Diary 30th April -
26th April 2010
Posn: 05deg08’.91N 52deg38’.86W
Kourou, La Guyane Francaise
We are back in the Northern Hemisphere and in France ... well, an overseas department of France. We have received a superb welcome from John and Beth who have entertained us royally and been very generous with the loan of a car for provisioning, re-fuelling and getting about.
The Rally though is now over but somehow it’s not finished with as there are eleven RIDS boats here in the river at Kourou and ... nothing changes ... ‘X-Trem’ went ... yes, walkabout in a squall yesterday morning.
It has been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster over the last week. We did lots of farewells in Afua and exchanged contact details with everyone – Nicholas was given a rousing send off as he caught a ferry to his home in Macapa. Then on Monday morning, 19th April, at 0600 we lined up behind the ‘Sao Joao’ for the last time, to be led out into the Amazon proper and be cast loose. There had been the usual mooring mayhem in Afua with trees catching anchors and a couple of boats going walkabout, but we had thoroughly enjoyed the tranquillity of the place and the warmth of the people.
At 0830 the ‘Sao Joao’ arrived on the Equator and stopped, then Patrick, Jacqueline, the Bombeiros, the Police and crew climbed to the top deck and waved good-bye – there wasn’t a dry eye in the fleet. We were not only saying farewell to people who had looked after us in the Amazon, but also to the other boats as some were heading straight to the Caribbean. We have shared some wonderful experiences together and a lot of laughter; we will miss many of the people who have become our friends, but it will also be a joy to fetch up in an anchorage somewhere and see a boat that we know.
We, along with another ten crews, decided to anchor for the night beside an island called Mexiana so that we could exit the Amazon with a favourable tide and in daylight – still lots of debris about. So we had one last party on ‘African Seawing’ that evening as it provided a gentler wind down than just heading off.
We motored away at 0600 on 20th April for the 471nm to Kourou. At about 1000, we got some wind and motor-sailed, eventually turning off the engine at 1620. We planned to enter the river at Kourou at low water on Friday morning around 0630, but with having to cross the western end of the ITCZ, we took the miles when we had the opportunity. It was great to be sailing again, but we were clearly a bit rusty. The wind was mostly ENE with 8-9ktsbut it eased to 5kts the first night and we were back to motor-sailing with the engine doing about 1500rpm. This then was the pattern for 21st and 22nd – sail, then motor-sail, then sail. We settled into a routine of 4 hours on/4 hours off between 1800 and 1000, then it was 2 on/2 off during the day. After around 150nm we picked up the Guiana current which is north-west going and provided us with 2 to 2.5kts of assistance. Our problem on 22nd was that we were going too fast and so we tried to slow down, shortening sail and when there was no wind motoring at 1000rpm. Despite our water speed being down to 1.5kts we were still doing 4kts over the ground. We had an interesting encounter with a fishing net on the morning of 22nd, and managed to catch the two fishing lines we were trailing on the net – we cut the line of one and the other one broke under the pressure. The fishermen are now the possessors of two of our lures.
There is a dredged channel into the river at Kourou for the ships bringing in the Ariane space rockets and satellites, so it is well marked and easy. The holding here is a bit suspect but our anchors were dug in by 0800 and we were ready to celebrate St George’s Day. We are anchored in 2m of water and have our Fortress anchor attached 5 metres behind the Delta, with 45 metres of chain in total. So far, so good.
Kourou is very modern, having developed with the growth of the European Space Centre. We had hoped to see a rocket being launched but the date for the next one has been put back to the end of May. Needless to say, we are in supermarket heaven after the difficulties of provisioning in many of the small places on the Amazon.
We had a lovely dinner with John and Beth on Friday evening, and again chez eux on Saturday with David and Suzanne too - superb food and wine. Sunday was lunch at the local yacht club by the entrance to the river - and lots and lots of rain.
To-day we visited the European Space Centre with David and Suzanne - we got to see the old Ariane 4 launch platform and visited the Ariane 5 launch platform and control rooms - think Ed Harris in "Apolllo 13". It is not possible to visit inside the assembly buildings as they are pressurised clean environments, but we saw some good explanatory film and our guide was helpful.
We will stay here for a week, visiting Cayenne, Les Iles de Salut ( think "Papillon"and Devil's Island) and just relaxing, and then meet up with ‘Suzy Too’ in Paramaribo, Surinam some 200nm to the north, before sailing in company with them to Trinidad.
There are a few additions that we wanr to make to Minnie B, so we need to get some quotes and organise the work ... and there's some international cricket in late May.
So, all in good form, hanging out with John and Beth, and generally changing pace from the hectic time in the Amazon.
Posn: 05deg08’.91N 52deg38’.86W
Kourou, La Guyane Francaise
We are back in the Northern Hemisphere and in France ... well, an overseas department of France. We have received a superb welcome from John and Beth who have entertained us royally and been very generous with the loan of a car for provisioning, re-fuelling and getting about.
The Rally though is now over but somehow it’s not finished with as there are eleven RIDS boats here in the river at Kourou and ... nothing changes ... ‘X-Trem’ went ... yes, walkabout in a squall yesterday morning.
It has been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster over the last week. We did lots of farewells in Afua and exchanged contact details with everyone – Nicholas was given a rousing send off as he caught a ferry to his home in Macapa. Then on Monday morning, 19th April, at 0600 we lined up behind the ‘Sao Joao’ for the last time, to be led out into the Amazon proper and be cast loose. There had been the usual mooring mayhem in Afua with trees catching anchors and a couple of boats going walkabout, but we had thoroughly enjoyed the tranquillity of the place and the warmth of the people.
At 0830 the ‘Sao Joao’ arrived on the Equator and stopped, then Patrick, Jacqueline, the Bombeiros, the Police and crew climbed to the top deck and waved good-bye – there wasn’t a dry eye in the fleet. We were not only saying farewell to people who had looked after us in the Amazon, but also to the other boats as some were heading straight to the Caribbean. We have shared some wonderful experiences together and a lot of laughter; we will miss many of the people who have become our friends, but it will also be a joy to fetch up in an anchorage somewhere and see a boat that we know.
We, along with another ten crews, decided to anchor for the night beside an island called Mexiana so that we could exit the Amazon with a favourable tide and in daylight – still lots of debris about. So we had one last party on ‘African Seawing’ that evening as it provided a gentler wind down than just heading off.
