Not Really Sinking - Just the Waves!

We liked more than the 4 you could buy for 80 GBP, as usual, so ended up with the entire set for 110 which was much better value in theory! 2 of them are posted.

Sailing Rapidly Into Bequia

The island is charming, relaxed and with a surprising number of really well stocked shops. Doris, in particular, sells an amazing range of chocolate, wines, spirits and tinned goods and the shop is so well air-conditioned you feel like staying in there all day. Knights Trading supermarket is larger and cheaper but again well stocked with most of the items we need. A local boat went by at 0700 selling banana bread and baguettes, another came along in the afternoon holding up a tuna. The local fish sellers blow a conch shell when there is a catch landed in the market, which is alongside the fruit and vegetable market with a dinghy dock in front of it. The only refuse skips are there too.

Spring Bay

We took the fast dinghy to Long Bay in the south and swam off the white sand beach for a couple of hours before the sun got too hot. The water is incredibly clear and turquoise without any weed or sea urchins to be seen. One boat was anchored just off the beach but in unsettled conditions it is said to be untenable so we have stayed on the mooring buoy for now as the wind has increased. They have since moved to a nearby buoy themselves.

Blogger at Work in Tommy's Bar - Hard Life!

We sat in Tommy’s Bar for the ‘happy hour’ from 1600 – 1800 with half price starters, rum punches, lagers and painkiller cocktails. The staff were friendly and they do a good range of food. Their Wi-Fi was fast and came free with the drinks. It is a pretty location, just to the south along the waterfront and we could see both our dinghy and Beyzano from their terrace. We downloaded the daily paper to read on the Kindle later but wished we hadn’t bothered, as it was just doom, gloom with a bit more doom and gloom thrown in for good measure. There is nothing we can do of course but it still makes depressing reading.

French and British Cannons

This afternoon we took a taxi tour of the island with Terence who owns the Sunshine Taxi and listens to VHF Ch. 68. In the 2 hours we saw virtually all of Bequia, including the fort, turtle sanctuary, the village of Industry and the viewpoint over the Grenadines at Mount Pleasant. It was fascinating to see the fishing nets and tiny boats on the Atlantic shore as the conditions were so rough it would be a brave man who went to sea today. Terence was very knowledgeable about the island as he has lived here all his life.

Fishing Nets Drying in the Sun

It cost 160 EC$ and was a good way to learn about life here. We should be here another 6 days and are feeling so at home already we were asking about land prices!

You are asked to make a donation of 10 EC$ each to help run the sanctuary and it was well worth the money.

Baby Turtle Tank

The baby turtles were really cute, kept from the day after they hatch on the nearby beach until they are ready to go back into the sea. I asked Martin, who helps at the sanctuary, about turtles biting and yes, they do bite apparently! I wasn’t being paranoid, they can bite your finger off but aren’t normally aggressive. So he says ☺

Rob aka The Turtle Whisperer!

Stunning Scenery of St Lucia's Pitons

The Pitons are the great symbol of St Lucia and a stunning place to moor the boat. There are about 12 moorings, so it is a peaceful location and we felt completely safe there. We still had 30 metres of water under the keel, so anchoring would have been a long and laborious affair as all our 100 metres of chain would have been used.

View from Beyzano - the other Piton!

We left just after first light, by 0530 and initially had to motor as the winds were light. They soon picked up once we were out of the lee of the island and we stormed along to St Vincent in a F4-5. Beyzano happily sailed at 8 knots for a lot of the passage and although there was a little swell, she was comfortable and steady on the helm. It was great to sail some distance again and to finally get south of St Lucia!

Leaving Saint Lucia at 0530

We passed St Vincent on the leeward side and the wind naturally died a little. The island is interesting from the sea, with a great deal of lush land, which has no development on it. Where there are reasonably flat areas, fields have been cultivated but they were still very high up.

Passing Saint Vincent

Another fast passage between St Vincent and Bequia brought us quickly to Admiralty Bay but not before a dinghy being bounced about by the swell came racing towards us with a boat photographer taking snaps. No doubt he will come along to find us soon to show us the results. The 60 mile trip took us 9 hours.

A boat boy called Capt Bob came out to meet us and found a buoy close to the dinghy dock and customs building behind the ferry dock. The mooring cost 50 EC$ but we only wanted to stay for a couple of nights before anchoring further out in the bay near a sandy beach. The mooring area is quite busy with boats close to one another but so far no accidents.

