Leg XI Grenada to Martinique, the Windward Islands
(Logs are posted with the most recent entry first)
This is the end of Led XI - The Windward Islands. We hope you will continue with us for Leg XII - The Leeward Islands.
Anse Mitan to St Pierre
01/02 Friday
Latitude: 14.44.37 N Longitude: 061:10.66 W
Weather: cloudy lt rain Wind: 0600 at 9-18 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 2
Barometer: 1009 Passage time: .2.5 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1594 Fuel used/on board: 4176/426
Distance trip/to Date: 14/10,036
A morning of frustration was spent trying to find an internet connection that would connect long enough so that I could get an up to date weather forecast. Nothing would work from our usually dependable Hawking wireless antenna on board so Jo & I took the dinghy into shore and proceeded to roam hotel lobbies and internet café’s hoping to get a website. Still, nothing worked until a shopkeeper, in French pantomime, was able to convey the idea that she thought the internet was off for the entire island due to a broken under ground or sea cable.
Back on board Voyager, Les was thankfully able to get a spot forecast for the channel between Martinique and Dominica, our next objective, over his satellite phone. Well the forecast was even worse than the trouble getting it, promising building winds and waves up to 10′ for the next week starting tomorrow. After some hasty consultation with Ken on Dreamweaver, it was decided that our two boats had to press on if we were to cover the 150-miles to Antigua in time to pick up our guests, Audrey and Don, and for Ken to collect his wife Dottie returning from the US.
So we scraped our plans to tour Martinique on land, weighed anchor by 1030 and both boats took off for the 14-mile run to St Pierre on the north end on Martinique. From here we would be in a good position to make the channel crossing early the next morning just hours ahead of the expected nasty weather (we hope).
While it rained most of the way and for the rest of the day, St Pierre was the one unexpected bright spot in a day of gloominess. We spent an interesting afternoon walking the old streets in this small, historical town of 7,000 which is located on the slopes of the still active volcano, Mount Pelee. St Pierre was once the capitol of early Martinique with prosperous coffee, sugar, and cocoa plantations and a bustling economy. Disaster struck in 1902 when the top blew off Pelee completely destroying the town and killing all but two of its 30,000 residents.
A cobbler in his home cellar and a prisoner in the prison dungeon were the only two to survive the blast of heated gas that poured down the mountain side. Our visit to the Pelee museum showed us the results of this fire ball that was hot enough to incinerate anything made of wood, melt dishes in their stone homes and even the bronze bell in the church steeple. .Twelve sailing ships at anchor in the harbor were burned to their waterline and sank to the bottom as well.
After a quick stop at the customs computer to check out of Martinique and a visit to the local grocery store, it was back to the boats for a rest, dinner and some reading before calling it a day. It will be a dawn departure and six-hours to Dominica in the morning and the end of our stay in the Windward Islands.
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Fort de France to Anse Mitan
01/01 Thursday
Latitude: 14.33.24 N Longitude: 061:03.38 W
Weather: cloudy Wind: 0450 at 8-14 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 0
Barometer: 1009 Passage time: .5 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1592 Fuel used/on board: 4170/431
Distance trip/to Date: 3/10,022
All crews were a bit slow rising this morning but the church bells of old Fort de France started extracting their revenge from 6 AM onwards. By eleven everyone is up and moving and it was soon decided to take a short, new year’s cruise across the bay to the resort village and anchorage of Anse Mitan just 3-miles away. At noon, we raise anchor and leave as a group with WS in the lead.
While the new anchorage is fairly crowded with moorings and long term residents, we find enough room for all three of us to move into the last row before the ferry channel which is quiet today for the holiday. Once settled in, Jo and I head to shore to do some reconnaissance for the group and have a nice day exploring a very sleepy little town.
There are several resort hotels, good looking restaurants, the usual tourist shops and, of course, the ever popular French sidewalk cafes. A very full marina, jet-ski rentals on the somewhat narrow beach, many apartment buildings and vacation homes round out the village’s cozy appeal. It seems to be a nice mix of French nationals on holiday and upper class local residents who probably go to work by ferry in Fort de France across the Bay.
By early afternoon we are back on board for some continued recovery from last nights festivities and even decide to spend the evening on board with a quiet dinner and the Rose Bowl game (as long as we could stand it). No working internet here so it’s difficult to get the weather we need for making decisions about the next destination, so tomorrow I’m sure we’ll be moving again.
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Rodney Bay to Fort de France, Martinique
12/31 Wednesday
Latitude: 14.35.90 N Longitude: 061:04.00 W
Weather: partly cloudy early rain Wind: 0700 at 8-14 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 4/5
Barometer: 1009 Passage time: 5.5 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1591 Fuel used/on board: 4169/432
Distance trip/to Date: 34/10,019
Milestones marked this passage. Our 10,000th mile at sea on Wandering Star II turned over on the old sea-dometer about half way across from St Lucia. We’ve finally caught up to the 10,000 miles we put on the first Wandering Star in the six years we were on board her and have now made it to Martinique. Tonight also marks the end of 2008 which began with new years in Mazatlan.
After almost a year of Spanish, weeks of Dutch, followed by the last month of the Kings English with a Caribbean lilt, it is time for the French to have their linguistic turn. One does get rather used to not understanding much of what is going on (being a senior and all) and being on a French island is no different. Except most people here make a real effort to accommodate you if you give their language a try and most understand/speak just enough English to get the job done anyways.