We motored away at 0600 on 20th April for the 471nm to Kourou. At about 1000, we got some wind and motor-sailed, eventually turning off the engine at 1620. We planned to enter the river at Kourou at low water on Friday morning around 0630, but with having to cross the western end of the ITCZ, we took the miles when we had the opportunity. It was great to be sailing again, but we were clearly a bit rusty. The wind was mostly ENE with 8-9ktsbut it eased to 5kts the first night and we were back to motor-sailing with the engine doing about 1500rpm. This then was the pattern for 21st and 22nd – sail, then motor-sail, then sail. We settled into a routine of 4 hours on/4 hours off between 1800 and 1000, then it was 2 on/2 off during the day. After around 150nm we picked up the Guiana current which is north-west going and provided us with 2 to 2.5kts of assistance. Our problem on 22nd was that we were going too fast and so we tried to slow down, shortening sail and when there was no wind motoring at 1000rpm. Despite our water speed being down to 1.5kts we were still doing 4kts over the ground. We had an interesting encounter with a fishing net on the morning of 22nd, and managed to catch the two fishing lines we were trailing on the net – we cut the line of one and the other one broke under the pressure. The fishermen are now the possessors of two of our lures.
There is a dredged channel into the river at Kourou for the ships bringing in the Ariane space rockets and satellites, so it is well marked and easy. The holding here is a bit suspect but our anchors were dug in by 0800 and we were ready to celebrate St George’s Day. We are anchored in 2m of water and have our Fortress anchor attached 5 metres behind the Delta, with 45 metres of chain in total. So far, so good.
Kourou is very modern, having developed with the growth of the European Space Centre. We had hoped to see a rocket being launched but the date for the next one has been put back to the end of May. Needless to say, we are in supermarket heaven after the difficulties of provisioning in many of the small places on the Amazon.
We had a lovely dinner with John and Beth on Friday evening, and again chez eux on Saturday with David and Suzanne too - superb food and wine. Sunday was lunch at the local yacht club by the entrance to the river - and lots and lots of rain.
To-day we visited the European Space Centre with David and Suzanne - we got to see the old Ariane 4 launch platform and visited the Ariane 5 launch platform and control rooms - think Ed Harris in "Apolllo 13". It is not possible to visit inside the assembly buildings as they are pressurised clean environments, but we saw some good explanatory film and our guide was helpful.
We will stay here for a week, visiting Cayenne, Les Iles de Salut ( think "Papillon"and Devil's Island) and just relaxing, and then meet up with ‘Suzy Too’ in Paramaribo, Surinam some 200nm to the north, before sailing in company with them to Trinidad.
There are a few additions that we wanr to make to Minnie B, so we need to get some quotes and organise the work ... and there's some international cricket in late May.
So, all in good form, hanging out with John and Beth, and generally changing pace from the hectic time in the Amazon.
30th April 2010
Kourou
We have been enjoying the European dimension of French Guyana - the food and wine. It's really quite weird that we are so close to such contrasts in Brazil, but ... what can you do? John and Beth have been amazingly hospitable and entertaining, organising drinks with lots of ex-RIDS boats and meals out - even going bowling! John took us to Cayenne, the capital and it has some lovely old colonial buildings, but it is somewhat sleepy.
On Thursday we took the regular ferry to the Îles du Salut, the former penal colony and we strolled around Île St Joseph which was the main administration centre but also housed prisoners, and Île Royale where there are the remains of prison cells, guards' houses, the church and the hospital. There are a lot of monkeys about and small, rabbit-sized animals called "agouti". It is not possible to visit Île du Diable (Devil's Island - incidentally all three islands are commonly known as "Devil's Island") but it does not resemble the island portrayed in the film "Papillon" - oh, yes, and the author Henri Charriere was never a prisoner there~. The prison colony operated from 1852 to 1946, and some 80,000 prisoners passed through or died there - the most famous prisoner was Dreyfus (wrongly accused of treason - primarily because he was Jewish).
We have re-provisioned Minnie B and she is full of diesel and water, as we have changed our plans and instead of heading for Surinam, we leave tomorrow morning for Scarborough ... yes ... in Tobago. It's 600nm, but with the Guiana current we may do it in 3.5 days - we'll see, as the ITCZ has moved north and the wind is not so steady. There will be 4-5 ex-RIDS boats heading off too, so we will be in company and four left this morning so we expect there will be ... a ... big ... party ... in Tobago.
Kourou
We have been enjoying the European dimension of French Guyana - the food and wine. It's really quite weird that we are so close to such contrasts in Brazil, but ... what can you do? John and Beth have been amazingly hospitable and entertaining, organising drinks with lots of ex-RIDS boats and meals out - even going bowling! John took us to Cayenne, the capital and it has some lovely old colonial buildings, but it is somewhat sleepy.
On Thursday we took the regular ferry to the Îles du Salut, the former penal colony and we strolled around Île St Joseph which was the main administration centre but also housed prisoners, and Île Royale where there are the remains of prison cells, guards' houses, the church and the hospital. There are a lot of monkeys about and small, rabbit-sized animals called "agouti". It is not possible to visit Île du Diable (Devil's Island - incidentally all three islands are commonly known as "Devil's Island") but it does not resemble the island portrayed in the film "Papillon" - oh, yes, and the author Henri Charriere was never a prisoner there~. The prison colony operated from 1852 to 1946, and some 80,000 prisoners passed through or died there - the most famous prisoner was Dreyfus (wrongly accused of treason - primarily because he was Jewish).
We have re-provisioned Minnie B and she is full of diesel and water, as we have changed our plans and instead of heading for Surinam, we leave tomorrow morning for Scarborough ... yes ... in Tobago. It's 600nm, but with the Guiana current we may do it in 3.5 days - we'll see, as the ITCZ has moved north and the wind is not so steady. There will be 4-5 ex-RIDS boats heading off too, so we will be in company and four left this morning so we expect there will be ... a ... big ... party ... in Tobago.
Wednesday 5th May 2010
Scarborough, Tobago
Well mon we in de Caribbean now ... and it's hot ... sunny ... and NOT raining 30cms a day.
We left Kourou at 0630 on Saturday 1st May, and motored out into a North-easterly of 7-8kts until we were clear of the Iles du Salut and at 0930, the engine was off and we were bowling along close hauled under full main and genoa doing 6.5-7kts through the water and 8-8.5kts over the ground with help from the Guianas current. And it was NOT raining. We had spent a lovely evening with John and Beth who cooked up some great food, and we were sad to say goodbye.
We quickly settled into our watch system and all was well - eight ex-RIDS boats left Kourou that morning but Cigale and Jomay stayed back for a while as Xtrem had to clear something from round their propeller just three hours out. We were in company with Malika; Suzie Too were ahead and Agapanthe went off on a stormer. Mahesadry brought up the rear. We had a set a waypoint to be 50nm off the coast of Surinam to avoid fishing boats (and any other potential interference) and all was well ... until 1330 when a fishing boat from Cayenne ("Petit Bernard") decided to change course and attempt to run us down - engine on and rapid turn to starboard kept us out of harms way. We never fail to be baffled by the antics of some boat skippers. Was anyone actually at the helm? We could not tell.
