Trinidad & Tobago

28^th November to 15 December 2013

We departed on 23 November 2013 from South African to start our first full Caribbean sailing season.

We had mixed feelings:

• Where is our real home?
• We have two different lives
• We are relieved to be released but also sad to be uprooted again
• We are a bit anxious about the unknown, but also looking forward to these new challenges.

We spent two and a half months in South Africa sharing our adventures and catching up with friends and family. In this period we flew back to Chicago to attend a Water Management conference. Michael and Cathri joined us. Together we explored the cities of New York and Chicago. We drove all the way from the Canadian border at the Niagara Falls to Time Square in down town Manhattan. Zack attended another water management conference in Port Elizabeth. He also commissioned a flagship waste water treatment plant. I met with my trusted PA to review the status of our property portfolio. I had a knee operation. This resulted in a 100% improved usage of my knee (see my Brazilian Scar Testimony).

The single biggest highlight experienced was the dawn of a new era in our lives: the season of becoming Grand Parents.

My daughter Zandia is expecting our first grandchild. We had the privilege to attend her “4D scan”. What a blessing to hear the heartbeat, to see the nurse identify and point out the various portions of the body, the face, the hands, toes, the hart and the kidneys. We could even see the family trademark, an elongated second toe. Yes and it is a boy!

Praise the Lord and congratulation to Andre and Zandia. We are so proud to become grandparents.

Reality kicks in as we touch down at a chilly JFK in New York.  It takes patience standing in the long queues waiting for the unfriendly immigration officer to question you, photograph you and take your fingerprints. Welcome to the world of control, but I guess it is good for your own safety. Zack managed to get a smile from one of the officers when he enquired on the possibility of a refund upon returning the two $5 trolleys.

We utilized the flight route via New York to Trinidad, spending an extra two days in in New York.

 

That night we attended the musical First Date at Broadway. Zachary Levi of Chuck and Krysta Rodriguez were the show's leading actors. They played the roles of Aaron and Casey. Our review: "When a tightly wound Aaron is set up with cool girl Casey, a quick drink turns into a hilarious dinner served with fake emergency phone calls, a slew of bad boy and uptown girl exes, creating some serious saucy chemistry. The mismatched pair turned a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives." We enjoyed this musical and after the show contributed to their HIV project. In return we got a photo with the main actors. It was a memorable evening on Broadway.

 

The next morning we set out to face the cold again. New York was freezing cold with the temperatures plummeting to -5 degrees Celsius. It was a five year low for November. The wind-chill factor brought it down to -11 degrees Celsius. It felt like somebody left the door of the fridge.

 

 

The challenge was packing clothing for these conditions. My warmest clothes back at home do not even cater for these conditions. The biggest challenge is to the ears, nose and then your feet due to inappropriate shoes.  Knowing my husband and only having two days to explore he reckoned it is a beautiful day to go for a walk in the Park. We bought scarfs as well as ear muffins and covered up as much as we could.

We took the subway to Central Park.

 

The weather was already deteriorating and the water in the lake started to freeze.

 

  

 

Bravely that evening we went to see another Broadway musical “Chicago”. The musical was running for some years and still attracts full houses. The Jet Lag finally caught up with us and although we had prime seats costing R1800 a seat, it could not prevent us from dosing of during the show.

At three the next morning we left for JF Kennedy airport. During the flight we stripped off  layers of clothing. The humid 29 degrees Celsius welcomed us back in Port of Spain.

One of our bags was filled up with boat spares. In Port of Spain there is a separate line catering for boats in transition. Only the captain is given a permit to take the parts directly to the customs in Chaguaramas without visiting the boat first.  Upon arriving at customs the bag was unpacked and item for item were checked on the list. 

An hour later we arrived on our beloved boat Vagabund. Our new 40Hp motor was installed. Without much ado we hit the sack sleeping till the next morning. 

Car rental on the island is also a unique experience. Renting a "cheapie" for Tt$200 (R350 p/d) is the normal rate. The inspection sheet only covers major new damage and or missing panels. A big dent does not make it on the list. The car has no radio. The steering wheel, safety belt and seat cover have seen better days. The exterior has two colours.  The bonus, it has power steering and an aircon. 

 

After fetching propane gas with our cheapie we could not get her to start again. A friendly driver in his pickup truck stopped jumped out and greeted Zack with the words: “Can I help you Buddy". With a few spanners the loose battery connection was fixed and we were on our way again. 

 

 

Cascalo with our Brazilian friends Luiz and Marianne, whom I have met at Abrolhos has arrived in Trinidad. They were also hauled out at Peak Marina.  That evening we joined up at the local pub catching up.

The Brunton props, ordered from the UK, were delivered in their sealed containers. On opening the containers it was found that the inserts were not supplied. It was Thanksgiving Day and with a six hours’ time delay we still managed to get the supplier to ship the inserts by airfreight the next day.

Our launching date had to be rescheduled.

Friday night is South African Braai night. We met up with six other South African yacht couples at the braai. It seems that South Africans always group together.

The only familiar faces were Ursula and Doug on Island Explorer.

 

Saturday was a big clean-up day. There is a tendency for a black sticky dust to build up over time because of the petroleum platforms in the area.  With some effort and teamwork between husband and wife we rejuvenated Vagabund to her full shining glory.

Sunday morning it was pouring down with rain. Doug and Ursula joined us for church at Westside Community Church. Pastor Oliver said that the grace of Giving and the mission of God include Evangelism, spiritual deliverance and social concern. 

 

 

Directly after the sermon we enjoyed lunch At West Side mall.We enjoyed the company and beautiful Christmas decorations. 

