Ins & Outs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines - 2023

67 DISCOVERBEQUIA The Bequia Heritage Museum In St. Hillary, Friendship this museum was officially opened on December 15th 2020 and represents the fulfilment of nearly thirty years of planning, fundraising and aspiration by the Trustees of the Bequia Heritage Foundation, spearheaded by the late Pat Mitchell. The spacious, airy boat museum explores Bequia’s famed maritime history, including boat and shipbuilding and whaling. It also includes a traditional Amerindian dug-out canoe and other relics of a bygone era, there to represent the indigenous people who lived in the region going back thousands of years. Next door, the newly completed air-conditioned Annexe, with its fine display of Amerindian pottery and artefacts, almost all found on Bequia, together with a selection of items dating from the European period of Bequia’s settlement, including a collection of bottles retrieved from Admiralty Bay, expands on and completes the unique arc of Bequia’s 1,700 year history. Fascinating in-depth PowerPoint presentations in the Annexe Gallery augment the display in both buildings, with detailed background history, maps, charts, commentary and documentation and early photographs. Reproductions of rare antique Bequia maps, postcards and books are also available to purchase. On display outside the Annexe is the whale boat ‘Rescue’, de-commissioned by its owner Orson Ollivierre when he decided to lay down his harpoon and turn instead to whale watching. The dedicated and knowledgeable museum representatives are on hand to welcome you and show you around. More in depth, personalised tours with one of their Trustees are also available by prior arrangement. Allow plenty of time to take in all of the exhibits and the detailed information available, and to enjoy the beautiful and tranquil location. Open: Mon, Wed & Fri 10am- 1pm (closed in Sept and early Oct) Admission: EC$25 (kids free) bequiaheritage@gmail.com Tel Museum: (784) 532-9554 After Hours: (784) 532 9554 or 457-3649. In Ocar, close to Hamilton, Lawson Sargeant's privately-owned Bequia Maritime Museum offers an alternative insight into Bequia's maritime traditions including boat and model boat building. Open: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm Admission: EC$20 Tel Museum: (784) 458-3896 or 454-9274 The famous, high quality handmade model boats that Bequia is known for, are available in Ocar from Sargeant's Model Boat Shop or from Mauvin's Model Boat Shop in Port Elizabeth. Bequia Model Boats Photo: Nicola Redway Grenadine Wild Sea Salt The Bequia Heritage Museum Photo: Wilfred Dederer The Bequia Heritage Museum Photo: Wilfred Dederer