Paramaribo

Monday 20th.
Both Otto & Ester are without transport so we took the local Taxi (Robbie) into Paramaribo to have a look round and do the tourist stuff.

Fort Zeelandia Courtyard

   In 1613 the two Dutchmen Dirck Cleaszoon van Sanen and Nicolaas Baliestel founded a trading company near the Indian village of ‘Parmirbo’. This settlement on the west bank of the Suriname river, 23 km from the Atlantic Ocean, was the basis for the present Paramaribo, capital of the Republic Suriname.
  Our first stop was the huge downtown market, by far the biggest we have seen on our travels (no I didn’t get up at 06.30 to go to market in Trinidad!)  Here in Paramaribo there were stalls for all manner of home produce.  Masses of vegetables, herbs, fruit, salad items, then fish, meat (all chicken) and then crafts such as table linen, and fabrics.  Nearby fast food stalls with drinks and so on.
  We then wandered along Keizerstraat to the Tourist Information area and picked up a map.  We fully enjoyed the downtown area .  It has a number of old  Colonial buildings including the Presidential Palace.  Most of the architecture is wood since the only bricks available were those which formed ’ballast’ in the ships arriving to trade. The rest the wooden buildings have only their foundations made from the bricks   consequently, some are in ruins and some refurbished but all mingled with new.  There is a palpable aura of a rich Dutch heritage. It’s a real melting pot of a second world country trying to catch up with the first.
Paramaribo has World Heritage Status and is billed as the ‘Beating heart of South America’ so to give you a taste of what we saw:
The photos include the Hindu Mosque and Jewish Synagogue next to one another, this is the only place in the world where the two religions are found so close!
The Military Police building where we spent a few hours the other day on a wild goose chase.
St Peter & Pauls’ Cathedral on Wulfinghstraat which we visited with Esther the other day.  This is reputedly the largest wooded building in the Americas.
 The Ministry of Justice and Politics on Henck Arronstraat.
  Indepence Square.  The most prominent building here is the presidental palace. Which is a white building constructed in the early eighteenth century with later additions. The building and the private garden behind it are only accessible to the public on Independence day: November 25.
In front of the Ministry of Finance is a statue of Suriname's most famous politician Johan Adolf Pengel, a prime-minister of the sixties.
  I include Fort Zeelandia here but we had a separate visit with Esther, hence the long blog entry.  It was built by the French, improved by English  and later used by Dutch colonists. In 1667 it received its current name. In the twentieth century the fort was used as a museum. From 1981 to 1992 it was used by the Surinamese army as a military base. Now the army has withdrawn and it is a fine tourist attraction.
   Next the Waterfront Boulevard.  The buildings here are all ’modern’ A great fire in 1821 did for most of them and those that survived got wiped out by another fire in 1832. The rebuilding was down to the rich merchants and plantation owners. Duplessis House or the House for the Environment (Govnt Secretariat) According to the Tourist information board this underwent restoration 2000-2001.  The name Duplessis House refers to Suzanne Duplessis owner of the plantation Nijd en Spilk, who lived here from 1783-1795. She was allegedly one of Surinames' cruellest women.  After her death the government bought the house and from 1796 has used it as the secretariat for over a century.
  Further along are the remains of a later fire at the old Police building which was claimed by fire in 1980 when the army overtook the government.

Neo Tropical Butterfly Park.

Pre–Christmas Butterfly Farm.

  This week has been hectic!  The poor & Intermittent wi-fi has meant that emails have piled up and I have decided to implement a strategy to cope, only sending the odd one or two.
  That said we have also had plenty of action ashore.  Esther is preparing for Christmas and also has a works function to dress up for on Thursday.  With this in mind we have a girlie day shopping for house decorations, Christmas lights, evening shoes and matching bag, etc etc…  In the heat we didn’t stress out but had leisurely coffee & cake to see us through ’til we remembered our rumbling tummies at 4.30 and had a late lunch.
  Friday we went to the Neotropical Butterfly Park on the outskirts of town.  On the way we noticed ’noise’ from the car and stopped to investigate. We didn’t find the cause but did find an oil leak so stopped for an oil top-up and verbal confirmation that we could continue to drive.
  We arrived at the Butterfly Park just on lunchtime so had a snack and joined the tour. The Farm has been trading internationally for 16 years and has recently opened the Butterfly Park, which caters for ’Public Interest’ and ’Eco-Tourism’.

Allowing the public in means that the whole process of fulfilling the orders is seen to be clean tidy and efficient.  They deal with a number of  Butterfly species and each needs an enormous quantity of the specific host food.  They have netted fields to produce this vegetation.  The reason being that there are a number of escapees from the butterfly houses and these cavaliers would make straight for the ‘larder’ and decimate the supply for the others inside.  The rest of the tour took us through the Reptile house where we saw very happy Pythons.  Most were digesting their latest meal but others were snuggling up to procreate.  When they give birth to live young these are then sold.   I’m satisfied that the wild population is not being threatened.  Another area held Tortoises (which the Dutch call Land Turtles)  again this means that the wild Tortoise population is not threatened.
  I’ll finish by telling of the trip home.  The car rapidly went downhill making the most awful noises, which we tracked to the nearside shock absorber.  We limped to Ottos’ workplace and left the car with the mechanic, while we took  Ottos’ car home.  Otto finished work and got a lift home, only to be called back for an emergency just as he was about to eat dinner!  With only one car this meant that we were stranded ashore (in real comfort) overnight.  What bliss!
 Remember to look at Picasa after Christmas when I will have uploaded the images. - I hope!

Suriname Exploits

The rest of the week we did shopping and some sightseeing spending time with our dear friends and ‘Piano’ in about equal quantities.  The weekend was the next highlight.  We all decided to take one of Ottos’ motor launches up river to a local resort for a picnic.  The trip up river was fast and high tech, we all took turns in driving under the close supervision of our Master Mariner Leader.  We covered the distance in good time for lunch and had a swim in a net protected beach too.  - Yes the reason for the net protection is against ‘Piranhas’! Which have been known to nibble peoples toes.  There are also Caimans—crocodile family– known to live in the river which may also have caused concern…  In all it was a luxurious day—we all slept soundly that night.
  Sunday we set off to Jodensavannah and another river resort.  This time we drove over land, since it was further upstream.  The trip involved a river crossing aboard a ’ferry’.  This was a converted barge with a large Yamaha outboard engine.  It could carry about 6 vehicles and took about 10 minutes.
  The Jodensavannah is an area South of Paramaribo on which some Portuguese Jews settled back in the 17th Century (In 1639 the First Jewish Synagogue was built and the ruins can still be seen in this WHS).  They wanted to be able to practice their faith without being persecuted.  They chose a particularly nice spot on the banks of the river which had a natural freshwater spring and was slightly above river level for good visibility, views and provided dry ground to live on.  These first settlers lived comfortable for a time and were joined by like minded kinsmen from another colony in Brazil.  The new blood enhanced to enclave and soon the community had established some 40 plantations covering a large tract of land.  Even in those days there were slaves and each plantation had about 250 slaves to work the land.   The community survived a fire and the ravages of war for ownership of the country in which they were living.  But the final blow was the return of some escaped slaves who returned to free those still enslaved.  Once the work force had been lost the Jewish settlers decided to move back to the city and become manufacturers.
  Our lunch spot was the ’Black Water’ resort.  This time on a smaller river.  It had tarpaulin covered structures for shade and access to the ’beach’ for cooling off.  The water was barely deep enough to swim and was pleasantly cool– if rather dark coloured water (it reminded me of tea).  We weren’t the only white people a group of airline workers were having a holiday with a friend and they shared their BBQ and coconuts with us.  Everyone we talked to in Suriname was especially helpful and friendly.

