Category: Season 3

Learning the ABC’s

Bonaire – the bluest water and best underwater scenery we have yet experienced, add to this a visit from my sister to make Bonaire one of our favourite destinations.

I feel I should emphasize that we love our boat – despite all the breakages, problems and challenges we have had, we don’t believe this is anything more than usual when undertaking a journey like ours in a 28yr old boat, although the type of things that have failed have been a little more challenging!  Sadly this is just part of the adventure and we have learned to understand that this journey is 10% sailing, 10% exploring and 80% maintenance.   Our regular servicing and checks have definitely prevented us from experiencing more issues but there will always be things that break or wear away that are hidden – only a boat that stays in one place stays in one piece so we just have to find a way to repair things and sometimes be creative!

We left Grenada mid-morning and headed North West, catching sight of Tokimata, our buddy boat, as we rounded the south western headland.   This was the first time we had buddy sailed with another NZ boat and it felt like we were in good company as we heard Peter’s familiar kiwi accent coming over the VHF radio!  

We had decided to try a different sail combination and had rigged another large jib to a removable forestay before leaving the anchorage in Grenada.   With clear air, we hoisted the hanked on jib and then unfurled our poled out yankee, leaving the mainsail in its sailbag.   The boat immediately responded, picking up speed and cutting through the Atlantic roll, giving us a fast and comfortable sail away from the green hills of Grenada.   We watched some large rain clouds pass either side of us as we continued our sail North West and into the night.   Our plan was to stay about 60NM north of the Venezuelan coast as we had read reports it could be unsafe to sail too close due to piracy, although we had not met anyone who had experienced any problems.

The moon was ¾ full and shone brightly until it set at about midnight on the first night as we tried to get into the slow routine of passage making and sleeping on cue!   Steve always takes the first 3hr watch from 8pm while I rest in our cabin.   Hilda, the hydrovane, was set and working perfectly as we continued on our 400+NM passage to Bonaire, meaning we could turn most of our instruments off and save on power consumption.   During passage our solar in-take is reduced due to more shadow on the panels so we carefully monitor the level of our batteries to make sure we are not letting them run down too low.    Steve had been on watch for about an hour when a large squall hit us.   These squalls are hard to see at night but can be monitored on radar, which we regularly scanned, particularly at night and considering most boats, like us, had turned off their AIS so were not as easy to keep track of.   We knew there was a weather system approaching but it sped up and hit us a lot quicker than anticipated.   I rushed up on deck to help reef one of the jibs as the rain fell in torrents, lasting only five minutes and giving us both, and the boat, a refreshing shower, cooling us down from the tropical evening heat!  The boat settled down again, still with our two headsails working well as the night passed quickly with very little traffic while I spent most of my watch stargazing and in quiet awe of the vastness of the ocean and sky around us.   I’m often amazed how I can sit and do absolutely nothing but observe the light on the water or look up at the millions of stars above me and feel at total peace.  

Each night we talked to our friends on Tokimata, Escapade of London and ZenAgain on SSB Radio to give position reports, weather updates and news on the day’s events!   Tokimata were following a similar track to us about 20NM behind while Escapade and ZenAgain were still in Grenada and it was comforting to know they were keeping track of our progress!   

We were still making great headway with Hilda keeping us on course at speeds of upto 8knots.  On day two our dreams of catching another Mahi Mahi were realised and we hauled a beautiful fish on board which Steve masterly bled and filleted so we could have a wonderful dinner that night and for the next couple of dinners.  By now we had altered course so the wind was more on our beam and we stowed the second jib and pulled up the main.   On our last night five swallows joined us on board, four perched on one line and one on another rope facing them.   The four kept vigil all night, swaying as the boat rolled until the morning when we discovered the solitary bird had died.   We gave it a burial at sea and watched as the remaining four birds took flight and headed out across the ocean.

On the morning of day three the faint outline of the lowlands of Bonaire slowly came into view until we could finally make out the glaring white pyramid shapes of sea salt mounds on the shore line.    A large pod of dolphins played in our bow wave as the morning sun accentuated the clear deep blue waters we were cutting through.   The three day sail had been one of the best passages we had experienced with some real champagne sailing, calm seas and clear nights.   We felt rested and happy as we made our way towards the next island adventure.

Bonaire is the second largest island in the Netherlands Antilles, a group of three main islands located 50NM off the coast of Venezuela, comprising of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, generally known as the ABC’s.   Each island has its own distinctive flavour with Bonaire being known for its world class diving, due to a protected reef that surrounds the island.   The island is small – only 285sq km and about 40km long with a population of around 20,000 – the same size as Ashburton in NZ.   A number of the population are descendants of slaves who were brought in from Africa to work in the salt fields.   After the abolition of slavery in the mid 1800’s the island, and the people, were largely forgotten with the salt production closing down.   All this changed after the war when the salt fields were re-opened and the tourism boom started. 

Today the island is a mix of black, South American and Dutch, in fairness it is mostly white Europeans who have moved here on a free Dutch one way visa and this seems to have contributed to a building boom and a huge increase in the cost of housing.   The island became a municipal of The Netherlands in 2010 which means a Principal or Governor from The Netherlands, oversees the elected local council, while the two other islands in the ABC’s – Curacao and Aruba – chose to go independent, probably because their population base allowed them to do this.

After securing a mooring buoy, and helping our friends on Cushla (who we knew from Grenada and arrived just after us) and Tokimata do the same, we visited Customs and Immigration to check in.  This proved incredibly easy and quick with no mention of the US$70pp tourist tax we believed we would need to pay on arrival following it coming into force a couple of months earlier.    We were now free to explore the island and get familiar with our new surroundings.

We hired a car with Peter and Rachel from Tokimata and spent a couple of days exploring the south and then the north of the island, snorkelling from recommended beaches, bird watching, driving the unsealed, potholed roads in the National Park and befriending large iguanas who circled around us looking up at us expectantly!    Peter and Rachel were on a tight deadline so left Bonaire after a few days and just before the first of the nasty weather started!    As Bonaire is a protected area, anchoring is forbidden so picking up a mooring buoy in the shallow waters of Kralendijk (the main town) is the only option, apart from taking a marina berth.   For 95% of the time, this is fine, as the prevailing winds blow from the east giving great protection on the buoys on the west side of the island.   The problem comes when the wind blows from the west, known locally as a “Reversal” and suddenly the shallow protective mooring field becomes a messy, dangerous place with boats bouncing on buoys very close to the sea wall with an on-shore wind.   This happened three times while we were in Bonaire, not including another night which was very uncomfortable as Tropical Storm Julia formed overhead!   During one of these Reversals one boat ended up on the rocks after breaking their mooring lines but amazingly it was not badly damaged and we watched it being refloated the next day.

My sister, Judy flew out to join us on board for a very special week of exploring together.   We snorkelled some great spots together, but none were as good as the fabulous coral and fish on Klein Bonaire where we felt we were flying above a forest of brightly coloured trees.   The purple fan coral gently waved in the clear water while the incredible rounded shape of the giant brain coral mesmorised us as our eyes tried to follow the maze of the large head structure.   Large brightly coloured fish guided us through shallow water as we sometimes had to suck in our stomachs to avoid touching the coral that was just below the surface.   Beautiful angelfish, parrotfish, large schools of tang and goatfish swam amongst the underwater garden with a loggerhead turtle silhouetted against the darker blue of the deeper water as we swam over the coral shelf.   It was an experience I am so happy I shared with Judy as we both emerged from the water with big eyes and huge smiles!

Our mooring buoy was next to a dive school and on the edge of a coral wall so we were treated to an array of sea creatures every day.  We had an octopus visit us one evening, alerted to it by our neighbours on Beez Neez, and we watched it change colour as it moved from coral head to sandy seabed in search of food.  A small spotted stingray flew past us with a long tail and a large tarpon took shelter against Beez Neez keel.   Each day we swam and snorkelled around the boat to see what new visitors we had amongst the brightly coloured fish that hovered under and around us.

Judy left after a week and our friends on ZenAgain joined us after an equally good sail from Grenada.   We discovered other snorkel sites with Mike and Nicki, using a truck that was made available for cruisers to hire, to try out 1000 steps and CandyLand – both excellent snorkel spots.   We then headed to Salt Pier and swam with a couple of feeding turtles in the shallow water before experiencing the underwater beauty of an above ground ugly structure, as brightly coloured coral grew from the foundations of the pier.

Our last few days in Bonaire coincided with a sailing regatta which included lots of on land festivities.  Streets were closed, large stages erected, and food stalls lined the main street.   People came in large power boats from neighbouring Curacao and the town came alive with children and young families.   Together with ZenAgain and Cushla, we enjoyed some of the music and festivities as we bade a long farewell to Bonaire.   The day before we were due to leave, we took Cerulean over to Klein Bonaire for a final snorkel, inviting Mike and Nicki to join us.   As we approached the mooring buoy on Klein the wheel jammed and would only allow me to turn to the left.   Fortunately we were close to the buoy and Steve was able to secure us on the mooring before we started investigating the problem.   We discovered a partly shredded bearing casing was catching in the steering mechanism and once cleared we once again had full movement of the wheel.   There had been no early indication of the bearing failing – no scraping, friction or catching, so it was a little disconcerting that our steering could be so silently affected!   Fortunately it did not happen while at sea and we were able to resolve the problem, all be it temporarily.   

