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This month we hear from Art Hartinger, of Pied-a-Mer in Jack London Square, on chartering a 41-ft Beneteau Oceanis from Barefoot Yacht Charters, and exploring St. Vincent, Mustique, Tobago Cays and Bequia

A Brief Charter in the Windwards

Before spending a week in Bequia (on land), my wife, Yumi Wilson, and I decided to sail for five days. Along with our very dear friends from Minnesota, Charlie and Susan Oltman, we chose a 41-ft Beneteau Oceanis, Lady Di, from Barefoot Yacht Charters in St. Vincent.

Our taxi driver met us at the airport with a sign with my name on it, and after a curvy up-and-down 20-minute ride, we landed at Barefoot Charters' base. Lady Di was on a ball, and I ferried over the luggage while the crew hung out with rum punches. Uh oh, this boat was old and a bit stinky. The cabinets and doors did not close. No wheel lock. The provisioning was on board with cardboard boxes. (Yo! Never have cardboard on your boat in the Caribbean, unless you really like cockroaches.) More later on the boat… Oh well, we would make the best of it.

The staf f at Barefoot are all very nice and fun. After a good dinner at the base restaurant, we headed back to the boat to settle in for the evening. This was the first of rolly anchorages everywhere we went, thanks to a northern swell that persisted throughout the voyage.

The checkout procedure at Barefoot was somewhat time-consuming. The boat checkout with Chalkie was very good and brief. Chalkie was somewhat apologetic about the condition of the boat. The chart briefing, however, was interminable — I think the longest chart briefing I have ever had on any of my many charters. Twenty minutes into the briefing, Philip was still talking about the SVG buoyage system, tides, currents and sail tactics. I don't think he cared that I had sailed these islands more than a dozen times. An hour and a half later, we were released.

We managed to shove off by noon. Barefoot does not let you take the boat out from the ball — instead, they put a couple of guys on the boat who piloted us through a shallow area, put the main up, and said "goodbye" as they climbed into a dinghy and motored away.

The sail to Mustique is only 15 miles, but the seas were lumpy, with 20 knots of wind on a new (to us) boat. We left Bequia to starboard and set a course to Britannia Bay. Uh oh, no nav data except depth. What, no Autohelm? This was the first charter I think I've ever had with no Autohelm.

We met Slick, who runs the mooring field in Mustique, and he put us on a three-night-minimum ball for $220 EC (approximately US$81). This anchorage was still rolly, but much better than the one in Calliaqua Bay, St. Vincent. There were very few boats, and we organized

ALL PHOTOS ART HARTINGER EXCEPT WHERE NOTED ourselves and went swimming before heading onshore to Basil's Bar.

I have been negative about Mustique in the past, as it is often on "lockdown" for the private celebrity islanders, with strangely entitled 20-somethings at Basil's. But the island was great this time, and we ended up spending two nights. I really recommend The View restaurant, walkable from Basil's (15 minutes to the village). And of course, you must have a cocktail at Basil's. (Basil sold his place a few years ago to the Mustique Company, which manages the island.)

We took a fun taxi tour around the island, and our driver pointed out celebrity homes and various landmarks. Back on the boat, the snorkeling just off Lady Di's stern was solid. We ended up eating dinner at The View two nights in a row, and it was great to see Lisa — the owner who cooked a wedding lunch for us back in January 2020.

The sail to Tobago Cays was in lumpy seas and DDW, 20 miles in 20 knots of wind. Did I mention no Authohelm? Also, no Windex, and a bimini with no window, making it impossible to see the main while at the helm. And no flying fish either. I think this was the first time I have not seen one flying fish on a charter down here. We made it to the Cays, and Carlos put us on a ball and talked us into a fish dinner on shore. We moored up and on the outside at Baradal Island, and it was not crowded. We soon saw many turtles swimming around us, as well as a ray, in this beautiful corner of the world.

Carlos came in his boat to pick us up for dinner onshore. I do think these dinners are worth it, and a number of locals rely on this income. A fish dinner, with rice, veggies and salad is about $90 EC ($33 US). (You can also get lobster or chicken.) They have a cooking camp on the beach with a dozen or so picnic tables, with each area run by a different family. Crews from all over the place on different boats at the Cays were having dinner.

The next day, we motored over to Salt Whistle Bay, where we again took a ball. (Given the number of broken and dysfunctional stuff on the boat, we were more than happy to avoid our ground tackle and windlass.) Salt Whistle is a