 

Facts from Wikipedia

“Trinidad(Spanish: "Trinity") is the largest and most populous of the two major islands and numerous land forms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just 11 km off the northeastern coast ofVenezuela. With an area of 4,768 km²  it is also the fifth largest in the West Indies.

Many believe the original name for the island in the Arawaks' language was "I re" which meant "Land of the Humming Bird". Some believe that "Iere" was actually a   mispronunciation/corruption by early colonists of the Arawak word "Kairi" which simply means "Island". Christopher Columbus renamed it "La Isla de la Trinidad" ("The Island of the Trinity"), fulfilling a vow he had made before setting out on his third voyage of exploration.”

On Tuesday we were busy stocking up for the trip up North when Goodwood marine informed us that the inserts have arrived and that they have already installed the props. A close shave but we made it. Vagabund can go back into the water the next morning.

 

I painted our new props with red permanent marker. The cheapest prop paint you can get. Apparently the paint prevents growth on the props for up to six months.

 

At two that afternoon the travel lift transported Vagabund back to the sea.

 

We were full of excitement to have her back in the water.  That evening we enjoyed sitting on our deck overlooking the bay.

 

 

6th December 2013 Friday 

The rental car was returned. Custom and immigration clearance was granted. The evening we had a braai with our special friends: Ursula and Dough from Island Explorer and Luiz and Marianne from Cascalo. It was an evening sharing many stories. 

 

7th December 2013 Saturday

Early at 6 h00 we left for the fresh product market. It was an experience to smell and see. Fish, meat and spice odours filled the air. All the products were fresh. The floor of the next building was covered with tables, each overfilled with fruit and vegetables leaving narrow corridors to wander through. Price and quality had to be balanced of to ensure the best buy. Three bags later: two with fruit and veggies and another with Tuna and some white flesh fish made up our days ransom. Just in time to have a sour drink (sour fruit, condense milk and crushed ice) before we had to get back on the taxi departing at 8am.

At 15h00 Luiz helped us cast off as we said goodbye to Chaguaramas and Trinidad. The first leg was rounding the Western tip of the Island and exiting through the “Bocas de Dragon” narrow pass way to the open ocean. With the strong NE winds and current it is best to stick close to shore for the next 45 nm as you turn ENE motoring against the wind hoping for some cross current to assist.  We were conservative in our planning and estimated progress at 4 nm per hour. The new bigger motor and props surprised us and managed to cover at least 7nm per hour. We could ease off to 5 nm per hour to time our arrival at first light in Tobago.

The next morning we arrived at first light in Store Bay Tobago.

Facts from Wikipedia

“Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt. According to the earliest English-language source cited in the Oxford English Dictionary, Tobago bore a name that has become the English word tobacco. The national bird of Tobago is the Cocrico.

Tobago has a land area of 300 km and is approximately 40 km long and 10 km wide. It is located at latitude 11 15' N, longitude 60 40’ W, slightly north of Trinidad. The population was 60,874 at the 2011 census. The capital, Scarborough, has a population of about 17,000. While Trinidad is multi-ethnic, Tobago's population is primarily of African descent, although with a growing proportion of Trinidadians of East Indian descent and Europeans. Between 2000 and 2011, the population of Tobago grew by 12.55 percent, making it one of the fastest-growing areas of the country.

Tobago is primarily hilly and of volcanic origin. The southwest of the island is flat and consists largely of coralline limestone. The hilly spine of the island is called the Main Ridge. The highest point in Tobago is the 550-metre (1804ft) Pigeon Peak near Spey side^.

The climate is tropical, and the island lies just south of the Atlantic hurricane belt. Average rainfall varies between 3800mm on the Main Ridge to less than 1250mm in the southwest. There are two seasons: a wet season between July and November, and a dry season between December and June.

History

Possession of Tobago has been fought over by numerous nations since it was first sighted by Columbus in 1498.

The original Caribbean population was forced to defend the island against other Amerindian tribes. Then, during the late 1500s and early 1600s, the natives defended it from European colonists, the first being Courlanders in 1654. Over the years, the Dutch, English, Spanish, Swedish and French transformed Tobago into a battle zone and the island changed hands 33 times, the most in Caribbean history, before it was finally ceded to the British in 1814 under the Treaty of Paris.

From about 1672, during a period of stability under temporary British rule, plantation culture began. Sugar, cotton and indigo factories sprang up and Africans were imported to work as slaves. The economy flourished and by 1777 Tobago was exporting great quantities of rum, cotton, indigo and sugar. But in 1781 the French invaded, destroyed the plantations, and forced the British governor to surrender. The islands buoyant economy fell into decline.

In 1814, when the island was again under British control, another phase of successful sugar production began. But a severe hurricane in 1847, combined with the collapse of plantation underwriters, marked the end of the sugar trade. Without the highly profitable sugar production, Britain had no further use for Tobago and in 1889 the island was made a ward of Trinidad. Without sugar, the islanders had to grow other crops, planting acres of limes, coconuts and cocoa and exporting their produce to Trinidad. In 1963, Hurricane Flora ravaged Tobago, destroying the villages and crops. A restructuring programme followed and attempts were made to diversify the economy. The development of a tourist industry began. In 2004 Hurricane Ivan, while less severe than Flora, also caused significant damage.”

 

The sailing through the night, crossing the busy ship traffic lane, with strong cross currents and shallow reefs was tiring.  Finding my sea legs normally takes a few days. Shortly after arrival I fell asleep and only surfaced after 10 that morning.

After sleeping for four months on her side our small dingy outboard was temperamentally stubborn. Zack struggled for more than an hour before classifying the outboard as due for a carburettor service by a mechanic.

