April 2, 2010
Staniel Cay, Exumas
Bahamas

Well.....there's alot to tell....in such little time!
We arrived in Staniel Cay last evening after a glorious sail from Cat Cay....leaving about 0630 in the AM! 


The last I wrote....we were still in the Dominican Republic...sitting in a little restaurant/cafe and getting WIFI.  We lifted anchor around 0900......after Jim cleared our departure with the commandante after about 1 1/2 hours that morning.  In the DR....when you check out, you have to leave NOW!  They also want you to check in and out with them anytime you move your boat from one anchorage to the other....which we did.  But...there was a French couple that seemed to not understand the importance the DR puts on their rules and they may still be detained there trying to figure it all out!!!!
It was a beautiful sail....we knew we'd be sailing for three days or so, so we started our three hour watches right away.  We motorsailed until we were off the NE point of the DR ....and finally found some wind around 1800, 8-13K.  We ran out of wind again about midnight and had to motor thru the night.  We were back to sailing again by 0830 and caught a huge fish!!!  This is our biggest fish yet....so we measured it at 50"....a mahi mahi!  We ended up with three 1 Gallon Ziplocs of fillets from this beautiful fish.....still some in the freezer!  The remainder of the sail was great, except we were taking the swell and waves on the beam in pretty light winds, so we were rocking and rolling ALOT!  We were able to use the wind vane for steering and it worked beautifully....Monitor.  Really saves on the battery use during the long offshore trips.

Our destination was Great Inagua and we found the most beautiful anchorage here, anchored about 1300 on Thursday, 3/11/2010.  We hadn't heard of many people going to Great Inagua, so we didn't know what to expect.  On the back of our DR chart by Wavy Line, there is a small anchorage noted at Lantern Head Harbour on the SE corner of Great Inagua.  We entered thru the opening in the reefs that protect the anchorage.....and anchored in white sand, about 9' depth.....close enough to snorkel to a big coral head filled with fish and lobster!    We were the only boat there.  The following day we moved around to Matthew Town to clear Customs.  When we arrived at the government dock, by dinghy, there was a Haitian boat, filled with crew, loading old refrigerators onto their wooden sloop.  They left the harbour later that day, under sail, and headed to Haiti!  Just amazing....no electronics and hand steering!!
The check in with Customs was a breeze, very friendly Bahamian people.....once again.  When we got off the dinghy at the dock, the Immigration official was standing there and told us the woman waiting in the car would take us to Customs.  So....we hopped into this AC filled car and enjoyed a 4 minute ride to the airport!  We walked back toward the dock after checking in and another fellow stopped and gave us a ride to the grocery store!  When would this ever happen in the US?????? 
So....the following day we went back to Lantern Head Harbour to hang for a few days.  We went snorkeling and beachcombing....with great success!  Jim speared a huge lobster and we had 3 1/2 meals from that!!!  Not such a bad life out here, huh?  I also found a zillion sea beans and fishing floats on the beach.....and some unusual shells.  Again....the only boat in the anchorage the entire
time! 
On Tuesday we motorsailed in light wind around Great Inagua to the NW anchorage in Alfred Sound.  Another beautiful anchorage protected by a reef on the North end of the island.  The only problem is that it's really a rocky bottom and it took us 5 times to get the anchor to set......but we finally found some sand! St. Patrick's Day was the following day, so I hung out our Celtic flag for a few days!   We went walking on the beach on St. Paddy's Day....before I had my "green" beer.....and it was like a freakin' nature tour!!!    We saw a huge flock of pink flamingos!  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  Then I saw a huge hole in the sand....bigger than any crab hole I'd ever seen....and I saw something move inside of it.  So....I kept moving on....quickly.  On the walk back....I saw something fly away from the hole.....and saw a cute little owl perched on a limb nearby!  Then.....the other burrowing owl popped her head out of the nest in the beach and looked at me!!!  They were soooo cute!  Just when we thought the nature tour was over....a couple of oyster catchers came by and walked along the beach.  Great day!  My green beer ended up being a Presidente (from the DR) in a green bottle!!!
On Thursday....we left Alfred Sound and Great Inagua!  One of my most favorite islands so far!!!!  We sailed to Hogsty Reef....about 40 nm North of Great Inagua.  This is kind of a motu in the Atlantic.  A big circular reef/sandy beaches with a deep entrance on the West side.  There are two large wrecks here on the East side  .....kinda eerie, really.  We anchored in about 19', sandy bottom, but the wind and waves over the reef made it a bumpy anchorage.  But it was worth it to spend a day at a motu!!!!  We were able to walk the little beach/island, but it was a bit chilly to snorkel  .....plus there was a HUGE barracuda hovering under the boat.  I'd just shake my foot in the water and he'd appear!!!!!
The roll and waves got soooo bad the next evening that we knew we wouldn't be able to sleep, so we decided to leave the anchorage and head to Acklins Island.  It wasn't bad leaving the anchorage at night even though it was nearly a new moon.....but we had our "bread crumbs" to follow on the GPS from when we entered the anchorage....so we just followed those back out.  Had a great sail in about 15K and anchored in Sugar Bay on Acklins Island.....about another 40 miles....on 3/20/2010, Saturday. 
On Sunday we had a great sail over to Clarence Town on Long Island....passing a couple of freakin' freighters pretty close by!!!  In fact we were sooo close to the one from Monrovia that someone came out of the pilothouse and waved to us!!!  These are the first boats we've seen since leaving the DR!!!!  Not much traffic where we'd been!
                                                 
We love Clarence Town.....we'd been there on our first cruise out...on Jim's boat, ESMERAL.  The people are so friendly and it's a beautiful anchorage....again protected by reefs and rocks.
                                