Our first view of Fort de France
We dropped our Rocna anchor in about 25′ just off the town of Fort de France’s ferry docks with Voyager along port side and Dreamweaver just ahead. Then it’s all ashore for entry formalities, all here are accomplished on a computer screen without an official in sight. Then we wandered around for an hour trying to find an open pub finally giving up in favor of some fresh baugettes, groceries, followed by a nap back on board before our New Years celebration tonight.
We welcomed 2009 on Voyager in the classic style…caviar laden crackers, a lobster and steak dinner, desert of grilled pears with a balsamic reduction glaze, and much champagne. Only problem was deciding which time zone we wanted to make our official New Years so we just started with midnight Paris time and worked our way across Iceland, Greenland for a finale in our zone which we share with Nova Scotia and Rio de Janerio.
Here in Martinique, we had fireworks on shore, horns from various boats in our anchorage and even the sacred blowing of the conch shell by Les, Rose and most everyone else on board who could still pucker tight enough followed by dancing on the fan tail. I don’t know when I dawned the red wig or painted on the French mustache but I’m sure it was appropriate and important at the time. All in all, a night to remember I’m sure . . . if only I could!
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Rodney Bay
12/29-12/30 Monday - Tuesday
We had a nice couple of days putting the finishing touches on St Lucia. Found a reasonable cab driver on Monday so were able to make a run back to Castries for Jo’s Christmas present, a pottery plate with a St Lucia theme done by Michelle and to look for a new bike tire for me. Then we were dropped off at Pigeon Island to explore the old, hill top British fort and have happy hour again at the Jambe de Bois (wooden leg) before heading back for an evening at home. Well, at least Jo stayed home, Ken and I found some mischief to get into at the local cruisers bar that involved some 151 proof rum - nuff said!
Took it easy on Tuesday making final preparations for the crossing to Martinique tomorrow morning and waiting for Voyager to return from down island with guests Tom and Babe to join us. We all checked out of St Lucia in the afternoon. Then Jo and I had a great farewell to St Lucia dinner at a local Thai restaurant and a last walk around the area before calling it a night in deference to a early departure in the morning.
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Marigot Bay to Rodney Bay
12/28 Sunday
Latitude: 14.14.5 N Longitude: 060:57.00 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 0900 at 17-22 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 5
Barometer: 1009 Passage time: 2 hr.
Engine Hours: 1585 Fuel used/on board: 4156/492
Distance trip/to Date: 9/9985
After our favorite omelet breakfast, this morning was spent getting WS ready for sea again. You know the drill, dinghy up on deck, hoses and cords stowed, portholes and drawers dogged down, and the final checkout with the Marina. By 1100 we are backing out of our Christmas slip and on our way back north to Rodney Bay.
While the weather forecast for yesterday was worse, today is no walk in the park predicting 20+ knot winds and seas up to 8-feet. Normally we would stay in port but we figure we can take it for the short, 9-mile voyage. As soon as we make the turn up the coast, it is all of Force 5 as forecast with some spray clearing the flybridge. Despite the poor conditions, there are lots of boats out here today as the prime charter season is now in full swing. With only a week’s vacation, these folks need to go out in anything short of a gale or risk a vacation of going nowhere.
Once we make the turn east for the entrance to Rodney Bay in the lee of Pigeon Island, things calm down considerably. We call the RB dock boys on the VHF as we make the turn inside towards the docks to get our slip assignment and they are there to meet us by the time we are ready to back into the spot. Next comes a wash down of the salt spray on WS and a bottom scrub for the dinghy which is quite a mess after being in the water for two plus weeks.
Jo’s off to the store after check-in and then we settle in for a nice quiet night on board.
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Our Christmas Cove in Marigot Bay
Marigot Bay
12/23 - 12/ Tuesday to ?
Life is good in Marigot Bay…just too bad we can’t see much of it from our location. We managed to get the shore power working with Les’ help this morning. It involved replacing a bad rotary power switch and leaving the inverter by-passed when hooked up to shore power. For what ever reason, the way they wire these docks in not compatible with my Magnum inverter system.
Been raining all morning too but got H&T off on an all day adventure in the rainforest which involved some zip lining and a high rope challengers course. Jo and I spent the rest of the day catching up on computer chores and enjoying the quiet of our hidden slip. Tonight we’ll head out to a waterside restaurant just across the small bay called the Hidden Rainforest that I thought was a local burger joint. It turned out to be a very elegant gourmet dining establishment with service and prices to match. Like the Lighthouse a few islands back, the price fix, 5-course dinner was exceptional and certainly worth the cost and the dinghy trip across the bay.
Scuba diving is the adventure for today. We hooked up with a local dive boat and after much fooling around and disorganization, they finally get us out to the dive site south of our bay just before noon. It is Ted’s first scuba dive so Jo and I opt to stay with him and the less experienced divers who will stay close to the instructor in shallower water. Heather goes down with the veterans to explore a wreck in 67 feet while we do a drift dive by some of the prettiest coral-fish combination’s we’ve seen yet. All in all a great day followed by Christmas Eve festivities long into the night split between Voyager and WS.
Christmas Day on Wandering Star began with gift exchange, then a great brunch at the Discovery Hotel just across from our dock and then a late afternoon dinner of Cornish game hens with Dottie & Ken joining us on board that lasted well into the evening. Then it was calls to friends and family at home to complete the evening of a very special day.
Friday morning, Heather & Ted packed up and by noon departed for the airport and their return to the snows of Big Bear. Voyager departed with her guests on board to explore the southern coast of St Lucia along with many other boats in the marina. Dreamweaver is still here at anchor though.