1st December 2011

Suriname, 1st December 2011.
After a week sailing against the wind and curents we arrived at Domberg.  After anchoring and having a rest we had dinner, and then Malcolm managed to drop the fridge lid on his finger ooowwwwch and naughty words.  I did first aid and cleaned it with antiseptic, then put healing gel on it and steristrip round it.  It seems to be ok but I fear he will loose the nail.   Today I have been driving the outboard and doing all the stuff he can't do.   Unlike last time I haven't had to  overhaul the toilet system!!! -yet.
  So we went into town to register that we had arrived and were given the usual run around.  Here more than other places since it is a big country and still has a lot of red tape.  We did the police station first where our ‘crew list was given a stamp and we were then told to take it to immigration who would issue a visa.   At immigration wew were given a tourist Visa and sent to the military administration building where we were finally told that we had been given the wrong type of Visa and to go back to change it.  I asked the girl to write down what she had told us so that there would be no confusion when we got there.  Two hours later we cleared this mistake up but were told that the next step at the bank would have to wait ‘til tomorrow since the bank closes at 2 o’clock!   We decided to wait until Otto and Esther gets here so that they can help us.
  Great news , they are home early and will meet us at 8 for a drink tonight!
  Wow what a reunion, we do lots of catching up.  We meet again tomorrow early to make a start on formalities.
 

Monday 5th December.
It’s St Nicholas Day for the Dutch.  Esther meets us at 9 and we begin with passport sized photos, then coffee a side trip to finalize the visas and a fantastic lunch.  We finish with crossing the T’s at the police station ( which is formally closed) but a kindly policeman makes an effort and sorts us out.  We then return to Esthers’ home have Tea and chill out until Otto finishes work.  Plenty more reminiscing, a superb dinner and we return to ’Piano’ fully worn out after such a full day. 

Passage to Suriname (The Skippers bit)

Trinidad to Suriname—the Passage 24th-2 November 2011.
After resolving the problems which were immediately apparent after relaunch, we had hoped to be able to leave Crews' Inn marina with everything working but it was not to be. The engine rev counter decided not to regiister anymore and resisted Jean-Jacques efforts to find out what the problem was. Then, on the day before we planned to leave, I discovered that the sensor unit for the log was leaking and, to cap it all, 10 keys on my laptop keyboard stopped working! Eventually, we decided that we weren't going to be able to fix any of these things and so, on Nov 24 we finally left Chaguaramas,  3 months after flying back from England.

We wanted to try out the new anchor and renovated anchor windlass, so first we just motored round to Scotland Bay. What a difference those few miles made – instead of the bustle of Chaguaramas, we were now anchored in a very peaceful, jungle-fringed bay with just a handful of other yachts and hardly any signs of civilisation. All was well with the anchor and windlasss so, after a nice lunch, we set off again, towards Suriname. We had expected to have to motor the 40 miles or so along the north coast of Trinidad and that was indeed the case. Staying fairly close inshore to avoid the adverse current (and actually picking up favourable current!), there was just a gentle breeze from ahead and we didn't even bother putting the mainsail up until well along the coast. While there seemed to be plenty of showers over the island, only the occasional light one extended over the water and the seas were very slight, so it was a pleasant, relaxing first evening. Around midnight, as we rounded the NE corner of Trinidad, the seas became uncomfortable, even thought the wid was only Force 3-4; we had some sail up by now, mainly to steady the motion. Finally, in the early hours we turned the engine off and enjoyed a couple of hours of decent sailing on a close reach towards our destination. The wind soon dropped though, and changed from ENE to ESE. We could no longer sail in the direction we wanted to go, so started motorsailing. We passed a number of uncharted oilrigs, with support vessels buzzing around and also saw a couple of dolphins. While there were some moderately big showers around, on the whole they passed us by and brought no significant wind.. The breeze remained resolutely less than  10 knots from between ESE and SSE, so progress was very slow. In the first  hours we only made about 100 miles towards Suriname and most of that progress was from motoring along the north coast of Trinidad. The next day followed the same pattern, with light winds from ahead. The weather was hot and sunny and while lighning was occasionally visible on the horizon, we had only a very occasional light shower. Just before sunset, there was a good display of tuna jumping, which was something new for us. In the early evening, a fishing boat passed within half a mileand later, the wind picked up to Force 4 and we reefed. In the early hours,the wind dropped back to Force 3-4and while we were occasionally able to get 'PIANO' sailing nicely, it never lasted long and the services of the engine were often engaged. Even so, we were only 89 miles closer to our destination by the end of the day. The painfully slow progress continued for the rest of the trip. The saving grace was that the weather was good – sunny,  hot and dry. In the evenings, lots of lightning was visible on the horizon but the thundery activity was all confined to the distant land. Several seabirds accompanied us for varying distances and we had two large and several small flying fish on deck, as well as a tiny live crab. The only other excitement was having to tack in the middle of the night to avoid a cargo ship which was getting too close.

Eventually, on the evening of Nov 30, the wind gained a slight northerly component and we started making good progress towards our destination, some 30 miles away. It was time to try to engineer our arrival at the Safe Water Mark at the river entrance, in order to take the tide upstream. The ideal time appeared to be 0500 but in the event, our progress was a little slower than estimatedand we didn't get there until 0630. However, this still allowed us to carry favourable current all the way to Domburg and we were doing 7-8 knots over the ground most of the time. The estuary of the river only has a very narrow navigable channel but is well-buoyed, making the passage relatively uneventful. Apart, that is, from when the engine decided to splutter a few times just while we were in the narrowest part of the channel. Luckily, after a few minutes it cured itself and stress levels decreased again. We anchored off the small village of Domburg, some  8 miles above Paramaribo, the capital of Surinam, There were half a dozen other yachts of various nationalities in the anchorage – no Brits though. The passage of  440 miles had taken 160 hours at an average speed made good of just under 2.8 knots. The worst day's progress was just  miles, making it our slowest ever passage by some margin!

Refurbishing the Saloon.

Refurbishing the Saloon.
     This story begins in Peakes yard where we need protection from the sun, I look around for a suitably priced canvas worker.  This is for some new hatch covers to match /blend with the Bimini.  Kay came to take measurements and gave me a reasonable quote, then returned a week later with the goods.  A nice new set of hatch covers to replace the now well weathered and now mouldy ones I had made in the Azores.  I was so impressed I asked her for a quote to do the Saloon, this agreed we then went to choose and buy the fabric.  Malcolm left the pattern to me and to cut a long story short this is the end picture! Naturally we keep the dust covers over the seats to try and keep them looking new and maybe next year I will have a go at doing these too.

      After the success of the Saloon I bit the bullet and decided to put new curtains up, (and make them myself!) this involved choosing and buying the fabric - soo cheap here only £24 for 8 yards (no metrication here yet). The shop had sales assistants and measurers to check the customers calculations– except he was working in feet & inches and I had measured in centimetres… after he had found a tape measure with both on it he then understood that the curtains I wanted to make were not the usual room size he is used to checking…. Undeterred he was prepared to have a go.  He really wanted to sell me 20 yards but I stressed that I would probably only need 6, we agreed on 8 which gave me room for mistakes and cushions
Anyway, it was a steep learning curve and I’m sure that if any of you sewers  had been around you would have helped me make a better job! at a quick glance they look ok -if home made and not very professional even though I used a template to make them all the same hems etc. Hey ho I'm nearly finished but out of header tape, and all my pins are bent with going through the machine with such a thickness of material.  I broke 8 needles by accident while catching a pin and a rod -stiffener.  Now I have a fellow boater who is going to adapt my machine to take the big packets of non singer needles so that I have a new supply.   Only minor adjustments were needed to sort the sewing machine out and a big THANKS to Ray & Irene (C-Drifters) who spent time helping.  I should also Thank Vicky (Cinnamon Teal) for sorting out the tension for me.  I have now really learnt a great deal about sewing machines—I just need to remember it all.

The Caroni Swamp

      After the two hour drive back from Asa Wrights Nature Reserve we stopped for some sustinence.
  Then armed with a bag of ‘Doubles’ (to eat later) we arrived at the Caroni Swamp and took our places aboard a large flat bottomed boat with a large outboard.  We motored slowly through the swamp stopping to view birds and animals.
The Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) which may grow up to about 8 feet (2.4 m) in length shares its habitat in the Caroni Swamp on Trinidad's West coast with the mighty Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus).

Caiman, are to be found throughout both Trinidad and Tobago in slow moving fresh or brackish water. They are shy creatures and pose no real threat to humans unless intentionally provoked or approached while nesting. It is generally considered that the few records of both the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) as well as the Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) in the waters of Trinidad and Tobago were, for the most part, waifs from mainland South America. The Caiman is so well camouflaged see if you can spot it on Picasa...
  Just on 17.30 we arrived in the main pool for the influx of many Scarlet Ibis (The National Bird of Trinidad). It was spectacular!

