Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - April 2020

…French islands. This unique attraction makes the bay even more of a destination. The
only problem is that the lures are so lovely you are not sure whether to fish with them
or hang them on the wall. I ended up buying two: problem solved. I set the smaller one
on the sail from Cumberland to Soufriere, St. Lucia and caught a nice dolphin.
Eating out is part of the fun at Cumberland and you have choices. One of my
favorites, a few steps from 2-Socks, is Mojitos, run by Julian Morris, who is helped
by Veneshia. Julian lost his cell phone a while back, so here is the updated info:
Julian, (784) 593-7630; Veneshia, (784) 527-6607. If you prefer, Joseph Rasta will
go to the restaurant, get you a menu, make your reservation, and alert the staff to
the dishes they should prepare. The food is very good.
The people working this bay have been doing it for a long time. Their lives have
been always been bound up in the bay and it has created a sense of community on
the waterfront, which has been helpful in encouraging visitors. The majority of sailors
who visit this bay stop for just one night, to break up the trip between St. Lucia
and Bequia or vice-versa, but many would enjoy staying considerably longer, creating
more opportunities for locals as hiking guides, etcetera.
The problem is that Cumberland Bay is not a port of entry. If it was, southbound
cruisers could arrive here from the north, clear in, and spend some adventurous time
touring, snorkeling and diving, before heading to the Grenadines. Similarly, northbound
sailors could hang out here and wait for a weather window or an advantageous
Where you anchor in Cumberland Bay might dictate where you choose to eat
ashore, as walking from along the beach one end to the other involves wading
through a river. Or you can get to the other side of the bay by dinghy.
On the other side of the bay Old Joseph (to distinguish him from Joseph Rasta) has a
cute little restaurant called Joseph’s Place. I have known Joseph for many years as a
fisherman, linehandler and cook. But he now has a poorly leg so he leaves line handling
to others, and his restaurant is run by his son, Gregory. Nevertheless, he is still out there
in the bay doing a little vending. An long-time yachting customer helped him by supplying
a tiny, light fiberglass boat as his old wooden boat was getting too heavy for him.
Then there is Beni, an excellent cook who prepares delicious local meals. He
opened one of the first restaurants here many years ago but it was out of action for
a while after storm damage. I am happy to say it is up and running again.
When you want to go for a tour ashore many will help you. Beni has a big bus and does
very professional tours (call 784-593-9143). You can also talk to Joseph Rasta about
tours, or ask his uncle Cas. Cas uses Taxi Yellow if you need a cab and is also happy to
accompany you on a bus (784-532-4393). The Cumberland Nature Trail is not far away.
The south part
of Cumberland Bay.
tide to cross the often-challenging channel between St. Vincent and St. Lucia, clearing
out just before leaving.
Currently, the nearest full port of entry is Chateaubelair to the north (Wallilabou,
a couple of miles south, has a visiting Customs officer, but only after hours, and
the overtime fee is now EC$100). Clearing at Chateaubelair is problematic, as
anchoring is far from the dock, which has never been particularly easy to use: it is
subject to swells, making getting ashore hard. Chateaubelair never gets nearly as
many visiting yachts as Cumberland Bay; most yachts cannot be bothered to stop
to clear there, so they miss the west coast of St. Vincent altogether. This would
change if Cumberland Bay were a proper port of entry. It should not be too hard to
set up, as there is already a government facility here on the waterfront where a
Customs and Immigration office could be located, and the repaired dock would
make coming and going easy.
This small thing would make a huge difference to both yachtspeople looking for a
convenient and welcoming place to visit, and those living around the bay whose
livelihoods are enhanced by the presence of visiting yachts.
april 2020 CARIBBEAN COMPAss pAGE 23
Compass Cartoons
jonny hawkins
bill thomas