We were able to get some WIFI and do laundry at the Flying Fish Marina.  We picked up a few provisions from the local grocer and found some fruit and veges from the market there.  The mailboat came in the day before we left and it's a pretty active dock at that time!


We left Clarence Town on 3/25/2010, Thursday....and sailed to Conception Island.
                                                             
The last time we were in Conception was about 5 years ago and the reefs were teeming with fish and lobster!  In fact, we got the biggest lobster ever on that visit!  So....off we went snorkeling on the reefs just North of the anchorage......and it was sooooo sad to see just a few fish and ruined/nearly dead reefs.  We circled the "coral head" and got back in the dinghy and went back to the boat.  Amazing the difference in the reefs from those few years.  We walked the beach and were able to see over the huge reef system and didn't see any color or life there. 
We took the dinghy up a little mangrove river on the island and saw alot of little turtles and sharks!
                                  So....all hope is not lost!

We left Conception on Sunday, 3/28/2010, to sail to Cat Island.  We'd never been to Cat before, so another new experience!  What a great island!!!  We rode out a front there.....initially anchored in New Bight, then moved South to near Whale Creek, protected from the South winds that were up to 28K by then!!!  There was only one other boat that joined us in the move....the remainder of the boats anchored in New Bight rode it out and were bucking up and down all night and day!!!!  We had the wind on the South end, but no waves.....so I walked the beach and found some more beautiful oyster catchers walking along in front of me.  That evening....we had dinner and watched a movie....then decided to move back to the North end of the anchorage....about 5nm, to be protected from the wind as it was shifting to the WNW.  So.....off we went and anchored in about 8', sandy bottom and slept soundly.  The next day the wind clocked more to the North and we were able to move back to New Bight.  We met some great people here......the first real socializing we've done since Martinique!!!  A couple from NC on "SeaVeyor" invited us and two other couples over for "sundowners"....."Blue Blazes" and "Anastasia".  We went over two nights and had alot of laughs and a few drinks.  Really nice people that you meet briefly and hope to see again!  We all took a hike one day to Father Jerome's retirement home on the highest hill in the Bahamas.  We had lunch at a local restaurant....but only had burgers and fries....so I had a great meal of fries.....with a beer, Kalik, of course!
Jim and I walked to the local grocery store for a few supplies and were given a ride back to the dinghy dock by a woman in the store!  Once again.....when would this happen in the US?????
We said our good-byes on the last day of March and headed out for the Exumas yesterday, April Fool's Day! 
The winds were fluky at the outset of the trip.....but filled in and were light, so we were able to fly the cruising spinnaker!  Then it really filled in and became more Northerly....so we dropped the chute and put back up the main and jib.  Sailed close to the inlet and started the engine...after about 56 miles of sailing....entering the cut with the main up.  It was a great sail!
We anchored behind Thunderball Grotto at 1745 and watched a beautiful sunset over the Exuma Bank.
                                                                            
Happy Easter to all! 
Easter time is a time for eggs.....and a time for eggs is Easter Time!
Bye for now.....
Love, Ann

March 7, 2010
Samana, Dominican Republic
Santa Barbara
(Photos will have to come later.....we're in a restaurant and I really can't get all the pictures out today......stay tuned!)

Once again, I've been slacking in blog writing....sorry to anyone out there that really cares!!!!  LOL!!
Seems like we've just been trying to get West....back to the Bahamas and the mainland of the USA....but in the meantime, we're stopping to have fun!
I'm really glad we stopped in St. Croix.....alot of people skip it along the way, but it's a nice place and I'd like to spend more time there someday. 


We made it over to St. Thomas a day before Lauren, Jim's daughter, arrived by plane way back on January 28th.  We took off for St. John's the next day....anchored in Caneel Bay.  We met Lauren's friend, Jess and her boyfriend, John, for drinks that evening after having a nice dinner on the water with a great singer at the restaurant. 
The following day we headed to Francis Bay.  We really wanted to head to Virgin Gorda since Lauren hadn't been....but the wind wasn't cooperating and we just hung in Francis Bay.  We did go snorkeling on a great coral reef near Francis Bay...the most fish we've seen since the Bahamas!!  It was great! We also went for a short walk with Jess as the guide, walking thru the Annaberg ruins and back.  The following day I swam to the beach and back....the weather was perfect!  We had a nice sail back to St. Thomas on Monday.....and Lauren had to catch her flight in the late afternoon...soooo, it was brief, but nice. 
That evening, in Druif Bay, or better known as Honeymoon Bay, on Water Island (part of St. Thomas) they have movies on the beach.  It's a pretty cool set-up....a big screen and chairs set in the sand.  We saw a funny movie that neither of us can remember the name, but it was a tour guided bus trip thru Greece and had Richard Dreyfuss in it. 
The following day we provisioned, once again.  We found great prices and duty-free on rum and wine.  We also met up with a couple that we met last year in St. Martin, Tom and Pat on Lonestar.  They left St. Martin and went to the Virgin Islands and ended up staying there for about a year.  It's really kinda cool...they both found little jobs for fun and are part of the scene.  Another boat that we met in Maine was there also!  As we were anchoring at Water Island, Rio Luna, waved at us and complimented Jim on his recent articles published in All at Sea!  He's famous!  So...it's a small cruising community!

