Gone Sailing

A Three Hour Cruise?

2012-02-12T13:14:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Dawn and I got up early in Jolly Harbour, Antigua, and started off for Guadeloupe. Some weather sites suggested 15-20 knots from the east to east-south-east. Another suggested that these might die to less than 15. What we got was something else.

Jolly Harbour, at Latitude 17 deg. 15 min., is 56 nautical miles from Deshaies, at Latitude 16 deg. 19 min. We were not actually heading to Deshaies, hoping to go as far east as Port Louis, kind of on the inside wings of the Guadeloupe butterfly. However, it became apparent, as we got into clean air that we were not easily going to make Port Louis, so we settled down for a run to Deshaies.

The wind at 800 hrs, after clearing the coast, was actually 26 to 30 knots, and we were glad the sails were well reefed. We had a bumpy couple of hours until it settled down to 22 knots for a couple more hours, then it started to climb again. As it climbed, it shifted to the south so far that we were soon 35-45 degrees off our course. Dawn said the waves grew as big as houses; but I suggest they all looked like the back of a strip-mall: tall and square. Cat Tales was often at a precarious angle, still with both hulls in the water. We had not seen any weather like this since we sailed to Bermuda in 2008. Two hours later, the wind died down to 20 knots, and settled back to an easterly direction; allowing us to slowly crab back up to Deshaies. In all, we were sailing for 8 hours, and were tired, but happy when we entered the harbour at Deshaies. We probably celebrated with an extra wine, but who wouldn't.

We talked to Denis of Tiger Lily on his morning SSB weather net, and he explained that we had sailed through a tropical wave or trough. Some weather sites show these and some do not. I'm going to work hard at finding these things before raising sail.

Anyway, we're both well, and nothing appears to be broken.

We intend to move on tomorrow, and once again, internet will likely be unavailable for a while, or at least quite intermittent.

Heading for Guadeloupe

2012-02-11T06:53:00.001-04:00

It's 6:50 am on Saturday and we're heading out of Jolly Harbour, Antigua heading for Guadeloupe.

We don't know what kind of Internet we'll have there since we'll be sailing on the western side, which is new for us. Our intention is to visit Marie Gallant, St. Anne, St. Francois before heading to Isle de Saintes to pick up company early in March.

Will update when we can.

Cheers!

Dawn

2012-02-09T16:06:00.026-04:00

We've been gone a week with no internet, so this is a "maxiblog". We wrote this together, please forgive the bits of repitition!

Last Thursday, February 2nd, we left Jolly Harbour, Antigua, and moved north the few miles to Deep Bay; traveling with another boat, Moody Blue, a 35' Moody, with Torontonians Alan and April aboard. The next morning, we followed Moody Blue over to Barbuda. It was a lovely sail to a lovely island.

Barbuda is one of the uplifted coral islands, and is literally two levels: mostly 10', with a small flat area of 125' called the Highlands. Like most of the Caribbean, it was originally deeply forested, but was deforested out of greed, and shows coral through thin sand in most places as a result of the topsoil being blown away by the hurricanes in the absence of significant vegetation.. It is best known for two features: an 11 mile beach which is the prettiest in the Caribbean and the largest and most biologically productive lagoon in the Caribbean.

How's this for a beach? It's called '11 mile beach'. We were here a few years ago with my sister, Lorna and her husband Brian. I'm sure they remember it well. During the full moon this week, it was spectacular.

A primary attraction, indeed the third thing that makes Barbuda famous, is the Frigate Bird Sanctuary. We elected to pay for a tour through the sanctuary, found in the northern part of the big lagoon.

Our group consisted of many of our old friends we keep meeting down here. Alan and April are from "Moody Blue" and Denis and Arlene are from "Tiger Lily II". George our guide and driver of the boat, knows the lagoon very well and in between stops flies along at an alarming speed compared to our 6 knots out on the ocean in our own sailboats.

George Jeffrey was our tour guide and water taxi driver. He was outstanding and we'd hire him again!

The frigate colony decorated the mangroves as if they were decorations on Christmas trees. It's time to mate, so we were able to see the males puffing out their big red gullets. Each female can lay only one egg per season and we were able to see lots of babies. These birds have been tracked for many miles north and south.

Because Terry is sick onboard the boat, Silk Pajamas, Kristin decided to come with us for a day out on the island with a bike rental. We were picked up by water taxi, our good friend George Jeffrey, otherwise known as 'Garden of Eden', and delivered into the town of Coderington.
The chairs on the deck of the bike rental spot were very unusual. You could really line up a few empties on the arms of these babies!

Here is Kristin, from the boat, Silk Pajamas, getting fitted for her bike for the day! Barbuda is one of the few islands flat enough to actually ride a bike!

Laurie and Kristin biking beside me. I had no accident while taking this photo!

We stopped along the west side of the island to see the beach and were a bit disappointed to see this tangle of litter that has floated in from the open ocean on the windward side.

We take a break from biking to do a little 'booty hunting'.

Nice to know that this toilet sea probably floated along for many miles before it was landed on the beach...

Framed again...

These caves were made up of one giant cave through which one could climb up through a sky light to the top of the highlands, 125 feet above. the highlands is an area of raised coral, flat on top that's about 2 square miles, with all its edges steep and cliff-like.

While up on top of this shelf, we had the most magnificent view!

This view demonstrates the topography and geology of this little island. Most of the coral below represents one flat uplift of the ocean floor by plate tectonics, and the cliff and flat "highland" is a further uplift. The cliff is an obvious break, where the highland came straight up. The whole of the island would have had great soil, made up of sediment from the many large rivers of northern South America. "Paradise Lost" as they say.

At the end of our biking day, we were waiting for George to take us to the other side of the lagoon. These lovely children came up to us complete with school uniforms, to give us flowers and hugs. After I took their picture, they wanted to see their photo. It's always amazing to me how these little ones take one look at the back of the camera and start hitting the buttons and enjoying the rest of the photos taken that day! Little wonder they learn so quickly!

After we arrived back at Cat Tales, we had just had our bath/swim in the ocean and were settling down to have a drink and watch the sunset. Well off from all the boats there was a dinghy I had seen earlier attempting to teach a young gal how to 'boogie board'. We could barely see them off in the distance, but after looking hard and long through the binoculars, we could see 2 people paddling and one person in the water. After a couple more minutes, Laurie hopped in our dinghy and headed out to see if they needed help. In this shot below, I have zoomed in as far as my camera will allow, and you can only see Laurie's boat and they are much further, so you can see how far they are out.

Laurie has gone a great distance to the left of the dinghy in trouble to pull a young lady out of the water. She had decided to swim from the dinghy to get back to the boat. I really don't think she could have made it with the current and distance.

Here is a close-up of Laurie hauling their dinghy back just at sunset! What lucky individuals they are to be still with us!

heading for Barbuda

2012-02-02T12:36:00.001-04:00

Finally, the wind is down and we're pulling up anchor today heading for Deep Bay, Antigua and then on to Barbuda in the morning. There is likely very little Internet to be had while in Barbuda, but you never know! Some of the most remote places have a connection.

We'll catch up with the blog when we see our way to send through cyber space.

The last time we were in Barbuda, we had a short stay while my sister and hubby, Lorna and Brian were aboard. We enjoyed the snorkeling and the beach, but apparently we didn't see the bird sanctuary, which is a must do, and we didn't take a tour of the island. Laurie is hoping for a bike rental since it's one of the flattest islands.

Dawn

Waiting out weather with a beach BBQ

2012-01-31T09:43:00.010-04:00

We've been sitting in Five Island Bay for the past several days with no end in sight for high winds and big seas. Everyone is waiting it out patiently, but having a little fun on the beach and hiking to fill in the time. Hopefully, we can head out in the next 4 days. Free Spirit is waiting to go to St. Martin. Clarity is heading for the BVI's and all we want to do is get a 3 hour sail in to Barbuda, but nobody leaves in winds like this!

Saturday, the three crews agreed to meet on the beach and bring something to grill and something to share.
We were the first to hit the beach, so there are no pictures, but it was an uneventful landing. It's always tricky to land in the surge and not get caught up in a wave. Many times, we have had unsuccessful landings and end up swamping the boat and soaking the crew. You have to watch the waves and come in just after a large one hits the beach, hoping that you'll be involved in a few smaller waves.
The crew of 'Free Spirit', Alex and John follow us into the beach.

Another successful landing with the surf. Notice John getting the motor up as quickly as he can, while Alex is ready to jump out and haul the boat to safety.

The crew of 'Clarity', Rick and Deb, lines up as the next dinghy to hit the beach.

Check out Deb getting clear of any action! You'd think she has done this before!

Before lighting the BBQ, we had a little game of Boule.

Rick cooks while the boys supervise.

Dinner's ready!

Antigua - Wind blowing like crazy!

2012-01-28T10:42:00.010-04:00

After spending some time in Dominica this season, Laurie submitted an article to the Caribbean Compass. His article is on page 22 and 23 of the February issue. Click here for the link.

Here we are 2 days ago in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua.

Here are a few of the 'big ass' boats we see around this island of the rich and famous!
As we passed by this machine, we could hear Led Zeppelin coming from within the dinghy garage. Many workers are constantly at these boats keeping them in shape. The owners just arrive once in awhile to entertain and then fly home again. We're not totally liking this military look for a personal vessel. There must be a story in this.

Even the smaller boats in the middle of this shot are huge! Anchoring off these boats makes you feel really really small!

An interesting trimaran. Laurie really oggled over this one!

We're sitting in Antigua where the wind is just howling. Everyone is sitting tight and it looks like our trip to Barbuda might not happen this season. It's only a 3 hour sail, but out in the open between the islands is not the place to be in this wild wind and BIG seas!

Instead, we're hunkered down a nice deep bay of Five Island Bay on the western shore of Antigua just north of Jolly Harbour. Our British friends John and Alex from "Free Spirit" are here beside us and we just met a couple, Rick and Deb, on the boat, "Clarity" from Calgary. The 6 of us will move our boats closer to the protected beach on the other side of the bay and we'll do a BBQ on the beach this afternoon. All it takes is a little charcoal and a grate from an oven and then a cooler full of food and refreshments! What else are you going to do when you're storm stayed??

Arrived safely in Antigua

2012-01-25T09:54:00.005-04:00

We had a great sail from Guadeloupe to Antigua on Monday. We're now in the land of the rich and famous. I'll share pictures later.

When in Dominica, we don't require much assistance from the boat boys, however, we've become friends with many of them. Bounty, the driver of this boat below is one of our favourites. We had been in Dominica for more than 2 weeks when we dinghied to a dock and saw a piece of Bounty's boat floating. Because of the brightly colored boats and unique art work, we knew right away that it was Bounty's boat. Later on, we found Bounty who quickly told us that "Andrew mashed my boat!". Poor Andrew was coming out from behind a wreck and couldn't be seen. Bounty was heading around the wreck from the other side and well, you know the rest of the story! They all drive very fast. Andrew is devastated and has all his friends working on Bounty's boat to make amends. Fortunately no one was hurt in this one.

On the way out of the Dominica, we motored past this nice little boat.

Look at the back of the boat.

Now, look a little closer and you'll see how the rich and famous stay in shape. I'll bet she's never seen the falls and the views we have from the tops of many of these mountains!

Grand Anse, Guadelupe

2012-01-21T12:03:00.017-04:00

During previous visits to the Pigeon Island anchorage (Jacques Cousteau Underwater Park) we had determined that the snorkeling was "underwhelming". Well, this year, before we continued the last 8 nautical miles to Dehaies, we jumped in to try along a shore we had ignored. Not too bad, actually. Although we didn't get a good picture of everything we saw, here are two pics. One camera-shy thing that we missed was the biggest squid we've seen. I (Laurie) estimated that it was well over 300 mm long, and indeed wasn't that shy. It's big eye stayed on me, and only moved away after I got within a metre or so.

Yesterday, after going ashore and checking into Customs (la Douane), we went directly for a new hiking route. It started at the north edge of Deshaies, and climbed steeply the 205 metres up the mountain called Gros Morne (which in French seems to mean "big and dreary"). It was super steep, on both sides, but we did it, albeit stopping to catch both our breath and our balance. On the far side, just before the final descent to the Grande Anse beach, was a small cannon battery that was made into a very delightful park.

Here is Cat Tales and the mountain behind her is the way to the beach. There is a nicely marked trail through the woods up and over. Here we go...

This is the beginning of the trail (about an hour walk)

Part way up the mountain, here's a view of the bay we're leaving as we head to Grand Anse beach on the other side.

A tease of what's to come!

A view of the beach from the trail

Looking back at the mountain we hiked to get to the beach

Just a little up the beach, we stopped to inspect a little restaurant, hoping to find an appropriate place to enjoy with Hugh and Liz when they visit in March. It looked a little "past due", but we went in, giving it the benefit of the doubt. The proprietor, a big man, working alone with only his swimsuit, had already lit the barbecue. He had thrown charcoal, bag and all into the unit, and all was smouldering away, making the whole restaurant area quite uninhabitable. I challenged the smoke, and asked for two "Corsair" beers, cold. He opened up a freezer, and after digging, brought out two 1/2 litre German beers, and said (I think) they were the only truly cold beers. I gave him a 10 Euro bill, and he put his pants on to allow him to go through the pockets for change. He had none, so pushed the only other two patrons to pay early so he could provide me with the other 4 Euros. We sat outside, out of the smoke, and enjoyed the cold beers. The proprietor , finding his barbecue was warming up, brought out some chicken pieces in a large pail, placing them over the smoke. He then threw the bloody water left in the pail onto the sand at the entrance of the restaurant area. Possibly this was laziness, possibly it was dust control... Dawn noticed he went from that to wiping down some tables with a rag, without washing his hands from the chicken first. Then a small herd of pigs emerged from the woods and had a romp through the restaurant (actually, they truly startled us as they emerged from the underbrush). We had to say, they kind of picked the place up a bit. There was no menu, but the proprietor suggested his specialty was chicken colombo (we were surprised it wasn't pork). We'll wait to hear from Hugh and Liz to see if this place intrigues them.
We walked further down the beach, and at the far end were many restaurants, also just off the beach, and a larger crowd to watch in the surf. We've tried these restaurants, and will likely suggest to Hugh and Liz that they're worth the extra half-mile walk.

We both enjoyed a swim - I also played in the surf until one wave wiped me out pretty bad, and delivered me upside down well up the beach. It took ten minutes of rinsing to get the sand in my hair and pants down to a reasonable amount.
We had a nice walk back to town, and Dawn cooked up a wonderful chicken stirfry, probably better than we could have received in a restaurant.

This is the 'Stad Amsterdam' we saw in Dominica

This one was taken through the binoculars!

Arrived in Guadeloupe

2012-01-19T17:48:00.001-04:00

We just spent 2 days traveling from Dominica to Guadalupe and up along its west coast to Deshaies. The wind was almost always on the beam and between 15 and 20 knots. With 2 reefs in the main, half the jib and both sails hanked as far over as could be we moved along at between 7 to 8 knots with total comfort on the boat. It was a dream sail!!

We'll be here for a couple of days and planning to leave for Antigua on Tuesday. We intend to spend most of it playing in the wild surf over at Grand Anse Beach, a half hour walk from here.

After spending 3 weeks in Portsmouth, Dominica, we feel we finally understand how the boat boys work and operate working together to keep us safe and offer services. The other islands have much to learn from these fine men!

We'll try to get a few pictures up soon.

Lionfish spotted!

2012-01-12T13:10:00.007-04:00

I just talked to my mother on skype and she told me that we have not blogged for 3 days and so here it is!

Yesterday we were snorkeling along the edge Prince Rupert Bay in Portsmouth, Dominica and unfortunately ran across 2 lionfish. The lionfish is not from around these waters and are quite a threat to the fishes living on the reefs. They have no known enemies and their reproduction abilities is enormous. They have been spotted and exterminated in a couple areas down here, but when we saw these two yesterday, we were very upset. We'll report our findings to the dive shop here in the bay.

This site will help you to understand what is happening here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterois

To make matters worse, after we found the 2 lionfish, we came across this turtle head. Turtle hunting is illegal here and I think that it's easy to see that this one didn't die of old age.

Trafalger Falls and a Day at the Spa

2012-01-08T14:09:00.015-04:00

Our friends Dan and Cindy on Sittitunga suggested by ham radio that we look up past cruiser friends of theirs while in Dominica. They then introduced us by email to John and Mary, Canadians, who have sailed the Bahamas but are currently living and employed in Dominica at the Ross University where opportunity was just too good to pass up. We visited them in their home a few days ago, which was beautiful. They are not lacking for a thing and enjoying the life here. They picked us up in their car and treated us to a trip to Trafalgar Falls at the southern part of the island followed to lunch out and an afternoon at the 'spa'!! We enjoyed the 2 hour drive in air conditioned comfort and it felt a little strange to be completely dry and non sweaty! Here are a few pictures to show of this great trip.

You can't make up a name of a spa, such as this one, so I thought I'd better include the building in the photos.
After we had a beautiful local lunch of creole shrimp, salads, and provisions, we headed to the spa! The spa was a beautiful design of 5 pools, each using different combinations of hot water coming from the sulfur springs and colder water from the falls. The first pool was so hot, it was difficult to get in. From there you just kept moving over the course of the afternoon from one pool to the next ending up with icy cold water to cool you down.

Our hosts, John and Mary:

Ahhhh...now that's nice!

Thanks John and Mary for the wonderful day! Next time we arrive here, we'll be laden with white wine and cheese from the French islands to treat you!

Hiking in Dominica

2012-01-06T10:57:00.015-04:00

We met Kristin and Terry (from the boat 'Silk Pajamas') at 10:00 sharp at Big Papa's dock for a hike along the northern part of Dominica. We caught a bus (van) which was full to the brim. In these islands, no bus is full...there is always room for one more! After the passengers were let off one after another, it was just the 4 of us left to carry on up and up the mountain on narrow roads with sharp switchbacks which eventually ended up to be a dirt road that would barely allow one vehicle.

We were dropped at Capuchin pretty much at the end of the navigable road. We were to hike the 4 hour trek and end up in Penville and hopefully catch a bus back to the bay where our boats were. The adventure began!

The trail, for the most part, seemed to be a man-made ledge, varying from 5 feet to 8 inches along the sides of steep mountains. It went up and down hundreds of feet, through gulleys and across ridges, seemingly thousands of feet from valley floors, but seldom wide enough for two abreast.

Along the way, we saw several magnificent trees. This one was a beauty!

I'm not sure what this one is called, but I'd wager a bet that it would be related to the gloxinia.