Landing with the dingy was a challenge on its own. With the trade winds in full action the Northerly swells was quite big causing an uncomfortable shore break on the beach.  A common agreement was reached that we will only clear immigration and customs the next day. With the dinghy hoisted up we launched our canoe and explored Pigeon Point.

It was already after sunset before we were settled back on Vagabund. Just as I was ready to dish up some fresh Tuna and white fish we heard a voice from the water calling "Hallo, hallo Sir: may I hold onto your boat to catch my breath" Aware of the unwelcome invaders Zack was reluctant to invite any stranger to the boat in pitch darkness. On the other hand if the person is tired of swimming who are we to not to allow him to catch his breathe. Zack made sure he was alone before giving his permission.  Upon further invitation our guest boarded our vessel still with a sealed bear can in his hand? Upon further inquiry we could determine he escaped the buzz on the beach that evening by swimming out to Vagabund. After joining us for dinner and two beers we further discovered that he is part of the Canadian 7thRugby team. They were playing in a tournament that ended that same day.  

After a pleasant and interesting few hours and with a thank you our night invader dropped over the side and swam back to the beach. The next day we received a sms from Simon Fader to thank us for our hospitality and for the dinner, what a pleasant guy dropping in and out of our lives. Trust we will see him at the Olympics in Rio.

Meeting great people is one of the many things that make exploring new places and people so exciting.

9th December 2013 Monday

After an early morning rowing exercise we beached our dinghy, caught a taxi and visited immigration and customs office to clear customs. The afternoon we wandered through the streets close to the beach.

 

Vagabund lying on ancor on the right of  the photo.

10th December 2013 Tuesday

From Pigeon Point we explored Bucco Reef in a glass bottom boat.

 

We explored the reefs. They are thick and healthy and covered with robust sponges and corals.  The visibility was not very good and we decided to return next year to explore this spectacular reef again.. At Nylon Pool we took a dip and relaxed at "No Man's Land" before returning to shore. 

11th December 2013 Wednesday 

Early morning we were blessed with a beautiful rainbow.

 

I experienced very Interesting bookkeeping practises on the beach.

 

Dave our taxi driver and self-volunteered tour guide took us for a tour around Tobago. We visited the mystery tombstone erected to the memory of Betty Stiven who died in 1783 with the inscription: “She was a mother without knowing it and a wife without letting her husband know it except by her kind indulgences to him”.

 

We visited Fort James built by the British Circa 1811. In 1777 a four gun battery of 3 to18 pounders and 1 to 6 pounders was placed here for protection of the bay.

 

We drove on a narrow road with a breath-taking view of different beaches along the Eastern leeward side of Tobago.

 

Around a curve in the road we come across the biggest tree in Tobago. The tree was towering into the sky with a trunk covered with small spikes.

 

After stopping to admire the view over Castara Bay we drove down a winding road to the beach below.

 

Lunch was enjoyed in a cosy restaurant overlooking Englishman’s Bay.

 

Parlatuvier Bay is a small bay well sheltered from the open sea.

 

Tobago is an undulating mass of coral and volcanic rock. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve, Tobago's backbone, is a hilly range of forest, which covers 60% of the island. The drive through the Rain Forest was spectacular.

 

We took a hike into the forest and the trail revealed towering trees and a variety of ferns. You hear the creaking of the bamboo trees, bird calls and see the gentle swaying of the tall trees as the trade winds brush over the tree tops.

 

That afternoon at immigration was quite interesting. When we received our papers we discovered that the closed letter from Chaguaramas was not ours but the sailing vessel Vagabond with a crew of four. Luckily the correct papers could be faxed through.  Imagine if we had to sail back to Trinidad. In future we will open even sealed paperwork to make sure it is correct.

12th December 2013 Thursday

We left for Charlotteville. Upon reading noon site we decided not to anchor in one of the beaches due to the incident in September this year.

 

Our Captain tried all his different lures but he could not get any fish to bite. Even by going twice around an island between all the different local fishing boats yielded no fish.  Jigging was not successful either.

The local fisherman rigged their boats for either bottom fishing or netting but the majority is rigged for trawling spoons and feathers at high speed. The trawling boats are all equipped with two bamboo pole outriggers.

Our Captain tried all his different lures but he could not get any fish to find it interesting. Even by going twice around an island between all the different local fishing boats no fish. Jicking was not successful either.

The local fisherman rigged their boats for either bottom fishing, netting but the majority is rigged for trawling spoons and feathers at high speed. The trawling boats are all equipped with two bamboo pole outriggers.

 

At 15:00 we anchored in Pirates Bay less than 0, 5 nm from Charlottesville. We managed to miss the extra fees for after hour arrivals.  Charlottesville is a sleepy seaside pleasant village where no one is in a hurry. The bay is a beautiful natural harbour surrounded by steep hills of tropical forest. There are several dainty beaches with white sand and rock pools where the snorkelling is excellent

 

13th December Friday

We decided to clear out the next morning early and sail to Grenada to have the new engine serviced for its 50hr service before they close down for the Christmas festival. Immigration was available but customs was closed and would only open again on Saturday. We had to postpone our sailing for another day.

14th December Saturday

We waited for two hours before customs arrived. With papers in our hand we were legally prepared for the next Caribbean island. We went snorkelling near a small island in the Man of War Bay. The brown corals and sponges made up an underwater garden. Huge size rocks supported angelfish, parrotfish and the usual reef fishes. 

We prepared to leave at 23h00 to sail to Grenada, our next Caribbean island to explore. At 23h50 the anchor was lifted and we left for the open sea.