We left St. Thomas for Puerto Rico on Thursday, February 4th.  It's a short sail, as you can actually see Puerto Rico from St. Thomas!  We sailed into the little anchorage at the island just off the East coast, Culebrita.  We'd been there before and there's always a bit of a swell, but not bad.  There is a beautiful beach with palm trees and no people.  I swam to shore again and walked the long beach.  Just relaxing!
On Saturday, 2/6/2010, we moved across the channel to Culebra, anchoring in the easternmost anchorage of Bahia de Almondover.  This may be my new favorite anchorages of all times.  It's protected by reefs and a few small islands that are bird sanctuaries.  The shoreline is outlined with mangroves and a few scattered homes.  During the week it is nearly empty, except for the cruisers that have already discovered it!  But on the weekends the locals enjoy their land and anchorages and zoom out in power boats, anchor and enjoy the weekend!  The funny thing about the locals in Puerto Rico, we've noticed, is that they anchor backwards!  They all seem to raft up, but drop a bow anchor and back up next to another boat with their stern to the land or mangroves and swim or row a stern anchor out to hold them stern-to the wind.  The first we saw this was in this little anchorage, but we've seen it several times since!  This picture is just an example of how close they anchor (bow and stern to) near us.....as we hang on one chain and swing to the wind!  They're close, but we never hit each other!
On Monday we motored over to Ensenada Dakity, Culebra, nearer the town to provision.  Spent a few days there, then sailed back over to Bahia de Almondover....only about 2 miles away!  On Thursday I decided to get to work....enough of all this fun and relaxation.  The varnish on a couple of the toerails is failing....after three years in the hot Caribbean sun.....so I started to repair the forward port toerail.  I used a heat gun to remove all the varnish, cleaned the wood and after it dried, sanded a bit then finally put on four coats of Schooner varnish over the next week.  It looks good again....now just three more toerails to go!  Then I'll just build up the coats of varnish as the weather permits.
On Friday, 2/13/2010, we had a great sail to Vieques, Puerto Rico.  We were able to sail most of the way and it was beautiful!  We anchored in Ensenada Honda....which is a huge bay, once again, surrounded by mangroves.  We were anchored with two other sailboats and the party of powerboats, but huge distance between all of us.  The party boats were there for the weekend and were water skiing, sailboarding, paddle boarding, and they all left on Monday.....one left in this cute little ultralight plane!  The star-watching at night was spectacular.  Jim and I have been spending sunsets sitting on the bow and watching the first stars come out.  Really nice!
On Tuesday we moved over to another harbor, Puerto Ferro....known for its phosphorescents.  There was a bit that we could see at night......but still not as spectacular as what we saw in Cocoa Beach, FL, near Cape Canaveral!
We left the following day for Puerto Real.  We don't have a guidebook for Puerto Rico.....we really didn't think we were coming back this way....so when we were in St. Martin last year we gave it to a British couple that were heading to the States.  Sooooo.....we've been using our big paper chart for all the anchorages and harbors.  Which seemed to work well until we arrived here in Puerto Real.  There was a documented sandbar off the end of a little island, but it seemed to have grown all the way to the shore since our chart was published.  We motored slowly.....I was at the helm and Jim was on the bow, "my eyes", and the depth kept slowly creeping up.  We draft 5'6" and I saw 5'3"!!!!!  Eeeeeeek!  But we never felt a bump and we squeezed thru and anchored in a grassy bottom in about 10'.  Later that day, when we went ashore in the dinghy, a local guy came up to us, pretty excited and talking fast, telling us we shouldn't anchor where we did because the fishing boats will come in at night and not expect us to be there!  So.....after making a short stop at the local WIFI establishment and the grocery store, we lifted our anchor and moved just a little further East, nearer the shore.....no problem! 
From this bay you can see the next bay, Sun Bay, that has a long beach in and is a local park.  So....off I went to walk the beach near sunset.  The next day Jim and I snorkeled a bit, but not much going on.....not many fish....although we spotted alot of turtles from the boat feeding on the grassy bottom.
We left Vieques for the big island of Puerto Rico on Friday the 19th.  Had another great sail downwind and easily navigated the channel into Salinas.  It is a protected anchorage, once again surrounded by mangroves.  There were alot of boats anchored here....but still not as many as two years ago when we were coming thru heading East.  We're starting to see fishing pots again as we sail.....but they aren't nearly as well marked as in Maine......the floats are usually empty plastic containers and black, blue or dark green.  So....it's just pure luck that we don't hit everyone of them!
In Salinas we found WIFI at a little outdoor restaurant....where I had cheese sticks and Jim had lobster-filled empanadillas.  My downfall is that I can't speak Spanish and also don't eat meat.....so I stick with things that I know won't have meat.  But at least I got to taste the lobster delights!
On our way back to the boat, there was a little canvas shop that the woman was selling tomatoes on the side.  We talked with her at length.....she was an ex-cruiser, ex-pat, that had started this canvas shop and they bought land that they farm.  She also had this beautiful salmon-crested cockatoo in the shop.  Her name was Zoe and she was a riot.  She got her out of the cage and allowed us to hold her as Jim and I gave her "scratchies" on the back of her neck.  She was beautiful.  Before we left the woman told us to hang on....we had to see Zoe swing!  I'm soooo sad I didn't have my camera with me.  Zoe hung onto this long rope and the woman swung the rope back and forth.  As the bird swung, she yelled "Wheeeee"!  It was a riot!  I can't get that picture out of my mind....and I laugh everytime I think of it!!!!!
On Saturday, 2/21/2010, we sailed to a little anchorage called "Gilligan's Island".  We are starting at this point to get back into weather!  It rained nearly all the time while in Salinas....and continued here.  During a break in the wind and rain we walked this long deserted beach....that happens to be on the windward side of the island and is filled with junk!  Once again found alot of single shoes, medicine bottles, plastic bottles....but no treasure   .  The good news is that we were able to get free WIFI from the boat.....only in the evening....probably from a restaurant on shore.  But that was a nice find!
