Speedwell of Hong Kong

Spanish Virgin Islands

Thursday, April 20th, 2017

Another perfect sail from St Thomas to Culebra. I had grown accustomed to the tumultuous seas that run between the islands in the south-eastern Caribbean, caused by the strong current that rushes through the channels coming up against an opposing trade-wind. It was a pleasant surprise to have a smooth crossing between two islands and the wind was from astern which is what the junk rig excels at.

There was a well-marked channel through the reefs and into the big protected anchorage at Ensenada Honda. We sailed gently in and found a good place to drop the anchor. I recognised a few familiar boats following the same track as us. I needed to clear in with customs as although Puerto Rico belongs to the US it is not a duty free zone like the other US Virgin Islands. So it was a shortish walk to the airport to do the necessary and get a cruising permit.

Once again finding an easy place to get ashore was a bit of a problem. There are no floating dinghy docks in this part of the Caribbean and the designated ‘dinghy docks’ are all built with monster inflatables in mind. Usually much too high for me to even get a good grip on the wharf to pull myself up and out of the dinghy. Not to mention that I always need a stern anchor to stop the dinghy from slipping right under the dock and possibly getting crushed by the passing wake of a power boat. If at all possible I try to find a small beach to land the dinghy even if it means a bit of a walk back to the village centre. On my first attempt at getting ashore in Ensenada Honda I used a tiny patch of sand quite close to the town dock. Only problem was that the only way to get back to the road was to wade knee deep through the mangroves. The next time I went ashore I rowed a bit further up the bay and found a public access point which was a bit scruffy but much easier to get out of.

The lifting bridge

There is a narrow channel leading out of the lagoon to the bay of Sardinas on the south western side of the island. A lifting bridge across the channel no longer works, but makes an interesting feature. The channel is quite shallow and I rowed through under the bridge one morning to have a look at the other side. It opens out into a very peaceful lagoon surrounded by mangroves and small bars and restaurants. People were fishing, a heron waited patiently for something tasty to swim into range. I just sat in my dinghy and watched. Once through the lagoon you come out into the big Sardinas bay with a ferry boat dock and an interesting statue made of wooden tiles. I mooched around for a bit and rowed back.

Wooden tile statue

Another day I walked across to Flamingo Beach on the north coast. Surely one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen, even comparing it to some of those in Brazil. Clear turquoise water and miles of white powdery sand. Unspoilt shoreline and not very crowded even though it was a weekend. The only jarring notes were a succession of dive boats bringing hordes of trainee scuba divers and while I was sitting peacefully on the sand two police beach buggies motored past, perilously close to me.

Flamingo Beach

I decided to move on to the island of Vieques, about 20 miles south and anchored in Bahia Salina del Sul at the south eastern end. The island had been used by the US for gunnery practice until 2003 and as a result it is still an unspoilt tourist destination. The bay where I first anchored is still off limits for going ashore and big signs warn of the dangers of unexploded missiles. I was quite happy to stay on board and I watched a herd of wild horses grazing and moving along the shore, passing close to the warning signs. Not much later I was startled by an incredibly loud bang and saw a big cloud of smoke a little way inland. I couldn’t help wondering if the horses had set something off. It certainly made me realize that the warnings were for real.

Wild horses at Salina del Sur

My next stop was at Bahia de la Chiva, a beautiful place, again I was the only boat there – what a difference to the crowded places I had been in recently. I would have loved to linger and really explore all the possibilities but unfortunately I had to keep moving as I had just found out about an urgent problem with my bank that had to be sorted out. So I could only stay overnight before heading on to Puerto Ferro which is supposed to have amazing bio-luminescence. Well, it was a nice quiet and protected anchorage, surrounded by mangroves but the light-emitting sea-creatures must have been taking time off. There were some faint sparkles but nothing like the bright phosphorescence that I sometimes see on a dark night at sea. Still, it was a pleasant stop and I got the kayak out for a paddle around the enclosed bay.

Vieques coat of arms

Then it was on to Esperanza, a small town with lots of beach bars and restaurants. The bay is split with two possible anchorages and the free guide book, that I had downloaded, recommended the smaller one. I crept carefully in as it seemed rather shallow and finally dropped the anchor in just under 3m. A few minutes later a slightly manic ‘anchorage warden’ raced over to tell me that it would be better to move to the other side where everyone else was anchored. Seems that there was going to be a lot of jet-ski activity in the little bay because of the holidays. It didn’t take much to convince me to move.

Esperanza waterfront

I suddenly realized that it was the easter weekend and the place was hopping. The campsite was pretty full and happy families thronged the waterfront. I took a stroll along the beautiful ‘paseo’ and stopped at a bar for a cold beer on the way back.

Early the next morning I set off for Puerto Patillas on the south western end of Puerto Rico from where I could easily reach Ponce by the end of the weekend and sort out the bank problem.

Posted in Caribbean, Cruising | 1 Comment »

St Thomas

Thursday, April 13th, 2017

I left St Croix at 6 in the morning so as to be sure to arrive at St Thomas in daylight. The sun was barely up and I gently negotiated the marked passage through the reef. I needn’t have bothered to leave so early as the wind was a delightful ENE F4 and the current was helping a little. It was a perfect sail with the wind on the beam. As I approached the islands I decided to anchor back in Rendezvous Bay, St John for the night and relax before braving the unknown (to me) and busy anchorage at Red Hook, St Thomas.