We decided to continue with our plans to leave Bonaire for Curacao where we felt we would be able to find a solution and get the parts we needed to make the repairs before heading off on a longer passage.   The sail to Curacao was only around 30NM and with a good breeze forecast we bade farewell to beautiful Bonaire, our home for the last month, with its clear blue waters, incredible reefs, colourful fish and good friends.   We set our course west, just as angry clouds were forming on the horizon ahead of us.

Home from Home

Going home was something we had both looked forward to with growing anticipation. We missed our family and friends after a two and a half year absence and were looking forward to hugging our family, spending time with our friends and drinking lots of good coffee!

Although the excitement was building, the thought of spending two days travelling back to Auckland was far less appealing and I tried to suppress the growing sense of dread as the days became hours and the time of our departure arrived. As we flew over Benji Bay, I could have sworn I saw King Richard on the deck of the cottage, sipping a can of beer as he enjoyed a few days of peace and quiet on his own in our slice of paradise!

The flight was as awful as we had imagined it to be, missing our connecting flight to LA from Miami due to long delays at immigration, and having to spend an uncomfortable night trying to sleep on the floor in the airport while our pre-paid Air B&B in LA remained unused and unrefundable! However, the thought of the warm welcome that awaited us in NZ kept our spirits high.

We arrived in Auckland ahead of schedule and were first through the doors into the arrivals hall, surprising my daughter and Steve’s mum, with our speedy passage through immigration and customs. It felt so good to give and receive warm embraces to Rebecca and Joy and the memories of the flight slowly faded as the realisation sunk in that we were really back home with our loved ones.

Our time in New Zealand was spent catching up with family and friends – every day it seemed we were with different people, making the most of our time with our children and family. We travelled from Auckland to Christchurch, where I screamed with delight as my son, Jak, surprised us at the airport, confusing and alarming the crowd of people at the luggage belt! I loved being back in Lyttelton, staying with my wonderful, generous and beautiful family – Erin and Dave – and catching up with so many friends. While there I gave a talk to about 60 people at the Little Ships Club about our travels to date and was really surprised and happy to see so many old friends attending. Bex travelled from Wellington and we had one glorious evening with both my children with me for the first time in so long. After a few blissful days relaxing with Jak and Ju in French Farm – the location of ours and Jak and Ju’s weddings and the beautiful second home of Dave and Erin’s – we continued on to Wellington where both Bex and Steve’s son, David, live. The saying, “you can’t beat Wellington on a good day”, is so true and we were lucky enough to have several days of clear skies and bright sunshine. It was wonderful and comforting to see how settled both Bex and David were and once again, will treasure the time spent with them both.

Back in Auckland we mostly focused on Steve’s family and spent time with all his siblings, children and grandchildren. It meant so much to us that everyone took time out of their busy lives to create special memories with us – we will live off those memories for the next couple of years and beyond!

All too soon, it was time to pack our bags and prepare for the long journey back to Grenada and the growing list of boat jobs ahead of us! We were staying with my cousin, Brent, in his beautiful home when Brent and Sandy both came down with Covid, so we sadly had to keep ourselves away from them and only communicate at a distance with a staircase between us! We were returning with more luggage than we had brought, weighing ourselves down with much needed new clothes and boat gear that was cheaper and more accessible in NZ than Grenada.

Although very long, the return flight was not quite as painful as the outward journey, with no stressful tight connections to worry about. We arrived back in Grenada about 40 minutes late and sped through immigration and customs before being spat out into the hot humid temperatures of the Caribbean where Sue, our landlady, met us in her beat up old truck. She drove us down the rutted, washed out road leading to the apartment we had rented from her for the next week. It was a welcome relief to experience the cool air conditioned rooms as we looked out over Benji Bay and spotted the familiar boat of our friends Kim and Ann, moored just off the private jetty below our apartment. Benji Bay was now full of yachts spending the hurricane season sheltering in the protective paradise of Grenada. As we looked across the bay and watched the sunset and the colours in the sky change from blue to pink, red and orange, we felt like we were home.

That night we slept really well and the next morning Nathan, our Australian friend and neighbour who was doing up his boat in the same yard, gave us a ride so we could start working on Cerulean. The batteries were dead as the solar panels had not kept up with the draw of the dehumidifier, but apart from that, everything seemed in order. We worked hard for three weeks, moving back onto the boat a week after our return, draping the hatches, opening windows and companionway with mosquito netting to try and keep any of the numerous bitey things out of our living space. At night the swarms of mosquitos and no-see-ems became particularly bad and, when mixed with the heat, it became almost unbearable as we scratched, swatted and fanned ourselves throughout the evenings!

Our beautiful new stainless steel watertank was hoisted into place and then hidden under the seating as we carefully re-installed the furniture, solving the krypton-factor-ish puzzle as we tried to remember how everything had come apart, and reversing it!!! It was a huge relief when finally, everything slotted into place and we were able to restore the cushions on the seats and have our comfortable saloon back together! It’s funny how a small amount of furniture can make the space a home again.

Our time out of the water was sociable as we celebrated success and met fellow boatyard dwellers! Each evening we made good use of the endless supply of water and enjoyed long showers as we scrubbed off the days dirt, sweat and smells! One night we were woken to the sound of torrential rain, quickly shutting all the open hatches and returning to our stifling hot bed as we listened to the storm gathering outside. The wind whipped round the boats, shaking us in the cradle and we lay there, relieved we didn’t have to worry about anchors dragging but still concerned about things hitting us! It was later announced that this sudden storm was actually classified as a grade 1 hurricane with winds reaching over 80mph. It was slightly disconcerting how quickly the system developed with no prior warning as it was apparently an extremely difficult event to predict – the perfect storm of conditions, I guess!

The day of our launch arrived and we were ready. We had a new watertank installed which we had successfully tested for two weeks with no sign of leaks; a new water guage so we can easily see how much water we have in the tanks; new antifoul (although we did have a colour disaster with the blue stripe and had to changed it to black at the last minute), propeller serviced, small leaks found and remedied, boat polished and cleaned, sails serviced and repaired, chaps made for our new dinghy (donated to us by Kim and Ann and named KAM), repairs made to our sprayhood which were more preventative than anything, shower sealed, generator exhaust repaired and all through hull seacocks serviced. We felt ready and eager to get back on the water. The yard had let us know we would launch at 2pm, so I decided I would jump on a free bus to town and renew our cruising permit (which from this point forward is known as a cursing permit). As I was waiting for the bus, I got talking to a South African man named Bert and we shared sailing stories as we pondered whether the bus was going to come. No sooner had this been vocalised when a man pulled up beside us in his rental car and offered us a ride. Unsure where he was going, and feeling a pang of guilt that I’d already told Patrick, the bus driver, that I wanted a ride, I turned down the offer. We continued to wait until, eventually Patrick’s bus slowly approached the yard. As we hopped in, joining a couple who had already been collected from another marina, Patrick informed us that he had a problem with the bus and proceeded to lift the front seat to expose the engine which was obviously overheating but when Patrick removed the radiator cap, a great puff of steam rose up into the already hot bus! I voiced concern and questioned out loud whether this was a good idea to head to town when we would be launching in a few hours time. Patrick assured me it would all be fine and, sure enough, it did not take long for us to be on our way again, hurtling down the narrow, winding roads in true Grenadan style! Our next stop was Whisper Cove Marina, a small settlement not far from the apartment we had rented when we first returned to Grenada. At this point Patrick announced his bus was too sick to continue but he had called a friend who would drive us into town. As we stood waiting the couple on the bus decided to head into the cafe for a drink and we were joined by a Canadian husband and wife as we passed the time talking and laughing, while inside I was starting to get concerned about the amount of time left for me to get the permit and return to the boat. The replacement bus and young driver arrived and the four of us piled in to the the hot van and waited for the missing couple as we tried to extract them from the cafe! Bert, knowing my time constraints, had some stern words to say to them as we eventually sped away. The driver was even more frightening than Patrick and I couldn’t watch as he overtook on blind bends and beeped at any car infront of us who would not get out of his way. It was when we slowly drew to a halt on the side of the road, that I realised we had broken down again and Bert lent forward and said to me – “Remember that guy who offered you a lift? It was a sign and you should’ve taken it…..!” Not helpful! A few minutes later we were on our way again, catching up with all the traffic we had earlier overtaken as we sped down the road that the driver seemed to think was a formula one race track.

