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| Suzy in action |
Dominica
Dominica was beautiful as always with the added bonus of duty free fuel! We checked into Portsmouth and ordered fuel for Tuesday morning at the cruise ship terminal. They recommended taking the boat over but one look at the dock told us we were not going to do that. It had big black tractor tyres and I have a little white boat (at least compared to the size of the dock and the tractor tyres). We dinghied over to the dock with our 220l of Gerry cans at the allotted time and waited... and waited.... Thinking this was just island time, we weren’t too distressed but after half an hour we found the security guard and he called the fuel guy. The fuel guys was looking for our big boat and failed to see little Debbie from his pushed back chair at the main commercial dock on the other side of the bay (no wonder) so he would be there in an hour (as the clouds started to build over the island). It poured down as we waited for the fuel guy to arrive and fortunately it stopped while he filled the 10 gerries, but then it bucketed down while I ferried the 2 loads of gerrys (and Karen) the ½ mile back to the boat.
Once we were fuelled and stowed it was off to Roseau to snorkel Champagne, an underwater gas outlet for the local volcano. Unfortunately after three days waiting for clear weather to be able to see the bubbles we gave up and checked out to head for Martinique.
Martinique
We high-tailed it down to Grande Anse on the south west coast and found a nice spot to anchor. Dived the anchor and it looked set to hold so we hunkered down for a nice night and then to see if we could check in there the next day. The quiet night was not to be. A 54ft motor boat came and anchored in front of us (not to close so no problem), but at 4am I woke and looked up to see it’s stern swinging about 4ft from our starboard bow. Jocks on, yelling at Karen to help, I was up on the bow holding the boat off and we tried to wake the occupants. We managed to wake the crew but not the skipper before it had smashed into both bows and got its stern-drives caught inside our anchor bridle! By this stage I had climbed down onto the other boats swim platform to keep it off our boat so the crew could wake the skipper who was locked inside the boat!
By carefully driving forward with one stern drive and then stopping, we were able to take the tension off the bridle and let it drop before motoring away from our baby and re-anchoring the stink boat. At this stage it was too dark to see what damage the loud crack I heard was associated with so we agreed to meet the next morning to look at the damage. I then asked for a lift back to my boat as I was sure Karen might be a bit anxious on the boat alone with a possibly compromised anchor. The skipper, looked a bit put out by my request but acquiesced and told his crew to lower the dinghy and take me back. After checking the track I managed to get back to sleep to be awoken by Karen at 6am (yes I said Karen woke me at 6am) telling me that the motor boat had done a runner!
Well no getting back to sleep then, so p!£$€d off we had breakfast, checked the damage (which was only two small chips in the gel coat) and headed for Le Marin to see our favourite Lagoon Dealer, Hubert to pick up some parts and discuss some minor problems with the boat. Hubert as always was very helpful, had the parts ready and bought a technician out to the boat the next morning and we were ready to go. That is after we had been to Leader Price to stock up on French ham and cheese, red wine and beer!
Bequai
Stocked up, we did a two day (over-nighted in the Pitons in St Lucia as Australians still required US$50 Visas to enter St Lucia) sail to Bequai, one of our favourite islands. Of course Evergreen, our Canadian buddies met us in Bequai as they always do. This year we had however radioed them in Rodney Bay St Lucia and they sailed down to Bequai with us – so we now know they don’t just sail around Bequai. We got our dodger (windscreen) repaired here and were shocked by the timeliness of the repair – we took it into Grenadine Sails at 10am to get the zipper replaced and asked how long it would take. Expecting an “Island Time” response we were very pleasantly surprised by the “can you come back at 2” response. I almost let out the “which day are we talking about?” that was in my mind, but sure enough, at 2pm the windscreens were repaired at a reasonable cost and ready to go. I highly recommend these guys!
We ate rotis at the Green Boli and celebrated “Canadia Day” by playing Boules (petanque whatever) on Princess Margaret Beach with Evergreen and Quattico wearing Canadia stickers and a moose (Maximillian brought back by Jim and Dinah to travel the world on Where II) on my head! Unfortunately Max got pretty wet as the skies opened up and called the game short due to weather. (Either that or we lost again – can’t quite remember....)
Drinks with those guys and Cajun Diva, Daniel Story, Melvin (Aussie Lagoon 37’) and Puddle Jumper on the same beach were also interrupted due to rain – but funnily enough all my rum punch was gone by the end of it.
We also ran into a nice couple from Florida (or did they run into us???), once again Where II’s magnetic bows were active at about 0400 in the morning. The bazaar currents had us swinging in one direction and Dave and Colleen swinging in another. I must have had a feeling ‘cause once again I woke just to see their boat cross our bow. Colleen and I managed to keep the boats apart while Dave started the boat and moved to a new spot. We both checked our tracks and neither of us had dragged, but the current had bought us together. Next day, two more boats came and filled the spot Dave had vacated, leaving us with some stressful, sleepless nights.