Again, there was only one other boat in the bay and the water was beautifully calm and clear. I watched an enormous turtle slowly paddle past the boat. It would have made a wonderful photo but I knew from past experience that if I went below for the camera the opportunity would be lost. So I just watched and enjoyed the sight.

Next day it was a short, fast, downwind sail to Red Hook. The anchorage looked pretty crowded and bouncy with constant ferry traffic. Not a place I would normally choose to stop in but fairly convenient for Budget Marine where I hoped to get a copy of The Panama Cruising Guide by Eric Bauhaus.

A Gazelle at Red Hook

To my surprise, I spotted Sean on his small boat, anchored in a good spot reasonably close in. I passed nearby to say ‘hello’ and he said he was on the point of leaving. I made a slow circle round the anchorage and watched him get the anchor up and sail away, tacking through the crowded bay with casual aplomb. I nipped in and gratefully took his place. Another interesting boat that I saw in the bay was a junk rigged Colvin Gazelle with the romantic name of ‘Lord Byron’s Revenge’. A beautiful schooner which conjured up rather wistful memories of the boat that I had originally planned to go cruising in.

It was a downwind row ashore (not a good thing as it would be a battle getting back) and I chose to stop at the nearest place to tie up the dinghy which was next to a marina that had been ruined by a hurricane some time ago. There is a friendly bar called Lat 18 still operating and they gave me directions for getting to the main road. It was a longish walk to Benner Bay over the hill and I found Budget Marine. The book I wanted would have to be FedExed from St Martin at astronomical cost if I wanted it in less than 3 weeks. Oh well, I’ll just have to manage without that new bikini.

Main shopping street in Charlotte Amalie

While waiting for the book to arrive I took a local bus in to Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the USVI. It was great riding on the open sided bus along the twisting hilly road to town. I got off at the big IGY marina at the Eastern end of town and followed the waterside pedestrian way into the historical district. I had a good view of the bay and it looked as though it could be quite a reasonable place to anchor, although there didn’t seem to be many places to leave the dinghy ashore. The main street in town is a shopper’s paradise with all the luxury brands, precious jewellery, diamonds, electronic equipment and works of art. I walked along just window shopping. Touts stand outside on the pavement trying to lure you inside. ‘No money! Just admiring’. ‘No problem, have a nice day!’. ‘Where you from?’

It was a hot day and I found a place to sit down in a shady alleyway. Obviously still too close to the luxury part of town. I was charged $9.50 for a coconut and lime drink. Cooled and chastened, I carried on.

Rough sketch of a ‘real’ bus

When I tried to catch a bus back to Red Hook I learned that they only travel one way, so I would have to complete the circle going all the way round. It was a chance to see a bit more of the island. A woman at the bus stop also explained to me that the only way to tell the ‘real’ buses from the special tourist buses was by checking the passengers. If they were all white and the bus was not crowded, then it was a chartered tourist bus and would not stop. The real buses would be jam-packed with mainly black faces. That explained why so many buses had been just passing me by.

The book arrived as promised and I was very happy with it. Now I feel a lot more confident about navigating in the San Blas Islands The Navionics charts don’t show much detail and I have been told that they are unreliable in places.

The busy runway at Brewer’s Bay

Next day I thankfully left the friendly but less than comfortable anchorage at Red Hook and moved around to Brewer’s Bay on the south coast. A wonderfully protected spot in the lee of the airport runway. Due to the regular take-offs and landings of the planes, the Virgin Islands Guide describes it as ‘..less than an idyllic tropical escape from civilization’, but in my opinion all those have disappeared anyway, overwhelmed by the crowds of moored charter catamarans, jet-skis, ferryboat traffic, kite-boarders, et al. Apart from the planes, Brewer’s Bay was a great anchorage and I left rather reluctantly after only 2 nights there as I was becoming concerned at how quickly time seemed to be passing and I wanted to be crossing to Cartagena before the end of May and still wanted to spend some time in Puerto Rico.

Posted in Caribbean, Cruising | No Comments »

St Croix

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017

After a quick tour of the harbour, looking for a place to anchor, I chose the area opposite the Altona Lagoon. Plenty of room and a bit away from the crowds. The slightly better protected anchorage behind Protestant Cay is really crowded with moorings and there is a lot of traffic, including seaplanes taking off and landing. The only snag was that is was a long row to get ashore. The most convenient place for me to use was nearly half a mile away at the small beach in Gallows Bay. A local fisherman showed me the best place to land the dinghy. It worked well for me. No big inflatables to overwhelm my little craft.

A handy beach for my dinghy

One morning, as I was about to touch down on the sand, my oar narrowly missed an enormous tarpon which was foraging about in the shallows. There are lots of these beautiful fish in the harbour and I loved watching them from the board walk that runs along the waterfront.