The rest of the day we continued on a course of 325 degrees magnetic and by 0630 on Sunday we had covered 170nm. The wind built in the early morning to 17kts and we were on a beam reach, by 1230 we had a reef in the main and two in the genoa as the wind was up to 22kts. Boats speed was not affected, the around 1700 the wind died away and we motor-sailed until 2000 when the wind was back up to 9kts. We had kept our boat speed down to stay with Malika as they had an engine cooling problem - something blocking the heat exchanger - and may have needed a bit of a tow, but the wind filling in solved that problem.
From then on the wind stayed between 10 and 17kts veering as it picked up and backing as it eased off.
Our great triumph of Sunday was setting two fishing lines with new lures purchased in Kourou - within 15 minutes of setting them at 0600 we had a Spanish Mackerel about a metre long and a Bonito (which looked suspiciously like a small tuna) in the cockpit - the former came in on a rod and line and sprayed large amounts of blood throughout the cockpit (it looked as if an axe murderer had been at work) but the Bonito was on our bungy and line system and we left it to exhaust itself, so it came on board without a mess. Both fish have been (and continue to be as there is so much) delicious.
Monday and Tuesday morning were uneventful - we saw one cargo ship on a reciprocal course but she turned away and passed us about a mile off to starboard. We both had enough rest and did a lot of reading. The wind eased somewhat on Tuesday morning and the reefs were out but by 1000 we decided a little iron topsail assistance would help.
We arrived in Scarborough at 1550 ship's time - a trip of 615nm in 81.5 hours. So that was alright then. The only thing was we got a bit of a shock - we had been betting on the number of boats in the anchorage - Norma said 20, and Phil said 8. We met Dame Oui coming out and they radioed to say there was room for ... 1. So that was us then. It is far smaller than we understood, but we managed to anchor clear of the ferries and other fishing boats. That was new - anchor down, go astern immediately, anchor digs in. Yippee, no waiting 30 minutes for it to sink below the slime on the bottom of South American rivers.
We cleared in at Immigration and Customs - quite convoluted but they are near the drug running routes, so understandable. We will stay around Tobago, exploring its many beautiful bays for a week or so and then head for Chaguaramas on Trinidad. First impressions are that we have come to a lovely island and once more the people are great.
Scarborough, Tobago
Well mon we in de Caribbean now ... and it's hot ... sunny ... and NOT raining 30cms a day.
We left Kourou at 0630 on Saturday 1st May, and motored out into a North-easterly of 7-8kts until we were clear of the Iles du Salut and at 0930, the engine was off and we were bowling along close hauled under full main and genoa doing 6.5-7kts through the water and 8-8.5kts over the ground with help from the Guianas current. And it was NOT raining. We had spent a lovely evening with John and Beth who cooked up some great food, and we were sad to say goodbye.
We quickly settled into our watch system and all was well - eight ex-RIDS boats left Kourou that morning but Cigale and Jomay stayed back for a while as Xtrem had to clear something from round their propeller just three hours out. We were in company with Malika; Suzie Too were ahead and Agapanthe went off on a stormer. Mahesadry brought up the rear. We had a set a waypoint to be 50nm off the coast of Surinam to avoid fishing boats (and any other potential interference) and all was well ... until 1330 when a fishing boat from Cayenne ("Petit Bernard") decided to change course and attempt to run us down - engine on and rapid turn to starboard kept us out of harms way. We never fail to be baffled by the antics of some boat skippers. Was anyone actually at the helm? We could not tell.
The rest of the day we continued on a course of 325 degrees magnetic and by 0630 on Sunday we had covered 170nm. The wind built in the early morning to 17kts and we were on a beam reach, by 1230 we had a reef in the main and two in the genoa as the wind was up to 22kts. Boats speed was not affected, the around 1700 the wind died away and we motor-sailed until 2000 when the wind was back up to 9kts. We had kept our boat speed down to stay with Malika as they had an engine cooling problem - something blocking the heat exchanger - and may have needed a bit of a tow, but the wind filling in solved that problem.
From then on the wind stayed between 10 and 17kts veering as it picked up and backing as it eased off.
Our great triumph of Sunday was setting two fishing lines with new lures purchased in Kourou - within 15 minutes of setting them at 0600 we had a Spanish Mackerel about a metre long and a Bonito (which looked suspiciously like a small tuna) in the cockpit - the former came in on a rod and line and sprayed large amounts of blood throughout the cockpit (it looked as if an axe murderer had been at work) but the Bonito was on our bungy and line system and we left it to exhaust itself, so it came on board without a mess. Both fish have been (and continue to be as there is so much) delicious.
Monday and Tuesday morning were uneventful - we saw one cargo ship on a reciprocal course but she turned away and passed us about a mile off to starboard. We both had enough rest and did a lot of reading. The wind eased somewhat on Tuesday morning and the reefs were out but by 1000 we decided a little iron topsail assistance would help.
We arrived in Scarborough at 1550 ship's time - a trip of 615nm in 81.5 hours. So that was alright then. The only thing was we got a bit of a shock - we had been betting on the number of boats in the anchorage - Norma said 20, and Phil said 8. We met Dame Oui coming out and they radioed to say there was room for ... 1. So that was us then. It is far smaller than we understood, but we managed to anchor clear of the ferries and other fishing boats. That was new - anchor down, go astern immediately, anchor digs in. Yippee, no waiting 30 minutes for it to sink below the slime on the bottom of South American rivers.
We cleared in at Immigration and Customs - quite convoluted but they are near the drug running routes, so understandable. We will stay around Tobago, exploring its many beautiful bays for a week or so and then head for Chaguaramas on Trinidad. First impressions are that we have come to a lovely island and once more the people are great.
Monday 10th May 2010
Posn: 11deg19'.55N 60deg33'.04W
Charlotteville, Man O' War Bay, Tobago
Seems like we are on holiday then. You know: BBQ on the beach, snorkelling on the reef, hire car trip around the island, limin', drink a few beers, eat a roti ... hm ... Holidays.
We stayed one night in Scarborough and then went round to the anchorage at Store Bay where Suzie Too, Harmonie and Dame Oui were anchored. So, only one thing for it ... beach party. We went to Ketchup Reef (yes, so called because a ship ran aground with a cargo of ... ketchup! Could be apochryphal.) and it was dead - just white calcified broken coral and a few small fish. On Saturday, along with the Dame Oui crew we hired a car for a tour of the island. The bays (see photos) are beautiful and as you travel north-east the hotels become fewer and the forest more abundant (oldest nature preserve in the New World - established in 1780). The island has been going through a dry period and there have been quite a few small forest fires which no-one seems to do much about. The ash did cover a couple of boats at anchor in a bay affected.