Here is a wild ginger lily. Of course, they come complete with hummingbirds, which I failed to get a shot of!

We came across a few mud slides that came close to obliterating the little continuous shelf, and had to carefully pick our way across them. Below each slide was of course a steep drop to the base of the mountain!

At this point in the trail, it was nice to see this sign, if only to let us know that we were still on the proper trail! We had already hiked about 2 hours at this point, much of it in the pouring rain, only to find that we were approximately half way through!

I wish this picture could show depth of the foliage and the stunning view we had.

From here you can see Les Saintes, the islands just south of Guadeloupe and belonging to the same.

We managed to keep our feet reasonably clean throughout the 4 hour hike, but one the very last leg of the adventure, the farmer we met said that there had been a landslide that wiped out the regular route and the new trail was just being dug out and had no vegetation to hold it all together. That along with the recent rains, he was right to warn us. There were a few rocks that we were to jump from one to the other, however, they weren't spaced as well as I would have liked! Well, I lost my balance and sunk about 10 inches deep into the sucking muck. Of course, my second foot followed the first. The farmer then told me not to worry, that he had water at the end of the trail at his house, however, we should hurry because the mud was full of disease! That made us move along a little quicker!

The farmer we met on the trail quickly took us to the tap where we could use all the water we needed to clean the mess off!

Luckily for us, a bus was there dropping off a passenger and he told us he'd be right back for us. He said that we just had time to buy a cold beer from a lady in a house that he pointed out to us and he'd be around just as we were finishing. He was right on all accounts, except that she only had 2 cold beers in that big refrigerator of hers, but we managed to overlook it and drink them warm. Of course, we gave one of the cold ones to our new farmer friend who was so kind to us along the way!

Happy New Year's From Dominica

2011-12-31T11:12:00.006-04:00

Porthsmouth, Dominica. If you look carefully, you'll see Cat Tales in there somewhere!

A typical dinghy dock. This one is at Big Pappa's Beach Bar and Restaurant where we gathered for a hike.

Denis, Arlene, Alex and John heading home after a hike and happy hour at Big Pappa's Beach Bar.

Laurie picked up a couple of items the other day. The 6 little cans of v8 juice were 28.00 EC, while the rum was only 14.00 EC. Divide by 2.65 for the US dollar.

We see the most fabulous sunsets down here. The wind blows from the east which puts us on the lee side of all the islands facing the west at night! Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas from Martinique

2011-12-25T16:50:00.008-04:00

Christmas eve, we decided to host 3 couples for pot luck snacks and drinks.
We met John and Alex from the boat; 'Free Spirit' for the first time at this very moment you see on the photo below! When they arrived at Cat Tales, complete with these unique Santa hats, I liked them instantly. They're involved in the morning ham radio net that Denis from 'Tiger Lily II operates. We all tune in daily at 7:45 and Denis, a retired meteorologist, talks to a select few and discusses the weather as he sees it. When sailing, it's ALL about the weather and making safe passages from one place to another.

Here is Kristen and Terry from 'Silk Pajamas'. It's not easy to get Terry's picture, but I managed to get a great one on Christmas eve!

I had to say something pretty cute to get Denis and Arlene from 'Tiger Lily II' to smile like this...it's a little phrase I picked up from Terry to help get people to laugh while taking their pictures!

The usual division of male and female happens once again, and the gals are all together for the evening on one side of the cockpit and the boys in the other half! Boats are small, and female bonding is important!!

Here it is, Christmas morning and what do we see???

Well, gosh and by golly, it's actually Denis and Arlene, our Canadian friends from the boat 'Tiger Lily II' delivering their traditional sticky buns. We are honored to have received sticky buns 2 years in a row and are happy that we've become part of this fun tradition!

Christmas dinner today was at noon at a local beach bar. It exceeded our expectations and provided us with a nice breezy spot with comfortable chairs for the 10 of us to indulge on snacks and buffet 'drinks' for starters. Then we moved to the big table where we could make trips to the salad and dinner buffet. We were then served after dinner drinks along with dessert and espresso coffees. We couldn't have imagined anything better! Merry Christmas!!

We've waited for the winds to die down for 9 days now and it's finally time. We will pick up anchor and head out of this bay tomorrow along with everyone else! We expect it to be like a highway out there with boats moving north and south! We'll be heading north, but we're a bit undecided just where we'll go. The destination at this point is Dominica,which could take 3 or 4 days. After that, we're expecting the winds to go crazy again, so we could get storm stayed there while we hike the island...who knows??

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Love Dawn

Storm-stayed in Martinique

2011-12-21T15:56:00.006-04:00

Merry Christmas from Laurie and Dawn to all of you!

Laurie and I were planning to head further north, heading towards the USVI's, but the wind has been blowing like crazy and you'd have to be crazy to go out in that. It's been over 30 knots with high seas. Instead, we have found ourselves hiking around a bit. Yesterday we walked an hour from St. Anne to Anse de Saline on the southernmost part of Martinique with Terry and Kristin from s/v Silk Pajamas and enjoyed a swim and a nice meal once we got there. Laurie of course could stay there all day because of all the beautiful bodies lying on the beaches. The French aren't much into doing laundry and wear as little as possible! Today, we did a bit of a hike up the prayer stations of the cross and caught a great view of the bay below us. Of course, that earned us another lunch out and a nice cold beer! Storm stayed...the hell here never ends!

Since we're here in Martinique waiting for the windy weather to die down, we've decide to join a group and go to a restaurant for Christmas dinner. this is how the restaurant looked today when we dropped in to check it out.

Christmas dinner menu:

Just how does a boater get ready for Christmas!

Martinique

2011-12-19T14:45:00.001-04:00

hi everyone,

We arrived in Martinique yesterday after a lovely sail from St. Lucia. After clearing customs this morning, we made a trip to Leader Price and stocked the boat with boxes of red wine (9 Euros a 3 litre box)

We are expecting high winds for the next few days, so we may be here for a bit and then will continue northward on our trek to the USVI's.

We have no Internet from the boat this time, so we're here in a Cafe having lunch typing fast before my laptop battery dies.

Lunch has arrived...

St. Lucia

2011-12-14T07:49:00.001-04:00

We arrived in St. Lucia yesterday at around 4:30 which is a 12 hour sail. The weather was glorious and it was sad to stop! That's a first that I've said that!!

We will get together with a few old friends here for the next couple of days and then will proceed northward towards the USVI's while visiting islands along the way.

Laurie is now making banana and mango pancakes with what was left after a visit to our outside fruit hammock from our fruit bat friends overnight!

Dawn

Bequia, fish photos and heading out tomorrow...

2011-12-12T14:01:00.009-04:00

Although we're now in Bequia, Laurie wanted to share this photo with you.

This picture shows Laurie on a road in northern Grenada that has been slowly torn to pieces by volcanic upheaval just over the last 15 years or so. On each side of this road are what's known as JCB houses. These are very attractive concrete and stucco homes constructed by "Just Come Backs", or local people who have returned from the US or Canada with a little more money than they left with. The JCB homes on this road, however are abandoned with broken stilts and other structural damage. There was also a lake beside the road, but as the ground lifted, it drained down the hill.

We also have to worry about volcanic activity as we left Grenada. We sailed over an underwater volcano, called "Kick em Jenny", which pours out lava at such a rate that it will be an island within the decade. They're not selling options on this land yet though!

Ok, now for the photos to support our past fish stories. Somehow, we didn't get a picture of the 32 inch barracuda, you'll just have to believe us!

Who knows how long we drug this poor thing along! It would seem that something ate him though, and hopefully enjoyed it as much as we would have!

This is a nice sandwich sized fish. We really should have thrown him back, but it was our first catch coming out of Grenada last week and it was quite delicious!

We served this blue runner jack to our friends on Nahanni River. Absolutely wonderful fish!

As we pulled into Bequia, we spotted our friends, Doug and Wendy on "Nahanni River" the catamaran in the foreground. Check out the full moon on the rise on the hillside.

We're in the bay in Bequia at the moment and just a few minutes ago a huge squall came by dumping lots of rain. My laundry was hung on every wire all over the boat, I went running to get it all in (it was actually dry) when a pair of my underwear went flying into the water. Laurie was ready to jump in, but discovered that he had credit cards and money in his pocket. He threw it loosely onto the seat in the cockpit, but the wind was blowing it all over the place. He moved my laundry bag over it to hold it down, but of course while he was swimming to get my knickers, I moved the bag. The windows weren't all shut and it's a bit damp inside. Now, the laundry is in, my panties are rinsed, Laurie is rinsed, his money and cards are safe and the moping is done. The hell here never ends!

We're off to Mac's pizzeria tonight for dinner with a few others here in the bay. We just noticed Garry and Linda from "July Indian" anchoring nearby, so we'll have to get over there and get them invited! We leave for St. Lucia in the morning, early...4:00 to be exact!

arrived in Bequia

2011-12-10T07:43:00.001-04:00

The wind was a bit from the north yesterday but we were able to sail 6 of the 8 hours on our way from Grenada to Bequia. We came into the bay and headed for our favourite spot over by Princess Margaret beach and discovered that Doug and Wendy were anchored there waiting for us! If you recall, their boat is called Nahanni River. We'll get together today for lunch and then they will come aboard tonight for fresh fish caught on the way yesterday!

Yes, we were able to land 2 fish; one was a 32 inch long barracuda and the other was a blue runner barjack. We lost a couple from my line because the rings that hold the triple hooks on was too weak. I guess Marden's isn't the perfect place to pick out the best lure. They certainly bit at it though, it was just not strong enough.

All for now...it's time for morning coffee and listen to Laurie talk to all his buddies on the Ham Radio morning nets!

Heading for Bequia

2011-12-09T08:54:00.001-04:00

We sailed (actually motored most of the way) from St. Georges, Grenada to Hillsbourough yesterday, taking us about 8 hours. Laurie has gone in to town this morning to check out of customs and immigration and we'll set sail for Bequia, a tiny but precious island in the St. Vincent Grenadines. We'll spend a few days there and will continue our trek north.

Laurie made a pot of delicious callilou soup last night for dinner. Of course it's all done up with coconut milk as the base, so of course it's delicious!

Yesterday on our way, we caught a fish. We didn't notice it on the line until Laurie brought it in and we only had the head left! It might have been a baracuda, but it's hard to tell when there is so little of it left for identification purposes!

Our water maker gauge was picked up by a fellow cruiser in Trinidad yesterday. They (Wandering Star) are sailing up from Trini as we speck and we have agreed to meet in Bequia. We've been able to use the watermaker in the meantime and it's working well except we can't keep an eye on the pressure gauge to make sure we don't exceed the pressure limit!

All for now, we'll write again when we get to Bequia.

Dawn

Historical tour of Grenada

2011-12-07T10:09:00.007-04:00

Here is Laurie reefing for the second time while heading for Grenada to Trinidad last Friday.

It is Wednesday, and we're still in Prickly Bay, Grenada. The flat water has allowed us to track down and fix leaks, as well as do other general boat maintenance. A biggie was the complete cleaning of the two Racor 500 fuel filter housings. They were rather dirty so it was time. It took almost all day, with me feeling rather beat at the end. I work in the engine rooms at about 40 degrees, in a puddle of sweat, trying to keep the sweat from dripping into the fuel and filter systems.
We have had time for socializing as well, with new friends from s/v "Just Imagine..." and "Quicksilver". With these friends, we have enjoyed callaloo pizza at De Big Fish, and have had a full day historical tour of Grenada. While at de Big Fish, we enjoyed an awesome band, Quiet Fire. The two lead guitarists effortlessly caressed their guitars playing Santana, Van Morrison and other favourites! Sitting in the balmy Caribbean breeze, we thought we were in heaven!

Through the historical tour, I have finally straightened out the rebellions and 1983 US invasion of Grenada. In 1979, with the help of Fidel Castro, Maurice Bishop and the public overthrew a Prime Minister who rigged elections and made his critics disappear. He and his supporters worked hard with Cuban and Kremlin assistance for 4 years, improving health care, getting a new hospital, roads, and an airport, and making plans for the betterment of the common man. However, by 1983, hard-line local communists got the word from Castro and the Kremlin that Bishop's transition to full communism was moving too slow. They killed him and others by firing squad in the fort at St Georges, after chasing the public away with guns.
Members of the Grenadian public, and the Caribbean community petitioned the democracies of the Atlantic basin for help, and Regan offered to show up, clear out the communists, and simply leave, if others would assist in moving Grenada to a democratic state. And, amazingly to many of us who would be critical of past US interventions, the US did just that - they arrived, shot a few Cubans, destroyed anything of military value, locked some people up, tidied up the mess a bit, and left. There are still "thank yous" in the graffiti around the island. Bishop, who probably would not have moved to a full democracy either, is still a hero in the Grenadian past.

Here is a picture of a view we had from the van yesterday while on the historical tour. Breathtaking!

The nutmeg crop is coming back after hurrican Ivan in 2004. Here it is drying before they sort it and send it to companies like McCormicks for processing.

We have a friend bringing a part up from Trinidad for our watermaker, but are still making plans to move up island before or during the weekend. Today, we are moving the boat to St. George's Harbour in search of a case of rum. We hope to get 12 litres of Cruzan, made in St. Thomas, USVI, our present favourite. We will also load up with groceries, never an easy chore lugging and transferring from dock to dinghy, from dinghy to Cat Tales. But it's what we do while living on a boat!

Laurie checking out the chart we had laminated and brought with us (in 2 pieces) through 5 flights towards Cat Tales!

arrived in Grenada, safe and sound

2011-12-02T16:23:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

The alarm clock rang at 1:45 am today, but I was laying there awake for the last hour anyway! There were 4 boats in all, all heading for Grenada. The first 3 hours of darkness presented us with numerous freighters and small fast moving mid-size boats. We were constantly on our guard watching the radar and measuring angles looking for potential collision courses.

The second section of the trip was very enjoyable with naps for both of us and daylight with beautiful conditions complete with dolphins. (Laurie missed that section, since he was napping!)

The third section of the trip was like a big storm with sharp rollers and winds up to 28 knots. We were continuously inundated with salt water in the cockpit and even discovered that the one window at the waterline that hadn't leaked before was found to have leaked and caused some sleeves to need fresh water rinsing. The great part of too much wind was that it wasn't on the nose, instead was on the beam. Cat Tales behaved beautifully and delivered us here in only 11 hours, arriving at 3:00 pm...a record for us. Last year we had so much headwind, we had to change our course and land in St. George's at 9:30 pm, so all in all it was a great day.

I have cleaned some of the salt off the boat which will give us a place to sit in the cockpit and Laurie has already gone in to customs and immigration and cleared us in.

Cheers,

Dawn

Leaving Trinidad

2011-12-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

Hi folks:

It is Thursday afternoon, and we have just returned to Chaguaramas from Monos Island to check out of the country. We intend to overnight in Scotland Bay, by the Monos Passage, and up-anchor at about 3 am. We hope we can finish the passage in Grenada's Prickly Bay before dark on Friday night.

Possibly, when we are in Grenada and rested, we can tell a little about our time here and our passage. The skinny so far has been work and sweat, work and sweat.

Splashing Today at 1:00 pm

2011-11-29T09:12:00.002-04:00

So sorry for not posting anything over the last week, but we've been very very busy getting Cat Tales all set for launch, which will take place today at 1:00. Besides the routine issues like cleaning, waxing, untarping, getting the dinghy off the deck, filling propane tank, filling diesel tanks, repairing a leaky hatch at the waterline, defogging the engines, we also had to replace all the 6 batteries, which of course took some investigation. The company assured us that they'd be all recently charged but of course they arrived yesterday less than at peak charge. Laurie had to walk back to the company to borrow a charger and has been monitoring them over night last night and is now returning the charger to the company...of course in the rain!

We're not sure how long it will be until we head to Grenada from Trinidad, but we can be pretty sure that we'll have no Internet for the next day or two.

A very sad thing happened in the boatyard on Sunday afternoon. A boat named Bolero had its mizzen mast fall down onto a power line. The woman onboard the boat touched something that would conduct the current and had tremendous burns to her arm. The man ran to her assistance and when he tried to get up the ladder died of electric shock! Sad indeed.

All for now. No pictures to share this time. Maybe when we start having fun, we'll produce!
Dawn

Rocky Mountain High

2011-11-22T16:47:00.025-04:00

We landed in Trinidad without issue at around midnight on Tuesday. Blugh, our friend and off hours taxi driver was waiting for us. We arrived at our boat ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnd found the usual grime and filth, but nothing was out of the ordinary, except for our missing life raft which was reported stolen late in the summer. We know where it is and will be retrieving it before we leave. Here is a terribly brief update of our fantastic trip to Colorado on the way to the boat:

We now have a new appreciation for John Denver's song. On our way south to the meet up with Cat Tales, we scheduled a stop in Denver, Colorado to meet up with sailing friends, Steve and Maria from the vessel "Aspen". We arrived on Friday night and had 3 full days of sight seeing, and exploring the area. I hope you can get a feeling of what we experienced through the few pictures. Many many thanks go out from us to Steve and Maria who entertained us royally. Besides seeing the sights, we had great conversations as Steve and Maria filled us in on their adventures over the past 2 years going around the world. Their boat is presently in Turkey and they plan to reunite with her in February when the weather warms up over there. You can read their blog by clicking on "Aspen" or click on the side bar of this blog. Our own time chatting with them about their adventures were as enjoyable as anything.

We spent a couple of days getting out in the wide open exploring the mountains around Denver. We checked regularly the height above sea level as we meandered up and down mountains and through passes, and traveled regularly from 6000 feet to 12000 feet, ears popping and dry nose complaining, and sometimes aware of not getting enough oxygen. We crossed the "Great Divide" a few times; this is the point where the rain and water drains either toward the east or to the west. Highlights included driving across mountain passes above 12000 feet to see a few of the fifty two 14000 foot peaks in the state, driving through old western and mining towns and trendy skiing resorts, amazing canyons, interesting restaurants, and fantastic geology.

Heading up the long, long stairway at the Red Rock Canyon open-air Theatre.

Here is just one year of entertainment at the open-air Red Rock Theatre!

At the top of the stairway at the open-air theatre, we paused to catch our breath and take a group shot.

Picking up the mail at Steve and Maria's in rural Colorado in "Pine" about an hour and a half outside of Denver.

We saw lots of wildlife, but this big guy was sitting in the yard waiting for us when we returned home from a road trip!

Marie and Steve are renovating their house which they live in when not on board their boat "Aspen". Exciting times watching the progress!

A Forest Gump restaurant at Breckenridge Mountain where we wandered around and shopped ("BubbaGump Cafe").