One of the beautiful sheltered pavements

Walking round the historical part of Christiansted is like stepping back in time. Graceful old buildings, well preserved but not to the extent that you feel you are in Disneyland. The Danes, who were responsible for most of the early construction, appreciated the need for shelter from the tropical sun and rain and most of the walkways are shaded. It’s the dry season now but they must really come into their own when the rains start.

A government building decorated for the centenary

My visit happened to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of the transfer of the islands to the US after they were sold by the Danes for $25 million in 1917. I had a good view of the impressive fireworks display on the night of the 31^st March.

Blurry fireworks

I took a tour around the big fort which gave good views of the harbour, and was fascinated to read an information poster in one of the cell-like rooms, about the mother of Alexander Hamilton who was incarcerated there (the mother, that is) by an irate abandoned husband. She sounded like a very interesting woman. More here if you are interested.

View from Fort Christian

My water tanks were getting low and I was thinking about taking on some water at the marina. With perfect timing a heavy night-time downpour filled all my containers plus the dinghy. No more worries and all the washing done.

The plan is to spend the coming hurricane season in the Western Caribbean exploring the coast of Panama. I had been putting off buying the essential guide book by Eric Bauhaus, assuming I’d be able to get one in the Virgin Islands. Unfortunately it was not available in St Croix and one that I found via Amazon had an expected delivery time of 3 months. Ouch! So I will have to backtrack to St Thomas and try there.

Posted in Caribbean, Cruising | 1 Comment »

St Martin to the Virgin Islands

Friday, March 24th, 2017

Can you spot Speedwell?

I spent most of February anchored in Marigot Bay on the French side of St Martin. A vast anchorage with hundreds of boats, many of them giant catamarans. South Africans are not allowed to check in on the Dutch side without a visa which, of course, I did not have. The French are more accommodating and its a short bus ride from Marigot to Philipsburg with no stops or checks at the hardly noticeable border.

The Beach at Philipsburg

I had been using up my hoarded ship’s stores, most of which were way beyond their ‘best by date’, and needed to restock. This involved many trips to the supermarket, each time buying only as much as I could carry for the roughly half-mile walk back to the dinghy dock. There was a wonderful variety of stuff, practically all imported, but no tax was payable and the prices were reasonable. At last my big food locker under the port side bunk was full to the brim and the credit card was exhausted. Time to move on.

Sailing along

I had to wait out a few days of strong westerly winds which made the anchorage extremely uncomfortable. The rough weather also brought some rain and obligingly helped to fill my water tanks. At last things calmed down and I had superb weather for the 80nm sail to Virgin Gorda in the BVI. A gentle F4 SE breeze with calm seas and sunny skies. This must be just about as good as it gets. The dark, moonless night was lit by brilliant stars and sparkling phosphorescence.

I arrived at the entrance to North Sound at about 9 on Saturday morning and was able to sail right up to Gun Creek where I dropped the anchor and rowed in to the convenient dock next to the customs office to clear in. They are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 2pm with no overtime charges.

Prickly Pear Island

Next morning I motored around North Sound looking for a good place to spend a few days. And came face to face with the harsh reality of the booming tourism industry. All the popular, and therefore good, anchorages are swamped with mooring balls with monster catamarans attached, leaving the only available places to anchor far away from the shore and often in deep water. Not too much of problem when the water is calm and the wind gentle but now the wind was keeping up a steady 20 knots and all the available anchoring places were very rough and choppy. Maybe this is why catamarans are so popular. Of course, they also all have big inflatable dinghies with powerful outboard engines. Getting ashore is not so much of a battle. However, rowing a light dinghy in a heavy chop against a strong wind is not one of my favourite pastimes. As it was impossible to get ashore, the shoreside attractions had to be forgotten and I found a lovely comfortable anchorage in the lee of Prickly Pear Island protected by a reefy bit. At least here the water was flat although the wind still howled down over the rocky cliff in regular williwaws. The holding was good and I could enjoy snorkelling around in the beautifully clear water. A big, resident Green Turtle regularly patrolled his domain and I enjoyed watching him (or her?).

A Pelican diving for his dinner

Way, way back when I was living in Hout Bay, South Africa and still just dreaming about going cruising I met Julian Putley while he was building his boat, ‘Starry Night II’. His girlfriend, Monique came over from Brazil to join him when the boat was ready and they sailed away to Virgin Gorda and I lost touch with them. Now, about 25 years later, I was paging through a copy of ‘All at Sea’, a local free monthly magazine that he writes for, and I read one of his regular humorous articles. There was no contact information, but just then someone called my name and powered up in a big dinghy. Not Julian but Will, another old acquaintance last seen 12 years ago at Flores in the Azores. He promised to try to look up Julian for me. It was obviously meant to be. A few days later I was waiting out a really strong blow behind Marina Cay, when Julian roared up in a powerful inflatable armed with a bottle of KWV Pinotage, a couple of books he has written and a bag of chocolates. He and Monique now have a house high up on Sage Mountain on Tortola and when I moved around to Cane Garden Bay I was able to join them for dinner. It was quite an occasion seeing them both again and reminiscing.

