On the way north after St Barts, we stopped in St Martin and visited with our friends from Discovery, Day Dreamer and Elin. We had a great dinner aboard Day Dreamer. Lisa and Peter are so easy to spend time with. Calle and Emma on Elin are heading back to Sweden and agreed to sail with us to the British Virgin Islands. John on Discovery hosted us alongside his power cat at the Simpson Bay Shipyard and even shuttled us around town for reprovisioning. What a great host! Tricia and I hope to be able to do the same for other cruisers when we get back to Maryland.
After a quick 2 day visit, we were ready to leave. Unfortunately, the Causeway Bridge decided not to open at noon because of a bike race. By my count, there were 3 bikes. So, because it is what we do as cruisers, we waited and left later. Elin went out the French side (too shallow for us) and started without us.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
St Barts
At the pre-dawn hour of Oh-Dark-Thirty, the crew is up and ready to go. Tricia makes sure the cabin is secure for sea and the coffee is made. Cary and I consider the still conditions and decide to hoist the mainsail at the anchor. Ginny takes the bridle off the anchor chain. Once Cary is below at the chain locker to keep the anchor chain from piling up and fouling, Ginny begins her morning workout of raising the anchor. We use a Simpson-Lawrence SeaTiger 555 Manual Anchor Windlass. It may be slow, but it is reliable, doesn't use any battery power, and saved us 5 boat units. (Remember, BOAT stands for Break Out Another Thousand.) Music quietly slipped away from the anchorage at Jolly Harbor and sailed down a moonbeam into the Caribbean, making way northwest to St Barts.
Wind was moderate all day, and the going was slow. We didn't get to Gustavia, the major harbor in St Barts, until late afternoon. Evidently, during the busy season, you should get here earlier if you want a good anchoring spot. The outer harbor is not very well protected from the swells, and we watched as boats rolled through 30-40 degrees at anchor. Yuck! The best spot I could find in the crowd was over on the north side, on the edge of the channel. OK, Tricia said "in the channel". I figured it was debatable, drew an imaginary line between 2 green markers and decided I was close but not in the channel. It was too late to inflate the dinghy and check in, so we put up the Q flag, went to bed and were rocked to a blissful sleep. Liar! (Hearing the witch from "Princess Bride" in my head.) We didn't get much sleep and were not big St Barts fans in the morning.
At the Captainerie, I was queued up to check in. The captain ahead of me was loudly frustrated and adding tension to the air, which did not improve my demeanor. Then I hear "Music". Not angelic herald trumpets, or even a Hendrix guitar riff, just the Port Captain saying the name of my boat. "I'm "Music"", I reply. "You're in the channel." Grumble, grumble. "Yessir, I'll move as soon as I'm done here." So, after getting through the formalities, buying park and dive passes from the Park Service, and picking up ice, I head back to the boat. Liberal interpretation of "as soon as", but then, I'm not really in the channel anyway. To add to my frustration, a herd of megayachts were anchored at the entrance to the channel. Since they are each 200+ feet long, they form an effective blockade. But, they are just outside the sea buoy, so officially they are not "in the channel". And they pay 100 times what I do in customs fees. I wonder if they are treated differently because of money???
Seeing as we had to move, and we didn't like Gustavia, we motored around the corner to Anse de Columbe. What a difference! We were early and got a mooring ball. The water was calm and crystal clear. There were only 5-6 huge megayachts blocking out the sun. Much better.
Cary, Tricia and I headed in the dinghy to dive the wall at the entrance to the harbor. Note to cartographer, the cut between the point and the island you marked as navigable for dinghies is not. I have chips in my prop to prove it. We picked up a dive site mooring ball, and dropped over the side. The visibility was incredible. It had to be 100 feet, and a beautiful pale blue. There were hundreds of fish of all shapes and sizes, and the colors just made your eyes pop. Iridescent blues, glowing yellows. Really cool! We swam up and down several different rock formations, bouncing from 20-70 feet. I was able to show Cary a spotted Moray Eel. At a big sugarloaf rock, Big Bill Barracuda hovered overhead protecting his turf, alway just in your peripheral vision. I try to ignore him. As we finish up our tanks, we surface near the dinghy and climb back in. Overall, a great dive!
Back on "Music", Tricia made another fantastic meal. Maybe we are not giving St Barts enough credit. We regret that we are now on a timetable and don't have more time to spend in each of these new places we find. Alas! Tired from the day, we relaxed, read books, and other quiet repasts and fell asleep. Really, sleep, as in 6 hours without waking up, restful sleep. We each awoke in a much better mood. Although we would like to stay, we have to keep moving north. Wanting to catch the 0930 Simpson Bay (Dutch side) bridge opening, we slip the mooring and get underway immediately. It is a short hop to St Martin. As we pass Ile de Forchue, a small island between St Barts and St Martin, we duck into the cove to check it out. It looks like another great dive site, and a sheltered anchorage in most weather. It is always nicer to enter a harbor the second time, with a little familiarity to calm your concerns.
Wind was moderate all day, and the going was slow. We didn't get to Gustavia, the major harbor in St Barts, until late afternoon. Evidently, during the busy season, you should get here earlier if you want a good anchoring spot. The outer harbor is not very well protected from the swells, and we watched as boats rolled through 30-40 degrees at anchor. Yuck! The best spot I could find in the crowd was over on the north side, on the edge of the channel. OK, Tricia said "in the channel". I figured it was debatable, drew an imaginary line between 2 green markers and decided I was close but not in the channel. It was too late to inflate the dinghy and check in, so we put up the Q flag, went to bed and were rocked to a blissful sleep. Liar! (Hearing the witch from "Princess Bride" in my head.) We didn't get much sleep and were not big St Barts fans in the morning.
At the Captainerie, I was queued up to check in. The captain ahead of me was loudly frustrated and adding tension to the air, which did not improve my demeanor. Then I hear "Music". Not angelic herald trumpets, or even a Hendrix guitar riff, just the Port Captain saying the name of my boat. "I'm "Music"", I reply. "You're in the channel." Grumble, grumble. "Yessir, I'll move as soon as I'm done here." So, after getting through the formalities, buying park and dive passes from the Park Service, and picking up ice, I head back to the boat. Liberal interpretation of "as soon as", but then, I'm not really in the channel anyway. To add to my frustration, a herd of megayachts were anchored at the entrance to the channel. Since they are each 200+ feet long, they form an effective blockade. But, they are just outside the sea buoy, so officially they are not "in the channel". And they pay 100 times what I do in customs fees. I wonder if they are treated differently because of money???
Seeing as we had to move, and we didn't like Gustavia, we motored around the corner to Anse de Columbe. What a difference! We were early and got a mooring ball. The water was calm and crystal clear. There were only 5-6 huge megayachts blocking out the sun. Much better.
Cary, Tricia and I headed in the dinghy to dive the wall at the entrance to the harbor. Note to cartographer, the cut between the point and the island you marked as navigable for dinghies is not. I have chips in my prop to prove it. We picked up a dive site mooring ball, and dropped over the side. The visibility was incredible. It had to be 100 feet, and a beautiful pale blue. There were hundreds of fish of all shapes and sizes, and the colors just made your eyes pop. Iridescent blues, glowing yellows. Really cool! We swam up and down several different rock formations, bouncing from 20-70 feet. I was able to show Cary a spotted Moray Eel. At a big sugarloaf rock, Big Bill Barracuda hovered overhead protecting his turf, alway just in your peripheral vision. I try to ignore him. As we finish up our tanks, we surface near the dinghy and climb back in. Overall, a great dive!
Back on "Music", Tricia made another fantastic meal. Maybe we are not giving St Barts enough credit. We regret that we are now on a timetable and don't have more time to spend in each of these new places we find. Alas! Tired from the day, we relaxed, read books, and other quiet repasts and fell asleep. Really, sleep, as in 6 hours without waking up, restful sleep. We each awoke in a much better mood. Although we would like to stay, we have to keep moving north. Wanting to catch the 0930 Simpson Bay (Dutch side) bridge opening, we slip the mooring and get underway immediately. It is a short hop to St Martin. As we pass Ile de Forchue, a small island between St Barts and St Martin, we duck into the cove to check it out. It looks like another great dive site, and a sheltered anchorage in most weather. It is always nicer to enter a harbor the second time, with a little familiarity to calm your concerns.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Battle of the Saints
As a reader of C.S. Forrester, Patrick O'Brian and books of that swashbuckling sort, I had read often about a major sea battle between the French and British at "The Saints". I never really knew where that was. In preparing for the visit to Guadeloupe, I learned that the Battle of the Saints was fought at the end of the American Revolution between the French under Villeneuve and Comte de Grasse and the British under Rodney in the straits between Dominica and Iles de Saintes, Guadeloupe. Very cool!
Our trip from Portsmouth Harbor to Iles de Saintes was beautiful. With the dinghy safely stowed on deck, we set out in a light breeze that was forecast to build later in the day. Tricia broke out her fishing pole and the purple lure Cary and Ginny bought her for her birthday. It wasn't in the water long before we heard the cry "Fish On!" In short order, a diminutive blue fin tuna was gaffed, gutted and in the freezer. Enough for an appetizer, but we needed to find his big brother. Roaring along at 8+ knots in a mild squall, Tricia was thinking we were going too fast to catch anything. Then I saw some birds diving ahead of us and steered for them. In seconds, Tricia had a powerful hit! But I will let her tell you about catching "the big one".
Ha, so on board Music we have a plastic rod holder attached to our stern railing. Our one big Penn reel and rod sit in that holder until we hook a fish. I honestly thought that the rod holder would break, or the rod would break, or the line would break, not in that order. Getting the rod out of the holder requires talent, even with a small fish, and this wasn't a small fish. I have to stand on the aft seats which are angled, unhook the latch on the holder, and slide the rod out without dropping the rod, hitting the bimini, or falling overboard. Try this with the rod bent in half, and 6-7' following, rolly seas. So the rod and reel actually belong to my Dad, and all I could worry about was holding on for dear life so that I didn't lose $1000 worth of someone else's equipment. Once I was sure that the sucker was hooked, all I could do was fight it, in bare hands, on a rolly sea, under the bimini, with no room to pump, no fighting chair or fighting harness. I grew up learning how to fish the big salt water fish. These were not ideal conditions, but being the stubborn person that I am, I refused to let anyone else help. I wasn't going to risk losing that rod. And what the hell kind of fish was this anyway? I called out to have someone check the time - no one did. They didn't get it. Fish like this can be fought for hours! I fought it for at least 20 minutes, which at the time seemed like hours. It was long enough for me to to be out of breath, sore, shakey, and have blisters worn and popped on my right hand by the time I was done. Yes, gloves would have been helpful. Duh.
I have to give my family credit though, they have gotten good at the process of slowing the boat down so that I can fight a fish. Their execution was perfect, up to the point where the fish got close and made a run for underneath the boat. Had I been smart, I would have called for them to speed up. In the end, we were lucky and didn't lose the fish. We got it to the boat, and Mat made a perfect gaff, as he hung half-way off the stern ladder to pull aboard my 25# blue fin tuna. It sure felt like 200#. Well, it's been a long time since I fought any big fish, and this one was all muscle. That night we made sushi for the first time, with lots of fish left in the freezer for many meals to come.
Now if I only I can get the elusive wahoo, I'll be a happy camper! I think we have to do something like 10-14 knots to catch those crazy suckers. Mat would love it if we were going that fast! You may be wondering why we don't try fishing more often? Well, in some countries it's not allowed without a permit, but mostly we don't fish anywhere around the reefs to avoid catching reef fish that could be carrying Ciguatera bacteria that could make us very sick. We actually did catch some barracuda leaving St. Kitts, but those are one of the fish that tends to carry Ciguatera, so back over they went, and after reeling in two of them, the line came in for the day. Whenever we are doing passages the line goes out, but we aren't always lucky. But for me, it's entertainment.
Mat: After cleaning up and getting sailing again, we got the boat dialed in and, I am proud to say, caught the boat who had been ahead of us when we stopped to fish. Real fun sailing. And the entry into the Saintes was gorgeous. You pass between a point and a small island with surf crashing on the rocks. As you round up to lower the sails behind the next point, you see the welcoming harbor stretched out in front of you with tall hills on three sides, and another island to the rear. Very protected. In more ways than one, as you notice the forts on the top of each hill with embrasures that once held cannons with interlocking fields of fire. Maybe this wouldn't be so welcoming if you were an enemy ship?
Our trip from Portsmouth Harbor to Iles de Saintes was beautiful. With the dinghy safely stowed on deck, we set out in a light breeze that was forecast to build later in the day. Tricia broke out her fishing pole and the purple lure Cary and Ginny bought her for her birthday. It wasn't in the water long before we heard the cry "Fish On!" In short order, a diminutive blue fin tuna was gaffed, gutted and in the freezer. Enough for an appetizer, but we needed to find his big brother. Roaring along at 8+ knots in a mild squall, Tricia was thinking we were going too fast to catch anything. Then I saw some birds diving ahead of us and steered for them. In seconds, Tricia had a powerful hit! But I will let her tell you about catching "the big one".
