St Lucia
Published on Sunday, 26 January 2014 03:14 | | 
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| Hits: 5890
| | Hits: 5890Saint Lucia
15th January to 16th January 2014
We left Bequia at 6h00 the morning. We passed a beautiful passenger ship going into a bay.
About midday we hooked a billfish. This time it was my turn to bring her in. It was an Atlantic White Marlin. I was thrilled that we were able to release her in the open sea after a few photos.
Facts of Wikipedia:
“St Lucia is one of the Windward Islands; it was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the French, the first European colonizers. They signed a treaty with the native Caribbean peoples in 1660. England took control of the island from 1663 to 1667; in ensuing years, it was at war with France 14 times and rule of the island changed frequently (7 times French and British each). In 1814, the British took definitive control of the island. Because it switched so often between British and French control, Saint Lucia was also known as the "Helen of the West Indies."
The French pirate Francois El Clerc (also known as Jambe de Bois, due to his wooden leg) frequented Saint Lucia in the 1550s. It was not until years later, around 1600, that the first European camp was started by the Dutch, at what is now Vieux Fort. In 1605, an English vessel called the Olive Branch was blown off-course on its way to Guyana, and the 67 colonists started a settlement on Saint Lucia. After five weeks, only 19 survived, due to disease and conflict with the Caribbeans, so they fled the island. The French officially claimed the island in 1635 but it was the English who started the next European settlement in 1639.”
We arrived at Rodney Bay at 18h00 that evening. Rodney Bay Lagoon is a large and protected area for anchoring on the Northwest side of St Lucia.
We cleared Customs and Immigration with a three day in-and-out clearance.
The rest of the day was spent in the two shopping malls enjoying the Clothing shops, household goods, arts and crafts, as well as a pharmacy. We found a large supermarket and were able to buy some of the stuff we could not find previously.
That evening we invited Allen and Marita of Alleycat for dinner on Vagabund.
The day of the attack we left Rodney Bay (St Lucia) to Martinique. The attack was in Vieux Fort in the Southern part of the island.
Our hearts go out to his surviving wife Margaret.
More details of the St Lucia attack from BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-25832068
Also have a look on www.noonsite.com for info on sailor security reports.
Martinique
Published on Sunday, 26 January 2014 03:16 | | | | Hits: 5447
| | Hits: 5447Martinique
17th January 2014 Friday
At 6h00 we left Saint Lucia and headed to Martinique. We had a lovely sail trip using the screecher.
Facts of Wikipedia:
“The Caribbean’s called Martinique the Island of Flowers. As part of France, Martinique is part of the European Union, and its currency is the euro. Its official language isFrench, although many of its inhabitants also speak Antillean Creole (Crole Martiniquais).
The total area of Martinique is 1,100 square kilometers, of which 40 square kilometers are water and the rest land. Martinique is the 3rd largest island in The Lesser Antilles after Trinidad and Guadeloupe. It stretches 70 km in length and 30 km in width. The highest point is the volcano of Mont Pelee at 1,397 meters above sea level.”
We entered St Pierre Bay with Mont Pelee covered by clouds. At 13h00 we were safely anchored in St Pierre.
Customs was a computer check-in process at the tourist office. We completed the form electronically, printed the form and it was then stamped by the tourist office. We wandered through the streets of St Pierre for the rest of the afternoon.
St Pierre lies at the foot of the Mt Pelee volcano, which erupted in 1902. The destruction killed nearly 30 000 people. The 1000 that survived left St Pierre before the eruption and took the warning of the smoking mountain as a serious threat. The only survivor was the famous Cyparis, imprisoned for murder in a stone cell.
We were able to see many ruins as evidence of that disastrous day.
St Pierre at night from anchor on Vagabund.
