Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays from Rodney Bay, St. Lucia

Arundle and other Norwegian explorers suggest that an adventure is something you have when you are not prepared.  Whether or not that is true, we've had some adventures of late.

Although we could have been quite happy if we had stayed in Bequia, the reports from Denis, our weather adviser, and the other weather sources suggested that we could indeed travel on Monday and Tuesday; so we did.  With s/v Peace & Plenty (P&P), we checked out of Customs and Immigration early Monday and prepared to make sail north.  Our first step was to lift two anchors off the bottom, as the high winds had us deploying both heavy anchors and all our chain.  Since Dawn had bruised her shoulder, it was my job to work the windlass - but the windlass would not work.  I troubleshooted it with three trips to the hot, dirty little locker under the windlass; and once more, the solenoid that makes the contacts for the biggest electric motor on the boat was not working.  So, I had to muscle up 230 feet of 10mm chain and two 45 lb anchors and sort them in the locker.

After that, the two boats had a lovely sail (with some motoring as the volcano hid us from the wind) up to a beautiful bay called Chateaubelaire, about 1.5 hours short of the north tip of the island.  The young harbourmaster, George, came zooming up to us in his little red kayak and guided us to a location along a very beautiful shore and cliff, where we could spend the night.  I attempted to tip George for both boats, with 15 EC dollars, a wine cork to put in the kayak bung hole, and a repair kit to stop the leak under his seat.  However, before I could make it clear that he was being rewarded in full, he had zoomed over to welcome Brian and got $20 more and a beer.  Indeed a nice day for him!  Dawn and I also bought a half dozen grapefruit from him for $10 more, and have since found they are seedy and tasteless - but maybe they'll improve if we leave the remainder for a week or so.

We all retired early, and attempted to sleep.  Dawn and I had no problems there, but it was reported that Peace & Plenty suffered some rolling, and Brian spent most of the night in the cockpit.  Monohulls are prone to rolling back and forth if swells are present.  Multihulls seldom feel the roll.  Regardless, we were under way outside the bay by 6:15 am.  Doyle's Guide for the trip beyond St. Vincent says to reduce sail significantly, showing only a sliver of jib, and then stick your nose out beyond the volcano and increase sail as conditions allow.  I was lulled by past easy conditions here, and by a weather report that suggested winds at least below 20 knots.  I noticed a squall at the tip of the island, but thought it was just the typical cloud and rain often caused by the steep 3000 foot volcano.  Still, we were well reefed down, and supposedly safe for up to 30 knots.  Well, we got 44 knots, and for over 45 minutes it didn't drop below 38 knots.  I put the double-reefed main all the way over, and the sheet out, and had only 1/3 of the jib out.  I also went into the wind as far as I could, trying to depower the main, as it was too windy to attempt to reduce sail further.  I should have turned around and got behind the mountain and started over with less sail, but I was unsure if the rig could have stood the changes while we turned.  At any rate, P&P disappeared behind us, and we just kind of held on.  I did my holding on outside in the pelting waves, and Dawn held on inside, quite dry. 

Amazingly, we came out of it without any problems, as far as we can tell.  A strange bit of black plastic fell from the rigging, and I'll have to see where it might have originated in the next few days.  I suspect it is a furling bushing, making a trip to a rigging shop in Martinique part of our future.

We continued across to St. Lucia without further incident as the wind slowly fell to below 20 knots.  We maintained our reduced sails and moved along at around 5.5 knots, while P&P motor-sailed and made up the difference.  After a minor gust that rolled off St. Lucia's Pitons, the wind stayed low, and at times we also motor-sailed.  Both boats were quite messed up from the wind and the salt; and we were looking longingly at a squall in front of us that seemed to be moving at the same speed as we were.  The rinsing would have been appreciated by both boats.  A few times, we caught up to some bits of rain, but never enough to cause the salt to run off the sails, biminis, and decks.  We did notice, however, that there were rivers of fresh water interspersed with the salt water, full of coconuts, litter, and even tree trunks.  Brian called us by radio and suggested we take another look at the island, about a mile away.  The cliffs, in most places well over 100 feet high, had ribbons of waterfalls.  We began to wonder if catching up to this particular squall was very clever. 