We spent Saturday working on photos (Jo) and internet bookkeeping chores. Then we had a quiet dinner on board followed by some TV. Moving on in the morning back to Rodney Bay to get ready for the passage across the channel to Martinique on Wednesday.
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Vigie Cove to Marigot Bay
12/22 Monday
Latitude: 13.57.90 N Longitude: 061:01.35 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 0750 at 10-15 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 2
Barometer: 1008 Passage time: 1 hr.
Engine Hours: 1583 Fuel used/on board: 4152/2
Distance trip/to Date: 5/9976
Leisurely morning with the kids off for a fairly early run. Then we all did a dingy explore of the cruise ship busy Castries Harbor, only three in today including a French cruise ship. Even saw Dreamweaver pass by the harbor entrance on her way to Rodney Bay.
By noon we had cleaned up and dinghied over to The Coal Pot for a very gourmet lunch so we wouldn’t miss one of the best restaurants in St Lucia. It is owned by a successful local pottery artist Michelle (founded by her parents) and her French husband and excellent cook Xavier. The place was full by the time we left even on a Monday.
The Coal Pot
Back on board to hoist anchor by 1330 for the 5-mile run to Marigot Bay, our Christmas destination. The seas were still calm on this leeward passage but the forecast is promising 10′ to 15′ waves with up to 35knots of wind by the weekend. Glad we’ll be snug in our deep, well protected Bay.
Upon our arrival, we were a little disappointed to be assigned a slip at the very inside end of the marina close to bug infested mangroves. Since the power does not work here for us either, it looks like we’ll want to shift out to a mooring by tomorrow afternoon to be in a better location anyways. Les and Rose are already here with their holiday guests and Dreamweaver will be here by Wednesday to complete our little boating family.
H&T cooked us dinner tonight followed by a rousing game of Rummy Cube.
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Rodney Bay to Vigie Cove
12/21 Sunday
Latitude: 14:00.97 N Longitude: 060:59.34 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 0900 at 15-20 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 2
Barometer: 1008 Passage time: 1 hr.
Engine Hours: 1582 Fuel used/on board: 4150/3
Distance trip/to Date: 5/9971
We spent a busy morning getting ready for sea although today is a short hop, just 5-miles to the next bay to the south. Part of the large cruise ship popular Castries Harbor, Vigie Cove is a small inlet inside the busy port. It features two of the best rated restaurants on the island, The Coal Pot and Jacques - neither of which was open for our Sunday visit.
We anchored twice in 25′ of mud to get it to stay put, waited through several rain squalls while T&H ran ashore to pick up the last piece of luggage at the nearby domestic airport (how it came in domestic no one knows). Next, they went ashore for a real run around a town over wrought with three cruise ships today. While they were doing that Jo and I managed to find a rum tasting at the nearby duty-free cruiseship village and do some shopping too.
Heather & Ted in Vigie Cove
After dark and several more rain squalls, we all went ashore for a delightful dinner at a small locals resort on our bay called Auberge. It was price fixed lobster night due to a local congregation’s Christmas dinner taking over most of the restaurant. So we all had a great lobster dinner including a free round of drinks with soup and desert for $55EC…about $20US/person. Later our crew watched the first episode of Pirates of the Caribbean back on board.
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Rodney Bay Marina, St Lucia
12/17 - 12/20 Wednesday to Saturday
Spent Wednesday getting acclimated to being in a marina again including getting WS waxed from top deck to waterline by a local rasta boatboy, getting the bike out again for my morning rides, Jo doing her walks and mall visits and even taking in a massage and generally getting ready for our company and Christmas. .
Heather and Ted arrived late Thursday…without their luggage. It seems the sudden snowstorm in Las Vegas and flying standby to Miami were just too much for American Airlines baggage system and it was three days until the last bag was finally collected. Two of the missing four bags were full of boat parts, spares for the engine, mail, Shaklee vitamins and anything else we’re not been able to find in our four months in the lower Caribbean but did show up only an anxious day late.
Friday was devoted to getting H & T settled in and acclimated, looking for the lost luggage, enjoying the ATC festivities. All but three of the 240 ARC boats are now present and accounted for and the party is still in full swing. For evening, it’s off to Jambe de Bois waterside café on the grounds of the old fort on Pigeon Island. The 3rd Sandals in St Lucia is located right up the beach along with a Rock Resort but this quaint little place was a step back time with family help, down home food, and homemade tables and chairs.
The Petit Piton from Soufriere Beach
The highlight of the week here was the tour along the leeward coast to the town of Soufriere and the spectacular Pitons, two rugged coastal pinnacles rising straight out of the water to 2,600 and 2,400 feet. Here we spent a great day visiting the small town, the botanical gardens, the Diamond Waterfalls, the smoking cauldron of an active volcano and my favorite, the Ladera Resort, one of the top ten small resorts in the world. High on a bluff between the Pitons, this un-ostentatious property of only 32 rooms has some of the most incredible views and sumptuous suites I have ever seen. Each open air guest room features a private pool, hot tub, second floor open balcony sleeping area, all with complete privacy. What a place for a honeymoon!
View from your Ladera Suite
Evening on board for our last night in Rodney Bay was fairly quiet as all the ARC folks were off at their final gathering until the wee hours when they stumbled home and woke us all up anyways.
