HI FROM BEQUIA, ST. VINCENT

Yesterday, we announced on the FOD (Friends of Denis) morning net that Dawn and I were going for a walk on Lower Bay, just to snoop around and climb some of the steep driveways.  Well, we were met by ten more people at the dock.  By our reckoning, that is a note on a net about nothing inspired twelve people to go on a hike to nowhere.  We did see the bay from some new vantage points, and had a lovely lunch at Keegan’s beach bar; and really, these hikes are little more than mobile conversations, where we change partners every ten minutes for new debates or bits of gossip.  It is really fun. 

We left Rodney Bay on Thursday, March 3^rd, at 3:00 in the morning as planned, and with highly reefed sails, had a comfortable but long day to Bequia, landing at a little after 3:00 in the afternoon, tired and salty.  We got the cockpit cleaned up and the sails away, and had a nice evening on the boat anchored well out in Lower Bay.  It was windy and swelly, but we slept well anyway.

Here, like Rodney Bay, we seem to know many people:  some, like Susea and Gene of Moody Blues, and Cathy and Greg of Indigo and Fran and Chris on Changes we’ve known for over a decade; others we’ve met a little more recently; and others still we are meeting as a result of the FOD net.  Many of us are very much on the migration back to the south to put the boats away.  Indeed, Maria and Steve of Aspen left two days ago and are already in a marina in Grenada doing the odd chores required.  We haul out a bit later, April 17^th.

The crowd here does keep us hopping in the usual manner.  We’ve had a hike up to Peggy’s Rock, another along the northern ridge to Industry Estates, and the hike yesterday in Lower Bay.  

Hiking with friends up to Peggy's Rock.  Hot and very sweaty!

From the top of Peggy's Rock, the sights are stunning.  Only thing missing is a place to buy cold beers!

We signed up for a rum shop tour last week, and got thrown together with a crowd of 30+ put on an old school bus and run over to Paget Farm; where we enjoyed walking between 6-7 interesting rum shops; complete with the local characters.  It was quite fun; and the ex-pats from the US who arranged it are to be congratulated.  All enjoyed it, and money got to move to a poorer part of the island.

The local rum shops are quaint to say the least.  The bus took us over to Paget where we were able to walk to 6 rum shops and then the bus took us back.  A good time was had by all!

We’ve been enjoying the restaurants and the town as always; and that means in large crowds with extended tables most often.  Bequia seems to be changing for the better.  There is a group of people that calls itself “Action Bequia”, that seems to have turned the corner on litter and garbage management.  Although they are involved in numerous other endeavours, we believe this is the one that will pay the most dividends.  I always felt embarrassed for the community when the smaller cruise ships disgorged their tourists ashore.  This year, as a result of the hurricane damage in the north, the number of ships is doubled, and they are seeing the cleanest Bequia that we have ever experienced.  Good for them!  Among the boats in the bay are an abnormally large number of mega yachts.  They too have fewer destinations to choose from.  They don’t seem to know just how big they are and often anchor right in with us all.  Very strange feeling indeed.

Finally, garbage and recycling in Bequia!  

Lorna and Brian of Peace and Plenty (Dawn’s sister) have sold their boat to a fellow Canadian from BC.  He took ownership last week and Lorna and Brian have been staying at a friend’s boat on the dock who were kind enough to loan it since they were back in the US.  Lorna and Brian fly back to Canada next week and will be enjoying time with their daughters and grandchildren and shoveling snow!  We will miss them here in our sailing community greatly!

Lorna and Brian - happiest day when they sell the boat.  Trev - happiest day when he buys his boat!

 

TECHNICAL 

My previous post about nefarious engine alarms can be disregarded now.  I spent some time in the port engine room, unwrapping wires and poking around, and came up with a broken wire.  I cannot tell you what its purpose is, or how it caused the alarm, but once reconnected, all is quiet!  Nothing else to report except that we have started to make our haulout lists – meaning we are smelling the barn.

Rodney Bay Marina, Saint Lucia

For the first time in our Caribbean history, we have brought Cat Tales into a marina.  What a different lifestyle this is.  More on this later.

We left you with a relatively heart-aching story on Dominica.  We did actually enjoy ourselves.  We got some charity goods delivered, including our own, purchased all goods we could to stimulate the economy: Kalinago weaving; a year’s worth of rum; the annual supply of lubricants, oils and magic sprays that Cat Tales craves; lunches and suppers in various restaurants, two PAYS suppers and a special cruisers dinner at the fort, food from the markets and stores, and an island tour.  We hiked some of our old and some new hikes, and enjoyed time with our many island friends.  However, there was once again a very short weather window in this windy season, and we took it after only 8 days in Dominica, on February 26. 

3 bottles of our favourite Demerara rum from Guyana we purchase in Dominica.  No extra charge for the Hurricane Maria damage to the bottles!

Still on the 'rum' theme, this is the Rum Shop where the 6 of us stopped the day before this picture was taken to avoid the torrential rain.  It took two rounds to stay dry on this rain event!  This is a picture of Laurie with yesterday's waitress.  She is explaining that she will NOT look at the camera across the street and will NOT pose for any photograph.  But Laurie's still happy to see her!

