Bequia, Grenadines
13.00.610N
61.14.523W

What a beautiful day! We hoisted anchor about 7am this morning, raised our main sail, waved good-bye to Rainbowrider, who thought that they would be following shortly, and motored our way out of the northern entrance to the Tobago Cays. Hardly anyone appeared to be up and the water was still. We did see a couple of early risers on the beach preparing to snorkel around the island we had explored a few days earlier. Probably a good idea to beat the rush.

After we cleared all of the coral heads surrounding the islands forming the Tobago Cays, we turned to get the best angle we could to the winds to sail north to Bequia and unfurled our jib. The Palace responded by listing to the port side, so we turned off the engine and sailed almost the rest of the way to Bequia about 35 miles away. I say almost, as the wind was just a bit north of east, so we had to pinch into the wind all the way. When the winds picked up, we pinched a bit higher.

It was a great transit. We would speed along at 6 knots at times and then drop to 2.5kts at others; it didn‘t matter, it was a gorgeous day and we were in no hurry. A bit of rain did pass over us but surprisingly, the high winds normally associated with passing rain was on the back side of the cloud instead of the leading edge. At the highest point, we saw 23 kts. The Palace took it in stride with simply easing the sails out a bit to control the list but not enough to jeopardize the pinch we needed to make good on our course. As a result, we made it on one tack but then had to turn on the engine to actually enter Admiralty Bay and make our way into Port Elizabeth.

On our way into the bay, Linda & Jerry on Summer Breeze hailed us on the radio to welcome us in. They suggested that the turtle preserve was well worth seeing. We decided to save it until we meet up with Gerry & Nicky so that we could all see it together. Unfortunately, Summer Breeze was preparing to leave for St. Vincent so we wouldn’t be able to catch up with them tonight but promised to try to meet up with them later up-island.

We found a nice patch of sand to bury our anchor in on the north side of the harbor and Dale jumped in to check the anchor and all of the flying gurnards. While he was doing that, I dove below deck to fetch the computer to make sure we had found a spot with good internet connection possibilities. Eureka! There were four in the area. Unfortunately, the best price I could find was $10 a day. Boy, they really know they’ve got you if you’re addicted to the internet.

Rainbowrider radioed later that they wouldn’t be making it up today but that they were able to borrow a prop from their friend and had to go to another island to purchase a used one for themselves and to return the one that they had borrowed. We’d be seeing them tomorrow probably by noon.

The rest of the afternoon was consumed with the normal after transit routine; eating, sleeping and fixing anything that hadn’t made it. It was at this time that Dale fixed the dinghy engine. Apparently the throttle body was stuck in the open position. After applying copious amounts of silicone spray on anything that moved, after drenching the throttle body, and a little tweaking of the idle speed, we were back in business. I, on the other hand, found a can of seasick tomatoes in the very back of my storage locker that had decided that it wanted off this boat and leaked a black sticky substance all over the cabinet in protest. I complied with its wishes and dumped it in the trash then spent an inordinate amount of time in very ungraceful positions trying to sanitize the area. We ended our evening at sun down by bellowing on the conch horn, eating our Thanksgiving leftovers and listening to island style Christmas music coming from the shore. Tis the season!

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We awoke to a beautiful clear blue morning and a radio call from Rainbowrider that they had lost one of their two props sometime between yesterday and today. Today was the first that he confirmed the fact but upon recollection, he said that he had signs of it as they were anchoring yesterday over on Union Island; he just hadn’t associated the problems with keeping his boat into the wind with the lost prop. Since Rainbowrider is a catamaran, they still had their second engine and those big, white floppy things, so they continued on their way but were concerned with the threatening skies to the east of us. We assured them that the black clouds were still a long way off and it was too soon to tell if they would skirt to the south of us as nearly everything else had. Rainbowrider continued on in and eventually anchored in front of us.

They were well settled when it became obvious that the rain would not keep tracking south as we had hoped but instead, drifted right over us. I suppose I should have known that today, of all days, it would dawn beautifully but end up blustery all day. No matter, Jill, Linda and I had baking to do. We immediately changed the plans of commandeering the picnic table on the beach and voted Linda’s boat as being the sight of our Thanksgiving dinner. It didn’t have to go anywhere, just float, with the least amount of rocking.

Linda had the turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans. Jill had the rice pilaf, squash and gingerbread cake and I had the candied yams, yeast rolls, deviled eggs, dressing, gravy and pumpkin pie. (You’ll be happy to know, Mom, that even though there is no Cool Whip to be found down island, I whipped up heavy cream without making butter.) We decided that 1 pm was our target and away we went. Believe it or not, we made it; sort of.

Dale & I had packed up our dishes and were in the process of transferring everything to the dinghy when the first big drops of rain started. Jill & Dean (Delilah) were doing the same. Both dinghies were heading for Rainbowrider at the same time but ours suddenly started to race and Dale yelled that he couldn’t get the engine out of gear. We tried circling to the right to avoid hitting Rainbowrider and approached the stern again. Still Dale couldn’t get it out of gear. It was either full throttle forward or full throttle backward; there was no neutral. We were heading for the area between the two hulls where Dale tried to control our speed by throwing it into reverse, this didn’t work and we almost knocked Dean out of his dinghy as he was stepping onto the transom of Rainbowrider. In the meantime, the skies have let loose; it’s pouring rain, the wind is howling and the waves are picking up in the anchorage. After another attempt at scooting up the side of Rainbowrider to catch the side and cut the engine, we eventually threw our dinghy painter (the long line we use to tie it up) to Gary and then cut the engine. Gary hauled us in and helped us out. Boy am I glad I put Saran Wrap on the gravy! Gary just said “you should have seen your face”.

By this time, 5 of the 6 of us were soaked to the bone. Two of us were wishing we had kept our bathing suits on. Jill was glad that she had changed her mind about wearing a skirt opting for shorts instead. Dale figured that the accelerator cable came off and that he can repair it.

In spite of our rather inauspicious beginning, we enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. Linda sang Happy Birthday to me and gave me a gift that she and Gary made from a seashell, a tiny sand dollar, a sea bean and a tiny piece of coral, it will make a wonderful keepsake ornament for Christmas. Dale told everyone that he’s taking me back to Liberty Jewelers soon. After a delightful afternoon of food, fun, friends, and a promise of shiny things in my future, we rowed back to the Palace.

Tomorrow, we head for Bequia, unless the weather doesn’t clear up tonight. Rainbowrider will wait for a couple of hours to see if a friend of theirs comes through with a spare prop. Gary says its not just the prop that they need. They need the prop, the shaft and the nut that holds it all on. Remember: Cruising is fixing your boat in exotic places.

Note to Self: Cruising is fixing your boat AND your dinghy in exotic places.

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

Another bumpy night with 30 kt gusts. The morning dawned rather gray but definitely less blustery and the sun would peek out from time to time. We got our morning chores done, then hopped in the dink and headed over to Baradel, the tiny island to our left, to go snorkeling; figuring that the horseshoe reef would be too churned up for any good visibility. We met Jill & Dean (Delilah) on the beach who had the same idea. So we secured our dinghies and headed into the turtle grass in search of turtles.

Even behind the island, the sand was churned up making the visibility less than desirable but we did spot a couple of turtles and followed them around for awhile. Although there were quite a few fish, with the visibility being so murky, I was inclined to call it a day and head back when Jill & Dean did. Dale suggested that we try swimming around the island with the understanding that if the visibility got any worse, we’d head back.

As it turned out, the visibility did get better even though it was the side the waves were crashing into and the schools of reef fish definitely improved. Besides the fish I’ve mentioned previously, we also saw a queen angel fish and a lobster condo. Perhaps a lobster nursery is more accurate. We saw about 10 of the spiny dinners in the shell hiding beneath a couple of rocks. I hope they survive to adulthood. This area is a marine preserve but locals and visitors alike poach the little critters the second they reach a pound. The ones we saw hardly had tails longer than 3”.

We continued our journey around the island and saw an area loaded with West Indian Sea Eggs, a type of sea urchin. Linda had told us that she had seen a couple of men harvesting them a few days ago. We finished our circumnavigation of the island and headed back to the boat.

The rest of the day I pulled together recipes for a Thanksgiving dinner; made sure I had all of the ingredients I needed for the recipes and dishes to actually put the food into. Then I created a timeline so that I could cook everything I needed to on a 3 burner stove and a small oven. Since its calm right now, I’ve decided to make the pumpkin pie tonight. Dale and I were trying to remember the last time I made a pie crust from scratch. It’s been a while; I have gravitated over the years to those pre-made ones that you just fold out into the pie plate. So far, so good; at least it looks right. I’ll let you know tomorrow.

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

Another night of 30 kt gusts. Generally its just the leading edge of rain cells coming through but it gets a bit unnerving with the wind howling through the rigging, the waves slapping against the hull and having to pop up every couple of hours to open or close the hatches. Plus you never know when a neighbor might drag by to say hi. So far, bless their little anchors, everyone’s stayed put.