On Wednesday, 2/24/2010, we sailed to LaParguera, PR.  During the week in this little sleepy town....it's just that.....sleepy.  But it's a big hangout for the locals on the weekend....the town comes to life....businesses open and there are street vendors and music everywhere.  Once again...the big find was WIFI from a local bar/restaurant.....able to get it from the boat after having a beer there one afternoon!  The bad thing was that the local grocery store was closed down.  Also....there was a local bar that was run by a guy from NY that we met two years ago....and that wasn't open either!  We were expecting mail to be delivered to Boqueron, a near-by town, but too far to walk.  So....we decided to rent a car on Friday.  The Hertz rental car company sent a driver from Boqueron to pick us up and take us back to Boqueron to do the paperwork  And....off we went.  We were able to pick up our mail....getting all our tax forms and Jim's new computer battery!  Then we took off for the infamous radio telescope that is near Arecibo.  To make a real long story short......we were never able to see it.  We drove for hours and hours on unmarked roads, up and down and nearly over the edges, over potholes and thru them.....then finally found a highway and made it to the telescope site at 1620.....the guard told us they were closed....closed at 1600!!!!!  We had been driving since about 1030 trying to get there!!!!!  So.....we decided to take another route home along the NE coast of Puerto Rico....but it just happened to be Friday night rush hour....so it was mostly stop and go....as we searched for a grocery store to stock up....once again.  We did find a Pueblo grocery store and sneaked in just before closing with our list in hand!  When we got back to LaParguera....it was packed with people....and we parked along the road, taking any refrigerated items with us back to the dinghy and left the rest of the supplies in the car (hoping it would still be there in the AM!!!)  We finally got back to Bees Knees about 2230 that night. 
The next morning....we loaded the remaining of the groceries in the dinghy....and Jim drove the rental car back to Boqueron and was dropped off just as I was putting away the last of the groceries.  What timing, huh?  LOL!
We did discover a large frigate hang-out in a mangrove near our anchorage in LaParguera......we zoomed out and took a zillion pictures....the big red billowing under their chin is their mating sing in the males...pretty impressive!
On Sunday we decided to motor around the corner to Boqueron.....to stage for our departure further West.  We were able to do laundry in Boqueron at a local hotel laundromat.  Had a nice lunch and free WIFI at Galloway's....my first conch salad since the Bahamas two years ago!  We met up with a friend of Jim's that he met in Venezuela at the marina....Butch and his girlfriend from Caracas on their boat "Tropic Bird".  Again....a small cruising world.
The weather was forecasted for light winds but from the ESE....so we left Puerto Rico about 0830 on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.  We decided not to head directly to the Bahamas....since the weather was going to deteriorate....with a front coming thru with NW winds.  So....we had about a 30 hour window to make it to the Dominican Republic.  We had never been to the DR.....sailed right by two years ago from Staniel Cay to Puerto Rico.  We had an interesting sail....took off downwind, sailing wing on wing....then the wind died when we got away from the land and had to motor....then the wind came back more from the South...and we were able to sail...then the wind died.  Well....you get the idea.  We motored about 5-6 hours and sailed otherwise.  We approached the shore of the DR at twilight and were able to do some whale watching.  This is the time of year the humpback whales arrive and hang out to mate and have their baby whales!  We definitely saw 4.....including one that breached....and one huge whale tail.....and a few questionable spouts!  Really impressive!  Jim heard something breathing behind us before it was light....he woke me up....and we saw two whales swimming along behind the boat!  Then I went back to sleep!
The overnight watches are killers!  We started 3 hour watches at noon.....Jim had the first three hours, then I had 1500-1800, etc.  I have a Nano that Jim gave me....that I'm able to quietly listen to very loud music to keep me awake!  But....I probably missed alot of whales following close by at night!!!
We arrived in Cayo Samana, Dominican Republic, on Wednesday, 3/3/2010 about 1130 in the AM.  Within 20 minutes the DR officials arrived at Bees Knees.  There were 5 guys, all in different outfits, only one official looking in camo gear and a gun, that came swiftly alongside and 4 of the guys came aboard while the other waited.  There was an official from Ports and Intelligence, Coast Guard and Drugs and the interpreter. They were very efficient and friendly as we showed paperwork and opened up our home to them....opening a few cabinets.  We offered them drinks....and shared a couple of Cokes and Presidente beers with them.  We were told to then check in with Immigration on shore.  They told us to take our time and meet them on the dock around 1500 (an hour after siesta).  Then....about 1500 they came by the boat again, whistled for us to come on deck then told Jim they'd take him in and bring him back out. 
This all was very interesting for me....the girl on board.  None of the men had direct eye contact with me, nor would they talk to me....only Jim.  It was OK that I offered drinks and got them for them...but that was it.  When they were ready to leave, I went to get their line for their skiff off the cleat and they asked me to step away and they would get it!!!  They never even asked me to go along to Immigration....imagine that!!!!  But....I found it even more interesting on shore.....again there is very minimal eye contact with men.  When salesmen or women talk, they talk to Jim only.  I've never been in a culture quite like this. 
Jim and I went to the local market yesterday AM......pretty wild.  First of all, it's been raining daily and it was sooooo muddy and dirty on shore....we were stepping in mud puddles...they even had cardboard down at one point to cross a street over the slippery mud.  The market is outside....they had piles of clothes, shoes, motorcycles...then the food.  There was a card table that had some sort of red meat sitting there with two local dogs just sitting nearby.  There were people walking around with chickens in bags as we were offered "pollo".  There were tables of fish also...but we're still hoping to catch some!  Then we found the fruits and veges and it was packed with fresh onions, shallots, potatoes, papaya, mangoes, cabbage, lettuce, limes, oranges and a zillion others.  We filled our bags for $7 US....just amazing.  On the way back to the dinghy we stopped by a little store for a case of Presidente beer for 1200 pesos, about $33 US.  Luckily Jim speaks Spanish and is able to get us through....I'd still be standing there trying to figure it out!!!!
Yesterday afternoon we needed to make water.....I really didn't want to make it in the anchorage.....so....we had to get permission from the Commandante to move from this anchorage to a clear water anchorage nearby....3 nm away.  So....we went to the office, where they use electric typewriters still, and got the paperwork to move for a few hours.  When we returned we had to take the paper back to the Commandante. 
It has been dreary and raining everyday....even cold!  I actually put on a long-sleeved shirt!  It was only 73 inside the boat yesterday....and it seems colder today....awakening to more rain!  So....I made yogurt this AM and Jim is making bread.  Surprising we still have our pet gecko onboard.  Just hope she stays warm enough to make it to FL where we may pick up a gecko hot rock!  She's eating alot of the local black flies....good pet!  Just what we do all day.
We'll head out tomorrow.....the front should sit here or go further East...and our winds should be 10-15 from NE and switch around to SE 20K within 2 days.  We hope to arrive in Great Inagua by Wednesday.  I'll try to get some pictures of whales for the next blog....but they're pretty quick!
OK.....bye for now!