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Admiralty Bay to Rodney Bay, St Lucia
12/15-12/16 Monday night to Tuesday Morning - overnight passage
Latitude: 14.14.5 N Longitude: 060:57.00 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 0600 at 8-30 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 6/3
Barometer: 1005 Passage time: 4 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1581 Fuel used/on board: 4147/451
Distance trip/to Date: 70/9967
It is 1930 (7:30PM) when we weigh anchor for the 12hr run to the top end of St Lucia. Most of the day has been spent taking a last look around Port Elizabeth, shopping for food, clearing customs and Jo getting a nice long walk in with Dottie and Rose. We decided an overnight passage makes the most sense given the weather forecast and the need to arrive at Rodney Bay in the early morning light.
Getting underway after sundown and before any moonlight is not the easiest of departures. Add to the mix the crowded, busy anchorage and a cruise ship beside us deciding to up anchor at the same time, all in the pitch black and you have more of a challenge than you could hope for but we manage to get underway without incident. Little did we know that rounding the point leaving Bequia into what felt like a raging gale would prove to be the real excitement for the evening.
While it had been blowing off and on up to 20-knots in the harbor all day, we did not expect winds of 30+ knots with seas on the nose to match for the 8-mile stretch to the lee of St Vincent. Spay clearing the pilot house roof with Wandering Star pounding into 6-foot waves certainly gets your evening cruise off on the wrong foot. Thankfully, it only took an hour to get through the worst of it and it was a beautiful, quiet, moonlit sail the rest of the night. Lots of traffic from fellow cruisers to cruise ships, kept the helms person on alert at all times but we’ll take that to rough water any time.
The notoriously nasty stretch of channel between the north end of St Vincent and the south end of St Lucia was even much smoother than forecast with only a long rolling swell and 10-knots of wind to keep it interesting. By first light, we needed to dodge ahead of one last cruise ship heading into the big boat port of Castries before we made our final turn into Rodney Bay.
Right in the back of the Bay lies a narrow channel that leads into one of the best small boat harbors we’ve seen anywhere. Here you find the huge, modern Rodney Bay Marina, all of the goods and services a boater could hope for along with restaurants, resorts, and all manner of boaters bars. Customs/immigration is right in the marina along with several banks, laundry, and even a couple of massage parlors.
Wandering Star makes it through the entrance channel as the sun rises over the island and finds the only open slip on the last dock. We were not able to make advance reservations here because the marina was fully booked. The reason was what made our stay here especially fun, ARC, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, 250 sailboats from all over Europe completing their Atlantic crossing at this marina. Each arrival was duly celebrated with cheering, horns, a one-man steel drum band, and champagne for the crew. With a good deal of maneuvering, we are able to keep our slip and soon are part of the ongoing party.
Entrance channel to Rodney Bay
The rest of the day, once new country arrival formalities are over, is spent getting WS back in shape and salt free from several weeks on the high seas and nights at wind blown anchorages. It is always good to be back in port but especially good to be in Rodney Bay waiting for Heather & Ted to join us for Christmas.
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Admiralty Bay at anchor
12/12 - 12/14 Thursday to Sunday
We have decided to spend some time here in this great little town of Port Elizabeth. Once you know your way around, its amazing what all you can find. its just that nothing is in one place. Your Christmas tree is in the small second hand shop, your tree lights are in the grocery market but only one of the six, marine parts are spread between five different shops each carrying a different selection. Christmas presents are a real treasure hunt. There is a nice selection of restaurants along the waterfront with French, Italian, Mexican, Caribbean and even an excellent pizza joint.
On Friday, the newly formed (and seldom rehersed) police band takes center stage in the town square for an afternoon concert of Caribbean Christmas music. Most of the town’s regular folks and the obvious characters show up for the festivities. Soon they are dancing in the street…some under the obvious influence of something smoked or drank earlier in the day. We meet with our gang for sunset pizza and beer at Max’s on the beach before heading back to WS for a quiet night on board.
Saturday was shopping day and a quiet night on board but Sunday more than made up for it. Jo and I took the early 7AM ferry over to St Vincent and a full day tour of the island. Botanical gardens, the waterfront set from Pirates of the Caribbean, old fort Charlotte, the 3000′ towering volcano of Soufriere, 100′ waterfalls, and black sand beaches all connected by some of the windiest, narrowest mountain roads I’ve ever seen.
Our tour company driver was great and while very professional, he brought his wife and her young brother along which made the whole day seem like a family outing even finishing with a swim at the beach. We also enjoyed the company of two Canadian travel agents who are trying to talk Jo into getting back into the biz. For the grand finale, we had ten minutes to get through the crowed street of Kingstown to just make the 6PM ferry so emergency lights flashing and horn blaring he virtually plowed a path through the shoppers to just make the ferry.
We returned just in time for Dottie and Rose’s Chili’s and the final episode of Survival on Voyager to finish up our last night in Bequia.
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Charlestown Bay to Admiralty Bay, Bequia
12/10 Wednesday
Latitude: 13:00.57 N Longitude: 061:14.58 W
Weather: clear & sunny Wind: 0800 at 8-10 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 2
Barometer: 1005 Passage time: 4 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1569 Fuel used/on board: 4123/475
Distance trip/to Date: 26/9897
A travel day today. Off the mooring early after wrestling our 200+ pound dinghy back up top of a rolling boat. We decide to forgo a visit to Mystique Island since it doesn’t seem very hospitable being the privately owned enclave of the rich and famous. Instead its on to Bequia, the last of the Grenadines.
Our first stop after the 18-mile run north is the well sheltered Friendship Bay on the southern tip of Bequia. It is a perfectly round little bay with its entrance protected by reefs on both sides. Unfortunately, there is not much to do here and it does still get enough of the swell inside to make it uncomfortable at times. We drop the hook for an hour to have some lunch before heading around the west point to our final destination of Port Elizabeth in Admiralty Bay. Voyager and Dreamweaver elect to stay put here for tonight.