With them arrived White Egrets and Little Blue Herons. To top it all a Rainbow appeared.
  On the drive home of course we stopped for home made ice creams, they really taste good after a hot day out!

Asa Wright’s Nature Center.

      Tuesday morning and not too early we set off on a 2 hour trip to the high mountains to the North of the Island of Trinidad.  We were lucky that the roads were passable.  Quite often if there has been heavy rain this is not the case!  Needless to say Jesse ensured that we didn’t arrive hungry.  He took us for lunch at a carry out on the way.  The food was freshly prepared and VERY tasty.
  On arrival we checked in and were shown to our room. A quick peek out onto the feeding station and we were ready to stretch our legs. After dressing in hiking gear and boots we set of on the ‘Discovery Trail’. We saw Tiger Lizards and Bracket fungi and heard many birds, this wet our appetite for later on.  Back at the center we had tea and pastries while ’Twitching’. I’m sorry to say that the camera does not do justice to the colours and types of bird, no matter I saw most of them.  Those too far away for the lens are still good memories.
  After dressing for dinner we joined the group for cocktails on the veranda. A delicious rum punch.  This was followed by soup and a Caribbean chicken dish with accompanying vegetables and sponge pudding.  Coffee followed and was special in that it was grown and produced on site!  Just as we were settling in for a pleasant evening our Guide Barry came by and told us to prepare for an evening walk to the pool.
  Armed with torches we searched the trees and verges for all manner of wildlife. We even saw the tiny tree frogs which make all the noise at night! I included the Spider which Barry had found earlier and placed on the Veranda, but we saw another sitting in the handrail by the roadside! I’m so pleased that Barry pointed it out before I used the rail!! Other insects included Harvestman, Daddy Longlegs and tadpoles.
  Up early next morning (05.45 for 06.00) and the feeding had begun already! Such a mass of colour! And all the time Barry was keeping a running commentary of names.  Occasionally darting to the telescope to focus on a more distant Toucan or Violaceous Euphonia -Trogan .

I just loved the Purple Honey Creeper  Cyanerpes caeruleus longirostris   Trinidadian Subspecies has a longer bill than mainland form
We were kept busy refocusing our binoculars on each new arrival.
  After a huge breakfast we were taken on an Orientation walk.  This was a history of the center, it’s wildlife, flora &  fauna and it’s birds.  We had a rainstorm on the walk back which continued until lunch and after.  Jesse arrived with our transport so we tore ourselves away from this idyllic site for our next adventure.

October Continued...

Food Glorious Food!
  The other two events were food related! The first was a cooking competition at Peakes and the whole yard was invited.  There were four teams who had to cook a dish for 20 people and to win impress the judges.  The office staff cooked to die for Indian/Caribbean type food and gained first prize. 

The lift out crew did a superb BBQ with kebabs and fish in batter with salad, another team did duck curry with rice  and the only boat team (a professional chef I think) did a beef and carrot stew.
The party went on ’til late…..
  Lastly a small group went to the T & T International Food Festival, which was held at the Stadium.  It was organised by the Ministry of Tourism to promote food and culture.  There were representatives from various tourist boards  France, Mexico, Italy, India, in fact anyone with a vested interest.  Many tents had local foods & drinks to try.  There were two venues to watch professional chefs cook and then sample the dish.Here is Dexter and his keynote dish.

Rather like Ready Steady Cook on TV but imagine each chef describing his home background and love of food too.  If we went again we would have bought a ‘Gourmet Food Ticket’ but once again we left before they started serving.  We did see the very long queues beginning to form as we left.  There were also Steelpan groups and sugar cane stick drummers parading amongst the masses of visitors.  A central stage had more music and traditional dancing to entertain you while you were eating.  We tried many different foods from cheesecake to chocolate liqueur and from spicy dressing to plantain fritters.  There are so many nice and healthy foods here it’s no wonder the people are so happy!  On our way out we passed a group of 6 students welcoming the late arrivals, singing the praises of their country. 

So that was two nights we didn’t have to cook at home –a bonus!
  I’ll just finish on the weeks work update, the batteries are still en route, the Yanmar engine is ‘in progress’ and the Saloon is now finished! Pictures when we are ship shape again I promise!

Divali October 2011

   
Another week has passed and we have made four cultural trips.
Let me set the scene, it is the Hindu Festival of Divali-Light– and for two weeks preparations have been ongoing for the longest night which coincides with the new moon.  First we went to an entertainment evening at which there were Indian clothes ,food, and music.  Accompanying this was some information for visitors on the Hindu Religion how it is the OLDEST in the world and how Hindus should live their lives.  There isn’t one ’GOD’ but quite a few deities which are called on for special occasions (when you are poor, getting married, need some good luck, and so on).  Basically the theme is to live a good life and be nice to those around you and the environment.  So Divali is a celebration of light and it invites the deities into the home to bring prosperity or whatever.
  Our driver Lincoln, helped us to integrate and showed us where the dancing and singing were to take place.  Once in our seats we had a great view of the stage.  The dances were spectacular.  The ancient songs were given a new lease of life by being sung by the current pop stars in town.  To top it all the President of Trinidad & Tobago was welcomed, with his security detail and entourage to give a greeting and pep talk to the audience.  All over the site were people in costume who were performing folk plays and others making music with steel drums.  The current state of emergency meant that we had to leave quite early but it went on ‘til late.  More people were just arriving as we left.

The next event was on the night of Divali and Jesse took us to his local temple and arranged for his ‘priest’ to tell us about the festivities.  We were entertained by the loudest drum players ever.  We were then served with a traditional Divali meal on a banana leaf and it was delicious.  We then walked the streets to view the lights.  The photos in Picasa show little bowls filled with cooking oil and string to make a wick, these lead to the front door to guide the spirits in. The family sit at the gate and offer anyone passing little biscuits, sweets, maybe a drink or a small dish of their food.  We were told to accept anything offered as it would cause offence if we refused.  We were invited into one house for a drink and a bite to eat. The family told us that if it were not for the curfew there would have been firecrackers and fireworks too.  In short it is rather like Christmas lights and firework night rolled into one!

Tuesday 12th October World Heritage Site Trinidad Pitch Lake

   
     Well I have been remiss, partly because the blog site says there have been no visits recently I just wonder who reads the blog.  At least one person who emailed me some home news wondered why there was a lull.  Today I have been shopping and almost drowned in the torrential downpour of Tropical Rain and uploaded the October folder of photos to Picasa, Now to tell of the trip we took to the World Heritage site here in Trinidad (except I can no longer find it listed on the website for World Heritage sites!)
  We set off once again with the intrepid explorer and man about town ‘Jesse’ and the rest of the travellers.  A short drive out to La Brea the village perched on the old shores of the lake.  La Brea actually means Pitch Lake in Spanish since it was they who first discovered it. Sir Francis Drake and other seafaring visitors also stopped by to re caulk their galleons.  Thank goodness we have antifouling to prevent the re-homing of marine animals.  Many of the wooden hulled ships in those days sank due to ships worms eating through the hull rather than by cannon fire during a war.
     It had almost stopped raining when we set off along a short path out onto the Pitch Lake, so I carried my rain coat.  Our guide filled the hike with many facts about the vegetation and geology of the area.  The plant we call ’The Sensitive Plant’ grows wild here and she demonstrated with her umbrella how the leaves fold when touched.  The Pitch Lake lies above the sandstone which is part of the geology of great oil deposits in the area.  The surface is sufficiently solid to support a tractor and JCB which the Asphalt company use to ’mine’ the deposits.  Underneath the surface it becomes more plastic until there is a point at which it becomes liquid and very dangerous.  Before the advent of guides visitors had been known to ’drown’ in the lake.  As you will notice in the picture she managed to find an area where the pitch was bubbling up to the surface and she demonstrated just how liquid it was.  After mining an area to reach the liquid layer that place is left to rest and recover.  As the top is taken away so more rises to take its place.  Once in a while an artefact , tree or bone comes to the surface which may have fallen into the lake thousands of years ago. 
     We hike back to the visitors centre and have a quick look at the interpretive centre but only just have time for a quick look.  Most people (including Jesse) are hungry for lunch so we stop at a café and have ‘Rostis’ or curry in a wrap if you haven’t tried them at home.  Jesse also bought the drinks and a ‘Cutter’ of Beef.  This being the name of a plate of spiced cubes of beef to nibble as an appetizer.  As usual it was all very tasty.
  After lunch we drove back along the southern most road to see the huge industrial areas where crude oil & Gas are stored,  chemical plant where Nitrogen and other such are produced.  We stopped next at a Hindu temple and again at another newer temple which had a large statue of Hanuman a Hindu Deity.  The usual quiz on what we had remembered came as we were almost home and today I tried a delicious pineapple ice cream.