We arrived at the chandlery and, as the driver was paid based on the number of passengers he brought to the shop, I went inside after telling him I would not be returning on the bus! Bert followed me in and told me to return to the chandlery when I’d got my permit and we would share the cost of a taxi back to the boatyard as he didn’t rate his chances of getting back alive on the bus. With that I started to run the 1.5km in stifling heat and jandels to the customs/immigration office in Port St Louis. As I turned into the approach road a young guy in a golf buggy must’ve taken pity on the disheveled looking woman who ran like a seal out of water, and offered me a lift to the marina entrance. I hopped in, grateful for the chance to catch my breath and cool down in the shade of the covered buggy. Finally I was at the customs/immigration office and a small queue greeted me, followed by a man telling me the officer had left 10 minutes ago and had not been seen since…..! It was now 11.30 and we were due to launch in 2.5hrs and I still had to find a taxi, pick up Bert and get back to Clarkes Court. At this point I was about to leave and admit defeat when the officer slowly ambled back towards the office, unlocked the door and invited the first person in the queue inside. While I waited two other men joined the queue, with one recognising me as being from the boat in front of his in Clarkes Court. I cheekily asked if he was driving back there and he offered to drop me at the end of the very rutted lane that leads to the boatyard. I explained that I was meeting Bert and he said “no problem, we’ll go find him”. Relief!!! The permit only took five minutes to sort and we continued to talk while my new driver (Shayden) waited for his friend, a large Russian man named Igor, sorted his permit. By the time we reached the car, we were old friends and with the air con pumping, we headed back down the approach road to find Bert. Bert, in the meantime, had run several errands and was making his way to Port Louis so it was with surprise that I saw him walking towards us. I’m not sure who was more surprised when I threw the passenger door open as the car was still moving forward and yelled at Bert to jump in, which he deftly did and bounced in beside me as the car continued moving, not missing a beat! We all chatted on the way back until we got to the turn off and Shayden decided to continue down the road all the way to the boatyard, dropping us outside Cerulean to a somewhat bemused and confused Steve! It was an adventure but we now had our cruising permit and, after a short delay in our launch, we were afloat just 2.5hrs later on our way to find a quiet anchorage. As we left the slipway, Steve announced how surprised he was at the joy he felt being back on the water and that was music to my ears as we dropped the anchor just off Benji Bay, surrounded by boats belonging to friends. The wind was cool, the mozzies non-existent and we breathed a huge sigh of relief as we headed out in the dinghy to have a rum with friends to celebrate being back on the water!

King of the SVG’s

Every boat needs a person that knows the engine, electrics and mechanics back-to-front and inside out.   Often this is the owner and, of course, this is the preferred and best scenario but it is rare to find someone who is a jack of all trades and can fix almost anything that breaks or needs attention.   We don’t have those skills, but we know someone that does……!    While we were in Cornwall getting work done in 2020/21 we were lucky enough to meet Richard who we initially employed to do some electrical work but soon discovered he had so many other valuable skills.    Since then he has worked with us to resolve countless problems or answer questions which have arisen in the last 12 months of cruising.   Richard is most definitely the third member of our crew, so when we were given an eyewatering quote to replace the worn out aquadrive thrust bearing, we checked on the cost of flights from the UK and asked Richard if he fancied an all expenses paid holiday to the Caribbean!    He accepted and we were delighted.

I collected Richard from the airport on a warm muggy evening and we celebrated his arrival with drinks on the deck as Richard slowly acclimatised himself to the heat and surroundings, losing no time to point out a few jobs that needed fixing!   Next morning work started on removing the worn out part and replacing it with a brand new, 30yr old one that Richard had collected for us from an auction we had won on eBay!    Steve and Richard worked tirelessly for three days – pulling, cutting, levering and pushing until, suddenly and amazingly, the shaft moved into place and the new bracket was installed.  A quick test showed the whole procedure had been a huge success and the engine was now purring again with the propeller shaft sounding quieter than we have ever heard it.  

Leatherback turtles nest on the northern beaches of Grenada.  The only time they come to shore is when the 15yr old female comes to shore, scrambles up the beach, digs a big hole, lays a batch of eggs and then buries them carefully in the sand before heading back to sea.   I was given the opportunity to join a small team of other sailors and marine biologists, to watch these magnificent creatures lay their eggs.   Once the large female had found her way up the beach, we were quietly ushered a short distance from this large creature as she used her back flippers to dig a deep hole.  Sand flew all around us as she put an enormous amount of effort into digging deeper and deeper.   When she was satisfied the hole was sufficiently deep enough, she started laying eggs.   She began by laying small unfertilised eggs which lined the bottom of the hole and provided a soft cushion for the fertilised eggs to fall on.    She then laid 115 fertilised eggs, mixed with unfertilised ones which will protect the turtles as they grow in the sand.   As she laid the eggs, the turtle goes into a trance and the scientists took this opportunity to measure the female and we were given the chance to touch her leathery shell.   It was an amazing experience to be so close to this magnificent creature as she put so much effort into laying her eggs, her eyes were full of tears as she groaned and gently moved her head side to side.   The egg laying process took about 20 minutes and then the great effort started in covering the eggs to protect them from predators and compacting the sand which she took a huge effort to ensure her tracks were covered and there were no visible signs of a nest.   The baby turtles will hatch in 6-8 weeks and I hope to be able to watch them as they emerge from the sand and make their dangerous run to the sea.   We watched her while she slowly edged towards the sea and allowed the waters to flood over her and a wave carry her back out to sea.

With the engine fixed, we set out on a sea trial by motor sailing 40 miles to Carriacou and checked out of Grenada after catching up with Zen Again for a quick meal ashore as our paths crossed again with us heading north and Mike & Nicki heading south to Grenada. 

We had sailed past and through St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) a couple of times, and now it was time to explore these much anticipated islands with Richard.   We had a lovely sail to Bequia, a small island only 5 miles long and one of only three places in the SVG’s you are able to check-in/out of the country.   Bequia was the only place we could check in and provide our own RAT’s kit, saving us US$50 each so we felt it was worth the journey to save that much!   We had completed all the on-line check-in requirements and had heard that a friend had managed to check-in without using an agent recently, so decided to attempt that too.   We made our way to the hospital with our test kits and a lovely nurse pushed the long testing stick up each of our noses.   We then waited outside, nervously anticipating the results.   While we waited a man came to see us and told us we would need to go to the agents office to complete our check-in procedure.   We tried to establish why we would need to do this, when we had done the testing and would still need to go to immigration and customs to complete the process.   The nurse re-appeared and gave us some good news, followed by bad…..we were all negative but the results with the required piece of paper, had been sent to the agents office.   We asked if we could have the record showing we had tested negative without going through the costly agent and were told this was not possible.   She was genuinely surprised when we told her that the agent wanted to charge us EC120 to issue the paper we needed to complete check-in.   Seeing no other way around it, we made our way to the agents, paid the fee and returned to immigration and customs to get the necessary stamps in our passports and cruising permits.  

Our friends on Puff had arrived in the same anchorage a few hours after us.   Keen to see some of the island, I joined Kris and Ingrid for a walk from Port Elizabeth, where we were anchored, across the island to Friendship Bay in the south.  It was a lovely walk/scramble at times losing the track and retracing our steps as we pushed back branches and thorny plants!    Our walk started and finished on the lovely white sands of Princess Margaret Bay, named to honour the Princess who visited Bequia in the 1950’s during one of her regular stays at her island home on neighbouring Mustique.   Bequia (pronounced Bec-way) is a beautiful island with a lovely Caribbean charm to it, gorgeous beaches, lovely homes and clear, blue seas.    We hope to return there before leaving Grenada and explore a little more.

After a few days, it was time to move on as we wanted to make sure we had sufficient time to explore other islands.   The wind was perfect for a good sail to Tobago Cays, a group of uninhabited islands in a National Park.   We wove our way through the reefs that border the main island and were guided into the bay by a local “boat man” where we carefully dropped our anchor into sand, avoiding the sea grass that provides food for the many turtles that breed in the waters.    We lost no time jumping into the dinghy and heading to a spot slightly out of the fast current that flows through the anchorage.   We soon saw a turtle lazily grazing of the seabed, occasionally coming to the surface before taking a breath and swimming back down to continue eating.   It is so wonderful to watch these creatures swimming underwater – something I can never tire of.

Over the next few days we snorkelled every day, exploring the many reefs that surround the Cays.   The coral was beautiful – there was some bleaching but certainly the best coral we have seen yet in the Caribbean.   The fish life was spectacular and we saw eels, squid, eagle rays and so many colourful fish it felt like we were in an aquarium.   In addition the number of turtles we saw was wonderful, often with three or four swimming close to us at one time.   On one day we were heading back to the dinghy having returned from a short walk when we noticed a couple of Lemon shark in the shallow waters just off the beach.   It was fascinating to explore these rich waters which are full of life and beautiful blue, clear waters.

We were due to be hauled out in less than a week, so it was time to return to Grenada after enjoying a couple of weeks creating happy memories with King Richard in the tropical surrounds of the SVG’s.   We felt we didn’t do the islands justice and hope to be able to return to them in a few months, if the weather allows us.

We had a very short sail to Union Island so we could check out of The Grenadines, sailing in the company of our friends, Kim and Ann on Ilanda.   Checking out was quick and easy, completing the process within 30 minutes so we could return to the boat and continue our sail south to Carriacou where we checked back into Grenada.    That night we had a lovely evening with Kim and Ann and Mark, the owner of a lovely Rustler yacht anchored next to us, and we watched the most wonderful sunset with the evening colours slowly intensifying until the grand finale was on display before us.

The next morning we set sail with Ilanda and headed south.  Once again we had a great sail between Carriacou and the top of Grenada but once we started heading more west the seas became sloppy and the sails starting flogging and our pace slowed considerably.   Ilanda turned into Woburn and we continued to Prickly Bay where we would prepare for our haul out.   Over the next few days we made use of Richards expertise and fixed a number of niggling issues on the boat as well as prepared for the major work we were doing once we were hauled out.    Each day we once again marvelled at Richards knowledge and our good fortune at meeting him and now having him as a friend. 