Union Island
From Bequai, Evergreen and Where II sailed us to Chatham Bay in Union Island where we anchored smack bang in the middle of the bay, a little bit away from the resident moored charter boats (This charter company has taste – they are all Lagoons). Despite the offer of free moorings and water if we ate at the resort, we declined the free mooring. A couple of days later, Where II’s magnetism started to show again... The Lagoon 500 moored next to us seemed to be getting closer by Karen’s estimation. We checked our track and we did not seem to be moving, so I jumped in the dinghy and went and had a look - but it was still tied to the mooring so we decided to up anchor and move to a safer distance. While we were doing this, the boat boy looking after the charter boats came and said we were dragging. I told him that I didn’t think we were, but were moving anyway and he should check his mooring. In quick time, he looked at it, shot into shore to get some help to move it to another mooring. He then came back to pick up the mooring line which was attached to nothing!
We spent a week in Chatham playing boules and drinking rum punch at Vanessa and Seekie’s beach bar before hauling anchor, checking out and heading to Hillsborough.
Carriacou
Once in Hillsborough, we decided to stay put until the Carriacou Regatta week and join in some of the festivities. We also, against common cruising wisdom decided to stay in Hillsborough anchorage as opposed to around the corner in Tyrrel Bay or our favourite, Sandy Island. This seemed fortuitous, as we ran into an Aussie bloke we met 3 years ago at the St Lucia Yacht Club, Edgar Roe. Edgar had taken me sailing on his J24 – Loose Cannon, which had now been sponsored by IGY Marinas – Rodney Bay and had a sparkling new paint job. Edgar asked me to crew for the races which I quickly agreed to.
The first race was an around the island 2 handed race, so it was just Edgar and I. I packed up my sailing gear (big floppy hat, sun screen and ½ case of beer – yep I forgot things like gloves deck shoes) and caught a bus round to Tyrrel. I hitched a ride out to Loose Cannon with Terry (Melvin) who had decided since there was only one other multihull in the race to enter his house in the race and at least get a place. Edgar supplied me with the Red team uniform and we did a couple of timing runs to the line and when we had it down pat waited for the hooter and we were away, the first across the line – and then the first beers were cracked!
Now you can see from the above photo, Edgar is a fairly experienced racing sailor – just by the way he holds his beer - but I should have reminded myself I as a cruiser (on a go-slow catamaran), not a racer as Edgar’s boat did tend to bounce around a bit and lean over making it difficult for a fat slow man to move around and hold his beer at the same time.
Photo courtesy of Dave Wiatt –SV Promise
Never the less, by following one of the locals to find the good water and riding Bloody Mary’s wake we were able to stay with the big boys right up until the windward side of the island, where they started to gain a bit on us, and despite the handicap Edgar had bundled himself with by inviting me along, the J24’s time adjustment meant we won the race by about a minute!
Photo courtesy of Dave Wiatt –SV Promise
As we were sailing through the anchorage (no motor on this boat) we were met by Stefan one of the other crew members who towed us back to his boat with his dinghy. Edgar meanwhile lost his hat (see above picture) and as it was so nice jumped overboard to reclaim it leaving me with a tiller and a dinghy on the hip driven by a German whose second language was English to conduct a man overboard manoeuvre in the anchorage without hitting Spirited Lady. It was a close call but I got Edgar and the hat back. After a bowl of peas soup and a few celebratory drinks ( the half case was gone about ¾ the way round the island) we headed off to the Yacht club for the annual Children’s auction.
After checking the weather that evening, Karen and I decided that we should head south on Sunday and needed to get the boat ready on Saturday, which meant missing the second race. But as Edgar pulled Loose Cannon up to Where II he convinced us that, and I quote “But I need the fat boy up the front!” so there was no option and I raced a second time. Unfortunately, the weed that got caught around the rudder negated the benefits of a fat boy up front and we failed to win the second race, narrowly missing out (I am sure). The race around the south of the island was exhilarating, often coming within meters of reefs and at one marker buoy, within millimetres of Bloody Mary and the Robin of Bequai’s boat. I am not sure if Edgar has nerves of steel or is short sighted but it convinced me that I will never take Where II in a race that he is in.
Sunday, we packed up and left for Grenada, in what was supposed to be the only wind for the next couple of days. Needless to say, that wasn’t the case and we ended up motoring all the way to St Georges.