Just to keep you up to date with the ongoing work:
After a week of waiting for good to arrive from America we were inundated with workmen yesterday 17th.  Nathan was back to sand the cockpit now that the caulking has dried, so there is a fine layer of teak dust everywhere (yet to be cleaned)
  The domestic batteries have been fitted but the engine batteries are still to arrive and much re-wiring has been done to remove the now surplus lines.  The electrician was most impressed with the condition of the wires.  We were expecting to have them replaced due to age but he said it was not necessary!  We have the seats back for the saloon but are awaiting the final items seatbacks and mast cover before I show you a picture.
  Today our American Visas arrived- phew so now we can sail into American waters and they can't impound our boat! and we get to visit any American Islands (and the mainland) any time we like.
  Our friends Julie & Terry aboard ‘Mervyn’ have left for Grenada and Willie & Mark ‘Liahona’ have gone too. Having said that there are new people at all the ‘Potluck’ events we go to so plenty of book and DVD swaps to while away the idle moments—if we get any!

Tuesday 27th September Cultural Tour of Port of Spain.

  What a pleasant day, we set off with Jesse bright and not too early and stopped for the ubiquitous ‘Double’ which he looked after ‘til lunch time. Jesse is a fount of information and besides concentrating on the road, other traffic, answering his business phone and our questions he also keeps a running commentary on all historical monuments and important dates. So on the trip into Port of Spain we now know that there are 5 Islands in the Bay one of which is called Nelsons Island because this is where Nelson came to re-caulk his ships. (Trip to the pitch lakes WHS coming up soon)  If I had taken a notebook I could tell you more suffice it to say that Trinidad got it’s Independence in 1962 and became a Republic in 1976  The National Flag tells a big story of the peoples inhabiting the Island I’ll try to get it straight before I tell you, but the same characters appear on the paper money too.
  Next was a history lesson on the Magnificent 7 Mansions. Most are falling to ruin but the stories behind the structures are poignant. They were built when each family became rich by the time they died their family either didn’t want to live in such opulence or couldn’t afford to.  The upshot is that most are becoming ruins.  Fortunately the World Heritage Council has slapped a preservation order on the and maybe soon they will be restored.  It would certainly be a boost for Trinidad's Tourist income. Next we were shown the Queens Park Savannah where the Carnival floats and costumes are judged before the Carnival.  Apparently some are so large that they will not squeeze through the carnival route.
  To continue the Tour; we made our way to the Signal Station Fort George- at the top of an amazing viewpoint.  It was here we had lunch. Next a drive along and up into the mountains of Subiaco where the Abbey of St Benedict lies.  Here we bought Strawberry Yoghurt (made by the monks) and had ‘ High Tea’ in the Abbey of Our Lady of Exile next door.  Although it rained on the way home we still had a test on the facts we had been given and the prize for all was a home made ice cream !!

    During the last week we have been continuing with our boat jobs.  Nathan the carpenter who is re –caulking the cock pit has been elsewhere since we have been held up by US customs who are holding the export of caulking !  Never mind there is still much to do.  Plenty of sanding the veneers which have lost a touch of varnish and need to be refreshed.  The anchor windlass needed a professional to re vitalise it and I must say that Ian has done us proud.  It looks like a new toy.  The refitting caused a few minor problems and Ian's mate Avi and electrician soon had the problem sorted (our batteries not giving sufficient power!- yes they are on the list) This is not all the foot-pedals for the anchor are also found to be corroded and need to be replaced.  So here starts the Mexican train of dominoes effect. To get to the foot pedals with a drill we need to take the wheel off, which needs a tool and a professional to help.  When it is off we find that the spindle has worn and is what is giving the ’play’ in the wheel. A new part from the States will take a month or more so we leave it until next year.  The Compass which has been opened inadvertently now has an air bubble so will need another professional to refill it.  The plinth on which it sits can soon be sanded and restored to the high standard of Ghislaine and Yan.  Of course the anchor chain has also been cleaned and looks brand new with new paint at 10 m intervals in different colours.  We have also gone for a new Rockner anchor to see if we get better holding.
  I have also been busy getting a quote for some new furnishings.  Kay the nice lady who made some hatch covers for me has said that she can do the job so I have been taking the staples out ready for her to start work.  At present we are using the cushions from the aft bedroom to sit on.  I hope she gets finished soon.
  We have also been quite active in the evenings going to a variety of ‘Potluck’ BBQs and having people round for drinks. The weather has been hot and sunny and we both wish we were sailing or at anchor in a breeze rather than ashore with air conditioning on. Hey ho at least it’s not snowing or cooling down for winter like it is in the UK.
Along with this are the photos in the October folder on Picasas- let me know if you need a link!

Jesse’s Taste of Trinidad Tour, Tuesday 20th September.

Thanks to Willie on Leahona for remembering everything in this blog!
    Our first stop was a breakfast of “doubles.” A double is a sort of sandwich, only instead of bread, they use a fluffy ,savoury pancake mixture.  The filling is chick peas and the topping (of any of a variety of spicy chutneys like mango or tamarind) oozes out, over and through the flat bread and down your shirt. There is no being “neat” with a double.
After our “first” breakfast, Jesse stopped to buy some “plums” from a street vendor. We all thought, “Oh, good… fruit.” Not. The plum turned out to be a “coolie” plum, a small green olive-sized fruit with a hard seed inside. These were marinated in vinegar, olive oil, coriander, garlic, hot peppers and who knows what else, and burned your lips. They were delicious.
  We headed east on the Eastern Main Road and then on Valencia Road to the town of Valencia which used to house a US Army base. The only remnants of the base are some stone pillars marking the entrances to the old base, and a slew of bars and barbecue restaurants.  In Valencia, we stopped for our second “breakfast” of BBQ pigtails and mango slushies.  From Valencia, we continued east on the Valencia Road then south on the Toco Main Road looping back through Sangre Grande (where we hit a mini-traffic jam next to the bus terminal) to Sangre Chiquita. Both towns are so named (“big blood” and “little blood”) because of Ameri-Indian massacres that occurred there.  Jesse gets hungry in the traffic jam at Sangre Chiquita  so we stop for a lunch of fried delicacies.
We observed many houses with Hindu prayer flags and Frangipani in their yards. Each coloured prayer flag is aimed at a specific deity for a specific purpose, such as health or harmony. The Frangipani is supposed to keep your daughter from marrying too young.
  Back on the Eastern Main Road, we headed southeast to the beach at Lower Manzanilla.  This is a lovely beach with excellent restrooms, showers and changing facilities, friendly lifeguards, warm waters and gentle waves.  After a refreshing swim, we headed south along the coast on the Toco Main and Manzanilla Main roads to Mayaro where we spotted a little shack that said “Cold Nuts”.
  The Rasta Man hacked an opening in the top of the coconuts so we could drink the coconut water, then split the coconuts so we could eat the jelly and meat inside. He also had hot peppers for sale, but we passed on those, our lips still tingling from all the other spicy stuff we had eaten earlier.  Jesse next stopped at a sweet stand to get Pholourie Dipped in Very Hot Sauce.  Eaten without the ’Hot Sauce’ they were sweet and tasty.  Feeling guilty about all that fried stuff we were eating, we practically begged Jesse to stop for bananas at the next food vendor we came across. He selected some Grand Michelle bananas which were just as Bananas ought to taste straight from the tree.
  We drove through Rio Claro past mosques, two high schools letting out their students and another jam of traffic.  Continuing west, we passed a “cocoa house” where the roof slides to create a drying area for the cocoa beans. We also passed lots of teak trees and logs waiting to be exported.  In the middle of nowhere just east of Brickfield we came across Harry’s Water Park. Thinking it might be a good place to find restrooms (we were due again), we stopped. In addition to clean restrooms, we found a bar (finally – a Carib!) and a restaurant. We ate the most incredible curried duck and some delicious stewed pork bits.
  Still heading west, our next stop was to buy a six-foot length of sugar cane from a roadside vendor. We stopped for another pit stop at Jesse’s uncle’s house where he borrowed a machete to peel the sugar cane and he taught us how to suck on the cane, and how to eat the cocoa beans right out of the pod.  While we were there, Nana bought a bunch of coriander from a street vendor and we all took turns smelling it.  Heading north again, we bought some sweet boiled corn.
  Back in Carenage, we topped off our binge-eating tour with homemade cherry coconut, ginger coconut and rum raisin ice cream.  Thank you, Jesse, for showing us your beautiful island and treating us to its marvellous sights, tastes and smells. It was a wonderful day!