It takes about an hour for WS to go the 8-miles to Port Elizabeth so by 1PM we are scouting the anchorage for a place to drop our 60 pounds of steel. Most amazing is the number of cruising boats from all over the world already here. Everything from a huge German ocean yacht to the smallest budget sailor seems to have found this small harbor. We take up a place on the north side of the bay in the back of the back dropping in 23′ and settling back 150′ over deeper water. Then its launch the dinghy again and head off to shore to explore our new home.
We’ll spend a few days Christmas shopping here before checking out to go north to St Vincent and on to St Lucia to meet Heather & Ted who are flying in for Christmas. The town is busy, interesting and very clean. We tie off the dinghy in front of the Gingerbread, one of many waterfront restaurant/bars for our sunset walk around the town. Tonight is the cruisers BBQ and steelband Jump-up at Frangipani’s so we make our reservations and head back here by 6pm to join the fun. Its back on board by 9PM for Survivor and early to bed after a very busy day.
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Tobago Cays to Charlestown Bay, Canouan Island
12/10 Wednesday
Latitude: 12:42.34 N Longitude: 061:19.75 W
Weather: clear & sunny Wind: 0850 at 8-10 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 2
Barometer: 1007 Passage time: 2 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1565 Fuel used/on board: 4113/527
Distance trip/to Date: 12/9869
A beautiful day! You would not believe the difference 5 knots of wind makes. It feels almost calm and the wind waves inside the bay have died down as well. So we load up the dinghies with snorkel gear and head out to the horseshoe reef that protects Tobago Cays (pronounced Keys) from the large ocean swell to have an underwater look.
The Grenadines Parks department, that care for this area, were good enough to place buoys along the inside of the reef just for our dinghies to tie off while we are exploring underwater. And within minutes we are tied off and doing just that. Sea life is abundant here while the coral is mostly dead but still very interesting and we spend a couple hours seeing all we can see kicking along the inside of the reef in both directions.
Then its back on board for a quick lunch, tie up the dinghy for towing, up anchor and take off for the quick 12-mile trip to the next island north, Canouan. A good half of this island was turned into a major luxury golf resort complete with a Trump Casino. We decide to take a mooring in the large and rolling Charlestown Bay because it will be easier to turn WS into the swell using the stern thruster to reload the dinghy when we leave in the morning. This bay is also a Moorings charter base and they have a substantial presence in the area with their dock here and their fleet most everywhere.
Once all three boats are settled, we head ashore for a look around the local village. While modest and unattractive, it seems very active with people moving about and generally having a friendly good time. I imagine most our benefiting from the work afforded by the resort but it is not apparent in their lifestyle. We stop for happy hour at a nice beach side hotel bar before the Voyager and Dreamweaver crews head back to their boats. Jo and I stay back for a quiet dinner at the hotel’s very fine restaurant before doing the same.
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Windward Bay to Tobago Cays
12/09 Tuesday
Latitude: 12:37.80 N Longitude: 061:21.86 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 0850 at 15 -20 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 3
Barometer: 1010 Passage time: 1 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1563 Fuel used/on board: 4110/530
Distance trip/to Date: 5/9861
After last night 30+ knot squall we hoped the winds would back off today but they seem to be holding steady at 15+ knots. Voyager left early from the opposite bay to go around the north end o Mayreau and reported that the seas had really kicked up so the more difficult, though more direct, southern passage thru the reefs would be the better option.
We pull up anchor at 0930 and head back out our snug little cove, swing south a mile and then make the turn for snake passage. Ay first glance, you would not believe there are and reef at all. Then on closer inspection, you start to see “black” shallow reefs everywhere and would swear there was no safe passage through but thanks to our accurate charts, GPS, and the Nobeltec chart plotter program, it is easy to stay in the one clear although serpentine channel.
Once safely to deeper water on the other side of the reefs, we turn to starboard, head around a small island and find some room to anchor behind a fleet of Moorings Charter boats on moorings and a hoist of other cruising boats all at anchor behind a tiny island hoping for some shelter. And it is shelter we will need. Before long the winds have come up to a steady 15 knots with most gusts over 20. With the cloudy skies even the crystal clear water looses its appeal. But determined to have a good time, your intrepid crew set out in a very rocky wet dinghy, snorkel gear on board to attempt a dice on the leeward shore of our little protective island.
After quite a drama of getting the dinghy high enough on the beach out of now breaking waves, we are rewarded with some of the best sea turtle fellowship we’ve done. It seems a whole colony of the wonderful creature come to feed on eel grass in 5 to 8 feet of these waters. We spend an hour just following along as part of the family and they ignore us like relatives too.
After snorkeling, we take a ride over to the leeward side of one of the small islands to see what is going on. It seems Raffles Resort has set up a very posh beach BBQ complete with teak table service and sun umbrellas for its pampered guests. One of the large, sailing type cruise ships has claimed part of the beach for its guests as well so the 100 yards of once isolated sand is crawling with people. Mix in the locals trying to sell everything from lobsters to tee shirts and you might as well be back in the city. We have a beer, a look at the difference between what we are doing and these folks and are thankful all over again we were able to make the cruising choice.
Evening fish fry aboard Voyager with a new game “Cranium” keeps us having fun even though the wind is still howling outside.