Monday

Happy Birthday to MO...on the 22nd!!!!!

January 25, 2010
Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix

It's been a long, long, long time since I've updated the blog, huh?  Maybe we were having toooo much fun????  Maybe sailing way toooo much????  Not really.....just doing what we do all day long on the boat and on the land where the boat just happens to be anchored! 

We arrived in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia  , on 12/29/2009  ....just in time for New Year's celebration....fireworks everywhere!  There are a zillion resorts along the shore and they all had some sort of fireworks display.....the only bad news is we happened to be downwind and caught alot of the debris on our deck....but no fires!
We did catch a big wahoo enroute to St. Lucia......not much of a fight after it nearly took the entire line on the first bite!  But we've enjoyed many dinners and still have some left in the freezer!
There was a big brush fire in the park involving the fort, but luckily it looked controlled by the local fire department and they just let it burn out. 
We met up with some friends that we met last Spring on "Unchained" , Susie and Bill, and also met some new friends on "Silk Pajamas".  The six of us went out for drinks and dinner at a little tiki hut restaurant on the grounds of the fort/park.  Nice people and again, a great time!
We hiked with "Silk Pajamas", Kristen and Terry, the following day....just up and around the hill on the South end of Rodney Bay.     Jim and Kristen were excited when they both saw the rare smallest snake in the world, the St. Lucian Thread Snake, slithering by.....I just jumped up on one leg and scoured the ground for more!!!  Luckily the snake was too fast for Jim to touch it! 
We said good-bye the following day to both boats....."Unchained" was going to hang around for another week so Sue could go on a "zip line" in the forest....one of her lifelong dreams!  What a cool woman!

Had a great sail to Martinique and anchored in Fort de France.  We had been here twice before, so it was familiar and easy to get around.  We did mostly provisioning and window shopping.  We did meet up with friends on "Tabby Cat", Sue and Mike.....we last saw them the day before we left Grenada.....they pulled in to the anchorage here in Martinique the day before we were leaving for St. Croix.  But we did have them over for cocktails, watching a beautiful sunset and sharing/swapping sea stories....until a rainstorm put an abrupt end to all the fun and we said our good-byes rather quickly!