Anchored at Marina Cay

Cane Garden Bay was a very pretty anchorage and so, also very popular. Most of the bay filled with moorings and most of the beach filled with plastic deck chairs for hire. Lots of bars and restaurants. I managed to find a place beyond the moorings, just inside the reef. There I met Sean, anchored on a small boat quite close by. He had arrived after almost a full circumnavigation having started out from California. No engine, hanked on jib. He was working on hand-stitching a patchwork crab claw sail for a friend’s kayak. He finished it just before I left and I was able to get some pictures of him trying it out.

Sean and his crab claw sail

A big swell had started breaking on the reef near to me and I decided to sail over to Jost van Dyke in search of a better spot. Although the anchorages are not always as good as I had hoped they might be, the sailing in between was always wonderful. Normally I only needed to raise 4 panels and I would be skimming along at 5 knots. I carefully planned my route around the islands so as not to have to do too much back-tracking and find myself having to beat up against the wind. After an abortive attempt at finding room to anchor between the big boats at Sandy Spit I retreated to a reasonably comfortable spot close to the B-line Bar on Little Jost van Dyke. I was able to row across to the other side of the bay and found the path that leads to the Bubbly Pool where waves come crashing through a gap in the rocks and rush into a smallish pool. Swimming there is only for the brave.

Bubbly Pool

On the walk back I stopped for a while and watched some Black Necked Stilts foraging around the mangroves.

Black necked stilts

Next day it was on to Great Harbour where I was able to get water and clear out before heading across to St John. I’ve been getting plenty of exercise rowing against the wind and getting the anchor up. Most of the places I’ve anchored in have been in water between 10 and 15 meters deep. That’s a heavy load of chain to raise with a manual windlass, especially in a strong wind. Maybe one of these days I should treat myself to an electric windlass…

Foxy’s on Jost van Dyke

It was a short sail to Cruz Bay where I could clear in to the US Virgin Islands. Plenty more exercise for my old arms. There was no space for me in the tiny area reserved for anchoring inside the protected part of the harbour and I had to retreat and anchor outside off Lind Point. Not a bad spot, but the wind had picked up again and it was a long, hard, rough row to get to the customs dock. The massive wakes from constant water taxis and ferry boats didn’t help. People on some of the big white boats who had seen me recently in Great Harbour, Jost van Dyke, shouted their encouragement.

Clearing in went smoothly and I walked up to the nearest supermarket to get a few essentials. On the way I had to negotiate a mad throng celebrating St Patrick’s Day. I really am out of touch. When I eventually got to the supermarket I realized I was back in the US. Air-conditioned with well stocked shelves and fresh fruit and vegetables. I indulged in a bottle of Cruzan Rum.

Back at the boat, I dumped the shopping and set off straight away to a quieter spot in Rendezvous Bay on the south coast. It is a well sheltered bay outside of the National Park area so there are no moorings and no charge for anchoring. The water was crystal clear and there was only one other boat there. A wonderful chance to relax after the crowds and commotion of the last few days. I had a cooling swim and soon it was sundowner time.

Away from the madding crowd in Rendezvous Bay

To my delight I was also able to pick up a usable, open Wi-Fi signal and keep in touch with the weather forecasts. Things seemed fairly settled and I decided to enjoy a few days just chilling out in this lovely spot. The snorkelling was good and I loved watching brilliantly colourful little fish just going about their business on the reef. One day while giving the hull a bit of a brush down I was a little nervous of a really beautiful silver barracuda that was keeping me company. He stayed a polite distance away but I kept a cautious eye on him and his mouthful of sharp teeth.

The weather forecast for Wednesday looked reasonable for the 35nm trip to St Croix and I made a really early start to be sure of arriving before dark. Unfortunately the westerley running current seemed to be setting me off course and with the wind blowing a bit more from the south than was ideal, I had to resort to motor sailing to make it in daylight. Well it gave the battery a much needed charge.

Posted in Birds, Caribbean, Cruising | 2 Comments »

A two-day sail to Antigua

Sunday, February 12th, 2017

I left St Pierre on a calm and sunny morning and persevered doggedly for a few hours to sail away from the bay. We were stuck in the calm lee of the island. Eventually I succumbed and motored the short distance needed to get far enough offshore to be able to use the convenient SE breeze. All the other boats that had decided to leave that morning had passed us by then. I wasn’t too concerned as I was heading to English Harbour on the south coast of Antigua, about 150 miles away, and couldn’t possibly get there before dark so it would be a leisurely two-day sail; Sunday morning to Tuesday morning if things went as planned.

A last view of Mont Pelee

The weather was kind to us and a bright segment of moon helped us along for a part of each night. Brilliant stars and sparkling phosphorescence. I was in my element.

The channel between Guadeloupe and Antigua was quite rough and the wind had picked up somewhat. I needed to slow down to avoid arriving at the difficult-to-spot entrance to English Harbour in the dark. I did my usual trick of heaving-to about 5 miles off and waited for the dawn. It was still only 3am so I was also able to have a short nap. A well-lit cruise ship was also holding its position some miles off. As soon as it was light we were on our way again and easily negotiated the entrance to the harbour, with grateful thanks to the Navionics app on my tablet.

There is a good anchorage at Freeman’s Bay close to the entrance and it looked pretty crowded. I hastily dropped the sail while in the channel and motored in to try to find a usable space in which to anchor. The ease of dropping the sail is one of the things I love most about the junk rig. Just release the halyard and the sail crashes down in seconds. Then, haul in the sheet and that’s it. I find that the sail furls best if done this way rather than easing it cautiously down.

