Mustique

Mustique(Pronounced Moose-teak ) Mustique is one of those places that qualifies for an entire episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” with a long list of celebrity homeowners and guests. Princess Margaret, Mick Jagger, and David Bowie among others have all owned homes here over the years, and as you near the island it’s obviously a whole different cup of tea than Bequia, only 12 miles away. Large, rich looking homes and grounds dot the hillsides and knolls, and there’s little evidence of local population.

Unlike Bequia, Mustique does not have a great natural harbor, although there’s a bit of an indentation on the lee side of the island that provides a little protection in prevailing winds. We saw “Brass Tacks” tied up to a mooring as we pulled into the anchorage, and Bob dinghied over to help us grab a mooring too, as there were no pendants on the mooring balls, which made no sense? Oh well! There was a little swell running, causing the boat to roll a little, but it didn’t seem too bad.

There’s a ton of history that goes along with Mustique (I guess every island has its share), as an eccentric British Lord bought the island in the 1950’s and turned it into a playground for his friends. Much of the island has changed hands over the years, but it’s obvious that it continues to be a pretty exclusive spot. We went ashore for a nice dinner at “Basil’s Bar & Restaurant,” supposedly a legendary spot, but didn’t spot any of the glitterati.

Rather than beat around the bush in my description of that night, let me be succinct…it was hell! The swells picked up throughout the night, and Avalon was rolling from way over on one side all the way back over to the other side, and then again, and then again. It didn’t matter if we were on our back, side, or stomach, our bodies rolled to and fro, and everything that wasn’t nailed down in cupboards, lockers, and on deck clunked, thunked and squeaked. If the government hadn’t closed Guantanamo I think they might have been able to use this technique to torture prisoners!

And, for the icing on the cake, around 4AM I was awake (surprise) and turned on a flashlight to check what time it was (please let it be morning!), when I saw an odd flicker at the other end of the main cabin. I looked again, thinking it must’ve been just a shadow from the flashlight, when there it was gain…oh no…I know what that jerky motion is…Oh - my - God…THERES A BAT IN THE BOAT! I’m not all that squeamish generally, but I’ve never particularly enjoyed the companionship of bats (didn’t even care for the Vampire books or movies), and here’s one in the boat, in the middle of the night, bouncing around the cabin with that creepy, Halloween-like motion.

It was everything I could manage to keep from screaming out loud, and I didn’t want to wake Emmy if she had finally been able to get to sleep, so I grabbed a t-shirt and waved it around at one end of the boat, hoping Mr. Bat would get the message that he was unwelcome. Seemed to work, as after a minute or so he swooped out the companionway and was gone. It took awhile for my heart to slow down a little, then I sat down at the chart table and turned on the laptop to call for a weather forecast…I wanted to get the heck away from Mustique…David Bowie and Mick Jagger cane have the darn place! In all fairness, I’m sure it’s a great place for folks living in the fast lane to unwind in a beautiful villa, and in settled weather (without swells) I’d consider trying again, but not today! By the time the sun rose it was “Buh-bye Mustique!”