We did catch some rain, and soon had more than we wanted, as we approached Rodney Bay.  Still, it abated, we both anchored at about 3:30, and I took Brian into Customs and Immigration.  Not unexpectedly, it being Christmas Eve, they shut the doors on us and told us to come back in the morning.  Brian and I realized we had some spare time and visited John Fallon on StoppKnot on the dock, and assisted him with the bottom third of a wonderful old bottle of dark Barbados rum.

We returned to the boat in a whipping rain and lightning storm.  For 6-8 hours, the lightning lit up the bay brighter than daylight once or more per minute.  One sailor noted that the garden solar lights favoured by the sailors would shut off with every flash, then return on a little brighter for the first instant.  Regardless, the crews on both boats slept rather well as the winds and rain tested our anchors, spinning us over 120 degrees of arc.  In all the time we have spent here, thunder and lightning are not part of weather here during the winter months.  Apparently exceptions prevail.

Although we woke up refreshed, and even enjoyed Christmas day with a leaden sky, we soon got news of the damage ashore.  There is significant infrastructure damage.  Indeed, many people spent their Christmas Eve in their places of work or in strangers' homes, as roads and bridges were swept away.  We are aware of a few deaths, including a young police officer who was rescuing someone when a wall let go.  As it is, water supply systems are not expected to be running for days, with intakes plugged and possibly even swept away.

Laurie & John on the left and Brian and Lorna on the right arriving for Christmas dinner

Check out Brian and Lorna's new dinghy!  They had the navy chaps made in Bequia to match their new bimini.

Lorna and Brian (Peace and Plenty) and John Fallon joined us on our boat for Christmas dinner last night.  We cooked a butterball turkey breast we had picked up in Trinidad and kept frozen in our teeny freezer!  Lots of fun with much reminiscing of past Christmases spent with John aboard his boat Stopp Knot.

On a hike in Bequia, Laurie found a prize on the trail.

Don't get too excited, he wasn't entertained with it for long!

When we get home, we never complain about the quality of the stores in Canada!

Peace & Plenty showing off their new bimini and dodger.  They can both stand up inside now and it feels like a new room has been added to their boat.  The workmanship in Bequia was superb!

There goes the neighborhood.  This monster just anchored right beside us here in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia

 

Lunch in Bequia

After a trip into town, Lorna and I had our laundry done at a local laundromat.  We shopped for groceries and odds and ends and headed back to our respective boats with laundry ready to be hung to dry.  Of course, the clouds crowded the skies and it poured rain before we even returned to the boats!  Despite the rain, we hung out laundry, knowing that after every rain, the skies clear and the sun will shine!

Here is Lorna and Brian arriving at the restaurant in the background.  Laurie and I arrived a bit early and entertained ourselves with cold Hairoun beers!

Lorna and Brian and Laurie and I headed into a local restaurant and we're currently enjoying cold noon hour beers and great food.  Two of us had the lobster sandwich complete with bacon and fries and two of us had the chicken with blue cheese.  My chicken sandwich was so delicious, that I would look forward to coming here again.  We're overlooking our boats from here with all our laundry flapping in the beautiful breeze.  Here is a shot of Lorna and Brian arriving at the dock.  If you look hard, you can see our boats in the background.  Peace & Plenty is on the right just ahead of the large catamaran.  We're just ahead of them a little farther out.

We continue to seek a weather window to continue north, while we suffer through 20 knots, gusting to 25 at anchor.  The wind is relentless, and rather draining.  We feel an obligation to be in Rodney Bay when our friends on Aspen arrive from the Canaries on the ARC, but know that traveling on a schedule is the typical demise of boats.  We know that Aspen has dealt with worse weather during the weeks of their crossing and the months spent sailing around the world.  Sunday is looking good, however.

H.A.S.H in northern Grenada then off to Carricou and then Bequia!

