Safe arrival in Virgin Gorda

We arrived in St. Thomas on Monday night and continued on to Virgin Gorda in the morning to check into customs, into an apartment for the week and to look over Cat Tales to see how she summered.

I'm happy to announce that Cat Tales shows NO signs of rats, cockroaches or anything else undesirable! Unlike storing the boat in Trinidad, the outside of the boat was fairly clean. We didn't tarp the boat like we do down south, and it seemed a bit odd that nobody up here tarps, but it weathered the summer heat well. The air is a bit drier up here which kept mould at bay. We had a bit of water in the port hull because of a leaky window in the cockpit. A quick mop up and we were good to go! A little more silicone next season, I would think.

Laurie and I were able to hose the boat down and put up the bimini yesterday before heading to the Bayview Apartments for the night where we'll be staying for the next week before launch. It was lovely to wake up in air conditioning and take a shower before sweating all day at the boatyard! Today, Laurie has already tackled the port engine, installing the impeller and running water the engine when he ran it for a couple minutes. Water was spitting out of the outside exhaust nicely. He is now taking our brand new hot water tank that we had delivered to St. Thomas and will be installing it over the next hour or so.

So, all is well here in Spanishtown, Virgin Gorda.

A special hello to our fellow Canadians (John & Anna) who we met on the flight from Miami to St. Thomas!

Steve and Maria, I'll go check on your boat today and will let you know by email how "Aspen" looks!

Sent from my iPad

Summer Up North 2014

For no better reason than the interests of continuity, we think it is appropriate to advise you what transpired with the crew of Cat Tales during the summer.

Starting with the boat, we had the staff at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour Boatyard check on her just after Hurricane Gonzalo passed to the east in mid-October, and all was fine.

For us in Atlantic Canada, our time home was rather a blur.  There were doctors and dentists, parties and visits, friends and relatives, fishing and sailing, biking and hiking.

In early June, Laurie got in a fishing trip at Scott Kennah's camp on the Nepisiguit River with Scott and Ken Corbett, and the trout were excellent.

The July 1st long weekend had us driving to Buctouche, NB, to spend time with brother Ken Corbett and Linda, and brother Mike and Anne while we visited a lobster boil with our Aunt Marion and her family.  The biking on the trails there was fabulous!  Dawn and Laurie carried on to Bathurst for 3 days with Scott and Tina Kennah at their traditional rental on Youghall Beach.  Both were fantastic.

However, we returned just in time for Hurricane Arthur to hit New Brunswick.  We stayed in the cottage for most of the storm, just watching the carnage.  We were too busy watching trees fall next door to see our Hobie-21 lift up out of its cradle and land on its side 20 feet away.  Amazingly, the boat was fine.  The damage to our cottage was slight - one tree onto and through our shed - but we've been taking down trees every spare moment since.  Besides the dangerous trees on our own property (about 8), we helped our neighbour David Wasson take down over 25 jack pines, all over 70 feet high.  It was interesting in that we dealt with many by using a heavy nylon anchor rode and a pulley to direct the descent to miss buildings and good trees.

Hurricane Arthur

  Still, we found ways to get away.  At the end of July, we drove to Acadia National Park to go camping and biking with Paula and Brian of s/v Magique.  It was fantastic, with great views, cool biking, fantastic lobster rolls, excellent craft beers, and scampering up giant mountains of granite. 

Brian & Paula and Laurie and Dawn in a seaside restaurant in Maine.

   When we got back we continued to cut down trees while we planned our 21 days out west.  That trip had us flying to Whitehorse to spend time with Dawn's sister Valerie and her husband Rick, driving with them to Dawson City, visiting the Dempster Highway and the Tombstone Mountains, taking the White Pass down to Skagway, Alaska, ferrying down the Pacific (our first time in the Pacific) to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, taking a train through the Rockies to Jasper, Alberta, driving through the Glacier Trail to Calgary, where we spent a week with brother Paul and his wife Alida, and taking in a rodeo, a trip to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, and another to the Drumheller Royal Tyrrell Evolution Museum.   No way Laurie can express the amazing joy he experienced with the geology, history, paleontology etc.

Dawn & Laurie hiking with Val and Rick at Tombstone, Yukon.