Ha, so on board Music we have a plastic rod holder attached to our stern railing. Our one big Penn reel and rod sit in that holder until we hook a fish. I honestly thought that the rod holder would break, or the rod would break, or the line would break, not in that order. Getting the rod out of the holder requires talent, even with a small fish, and this wasn't a small fish. I have to stand on the aft seats which are angled, unhook the latch on the holder, and slide the rod out without dropping the rod, hitting the bimini, or falling overboard. Try this with the rod bent in half, and 6-7' following, rolly seas. So the rod and reel actually belong to my Dad, and all I could worry about was holding on for dear life so that I didn't lose $1000 worth of someone else's equipment. Once I was sure that the sucker was hooked, all I could do was fight it, in bare hands, on a rolly sea, under the bimini, with no room to pump, no fighting chair or fighting harness. I grew up learning how to fish the big salt water fish. These were not ideal conditions, but being the stubborn person that I am, I refused to let anyone else help. I wasn't going to risk losing that rod. And what the hell kind of fish was this anyway? I called out to have someone check the time - no one did. They didn't get it. Fish like this can be fought for hours! I fought it for at least 20 minutes, which at the time seemed like hours. It was long enough for me to to be out of breath, sore, shakey, and have blisters worn and popped on my right hand by the time I was done. Yes, gloves would have been helpful. Duh.
I have to give my family credit though, they have gotten good at the process of slowing the boat down so that I can fight a fish. Their execution was perfect, up to the point where the fish got close and made a run for underneath the boat. Had I been smart, I would have called for them to speed up. In the end, we were lucky and didn't lose the fish. We got it to the boat, and Mat made a perfect gaff, as he hung half-way off the stern ladder to pull aboard my 25# blue fin tuna. It sure felt like 200#. Well, it's been a long time since I fought any big fish, and this one was all muscle. That night we made sushi for the first time, with lots of fish left in the freezer for many meals to come.
Now if I only I can get the elusive wahoo, I'll be a happy camper! I think we have to do something like 10-14 knots to catch those crazy suckers. Mat would love it if we were going that fast! You may be wondering why we don't try fishing more often? Well, in some countries it's not allowed without a permit, but mostly we don't fish anywhere around the reefs to avoid catching reef fish that could be carrying Ciguatera bacteria that could make us very sick. We actually did catch some barracuda leaving St. Kitts, but those are one of the fish that tends to carry Ciguatera, so back over they went, and after reeling in two of them, the line came in for the day. Whenever we are doing passages the line goes out, but we aren't always lucky. But for me, it's entertainment.
Mat: After cleaning up and getting sailing again, we got the boat dialed in and, I am proud to say, caught the boat who had been ahead of us when we stopped to fish. Real fun sailing. And the entry into the Saintes was gorgeous. You pass between a point and a small island with surf crashing on the rocks. As you round up to lower the sails behind the next point, you see the welcoming harbor stretched out in front of you with tall hills on three sides, and another island to the rear. Very protected. In more ways than one, as you notice the forts on the top of each hill with embrasures that once held cannons with interlocking fields of fire. Maybe this wouldn't be so welcoming if you were an enemy ship?
At Home With Ruby
Ruby is our oldest dog, and the one we worried about leaving the most. She was a rescue, a Vizsla, that Queen Anne's County Animal Control found outside of Food Lion on Kent Island 6 years ago. I went to collect her when they called me thinking I would place her in rescue, and they would find her a nice home. I took my first look at her, and knew that she would be coming home with me, and never leaving. Her face was gray, and she was as big as a house, not in a good way. Try placing an old, fat dog of any breed. It's not that easy. She had malformations of one back foot, and when we x-rayed her, one hip had been busted and healed improperly. She limped. A sad case. Add to her maladies, a constant battle with what we later learned were food and inhalant allergies, and she becomes a dog only a veterinarian would take home.
Ruby knew her name. We didn't name her. The day I broke her out of Animal Control prison, I took her to my office. I was doing surgery that afternoon, and we weren't too busy, so Ruby sat in an open cage while I did my work. Once all work was done, my technicians and I started calling out names. We went through at least a hundred common names. Ruby didn't budge. She sat looking at us in an open cage. Then I went through common Vizsla and red dog names. She didn't budge. As almost an afterthought, I asked her, 'Is your name Ruby?', and she bolted out of the cage as fast as she could across the room and into my lap, tail wagging, and whining the happiest sound I had ever heard. Her name was Ruby. We knew she was at least 7-8 years old, she had a long list of medical problems, and her name was Ruby.
So why, when we learned she had a form of pancreatic cancer called an Insulinoma, would I even consider making every effort to prolong her life? It boiled down to two things. First, I'm a vet, and sometimes it's hard for us to not make every conceivable effort and go the extra mile for our pets. We have to try. It's just part of our nature. We know there are things that can be done, we assess the risk, we accept the risk, and we try to make them better. Period. The second reason, was that Ruby is one of the best dogs we have ever had. I felt it was only right to give her a chance. One month to live without surgery, or maybe a year with surgery. So I flew home to take care of her.
Surgery went well, considering that the mass was in a bad position in the middle of her pancreas, and probably wasn't benign. She actually recovered well from the anesthesia ( a risk for her because, oh yeah, she also has a heart arrhythmia). But the days that followed were not so promising. Her recovery slipped, and her biopsies came back as malignant. Her behaviors supported a suspicion that the cancer had spread to her brain. Her deterioration was painful to watch, and on day three of recovery, I had her euthanized, the only final gift that I could give her, peace.
If anyone were to ask me what was the hardest part of leaving life on land for a life as a cruiser, I would easily answer giving up my animals, and leaving family and friends. Ruby was part of our family for almost 6 years, and she was loved. We knew when we left, that we risked returning to land life only to find some of those family and friends might no longer be with us. We will miss Ruby greatly. She brought us great joy, and in return she had a happy, comfortable life with us for her final years.
Thank you's: to my parents, sister and her family, who have taken care of our dogs while we have been gone. To Mat's sister, Beth, who has our cat. To Betty, a friend who has our bird. To the nice families that adopted our horses. To my friends and family who supported me during this ordeal, you know who you are. To Dr. Busick, for handling things from afar. To Ruby's specialists at CVRC, Dr. Paola and Dr. Minihan, who did everything they could for Ruby, and who understood not only her pain, but mine as well. I can never thank you enough. And To QACAC - thank you for giving me Ruby, without whom our journey together would not have taken place. And to Mat, Cary, and Ginny, who let me go home to take care of her.
For Ruby:
" She seemed grateful that I took care of her, and I was grateful for what she continued to teach me about slowing down, living in the moment, and not giving up in the struggle to learn a different way." Amy Herdy
We will always love you, Ruby.
Antigua- Deep Bay and Jolly Harbor
From Falmouth we daysailed to Deep Bay to dive a wreck there. On the way, we passed just outside a reef on the south coast. As we were sailing, I saw a whale spout off in the distance between us and the reef. Cary, Ginny and Tricia scrambled to get a look while I got the camera. There were 2 whales, which looked to be of a good size. Based on the forward angle of the spout and the small dorsal fin, I think they were sperm whales. They are supposedly common here this time of year. The really cool thing is one of them was TOTALLY WHITE! I saw Moby Dick! I claim the gold doubloon that Ahab nailed to the mast. Unfortunately, they were gone before we got any pictures. But I have witnesses! (Tricia) - And while poor Mat was flying to get the camera, the rest of us got the one and only fluke wave goodbye!
Deep Bay was a beautiful round anchorage. We pulled right up to the beach, anchoring 30 yards offshore in 15 feet of water. About 100 yards behind us is a large wreck in 20-30 feet. Ginny, Cary and I dove. Unfortunately, the visibility was very poor, less than 5 feet at the base of the wreck. So we bailed out and had lunch. I did manage to replace the propeller zinc while I had the tank out. Good for G & C to dive with poor visibility, as they've never had that experience before. All good learning!
After lunch, we had a lovely sail to Jolly Harbor where we anchored outside. I took the dinghy in and cleared out of Antigua since we planned to leave in the morning. Very convenient location for Customs in the yellow building up the channel as you enter the harbor. Plenty of space for the dinghy, and everything right there at the dock.
We did end up coming into the harbor with Music, as we ran our starboard water tank dry and couldn't get suction on the port tank. The marina was nice enough to let us top up the starboard tank, for a price, even though it was after hours. We were grateful that water was available (they've been restricting water to cruisers due to a draught), and that they let us take up their valuable time off. Once at the dock the port tank was working fine and was completely full. Go figure. After getting over the panic of having little water left for a passage, we left the dock to anchor back out in the harbor, got a good night's sleep, and were off to St. Barts by 4 AM.
Deep Bay was a beautiful round anchorage. We pulled right up to the beach, anchoring 30 yards offshore in 15 feet of water. About 100 yards behind us is a large wreck in 20-30 feet. Ginny, Cary and I dove. Unfortunately, the visibility was very poor, less than 5 feet at the base of the wreck. So we bailed out and had lunch. I did manage to replace the propeller zinc while I had the tank out. Good for G & C to dive with poor visibility, as they've never had that experience before. All good learning!
After lunch, we had a lovely sail to Jolly Harbor where we anchored outside. I took the dinghy in and cleared out of Antigua since we planned to leave in the morning. Very convenient location for Customs in the yellow building up the channel as you enter the harbor. Plenty of space for the dinghy, and everything right there at the dock.
We did end up coming into the harbor with Music, as we ran our starboard water tank dry and couldn't get suction on the port tank. The marina was nice enough to let us top up the starboard tank, for a price, even though it was after hours. We were grateful that water was available (they've been restricting water to cruisers due to a draught), and that they let us take up their valuable time off. Once at the dock the port tank was working fine and was completely full. Go figure. After getting over the panic of having little water left for a passage, we left the dock to anchor back out in the harbor, got a good night's sleep, and were off to St. Barts by 4 AM.
Antigua- Falmouth Harbor
From Guadeloupe, we headed north to Antigua. So nice to be sailing off the wind. I didn't make a log entry, and it was almost a month ago. Frankly, it must have been a good sail, because I don't remember it. We anchored in Falmouth Harbor, under the shadow of HUGE and EXPENSIVE MEGAYACHTS, both sail and power. A 200 ft modern green schooner was actually loading a two man submarine into its hold! (We later saw her and her professional crew of 20 take her out for a sail- IMPRESSIVE.)
Despite the megayachts, Falmouth and Antigua are nice. Everyone of Music's crew commented at one point or another how they "liked Antigua". When questioned why, comments like "comfortable" and "safe" were common. I believe it has a lot to do with the language. This is the first port we've been in for 3 months where English is the primary language and we can even understand the islanders' patois. I really enjoyed the walk over to English Harbor to clear in. I was able to tour Nelson's Dockyard, and put a clearer picture in my mind of the setting of the Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian novels I love.
We found "Overbudget" in harbor, and had sundowners with Ginny and JW to catch up on happenings since St Martin. "Spirited Lady" with Suzie and Jeff, in Antigua for the Classic Yacht Regatta in April, joined us and made new friends.
The next morning Ginny and Cary went for a run in town, while adults scoped out a breakfast spot. Once the girls joined us, we walked back to Nelson's Dockyard, and enjoyed breakfast looking out over the very small English Harbor. Food was good, but SLOW.
The next day, we tried to dive Sunken Rock east of English Harbor. There is no buoy, so the dive shop told us to anchor our dinghy. We got a ways out of the harbor, but decided to turn back. Even if we could have made it with the waves, it wasn't going to be a comfortable dive experience. We snorkeled the reef at the entrance to Falmouth Harbor instead, and found a nest of large lobsters. Not knowing the local regs, we left them where they were. Too bad. We later learned we could take 2 per diver. After perusing the dive options in Antigua, we decided that there was probably only one dive site we could go to without a guide, so off we went headed to Deep Bay at the northwest corner of the island.
Despite the megayachts, Falmouth and Antigua are nice. Everyone of Music's crew commented at one point or another how they "liked Antigua". When questioned why, comments like "comfortable" and "safe" were common. I believe it has a lot to do with the language. This is the first port we've been in for 3 months where English is the primary language and we can even understand the islanders' patois. I really enjoyed the walk over to English Harbor to clear in. I was able to tour Nelson's Dockyard, and put a clearer picture in my mind of the setting of the Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian novels I love.
We found "Overbudget" in harbor, and had sundowners with Ginny and JW to catch up on happenings since St Martin. "Spirited Lady" with Suzie and Jeff, in Antigua for the Classic Yacht Regatta in April, joined us and made new friends.