We took in a 3D movie and have the glasses to prove it! The boys loved "Immortals"; however, the gals decided we would have appreciated the "Happy Feet 2" movie down the hall!

We have been tossed deeply into the social life here in Trinidad! The weekly potluck was last night and the US thanksgiving is tonight here at Peake's boatyard under the mango trees. It's a bit of a challenge to find and cook a dish to share when our cupboards are bare at the moment, but that's a small problem in the scheme of things!

Summer in New Brunswick

2011-11-16T13:16:00.015-04:00

A view from our deck at Grand Lake, New Brunswick, fall of 2011.

As our season in New Brunswick comes to a close, and we start preparing to return to Cat Tales on November 22nd, it may be appropriate to write a few lines on how we fared during our northern stay, and provide some pictures as well. The weather in New Brunswick this spring and summer was particularly wet, with areas that used to grow grass often growing moss instead. The water levels at Grand Lake, where we spend our summers, actually broke records, with the result that there was precious little beach to be had. The rainy weather allowed for a June canoe trip down the Bartholomew River for Laurie and his brother Ken; however, the extra water in the river was offset by outrageous attacks by mosquitoes, black flies, moose flies, etc.

Laurie and brother Ken

A big project for Laurie (speaking) was to build a 4-season room on the side of our cottage. With the design help of my brother Mike, I settled on a thickened-edge slab for a foundation, and decided to see how much of the project I could do myself. I got the lumber for formwork from a demolitions landfill owned and managed by our neighbour, Dave Wasson, and did the picking and nail-pulling myself. There was significant work in preparing the ground and forming and compacting the soil under and around the slab to allow proper support and insulation against frost. I hired two labourers who helped me place the concrete, and with a little help from both those two and two of my neighbours, we survived the failure of the form, and got it acceptably braced. However, a laminated beam that was ordered for the roof never showed up, and the rest of the project was cancelled for the year.

Laurie paying off "Inspector Ron!"

It did allow me to spend a lot of time on the landscaping, and I can report that the yard never looked better. We’ll build a little frost protection for the slab before we leave it for the winter, and will start on the structure in earnest next May.

Laurie working on putting the yard back together.

All rocks were hand picked and brought back by trailer, trunk or rowboat!

Dawn’s father, who had been suffering with vascular dementia (making him much like an Alzheimer’s patient) died, ending two years of frustration for him. Dawn’s sisters joined us, her mother Jean, and the local relatives for the funeral and wake; and all had a nice visit.

Dawn and her sisters

Our crowd of “cove-dwellers” are still getting together regularly for a barbecue every Friday night. This was supplemented with many dinners shared during the week, and lots of visits from friends and family in town and out-of-town.

A special weekend in August, was the annual Pig Roast hosted by Hugh Whalen and Liz Abraham, was one of the blurriest yet; primarily as a result of attendance by Scott Kennah and Laurie’s brother Paul, unsupervised and uncontrolled.

Sailing our 21’ Hobie took a bit of a back seat to the construction of the sun-room foundation and the rainy weather; but we did get a couple of really nice sails in. The most enjoyable was after one of the rudder cams broke, and I took the opportunity to reconstruct both rudder assemblies - even redrilling the rudders. The boat, with almost no weather helm is now a dream to sail - and we're looking forward to sailing it next year.

All in all, the summer in New Brunswick has kept us quite busy. The fall brought unseasonably warmer and sunny weather, but of course could not revive beach activity.

The cottage, Hobie, and the construction project are all put to bed, and we're ready to start flapping our wings. We have flights for November 18th to Denver, where we’ll spend 3 days with Steve and Maria of s/v Aspen before continuing on to Trinidad. We’ll write more either from Denver or Chaguaramas.

email to share with you

2011-05-29T13:58:00.000-03:00

This note came to us by email today and greatly touched us:

"Hi, I work with your sister, Lorna. I must say I will miss the blog till November. I have never traveled but do so with you guys through your blog. The many stories and pictures are something I look forward to and thoroughly enjoy. To me, you have a dream life. As I sit here in the sunshine, I cant believe I am longing for November to start traveling with you again. Thanks and enjoy you time on dry land."

So...we'll keep writing as long as you're reading!

Home in New Brunswick, Canada

2011-05-27T14:01:00.008-03:00

Its time to fill you folks in on our whereabouts and the gaps in the blog for the last week or so.

First, putting Cat Tales to bed. Some might wonder about the hole we found in the boat that would not stop weeping salt water. The crack went through over 5 mm of hard fibreglass, and allowed the salt to permeate a large area of the PVC foam on the inside. I cut a 30 mm x 30 mm square of the outside skin and removed it to expose the foam. We attempted to vacuum the water out of it, and indeed got about 200 ml of water out. I drilled holes around this square, and found no water, which doesn’t mean there was none. Water would come, so the path could easily have been missed.

I got a lot of advice from passers-by, as we were in a high traffic area of the yard; and indeed, I was happy for it. The solution we chose, was not provided, however. Because of the high humidity and constant rain, we decided to repair the patch on the outside, and drilled holes on the inside of the repair, exposing the foam to the air conditioned side of the hull. We’re pleased with ourselves. In November, we’ll patch the internal holes and think no more about it.

The rest of the decommissioning of Cat Tales went smoothly though was still lots of hard work, and we boarded the plane with only one oversight. Dawn left some French cheeses in the closed refrigerator, cheeses she intended to smuggle back to Canada. A few notes back to friends in the yard fixed that, and the door was left open and the friends were richer for the cheese.

Over the last ten nights, we slept in 8 different beds, which tells our story:
1. Cat Tales;
2. Lorna and Brian’s spare room, London suburbs;
3. Valerie’s spare room, close to downtown London;
4. The v-berth of a 25’ C&C sailboat at the Kettle Creek Marina, Port Stanley, Lake Erie;
5. A Port Stanley cottage belonging to our friends Linda and Garry Graham, of the sailing vessel July Indian;
6. Spare room of Mississauga Maritime Net controller Don Demeza (and wife June) in Belleville, Ontario;
7. Econolodge Hotel, east of Quebec City
8. Home at Grand Lake.

Besides mentioning the accommodations, we had great times with these people, Dawn’s niece Kendra and her husband Steve, Brian’s mother Shirley, the friends at the Kettle Creek Marina, the sailors of the Port Stanley Power and Sail Squadron, and others. We also got hosted for lunch in Montreal by Ham Radio friend Marty Hornstein and his wife Pesel. It was really great to visit with both Don and Marty, and talk about the Mississauga Maritime Net and the characters we share it with.

Don Demeza in his Ham Radio shack in the basement in Belleville. Laurie has spoken with him for the past 7 years and finally got to meet him!

Here are Don, June and their borrowed dog Merlin from their neighbors house. They get all the benefits of a pet without owning it! Great visit and accommodations!

Here are Marty and his lovely wife, Pesel in Montreal. Just like the situation with Don, Laurie has enjoyed talking to Marty on the Ham Radio for the past 7 years. They took us to lunch and we were able to chat in person. It's great to be able to finally put faces to these voices we hear every morning at 8:30! While we were in the French islands, Laurie often asked Marty to help him with certain words or phrases he needed to get by.

We had two little stops for tourism as well: Under advice from Don Demeza, we stopped in Trenton and toured the Air Force Museum. Thoughts went to my father and how much I would have enjoyed touring this amazing place with him. We also were able to copy pages out of a most complete book of WW2 Air Force fatalities; and walked away with information on my uncle Charles Douglas who died in Burma, and my uncle Kenneth Corbett who died on a training mission in Canada.

Here are some pictures of our side trip.

The second stop was of the falls and gorge at Grand Falls. Although all the falls we hike to in the Caribbean are wonderful sights, these falls are really something – and to think that was the first time I had bothered to see these, less than 3 hours from my home!

So, now here we are at home, with its rainy, cold weather, shoes and socks, household chores, dry skin, piles of mail with bills and tax information, necessary highways, dental and medical appointments. Still, we are already enjoying the break from boat chores and salt, friends and relatives we were missing, television (until we can’t stand the commercials), showers and flush toilets, being able to take 12 steps without falling into the sea, cool nights that allow blankets and cuddling, the tremendous selections in grocery stores, and watching the gentler seasons arrive and roll by.

The cottage is in fine shape, and didn’t seem to need much dusting, and we’re putting into priority the chores to enjoy the next 6 months.

Thanks for spending your time on our winter blog, and we’ll start up again soon, or at least by November.

Heading for Canada

2011-05-17T17:58:00.000-03:00

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we'll catch the flight to Toronto. We'll be in Fredericton around the 26th of May after spending time with my sisters in London, Ontario

Take care,

Dawn and Laurie

Leatherback Turtles in Trinidad

2011-05-13T16:45:00.012-03:00

Jesse James, a local Trinidadian with a wonderful sense of humour, is a devouted asset to the sailing community at Chaguaramas. His company is called "Members Only" although everyone is welcome. He organizes tours, grocery shopping trips, trips to the mall, hardware stores along with endless help to the local needy. When we listen to the morning cruisers net on the VHF radio, Jesse announces trips coming up and cruisers sign up depending on their needs. If we were in real trouble here, Jesse would be the individual to call.

We've been coming here to Trinidad for haulout since 2005 and haven't done much in the line of tours until last night. We have been hearing so much about the trip to see the Leatherback turtles laying eggs on the beaches of Trinidad and decided that it was time to join in. The event only happens from April to June, so this would be the perfect time. The fee included a 2 hour drive to the east coast and a meal along the way. Of course, Jesse teased us with trivia tests and gave us much information along the way. When we arrived at the beach, we were to meet the guides and volunteers who protect the turtles during this time. The hatchlings will come out in July and August and only a few will survive after the birds and sea creatures get their share.

We arrived at the site at around 9:00 pm and were told by the park rangers/guides/volunteers, that there was a turtle on the beach who had arrived there about 15 minutes ago and was already digging a hole for her eggs. Jesse James, our tour guide from the Chaguaramas Bay area had given us quite a few tips before we were to arrive at the beach. We were NOT to take pictures with flashes at any time other than when the turtle was actually depositing eggs into the hole. We would then be able to touch her because she would be in a trance-like state. All flashlights were to be turned off at this point and we could watch by moonlight. The whole episode would take approximately an hour and a half at which time the turtle would be exhausted and head back to the ocean through the surf.

The guides found that this turtle had not been tagged, so while she was busy, they went to work and gave her a bit of turtle 'bling'. They'll collect information to learn more about how to protect this species.

She shed a few tears while she was out of the water for the hour and a half just to keep her eyes moist.

We are told that once the female begins to deposit the eggs, she is in a trance-like state and is not bothered by touching, or photo flashes.

The red that you see in front of Laurie is a red light from a flashlight. It's a little less noticeable to the turtle.

The back of the turtle lived up to its name, it felt soft, plyable and very leathery.

After her eggs were deposited, she spent about 20 minutes covering them up with her large flippers. You could see her muscles working hard to tamp down the sand. When the hole was completely filled in and tamped, she took her flippers and flicked sand everywhere. We really had to move back because the sand flew for about 12 feet in all directions. She eventually worked her way to other areas so that a very large area was affected and the actual small hole she had made was unrecognizable as a turtle nest.

She was gone and we were able to take pictures again. The tracks remind one of tractor tread prints on the beach.

We watched her slowly making her way back to the ocean. This is the last time she'll deal with these eggs, they're entirely on their own from here on.

While we were there, 2 other females made their way up the beach, but it was time for us to go. One of the guides told me that during peak season, there can be over 60 leatherbacks on the beach at one time.

Diving deep and fast is their only protection from predators, namely sharks and killer whales. In fact, some of these turtles arrive without hind flippers and still go about their business. In these instances, the local volunteers dig the holes and help fill and tamp down the sand. We assume the turtle thinks she is doing it!

Here are some additional facts I found on the Internet today:

The leatherback is the largest, deepest diving, and most migratory and wide ranging of all sea turtles. The adult leatherback can reach 4 to 8 feet in length and 500 to 2000 pounds in weight. Its shell is soft and unlike many other turtles, it can’t retract into it. Jellyfish are the main staple of its diet, but it is also known to feed on sea urchins, squid, crustaceans, tunicates, fish, blue-green algae, and floating seaweed.

Adult females require sandy nesting beaches backed with vegetation and sloped sufficiently so the crawl to dry sand is not too far. The preferred beaches have proximity to deep water and generally rough seas.

Nesting occurs from about March to July. Female leatherbacks nest 5 to 7 times within a nesting season or about every 9 to 10 days. The nests are constructed at night in clutches of about 70 to 80 yolked eggs. Typically incubation takes from 55 to 75 days, and emergence of the hatchlings occurs at night. Most leatherbacks remigrate to their nesting beaches at 2 to 3-year intervals.

Haulout - May 9th in Chaguaramas, Trinidad

2011-05-10T15:33:00.011-03:00

We've been called on the VHF radio by Peake's Boatyard and it's our turn to get hauled out of the water.

A swimmer makes sure the straps are placed at the strong points of the boat. These boys work like a well oiled machine!

Up and up we go.

In slides a second huge piece of equipment to transfer us for the ride around the boatyard.

Getting ready to transfer and go for that drive.

After the blocking is complete, the mother ship pulls away, and we're on our own.

Sometime along our 6 month visit to the Caribbean, Cat Tales was injured. We had no idea until the boat dried and the weeping began. Laurie is outside working away on a repair while he weeps. More than likely, a boat boy trying to sell us bananas, or something very important hit us while hanging on to the side of our boat. Many of these guys have fenders to protect us, but some don't and they can have nasty nails and screws sticking out here and there!

Laurie has already drained the sail drives (2 engines) and fogged them both. He has also made a few repairs to hoses in the engine room that were leaking over the past couple of years. Hopefully, that will be the end of that! He has agreed to crank Andrew up to the top of his mast at 5:00 when it's perhaps a wee bit cooler. (Andrew is from the boat Zepher's Zest)

We have plugged in the air conditioner which works very well at night when the sun is down, however, it's a mean 35 degrees Celsius inside the boat during the peak of the day. I do what I can to work inside, because the outside is so hot, it's crazy! Poor Laurie is outside right now. Shower time and then a cold beer at the end of the day is sooo lovely!

The Crossing from Grenada to Trinidad

2011-05-08T14:35:00.011-03:00

Laurie here; Dawn will finish off with photos and commentary on them.

I found myself awake and wondered why. I went to the bathroom, thinking: Well, that must be it. Crawling into bed, I become aware that Dawn’s awake as well. She tells me she’s been awake since midnight, and it is now 0145h. (I’m betting now that she nudged me awake). Well, it is time to go.

The reefing lines, sailbag ties, anti-chafe, and dinghy stabilizing was done before bed, but it still took us 40 minutes to have a coffee and “up-anchor”. We used the large floodlight to meander through the other boats in Prickly Bay, and to light up the channel markers in the dark. The GPS took us safely past the rocks a half-mile out called “The Porpoises”. The name suits them as they are continuously jumping out of the water between surges. Very dangerous.

The seas were down somewhat, and the wind was light. Dawn went back to bed, and I stayed on watch til 0600h, motorsailing mostly, but sailing some. Then Dawn got up and I got a 45 minute nap. We checked in to the Mississauga Ham Net, then took stock. The wind seemed as if it would stay light, there were clouds threatening some squally activity, but we took all the reefs out of the sail anyway. Still, we only sailed without engines for a total of about 6 of the 16 hours of the trip. The sea was irregular, but almost no salt entered the cockpit. No fish came aboard either; although my hook went missing, and had to be replaced. We listened to good music most of the day. All in all, it was an enjoyable crossing, with us entering the Boca on a slack tide and swinging into Scotland Bay to anchor.

We had worked hard in the last hour to ensure we could dinghy away from the boat almost immediately, as we had accepted an offer of drinks aboard s/v Zephyr’s Zest, a British Oyster. It was a great end to the crossing, and a good way to end my birthday.

We have since cleared in, and started our many chores. Still, yesterday, we took time to visit Zephyr’s Zest at Cruise Inn, where we spent time in the resort’s swimming pool. They are tied up to the dock over at Coral Cove and have A/C running aboard. We, on the other hand have opted for a mooring ball out in the bay. We are pretty sure that the next time we have to wait it out here, we’ll pay the big bucks and stay at Cruise Inn as well! As the pictures show, we had a major rainstorm while there.

Last night, we dinghied into a restaurant for a “Bake & Shark” with salad. The meal consists of a burger made with breaded shark. It is actually very tasty.

Tomorrow, with our morning haulout, the real work starts. We hope everyone enjoyed Mothers’ Day.

Dawn's turn:
Happy mother's day mom! I'm sure that Kathy is treating you royally on your special day!

This is our view today from our mooring ball in Chaguaramas, Trinidad. Of the many boatyards, this one pictured below is Peake's where we'll be hauled. (Peake's is also the BIG name in Air Conditioners!)

Here is Crew's Inn, complete with rooms to rent, restaurants and shops and of course this lovely pool.

When it pours rain in Trinidad, you needn't worry about being cold! Just go for a swim, or sit by the pool! (Or work on your boat in the boat yard...tomorrow!)

Here is Andrew, from the boat Zepher's Zest

Last night's menu for dinner at the "Wheelhouse Pub". 40 TT is around 7.00 Canadian! I have no idea how much those rum punches were!:)

arrived in Trinidad

2011-05-06T13:56:00.000-03:00

We arrived in Trinidad at 6:30 pm yesterday after leaving Grenada at 2:15 am on Thursday. After about 2 hours out at sea, we heard from another sailing vessel who said he was also heading for Trinidad for haulout at Peake's on the same day as ours. After chatting with Andrew (from Zepher's Zest), he said in a British accent 'We have some dandy rum punch, and he would be pleased to have us come to our boat in Scotland Bay for a sundowner or two after we make landfall'. So, after dropping the hook he dropped the dinghy, packed up some munchies, ice and more rum punch and had a great visit with Andrew and Jo.

We'll do a better blog over the weekend as this afternoon will be filled with errands while the stores are open. Tomorrow is Saturday and we'll have difficulty getting anything done around here.

...more later,
Dawn

heading for Trinidad

2011-05-04T08:20:00.000-03:00

Tomorrow morning, some time after midnight, we'll lift anchor and slip out of Prickly Bay and head for Trinidad. We hope to make landfall before dark, which is around 6:30 down here. Once we're there, we have to wait until Monday to get hauled out, but we've got to get to customs and immigration before that can happen. The wind is predicted to be very light tomorrow, but we've topped up the fuel and will go anyway. We'll be in touch when we arrive.