Rincon Waterfalls Hike Saturday 10th September

Saturday up at 0530 for a mini bus pick up at 0600 am— Jesse arrived at 0620 but I wasn’t watching my watch! We picked up 9 other people and journeyed to the North of the Island. Being given a tour talk by Jesse our Ace driver.  The Northerly range of Mountains is the highest of 3 and contains the Rincon Valley, this is where we began our hike to the Rincon Waterfalls.  On a scale of 1-10 it was billed as an 8 on the Hike-Seekers website.  There was a gentle fall of rain while we were kitting up but this soon stopped so we began in great spirits.  Our Guide was Lawrence (Snake) he repaired Robyns’ flip-flops and gave us a pep talk before we began.  Snake is an ex army Survival Instructor with years of experience and very knowledgeable too.
  On route we stopped frequently for rests and were ably helped by Jesses’ brother Dan over some parts which needed ropes. Needless to say we were very messy by the time we arrived and pleasantly amazed by the height of the fall when we reached our destination. After lunch and a swim we set off on another route to return. This was a more gentle mule track and led to another waterfall and swim in cool mountain water. Jesse loves the water and make various attempts to climb up the falls so that he could either jump or water-slide down.  In a cave off to one side of the pool the resident bats were only slightly disturbed by the loud belly flops of Jesse enjoying himself! Snake helpfully repaired some walking boots which had begun to come delaminated and were later to loose the soles completely!
We continued back to the minivan, stopping at a local bar known of by Snake, where some of us had a refreshing beer.  Back at the minibus we changed into dry clothes and set off for Maracas Bay.  Here just on teatime we ordered a Shark-n-Bake (yum yum)  This is a ‘batter’ fried roll (very light and crispy) filled with fried shark, lettuce leaves tomatoes and coleslaw, with a side order of fries.  (Truly delicious)
  Homeward bound we were the last to be dropped off and after thanking Jesse for all his hard work driving we set about some serious resting up, tea, shower and sleep...

Trinidad - some fun

After a most welcome break from the heat and humidity-plus visiting our cottage and many dear friends (A HUGE THANK-YOU to all those who gave us such splendid hospitality in the way of bed and board—John & Vi, Shirley & David, Adrienne and mum.)  We only missed a few other local friends and look forward to seeing some of you next year !
  We arrived back in Trinidad amidst some trepidation.  A nine o’clock curfew has been imposed in some areas so we were lucky to have arranged a taxi who had a curfew pass to get us home.  Even so the police stopped him to check his pass.  ‘Piano’ was cool and just as we had left her so we went straight to bed after nearly 24 hours travelling.
  Needless to say my body clock was still on BST so I was awake with the birds. We told the cruising net that we were back and found that there was a ‘Pot Luck’ night tonight at another yard. Most of the unpacking stowed and breakfast over we then cycled to immigration to sign in and purchase food for this evening.
Immigration went well and we extended our stay until mid November (the end of the hurricane season here)  This cost us $200TT which we had returned the next day as it had been taken in error!
  Even though the morning had been warm & showery the evening was dry and the ’Pot Luck’ at Coral Cove was a great success.  A whole bunch of new people, some of whom we have met on our travels.  We had an interesting talk with a couple from Brazil who have built and sailed a Viking Long boat all the way here from Rio De Janeiro!
  Friday we took the Maxi bus shopping and stocked up on all the essentials not available at the marina stores.
Saturday we got stuck into boat jobs. (Note to self I really get a fair amount of work done when I wake up so early) scrubbing the spray hood which we hadn’t packed away.  Being that mustard colour it does show the dirt...and began sanding the crustaceans from the propeller.
Sunday, (the hottest day yet!) we finished off polishing the propeller, and managed to get the boom fittings free.  Next plenty of hammering to remove the end of the boom.  Played Mexican train Dominoes in torrential rain at Coral Cove-and didn’t come last!
  Trinidad Independence Day and we secure tickets to the Starlift Pan Brunch.  This is held each year to raise money for the carnival and other worthy causes. Due to start at 11 am with the National Anthem things happened slowly.  By the time that proceedings began it was time for ‘Brunch’ which was traditional Trinidadian Cuisine.  The Steel Pan music was wonderful too all pictures are on Picasa

 Start of a new week and the jobs are being dealt with in succession. Graham came to remove the sea-cock for the engine which needed a new through the hull part and a good cleaning, Malcolm then had access to clean the generator sea-cock and the sink too.  It seems a quick job but took nearly 3 days on and off.  Meanwhile, with the new cleaning material the rope stripper has also been cleaned and awaits refitting.
  Monday evening we went to a Potluck at Trinidad and; Tobago Sailing Assoc. (TTSA from now!)  A pleasant evening meeting those who are at anchor round the corner from us.

 Wednesday the automatic bilge pump started again and after an investigation Malcolm found that the hot water tank is leaking from it’s valve, as a temporary answer he has turned it off so only look-warm foot pumped water until we get a replacement.  Next technician was Ian to have a look at the windlass (lifts & lowers the anchor)  He says it ought to be removed and serviced at least every 2 years ! Ooops—now we know! He has taken it away ‘til next Tuesday so I have my fingers crossed.
During all this fun & games plus I managed to bake a cake and 2 Quiches & a chicken pie for the social events this week.  So Thursday evening we went to the Sundowners/Hors d’oeuvres/book/DVD swap evening at Coral Cove.
Friday spent at the laundrette and preparing for the hike tomorrow.

Trinidad Arrival

Another wonderful evening/overnight sail! Plenty of wind and a few ships to avoid with AIS my watch 21.00-12.00 went smoothly, just a few Dolphins cavorting in the moonlight, then off to sleep and I’m called at 07.00 awake to the Trinidadian coastline.  We sign in with Customs/Immigration and Peakes Marina, then have a few hour more kip!
We have now been here just 10 days, two of them public holidays.
During which we unloaded the ‘cycles’ and went to The Trinidad & Tobago Yacht Club and around the coast here at Chaguaramas.
   Malcolm has now booked our flights home, earlier than we wanted due to lack of seats. Trinidad to Tobago on to Grenada then 9 hours to Gatwick.  A fraught day when we expected to land into a general strike, only time will tell.  Meanwhile, we organise a complete cover for the topsides to protect ’Piano’ from UV & sunlight.  Sam came to wash and put a layer of polish on the hull to protect it from the ravages of the atmosphere.  Richard has just fitted the air-conditioning and it is pleasantly cool down below for a change (26ºC and humidity only 48%).
The whole Peakes team has been to reposition ’Piano’ so that she is now level and has a rigid cradle to satisfy the insurers.
We have been loading gear from the outside lockers to a storage room so that we have a space to fill when we start doing work below decks and need to empty interior lockers.
  During an odd hour we give ‘Crescendo’ a well needed scrub and her outboard has been flushed through with fresh water ready for Hurricane storage in ashore.  The Bimini has been taken down ready for storing too.  It’s all going very well.