The next morning Ginny and Cary went for a run in town, while adults scoped out a breakfast spot. Once the girls joined us, we walked back to Nelson's Dockyard, and enjoyed breakfast looking out over the very small English Harbor. Food was good, but SLOW.
The next day, we tried to dive Sunken Rock east of English Harbor. There is no buoy, so the dive shop told us to anchor our dinghy. We got a ways out of the harbor, but decided to turn back. Even if we could have made it with the waves, it wasn't going to be a comfortable dive experience. We snorkeled the reef at the entrance to Falmouth Harbor instead, and found a nest of large lobsters. Not knowing the local regs, we left them where they were. Too bad. We later learned we could take 2 per diver. After perusing the dive options in Antigua, we decided that there was probably only one dive site we could go to without a guide, so off we went headed to Deep Bay at the northwest corner of the island.
Deshaies, Guadeloupe
Day-Ay is another beautiful French anchorage, similar to St Pierre in Martinique. Colorful, small colonial buildings line the waterfront with restaurants, bars, art galleries, and shops. Of course, there are vegetable and fruit stands, and wonderful French bakeries. The dive shop is right at the dinghy dock. They not only refill tanks fairly inexpensively, but they gave us all the water we wanted for FREE! A true luxury, even if I did have to haul it back to the boat in 50 lb jugs. We have had to pay for water everywhere else.
The anchorage was a little crowded when we arrived. Music was anchored on the south side of the harbor, close the the cliffs on the a lee shore. I didn't sleep too well the first night (I never do), even though the winds were moderate, the anchor held well, and we didn't swing into the neighbors. The next day, while I was in sorting out the dive tanks, I noticed the girls launching a kayak. Good, they would finally get used. When I got back to the boat, I found out why. Turns out a French boat had backed into our side, taking 2-3 quarter-sized chunks out of the new paint. He handed them 100 Euro, an email address, and a promise to pay more later if needed. Rrrrgh. The good news is we made new friends. The yacht behind us, "Spirited Lady of Fowey", captained by Suzy with Jeff as crew, came by to help. Turns out Suzy has 2 dogs and a cat aboard, and one of the dogs needed Tricia's medical help. Suzy has been cruising the Caribbean for years and has a wealth of info and great stories. Jeff is on break after college, and helped Ginny with her Gov homework. Through Suzy we also met Roger on "Warrior for Life" and Knoll and Bobby, an Aussie couple who have done deliveries in the Caribbean and across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. We had a nice evening on Spirited Lady telling tales.
The ladies had another nice dive out on the reef wall at the northern point of the harbor. My knee is mending, but not quite ready for diving. Tricia and I decided not to walk out to the Botanical Garden and see the Flamingos. We should have gone. Alas.
The next night, Andrew and Claire from "Eye Candy" dropped anchor. Time for another party. Eye Candy, Spirited Lady, and Warrior for Life were invited. This time, we hosted on Music. Tricia whipped up homemade pizza which was a huge hit. Cary and Ginny played a selection of songs on the trumpet and clarinet. Then we proceeded to sing any song we could think of until late at night. We now realize how limited our repertoire really is. Time to practice those lyrics!
The anchorage was a little crowded when we arrived. Music was anchored on the south side of the harbor, close the the cliffs on the a lee shore. I didn't sleep too well the first night (I never do), even though the winds were moderate, the anchor held well, and we didn't swing into the neighbors. The next day, while I was in sorting out the dive tanks, I noticed the girls launching a kayak. Good, they would finally get used. When I got back to the boat, I found out why. Turns out a French boat had backed into our side, taking 2-3 quarter-sized chunks out of the new paint. He handed them 100 Euro, an email address, and a promise to pay more later if needed. Rrrrgh. The good news is we made new friends. The yacht behind us, "Spirited Lady of Fowey", captained by Suzy with Jeff as crew, came by to help. Turns out Suzy has 2 dogs and a cat aboard, and one of the dogs needed Tricia's medical help. Suzy has been cruising the Caribbean for years and has a wealth of info and great stories. Jeff is on break after college, and helped Ginny with her Gov homework. Through Suzy we also met Roger on "Warrior for Life" and Knoll and Bobby, an Aussie couple who have done deliveries in the Caribbean and across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. We had a nice evening on Spirited Lady telling tales.
The ladies had another nice dive out on the reef wall at the northern point of the harbor. My knee is mending, but not quite ready for diving. Tricia and I decided not to walk out to the Botanical Garden and see the Flamingos. We should have gone. Alas.
The next night, Andrew and Claire from "Eye Candy" dropped anchor. Time for another party. Eye Candy, Spirited Lady, and Warrior for Life were invited. This time, we hosted on Music. Tricia whipped up homemade pizza which was a huge hit. Cary and Ginny played a selection of songs on the trumpet and clarinet. Then we proceeded to sing any song we could think of until late at night. We now realize how limited our repertoire really is. Time to practice those lyrics!
Jacques Cousteau Underwater Park, Pigeon Island, Guadeloupe
From the Saintes, we motorsailed up to Pigeon Island off the west coast of Guadeloupe. The weather was perfect for a visit to the dive sites at the Jacques Cousteau Underwater Park. We timed our departure to arrive at lunchtime. This is when the tour operators are usually changing out the morning and afternoon tourists, and the mooring balls are available. We had to wait about 30 minutes. We finally asked a family whose inflatable was tied up to a mooring if we could share. They were Dutch cruisers, and welcomed us alongside.
I was a little banged up with a stiff knee, so I sat this one out. Cary, Ginny and Tricia dove and said the conditions were wonderful! (Tricia) - Pigeon Island is small. There are dive/snorkel sites on three sides, and we were moored at the southwest corner, which turned out to be the best site. We dropped in 20' of crystal clear water. Visibility was impeccable. Most of the volcanic islands have runoff of dust from the volcanos that makes the water grainy, but not this little gem. Unfortunately, Ginny had trouble clearing her ears, so back to the boat we went. Once Ginny was back on board, Cary and I tried again. At first we tried to go east, toward the other moorings, but seeing little there, other than divers, we turned and headed west. What a sight of healthy corral, sponges, fish big and small, lobster, turtles, and very few anemones. It was the kind of dive you wish you could do again and again, and probably never tire of seeing the beauty. It amazes me how much more vibrant colors are when the water is truly clear. It was, for that reason, one of the busiest dive sites we have seen.
After the dive, it was a quick trip up the coast to Deshaies (Day-Ay) where we anchored for a few days.
I was a little banged up with a stiff knee, so I sat this one out. Cary, Ginny and Tricia dove and said the conditions were wonderful! (Tricia) - Pigeon Island is small. There are dive/snorkel sites on three sides, and we were moored at the southwest corner, which turned out to be the best site. We dropped in 20' of crystal clear water. Visibility was impeccable. Most of the volcanic islands have runoff of dust from the volcanos that makes the water grainy, but not this little gem. Unfortunately, Ginny had trouble clearing her ears, so back to the boat we went. Once Ginny was back on board, Cary and I tried again. At first we tried to go east, toward the other moorings, but seeing little there, other than divers, we turned and headed west. What a sight of healthy corral, sponges, fish big and small, lobster, turtles, and very few anemones. It was the kind of dive you wish you could do again and again, and probably never tire of seeing the beauty. It amazes me how much more vibrant colors are when the water is truly clear. It was, for that reason, one of the busiest dive sites we have seen.
After the dive, it was a quick trip up the coast to Deshaies (Day-Ay) where we anchored for a few days.
Iles de Saintes
We moored in Terre de Haute harbor. The town is lovely. A nice dinghy dock, away from the ferry dock. The shops are small and close together, the streets are narrow. This is OK, as most of the town is either closed to cars, or one way traffic. Tourists are everywhere, just off the ferry. Think Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard, in French. After a few minutes wandering around, I realized my 4 year old Doyle's Cruising Guide to the Windward Islands is out of date. The officer at the Gendarmerie told me where to go to clear in. I understood less than a third of what he said, smiled and said "Merci". A nice shipowner, who spoke no English at all, was able to figure out what I needed and walked me to the LSM Cafe where you check in, do laundry, use WiFi (pronounced Wee-Fee), etc. One Euro later, Music was cleared into and out of Guadeloupe. Gotta love the French! I picked up some baguettes on the way back to the boat.
Later that afternoon, Tricia and I toured the town while Cary and Ginny did homework. We found the market, and boulangerie. We walked all the way to Fort Rouge, a small emplacement on a hill. There we met a nice German man and his son who spoke English well and knew a lot about the Battle of the Saintes. he insisted we needed to hike up to the Fort Napolean built to visit the museum. We also visited with the goats that do a nice job keeping the vegetation under control on the hilltop.
So, next morning, bright and early, we all set out for the fort on the hill. The STEEP HILL. Cary and Ginny left Mom and Dad in the dust. There were about 7 switchbacks on the way up, with spectacular views. The museum was WONDERFUL! They have done a great job restoring the fort itself, and have assembled exhibits on the fort, the island, and the flora and fauna of the island and surrounding waters.
Tired but pleased, we got back to the bottom of the hill where we found the dive shop (look for "Immersion" or "Plonge" signs). If we got the tanks in by 1630, they could fill them the same afternoon. So we raced back to the boat, packed all our gear into the dinghy and headed for the first dive site "Pain de Sucre". Cary dove with Tricia and me. A small reef with fair visibility, some coral and a variety of fish. The highlight was spearing my first lion fish. They are an invasive species in the Caribbean, and are crowding out the native fish since they have no natural predators. They have poisonous spines. The trick is to bring scissors, and cut the spines off while the fish is still on the spear. That went fine. Lion fish are supposedly delicious. Ours was too small to bother. Maybe when I get a big one.
We did two more dives in the Saintes. Good, but not great. But who's complaining. We are getting pretty good at donning our gear in the dinghy, and getting back into the dinghy after the dive.
WiFi was pretty good for our stay. They have a HotHotHotSpot service that is only 10 Euro a week, available in Guadeloupe, and Antigua as well as other islands. So we got some homework done between dives, wondered through the streets, and enjoyed this quiet little French town.
Later that afternoon, Tricia and I toured the town while Cary and Ginny did homework. We found the market, and boulangerie. We walked all the way to Fort Rouge, a small emplacement on a hill. There we met a nice German man and his son who spoke English well and knew a lot about the Battle of the Saintes. he insisted we needed to hike up to the Fort Napolean built to visit the museum. We also visited with the goats that do a nice job keeping the vegetation under control on the hilltop.
So, next morning, bright and early, we all set out for the fort on the hill. The STEEP HILL. Cary and Ginny left Mom and Dad in the dust. There were about 7 switchbacks on the way up, with spectacular views. The museum was WONDERFUL! They have done a great job restoring the fort itself, and have assembled exhibits on the fort, the island, and the flora and fauna of the island and surrounding waters.
Tired but pleased, we got back to the bottom of the hill where we found the dive shop (look for "Immersion" or "Plonge" signs). If we got the tanks in by 1630, they could fill them the same afternoon. So we raced back to the boat, packed all our gear into the dinghy and headed for the first dive site "Pain de Sucre". Cary dove with Tricia and me. A small reef with fair visibility, some coral and a variety of fish. The highlight was spearing my first lion fish. They are an invasive species in the Caribbean, and are crowding out the native fish since they have no natural predators. They have poisonous spines. The trick is to bring scissors, and cut the spines off while the fish is still on the spear. That went fine. Lion fish are supposedly delicious. Ours was too small to bother. Maybe when I get a big one.
We did two more dives in the Saintes. Good, but not great. But who's complaining. We are getting pretty good at donning our gear in the dinghy, and getting back into the dinghy after the dive.
WiFi was pretty good for our stay. They have a HotHotHotSpot service that is only 10 Euro a week, available in Guadeloupe, and Antigua as well as other islands. So we got some homework done between dives, wondered through the streets, and enjoyed this quiet little French town.
Martinique- Part Deaux
After our stay in Le Marin, a large harbor on the southern side of Martinique with lots of charter boats, and all the marine services you would ever need, we finally decided to start north. We had a nice lunch at Mango Bay and bid adieu to Joel and Claudine. Then we had a lovely sail around the southwest tip, past Diamante Roche (Diamond Rock) and around the corner to Petite Anse de Arlets. A lovely little village on the coast. Although we only anchored for the night, it was beautiful to see the sun come over the mountains and clear the shadows out of the town, as the bell from the local church tolls the morning hour.
From Anse de Arlet, we sailed up to St Pierre. Winds on the lee of Martinique were fickle once again. Talking with others, you need to be almost 10 miles west of the island to get steady trade winds, We hugged the coast, and were treated to winds from all quarters and ranging from 0-20 kts.