At Heritage Park in Calgary staying with Alida and Paul.  Here we are with friends we just met at the rodeo!

Laurie's in heaven at the dinosaur museum!  Thanks Alida and Paul!!

  We got back to our cottage in time to welcome visitors Steve and Maria, s/v Aspen, all the way from Colorado.  With them, we traveled to Halifax and visited with Michele and Al of s/v Tarantella.  We ate way too well, drank the usual, toured the harbour in Al's 34' powerboat, saw the sights, and laughed ourselves hoarse constantly.

Maria from Colorado, Michele from Dartmouth and Dawn from Grand Lake in Michele and Al's kitchen.

What a feed of lobster Al scored for us!!  We  can't wait to see these guys again down south when we all launch our boats!

 So, now we are tidying up our chores, putting things away, making lists, and ordering parts for our trip back to Virgin Gorda.  We will board the airplane on November 24th, and start Cat Tales chores the very next day.  Chores include the installation of a replacement hot water tank that let go at the end of last season, and the installation of a significant amount of electronics (assuming they get here in time being shipped from Halifax).   At least this year, we hope to minimize the living in the boatyard.  We have booked a week at the nearby Bayview Apartments.  Please stay tuned!

Back in St. Thomas by ferry

Dawn and I are enjoying air-conditioned comfort in the Windward Passage Hotel in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI after a 1 1/4 hour ferry ride from Virgin Gorda. It is quite a difference from living on Cat Tales in a dusty boatyard in Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, BVI. We've also spent a night in a beautiful apartment back in Spanish Town, so we've had our long, hot showers; and feel part of the normal world again.

The Boatyard Blues were not that bad, with great feelings of accomplishment and levels of efficiency within all the chores Dawn and I tackled. Indeed, it was our efficiency that has afforded us three nights off the boat before being rocketed back to Canada. The preparation of the bottom was done in jig time, and the painting of the bottom was done in a morning - although a morning that started at 6:30.

We had some real fun at the end of each day, thanks to sharing suppers with Steve and Maria of s/v Aspen. Although we met for supper four times, two evening meals were actually spectacular, thanks to them and their rental car. One took place on the highest restaurant/deck in Virgin Gorda, looking down over all of North Sound. The second was in the pretty resort of Leverick Bay.

We have also been lucky to have their company while traveling to the USVI, and during our time here.

We're all set to fly tomorrow and again on Sunday, and hope to catch up with our Canadian friends and family soon!!

Boatyard Blues BVI

Cat Tales is on the hard, in Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour.  We woke up early to rain, and had to close the hatches - after ripping away the mosquito screens to get at them.   We're just lamenting over what jobs we can do if the rain continues.  Not a real problem: I can always tear down, clean, lubricate and reassemble the head/toilet, as we can't use it here...   It is 8 am, the coffee has worked on me, and there is no stop to the rain, so I'll have to hike over to the toilets in the downpour.

Okay, I'm back.  It wasn't so bad:  just a traipse around the deeper puddles, a jump over a minor stream, but a step into one super soft bunch of mud. 

We last wrote from Guana Island.   Though the wind took its time decreasing, Dawn, Kristin and I swam into the rock face and found some wonderful snorkeling around stag coral.  Besides the usual guys, we found major schools of bait fish, around 6 large tarpons just short of 4 feet, and one 5 foot shark.  We are still arguing about what kind of shark it was.  It was grey, with a head somewhat like a nurse shark, but narrower and pointier.  It was neither afraid nor interested in us.

Dawn and I left Guana on Sunday, April 20th, and enjoyed two nights in Cane Garden Bay, where we did laundry and enjoyed the beach scene, just the two of us.  We then sailed to Jost Van Dyke Island, and spent three nights there, mostly enjoying the beach and bar scene with Steve and Maria of s/v Aspen.  We continued with Steve and Maria to Norman's Bight, where we kind of did the same.  We had a supper on the Willy T, a floating restaurant; where we were totally entertained by the antics of the youngish tourists flitting around quite drunk with skimpy swimwear.   Frankly, some girls would walk by and I felt I should pay somebody.

We also had an excellent hike on Norman Island.  The trails are quite fabulous, and we have determined that there are 4 more hikes for us to do there next year.