It's Laurie's birthday tomorrow - there will be NO cake baking on this boat!
Dawn

Carriacou in the Grenada Grenadines

2011-04-26T11:14:00.012-03:00

Just before Paula and Brian from s/v Magique headed to Grenada, we had a lovely dinner at the Slipway restaurant. Terry from Silk Pajamas is missing in this shot because he was taking it. He believes in framing up the shot and then calling out 'everyone look horny' and then snapping quickly before anyone can really pose. Worked this time!!

This is a typical scene underwater on a clear day (water and sky). This shot was taken last week off Sandy Island which is part of the Grenada Grenadines.

Rock Beauty...and isn't she/he?

It's rare to see a puffer fish just waiting to have his picture taken. If you scare them, they'll puff right up and look like a porcupine! We love them because they look like they are smiling all the time!

Puffer fish are often timid and hide under ledges. Notice off to the right a black sea urchin (nasty stinging creatures) along with a sweet juvenile french angel fish.

Paula from the boat, Magique (from NB) swims like a fish. I have tried looking this species up in our fish books but with no luck. She also has an underwater camera and is busy looking for the 'best' shot of the day!

Here is a confirmed siting of a lobster that we left alone.

Kristin, from the boat, Silk Pajamas wears a full suit just in case little jellyfish are nearby. We often get a little sting on the arm, or my least favourite on the lip. On our 2 hour trip from Chatam Bay to Sandy Island last week, we spotted the balloons of 3 Portuguese Man of War floating in the breeze and current. They can have tentacles 40 to 60 feet in length and I have heard that their sting will bring you to your knees...for days!

This eel is kicking up a lot of debris which attract little fish for good stuff to nibble on.

Beside this shell, you can see a brislte worm.

Maurice and Sue from the boat Strider gave us a nice big fat callabash last fall before they headed away from us to sail the western Caribbean. Laurie immediately cut the top off, I cleaned it out and then he cut a star shaped hole at the bottom of it. After that like all great projects, it sat and sat and sat in the engine room. Laurie claimed that it was very difficult to cut the thing and the fun was gone. Finally, we decided that maybe the drill would be an easier tool, and voila here it is! Inside is an led light powered by 3 batteries.

Today finds us still in Carriacou having our back life lines recreated. The guys up in Martinique could not manufacture the parts and pieces we need and told us to go see the guy here. He works full time out of a building built on a trimaran and has an excellent reputation. Presently, our life lines extend all the way across the back of the boat in 2 continuous wires. We want to be able to leave the main section up at all times and have a smaller gate opening on both sides to come and go while at anchor. As it sits now, the wires are disconnected and dangling all over the place looking very messy indeed! Hopefully, he'll have this work done for us today or tomorrow and we'll be able to sail southward to Grenada. They're calling for some nasty squally weather for the next 4 days, so we'll see just how long we must sit it out!

Underwater at the Tobago Cays!

2011-04-19T14:48:00.013-03:00

After leaving Bequia, we headed for the Tobago Cays. Brian and Paula had motor issues just as they arrived and we towed them into an anchoring spot. We swam for two days, forgetting that we would burn our backs while swimming...when will we ever learn? After leaving the Tobago Cays, we snorkeled again in Salene Bay, Mayreau and then again in Chatham Bay on Union Island.

These squid, when frightened, will shoot out a black inky substance and then take off. The black ink marks in the water make it look as if they're still there!

After offering bananas, it's easy to get these sweeties up close for a photo session.

I was lucky enough to get both a French Angelfish and a Queen Angelfish in the same shot. Both are juveniles.

Juvenile Queen Angel fish

Spotted Eagle Ray at the Tobago Cays

Turtles at the Tobago Cays. I never get tired of them!

Paula taking her own pictures of the turtles

Our favourite couple, Seckie and Vanessa, who run a beach bar and restaurant in Chatham Bay, Union Island took Laurie and Brian over to the capital to clear out of the St. Vincent island chain. Brian's boat, Magique was having engine troubles and it was the simplest way to deal with the issue. Magique is, afterall, a SAILBOAT, so they're still able to get around without the engine, but just a bit tricky getting into tight harbours and anchoring. So far, so good!Today we have cleared into Grenada and the Grenada Grenadines. Sandy Island is our favourite place and that's just where we are! Fish for dinner tonight aboard Cat Tales - bought from a local fisherman! We are expecting both Magique (Paula & Brian) and Silk Pajamas (Kristin & Terry)

Bequia and 3 close calls

2011-04-13T15:12:00.011-03:00

Cat Tales in St. Lucia the night we entertained all the New Brunswickers. Check out our dollar store flag.

Laurie is checking out of customs and immigration in St. Lucia before heading south for Bequia.

It's one thing to experience rain along the way, but it's quite another to get out of bed and up anchor in the pouring rain. Sets a bit of a tone for the whole day.

We sail right on by the Pitons this year, both going north and returning south.

We enjoyed a large pod of dolphins just off St. Lucia and were thrilled that they stayed with us for over 20 minutes. I took lots of video, so maybe I'll put it together and share it with you soon.
Upon arrival in Bequia (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) the first thing to do is clear into Customs and Immigration. They charge for a month stay whether you stay a day or 30. The Tobago Cays are a part of this island grouping and it's worth it to pay anything they require!

It has been raining here in Bequia for the past 3 days. We were able to sneak in a walk yesterday afternoon and decided that it was time for a dominoes game. We also decided that it was time for a Mac's Pizzeria fix. So off we went at 4:00 in that afternoon with our domino game and wallets and proceeded to order a few beers, played a complete game (13 rounds) and finished up with the best pizza we've had since we were here last December! Laurie is on the left, and Paula and Brian from s/v Magique are on the right.

Blog Supplement: Close Calls
Event #1
Dawn and I have seen whales only a few times this year, and seldom too close-up. Once, when Dawn was getting nervous as we approached a pod, I just stamped my feet four times and they went from sounding every hundred feet to showing us their flukes as they dove out of the way. No problem.

A friend of ours was not so lucky. Chris of Spyglass is a friend from last year. He had real health problems this year so he started rather late. He caught up to us, with his daughter Kate, in Grande Anse D’Arlet, Martinique a few weeks ago, and said that on the way up he hit a whale. “How big?” “What kind?” “What damage to him or Spyglass?” Well, he doesn’t know much about the whale. He was sailing at 7 knots when he came to a rather soft stop, with the bow going down, meaning he hit something soft with the keel. No broken bones or even bruises topside. No whale in the water, but literally a sea of shit. He dove on the boat (not during the poo), and notices a lot of missing bottom paint. No water inside, so hopefully he didn’t cause any damage to the boat/keel joint or fasteners. Since then he says by email to us he has had 4 more whale sightings. He wants to get Kate off the boat, suggesting this beautiful young college graduate is a magnet for the big fishy mammals.

Laurie found this picture online when he was researching why so many sitings of whales this year. I certainly did not take this photo! It was taken this year in Dominica.

Event #2
Also a couple of weeks ago, Dawn and I were in the bunk, fighting through matching Sudoku puzzles. As water lapped against the hull, I said: “I hear water running.” Dawn hears nothing abnormal, so I ignore it, and attempt to focus on finishing my puzzle first. Still, that trickle continues to bother me, so after a bit I get up to investigate. Well, what a mess. There is salt water all over the counter, the floor, and trickling down both sets of stairs into the hulls’ bilges. The salt water tap was left over the counter instead of over the sink, and the switch had shorted out to send electricity to the saltwater pump.
Glad we were on the boat (happy I’m easily annoyed?), and glad we caught it before we were in real trouble. As it was, we had a 40 minute cleanup session before Dawn once again beat me at Sudoku. Note to self: “The saltwater tap has a stupid location for a switch, and the whole system needs another switch to protect us.” This is the third time the boat has used the tremendous energy provided by our systems and the fabulous improvements we have installed to pump saltwater aboard without our permission.

Event #3
A little more recently, we were getting ready to scoot into the dock at Le Marin to get new shrouds for Cat Tales. We had some extra time, so I wanted to run over to a boat in the same anchorage and have a look. It was a Tobago, just like ours, and we wished to sidle up to see them to steal ideas about lines, fittings, biminis, etc. However, when we up-anchored, Dawn said there was too much mud on the anchor, and we should drag it through the water. I headed downwind to the other Tobago, being pushed hard by a 20 knot wind. We were almost to it, after turning one way or another around other anchored yachts, when the anchor chain slipped off the gypsy, and 100 feet of chain went over the bow. I threw both engines into hard reverse, ran up front to grab the last bit of chain to put it back on the gypsy, and then, realizing we were now going fast-backwards (close enough to assbackwards), I ran back to the wheel. I got the engines back into forward just before hitting a monohull with a beautiful bikini-clad girl and her non-distinct husband, both of whom had big eyes and nervous/scared expressions. I said: “A beautiful day for it” or something nearly as stupid, and took control as Dawn once again weighed anchor. Now here’s the biggie. As this is being done, I realize we were going full speed towards a shallow reef between the two Tobagos. Note to self: “Don’t even move a boat in Marin without a chart-plotting GPS.” Having no more stomach for sight seeing, we moved very cautiously towards the rigging dock. I guess regular readers know the rest of that day went great.

Arrived in Bequia

2011-04-10T21:02:00.000-03:00

We have arrived safely in Bequia, after 14 hours at sea. We left Rodney Bay in the darkness at 4 a.m., after one last supper with John Fallon and other friends at Jambe De Bois (Peg Leg or Leg of Wood). After getting through the darkness for an hour or so, Dawn calmed down enough to have a good hour nap. After she was back in action, I went down for a half hour or so. I woke up with the rough water off the Pitons, the large mountains at the lower corner of St. Lucia, and that was the end of my nap. When you are being tossed in and out of the foam mattress, you forget about sleeping unless you are sleep deprived. The morning had been quite rainy, and I went to bed primarily to warm my bare feet.

After three hours of travel, we found Magique, with Brian and Paula of Saint John, just getting going from the mooring balls between the Pitons, and we were able to keep each other in sight for most of the journey. Many boats passed Cat Tales, but most were under motor. We kept away from the islands, both St. Lucia and St. Vincent, so we could do a better job of sailing. It was a good beam reach for most of the trip, but still there were a couple of hours of motoring. There was a good hour of a rough squall in between the islands, and it must have been against a current, for the seas were quite scary. No fish, but Dawn had three strikes on her line. Each strike took one barb off her numerously hooked lure. Obviously time to replace those rusty hooks.

We got her in to harbour in the blinding white of another strong rain, and had the anchor down only a half hour before darkness. We have had our "anchor drinks", our wonderful stirfry supper thanks to Dawn, and as soon as she blisters me with a Sudoku puzzle contest, we'll be "lights out". Oh, and here's to our pirated internet signal!

Rigging (Martinique); Reunion (St. Lucia)

2011-04-07T07:53:00.008-03:00

Good day all! Laurie is sleeping in this morning after a rough night with a single mosquito. Apparently they like him much better than me, and that's fine with moi!

Our plan was to drop by the Rigging company in La Marin in Martinique to have our rigging inspected. Cat Tales loves La Marin because being a French design, all our parts and pieces came from there! After Laurie explained the age of some of the wires and fittings, Phillipe from the Rigging Company informed us that there was no need to waste time with an inspection and that the job should simply be done. He gave us a quote and informed us that we were to arrive at a particular dock at 8:00 am the next morning. Over we went, tied up, and the boys were all over Cat Tales for most of the day. Besides replacing the wires holding up the mast, they also tore apart our furling system and replaced many bad pieces and parts. After that, they took off our old life lines complete with rusty patches and installed bright and shiny stainless wires. Rust on my laundry will be a thing of the past!! The forestay stays a lot straighter under sail.

While the boys were working on our boat, we dashed off to the grocery store to buy cheese and of course French wine! Being on a dock is no small thing when lugging groceries and heavy items to the boat!

At the end of the day, we were totally finished except for the payment, which was completed the next morning back in the office with Phillipe. The entire job cost us just over 3,000.00 CAD, but was what we had expected. We were thrilled about how they went about the job; they certainly know what they're doing. We'll send a copy of the invoice off to our insurance company and will enjoy the peace of mind the new parts will provide.

Buildings in around La Marin in Martinique

We have been trying to connect with Brian and Paula from the boat Magique for some time now. We were both in Guadeloupe at the same time, however, it's a big place and we just couldn't seem to meet up. After just missing them in The Saints, we then just missed them in Dominica. We emailed along the way south and it looked like we'd connect soon. While sitting in La Marin, Martinique, we heard Krista and Bill from the boat Secoudon on the VHF radio calling Stoppknot. We hadn't seen them for over a year, but knew they were soon to be in our vicinity. The were loud and clear to us, but an island away, in St. Lucia! We were able to talk to Krista and she informed us that they had just arrived in Rodney Bay from Trinidad on their boat Secoudon. We told her that we were planning to make the trip the next morning and as far as we knew, so were Paula and Brian from Magique.

The evening found us in at the Marina at the Bread Basket in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia for a special reunion dinner!
From the left: Paula (Magique), Dawn (Cat Tales), John (Silver Seas), John Fallon (Stoppknot), Nancy (Silverseas), Bill & Krista (Secoudon), Brian (Magique) and Laurie (Cat Tales). What a great time we had catching up with old friends. You might also be interested to note that Bill, Krista and Paula and Brian are all from Saint John NB, but we met them right here in the Caribbean! John Fallon of course, is our dear friend also from Saint John.

Paula and Brian are heading south over the next few days as they head towards Grenada where they haul their boat out for the hurricane season. We'll be right along with them doing much the same. Secoudon and Silver Seas will be heading north.

underwater photos

2011-04-02T18:25:00.011-03:00

Congratulations to Liz Abraham at home who is facing her first Monday morning as a retiree! Enjoy!!

We will be leaving Grand Anse D'Arlet tomorrow morning very early for a short but nasty 2 to 3 hour upwind slog to La Marin, still in Martinique. Since La Marin is where Laurie and I bought Cat Tales back in 2002, they seem to have all our parts and rigging. We'll get the original company to inspect our rigging and either get the job of replacing it done right then and there, or we'll wait until our return. Have to wait and see.

In the meantime, here are a few pics I took yesterday. In the early morning from the deck of the boat and the wind is light, you can see starfish everywhere on the bottom.

In we go for a look around

You can see the size of these starfish

This guy had to turn over. Must be hard work!

Sweet little "slippery dick"

Taken with my underwater camera, a Canon Powershot D10 - so far so good.

Checking in to Grande Anse D'Arlet

2011-03-31T19:01:00.001-03:00

Hi:

Laurie here.

We are in Grande Anse D'Arlet. We arrived mid-morning yesterday, after stopping under Q flag in St. Pierre the night before, and slowly put the boat to right before going ashore to check in with customs and immigration. While we were busy, and, actually taking a break, in waltzes the 48 foot "Spyglass", a friend from last year. Chris had left his boat near ours in Peakes Boat Yard, Trinidad; and flew home feeling not well. While back in Vancouver, he finally got a correct diagnosis of a heart virus. He made what is considered a miraculous recovery, and is sailing around again, late in the season, trying to decide if he should continue single-handing down here with what is a "for-life" disease that could debilitate or kill rather quickly. Regardless, he's upbeat and it was great to spend time with him and his daughter.

At any rate, it was great to see him, and visit with him and his visiting daughter Kate.

s/v Spyglass sails in and anchors right beside Cat Tales. We were very excited to see Chris out this season after his health scare!

Chris, from Sypglass on the right. Laurie on the left.

Kate, Chris' daughter visiting for the next week or so.

Here is Kate negotiating a car rental (She speaks fluent French). The office was closed the first time we went in to see them, but now that it's open, we find out that they only have one car and the car has been rented out for the next several days to the gentleman on the right in the background. Oh well, off to the next port to see if they might have another to offer!

Together we went in to clear Customs. However, there is a new round of strikes in the French islands this year. A month or so ago, very little could be had because the dockworkers wanted more money. Now there are rolling power blackouts because the utility workers want their share. So, initially we could not clear in, because the little bistro that has the Customs computer had no power. We asked for an ice cream bar, but the girl said she would not open any refrigeration while there is an outage.

We went for a walk, and a couple of drinks at a bar at the far end of the beach where they were less afraid to open their fridges. We came back after the power was reestablished, and she sat us down to the computer. We could check in, but not get a paper copy of the procedure, as they were out of paper. Well, that is a little useless to us, as we need the paper for other offices down the timeline. I finally printed mine on the backside of an older clearance, and the girl found an old notice on yellow paper Chris could use after removing the staples. The printer accepted it, and she stamped the printed copy. As Hugh Whalen often says: "You can't make this shit up."

Katie and Chris went next door to rent a car. The rental agency, that also rents boats and toys, said they only had one car, and had just rented to "this guy here", standing beside them. With that, we went back to our boats to enjoy some socializing. Spyglass left today to attempt to rent a car in St. Pierre.

It has been a beautiful day here, with us reading, relaxing, and taking a nice long swim. Its happy hour, so I'll sign off now.

Here are a couple more pics from Dawn:
A few days ago, Bounty, our boat boy in Dominica gave us these beautiful mangoes and a big breadfruit. We brought him his favourite cheese from Guadeloupe and he came back in the morning with these gifts to us. The mangoes will be ripe in about 2 weeks...yes, all at the same time!

Les Saints and Dominica

2011-03-28T14:55:00.014-03:00

Juvenile French Angel

Monday finds us back in Dominica, but getting ready for a jump to Martinique in the morning.

We had two pleasant days in the Saintes, during which we got a good hike, some boat chores, and another trip to town for pizza. The hike, which we undertook with Myrl and Gary of Kokopelli, was a gruelling walk up a 1036 foot peak to explore a major lookout tower built to spy the terrible English before they might attack French territory. The pictures show the structure, and the great views.

Here it is...the fort that 'must be conquered'. A nice 45 degree slope all the way from the town to the top in baking heat and no shade.

A view of the main island in Les Saints. We often enjoy anchoring right in front of the town where we can go into town at night for dinner and get wifi.

Ilet Cabrit, a small uninhabited island among Les Saints. You can see Cat Tales to the far left.

The boat chores included hand stitching on the jib. Dawn and I divided that chore between us so we wouldn’t wear our fingers out pushing the needle through the dense fabric. It took us only a couple of hours, but as luck would have it, a great wind came up as we were finishing the job of reinstalling the jib. The heavy clew eyelet gave me a wondrous smack in the side of the face, cutting up the inside of my mouth, but leaving my teeth intact. No worries, it is almost healed now.

Our four hour sail from the Saintes to Dominica on Friday morning was wet and wild, but with no damage or injury. We were met by friends among the yacht services powerboats (formerly referred to as “boat boys”, and now usually referred to as river guides and tour management experts). We also met up with Debby and Jim of the boat Loonsong, whom we had met numerous times back in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. They and another couple took us on another hike up into an agricultural area that was quite interesting.