We were due to be hauled out on the Tuesday morning and moved to Woburn the night before we were lifted, anchoring close to the boat yard.   At 8am I called the yard to get instructions and they told us we were supposed to be there now as we were booked for haul out at 8am!    We quickly raised the anchor and motored to the slipway, just as a large squall and heavy rainfall arrived.   After a brief delay waiting for the rain and wind to pass, we were very professionally guided into the slipway and gently lifted, washed, placed into a cradle and secured for the next three months.   We were due to fly out for NZ in five days and in that time needed to dismantle the saloon and remove the old leaking water tank.  Again, under Richards guidance, we set about moving the furniture and exposing the stainless steel water tank.  We could now see more of the tank than we had ever seen before which looked in good condition.   We started to question whether we had imagined the leak, until we filled the tank and water soon came pouring into the bilge.   When the tank was removed we could see it had blown out, causing some weak points to leak and there were several areas at the back of the tank where the water was escaping.   Our decision to replace the tank was a good one, but expensive!  

The boat was now prepared for our one month away and ready for us to continue working on her when we return.   The weather was hot but noticeably wetter and we had moved off the boat into an apartment which had a pool and pontoon with beautiful garden.   We had a large mango tree beside our deck which dropped fruit on our neighbours roof each night.   Tiny tree frogs started calling as the sun went down until the noise was quite deafening. 

And now it’s time to leave for NZ.   We will leave Richard to enjoy the apartment on his own for a few days while we head to Florida and then LA.    He is finding things to repair in the apartment, now he’s completed so many of the jobs we had lined up for him on our boat.   He is also being invited on board a new friend’s boat to give advice on some of their issues – his fun never stops!  

On our last night we met up with a group of old and new friends before we all go our separate ways, not knowing when/if we will sail in the same waters again – Walkabout, Zen Again, Ilanda, Ari and Favorita.   As my mum used to quote – “Parting is such sweet sorrow” and, sadly, with the lifestyle we have, we get used to goodbyes but it certainly doesn’t make them any easier.   The boat is a mess, with everything piled up in the main saloon, ready for when we return and can complete the rest of the jobs that remain un-Richard-ed but with clear instructions on how we can complete them!     We will miss having King Richard around, both for his slightly whacky sense of humour, but also for his incredible expertise….. in everything!    Our hearts are now being pulled home into the arms of our families who we are so excited to see again after 27 months apart

Seduced by Virgins

Suz had been with us for two wonderful weeks.  During this time we had stopped working on the boat and felt like we were on holiday, enjoying the small things and relaxing without thinking about the growing list of boat jobs we needed to attend to.   We had collected Suz in Antigua and were dropping her off in the BVI’s f weeks later.   She had settled into the small forward cabin and was getting used to moving around the boat without knocking body parts.  Even the very wet dinghy rides we subjected her to did not faze her or remove the smile from her face.   It was now time to really test her resolve with her first overnight sail to St Maartin, 80NM to the west.   

Everything started calmly with a gentle easterly wind and full moon which lit up the skies and seas like a street lamp.   We knew the forecast was for more wind and had prepared with two reefs in the main to ensure we did not have to make too many sail changes during the night.   At around 10pm the wind started getting up and we were soon speeding along at 7knots in building seas.   We changed from the big jib to our small staysail as we were going too fast as, if we continued at this pace, would arrive in the dark, plus we wanted this night sail to be an enjoyable experience for Suz.   We continued making good progress with Suz soon retreating to the saloon to get some much needed sleep.   A couple of brown noddy birds joined us on the passage, sitting on the safety rail as they perched precariously, swaying as the waves built and hit the side of the boat.    Once the island of St Barthelemy (St Barts) came into view, both birds flew off, leaving us with just some small reminders of their stay on board for a few hours!  

Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten is split between France and The Netherlands.  We headed for the Dutch side as our friends, Nicki and Mike on ZenAgain, had recommended the anchorage as it was less rolly than on the French side and less obstacles under the water.   We anchored outside the bay and waited for the bridge to raise at 0930, calling the bridge controller to request permission to enter the lagoon.    We joined a line of catamarans, superyachts and similar size boats to us, as we all jostled for space in the channel so we could charge into the shallow lagoon and claim the best anchorage, as soon as the bridge opened!    We were the second in line and were asked to quicken the pace as we slowly progressed, keeping within the 5knots limit but apparently this was too slow!    We saw Nicki and Mike waving at us from their boat, as we followed their instructions towards the anchorage.   It took us several attempts before the anchor held and we felt confident we had a good grip in the sand in only 3m of water.    Once we were happy we were secure, the three of us jumped in the dinghy and went ashore to check in.   Fortunately no covid test was required and the process was quick as we had already completed all our details on-line through eSeaClear.    When we returned to the dinghy, a very large iguana was guarding it and lazily strolled off when we attempted to pass it! 

Nicki and Mike very kindly offered to spend the next day showing us around the island, guiding us on buses, exploring the French side with its fabulous bakeries and supermarkets, watching planes land and take-off from the runway that borders a beautiful beach, enjoying the wonderful food available in small cafes and explaining the best place to get the items we were keen to purchase to make the most of the duty-free shopping available on the island.   The only thing you notice when moving between the French and Dutch sides is the cellphone coverage improves on the French side and the pace of recovery from the devastating Hurricane Dorian in 2019 was much slower on the French side.   This is due to the French bureaucracy around proving ownership before providing money to rebuild or repair.   As most of the residents of the island are descendants of slaves and made homes out of the land that was deserted by rich overseas owners, when the slave trade was abolished in the 1800’s, very few had official papers proving they owned the land that had been in their families for generations.   This has held up progress and roads, houses, commercial buildings remain broken as a constant reminder of the destructive storm.   Meanwhile on the Dutch side, they took the attitude that it needed to be tidied up and those affected needed to be helped, so they just got on with repairing the infrastructure and clearing up the mess that was left behind.

Before leaving we took advantage of the well-stocked supermarkets and replenished our dwindling supplies of non-perishables as well as filling our tank with duty free fuel.   After five days we left St Martins in the early evening and set sail for the British Virgin Islands (BVI’s), about 95NM of beam reach sailing in a good 17-20knot breeze.   Once again a squall hit us in the middle of the night so we reefed the Yankee and I hand steered for the last part of the passage, enjoying the speed under clear skies and a bright moon.    We passed between Necker and Gorda Islands while it was still dark and then gybed to head down the western side of Gorda and into Sir Francis Drake Channel, just as the sun came up.   It was a beautiful introduction to the BVI’s as the sun slowly revealed the many islands surrounding us.

We picked up a mooring buoy in Sopers Hole on Tortola and, after paying US$50 each for a covid test in addition to visiting various officials to complete checking in procedures.  This involved making a payment at each step of the formalities but it was confusing what we were actually paying for, however at the end of it we were officially checked in and free to explore the BVI’s.  

There are about 40 islands that make up the Virgin Islands with most of them clustered together with just a couple (at most) miles separating each of them.   Several of the smaller islands are privately owned and landing on them without permission is not allowed.   The US Virgin Isles are made up of just four main islands and are much more populated than the remaining islands of the BVI’s.   This makes the BVI’s a much more appealing cruising ground and is hugely popular with American tourists who charter yachts for a week’s holiday.   In turn, this has made the BVI’s a less attractive place to visit for longterm cruisers due to the many beautiful bays now festooned with mooring buoys to cater for the charter boats and making anchoring challenging.   Fortunately, if you look hard enough, there are still quiet bays that charter boats seem to avoid and our mission was to seek these out!

Over the next few days we sailed to Jost Van Dyke where we were first introduced to the cocktail called “Painkiller” made from local rum and where we enjoyed the beautiful calm, blue waters of a quiet bay while relaxing in the beautiful isolated environment.   We found a lovely anchorage on Peter Island which we enjoyed with just two other boats, listening to the birds in the nearby trees as we anchored close to the shore.    Next we sailed to Virgin Gorda and, after a brief stop at “The Baths” – a natural swimming hole surrounded by large granite boulders, we anchored off Moskito Island behind a long reef and in front of a private white sandy beach.   The Island is one of two islands owned by Sir Richard Branson and accommodates three luxury, and very exclusive, resorts.   We people-watched as guests were delivered to the island by private water taxi and ushered to their accommodation.   Necker Island was within sight of our anchorage with three new wind turbines dominating the islands skyline.   We swam off the boat and felt smug that we were enjoying the same privileges as those paying over US$5000 a night just a few feet away!  

After five weeks with us, Suz’s departure date was fast approaching and she wanted to treat us to a special night out.   We had chosen Saba Rock as the perfect place to celebrate as we could pick up a mooring buoy just outside the restaurant, making our dinghy ride back to the boat much easier than the last time we returned from a night out in Barbuda when I got dumped in the sea by the crashing surf!   We definitely made the right choice of restaurant as the location, atmosphere, service and food was first class.   We had a memorable night filled with laughter, excellent food, a few painkillers and conversation that comes so easily with good friends.   We will all remember that night for the rest of our days!