On the social side, we had Vicky and Porter ( Cinnamon Teal) over for sundowners. Vicky has a large hand in the Cruisers net here and knows all there is to about everything!  She organises Dominoes (afternoon) and a Cruisers BBQ on a Sunday evening we went along with our next door neighbours Penny and Chris last night.  About 30 people were there and we gained many more friends from various parts of the world.  It was a truly International event.
This evening we are able to have a farewell swim & drink with Mary & James who arrived yesterday while I was playing Dominoes.  They didn’t have such a good crossing from Grenada—I’ll get the details later.

Whispher Bay

We are in Whispher Bay
Saturday  11th June, Bus ride to Grand E’tang then we walk the Lake Trail.  It’s a nice walk however quite muddy in places better for the dry season maybe. Native Mona Monkeys live here but we only see a couple at the end of the walk.
Sunday 12th, BBQ on the beach at Hoggs Island Chicken Callalooo and Potato salad plus cold Caribs.
Monday 13th June, there was a holiday (Whitsun ?)so that meant a VERY LOUD party on Sunday evening. We were still both awake 0100 when Malcolm did a boat check and found the Avon (Crescendo) missing! The wind was ashore so we thought ok we'll look downwind in the morning....We announced on the Yachties 'net' what had happened and if anyone saw it would they bring it back/ help us look for it /take us to get a new one/ etc etc. Ok so one guy answers our plea and has seen a lone dinghy on his way to us so he & Malcolm go investigate and YES it is Crescendo minus the fuel tank (but even that is good news) Our new friend Tony then finds a local fisherman who has an old Yamaha tank for sale and takes Malcolm to buy it, we have a spare line aboard so all we need is a squeegee thing and Tony says he has a spare! so we are mobile again before lunch !  We invited Tony round for sundowners but he said no come over to him which we did and had a jolly good session with him and his wife Sharon
Tuesday 14th, Round the Island tour with Clemant Baptiste. We took a picnic lunch and set off at 8.30 then walked down to the pick-up point at Nimrod (Juniors) Rum Shop. We were there for 0900, but Clemant apologised at 10.45 that he had been held up.  No problem we travel to Port Louis where he gives us the history of the invasions to date.  Port Louis Marina was named by Peter De Savery in honour of the old capital which was bombed during a bout of firing.  There are 4 other Forts on the Island.  We then proceeded around the coast road, such that we could see all the Bays along the way to Halifax.  Our next stop was Concord Falls— a short climb down some steps to the pool below but I wasn’t tempted to take a swim in the cool mountain waters!
Back aboard the air-conditioned mini van we continued though Gouyave and Victoria right up to Duquesne Bay and Sauteurs.  From this outlook we could just make out Petite Martinique and Carriacou.  By now it’s almost lunch time but there is one more stop and that is the Rivers Rum Factory.  Where out guide did an admirable job of explaining the process of squeezing the sugar cane to extract the juice. This is then piped to traditional bowls to be evaporated and fermented to about 16%. This then passes to the distiller a few times until 79% is reached which is then bottled, the remainder continues until the higher specific gravity is reached.
Lunch for the 10 other travellers was at the Chocolate Factory.  We ate our picnic in the shade.
  After lunch we continued homeward through the disused Pearls Airport and Grenville towards St David’s Harbour and then back to Lower Woburn and Whispher Bay.
Wednesday 15th, Malcolm went into town for more money and supplies while I terrified myself aboard in the worst squall of the trip.  The sky was black and the winds heeled the boat as though we were sailing! And I could barely see the shore!
Thursday 16th sign out of Grenada and slip for Peakes Marina in Trinidad

Prickeley bay

2nd June
   Anchored off the point into a bit of a swell but not too bad. Had lunch and chilled out.
  Went ashore to the Regis outlet and Mike came aboard to run tests on the new Battery Charger. Both he and Malcolm decided that the differences in the AVO readings are within the tolerances of it’s specifications.  Malcolm is happy with Mikes explanation and so we go with what he tells us.

Next we head for the supermarket to stock up on shopping then had a beer to cool off.
2nd June,  No rain overnight well not much so up fresh and early.  Malcolm nips in to the chandlers for a new length of wire for the external anode.  We set off for a secluded Bay where there will be less rolling and straight into a very confused sea. Since this is only a short motor we continue until the engine begins to cough and splutter– and the dies completely!  We decide to return to St Georges since this is where the best technicians are and a calm spot too.  The sailing was slow but enjoyable and gave us time to think.  Maybe the confused sea and huge swell had stirred up the gunk at the bottom of the fuel tank ??  We anchor under sail and have a slap up Club Sandwich for lunch then get started draining the gunk and changing the fuel filters.  Yes there is gunk a plenty!
Friday 3rd. A phone call away and Ricado says he will come to clean the fuel and tank either Sunday or Tuesday so we go into Grenada Yacht Club to find James and Marie.  A discussion and then lunch aboard it is decided that James will comes out and fix a spare diesel can straight to the engine so that we can motor straight in.  Bingo what a great idea Merci Beaucuop James!
Sunday 5th, Ricado arrives with team and proceeds to drain the gunk and water of which he says we have 50 litres or so.  It then takes 3 hours to run all the good fuel though the high tech filters to be cleaned.  Only when he is satisfied that the engine runs does he begin to clear up and depart.  Malcolm is then able to change the oil filters and we are a happy boat again.
Monday 6th. A set of credit cards arrives –just one more set and  Malcolm may even crack a smile.  We have Marie and Jean Jacque over for dinner to say a big thanks for all their help.
Tuesday 7th, we go out to anchor again and the nice guy from Port Louis Marina comes out in his rib to deliver the second envelope we were expecting and yes there are smiles.
Wednesday 8th, We set off again for Clarkes Court Bay/ Whisper Bay. After a windy start we have a brilliant sail and arrived in a beautific peaceful Bay.

25th May Grenada

The sail to Grenada was ace! We averaged 6 knots and did 7.5 quite a bit too. We berthed at Port Louis Marina in time for Tea.  It is a very up-market marina with pool, private beach, de-luxe showers, free broadband wi-fi, TV, and the staff and security guys are wonderfully helpful.
  As soon as we are hooked up to the internet we get an email from Marie & Jean that they are moored opposite at the yacht club.
27th May. A short walk into St Georges for some cash and we meet Marie & Jean on their way home, so we suggest sundowners later.  The rest of the day is spent around the pool and shopping for vegetables.
28th May, We accompany Marie & Jean to the beach at Grand Anse  for a picnic lunch.  All goes well until after lunch and we see a black cloud so make a dash for home.  Unfortunately for them Marie & Jean almost loose their outboard when the glue detaches the holding board from the dinghy! He managed to hold onto it AND nurse the inflatable home in one piece well done to him of course we have already got home and don’t know of the mishap until the next day.
29th May.  A major shopping expedition to Grand Anse where there is an American Supermarket.  In the foyer are some ladies selling home made cookies etc—just like the W.I. Producers at home!  They turned out to be American ex pats and were doing quite a trade.  Well we filled a trolley and managed to cram it all into the largest of our rucksacks each carrying bags too.  Luckily we were spotted by a bus which pulled up and waited for us to board.  We used a boat trolley back at the marina! Then chilled out by the pool for the remainder of the day. There was no rain until after bedtime and only then enough to fill the solar shower.
30th May. A Sunday, generally grey and drizzely so we decide to go to the Grand E’tang for a nature walk, except the buses are not as frequent as during the week so we give up and decide to do Fort George—a 10 minute walk up hill, when we arrive it too is closed (note to self chill out on a Sunday– or go shopping) so we return to ‘Piano’ and I make a cake and bread, while Malcolm cleans the water filter and the sink pipes.  It all smells lovely now.
31st May. (Holiday in UK) Up early and took several buses through Grenville (where we had lunch Grenadan style) to the Belmont Estate which is a coffee and Chocolate grower and producer.  We went with Marie and Jean who had been before and recommended it.  The guided tour was superb given by Kelly, who preferred to do tours than work at the process to make the chocolate ready for manufacturing up to 80% cocoa solids.   After picking the pods the beans are emptied into a trough to remove extraneous vegetable matter, stones leaves etc.  They are then piled into a wooden compost box looking place and covered with banana leaves to insulate them while they ferment for 8 days.  Then they are spread out to dry onto large trays and covered with hoods rather like they use at Wimbledon.  The ladies shuffle through the beans, barefooted, to turn them over so that they dry evenly.  If they are to be exported they are then polished otherwise they go straight for roasting and processing into chocolate.  Yes we tasted the samples 60% and 80% yum yum.  We also had a look around the museum and grounds.
1st, June—a short sail around to Prickley Bay

