Martinique Revisited

Bonjour. Ca va? We are in France again, Fort de France no less, the capital of Martinique, “the largest and liveliest city in the Windwards” according to our cruising guide. Last night (Saturday) the revelling went on ashore until 6.00am to be replaced by a peal of bells from Cathedrale St-Louis. At least the latter only lasted for 10 minutes. The anchorage here is under the walls of Fort Louis built in 1640 to keep out the pesky British. The currency here is the euro and prices have just about doubled.

Conrad Falls, Grenada - in spate for the dry season!

Did you notice the red dinghy? We bought it in Chaguaramus. It was an old Avon which came with floorboards, oars and a pump. It needed several patches but it turned out to be ideal for four of us over Christmas. Once Simon and Erin had left we offered it for sale and a fellow cruiser bought it. Feeling we were on a roll, we took four items to a boat jumble and sold them all. The total earnings didn’t quite cover the cost of lunch, but it felt like success to us.

Chocolate machine

The strong, gusty winds that Simon and Erin experienced continued for the next two weeks so we stayed on anchor in Prickly Bay, Grenada. We decided to take an island tour and had a good day out with 8 other cruisers in a mini bus. Cutty’s Tours are very good and Cutty shares his extensive knowledge of the island’s flora and fauna as well as taking you to visit local sights and businesses. We saw nutmeg, chocolate, rum and cocoa processing. The rum factory was still using a water wheel from the 1780’s (made in England) to power the sugar cane crusher. They produced a white rum that was 75% alcohol. (Brandy is 40%).

Water wheel over 200 years old

 Back on Sal Darago, Jeremy replaced the oil pump gasket and rebuilt two water pumps. He was horrified to discover that a mechanic in New Zealand had fixed a drive shaft  in place with super glue! (and he charged a fortune.)

Drying cocoa

 At last the weather showed signs of moderating so we motored round to St Georges for supplies and motorsailed to Carriacou via Isle de Ronde. The wind was stronger and the seas were bigger than they had been at Christmas. We cleared out of Grenada at Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou; went to Petite Martinique for diesel; anchored overnight and set out on a 133 mile passage at 6.30 the next morning. All went well. The wind stayed between 17 and 23 knots from the East and the swell was down to about 4-9ft. Sometimes we had to motor as the islands of St Vincent and St Lucia blocked the wind. Jeremy sent out a VHF call to All Ships when he saw a red flare land in the sea behind him at 0150. The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Martinique picked up the call and broadcast a Mayday Relay to all vessels every half hour. We heard that someone was looking for two fishermen, but we do not know if they were found.

We were relieved to drop our anchor off Fort de France at 8.30am after a 26 hour passage.

Our view of Fort de France

Afloat Again

Christmas Day at Carriacou

Happy New Year to you all. We wish you good health and happiness in 2014.

Sal Darago was launched on 16^th December. The day began with a text message from our son, Simon. The purchasers of our house had dropped out because their buyer had pulled out on them. We were so disappointed as the house had been sold subject to contract for nearly nine weeks. The survey had been done, the solicitors were drawing up the contracts but it was not to be. Perhaps our purchasers will come back if they find a buyer. In the meantime, we start the long process all over again. We had little time to consider our options as the travel lift was coming for us soon after 10.00am and by 10.30 we were in the water and heading for a mooring in Chaguaramus Bay. Two days later we were ready to sail to Grenada.

Erin and Simon at Tobago Cays

We had a poor start. We motored to the Customs dock, overlooked the current and bumped into the yacht tied up there. Fortunately, there was no damage to the other boat but we had smashed our bow navigation light. Jeremy did a temporary repair with tape and a plastic bag until we could buy a new light in Grenada. It cost 100 pounds.

Hog Island overlooking Whisper Cove, Grenada.

We put a reef in our brand new mainsail and motored out through the Boccas into the ocean. The weather forecast had predicted east winds of 16-22knots. By lunchtime we had put a second reef in the main and flew a small genoa into gusty ENE-NE winds of 37 knots in frequent squalls. To help us stay on course we put the engine on in the afternoon and motorsailed into large, breaking seas the rest of the 82 miles to Grenada. Twice, we had to go about to avoid large ships. One hooted at us but did not change course. Our final challenge was to anchor in the dark in Prickly Bay. First, we had to get all the sails “put to bed”; then we had to motor past dozens of anchored and moored boats. Our night vision is obviously better than our day vision because we avoided all the hazards and anchored successfully. It was 4.20am on Thursday 19^th December.