Jim from "Mirus" after we finally found the stream at the top of the mountain

After our hike, we felt we deserved a little refreshment, and then a little more...

We’re now resting up after a truly wild Beach BBQ party with the local River Guides in their new building on the beach. We actually stayed up until mid-night last night!

Unfortunately this is all I got of the BBQ last night before my battery died. And I don't even know these people. Oopsie...

Tomorrow’s trip will be 50 miles, which could take up to 10 hours if the wind is low or foul. We should also report that we could easily be out of contact for days, as there is little in the way of wifi in Martinique.

Here's an idea of what to do when your Hobie is no longer useful as a sailboat!

Alone Again

2011-03-24T11:55:00.011-03:00

The morning after we all enjoyed Grand Anse Beach, we sent Walter and Dana up the hill to see the best botanical garden we’ve found in the Caribbean. They were back in time for lunch, which was followed by a 90 minute sail south to the Jacques Cousteau underwater park for a snorkel. We buzzed the anchorage and continued on another hour or so to Anse a la Barque, where we anchored and enjoyed a great social evening and meal in the cockpit.

The next morning, we got an early start, and were anchored off Basse Terre, at the southwest end of the island by about 0900h. Dawn sat with the fresh anchoring job near the main dock, while Dana, Walter and I motored ashore to look for a rental car for Monday. After a trip to a tourist bureau, a bus ride, and a 20 minute fast march, we returned to the boat victorious. We up-anchored, and continued on for a three-hour series of tacks to the Saintes, where we anchored again to spend a quiet rest of the day off the main town, crowned with a trip to Dawn‘s favourite pizza stand. The next day included hiking to two beaches for swimming, lunch, exercise, and lyming, and an elegant meal in a restaurant on the main street.

A relaxing crossing from Guadeloupe to The Saints:

Scooter rentals have taken over in The Saints. Check out the dog on this one...not his first trip, I would guess!

Does this look like a relaxing way to lounge on the beach?

A short rest after covering every road on the main island in The Saints:

Walter dinghied in for baguettes each morning while we were in The Saints. I love baguettes with cheese; what a delight!

Local race in The Saints:

We had a lovely sail back to Basse Terre the next day, so nice that our guests both napped; waking up as Dawn and I prepared the anchor, and after the boat was rinsed and the mainsail put away. The town was pretty dead, as it was Sunday. We had a relaxing walk along the boulevard, and enjoyed another evening of social exchange in the cockpit. We also had one of Dawn’s “one-pot-wonders” designed around most succulent smuggled beef tenderloin.

The next day, Walter picked up the car, and we piled in for a fast tour of the rainforests and roads on the volcanic west side of Guadeloupe, interspersed with two short hikes, a truly interesting lunch of local food and a couple of bars. We were zonked when we returned, and just as well, as Walter and Dana had to be on the dock by 0445h to drive to their 0740h flight from Pointe-a-Pitre. Dawn and I went back to bed, thinking we had done more in the last 6 days than we normally do in 6 weeks, and that with the company we had the week before, we have been extremely busy.

Walter and Dana rented a car for a day and whisked us off to see the island of Guadeloupe. Walter drove aggressively like a local and kept up with the pace here on the highways. Glad we weren't driving!

Walter and Dana on the left; Laurie on the far right:

Walter and Dana, visitors from Boston:

Laurie and Dawn near falls in Guadeloupe:

We think both sets of company unwound and relaxed, making us realize, that we are used to things so slow that we may not be able to function back on the continent. ;-) Maybe I’ll overhaul an engine or something before I slow down to the normal pace.

We’re now back at The Saints taking care of chores and visiting with friends on Kokopelli.

The Saintes

2011-03-20T10:04:00.000-03:00

Hi:

Sorry for no news, nor pics to entertain you the last few days. We are presently in the Saintes. Walter has just returned with the baguettes for breakfast, and we're about to enjoy them with cheese, chutney, and the last of the coffee.

We're enjoying the Saintes. Yesterday was yet another beach day at Baie de Pompiere, and we have been wandering around, and people-watching in this chic paradise. Today, however, we are leaving to return to Basse Terre. We'll rent a car that we had prearranged, and tour Guadeloupe tomorrow. Only trouble is the wind is from the north, and its gonna be a bumpy ride.

Anyway, we are safe, and everything is working fine.

Leaving Antigua Arriving Guadeloupe

2011-03-17T11:39:00.004-03:00

Dana and Walter from Boston (of Sailing Vessel Madness) arrived on Tuesday right on time. We picked them up at the dock and headed straight into Customs and Immigration to sign them on as crew, pay our fees and check out of Antigua. After a drink at the Mad Mongoose, we went back to Cat Tales to enjoy dinner and to bed early for our sail to Guadeloupe in the morning. Laurie and Walter raised the anchor on Wednesday morning and were underway by 6:00 am. Dana and I snoozed another hour or so before we came out into the rolling waves to join them. I shared some yogurt and fruit with Dana, but she felt the need to 'get rid of it all' and was willing to wait for lunch to eat again!

After a 6 hour sail and average speed of 7.5 knots over 45 nautical miles, we anchored in Deshaies, Guadeloupe where we had a quick bite to eat and then walked to the beautiful Grand Anse Beach about a half hour walk away. The pictures below are Dana and Walter playing in the surf. After a beer in a beach bar we began the walk back and enjoyed a bath in the ocean at the tail end of Cat Tales. Dana marveled about how much sand she carried back in her bikini bottoms without noticing!

Bring it on!

We met Walter from s/v Madness back in 2009 when we sailed into Bermuda on our way south. Dana came to visit him periodically throughout the island chain so we were able to spend time with her. He kept a blog over the year he was cruising and it's available to you as a link on the left sidebar of our blog. They will be with us only until Tuesday the 22nd, so we'll be on the move!

News about the Somali Pirate attacks

2011-03-14T15:17:00.000-03:00

Not much happening here, but for those of you who want some real news, and a break from the business in Japan, visit:
http://www.syaspen.blogspot.com/

These are good friends of ours who took off on a 2 year rally, and are part of the group that included the four murdered US sailors by Somali Pirates. They give a glimpse of the terror they are all going through.

As for Cat Tales, we are doing basic chores after the enjoyable visit by Ron and Judy; and getting ready for a visit from Walter and Dana, who are traveling with us to Guadeloupe and possibly the Saintes.

Laurie

Sights from Antigua

2011-03-12T10:46:00.009-04:00

The Maltese Falcon came out yesterday for a stretch. We are thinking that the helicopter is taking photos for a sales ad perhaps?? Count your pennies...

Ron meets new friends in the city of Saint John's at Heritage Quay at the Cruise Ship shopping mall.

These old windmill bases can be found all over the island of Antigua; 120 or so can be found. They were used to grind the sugar cane for the wonderful rum produced on these islands! We hiked a nice flat 2 mile foot path to see this one.

Picnic on the beach.

Beach shot at Five Island Bay. Judy thought it was time to put some pictures of me on the blog since I'm usually the photographer.

Signs around these islands are a little different than at home.

If you look carefully, you can see Monserrat in the background, steaming away!

We are saying goodbye to Ron and Judy later today. They are well rested and have developed some colour. What a great week we've had!

Antigua with company

2011-03-08T10:26:00.007-04:00

Hi All. Judy reporting.

We are having a fabulous time and the weather is most definitely cooperating. We’re talkin’ hot hot hot! English Harbour is really something to see with the all the cats and yachts and of course the historical Nelson Boatyard. The local beer, wadadli can be found at all the favourite watering holes like Johnny Coconat’s restaurant. Dawn and I had the best snorkelling in English Harbour where we checked out an old sunken ship (quite eerie actually).

English Harbour, Gallion Beach.

Don't know how Laurie snuck into this photo!

We’ve been to a fish fry set up outside where we met many of Dawn and Laurie’s sailing friends from Nomad, Fido, and Vamoose. Been up island to Nonsuch Bay but the snorkelling was not as great. However the ocean playground was wonderful as we watched the kite-surfers criss-cross around Cat Tales all afternoon.

A beautiful ray seen off the reef at Nonsuch Bay.

We are in Five Island Bay right now where we anchored yesterday. A very pretty bay that we basically had to ourselves; we went for a long walk on a deserted beach where we found many seashells that washed ashore. Plans for today are to sail to the next bay and explore there.

Safe arrival with easy, quick pick up

2011-03-04T12:18:00.000-04:00

Hi All. Judy reporting.
Had an interesting flight down from the land of snow, de-icing delay at Halifax airport, rushing to make connection in Toronto, to emergency landing in Bermuda for a woman who took a heart attack ended up making us two hours late. Laurie was waiting at the dock and Dawn in the cockpit. At dusk, all I could see as Laurie was ferrying us to Cat Tales were the whites of his eyes and teeth. Both Dawn and Laurie look amazing. It is so wonderful to be here with them in this beautiful harbour. The Island of Antigua is so lush and green and vibrant with the colors of the bougainvillea in bloom. After our sundowners, Dawn served up delicious grilled cheeseburgers in paradise, Jimmy Buffett style! Called it a day by 9:00 and with a gentle breeze blowing through the boat had a fantastic 10-hour sleep.

Company's coming!

2011-03-03T10:38:00.000-04:00

We've been cleaning the boat and putting away "stuff" in order to have Ron and Judy arrive later on today from NB Canada with all their "stuff" and some more "stuff" for us!! They arrive mid afternoon and we have a busy week ahead. We'll spend only a day here at Nelson's Dockyard before we set sail to other places around the island of Antigua. Internet may be sketchy, but we'll do our best.

Last night, we joined Doug and Wendy from the boat Nahanni River for dinner ashore. Here in Antigua, it's really easy to get to shore, lock the dinghy to a nice solid well lit dock and wander around. The restaurant we went to does a Wednesday night special with all outdoor seating right on the waterfront. Lorna and Brian will remember sitting in one of those same seats sipping a cool beer when they visited us here a few years ago. We said goodbye to Doug and Wendy back in Deshaies, Guadeloupe awhile back, and had to say goodbye again last night over dinner as they are leaving for St. Martin tonight! (2 ships passing in the night?)

Another couple we met with last night is the crew of Kokopelli. Laurie talked to Merl on the Ham radio often and we have met up with them in person a few times here in Antigua; one involved a four hour hike up to a major old fort. Laurie just can't get enough of old forts. He imagines what might have happened at these places back in their time and counts cannon holes in every battery and even shoots pretend guns and cannons.

Indeed, as we scan the horizon around English Harbour, we see that we've been along the top of every hill, as part of one hike or another.

Laurie and I swam out beyond the reef into the open ocean yesterday and saw a few fish that we don't see often in the southern islands. The cooler water makes a difference in the species of fish and it also determines how long I'll stay in the water! I was able to follow a couple of turtles around, and in my books, any time I can follow a turtle around is a very good day indeed.

Sorry, no photos this time as we are forced to dinghy into a little Internet spot to get this out. Will send some at a later date.

Passage: Guadeloupe to Antigua a week ago

2011-02-26T12:53:00.013-04:00

This trip was taken early last week, but I thought it might be of interest to those wondering about sailing between the island.

Sunday, February 20th

Good thing we went to bed good and early. The trip is being made in the morning because the winds are predicted to drop dramatically by lunch and will shift to mostly north by then as well. We are heading directly north, so any miles we put on before the wind shift will be a bonus!

You can see by the gps that we're underway. Note the time on the clock above it.

After an egg sandwich, the anchor comes up and the second cup of coffee is served underway. Laurie has on long sleeves as it was a cool morning outside in the breeze.

Checking with a flashlight to see if the sails are set properly.

You can see the deck covered with dew. The temperatures this season have been much cooler than normal making dew overnight.

After hearing a funny engine noise, Laurie goes down below to "take a peek". All is well, so we continue on our way.

You can see that we're along our way at this point with Guadeloupe in the south and Antigua to the north, a trip of about 45 nautical miles, or about 9 hours because of the light winds. You notice that we are heading a bit easterly of the rhumb line due to the predicted change in direction of the wind as well as current coming from the east.

After I had a little snooze, it was Laurie's turn. He takes about 30 seconds to fall asleep!

I watched the sun rise while Laurie slept. It's always nice to have total daylight again.

Once Laurie woke up, it was time to do his morning Ham Radio Nets. Here he is talking to Don Demeza in Ontario along with other land based radio operators and Canadian cruisers. He especially enjoys hearing how the weather at home is misbehaving!

In the background, you can see Antigua, but if you look carefully enough, you can see a whale pod. We watched them continuously until we were almost up to them. Laurie finally gave his foot a stamp in the cockpit and they took off like lightening. I was disappointed to have missed the shot of the whale's fluke as he took off.

We get anchored in English Harbour and Laurie jumps in the dinghy to visit and pay the Customs and Immigration officers before they will allow me ashore. The British are a bit fussier about rules and protocol than the French islands!!

We're awaiting Ron and Judy's visit later in the week when they will become our 'guest bloggers'! Meanwhile, we are hiking as usual and eating out a bit more than ever!

Antigua

2011-02-22T11:32:00.012-04:00

We’re here in Antigua, having made the 45 mile crossing on Sunday. It really was a nice crossing, with very large swells about 10 seconds apart, but with no significant waves. The forecast was for 10 to 15 knots of wind from the east, but it was supposed to die and/or switch to the north; both of which could have caused us some trouble. We therefore got up at 3:30 and were moving at 4:00, so as to get as much of the good air as possible. The air was actually quite light, but during the times we sailed, we still averaged over 4.5 knots. No fish on the lines, but we did see a pod of very large whales. Dawn got nervous about their proximity, but all I had to do was stomp my feet a few times, and we saw the flukes of their tails as they went for a deep dive to get away from us.

We have been spending some time with a crew from Trade Wind, a 42 foot Lord Nelson, built like a Hans Christian, with rounded ends and a big bowsprit.

Sailing Vessel: Trade Wind

Jim & Michelle walking along the boardwalk to the beach:

Jim, the owner, and his crew Michelle, wanted to spend the last day on Guadeloupe at a beach, so the day before we left, we bussed to the north and walked along a series of beaches, ending at the prettiest, Grand Anse. The waves from the swells were fantastic, as Dawn’s pictures will attest; and the beach was creamy white and very steep. We had some fun in the surf and a great French lunch at one of the little restaurants on the beach. Most enjoyable was the people-watching. Besides some rather attractive people enjoying the beach in their own custom, the people being trashed by the surf were quite entertaining.

Can you find Laurie in some of these?

When we approached English Harbour on Sunday, it was obvious something was up, as many giant racing boats were milling about. Checking a local periodical we had on board, we realized that they were tuning up for a 600 mile race to be started on Monday morning. Dawn and I climbed up to a fort with other spectators yesterday morning, and enjoyed the start. The race runs around many of the close islands, finishing back at English Harbour after 4 days of racing. Not for the queasy, for even the largest yacht was bouncing and throwing spray, with all sails up all the way, and looking rather overpowered. A spectator beside us said he gave it up, as he hated sleeping on the rail. I said “Really?”; to which he said that they needed as much of that weight out there as possible, and it was a 4 day race! I’m not that tough, and don’t believe I ever was.

We’ll be staying in this bay, near historic Nelson’s Dockyard, until Ron and Judy arrive from New Brunswick. It is picturesque, with old buildings, nautical history, great hikes, and possibly some snorkelling if the water stays clear enough. However, it is a megayacht mecca, with outrageous prices for just about everything, and rather poor chandleries. We’ll stay fit, do some reading, work on boat chores, and find some fun as well.

On our walk last night we found the famous Maltese Falcon. Click here to check it out!
There is even a little movie on this second site. Click here to see it.

Deshaies, Guadaloupe

2011-02-18T15:37:00.017-04:00

Dawn and I have been anchored at Deshaies since mid-day Monday, when we followed Wendy and Doug aboard Nahanni River into the little bay. The bay was crowded with boats, and by nightfall, the bay had around 40 boats at anchor. Within two hours of daylight on Tuesday morning, all but 15 were gone, with Nananni River with them; all headed for Antigua in the more favourable wind. We stayed behind to see the sights, hoping another weather window might appear in a week or so.

Monday afternoon we had walked the town and gotten the lay of the land and the local customs. It is a cute and clean little town with shore-side restaurants, grocery stores, and souvenir shops. We learned that few places were open for breakfast, some were open for large “complete” lunches, but that these closed after lunch to open only around 7 pm – and they didn’t want to see anyone til 8 pm. The gift stores, pharmacy, and grocery stores were closed sometime during the lunch hour, but opened around 3:30 in the afternoon. Some places were called cafes or resto/bars. You could get a coffee or a drink if you found one opened, but their hours were very irregular. As in most French islands, there are government-run buses but the bus schedule is a secret known only to the locals.

Tuesday morning, we chose a hike from the sailors’ guidebook suggested we hop the rocks for two hours up the Deshaies River. We did just that. It was an absolutely beautiful river, about 20 feet wide, strewn with boulders from start to finish, except for numerous small pools of cool, clear, fresh water. The guide said that there was a nice falls just where the stream becomes impassable. We ended up considering that “impassable” is a subjective term. We looked well beyond the expected location, where the going was getting quite rough, but found no falls. We did find a soft-rock gorge with giant boulders, some of which were made of the same soft rock. The rock is known to us, and indeed much of these islands is made from it. It is rough rock and volcanic clay that can be gouged at with a spoon or knife. We came to the conclusion that the waterfalls was eroded through, and the resulting precipice was all around us in rounded pieces. We backtracked to a road, and walked on a very steep road back to the village. Only when the road exited from the gorge did we realize that we had rock-hopped vertically around 900 feet. Even the road coming back stressed our footwear as a result of the slope. We’ve been sore ever since.

After an hour, rock jumping got pretty old. After 2 more hours, it was MILLER TIME!

Wednesday, taking an easy day, we hiked to the north, with very little vertical change, to Grande Anse Beach. It is a beautiful white beach with steep sand and large waves, everything needed to get your nose, ears and swimsuit full of sand. The usual tourist traps are available at each end. It was very pretty, but we stayed dry for the walk back. Nothing like sand in your suit to ruin a long, hot walk!

Grand Anse in northern Guadeloupe.

Look at the swimmers getting tangled up in this wave!

Thursday, we hiked up a hill for about a mile to a major botanical garden, and it was the prettiest garden we’ve seen so far. It had parrots and parakeets, coyfish ponds, waterfalls of different sorts, and all kinds of Caribbean and tropical flowers, orchids, bushes and trees. Throughout the area were benches and shady spots. It incorporated a high-end restaurant as well as a snack bar. It really was a wonderful spot, as Dawn’s pictures will attest.