We sailed to Trellis Bay on Beef Island and picked up a mooring buoy in the small bay that was littered with neglected boats, once again evidence of the destructive hurricane.   The main airport for the BVI’s was within sight, so when it came time to deliver Suz to the small international airport, we took the dinghy ashore and walked down a small dusty path to the departure lounge.   We still had sand in our shoes as we said our farewells.   It had been a wonderful few weeks, exploring new islands together, enjoying each other’s company and we loved sharing our adventures with a dear friend whom I have known and cherished for over 40 years.

We waved to Suz’s small plane as it flew over Cerulean, heading for Antigua to connect with a transatlantic flight back to London.   We left Trellis Bay and had an exciting sail to Anegada, a low lying island in the north of the BVI’s, catching a yellow fin tuna along the way while dodging rain squalls bringing 25-30knots of wind in short bursts.   About 3NM from the island, the sea shallows to below 10m and then gradually gets shallower until we were in about 4m of water off a beautiful deserted white sandy beach on the south west end of the island.   We joined three French boats that were already anchored in the bay and sat out a few more rain showers which brought strong winds and tested the hold of our anchor.     Steve dived on the anchor and found it firmly embedded in the sand so we slept peacefully after feasting on the fresh tuna.

We woke to clear skies – a perfect day to go ashore and explore.   The Western part of Anegada is a huge fully enclosed salt lake with just a narrow strip of land separating the lake from the Caribbean Sea.   It is a haven for birdlife and often flocks of pink Flamingos can be found in the ponds.  Sadly there were none to be seen when we visited, although we were told we should return at sunset.  We did, however, see lots of other interesting birdlife as we walked along the long, straight, empty concrete slab road in the blistering heat – The Mockingbird, Grey kingfisher, smooth-billed Ani, Elaenia and others we could not identify, darted between the trees chirping and squawking at us as we unintentionally disturbed their nest building. 

We were anchored a short dinghy ride from a reef which broke the surface of the water in places, so went over to snorkel in the warm water.   Visibility was not great and it was heartbreaking to see so much dead and bleached coral but a real highlight for me was swimming in a large school of large blue and yellow fish that appeared all around me.  My initial fear of being surrounded by large fish, soon turned to total wonder as they darted around me, turning in synchronised harmony as they moved with the current.   Every so often I poked my head above the water and squealed at Steve as he waited for me in the dinghy, confusing him as he couldn’t make out if I was in trouble or enjoying myself!!!  

After a short stay anchored in the blue waters of Anegada we decided to return to Virgin Gorda before the anchorage was invaded by a large flotilla of charter boats we could see approaching the quiet bay.   The weekend appears to be the best time to visit Anegada as it is generally the weekend that most charters start and finish.   This means that mid-week is the busiest time in the bays around Virgin Gorda and Anegada so we tried to avoid being in the popular bays over that period. 

We had a fast and glorious sail back to Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda where we visited customs and immigration to check out of the country, before continuing our sail up the coast to be as far north as possible for our sail back to the eastern islands.   We anchored in a beautiful, shallow and quiet bay between Eustatia and Prickly Pear islands, just south of Necker.   I wished we could have spent longer there but we had one final swim in the warm waters of the BVI’s before preparing for the 210NM sail SE to Guadeloupe.   We knew it would be a difficult passage as the wind and current was against us, but if we had known about the many problems we would encounter along the way, I wonder if our smiles would have been as wide and our hearts as full, as we bade the BVI’s a fond farewell.

Friends, Fish and Frigate Birds

Sailing with friends on board was always part of the bigger picture for us. We really wanted to share our adventure with the people we love, but covi, to a greater extent, had prevented this from happening. All this was about to change with the arrival of Suzanne from the UK. We had planned and looked forward to her visit for almost 12 months and now my old friend and flatmate from 40 years ago was joining us for a month cruising and exploring the Leeward Islands. First we needed to sail the 360NM north to meet her in Antigua.

Grenada was hidden under a cloud of misty rain when we started our sail north.   The weather forecast predicted thunderstorms for the next couple of days so it was a good time to be heading offshore in the hope we could avoid some of the wet weather!  

We had a lovely sail, making good speed as we passed one small island country after another – St Vincents and Grenadines, St Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadaloupe, Montserat passing closer to the northern most islands which shed large wind shadows across our path.   We looked hungrily at the islands we were passing, longing to stop and explore but knowing we will be able to give them justice on the return trip south.   For now we were on a schedule (the worst thing to have on a boat!) and we continued on our 350 NM sail north to Antigua where we were meeting our friend Suzanne in a few days.  

Before we left Grenada our good friends on Ruffian had given us a fishing line and lures as a thoughtful and kind parting gift.   Each morning we put out the line hoping this would be the day we would catch and land a prized fish.   On day two, that wish became a reality when we managed to land a beautiful Mahi Mahi.    As Steve slowly reeled in the line, we could see a large fish jumping off the waves behind us, flashing blue and green.   With hook, cloth, bucket and rum ready Steve hauled the large fish onto the boat, pouring rum into its gills to sedate it as the stunning (and stunned) fish made a final attempt to free itself.   We looked in awe at this amazing gift from the sea – yellow, blue and green with a massive head and big mouth.   Mahi Mahi (or Dorado/dolphin fish as we later found out) is, in our humble opinion, one of the best fish to catch – not only are they a beautiful fish to look at, they have very few bones and the ones they have our large and they are easy to fillet…. and they are delicious to eat.   We feasted on fresh fish for three days, the final day sharing a meal with four other friends.

We arrived in Jolly Harbour, Antigua in the early afternoon, marvelling at the turquoise waters as we negotiated a shallow entrance into the harbour, spotting a number of large turtles as we wound our way towards the anchorage.   We dropped the hook close to the main channel that led to Jolly Harbour, deciding to wait until the morning to check in.    It was now Monday and Suzanne was arriving on Wednesday evening, giving us time to sort ourselves and the boat out before she arrived.

The next morning we took the dinghy about a mile up the channel and completed the check-in process which was quick and painless as we had already completed and submitted an on-line ESea immigration form prior to leaving Granada and were able to show negative Covid RAT results.  Armed with a SIM card, fresh fruit and vegetables and a cruising permit, we returned to Cerulean in time for sundowners and a shared dinner with friends we had last seen in The Canaries.   We all enjoyed the last of the beautiful Mahi Mahi as we watched the sun go down over the different shades of blue in the bay – a perfect welcome to Antigua!  

Suzanne arrived the next evening and, even though she was tired from the long flight, we celebrated until late sitting up on deck drinking cocktails, catching up and opening all the wonderful packages she had kindly agreed to bring with her!!!    Together we explored the island over the next few days, gently acclimatising Suz to the heat and slow pace of the Caribbean.   We booked a day tour with the same taxi driver (Justin) who had collected Suz from the airport and he treated us to a fun day which seemed to involve quite a bit of rum at various locations.   He even stopped at his house and collected some rum punch he had prepared earlier and proceeded to share it around in the cab while driving us to the next destination!   We visited Betty’s Hope Historic Sugar Plantation which now stands as a relic to the former sugar industry that once defined Antigua.   These plantations housed hundreds of slaves, brought over from Africa and whose ancestors now call this island paradise home.    It was an odd feeling, knowing we had travel the same route as a lot of the slaves who were captured in West Africa, bundled into large ships and brought to the West Indies.  There are lots of reminders of Antigua’s past scattered around the island from Windmills which crushed the sugarcane, to the ruins of the old sugar processing factory and large “Coppers” used to boil down the cane and extract the sugar.   We visited a number of the 365 white sand beaches that attract holidaymakers from all over the world as the warm, turquoise waters invite you in to cool off from the hot sun.    Justin took us to a place where locals get their lunch – a small cabin on a grass verge, serving excellent local food with fresh produce. 

The English cricket team were touring The West Indies so we bought tickets for the first day of a Test Match at Sir Vivien Richards Stadium.   We joined Traci and Andrew, our friends on Yacht Walkabout, and had a lovely day catching up with cricket going on in the background!   Towards the end the Barmy Army found their voice and added real atmosphere to the occasion.

While in Falmouth Harbour we met up with my niece’s husband, Errol, who is captain of a visiting Superyacht.   The marina was filled with enormous Superyachts from all over the World and we watched in awe as these impressive displays of wealth manoeuvred into spaces I would not be comfortable taking Cerulean!!!    Errol invited us on board “Sorceress” a 31m carbon fibre, racing Superyacht.   Some of the rigging alone cost in excess of GBP300k!    She was beautiful and it was hard to jump in our small dinghy and return to our superyacht after that!!

Our next anchorage was Rickett Bay on Green Island, a lovely quiet area which is only accessible by boat and protected from the swell by a large reef.   As we negotiated a sand bar on the approach into the anchorage, a group of dolphins played in our bow wave which was a perfect welcome to the beautiful surrounds and a great first sighting in The Caribbean waters for Suz.   We spent the next few days relaxing in the pretty small bay, watching the colour of the water change as the weather turned from sunshine to showers, wind to calm.  Turtles popped up in the blue waters, stretched their necks out so they could look around and slowly sunk down again into the clear sea.   Other boats jostled their way into the anchorage until the bay was filled with a multinational selection of yachts all sheltering from the strong easterly Trade Winds that blow constantly at this time of the year.  As the other boats left, we stayed for another night, enjoying a perfect day where we shared the bay with only one other boat which meant the turtles surfaced more often and we were treated to constant visits as they grew in confidence.