St Pierre, on the NW corner of Martinique is another sleepy little town. We anchored right up next to the town dock in 45 feet of water 100 feet off the beach. We went in right away to find the local dive shop to learn about where to dive. It turns out there are several good beginner sights near the harbor. St Pierre was destroyed in 1902 when the volcano above the town erupted, killing all but two people. The is a wreck in the harbor from that catastrophe, but, although it is 100 yards offshore, it lies in 120 feet of water- too deep for us.
We dinghied to the first wreck and Cary, Ginny and I had a nice dive. Water was very clear, there were some nice fish, and a small, fairly well preserved wreck in 25-30 feet of water. It was my first time diving with Cary and Ginny and, I am proud to say, they did very well.
Tricia, Cary and Ginny did a second dive on the northern corner of the harbor. (Tricia) We should probably back up and explain why we are just starting to write about diving…. Yes, this would only be our first island to dive. We attempted diving long ago in the BVI's, and if you remember, we had equipment failures. No one in the caribbean even knew the manufacturer of our failed BCDs, much less was able to help us. I contacted our dive shop at home who had 'serviced' our equipment, Sea Colony in Severna Park, asking them if they would be able to help us, no blame placed. When the equipment was serviced, either the gaskets to our two used BCDs were missing, or they lost them in the process of servicing. The email I got back from Sea Colony was defensive and useless. Our BCDs are made by Zeagle. There is no way to contact the company via email. So an international call was made. In spite of being unknown, and not easy to contact, they were very helpful, confirming that we were correct with the diagnosis, and they would send us some gaskets, but only to a US address. UGH. Mat's parents were kind enough to bring them down to Jost Van Dyke when they visited us at Christmas, but by then our BVI visa was up, so no diving there.
Why then, are we just getting to dive? Well….Many of the islands now have rules that require anyone diving to do so with a local dive shop. As nice as that may have been to do, it is cost prohibitive for this trip. St. Martin is not one of those places, but we didn't dive there either, mostly because all of the dive locations are in rough water, not suitable for a dinghy ride. We were able to pick up another BCD, regulator, and tank so that three of us could dive together. Yeah. The second dive in St. Pierre was beautiful as well, with a nice leatherback turtle, and plenty of fish to keep us occupied. The girls haven't dove much, but are right at home in the water, using little air, and following all of the rules. After our dive, we were happy to be able to fill dive tanks right back up, to be ready for the next port of call.
As usual, we enjoyed baguettes, croissants and espresso. We had stocked up in Le Marin, so we didn't do much more in St Pierre. Definitely worth a return trip, as I need to visit the museum of the volcano eruption.
Leaving Martinique to head to Guadeloupe we made an error in judgment. I decided not to deflate the dinghy and stow it on deck. Instead, I removed the engine and towed it astern. About an hour out of St Pierre, in the gap between Martinique and Dominica, the wind and waves picked up. Before you knew it, the dinghy was flying like a kite on its bridle. That's not too bad. But when it landed upside down and tried to become a submarine, I was NOT HAPPY! We crash tacked (helm over, don't release the jib- leaves you essentially hove to) and I was able to right the dinghy. We then returned to shelter behind the point in Martinique, brought the dinghy aboard and deflated it. Lesson to self- dinghy achieves liftoff at 26 kts. With this delay, we wouldn't make Guadeloupe. We tucked into Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica for the night and set out again the next morning.
From Anse de Arlet, we sailed up to St Pierre. Winds on the lee of Martinique were fickle once again. Talking with others, you need to be almost 10 miles west of the island to get steady trade winds, We hugged the coast, and were treated to winds from all quarters and ranging from 0-20 kts.
St Pierre, on the NW corner of Martinique is another sleepy little town. We anchored right up next to the town dock in 45 feet of water 100 feet off the beach. We went in right away to find the local dive shop to learn about where to dive. It turns out there are several good beginner sights near the harbor. St Pierre was destroyed in 1902 when the volcano above the town erupted, killing all but two people. The is a wreck in the harbor from that catastrophe, but, although it is 100 yards offshore, it lies in 120 feet of water- too deep for us.
We dinghied to the first wreck and Cary, Ginny and I had a nice dive. Water was very clear, there were some nice fish, and a small, fairly well preserved wreck in 25-30 feet of water. It was my first time diving with Cary and Ginny and, I am proud to say, they did very well.
Tricia, Cary and Ginny did a second dive on the northern corner of the harbor. (Tricia) We should probably back up and explain why we are just starting to write about diving…. Yes, this would only be our first island to dive. We attempted diving long ago in the BVI's, and if you remember, we had equipment failures. No one in the caribbean even knew the manufacturer of our failed BCDs, much less was able to help us. I contacted our dive shop at home who had 'serviced' our equipment, Sea Colony in Severna Park, asking them if they would be able to help us, no blame placed. When the equipment was serviced, either the gaskets to our two used BCDs were missing, or they lost them in the process of servicing. The email I got back from Sea Colony was defensive and useless. Our BCDs are made by Zeagle. There is no way to contact the company via email. So an international call was made. In spite of being unknown, and not easy to contact, they were very helpful, confirming that we were correct with the diagnosis, and they would send us some gaskets, but only to a US address. UGH. Mat's parents were kind enough to bring them down to Jost Van Dyke when they visited us at Christmas, but by then our BVI visa was up, so no diving there.
Why then, are we just getting to dive? Well….Many of the islands now have rules that require anyone diving to do so with a local dive shop. As nice as that may have been to do, it is cost prohibitive for this trip. St. Martin is not one of those places, but we didn't dive there either, mostly because all of the dive locations are in rough water, not suitable for a dinghy ride. We were able to pick up another BCD, regulator, and tank so that three of us could dive together. Yeah. The second dive in St. Pierre was beautiful as well, with a nice leatherback turtle, and plenty of fish to keep us occupied. The girls haven't dove much, but are right at home in the water, using little air, and following all of the rules. After our dive, we were happy to be able to fill dive tanks right back up, to be ready for the next port of call.
As usual, we enjoyed baguettes, croissants and espresso. We had stocked up in Le Marin, so we didn't do much more in St Pierre. Definitely worth a return trip, as I need to visit the museum of the volcano eruption.
Leaving Martinique to head to Guadeloupe we made an error in judgment. I decided not to deflate the dinghy and stow it on deck. Instead, I removed the engine and towed it astern. About an hour out of St Pierre, in the gap between Martinique and Dominica, the wind and waves picked up. Before you knew it, the dinghy was flying like a kite on its bridle. That's not too bad. But when it landed upside down and tried to become a submarine, I was NOT HAPPY! We crash tacked (helm over, don't release the jib- leaves you essentially hove to) and I was able to right the dinghy. We then returned to shelter behind the point in Martinique, brought the dinghy aboard and deflated it. Lesson to self- dinghy achieves liftoff at 26 kts. With this delay, we wouldn't make Guadeloupe. We tucked into Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica for the night and set out again the next morning.
Pushing South- Martinique
After our brief but very pleasant stay in Portsmouth, we sailed down to Roseau, Dominica. Our goal was to snorkel at the Champagne Pools. This is an underwater vent for volcanic gases that is said to be like swimming in champagne. Unfortunately, the logistics to get from the mooring in Roseau to the pool to snorkel were more than we were willing to undertake in an afternoon. Roseau is DEEP. Our mooring was in 120 feet of water. But it was calm and protected, at least today. So we napped at the mooring, had a brief dinner, and set sail for Martinique.
The trip across the gap from Dominica to Martinique was fast and fairly easy. The night along the coast of Martinique was challenging because the wind kept changing. I think Cary and I did 4-5 sail changes, from full jib to no jib to staysail and back again. And the wind kept coming further and further ahead until we were close hauled and not making our course. Morning saw us at the south end of Martinique, of Le Roche de Diamonte, or Diamond Rock. The current and wind were against us.The last 15 miles of the trip was due East, and took over 5 hours. Entering Le Marin, a large, well protected harbor, we were surprised by the veritable forest of masts. There were hundreds of boats in what seemed to be a crowded harbor. We ended up taking a mooring of Le Marin Marina, where my colleague Joel keeps his boat. This was also close to the local outfitters. Did I mention the chart plotter GPS died on the way in again? Always something...
The trip across the gap from Dominica to Martinique was fast and fairly easy. The night along the coast of Martinique was challenging because the wind kept changing. I think Cary and I did 4-5 sail changes, from full jib to no jib to staysail and back again. And the wind kept coming further and further ahead until we were close hauled and not making our course. Morning saw us at the south end of Martinique, of Le Roche de Diamonte, or Diamond Rock. The current and wind were against us.The last 15 miles of the trip was due East, and took over 5 hours. Entering Le Marin, a large, well protected harbor, we were surprised by the veritable forest of masts. There were hundreds of boats in what seemed to be a crowded harbor. We ended up taking a mooring of Le Marin Marina, where my colleague Joel keeps his boat. This was also close to the local outfitters. Did I mention the chart plotter GPS died on the way in again? Always something...
St Kitts- the Return of Tricia
Douglas MacArthur said once of an island "I shall return". Arnold Schwarzenegger is always saying "I'll be back". Tricia left St Kitts in 1989 and I'm pretty sure she DIDN"T say anything of the kind. Nevertheless, on Friday, Tricia came back to St Kitts!
We had a lovely, fast sail. We passed between St Eustatius (Statia) and St Kitts about 0100, and, in a nice lee, calmly sailed down the coast. The water is 200+ ft deep right up to the shore. We were so close you could smell the land. The half moon was in and out of the clouds, so the water was dark. I had the 00-0300 watch, and was startled to hear what I believe was a whale blow alongside several times. Couldn't see it in the dark, but later learned that the northwest coast of St Kitts is a breeding ground. After Tricia took over, we hove to at 0400 off Basseterre. We entered the new Port Zante Marina next to the cruise ship terminal at 0700. Our friends on Antares were along the quay. The dock master pointed to the spot behind them and told us that was our berth. Tricia was sure it wasn't 44 feet long, but I felt it was OK. With an onsetting breeze, I modestly must say that I executed a text book approach and landing. 1 foot ahead and 1 foot behind was more than enough room. And no bow thruster!
Later that morning, the sport fisherman on the bow left. A charter skipper was assigned that spot. He promptly crashed into the concrete pier and my anchor. His gelcoat suffered worse than my anchor. They only stayed one day. Too bad.
Tricia's turn: So when I was in St. Kitts, from 1987-1989, ugh, the country had only been independent from Great Britain for 4 years. There was no tourism, sugar cane the only source of income, and not much of that. Unemployment was something like 70%. The island was poor, unwelcoming for the most part, and unsafe. I was pleasantly surprised to find not only the new marina (they had none when I was there), but a cruise ship dock, and a town that is trying very hard to embrace tourism. They are building everywhere, mostly homes, but now in addition to Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, there is also a medical school and a nursing school. There is no more sugar cane. There are new restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and shops that cater to tourists. Some of my old hangouts were still in business ( Fisherman's wharf, the chicken shack), and some were gone. Some had been recreated into bigger and better - the bar at monkey beach, which I'll get to....
So as soon as we could get wifi hooked up, I was emailing Adrienne K. ( a former technician at Chesapeake Veterinary Hospital), and Judy C. (my former equine dentist) who now go to Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, my alma mater. Mat hasn't shared much about our phone experiences here, but let me sidetrack for a minute to explain why I couldn't just call Adrienne and Judy. AT&T wouldn't unlock our phones before we left. Mine was still under contract, Mat's came from Alcatel, who wouldn't unlock his, and the girls' were AT&T Go Phones that weren't on my account, so a no go on unlocking those. Our choices were to buy a new phone that was unlocked and get SIM cards in each country we visit, or use AT&T with a $2.50/minute fee. So while we were in BVI's, Mat bought two new phones from Digicel that were 'unlocked'. Digicel lied. Not unlocked. Tried to get a hacker to unlock them while we were in St. Martin, no luck there, after already purchasing (stupid) a St. Martin SIM card. Mat refused to buy anymore phones, so it was wifi or bust.
Luckily, as all college students do, Adrienne and Judy check their email frequently, and we arranged to meet at someplace named The Strip after classes were done. We hoofed it into town, to find that the local buses only go to outlying communities, not to the beaches. The Strip, as they call it, is Frigate Bay Beach. So we hired a taxi for the short ride out of town, with no idea how we'd get back. Frigate Bay beach used to be a Ross hang out, and it still is, but it looks nothing like the old beach. The old beach had one cabana-type bar called Monkey Bar, and a few lounge chairs. The Strip now contains 4-5 bars/restaurants and a series of beach volleyball courts. Monkey Bar has been expanded, cleaned up (no more graffiti), and serves decent mexican food. But gone was the local flavor...a single grill with some local Rastas serving grilled lobster every weekend. In fact, lobster is no longer a once a week food. We haven't even eaten any, as it costs about $30-40 US for a lobster dinner anywhere we have been. I digress...So Mat and Cary played V-ball, students vs. profs, while I caught up with Adrienne and Judy, drank beers, and made plans for the next day, all the while being guarded (students) by private security guards that the school provides.