Here are some pictures from the Botanical Garden here in Deshaies. The parrots were a real treat! Lolly, if you want any of these pictures in full size for painting, just let me know!

Today, we’re cooling our heels, doing boat maintenance and mending, and running for provisions. We have just met a couple from Toronto on a boat called Trade Wind, and will be joining them for sundowners in a couple of hours.

Close Encounters in the deep!

2011-02-16T17:51:00.004-04:00

A few days ago while in Anse a la Barque I decided to leave Laurie back on the boat and snorkel over to a spot where we had been the day before. I hardly ever go alone, but I had the need to find a fish called a spotted drum I had seen and was on the search, this time with my camera in hand. I was still in rather cloudy water and knew that it would clear as I got closer to the point. Here I am, just swimming along and something caught my eye. It was not a fish, but I couldn't determine just what it was at first. Maybe a small shark with a sucker fish on it's back?? Alligator crossed my mind, but I know they aren't salt water creatures and aren't found in this neck of the world. My heart raced as I realized it was an iguana, at least three feet long! I had NO idea that they would swim in the ocean, nor did I ever imagine that they'd swim about 3 feet under the surface. I was shaking like a leaf, not sure if he'd consider me a threat and come after me. After all, iguanas chased Laurie right off a Bahama island in 2006. When he swam on by, I grabbed the opportunity to take his picture. It's not a great shot, but he's still there, so it's a "confirmed" siting! It reminded me of the old t.v. show "WKRP" when they threw the turkeys out of the plane and Mr. Carleson said, "God as my witness, I didn't know turkeys couldn't fly!" Well, God as my witness, I didn't realize that iguanas would swim! I know they might swim in the Galapagos, but I have never seen any iguanas in my Caribbean fish identification books!

Laurie says the picture reminds him of the creatures in "Alien Resurrection" If this is so, I'm happy that I don't watch that kind of crap!!

West Coast of Guadaloupe

2011-02-14T12:08:00.001-04:00

We said we might not have internet access after the Saintes, and we were right. You headed our warning, as well; as we only got 4 email for the five days.

The trip from the Saints to Basse Terre on the mainland of Guadeloupe had us surfing down large waves with 20 knots on our starboard quarter. We had our main down to the third reef, and just a little bit of jib, but we still averaged about 8 knots. Since we have not been able to sail at that angle for a long while, it was quite interesting. We would see a large, angry-looking wave come barrelling towards our stern as if to wipe us off the sea, but at the last moment it would gently lift our stern and slide under us. Now and again one would give our salon floor a playful slap.

Three hours after we started, we were at Basse Terre. However, the boat we were travelling with, Nahanni River, had determined they didn’t like the proposed anchorage. They suggested another hour of travel up the coast, and we agreed to follow. Winds were fluky: sometimes 25 knots, sometimes none; but with our little sail plan, it was quite pleasant. We stayed just a few hundred metres from shore, and coasted along, binoculars in hand.

Anse a la Barque was an amazing little anchorage with absolutely no waves, swells, and little wind. After the Saintes, it was heaven. We snorkelled, walked the roads to little communities and generally just cooled down. The snorkelling was so-so, with pretty fish, and turtles; but also with interesting rock structures. As we had been missing this, however, it was quite enjoyable.

Hawkesbill turtle seen at Anse a la Barque

These hogfish were seen at Anse a la Barque

We also got to hop on a bus and go to Basse Terre. For a population of 18 000, it has 3 times the retail space of Fredericton, and 10 times the retail of downtown Fredericton. A large open market, with fruits, vegetables, and other products, is available every day. The seaside boulevard, generous public works, and artwork also stand out.

Along the street in Basse Terre a plant grows right out of the concrete, not out of the window. The seed must have been caught behind the telephone wire. Amazing how we'd have to work pretty hard to raise such a healthy plant at home!

Here is a close-up of the plant.

After a few days, we moved another hour north to the Jacques Cousteau Underwater Park, around Pigeon Island. We went direct to a mooring ball for yachts, and dove in. Satisfaction usually equals anticipation minus reality, and in this case it was true. We were expecting fantastic views, protected fish that grew to full size, and excellent colours in fish and coral. We got clear, deep water, but little to no coral, and a poor nursery of fish. As we were doing our best to find something noteworthy, we just about got run over by a giant glass-bottom boat, full of tourists. Oh well, I guess it beats Friday morning at work in Fredericton.

This site seeing boat came out of nowhere and blew it's horn to warn us to move while we swam. Neither of us heard its engine as it approached.

The bottom of the boat was clear and if you really look, you can see all the people inside sitting in their seats looking down at the coral and fish and us!

The anchorage a mile away on the mainland was quite nice, with a sandy beach frequented by both locals and tourists, and the supporting restaurants, curio shops, and dive shop. The guide also mentioned a hike that started at the beach, so Dawn and I geared up to do it the next day.

It was a two-hour hike along the coast, rising from sea level to 500 feet or so, kind of regularly as it went up and down the edges of the seaside cliffs. You’d think we could manage to find our way, but no: we got lost three times, and it took us 4 hours. In one case, we followed what we thought was a trail, but it was a cleared out property line for surveyors; and we found ourselves scrambling over sharp volcanic rocks bigger than SUVs. By the time we walked back to our bay (we chose to walk the road on the return), we were soaking wet and truly beat up. We had a nice seaside late lunch, though, and actually were proud of ourselves for our efforts.

This is part of the easier section of the trail!

We took this shot of our anchorage on the way back to the boat. The road on the way back was hilly, but it was nothing in comparison to what we had just covered on the trails.

Today finds us in Deshaies, another hour and a half up the coast, and finally with internet. We already have plans to hike, rent a car, see a falls or two, and take in a botanical garden. Doug and Wendy are leaving here in the morning for Antigua as the weather looks good for travel and their company arrives soon. We’ll spend another week here before heading north.

Check out this nice little rig we saw along our way this morning. Where do they find such tiny people to stand at the bow?

I should say as well, that we have had nothing but great experiences with the people of Guadaloupe. They have been excellent ambassadors, and very patient with my attempts at the French language.

leaving The Saints

2011-02-08T15:19:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow we sail out of The Saints and head for mainland Guadeloupe which is only a 2 hour run. The winds have been very brisk, but this run should be a bit downwind, we're expecting to have to clean the boat of salt once we arrive.

I'm not sure about internet in Basse Terre or along most of the west coast of Guadaloupe, so if you don't hear from us for a bit, not to worry. We plan to spend a few days in Basse Terre, a few more in the Jacques Cousteau Marine Park, and even a few more at Deshaies in the northwest of Guadaloupe. Somewhere around the 20th of February, we'll jump off of Guadeloupe from Deshaies to Antigua. In Antigua we will await Ron and Judy Roy from home for a visit onboard.

The Saints (Guadeloupe) with lots of pics!

2011-02-06T10:26:00.018-04:00

Local Iguanas are all over the island!

Fort Napoleon

Looking down from the fort to the bay where Cat Tales is anchored.

Looking down from the fort on a bay on the north side of the island. Look at the clarity of the water! We walked to the fort and 3 different beaches all in one day!

The barracuda we caught the other day on the way from Dominica to the Saints. It was difficult reeling him in with our boat speed of 8 knots!

Below are Matthew and Rachael from the boat "Orchid". Matthew stopped by earlier in the day and said that he had heard Cat Tales talking to Nahanni River for the past 4 islands and needed to stop by to introduce himself. Since Doug and Wendy from "Nahanni River" were already aboard for a barracuda lunch, we had Orchid over later on in the afternoon. They are a young couple who are out for the next several years. Rachael intends to go back to University and finish up her degree. Nice way to spend a Friday afternoon!!

Alexander and Nicholas getting some home schooling aboard Cat Tales. Opening wine bottles is quite a skill!

Here are some underwater shots:

I took this shot of an octopus awhile ago while in Bequia and felt the need to share it with you. At first it's difficult to make out what it is, but I worked on the photo and think you can see it on the 3rd picture down.

Original photo cropped:

Original photo cropped and flipped. Can you make it out now??

An inquisitive French Angel Fish (Juvenile)

Laurie relaxing on the ocean floor!

Laurie in Dominica

Hiking the Chaudiere Pond and a Little Dutch Girl

2011-02-02T09:37:00.008-04:00

The 7 of us agreed the night before while out at a BBQ to meet at Big Papa's Restaurant in the morning where we would tie up our dinghies and walk into town to catch the bus up the mountain to begin our hike. The bus was there when we arrived and all 7 fit in the tiny van. Up and up and up we went, around tight turns often looking straight down the cliffs. No need for seat belts; they couldn't possibly help in the event of an accident! We paid approximately 2.50 CAD a head for the half hour ride straight up and appreciated very much the value. We took note of a local watering hole which would be welcomed on our return.

The hike began on a dirt road, getting narrower and narrower as we made our way along. After a half hour, we followed this sign and were down to a very small path in the depths of the rain forest.

Much of the hiking at the end of the trail was muddy and steep. We had to go up and down many paths. Our footwear was a mess and so was Doug's rear, after he bounced a step or two, but we all made it.

Everyone getting ready for the long awaited dip

Getting ready for a cool down

Doug and Wendy from the boat Nahanni River enjoying lunch after a refreshing swim

On another note: The entire time we've been here in Dominica at the northern part of the island, we have had the pleasure of being in the presence of the 15 year old Dutch gal who is sailing around the world alone. Laura Dekker arrived in St. Martin at Christmas and is making her way slowly along the Caribbean island chain and will be heading through the Panama Canal in the spring. Here she is paddling her dinghy. We saw a motor onboard, but it's probably easier to paddle in this quiet bay rather than get it down to the dinghy and back up again.

The boat "Guppy" as she sits here to the left of us. Laurie has been upset that she has not taken the time to put her sail covers on. In this sun, it takes little time to deteriorate the fabric and could become a hazard later on. Every time Laurie brings it up, I suggest that he go over there and visit her with advice, but he often feels that he gives out too much advice and so far has fought the urge.

Cabrits National Park

2011-01-29T14:40:00.004-04:00

We hiked the Cabrits National Park yesterday from noon until happy hour. Here is a little movie we put together!

Click Here: Cabris National Park

Dawn

Canal of Slaves

2011-01-28T10:51:00.009-04:00

This past Monday, we joined together with Jill and Tony from the Guernsey, England, vessel “Nychea” to hike the Canal des Esclaves. They had heard us transmitting on the morning SSB net called the “Coconut Net” the day before, and decided to introduce themselves. We met them at the Tourist Bureau in the morning, and used our best French to get information on transportation. The info was hard to get, and was actually wrong. We ended up travelling by public bus to a coastal community as directed, then asked for a bus to either end of the canal. We got the French equivalent of “You can’t get there from here!” Undaunted, we decided we would find the right road and hike up to the bottom of the canal. It must have been at least 4 miles, with much of the slopes about as steep as a car could drive. Still, we found the canal at the end of a road, and could start along it. There was a sign promising a restaurant with juice, beer and even a lunch at the end of the canal trail. With this in mind, we began our walk.
Waterfalls we saw along the way:

Dawn on the rock wall:

A view of a town, a way down there!

Jill and Tony from s/v Nychea

Dawn is installing pictures of the canal and the views, but I’ll still try to describe it. Most of the time, you are walking along an 18” bit of rough concrete, sometimes slimy and slippery, with a 2’ wide canal on your left. You can lean in at times and touch the mountain beyond, and sometimes the foliage has you leaning out. At least a third of a time, there is a deadly drop to the right. Indeed, at least a fifth of the time, you would have a 200’ free fall, then 300’ of steep foliage before finally hitting 500 more feet of barely sloping cliff. We actually couldn’t make out the rest, and would not know where to look to see the body. What fun!

However, we were deep in the mountainous rain forest and the scenery was fabulous. We looked down into beautiful valleys, across to steep mountains and cliffs, and even a very tall, but low volume waterfall. The canal walk itself took about 1.5 hours, and covered approximately 3 miles; with the canal only rising 7 metres or so over the distance. The purpose of the canal, of course built by slaves motivated likely by whips and the hope of being fed, was to bring water to a small valley that, unlike everywhere else on this end of Martinique, did not have its own source of water. Its economic value must still be proven, as it is being maintained in reasonable order.

At the end of the walk, we caught a glimpse of the promised restaurant with beautiful flowered gardens, and shady, cool sitting areas. We arrived at the gate, but alas, the gate was closed and the restaurant was NOT open!!

In this photo, we finally see a hint of civilization and our mouths begin to water...

The restaurant or is it a mirage? Shame it was closed!

At the upper end of the walk, there was no town, although after 20 minutes of walking even steeper roads, we found three elderly locals in the tiniest of stores who sold us some fabulously cold Heineken and would talk slowly enough that we could make out a promise of a bus about a mile uphill. The uphill roads were so steep that we could reach out with our hands and crawl along! We found a beautiful little village, with a bus stop with even some shade, and the bus arrived right on time. However, the bus driver stopped, and yelled “Je vais a manger”, meaning; “I’m going for lunch”. When we tried to find out when or even if he was returning, he just repeated himself louder and angrier before driving away. So… we sat down and waited almost an hour. It was now approaching 3:30, we were high in the mountains, Dawn had stubbed her toe on the steep walk upwards and could not walk further, and there was no hope of a taxi. We started to walk, but had only walked 10 minutes when the bus returned and picked us up. No apologies, no communication. Well, that’s the Caribbean for ya.

Inside a little store (shed), we purchased a cool one to keep up our spirits for the walk to the bus stop.

We see goats everywhere, but this new baby, less than an hour old caught our attention! Born right along the roadside!

After rushing to get to this bus stop on extremely steep roads, this was to be our digs for the next hour and a half:

The rest of the time in St. Pierre, we did some local sightseeing with our new friends from “Jackfish” (Vancouver), and simply lounged and read.

We left yesterday for Dominica at 6:15 am, even though the forecast was for 20 knots, a bit much for us. We had the boat well reefed down, and simply hung on. We averaged almost 8 knots in the straight between the islands, and it passed quickly. The sail up the coast to the north end was very lovely; but with 9 hours under way, we were truly tired. However, Dawn cooked a great lasagne, and we had a very nice evening on the boat. The boat took a couple hours of cleaning due to the heavy amount of salt water shipped into the cockpit and over everything outside. . We’ll tell you more about Dominica soon. Dawn just purchased internet wifi, so communication for the next little while will (should) be good.

On a completely different note, while in St. Pierre, Laurie enjoyed a little shopping in this store. The lady in charge giggled when he kept sizing me up!

St. Pierre and lots of pics

2011-01-25T17:06:00.012-04:00

There has been no Internet available to us here in St. Pierre from the boat. We apologize for the delay in our updates! The French certainly know how to lock down their wifi!!

We left Grande Anse D’Arlet on Friday morning at 9:00, after the radio nets. We motored around the headland to a little bay called Anse Noire, with a black sandy beach and high sides. It was supposed to be interesting snorkelling, and we did our best to discover it. The rocky edges had some colourful sponges, but the few reef fish were small. However, closer to the boat was an amazingly large school of fish, all about 4 inches long. We think they were reef silversides. They filled an area about 400 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, making swirls and amazing patterns as they moved around us. We see fishermen from time to time netting these “bait fish” to take out to deeper water.

We carried on from Anse Noire after lunch, setting up double reefs in both main and jib as we crossed the broad expanse of Fort-de-France Bay, heading directly north for St. Pierre. Fort-de-France Bay gave us about an hour of 23 knots right on the beam, so we were happy we were reefed. It was a nice ride, with waves much smaller than the open ocean, reminding us of Grand Lake at home. Once past the larger bay, we had a lovely coastal cruise for about another hour and a half, enjoying the lovely green scenery provided by the northern mountainous area of Martinique.

The volcano Mount Pelee came into view just as we turned the corner to enter St. Pierre. This volcano caught the 30 000 people of St. Pierre in church on May 8, 1902, killing everyone but two people. A prisoner in a thick cell and a cobbler in a very deep, low basement survived to be dug out days later. The mountain is now quiet, green, and beautiful.
Mount Pelee in St. Pierre, Martinique

We anchored in the shallow water close to the wharf, and lounged away Friday night, declining to go ashore. Saturday, we went to the tourist bureau for some information, and set out on a great hike up one side of a cliff and down the other, finishing up in a butterfly garden filled with flowers, curious bits of building and crafts, and of course, lots of butterflies. Next door to this garden was “Restaurant 1643”. A little more expensive than our normal lunches, but we went for it, and enjoyed a most fabulous meal of salmon and vegetables, done with true French culinary attention.
You can see Cat Tales sitting here in the bay (third from the right)

This is where we had lunch today and bought an hour worth of Internet for 5Euros...I'd better type fast!

We returned to the boat to find a friend anchored nearby. Mike and crew aboard a monohull called “Jackfish” joined us for drinks, and then hiked the “urban ruins” of St. Pierre with us. It was a nice easy day after the previous day’s hike.
Here is Mike from s/v Jackfish. We affectionately call him Mike from Canmore. You can imagine why!

Here's the boat Jackfish out in the bay beside us:

Here is the salmon dinner we enjoyed at the butterfly garden after a long hot hike!

Musical instrument made of bamboo! Beautiful tones

This is where one of the only 2 survivors were found after the tragic eruption in 1902. Solitary confinement has some advantages afterall!

Back to Martinique

2011-01-20T16:58:00.001-04:00

We left Rodney Bay at 9:15 this morning and anchored in Anse D'Arlet at 2:30. We had intended to go further, but thought better of it when I got antsy to figure out what was wrong with the starboard engine. It made a hollow sound on our way out of the anchorage in Rodney Bay, and we shut it down after realizing it was not spitting out any water in the exhaust. After anchoring and before "Douane" (that's Customs in French), I took out the impeller. This brand new, Johnson impeller, the most expensive fuddleduddler in the stores, had disintegrated, with the rubber coming off the little brass hub. Here I am, thinking how smart I am by changing these buggers at the start of each year even if they show no wear. I might be saving myself from normal failure, but I guess I increase the opportunities to find the faulty ones.

The crossing was just fine, with 15 to 20 knots of wind just as advertised. Two reefs in the main and varying the amount of jib made for steady speeds between 6 and 7 knots. Significant water onto the bows, but none into the cockpit.

We once again provided bling to the fishies. This time it was a 4 foot marlin. He was so upset he jumped out of the water until he was totally out of sight, showing off the squid every time.

Here is the same shot, but cropped down so you can see the fish!

Nothing for the plates for supper.