Well, we've been busy; and have not written.  Part of the problem is lack of a wifi signal; the bigger part is that we've been busy and on the move.

Right now, we're having a quiet afternoon in Bequia, after taking our damaged mainsail into town for repairs.  32 knots of wind during a squall yesterday blew out the tack at the reef point.  More on that later.

While still in Grenada last Saturday, Dawn and I signed up for a Hash, with the Hash House Harriers.  This is a group who bill themselves as a drinking club with a running problem.  Dawn and I both chose to do the walk instead of the run, and veered off the running trail for the defined walking trail, marked by little piles of shredded paper.  The trail incorporated some roads through the mountains of southeastern Grenada, but also included numerous single-line paths through veritable jungle, with some significant steep and sticky areas.  The great part about Hashes, beyond the exercise and the views, is the opportunity to meet people - both locals and other cruisers.  Our great find for this hike were Charlie and Anina of s/v Prism.  We had met them in Trinidad, but really enjoyed walking and chatting with them.  Hopefully we'll meet up for a hike further up the island chain.

The Hash House Harriers...up, up & way up!

Laurie with Charlie & Anina from s/v Prism

Muddy trail proof

Muddy & sweaty

This is our bus driver, Shademan.  He doesn't HASH, just drives and waits for us to finish.  He's a great sport and stops at the local rum shops along the way home to keep us all happy!

The new Hashers being christened with beer after the hike/run.  These folks are no longer virgins of the HASH.  These are all drinkers with a running problem!

Beer soaked Charlie and Anina show off their certificates as first time Hashers!

We woke up on Sunday, looked at the weather, and determined with the help of Denis of s/v Tiger Lily II that it was an excellent day for traveling; and that staying might allow high wind to block us in for a week.  We raised anchor and had a fairly nice trip to Tyrell Bay in  Carriacou.  We kind of gave Carriacou short shrift as well, with a couple of walks, the management of a few repairs, and a beautiful mackerel lunch and afternoon read at Off The Hook beach bar on Paradise Beach.  

Again, looking at the weather, we saw that we might be able to sneak northward if we would accept 20 knot winds and 8 foot waves.  The alternative would be sitting still for a week of really high winds.  With Dawn's sister Lorna and her husband Brian (s/v Peace & Plenty) in Bequia having some canvas work done, it made sense to give it a try.

So yesterday, we checked out of Grenada customs and immigration, and reefed down the mainsail to the second reef point before heading to sea.  The wind wasn't that strong, and the seas were charitably flat.  That changed a bit after we cleared the little island of Canouan.  It is only at that point that we were out from under the protection of the many reefs of the Grenadines.  The sea was instantly large and confused, and the wind was 19-22 knots.  Still, we were properly reefed; and within two hours of the Bequia headland.  We got used to the violence, knowing that we were safe and within the limits of the sail plan.

That changed an hour later, when a squall enveloped us in its whiteness, and provided us with a steady 32 knot wind.  We put more jib away in the slashing rainstorm, and I let out the main traveler and the main sheet, thinking we'd be all right.  The boat was moving at well over 8 knots (that's fast for us), and the wind and rain seemed to actually flatten the sea.  After 20 or so minutes, things returned to normal, and we turned the Bequia headland and tacked into Admiralty Bay.  It was only while putting the sail away that I noticed the separation of the sail around the edges of the reinforcement of the clew at the reef point.  Luckily, we found that Grenadine Sails, who are actually doing the work for Lorna and Brian has some space in their schedule, and the sail is being sewn up as we type.

Last night we enjoyed a great BBQ onboard Lorna and Brian's boat.  We had purchased extra rations of wine in Trinidad, enjoying red with dinner!  Today's a lazy day except for getting the sail in to the sail maker.  We're reading in the shade of the cockpit with our shade curtains waving in the wind.

Grenada At Last!