On Sunday we left Store Bay for Charlotteville and Man O' War Bay - it is very sheltered and beautiful. We set out at 0930 and motor-sailed until Great Courland Bay and Plymouth, then at 1150 we set to the business of beating the remaining 14nm in 12-15kts NE wind, and arrived here at 1430. The anchorage is quite deep with most boats in about 15m, but we went in a bit closer and we are in c. 9m. Having checked in with Customs we just joined in with the local people limin' an drinkin' beer.
To-day we had to check back with Immigration (we have to check in and out of here), and we did some boat tidying. Phil was asked by a French boat to help them try to recover an anchor and 40m chain, but they had lost it in about 18m of water, were a bit unsure of where and visibility at that depth was not good, so after 20 mins diving and the air being depleted Phil called it a day - unsuccessful, but may try to fill the tanks and have another go tomorrow.
The people are really very friendly and warm - maybe it's the climate. We will stay here until Thursday, then intend to go back down the coast to another bay and on Friday over to Chaguaramas in Trinidad.
Posn: 11deg19'.55N 60deg33'.04W
Charlotteville, Man O' War Bay, Tobago
Seems like we are on holiday then. You know: BBQ on the beach, snorkelling on the reef, hire car trip around the island, limin', drink a few beers, eat a roti ... hm ... Holidays.
We stayed one night in Scarborough and then went round to the anchorage at Store Bay where Suzie Too, Harmonie and Dame Oui were anchored. So, only one thing for it ... beach party. We went to Ketchup Reef (yes, so called because a ship ran aground with a cargo of ... ketchup! Could be apochryphal.) and it was dead - just white calcified broken coral and a few small fish. On Saturday, along with the Dame Oui crew we hired a car for a tour of the island. The bays (see photos) are beautiful and as you travel north-east the hotels become fewer and the forest more abundant (oldest nature preserve in the New World - established in 1780). The island has been going through a dry period and there have been quite a few small forest fires which no-one seems to do much about. The ash did cover a couple of boats at anchor in a bay affected.
On Sunday we left Store Bay for Charlotteville and Man O' War Bay - it is very sheltered and beautiful. We set out at 0930 and motor-sailed until Great Courland Bay and Plymouth, then at 1150 we set to the business of beating the remaining 14nm in 12-15kts NE wind, and arrived here at 1430. The anchorage is quite deep with most boats in about 15m, but we went in a bit closer and we are in c. 9m. Having checked in with Customs we just joined in with the local people limin' an drinkin' beer.
To-day we had to check back with Immigration (we have to check in and out of here), and we did some boat tidying. Phil was asked by a French boat to help them try to recover an anchor and 40m chain, but they had lost it in about 18m of water, were a bit unsure of where and visibility at that depth was not good, so after 20 mins diving and the air being depleted Phil called it a day - unsuccessful, but may try to fill the tanks and have another go tomorrow.
The people are really very friendly and warm - maybe it's the climate. We will stay here until Thursday, then intend to go back down the coast to another bay and on Friday over to Chaguaramas in Trinidad.
18th May 2010
Posn: 10deg40,.76N 61deg37,.89W
Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Well, it’s not what we expected! It’s all really rather nice with wooded hills and islands in the bay much closer than we anticipated. As the boating centre of Trinidad and the only place free from hurricanes in … well … as long as anyone can remember (maybe a slight exaggeration as we met a guy to-day whose mother was 103 … until yesterday, when she died). He seemed quite sanguine about it and said it was time … but we digress.
There are many suppliers and contractors of marine services and equipment here and therefore lots of competition – this is a good thing. We have met lots of them so far as we are getting quotes for a variety of jobs – more refrigeration and probably more solar panels to cope with the increase in power demands.
We arrived here on Friday, having sailed back to Store Bay on Tobago on Friday. When we got there it was Rally time again as Jomay, X-Trem and Cigale were on the moorings, and Claude from Cigale (he’s the one that masquerades as Ben Gunn) came over and helped us attach ropes to a buoy. The it was aperos on Cigale – very nice too. We agreed to leave Store Bay with X-Trem at 0530 but when we awoke the rainy season had arrived – we waited a while to see if it would blow through but this was a Tropical Wave not a squall and as it seemed set for a while we eventually got under way at 0600. There was a good ESE wind of 12-17kts and with a reef in the main we were moving along very nicely on a beam reach. However, by 1030 the rain had stopped and along with it the wind so we motored the rest of the way. The only event was a Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard boat that came and gave us a look over.
We arrived in Chaguaramas at 1500, very quickly cleared Immigration and Customs and were very helpfully assisted by the dock staff into our berth at Crews Inn (for readers of “Eats, Shoots and Leaves” there isn’t an apostrophe). The facilities here are very good – water and electricity on the pontoon, free wifi, use of the hotel swimming pool, and very helpful staff along with some marine services on site. Harmonie, Malika and Dame Oui
have been here busily preparing their boats for 3-4 months on the hard and are now hauled out at Peakes Yacht Services – where we will go too. So it was nice to have some friends around.
Apart from watching the final of the 20Twenty Cricket – well done England – we have spent most of our time visiting marine services people and having them on the boat to measure things, mutter and make sharp intakes of breath. However, we have arranged a guided tour of Port of Spain (the capital) for tomorrow – with a guy called Jesse James … er … we think it won’t be highway robbery.
Posn: 10deg40,.76N 61deg37,.89W
Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Well, it’s not what we expected! It’s all really rather nice with wooded hills and islands in the bay much closer than we anticipated. As the boating centre of Trinidad and the only place free from hurricanes in … well … as long as anyone can remember (maybe a slight exaggeration as we met a guy to-day whose mother was 103 … until yesterday, when she died). He seemed quite sanguine about it and said it was time … but we digress.
There are many suppliers and contractors of marine services and equipment here and therefore lots of competition – this is a good thing. We have met lots of them so far as we are getting quotes for a variety of jobs – more refrigeration and probably more solar panels to cope with the increase in power demands.
We arrived here on Friday, having sailed back to Store Bay on Tobago on Friday. When we got there it was Rally time again as Jomay, X-Trem and Cigale were on the moorings, and Claude from Cigale (he’s the one that masquerades as Ben Gunn) came over and helped us attach ropes to a buoy. The it was aperos on Cigale – very nice too. We agreed to leave Store Bay with X-Trem at 0530 but when we awoke the rainy season had arrived – we waited a while to see if it would blow through but this was a Tropical Wave not a squall and as it seemed set for a while we eventually got under way at 0600. There was a good ESE wind of 12-17kts and with a reef in the main we were moving along very nicely on a beam reach. However, by 1030 the rain had stopped and along with it the wind so we motored the rest of the way. The only event was a Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard boat that came and gave us a look over.