Dominica
Published on Sunday, 26 January 2014 03:17 | | | | Hits: 5981
| | Hits: 5981Dominica
18th January 2014 Saturday to 19th January 2014 Sunday
At 6h30 the 18th January we lifted anchor and left the bay towards Dominica. As soon as we reached the open sea between the two islands the wind was picked up and becoming a strong breeze. The mains had two reefs and the genoa one reef. Close to Dominica we were three sailboats sailing together with a cargo ship right on our beam trying to cross between us. Only after our captain called them on the radio, they confirmed that they have spotted us and indicated that they will pass Vagabund on the stern.
Close to Prince Rupert Bay a PAYS boat with the name Privileged welcomed us. At 15h30 we were safely anchored in Prince Rupert Bay in front of Portsmouth. We anchored just south of the Purple Turtle restaurant to ensure we have Wi-Fi from Hothothot.
Facts of Wikipedia:
“Dominica has been nicknamed the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its seemingly unspoiled natural beauty. It is the youngest island in the Lesser Antilles, still being formed by geothermal-volcanic activity, as evidenced by the world's second-largest boiling lake. The island features lush mountainous rainforests, home of many rare plant, animal, and bird species.
The Sisserou parrot (Amazona imperialis) is Dominica's national bird and is endemic to its mountain forests. A related species, the Jaco or Red-necked Parrot (A. arausiaca), is also a Dominican endemic. Both birds are rare and protected nowadays, though some forest is still threatened by logging in addition to the long-standing threat of hurricanes.
Dominica is especially vulnerable to hurricanes as the island is located in what is referred to as the hurricane region. In 1979, Dominica was hit directly by category 5 Hurricane David, causing widespread and extreme damage. On 17 August 2007, Hurricane Dean, a category 1 at the time, hit the island. Prime MinisterRoosevelt Skerrit estimated that 100 to 125 homes were damaged, and that the agricultural sector was extensively damaged, in particular the banana crop.
Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on both tourism and agriculture.
The emancipation of African slaves occurred throughout the British Empire in 1834, and, in 1838, Dominica became the first British Caribbean colony to have a legislature controlled by an African majority. In 1896, the United Kingdom reassumed governmental control of Dominica, turning it into a Crown colony. Half a century later, from 1958 to 1962, Dominica became a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation. In 1978, Dominica became an independent nation.”
Customs are only open weekdays until 4pm. After that you have to go to the agent’s home to check in and we had to pay 50EC in addition to the normal fee. The agent was friendly and accommodating despite our Saturday afternoon interruption.
The God’s Family House of Worship (www.gfhouseofworship.com) was a lively and authentic affair. Worship is at 10h00 and preaching at 12h00. We were welcomed as visitors and after the service met the pastor, he is originally from Florida.
We found the people of Dominica to be some of the friendliest people in the Eastern Caribbean. There are no security issues because the PAYS boat boys (men) do a great job.
The Sunday night cruisers BBQ held by PAYS was amazing. You get rum punch, fish or chicken with rice and salad for EC$50. It was a good way to meet some of the other cruisers and support the PAYS group. After the dinner all the tables were removed and they played music with everybody dancing in the sand. We had great fun.
The “guide books” say it is one of the poorest countries but we considered it one of the “richest”. They are happy people and very proud of their heritage.
Guadelope
Published on Saturday, 01 February 2014 17:11 | | | | Hits: 6057
| | Hits: 6057Guadelope
20th January to 29th January 2014
Iles des Saintes
20th January 2014 to 22nd January 2014
On Monday 20 January we left at first light for Ilse des Saintes. It is part of Guadeloupe (French Islands). It consists of the following: Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas and several smaller ones. They are small islands with a rocky shoreline. The vegetation indicates limited rainfall on these islands.
Anchorage is not permitted in the bay for two reasons:
- The protection of corals (the anchor chain can cause damage to the corals) and
- the depth of the water.
We picked up the last available mooring in a water depth of 20 meters. The French are laid back on their customs and immigration protocol. It is all done on line including the payment of the mooring fees. No passports to stamp (we could get use to this).