Admiralty Bay from Beach at Port Elizabeth on Bequia

Clearance was a simple process, one form in one building, which houses both customs and immigration and a 70 EC$ fee for the both of us. Our passports were stamped again – doubt if they will last 10 years at this rate, as they will be full of stamps soon!

I then picked Rob up from the boat and we wandered around the pretty waterfront around the bay. There are lots of small shops, bars with Wi-FI, hotels and restaurants. A taxi driver offered us a tour of the island, which is about 6 miles long, taking 2 hours for 160 EC$. A lot of local people are trying to sell produce and crafts but as we are not on holiday and can’t afford space for too many souvenirs we have to say ‘no thanks’ and it can be hard at times. With the season coming to an end shortly, the source of income from visiting yachts will dry up for almost 6 months and many establishments close.

Bridgetown Harbour

In the meantime I’m posting a few more photos of Barbados, as we did wander a little further than the bar. It was a lovely island, good food and some amazing hotels.

It did rain a lot whilst we were there, fortunately with a short dry spell for the wedding ceremony but a few minutes after we all went inside for champagne and cake there was another huge downpour.

And This is the Dry Season!

Several famous people have homes on the island, such as Simon Cowell, Cliff Richard and Cilla Black, fortunately some distance from where we were. Simon wouldn’t like my ‘singing’ nor my novice guitar recitals! Our friend and Biscay crew Paul Page gave me the guitar so I could learn whilst we are away but progress is very slow.

Waterfront South of Bridgetown

Yesterday we anchored the dinghy in the bay, to listen to the Jazz Concert, where Diana Ross and Toni Braxton were on the bill. There were numerous boats anchored too, some of the catamarans being 4 to 1 anchor and there was a nice atmosphere.

Busy Anchorage for Jazz Concert

Today we dropped off the laundry to Suds, costs about 10 GBP for a load and is usually ready within a couple of hours. Once we are sure of the forecast we need to clear out, fill the water and diesel tanks and sail to the moorings next to the Pitons for the night before the 14 hour sail to Bequia.

Trying to Play!

Just checked the weather and it looks good for clearing out tomorrow morning and anchoring down the coast for a passage to Bequia on Wednesday. Need to stock up on food this afternoon when it gets a little cooler and get ready for sailing again. I haven’t done any distance since late January when we sailed overnight to the British Virgin Islands, so it will be good to get some mileage in again.

Famous Racecourse in Garrison Area

Graham & Rob Looking Cool!

For the past 5 days we have been in Barbados, staying at a hotel to witness Rob’s cousin’s marriage. We flew over from the tiny airport at Castries, very close to the marina where we are moored. It was just a short hop and saved bashing into the wind and waves, as the weather isn’t good for this direction at the moment.

Quiet Beaches on Barbados

We made the most of the lovely surroundings and all inclusive food and drink but the latter almost required a new dress as I squeezed into the one I planned to wear! Definitely going to exercise more and eat less for a while. We had thought our new lifestyle was going to make it easier to keep slim but our swimming tends to be floating in the water whilst snorkelling and we eat too many snacks with the sundowners!

Graham & Sue's Wedding - Carlisle Bay

It was a relaxed ceremony, just the 4 of us and the vicar under an arch of flowers and Rob managed not to lose the rings. Champagne followed, then cake, photos on the beach and a delicious meal in the evening at Champers restaurant on the beach further down the coast.

Breathe In!

We toured the island on Wednesday and walked around Bridgetown, so in a quick visit we have done our best to get a flavour of the island. Everyone is very friendly and the only issue we had is the lack of signposts along the roads. But at least that meant we got to see a bit more of the island than planned

Bridgetown - Arch

Last night we got the local bus, just 1 US$ each, to Oistins for Fish Friday. It was a great evening, lots of tourists and locals mingling with plenty of food, drink and music late into the night. Lots of room to sit at the benches near the stalls which sold grilled fish, lobster, prawn kebabs and chicken with macaroni cheese and rice. A few craft stalls were set up along the beach as well. There was an amazing atmosphere and we can thoroughly recommend it.

The racecourse is nearby and today there is a meeting, so we will wander up after lunch. Then it is back to the airport and on to St Lucia.

Rodney Bay Lagoon & Mall

So, although the feathering prop was useful for the long sail across the Atlantic, the larger fixed one is definitely better for manoeuvring the boat and motoring, as we may need to find shelter quickly in front of an approaching hurricane and need all the speed we can get.

Plenty of Room

We were stuck inside all day yesterday though, with torrential rain falling for hours. The lagoon is now brown with mud washed down from the hills surrounding Castries and debris such as coconuts and branches are bobbing around the boat. At least the lines and deck have had a nice fresh water rinse. We have plenty to keep us busy on board but are hoping for a lull in the weather so we can bail out the dinghy!