At lunchtime we received an email from the Commodore of the Westerly Owners’ Association telling us that we had won the Rayner Challenge Plate for the “Best cruise undertaken in a Westerly”. We were thrilled and saddened as we will be unable to be at the AGM to collect this top prize from the largest cruising association in the World.

Our new dinghy on Baradel Cay

 Two days later we were waiting at Grenada Airport for the delayed arrival of Simon and Erin. The enhanced trade winds continued for the whole two weeks of their stay. Christmas Eve was awful. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, the anchorage at Hillsborough, Carriacou rocked and rolled. We abandoned our plan to go ashore and attend Midnight Communion and went to bed early. It was still raining on Christmas Day but we went ashore anyway and walked up to the top of Hospital Hill in our waterproof jackets. The rain stopped for a while and we admired the fabulous view of Carriacou far below us.

Circumnavigating Jamesby Cay on foot.

Later, we moved a few miles and picked up a mooring in the marine park off Sandy Island. A great time was had snorkelling and swimming but the weather had not finished with us yet. Just as the Christmas pot roasted turkey was being carved there was a very loud crack and I sent Simon outside to check the mooring. It had snapped and we were adrift in the dark in near gale force winds with other yachts nearby. In the rush to start the engine and gain control water bottles fell over on the saloon table and wine glasses smashed on the floor. Everybody worked together . Our spotlight picked out the yachts and moorings and soon we were tied to another mooring buoy, praying that this one was not going to snap. We sat down to our Christmas meal but some people had lost their appetites. Jeremy stayed up on watch until the wind died down around midnight and the rest of us slept fitfully.

All at sea

In spite of strong winds and gale force gusts, we spent two days at the beautiful Tobago Cays, swimming with turtles and rays, walking round islands and snorkelling near Horseshoe Reef. New Year was spent in Bequia, one of the Grenadine islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Our anchor chain jammed on arrival and our engine sounded like it was about to cut out. The wind was blowing at 24 knots and once again we were drifting. Fortunately, the engine kept going, Jeremy kept us away from other boats and Simon sorted out the tangle on the bows. On the second attempt we anchored without incident.

Splash! Petit Tabac

New Year’s Eve was great fun. Fresh lobster or fish eaten in a waterside restaurant followed by dancing on the sand to a steel band, then more dancing to a live band near the beach and finally a street party. Back on SD, we watched the fireworks at midnight and joined in with the other boats hooting horns. We all had a go blowing Daddy Jim’s bugle as the old year slipped away and the new one came in.

Lunch on board

Simon and Erin are now back in Edinburgh having exchanged 27C for 8C. I think they’ll remember their two week sailing holiday in the idyllic Caribbean.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Tree.

Greetings from Trinidad

What a busy time we’ve had since the last blog! Our Ford Focus Estate was sold a few hours before we were to attend the River Wyre Yacht Club laying up supper in Cleveleys, near Blackpool, which is about 40 miles from our house in Wrightington. We owe Dave (Yosser) Hughes a big thank you for the lift to and from the supper. We had a great time meeting up with our yacht club friends, eating a lovely supper and dancing the night away. We were honoured to be presented with the Wardley’s Trophy. Thank you RWYC.

Ellie's Christening at St Felix's Church, Rendlesham

The day before we moved house the M6 was closed both ways, which resulted in our van being in Morecambe instead of Wigan. Consequently, we started packing up three hours later than planned. After a few hours of frantic activity, it became clear that we were not going to fit everything in the van and we would have to make two trips to Suffolk. We shared the driving and made it to Suffolk in about 5 hours. The next day we unpacked the contents of the van into our shipping container in Em and Ben’s garden, made a packed lunch and set off for Lancashire. Jeremy packed and secured the rest of our stuff while I did the final bits of cleaning in the house. It was strange standing in our empty house which had been home for nearly 34 years. I was surprised how little emotion I felt. It’s not the bricks and mortar that make a home, is it? It’s the people who share the house with you and the familiar items around you that make a house a home. Without them it’s just an empty shell.

