UNION ISLAND - A DEFUNCT MARINA, PERFECT ANCHORAGES, FUN FOOD AND HAPPY ISLAND
#catamaransailing #leopard48catamaran #sailing #unionisland #grenadines
Union Island we feel has everything a sailing cruiser needs. From airport to taxis, food, peaceful bays, towns worth walking in and more.
We left Mayreau Island for the short 4 mile sail to Union Island, eager for more great times on these islands! We decided to start at Frigate Bay in Ashton Harbour and then head over to Chatham, before we ended our stay at Clifton and Happy Island! This way we could check out at Clifton, as this was our last stop in Grenadines.
Ashton Harbour was more than we expected! Large bay with cliffs on one side and the town on the other. In the middle, mangroves, and the defunct marina. One of the first things we did was a dinghy tour through the marina that never was.
The marina was supposed to hold 300 boats but the project died after only a year, leaving a clogged up harbor that was growing algae due to the constrained water flow. There is a super interesting story about the rebirth of this area here. https://www.birdscaribbean.org/2019/11/ashton-lagoon-a-joyful-story-of-restoration-and-rebirth/. It is well worth a read to understand the damage that unchecked development can do to an area.
A recent restoration effort built a walkway over some of the waterway that seems to be maintained for day trip boaters to hike around the area. We did some snorkeling while in the marina waters and did see some interesting fish but not pretty coral.
Our second day, we hiked Mount Taboi. There are actually two vantage points-one about halfway up at 500 ft, the other at about 1000 ft. We chose the 500 ft one. From there we could see Mayreau, Palm, Tobago Cays, Clifton and of course Frigate Bay. On our way back, we ran into a Sea Moss farmer.
Sea moss has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years for its role in boosting immunity, thyroid health, and heart health.
Leaving Frigate Harbour, we headed to Chatham. We experienced super calm waters in this bay. And spotted a Sunroof Eco 70 – solar powered to the max. https://sunreef-yachts.com/en/launched/sunreef-70-eco-one-planet/ We spent some time at Tenuti resort – highly recommended! Dinner there was fantastic, but since it was so calm, bug spray was needed. https://www.tenutachathambay.com/
In stark contrast, the beach had Tenuti Resort on one end, owned by an Italian investor and your beach bars and shacks on the rest of it. The beach even treated us to a rare site – krill shrimp washed on shore. While in Chatham, we were assisted by very kind local boat guys who knew where to get the fresh produce we had been craving!
Next stop was Clifton Harbor, took a mooring ball right behind the reef – protected but a great view. And of course Happy Island – the bar built on conch shells. A bit noisy on the weekends but it was nice being outside the busy bay. Clifton had plenty of restaurants to choose from, cute places that seemed to cater to us tourists. They had a produce stand market area where we were able to source some of the food we were needing. We even mapped our Tsunami Hazard Zone out during out walk through town.
Lastly, we visited Sparrow’s Beach Club on the other side of Clifton Harbor in Richmond Bay. Beautiful beach but more of a day anchorage.
While in Clifton, we also watched the kite boarders once the wind finally picked up! Interestingly enough, Stephen’s uncle actually built a church here on Union Island back in the 90s.
TIMELINE:
0:00 Introduction
0:10 Sailing
0:44 Ashton Harbour – Frigate Island Marina
2:28 Hike to Mount Taboo
4:25 Sea Moss?
5:15 Chatham Bay
6:24 Tenuti Resort
7:25 Real Island – Behind the Scenes
8:41 Clifton Harbor
9:47 Happy Island
10:09 Town of Clifton
12:21 Sparrow’s Beach Club. Richmond Bay
13:33 Union Island Kite Boarding
LINKS:
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfh_pM48xnJ7dr4jTvt8cw?sub_confirmation=1
WEB SITE: https://bluedotvoyages.com
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/bluedotvoyages
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bluedotvoyages.sailingpilar
COMPLETE PLAYLIST: SAILING & CRUISING VIDEOS
CATAMARAN MAINTENANCE VIDEOS:
Blue Dot Voyages is a Sailing Adventure Company. We recently packed up our belongings, sold our house and moved on to our Leopard48 Sailing Catamaran PILAR, where we are traveling the world. We offer travel advice as well as boat maintenance tips. We offer charter sailing experience trips when we can. Watch our videos and live vicariously through us!