With a nice steady breeze we deployed the screecher. A few nautical miles later we were in open sea. Apart from swells on the beam the wind picked up to over 30 knots. With the apparent wind getting closer to 30 knots we were speeding over 12 knots into a dark untamed sea. We knew we had too much sail out and could only manage to furl the screecher back in after a battle of more than an hour. The battle left its scars as the foot of the screecher was torn.

We reefed the Genoa and still managed to maintain good progress.  Every now and then a wave will break on the bow splashing over the side. A river of water will flush through the cockpit leaving as quickly as what it appeared. With eyes locked in the dark on the starboard sea one could anticipate the rogue waves as they appear. By swinging her stern an extra 30 degrees into the oncoming waves we managed to climb over these breaking waves. We got great appreciation and respect for Vagabund’s sea capabilities.

As we approached land we could change the angle to be more favourable and the sea state were more settled down. It took us just over 10 hours to sail the 88 nm between the two islands.

Just before 10h00 we enjoyed the calm of the flatter water as we motored into Prickly Bay where there were nearly 100 yachts lying on anchor.

Halo Grenada here we are.

Having a rough night like this makes us just so much more aware that we are never alone on the open sea. The Master of the wind and sea is always with us.

 

 

 

 

Grenada

15th December to 29th December 2013

A few days in Grenada allowed us to settle in and get a few things done. Our screecher was handed in to be repaired.

 

I decided to spoil Zack by ordering a Steiner Commander 7x50 marine binocular with compass for his birthday at Budget Marine. The service with Volvo for our 40Hp engine was booked as well as a service on the 3,5 Hp Mercury outboard.

16^th December was very special. That evening we celebrate this special day with Shabbat and reading about the history of that day in our history in South Africa. A special evening of praise and worship.

From Big Fish it is easy to catch a mini bus into St George. Mini Buses are vans that have generally a slogan on the back window and a number on the front windscreen. You just held out your hand and they stop.  You are picked regardless if they have space or not. One day we were picked up with the mini bus already full. Too much amusement of the fellow passengers I had to sit on my hubby’s lap for a few blocks till somebody climb off.

 

Every morning we rowed in the bay for our daily exercise.  The windy conditions made it a special challenge.

Upon the third day in the bay we managed to get Hothothotspot Internet going on Vagabund.

Facts Wikipedia:

“Grenada is an island country consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Grenada is also known as the "Island of Spice" because of the production of nutmeg and mace crops of which Grenada is one of the world's largest exporters. Its size is 344 square kilometres (133 sq mi), with an estimated population of 110,000. Its capital is St. George's. The national bird of Grenada is the critically endangered Grenada Dove.

 

History:

The recorded history of the Caribbean island of Grenada begins in the early 17th century. First settled by indigenous peoples, by the time of European contact it was inhabited by the Caribs. French colonists drove most of the Caribs off the island and established plantations on the island, eventually importing African slaves to work on sugar plantations.

Control of the island was disputed by Great Britain and France in the 18th century, with the British ultimately prevailing. In 1795, Fédon's Rebellion, inspired by the Haitian Revolution, very nearly succeeded, and was crushed with significant military intervention. Slavery was abolished in the 1830s. In 1885, the island became the capital of the British Windward Islands.

Grenada achieved independence from Britain in 1974. Following a leftist coup in 1983, the island was invaded by U. S. troops and a democratic government was reinstated. The island's major crop, nutmeg, was significantly damaged by Hurrican Ivan in 2004.

Geography:

The island of Grenada is the largest island in the Grenadines; smaller islands are Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Ronde Island, Caille Island, Diamond Island, Large Island, Saline Island, and Frigate Island. Most of the population lives on Grenada, and major towns there include the capital, St. George's, Grenville and Gouyave. The largest settlement on the other islands is Hillsborough on Carriacou.

 

The islands are of volcanic origin with extremely rich soil. Grenada's interior is very mountainous with Mount St. Catherine being the highest at 840 m. Several small rivers with beautiful waterfalls flow into the sea from these mountains. The climate is tropical: hot and humid in the rainy season and cooled by the trade winds in the dry season. Grenada, being on the southern edge of the hurricane belt, has suffered only three hurricanes in fifty years.

Hurricane Janet passed over Grenada on September 23, 1955, with winds of 185 km/h, causing severe damage. The most recent storms to hit have been Hurricane Ivan on September 7, 2004, causing severe damage and thirty-nine deaths and Hurricane Emily on July 14, 2005, causing serious damage in Carriacou and in the north of Grenada which had been relatively lightly affected by Hurricane Ivan.”

On Friday we did an Island tour with Henry’s safari Tours. We pass through St. George's, a pretty town in the Caribbean.

We follow up the west coast to till we turn off the tiny mountain road that leads up to the Concord Waterfalls. These falls are set in rich agricultural land with lots of nutmeg trees and small houses with flower gardens.

 

We carry on to Douglaston Spice Plantation, where you can see where the island gets its nick name "Isle of Spice" and how the spices are treated after picking, in much the same way as they have been for hundreds of years.

 

The Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station is one of the largest nutmeg processing factories on the island, in the center of the west-coast fishing village of Gouyave (pronounced gwahv). The beach has black sand from the volcanic source.

 

We learn all about nutmeg and its uses, see the nutmegs laid out in bins, sort them by hand and pack them into burlap bags for shipping worldwide. The three-story plant turned out 3 million pounds of Grenada's most famous export each year before Hurricane Ivan's devastating effect on the crop in 2004, when most of the nutmeg trees were destroyed. By 2013, production finally began to reach pre-hurricane levels.

Sauteurs is a fishing town in the saint Patrick Parish. At Helens restaurant we were entertained on local dishes for lunch with ice cream and cake for desert.

