MAYREAU (MAYERO)
( ST-VINCENT GRENADINES)

A very small island (less than 3 sq km) with a big history which was told to me more than 30 years ago by Father Divonne, a Dominican monk, who’d in his time been pastor of the majority Catholic population of Mayreau. This alone is something of an anachronism in a region where Protestantism has all but swept the board. The Catholic faith here comes from the slaves of the old French colonists. The latter were owners of the island by the end of the 18th century and they tried to make the island’s meagre resources profitable by using slaves... and maltreating them. The result was a wave of successive revolts and their suppression. Once slavery had been abolished the old slave owners and their ex-slaves continued to live on their oceanic pebble, the slaves still dependants of their old masters. Half a century later a primary school teacher from St Vincent avenged his black brothers in his own way. Employed to teach the people, he spent most of his time seducing the daughter of the boss, married her and then locked her away, thereby in one stroke assuring his own succession and seizing control of the island. Despite this the people remained just as poor, although over the years the plentiful resources of the Tobago Cays turned them into capable fishermen.
Nonetheless, in this largely saline area one major problem remained: fresh water. At this point Father Divonne arrived. Good words apart, Father Divonne inspired the people with his example and gave them enough courage to build with their bare hands a large public reservoir on the hillside. The good monk has been retired in Martinique for many years now, his health broken by his work and his hermit’s existence. There’s still a tiny church on the top of the hill, standing as witness to the dedication of the priest and the faith of this small community. Around the same time the island’s owners, descendants of the teacher, authorised the building by a Canadian of a small hotel complex in Salt Whistle Bay. The bungalows of this establishment are well disguised in the vegetation around the sandy crescent of beach, which is visited by the odd passing yacht. For their part, the 200 or so inhabitants maintain their houses on the hillside and the road that leads to them. Some fisherman have discovered culinary talents to the benefit of passing yachtsmen between the occasional visits of cruise ships, which offload their passengers for a quick barbecue on the beach. Recently the owners of the island, in a surprising outburst of generosity, actually gave the land they lived on back to its inhabitants. Obviously such a great change has had major consequences. The superb beaches are now more crowded. The fishermen have replaced their old sails with powerful outboards and the quantity of langoustes moves in inverse relation to their price. But what really matters has survived. To see it, all you have to do is climb about 100m up the hill. There, close to the small church you can take in at a glance the panorama of the huge barrier of the Tobago Cays whose last coral banks almost reach your feet in Windward Bay. In the other direction the crenellated summits of Union hover above the horizon and, when the time is right, turn purple in the shimmering of the setting sun. It’s all well worth the effort of climbing the hill.

Pilotage
Coming from the N there are less than 4M between Canouan and Mayreau. Pass E of Dry Shingle (marked by a buoy) off Catholic I.
Mayreau is 100m high and the famous Tobago Cays stretch for several miles eastward from its windward coast. It remains part of Tobago Cays Marine Park.

West coast
Salt Whistle Bay
This is on the N side of Mayreau. To enter it give the N point a good berth to avoid the shoals off it, then head E towards the beach.
The S of the bay is full of coral. Boats drawing less than 2m can get close to the beach and anchor more comfortably. Those with deeper draft must stay further out where in NE winds it’s often rolly from the swell. The delights of this fine anchorage mean that it’s often crowded in high season and allowing for swinging room, there isn’t often much space. There are moorings you can hire. There’s a lovely beach on the leeward shore separated from another on the windward shore by a thin isthmus on which the Salt Whistle Bay Club (VHF 16/68) is buried in the trees.
Ashore The cottages are spread around under the coconut palms, but the most enticing sight is that of the small round stone platforms, topped with a palm leaf hat which shelter each table of the restaurant. In this calm and shady spot you can sample the menu’s specialities and have a drink at the bar as you look at your boat through the bronze-trunked palms on the shore.

Saline Bay
This is Mayreau’s main anchorage and sometimes a bit rolly.
Note To enter it from the N you must come round the mass of reefs which run out a long way from Grand Col Pt. In theory there’s a W cardinal mark on the end of the reef, though it’s often replaced with a small marker buoy that’s hard to see. N of the reefs off Grand Col Pt there’s a submerged wreck with no more than 6–8m of water over it. Anchor S of the docks in 3–4m over sand.
Remember that the bay is regularly visited by cruise liners for beach-barbecues. When that happens the dock is thick with umpteen ship’s tenders offloading passengers. They promptly occupy the entire beach for several hours with the local vendors of T-shirts and souvenirs as a backdrop.
Once ashore a small and very steep road leads up to the village houses on the side of the hill. Happily, there are several small bar-restaurants halfway up for a pit stop. They offer local specialities and internet is available at Chez Dennis (VHF 68). A small grocery store can offer basic provisions and there’s a mechanic who can help you out in an emergency.

Other moorings in Mayreau :