We arrived in Chaguaramas at 1500, very quickly cleared Immigration and Customs and were very helpfully assisted by the dock staff into our berth at Crews Inn (for readers of “Eats, Shoots and Leaves” there isn’t an apostrophe). The facilities here are very good – water and electricity on the pontoon, free wifi, use of the hotel swimming pool, and very helpful staff along with some marine services on site. Harmonie, Malika and Dame Oui
have been here busily preparing their boats for 3-4 months on the hard and are now hauled out at Peakes Yacht Services – where we will go too. So it was nice to have some friends around.
Apart from watching the final of the 20Twenty Cricket – well done England – we have spent most of our time visiting marine services people and having them on the boat to measure things, mutter and make sharp intakes of breath. However, we have arranged a guided tour of Port of Spain (the capital) for tomorrow – with a guy called Jesse James … er … we think it won’t be highway robbery.
23rd May 2010
Chaguaramas
We had a most sensational trip last night to see Leatherback Turtles laying eggs on Matura Beach - we just had to rush the photos to the website.
First though, our tour of Port of Spain and it environs was good and our guide took us to an old signal station, Fort St George with great views of Port of Spain and towards Chaguaramas. There's not a lot to the city - some fine old buildings in need of restoration, a new culture/theatre/arts building variously modelled on the Sydney Opera House and the Armadillo in Glasgow, a lot of new apartments and shopping malls on reclaimed land, and new public housing which looks quite nice. Brian Lara is revered here, too.
Chaguaramas
We had a most sensational trip last night to see Leatherback Turtles laying eggs on Matura Beach - we just had to rush the photos to the website.
First though, our tour of Port of Spain and it environs was good and our guide took us to an old signal station, Fort St George with great views of Port of Spain and towards Chaguaramas. There's not a lot to the city - some fine old buildings in need of restoration, a new culture/theatre/arts building variously modelled on the Sydney Opera House and the Armadillo in Glasgow, a lot of new apartments and shopping malls on reclaimed land, and new public housing which looks quite nice. Brian Lara is revered here, too.
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The trip to Matura Beach took us to the east side of the island so it was good to see some more of the place (yet another trip with Jesse James and his "Members Only" maxi-taxi service). We were in a group of about 12 people and Jesse had arranged the permits and guides. Access to the beach is severely restricted so that the turtles are not too disturbed. The beach is 5 miles long and there seemed to be a turtle about every 100 metres coming out of the sea, nesting or going back in. The process takes place at night to avoid predators and the turtles start laying eggs when they are about 25 years old, carrying on until 75 or 80 years. They will lay eggs every nine days or so on their visit to Trinidad, which occurs every three years or so. They haul themselves up the beach, find a spot (warm spot = more female hatchlings, cold spot = more male hatchlings) and dig a hole 2-3 feet deep. Then they lay 80-120 eggs, some of which are not fertilized (the small ones) in order to create air pockets for the hatchlings. Then they fill in and compact the hole and finally thrash about in the sand around the hole to camouflage the location. Then back to sea. The whole process can take about two to three hours. The egg-laying season is from March to August and the hatchlings start to pop out after 60 days. The survival rate to adult is about 1 in 1000 hatchlings - they are tiny and can easily be taken by birds or other sea creatures.
The hatchlings surface at night to avoid birds, but can get confused on cloudy days, so the guides/workers drive up and down the beach trying to protect the hatchlings from predators. They have reversed a decline in the numbers making it to the sea.
It was a really nice experience - never thought we would be in the labour ward with turtles.
The trip to Matura Beach took us to the east side of the island so it was good to see some more of the place (yet another trip with Jesse James and his "Members Only" maxi-taxi service). We were in a group of about 12 people and Jesse had arranged the permits and guides. Access to the beach is severely restricted so that the turtles are not too disturbed. The beach is 5 miles long and there seemed to be a turtle about every 100 metres coming out of the sea, nesting or going back in. The process takes place at night to avoid predators and the turtles start laying eggs when they are about 25 years old, carrying on until 75 or 80 years. They will lay eggs every nine days or so on their visit to Trinidad, which occurs every three years or so. They haul themselves up the beach, find a spot (warm spot = more female hatchlings, cold spot = more male hatchlings) and dig a hole 2-3 feet deep. Then they lay 80-120 eggs, some of which are not fertilized (the small ones) in order to create air pockets for the hatchlings. Then they fill in and compact the hole and finally thrash about in the sand around the hole to camouflage the location. Then back to sea. The whole process can take about two to three hours. The egg-laying season is from March to August and the hatchlings start to pop out after 60 days. The survival rate to adult is about 1 in 1000 hatchlings - they are tiny and can easily be taken by birds or other sea creatures.
The hatchlings surface at night to avoid birds, but can get confused on cloudy days, so the guides/workers drive up and down the beach trying to protect the hatchlings from predators. They have reversed a decline in the numbers making it to the sea.
It was a really nice experience - never thought we would be in the labour ward with turtles.
3rd June 2010
Posn: 11deg09’.41N 60deg50’.57W
Prickly Bay, Grenada
So, we are well and truly in the Lesser Antilles – the Windward Islands. Incidentally we were always confused about which islands were grouped in what way. So, first there’s the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles, which is about size and location – the former are the big islands in the north and west of the Caribbean (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola etc) and the latter are the small islands in the east. The Lesser Antilles are in two sub-groups: Leeward Islands (in the north and running from Anguilla south to Dominica), and Windward Islands (running south from Martinique to Grenada). So that’s easy then. Er ... Virgin islands? Then there’s the ABC islands ... Oh, whatever ...
Well, anyway. We like Grenada. The atmosphere is quite different from Trinidad – more at ease, friendlier, safer, more tourist-oriented and so far, drier even though it’s the rainy season. It’s also full of ... Americans ... who are ... different from the French. It’s the simple things we have come to like such as the handshake with the men and the kisses for the women when you meet them for the first time in the day. Americans are not like that – could they really hold a conversation about regional cheeses and their accompaniments for an hour? We did that with tone French crew. Oh well, just have to adjust.
We had quite a few farewells in Chaguaramas as the Dame Oui crew flew to France, then Malika crew and Harmonie crew also flew out. We said goodbye to Remy on X-trem – we had such a good time with him at Crews Inn and we were sorry to leave him. The Cigale crew were also left behind when we departed Trinidad. We really look forward to meeting up with these many friends from the RIDS when the season starts again in November/December.
We were content with the progress that we had made in Chaguaramas – the second fridge/freezer has been started and the workmanship is good so far (it will be finished when we return at the end of the month), and we had some work done on replacing Velcro with zips on our cockpit tent. Handy hint no. 2873 – Velcro does not like strong UV light.