 

Located north of the town of Sauteurs is a steep cliff face that descends vertically into the sea for more than 40 meter. It was from the top of the cliff that Grenada's last remaining Carib Indians hurled themselves in 1651, preferring suicide to domination by the French. The town was named Sauteurs, which is French for "jumpers".

 

Visiting the rum distillery Rivers Rum in the north of the island is almost like taking us a step 250 years back in time.

Rum distillery process of River Antoine Royal Grenadian Rum:

“Central to the entire process of manufacturing Rivers Rum is a water wheel. Fed by the River Antione, that wheel has been the driving force behind crushing cane for as long as there’s been Rivers Rum—making it the oldest distillery driven by a water wheel in existence.

From the crusher, the cane juice runs down a tiny, open-air wooden guttering to the boiling house.

It’s then stirred by hand and brought to a boil in the boiling room.

Once the right sugar concentration has been reached, the hot juice is spooned into cooing tanks at the back of the building. The fermenting juice is then pumped upstairs into concrete fermentation tanks, where it bubbles away for eight days.

After this, it is ready for distillation. Here, the fire below the boiler is heated with wood, because bagasse does not burn hot enough to (super-) heat the liquid.

For the final step, it’s hand-pumped, hand-pumped from tanks under the building into bottles held near a pipe.”

After a walk back in time is a taste of this River Antoine Royal Grenadian Rum. Three bottles on the table:

Sip- Wow!!!  **Cough**Cough**

This is very strong! Taste like “mampoer.”

The next one: A lighter fluid.

The third one is a rum punch.

A visit to this distillery is a strong recommendation when visiting Grenada.

On Saturday we explore the streets of down town St George by foot. We started at the Market Square that is in the heart of Grenada’s commercial center. Farmers and spice vendors sell their produce to locals and visitors. Products mainly vary from tropical fruit, vegetables, some colorful clothing as well as the different herbs and spices that grown on the island.

Walking up the hill to Fort George we passed the remains of the old Presbyterian Church that was damaged during the passage of Hurricane Ivan on September 7th 2004. The Hurricane caused damaged to building, agriculture and many lives was lost. The economy took years to recover from the set back.

Fort George is still an active Police Academy.

The fort was not well maintained. The view is worth the walk. Great views across the harbour, the town of St Georges with the three churches: Roman Catholic Cathedral, Anglican Church as well as the Presbyterian Church and the marina.

For us some fun to clamber around the old fortification.

Tuesday the 24^th December we sailed out of Prickly Bay round the SW tip of Grenada and sailed the 40 nm North to Carriacou.

A Strong Breeze of 20 to 25 knots pulled us along a choppy sea. Shortly after two the afternoon we dropped anchor in Tyrrel Bay.

Christmas eve was spent at the Lazy Turtle restaurant. The local youth band entertained us with their version of Christmas carols. 

That night the wind blow in all the directions. We made at least two 360 deg turns on our anchor nearly touching “Prism” a few times.  Quite a few boats had to anchor again after touching next-door neighbors.

Christmas morning was a rainy day. We had a lovely lunch with my mother in law’s pretty overlay on the table. With only the two of us we had a special time down memory lane.

With the previous midnight swinging around of boats and casual greetings we decided to properly introduce ourselves to our next-door neighbours on Prism by inviting them for an afternoon tea. The cake given by Ma Corrie was very special and the last “krummeltjie” was eaten. A special new friendship was started with Charlie and Anina from Albany New York.

Facts Wikipedia:

“Carriacou  is a dependency of Grenada, lying north of Grenada island and south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Lesser Antilles.

The earliest settlers, the Amerindians, called Carriacou "Kayryouacou", meaning "the land of reefs.” The island is 13 square miles (34 km²) with a population of 4,595 (1991 census). The main settlements on the island are Hillsborough, L'Esterre, Harvey Vale, and Windward.”

26th December 2013

Every morning we rowed in the bay for our daily exercise. 

 

We headed around Carriacou to Sandy Island. It is a flawless strip of white sand. Pellicans and seagulls dive in the water for their daily food. Upon snorkeling we saw schools and schools of fish. Waving curtains of minnows.

 

After a lovely day on Sandy Bay we managed to still find our vacated anchor spot as still available and after setting our anchor we spend the evening at Lambi Queen Restaurant with our friends Charlie and Anina.

 

The next day we explored the island on land. We visited Hillsborough with a local bus. Our main mission to find a big enough pressure cooker for the two lobsters he has bought.

 

That evening we were treated by Anina and Charlie with a traditional Scandinavian supper.

Charlie and Anina joined us the next day on Vagabund to Saline island. A gorgeous expanse of golden sand, lapped by translucent turquoise water – the ultimate picture perfect Grenadine beach.

 

We rowed in to a close by reef and snorkeled there. The snorkeling at the island was even better with fish, sea sponges and coral.

 

The swimming exhausted us and we enjoyed a braai on Vagabund before returning to our anchor in Tyrrel Bay.

29th December 2013

We cleared out of the Granada and headed to Union Island in the Grenadines.

 

 

St. Vincent and Grenadines

Union Island

29thDecember 2013

We cleared out of customs and immigration and headed to Union Island. After 2 hours of motor sail we anchored in Ashton Bay. It is a quiet and well-protected bay with shallow water. Coloured kites were seen around the whole bay with kite enthusiasts enjoying the flat warm water and wind. Kite boarding is the fastest growing sport activity in the Grenadines. it is blessed with constant trade winds and a clear turquoise sea. 

 

We secured our dingy to the dock and were offered a lift in the taxi to the airport. The taxi was an old rusted double cab. Arriving at the airport we paid the overtime charge for clearing in on a Sunday. An hour later we were legally in St Vincent and the Grenadines. 

