Location: Carriacou to Union Island
Right after breakfast this morning (picture 1), we motored our way over to Hillsborough, the capital of Carriacou. Laying down the anchor was accomplished in a swift and professional manner, the crew having been accustomed to this task almost every day now. We took the dinghies straight to shore, where we were met with a stunning coastline (pictures 2, 3, 4) but a rather silent town (pictures 5, 6). We quickly realized that it was Sunday, a logical explanation for the deserted streets. One of us opted to tour the island while the rest of the group walked around town. After several hours in the Kayak cafe, they made their way back to Ocean Star. In the meantime, the lone student with the more exploratory sense made his way around Carriacou, stopping at some interesting sites, such as an oyster bed, a ship construction yard, and an exhilarating view of Hillsborough Bay (picture 7). After lunch, back on the boat (picture 8), we readied ourselves for passage to Union Island. Upon hoisting the flying jib, we were informed that the sails had been put up in record time, a satisfying accomplishment for us students. We made a good time, just over two hours, during which most of the crew alternated between napping and tacking Oceanstar’s course. Our arrival in Clifton Harbor was met with a beautiful sunset, a great end to the day while we hauled in the sails (pictures 9, 10). However, the night had still much in store. After dinner (picture 11) and our squeeze, we all sat down to hammer out a schedule for the upcoming week. It was the first time we were put in charge of scheduling, and it went quite smoothly. We’ll be mixing in travel to the Tobago Cays and Bequia with some very interesting Marine Biology labs and Oceanography courses. To end a day of “easy living,” we made our way to Happy Island (picture 12) for a night out.