The wind had been blowing constantly with gusts of over 30knots and we sheltered in the small bay, waiting for a lull.   The forecast showed constant wind from the East but not quite as strong as it had been, so we made a dash across the shallow entrance and headed for Barbuda, a small island 30NM northwest of Antigua.   The island is very low lying and surrounded by golden beaches which, until a few years ago, provided luxury get-aways for the wealthy tourists, however Hurricane Irma devastated the small island community in 2017 and has not yet recovered from the destruction left in its wake.    Hotels are being rebuilt but for the moment these are few and far between, so the small island paradise is visited mostly only by sailors and, because of its location, not too many venture further north than Antigua.    

As we sailed, the wind increased in strength and Suz, instead of being treated to a beautiful leisurely sail in tropical blue waters, endured a bouncy, fast and exciting dash until we anchored off the lagoon which the main town sits on.  Along the way we put out the fishing line, hoping to catch another Mahi Mahi but instead caught three Barracuda with very big and sharp teeth, so were thrown back before they could do any damage!   Later we were told the local fishermen consider Barracuda a delicacy, so regretted throwing them back when we could have donated them to locals.

The lagoon at Codrington had been completely cut off from the sea by a thin sand bar, but Hurricane Irma opened up a narrow entrance so dinghies can now access the town from the sea.   However, the wind was howling across the shallow lagoon, whipping up the water and making it impossible for us to take our small dinghy with three adults safely to town.   We were anchored off a long, empty beautiful beach but the breaking surf on the white sands was a deterrent to launching the dinghy and ourselves into the waves as disaster was bound to unfold as we neared the beach!   Instead, we called Pat, who owns a water taxi, which arrived 2hrs late, and sped us to Codrington across the windy lagoon so we could explore the town and get some much needed fresh supplies.   As we wandered the streets, we met some of the friendly locals who left us with smiles on our faces as we learned a little about life living on a small island, totally dependent on tourists but with few visitors over the last 24 months.   Several of the houses and buildings had not been rebuilt and there were gaps where houses once stood leaving an impression of a smile with teeth missing!    As we walked along the streets a man on a new looking tricycle approached us, asking if we were lost.   His name was Toomba and he entertained us with stories and answered our questions as he walked with us through town, acknowledging everyone who passed along the way.   He introduced us to his sister who presented us with a hand of delicious Ladyfinger bananas after we had admired some growing nearby.   Donkeys, goats and horses roamed, unfenced around the rutted streets, wandering into unfenced gardens or down driveways.   We loved it!

We moved anchorages to Cocoa Point off the pristine Princess Diana Beach in the south of the island.   The beach was renamed in 2011 as Princess Di holidayed here many times and had a special connection with the island.   Large turtles welcomed us as we dropped the anchor and a sting ray darted under the boat.  We jumped into the warm, blue waters and cooled off.   Later we dinghied to the beach and feasted on fresh barbecued Lobster which we had ordered earlier.   We brought our own cutlery, plates and salads but the Rum Punch, sunset and atmosphere was provided!   It was a perfect night, apart from our exit which resulted in me being dumped in the surf as I tried launching the dinghy after having too many strong Rum Punches!!    

On our last morning Steve and I jumped in the clear water for one last swim before leaving Barbuda.   As I snorkelled around the boat I spotted a shark cruising around which resulted in Steve staying in the water on his own! 

We had a lovely sail back to Codrington, arriving just as a squall hit followed by drenching rain as we dropped the anchor in front of a destroyed resort on the end of the entrance into the lagoon.   Next morning Pat came to collect us in his powerful dinghy to take us to see the Frigate Bird sanctuary.    Barbuda has the largest Frigate bird colony in the western hemisphere with birds flying between the Caribbean and Galapagos islands during the varying mating seasons.   Even though these magnificent birds are seabirds, there feathers are not waterproof and they cannot land in the water, so all of our sightings to date had been watching them sore high above us with their impressive 2.4m wingspan.  We skimmed across the choppy lagoon waters heading north with no Frigate birds in sight.   Beach soon gave way to low mangroves and we continued bouncing at full speed across the shallow water.   All of a sudden, we turned a corner, and the sky was full of birds.   It was crazy – Frigate birds were all around, and above us noisily circling their crowded nesting area.   Young grey chicks sat alone in their nest, peering out, looking like Rod Hulls Emu as the inquisitive birds squawked at us with Pat edging his dinghy closer and closer to them.    We were mesmorised by the scene that was unfolding in front of us.   Huge birds flew overhead while others perched in the top of the low mangrove trees.   Some of the male birds had bright red throats which they puffed out like a balloon to attract females.  The gular sac takes 20 minutes to inflate so the males need to be pretty sure they’ll attract a mate before going to all that effort!   It was quite late in the breeding season so, sadly, the few males we saw with puffed out throats were the ones the females did not find attractive, and they made for a desperate sight as they stood out amongst the hundreds of nests containing a singular grey fluffy chick!  

It was time to leave and explore another Caribbean island.   Suz was only with us for another 2 weeks, so we needed to keep moving.  We had dinner and left as the sun was setting, picking our way through the maze of reefs that surround Barbuda.    It had been a special visit to Antigua and Barbuda, creating wonderful memories with Suz and continuing to wonder at the resilience of people who suffered huge trauma and loss with the devastating hurricane a few years ago, but are coming out the other side smiling and feeling positive.    I was not expecting Antigua to be as raw and relatively uncommercialised as it is.   It is a haven for Super Yachts, so I had expected it to be full of shopping malls and expensive restaurants to cater for the wealthy, but was pleasantly surprised by the lack of high-rises and unique character that remains on the islands.  In our opinion, Barbuda is the jewel in the crown – a gift that kept giving as its beautiful secrets were slowly shown to us.   The wind direction will make it hard for us to return but our experiences and people we met while in Antigua and Barbuda will stay with us for a lifetime.

The Spice Islands

Steve woke me at 5am to start my final watch of our Atlantic Crossing.   The lights of Grenada sparkled in front of me as we made fast speed towards them.   It was still dark and, not wanting to arrive before light, I slowed the boat down, reefing the main and then the jib, until we only had the main up as I tried to spill some speed, but it seemed Cerulean was as keen to arrive as we were! 

At 8:30am we picked up a mooring buoy in Martin’s Bay, the designated waiting area for arriving yachts who were yet to clear customs and health checks.   We celebrated as we turned off the engine and let the enormity of what we had achieved sink in!  

As Steve inflated the dinghy, I made us a hearty breakfast using the rest of our fresh eggs, and we sat in the cockpit in the hot morning sun, looking out over the clear water to the tree covered hills that surrounded the small harbour of St George’s.   There were no big highrise hotels or apartments to spoil the view, just lots of multicoloured houses that clung to the gentle slopes, surrounded by thick trees.     Looking south there was a long sandy beach with a few hotels close to the shore, but not too commercial.   A large cruise ship was in the port and we could see the passengers being disgorged and transported off in different directions to make the most of their one day in Grenada.  

We jumped into the dinghy and headed to the Port Louis Marina, spotting a small turtle in the water as we bumped over the short waves towards the sheltered harbour.   Our first stop was to get health clearance and we visited a lovely man sitting under the shade of a gazebo on the waterfront.   After examining our documentation, asking for a recent PCR test (which we couldn’t supply) he stamped an official document and handed it to us.   We were in a little bit of disbelief that it had been so easy to clear through and had to be told a few times that we were now able to proceed to customs and immigration, which we quickly did.    They were in an office a few steps from the gazebo and, after completing a long form and handing over all the other necessary documentation including our customs clearing out papers from Mindelo, our passports were stamped, cruising permit issued for a small fee and we were free to explore Grenada!  

We took the dinghy into town and walked the streets so we could get a feel for the place.   It was the start of a long weekend as Monday was Grenada Independence Day so people, cars, buildings and boats were preparing for the celebrations as the locals proudly displayed their national colours of yellow, green and red.   As we walked the narrow pavements, minibuses drove past beeping their horns as a way to ask whether we needed a ride – fares are a flat fee of EC$2.50pp which equates to less than US$1, to get anywhere from 1mile to 30miles along their route.   The hot muggy morning soon became a wet muggy morning as we dodged rain showers which didn’t make us any cooler as the heat seemed to intensify during the day.  

Over the course of the next few days a number of boats we knew arrived and our time seemed to be one long celebration of our joint achievements.   We met old friends and new ones as we all shared the same realised dream with stories from our passages, advice, learnings and laughter.   After a few days of sitting on a rolly mooring outside St Georges, we decided to leave the clear waters and turtles we saw each morning, and head to Prickly Bay about 8NM on the islands rugged south coast.   This coastline has numerous long, protected bays and is dotted with small islands, lovely beaches and calm, clear water.   In short, a boaters paradise!  

We explored a few of the small protected bays along the south coast, with boats from all over the World that looked like they had been left on mooring buoys for some time.  The water was turquoise, clear and warm and the white sands of the many beaches that nestled between the mangroves were empty except for an occasional shack that housed a small bar.   Cruisers met there playing cards and backgammon as they sipped beers in the late afternoon heat.  