After settling in I rowed across to Nelson’s Dockyard to clear in and wander about the historical site. It was pretty crowded with tourists and after a quick look around I left the herd and took an interesting path to Fort Berkeley overlooking the entrance to the bay. A few goats gazed curiously at me but there were no shambling hordes of cruise-ship inmates.

Harry’s beautiful boat ‘Trogon’

Back on Speedwell I gazed about. The wind and currents in the small bay are quite fluky and the boats tend to swirl about unpredictably. Occasionally fenders need to be put out to avoid touching. I moved at one point to avoid getting too close to a small powerboat on a mooring, which was swinging rather differently to the anchored yachts.

Quite often, Speedwell is the smallest boat in the anchorage, but for a change, there was another small boat, anchored closer to the beach than I had dared to try. I soon met the owner, Harry, who had built her himself to a Folkboat design using recycled Silvabally wood, which is one of the best possible woods for boats. The work was done in a traditional wooden boatyard in Martha’s Vineyard over a number of years while Harry was learning his trade.

Towards the end of November last year he sailed her across to Bermuda where he spent some time and then down to Antigua. The boat has no engine and he found that the windvane self-steering gear that he had hoped to use didn’t work properly on his steeply raked rudder. He was able to get the boat to steer itself using a shock-cord arrangement on the tiller. All just so impressive.

RUSH – Relax Unitil Something Happens

Another eye-catching boat in the anchorage was RUSH (Relax Until Something Happens). Phil Louwrens, her skipper and an artist, has painted the hull in realistic zebra stripes. Not something you see every day.

The view from Shirley Heights

One morning as I was getting into my dinghy to head for the beach and the path up to Shirley Heights overlooking the bay, he offered to accompany me and show me the path. He has been in Antigua for quite a few years and gives guided nature tours. It was a spectacular walk, although once again I was reminded that I’m not getting any younger as I sweated and struggled to keep up with my super-fit guide. A very welcome cold ‘Red Stripe’ at the restaurant at the top of the hill and a chance to take pictures of the spectacular view. Then back via a circular route that winds along the southern coast.

The walk back

But the anchorage was getting just a wee bit too crowded for my peace of mind, so after nearly a week I moved on to Jolly Harbour. An exciting, fast downwind sail through the Goat Head Channel to the enormous anchorage outside the Jolly Harbour marina. Only snag here is that its a monstrously long row to get ashore. It had to be done at least once as I needed to clear out of Antigua before moving on to St Martin.

Me standing a little anxiously near the edge

While ashore, I bought some provisions and took a bus in to St John’s, the capital, just to have a quick look around. Once away from the Disney world of cruiseship-land it’s a vibrant, bustling town.

St Johns

The wind was good for the next leg, so on to St Martin.

Posted in Caribbean, Cruising | 3 Comments »

A month in Martinique

Thursday, February 2nd, 2017

The anchorage at Sainte Anne is big and well protected and very popular with cruising boats. I managed to find a place a short row from a small floating dinghy dock and was happy there. Good swimming and old friends on other boats.

Floating dinghy dock

The village is picturesque and it was a pleasant stroll from the dinghy dock along a shady road to the small supermarket in the village. I was running rather low on provisions as I had thought I would wait to stock up in Martinique rather than Carriacou where the choice is on the limited side. What a treat to buy good bread, cheese and reasonably priced drinkable wine again. It was a short bus ride to Marin where there is a big supermarket and some interesting chandleries. It rained often enough for my water-catching system to keep the tanks filled.

A walk along the coast

A footpath follows the coastline and I had a leisurely stroll along it one day. A beautiful walk although there were some patches where I was slithering about, ankle deep in mud. I didn’t get as far as the nudist beach at Salines, in fact, I was only told about it a few days later. Ah well, another time.

Anchorage at Fort de France

After a week or two I felt the need to move on to Fort de France. Not as much of a holiday destination as Sainte Anne, but more convenient access to the supermarket and interesting shopping in town. Frequent ferry boats crossing to Trois Islets on the other side of the bay are a bit of a nuisance, as they create a ferocious wake as they pass through the anchorage regularly throughout the day. Thankfully they don’t run at night. On an impulse, one day when I was passing the ferry dock I decided to take a ride across to the other side to see where they went. Most of the other passengers were typical European holidaymakers, all suitably shod, hatted and slung with cameras for their Caribbean Interlude. A notable exception was a young rastaman with his wife and small son. As the ferry was docking at the other side, he took off his shirt, hitched up his low-slung trousers and casually dived over the side from the open upper deck where we were sitting. I exchanged delighted grins with his wife and kid.

Hummingbirds

On another day I took a no 24 bus out to the Jardin de Balata, a wonderful botanical garden up in the highlands of the interior. It was a green paradise. On the verandah of the old house that one has to pass through to enter the gardens, they had hung some bird-feeders filled with sugar water for the hummingbirds. I watched for a while as the birds enjoyed their treat. An opportunistic bananaquit also got his share.