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Clifton to Windward Bay, Mayreau Island
12/08 Monday
Latitude: 12:38.21 N Longitude: 061:23.84W
Weather: some clouds, sunny Wind: 0850 at 10-15 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 3
Barometer: 1009 Passage time: 2 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1562 Fuel used/on board: 4108/532
Distance trip/to Date: 6/9847
With only a short run to our next destination, the three crews take their time in the morning checking in with customs/immigration and having one last look around Clifton.. Eventually, Jo and I wandering up a most interesting alley whose walls are gaily painted with very imaginative designs to discover it is a small boutique art gallery and snack shop. Further exploring leads on to a hill top overlook of WS and the Bay as well as guest cabins, fountains, secret gardens, parrots and even the owner sitting on his porch like Jabba-the-hut playing on his computer. Best of all, we meet the resident lady artist “Costello” who, besides walls and fences, paints beautiful shirts (one of which I bought) and dresses with colorful and unique sailing designs.
By lunchtime it was back to the boats and preparation for the short hop across the channel to Mayreau Island. Saline Bay looks like the most inviting anchorage from the cruising guides and within an hours ride we are there, looking for a spot to drop the anchor. It seems somewhat rolley where Voyager parks so I move up to the head of the Bay for more protection only to find the eel grass won’t let the anchor penetrate. After several failed attempt, some concern for some rocks that could trap our anchor and a very obnoxious French Canadian who come in and drops his anchor right on top of us, we decide to pull out with Dreamweaver and head to another anchorage called Windward Bay just around the point.
Here we have much better luck with good and immediate holding in 23′ and practically no roll. While not protected from the wind it is well set behind a fringe reef and the south beaches of Mayreau. Best of all we two boats have it all to ourselves. Shortly after settling in we pick up Dottie & Ken for a short dinghy ride ashore and a look around at the small town perched atop the hill overlooking the ocean on three sides. As usual, we are met by very friendly people and even meet the somewhat boater famous Rastafarian, Robert Lewis Righteous and have a beer is his unusual pub.
Back on WS, we have some refreshments before separating for a quiet evening and dinner. At 4AM a passing squall clocks 30+ knot winds and rain which is great for cleaning off the accumulating salt on WS but causes no other problems.
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Clifton, Union Island, Grenadines
12/07 Sunday
A typical day at anchor usually starts off with me running the generator for a hour or two to replace whatever amperage has been used through the night. Now that we are away for civilized marinas for awhile, to this we must add the process of making water with our reverse osmosis system while the gen is running. This high tech machine squeezes the salt out of the sea water by pushing it through a very fine membrane under 900 pounds of pressure and delivers about 25 gallons of drinking water back to our tanks each hour.
These duties complete, Jo and drop the dinghy, pick up Dottie and Rose from the other boats and head to town for a look around leaving Les and Ken on board to do some work. Clifton is a very neat little town that has become the provisioning and turn around spot for many of the boats visiting the Grenadines but on Sundays it is just lazy and quiet. After a walk around, we decide on the Anchor Yacht Club for a light lunch before heading back aboard for afternoon naps. Tonight, Dottie is hosting us all for a lasagna night dinner on board Dreamweaver which we all are looking forward too.
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Tyrrel Bay to Clifton, Union Island, Grenadines
12/06 Saturday
Latitude: 12:25.77 N Longitude: 061:24.84 W
Weather: some clouds, sunny Wind: 0850 at 10-15 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 3
Barometer: 1009 Passage time: 3 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1560 Fuel used/on board: 4106/535
Distance trip/to Date: 15/9841
Nice morning hiking to the main town on the opposite side of the island. A long way but we all needed the movement and met lots of very friendly local along the way so well worth the time and effort. Did a bit of shopping for fresh veggies and found a store/hotel called “Ade’s Dream” which, thankfully, was one of the nicer establishments in the place.
Then we piled in a taxis and headed back on board for lunch and prepartions to move on.
It is a beautiful day for the short, 15-mile run across the channel to Union Island. Jo 7 I decide to take the scenic route and swing by Petit St Vincent and Petit Martinique along the way. These tiny islands with their surrounding reefs are popular for their remoteness and sport a small, very exclusive resort (listed in the book “Things to do before you die”) on the former and a quaint town on the later. From there it is a straight shot across the channel into the popular cruising harbor at Clifton. Here the harbor has a huge reef smack in the middle so dozens of charter and crusing boats are found huddled around on all four sides.
Voyager and Dreamweaver are in first and pick spots on the outside of the mess while we opt to move in close and tuck into a spot between three sailboats and a day-charter catamaran. It is a close fit, but we figure we may as well get used to the tight anchoring quarters now as this will be the norm all the way north to the Bahamas. Boating has just become too popular to expect to again find the empty anchorages we experienced when we were among the first down here in the 1970’s.
We set the hook hard in 25′ and with the help of the 15-knot trades are soon well dug in for the night. All crews decide a quiet night on board our own boats is in order for evening so Jo and I settle in for a little dinner and a movie before turning in for a rather windy night.
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Clarkes Court Bay to Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou
12/05 Friday
Latitude: 12:27.43 N Longitude: 061:279.10 W
Weather: some clouds, sunny Wind: 0800 at 10-15 kts. Sea: Beaufort: 5
Barometer: 1007 Passage time: 6 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1557 Fuel used/on board: 14/4100
Distance trip/to Date: 35/9836
I’m up at 4AM for our 6-hour passage to Tyrrel Bay on the Island of Carriacou. This island, while still legally a part of Grenada, really anchors the southern end of the Grenadines chain, the rest being a part of St Vincent. A very dirty anchor - sticky with gooey mud - is back in place by first light and all three boats depart the bay for the run up what is left of the windward side of Grenada. While the winds stay under 15-knots, the seas are large, lumpy and continuing to get worse the further we move north making for a very rough ride most of the morning.