Grenada
Back to Grenada, our hurricane home for the past two years. We had timed our arrival to coincide with Carnival and had booked in to Port Louis Marina for the carnival special for 5 days to allow our friends Graeme and Linda who were arriving from Aus via the States and Canada to get use to the boat and see as much of carnival easily before taking off back up the Grenadines for a sailing holiday.
The first part worked well, be berthed on the super yacht dock (because Where II is super and it gave me more space not to hit anything) and went to check out the pool and surrounds. This was our first relax in a marina since leaving the Canaries and I was looking forward to it. Grae and Linda arrived on schedule with the devastating news that our TimTams had melted on route and had to be thrown out (I still think that the temptation may have been too great for them) but all else was good and they were ready to relax.
Linda immediately got into the spirit of things, enjoying the rum punches and the local wild life at Jouvet... what are those two young boys looking at?
Whilst I set Graeme to work on the boat...
That’s when it had all gone horribly wrong... While we were enjoying carnival, a small sore I had developed on my leg was deciding to have it’s own tropical experience and develop into a boil. So while I was hanging to use the pool and go sailing, my leg had other ideas. After carnival, a trip to the doctor confirmed my diagnosis and I was to be treated every two days for the next two months while this horrible thing grew, festered, was lanced and sucked out then healed. The doc said to keep it dry and stay out of the dinghy as if it gets wet with the warm salt water it will get re-infected. So we were dock-bound, with beautiful showers that I could not enjoy properly and a pool that I could not swim in and a leg with a hole in it the size of Calcutta! Karen wanted me to take some photos, but honestly when I saw what came out of my leg, I didn’t need any photos to remind me.
So Linda and Graeme’s sailing holiday turned into a holiday in a marina. Not all was lost, they did get to motor from the Super yacht dock to the main dock on Where II and John and Nancy on SV Silver Seas (a half boat) did take them sailing round to Prickly Bay.
Of course the holiday wasn’t a total loss, they did get to met some great people like the intrepid Carnival player Suzie, (See photo at beginning of blog)
Have barbeques on the beach (we let Heff the Irishman come because he could build a fire and cook the food)
...and general relax and explore Grenada. They said they had a great time even if we didn’t leave the dock – I hope they did.
A lot of the rest of the season was spent working on the boat and worrying about the results of the world cup. I was elated when England got on the bus to go home, but was devastated when Australia suffered the same fate.
I bought the Jersey off the back of an Englishman’s wife, who refused to wear it once they lost. It cost 50p at auction. Don’t worry Mal, I haven’t forgotten that I owe it to you.
Unfortunately the most famous Australian Rugby player in Grenada has a first name of Bloody and is entirely held accountable by everyone in the Port Louis Marina and Prickly Bay as the reason for this unfortunate outcome.
The work on the boat comprised finishing the projects that we had started (by purchasing the parts in St Maarten) and not finished on the way down, the major one being the solar hot water heater. Our prototype that we built in St Thomas, worked but only provided warm water and a failed pump, but the new improved one provides hot water and so far no leaks.
Of course living in the marina does have some advantages, the social life was rampart, with dock parties, pig roasts, movie nights and of course the Halloween party. Now being an Aussie and really not all that familiar with Halloween parties, Karen and I got costumes with a horror theme – Karen went as a witch (yes starting with a “W”) and I had a zombie mask. But apparently in North America, it is just a fancy dress party. Sunny from Texas was the most imaginative as a “Tropical Depression” (ie storm)
But Richard was just down-right disturbing
And then there was the Aussie Chicks – Karen, Lou and Suellen. They came as Aussie Chicks inclusive of stubbies!
Grenada would not be complete without Dominos and Cricket. Cricket was played again at Clarke’s court but we had only a smattering of Aussies so our season was not as successful as last year. Karen’s Domino season was in full swing though. Having beaten Kim at de Big Fish on a couple of occasions, Karen whipped Nahani River’s (Doug and Wendy) collective butt, so much so Wendy made Karen a Dominos tiara (seen on the witches hat in the above photo). But introducing Jon and Sam (Imagine of Falmouth) to Dominos took it to a new high with no-one leaving until 11pm at night.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t see any dominos and Karen’s tiara does seem to get around!
So once we blew the cruising budget by staying in a marina for 3 odd months it was time to head north again. We found out that St Lucia is now Aussie friendly and haul out rates were not too expensive, we high-tailed it to Rodney Bay, via Chatham Bay and Keartyon’s Bay in St Vincent. Jon and Sam had recommended the Rock Side Cafe there so we stopped for the night. We tied up to a mooring and organised to be picked up at 6pm for dinner. The message taker fell asleep and forgot to tell the Restaurateur about the arrangements so we got picked up but no food and just a little rum punch. I think we were a little early in the season but it was a nice place
St Lucia
We arrived in St Lucia on Friday evening and went into check in on Saturday morning and were pleasantly surprised by the friendly officials (this wasn’t the case 3 years ago). We then went and checked in with Edwin Chavas at the boat yard and tentatively arranged to haul and paint on Monday or Wednesday and then decided to relax, as Sunday was the ARC flotilla and we were crewing on Princess of Tides with Guy, Christine and Princess (and her boyfriend Bill).
