Still Hog Island

October 11
Hog Island, Grenada

Dean and I feel like our time in Grenada has just begun. So many friends we met this summer in Trinidad are still at Coral Cove Marina, getting just a few more things done before they head north. And we are just now getting into the swing (get it?) of being at anchor again. But our friends on Amanzi, Eira, and La Galipote, who stayed here for the season, are beginning to get the itch to move along. They are used to Hog Island's quiet afternoons, the little, hand-built tikki bar on shore, the carefree potlucks, long walks to the maxi taxi, friendly locals, and endless opportunies to swim and read a book, enjoying the breeze from the shade of the cockpit bimini.

Eira left this morning for Carriacou (a small island just to the north), and La Galipote has moved up to the lagoon in St. George for a few days before they go to Carriacou as well. We had been planning to take a picture of the whole crew, as our four boats met up in the Bahamas and have sailed much of the trip south together. I thought we had all the time in the world to take that picture, but now I realize we'll have to rush up to Carriacou next week perhaps if we want to see all four boats together again.

It was a little bit sad last night, having drinks at Roger's Bar and talking about where we'll meet next and what our plans are now that hurricane season is winding down. The family aboard Eira has taken a vote, and they have decided to spend another year cruising. Amanzi is toying with the same idea, and La Galipote is ready to head back to Quebec in time for next summer's rafting season.

I am extremely envious of Eira. One more year out would give us so many options for this winter. We could spend some time in the western Caribbean, perhaps, or finally make it to Tobago or the Orinoco River delta for a visit. We could stay as long as we like wherever we like this season, and not worry about next June...

Our cruising kitty could be stretched a little, but it can't be doubled. And though I always fall prey to curiosity, wondering what it's like at the NEXT place, and what if we just go a little further afield, Dean feels very happy with how far we have traveled, and is looking forward to returning home to Boston next summer.

We always had Trinidad in mind as our final destination, but once we got there, we started making friends who were continuing west, along Venezuela, through the ABCs, up to the San Blas islands and Panama...and then to the beautiful, remote, unspoiled, inexpensive islands of the Pacific. It all started to sound so good, so promising, like the Caribbean had sounded last year. What if the wavy palm trees are BETTER over there? What if the people there have more FUN than we are having? What if the meaning of life rests just over the horizon? I had no idea that that's what I was looking for in the first place--but what if? How will we ever know, unless we see it for ourselves from the deck of Delilah?

I am outvoted. We are coming up on the one-year mark for our trip. Every day we spend here tips the balance further; we've been out for more months than we have left on our trip Calendar, and we have spent more money than we have left in the bank. So Delilah goes north again, right up the island chain, moving more slowly, and sailing more often (we hope) than on the way down, but that's that. Onward and upward. And then we plan the next adventure.