We left Martinique on Saturday morning, 1/9/2010, to sail to St. Croix.    The weather was predicted with good winds from the East, but decreasing by Sunday evening.  That's exactly what happened....only a little earlier....and we ended up motorsailing Sunday night into the morning, arriving at St. Croix around 1030.  It was a nice sail....doing 3 hour watches during day and night.  I ended up with the 2100 to midnight and 0300 to 0600 shifts at night....which wasn't bad at all.  I had my nano IPOD playing pretty loudly.....even woke Jim up once from my horrible singing!!!!
Our autopilot stopped working Sunday morning.  It had been making some noise, especially coming back onto course after surfing down some waves that were hitting on our starboard stern. Luckily we had our windvane rigged and ready to go.....we just hadn't tried it yet.  The windvane is a long story........it's a Monitor windvane and I bought it years ago and had it on MURPH (my Bristol 32........)....but when I sold MURPH, I took it off and brought it along to put on Bees Knees.  We had it stored on the deck for a few years....then when Jim was in VE for the summer of 2008....he secured it to the stern of Bees Knees.    The past year we've been trying to figure out the best way to run all the lines to the steering wheel (not touching the teak!!!) and finally put all the extra stuff on when we were in Martinique!  It worked like MAGIC!!!!  It was quiet, didn't use any electrical energy....and was wonderful.  Until the wind died that evening and we had to hand steer all night into the next morning!
We fished the entire way, but didn't catch a thing....did lose one lure to a BIG fish (according to Jim!).  Sunday morning I enjoyed my sunrise watch with coffee and a huge pod of dolphins.    They were surfing on our bow wake, turning over and showing me their white bellies, jumping clear out of the water and just having fun.  I took way toooo many pictures, but alot of them are a blur.  No matter how many times we see them it's still pretty amazing!
On Monday morning we had another group come along also......zooming over, playing, then leaving us in their wakes!
We didn't have any problem entering the channel for Gallows Bay in St. Croix....even though there were publications warning about the reef that several boats had struck recently.  But in daylight hours, the reef is really visible and easy to avoid.  We checked into Customs by phone....and it's that easy...we're back in the USA! 
Not alot of cruisers make it to St. Croix and it's probably the best kept secret.  There seem to be alot of expats here....those that came and never left.....and not as much tourism as the other islands. 
We have been here two weeks today......moving from Gallows Bay to Christiansted Harbor and a day in Frederiksted. 
There is a nice bus system here ($1.00 for a ride)....and they have "taxi buses" ($2.50 for a ride).  The bus system has a schedule, but according to the locals...is not very strict.  But it's a nice ride, get to see the island, and it's cheap!  The taxi bus is hailed on the side of the road and costs more, but it's faster, not as many stops, and more direct route.  They also have taxis, but if you schedule a pick up, or go to a taxi stand and hire a taxi, it costs the standard rate which we've been told could be $40.  So....since we're not in a hurry....we ride the bus and occasionally pick up the taxi bus. 
So....we've been getting around the island pretty easily. 
Lucky for us....because we had to get a spare part for the autopilot!  There's a great company that makes beautiful catamarans for charter and crusing/racing called Gold Coast...and they make them right here on St. Croix in Salt River Bay.  So....Raymarine was to ship the part to them....which was a bit inconvenient for us...having to make two trips there by bus...but Jeff, the man who seemed to be in charge of finishing the beautiful catamarans, took us on a tour of their factory and was very helpful in having our part shipped quickly to their facility.  Jim had already fixed the broken part before the new part arrived.....but at least we now have a spare!
The other boat project included replacing the brushes on the generator.  We bought the generator from NexGen and they recommend checking the brushes every 500 hours for wear.  Ours were at a point to replace them.....again, an all day project.  But that's running smoothly once again!!  Whooohooo!  The other wonderful thing about NexGen is their tech support by email and phone....they are outstanding!
The Caribbean sun is getting to our stitching on the sunbrella that covers the bimini!   I've had to do some repairs....then more repairs....then a few more.  So...that's becoming an ongoing issue, but I try to reinforce the entire seam if it starts to tear out.  Luckily we purchased a Sailrite sewing machine last year and it makes the job soooo much easier!

We did make it to the Cruzan rum factory the other day.    Jim was a bit disappointed to find out that they don't use local sugar cane in their rum.....and since Jim Beam bought the company over 10 years ago....the full-strength rum is shipped back to Florida, diluted, bottled, then shipped back to St. Croix!  So.....it's brewed here, but not local product, and not local water and not bottled here.  But, we enjoyed the tour and had a few rum drinks at the end! 

We visited the Botanical Gardens in the "non rainforest".   Took alot of photos, once again  , and saw the leaf-eating caterpillars that I initially saw in Grenada a couple of years ago.  The woman that works in the gift shop gave us a lift back to Christiansted when she saw us standing at the bus stop!

We've had quite a nature adventure here.  We saw swimming horses in Gallows Bay....they have a racetrack here and they exercise the horses on hot days by swimming in the sea!  We're not even close to the horse latitudes!
We also have a resident perigrine falcon that visits nearly every evening....  sitting on our spreaders and making all kinds of noise!  There are also alot of turtles swimming around eating all the thallassia grass on the bottom of the sea!

Back in the USA and back to USA prices!  It's amazing how much more expensive it is here!  We're finding what everything costs in EC in Grenada, it costs in US dollars here and $1.00 = 2.68 EC.  So...we've gone out to dinner once at a Mexican restaurant, had lunch at a little dockside restaurant...and had breakfast in Frederiksted Sunday morning.  Otherwise just having great dinners onboard, eating outside in the cockpit, watching the sunset.
The only downside to this anchorage is the loud noise from the seaplanes departing and arriving and going right off our stern!  Kinda cool the first time, but really is loud at 0600 every AM. 

So.....we plan to head off to St. Thomas tomorrow, weather permitting.  Jim's daughter, Lauren, is scheduled to arrive on Thursday for a long weekend....and will probably head to St. John's and back over that time.

Hope you're all staying warm in the tundra regions of the US!!!!! 

Bye for now!

Sunday

December 27, 2007
Admiralty Bay, Bequia

Happy Birthday to Jim!!!!

Well.....we finally left Grenada      Jim and I arrived in Grenada in May, I flew back to Maine to work, and he stayed on Bees Knees for the entire summer.  So....he was there about 7 months!  Almost getting to know the island, but we could have stayed for another year.  We love Grenada!