Bourg des Saintes was a gorgeous little town. It is very French but friendly. These Islands attract predominantly French tourists and French Cruisers. The town is also geared up for ferry boats carting tourists from the main island.
Big cruising boats also drops anchor here and offload hundreds of people on the ferry docks. Late afternoon is the most beautiful part. The buildings colour is further enhanced by the setting sun.
The narrow streets offers a great variety of shops, very local and different, reflecting the interest and taste of their owners. One particular shop attracted my attention more than the others. The shop name is Maogany. The clothes are hand-painted and silk-screened in themes reminiscent of the sea. (The prices dampened the appetite due to our weak rand)
The doctor’s home resembles a ship’s bow and is something of a local landmark.
Tuesday morning we kayaked over to Ilet Cabrit. A pair of dolphins swam next to us.
We wandered through the streets and had lunch at a local restaurant overlooking the bay.
Later that afternoon we walked up the hill to Fort Napoleon. It was built in 1867. It has a dominant view of the harbour. The first French settlers ventured here in the mid 17th Century. Many a battle was fought against the British on the neighboring seas. The fort is amazing with pretty spectacular views.
Zack was desperate need for a hair cut. R600 was too expensive and I had to cut his hair on deck.
Wednesday morning we kayaked around the bay. We went by dingy around to Baia du Marigot and snorkeled at the Pointe Morei. It was beautiful, the water was clear and there were rocks covered with sea ferns swaying in the current and stunning coral. We saw a lot of different fish species. It was one of the best sites we had snorkeled yet. That same afternoon we snorkeled at Pain de Source.
Guadeloupe
23 to 29th January 2014
We left Ilse des Saintes Thursday morning (23rd January) just after breakfast on a lovely motor sail to Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe is a butterfly-shaped island with the two wings separated by a river.
Pigeon Island is halfway up the western coast. When we reached the leeward side of the island the wind died down and the water looked like a dam. We dropped the sails and motored along the coast.
The Pigeon Island area is the Cousteau National Park. We moored on one of the yellow moorings. The water was crystal clear and you could see the fish underneath Vagabund. We had a barbeque but instead of a “vleisie on the fire” we had a “vleisie on the reef”.
We scuba dived from Vagabund and enjoyed an underwater delight. It was like swimming in an aquarium. The water was clear with rocks, tunnels, cliffs, stunning coral of all types and colorful fishes swimming around.
After the dive we anchored for the night on the mainland shore, in the bay opposite to Pigeon Island.
On Friday (24th January) we went over to Pigeon Island to scuba dive again but this time from our dingy. We tied up to a yellow mooring alongside a dive boat. We dived the other side of the island. We had an excellent dive and even saw a turtle.
After lunch we went ashore. Several snackettes and restaurants are built on the beach. After a 15-20 minute walk to the town Malendure we found a nice supermarket that was well stocked with reasonable prices. Zack could not resist buying some French pastries. Needless to say that I put the pork chops into the fridge for the next day.
Saturday (25 January) it was raining and the wind was blowing 20 knots on anchor. We left for Deshaus a few miles further up the coast. The sea we experienced on Thursday was completely the opposite. A large choppy sea greeted us and even though we were on the leeward side of the island the wind gusted up to 33 knots. We brought the main down and sailed with the genoa not fully unfurled. We were glad to be on the leeward side of the island. It must have been rough on the open seaside.
Coming into the bay to anchor we anchored next to Shiloh (John, Holly and Devon) and Khayo Moya (John and Shirley). It was great seeing them again, waving and greeting them, but they could not hear us in the wind. Both these South African boats we have met in Trinidad. After inspecting our anchor set with a snorkel Zack swam over to greet them.
Saturday evening we were all invited to Shiloh. Everyone brought their own drinks and I took a salad. We sat around eating, drinking and having a good laugh. Building on friendships sealed with salt water that will last for a long time.
Sunday we had a nice group walk over to the next beach. It was very relaxing under the palm trees.