Leaving Norman on Monday, we had our last sail, and it was an excellent one: one tack straight up the Sir Francis Drake Channel all the way to Spanish Town.  We had three nights on the water, taking care of the jobs we could do, including changing oil and glycol in the two engines.  Tough work, actually, with a waste oil pump that failed on us in the middle of the operation.

The work has continued since being hauled out on Thursday.  I had to take time out yesterday to run around with the hot water tank to see if I could get it fixed.  The local welder said he just couldn't take the time to re-weld a 1996 tank that is at the end of its useful life, so I am working with the chandler to see if he can get a new one before next year.  I have already bypassed the connections for the water and glycol, so no real panic.   The starboard engine is done, so we have a safe location to pile stuff to get at what isn't done...

So here we are, working through the chores.  As the sun has just made it, it is time to stop procrastinating and go back to the chores.  Here is how we sit with the list (Dawn's lists not included):

 

The balls and figures are loaded up with firewood awaiting the full moon for the party in Trellis Bay, BVI

The moon in one hand and a beer in the other!

Kristin had to reach a bit higher since the moon was on the rise!

Before lighting

the parking lot for the full moon party

Look at the pictures in the ball!  We watched how this was done in the workshop behind one of the buildings on the beach.

The kids had the best view of the flaming balls!

A man in a dinghy drove away from this boat with a line attached to the mast top. The kid hanging onto the line raised up to a tremendous height and then released his grip and dropped into the water.  After the first kid dropped, they boys remembered to land with their legs closed!!

A little bubbling pool at the end of a hike in Jost van Dyke, BVI

Haulout, Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, May 1st, 2014 - Flights home on May 10th and 11th.

Just enough room to get the travel lift out!  Now, the work begins!

Paula (s/v Magique) sent this photo from Bonaire where she and Brian have sailed this season.  This seahorse was wrapped around a pin on their outboard engine so she saved him and put him back.  Isn't this a beautiful shot!?  Thanks Paula.

Hi From Guana Island, BVI

Guana Island is one of the bigger islands just north of Tortola.  It is an L-shaped island with the bottom of the L to the north, and that shape is protecting Cat Tales from high waves, a North-East swell of significant proportions, but not from an outrageous and tiring wind.  The gusts here today are easily near 30 knots, and at times we have to turn off our windmill.

We last wrote from Spanish Town, where we investigated our boat storage yard and their services.  Things may be quite different, as we seem to be spending more money for fewer services, in comparison to Trinidad.  The promised laundry was discontinued last October, apparently, but we did find one that might serve in the little community of Spanish Town.  A laundry is rather necessary, since much of our clothing has been done in a minimalist fashion for the last six months, and much of our fabric on board has slowly picked up dirt and salt.  Such salt might attract moisture during storage, promoting mould.  We also note that things we take for granted: water and electricity during the effort of preparing the boat for storage; require special arrangements at this yard.  Still, we’re sure things will come together to our ultimate satisfaction.

We left Spanish Town on Monday, coming to Trellis Bay to join Silk Pajamas for a lovely supper in The Loose Mongoose, a favourite haunt of ours from back when John Fallon used to keep his boat StoppKnot here.  We found that the cook, Rosie, a short local woman of “traditional build” and fond of hugging regulars has since retired; but the newest owners have installed a cook called Neill, who is equally as gregarious, and with the rest of the staff, puts out fantastic meals.  

Thanks to my “old man’s prostate” we were also able to get up to see the “blood moon” at some point during its display.  Interestingly, the only other time I recall seeing such an eclipse was when we were counting on a full moon to move Cat Tales from Bequia to St. Lucia a few years ago, and we were quite confused by this rather strange moon for a bit.

The official full moon was later Tuesday morning; and the Trellis Bay Full moon party was that night.  Kristin and Terry joined us as we ate at the stalls, drank at the various venues, and listened to the three different musical stages.  As fun as it was, we were still aboard our boats near “cruisers’ midnight” (9 pm).

We left Trellis Bay early the next day, having an appointment in Road Town’s Doyle Sails to repair the tear at our mainsails second reef.  We had already removed the sail at Spanish Town, rolled it up, and replaced it in the boom bag for simple storage.  The repair and replacement came on with splendid ease; all completed by noon while Cat Tales sat against the Tortola Marine Management marina bulkhead.  We found both Doyle and TMM well managed and friendly.