                                                                                

Christening Cake. The sailing boat and horse represent the interests of the parents. 

This time we were not so lucky with the traffic and were soon in a traffic jam only 15 minutes from home. We stopped for an evening meal in a pub just off the A14 and arrived in Suffolk about 10.30pm. Throughout all this I’d had a heavy cold followed by a respiratory infection and was taking antibiotics. “Try to rest,” the doctor had said. The next day we unpacked the rest of our stuff and returned the van to the depot in Ipswich, swapping it for a white Hyundai hire car. I fell asleep in the passenger seat on the drive back to Woodbridge. We had two days left before Ellie’s Christening.

Lifesaving fan installed in Sal Darago

While Emily, Ben and Jeremy prepared the house for 50 guests, I drove to Gatwick to pick up my Mum and my sister, Pat, who had flown in from the Isle of Man. The Christening went off very well with an informal family service in church followed by a buffet lunch at Whispering Pines (Em and Ben’s house). It was good to see Jeremy’s brothers and their wives along with many Deacon family members. Four generations were represented as my Mum celebrated the Christening of her sixth great grandchild.

Flaking paint had to be removed from the decks

So, did we rest in the week that followed before our flight to Trinidad? No, we went house hunting and managed to view three properties, putting an offer in on one in Eyke, which has since had an offer made by someone else. This has been accepted by the seller.

Jeremy at work on Sal Darago's bottom

Our journey to Trinidad began at 3.15am as we drove to Gatwick, left our hire car at the depot and checked in for our Virgin Atlantic flight to Tobago, with a touch down at St Lucia. A brief Caribbean Airways flight took us to Trinidad where our taxi driver was waiting. After 23 hours of travelling we entered our air conditioned apartment at Power Boats yard.

Our home in Trinidad

Sal Darago was basically sound but had not weathered as well as last time. Some water had got into the bilges and steamed the insides of the boat causing paint to flake off in some lockers, rust on the engine and cooker and some corrosion on some portholes. Outside the deck paint was flaking off under the dirt and dust. She looked very much in need of TLC. After four nights in the apartment, we moved into SD and were saved from collapsing from heat exhaustion by the loan of a fan from Jesse James, Members Only maxi taxi trips and tours. Power Boats had no fans left to hire, but were able to loan us an extension cable. Each day we are up just before 6am, work until midday, sleep until 3.00pm, then work until 6pm. The temperature varies from 31C in the day to 25C at night with high humidity. Mosquitos bite your bare flesh and no see ums jump up and bite your ankles as you walk across the yard. Paradise indeed!

Sale Agreed

Mum with her Blackburn friends

My Mum and my sister, Pat, stayed with us for five days recently. We borrowed a bed from our neighbours, Ruth and Frank, offered our two easy chairs to our relatives and made do with dining room chairs for ourselves.

Kathy, Pat and Mum

 We’d had three viewings of the house and one family wanted to view for a second time, whilst our visitors were with us. Strict instructions were issued to our guests to leave their rooms tidy and I was to take them out at least an hour before the second viewing took place. Jeremy must have worked like a madman doing the last bits of cleaning and it was all worth it, because a few days later an offer was made.

Aunty Elsie, cousins Frank and John, Pat and Mum

 A tense few days followed, during which Mum and Pat returned to the Isle of Man and we went up to the Lake District to meet with sailing friends, Chris and John from Sara II and Liz and Graham from Ellida.

Kathy out with ex Health and Social Care colleagues

Kathy out with ex Dyslexia Support and Skills for Life Colleagues

 We declined the first offer, which fell a long way short of our asking price, and waited in suspense for a phone call. Another offer was made; we declined again. Another few days of waiting and wondering passed. Finally, we agreed a price and the house was sold subject to contract.

 

Above Derwentwater, Kathy, Chris and John

Liz and Kathy alongside Wast Water

 Our removal plans are well underway. We have hired a large van (again) and intend to do a one way trip this time. Our car is also under offer and might be sold next week, so it’s a good job we still have our bikes! It’s all starting to look rather final and I can’t help feeling the same mixture of excitement, anticipation and fear that precedes the crossing of an ocean. Let’s hope for fair winds!

Guess who?