Bus rides were interesting.   We really felt we put our life in the hands of the driver as he sped through the narrow, bumpy roads with a van full of other trusting people.   To alert him to stop, passengers either clicked their fingers or banged on the roof, at which point the driver would veer abruptly to the left and slam his foot on the brake while very loud rap music blared through the van!  

I was excited to see large Frigate birds flying around the boat.  They are huge birds with fork tails and 2.3m wing span.   It was amazing to see them swoop around us as they hunted for food or chased other seabirds to snatch their fish from them.   It may have been these magnificent birds or the less impressive, but equally fun Boobies, that unloaded on the boat and we were cleaning up their mess for days afterwards!!

Granada is known as the Spice Islands and while on a tour with new friends, we saw why.  Our informative driver pointed out the many plants and trees growing wild in the forest – nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cocoa as well as banana, mango, French cashew (a fruit) and papaya.   The law is that if fruit is hanging over public property and you can reach it, it’s yours and with over 160 different varieties of mango growing wild in Grenada you’d be unlucky to go hungry when foraging for food!

We visited a waterfall with fresh water cascading down rocks into a deep natural pool which screamed out for Steve to jump into – which he did with glee and grace, several times!   On to a cocoa plantation and chocolate manufacturer where we had a tasting and short talk about the chocolate manufacturing process from nut to seed.   We sucked on a cocoa seed and tasted the butter, buying lots of the delicious dark chocolate made from cocoa grown on the island by small holding farmers which made it taste even sweeter!    Then on to the heart of the island – Grand Etang Lake, a crater lake in an extinct volcano and 530m above sea level.   It is surrounded by thick jungle and I wish we had had more time to walk up to the crater rim but this will have to wait for another visit!

We bade farewell to our friends on Ilanda and Juliana and headed up the west side of the island, picking up a mooring buoy in a marine protected area in a bay just north of St Georges Harbour.   There is an underwater sculpture park in the bay so in the morning we jumped in the warm, clear water and snorkelled over to the park.   My overwhelming feeling was great sadness at seeing so much dead coral.  In fact there was no coral left, just the skeletons of a once majestic living organism lay below us with a few colourful fish darting through the water.    As a large tourist boat arrived to disgorge their swimmers, we swam back to the boat, had breakfast and sailed north to the small island of Carriacou or more precisely to the small, beautiful, tropical paradise of Sandy Island.  This little island consists of a beautiful fine white sand beach, palm trees and the clearest blue water you can imagine.   It is the scene used to sell tropical destinations that commuters stare at while riding the tube to work on a dreary day and here we were sitting on our boat, looking at the reality of the tropical paradise.   It felt good, although it was incredibly windy so the only movement between boats were the pelicans who were blown off course and landed on our bow, the Boobies who made some clumsy attempts to dive in to catch fish which resulted in a bird equivalent of a belly flop and the odd turtle that poked its head above the turquoise waters for a short while before diving again.   It was a magical place and we stayed for two nights until the wind dropped and we headed into the main harbour on Carriacou, Tyrell Bay to explore a little of the island.

Since arriving in The Caribbean we have been making plans for where we could spend the hurricane season which starts on 1 June and covers an area from Grenada in the South to South Carolina, USA in the North.   If there is a named storm in this region between 1 June to 30 November, our insurance will not cover any loss or damage we may incur, so if we stay within this belt we must be able to move out of harms way quickly.   The last time Grenada was hit by a hurricane was in 2004 so it’s a place lots of cruisers head to as it is easy to sail further south should a storm be forecast.   We have some big projects to undertake on the boat so have been gathering names of prospective people who may be able to do the work.   It became clear that we needed to meet these people and let them see the boat so we could get a proper quote, so the decision was made to head back to mainland Grenada while we had the opportunity.    After spending four glorious days in Carriacou, we retraced our route and returned to the main island to meet with tradesmen, wash the boat and gather our thoughts!

Our last few days in Grenada were spent socialising, doing boat jobs, meeting tradesmen, swimming and getting the boat ready for when we collect our first visitor in a few days time.   For now, we are checked out to leave this beautiful island and have negative covid tests which will allow us entry into other islands.    When we checked into Grenada a few weeks earlier, the health officer said to us, “A word of warning, Grenada is a big magnet.  Once you have been here, you will be drawn back!”   He was not wrong.   This is still a virtually unspoilt paradise with lovely people, protected anchorages and good sailing.   We are already making plans to return here and spend more time exploring.  For now, we will sail the 300 miles to Antigua where we will collect a friend and explore a different part of the Caribbean together.

*Dream, Believe, Achieve

*Title accredited to Bruce McLaren and Brent Esler

On the day of our departure to start the long passage across The Atlantic, we ate breakfast outside and talked about what lay ahead of us.   Neither of us were nervous, just excited about starting the biggest challenge of our journey so far and we, and the boat, felt ready.  We had prepared several meals which would be easy to heat up or eat cold during the first few days on passage so we could get used to being at sea again.   At 9.30am we pulled up the anchor and headed out of Mindelo Bay, leading a flotilla of other yachts who were also leaving to start their crossing, which gave us even more confidence in our decision to go on that day.  We pulled up the main sail while in the shelter of the protected harbour, thinking that, apart from shortening the sails, we may not be taking them down again until we reach our destination in 14-20 days time.

It seemed appropriate to be starting our passage on our second wedding anniversary so we celebrated with cake as we slowly left Cape Verde behind us, enjoying a gentle sail with the wind on our beam (side).   The sea was calm, the sky blue and that night we had a full moon to light up the flat sea as we headed south west.

The forecast was for light winds for the rest of the week with a dead spot forming over the weekend, so we continued on our course south to try and pick up more wind.   For the first few days we were in the company of a few boats, but seldom physically saw them, just their location on AIS (our GPS instruments) and always radioed them to have a quick talk.   We noticed an Aussie boat we had seen, but not met, in Mindelo coming up behind us, so called them on the radio and had a good talk to them.   As soon as our call finished we heard the dulcet tones of Iain on Ruffian calling us.   They were not showing on AIS as they were still too far away, but had heard us chatting on the radio.   We then, amazingly, continued to sail in their company for the next four days as they headed to Suriname and us to Grenada.  

We have a Single Side Band (SSB) radio which, different to the standard VHF radio which all yachts are required to have on board, the SSB allows us to talk to other users who are much further away from us.   While in Cape Verde we were able to talk to a friend over 1500NM from us, so the SSB is very useful when on a long passage and we had set up a daily schedule to talk with others also crossing the Atlantic.   Once we were out of VHF contact with any other boats, the regular schedules were our only opportunity to talk to anyone else, so became something we looked forward to each night, while we all tracked each others progress and heard their boat news.

Steve and I soon developed a routine around sleeping and cooking.  Steve took the first watch from 2000hrs to 2300hrs while I slept and then we would play tag team all night, sleeping every 3hrs.   This worked out well and suited us, with both of us taking a nap during the day to make up for any lost sleep. I had, what I considered to be, the best watch from 5-8am when I watched the sky slowly change from black to grey and then blue as the millions of bright stars slowly faded as the sky lightened.   Watching the sun slowly creep above the horizon and the blue of the ocean and sky intensify as the western horizon turn to orange and red as the blazing sun slowly became visible and rose into the clearing skies was a wonderful way to welcome each day.   The wind tended to increase a little at night and the seas flatten out, so often our best speeds were achieved after dark, so as the sun came up the wind dropped away a little and the waves picked up.

Cooking was normally done in bulk.   On calm days it was much easier to prepare food than if you are being thrown around the galley, so we made the most of the flat seas and prepared three or four dinners which we stowed in our big chiller until they were needed.    This worked really well, particularly when we were taken by surprise one early evening when a thunder and lightning storm developed in front of us with winds increasing from 8knts to 30knots in a matter of seconds.   We had seen the ominous looking dark clouds forming in front of us so altered our course to try and avoid the lightning that started flashing in the distance.   I had seen something similar a few years ago when sailing with my sister, Bea, and Andy in Croatia, so knew the worse of what could happen.   We reefed the main, even though there was still no wind, shut all the hatches and stowed all electronics in the microwave.  As we watched the storm develop on our radar screen, we noticed lots of other pockets of weather developing all around us and on going up on deck and seeing the lightning all around us, realised we had no escape.    The sea changed dramatically and turned grey in colour with flattened out waves, resembling a beautiful liquid satin under the heavy dark skies.  Fortunately I had just taken control of the wheel from Hilda, the hydrovane, when we were struck by the first squall.   I hand steered as Steve scanned the radar looking for an exit path for us to get away from the fast moving pockets of storm.   In the middle of all this, he fed me pieces of pizza, prepared earlier and the perfect “fast” food to eat while handsteering through strong wind and heavy rain!   

Before leaving Mindelo we had stocked up on fresh fruit and vegetables, knowing from past experience what lasts best.   Our chiller, bilge and hammock was full of pumpkin, cabbage, courgettes, apples, bananas, oranges, unripe avocado, carrots, courgettes, papaya, tomato, potatoes, onions, chillis and watermelon.   We ate the fruit that would not last first, so ran out of Papaya quickly, but as the bananas were a mixture of green and almost ripe, we were still eating them 16 days after starting our passage.   Everything else lasted really well and remained fresh, finishing the last of the courgettes on arriving in Grenada.