Some fish decided to play with our water hose, as it was low enough for them to jump over and they lined up to take a turn before going back for their next go. Hadn’t seen fish doing that before!

Whilst in the UK I bought a Kindle Keyboard with 3G and have plenty to read plus a subscription to a daily paper, which gets downloaded. Modern technology is proving very useful for our lifestyle, as we don’t need to carry books, videos nor CDs these days, saving a lot of space and weight. We use Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with our friends and family and can sort out all our banking and other admin online. Most of the time it is free or comes with the purchase of a chilled mocha in the local café.

On the subject of spending money, the bad news is that the 6K GBP budget with 3K extra in reserve for maintenance is not going to be enough for 2012. Our insurance is 2.5K, hauling out will be about 2K, unusual items such as the outboard and AGM batteries add another 3K this year and our flights back to the UK have also cost 3K and that was with Air Miles! On top of that there is fuel, food, socialising, customs fees and marina charges in the Caribbean, plus UK living expenses and car hire. It is still worth it though ☺

Rob Checking Our Steering & Glad He's Not 6 Foot Tall!

Our neighbour, Graeme, offered to lend an extra pair of hands in case the boatyard crew were hung over following the public holiday on May 1st for ‘Labour Day’ but everyone was ready and waiting when we gently motored into the centre of the lift dock.

We were impressed with the care they took, placing carpet between the hull and lifting straps and the boat was soon airborne and looking like a ‘fish out of water’, I think she was very unhappy! Just after she was ashore and still in the slings there was a huge downpour, so we all took refuge in the office and hoped it wouldn’t last too long.

It didn’t, so out we all went into the steam and work began. The slime and a few barnacles were removed with the powerful jet wash and Rob and I then used a heavy duty metal scraper to take off all the remaining barnacles. Our plastic scrapers weren’t up to the job and the boatyard kindly lent us theirs so we need to buy a couple of big metal ones for August’s lift out.

Section of Hull - Pretty Good After 1 Year!

She was then left on props for the rest of the day and we painted antifouling up the transom again as the 473s sit so low in the water that they can get weed and marine life growing on the rubber strip which protects the stern. We fitted the newly antifouled bowthruster prop and patched up a couple of tiny flakes on the hull. For the length of time she has been in warm waters the condition of the hull was amazing and scraping off the barnacles didn’t damage it either. We used International Micron Extra last year but have had Seahawk recommended here, which contains tin but all anti-fouling is hugely expensive in the Caribbean being about 3 times the UK price.

Another Couple of Inches To Sink Yet - Antifouling Way Up The Stern

Cleaning The Bowthruster Holes For New Prop

At least we can see the rope cutter now that the propeller shaft is cleaned up. A very knowledgeable mechanic, called Alwin, with an office onsite, removed our featherstream propeller and re-fitted our old fixed 3 bladed prop. We had been told labour rates were extortionate here but he took well over an hour and provided some parts required for the fitting and only charged us 35 pounds. We decided to put the original prop back on as the new featherstream feathering prop cavitates in any sort of sea and doesn’t give us the cruising speeds we got with the old one. Now we are debating whether to have it re-pitched or sell it, as it would suit a smaller boat, say a 42 footer with a 50hp engine. The original idea was to stop the gearbox spinning as we did the 3K miles across the Atlantic, as this would put a lot of strain on the gearbox.

Rob noticed that the 2 anodes on the freezer keel cooler plate were almost completely eroded away, which is their job but we didn’t have any replacements so had to fit larger ones as a temporary measure. All the other anodes were fine though.

Keel Cooled Freezer Plate Almost Out Of Anode

Once back in the water we checked the bowthruster was working and went back into our same berth to meet up with the crew of ‘Arabella’, another ARC boat for a meal ashore. It is the St Lucia Jazz Festival over the next 10 days and Diana Ross and Toni Braxton are at Pigeon Island just along the bay on the 13th. Our neighbours, Graeme and Christine are heading north but should be back here around the same time, as we all head south to Trinidad. We had a lovely meal on their boat on Monday and look forward to seeing them again.

Life in Rodney Bay is very relaxed and I have settled back into boat mode again very quickly. It is definitely hotter than earlier in the year and there is an extra hour or so of daylight each end of the day but nothing as noticeable as in the UK where everyone was remarking on how ‘the evenings are much lighter’.

Crews of Chiscos & Beyzano Burning Shirts!