We had every intention of snorkeling the little island to the north where Freddie said she saw some flying gunnards yesterday but the wind kept the waves choppy, even in the protected area behind the reef. So we stayed on the Palace all day, opting to jump in close to home and float on the rescued inner tube we found in the Gulf Stream last year.

Both Rainbowrider and Chez Freddie left today to head back to Union Island for provisioning, so that leaves just Delilah and us keeping watch over all the newbies coming and going.

Its amazing! Everyday 20 or so charterers come in and drop their anchors and then pick up and leave the next day to be replaced by another 20 or so. Plus we have the commercial day sails that come in everyday with their load. Yet it hasn’t seemed really crowded. I think with the lack of hurricanes this year, “high” season has come early.

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

Poor Dale! He went over to borrow Rainbowrider’s sat phone first thing and babysat it all morning hoping that Globalstar would call us back as promised. After lunch, he couldn’t take it any longer and started the call backs. He would have to wait until he had a signal, then dial. If he got through then he went into a phone tree and had to wait until ‘the next available operator’ was ready. Sometimes he would sit for 10-15 minutes in the holding pattern, then the signal would drop and he’d have to start all over again. Sometimes he would sit for 10-15 in the holding pattern, finally get through to a human being before the signal would drop. Finally, he just started asking for a supervisor as soon as he was able to get through to a human before the signal would drop. Now keep in mind, this is with a working phone. At the moment, ours won’t even allow us to connect to the satellite.

The long and short of it is, when he finally got through to a supervisor and they were able to discuss the problem, the supervisor told him to bring the phone in and they would replace it. I think they were as frustrated with the dropped signals as he was. But let’s think about this for a second. Why would we have a sat phone if we could just pop into the nearest store? Wouldn’t it be a lot cheaper to have a cell phone if we were just coastal cruising?

In any event, our communication links are out. No phone (sorry kids and Mom, I won‘t be able to call you on Thanksgiving), no weather forecasts, or emergency e-mail until we can get to the BVI’s, which is where the nearest local store is. Our closest guess is that it will take us about 2 weeks. In the meantime, I’ll keep searching for internet connections along the way and try to Skype you (telephone via the internet) when I get a chance.

Needless to say, I grabbed a book and stayed in my hammock out of the way most of the day. This evening, though, we joined Jim & Freddie on Chez Freddie with their guests (his cousin & wife), Gary & Linda (Rainbowrider), and Dean & Jill (Delilah). We ate appetizers galore and sang along with Jim & his cousin to Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul & Mary tunes. Just like camp! Great fun!

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

What a night! At one point when Dale checked we had 28 kts of wind. Just a squall blowing through but enough to grab your attention. I have to admit, of the 29 boats I counted (with 21 being charterers) no one dragged that I am aware of.

After we got our normal morning routine of breakfast, dishes & genset run, we jumped into the dinghy and headed for the Wall again. Rainbowrider and a guest on Magic joined in the fun. We tied up to a dinghy mooring ball set out near the reef and jumped in. I’d like to point out at this time that Dale was so excited about the dive that he couldn’t wait for me to tie my normal ‘granny knot’ and took over securing the dinghy.

We wound our way through the coral, out through the cut and scanned the wall. I guess because of the wind and waves during the night, the visibility wasn’t as good as it had been the previous day but still good enough to enjoy the view. We headed south and followed the wall until we noticed that the current was carrying us along rather quickly. So, we turned around and headed back. At some point, I pointed out the 4’ nurse shark headed in the opposite direction. We watched it long enough to make sure that it had no interest in us then returned our attention to our progress along the wall. We saw a good sized porcupine fish hiding among the sponges and coral but nothing more unusual. We floated among the schools of fish that were as curious about us as we were about them. I checked out a keel that some misfortunate sailor left behind. We returned to where we had come out onto the wall then passed heading along the northern side. We followed in that direction until it dropped even further away and the water being churned by the waves hitting the island became too murky to really enjoy the view.

Dale gave me the signal to head back, so we slowly made our way back the way we had come, passing the nurse shark heading in the opposite direction of us again. You could say that we and the nurse shark were patrolling the wall in opposite directions. Again, we made sure that it passed beneath us and continued on its way without taking notice of us before we continued in our own direction.

We returned to the bank where we had left the dinghy and as we came up on the bank, the dinghy was exactly where we had left it. However, during the swim back, I realized that our dinghy was no longer where we had put it but was making an escape. I signaled to Dale, who in turn shot past me as if he suddenly grown his own set of gills. He was making pretty good progress but a dinghy full of young girls zipped up and snagged it for him.

You know, it could have happened to anyone. However, since we’re in a normal marriage, I was just glad that I wasn’t the one who had tied the knot on this particular occasion. I wasn’t even going to say anything. But you know Dale . . . He discussed the knot tying procedure ad nauseum trying to figure out what he had done wrong and whether it was different than the way that I tie mine. Gary got into the discussion too saying that the knot look a little loose when they tied to the same ring, so they tightened it back up. I was just happy that it had happened at the end of our trip and not the beginning. We were gone almost 2 hours with waves being sent over the reef, so most likely, it was the constant motion that simply untied it, regardless of who tied it. Still . . . I’m glad that it wasn’t me.

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

The highlight of today was our snorkeling trip to the reef. We began by touring through some of the reefs inspecting the new growth of elkhorn coral and watched as the little blennies, damselfish, butterfly fish, tang, parrotfish, and filefish went about their daily activities.
Eventually, we made our way out beyond the reef, following the sand ‘highways’ that marked the route. We came up over some elkhorn that looked like it had been shaped into a fence and there it was: The Wall.

You probably remember from the post regarding our last visit to the Tobago Cays, the sight of this is like being in an interactive movie. The coral is all about the same height with the depth of the water pretty constant at about 10’, then it falls away below you to about 40-50 feet. The water changes from being without color to a neon blue but is so clear, you can see the sand on the bottom. Below you lies the most spectacular vision.

The fish, even the small ones, are larger here. Schools of bright blue chromis rose up to meet us; probably looking for a handout. Other schools of reef fish floated by to welcome us to the neighborhood before moving on. We hovered there practically without breathing as two spotted eagle rays appeared to the left of us, flying parallel to the wall just below our level. They glided past in front of us, then continued on out of sight to our right. It was a magical moment, one I hope never to forget.

On our last visit, we had turned south to follow the wall and ended up getting struck in a spot where we couldn’t get back. Today we turned north to follow the wall, mesmerized by all we could see. Not too far into our adventure, we spotted a small nurse shark on the bottom headed south. Dale kept his eye on it so that we could positively identify it in our fish identification book later. By this time, we had been out for quite a while and you know how I feel about sharks, so slowly we made our way back to the cut and started to look for our dinghy. I was surprised at how far away we had gotten. Dale spotted a spotted snake eel on the way back and a couple of large queen conch.

Tomorrow, we’re going back but instead of poking around the shallow parts, we’re heading directly for the wall and spend our energies there.

On our way back to the Palace, we stopped by Rainbowrider and told them how to locate the cut. Unfortunately, when they went out a couple of hours later, the currents were stronger and they didn’t enjoy the trip as much as we had.

Dale spent more time trying to get our sat phone up and running and went through the same diagnostics as we did yesterday with another representative today but still no joy. He’ll try again on Monday.

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

It definitely blew a houley last night! At one point, Dale turned on the wind indicator and saw that it was blowing 30 kts steady. Probably that tropical wave we’ve been hearing about go through. Still, it was another beautiful morning that we awoke to.

I had just opened up our companion way when I saw the first mega-cat heading straight towards us; yipes! they like to pass by close. I gave my best royal wave and smiled knowing that I’d hadn’t brushed my hair yet. I didn’t hear any screams, so I guess it was OK.

A little later, I jumped in and swam out to the anchor and back, just to say that I’d exercised a bit. I noticed that the water wasn’t as clear as it had been yesterday but I hung off the back ladder and watched the school of (most likely) herring and 5 trunkfish that had taken up residency under our boat. A couple of the tiniest bright yellow damselfish were hanging around the rudder. It doesn’t take a whole lot to entertain me.

Dale decided that the sat phone wasn’t working properly so he spent the better part of the day using, Rainbowrider’s sat phone and the last of our minutes on our Trini cell phone trying to figure out why we aren’t connecting to the satellite. So far, no joy. Have you ever noticed that you need a phone to fix a phone; particularly if you’re in the middle of the ocean?

Periodically we’d jump in the water and just paddle around the boat a bit to cool off. I have to admit, it’s a lot cooler down here than I thought it would be. Generally speaking, the temperature stays in the mid 80’s all the time. It’s the humidity that goes up and down and you really need those trade winds to keep things comfortable. We watched as a broad line of black clouds passed south of us and decided to finish the rest of our sky watching from the boat.