Union Island

Once again a fast sail and I helmed all the way ! - well it was only a couple of hours…  A special treat since we have no fresh vegetables aboard we eat ashore. Red Snapper and unusual veg plus rice and coleslaw and Real CHIPS!!!
17th May, Shopping in the quaint village of Clifton.  It is quiet and provincial. but, so colourful! Also very friendly.  The weather being more like I would have expected a tropical summers day we decide to go snorkelling on the reef which encloses the bay. ( See images in picasa) The water is soo clear! It looks as though there may have been some catastrophe the sea floor looks damaged with signs of regrowth and still plenty of colourful fish.  The fauna included—the biggest Diadem sea urchin I have ever seen a small lobster and a sea fan (I think).
18th May, Went ashore early to catch the coolest weather of the day. Walked to Ashton where I found a shady spot to wait while Malcolm walked across to Chatham Bay and the surrounding area.  Back aboard ’Piano’ by 12 noon for late coffee and then lunch.   Most people have left the anchorage so we signed out of the Grenadines and motored round to Chatham Bay to anchor in a peaceful spot.   Went ashore for a beer where we met Jeffrey Osborne –King who has started a beach resort with a pool, restaurant, and bar.  He has moorings and offers a free meal to any captain bringing his guests ashore.  He also offers water from his desalination plant even if you only have a beer!  Look out for him in Doyles’ next Cruising book, I’m sure he will be in it. 
19th May, Short sail to Carriacou, where we anchored near ‘Felice’ (Andy & Pam) quick trip into town for some basics then a swim.
20th May, the anchor would not hold even after 4 attempts so we moved to a more sandy spot,  however this took all day so only  managed to bake a cake and do some washing!
21st May, Finally managed to get ashore and took a bus to Gun Point from where we hiked towards Windward, detouring down to Watering Bay via a conch lined path.  Naturally when we get to the water we are on our own at a blissful beach!  Back to the road and onto Windward-this is where the locals build boats on the shore by eye! They can win races against modern yachts too.
Carriacou is the least most tourist disrupted Island we have been to so far. Yes there are supermarkets and fruit & veg vendors but all very low key.
  There being no need to sit in the wind we decide to sit at a buoy off Sandy Island.  This is perfect, no ferry wash and a gorgeous sandy beach to look out onto. Terns, Black-headed gulls, Frigate birds and a couple of Pelicans wheel about overhead.  The snorkelling is by far the best so far and a welcome break from the baking sun.
23rd May, we motor round to Tyrell Bay.  Here there is a thriving yacht community some of who live here permanently (no wonder!)  There are maybe 40 yachts anchored peacefully here in a huge expanse of water.  Plus we have a resident fish happily digging around the anchor chain-sorry I’ve no idea what it is.
24th May , A quiet day snorkelling dare I say it the best yet! -apart from some invisible stingy things in the water -ouch.  The veg situation is non-existent apart from cans leftover from the Atlantic Crossing so we need to travel to Grenada tomorrow for some real shops.

The Grenadines May 2011

  We sail into Britannia Bay, Mustique and settle on a mooring for $200EC for 3, nights then have lunch.  Malcolm goes snorkelling.
Next day we walk the southern end of the Island, via a beach path, skirting a patch of land called Old Plantation, which has up-market picnic spots.  Some even have a built in BBQ for use.  There is no charge, but you are asked to book if you want to use one.  Next we wend our way though the end of the nature reserve.  This is a natural salt pond, with interpretive boards.  There are many birds and lizards too.  Now we hike uphill (but not too steep) towards Deep Bay.  On the way we see Tortoises! Next is Obsidian Bay but not sufficiently shady for lunch so we press on and find a delightful probably Black Sand Bay, which we have to ourselves.  It has too many waves to swim or snorkel so we just chill out and cool off in the surf.  After lunch we continue back to Britannia Bay for a glass of ice cold water or three.   We anchor Crescendo in sand –oops it’s become detached from the boat...  I try diving for it but it’s too deep for me so I suggest a quick dive with scuba gear. A big event to don all the dive gear for my first solo dive! YES I successfully retrieved the lost anchor.  Then we go snorkelling.  Spectacular over a reef with many kinds of fish.
 We invite Marie and Jon Jack across for sundowners and they respond by asking us over the following evening.
Day 2 Britannia Bay.
  Another hike ashore, this time though the Lovell village and up to the communication tower.  Passing the Post office ,school and Police Station We stop at a marvellous library So cool with it’s air conditioning and get a map.  Then onto Endeavour Bay where we stop for a cool drink and watch the tourists being pampered by the waiters.  Now we have a map with all the names of the houses, most with signs to deter tourists from wandering in.  We next find ’L’Ansecoy Bay’ for another swim.  More Tortoises and a short walk brings us back to Britannia Bay and completes our first tour of Mustique.

11th May Mustique to Canouan

This just a short sail of maybe 4 hours. Jean Jacques and Marie-Christine are away before us but end up at the same anchorage.
We go ashore for a few groceries and then with a small lunch hike across the island to it’s eastern side where there is a reef to snorkel. When we get there the beach is not so wonderful and the sea state is not good for snorkelling.  We eat lunch and then Malcolm sets off to do some more hill hiking and I return to Charleston Bay where there is a perfect spot under a tree and crystal clear blue azure water. A gentle breeze and this is my idea of paradise!  The only interruption is a small yellow crab who comes to investigate the stranger in his territory.  We eye each other for a couple of minutes and then he runs for home.
Back aboard for afternoon tea and we see a turtle or two in the water.
  That evening we end up ashore at the Pirate Cove Bar with Jean & Marie for sundowners. Mine is a ‘Canouan Sunset’ - and looks rather like a Tequila Sunset but is made instead with Caribbean White Rum.

13th May Canouan to the Tobago Keys.

Even shorter just 3 hours anchor to anchor. It’s surprising how exhilarating this fast sailing is, Malcolm slept for the rest of the afternoon while I finished my book and updated the blog story ready for uploading.  Once again the water is not so wonderful for snorkelling and there is quite a wind blowing for fun in the water.  I’ll wait and see what tomorrow brings before I take any photos.
14th May Tobago Keys
  Yes I’m glad that I waited! The boat boy delivered croissants at 8.30 First thing we moved ‘Piano’ from her mooring buoy 50 yards to the right nicely at anchor. We took ‘Crescendo’ of to another mooring buoy (no charge) so that we could snorkel. The water was still a bit rough but we persevered and it was well worth it. In some places the coral? Or seaweed colonies grow almost to the surface.  Fish of all colour and description abound along with the old familiars like Parrotfish and Napoleon fish.  Needless to say we had a large appetite for the croissants with coffee.
   Suitably filled we set off again this time for the Nature Reserve.  Imagine the Azure sea, white sand and green pebbles. (probably Malachite).  There is a signboard with do’s and don’ts in English so other Nationalities probably get caught.  A walk around the small Island acquaints us with many Iguanas and birds, not to mention the most idyllic views out to sea.

  On the way back to ‘Piano’ we see more turtles which I think are possibly Green Sea Turtles since they are so big.  Now is when I get the camera out for some new desk top wallpaper….

15th May, Sunday a day of rest for the croissant man and the park keepers who collect money! The morning spent cleaning shoes and the coat locker.  After coffee snorkelling, then lunch bake a chocolate cake but little to fill it with so I use up the honey which is almost all sugar so needs warming up.  More snorkelling, tea, & chilling out.
16th May, Monday the nicest day here yet. We decide to take ‘Piano’ to the deserted Island which we have been looking out onto. Take a walk around it and then sail on to Union Island. 

Passage to Bequia 2nd May 2011.