Rob and I went to the shopping mall to 1 of the 2 supermarkets and stocked up on food, a much faster trip over with the new outboard. There was plenty of everything we needed, including fresh milk, butter, cheddar cheese and even a delicious blue cheese and pear spreadable cheese, which was perfect for canapés. Couldn’t get any lemons or limes so when the floating greengrocer motored past, Rob checked with him as well but he had to ‘find some’ and brought a dozen the next day.

Our Greengrocer Has Arrived!

One evening we invited another British couple from the neighbouring boat over for drinks and swopped sailing stories. They crossed the Atlantic a few weeks after us, having a dreadful trip with average wind speeds of nearly 30 knots for almost the entire 3 weeks and frequently around 40 knots. They ran under bare poles for 3 days and still made 4 knots. Often the swells were 5 metres, sometimes 7!

The cafes and restaurants are still open along the boardwalk at the marina and the cheaper prices encourage you to spend a lot of time drinking iced coffee and using the Wi-Fi. Before we leave St Lucia we plan to dinghy to a waterside restaurant in the lagoon, which has had good reports. It is easy to feel so at home here that you just end up staying longer than planned and we hope to return in December to welcome this year’s ARC if they need volunteers for the finish line. We had such a great welcome ourselves last year that we feel we should reciprocate.

We found the other camera, which Rob used to take some extra photos of the beach BBQ at Ile Fourchue and had to smile at the one where the shirt seems to be ablaze!

Sunset at Ile Fourchue Anchorage

Finally, I ought to mention the scourge of many cruising boats, cockroaches. In Las Palmas we saw huge beasts, mostly squashed on the pavements around the marina but so far we have been very lucky. Once they start breeding on the boat, the problem can become totally miserable needing severe treatment such as a ‘roach bomb’ which needs setting off in an almost empty boat and then again 6 weeks later. Not an easy solution when you live aboard. We thought we saw 1 on Beyzano last year and quickly exterminated it but haven’t seen any others. We make sure we leave our shoes on the pontoon and keep any other shoes in a lidded plastic box. We have several traps or ‘roach houses’ as they are commonly called, scattered around the bilges and dark corners. The purchase of a tube of sticky cockroach killer which we applied to the shore lines and around the cabin door may also have helped. It is hard to tell if the deterrents work or if they just haven’t been put to the test but for now we can say we haven’t had a problem. When we haul out we will plaster the props and tie downs with the sticky gel and hope for the best! One thing to be wary of is stamping on them as they carry their eggs on their backs and you quickly spread them around if you kill them that way.

Beyzano Anchored in Gustavia, St Barts.

They anchored in the north part of the bay in 6 metres and with good holding. It was a bit crowded but that may have been due to the super yacht race which was taking place. Customs was done on the computer, same process as for the other french islands but he struggled with the strange keyboard! They met our friends from Chiscos (ARC) and went ashore one evening for a meal, gatecrashed the super yacht dockside party and generally can’t remember much more about the evenings Chiscos’s outboard refused to start on the way back but they refused a tow thinking Rob would claim salvage rights and had to row a long distance back to their boat!

New Boat Wrecked on the Beach at Ile Fourchue

The following day he went back into town to find the chandlery and cleared out before going to Ile Fourchue for a beach BBQ. It was just 4 and a half miles but had to avoid the super yacht racing on the way, not easy at the speed the latter were going. There are only 5 moorings in the bay but it was a lovely, quiet place to stay with a great beach and good snorkelling. They had the beach to themselves for the evening.

Chisco at Ile Fourchue

From there they sailed to Nevis, which was 64 miles and as we visited there in January please see earlier posts for details. Only change is that the Double Deuce Bar has shut down but behind Sunshine’s Bar is a bar called Lime which had great service and fast Wi-Fi.

St Barts Waterfront

Leaving at first light they went onward overnight past Montserrat, Guadeloupe and Les Saintes, to Roseau in Dominica, a trip of 141 miles. The winds were between E and ESE but no more than 12 kts, so more motor sailing. They saw some whales and dolphins but otherwise uneventful. One of the boat boys got them onto a mooring near the Dominica Marine Centre but customs was closed as it was Easter Monday so they went the next day. However, a ferry had just arrived and they were told to come back the following day but as they were leaving then they were unable to check in at all.