The canopy walkway

Tearing myself away from the birds I wandered through the magnificent garden. An elevated rope walk high up in the canopy was irresistible and I bravely made my way along it imagining I was an intrepid natural scientist a la Attenborough. All too soon it was time to get back to the bus stop to catch the last bus back to town.

Speedwell glimpsed down a St Pierre alleyway

A few days later it was on again to St Pierre. A necessary stop for me as it is one of the few places that I know of where I can find spares for my Primus stove. The little corner shop was still there, but the stoves were all gone. The old man behind the counter allowed me to scratch through a box filled with bits and pieces that had been left over and to my delight I found a single new burner which I was very pleased to buy as a spare for when the current one gets too carbonned up to be useful any more. I do have a box of old used burners but having a brand new one in reserve is wonderful for the peace of mind.

Mont Pelee

St Pierre’s other claim to fame, is the fact that in 1902 it was totally destroyed when the volcano, Mont Pelee, erupted and the 30,000 residents were almost instantly killed by superheated gas that blasted down from the mountaintop. The bay is filled with the sunken wrecks of the ships that were anchored there at the time.

A weather forecast showing good SE winds for a few days soon had me getting ready for the next leg of my passage and on to Antigua.

Posted in Birds, Caribbean, Cruising | 4 Comments »

A few short hops to Martinique

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

I spent longer in Grenada than originally planned. My spot in the Prickly Bay anchorage was well sheltered and an easy row to the dinghy dock. A rather longer row if I wanted to catch a bus to go shopping at the big Spiceland Mall, but still manageable. The minibuses were cheap and plentiful and the people friendly. All in all a more relaxed atmosphere than Trinidad. Clearing in and out is easy and convenient and the customs officer recognised me from previous visits. Maybe I’ve been in this neck of the woods for too long, definitely a sign that I should be moving on.

Rogers Bar on Hog Island, near Prickly

Spending a few weeks anchored in one place usually involves trying to make the boat as comfortable as possible with sun awning, washing lines, fenders and other paraphernalia moved on deck to give me more space for sleeping in the forepeak. These are the realities of living on a small boat. I like to make an early start on the day that I leave so try to get everything ready for sea the previous day. Dinghy on deck, oars below, kedge anchor and rode below, fenders stashed, water tanks filled, lee-cloths up, Navik properly set up, tiller back in place, the list goes on and on. At last all was ready and early one morning I set off, heading north. Quite prepared to make a few stops along the way.

A rainsquall freshens things up

At this time of the year the tradewind has a consistently slightly Northerly slant which means that one can expect a fair bit of sailing hard on the wind all the way to Martinique. Not ideal for junk rig.

The first mile or two were fast and exciting as we had the wind from astern heading west along the south coast of the island. After turning up to pass St Georges reality set in and I hardened sail and set the Navik to hold us as close to the wind as possible. The going was slow. I wasn’t in a hurry so in the early afternoon I decided to make an overnight stop in the pretty little anchorage called Halifax Harbour a few miles north of St Georges. One of the loveliest and best sheltered spots in Grenada. Only snag is that there is a dump nearby and a smoky bonfire smoulders away. Flies are plentiful, but they disappeared after sunset. I was the only boat there and it was a beautiful evening.

Halifax Harbour

The next morning I set off again at sunrise. It was tempting to stay a little longer in such an attractive place but the flies were a bit daunting. So on we go – next stop Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. A strong current runs between the islands which slowed us down a bit and quite a few big boats with pointy sails passed us as the day wore on. I assured myself that they must be motor-sailing which helped to boost my morale.

We arrived in Tyrell Bay early in the afternoon and easily found a good place to anchor. There seemed to be fewer boats there than the last time I’d visited while on the way south. I was happy to see little Ambia still anchored in much the same place and Hutch and I had a few good games of chess during my stay. Many other familiar boats made it almost like a home-coming. But the end of the year was approaching and I wanted to be in Martinique for New Year. So all the usual preparations and another early morning start.

Hutch’s Ambia in Tyrell Bay

In defiance of the weather forecast, the wind stayed strongly and stubbornly NE so we battled along and as we were abeam of Chatham Bay, Union Island at about 2 in the afternoon, I decided to call it a day. Chatham is another one of my favourite anchorages and there were only two other boats there. I managed to snuggle close in to the shore where there is good snorkelling close to a rocky cliff. Strong williwaws rake the anchorage so plenty of chain was let out. I arrived on a Friday and it was too good a spot to leave immediately. Making myself comfortable of course involved all the adjustments mentioned earlier, but it seemed worth the effort and I set myself up for the weekend.

Beautifully clear water and lots of colourful little fish lured me overboard and I also took the opportunity to knock off the odd barnacle that had started to make itself at home on Speedwell’s newly painted hull. The water in Prickly Bay is notoriously nutrient rich. I was pleased to see that the zinc-epoxy spray I’d used on the prop seemed to be working rather well.