The backside or the side of Grenada facing the Atlantic Ocean is more developed than one might think, especially considering how vulnerable it is to any oncoming hurricanes. Later in the morning, we pass the small town of Granville where we had stopped for lunch with Boney on our island tour. Just at the northern tip of Grenada and a bit to the west lies the very troubled waters where an under water volcano called “Kick’em Jenny” is forming a new island on the ocean floor. We give this a area wide detour even though she has been quiet these last few weeks.
Tyrrel Bay is a big, wide bay open to the west so it is well protected from the prevailing easterly winds and seas. It is popular with long term cruisers as well as the first of many bareboat charterers we will encounter over these next three month. Probably 30-boats are already riding anchor here and that will swell to 50 or more before the day is done. A local fisherman informs us that tonight is lobster night at the local beach side grill and when you throw a steel band into the mix, we are up for another night of fun ashore as we kick off our adventures in the Grenadines.
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Clarkes Court Bay
12/02 - 12/4 Tuesday to Thursday
We spent a few lazy days at anchor here in Clarks Court Bay. Actually, longer than we had planned, but it feels like we are really cruising at last and schedules, weather, maintenance has finally taken a back seat to just enjoying where we are, doing as little as possible. While we were not exactly just lying about all day, the pressure of feeling we have so much to do is definitely gone.
Jo did manage a long walk into the Spice Island Mall for some food shopping. While I caught up on some internet projects a bit, but much of the time was as unproductive as possible. Some of the evening activities included a date on Tuesday night when Jo & I went to the terrific restaurant aboard the old, restored lighthouse ship at the marina next bay over. Chef Mark did a five course meal featuring fresh fish entrees and a great spinach soup.
In our bay, Wednesday night is the cruiser’s weekly hamburger BBQ and movie night at the Clarks Court marina and on Thursday, there’s a lasagna night at a local restaurant in the local fishing village of Woolburn with live music for entertainment and three local beers for $2.50.
On Thursday morning, Les and Rose joined us for a dingy ride to and hike around Hog Island. This is yet another unspoiled island soon to be a Four Seasons resort and the bulldozers are already at work cutting in the initial roads. After lunch, on board the group decided it is time to move on to the Grenadines tomorrow so we rent a cab and run over to St David’s Bay where there is a customs/immigration office to check out of the country.
It’s been a great couple of weeks in Grenada, now one of our favorite islands, and we enjoy our last night under the stars in this quiet bay before an early start for Carriacou in the morning.
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Prickly Bay to Clarkes Court Bay
12/01 Monday
Latitude: 11:59.1 N Longitude: 061:43.5 W
Weather: partly cloudy Wind: 0900 at 6-10kts. Sea: Beaufort: 2
Barometer: 1011 Passage time: 1 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1551 Fuel used/on board: 4086/555
Distance trip/to Date: 5/9807
It is just a short, 5-mile hop over to Clarkes Court Bay so we take our time in the morning doing a couple of trips by dinghy to the marine store and have another look around the place before departure. Still don’t know what all the fuss is about or why this place is so popular. By 1010, the anchor is up and we are on our way back out of Prickly Bay heading northeast towards the windward side of the island.
There are still lots of clouds around the horizon so we can expect a few mini squalls again today. The entrance to Clarkes has been buoyed privately since our chart was drawn so it is easy to find our way into the deep, long, well protected anchorage. The first thing most apparent is lack of other boats. There are only a dozen or two boats anchored here compared with the chaos of boats at our last stop. Here we are also well protected from the ocean swell and the constant wind waves we found in Prickly.
Several small marinas have sprung up since our cruising guide was written. A Canadian family started one at the very end all the way in and a French couple have one dock they call Whisper Cove tucked into what was called Petite Calivigny Cove. WS settles into a likely spot well off the Whisper dock behind a French catamaran and drops the hook in 23-feet of water.
Afternoon starts with a dinghy ride to visit each marina, a quick walk around the local native village, then we head around the point to the next bay and its new, first class marina. Oddly enough it is called Le Phare Bleau Marina and is owned and operated by a German speaking Swiss couple. Besides its beautiful docks and grounds, individual cabins for guest accommodations, bar, grill and pool, it really features the old Dutch lighthouse ship “Vastra Banken” hauled here from Europe to serve as its marina office, and a 1st class dining establishment.
Our canvas shop is located here so we stop by to say hello to Dave and Jane and plan our meeting on WS tomorrow to install the new hatch cover and mast boot. Then its back around to WS to pick up the laundry and drop Jo ashore for an afternoon of internet mixed with tending the wash while I head back on board to catch up on my logs in peace and quiet.
Evening will be a BBQ on board, some star gazing (Venus and Saturn are brightly just below the quarter moon), and a little TV to finish off a rather typical day of cruising in the Caribbean.
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St George to Prickly Bay
11/30 Sunday
Latitude: 11:58.88 N Longitude: 061:45.63 W
Weather: partly cloudy some rain Wind: 0850 at 6-10kts. Sea: Beaufort: 2
Barometer: 1008 Passage time: 1.5 hrs.
Engine Hours: 1550 Fuel used/on board: 4085/557
Distance trip/to Date: 9/9896
It’s a beautiful day for our short trip south around Pt. Saline to the windward side of Grenada. Here is where the real cruisers hang out. Literally hundreds of yachts from all over the world call these waters home. There are dozens on small bays, each with its own personality, but most boaters usually spend some time in the rather large Prickly Bay. Here they find not only camaraderie but good repair and replacement facilities as well.