St Barts. Yacht Dock

From there they sailed straight past Martinique to Rodney Bay, a trip of 15 hours where they anchored outside in 2 metres before dinghy-ing in to ask for a big empty berth as Rob doesn’t normally handle the boat in marinas and it was windy and the bowthruster only worked to one side. The winds on passage were ESE 15-25 knots with large swells between Martinique and St Lucia. They used the auto pilot nearly all the way and it coped admirably. They had one reef in the main and 2 in the genoa and it was comfortable and quick, making 8 knots most of the way. They caught a large barracuda with big teeth so they were pondering how to get rid of it when at the last minute, as its tail touched the boat, it went mad and did a back flip off the hook. Big sighs of relief all round but the metal lure had huge teeth marks in it!

Michaela then needed to fly back to the BVI to meet her parents and later rejoin Chiscos for the return trip to the UK across the Atlantic. We wish them all a safe and enjoyable trip and look forward to seeing them again in the autumn.

Rob had to fill out some custom forms to temporarily import the boat as he had to leave her unattended. In theory this had to be done even if you leave the country for 1 day and the officials have to visit the boat to check the list Rob made of easily removable items and stamp it. Rob also used the official Beyzano stamp he bought last year!

We flew with British Airways from Gatwick and as Premium Economy was only a little more expensive and we had 2 hold bags to check in, we treated ourselves to the upgrade. As a result of all Rob’s business travelling he still has a Gold Card so we can use the First Class Lounge, another total luxury which we won’t be able to afford once the card runs out next Spring. Fun whilst it lasts though! The flight was half empty, arrived early and Linus, the local taxi driver we know, was at the airport waiting for us. We were speeding back to the boat within 15 minutes of landing, so can’t fault any of the journey.

Rodney Bay is much quieter of course without all the ARC boats and with hurricane season approaching. A few British yachts in and we’ll drop by some of those later on. We are here for a few days to chill out, get settled back in and sort the boat out, as I have no idea what we need in terms of food and household goods and want to stock up again before we leave for Bequia. The 7 weeks has been long enough for me to be able to smell the boat again, hear all the noises and feel her moving on the water. Won’t take long to be back into boat mode though. She is being hauled out for a day on Wednesday to fit the new bowthruster blade, change the prop and give her a quick scrub.

I will post a second post today recounting all the trips Rob took to bring Beyzano from the BVI to St Lucia but didn’t want to beforehand as it isn’t good to let it be known where she is and that she is ‘alone’ for 2 weeks. She was completely safe in Rodney Bay Marina, nothing taken from the boat and the security guard is still in place at the gate. We still get the ARC discount for the marina fees as well!

I had mixed emotions leaving the UK, having caught up with so many friends and family who have been so supportive and kind but also having gone through the sadness of seeing my dad in his final weeks. It feels too soon to be away and getting back into such a different way of life when I feel I should be grieving. We have to get to Barbados next month and then sail south, prepare the boat and dodge hurricanes, so there is plenty to keep my mind off what has happened in the last 14 months. Time will tell if that is a good thing but there will be quiet moments when I will still think of mum and dad. The funeral was a fitting farewell, with welsh and naval elements and I was honoured to meet some of dad’s old naval school friends who he had known since 1940.

Whilst in the UK we stocked up on a few items we miss, such as chocolate and red thai paste plus peanuts and granola which are half the price there. I also left all my jumpers behind together with the boots, socks and jeans I needed to buy on arrival!

I have been with my father for the past 4 weeks, at his bedside almost all the time. All the staff at his care home have been wonderful, supporting me and caring for him. He passed away on Friday evening whilst I held his hand and it has been a privilege to spend so much time with him in the final weeks. He told me last year that he had had an interesting and happy life but the stroke took away all that he enjoyed and so he was ready to leave us. He gave me so much, not least a love of the sea and sense of adventure, enabling me to live my dreams with his blessing.

In hindsight I wondered if a delay of a year to our sailing plans would have been better but it was his wish we carried on and he was incredibly proud of our Atlantic crossing, following our progress on his laptop. It gave him something to focus on. A couple of weeks ago I was describing how amazing the ocean was and he smiled. He knows we will continue sailing and I hope he is able to watch over us.

For me, losing dad has been very traumatic following my mum’s death just 6 months ago and especially as Rob could not leave Beyzano to join me, as her safety is paramount for our cruising life; but we welsh girls are bred strong and friends and family have been wonderful

Rob and Mikaela are still making good progress south, having spent a few days in Nevis before heading for Guadeloupe and Dominica. As soon as Beyzano is safely tied up in a marina Rob will fly back to the UK – I am looking forward to seeing him and very proud of the way he has taken on all the responsibility of the boat and not fallen out with any customs officials! Thanks also to Mikaela for looking after them both and keeping Rob company and out of trouble