We ended the day by gathering on Rainbowrider with Gary & Linda and Jim & Gina from MelloMoon. I started throwing out the idea that if we all got together, we could probably come up with a pretty good Thanksgiving dinner. Gina & Linda seemed interested, so we’ll see where it takes us. I remember a British couple saying that we Americans were always organizing things. What can I say? Someone has to do it and besides, I searched all over Trini for a frozen turkey breast.

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

The wind definitely piped up during the night and we had quite a bit of rain but none of it dampened our spirits. We awoke to a beautiful morning and were making preparations to go snorkeling the reef when it appeared as if someone had blown a whistle and mega-cats barreled in from various directions filled to capacity with tourists. Some of them didn’t even bother to stop; they would make a tour of the little islands then headed back out again. Some did anchor way out, almost on top of the reef, while others anchored near an island and unloaded their passengers for a day of snorkeling and wind surfing. None of them were very close to us and certainly the reef is big enough for all to enjoy; it was just rather humorous to see everyone arrive at the same time and pretty much leave by 3:00pm. They were as much entertainment for us as we were to them.

Dale and I went snorkeling in a different spot than we had the last time we had visited and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The only problem was that we must have picked a time when the tides were coming in as we spent a lot of time swimming upstream and not much to show for it; although I did see a peacock flounder for the first time. We decided to go perpendicular to the current and did make some headway but as soon as I saw a small reef shark, we changed course and promptly ran into a very large barracuda, one that I suspect had been watching us. On the way back to the dinghy, we spotted a good sized ray. I really enjoy seeing the colorful fish, particularly the tiny ones that are so bright. I even enjoy seeing good sized fish if they continue doing whatever fish chores they had been doing. Where I start to become intimidated, is when the fish are as big as I am and they are more interested in what I’m doing. I’m always concerned that they can tell I’ve been eating some of their kind and might decide that turn about is fair play. I probably look like a jelly filled donut with snorkel and fins to a giant grouper.

Gary & Linda were just starting their snorkeling for the day, so we told them about the strong current, shark & ‘cuda. They told us later, after they caught their breath from the uphill swim, that they had seen a 4’ nurse shark but none of the others. Of course not, they were all hiding out waiting for the jelly donut to float by again.

We finished our day by barbequing tuna steaks on the grill at sundown just to remind ourselves that we’re still bigger than the ones in the grocery store and taking turns blowing our conch horn, at times rather pathetically. Of course, that means now all of the crustaceans will be watching us too!

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
12.37.791N
61.21.393W

Although it didn’t blow a houley last night, the wind did pick up for the rain that eventually passed through. The first charter boat that we have seen this season had pulled in at dusk, dropped their hook, then proceeded to party hardy. They woke up in a different place this morning but thankfully still safe and secure with no misadventures during the night.

We hoisted anchor at 8am and motored over to Hillsborough on Carriacou to check out. Some islands have their customs and immigration forms on line and since Grenada is one, we took the opportunity when we had it to download the forms and have them preprinted for checking in and out. This makes life much easier for everyone involved and the customs official said as much. We were in, out and gone by 9am.

We then sailed over to Union Island to check into the Grenadines. Although our anchor held for the time that we needed to be there, it had a rather tenuous grip so we left the engine running while Dale ran to clear us in. I think I scared him when I told him that if I wasn’t there when he returned, I would be doing figure eights out beyond the reef. It was a quick trip. We left Union by noon and picked our way through the reefs at the southern end of the Tobago Cays by 1pm.

Dragonfly, our slip neighbor in Coral Cove Marina (Trinidad) was already here. We picked a spot nearby and settled in behind them a bit. Dale let out 100’ of chain, although we anchored in 9’ of water, then proceeded to raise the sunshades over the front and back of the boat. We’re going to be here awhile. I told him I’d like to spend Thanksgiving here because I love it so much. The drawback is also what makes it attractive. The closest grocery store, internet café, bank, gas station, etc, is back on Union Island.

Dale dove in to check to make sure the anchor was securely set, then swam over to Dragonfly to say hello and invite, Jeff & Una over for sundowners. They told us that Dean & Jill on Delilah, other campers from Coral Cove were also here. The more the merrier, they were invited too. Plus Gary & Linda on Rainbowrider, we had a full cockpit this evening.

It’s good to be back where the water is crystal clear and the reefs are alive with fish and coral. One new item though, Jeff & Una have been here for over a week and told us that we now have a nurse shark that likes to swim in the area too. And you know how I love sharks, regardless of type!

Sandy Island, Grenada
12.28.944N
61.29.062W

One of the reasons why we don’t particularly like Prickly Bay is due to the constant roll. It’s an easy harbor to enter but because of that, it is also easy for the swell to roll in. Last night was one of the worst ones. Neither one of us got much sleep, so when we hoisted anchor at 7 am, it seemed really, really early.

We scooted out of Prickly Bay heading west, tippy toed though the shallows south of Grenada and then turned anticipating a lively romp north. Except that the wind was on our nose again! It wasn’t until we left Grenada behind us that we were finally able to cut the engine and sail. However, when we were able to unfurl those big white floppy things, they filled with enough breezes to have us traveling 5.5 - 6 kts.

Along the way we commissioned Roger & Elaine’s laptop computer to the deep when we tossed it into the underwater volcano, Kick ‘em Jenny. We bellowed on the conch horn to call Poseidon, Neptune and all of the denizens of the deep to safeguard Roger & Elaine’s privacy against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Then we blew the conch horn again 4 or 5 times and rendered their computer to Davy Jones’ locker. Normally, we don’t like throwing trash into the ocean but Elaine wanted to make sure that no one could get to their personal information. Dunking it in salt water then throwing into the trash seemed too impersonal. We figured this was way more ‘old sailor’ salty. It sank like a stone so I don’t think anyone will be seeing it for the next 20-30 years. That is, unless the volcano blows tomorrow and spits it back out.

We made Carriacou by early afternoon and anchored near what used to be a great reef to snorkel around. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ivan leveled the poor thing; wiping out all of the palm trees and churned up the reef below.

Once we anchored, we donned our gear, jumped in and headed out for a swim. It was wonderful to be in clear water again. The reef is making a valiant effort in returning and I really enjoyed the tiny fish, crabs, and Christmas tree worms in the new growth. We saw the usual assortment of blue tang, parrot fish, trigger fish, and damsel fish and I was delighted to see those little silversides that look like underwater clouds. Inside a barrel shaped sponge, a large porcupine fish was hiding.

On our way back to the boat, we saw the trunk of a palm tree about 80’ long submerged between the reef and where we were anchored. I was glad we had anchored further out; I saw how it had the potential for being a hazard for those dropping their anchors across it. At least it was in shallow enough water that you could dive it if you had to. When we got back to our boat, a stingray was on the sandy bottom below our transom ladder munching away at something. Since we were in 20’ of water, we were no where near it and it completely ignored us.

Tomorrow we’ll check out of the country of Grenada (of which Carriacou and Sandy Island belong) and check into Union Island, a member of the Grenadines, before we make our way to Tobago Cays (which are also part of the Grenadines).

Right now, I need some sleep, except that the wind is picking up and the boat is starting to dance.

Prickly Bay, Grenada
11.59.953N
61.45.753W

Today we prepared to make another move north.

We dinghied over to Mt. Hartman Bay and uploaded our latest posts, then returned to Hog Island, where we made our rounds saying good-bye to everyone. We hoisted anchor and moved west to Prickly Bay. On our transit over we saw a house in the shape of a castle, including turret, painted gold. One of those amazing sights you never imagine seeing.

We entered Prickly Bay and anchored, almost as if in another lifetime, just a bit behind DocNoMore. Only this time, there were no welcoming shouts to come on over or ‘let’s go exploring’. Probably just as well, as a storm cell passed to the north of us and made all of the boats dance in a circle. Linda told us later that they had held back watching a funnel shaped cloud trying unsuccessfully to reach the water. We never saw it.

We dropped the dinghy into the water and made our way to Budget Marine to pick up a few last minute supplies and then hiked out to the road where we could catch a bus into town to stop by a bank and grocery store to do our last minute provisioning. We returned the same way we had come and went to our respective boats to secure everything.

Since this will be the last time we’ll be near any ‘real’ restaurants, Dale and I made one more trip to Bananas for dinner.

When we returned, we lifted the outboard onto the back and hoisted the dinghy into the davits and cinched it down firmly. Tomorrow at daybreak, we’ll head north to Carriacou.

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.050N
61.44.548W

It rained quite a bit during the night, so we prepared to operate on the outboard shortly after listening to the net while it was somewhat dry. We hoisted the engine up to the cradle on the back end. Dale spun the prop by hand; it appeared to be fine. However, when he put it in gear, it would make a clicking sound; he didn’t like that idea. John dropped by to check on the progress; he didn’t like the clicking sound either. However, he suggested that his other buddy, Lenny, take a look since Lenny had rebuilt Mercury outboard engines several times and off he went to go fetch Lenny.