However, after walking downtown to a bank machine during the repair, I (Laurie) found I had misplaced my credit card.  A phone call back to The Loose Mongoose located it, and also determined where we were to have another dinner; and that is why we are still at this end of the island chain.

So, now we sit, considering a trip by dinghy to relatively flatter water near the rock cliffs of the island, reading books, and carrying out minor chores.  Dawn is reading Philippa Gregory’s “The Red Queen, and I have just finished one more of Patrick O’Brien’s series that starts with “Master and Commander”.  This morning, Dawn attempted to do some window washing before her pail was blown way behind the boat and causing an early bath, and I topped up the batteries in preparation to equalizing the cells for storage.  Silk Pajamas is with us, but likely doing similar things alone, a hundred metres away.

The high winds are slated to last until Sunday night, when we intend to continue around to Brewer’s Bay, Cane Garden Bay, Jost Van Dyke, Norman’s Bight, and then back to Spanish Town; there to begin the hard work of closing down this season’s wandering.

We cannot send much in the way of pictures from this location, but just wanted to stay up to date.

Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour

Well, we're back in the British Virgin Islands for the first time since 2008, and we're currently in Virgin Gorda checking out the boatyard here where we'll be hauling and storing the boat for the summer hurricane season.  Haulout date is on May 1st with flights home on the 10th and 11th.

Last episode, we were heading to the east end of St. John in the USVI  to get ready for the jump.  That sail, from Cruz Bay to Haulover Bay, was rather long, but fun.  We tacked out into the large area behind Tortola, shot into the Sir Francis Drake Channel just ahead of Little Thatch Island, and took three or more tacks to make Haulover.  The sailing was beautiful and fast, and the efforts to navigate through all the charter-boats made the time fly by.

Haulover Bay was a little scary.  As the well known Caribbean cartographer Don Street had written that it was excellent for only one boat, we wondered what he meant.  After finding the corner of the bay he must have been talking about, we scouted around  and figured it out.  By dumping our anchor in 7 metres of water, and allowing exactly 30 metres of chain, we could have our stern swing around within 40 feet of shore for about half a circle, and then just miss a shallow reef to seaward.  Our rudders were always in about 3.5 metres of water that steeply shallowed to the beach or the coral.  It was a little nerve-wracking, but after we were calmed down by the 3rd evening drink, we were convinced it was rather ambrosial.  We could see a few mansions, most under construction well up the steep hills, but the hills were so steep that we had to stick our heads out from under the bimini to consider the bay was other than uninhabited.

The morning was rather less perfect, with scudding dark clouds and unforcasted winds; but we hoisted the sail with two reefs (removing 20% of the area from the bottom) and headed out for Virgin Gorda.  The captain (me) loved the sail, and Dawn agreed it was fun.   The trip took about 4 hours and numerous tacks, and there were other boats to contend with, but the higher winds kept most in port.  The apparent winds were about 24-26 knots, and the waves were over a metre but sharp and hard.  We truly dusted the boat with salt, and shook about like crazy, but knowing we were only going to be at it for 4 hours seemed to make it quite acceptable.  I kept her tight into the wind, catching every puff and wind change, and enjoyed the sail immensely.  Sadly, after we anchored down and checked the anchor with a mask, I found that we had again ripped the sail at the reefpoint.  We have some email out to some sail repairers to assist us in deciding where, when, and how it is to be re-repaired.  Here is a picture:

Nice rip in the Main Sail.  We'll be looking for a repair shop soon!

 

I pause here to tell you a little bit about our last days in St. John.  Dawn and I had sailed with Kristin and Terry (s/v Silk Pajamas) with a couple of days hiking around Great Lameshure Bay and indeed, hiking also out of Maho Bay.  Indeed, we really put on the miles, seeing many ruins and some nice vistas.  After a while the ruins become less interesting.  We'd like to see more interpretive plaques around them and on the hikes themselves.  At any rate, we left them in Lameshure, and carried on into Salt Pond Bay, where we had a fantastic brunch at an eco-resort called Concordia.  After that, we spent two nights in the area around Coral Bay.  