The next morning Adrienne picked us up and took us to see the new and improved Ross. We had to get passes to get through security, and were chastised for not pre-arranging a visit. Once in, we met up with Judy, and her family and boyfriend who were visiting. All took the tour. What was once three open air buildings and a snack shack is now a real university with more buildings than I could count. The landscaping was beautiful, the upgrades in the teaching facilities top-notch. They even have a poisonous plant garden, a museum, on-site dormitories, and a school for staffs' children. They have air-conditioning! The livestock have real fencing, and the grass that you see in the following picture is cut by hand and brought into the paddocks everyday.
We had a lovely, fast sail. We passed between St Eustatius (Statia) and St Kitts about 0100, and, in a nice lee, calmly sailed down the coast. The water is 200+ ft deep right up to the shore. We were so close you could smell the land. The half moon was in and out of the clouds, so the water was dark. I had the 00-0300 watch, and was startled to hear what I believe was a whale blow alongside several times. Couldn't see it in the dark, but later learned that the northwest coast of St Kitts is a breeding ground. After Tricia took over, we hove to at 0400 off Basseterre. We entered the new Port Zante Marina next to the cruise ship terminal at 0700. Our friends on Antares were along the quay. The dock master pointed to the spot behind them and told us that was our berth. Tricia was sure it wasn't 44 feet long, but I felt it was OK. With an onsetting breeze, I modestly must say that I executed a text book approach and landing. 1 foot ahead and 1 foot behind was more than enough room. And no bow thruster!
Later that morning, the sport fisherman on the bow left. A charter skipper was assigned that spot. He promptly crashed into the concrete pier and my anchor. His gelcoat suffered worse than my anchor. They only stayed one day. Too bad.
Tricia's turn: So when I was in St. Kitts, from 1987-1989, ugh, the country had only been independent from Great Britain for 4 years. There was no tourism, sugar cane the only source of income, and not much of that. Unemployment was something like 70%. The island was poor, unwelcoming for the most part, and unsafe. I was pleasantly surprised to find not only the new marina (they had none when I was there), but a cruise ship dock, and a town that is trying very hard to embrace tourism. They are building everywhere, mostly homes, but now in addition to Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, there is also a medical school and a nursing school. There is no more sugar cane. There are new restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and shops that cater to tourists. Some of my old hangouts were still in business ( Fisherman's wharf, the chicken shack), and some were gone. Some had been recreated into bigger and better - the bar at monkey beach, which I'll get to....
So as soon as we could get wifi hooked up, I was emailing Adrienne K. ( a former technician at Chesapeake Veterinary Hospital), and Judy C. (my former equine dentist) who now go to Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, my alma mater. Mat hasn't shared much about our phone experiences here, but let me sidetrack for a minute to explain why I couldn't just call Adrienne and Judy. AT&T wouldn't unlock our phones before we left. Mine was still under contract, Mat's came from Alcatel, who wouldn't unlock his, and the girls' were AT&T Go Phones that weren't on my account, so a no go on unlocking those. Our choices were to buy a new phone that was unlocked and get SIM cards in each country we visit, or use AT&T with a $2.50/minute fee. So while we were in BVI's, Mat bought two new phones from Digicel that were 'unlocked'. Digicel lied. Not unlocked. Tried to get a hacker to unlock them while we were in St. Martin, no luck there, after already purchasing (stupid) a St. Martin SIM card. Mat refused to buy anymore phones, so it was wifi or bust.
Luckily, as all college students do, Adrienne and Judy check their email frequently, and we arranged to meet at someplace named The Strip after classes were done. We hoofed it into town, to find that the local buses only go to outlying communities, not to the beaches. The Strip, as they call it, is Frigate Bay Beach. So we hired a taxi for the short ride out of town, with no idea how we'd get back. Frigate Bay beach used to be a Ross hang out, and it still is, but it looks nothing like the old beach. The old beach had one cabana-type bar called Monkey Bar, and a few lounge chairs. The Strip now contains 4-5 bars/restaurants and a series of beach volleyball courts. Monkey Bar has been expanded, cleaned up (no more graffiti), and serves decent mexican food. But gone was the local flavor...a single grill with some local Rastas serving grilled lobster every weekend. In fact, lobster is no longer a once a week food. We haven't even eaten any, as it costs about $30-40 US for a lobster dinner anywhere we have been. I digress...So Mat and Cary played V-ball, students vs. profs, while I caught up with Adrienne and Judy, drank beers, and made plans for the next day, all the while being guarded (students) by private security guards that the school provides.
The next morning Adrienne picked us up and took us to see the new and improved Ross. We had to get passes to get through security, and were chastised for not pre-arranging a visit. Once in, we met up with Judy, and her family and boyfriend who were visiting. All took the tour. What was once three open air buildings and a snack shack is now a real university with more buildings than I could count. The landscaping was beautiful, the upgrades in the teaching facilities top-notch. They even have a poisonous plant garden, a museum, on-site dormitories, and a school for staffs' children. They have air-conditioning! The livestock have real fencing, and the grass that you see in the following picture is cut by hand and brought into the paddocks everyday.
There is a heard of donkeys, of cattle, of sheep, and about 6 horses. Bandages seen above are to keep injection sites clean. Adrienne is almost done her time here at St. Kitts. The pic below is of the two of us with the dorms in the background.
Below - all of us had to pet the donkeys. They are very spoilt, but cute! Mat made some comment about this pic - Asses & Asses.... We won't say whose is whose.
From left to right: Cary, Ginny, Adrienne, Me -
We said good-bye to our friends, after being awed by what Ross has evolved into, and made our way back to town. We hopped into Joe's taxi, and were dropped off first at a restaurant along the bayfront for some nice Roti, then off to the other end of the island to see Brimstone Fort. The fort has spectacular views, is well preserved, and offered some good hiking. That's St. Eustatia in the background.
Once back at the marina, we were introduced to a live aboard named Pat Kelley. Turns out he is a small animal prof at Ross, and oh, by the way, Tricia would you be interested in a clinics position at Ross? So, he emailed the head of Clinics, and tried to set up a meeting before we left St. Kitts the following day. Unfortunately, the Head of Clinics was out of town, so a meet and greet would have to wait. As much as I would love to try my hand at that type of work, Ginny was adamant that she could not live and go to high school in St. Kitts. Alas, it will have to wait until the girls have flown the coup. We said goodbye to St. Kitts, and headed south.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
CARNIVAL!!! Martinique Style
My colleague, Joel, invited us to come to Martinique for their Carnival celebration. So we did. Joel is a native of Martinique and has a lovely retirement cottage on the southeast coast at La Vauclave. Cary and Ginny love the lounge chairs, Tricia and I love the view.
Joel lent us his Lnad Rover while we were there. We then piled everyone in, and went to Fort de France for the start of Carnival!! Joel's wife and a brilliant hostess, Claudine, is a real Carnival professional. She put a lot of time into getting the costume just right!
While in Fort de France, we saw the sites. Fort Louis, the museum honoring the leader of emancipation, etc.
We also saw the SIGHTS. Carnival brings out the weirdoes. Plenty of cross dressing males, often inebriated (I wonder if there is a correlation?). Some of the bands and dance groups were amazing.., see for yourself.
Joel lent us his Lnad Rover while we were there. We then piled everyone in, and went to Fort de France for the start of Carnival!! Joel's wife and a brilliant hostess, Claudine, is a real Carnival professional. She put a lot of time into getting the costume just right!
Surprisingly, refillable water bottles and water was made available to the crowd for free, and there was less drinking going on than what we have come to know as our Mardi Gras, but the smell of Ganga was here and there. It was crowded, and loud, I guess like any good party. There was no police presence to be had, but it felt safe, and after three hours of people watching, our Carnival experience was done. The locals, however, partied for days, with each day a different theme to dress up to.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Dominica- Unspoiled Gem
Our first day in Dominica, our guide, Sam, took us on a boat tour up the Indian River. They row the boat using long oars, as no motors are allowed. The river is lined by buttress roots. They are huge, and widely interwoven. They hold the banks together in storms.Dominica was one of the primary locations for the shooting of Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest. The house below was the voodoo witches house.
At the head of the river, we met some other tourists. While we talked to them, Sam made the ladies a surprise. Using only a Leatherman tool and some marsh grasses, he made a heron on a rose. Even the other guides were impressed. These now reside in the Aloe plant on Music.
The next day, Sam took us on a tour of the island. The road was like a roller coaster, with blind switchbacks, and tight hairpin turns on steep hillsides. Sam was extremely knowledgeable about the local flora, stopping every 5 minutes to pick something. A beautiful native flower bouquet. Bark from a cinnamon tree, bay leaves, lemon grass, almonds, cocoa beans, you name it. Dominica exports lots of fruit to the other islands, and the islanders are proud of this fact.
After a lovely lunch, we visited Trafalgar Falls. An fairly easy hike brought us to the overlook. Two of the many high waterfalls on this island, Trafalgar Falls cascades out of the lush jungle onto boulders below. We were able to climb down the rocks and wade in the cool pools. Nearby is a natural hot spring. I was impressed with the two hydro power plants that they have to take advantage of this natural resource. Sam pointed out that they are pursuing geothermal power next.
After a wonderful and informative tour of the island, we were back in Portsmouth. It was Weds night, time for a PAYS Beach Barbecue. PAYS are the group of guides, and they put on a delicious dinner with all the run punch you could drink for all the cruisers. We saw old friends Archie and Colin on Janey, and made new friends, Julia and Adrian on Koala. Spending time with other cruisers is the best part of cruising.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Hop to Dominica
One of the interesting decisions we are faced with is where to go next and when. So far, we have wanted to go just about everywhere. Never having been to these islands before, unknown shores, and all. This time of year, the trade winds are pretty reliably from the East, with some slight Northerly or Southern component from time to time. Leaving St Kitts to head south, we are FINALLY going to be able to sail something other than close hauled. So, one tack, predictable distances in the calculation. Now, destination. Montserrat is the next island south, only 25 miles away. Montserrat is a volcano, with no good protected harbor. We will skip for now. Guadeloupe is next. Big island. Good diving. WiFi. French food. Generally similar to Martinique where we are definitely headed. Problem is, Guad. is about 70 miles. More than a 12 hour sail. Can't do it in the daylight. If we continue on past Guadeloupe to Dominica we would arrive in the morning. Then, on the way back from Martinique, we can skip Dominica and make the full day run to Guadeloupe. It is all about being efficient with time, using the wind, and arriving well rested and ready to explore.
We had a wonderful trip. Winds 45-70 degrees on the port bow. 20-25 kts from St Kitts past Montserrat to Guadeloupe. Rolling along at 7 knots, sweet. The lee of Guadeloupe was calm, even to the point of motoring a little when the sails got to banging in the wee hours of the morning. Come daylight, we doused the staysail and raised the jib. We were soon at 8 knots, powering across the gap between Guad and Dominica and into Prince Rupert Bay. A mile wide crescent, well protected by high mountains, it is home to Portsmouth.
We were met at the harbor by Sam of the Lawrence of Arabia guide service. A warm friendly smile, and a knowledgeable helper to get us anchored. Holding was not good in hard sand and grass. I free dove the anchor each time, and it was dragging like a curling stone on smooth ice. A nice cruiser pointed to the sandy patch behind his boat. We dropped anchor on it, and Ginny and Tricia say "What about the boulder right under us?" A quick dive show a big coral bommie under the keel with inches to spare. We were able to retrieve the hook and only bounced twice. Then we went and took a mooring for $10/ day. You know the part I hate most? Anchoring is a spectator sport. Everyone watching and judging you. The Russians gave me a 2.0 on the compulsories!!
Now, what will we see??
We had a wonderful trip. Winds 45-70 degrees on the port bow. 20-25 kts from St Kitts past Montserrat to Guadeloupe. Rolling along at 7 knots, sweet. The lee of Guadeloupe was calm, even to the point of motoring a little when the sails got to banging in the wee hours of the morning. Come daylight, we doused the staysail and raised the jib. We were soon at 8 knots, powering across the gap between Guad and Dominica and into Prince Rupert Bay. A mile wide crescent, well protected by high mountains, it is home to Portsmouth.
We were met at the harbor by Sam of the Lawrence of Arabia guide service. A warm friendly smile, and a knowledgeable helper to get us anchored. Holding was not good in hard sand and grass. I free dove the anchor each time, and it was dragging like a curling stone on smooth ice. A nice cruiser pointed to the sandy patch behind his boat. We dropped anchor on it, and Ginny and Tricia say "What about the boulder right under us?" A quick dive show a big coral bommie under the keel with inches to spare. We were able to retrieve the hook and only bounced twice. Then we went and took a mooring for $10/ day. You know the part I hate most? Anchoring is a spectator sport. Everyone watching and judging you. The Russians gave me a 2.0 on the compulsories!!