In the meantime, I was running back and forth setting up an O R tray on the back deck. I selected large and small screw drivers, wrenchs, pliers, vice grips, the replacement propeller, the other kind of wrench where there is a circle at the end and a “C” at the other end (Dale says this is an open/box-end wrench). I collected spray cleaner, oil, grease and an empty plastic bottle to dump the oil into. Dale on the other hand found the top to a storage box and some plastic to lay across the transom lockers in hopes of catching anything that fell.

Lenny returned. Dale spun the prop. Lenny listened. “Sounds normal to me” he said. Then he told John to pull up his engine and spin his prop by hand; sure enough, it made the same sound. OK, so that part’s fine. Dale went into the story of what had happened and Lenny agreed that it sounded like we had spun the prop. John & Lenny left and Dale & I began our surgery.

I was sent back one more time to find a piece of wood that would hold the prop from spinning while Dale turned the nut holding it in place and after a bit of coaxing, it finally released. Yep! It was damaged. Just enough to give when there was a good load on it.

Dale cleaned the old grease off, put some new grease on while I tried to smooth some grease into the new prop blade. While we had everything disconnected, we decided to change the oil in the “lower case”. While Dale unscrewed the screws, I held the plastic bottle that I had taped a funnel to and tried to catch the old stuff coming out. I was surprised as to how little actually came out as compared to what we ended up replacing.

Now, who ever determined that you had to fill an outboard from the bottom must have had a sense of humor. In order to let out the oil, you unscrew 2 screws, one at the top and one out of the bottom, then the oil comes out of the bottom. But to refill the oil, you stuff the oil bottle into the bottom hole and squeeze until the oil comes out of the top hole. I gather this is to preclude any air pockets but trying to re-screw the stubby little screw back into the top hole as oil is bubbling up, then trying to re-screw the stubby little screw back into the bottom hole before the oil falls back out, was a task of unlimited possibilities for dropped screws. I preferred to squeeze the oil bottle instead of handling the screws, just in case Murphy’s law decided to descend upon the Palace again.

The rain started again but when we placed the engine back on the dinghy, we had to take our victory lap around the anchorage with smiles for everyone to know that we accomplished our goal without incident and only a fair amount of engine oil on us.

After the rain subsided, we finished our day at the Barbeque on the beach where we joined all of our friends in waiting in line for paper plates. Apparently, the providers remembered, the fish, the chicken and the pork but forgot to buy more plates. Ahh, life in topical paradise. At least they had rum!

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.050N
61.44.548W

As days go at anchor, this one was rather busy. We began our day by reading in our respective books. Then we headed over to Whispering Cove Marina to play Mexican Dominos under an open tent with Shelly, one of the proprietors, George & Mary on Avelon V (we met them in Carriacou several months ago) and of course, Gary & Linda on Rainbowrider.

Gary was new to the game but Melina, Shelly’s nine year old daughter, sat at his side and not only told him how to play the game but also suggested various strategies to enhance his moves. I was impressed with how sharp she was. She was also pretty quick in adding up the scores too. Little did we know that we had a pint sized ringer in our midst.

Mexican Dominos takes about 2 - 3 hours to play, depending upon how many people are participating; today was no different. We drank fresh, homemade lemonade and welcomed the breezes throughout the afternoon but then rushed back to our respective boats for social hour on True Companions with Steve & Vickie.

We enjoyed a couple of hours with everyone on True Companions but left early as tomorrow, Dale will be attacking the outboard again. On our way to play dominos, the outboard suddenly started to rev up but with no additional propulsion. At first I thought we may have snagged a line in the water but since we were no where near any lines, Dale felt that we had “spun” the prop. Usually this happens when you hit something; we hadn’t, in fact, I don’t think we’ve hit anything with the outboard for the entire trip. In any event, we certainly weren’t going to go very far in its condition, so we headed back to Rainbowrider and bummed a ride with them.

Tomorrow, we’ll have to take the outboard off the dinghy, mount it on the back of the boat so that Dale can see what the problem is. I know that we brought a spare prop, so hopefully, it’s something we will be able to take care of easily. There’s never a dull moment and we try never to forget that cruising is fixing your boat in exotic places.

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.050N
61.44.548W

We made our way out through the dinghy cut this morning and over to Mt. Hartman Bay to make our connection to the internet. It might be too soon to say but it appears that the low pressure system we’ve been keeping an eye on will pass us to the south. Still upon our return, Dale and I moved the boat up a little closer to the island and out of way of swells that might come into this anchorage.

This afternoon, Linda and I took their kayaks and paddled all around our anchorage and then through another cut over to Clarkes Court Bay. We passed 3 partially sunken Cuban cement work boats which had been given to the Grenadians. For some reason or other, the Grenadians didn’t quite know what to do with them, so they were left at anchor in the harbor until Hurricane Ivan blew them up into the mangroves. After we explored these a bit, we paddled over to say hi to Moon Goddess but no one was on board at the time. So, we paddled all the way back, up current and up wind. We definitely got a workout.

Later in the afternoon, Gary & Linda invited us to go snorkeling outside the reef, but with the wind and waves picking up, Dale and I held back. Gary told us later that we didn’t miss anything as the water was pretty cloudy.

This evening we all met up with Jeff & Sue on Raggy Chap, John & Debra on Sea Witch, and Len & Sue on Wind Dancer for a night of Julio on the Patio. Julio is a Spaniard who sailed to the Caribbean 20 years ago on a trimerand and never left. To this day, he lives on that trimerand. Although he is an extremely talented guitarist, he is also extraordinarily shy. On Friday nights, he plays guitar at the Whispering Cove Marina during dinner hours while Phillip & Shelly and their two young daughters, Melinda & Sandra, serve the most delicious meals. There were probably 30 people who showed up, including some medical students who came over from the college.

Dinner was served on candlelit tables set up under trees, open tents, or along patios where string lights danced among the small palm trees, bougainvilleas, and red sided haliconias. Small pots with candles were spaced around all of the walkways. Passion fruit vines wound their way through the trellises that formed the sides of the patios spilling their lacy white flowers overhead. A conch-o-nut tree was in one corner and several papaya trees circled from another. With live Spanish guitar music playing quietly in the background, and the bug spray only slightly more pungent than my perfume, it was a magical night.

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.039N
61.44.580W

Today we woke with the news (they sometimes read the headlines on the cruisers net) that the Democrats have taken the majority in Congress and that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has resigned. No details were given. Sounds like another internet run to catch up on what’s going on back home.

Right now we’re all rather cautiously watching a low pressure system to our east. We had decided to stay in Grenada to the weekend to allow the regatta taking place in Carriacou to dispense before we made our way in that direction. That low pressure system will be effecting the winds and waves between here and there over the same days. Needless to say, we’ll stay here until it passes and we fair weather sailors can mosey on up without undue drama.

Tonight’s social hour was on Rainbow Rider. John & Debra from Sea Witch and Jim & Sue from Raggy Chap were also in attendance. Debra noted that with all of us bringing horsdoeuvres, there’s never a need for dinner afterwards. We had turned off the lights to watch as a brightly lit space station (or some satellite) flew overhead. Unfortunately, it was at the same time a large working boat (or a really small freighter) decided to leave the harbor beyond us and came a little too close for comfort. Linda was scrambling around to turn the lights back on but wasn’t able to get to them before he passed only a few yards behind us. Our dinghies took the majority of the jostle but I’m sure the freighter was surprised to see how close we were when the lights did come back on. Never a dull moment.

Tomorrow, if the forecast holds true, we’ll probably move a little further up into the anchorage to give ourselves a bit more protection from the outside swells. If things really start to look interesting, we’ll throw out a second anchor, just in case.

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.039N
61.44.580W

Dale hitched a ride with John into town today and was finally able to locate the part needed for the outboard. At first the Mercury dealer said that they didn’t have the part but when Dale started asking about whether there were salvage yards in the area, they found that they had and old engine themselves in the back and sold him the used part.

Upon his return he was able to finish putting the engine back together with no extra bits and pieces left over but he spent the better part of the day trying to start the dang thing. He definitely got his work out for the day. In the end, he gave up and called John and asked for his buddy’s number. To his credit, John waited about a half hour and then came over. One pull and the engine started. Apparently, it had been flooded (although I did see Dale empty the fuel filter a couple of times). They tinkered with it a bit longer, adjusting the idle before Dale did a couple of victory laps around the anchorage. He’s still not happy with the way its running but at least we have transportation now.

Since we were told almost 4 years ago that the engine was damaged from a water intrusion problem back then, I suspect that the end is in sight. It’s been extremely reliable and I am going to pick up some gas additive to help clean the innards some more; maybe it’ll help, it certainly can’t hurt.