Tomorrow, we're going to snorkel in Anse Noir, pick up bread and wine in FdeF, and head up to St. Pierre.

Back on the Caribbean Sea

2011-01-19T18:33:00.000-04:00

We set sail tomorrow. We have a working watermaker, and all other systems are "go". Wind is expected to be anywhere between 15 and 20 knots; and we already have a double reef in our main. Our proposed track takes us to the west side of Martinique, so we are hopeful that we can reach near Diamond Rock without having to tack or pinch too hard.

We will bypass Le Marin, Anse St. Anne, and Anse D'Arlet; planning instead to go in to Fort-de-France. If the weather is good, we'll have lunch and a snorkel at a little, even tiny, bay called Anse Noire. The black volcanic sand of the beach sinks down into great snorkelling, according to the guide. After lunch, we'll go across the greater bay and check in. The next day, we hope to go all the way up to St. Pierre.

People who know this area, or have read past blogs, will know that St. Pierre was the former Paris of the Caribbean until in 1902, Mount Pelee caught the full 30 000 people in church, and wiped them off the earth with a great explosion and flow of volcanic gas. We hope to take in some restaurants, some museums, a volcanic observatory, an old plantation, a rum factory, and 2-4 hikes - one of them the great old volcano herself.

Please stay tuned.

St. Lucia pics

2011-01-16T11:56:00.009-04:00

Dawn took a picture of me up the mast a few days ago and suggested she wanted to post it. I was just fixing some bungie cord that the sun rotted away, but the pic also shows a New Brunswick flag up on the courtesy halyard. Well, here is the story. We began noticing that many Canadians from Quebec place the Quebec provincial flag on their courtesy halyard. Indeed, some of these sailors use a large Quebec flag as their stern or country-of-registration flag. We also notice that many Quebecers keep their courtesy Quebec flag up when in French territory but put their stern or Canadian flag away. Obvious and curious.

It appears that they don’t wish to be mistaken for an Anglophone, but maybe I’m too sensitive and they just are very proud of their province. Assuming it is just provincial pride, I have brought down the New Brunswick flag, and put it up in the halyards whenever one of these Quebec boats come near. They have a lot in Quebec of which to be proud, but golly, I’m proud to be a New Brunswicker. I have had no comments about my flag.
Laurie

Dawn here:
Doug and Wendy from the boat "Nahanni River" sporting new hats and a t-shirt given to us by my sister Lorna and her friend, Linda Spence, from their sailing club back in Port Stanley. Mount Gay hats and t-shirts are a coveted thing here as Mount Gay rum supports many of the big regattas, and wearing these hats and t-shirts suggests you participated in the racing - the only easy way to get them. Doug had been showing off his "rum" shirts from each island and was tickled when I came out with the Mount Gay shirt in just his size. Wendy was too tiny for a shirt, but the hat fit just right!

Yesterday, Laurie and I hiked up to the top of Pigeon Island to take photos of the end of yesterday's St. Lucia Yacht Club race to and from Martinique. While up there, I took these photos, this one includes Sandals in Rodney Bay.

Imagine, going to bed at night only to wake up in the morning to see this monster anchored behind us! It happens more times than I can count!

At the end of every hike, there is often a bar or restaurant willing to provide you with a cool refreshment. We headed into one of our favourite spots, "Jambe de Bois" and found this kitty asleep in the washroom. There was no waking her up until she decided to wake up!

Outside, a rasta gentleman left his post where he was making necklaces to sell the tourists from the cruise ship you saw above. This healthy kitty resident investigates!

Back in St. Lucia

2011-01-11T12:48:00.006-04:00

Back to Normal in Rodney Bay

We’ve been back in St. Lucia since Saturday. We sailed in blustery winds all the way, with seas building, lowering, and building again. Most of the time, the seas were just a large swell, and the wind was 23 knots, almost on the beam. It was not a bad sail, but I reefed too late and not enough. I have to learn that this boat goes just as well with a double reef most times, and the extra sail just causes anxiety and a rougher ride. As well, a reefing line hit the windmill and the tips of two of the three blades blasted off into the wild blue sea. Still, we arrived at about 2:30 in the afternoon, and John and I went in to clear Customs and Immigration. John got an extension of 6 months on his stay, which pleased him greatly.
Laurie and John enjoying a meal on the waterfront in Martinique. The server, Monique seemed to enjoy the boys attempts at speaking to her in French!

Saturday night, John and his Aussie friend Edgar (who captained Loose Cannon in the Bequia races last year) came out to our boat for a feed of barracuda. I’m unsure if we told you that we caught a big old 2 foot barracuda on Friday when we motored into Fort de France. It is a big thing for us, as we have done so poorly fishing this year. We have lost about $50 dollars worth of lures to these monsters, with nothing to show for it until now. The evening was lots of fun, but Dawn and I retired early, and slept soundly.

Since back in Rodney Bay, we have done the usual boat maintenance, including: replacing the blades on the windmill, gluing down some flooring on a step, engine checks and cleanup, freezer defrosting, and the like. We’ve also checked in with friends from Silver Seas and Nahanni River.

Also, we’ve been on a hike to a bay on the east side with two girls from some other boats: Selinda from the German 37’ Privilege catamaran Mupful, and Mary from a Swiss 39’ Nautitech catamaran who’s boat name we don’t yet know. Delightful girls with whom to spend the morning. Mary and her husband are from Switzerland and bought their boat on eBay!!

Here is Selinda while out for our walk over the island to a bay called Cas en Bas. She is standing in front of a runaway rocket booster!

An earlier walk to Cas en Bas.

Here is Arlene from "Tiger Lily II", along with Kristin and Terry from "Silk Pajamas", and Jenny from "Hidden Falls" is on the far right.

We are now committed to staying here until a watermaker membrane arrives from Trinidad. We’re hopeful it will arrive before week’s end. (One definition of cruising: waiting for boat parts in exotic locations) At that time, we’ll take the first weather window north. We are not sure about our schedule yet beyond that we shall spend a week with Ron and Judy Roy in Antigua at March Break. There is so much up at that end of the chain that we have not explored fully, so it will work out great. We have been thinking about going to the BVIs and the surrounding area, but that is way downwind from this island chain. We’ll see, I guess.

In the meantime, Dawn has a date for lunch and drinks and a swim at a local resort tomorrow at noon with the cruising ladies who tend to stay here the most. It may be a crowd of well over 20 people. She is looking forward to it. I’ll likely renew some wiring at the base of the mast while she is gone – although there is a chance that a large crowd of men, just set free, might congregate at the Boardwalk Bar, in the Marina, so that’s an option as well.

Dawn said she will decorate this entry with some pictures.

Although this is an old shot, it is a nice picture of John Fallon and Arlene Webster from Tiger Lily II enjoying New Year's Eve at the Yacht Club here in Rodney Bay

Oh, I’d like to comment on a controversy in home town Fredericton of which I read on the Internet today. People seem to be blistering City Council regarding the refusal to pay an unbudgeted amount to the cost of restoring the Bobby Burns statue. The poor Council is forever being asked or told to give money to special interest groups, money that came from the general public. Can you imagine the other ethnic groups reacting if the Scots got some of this money? Fredericton is a small city, underfunded by the province. They cannot and should not play a role that should be filled by philanthropists like the Irvings or McCains.

Martinique

2011-01-07T17:30:00.002-04:00

We're watching the sunset from Grand Anse D'Arlet, after a nice sail back from Fort De France.

We've been in Martinique since Monday, when we sailed over with the best sail of the season, and anchored in a little cove near St. Anne, outside of Le Marin. We had a quiet night, then went into Le Marin to look at the chandleries and to do the Customs work. After that, John bought us the first of three fabulous lunches. We investigated some new chain before returning to the boat, and after some quick checking for size and price, it was purchased for pickup the next morning. I, Laurie, did just that, dinghying in and loading a hundred feet of chain into the dinghy. Ten minutes later, Cat Tales sucked the chain out of the dinghy, while at anchor. We then left and sailed downwind, around Diamond Rock, and into Grand Anse D'Arlet. John had some quiet time on the boat, while Dawn and I enjoyed some snorkelling. Sadly, the number of fish traps along the south wall of the bay were up, and the number of fish were down sharply. Nothing really to see besides some spotted snake-eels.

Thursday, we enjoyed a slow day on the waterfront of the Bay, then John bought us a nice lunch. We finished the day aboard Cat Tales, trying different rums in 'ti punch. All worked!

John bought us our third lunch today when we ran over to Fort de France, and visited the main market. The girl, "Dudu", at Chez Hector, remembered John, and was sad to hear that John Sinclair (Speed) was not well. (For those of you who know Speed, he had a mild stroke in December, but is now much better, we understand). Speed, if you're reading this, John says it is good you're up (and out of the tub). As well, Speed, Dudu gave John a hug for you, but John says he'll be damned if you'll get it.

We have a good weather window for a sail back to Rodney Bay, tomorrow, and will very likely check out first thing in the morning, and make the 4 hour trip.

We're also happy to report that our friends Sue and Maurice, aboard the monohull Strider, are going to make landfall in Los Roques, to the west of the island chain.

Hopefully, there'll be pics for you folks soon.

Martinique

2011-01-06T09:50:00.000-04:00

We're sitting in Grand Anse D'Arlet today and will enjoy lunch on the beach with French wine! Wifi is a little tough to pick up, so we'll just send this tidbit to let you know that we along with John Fallon are still alive and well aboard Cat Tales!
Dawn

Trying to hike in a hurricane torn area

2010-12-30T17:48:00.009-04:00

Hi Folks: Laurie here again. It is the 29th, and we are still in Rodney Bay. Our NYE plans are to go to a (hopefully) informal party at the local yacht club; and we are doing it with a handful of cruisers we know, so it should be a good time.

Last writing I was telling you a bit about us traveling here. It was not a nice trip, and indeed, we have had only a little bit of truly enjoyable sailing since we started from Trinidad. Some of the problem is the amount of north in the wind this season, and some more of it is my fault for trying to sail this boat too close to the wind. The problem with a small cat like Cat Tales is that the skegs are shallow; and in a lumpy sea state, the water becomes so turbulent that the skegs just don’t bite like they should to give us lateral stability. The short waterline and the shallow skegs combine such that Cat Tales cannot motor directly into a strong wind in a lumpy sea; nor can she motor-sail close to the wind like a deep keeled monohull or a long waterline cat with large motors. The only way for us to get anywhere is to get on a proper tack, about 45-50 degrees apparent wind, and get going at least 6 knots so there is lots of water going by the skegs to take the lateral resistance. Any slower or any closer to the wind, and we start skittering sideways as well as forward. Once I get that through my thick head, and accept the extra distance to sail upwind, then it is a little easier going.

I was also talking about the boat repairs, and indeed, Dawn has some pics for you. The big project is to try to get our watermaker working properly. The present theory is that the motor needs better voltage; so we have been running new, heavier wire around the boat. Because a lot of the work requires two people, and more of the work requires getting into compromising positions, Dawn has been an invaluable help. I spent about an hour in the small part of the anchor locker, with my head between my knees and the spare anchor in an unenjoyable, rude place. Other periods have me bunched up in other small places, sweating gumdrops. Ah, the life of a sailor.

Laurie working in the anchor locker for about an hour and a half. He had a difficult time walking when he was finally released!

You can see him in behind all the stuff. He's sitting on a spare anchor and chain!

Wiring job half done at this point with beautiful expensive tinned wire. Let's hope it makes a difference in our watermaker...

If you look really hard, you can see him on the small opening side of the locker.

I think I also said I’d tell you about some of the people we have been spending time with lately. Of course, most of you know John Fallon. He has been a regular here, and since his boat burned in the boatyard this summer, he took up winter residence in a small apartment near the marina. He is in one or another restaurant at the marina, with other friends almost daily. We intend to take him to Martinique and back next week.

We are also enjoying old friends from boats named: Silk Pajamas (US), Hidden Falls (US and GB, now in Bali), Tiger Lily 2 (Can), and Nahanni River (Can). I can’t go into the people too much, but can tell you how easy it is to meet and enjoy good people out here. The type of people who are down here on their own boats are easy-going, enthusiastic, happy, and interesting; with interesting stories of their own past and recent cruising.

Today, we and some of these boats got to the marina, jumped into a bus, and did a 1.5 hour ride to a village called Canaries to do a hike to a waterfalls. As soon as we got there, we realized it might be a bad idea. We started hiking up the river valley road, and were told that the falls, (two sets) were a mess, and were unreachable since Hurricane Tomas, last October 29th. Indeed, the river was filled with the village women doing their laundry, and special compact treatment systems were running and being set up to purify water to be used for drinking. Since returning, we have learned that many of the beautiful waterfalls of St. Lucia and/or their accesses have been torn up by Tomas. We walked up the road for a while, then switched to walking the wide riverbed (to be fair, it was obvious that the road had become part of the riverbed during the hurricane). When it came to wading up the stream, some of our crowd decided that was enough, and we hiked back down, and bussed back an hour to Castries for a big but amazingly affordable lunch. That was lovely, and made even better with ice cold Pitons (local beer). Soo, the bus rides were many times the hiking time, and we need a new plan to get some exercise. Well, that takes us back to the NYE party at the yacht club. We’d better be doing some dancing!

After Hurricane Tomas, the river up in Canaries was washed out and changed dramatically. Notice the car embedded in the mess.

The locals, now without running water, go to the river and do laundry. You could hear music while they made the best of their situation.

Water was being pumped out of the river and treated for use by the people.

Children have a way of making the best of a bad situation! This one gave me a huge smile when he saw my camera pointed towards him.

Trip to St. Lucia and Christmas pics

2010-12-27T09:45:00.003-04:00

Laurie won a bottle of rum on Christmas Eve at the Yacht Club. This little gal picked Laurie out as the winner out of a few Santa hat people in the crowd!

Here we are on Christmas day at the BBQ held at the Yacht Club. On the right is Denis and Arlene from s/v Tiger Lily and also seated with us is Jenny and Steve from s/v Hidden Falls.

Laurie here. A part of me, likely the part managed by personal guilt, is telling me that it is time we started writing something more substantial here for this season. We’ve been hampered by time, social calendar, and internet connection; but finally, many of these petty excuses are being eroded.

Let’s start with the travel. Our trip up to Bequia was interesting. We got up at 3:30 a.m. the Tuesday before Christmas, and quickly said where is the full moon we were promised? A search of the sky found the subdued golden orb in the western sky, in full eclipse. Although it left us picking our way out of Admiralty Bay between the boats in just about total darkness, it was most interesting to watch the transition back from full eclipse to full moon over the next two hours. Those hours took us to the far side of St. Vincent, where I concluded the wind was so light that I should remove the last reef in the main. We were able to sail much of the trip up the side of St. Vincent, primarily because we kept around 2 miles off. That also got us out of the wild rip-tide that is often experienced around the base of the giant volcano that makes up northern St. Vincent.

The 5 or so hours in the open water between St. Vincent and St. Lucia was pretty nice, and even included some wind direction that had us aimed right at the Pitons. However, the wind died, we began to motor, and then the wind came directly from our direction of travel, making it slow going for the rest of the trip. The rain it brought with it every 30 minutes also became a problem. Indeed, we have been plagued with northerly and often wet winds most of this sailing season. Cat Tales has burned more than half the fuel that we burned all last year, and we’ve barely been out a month, with much travel to go.

Seeing the Piton area of St. Lucia for the first time, from about a mile off, was quite a shock. When we left last year, the area was in a terrible drought, and the Petit Piton had burned for weeks, leaving a giant, steep charred monolith. Just a few short months ago, Hurricane Tomas came through and made a real mess of the area. We could see about a dozen major landslides through the outrageously steep terrain in between the Pitons and in the hills above the little town of Souffriere. It seems obvious which slide killed the nine Lucians, and probably was responsible for the homelessness as well. A major slide came down the hill close to the Grand Piton, just south of the Dasheen Ledera Resort that resides on the high ridge. The scar goes by the Jalousie Plantation Resort, and on into the sea. We saw boulders as big as houses, among the trees, and among the broken coloured concrete that used to be houses in that steep terrain.
The smaller landslides throughout the area looked like cat scratches among the almost vertical hills. Still, these scratches were enough to take out roads, and probably some homes as well. We know things are far from normal.

We carried on until dark, but decided to pull in to a little, steep-walled cleft called Canaries, where we dropped the hook, had a drink and a simple meal, and went to bed. We awoke at 6, hoping to take advantage of the daylight and possibly lighter winds to continue our motor to Rodney Bay. Well, the winds were not light, and it rained so hard that we had to turn the radar on. Between cloudbursts, we would see boats right beside us that we had not been able to see. It was a bit nerve-racking. We had announced our pending arrival on the Rodney Bay morning cruisers net, and then when the sky cleared for a second, and we began to sail past anchored boats, one of them, “Silk Pyjamas”, gave us a conch-horn welcome as we motored by. No small thing.

We had the hook down in Rodney Bay at a little after 9, but waited until 11 for a break in the weather. The break was a trick, and we went through a heck of a rainstorm during the one mile dinghy ride to the marina to clear Customs, and to see John Fallon at “The Bread Basket”.

Since arriving, we have been caught in a whirlwind of activities. Most daylight hours have us working on small problems on Cat Tales; with the rest of the time fulfilling social obligations. Thursday night, we went to a place called Jamb-de-Bois, which means “Wooden Leg”, where we joined old friends to have a great supper and see a one-man presentation that played Broadway only last week. The man is the son-in-law of one of the cruising families here in the harbour, and put the show on free as a gift to us all. It consisted of two super long, funny, Christmas poems that reminded me of the educational, biting sarcasm of Tom Robbins (I think) who wrote “Skinny Legs and All” and “Even Cowgirls get the Blues” among many others. It was quite fun.

Christmas Eve, there was a cocktail party with snacks at the yacht club on Reduit Beach, Christmas Day brought a barbecue on the beach in front of the yacht club, Boxing Day brought a “leftover party at John Fallon’s apartment, about a 25 minute walk from the marina. We needed that walk, by this time. We have been happy to be reacquainted to this crowd of people, as well as to meet some new cruiser friends at the events. Tonight, we are having sundowners on Silk Pyjamas, some people we have tried hard to spend time with for over 3 years. We have been like ships passing in the night, but tonight we collide. The weather has been steadily improving since our arrival; and we can dare hope for a beautiful sunset to view from their cockpit.