Now, what will we see??
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Leaving St Martin Part II
Now that the boat is ready and working, we again stocked up on food and lovely Oettinger Beer ($15US/case- most drunk beer in Germany), and checked out of the French St Martin. 7 weeks = $7.20 US. HUGE BARGAIN!!! But, with it comes some challenges. Like the French side drawbridge which only has 6-7 feet of water depending on who you ask, and goes up and down on a slightly irregular schedule. Not to mention the new Causeway Bridge between the French side and Dutch side. Have I not mentioned it?? It is shiny and new. We were here for a nice fireworks show commemorating its grand opening just a few weeks ago. It is also broken. Rumor has it they didn't include the weight of the motor for the swing bridge when they designed the pilings.
Now it has sunk 4" into the muck. Of course, this doesn't mean you open it and leave it open so boats can get through. Boats must be the cause of it sinking. No, wait, cars and trucks driving on top of it might be causing it to sink. So why do they leave it closed to boats and open to traffic?? After some initial ranting on the morning cruisers net, the swing bridge now opens at 0815 and 1715. Of course, the Dutch bridge doesn't have an outbound opening at 1730, so you have to stay overnight.
So, we tied up next to John and family on Discovery, filled up our tanks with water and our bellies with beer and Tricia's homemade pizza. Early Thursday morning, a week later, we went over to the Dutch side and anchored for the day. We then got in line behind the super yachts, and left Simpson Lagoon at the 1630 opening. Turns out, don't wait for the super yachts. For some reason, they go slow through the bridge. Like 2-3 feet on either side isn't enough??
Next destination was St Kitts, which is only about 60 miles on a beam reach. Not wanting to arrive in the middle of the night, we anchored in Simpson Bay, had a nice relaxed homemade mac and cheese dinner, and then got underway at dark. A rainbow just before sunset was a beautiful end to a great visit. Winds were 20-25 just ahead of the beam. We set the staysail and a double reefed main. Seas were on the beam at 6-9 feet. Occasionally one would catch us wrong and get the cockpit wet, but overall, it looked like a comfortable sail. Cary and Ginny took the first night watch. Man, it was good to be sailing again after 7 weeks in port.
So, we tied up next to John and family on Discovery, filled up our tanks with water and our bellies with beer and Tricia's homemade pizza. Early Thursday morning, a week later, we went over to the Dutch side and anchored for the day. We then got in line behind the super yachts, and left Simpson Lagoon at the 1630 opening. Turns out, don't wait for the super yachts. For some reason, they go slow through the bridge. Like 2-3 feet on either side isn't enough??
Next destination was St Kitts, which is only about 60 miles on a beam reach. Not wanting to arrive in the middle of the night, we anchored in Simpson Bay, had a nice relaxed homemade mac and cheese dinner, and then got underway at dark. A rainbow just before sunset was a beautiful end to a great visit. Winds were 20-25 just ahead of the beam. We set the staysail and a double reefed main. Seas were on the beam at 6-9 feet. Occasionally one would catch us wrong and get the cockpit wet, but overall, it looked like a comfortable sail. Cary and Ginny took the first night watch. Man, it was good to be sailing again after 7 weeks in port.
Engine Saga Continues
So, a day later, we are finally ready to leave St Martin and continue south. Stock up on food, say goodbye to new friends, check engine-WAIT. What are these parts in the bilge?? Alternator pulley and belts?? That explains the loud screech and why it stopped. After pulling the alternator off, noted that the threads for the nut that holds the pulley on are worn smooth. How long had this been going on? (With a v-drive, alternator is on the front of the engine which is now the back, meaning you have to crawl over engine to see it.)
A day spent over at the Dutch side at ElecTec, FKG metal works, Pete's machine and engine shop, etc. yielded the good news that the alternator was fine, as a paper weight. Cost more to fix than replace, even though a replacement high output marine alternator is a BOAT unit. (A unit of measure for cost of boat repairs, based on the acronym BOAT for BREAK OUT ANOTHER THOUSAND.) Ordered from Marinewarehouse.com, shipped direct from Balmar to St Martin. Order on Friday, in hand on Weds, no customs tax. You have to love St Martin!!
Install was typical for 33 year old boat. Exact replacement doesn't quite fit. Nothing an angle grinder can't fix. Laying on engine, with Cary holding flashlight, she says "Dad, that's a lot of sparks!! 3.5 hours later, the quick 1 hour fix is done. And it works!
Still not 100% convinced we solved the making oil issue, but I will keep an eye on that. Meanwhile, engine runs smoother.
A day spent over at the Dutch side at ElecTec, FKG metal works, Pete's machine and engine shop, etc. yielded the good news that the alternator was fine, as a paper weight. Cost more to fix than replace, even though a replacement high output marine alternator is a BOAT unit. (A unit of measure for cost of boat repairs, based on the acronym BOAT for BREAK OUT ANOTHER THOUSAND.) Ordered from Marinewarehouse.com, shipped direct from Balmar to St Martin. Order on Friday, in hand on Weds, no customs tax. You have to love St Martin!!
Install was typical for 33 year old boat. Exact replacement doesn't quite fit. Nothing an angle grinder can't fix. Laying on engine, with Cary holding flashlight, she says "Dad, that's a lot of sparks!! 3.5 hours later, the quick 1 hour fix is done. And it works!
Still not 100% convinced we solved the making oil issue, but I will keep an eye on that. Meanwhile, engine runs smoother.
Doctor Diesel
I know, I know. Who would hire a guy who calls himself Dr. Diesel and was recommended by a guy named Shrimpy?? I guess you have to be a cruiser, or a total loon. Actually, Shrimpy is really Mike. The dog is named Shrimpy. Dr. Diesel is a former Canadian fighter pilot named Bob who lives on his boat in Simpson Lagoon. I hired Bob to fix the problem with my Westerbeke engine. Seems I sometimes have more oil than I started with, and the oil seems really thin. Not water, maybe diesel fuel. Also, engine vibrates a lot, and engine mounts are shot.
Dr. D decided to start by fixing fuel injectors. This would help it idle better, and, if the injectors were leaking or dumping too much fuel, solve the "making oil" issue. Also, need to rebuild the v-drive which needs new seals. Ordered injector nozzles and seal kit from Hansen Marine in Marblehead, MA. Took about 7-8 days to arrive. Then rebuild injectors, rebuild v-drive and replace engine mounts. All in all, about 3.5 weeks. Engine was recommissioned 2/7/14. Yeah!
On 2/8/14, we decided to move to a cleaner part of Simpson Lagoon over by the Mercure Hotel. Our friends from Day Dreamer and Elin were there. The trip over was another adventure. The channel markers that marked the crappy channel we ran aground in on the way in are gone. We tried to guess where we were last time and missed completely. Hard aground in 4.5 feet of water. (Music needs 7 to float.) Ended up kedging off, i.e. haul the anchor out with the dinghy, drop it, and use it to pull yourself off. Love my Simpson-Lawrence Sea Tiger 555 MANUAL WINDLASS!!! (As Joe Piscopo and Dana Carvey would have said "I'm going to PUMP! YOU! UP!)
On the way to the new anchorage, engine sounded like, well, not good. Called Dr D who could see me on Monday. In the meantime, decided to replace the temperature gauge, ignition switch and pre-heat switch that hadn't worked right since ingesting their share of the Bermuda Triangle on the trip south. When I test started the engine before Dr D arrived, it made a HORRIBLE SCREECHING NOISE. Of course, when the Doctor listened to it, it sounded fine. No noise. Bye bye, that will be $$$. (Actually, he tightened and adjusted a few things and didn't charge me.) I am a Dr Diesel fan!
Dr. D decided to start by fixing fuel injectors. This would help it idle better, and, if the injectors were leaking or dumping too much fuel, solve the "making oil" issue. Also, need to rebuild the v-drive which needs new seals. Ordered injector nozzles and seal kit from Hansen Marine in Marblehead, MA. Took about 7-8 days to arrive. Then rebuild injectors, rebuild v-drive and replace engine mounts. All in all, about 3.5 weeks. Engine was recommissioned 2/7/14. Yeah!
On 2/8/14, we decided to move to a cleaner part of Simpson Lagoon over by the Mercure Hotel. Our friends from Day Dreamer and Elin were there. The trip over was another adventure. The channel markers that marked the crappy channel we ran aground in on the way in are gone. We tried to guess where we were last time and missed completely. Hard aground in 4.5 feet of water. (Music needs 7 to float.) Ended up kedging off, i.e. haul the anchor out with the dinghy, drop it, and use it to pull yourself off. Love my Simpson-Lawrence Sea Tiger 555 MANUAL WINDLASS!!! (As Joe Piscopo and Dana Carvey would have said "I'm going to PUMP! YOU! UP!)
On the way to the new anchorage, engine sounded like, well, not good. Called Dr D who could see me on Monday. In the meantime, decided to replace the temperature gauge, ignition switch and pre-heat switch that hadn't worked right since ingesting their share of the Bermuda Triangle on the trip south. When I test started the engine before Dr D arrived, it made a HORRIBLE SCREECHING NOISE. Of course, when the Doctor listened to it, it sounded fine. No noise. Bye bye, that will be $$$. (Actually, he tightened and adjusted a few things and didn't charge me.) I am a Dr Diesel fan!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Things to Do In St Martin on a Sunny Day
Yesterday, at the Time Out Boat Yard monthly marine flea market (first Saturday of every month), we ran into friends from DayDreamer. The kids were excited that "the KLM is coming at 1230 tomorrow". For those who don't watch YouTube, there is a tradition here in St Martin for people to go watch planes take off and land at the airport. What is normally a fairly mundane event is made video worthy because the end of the runway is directly adjacent to a nice beach. By "directly adjacent", I mean about 100 feet. Close enough that idiots stand behind the planes as they get ready to take off, and get blasted by the jet wash. I wouldn't do it, but someone absorbent and yellow might.
I would love to show a picture of SpongeBob getting sandblasted by an outbound American Airlines flight, but, frankly, Cary the Camerawoman strategically decided to duck and cover when the wind really got up. Suffice it to say, it was more than we expected. April from Spirit of Argo had the lenses blown out of her sunglasses.
But what about all this KLM stuff? What is a KLM? KLM is a Dutch airline. On weekends, they have so many passengers coming and going from St Maarten that they use their biggest plane, a Boeing 747. Even though they lengthened the runway, the 747 still requires the pilot to use a lot of the real estate, so he has to touch down as close to the beginning of the runway as he can. Meaning he is very low when he passes over the beach. Below, all the kids are in the water as it passes overhead. The picture really doesn't do it justice. It was an experience!
Finally, it was just a great day with the other cruisers. The kids got along great. We all ended up back at Day Dreamer (just gotta luv the room on a cat) for rousing games of dominoes and UNO.
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| Who Lives In A Pineapple? |
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| L to R Maya, Emma, Ginny, Anna, Jaycee, Olivia, Sarah, Cary, Kate and Love (Swedish, pronounced Loo-vay) |
"Mayday, Mayday"
You hope never to hear a "Mayday" call on the radio. And then, yesterday, I did. Just a normal, sunny afternoon in Simpson Lagoon, St Martin. A voice comes on the VHF, "Mayday, Mayday. Sailboat is disabled near the French bridge and about to go aground." Several boats responded immediately with questions, but the caller was off the air. Probably trying to save his boat. Music is moored about 1/2 mile from the canal entrance to the bridge, so I hopped in the dinghy to go see if I could be of any help. First question, was he inside the lagoon or outside. As I approached the canal, I did not see anyone obviously in trouble, so I headed through the bridge to Marigot Bay. As I exited the canal, I saw a sailboat off to the left towards the beach bobbing heavily in the waves that build as the water shoals. The good news was the cavalry had already arrived. The boat was surrounded by 4-5 dinghies, including a larger RIB with a good size outboard. A tow line was already in place. As I came alongside, I realized I know the boat and owners. It was "Mary Anne 2", John and Julia. Evidently, they were early for the bridge opening to enter the lagoon. Backing down, he had run over the wire security cable that had come loose from his dinghy. It wrapped on his propeller shaft, disabling the engine. They have sailed nearly 60,000 miles, and this is the first time this has happened.
The good news is that the team quickly got "Mary Anne" towed into deeper water and properly anchored. I hung around and helped John as he dove to remove the cable from the shaft with bolt cutters. Luckily, there was no damage to the propeller or shaft when he tested the engine. Sharing a beer as he and Julia let the adrenaline dissipate, John commented that he had called on Channel 16 first and got no real help. He then switched to Channel 10, the cruisers general hailing frequency, and got help immediately.
All's well that ends well. And another story to tell.
