Bequia

Ship: Regina Maris
Date: 27th of December 2024
Position: Bequia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Geographical Position: 13°00.551N 061°14.731
Etmal: 22nm
Total: 5438nm

A woman searching for us, Malte with smiley tattoos on his arms and overpriced seashells. You may be wondering how all of this happened – well, let’s start in the morning:

Like every day, the day began at 8 a.m. with a delicious breakfast, Nutella included (which, unfortunately, ran out today 😕). After breakfast, we set the sails and headed to an island called Bequia. The trip took three hours – long or short, depending on whether you were sleeping or on watch.

We launched the big dinghy (a 10-meter dinghy with a 15-horsepower engine, which every student can drive without a license). It can hold up to 45 people – assuming it doesn’t fall apart. Once on the water, we reached the island and split up.

Some of us went into the city, while others headed to a bay on the opposite side of the island, perfect for snorkeling and swimming.

Christian, Jasper, Janno, Malte, and I found a general store on our way into the city to buy some snacks. Coffee was wonderfully cheap, so we bought more than enough to last a month.

The downside? The big coffee machine on board is still broken and Hannes (our master mechanic) can’t fix it because it’s still under insurance. If he repairs it, the warranty will be voided.

In the city, we stopped at a restaurant and enjoyed a great meal. Malte got smiley tattoos from Leonore, who was also there, waiting for her food with another group.

Afterward, we explored different shops for unique souvenirs. Some examples included seashells for $10 and shark teeth for $20. (Note: No one bought anything made from shark or whale parts because we didn’t know if the animals were killed specifically for tourism.

We didn’t want to carry that guilt for the rest of the voyage).

Suddenly, the woman from the general store appeared, looking for us. Malte had accidentally overpaid for a kilo of coffee, and she had come to return the extra money. We thanked her and gave her a $4 tip for her effort.

At the end of the day, we enjoyed our new location. Some of us even said this stop was better than the touristy and expensive Martinique.

It’s now 10:46 p.m. and the teachers haven’t returned aboard yet. The students took the initiative to clean the messroom and the deck. It looks decent – probably for the next seven minutes.

Some are playing poker, others are watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone during anchor watch. (Anchor watch is like a normal night watch but with only two-three people.

They stay in the wheelhouse to monitor the Regina Maris’s anchoring position and ensure we don’t drift into another boat – or worse.)

As for me, I’m heading to bed after this hard but great day.

Goodbye! 👋