Master Captain: Stephen Bell
First Officer: Dawn Bell
#catamaransailing #leopard48catamaran #sailing #unionisland #grenadines
Union Island we feel has everything a sailing cruiser needs. From airport to taxis, food, peaceful bays, towns worth walking in and more.
We left Mayreau Island for the short 4 mile sail to Union Island, eager for more great times on these islands! We decided to start at Frigate Bay in Ashton Harbour and then head over to Chatham, before we ended our stay at Clifton and Happy Island! This way we could check out at Clifton, as this was our last stop in Grenadines.
Ashton Harbour was more than we expected! Large bay with cliffs on one side and the town on the other. In the middle, mangroves, and the defunct marina. One of the first things we did was a dinghy tour through the marina that never was.
The marina was supposed to hold 300 boats but the project died after only a year, leaving a clogged up harbor that was growing algae due to the constrained water flow. There is a super interesting story about the rebirth of this area here. https://www.birdscaribbean.org/2019/11/ashton-lagoon-a-joyful-story-of-restoration-and-rebirth/. It is well worth a read to understand the damage that unchecked development can do to an area.
A recent restoration effort built a walkway over some of the waterway that seems to be maintained for day trip boaters to hike around the area. We did some snorkeling while in the marina waters and did see some interesting fish but not pretty coral.
Our second day, we hiked Mount Taboi. There are actually two vantage points-one about halfway up at 500 ft, the other at about 1000 ft. We chose the 500 ft one. From there we could see Mayreau, Palm, Tobago Cays, Clifton and of course Frigate Bay. On our way back, we ran into a Sea Moss farmer.
Sea moss has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years for its role in boosting immunity, thyroid health, and heart health.
Leaving Frigate Harbour, we headed to Chatham. We experienced super calm waters in this bay. And spotted a Sunroof Eco 70 - solar powered to the max. https://sunreef-yachts.com/en/launched/sunreef-70-eco-one-planet/ We spent some time at Tenuti resort - highly recommended! Dinner there was fantastic, but since it was so calm, bug spray was needed. https://www.tenutachathambay.com/
In stark contrast, the beach had Tenuti Resort on one end, owned by an Italian investor and your beach bars and shacks on the rest of it. The beach even treated us to a rare site - krill shrimp washed on shore. While in Chatham, we were assisted by very kind local boat guys who knew where to get the fresh produce we had been craving!
Next stop was Clifton Harbor, took a mooring ball right behind the reef - protected but a great view. And of course Happy Island - the bar built on conch shells. A bit noisy on the weekends but it was nice being outside the busy bay. Clifton had plenty of restaurants to choose from, cute places that seemed to cater to us tourists. They had a produce stand market area where we were able to source some of the food we were needing. We even mapped our Tsunami Hazard Zone out during out walk through town.
Lastly, we visited Sparrow’s Beach Club on the other side of Clifton Harbor in Richmond Bay. Beautiful beach but more of a day anchorage.
While in Clifton, we also watched the kite boarders once the wind finally picked up! Interestingly enough, Stephen’s uncle actually built a church here on Union Island back in the 90s.
TIMELINE:
0:00 Introduction
0:10 Sailing
0:44 Ashton Harbour - Frigate Island Marina
2:28 Hike to Mount Taboo
4:25 Sea Moss?
5:15 Chatham Bay
6:24 Tenuti Resort
7:25 Real Island - Behind the Scenes
8:41 Clifton Harbor
9:47 Happy Island
10:09 Town of Clifton
12:21 Sparrow’s Beach Club. Richmond Bay
13:33 Union Island Kite Boarding
LINKS:
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfh_pM48xnJ7dr4jTvt8cw?sub_confirmation=1
WEB SITE: https://bluedotvoyages.com
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/bluedotvoyages
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bluedotvoyages.sailingpilar
COMPLETE PLAYLIST: SAILING & CRUISING VIDEOS
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz8Z8h1MloaPq2o05r6wnJqaqyeABUKiu
CATAMARAN MAINTENANCE VIDEOS:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz8Z8h1MloaOcpGajnaH0DPm1U0otTJtc
Blue Dot Voyages is a Sailing Adventure Company. We recently packed up our belongings, sold our house and moved on to our Leopard48 Sailing Catamaran PILAR, where we are traveling the world. We offer travel advice as well as boat maintenance tips. We offer charter sailing experience trips when we can. Watch our videos and live vicariously through us!