We ended our day with the social hour on Sea Witch with John & Debra and Gary & Linda from Rainbow Rider. Again, we enjoyed everyone’s company and lots of stories were told.

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.039N
61.44.580W

We’re still sitting inHog Island. The man with the part still hasn’t shown.

We caught a ride with Gary & Linda (Rainbow Rider) over to the next harbor to get our internet fix in the morning. Then, we spent the rest of the day waiting for the man with the part. I assumed my position in the hammock and Dale grabbed a book for himself.

This evening we invited Gary & Linda, as well as John & Debra over for cocktails and appetizers on our boat. We learned that Debra was an anchor woman in her previous life and John was a pilot. We all swapped stories, listened to Jimmy Buffett, and had a wonderful time.

John has offered to take Dale into town tomorrow to the Mercury dealer, so hopefully, they’ll have the part needed and we’ll be able to get around on our own soon. Truth is, I really don’t mind being stuck in paradise; then again, I haven’t really needed to go anywhere. As long as I have food and toilet paper, I’m good.

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.039N
61.44.580W

Except for the fact that we confirmed Chardeaux arrived safely in Carriacou, this was a wasted day. Debra , John’s wife, set up a relay to Carriacou and confirmed that Chardeaux did, indeed, arrive. I feel better now.

On another front, John had told us that he knew of a local who most likely had the part we needed for our outboard. So I busied myself reading (an entire novel) in the hammock all day, still the man never showed. My tan is looking a little better, not that I’m actually trying. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.039N
61.44.580W

Well, today we moved from Prickly Bay to Hog Island. A man named John (Sea Witch) came by to say that I had done a nice job relaying information to Chardeaux. He had been one of those who had offered the name of a mechanic. I thanked him and asked if he had heard anything further about them. He had not. In fact, later at the Sunday night barbeque, I asked everyone who said that they knew them or had heard the exchange, whether anyone knew for certain that they had made their destination. No one had. In fact, I learned that Lorraine’s husband is legally blind. To be quite honest with you, I’m worried. I wanted to ask Mia but learned that he too, had left for points further north. I’m hoping that he joined them when they couldn’t make it in and went with them to Carriacou.

In the meantime, Gary commented that Dale had a good rapport with King Neptune in that we had been able to anchor on the first try in a spot where they had dragged only a short time before. I can now say that it’s due to the fact that Dale has made a habit (of late) of making generous offerings to the King.

When we were in Chacachacare, one of his fins went missing when he washed them off and laid them out to dry on the back transom. On our crossing from Trinidad to Grenada, the bow light bulb fell into the briny (although he swears he never touched the bulb itself) when he went to check on why it wasn’t working (even though we had confirmed that it was working before we left our slip). Today, he decided that since the outboard on the dinghy was starting to run rough, he’d clean and rebuild the carburetor. I’m sure you can see where this is going. When he dropped a nut into the casing of the outboard and it disappeared (no lie, we both checked everywhere and neither one of us heard anything drop), he was extra careful for the rest of the procedure. He was in the process of putting everything back together when a small plastic piece that the choke fits into decided that it was a superball and bounced high into the air and into the drink. You’d hope plastic would float. It doesn’t. Unless it’s garbage.

It’s been said that water is magnetic. You can work all summer on tiny bits and pieces while you’re on the hard and never drop a thing. But the second you try to make a repair after your boat is splashed, everything goes directly into the water and sinks.

Needless to say, he grabbed his head (why do people do that) and swore a blue streak. I was in the process of heading in his direction to offer assistance but decided I’d be better off staying as far away, and as quiet, as possible.

Later, we hitched a ride with Rainbow Rider to the barbeque where John, remember John, said that he knew of a local who was extremely good with Mercury engines and might actually have a replacement part. If not, there’s a Mercury representative in town. John and Debra have been here for the last 4 years making repairs to their boat which was damaged in Hurricane Ivan. In that amount of time, I guess you learn who the good mechanics are.

Instead of heading on up to Tobago Cays, we’ll be staying in Grenada for a while longer. It seems we waited for parts the last time we were here. Remember, cruising is fixing your boat in exotic places.

Prickly Bay, Grenada
11.59.991N
61.45.778W

Today’s agenda consisted of checking into Customs, finding a bank to withdraw EC’s (East Caribbean Dollars), tuck away our TT’s (Trinidad & Tobago Dollars), make a quick run to the grocery store so Gary could get his cookie fix, and then finish the day with a burger from Bananas, although Dale preferred lobster for his dinner.

Along the way, we noted some changes in Grenada since our last visit. The Coast Guard station had cleaned up their grounds considerably, ‘de Big Fish’ restaurant added a new drink bar in the middle of their restaurant and changed their décor, and the goats (lawn mowers) were tethered at this time of the year.

Other than that, our big excitement was via the radio. We heard Chardeaux trying to hail any boat in St. Georges’. We really don’t know the people on Chardeaux but Lorraine used to give the daily weather reports when we were in Trinidad and we were familiar with her voice. Mia tried to respond but apparently Chardeaux couldn’t hear them. Dale was in the back getting ready for us to leave the boat but encouraged me to act as relay for them. The next thing I know, I’m in the middle of a distress call trying to relay information from all of the anchorages on the south side of Grenada to Chardeaux.

You see, Chardeaux had lost their engine and wanted to alert those anchored in St. Georges’ to the fact that they would be coming in under sail and that those in the anchorage might need to assist or fend off when they approached. I relayed that information to Mia and back to Chardeaux that Mia was the outer most boat and would be keeping a lookout for them.

Then Chardeaux described that they had sheered off the bolts that hold the strut mount in place and that she had tied the shaft to the boat so that no further damage would occur. She asked if we could recommend a mechanic for her type of engine but that they specifically did not want to use a certain service. When I radioed that we were not familiar with the mechanics in Grenada, everyone and their brother wanted to break into our conversation and offer a suggestion, including the service that she had already said she did not want to use. However, no one thought to put their radios on high power and I continued to relay the information back and forth. An hour or so later, I signed off by getting the coordinates to her location and promised to answer if she should call later on as they got closer. As they were still almost 30 miles away, they wouldn’t be arriving for a few more hours.

A couple of hours later, Chardeaux radioed saying that the wind had died and that they were floundering. They weren’t in trouble, just that they weren’t going anywhere. She also asked that I confirm the depth of her present location as her chart plotter said one thing and her depth sounder indicated another. I suspected that since it was obvious that they wouldn’t make it in before night fall, she was starting to get nervous. Dale checked with our chart plotter and confirmed that she was in over 5000 feet and that the 10’ reading on her depth gauge was probably a big fish beneath them. (We’d had the same thing when we crossed and it can be really disconcerting.) She told us that she had started to prepare the anchor for deployment but that the pin holding the anchor in place was bent and that they were readying their secondary anchor to use when they finally did make it in. Mia was also listening and said that he could see their lights from his boat and that he would wait up for them until they arrived. Again, I made note of her position.

By 9pm, she sounded frustrated and said that although they had some wind, there was no way they were going to be able to make it to St. Georges’ and that they were going to continue north until they got to the next island. Once again, I made note of her position.

At 11pm, I tried to radio her for an update. She didn’t respond. Neither did anyone else. Since I know she’s made it past us and is heading farther north, I pray that she is simply out of radio contact. I’ll check around tomorrow, to see if anyone knows for certain where they are.

Atlantic Ocean between Trinidad and Grenada
11.07.207N
61.40.446W

We spent most of today preparing for a major crossing. We dug out our jacklines, harnesses and life jackets. We locked all of our cupboard doors, secured as best we could everything that doesn’t necessarily have a place. We took the outboard off the dinghy and put it in its cradle on the back arch and then hoisted and secured the dinghy. We unfurled the main sail just to make sure that it would, indeed, unfurl when needed. We checked our charts to confirm our heading with the various currents within the ocean and then tried to nap the remainder of the afternoon. Unfortunately, every time we would lay down, one or the other of us would remember something else and hop up and run do it. We never did get much rest.

At 3:00pm, as planned, we hoisted anchor and headed back the way we had come yesterday to Scotland Bay but today, continued on around through the Boca and out into the Ocean arriving about 4pm; perfect timing, we should arrive in Grenada at day break.

We had a 2 knot current squeezing us through the Boca and could see the waves where the current ran head long into the tides on the other side. In essence, we were being spit out into the ocean. What could have been an ugly couple of minutes were actually rather fun.

We had been counting on the standard 15-20kt trade winds out of the east but once we got out into the ocean, you guessed it!! The winds were directly on our nose. So we powered our way for the first couple of hours until we got out far enough to lose the land effects on the wind. Once the winds turned more to the east and filled in, we turned off the engine and tried to hoist the big white floppy things.

Remember I said that we had tested the main sail to make sure that it would indeed unfurl the way it was supposed to? Well, when we actually needed it, it jammed again. Dale had to climb up the mast to the boom and take one of my spatulas that we have dubbed the sail spatula, and coax it out. It only took a couple of minutes, but its not something we want to do after dark with the boat bobbing up and down. Once both the main and jib were unfurled we turned off the wind and raced the rest of the way to Grenada.