We decided to lift anchor and motor around the island to the lee shore at Chatham. The bay is big and can house many yachts.  A sailing passenger ship was also at anchor. The long sandy beach creates a white line where the sea and land meet. The steep mountains surrounding the bay also restricts general land access and anchorage. 

 

That night we enjoyed curried Lobster and salad for supper. Our self-acclaimed highly regarded food critic gave his thumbs up. The crayfish curried meal rated right on par with the crab curry in Singapore. We have detoured thousands of miles to experience the crab curried meal again. I had to give double assurance that I will be able to repeat the recipe I used. The final revue published: "Could not have eaten better in any other restaurant." I was rewarded with a big thank you kiss and a hug. Could not help myself thinking of Afrikaans saying "'n man se hart is deur sy maag".

30th December 2013

On the leeward side of Union Island there is no cellphone reception. Upon trying both our satellite phones (with no airtime that is still valid) we had to lift anchor to talk to Budget Marine. We decided to sail to Clifton bay. Hopefully we will have Internet connection there. 

Clifton is a small and narrow harbour flanked by two coral reefs. At least two charter companies operate from this harbour. The number of boats anchored and swinging on moorings was astonishing. We saw waving hands on the jetty as we dropped our anchor. Our captain ignored the objection and by the time we had our anchor chain out we were outside the busy channel.

 

a Hot hot spot was picked up with our bullet Wi-Fi antenna. Now it was downloading, updating and synchronising all the phones, ipads and laptops. That afternoon we managed to Skype with Zandia and Andre in Switzerland, catching up on all their moves and news from before Christmas. 

We spend the afternoon exploring Clifton. It is a charming and colourful town. In the middle is a fresh vegetable and fruit market including several souvenir shops. The vendors have colourful stalls.  There was one that Zack could not walk past, the fruit juice quinsy was just to big a temptation. Every time he walked past he will just indicate "one of your fruit specials" and the lady would know taking of with a smile. There are several small supermarkets with lots of basic items to buy. Zack bought a colorful island shirt. At the Beads and Art gallery our captain treated his first mate with a Larimar set of earrings and pendant. Larimar is the only semi-precious stone found in the Caribbean. Every item is handcrafted by the shop owner and his wife Annie-France's. 

 

Being anchored in the middle of the busy small harbour was also a new experience with motor boats, yachts and dinghy’s passing close by. The odd big 200 ton commercial vessel making a stern docking swinging closely by a few anchored yachts and the music competing with each other from the well lit restaurants along the water front. Some of them made music till late in the morning hours.

 

Tobaco Cays

31^st December 2013

Early morning we motor sailed to Tobaco Cays. We sailed into a breathtaking blue lagoon. Dazzling beauty, crystal clear water, stunning beaches with dreamy white sand and coconut trees and spectacular coral gardens.  Five deserted islands were situated behind a horseshoe reef in one of the most magnificent settings.

 

The five cays include the following islands: Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Petit Tabac, Jamesby and Baradal. Tobaco Cays is declared a wildlife reserve and marine Park. The water and reef colours are a kaleidoscope of blue, green and turquoise. Tobago Cays is a pristine marine park and one of the jewels of the Caribbean.

 

The Christmas winds were blowing at full force. It is weird to experience a 25 knot wind in the open ocean with a coral reef taming the sea. After we were safely anchored in 1,8 m of water on a 35 m length chain we went snorkeling. Our daily exercise of kayaking took on a new form of challenge against a strong wind. It drifted us to the far Northern part of the horse shoe reef. The ferns and coral was unspoilt and sea life in abundance. What amazing freedom to swim in the ocean and only hear your own breath and the click click of corals.

We appreciated the vast collection of sponges, soft corals and the reef fishes given by God for us to enjoy. 

 

After mounting our kayak and stowing away all our diving and underwater photography equipment we collected the paddles and paddled back to Vagabund.  With the kayak we could cover greater distances and also spotted several turtles surfacing for air. Tired of using manpower we changed to horsepower.  We mounted our 9,9 horse power dingy and explored the nearest island in style. I had one of my dresses on and Zack was formally dressed with a shirt and no sandals.

The anchorage area is open to the full force of the ocean winds, which gusted up to 33 knots. Our concern was being anchored in such shallow water. The waves are amplified 2 to 3 times in such shallow areas. We just hoped that the barrier reef will do its job.

1st January 2014

The Reef close to Vagabund looked very enticing for snorkeling. It was a rocky ride in the kayak with the wind blowing hard. As soon as my head was under the water the beauty of the underwater unfolded. Exquisite coral sway to the rhythm of the pristine sea floor. Frisky parrotfish darted around. Reef fish fed on the floor bed. 

 

Back at Vagabund the weather changed. Clouds were gathering in what we would call back in SA in the old days an illegal gathering. The rain clouds were grey over the island tops. We lifted anchor and motor sailed South to Petit St Vincent.

Petit St. Vincent

1st January 2014

A squall engulfed us and the wind were blowing at 30 knots, gusting up to 33 knots forming big waves on the beam. The intense downpour of rain lowered the surface tension and caused the see state to calm down rapidly making our approach to the narrow sea gate more comfortable. As we slipped into the leeward side of Petit St Vincent the sea and wind calmed down.We dropped anchor and we were secured close to the dinghy doc and fancy restaurant on the beach. 

 

Petit St Vincent is one of the rich and famous hideaway resorts in the Caribbean and mostly privately owned. The public are allowed to come ashore for drinks, light lunches and supper. You can walk on certain sections of the beach but the rest is forbidden ground and only accessible to hotel guests. We enjoyed walking on the course sea sand. A photo could only capture a fraction of the beauty of the sunsets. 

