It's a $10 tip, or whatever you happen to have. Balls will be another $35 or $40, but payable to the harbour officials. They come by in a dinghy to collect and give you a written receipt. Make sure to have fun and let us know how it went.
@@SailingTalisman So great to hear from you and Mahalo! I'll follow your advice and make a note on my calendar to contact you once I return in early April.
warm greetings from russia)
I’m very glad that everything is fine with you and I hope that everything will continue to be so)
sorry for my bad english
Hi Paul. Your English seems fine to me. Anyway, thanks for watching and being with us.
St Vincent has long been at the very top of my list of where I want to visit in the Caribbean.
Brilllllliant as always - thanks for sharing ⛵️ 👍
You bet! It was fun editing. Lots of memories.
That was so well done. What a pro tip about the bow thruster and the mooring line.
Thanks Kevin and Wendy.
Thanks Tom. Lessons learned by not knowing. You never forget.
❤🎉 There are you both again... yeah..
Worthwhile waiting for your videos, awesome content. Just love them, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much. It's comments like these that keep us motivated to do the editing work.
You guys do a great job of showing the practical side of sailing. I learn a lot watching your videos. I did a moorings trip 15 years ago and Union Island or the town has not changed. Had an interesting encounter with that sandbar in the middle of that harbor. 😱
It's easier these days since everything (mostly) is charted. But I've come across cruisers who refuse to download new charts, claiming they're too expensive and a ripoff (at $99 or something like that through Navionics). I shake my head.
Thanks for sharing.
You bet Eric!
Hi Kevin, great video lots of great tips. Particularly using the bow thruster. On my boats I had a Turks head tied on the steering wheel which looks great but always tells you where the rudder is quickly in the heat of battle 😊
Hi Sally. I think we have more cable in the steering than some boats. We have a Turks Head too, but it’s a full turn-and-a-quarter each side, so two-and-a-half turns lock to lock.
You guys deserve a lot more subscribers than you have........Very informative content.....As usual.
Well perhaps next year we'll focus more on that. But comments, subscribing, and hitting the "like" button help get us more views from TH-cam's algorithms.
Hi Kevin and Wendy, if you are still in Antigua hope you are doing well in all that rain. We are headed there in December from Grenada.
Hi Tracy. Nope, we're still in the States, but will leave on the 13th for Antigua. Unfortunately, we'll be in the either Sint Maarten or (later, end of November) in the BVI's for family. However, we'll be back in the Antigua region after New Years, and we'd love to catch up.
Please keep up the great video work!!
Thanks David. Appreciate the kind words!
Great video, like always.
I prefer Chatham bay on the other side of Union, less crowded well protected and a few nice beach bars.
Hi DG. If we get back there this season, we'll go check out the other side. How are things with you?
Great video, I'm excited about the Oyster regatta in Antigua....but that will take a little while to get to.
Thanks Albert. The Oyster regatta is coming up soon. Maybe 4 or 5 episodes out.
Great episode. Thanks.
Thanks Jay. It's nice to know people are taken by it.
How much do you spend on average per month going out to eat and drink? You tend to go out in every video.
Hi Robert. If you spend $3/day for coffee each work day (5 days), times 52 weeks, you'll spend $780 per year on coffee alone, so I'm concerned about looking too closely on what we spend on restaurant and bar tabs. But that said, we eat out 3-4 times a week and eat on the boat the rest of the time. We don't eat breakfast, and rarely eat lunch out. And I swear I'm not being defensive about it, but if I had my way and we could afford it, we'd eat out every night. But as for the the channel, I've always felt that highlighting the local establishments would be more interesting to the viewers. Maybe I get that from what is shown on TV here in the U.S. Who knows, maybe this upcoming season I'll show Wendy more as the culinary genius that she is. There's a reason we bought a new stove for the galley this past off season. Anyway, good question.
@@SailingTalisman Thanks. I know that the places that you do choose to eat at are really good. I guess if they were not that great you wouldn't put them in your videos. Your living the life for sure. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to afford after I build my boat but think I'll be able to do close to the same hopefully. I don't recall you doing a cost break down video. Not sure if that's something you would be interested in doing or not but I'd for sure would watch it to give me a better idea as to what to expect. I would like to see you travel across the Pacific and also around South America.