The good news is that the team quickly got "Mary Anne" towed into deeper water and properly anchored. I hung around and helped John as he dove to remove the cable from the shaft with bolt cutters. Luckily, there was no damage to the propeller or shaft when he tested the engine. Sharing a beer as he and Julia let the adrenaline dissipate, John commented that he had called on Channel 16 first and got no real help. He then switched to Channel 10, the cruisers general hailing frequency, and got help immediately.
All's well that ends well. And another story to tell.
Monday, January 27, 2014
St Martin- Week Three Brings New Challenges
Here we are in Marigot, St. Martin for another week. Dr, Diesel has the fuel injectors and V-drive off the engine and in his shop for rebuild. The new engine mounts are installed. The engine should go back together this week, and then we find out whether the injectors were the problem causing diesel fuel to get into the oil sump.
We had a picnic at the Gazebo in the market in Marigot last Sunday.
It was originally planned to be for boats with kids, but became a general invite, potluck event. JW and Ginny from Over Budget, Archie and Colin from Janey joined us, and brought friends from Mary Jane, and another boat (Dasy and Jan, the hairy, talented musicians in the background). We also met the crew of Day Dreamer, a family from Alaska, who have been cruising for three years. Their daughters are 14, 10, and 8. They were very nice and we hope to get the kids together again soon.
The big news this week is that our oldest dog, Ruby, hasn't been doing well at home. Her blood sugar levels keep dropping, and she seizes. She probably has cancer in the pancreas. Tricia flew home on Thursday to be there for the surgery today, and to stay with her for the first few weeks post-op to handle the bulk of the care. I'm glad we were at a point where it was fairly straightforward for Tricia to be with Ruby while she needs her. Flights were easy, and the boat is in a secure harbor where I sleep pretty well at night. (I don't worry about dragging, at least.)
Other than that, I am getting a few other projects done on the boat, and Cary and Ginny are working through the schoolwork in pretty good spirits. Tricia says it is very cold in Maryland, and she misses the Caribbean already.
We had a picnic at the Gazebo in the market in Marigot last Sunday.
The big news this week is that our oldest dog, Ruby, hasn't been doing well at home. Her blood sugar levels keep dropping, and she seizes. She probably has cancer in the pancreas. Tricia flew home on Thursday to be there for the surgery today, and to stay with her for the first few weeks post-op to handle the bulk of the care. I'm glad we were at a point where it was fairly straightforward for Tricia to be with Ruby while she needs her. Flights were easy, and the boat is in a secure harbor where I sleep pretty well at night. (I don't worry about dragging, at least.)
Other than that, I am getting a few other projects done on the boat, and Cary and Ginny are working through the schoolwork in pretty good spirits. Tricia says it is very cold in Maryland, and she misses the Caribbean already.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Nocturnal Excitement
Why is it that so many exciting things happen after dark? Take the other night for instance. For some unknown reason, I woke up and noticed the beam of a flashlight from the rear of the cabin. At first, I thought Cary or Tricia were looking for something. I then realized it was coming from the cockpit. There was an intruder on the boat! I don't actually recall how I got from my bunk to the companionway, or what I may have said. I DO recall thinking that I left my $1,000 portable generator in the cockpit after charging batteries last night, and I didn't want them to get it. So, without much thought being given, I followed the intruder over the rail as he jumped into his dinghy. He had two other guys with him. After a little confusion, they roared away, and I tread water. By this time, Ginny and Tricia were in the cockpit. Tricia got the air horn and set off a few loud blasts. Ginny then dropped the stern ladder so I could get back aboard. We checked what had been stolen. So far, I can't seem to find anything they took. They didn't get the Honda generator, which is a good thing.
From Tricia: As I made it to the cockpit, all I could see was pitch black (no moon), and three guys in a dinghy leaving our boat. One guy was standing up with what I think was a boat hook in his hand, menacingly. I couldn't see Mat anywhere. I screamed his name, and after what seemed like an eternity, spotted him treading water, in the cesspool that is Simpson Bay Lagoon. As I had time to process what had happened, my heart rate went back to normal. but all I could think about was what if, and why the hell did Mat go after them. Thankfully, they weren't armed, but what if they had been? Protection of property is not worth what could have happened. I guess as Mat always says...better lucky than good. He has been properly chastised.
On the morning "net" on channel 10, we reported our event. Another boat, "Magic" says a dinghy approached his boat earlier in the night, but started the engine and raced away when he shined a light on them. (Later, the owner of "Sunshine" a few lengths astern of us says he was also boarded last night, but they couldn't unlock his dink and left empty handed.) Needless to say, the radio was alive with ideas from all sides on what to do to the culprits and how cruisers should defend themselves. Wasp spray, bear spray, and flare guns were mentioned. I personally like the idea of "snapdragons" or some type of tripwire alarm. Cary has a personal device that we will likely rig to go off if someone gets in our cockpit again. We can't count on me waking up next time.
I did make a report with the police and the port captain. Btw, the Polizei Municipale are the traffic cops, not the real cops. They directed me to the Gendarmerie, which was a 2 mile hike up into the hills. They took a statement, but since we didn't lose anything, and couldn't give more than a passing description of the assailants, no real action was expected. The Gendarmerie Nautique boat did stop by a day later to follow up. And rumors in town are the three robbers were caught. Seems they also broke into a house that had a surveillance camera.
Hopefully, with some better preparation and deterrents, and some perspective that only time will provide, this will be just one of the stories we tell of our adventures cruising, and will not change us adversely. I do not want to stop my general trust in mankind.
From Tricia: As I made it to the cockpit, all I could see was pitch black (no moon), and three guys in a dinghy leaving our boat. One guy was standing up with what I think was a boat hook in his hand, menacingly. I couldn't see Mat anywhere. I screamed his name, and after what seemed like an eternity, spotted him treading water, in the cesspool that is Simpson Bay Lagoon. As I had time to process what had happened, my heart rate went back to normal. but all I could think about was what if, and why the hell did Mat go after them. Thankfully, they weren't armed, but what if they had been? Protection of property is not worth what could have happened. I guess as Mat always says...better lucky than good. He has been properly chastised.
On the morning "net" on channel 10, we reported our event. Another boat, "Magic" says a dinghy approached his boat earlier in the night, but started the engine and raced away when he shined a light on them. (Later, the owner of "Sunshine" a few lengths astern of us says he was also boarded last night, but they couldn't unlock his dink and left empty handed.) Needless to say, the radio was alive with ideas from all sides on what to do to the culprits and how cruisers should defend themselves. Wasp spray, bear spray, and flare guns were mentioned. I personally like the idea of "snapdragons" or some type of tripwire alarm. Cary has a personal device that we will likely rig to go off if someone gets in our cockpit again. We can't count on me waking up next time.
I did make a report with the police and the port captain. Btw, the Polizei Municipale are the traffic cops, not the real cops. They directed me to the Gendarmerie, which was a 2 mile hike up into the hills. They took a statement, but since we didn't lose anything, and couldn't give more than a passing description of the assailants, no real action was expected. The Gendarmerie Nautique boat did stop by a day later to follow up. And rumors in town are the three robbers were caught. Seems they also broke into a house that had a surveillance camera.
Hopefully, with some better preparation and deterrents, and some perspective that only time will provide, this will be just one of the stories we tell of our adventures cruising, and will not change us adversely. I do not want to stop my general trust in mankind.
Marigot-Week 2
After our first week in Simpson Lagoon, we decided to move in to a mooring in Marina Royal. First goal was to avoid the painfully long and wet dinghy ride back and forth from school and the boulangerie. Second was to hopefully get close enough to get WiFi on the boat. We picked up a informal "chart" of the lagoon at Shrimpy's Laundry. It showed a tentative channel with depth of 2.2 M. We draw 7 feet, or about 2.2 M. The Cruising Guide mentions that the lagoon has about 1 ft of "navigable mud". As an experienced Chesapeake sailor, I am used to navigating through mud.
The first attempt didn't quick pan out. We were hard aground with 6.5 feet on the depth sounder. Of course, I would only try this on a rising tide. Despite there only being a 1 ft tide range, we soon were off and moving again. Tricia insisted the chart was saying we needed to be well left of the marked channel. After much arguing, I did what she said and we cruised right through.
The moorings use a ball fore and aft, with 4 boats abreast. As the wind is fairly steady from the east, this works out fine. The spot is nice and calm, and no worries of dragging. Even better, we picked up a strong WiFi signal from the marina next door, and are even able to stream movies.
We are close to the town, have access to bathrooms and showers, and the price is only about $190 for the month!
Cary, Ginny and I have finally started running again. We have run through town, and Ginny and I up to Fort Louis. On the logistics of cruising side, Tricia and I have made dinghy trips to the Dutch side of the lagoon to visit the big Budget Marine and the Le Grande Marche market. And of course, we have croissants and baguettes every day. The season has still been somewhat rainy, but we are getting used to it. You get wet, then the sun comes out and you dry off.
The first attempt didn't quick pan out. We were hard aground with 6.5 feet on the depth sounder. Of course, I would only try this on a rising tide. Despite there only being a 1 ft tide range, we soon were off and moving again. Tricia insisted the chart was saying we needed to be well left of the marked channel. After much arguing, I did what she said and we cruised right through.
The moorings use a ball fore and aft, with 4 boats abreast. As the wind is fairly steady from the east, this works out fine. The spot is nice and calm, and no worries of dragging. Even better, we picked up a strong WiFi signal from the marina next door, and are even able to stream movies.
We are close to the town, have access to bathrooms and showers, and the price is only about $190 for the month!
Cary, Ginny and I have finally started running again. We have run through town, and Ginny and I up to Fort Louis. On the logistics of cruising side, Tricia and I have made dinghy trips to the Dutch side of the lagoon to visit the big Budget Marine and the Le Grande Marche market. And of course, we have croissants and baguettes every day. The season has still been somewhat rainy, but we are getting used to it. You get wet, then the sun comes out and you dry off.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Marigot, St. Martin- Tres Bien!
From Simpson Bay Lagoon, it is an exciting, wet dinghy ride into the stiff easterly trade winds to get to Marigot. My first experience, heading in to check in with customs and immigration, left me pretty soaked. Luckily, I got there before they closed for the weekend, and got all our documentation straight. I then collected the rest of the crew and we went for a walkabout the town, primarily looking for WiFi. After touring the market at Marigot, and striking out everywhere, we ended up at the Ft Louis Marina Yacht Club (actually a restaurant). They had WiFi, so we sat down for a drink. While we were there, our waiter's wife and young family came to visit him. Imagine my surprise when I looked over and saw Mom hand the 3 year old the car keys while she fixed the 5 year olds' toy. The 3 year old promptly walked to the rail and threw the key into the harbor. When I told the Mom what happened, I got my first French "Oooh, la la!"
Ultimately, we ended up at a restaurant at Marina Port Royal called "Le Main De La Pate". The paella was excellent, as was the pizza. And the staff were very welcoming, inviting the girls to use a table and their WiFi anytime they wanted to complete their schoolwork.
Tricia and I spent the first few days visiting the different marinas and services in Marigot. Our Westerbeke diesel needs lots of help. It is "making oil", i.e. the oil level goes up. It shouldn't do that. I believe diesel fuel is getting into the oil sump, which dilutes the oil, reduces the viscosity and can ultimately destroy the engine. So I needed to find a diesel guy. And we always need to find the market, the laundry, and a cell phone provider. Tim from Tevai told us about a St Martin institution called "Shrimpy". We found his place over by the French side drawbridge. It is a laundromat/ marine consignment shop. Mike is the owner. Shrimpy is actually one of the dogs. Mike runs the cruisers net on VHF 10 every M-Sat at 0730, used to run a popular bar on the Dutch side, and knows just about everyone and everything you need to know. He put us in contact with Bob, aka Dr. Diesel. We also dropped off a load of laundry, which came back clean and fresh for a good price.
Our day's consist of trips into town for provisions (and chocolate croissants and cafe allonge). Cary and Ginny do homework at the Main. It has been a rainy season, with rain sometime between 05-0600 every morning, and 3-4 other times during the day. The good news is, the sun comes back out, and the steady breeze dries everything quickly.
During the first week, we also visited Pat and Francis at their condo at Divi Little Bay.
Ultimately, we ended up at a restaurant at Marina Port Royal called "Le Main De La Pate". The paella was excellent, as was the pizza. And the staff were very welcoming, inviting the girls to use a table and their WiFi anytime they wanted to complete their schoolwork.
Tricia and I spent the first few days visiting the different marinas and services in Marigot. Our Westerbeke diesel needs lots of help. It is "making oil", i.e. the oil level goes up. It shouldn't do that. I believe diesel fuel is getting into the oil sump, which dilutes the oil, reduces the viscosity and can ultimately destroy the engine. So I needed to find a diesel guy. And we always need to find the market, the laundry, and a cell phone provider. Tim from Tevai told us about a St Martin institution called "Shrimpy". We found his place over by the French side drawbridge. It is a laundromat/ marine consignment shop. Mike is the owner. Shrimpy is actually one of the dogs. Mike runs the cruisers net on VHF 10 every M-Sat at 0730, used to run a popular bar on the Dutch side, and knows just about everyone and everything you need to know. He put us in contact with Bob, aka Dr. Diesel. We also dropped off a load of laundry, which came back clean and fresh for a good price.