Since we last updated our blog, we've kept busy.....but luckily not on major boat projects.  We did have to repair our anchor light (that is part of the tricolor) and Jim and I both took a few trips up the mast for that....but great views from there! 
We moved from anchorage to anchorage....to Mt. Hartman Bay (the only boat anchored there)  , Calivigny Island, and Hog Island.  One day we decided to clean the bottom of the dinghy...but we needed to go to Hog Island to the beach and we were anchored off Calivigny.  So....we hopped in the dinghy and decided to sail, rather than run the outboard....but the dink doesn't have the conventional sails.....so Jim used his Large Tshirt and I used his hat as a "hattiker"....and off we sailed, downwind and doing pretty well.  We do use the engine as a tiller to steer occasionally...but otherwise it's all sail (Tshirt) power!  We do look pretty silly, but it's fun!  We've done it before in the Bahamas...in South Caicos and at Royal Island in Eleuthera.  We've been offered help by other sailboaters that we sail by....then they realize we're just sailing!  But during this sail we passed a megayacht  
that had been anchored in the bay for several days.  We watched as their bow of the boat opened up to the sky and a crane removed an orange inflatable huge dinghy.....sat it gently into the water and two crew with radios, lines, life vests came zooming towards us as Jim was holding his Tshirt a little to the port!  As they approached, one of the crew started getting a line ready to throw to us and I quietly told them we were fine....we didn't need any assistance....our engine was fine.....we were just sailing!!!!  They looked at each other and muttered some words I cannot print, and zoomed away!  We later thanked them on the VHF for their assistance and they were laughing by that time!!!!
We went on some spectacular hikes this past month.  We met up with some other cruisers:  Devi and Hunter on "Arctic Tern", Barb and Chuck on "Tusen Takk", Diane on "Jabuloni", and Ann and Steve on "Receta".  Hunter   is an avid hiker and explorer and travels with a machete!  That should have been our first clue!!  So.....on Wednesday, 12/9, Arctic Terns, Tusen Takks, Recetas, and Bees Knees rented a van and drove to the point in a road where the car wouldn't make it any more  .....and started our hike to Mount St. Catherine.  We hiked up a road for what seemed like miles...to an old power station....then into the jungle.  This was probably the most strenuous hike I've ever been on.....razor grass, mud, rocks, cliffs....just crazy, but fun!  Hunter and Chuck had machetes, so they were in front.....and they guided the way.  We stopped for a short break halfway up the Mt. to drink and eat  (pic of Devi preparing her snack!)...then had lunch at the top enjoying the solitude and beautiful views!!
 But then we had to turn around and come back thru the same "path" that we had just taken.  All in all it was a blast and there were no serious injuries other than a ZILLION razor grass cuts that took days to heal!!  On the ride home we stopped to get beer, water and at a roadside stand to buy oranges!    (picture courtesy of Steve on "Receta")
Hunter also would lead the group on morning hikes all over the Southern end of Grenada...usually starting from Clarks Court Bay....but at 0630 in the morning!!!  So.....wanting to stretch my legs....I went with the group while Jim continued his beauty sleep one morning.  We hiked thru cow pastures   , thru a dump, up a path between homes with children waving to us from the windows, up cliffs, onto rocks, under rocks.....but no razor grass!!!!  whooohooooo!  It was a blast....and did it all in about 2 hours.  The following morning Jim went with us.....we took a different path, but just as amazing and fun with great views  , walking thru neighborhoods, greeting people, picking star fruit (legally), and just having fun. 
One evening we spent with everyone on Tusen Takk, their 50' Kady Krogen, and Barb made multiple delicious pizzas while we talked, drank, and played Mexican dominoes....trying to add up the numbers and they seemed to grow with each hand!!!  I lost......Hunter won....and we both got prizes courtesy of our hosts!  Sooo gracious!!
Chuck had his 66th birthday and Barb got everyone together and we all went to dinner at Le Phare Bleu....a nice restaurant/marina/botique near Calivigny Island.  We danced to a blues band and stayed up way past our bedtime!!!
The next morning, Sunday the 20th, Jim and I lifted anchor, raised sail and sailed quietly away from the sunrise, rounding the SE end of Grenada, passing Grand Anse beach, St. George's harbor and the Carenage, slipping by the coast and finally seeing Grenada off our stern as the boobies bombed our boat!   
We sailed into Tyrell Bay in Carriacou and set the anchor around 1530.  The following morning we motorsailed over to Hillsborough, just around the corner, anchored, rowed ashore to check out with Immigration and Customs....officially leaving the country of Grenada.    (pic of nutmet courtesy of Steve on "Receta").  Jim cried coming back down the dock ..........having to leave Grenada!
We hoisted anchor and tried to sail, but had to motorsail to Union Island to check in to our next country, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  One of the more persistent "boat boys" came over to us while we were anchoring, offering all kinds of services and would not take No thank you for an answer.  Finally.....he realized we weren't giving in and he left.  Immediately another "boat boy" arrived and asked if we needed anything....after we said no thank you....he mentioned that we were safe there and "He who kills you kills me!"  About the third time that he said this Jim just gave him the "one love", kinda the Sammy Sosa sign, and he left!!!!  So.....we checked into Customs and Immigration and lifted anchor to motor over to the Tobago Cays and chill for a few days! 
The Tobago Cays are one of my favorite places in the Eastern Caribbean....clear water, white sandy beaches and turtles, flying cunards, small flounder, squid, and of course the barracuda....all for us to enjoy!
We stayed in the Tobago Cays for two full days, then set sail for Bequia on Christmas Eve Day.  We had a glorious sail!!    Sailing on a reach in 16-20K winds with two reefs in the main and the jib reefed....doing up to 7.9K thru the water.  That's really fast for Bees Knees and we had a blast!  We fished, but didn't catch a thing.  We arrived in Admiralty Bay, Bequia around 1230!  We went into the market to buy frozen fish ....and a few other supplies for Christmas dinner.
On Christmas Day we just lounged around on Bees Knees, opening presents and contacting family by Skype or email.  Nice, quiet day. 
Yesterday we wanted to walk a bit....so we took off on an island tour, by foot!  We walked over three miles (one way) to see Moonhole.....but weren't really able to see much since it was all private.  We did explore a deserted building that must have been the restaurant.   Pretty interesting place and if you want to see more you can Google Moonhole, Bequia, and read a bit on the development.  We had pics posted last year when we came thru.
Today is Jim's Big 56th birthday  .....I made breakfast, served him coffee and the day is his.  We'll go out to dinner tonight to get his traditional pizza for this birthday and just celebrate life!
Bye for now!