Master Captain: Stephen Bell
First Officer: Dawn Bell
Sailing PILAR - Blue Dot Voyages
Sailing PILAR - Blue Dot Voyages is a Sailing channel sharing adventures of Dawn and Stephen Bell on SV PILAR, a 2015 Leopard 48 Catamaran Yacht. ⛵️Currently weekend and vacation voyagers, while we finish out the last years of our careers and prepare to sail around the world. ⛵️Sail extensively in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina and Georgia. ⛵️Sailed Grand Cayman, Cuba and BVI. ⛵️Offer sailing charters when we can that are longer travel opportunities where you learn to sail our catamaran! ⛵️We are not "Below Deck" drama, but focus on sailing fun, life on the water, boat maintenance, marine creatures, unique places and islands. Visit our Web Site Blog for more than videos. https://bluedotvoyages.com Follow Facebook for sailing opportunities. https://www.facebook.com/bluedotvoyages Follow Instagram for the best travel pics. https://www.instagram.com/bluedotvoyages.sailingpilar
Channel Information:
Social Media Links:
Note of Recognition for Sailing PILAR - Blue Dot Voyages
At WeBoating.com, we profoundly acknowledge the unwavering dedication that Sailing PILAR - Blue Dot Voyages and other creators invests in crafting each and every video. Their passion for delivering exceptional content shines through every frame, and it's a labor of love that deserves your attention.
We invite you to watch their captivating videos and actively engage with their content, including their social media links above. Liking, commenting, and sharing their work goes a long way in fueling their creative fire.
We're also inviting you to explore any sponsorships and partnerships highlighted in the video description of "UNION ISLAND - A DEFUNCT MARINA, PERFECT ANCHORAGES, FUN FOOD AND HAPPY ISLAND", or directly on YouTube. By considering their offerings or purchasing services and items, you not only support Sailing PILAR - Blue Dot Voyages but also the brands and collaborators they're associated with.
If you have any feedback, corrections, or additional information about Sailing PILAR - Blue Dot Voyages or their videos, please use the comment form below to share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the creators we cherish. Your time and support truly matter!
Sailing PILAR - Blue Dot Voyages Lastest Videos
TOP TEN IMPROVEMENTS ON OUR LEOPARD CATAMARAN THIS SUMMER.
When we got back from the Bahamas June, we told you about a long list of projects that we wanted to get accomplished this summer. Here's the info on the top 10 accomplished , plus there were many more smaller things we won't mention. Questions? Drop us...
Sailing with 30 dolphins by Kiawah and Seabrook Island with friends! October 18, 2025
While sailing Saturday, we caught this dolphin pod and watched them for an hour! National Geographic would have loved this video opportunity! Tail slapping again and again - herding fish! Such an amazing thing to watch
What are the best ports while sailing MA & RI?
With summer ending faster than we would have liked, we sailed on through Massachusetts. There were too many possible stops to do everything we would have liked, so we chose: Gloucester, Marblehead/Salem, Cape Cod Canal and Cuttyhunk. Then on to Rhode Is...
TRUE CRIME: MURDER ON ISLES OF SHOALS | 16 ISLANDS
Sailing from Maine to New Hampshire we stopped at Isles of Shoals, approximately 6 miles off the coast. Miles of Maine Island Hiking, Rock scrambling and Shoreline exploring. Isles of Shoals, consists of 16 islands, the largest being Appledore, Star, Smu...
HOW TO USE A DINGHY HAUL OUT LINE FOR TIDAL ANCHORAGES – FALMOUTH | PORTLAND | FORT GORGES
In this video, we will show you how we went ashore in 12 ft tidal anchorages without getting in the cold water! It's called a Dinghy Haul Out line and we learned it at the first Maine island we visited - Jewell. We can not simply drag our dingy ashore wi...
MONHEGAN HIKING, 142 FT FOILING MONOHULL, HARPSWELL LOBSTERING, & 199K FOR MANANA ISLAND!
Monhegan Island & Harpswell - 9 miles of hiking trails, the highest ocean cliffs on the Maine coastline, a quaint village with shops, activities and lodging, seals, and a local lobster fleet. What more could you want on an isolated Maine island? Monh...