It is Friday, after a very busy week.  We are in Grenada, anchored in Prickly Bay just outside of the Tiki Bar.  Fair free internet and good music - although there are warnings of a steel pan band playing tonight!  The famous (to us Caribbean cruisers) Chris Doyle just rounded our stern with his Trinidad-built catamaran "ti Kanot".  (He writes most of the cruising guides for the Caribbean)

Prickly Bay Marina - where we're picking up decent wifi this morning!

View from the boat - note the whale bone trim on the apartment building.

View from behind our boat

Cat Tales - port side sitting in Prickly Bay

 Now, let's back up and talk about last week...

We note that in the previous weblog we made a mistake and an omission.  We toured the Angostura factory on Friday, then we actually left the boat Saturday afternoon for a hike in the National Forest near Maqueripe Bay.  The hike, with 5 others, went along a mountain path up and down ridges, across small streams, and through massive stands of bamboo.  The stands of bamboo were breathtaking:  bridging the paths like cathedral ceilings.  The highlight, however, was the sightings of red howler monkeys.  I recommend a quick scan of this document if you are interested:  http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/red_howler

Before and after the sightings, we got to hear their vocalizations.  They were loud, and deeply guttural; reminding us of horror films.  

Dawn standing on the path through the bamboo

Laurie & Susie looking for the howler monkey they just heard.  They caught a good look at him, but he was gone before I could get a photo of him.

Many people, I am told, come here to get married because of the bamboo "canopy".

At the end of the hike a refreshing swim cooled us down before catching the bus back to the boatyard.

Laurie looking after the clothes.

 

Anyway, with that addition and correction out of the way, how did we get here?

Monday's mid-afternoon splash was the most stress-free we've ever had, with the hydraulic trailer delivering us to the crane, the crane lifting Cat Tales, me running around with bottom paint touching up the bottom of the keels, and finally being gently dropping into the water.  We didn't rush, or feel pressured as we checked for leaks and dry bilge, nor as we started the two engines and ensured that water was properly spitting out of the mufflers.  

Laurie chatting with our good friend Blugh just before getting the boat on the trailer.

Laurie and the boys getting things lined up under Cat Tales for an event-free splash

Every year, Peake's in Trinidad do a fabulous job splashing us!  No worries, mon!

 We motored out with wild waving, and, when we could not find a mooring in the harbour, went directly to the Customs dock.  There, we got permission to go to Monos Island to check our systems, and, in a very organized fashion, loaded provisions from the stores alongside the docks.  The 50 minute trip to Monos was uneventful, and we went through all our checks and reassemblies without trouble.  The exception (isn't there always an exception?) was the outboard engine for the dinghy.  When it would not start Tuesday morning, I realized it had some things to teach me.  I got out the manual and another book, reviewed my bits of education, made a list to check, and then sat in the hot sun for an hour and a half.  I had real difficulty with sweat near the end, and had to call up to Dawn for a sweat band and a towel to keep focused on the work.  Dropping parts in the drink would have been the total failure.  After focusing on filters, carburetor, and spark plugs; and not really being sure even if it was only a single cause, she started, and has been reasonably easy to start since.   I have a sneaking suspicion that old gas is a part of the equation, but the best way of getting rid of that is to burn it!   If an outboard turns over, the things to check are simply air, gas, and spark, after all.

After lunch, we motored back to Chaguaramas, checked out of Customs and Immigration for Trinidad, got a little rum from Duty Free, and motored to Scotland Bay.

We left Scotland Bay the next morning at 5:30 a.m., and motored NNE for 3 hours, then motor sailed with one engine for 2 more hours.  This took us to the east of the Poinsettia oil platform and well east of our rhumb line.  From there, we shut off the remaining engine, readjusted the sails, and on a course of NNW, had a lovely 7.5 hour sail to the mouth of Prickly Bay.  A half hour later (13 hrs in all), we were at anchor where we are now.  A long day, but it is behind us.  We had a very easy supper with wine, enjoying the flat calm, and slept very safely and soundly.

