A Powerboat Ride to Little Tobago

London Bridge rock off of northeast Tobago

Chris and Jack on the bridge of Bodacious

Seabirds feeding in the rich waters off northeast Tobago

Pretty resort at Batteaux Bay

 When we arrived at Charlotteville, we were met by the crews of Bodacious and Allegro, friends we had met up-island. Bodacious kindly invited us on a day trip around the eastern end of Tobago to Little Tobago and Batteaux Bay. We had considered doing this trip ourselves, but were glad we didn’t. The Guyana Current fetches up in this area, running between one and four knots, depending on where you are. To go around the eastern end of the island, you have to run against it, which was much easier for Bodacious (a powerboat) that it would have been for Mr Mac. The downside of the current is the large, confused seas, with eerie patches of completely calm water. The upside is the incredible productivity of the area due to the nutrients brought in by the current, which upwells (comes to the surface) in this area. Hundreds of sea birds—terns, frigates, boobies, tropic birds, and more—fished the waters. Batteaux Bay, sheltered from the seas by Little Tobago offshore, was calm and delightful, with a pretty resort, Blue Waters Inn, onshore. We lunched onboard, then motored over to Little Tobago, but unfortunately were unable to get into the lagoon to snorkel (there are some places you just don’t want to go without checking them out first in the dinghy). The ride back to Man of War Bay was less boisterous, going with the current and waves. It was a fun trip.

Chris doing his part for the Pawtucket Red Sox