We stayed busy each day with regular boat checks – ensuring there was no new wear and tear or breakages.   This included inspecting the deck for screws, broken pieces or evidence of wearing/change.   The biggest issue on a long passage is chafing – ropes or items constantly rubbing together until they eventually break.   We could check at deck level, but not further up the mast, so every day we loosened or tightened the sails a little, just to ensure the halyards (ropes holding the sails up) were not rubbing through.  We also cleared the decks of any flying fish each morning which, attracted by the cabin lights, may have unwittingly jumped on board during the night.    We regularly checked the engine, generator, sails and other equipment for any changes or wear and tear.   We had serviced the engine ourselves prior to departing Mindelo, so knew we had covered the basics but, as we were not intending to use the engine much during the passage, we wanted to make sure it would start when we needed it on arrival at our destination.   The stores needed to be checked every day too.   As we were about to leave Cape Verde, I discovered some nuts I had bought at a market were infested with little bugs.   We had been so careful to try and avoid bugs getting on the boat by removing all paper labels on tins, not having any cardboard boxes on board, transferring eggs into boxes we knew were free of cockroach eggs and separating out flour and rice so if one store gets infected, they don’t all have to be disposed of.   Fortunately our infestation seemed contained but we put down lots of traps and regularly checked all the food containers for evidence of bugs.   Steve also let me have another go at cutting his hair as he figured if I did a terrible job again, it would be grown out by the time we met anyone else.  Fortunately I redeemed myself and gave him a cut he was happy with!     

It constantly amazed me how strong boats and sails need to be.   The huge amount of pressure the hull, rigging and sails have to endure is incredible.   When a gust of wind hits the sails, everything goes taut and, in the case of the sails, can bang as the force of the pressure hits them and the sheets (lines) tighten.   The rigging keeps the mast from bending and moving while the hull holds the pressure of the mast and rigging.   As the boat bangs down a wave, you can feel the boat shake and strain but we never had any doubt in her strength and what she is capable of.

We didn’t have much luck fishing.  We did manage to hook a big fish and we both got excited when we heard the fishing rod spool unravelling at speed.   I jumped up and, unable to lock the spool, decided to grab the fishing line which resulted in my finger being sliced quite deeply.  The sight of a big angry fish leaping in our wake spurred us on, but sadly our line broke and the fish won that battle, sort of.  It does now have a rubber fish in it’s mouth and is trailing a long line of nylon line but, as Steve said, it could ‘ve had a worse day and ended up on our dinner plate.   We had one other successful hook, but again the fish got away before we could land it.  The rest of our fishing attempts ended with us just catching weed and, as the amount of floating weed increased dramatically, we gave up putting the line out.    

Yellow floating sargasso forms large islands of weed in the Atlantic.   It surprised us how much of it there was and we had to keep clearing our hydrovane rudder of the long strands.  We were informed the amount of weed had increased dramatically due to the sea getting warmer due to Global Warming.   If someone can come up with a good use for this weed, they would make a fortune!  We also started noticing pink and purple things in the water and, at first, were unsure if they were animal, vegetable or mineral.   It later transpired they were Portuguese Men of War jellyfish and what we were seeing was their “Sail” that sits above the surface of the water and allows them to easily get blown across the ocean.   Ingenious! 

On day 10 we found the trade winds.   The trade winds blow from the NE and usually bring 15-20 knots of wind.   We had hoped to have these winds all the way from Cape Verde but our crossing was particularly light and others, who had crossed before, commented on the unusually flat seas and lack of wind.  Our spirits lifted along with our speed and we enjoyed the last week of our passage cruising at a comfortable 6-7 knots in a constant breeze which meant we set the sails, set up the  hydrovane and let the boat take care of itself while we did other things.   This meant we could go for days without changing our course or adjusting the sails.   As we entered our second week at sea we started a sweepstake on date and time of arrival and when we would see our first boat on AIS.   Steve was more optimistic than me but as the days ticked by and the distance reduced dramatically, I started to believe that Steves prediction of a Friday daytime arrival was achievable and we became focused on getting the boat to perform at her best, covering over 150NM each day.

On day 15 we were contacted on the radio by another boat which we were passing over 5 miles away and hadn’t noticed.  They were a kiwi boat called Sunflower who were also heading for Grenada.   Fortunately Steve answered the radio call, as Sunflower were really pleased to hear a “real” kiwi accent!  They were making slower progress than us under reduced sails as they had torn a sail in bad weather while on passage so we were soon well ahead of them, although we hope to catch up with Phil and Helen (from Christchurch) in Grenada.

When we were about 300NM from land we started being more vigilant on our watches  As we had seen very little activity over the previous two weeks we had become a little casual about keeping a looking out for other shipping, relying on the alarms we had on our instruments to tell us if other boats were nearby, but now the amount of commercial ships crossing our path was starting to increase and many small and fishing boats, don’t use AIS.    There was one scary moment when, still over 200NM from land, a small motorboat came into view.   They were within a mile of us, which is very close, and then suddenly altered course towards us.   The closest land to us was Trinidad and we had just been reading a 15yr old cruising guide which warned of pirates operating off the coast of the island, so I once again jumped into my “this is not a drill” mode while Steve shook his head in despair of me.   The boat came close to us – within 300m – and continued on its path east but made no attempt to contact us or come out on deck to acknowledge we were even there.  We both agreed it was strange behaviour and I had to do something about my lack of faith in human nature!

We had one final gybe to do so we could alter course for Grenada.   As we gybed the vang (holds the boom down), which had been making funny noises for most of the passage, broke.   Our options were to drop the main, but this would mean we would slow down considerably, or find a solution to prevent the main sail from lifting up.   We decided to do the latter and jury rigged a vang system which could get us through the night.  We had already decided to remove the vang and service it as we were concerned about the stress noises, so we were not too fazed when it broke.   We put two reefs in the main and one in the jib as a precaution and headed for Grenada.  

We enjoyed our penultimate night on passage in perfect conditions as we made fast progress with Hilda performing magnificently again, keeping perfect track as we drew closer to land.  As it got light Steve and I were continually scanning  the horizon for the first sight of land in 17 days as our path took us within 30NM of the small island of Tobago.  At 2pm on Thursday when we were 40NM from the small island, we got our first sighting of land.   I can’t describe the huge sense of achievement and joy that flooded through me.   I stood for a long while on deck, mesmerized by the faint outline of land in the distance and thought about our amazing two weeks at sea to get here. We had done it.  We had sailed to The Caribbean and achieved a lifetime dream which I stubbornly always believed I would do one day.

Sailing across the Atlantic has been everything and more that we had imagined it would be.  We both agree that, apart from our incredible children, this experience has been both of our greatest life achievement to date and we are already starting to think about our next major passage in 13 months time when we cross the Pacific, but there are lots of adventures, learnings, discoveries and new friendships to be made before that as we start the next year exploring The Caribbean.    For now our next challenge is to check in to Grenada as we try and talk our way around the prickly issue of why we did not have a PCR test done before leaving Cape Verde – a requirement for all those arriving in Grenada…….

Footnote:

In sport, players are often given Most Valued Player (MVP) Awards,  Here are our nominations for the MVP’s that shone on this passage:

  1. Hilda The hydrovane – what an amazing piece of kit!   Easy to set up and a power-free way to steer the boat while following the wind.   We often set it and then didn’t touch it for days while Hilda sailed the boat for us.   It meant we didn’t use precious battery power, particularly at night, and we knew that if the wind changed direction, Hilda would adapt and steer us on the right course.
  2. Comfort Seats – we purchased these chairs while in Portugal at significant expense, but they have been worth every penny.   We use them every night on watch and every day when we’re outside.  If they get wet they dry out quickly, dirty they clean easily and the sun has not faded the fabric.   We can adjust the back and move them around the boat if we want to have sundowners on the bow.   Best investment we made since leaving UK!
  3. Louie, the lighter – ok, confession time!   We had three lighters we used to light the gas cooker.  Before leaving Cape Verde we discussed how good the lighters had been and we needed to get some spare ones.  Steve went out in search of some and came back with two boxes of matches (we’re both a little confused why he only bought two boxes….).   We stowed the matches away in a dry place as an emergency.   Two days into our passage, two of our lighters failed and the other lighter was an unknown quantity as we hadn’t used it and didn’t know its history as it came with the boat.   We calculated we could use four matches a day if Louie failed us and then made sure we limited the number of times we used Louie to try and extend her life.   This meant some planning around food preparation so we could co-ordinate the use of the lit ring and oven!   She never failed us, lighting first time, every time and became a treasured member of our crew!   Love you Louie!
  4. The crew!   We worked together really well with seldom a cross word but lots of encouragement, discussion, joint decisions and confidence in each other and the decisions we made.   There aren’t many couples who could stand spending 24hrs in each others company let alone 17 days in isolation in a small boat!   We did it and loved it, enjoying every step of the incredible journey we shared together.  Steve won the player of the match award when he climbed the mast 1000NM from land, to retrieve a lost line.
  5. The boat – there’s hardly a day goes by where we don’t comment on how lucky we were to find Cerulean.  She really is the perfect boat for us and for crossing oceans.  She has kept us safe and comfortable, and sailed beautifully both downwind and on a reach.   When the boat was built there was no expense spared in the quality of the products used and we are reaping the benefits of those decisions made by Peter, who commissioned Cerulean over 25 years ago.