I left Union Island on Christmas Day and spent all day battling wind and current to cover the roughly 10 miles to the anchorage at Mayreau. The wind had turned really strong and the anchorage was rolly. Definitely not a place to linger. But the move had positioned us well for a slightly easier next leg to Bequia and we set off optimistically the next morning. And it did go rather well. The low aspect ratio Reddish rig takes on a useful twist with two reefs in and performs surprising well in a strong wind. We made good time to Bequia despite rough seas. After reaching the westernmost tip of the island it is still nearly 3 miles due East to the anchorage. A hard slog in that wind. As we rounded West Cay a small but powerful tug towing an enormous barge on a very long line blocked our way and we had to take avoiding action, just clear of that and a ferociously strong black rain squall hit us reducing visibility to zero. I rounded up into it and waited wearily for it to pass. The sun was just setting as we found a safe place to anchor for the night.

Next day the weather was much the same and I set off planning to sail non-stop to Rodney Bay in St Lucia, a distance of about 80nm. I held close to the coast of Bequia for as long as possible before heading out across the rough channel between Bequia and St Vincent. With no more protection from all the reefs and small islands of the Grenadines the swells were enormous. I watched in fascinated horror as a charter catamaran slammed directly to windward scorning the use of its sails. I had to hang on for dear life but Speedwell performed valiantly as usual, rising up the face of the gigantic swells with comparatively little water breaking over the deck. Once we reached the shelter of St Vincent I had expected to have to use the engine but to my surprise we were able to sail almost the entire length of the island keeping quite close inshore. It was a sunny day and things were looking up.

St Vincent Coastline

We spent most of the night crossing the next channel between St Vincent and St Lucia. Pretty much a repeat of the other one. The brilliant lights of giant cruise ships occasionally lit up the dark moonless night. They move quite slowly and the lights are confusing as its difficult to pick out a red or green light to indicate in which direction they might be moving. Here my AIS was a great help and it seems to be working very well now that I have a better connection to the antenna.

By sunrise we were about halfway up the coast of St Lucia but we had been forced a long way offshore by wind and current. I thought it was time to put in a tack and cheated a bit by helping things along with the engine. It took a few hours but eventually we reached the shelter of the island and once again it became easy and pleasant following the coastline until we reached the vast anchorage at Rodney Bay at the north west end of the island. We came in quite late in the afternoon and there were literally hundreds of boats anchored or moored. People on jet-skis were speeding about and someone was suspended aloft from a parasail which was being towed at speed across the bay. A flotilla of charter cats arrived just behind me. Caution was required.

Approaching Martinique

A delicious chickpea curry and a good nights sleep set me up for the final run to St Annes on the south coast of Martinique the next morning. This would be my third attempt at reaching that particular anchorage as in previous years I had been forced to concede defeat to the strong wind and current and head for the easier anchorage at Fort de France. This time I motor-sailed as far up the coast of St Lucia as possible before striking out across the channel. It worked well and the wind helped a lot by veering a few degrees and becoming more easterly. I think the current must have been in our favour as well because we were maintaining an astonishing 4 knots hard on the wind with big seas. St Annes was easily reached and I found a very good spot to anchor close inshore and near to a small floating dinghy dock.

Sunset in St Annes

Posted in Caribbean, Cruising | 2 Comments »

Walking Carriacou

Friday, June 10th, 2016

Tyrell Bay

Tyrell Bay, Carriacou,  is probably my favourite Caribbean anchorage. Big enough not to feel too crowded even if there are a lot of other boats. Of course, there will always be some who feel compelled to anchor uncomfortably close, but these are usually the big charter cats, who only stay for one night before moving on, anxious to stick to their tight schedule. Not much happens ashore. There are a few nice beach bars, eateries and small grocery shops and an ATM that sometimes works. A steady breeze keeps the bugs away and ensures that I get plenty of exercise on the longish row to the beach.

A typical sandy track

My walking friends, Joan and Grahame arrived soon after me and we spent many happy days exploring the island. The walks usually took us along sandy tracks winding along up and over the hills, giving magnificent views of the coastline with reefs and small islands.

This one is a sheep

Every household has a few goats or sheep and chickens which wander freely around nibbling at the sparse greenery. The sheep are hard to distinguish from the goats as they don’t have woolly coats but a lighter tropical covering. I was told that the sheep have a long droopy tail, while the goats can be identified by their short, perky, upright tails. They all looked on the skinny side. I loved watching the playful young kids and lambs gambolling about and dashing straight to their mothers when they became aware of us approaching.

Ruined plantation house

One walk took us to the ruins of an 18th century sugar plantation at Belair. A stone sugar mill and ruined windmill where we unwittingly scared off a resident toucan. Wandering around the ruins of the big house evoked vivid imaginings of what it must have been like for the women living there coping with their elaborate corseted costumes in the sticky heat. Of course, there would have been an army of slaves to ease the way.

Curious brown cows

A herd of brown cows watched us as we walked past them to get a look at an historical stone well that had been built by a freed slave, then on down to Jew Bay where a cemetery is slowly being washed away by the encroaching sea.

Graves being washed away

A big green iguana on one of the tombstones, eyed me cautiously. It had been a long walk and we eagerly approached a welcoming bar close to the bus stop where we hoped to get some cold ones before the planned minibus back to the anchorage. Imagine my disappointment when we were told that they had no beer. A cold coke just didn’t hit the spot.