So, how did we get here? You may think that’s a daft question but given the penchant for hysteria, exaggeration and general focus on scare stories, the ways of making the 85nm passage from Trinidad to Grenada are many and varied. Daytime or night time? If night, lights or no lights? If lights which lights: normal navigation or just an all-round white (the latter means it’s harder for others to tell which direction you are moving)? Alone or in company? Direct or via Tobago (that’s a bit extreme but we did hear the option voiced)? Oh, you may be wondering why these options – well, it’s latter-day Pirates of the Caribbean except you are unlikely to encounter Johnny Depp – come to think of it you are unlikely to encounter pirates but then why tempt providence and ‘tis better to be prudent. It’s the Venezuelans dontcha know.
In the end we left at 1820 on 28 May in company with a US yacht “Wight Skye”, sailed by Ron and Joan who are from Nebraska, and we had normal navigation lights on. Their yacht is beautifully maintained Valiant of traditional design – charming people.
We arrived at 0815 and had motored/motor-sailed all the way as the wind was between ENE and SE, and 8kts or less. There was quite a lot of traffic until about 30nm from Trindad’s north coast as there is an oil platform there and many service vessels along with fishing boats. We were lucky that no squalls came through until after we had passed this area as the radar is blind – now we are thinking maybe we should get AIS (Automatic Identification System which allows you to get speed, direction, name, call sign, MMSI number etc information about vessels nearby as well as transmitting your own information). Have to check out the prices.
Posn: 11deg09’.41N 60deg50’.57W
Prickly Bay, Grenada
So, we are well and truly in the Lesser Antilles – the Windward Islands. Incidentally we were always confused about which islands were grouped in what way. So, first there’s the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles, which is about size and location – the former are the big islands in the north and west of the Caribbean (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola etc) and the latter are the small islands in the east. The Lesser Antilles are in two sub-groups: Leeward Islands (in the north and running from Anguilla south to Dominica), and Windward Islands (running south from Martinique to Grenada). So that’s easy then. Er ... Virgin islands? Then there’s the ABC islands ... Oh, whatever ...
Well, anyway. We like Grenada. The atmosphere is quite different from Trinidad – more at ease, friendlier, safer, more tourist-oriented and so far, drier even though it’s the rainy season. It’s also full of ... Americans ... who are ... different from the French. It’s the simple things we have come to like such as the handshake with the men and the kisses for the women when you meet them for the first time in the day. Americans are not like that – could they really hold a conversation about regional cheeses and their accompaniments for an hour? We did that with tone French crew. Oh well, just have to adjust.
We had quite a few farewells in Chaguaramas as the Dame Oui crew flew to France, then Malika crew and Harmonie crew also flew out. We said goodbye to Remy on X-trem – we had such a good time with him at Crews Inn and we were sorry to leave him. The Cigale crew were also left behind when we departed Trinidad. We really look forward to meeting up with these many friends from the RIDS when the season starts again in November/December.
We were content with the progress that we had made in Chaguaramas – the second fridge/freezer has been started and the workmanship is good so far (it will be finished when we return at the end of the month), and we had some work done on replacing Velcro with zips on our cockpit tent. Handy hint no. 2873 – Velcro does not like strong UV light.
So, how did we get here? You may think that’s a daft question but given the penchant for hysteria, exaggeration and general focus on scare stories, the ways of making the 85nm passage from Trinidad to Grenada are many and varied. Daytime or night time? If night, lights or no lights? If lights which lights: normal navigation or just an all-round white (the latter means it’s harder for others to tell which direction you are moving)? Alone or in company? Direct or via Tobago (that’s a bit extreme but we did hear the option voiced)? Oh, you may be wondering why these options – well, it’s latter-day Pirates of the Caribbean except you are unlikely to encounter Johnny Depp – come to think of it you are unlikely to encounter pirates but then why tempt providence and ‘tis better to be prudent. It’s the Venezuelans dontcha know.
In the end we left at 1820 on 28 May in company with a US yacht “Wight Skye”, sailed by Ron and Joan who are from Nebraska, and we had normal navigation lights on. Their yacht is beautifully maintained Valiant of traditional design – charming people.
We arrived at 0815 and had motored/motor-sailed all the way as the wind was between ENE and SE, and 8kts or less. There was quite a lot of traffic until about 30nm from Trindad’s north coast as there is an oil platform there and many service vessels along with fishing boats. We were lucky that no squalls came through until after we had passed this area as the radar is blind – now we are thinking maybe we should get AIS (Automatic Identification System which allows you to get speed, direction, name, call sign, MMSI number etc information about vessels nearby as well as transmitting your own information). Have to check out the prices.
So, we are in Prickly Bay, otherwise known as
L’Anse aux Epines, and we can confirm that it lives up to its name, as Phil has about a dozen spines in his foot from a large, black, long-spined sea urchin. It was an OVNI thing – you know, ha, ha we only draw 70cm with the keel up so let’s anchor in that great spot near the headland at the top of the bay so that we are equidistant from the bars/restaurants, and then let’s go swimming in this shallow water, and oooh look, there’s some sea urchins, and better be careful and oh, now we have forgotten about them, and let’s swim where it’s shallower and oh f***! Have you tried removing sea urchin spines? They just break up. So poke around with a needle making holes around the spines and soak in Dettol – hope it works cos it says on the Dettol label “Do not use after Sell By Date”. So that will be May 2008 then won’t it?
Anyways, no inflammation so far. A phone call to daughter Dr Anna elicited humorous response but also very helpful – the final comment was great: you don’t get taught about sea urchin spines at medical school in the UK. We demand to know why not?
So, Suzie Too came along here too and we have had some enjoyable evenings with them, and we also met up with Frank from African Seawing for lunch. David and Suzanne from Suzie Too are having their boat returned to the UK as they have been offered a fantastic deal on a Beneteau 57 which they will sail back out here in November.
We had a farewell dinner with them on Tuesday and they left for Tobago yesterday. We look forward to seeing them later in the year and their new boat – we are sure they agreed to enter Antigua Week regatta with Phil at the helm.
We will explore the island some and check out the very many anchorages on the south coast of Grenada for the next few weeks before heading back to Trinidad and preparing Minnie B for her hurricane season rest.
20th June 2010
Posn: 11deg59’.92 N 61deg45’63W
Prickly Bay, Grenada
We returned to Prickly Bay last Saturday, 12th June. We had a pleasant sail/motor sail down from Carriacou, leaving early so that we could catch the start of England’s opening game against USA in the World Cup. So, having dropped anchor, we dinghied round to De Big Fish where England fan Ricky has got a big screen. Of course, England were so dire (a one-all draw!) we wondered why we’d bothered, but there was plenty of good banter with the Americans, who were delighted with their team’s performance.