Our friends aboard Mai Tia are still here at Rodney Bay Marina! So some catching up to do. First some book swaps then a look at their DVD collection to transfer to our hard drive.  Vincent comes back to look at the new inverter and suggests that his boss John has a look.  John is up on electrical/computer problems and it certainly looks as through there is a software problem.  He phones the team in the USA (who are almost the same time zone as us and speak our language and they suggest that we give the inverter a software update, this is tried but because it has a lower number it thinks that it is being downgraded so we have to convince it to take what we are trying to give it.
  This achieved (a couple of days later) and it seems to be working fine! Thanks John! Crescendo is repaired and brought home they have done a grand job glueing all the loose seams down too Thanks here to Francis and his team.  So just a few odd items and we are ready for the sail to Bequia.  I learn from various friends that we have missed the wedding of the century, but I catch up by watching the photos of who was there and the fashions on the web.
  Saturday we pay the Marina and sign out with customs to lay at anchor prior to sailing down to Vieux Fort.
  Sunday after loading Crescendo to first class seating we slipped for Vieux Fort.  This turned out to be slow (we motor-sailed against adverse currents) and wet (I used my new foulies for the first time!).  We almost stopped at Soufrière  again in despair but finally made it to the anchorage just after sundown.
  Monday, we set off from Vieux Fort for Bequia – up at 5 o’clock in the morning! just in case we have flukey winds and need the extra daylight to get there.  It turned out to be a fast beam reach with rain showers and Dolphin sightings so we got in at 14.40 in time for tea.  As dusk drew in so did the rain.  We are almost self sufficient in water with our Bimini drains catching up to 80L in a rainstorm.
  Tuesday 3rd May.  We hit Port Elizabeth in full sun and after a trip to the bank we head out to find a local diver to clean the barnacles from the hull.  Malcolm suspects that the through the hull holes are possibly being blocked which might account for the log reader intermittently stopping and the Yanmar trying to overheat on full power.  The owner of the dive shop recommended Fitzy and we managed to secure his services during the afternoon.  We celebrated with a Latte at Gingerbreads and happened to see Andy (from Felice) in his tender. Fitzy arrived as the heavens opened and got to work. We are now nice and clean again (just 1 1/2 hours with scuba gear). Mental note not to sit around idling in the Caribbean as the barnacles just love to grow in these warm waters. I made some more Ciabatta and cleaned the spray hood windows to keep myself busy.
Wednesday.  Port Elizabeth is the only town on the Island and seems very friendly probably because the ‘Yachties’ are a regular form of income to them.  The water is clear and blue until rainwater run-off clouds it to brown.  There looks to be good diving here and plenty of walks if we have time and inclination next year maybe.
Next day we move to Friendship Bay where we hope that it will be less rolly. Some hope! However a hike ashore is pleasant and we see the chap who sold us a crate of beer at wholesale prices.  He is mending his car but has time to wish us a good day. During the afternoon a Spanish sailor swims across to invite us for sundowners.  When we arrive we find that there are 7 aboard a charter boat and they have taken various holidays together over the years.  There week is almost up so we leave them to finish the liquor aboard.  They up anchor and are away before us in the morning.  We settle ‘Cresendo’ in her bunk and slip for Mustique a mere 7 Nm away.

April before Easter!

 (Grand Piton is the Farthest one)
Monday, we sailed back to St Lucia from Martinique, a fast run with full sun yippee this is the life!

Tuesday the fun begins, we first ask for Vincent to come around again to give advice, and searched for Prudent the gas fitter, then set off to find a Yamaha mechanic or a main dealer for a new propeller for Crescendo.
  Wednesday Prudent says he will be here tomorrow, and arrives the next day to tell us what we need—he’ll be back later—which ends up being Thursday and a final check on Friday.
Meanwhile Vincent gives good advice about the 80ah charger which Malcolm then rewires only to find that there must have been a power surge which blows a vital component, now we have to wait again either for a repair (unlikely) or a new charger.  On the bright side the new prop has been fitted and tightened with a torque wrench loaned by Les the guy who does the net in the mornings. 
  Having ordered a new 80ah charger which should be here by next week we decide to sail the Eastern coast of St Lucia stopping at anchorages along the way.  Since the rain is getting to us we begin at the farthest end at Vieux Fort.  The days sail was mixed bur quite slow.  Rain gear came out for the helm once or twice and the Iron Horse was given some exercise on the home stretch. By the time we had eaten on Monday evening we were tired and ready for bed.  The rain and the anchor alarum awakened Malcolm so he had a little lie in on Tuesday morning.  More rain that day gave us no incentive to go ashore so we decided to re-grout the bathroom and toilet.
  The day brightened up after lunch so we put some more air into Crescendo and went ashore. 
  During World War II the low lying land at the end of the Island created the ideal location for an American military airport.  This has now been updated and has become the International Airport. The town itself is well off the tourist tracks and so not as well off as Castries.  Having said that it contained all the regular shops and services.  We toured the town and then headed for the ‘Reef’ on Anse de Sables for a Piton or two.  If only the sun had been out! This is the biggest and most undeveloped beach on the Island!  The only concession to sport is a small Kite ‘n surf Centre which also sells the beers.  While we checked emails and watched a Kite-surfer race across to Maria Island and back a few dozen times.  I hope we get a chance to come again next year if the weather is better since this is a nature reserve and has a coral reef around it which is apparently great for snorkelling.
  We were going to set off for Soufrière on Wednesday morning but as it was raining again decided to see what tomorrow is like.
 Thursday, dry overnight but it started raining as we were about to leave.  Not for long though while I made bread it cleared up and we arrived in sunshine again. A small boat came out and told us he would help with picking up a mooring.  As Malcolm was making preparations we sailed straight into the most enormous piece of rope (probably a mooring line from a liner!) Fortunately another 'helper' boat came past and borrowed our snorkels to remove it from the propeller. (40 C$) Soon after the first boat came back for mooring (40C$) next the boat for getting produce  - 2 Tuna steaks and take away the rubbish (45C$) and the fruit & veg vendor (5C$) After lunch and a rest the Reserve warden came by for our mooring fee (54C/1 night or 104C$ for a week).  Seems quite expensive here.
  Malcolm went snorkelling to check the prop and see the wildlife and came back stung by tiny jellyfish—but he said it wasn’t as bad as mosquitoes!
  First trip ashore and we have a pleasant ‘jetty master’ take our lines. He works for Jouloise Plantation Hotel. Making sure that all along the beach runs smoothly.  We ask his advice about seeing the local sights and then have coffee to chew it over. We decide to go for a taxi ride to the Sulphur Springs/drive in volcano and waterfalls.  We are told by the guide that the whole of Soufrière is in the Caldera! Which even runs out under the sea.  This may account for the peculiar eddys which we have seen while sailing by.

Soufrière, (means “Sulphur in the air”) and not only thus but Hydrogen Sulphide too. Our Guide Suzette told us about the geology and morphology of the island and was very knowledgeable on plants too. She told us that this was part of the ‘Drive in Volcano’.  Personally I thought the Sulphur springs were not as impressive as Yellowstone or New Zealand.  Ed our driver then took us to a restaurant in Soufrière where we all had lunch.
 We next visited Piton Waterfall and hot springs. Where I decided to sample the spa facilities.  Luckily I had my bathing cossy with me (unlike Malcolm who took the pictures!) The rest of the afternoon we chilled out on the beach watching as cruise liner tourists got stung by the pesky jelly-fish.
  Sunday Malcolm hiked Grand Piton with his guide Teddy. He started at 6.30 and was back for lunch.
Monday began with an early morning snorkelling session wow what a wonderful assortment of fish and coral fans! Next a move of residence to Soufrière.  Here we were welcomed by Black headed gulls screeching.  We sorted the laptop and rucksacks plus empty petrol can and went into town.  First stop a wi-fi restaurant and yes the new battery charger has arrived at customs. A stroll through Soufrière which used to be St Lucias’ first town and was established by the French in 1746.  It has colonial style architecture and is overshadowed by the majestic Piton Mountains. We were stopped twice by guys wanting to show us around the Island but in both cases we told them all that we had seen so far.  The only thing left was Soufrière itself. We were recommended :  Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens, a 20 minute walk from the town center.  This was the highlight of the town.   Such a range of plants and trees. Slightly further on was Diamond Falls equally spectacular see Picasa. No swimming allowed though.  Next household chores shopping and the gas station then back to ‘Piano’ and a restful afternoon listening to the gulls again.
Tuesday a quick sail back to ‘Rodney Bay Marina’.