Our day's consist of trips into town for provisions (and chocolate croissants and cafe allonge). Cary and Ginny do homework at the Main. It has been a rainy season, with rain sometime between 05-0600 every morning, and 3-4 other times during the day. The good news is, the sun comes back out, and the steady breeze dries everything quickly.
During the first week, we also visited Pat and Francis at their condo at Divi Little Bay.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Bitter End to St Martin
From Nanny Cay, we sailed to North Sound, Virgin Gorda to retrieve some boat parts that a fellow cruiser (Bob on Minoxi - thanks!) had brought down for us from the States. We were still looking at the weather and hoping for a window to make the jump from the BVI to St Martin. Winds for the last week had been 20-25 kts from the east pretty steady. Chris Parker was saying we might see 12-24 hours of 15-20 kts on Friday into Saturday, but then more of the same for the following week and beyond. We beat our way up Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda. The going was slow, with a double reefed main and staysail, but the boat was comfortable in the gusts and waves. This helped build our confidence for the trip to Saint Martin. We arrived late in the afternoon and anchored off the beach at Prickly Pear. In the morning, we picked up a mooring at BEYC. Ginny and Cary headed to the Pub for WiFi and school, and Tricia and I headed to the market for perishables.
After taking care of some last minute preps, we got underway from the Bitter End Yacht Club mid-afternoon. Although we never seemed to be heading towards our goal, the distance remaining slowly diminished through the night. Cary stood a 4 hour watch with Tricia, and Ginny stood watch with me. They both did very well steering at night fairly strong winds and not too small seas. Yes, we were hand steering again, as Maria, our Auto Pilot was on vacation again.
The wind dropped off in the morning just as the weatherman said (surprise), and we soon had a full genoa to go with the double reefed main. Despite our best efforts, we didn't make it to the waypoint off the Dutch side entrance to Simpson Lagoon until after dark. Not wanting to anchor in an unfamiliar harbor after dark, we rolled up the jib and sailed back and forth for the rest of the night with just the mainsail. Sometime during the night while Tricia and Cary were on watch, Tricia spotted an unlit power boat zooming toward us. Before she could yell for all hands, or raise the idiot on the radio, the center cockpit 25' boat with lunatics on board spun around the stern of Music shining a wicked bright spot light in Tricia's eyes. What night vision? Just as soon as they went from one side of the boat to the other, they were gone again. They were spotted tying up to a mega yacht further out in the harbor. Harbor Police? Harbor Master? Drug Dealer? We'll never know!
In the morning, we lined up behind 6-7 super yachts and waited for the bridge to open. I was shocked to find that they paid $1,000 for a private opening at 0830. I waited for the free trip at 0930, thank you. As we entered Simpson Lagoon, we were surprised to find a new bridge barring our path to the French side. Seems the causeway had been added last year. After some mild confusion, we followed some friends on Tevai through the swing bridge. We had a little excitement as we passed through. Our dinghy, trailing astern, was caught by a gust of wind and flipped. It was doing a remarkable submarine impression as I tried to steer through the bridge. Surmising that there was nothing beneficial I could do at the time, I dragged it half-submerged through the bridge before slowing and righting it. As we righted the dinghy, we watched in horror as a monohull, about our size, made a last minute pass from the French to the Dutch side as the swing bridge was closing. The Captain made it that time, and earned a round of applause from onlookers. Glad it wasn't us.
Simpson Lagoon is large and shallow. We anchored in about 11 feet of water just west of a little point called Witch's Tit and in from of an island with a sizable ship washed up on the shore. The wind was whipping in the harbor, but the anchor seemed to hold well. Overall, it took us about 36 hours to travel 80 miles. But we did it safely and without major incident.
After taking care of some last minute preps, we got underway from the Bitter End Yacht Club mid-afternoon. Although we never seemed to be heading towards our goal, the distance remaining slowly diminished through the night. Cary stood a 4 hour watch with Tricia, and Ginny stood watch with me. They both did very well steering at night fairly strong winds and not too small seas. Yes, we were hand steering again, as Maria, our Auto Pilot was on vacation again.
The wind dropped off in the morning just as the weatherman said (surprise), and we soon had a full genoa to go with the double reefed main. Despite our best efforts, we didn't make it to the waypoint off the Dutch side entrance to Simpson Lagoon until after dark. Not wanting to anchor in an unfamiliar harbor after dark, we rolled up the jib and sailed back and forth for the rest of the night with just the mainsail. Sometime during the night while Tricia and Cary were on watch, Tricia spotted an unlit power boat zooming toward us. Before she could yell for all hands, or raise the idiot on the radio, the center cockpit 25' boat with lunatics on board spun around the stern of Music shining a wicked bright spot light in Tricia's eyes. What night vision? Just as soon as they went from one side of the boat to the other, they were gone again. They were spotted tying up to a mega yacht further out in the harbor. Harbor Police? Harbor Master? Drug Dealer? We'll never know!
In the morning, we lined up behind 6-7 super yachts and waited for the bridge to open. I was shocked to find that they paid $1,000 for a private opening at 0830. I waited for the free trip at 0930, thank you. As we entered Simpson Lagoon, we were surprised to find a new bridge barring our path to the French side. Seems the causeway had been added last year. After some mild confusion, we followed some friends on Tevai through the swing bridge. We had a little excitement as we passed through. Our dinghy, trailing astern, was caught by a gust of wind and flipped. It was doing a remarkable submarine impression as I tried to steer through the bridge. Surmising that there was nothing beneficial I could do at the time, I dragged it half-submerged through the bridge before slowing and righting it. As we righted the dinghy, we watched in horror as a monohull, about our size, made a last minute pass from the French to the Dutch side as the swing bridge was closing. The Captain made it that time, and earned a round of applause from onlookers. Glad it wasn't us.
Simpson Lagoon is large and shallow. We anchored in about 11 feet of water just west of a little point called Witch's Tit and in from of an island with a sizable ship washed up on the shore. The wind was whipping in the harbor, but the anchor seemed to hold well. Overall, it took us about 36 hours to travel 80 miles. But we did it safely and without major incident.
The Return of the Chartplotter
According to DHL, our Raymarine Chartplotter arrived in Tortola before Christmas, after a brief, unexplained detour to South Korea. On Dec 30th, we left JVD and headed to Nanny Cay marina on Tortola to pick it up. We stopped for lunch in Francis Bay and called the marina to confirm it was there. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Evidently, the driver got hung up clearing another package through customs and didn't make it the 8 miles to deliver my plotter in 3 days. With no reason to go to the marina, we sat in Francis Bay for the night.
About 11 am on the 31st, Brenda at the Marina called to say the driver was there with my package and wanted $23 for customs. I talked Brenda into paying him and promised to be there before she had to close out her cash drawer at the end of the day. This ended up being a real challenge. It was dead upwind, and with our unreliable engine, we tacked for hours, getting there at the last minute. However, we collected the box, thanked Brenda profusely, and installed it. It was nice to have charts, radar and AIS functioning again!
While at Nanny Cay, we caught up with Mary on Windward, and had a great chat with Teresa and Tony on Southern Cross. They were one of the Catalina's that lost steering on the way south. They had only just arrived in Tortola, almost a month after the rest of the rally. It seems they got towed into Bermuda (cost $8k) after sailing in circles for 24hrs in heavy seas. They replaced their rudder and then ran into more weather and problems trying to get down island. Again, we were grateful for our successful passage.
Since we arrived so late in the day, and it was New Year's Eve, we decided to stay at the marina for the night. Yeah! We enjoyed awesome showers - the best we've come across at a marina, and ice cream cones, then played cards and listened to some noise makers elsewhere in the marina as the clock struck 12. Welcome 2014! Wonder how that party at Foxy's went - it pretty much rained all night! Can you say wet t-shirt contest?
About 11 am on the 31st, Brenda at the Marina called to say the driver was there with my package and wanted $23 for customs. I talked Brenda into paying him and promised to be there before she had to close out her cash drawer at the end of the day. This ended up being a real challenge. It was dead upwind, and with our unreliable engine, we tacked for hours, getting there at the last minute. However, we collected the box, thanked Brenda profusely, and installed it. It was nice to have charts, radar and AIS functioning again!
While at Nanny Cay, we caught up with Mary on Windward, and had a great chat with Teresa and Tony on Southern Cross. They were one of the Catalina's that lost steering on the way south. They had only just arrived in Tortola, almost a month after the rest of the rally. It seems they got towed into Bermuda (cost $8k) after sailing in circles for 24hrs in heavy seas. They replaced their rudder and then ran into more weather and problems trying to get down island. Again, we were grateful for our successful passage.
Since we arrived so late in the day, and it was New Year's Eve, we decided to stay at the marina for the night. Yeah! We enjoyed awesome showers - the best we've come across at a marina, and ice cream cones, then played cards and listened to some noise makers elsewhere in the marina as the clock struck 12. Welcome 2014! Wonder how that party at Foxy's went - it pretty much rained all night! Can you say wet t-shirt contest?
Mom and Dad Visit Jost Van Dyke for Xmas
After a peaceful few days in St John and a brief stay in the marina at Red Hook to reprovision and do laundry, we headed to Jost Van Dyke for Christmas. My parents, Barbara and Dick Learned, were flying down to meet us on Christmas Eve for a quick vacation. We didn't get to see them in Florida after we decided to join the Salty Dawg Rally and sail direct from VA to BVI, so we were looking forward to the visit.
They were staying at Ali Baba's, a small hotel on the beach in Great Harbor. We got there a few days early to ensure we could get a mooring ball. Good thing we did. It turns out JVD, and in particular Great Harbor, is the third largest New Year's Eve gathering in the world. (Party at Foxy's!) This sleepy little village goes from 200 people to 10,000 for one weekend a year. Yikes!
I am glad we chose to stay on a mooring. Although the harbor is sheltered, when the wind dies, the swell coming around the point sets up a swirling current in the basin. Boats drift every which way. Music is particularly bad at sailing around at anchor, and we were glad to be on a short mooring pennant instead of a long scope of chain. As it was, we didn't sleep well worrying about where those charter boats that did anchor in the mooring field were going to be in the night. But at least I knew any collisions weren't going to be my fault.
We had a nice visit with my parents. We had a day at White Bay laying on the beach, and having lunch. Soggy Dollar was better than Coco Loco's. My Mom even came out on the boat. We enjoyed a brisk sail across Anegada Passage to Soper's Hole, across to Diamond Cay, and back down to Great Harbor, followed by Tricia's delicious eggplant parmesan for dinner. We had a fun Christmas dinner at Foxy's complete with flashing Christmas hats, followed a few days later by Foxy's famous and very filling Bar-B-Que. My Dad hit it off with Vinnie, owner of Corsairs, who gave him a ride in his vintage Army truck on its 63rd birthday. The best meal was the conch stew and lime-garlic shrimp at Ali Baba's.
Overall, my parents enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and friendly people in JVD. Cary and Ginny got to spend some time with their grandparents, and Tricia and I appreciated their company. A good visit!
They were staying at Ali Baba's, a small hotel on the beach in Great Harbor. We got there a few days early to ensure we could get a mooring ball. Good thing we did. It turns out JVD, and in particular Great Harbor, is the third largest New Year's Eve gathering in the world. (Party at Foxy's!) This sleepy little village goes from 200 people to 10,000 for one weekend a year. Yikes!
I am glad we chose to stay on a mooring. Although the harbor is sheltered, when the wind dies, the swell coming around the point sets up a swirling current in the basin. Boats drift every which way. Music is particularly bad at sailing around at anchor, and we were glad to be on a short mooring pennant instead of a long scope of chain. As it was, we didn't sleep well worrying about where those charter boats that did anchor in the mooring field were going to be in the night. But at least I knew any collisions weren't going to be my fault.
We had a nice visit with my parents. We had a day at White Bay laying on the beach, and having lunch. Soggy Dollar was better than Coco Loco's. My Mom even came out on the boat. We enjoyed a brisk sail across Anegada Passage to Soper's Hole, across to Diamond Cay, and back down to Great Harbor, followed by Tricia's delicious eggplant parmesan for dinner. We had a fun Christmas dinner at Foxy's complete with flashing Christmas hats, followed a few days later by Foxy's famous and very filling Bar-B-Que. My Dad hit it off with Vinnie, owner of Corsairs, who gave him a ride in his vintage Army truck on its 63rd birthday. The best meal was the conch stew and lime-garlic shrimp at Ali Baba's.
Overall, my parents enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and friendly people in JVD. Cary and Ginny got to spend some time with their grandparents, and Tricia and I appreciated their company. A good visit!
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