The main reason for our return was the fitting of our new solar panels, on a specially fabricated addition to our stern arch. So, on Monday morning, we went on to the slipway at Spice Island Marine, where TechNick were to commence work. They have done a very good job, though it took longer than planned – these things generally do. We ended up on the slipway for two days instead of one, with Phil giving a lot of advice to Nick’s workers on placement of parts of the frame! The workers were an interesting group and included Carlos, a vet from Cuba, now a welder. We would definitely recommend TechNick : their contact is technick@spiceisle.com.
Wednesday we were back at anchor, and Mike from Enza Marine was on board to start the wiring for the solar panels. This also took longer than planned – a day and a half in total, as it was a fairly complex task. Unfortunately, at the same time, we realised that all was not well with the service batteries, as we were experiencing voltage drops. It transpired that two batteries were practically dead, and the other two dying. We were not amused – these batteries were new in Madeira last October and we can only assume that they were not fully charged when installed. But there was no alternative – a new set of batteries had to be bought, and Phil installed them yesterday. So, it’s been an expensive week.
However, it’s also been a week for renewing friendships. Martha from African Seawing returned to Grenada on Friday, so we had a lovely lunch and dinner with Martha and Frank, catching up on everything that’s happened since we last saw her in Brazil. Then, yesterday, Jomay, another rally Ovni, arrived here in Prickly Bay, so we had Mayte and Jose on board Minnie B for aperos and a good catch up. They will sail back to Trinidad with us, and are hauling out at Peake’s on July 1st just after us.
It’s been a great stay in Grenada. We haven’t seen as much of the island as we’d hoped, but we’ll certainly be back in November. The people here are friendly and helpful, and there is a more relaxed ambiance, in comparison with Trinidad. Just a shame it’s in the hurricane zone...there was a bit of a scare this week, with a possible cyclone forming, but thankfully it did not materialise. It was a reminder of what can happen at this time of year, and why we are returning to Trinidad.
Posn: 11deg59’.92 N 61deg45’63W
Prickly Bay, Grenada
We returned to Prickly Bay last Saturday, 12th June. We had a pleasant sail/motor sail down from Carriacou, leaving early so that we could catch the start of England’s opening game against USA in the World Cup. So, having dropped anchor, we dinghied round to De Big Fish where England fan Ricky has got a big screen. Of course, England were so dire (a one-all draw!) we wondered why we’d bothered, but there was plenty of good banter with the Americans, who were delighted with their team’s performance.
The main reason for our return was the fitting of our new solar panels, on a specially fabricated addition to our stern arch. So, on Monday morning, we went on to the slipway at Spice Island Marine, where TechNick were to commence work. They have done a very good job, though it took longer than planned – these things generally do. We ended up on the slipway for two days instead of one, with Phil giving a lot of advice to Nick’s workers on placement of parts of the frame! The workers were an interesting group and included Carlos, a vet from Cuba, now a welder. We would definitely recommend TechNick : their contact is technick@spiceisle.com.
Wednesday we were back at anchor, and Mike from Enza Marine was on board to start the wiring for the solar panels. This also took longer than planned – a day and a half in total, as it was a fairly complex task. Unfortunately, at the same time, we realised that all was not well with the service batteries, as we were experiencing voltage drops. It transpired that two batteries were practically dead, and the other two dying. We were not amused – these batteries were new in Madeira last October and we can only assume that they were not fully charged when installed. But there was no alternative – a new set of batteries had to be bought, and Phil installed them yesterday. So, it’s been an expensive week.
However, it’s also been a week for renewing friendships. Martha from African Seawing returned to Grenada on Friday, so we had a lovely lunch and dinner with Martha and Frank, catching up on everything that’s happened since we last saw her in Brazil. Then, yesterday, Jomay, another rally Ovni, arrived here in Prickly Bay, so we had Mayte and Jose on board Minnie B for aperos and a good catch up. They will sail back to Trinidad with us, and are hauling out at Peake’s on July 1st just after us.
It’s been a great stay in Grenada. We haven’t seen as much of the island as we’d hoped, but we’ll certainly be back in November. The people here are friendly and helpful, and there is a more relaxed ambiance, in comparison with Trinidad. Just a shame it’s in the hurricane zone...there was a bit of a scare this week, with a possible cyclone forming, but thankfully it did not materialise. It was a reminder of what can happen at this time of year, and why we are returning to Trinidad.
21st June 2010
Posn: 10deg40’.76N 61deg37’.89W
Crews Inn, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Well the fates did it for us – just when you are looking for your last sail for a few months to be a starlit night with a beam reach in 15kts wind, what do you get? Rain, rain, rain and 20+kts on the nose. This was not supposed to be – you know the picture. Caribbean: balmy nights and sunny days with Trade wind sailing – having left Prickly Bay at 1800 on a fine reach with said 15kts Easterly, after an hour it went awry and when we got to Chaguaramas at 0930 all hell had broken loose as the wind had gone round to SSW and boats were bobbing about like maniacs. The Coastguard was trying to get its flotilla off its docks as they were being ground to bits and the boats in the marina were like metronomes on amphetamines.
Anyways as these things do, it blew over and all is quiet and peaceful.
We sailed – ha, ha, more like motor-sailed – from Grenada in company with ‘Jomay’ (Jose and Maitie from the RIDS and their OVNI 455), ‘Galacsea’ (Jean-Philippe and Christine on an Amel 2000) and ‘Buroligala’ (Alain and partner on another Amel) – so it was back to speaking French. We think that’s why the Venezuelan pirates didn’t attack us – they couldn’t understand our VHF chat. Actually, they are probably very sensible people and given the weather, stayed home.
The next few weeks are work, work, work ... but very important to leave Minnie B in clean and dry state. Dunno what state we will be in when we have finished though.
Posn: 10deg40’.76N 61deg37’.89W
Crews Inn, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Well the fates did it for us – just when you are looking for your last sail for a few months to be a starlit night with a beam reach in 15kts wind, what do you get? Rain, rain, rain and 20+kts on the nose. This was not supposed to be – you know the picture. Caribbean: balmy nights and sunny days with Trade wind sailing – having left Prickly Bay at 1800 on a fine reach with said 15kts Easterly, after an hour it went awry and when we got to Chaguaramas at 0930 all hell had broken loose as the wind had gone round to SSW and boats were bobbing about like maniacs. The Coastguard was trying to get its flotilla off its docks as they were being ground to bits and the boats in the marina were like metronomes on amphetamines.
Anyways as these things do, it blew over and all is quiet and peaceful.
We sailed – ha, ha, more like motor-sailed – from Grenada in company with ‘Jomay’ (Jose and Maitie from the RIDS and their OVNI 455), ‘Galacsea’ (Jean-Philippe and Christine on an Amel 2000) and ‘Buroligala’ (Alain and partner on another Amel) – so it was back to speaking French. We think that’s why the Venezuelan pirates didn’t attack us – they couldn’t understand our VHF chat. Actually, they are probably very sensible people and given the weather, stayed home.