MATINICUS ISLAND MAINE SAILING – MASSIVE 12 FT TIDES CHALLENGE GOING ASHORE IN THIS LOBSTER TOWN
About 22 miles off shore Rockland Maine lies Matinicus Isle Plantation - the furthest island out from the coast. It is 2 miles long by a mile wide - 9 square miles of Beauty, Isolation, Independence. You need to love being alone. The population was 53 at...
BEST ANCHORAGES IN PENOBSCOT BAY: Rockland, Hurricane, Vinalhaven, Pulpit, The Barreds
Penobscot Bay Maine best sailing anchorages exceeded our expectations! Maine boasts more than 4,600 islands, each with its own mystery, its own story. The question was which ones we’d have time to explore. With the help of the Cruising Club of America we...
SAILING JEWELL ISLAND MAINE | EXPLORING WORLD WAR BUNKERS & TOWERS | CARETAKER’S CABIN LOBSTERS
Jewell Island Maine was exactly that - a jewel of a sailing anchorage. We explored World War bunkers and towers, spent an evening cooking lobsters with the Jewell Island caretaker, hiked the Maine Island trails, found Buoy Beach, Smugglers Cove and Pass, ...
SEGUIN ISLAND MAINE LOBSTER BOAT WEDDING IN THE FOG
Seguin Island Maine was our next stop, where we took photos of a sunrise wedding on a lobster boat, hiked the trails and toured the lighthouse with a rare fresnel lens still in operation. Our journey to Seguin Island from Jewell Island was just a short ...
HOW TO SAFELY REMOVE A SNAGGED LOBSTER POT FROM YOUR RUDDER SAILING TO MAINE
Sail with us from Nantucket to Richmond Island - near Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Learn how to safely release a lobster pot from your rudder. And we reveal a top hike - the Richmond Island perimeter trail. When we left Nantucket, we kept saying we were goin...
HOW TO SAFELY REMOVE A SNAGGED LOBSTER POT FROM YOUR RUDDER (SAILING – NANTUCKET TO PORTLAND MAINE)
Sail with us from Nantucket to Richmond Island - near Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Learn how to safely release a lobster pot from your rudder. And we reveal a top hike - the Richmond Island perimeter trail. When we left Nantucket, we kept saying we were goin...
DANGEROUS WAVES IN ROCKY DUNDAS CAVES – EXUMAS BAHAMAS
Waves in Caves! Dangerous combination on our exploration of the Rocky Dundas Caves in Exuma Bahamas. We couldn’t leave our Compass Cay anchorage without exploring Rocky Dundas. Two caves, that you can only enter underneath a rock ledge await explora...
Snorkeling with Sharks and Reef fish at Thunderball Grotto – Staniel Cay Exumas.
A must do item at low tide in Staniel Cay. Snorkel under the reef and it opens up to a wonderful grotto, used in the famous James Bond Thunderball movie. @007 TIMELINE: 0:00 Introduction 0:30 Entering the Grotto 1:00 SHARK! LINKS: SUBSCRIBE TO CHAN...
BEST CAVE EXPLORATION IN EXUMAS : OVEN ROCK GEMSTONE POOL CAVE – GUANA CAY SAILING
While anchored at Oven Rock, our last cave exploration of the season was the Gemstone Pool Cave while sailing along Guana Cay in the Exumas Bahamas. We hiked a mile to see the pool cave. It was the BEST cave we have seen all season! From CaveAtlas.com T...
David Copperfield’s Underwater Piano and Mermaid.
In 2011, David Copperfield installed an underwater sculpture 12 ft deep at his private island - Rudder Cay - in the Exuma Cays Bahamas for the amusement of his island guests and snorkelers. Called "The Musician", it includes a full-scale stainless steel me...
VIEW THE UNDERWATER CAVE AT NORMAN’S POND CAY, EXUMA CAYS, BAHAMAS
Stephen and I explored the Norman's Pond Cave in Exumas. 240 ft deep! We seem to have a thing for Bahamanian caves this season:-). Thanks to @CatamaranImpi for the intel so we could find this! According to Cavebiology.com, Norman's Pond Cave is an inl...
Something AWESOME is coming!
Be the FIRST to know⛵
Sign up for exclusive updates and be the first to hear when we go live!
Get sneak peeks, exciting announcement, and special content straight to your inbox!
We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.