In fact, the conditions were about as perfect as you can get and still sail between the two islands. We had almost a full moon to the east of us. We could see some infrequent lightening to the west of us and all ships were far away from us with Rainbow Rider about a half mile behind us.

With all of these good things, what could possibly go wrong? Well, we arrived in Grenadian waters at 3:00 am and we usually don’t like going into a harbor after dark. The red and green buoys at the entrance to the harbor gave us something to aim for. However, just as the island comes abruptly out of the ocean, there is sometimes a current that runs parallel to it. Sure enough, there was a 2 knot current running directly across our path. The slower I tried to go in order to stall for sunlight, the farther west we were being taken away from our destination.

Dale heard me constantly tweaking the sails and finally gave up all thoughts of rest. We decided to just go for it before we lost the moonlight. I revved up the engine and powered through the current and into Prickly Bay via the chart plotter. Trust me, that was easier said than done. Dale grabbed our head sets and flood light and guided us in through all of the day buoys not already lit and any boat that was close to our path. Our angel is still firmly attached to our shoulders, as we were able to pick our way back into the bay to a protected spot where we dropped our anchor at 5 am and dropped ourselves into bed and blissful sleep moments later.

Rainbow Rider apparently held back until daylight and a couple of hours later anchored not too far from us.

Sanders Bay,
Chacachacare Island, TTWI
10.41.325N
61.44.791W

Well, you can certainly tell we’re away from the dock. We were in bed shortly after dinner last night and then rose with the sun this morning. Sweating buckets the entire time.

We listened to the net from Chagauramas more out of habit than anything else but were surprised when the TTPost Office radioed several boat names saying that they had packages being held for them. One was for Gypsy. Since we were the only boat in Charauramas with Gypsy in its name, Dale took off in the dinghy back the way we had come. Sure enough, the antenna was there but addressed to Gary (on Rainbow Rider) with a boat name of Gypsy. I’m surprised we ever got it.

We hoisted anchor as soon as he returned and made our way via the ‘southern route’ to Chacachacare Island. Some of the other cruisers had told us to where to anchor and advised us to dive the anchor to make sure that it was well dug in as the bottom was sand over marl which means a couple of inches of sand, coral and rock over cement. Essentially, pure weight holds you in place. We took their advice and found ourselves in a natural harbor surrounded by an island jungle. We anchored in front of a big sign stating “Chacachacare” which proved that we had arrived at the point we had set out for, I’m glad to see we haven’t lost our touch.

Chacachacare was a leper colony established by an order of nuns supposedly out of Trinidad (I noticed in the cemetery that most were born in France and Portugal) who, in the early 1980’s, simply closed its doors and left. Medical records, hospital beds, x-ray equipment, medicines, you name it, were left where they were last used. Even the nunnery and its attending buildings were walked away from. Since then, however, the jungle, termites, and graffiti artists have taken their toll. We were able to tell that at one time, this had been a beautiful area.

There had apparently been an entire village on the island with a road that boasted its own traffic light. Dale was pretty certain that he had found where the road had been, however, the jungle had reclaimed it. Only the stone bridges and steps from the water that led to various structures were still evident of any traffic.

We walked through old buildings that had been churches, a hospital, a pharmacy, a movie theater, probably nurses’ quarters and a couple of doctors’ homes on one side of the harbor. Then turned our attention to the nunnery on the other side of the harbor. We were surprised to see that someone was sort of taking care of this side. The growth had been cleared from the walkways, so the paths and buildings were in better shape with the jungle kept at bay. We followed the path to a well kept cemetery and read the headstones. The first nun had been buried there in 1872 and the last one had been buried in 1947. I assume that after that, the cure for leprosy was discovered and only those who were most afflicted remained until the doors closed.

We made our way back to the boat and at sundown, Dale blew the conch horn and wished Roger comfort from his treatments. He fired off the grill and threw a couple of tuna steaks on to cook while I made a salad.

During dinner, we listened to Russian speaking people on the radio chattering like magpies and so far, have been able to resist turning it off. Safety dictates that we leave it on throughout the night, so hopefully, they’ll tire of their constant chatter and we’ll be able to sleep. In the meantime, I’ve set my air horn, flood light and pepper spray near the door in case of trouble. This way I won’t need any of it. If I didn’t bring it all out, I might need it in a hurry.

Don’t worry guys, tomorrow night we’ll head to Grenada.

Scotland Bay, Trinidad
10.41.9N
61.40.1W

I find it interesting that the second part of our trip begins on the first of November as did the 1st leg of our trip. We checked out of customs and immigration and from sheer habit, went to see if the antenna that we have been waiting for the entire time we’ve been in Trinidad ever arrived; (it hadn’t) before heading to the duty free shop to purchase some rum for the trip back.

We said our goodbyes along the way and checked one last time on how the new owners (Debbie & Gary) of DocNoMore were doing. They had taken the boat out for a sea trial yesterday and had tried to drive it while the autopilot was engaged and ended up having the steering linkage mess up. They had called asking that we meet them and assist in getting them back into their dock. They were lucky in that they had a skilled captain on board who brought her back into the dock using the two engines and did a great job, we only gave a little push at the end to snug her up. They also mentioned that they couldn’t get a couple of other things running but since they were in working order before Roger & Elaine left, we can only assume that any problems are minor. We asked if they planned on keeping the DocNoMore name. Debbie said she didn’t know but gave me the distinct impression that they wouldn’t; which is fine with me. DocNoMore will always be Roger & Elaine in my mind.

I ran up to the marina office area where there is a restaurant and grabbed one last pizza for the road and almost made it back to the boat before the daily rain came and forced me to seek refuge in the cabana half way back. By the time I got back, Dale had disconnected our cir conditioning and cable TV umbilical cords and had singled up the lines, I had no time to mourn their loss. The only thing left for me to do was to shoehorn myself into a bathing suit and assume my position behind the wheel and wait for instructions to back the Palace out.

Needless to say, we slipped away from our dock and skirted our way through the anchorage without incident. We found our way out into the channel between the islands leading to the Boca, the main channel closest to Trinidad between the Atlantic and the Bay of Paria. Our destination to spend the night was Scotland Bay, a spot we picked about half way out of the Boca.

It was with somewhat mixed feelings that we left Chaguaramas. Of course, it took no time at all to adjust to air conditioning, water and electricity at the flip of a switch and eventually, we adapted to our surroundings and learned how to get around safely. Once we started touring the island, we actually enjoyed the sights Trinidad had to offer.

Surprisingly, after we disconnected, it only took a couple of hours to readjust to no air conditioning, making our own water and turning off electricity when we weren’t using it. We made our way as far up into Scotland Bay as we could without disturbing the other boats and dropped our anchor. It dragged the first time but set well on the second attempt. Rainbow Rider followed suit with their first attempt behind us and then ended up anchoring solidly further ahead of us. Moon Goddess stopped only for a couple of hours before they headed across to Grenada.

Dale commented that he had forgotten how quiet everything was at anchor.

After dinner, I spread out the charts to locate where Chacachacare, our next destination, was. Chacachacare is part of Trinidad but it is the out island closest to Venezuela. Even though other cruisers have told us about their stays there, I’m a little uneasy at being so close to the notorious “peninsula” where all of the modern day pirates roam. We’ll try our luck tomorrow and the first that you’ll hear of it will be after the fact when I upload our blogs, most likely in Grenada.

Chaguaramas, Trinidad
10.40.822N
61.37.899W

Jesse, our guide, and about 8 other drivers he recruited, picked up over a hundred of us cruisers to ferry us to a Hindu temple in Felicity, Trinidad, to witness the celebration of Divali, the Hindu New Year and the Festival of Light. This was like a cross between Christmas and the Fourth of July. It appeared that the whole town dressed in traditional Indian attire and deyas (clay lamps) were lighted at sun down to show the triumph of light over darkness. They reminded me of our luminaries on Christmas Eve except for the occasional bamboo rockets being set off throughout the evening.

We began by entering the temple gates to the music of drums and cymbals being played by only 3 people but loud enough to hear throughout the village. We removed our shoes before entering the temple itself and were captivated by the beautiful colors displayed in the artwork and statutes depicting their various deities.

The Pundit (the temple priest) described the five day festival as beginning on the date of the new moon with a thorough house cleaning and opening of windows to welcome Mother Laksmi, the goddess of light. Kali, the goddess of strength, is called upon so that laziness and evil can be abolished on the second day. The lighting of the deyas takes place on the third day (the last day of their lunar year). The fourth day is the first day of the New Year and a time for old business accounts to be settled and new books opened. This is also the day that participants are encouraged to removed anger, hate, and jealousy from their lives. Finally, there is Balipratipada, when the life of the ancient king Bali is celebrated and everyone is encouraged to look for the good in others, including their enemies.