Green iguana

Another day we took two busses to Watering Bay on the Windward side of the island. We paid a visit to the boatyard where a traditional wooden boat was being built. Massive wooden ribs and planking.

Traditional boat construction

Then a few miles walking along the track and a scramble down to Anse le Roche where the turtles come to lay their eggs. A perfect spot for a cooling swim.

Anse le Roche, where turtles come to lay their eggs

Joan and Grahame decided to move on down to Grenada and we had a last walk along the very windswept southern coast, passing the old lime kiln at Dumfries. There were spectacular view of the small islands and reefs along the shore.

Windswept windward coast

I also plan to move further south for the hurricane season, but am still waiting for my credit card to arrive from South Africa. It’s looking hopeful as I now have a tracking number and it has reached Antigua with an expected delivery date in a few days’ time.

Posted in Caribbean, Cruising | 1 Comment »

Quickly down the Island Chain

Thursday, May 12th, 2016

Deshaies waterfront

I spent a week in Deshaies on the NW coast of Basse Terre, Guadeloupe. Speedwell had taken quite a beating on the way from Morehead City and there was plenty of cleaning up to do on board. My faithful little electric bilge pump had decided to throw in the towel so the bilge had to be bailed and mopped dry by hand. It didn’t take long to get things almost back to normal (who would want a bigger boat?) and I was soon able to enjoy the quaint delights of Deshaies. Unfortunately my French is not up to par but most shopkeepers speak a smattering of English and I had no problems spending some money in the local Spar Supermarket.

Palm fringed beach

To my delighted surprise, Joan and Graham on their boat, Karma, arrived soon after me. I had last seen them two years ago in Chaguaramas. It was great to have someone to talk to after 3 weeks alone at sea without even a cat to exchange opinions with. I joined them for a walk going to the top of Gros Morne, a peak providing good protection for the anchorage, and a mile or two up the coast along palm-fringed beaches.

Grande Anse from Gros Morne

The climb up the hill was quite a battle and I realized how unfit I had become as I struggled on up the steep slope and watched them bounding on ahead.

A curious crab alongside the path

Then it was on to Dominica, an island that I had never stopped at before. Prince Rupert Bay near the northern end of the island is a good anchorage with plenty of room and easy access to the shore.

Approaching Dominica at dawn

Unfortunately, there was a big swell running and the boats were rolling horribly. Karma was there before me and took me along with them for a day-trip round the southern half of the island in a hired car, a real treat for me as I rarely get the chance to explore inland.

Jungle path

We drove high into the steep volcanic hills of the interior, dense tropical rainforest crowding into the road. A stop at the Freshwater Lake where we walked along a path that went steeply up and down like a roller coaster, following the shores of the lake.

View from the top

The views from the top sections were breath-taking and I could have spent days marvelling at the astonishing variety of plants growing so lushly along the way. But we had a busy itinerary for the day and soon it was on to the next viewpoint: Trafalgar Falls. Another walk, this time along an easy well paved path to a little pavilion where you can sit and admire the twin waterfalls. Again we were surrounded by giant ferns and palm trees and every imaginable type of extravagantly beautiful natural greenery.

Trafalgar Falls

Next a quick dip in a pool filled with hot spring water and on to Soufriere Bay at the very end of the island. We stopped at the small fishing village and had a very welcome cold beer then started back along the road to Prince Rupert Bay.

Soufrière

Wherever the road crosses a river sweeping down from the mountains, the bridges had been washed away by recent flooding and temporary iron bridges had been put in place. I got the impression that they might be more than just temporary as the next hurricane season will soon be here and it would seem a bit pointless to rebuild right now.

Fort de France

I had planned to spend longer in Dominica but the incessant 45deg rolling on the anchorage got the better of me and early the next day I set off for Martinique. I had thought of stopping at St Pierre where there is a little shop that sells Primus Stoves. Always a good idea to have a spare, but it was pitch dark as we neared the anchorage with an onshore swell. I decided to carry on to Fort de France and anchored there at dawn in the shelter of the great fort. Not much of a swell to make the boats roll, but the fast ferries that cross frequently to the other side of the bay, sometimes 2 or 3 at once, made sure that we were kept on our toes. At least they don’t run at night so there was some respite.

Chatham Bay waterfront

Another overnight sail and a short stop in Bequia, then on to Union Island in the Grenadines and my favourite anchorage at Chatham Bay. I arrived there on Friday and decided to spend the weekend. Crystal clear water and interesting snorkelling near to the cliff. A small raft was anchored in the bay and it was a favourite perch for a family of Masked Boobies, 2 pelicans and some laughing gulls. All sitting quite amicably together. Two turtles foraged about nearby. A moving population of charter cats coming and going, most not staying more than a day. There is very little development ashore and it is a pleasantly relaxing place to just be. One needs to make sure that the anchor is well dug in as wind squalls rush down through the surrounding hills and rival the williwaws of Tierra del Fuego as they race across the anchorage.

Chatham Bay cliffside

On Monday morning I had a comfortable sail across to Tyrell Bay on Carriacou and found a convenient place to anchor without too long a row to get ashore. The plan is to stay here for about a month while I wait for a new credit card to arrive from Darkest Africa.

Posted in Caribbean, Cruising | 1 Comment »