The trip back across the Dominica Channel was a little wet and a lot bouncy, but after a full day of sailing, we were back in relatively flat water in St. Pierre, Martinique.  An early start the next day had us back all the way around to Sainte Anne, and enjoying the bokit sandwiches and customs work at Boubou’s Snack Bar, still with Steve and Maria.  Finally able to take part in the morning FOD Net allowed us to get lots of news, including that Peace and Plenty’s sale was moving forward, and Lorna and Brian may actually be boatless or boat free in a matter of weeks, flying home from St. Lucia. 

We got in some time with friends and one more hike to the beach bars of Saline Bay, but soon heard that there was some potential foul weather coming that would send westerly wind and swells all around the compass.  

Since it was time for our migration south anyway, we crossed to Rodney Bay on Friday, March 2^nd, and came directly to the marina.  There were tremendous swells, especially near Pigeon Island; but since we were well reefed down, it was exciting without being too scary.  The following seas into the harbour behaved themselves, although I did tend to steer with much more caution.

We do not even have the equipment aboard to enjoy shore power, but we did buy a package that allows us to fill our tanks with water.  We found showers and toilets ashore, and worry that we will not adjust to normal ocean camping again.  Every time we get ashore for a beer, the tables crash together and literally dozens of friends join us or we join them.  Meals as well are crowded, loud affairs, in the 4 different restaurants along the marina boardwalk.

Steve and Maria joined us for a bus ride to Vigie Lighthouse; where at long last we found the Archives open.  I have been attempting to do some research for a little newspaper article, and I think I finally have what I need.  Vigie Light is a manned station on a promontory just outside of Castries Harbour.  The hill played an important role in a major English-French battle in the 17^th century, was host to a major occupation by the English for centuries – with significant ruins, batteries, and repurposed old buildings, and the manned radio at the lighthouse provides 24 hour coordination of the bay’s activities so that the low-flying planes at the airport do not hit sailboat masts or cruise ships.  So it is a good hike for cruisers, and it should make a nice little article.

Dawn and Aaron, one of 3 of the Vigie Lighthouse operators we hear directing traffic all night.

Native married quarters for the troops

On our way back to the marina, we spied the old workboat of our friend John Marley, who drowned here last fall.  It was a sad reminder that things and places change, and people leave our lives – often without notice.

Here sits Rasta John Marley's second to the last boat.  He never had the means to fix it up and continued for years out in the bay in nothing bigger than a bathtub.  Since he passed last summer, it is strange not to see his smiling face in Rodney Bay when we arrive.

Here is something interesting: A number of our friends have read Steve’s  (s/v Aspen) book:  “Voyage into Hell”, covering his circumnavigation and the related contact with Somali Pirates.  Well, the sailboat Quest, a primary subject in the book, is in this marina now, and we have met the new owners.  They are curiously intrigued with their own boat’s bloody past, have seeked out Steve and Maria for comment, and are enjoying their new lives aboard.  They neither changed the boat’s name, nor even repaired all the bullet holes, and seem to just enjoy the boat’s notoriety.

On our way to the grocery store, today, we took a side trip to the front beach at Reduit, part of Rodney Bay.  The worst of the swells seem to be over, but the whole front beach is busy with heavy equipment and labourers removing sand from the restaurants and parking lots.  Spinnakers – a local favourite for drinks, the Police Station (expensive property for that), and St. Lucia Resorts; all had a lot of activity; with the tourists running between them in swimsuits enjoying the extra entertainment. The swells are still hitting the beach at over 10 feet tall when they break, with a 15 second interval.

Our next stop is Bequia, and the trip requires us to leave at 3 AM to make anchor before dark, as both the rest of St. Lucia and the west coast of St. Vincent is troubled from time to time by bandits; and we would not get a restful sleep even if we remained unscathed.  The morning net tells us that there are massive waves from this anomalous weather system still messing with Bequia, so we are booked in for another night, and will stage outside in Rodney Bay for a Thursday morning departure.

The pounding waves have done quite a number on the Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, as well as many of the other islands we frequent.  This is surge from the recent storms that have taken place along the east coast of the USA and in the North Atlantic.

TECHNICAL

I have mentioned the troubles we have had with sensor alarms for the starboard engine.  To silence them I have had to replace our alternator with a low powered spare, and replace the oil pressure sender after only two years (Nigel Calder says they seldom fail!) Now, I’ve been troubleshooting a buzzing from the port engine, and have narrowed it down to another alternator problem.  With no spare, we’ll spend the rest of the season with intermittent beeping from that alarm.  We’ll get both alternators sent to the repairman as soon as we get on the hard in Grenada. 

We took off the cockpit window that we had used to install air conditioning in Trinidad, and finally cleaned up the mess around it and rebedded it.  I took it ashore and repainted the flat black trim around it as well, so it looks quite nice, finally. 

With Lorna cleaning out her lockers in anticipation of selling, we have acquired a sewing machine and a hand sewing awl.  I have used the awl to reinstall some Velcro on the dinghy, and am very happy to have it.  Still, I imagine we will use sailmakers, not make our own ;-)