The whole area is notorious for reefs so we gingerly feel our way around several before finding the main channel and heading into Prickly. The anchorage is loaded with sailboats of every description, shape, size and country of origin. Jo and I find a good open spot for WS right in the center of the bay far enough from shore so bugs won’t be a bother and drop the anchor in about 30 feet.
WS anchored with the gang in Prickly Bay
We launch the dinghy in short order and set out to explore the landscape. At the very head of the bay is the Spice Island Marina - a popular hurricane hole haul out yard and a great marine store. Most of the cruisers hang out at the bar at the small Prickly Bay Marina but besides the bar and a mini store there is not much else here of interest. With a constant roll coming into the anchorage, one night here should do us quite nicely.
Jo and I walk over to True Blue Bay and the Dodgy Dock Bar for happy hour and to see Voyager and Dreamweaver’s crew that were no where to be found so after a drink, we head back to our own cove only to meet them all returning from the store along the way. We have a light dinner on board and settle in to watch the Steelers and some Sunday night football.
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St George, Granada
11/23 - 11/29 Sunday to Saturday
Grenada is like the end of the rainbow. It is about as far from home as we will be this entire voyage and after all of the harrowing adventures of the last leg, it feels especially good, safe and secure to be here at last. Best of all, it is one of the nicest stops so far. A lush and green island, people who are extra friendly, and everything a visiting yachtie could hope for in the way of boat and provisioning services.
St George’s Quay
As soon as we pull in and are tied to the quay at the new Camper & Nicholson’s Port Louis Marina, we start putting WS back together after so many rough days at sea. She is actually in pretty good shape considering all she has been through but you can tell she is a veteran cruiser now and no longer a newbie to the high seas. She has all the inevitable nicks and scratches that come with her almost 10,000 miles of open ocean, being tied to less than pristine docks, and having stuff banging around inside and out.
It takes us about three full days to get the old girl shipshape again. Salt washed off, stainless polished, laundry caught up, refrig restocked and the ships logs updated, we are finally ready to explore our new country (number 113 for me & 95th for Jo).
My dockside exercise program is to go for a 10-mile bike ride early each morning. This gives me a good overview of what’s around and where everything is we might need while working out the atrophy of my unused leg muscles. Grenada is very mountainous so it is a real workout here plus the narrow streets, driving on the right, and the devil may care attitude of the careening buses and taxis make each morning a special adventure in survival biking.
By Wednesday night, all crews are ready for some time on the town of St. George. A quick dinghy ride across the harbor takes us to the Ocean Grill & Bar on the back bay’s old waterfront for happy hour followed by a walk around town and an excellent curry dinner at BB’s Restaurant. Brian, the owner/chef, was professionally trained in Europe and does a fantastic goat, chicken or veggie curry special on Wednesdays.
Les & Rose host Thanksgiving
Today is Thanksgiving and a full day of traditional gluttony is planned. We start with a Grand Marnier soaked Tipsy French Toast Brunch with Rum based Ramos Fizzes (thanks to the Truran’s for their family recipe) on Wandering Star followed in late afternoon by turkey with all the trimmings hosted by Voyager. All three crews spend much of the afternoon cooking their special dishes for the four course feast which goes on until no one can stand or even stay awake for the evening episode of Survivor.
On Friday, our dock master Junior organized an all day island tour with his Uncle Boney so we are up and ready to go by 8:30. Turns out Boney is an ex-cop and well known, for good and bad, all over the island. He has taken on the personal mission, now that he’s retired, of giving his passengers a first class, in depth, no stone left unturned tour of all there is to see and do in Grenada.
Boney and Loverboy
We start off meeting “Lover Boy” a wild monkey that comes out of the jungle when Boney blows his horn, then onto hand feeding fish in a volcano crater lake, to waterfalls, endless flora, fauna, and of course the spices of all kinds for which the island is famous. Boney makes sure you miss nothing. He talks non-stop, waving and pointing with one hand while steering around hairpin turns with the other for nine solid hours.
After a great pre-arranged (so no time is wasted) lunch in a locals café across the island, we’re soon back heading north on the back roads across an abandoned airstrip that somehow figured in the 1980’s American invasion of Grenada complete with two shot up Cuban airplane still on the tarmac that now serves as a dragstrip for the annual car races.
Cuban Airforce left from the Grenada invasion
We visited an ancient rum mill that is still crushing cane by water wheel and cooking the brew in copper kettles using the cane cuttings for fuel. It is known for distilling the finest 151 proof white rum. This stuff is so dangerously flammable it is banned from air shipment and will evaporate, when spilled, before it can hit the ground.
Our girls drying Cocoa as in “I Love Lucy”
Then it was off to one of the oldest chocolate plantations in the world where we leaned the whole process of making their rich, dark special Grenada blend. The girls even got to take off their shoes to help turn the drying beans by shuffling through them in their bare feet. Then its back across the island and another waterfall before turning south for St George and home just as the sun is going into the western Caribbean…and a wonderful dinner of leftovers on Voyager.
Jo and I spend our last day in St George getting WS ready for cruising again. I also met with a canvas guy who is making a forward hatch cover and a mast boot to stop some pesky leaks in both places. As evening falls, we find ourselves running across the harbor in the dinghy having one last “date night’ at our new favorite BB’s Restaurant and then hanging out back at our marina bar listening and eventually dancing to a very funky local band till lights out.
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