Maritime Wood

The Bequia

For months, I had been looking for an island-built day-sailer. I was in the midst of a major rebuild of TUMBLEWEED, my 50-ear-old Alden ketch, anchored in the protected lagoon of Maya Cove on the south coast of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, laminating in new sister frames, refastening, replacing. Most of the interior was torn out to get to the skeleton of the 40’ hull, leaving just Spartan living quarters. I figured I had another six months before she would he reads to sail again. In the meantime, I wanted a traditional little boat to do some change-of-pace sailing and hideaway-cove exploring on late afternoons and weekends.

Not much had turned up, and what had was either over my budget or below my standards of performance. Nowadays, most of the island boats depend on outboard power, and sailing ability is often considerably compromised.

I read the short advertisement a second time with excitement. Oh, boy, a Bequia boat! Throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean, the Bequians are known as the finest boat builders. Their double-enders usually range from 14’ to 22’ and are descendants of the New Bedford sailing whaleboats. Up to the l920s, the waters of the Grenadines were still hunted by the Yankee whalers who would base at Bequia from January until early May, using local men to fill out their crew. Through the years they taught the islanders to build small working sailboats to their design. Today, these two-bow boats, as they are called in Bequia, are still used for transportation, fishing, whaling, and rum smuggling.

The Bequians also frequently take a busman’s holiday and organize then own sailing races. Entry fee is one dollar per man. The winner gets his money back, and the rest of the kitty goes for a rum party on the beach after the race. Under full sail in a stiff trade wind breeze, they are a sight to see singing, hollering, sailing hard, and bailing like mad. Up until a few years ago, the sails were often made out of flour sacks. The size of a boat would be identified by the number of bags used to make the sail: “She’s just a little four-sacker,” or She’s a big seven-sacker.”

The Bequia boats are rugged, fast, and short-legged to skim over reefs to elude pursuers. The stern of a double ender doesn’t lend itself well to attaching an outboard motor, so the Bequia boats have continued to be built and rigged as 100% sailing vessels. And although of shallow draft, they must have windward ability to fight the strong west-setting currents in the channels between the islands. Some are built with a centerboard; others have a long, straight keel that gives enough lateral area for a good bite on the water. Stability comes from stone ballast and the weight of the crew

They are sloop-rigged with a short mast, long boom, and overlapping jib. A long bamboo sprit fits from the base of the mast up to the peak of the mainsail; this spritsail rig is a handy way of increasing the height and area of the sail set without a taller mast or an awkward gaff. When the wind freshens, the mainsail can be reduced by about 35% by dropping the sprit and securing the peak’s tagline to the luff (sailing “scandalized”). The rig is simple and surprisingly efficient.