I want to add that the Chaguaramas community of sailors is really being whipped up into a state of fear by a pirate attack that occurred ten miles from the opening of the Boca near Scotland Bay, and five miles from shore, that happened only weeks ago.  The boats involved were heading west and were told not to get so close to land, ignored the advice and one paid the price.  We've spoken to seasoned sailors who said that this bit of real estate deserved at least 20 miles of clearance 15 years ago, and now, with a real increase in lawlessness, the way west should include leaving from Grenada and giving it a minimum of 50 miles for the whole Venezuelan coast and out-islands.   The trip north to Grenada is not generally as risky as being close to the Venezuelan coast.  We are happy to have this stuff behind us, as it was beginning to really affect us.  If you are interested in the incident, the captain provides his version of events here:  http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Venezuela/venezuela-paria-peninsula-yacht-boarded-attacked-and-robbed-by-pirates-november-2013

We took things slowly and easily yesterday, clearing into the country using the Customs and Immigration office so conveniently located within 200 metres from our boat, cleaned off some of the salt, and put things to right with sails and the like.  Last night, with our celebratory callaloo pizza at de Big Fish, we were joined by Arleen and Denis of s/v Tiger Lily II and Catherine and Peter of s/v Charlotte D.  We also met a new couple, Katheryn and John from Toronto.

Looking out the escape hatch window at the water in Trinidad - this water is very brackish because of the rainwater and related algae growth from the Oronoko River.

Looking out the same window in Grenada...notice the lovely turquoise.  (I couldn't get this photo turned...sorry)

Today is another slow day, although I can always find something that needs attention aboard.  Maybe a bilge float switch...

Rum Tour and Pan Drums!

Lock up your batteries around Trinidad!

 It is Sunday, our eleventh day in the boatyard in Trinidad.  A few nights ago, Dawn and I realized that our total nights spent sleeping in this yard is approaching 150 since 2005.  Considering how much we do and pay to be in here, it must be one of our special places.  Not really, but it grows on you, and still seems in the long run better than ten days and nights each season on the couch at home.

Cat Tales is in great shape, and we are actually running out of chores.  The only thing that seems to be a little amiss, is that we have again discovered that the sail track end cap, the one at the top of the mast, is missing.  This means two things:  our sail is too long, and we keep knocking it off when we raise all of the mainsail; and we have to be extra careful this season to not get the top sail car stuck at the bare end of the sail track.  I guess it also means more wear on the halyard, as it will be drug over a rather sharp edge of the sail track.

We are doing chores now that normally are done at anchor.  Certainly, by the time we are launched on Monday afternoon, we will have nothing to do but clean out bins and shelves.

Thursday night, we joined  Blugh, a yardworker, and his wife Elka for a drive into the hills where they live for a bar roti and beers.  It was good fun, even though we don't have much in common but the boatyard.  Blugh moonlights as a taxi-driver, and has been picking us up and dropping us off at the airport the last 5 years.  I think he makes good money at that.  We had gone to a local mall that afternoon and bought his 5-year old son a book for Christmas, and gave it to them after the roti.  I just spoke to Blugh about his son a few minutes ago.  He said Kyle was awake when he left, and asked if he could open the present in its Christmas wrapping.  Blugh, like many men the world over, told him to ask his mother rather than discuss it further. 

Yesterday, we joined a small group for a tour of a rural steel pan manufacturer and the Angostura Bitters and Rum factory.  These musical instruments, made out of steel drums, didn't really interest us, but we did learn a lot in spite of it.  The bitters and rum distillery was great, however.  Indeed, the tour was way too quick for my tastes, with a lot of historical and technical plaques and displays that we did not have time to digest; and the rum tasting itself could have been a lot longer.  Still, it was a jolly ride back to the boatyard.

Tony, the steel pan maker showing us the underside of a drum.  Jesse James, our tour guide is in the blue shirt.  Jesse organizes tours for the boaters and has been famous for his service.  And yes, that's his real name!

Rum dee dum dum...almost enough!

Merry Christmas with a tree made of miniature bitters bottles.

A beautiful rum bottle chandelier at the Angostura Rum and Bitter factory!  This is a great decorating tip for our Grand Lake friend Leo who is building this season!

Never enough time at the end of the tour for enough sampling!