The 0800 departure seemed early, but Guy and Christine got us there in time for delay in starting so we milled around in Castries Harbour while the rest caught us up. There were 50 odd boats in the Flotilla which made an impressive site heading out of Castries.
We of course then joined in the celebrations for the start of the 2011 ARC and I met Adam Foster, the Aussie General Manager of IGY Rodney Bay who has been pushing for the removal of Aussie Visa requirements – Thanks Adam.
Monday morning at 0730 (after a few more drinks on Princess and a game of Dominos), Edwin called me and said there was a cancellation on the lift and could we come in now. “No Problems” I said thinking this gives me no time to panic about getting into the slip. Unfortunately, just as I was about to enter the slipway, I was told to turn around and come in backwards!!$%! Which I did with the calm air that did not reflect the inner turmoil I was facing – but I did it like a pro! We met Dave and Colleen who were being launched when we were out of the slings and then we were into it. 3.5 days to sand, paint, raise the waterline (it had always sloped forward since the new engines were installed) and change the sail drive seals (with the help of Alwin of Quick & Reliable Mechanical Services ph: 1-758-520-5544 e: alwinaugustinengineer@gmail.com who I would highly recommend). Alwin also instructed me on how to change the seals in the future.
Once the boat was back in the water we did the island tour with Dave and Colleen (Promise), Mark (Sea Life) and Al and Michelle (Tarantella). This was a full day road trip quickly seeing the sights such as the Pitons and the volcano as well as enjoying a nice local meal (chicken and ground provision or if you are Karen – ground provisions) in a local restaurant in Vieux Fort.
We also spent a day in the Pigeon Island National Park where Karen actually made it to the top of the Fort!
Evergreen arrived from Venezuela, so there was more than a bit of catching up to do before they headed south to pick up their daughter and grandson and we headed north to Martinique, supposedly on our way to St Martin for Christmas. We had said goodbye for the last time so many times over the last couple of years that this parting was a bit of an anti-climax.
Martinique
So here we sit in St Anne, just some 30 miles from Rodney Bay two weeks later and only a tick of the clock until Christmas. Santa Claus (yes he does exist Tina) is climbing our mast, our Christmas tree is up, decorated with presents from the Hully’s and Evergreen and it is laden with goodies
and we even have festive (solar) light hung in the cockpit.
We will be spending our 5th Christmas far from our family and friends and our old home, but you are not far from our thoughts. Nor are all the new friends we have made on our new home. Fear not, we will not be alone, some of those new friends will be on board on Saturday night and Sunday. So we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year.
Karen & Matt
SV Where II
Martinique FWI
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: It has been awhile since I have written, as (the) one avid reader pointed out to Karen in his Christmas email, but you must understand that it has been hurricane season in the Caribbean and that means just one thing – lots of parties with friends we may have only seen once or twice over the past twelve months. But I am probably jumping ahead of myself, there were a lot of miles covered between Guadaloupe and here so I will give a quick rundown on our trip before explaining Grenada in Hurricane season. ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Janette Boluch EMAIL: janetteboluch@gmail.com IP: 114.76.51.180 URL: DATE: 12/24/2011 8:54:18 PM Great Post. Have a wonderful Christmas enjoyed your Blog. Glad 2011 is over it's been a s£!+ of a year. Bring on 2012. Keep safe and healthy.
Janette xoxo PS I still owe you an email Karen. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Mum EMAIL: nmdonovan@bigpond.com IP: 124.185.149.245 URL: DATE: 1/11/2012 6:28:51 AM It's a bitlate to be reading this Matt butI really enjoyed it and the photos are great. Still getting back to normal here in Brisbane with a heat wave this week. Take care, happy sailing. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Paul and Barb EMAIL: queimarla@hotmail.com IP: 101.169.3.236 URL: DATE: 1/30/2012 4:45:25 AM yo ho ho!! good read guys!! ahh the itch is back. wouldn't take much to cut the rope and reach outa here!! Say hi to the puddle jumpers!! met them in Trini and Grenada too if I remember correctly. All good here, I O, I O, and off to work we go. Remember those days? Ah yes. close encounters of the anchoring kind. Maybe not so bad living in a house! We dream on. don't be so tardy with the posts! We need the motivation!!! Hugs from across the seas! Barb n Paul
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