 

That evening we spoiled ourselves acting as rich and famous (hiding away the water tight bag) greeting the yachties as they walk by and enjoying an exquisite gourmet dinner on the beach. A salad of melon, cucumber and feta cheese was our starter and snapper and salad the main course.  Bare feet in the sand we enjoyed blasting away our hard earned money. A reality check came when we received our 1200.00 rand bill.

 

Petit Martinique

2nd January 2014

We refueled at Petit Martinique. B&C Fuels is one of the better and more convenient fuel docks in the Grenadines. I was disappointed, Zack`s birthday present was not delivered. It was not sent to Carriacou as requested. We decided to go and collect it ourselves the next day in Carriacou.

 

Union Island

Which meant clearing out of Union Island. It took three tries at anchoring in the narrow harbour over populated with boats before any locals or neighboring yacht captains voiced their objection to our presence. The airport was a stones throw away where we cleared customs for the next day. We contacted Michael and Cathri on Scype. We got all the details of their trip to Singapore. 

 

That evening was spent Skyping and updating our applications.

3rd January 2013

It is Michael's birthday today. Our firstborn is turning 28 and we are excited to see what the New Year hold in for him and his wife. Skype was not an option so we bit the bullet and made an international call to congratulate him on his birthday. 

Just before seven the next morning we pulled the anchor and sailed SSE in a fresh to strong breeze pushing us along at a nice pace. Although the sea has build up, the downwind run was so much more comfortable than the beating we had to do sailing up North from Grenada. Two hours later we were safely anchored in Tyrrel Bay. A message on Zack's phone came through. It was Budget Marine hoping we have not left Union Island yet. Well we were already in Tyrrel Bay. Needless to say Zack was very disappointed. We lift anchor and returned to Union Island in time to clear in again. Customs first did not know what to do. They decided to void our clearance form and immigration voided the stamp in our passports. Fortunately we did not have to pay again.

Mayreau Island

We headed to the island Mayreau, it can only be reached by a sail boat or ferry. It is situated north of Union Island. The total population of the island is 250 permanent residents. 

When we anchored in Saline Bay we broke the bridal whilst setting the anchor. Zack turned into a handyman and came up with a solution. He replaced the broken rope with a quadruple line. That evening we launched the dingy and motored to the doc and still managed to take a lazy stroll up the beach before sunset.

4th January 2013

Saline Bay is well protected from the wind and it was the first bay in several days with flatter water where we could do some kayaking. We took the snorkels and fins with us on the kayak. We paddled past the Northern Outcrop to the next bay enjoying the clean water and beauty of the island. On our way back we stopped and snorkeled at the northern end of the bay. The heavy wave action brought the visibility down but we still managed to see a lot of coral fish, sponges and ferns and even two lobsters under a crevasse.

 

After mounting the kayak again we explored the Southern edge. The water was much clearer and deeper with cave formations. Fish life were in abundance. Hunger pains and low blood sugar gave us a notice to return back to the boat to refuel. A huge brunch was prepared and enjoyed with eggs, steak, hash browns and salad. 

 

That afternoon we decided to explore the island on foot. Walking up the steep hills we noticed quite a few goats all fastened on ropes. The goats keep the grass short and supply milk. The locals did not need much more to survive. It seems like time is standing still. 

 

A strenuous hike up Station Hill brought us to the stone Catholic Church from the 1930's. Inside we sat for a while and enjoyed being engulfed in quiet and peace.  

 

The view from the back of the church overlooking the Tobago Cays was stunning. You could see turquoise water for miles and miles..

 

We walked down the hill to Salt Whistle Bay. It has a beautiful tree-lined beach with white powdered sand and exceptionally calm water. The yachts were packed together and we counted sixteen yachts in a crowded small anchorage area. 

 

Walking over to the beach on the windward side we watched a young woman preparing to kite surf. It was fascinating to watch how she mastered the skill and with her kite flying high got onto the board and skiing over the water from one side to the other side of the beach. Wow!!! I was looking in awe. 

 

Now we had to walk back up the hill and down on the other side before we returned to Vagabund. Concentrating on taking smaller steps up the hill but smiling about the downhill that awaited us. In our world everything ends down on sea level again.

5th January 2014.

Zack's birthday. I had to improvise for a present. He received our wedding anniversary present instead. Hopefully I would be able to give his present shortly. Again we walked up the hill to attend the church service at Mayreau Christian Revival Centre. We worshipped and praised island style for two hours. 

 

The last of the Christmas cake (send by my mother in law) was eaten with coffee and cappuccino on the front deck. 

A beautiful passenger ship with sails was anchored in the bay. The passengers were on the island for the day. They enjoyed the beach, snorkeled and partook in water sports items . At sunset everybody went back on board,the boat lifted anchor and set of into the sunset. These mega yachts brings prosperity to these islands. Local businesses cater for these clients. 

 

Mustique Island

6th January 2014 to 8th January 2014

Early morning we motor-sailed towards Mustique Island, passing Canouan Island. As soon as we entered the open water between the islands the apparent wind pick up to above 25 knots, we were glad that we had 2 reefs in the mainsail. Vagabund pointed well against the wind on the bow. We kept the angle at 30 deg apparent till we were in the calmer water of Mustique and motored the 5 nm dead upwind across to Britannia Bay in Mystique. 

On the 1000 m mark Zack got two strikes. He suspected that it was some bill fish specie as the leader lines were both chaved. As we entered into Britannia Bay we were welcomed by the calmness of the bay and the clear beauty of the water of Mystique. We selected a mooring close to the beach.The visibility was amazing and we could see the rocks on the bottom at a depth of 5m. 