We were also entertained by a young Indian dancer. Many of her moves reminded me of the South Pacific dancers. Some of her hand movements reminded me of the gentle hands of Hawaiian dancers and other dance steps more akin to the Tahitian dances. At the end of the program, we were encouraged to join in the dancing but I prefer to keep all of my belly dancing behind closed doors, it keeps the laughter to a minimum.

We ate a traditional Indian dinner with our fingers from giant leaves the size of placemats. We used something akin to shredded pie dough to pick up curried beans, plantains, mangos, coconut burfi (like dried cookie dough), and a few other things I didn’t recognize but certainly enjoyed the taste of.

After our dinner, we walked along the streets of the village enjoying the displays of deyas and the beautify saris the women wore and the traditional garb the men wore. We stopped and talked with a retired customs officer who explained the symbol his deyas were placed in. It represented the trinity of his religion. Again, it reminded me of how similar this was to ours.

We finished our tour of the village and returned to catch our bus back to the marina and made it back before Elaine arrived with her son-in-law, David. Roger was too ill from his chemo and radiation to travel.

Clearly this was a difficult task for her to undertake but she wanted no assistance from outside her immediate family and we abided by her wishes. Dale and Dennis were able to lend a hand by replacing all of the canvas that had been removed for the season and shuttled them and their belongings back and forth a couple of times but other than that, she preferred to work alone. Surprisingly, she was able to accomplish everything she had set out to do in the single day that she had allotted herself. She gave Dale some wine and her conch horn that she blew at sunset and me some rum and her Mexican Dominos that we had learned to play in Luperon.

Life has dealt our friends a terrible blow and in turn, anyone who knew them. The most frustrating part is knowing that there is nothing we can do or anything we can say, that will change what’s happened or ease their pain. I was glad to hear Elaine comment that she had been able to sleep the first night she was with us, attributing it to the rocking of the boat and being back home on the water. I wish we could provide the same comfort to Roger.

Jesse picked Elaine and David up at 4 am for their return trip to the airport. Once again, Jesse amazed us with his dedication; I don’t think the man ever sleeps.

Just when I thought the crime spree had ended, Tuesday we had another mugging of someone heading back from the bank. On Wednesday, a restaurant located a couple of hundred feet from the back of our boat and one we had planned on going to that evening, was robbed by 3 men brandishing machetes and hand guns. We had changed our minds about going because we were running late from all of our shopping. The thieves approached the owner just before closing and robbed him of the nights’ proceeds. They were apparently surprised to find so many customers still in attendance but then quickly relieved them of their cash and credit cards and fired off a couple of rounds just to make their point. No one was injured seriously; a few cuts from the machetes. Again, it took a couple of hours before the local police showed up. The hired security never saw them or heard the gun shots.

We finished our week with preparations for leaving on the 1st of November. I’ve overstocked again and am in the process of precooking several meals for those days when we pull into an anchorage late; I’ll save the laundry until the very last day to make sure we’re as fresh as possible. Dale is running through all of the systems to make sure they are in working order, as well as coordinating a few last minute details for the transfer of DocNoMore to the new owners.
So once again, we’ll take off on a new adventure next week. Hopefully, we’ll meet up with Gerry & Nicky in December and there will be wonderful things to write about.

Chaguaramas, Trinidad
10.40.822N
61.37.899W

Happy Birthday to my sister, Carolyn!

Our trip to Asa Wright Park this week was wonderful, especially since neither Dale nor I could be considered ‘real’ bird watchers.

Jesse James, our local entrepreneur/guardian angel picked us up along with 4 other couples. Jesse caters his business to the cruising community and has a huge network of family and friends that he can call upon to expand his business to fit the need. He’s the first one to call if you need anything or want to go somewhere. He’s also the first to offer help when he learns of a misfortune to befall you. He’s ferried people back and forth to hospitals and doctor appointments when illness or accidents happened and usually knows who to call if you need some specific item that can’t be found in the area. He has a wealth of knowledge and has quite possibly the most even keeled personality I have ever encountered.

We began our journey up through the rain forest with a stop at a corner vendor for “doubles,” aloo pie, and kitachorie, some of the local East Indian fast food. Doubles are two small pieces of fried bread with curried split peas between. Aloo pie is a type of potato pie and kitachorie is like a hush puppy made with split peas. Dale and I liked the doubles and aloo pie best with just a touch of hot sauce.

We wound our way up the mountains through the rainforest while Jesse quizzed those of us who had been on his previous tours regarding the names of the local flowers. There was, of course, Christophene, the Trinidad National Flower named after the first governor, which appears to be a brilliant red from a distance but upon closer inspection is a tiny yellow flower surrounded by red brackets. There were the various types of haliconia like the red and yellow lobster claws and the small orange flowers that look like tiny birds of paradise but there was also flowers called “sexy pinks” which are becoming more and more scarce. These look like upside down pink, white and green lobster claws. I thought they were beautiful. One of the first plants pointed out to us when we arrived was a rare 'psychopsis papilio' orchid.

The Asa Wright preserve itself is an old coffee, cocoa, citrus plantation of about 200 hundred acres. We were lucky enough to be given a room in the original house which was built in 1907 and had 20’ ceilings. The house itself wasn’t as grand as some others we have seen but none compared with the view the veranda of this one had to offer. The house is located at an elevation of 1200 feet with the veranda overlooking the Arima Valley. You could, and we did, spend hours there, both at dusk and dawn watching the birds come to feed in their gardens and feeders placed just below.

They offered tea at 4pm, cocktails at 6pm, dinner at 7pm and a nature walk at 8pm. During the afternoon, we toured some of the trails surrounding the mainhouse and found a waterfall nearby. We ended up skipping the tea but sampled their rum punch in celebration of our 26th wedding anniversary before being ringed in to dinner. The nature walk later was directed more toward the insects, including a giant roach and praying mantis, but we ended up stalking a couple of pigmy owls by the end of the evening.

The next morning we rose early in hopes of seeing a toucan. One appeared but was so far away, you needed binoculars to get a good look, otherwise we were thoroughly entertained by the hummingbirds, banana quits, honeycreepers, orioles, blue-gray tanagers and crested oropendolas (which looked like crows with bright yellow tail feathers.)

We were ringed in to breakfast and soon after were off on another nature hike. This time we tracked bearded bellbirds, chestnut woodpeckers and looked deep into caverns for the noisy oilbird. We never saw them but definitely heard them.

We were able to shower and spend another couple of hours on the veranda before Jesse returned to pick us up.

When we got back to our boat, we were met by Dennis and Alayne (Audry Page) with news that Roger & Elaine had an offer on DocNoMore and that Elaine and her son-in-law would be arriving late Saturday night to remove all of their personal belongings before leaving early on Monday morning; she wanted to be in, out and gone before anyone knew. Unfortunately, the cruising community is small and people already knew of her arrival before we even stepped onto our boat and turned on the computer to read the e-mail. Oh well.

We’re scheduled to attend the Festival of Light in celebration of Divali, the Hindu New Year, on Saturday so we’ve left our keys with Dennis in case Elaine gets here before we get back. It will be good to see her again but I wish it were under different circumstances. Elaine & Roger touched our lives by having shared adventures with us, traveling to places we’ve never been before, exploring meandering creeks though desert islands, hiking to the highest forts in the Caribbean, jumping off waterfalls into chilly ponds below, defending ourselves against mighty bulls blocking our paths, and discovering all of this together for the first time. Christopher Columbus has nothing on us.

Chaguaramas, Trinidad
10.40.822N
61.37.899W

Well, I guess it has been a long time, so let me see if I can bring everyone up to date.

For the most part, we’ve just been killing time. Every other Tuesday we go to the movies. Every other Friday we go to the ‘Shark and Bake’ (I’ve been eating fried shark sandwiches, Mom). Every other Sunday, we head across the channel for the Sunday brunch and of course, every other Wednesday, there’s laundry and occasionally, there’s rib night at the Wheel House.

I started swimming every day working up to 50 laps a day until the dock master at the marina where I was swimming said that it didn’t matter whether or not I was Carol’s (Take Time) guest, I couldn’t use the pool. So I signed up at a local gym and pedal my old decrepit bones up the hill a mile and a half away to go just about every day. Linda (Rainbow Rider) goes with me quite a bit. When she can’t, Dale forgoes his daily jog and rides the bicycle with me.

Otherwise, Dale's kept busy fixing things. He replaced the circuit board in the genset we ordered several months ago. Replaced the alternator on the engine (we had a spare). Replaced the shower sump pump. Added a new solar panel regulator. Cleaned the dinghy engine. Replaced circuit board in the air conditioner. Cleaned all the through hulls. Pulled plastic bags from our water intakes on a fairly regular basis (I have to disinfect him when he comes out of the water-no pump out stations around here). Washed the boat a few times. Ordered a new WiFi antenna - hopefully soon to arrive so that I can find better internet connections along the way. And we bought a new dinghy. The old one just wouldn‘t hold air for any length of time.