The boat troubles I mentioned are primarily the watermaker, although the “to do” list has made it up to 15 items of late. The watermaker motor, since the factory changes, requires 40 amperes, and the wiring to it just is not up to it. I have checked for voltage drops at every location along the circuit, and have started to run larger wire. As it draws from the big wires to the windlass, I thought it could not be a problem, but my work has resulted in finding that the windlass wires are too small, and we may be doing damage to the windlass. As that is a $5k item, it is worth the $3-400 it may cost to put larger wire to it. Tomorrow, that project gets started.

Well, enough for today. Stay tuned for more on the people we are getting to know, our time with John, and our short-term plans.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T11:36:00.001-04:00

Merry Christmas to Everyone and all the best in 2011,
Love from Laurie and Dawn
s/v Cat Tales

ST. LUCIA

2010-12-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

Laurie and I left Bequia on Tuesday morning at 4:30 and sailed north towards St. Vincent on route to St. Lucia. In a couple of hours, the sun came up and we were in light winds sadly, and at a bad angle. We knew it would be a rather long day before we'd go to sleep in St. Lucia! After sailing along side of St. Vincent with little to no wind, we were finally out in the channel between the islands and picked up about 12 to 15 knots of wind which was on the nose at first, but then finally came to us a bit more out of the east to help us along. We were even able to shut down the engines and just sail! That, however, was short-lived and soon the wind died and the waves and swells went 'wonkie' (my pet term for scrambled up). We could see the pitons on St. Lucia off in the distance for most of the day, but couldn't quite get there! Eventually, the wind picked up considerably, but once again on the nose. We took the sails down completely and motored for the next 4 hours up the coast of St. Lucia and ducked in at a little spot called the Canaries. Ron and Judy will remember the spot well as it was where we saw the squid mating on the reef, quite a sight that was a couple of years ago! (none of us were mature enough to look away!) Anyway, we dropped the anchor just as a couple of young guys from the town came out to visit us on kayaks to see if we needed anything from town. We passed them each a cold beer, wished them a Merry Christmas, and they were happily on their way.

This morning we woke up at 6:00 and were underway by 6:30. On our 3 hour motor up to Rodney Bay, I have never seen so much blinding rain! I was inside looking out and was very much afraid that each time the rain slowed down, we'd be face to face with another boat. Often, we'd come out of it and see a boat on either side of us. The radar was no help at all since it picked up all the rain and squalls and showed it as splatter all over the screen. Needless to say that when we dropped the anchor here in Rodney Bay this morning, there was no need to clean any salt off the boat!!

We dingied into the inner lagoon in the pouring rain, where we met our friend John Fallon for a good long catching up chat and a meal at the "Bread Basket". Besides John, we were met up with many other old friends who stay in this area. John lost his boat "Stopknott" in a fire in June right here in the boatyard in Rodney Bay. He is renting a small apartment near our friend Edgar and either taxis to the marina or gets a lift with Edgar. We hosted Edgar and his team last year in Bequia for the big regatta there when they raced their J-24 "Loose Canon". John is actively involved in taking the marina to task and hopes it will work out in his favour and be tidied up by mid January. The Caribbean often has it's own timelines for doing things, so we'll see how that date works out. We'll spend Christmas with John and his friends at the local Yacht Club and then we'll take John up to Martinique for a little visit and then return him to St. Lucia before we head northerly again.

Laurie is carrying on with boat chores and is on his knees working on the watermaker motor as I type! During our passage, we added 6 more things to his list. We thought we had that side window all sealed, but in this rain, we realized that it's back on the list once more!

I had a nice message from John and Delberta telling me how much they enjoyed the underwater pictures. Thanks for that. I'm not sure we'll see that kind of snorkeling again until we return to the Cays in the spring.

Take care all!

Dawn (and Laurie)

Tobago Cays - photos for you!

2010-12-20T09:19:00.020-04:00

I have been having lots of fun with my new underwater camera. Here are a few shots from the Tobago Cays in the Grenadines in the Caribbean.

We are watching the weather and will be heading to St. Lucia shortly to visit with John Fallon for Christmas.

We dinghied over to the section of the Tobago Cays that is roped off to protect the turtles. This is where one feels very privilaged to swim with such graceful and beautiful creatures. Most of these turtles are the "green turtle".

Laurie and Maurice are equipped with banana to feed the fish. We discovered this particular part of the reef last year to be especially fish friendly. After awhile, we discovered that a few of the charter boats bring loads of people to this particular blob every day and the fish know what to expect! What a delight to see squirrel fish and rock hinds, and parrotfish swimming right up to us for a bite of banana!

These are Blue Tangs, which usually travel in large schools as they nibble on the reef.

Here is a sweet little wrass; they're only about 6 inches long, but very beautiful!

The rock hinds are usually quite shy and hide when you visit, but not these ones from this particular spot on the reef. They came out in plain view as you can see looking for the expected piece of banana from visiting swimmers!

A face only a mother rock hind could love! They're so homely, they're cute, don't you think?

Eagle Ray digging in the sand to loosen up bits of food. The cowfish follow him and take advantage of whatever he kicks up.

The parrotfish are lovely and colourful! This one is about 2 feet long!

Cowfish!

This is not zoomed in! He was looking for banana on my camera!

Petit Tobac Island in the Tobago Cays, is where parts of "Pirates of the Caribbean" were filmed. We went there for a picnic lunch.

This Sue and her visiting friend Kathy from Canada. We are on Petit Tobac island.

On our way out of the Tobago Cays, Maurice was getting things ready aboard Strider when I was able to take this beautiful picture of their boat with a rainbow. The sail to Bequia that day was beautiful, although, as usual the wind was a bit on the nose!

Tobago Cays

2010-12-17T17:25:00.000-04:00

We're anchored in the Tobago Cays in the Grenadines and just bought a giant loaf of banana bread from Walter, our favourite "boat boy"!

I have taken lots of underwater pics and will share when we get back to Bequia and Internet later this weekend. Until then, we'll swim and snack and get back to you later.

Dawn

Finally, some pics for you today!

2010-12-14T09:56:00.010-04:00

We are heading over to Union Island today, but I thought it would be nice to get a few pictures up for you. Congratulations to my neice Heather and her hubby Tom who had a baby boy, Hunter, earlier this week!

This is Monos Island, where we spent the better part of a week in Trinidad trying to stay safe and away from the rat race.

St. Georges - another hilly walk!

St. Georges

Snorkeling off Sandy Island. This is a rock beauty and it was taken with my new underwater cannon camera.

Porcupine fish, calm as can be, not showing his quills!

The one and only Laurie Corbett

Cowfish

This Gentleman sang to us in the morning and caught fish in the afternoon!

S/V Aphrodite: Andreas and Cordula from Germany

Curtis, our friend from Off de Hook showing off his new hat that we gave him as a gift. Lorna will recognize this hat!!

Off de Hook Owner Curtis brought our a couple of gentlemen to sing to us in the morning. What a treat!! We came in for pizza later that day to enjoy his beach and company!

Maurice and Sue and their company from S/V Strider who came to visit us this August in New Brunswick!

Carriacou

2010-12-12T09:10:00.000-04:00

Sorry, no pics today either. We just cannot find good internet signals. This one comes to you by ham email as well.

Friday's passage from St. Georges, Grenada to the little island of Carriacou should have taken only 4-5 hours, but we took closer to 7.5 hours. We left at 9 am after the morning VHS and HAM nets, and had some really rough patches. The first three hours behind Grenada were not so bad. We had all sails up in winds up to 18 knots, and actually passed a 42' Lagoon catamaran and a 44' PDQ catamaran. As we headed northeast towards a tall bald island called "Kick 'em Jenny", we got into very squally conditions, bad current, and too much north in the wind. It was wet and bumpy, with winds gusting to 29 knots.

Our hairiest moment occurred when we were attempting to furl away some of the jib during a squall. I had let some sheet out, so of course, the jib began flapping furiously in the high wind. As I began pulling in the furling line, the snapping jib hauled out the other sheet, and whipped it into a ball by the mast. The wind took that opportunity to shift, so we accidentally came about, and were in trouble. Without the starboard sheet, we could not trim the jib to either carry on in the tack or to change back to our course. Also, I could not start an engine, as we were backing up over the fishing lines we were trawling, and we did not wish to foul our propellers and rudders. Somehow, we got turned back to the normal course, and I braved the wind to go on deck to untangle the sheet. Rather stressful, wet work.

By the time we got far enough north to tack into Tyrell Bay, Carriacou, we were two hours to the west. We made it and had the anchor down before dark. Although it seemed to rain on us all afternoon, the sky wouldn't give us a drop to wash off all the salt that built up on the boat. Still, we had an anchor beer or two, cooked up Dawn's favourite, K-Dinner, and had a relaxing evening.

Yesterday, we spent the morning fixing things, including the windlass, which had stopped easing the anchor down. The problem was a bad relay switch in the remote control. Rather annoying, that - It costs just short of $200, and it was obvious that it leaked salt water into the switches. I have a friend, Maurice on Strider, bringing a new one up from St. Georges. The afternoon included a lovely walk to Paradise Beach. We have pictures that you'll see soon, hopefully. The evening highlight was a plate of curried conch from the "Lambi Queen" restaurant. It was easily the best dish we have had this year, with rice and pigeon peas, plaintain, daschene, cucumber, tomato, cole slaw, christophene, and carrot. The curried conch was just right, and the sauce made the rice very tasty.

Today, we're going over to a little sandy spit called "Sandy Island", where we can snorkel or visit Paradise Beach. There will be NO Internet there either!

Safe and sound

2010-12-07T10:07:00.001-04:00

We're safe and sound this morning. Hauling up anchor and moving the short distance to St. Georges. We're working through some of our chores. Not too much exciting happening, so we'll be in further touch later.

Sorry about the lack of pictures. We're waiting for a better Internet connection.

Our plan is to be up in St. Lucia by Christmas to celebrate with John Fallon.

Cheers,
Dawn

Prickly Bay, Grenada

2010-12-04T13:03:00.000-04:00

We came around the corner to Prickly Bay this morning, and are tucked up into a spot near the Tiki Bar / Pizza Parlour. The 1+ hour trip was fine, with minimum salt on the boat. Salt would not be tragic, as there is a 70% chance of a thunder shower today. We have so-so internet at the moment.

Last night, we went to the St. Georges Yacht Club with two other couples who made the trip from Trini with us: Sue and Maurice, and Kathy and Greg. Over beer and barbecue, we relived our 19 hours of discomfort, telling our best and worst stories. Apparently, Maurice had stayed relatively dry until after nightfall, when he looked over the side and marvelled for a short moment at the phosphorescence given off by the disturbed microbes along the side of the boat. He lingered too long, as the sea jumped up and gave him a mighty, sloppy lick. He could add being salty and soaked to being tired and bruised. Kathy and Greg were the last to come in to anchor, but had to fight another half hour with their ground tackle, which had formed a giant, impenetrable ball in the locker below the bow.

The sleeping was great last night, and we are in good humour, almost totally recovered from the crossing. I have only one 4" wound across the back of my hand from when a 5' sailfish (yes, five foot) attacked my brand new lure while I was hauling it in to check it. He/she tightened the line around my hand and gave me a mighty yank before relieving us of the $20 lure and leader. I was occupied with my hand and the line, but Dawn saw him leap in all his glory, completely clearing the water. I guess you call that "sportfishing". It is almost a shame that my hand will likely heal without a scar. It would be a great opportunity for a story.

We plan to be here for a few days: do some walking possibly to retrieve some limes from a tree we found last year, rewire the watermaker for the higher amperage that the new configuration requires, replace the primary fuel filters since motoring during the rough crossing would have allowed all the tank fuel to be bypassed and poilished through the filters, and get ourselves sorted out. The flatter water might allow us to remove some of the wax that had to remain on the boat after rains stopped that job in Trinidad. Tonight, we will go to "Da Big Fish" restaurant, to have callalou pizza, meet old friends, and enjoy live music. We'll try to sit at the same table we shared with Mike and Anne O'Brien last April. It is great to be here.

Grenada

2010-12-03T09:16:00.000-04:00

This morning, I woke up knowing I was on the boat, listening to the surge of the waves hitting the shoreline, however, I had to really come awake to know just where the boat was anchored last night. After 17 hours of a rocking and rolling nasty trip with the wind almost on the nose and the waves cascading over us, we finally made it here into St. Georges at 9:00 pm. We came up from Trinidad with 4 other boats and saw each other in the distance from time to time during the day while chatting with them on the VHF radio occasionally to check on everyone.

It's always a concern to leave Trinidad for such a long trip after the boat has been laid up for 6 months. Although we do everything thing we can to refresh seals, hoses etc etc, you never know what you might miss until it happens, and it COULD potentially happen out there in the 'big ocean' with no land in sight. Andreas of s/v Aphrodite tells us that last year his engine quit just outside the channel on the way out of Trinidad. Since he couldn't get back in with only sails, he decided to sail to Grenada. He made radio calls outside of Prickly Bay in the dark and some dear soul came out and towed him in with their dinghy. He found out that his fuel had developed a large cloud of algae and it had clogged the feed to the engine.

Last night, after 16 hours on the water but out of the major chop but in the dead of night, Maurice and Sue's engine sputtered to a halt. Maurice identified the problem of a clogged fuel filter, did a quick change while standing on his head and continued the last 30 minutes to set the anchor safely outside of St. George's Bay. We could have responded to their call for help, but they managed to get the situation under control without assistance. We're all so glad to be here this morning without incident!

We have yet to get to shore today to clear customs and immigration. Laurie is busy putting our Trinidad and Tobago dollars away and digging out his Eastern Caribbean dollars (EC), we divide by 2.5 to get the exchange. Laurie and I are both stiff and sore from hanging on yesterday and he mentioned this morning that it is a bad day to switch to half and half coffee!

All for now.

Dawn and Laurie

leaving Trinidad on Thursday morning

2010-12-01T13:49:00.001-04:00

We sitting here in a calm and sunny bay in Chaguaramas, Trinidad this afternoon and I have sweat dripping off my face in many places! It's 35 degrees with high humidity. We have decided to make the plunge and will head to Grenada tomorrow morning at 4:00 am for a 12 to 14 hour trip. We will be going with Strider (Maurice and Sue) and Aphrodite (Andreas and Cordula). We'll sit here for another hour and then go check out with customs. They insist you leave shortly you check out, but we'll all be sneaking around the corner to Scotland Bay and sleeping there until the alarm rings tomorrow at 3:30. Customs is a bit overly fussy here!

Can't wait to get to Grenada where there is a bit more breeze to cool things off...to say the least of the colour of the water - turquoise is always better than pea green! Laurie has already decided that we're eating callilou pizza at 'de Big Fish' tomorrow night in Prickly Bay in Grenada!

Still in Trinidad...sitting in the rain!

2010-11-29T12:44:00.003-04:00

We were launched on Wednesday noon with a few difficulties that caused lots of stress. We unplugged the air conditioner, said goodbye to Internet, and the boatyard workers proceeded to get Cat Tales into the trailer to haul her to the boat lift at the dock. It started raining pretty hard and while the workers ran for their rain coats, of course, ours were onboard the boat and out of reach. No problem in the heat around here, there's no chance of freezing! As Cat Tales was transferred from the giant trailer to the straps of the travel lift, they told us that the tide was turning and we'd have to be careful of the turbulence in the slip while being lowered into the water. Once lowered, but still being held by ropes managed by the four handlers, Laurie started the engines. The starboard engine refused to spit cooling water out the pipe, and the handlers started yelling suggestions and encouragement. As we shut it down to check things out, the port engine quit. So stressful. We had jury-rigged water to both engines, and had run them both on the hard to ensure there were no problems. Even further to that, Laurie had taken all parts of the cooling systems apart and had replaced the pump impellers, so there was not an inkling of what could go wrong. Finally, Laurie decided that only higher rpms would get the water running, started the engine, and gunned it in nutral. Finally, water showed up in the starboard exhaust. A third effort on the port engine, and it began working properly. Our handlers threw the ropes at us, and we motored clear of the haul out, soaking wet and a little stressed. As we were approaching a mooring in the middle of the crowded bay, the port engine quit again. Then the starboard engine quit. With no jib bent onto the furling, and a high wind pushing us towards expensive yachts, our day was going horribly wrong. We managed to get one engine running again and headed out into the bay far away from other boats we might damage by hitting. Laurie went through his trouble-shooting for a half hour while we drifted, then discovered that the port engine fuel hose at the tank had a bad clamp and had to be replaced. He went through the bleeding process and the engine would start and run. No problems reappeared with the other. We then headed to the customs dock and informed them that we would be leaving the bay temporarily and would be over in a bay at Monos Island. It's close enough to hear the morning net on the marine radio, complete with their weather reports and it's far enough away from most of the crime.

So, here we sit on Friday evening at Monos Island where there are a few small cottages on the shore and the water is pea green with more garbage floating than you'd ever care to see! We haven't been brave enough to take a swim and more than likely won't bother before we get up to Grenada. The weather is still very rainy and squally with no hopes of letting up until next week some time. The amount of rain we have seen in the last few days is just simply more than we could believe, even after the outrageous flooding that occurred in New Brunswick a few short weeks ago. We can't even leave the boat, as there is no real shore to land on and a couple of nasty looking dogs protecting the cottages.

We have an appointment on Monday morning with Echo Tech who worked on our watermaker. It isn't performing as promised and is only making 8 gallons an hour instead of the 12 to 15 they promised. With the upgrade in motor for the device, we have to run our engines in order to make water, which is an unwelcome switch from the past. We wouldn't mind so much if the promised output was reached and we only had to make water every 4 days instead of every second day.

We have both picked out books and in between doing chores, we are reading and doing sudoku puzzles. It's a bit boring here with nobody to play with, but it's fairly safe.
Our plan is to try to get out of Trinidad sometime mid next week and hopefully will be traveling with Sue and Maurice from s/v Strider
We'll try to get this blog out in the morning by Ham Radio, which will renew my skills in that unpleasant task, so if you can read this, then I was successful!

Zanzibar

2010-11-29T12:44:00.001-04:00

It is Monday morning. We got up early, and motored back to Chaguaramas from Monos Island to pick up some technicians to work on our watermaker. We think we have a solution for it, for Laurie to work on.

Presently, we're trying to get internet in a restaurant called Zanzibar, while it is pelting rain outside. This far south, "outside" means just off the veranda where our table is. The torrential rain is just on the other side of a textylene curtain. Our food includes a thick mahi mahi sandwich and buffalo fries.

We have a full day of chores, then we hope to escape the anchorage again and go back to Monos Island. We are stuck in this area for a while, as the channel to Grenada has high winds and two metre waves at 6 second intervals.

We don't know when we'll be connected again, so don't worry if you don't hear from us for a few days.
Dawn & Laurie

Still in Trinidad in the pouring rain

2010-11-27T08:16:00.001-04:00