Our first exploration of the bay was with the kayak. Earlier I requested our captain to drain the kayak. In the process the drain plug was taken out and not replaced again. As we were exploring the beauty around us Zack complained that he was sitting deeper and deeper in the water. The kayak quickly became unstable. The tone of voice changed “We need to turn around quickly, we are taking in water” It was an adventure all by itself to paddle back with the kayak filling up with water. The more water we took on the more unstable the kayak became. One small wave toppled us into the ocean.  It was then that our captain discovered he never put the drain plug back in. The plug was now missing and we had to get the tail as much out of the water as we could. We both sat on the front end of the canoe. By this time the canoe was as unstable as trying to get on top of a 45 gal drum in the water. Both of us sat in the front section, this way we managed to get the open drain plug just above water level. The two of us where so closely seated that if we were not paddling in perfect harmony our paddles would get tangled. I could not help but to start laughing about our effort. Our captain did not think it was funny. He focused on balancing us to stay on top as we paddled the odd 200m back to Vagabund.

Mustique - elegant grandeur and privately owned. Mustique is an island of glitz and glamour with fabulous villas, European Royalty and glamorous pop-stars occupying the island. It is a playground for the rich and famous. It was originally purchased and developed by Colin Tennant in 1959. The building of private homes has been limited to 140. You have to pay a conservation fee of $ EC 200 or R 800 (to a depth of up to 70 feet) that entitles you to a three night stay. Thirty moorings are available. 

 

The three days were spend snorkeling, kayaking and exploring the village.

 

Britannia Bay is a yacht harbour with a small fishing village and a couple of stores. At Sweetie Pie Bakery we ate delicious croutons. Our Captain spend some Caribbean dollars on his First Mate at the purple heart boutique.  We stocked up on small items at Corea`s supermarket. The supermarket was well stocked with interesting products but what was funny nothing was marked with a price.

 

Basil's Bar is built on stilts on a rock overlooking the bay. This is claimed to be one of the Caribbean's most famous bars. At Basils Bar we had a late lunch. The food was excellent but pricey.

 Back at Vagabund we moved over to a mooring closer to Basils Bar and with our WiFi bullet we were able to have Internet on board.  The water was very clear and we could snorkel arround Vagabund.

 

From the beach the white colour of the sand seems to enhance the blue of the water. It is like a post card picture just more beautiful. Only God could use such an abundance of blue when creating this place.

 

Bequia

9^th January to 14^th January 2014

We had a lovely sailing trip from Mustique to Bequia. One of the reels came alive with a high pitching noise after about an hour’s sailing. Our home was once again not just a sailing boat but a fishing vessel also. The wind strength was 20 knots; with the sails up it’s a struggle to get them down and to fight the fish. It took us 20 minutes to take down the sails and retrieve the other four fishing rods. About 15 minutes later Zack grabbed the sailfish by its bill. After a few photos the fish were put back into the water and we tried to revive it. After 20 minutes we gave up and had to keep the fish. The fillets where vacuum sealed and the carcass donated to some of the local people in Bequia.

 

A large red cargo ship recently went aground on the rocks at West Cay. We wondered what happened and this served as a warning to sharpen our awareness of navigating these waters.

 

While sailing from West Cay to Admiralty Bay a strange architectural form welcomed us as we passed Moonhole. The houses resembled a moonscape. It seemed like the houses grew out of the rocks without straight lines or angles. They have huge arches, fantastic views and big patios. There is no glass in the windows, no electricity and it is not readily accessible by land or sea.

 

We anchored in front of Princess Margaret Beach. The following day our dear Brazilian friends joined us on Cascalho in the bay and anchored about 50 m from Vagabund.

 

Facts of Wikipedia:

“Bequia, the name derived from a Caribean Indian word meaning "Island of the Clouds". Bequia is home to just under 5000 people. The island is steeped in sea-faring traditions such as boat building, fishing and whaling. The main harbour is at Admiralty Bay. The picturesque capital of Port Elizabeth has a sleepy, old-world ambience and you can walk from one end to the other in 20 minutes. 

The island has an active whaling station in a low-key and traditional way. By IWC agreement, local whalers can take four whales a year. The whaling season is from February to April. At this time of the year humpback whales leave the northern feeding grounds and head south to mate and bear young. The whalers are in an open sailing boat, using hand-thrown harpoons. On the rare occasion that they make a kill, the hunters tow the whale to Semplers Cay for butchering.”

The weather forecast indicated that a cold front was wedging in from the North. This would lead to higher wind speeds in the Caribbean Sea. We decided to sit the weather change out. We could catch up on all the latest news from our friends Luiz and Mariaane. We had a wonderful time together with lots of laughter.

 

Luiz taught Zack to throw a net and also showed him how to repair it. Luiz was descended from a family of fisherman. He learnt to craft from his father. We enjoyed his passion.

 

Sunday we attended church at the St Mary Anglican Church. We were welcomed as visitors and were invited to share communion with them.

 

Mariaane and Luiz went together on our dingy to snorkel at Devil’s Table. We anchored onto a dive-mooring boy from where we could explore the reef. We saw big schools of minnows. They darted around us chased by kingfish. The NW reef had some beautiful coral and fish.

 

Teenage entertainment: Waterslide between two boats.

 

The evening prior to our departure we had a gathering on Vagabund. Another South African boat Katlyn with Doug and Valerie anchored close by. We previously met them in French Guinia. 

Ocean Maiden is a South African boat previously owned by Chris and Tjarda and now owned by Silke a solo sailor. She was sailing up North from Union Island. Her boat had windlass problems and she asked us to assist her with the anchoring. On her arrival just after sunset we had three skippers to assist her.