A well preserved Sugar mill in St. John USVI

Terry & Kristin from s/v Silk Pajamas and Dawn hiking in St. John, USVI

Cat Tales is the catamaran on the left

 One thing we did was snorkel in the mangroves of the Hurricane Hole.  It was a little out of our comfort zone, with blooms of many sea creatures making the water cloudy; but we did see quite a few small fish, and got into a real study of schoolmasters and baby angel fish.  After washing off, we were happy we did it, and just as happy it was behind us.

Back in Coral Cove proper, We sent a text to Walter Piescik's friends, Ray and Brenda, who run a charter operation.  They "took over" and we had a real nice, but steep, drive to a fantastic view of the Hurricane Hole area, the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and all the islands on either side all the way to Virgin Gorda.  We then a great time and meal at a bar called the Aqua Bistro.  Afterwards, Dawn was grizzling about our propane tank that went flat because of my incompetence (a non-compatible rubber washer), and they said they could drop it off in Cruz Bay while on a laundry run.  Well, Dawn wanted to do laundry too, so next day at noon, we pile in their SUV and start a "road trip".  Turns out Ray's laundry choice has $2 beers.  After the laundry was well in hand and done, and after Ray had provided some fantastic hors-d-ouvres to go with our beers (and his and her wines), we turn left instead of right, and as ("surprise") it is Ray's 59^th birthday, we hit 6 more drinking establishments where as often as not, he is well known.  When I let out that it is his birthday, we even get free shots.  Can't say I really remember the last bar or the return to Cat Tales.  I do remember you have to fight for the bill, and fight hard.  I was seldom successful.

BTW, seems Ray and I have more than our age in common.  There were very few original Hobie 21s in the world, and not the mamby pamby cruiser either.  Ray and I each own one.   This happened as we got into a bit of discussion in acknowledgement that Hobie Alter had recently passed away at 80.

We saw this cute Hobie Cat on St. John.  It is named the same as Hugh's H-18 at home!

Also, Ray tells us that our 4'  friend Barry (or Mr. Cudda)  in Salt Pond Bay is actually named  "Fang", and that he responds to just a splat of a flipper anywhere in the bay and waits for a hot dog to be fed by hand.  Well, that`s the end of my skinny-dipping in that bay.  Ray and Brenda own a charter business and live aboard in the USVIs.

Well, I guess that is it for now, except, to show some more of our pictures.

Perfect Brain coral specimen!

Gray Angel Fish - we don't see these at all in the southern islands!  One day we saw 3 traveling together!

Stunning views when you climb and climb!

After tossing chicken bones in the water one afternoon, a group of 4 or 5 remoras lived under our boat for the next day.  Notice the sucker section on his head for hanging on.

These 4 foot long creatures kept Dawn out of the water until we landed in the next bay.  They are known to connect to a diver to catch a free lift.  They look very much like a shark, don't you think?!

Moving from USVI to BVI

We're sucking in a little internet while we have lunch just outside of Cruz Bay. The problem is that computer updates are taking over and taking time away from communicating and from sailing.

We have really enjoyed hiking and snorkeling the island of St. John, but we hope to have 20 days afloat in the BVIs before we get put on the hard there and fly home.

While here, we've been entertained by a 4 foot barracuda named "Fang" in Salt Pond Bay that has been trained to eat hot dogs out of your hand - which tended to curb my skinny-dipping in that bay, and more recently four 3-4' remoras that adopted our boat in Maho Bay that so freaked Dawn out that she will not get into the water. We have pictures of both fish, and, yes, they would freak anyone out. The remoras are quite willing to try to attach themselves to a shark, a boat, a diver, or a snorkeler; and you can imagine a four foot, sucker-headed fish smiling away as it settles onto your belly or thigh. However, pictures will come later.

Pictures also should be available for the steep hikes, the wild ruins, the bats, and possibly others.

We'll try to tell the story of the wildest laundry day we've ever had as well.

For now, we're saying the heck with updates, and heading for an isolated bay on the north-east of St. John where we will jump off early tomorrow, heading for Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. This will be a short sail, but could take us 4 hours easily, as it is upwind.