I’ve been sewing and giving sewing advice. I made a couple of kayak sacks for Linda’s kayaks, replaced our back awning, and made a cover for our life raft, as well as showing our neighbor how to make jerry can covers. Word has gotten out, so Linda and Dale are trying to protect me from the onslaught of those wanting to put me to work, which is strictly forbidden without the proper visa.

One exciting thing, a week or so ago, we did have a couple of earthquakes. Both were in the 5 point range (5.6 and 5.4). Dale was riding with me to the gym during the first one, which neither of us felt, bumpy roads and all. The second one came when we were getting some papers off DocNoMore; shades of California. I guess the people here aren’t used to them, which was surprising to us considering the volcanic activity along the island chain.

What truly shook us to the core was the news that Roger on DocNoMore has pancreatic cancer and would not be returning to finish cruising with us. If you’ve followed this blog for any time, you know that we’ve been sailing with them since November of 2005 and have become quite close to both Roger and Elaine. We were looking forward to them returning and comparing Dale’s ponytail with Roger’s and continuing our adventures with them. Now, we say our prayers for them and do what we can in making their transition back to shore life as easy as possible.

When last I wrote, we were in the mist of a crime epidemic. I’m happy to report that our neighborhood watch has paid off and only 2 dinghies have been stolen since its inception; the second just today. I suspect that with time, complacency is starting to set in or newcomers aren't locking their dinghies religiously. Dale and I keep ours locked at all times and hoisted and locked if we don’t anticipate using it. I haven’t heard of any more muggings/robberies targeting cruisers but then, people are encouraged to travel in groups.

Last week, Dale & I, together with 4 other couples, signed up for a hike in the mountains up to the Rincon Waterfall. I’m glad I’d been working out in the gym because I don’t think I would have made it any other way. It was advertised as being a moderately difficult hike. This was very true; it was not easy but it wasn’t extremely difficult either. Roger and Elaine would have been in their element. At the highest point, it did require ropes to descend into the pool at the bottom of the falls and then to pull ourselves back out again. I managed to slip and rip a few layers of skin off my hand catching myself on the rope; should have worn gloves, I guess.

Our guide, "Snake" pictured with his pet boa.

Along the trail, a fleur de lance snake was seen, caught and milked for its venom. The venom was then licked off the knife to demonstrate that it was only poisonous if injected into the bloodstream. I sincerely hoped that our guide did not stumble and accidentally bite his tongue. We also saw various spiders and poisonous fruit that I would have sworn were as edible as the real thing. Other vines, berries and fruits were pointed out to be excellent sources of food, tea or spice. I told Dale that I hoped we never got deserted on an island where we had to fend for ourselves because I’d be hard pressed to figure out what was edible and what wasn’t.

The large, neon blue Empress Butterflies were a delight to see in their natural habitat along the hillsides of the rainforest by the waterfalls. It added a bit of enchantment to an otherwise challenging experience.

We’ve noticed that cruisers who went home for hurricane season are starting to return and splash their boats back into the water after being stored “on the hard“ all of this time. We too are in the process of getting ready to head back north to meet Jerry & Nicki, our very dear friends from home who on their way back to their original home in Australia. We’re stocking up on food and toilet paper again as well as making sure that all of the systems are up to snuff. We anticipate unplugging from the marina the first of November and stopping at some of the anchorages nearby before making our cross over to Grenada. We’ll go north until we meet them or as far as Puerto Rico, and then sail south again possibly accompanying them all the way to Panama and returning via the western route to south Florida, eventually returning to Jacksonville by July. The route will depend upon what our insurance company will allow. Our plans are firmly written in warm jello, so we’ll let you know what we do, when we do it.

Until that time, next week, we’re joining a few other couples for an over night trip to the Asa Wright park. It’s supposed to be a botanical garden/bird sanctuary type of park. Pictures will follow when we return.

So dear readers, we have not fallen off the face of the earth as many have suspected but are sitting around catching up on our favorite TV shows, movies and thoroughly enjoying the air conditioning, cable TV and laundromats while we have them.

08/14-20/2006
Chaguaramas, Trinidad
10.40.822N
61.37.899W

Happy Birthday to our daughter, Michelle and my sister Pam!!!

Well, the luck for our anchorage wore out. In the wee hours of Thursday morning, a new boat to the anchorage (Vespa) was boarded, attacked and robbed.

Six young people had just returned from the airport when a fishing boat with 3 men approached them as they sat in their cockpit catching up with their friends. The description of the thieves (except for the different dinghy) appeared to be the same as the previous armed robbery in the next harbor over. They were robbed of radios, cameras, computers, cash and credit cards. A couple of the men were hit with the handles of the guns and machetes and their dinghy was slashed dropping their engine into the water.

They radioed a mayday over the radio as soon as the thieves left. Dale and I both heard it and were scrambling for clothes when we heard that the thieves appeared to be heading towards the fishing village, which is just past us. Our slip is directly across from the customs dock in the area which naturally narrows before you enter the fishing village.

I grabbed the flashlight and ran topside ready to catch the bad guys as they entered their lair but suddenly realized that I made myself a target to thieves who were reportedly carrying guns and knives. I suddenly understood why people stand by when crime is being perpetrated right under their noses. What was I going to do if I did see them? Shine my light on them? So I sat, watched and listened to the updated information coming across the radio. No boat ever approached from the direction of the anchorage; however, 5-6 boats did leave from the fishing village; none fit the description of the thieves’ boat. I still don’t know what I would have done if I had seen them, I feel like such a wimp.

Of course, by daylight the radio was buzzing. The biggest concern being that it took a couple hours for the Coast Guard to respond. It was even considered that it wasn’t the “real” Coast Guard who responded to the radio call and directed the victims to another radio channel. Whoever answered the call wasn’t as professional as the ones who responded to the previous robbery the next harbor over. Was it just a coincidence that the Coast Guard showed up 10 minutes after a telephone call was placed?

At this point, a lot of us feel trapped. If you have insurance, you are required to be outside the “hurricane box”. That means, here, Venezuela (which is worse), or further south or west which doesn’t have the marine support most cruisers are looking for. Dale and I have decided that if things don’t resolve themselves soon, we’ll head back to Grenada and take our chances that a hurricane doesn’t head in that direction again and force us to take to the sea heading south.
Another problem was that people tend to turn off their radios when they go to bed. So, we’ve all decided to sound our air horns in addition to radioing a distress call. I’ve put our air horn right next to our floodlight so next time, hopefully, I’ll be braver and shine my light and sound my horn if I really do see a bad guy. If nothing else, I’ll wake up everyone on our slip and get everyone shot at!

Also, we’ve finally been able to get the local American Embassy to at listen to us. A meeting has been set up for Thursday of next week.

08/07-13/2006
Chaguaramas, Trinidad
10.40.822N
61.37.899W

The big topic this week has been the speeding fishing boats. Rainbow Rider caught a flight out Friday morning and by 5pm that evening, the boat that had taken their mooring ball, Odyssey, had been struck by a speeding fishing boat.

The family of 4 had just returned to their boat when a fishing boat (who claimed problems with a stuck throttle) slammed into their dinghy throwing the father out. The mother had already climbed out onto the main boat and was in the process of transferring the children from the dinghy to the boat when it was struck. Thankfully, no one was injured but needless to say, the mother and children were hysterical when the father didn’t bounce back right away. (He intelligently stayed below the waterline until the props were cut.)

There was some damage to the swim platform on Odyssey and a police report was filed. However, the owner of the fishing boat, who wasn't the driver, didn’t appear to be concerned and claimed that she had no insurance and no money to compensate the family (according to the father who reported the follow-up the on the next morning net.)

On a happier note, we went to town and saw the movie, The Devil wears Prada and had dinner at a Ruby Tuesday. We’re still very concerned about security, so (don’t worry Mom) we took a marina taxi instead of a regular one; more expensive but definitely more secure.

08/01 - 06/2006
Chaguaramas, Trinidad
10.40.822N
61.37.899W

Nothing much new to tell you about.

Linda and I swim laps every morning, or as many mornings as we can. She and Gary are returning to California for a few weeks and are putting Rainbow Rider on the hard. We helped them take down their sails one morning. They have been kind enough to offer to take with them mail and lists from various boats for items to bring back. Ours was among them. Dale needed more twizzlers.

Our little neighborhood dinghy watch appears to be working. Unfortunately for the next harbor down, the thieves have moved on to their area as there was an armed robbery of a boat in their anchorage. The boat owner reported on the morning radio net that three men, who appeared to be locals, brandished small hand guns when they boarded their boat. Luckily, they were able to fend them off with “knives and clubs”. The organizer of our neighborhood watch said that he would let them know how we were doing ours. Hopefully, this will work.