Carriacou in the Grenada Grenadines

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!

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

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

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)

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

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.