Caribbean Rainbows


Union Island

 

Population: 2,500

Capital:Dependent on St. Vincent

Religions: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Government: Independent nation within the British Commonwealth

Exports: Most business is tourism.

Tour Book description of St. Vincent and Grenadines: A multi-island nation well known to wintering yachties, aristocrats and rock stars but off the beaten path for most other visitors. St Vincent is a refreshingly rugged and raw-edged backwater, while the 30 islands and cays that comprise the Grenadines are among the most popular cruising grounds in the Caribbean. The Grenadines reach like stepping stones between St Vincent and Grenada and are surrounded by coral reefs and clear blue waters ideal for diving, snorkeling and boating. Fewer than a dozen are inhabited, and even these are lightly populated and barely developed. Although some of the Grenadines, like Mustique and Palm Island, cater to the rich and famous, others, like Bequia and Union Island, attract an international crew of sea salts and beachcombers and offer decent places to stay and eat.


Flag of St. Vincent


At independence from Britain in 1979 a national flag was designed, but it was replaced by the current flag on Oct. 22, 1985. The three green diamonds are arranged in the form of a V. Green is for the rich vegetation and the vitality of the people, yellow is for sand and personal warmth, and blue is for sea and sky.



See a larger map of the area
Union Island was a beach day for us. We walked along the beach and snorkeled a little bit (that's where we saw the flying fish but my web picture is from a book called "Coral Reefs of the Caribbean, The Bahamas and Florida" by Alfonso Silva Lee and Roger E. Dooley I bought in Bequia). It was a rainy day so we basically hung out. My friend Spice and I took on a crab with an attitude. While we were skipping rocks, he came out of the ocean with his pinchers armed! He was not happy that we had invaded his beach! He chased us, then we chased him and we tried to fool him, but he was a smart crab! He eventually retreated to the ocean, quite proud that he had kept his beach free from humans. 

Flying Fish
Volcanic Rock

I also learned about knot tying along the way. In Bequia, I bought a book called" Knots and Splices" by Cyrus L. Day and I practiced tying knots. Between, Duane, the First Mate, Kevin one of the deckhands and Captain Matt, I learned quite a few really useful knots. If you are interested in seamanship and knots, Tuck sent me some really good links: Boy's Manual Of Seamanship And Gunnery & BOY'S MANUAL OF SEAMANSHIP AND GUNNERY: SECOND I NSTRUCTION SECOND INSTRUCTION

Here are a few knots I learned on this trip:



Bottle sling

Square knot

Bowline

Monkey Fist


Handcuff knot implemented

Handcuff knot

Updated: April 7, 2004