The next few weeks are work, work, work ... but very important to leave Minnie B in clean and dry state. Dunno what state we will be in when we have finished though.
8th July 2010
Posn: on the hard at Peakes boatyard, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Well, this is it. Minnie B is pretty much put to bed for the hurricane season and to-day we fly back to the UK for 3.5 months to see family and friends. That will be great but will we twitch and get restless, irritable and pine for the sea? We hope that it will not be too much.
Our time at Crews Inn and on the hard has been a lot of work, but made much more fun by being in company with Maitie and Jose from Jomay, and indeed, Jomay is but a hand’s breadth away on the hard (we know it’s a hand’s breadth away as we have taken it in turns to make the evening aperos).
All the running rigging has been taken off, washed and dried and mouse lines fitted; the sails, spray hood and bimini have been repaired (just some small chafe etc), dried and stowed below; the outboard engines and safety gear are below and every inch of the boat has been cleaned. We have an air-conditioning unit keeping the temperature below 70 degrees F to keep the mildew at bay, and there are roach traps and anti-insect powders spread about – not that we have roaches or insects but we do not want to return to an infestation. The engine has been serviced and the seawater cooling flushed with fresh water, so we are ready to go on return. We are having the old Jotun anti-fouling removed and the paint taken back to the epoxy coat – we are going back to Trilux for next season as after the Amazon, the Jotun has not performed well. Not that the disaster in Madeira helped matters when the anti-fouling was power-washed off and we only had time to put on one coat.
So, how has it been? Our 13 months of sailing? Fantastic, unmissable, so much laughter and happiness – the odd bout of grumpiness notwithstanding, but that’s only human.
Our time in Spain and Portugal was languid and gentle – just what we needed to get into the change in lifestyle. The Rallye Iles du Soleil so exceeded our expectations that we cannot recommend it too strongly – we have visited some amazing places: too many to mention all, but include Mt Teide in Tenerife, Sine-Saloum delta in Senegal, Sao Antao in the Cape Verdes, Salvador and the Baia de Todos Santos in Brazil, then Frenando da Noronha, and the Amazon. Many would have been impossible/too difficult for us (and in some cases too dangerous on our own). Then we enjoyed a touch of tropical, metropolitan France in Kourou and at last our entry to the Caribbean – the delightful simplicity of Tobago, the buzz of Grenada and the calm of Carriacou.
We have had some great sailing – so much downwind or off the wind – and we now know Minnie B very well, so we can get the best out of her and she can keep us comfortable and safe.
We have made countless new friends and we know we will have enduring friendships too, as we meet up again next season and beyond.
We have had superb companions on different legs of our trip: David and Jacquie across Biscay, Brian and Jill in Portugal, Donal and Michael from Portugal to Madeira, Gilli and Sally from Tenerife to Senegal, John and Beth from Cape Verdes to Brazil (and Juliette in Salvador) and we thank them for their company, their humour, and their forbearance if skipper and mate ever became a bit much. Then, last but not least, we had two unforgettable months with Julia – a great friend as well as daughter, and a calm sailor. What a privilege for us it has been to have all this company. We are asked what we miss while we are away – very simple: family and friends (oh, and real ale and cheddar cheese – and it’s not necessarily in that order!!!).
So, we look forward to our time in the UK and hope that we can persuade many more people to join us on our fabulous sailing adventure which will restart in November 2010.
So, our diary will also restart in November, but in the meantime we need to put together the next PLAN.
Enjoy.
Posn: on the hard at Peakes boatyard, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Well, this is it. Minnie B is pretty much put to bed for the hurricane season and to-day we fly back to the UK for 3.5 months to see family and friends. That will be great but will we twitch and get restless, irritable and pine for the sea? We hope that it will not be too much.
Our time at Crews Inn and on the hard has been a lot of work, but made much more fun by being in company with Maitie and Jose from Jomay, and indeed, Jomay is but a hand’s breadth away on the hard (we know it’s a hand’s breadth away as we have taken it in turns to make the evening aperos).
All the running rigging has been taken off, washed and dried and mouse lines fitted; the sails, spray hood and bimini have been repaired (just some small chafe etc), dried and stowed below; the outboard engines and safety gear are below and every inch of the boat has been cleaned. We have an air-conditioning unit keeping the temperature below 70 degrees F to keep the mildew at bay, and there are roach traps and anti-insect powders spread about – not that we have roaches or insects but we do not want to return to an infestation. The engine has been serviced and the seawater cooling flushed with fresh water, so we are ready to go on return. We are having the old Jotun anti-fouling removed and the paint taken back to the epoxy coat – we are going back to Trilux for next season as after the Amazon, the Jotun has not performed well. Not that the disaster in Madeira helped matters when the anti-fouling was power-washed off and we only had time to put on one coat.
So, how has it been? Our 13 months of sailing? Fantastic, unmissable, so much laughter and happiness – the odd bout of grumpiness notwithstanding, but that’s only human.
Our time in Spain and Portugal was languid and gentle – just what we needed to get into the change in lifestyle. The Rallye Iles du Soleil so exceeded our expectations that we cannot recommend it too strongly – we have visited some amazing places: too many to mention all, but include Mt Teide in Tenerife, Sine-Saloum delta in Senegal, Sao Antao in the Cape Verdes, Salvador and the Baia de Todos Santos in Brazil, then Frenando da Noronha, and the Amazon. Many would have been impossible/too difficult for us (and in some cases too dangerous on our own). Then we enjoyed a touch of tropical, metropolitan France in Kourou and at last our entry to the Caribbean – the delightful simplicity of Tobago, the buzz of Grenada and the calm of Carriacou.
We have had some great sailing – so much downwind or off the wind – and we now know Minnie B very well, so we can get the best out of her and she can keep us comfortable and safe.
We have made countless new friends and we know we will have enduring friendships too, as we meet up again next season and beyond.
We have had superb companions on different legs of our trip: David and Jacquie across Biscay, Brian and Jill in Portugal, Donal and Michael from Portugal to Madeira, Gilli and Sally from Tenerife to Senegal, John and Beth from Cape Verdes to Brazil (and Juliette in Salvador) and we thank them for their company, their humour, and their forbearance if skipper and mate ever became a bit much. Then, last but not least, we had two unforgettable months with Julia – a great friend as well as daughter, and a calm sailor. What a privilege for us it has been to have all this company. We are asked what we miss while we are away – very simple: family and friends (oh, and real ale and cheddar cheese – and it’s not necessarily in that order!!!).
So, we look forward to our time in the UK and hope that we can persuade many more people to join us on our fabulous sailing adventure which will restart in November 2010.
So, our diary will also restart in November, but in the meantime we need to put together the next PLAN.
Enjoy.