Thursday

December 3, 2009

Well....time is going by fast!  Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!  We shared our Thanksgiving with about 50 other cruisers...not all necessarily American either!  I made a dish of "sweet potatoes".....which is not the "normal" orange potato that Mom used to make with butter and brown sugar and let cook all day....but they were white, a little sweet, but I added the same butter and brown sugar!  Jim made a cherry/rhubarb crumble cake for dessert.  They both were pretty good, if I have to say so myself.....but there were tables of food that each cruiser/couple brought and the turkey was donated.  It was held at a local restaurant, De Big Fish, which is a great place right at the base of Prickly Bay on the South Coast of Grenada.  It was nice!

Jim and I have been doing alot of hiking/walking.  Our first hike was up to Mt. Qua Qua which is halfway between St. Georges and Grenville.  We took a bus and got off at Grand Etang.....where there are monkeys that climb on the fence and take candy and bananas from the tourists.  Of course, they weren't around the day we were there!  Our climb up Mt. Qua Qua was nice, but hot and muddy and alot of razor grass cutting my arms!!!!  Not the most pleasant hike we've ever done.  But the views from the summit were spectacular!
Another hike was to the Seven Sisters waterfalls.  Again, we took the bus to Grand Etang, no monkeys, then walked down the road to the entrance of the path to the Falls.  We met up with Kenny, a machete-wielding local Grenadian, that gave us a few tips on how to have a safe hike!  It was great to be back in the jungle/rainforest with zillions of heliconia , bamboo trees and lizards!  We visited the bottom two of the seven sisters.  We started to walk up the path to go further and the local guide told us it was closed.  Not really sure why, maybe not enough rainfall....and rumor has it that once you go up you have to jump down the Falls to get back down!  So.....we just swam a bit at the base of the waterfall then walked back the path.  We grabbed a beer at the local shop (where the monkeys were supposed to be), then hopped back on a bus to go home.

This past Saturday we went "hashing"!  Jim has been doing hashes all summer.....they have one every other weekend here in Grenada.  They take you to all parts of the island and set up a course for you to follow by shredded paper....thru the jungle, over mountains, over streams, and then finally back to a little town to drink beer and rum!  It was pouring down rain as we were waiting for a ride in downtown St. Georges, but slowly people started to show up and then a bus from the University came by to drive us to a town, Walker, to meet up with the other hashers and start the hike.  There are runners and walkers....not sure how you could have run this course, but there are rules with the hashers.  They set up the course, but you have to follow the shredded paper laying on the ground....but sometimes you miss seeing it and you're no longer on the course!  So....you yell......R U.....and if someone is on the right course, they'll yell back....On On; but if they aren't sure, they yell....Checking; but if they find they aren't on the right course, they yell....On Back.  So.....with that, off we went.  Of course at one point Jim and I were at the head of this pack of people and we missed the turn and went a little far out of the way......so someone yelled On Back...and we all turned around and headed back to the correct course.  This is in a jungle, climbing under fallen trees, climbing over rocks to cross rivers, walking thru banana fields and finding fallen nutmegs!  But....it's a blast and a great group of locals, ex pats, University students and a few cruisers.  I received a certificate that I am no longer a Virgin hasher.....but avoided the traditional pouring of beer over your head......yeah for me!  We got back to Bees Knees about 2100 that evening.....great time!

One day Jim and I decided to see the island by bus!  So....we hopped on a bus to Grenville....passing Grand Etang again and guess what!!!!  There was a huge monkey on the fence as we drove by!!!!  No pictures, but he was pretty cute!  We continued on the bus to the Rivers Rum factory, had lunch and went on a tour of the rum making process....all by manual labor!  Then we hopped back on a bus to go to the nutmeg processing plant.  The plant used to employ about 150 workers to keep up with the supply of nutmeg.....until Ivan destroyed the island/trees in 2004.  Now they employ 8 people.  They still have nutmegs being dropped off by the bag full by local farmers....they still process the nutmeg, but not the mace because they just don't have enough.  Again, this is all done by manual labor!  Amazing!  Grenada was one of the three leading nutmeg producers in the world before Ivan.
We took the bus to Sauteurs, on the North end of the island.....walked around, had a beer, then hopped on another bus to come back home to St. George's.  The road along the coast was blown out by construction crews, accidentally, so the ride home was about 3.5 hours....which normally would have been two hours!  But we did get to see more of the island!

The buses are a whole story in themselves.  Jim wrote an article about them and submitted it to the magazine, Lattitudes and Attitudes, and will be published at some point.  But....the Grenadian bus drivers have to be the best drivers in the world!  They zoom.....never have seen a speed limit sign.....and they pass other buses and cars and trucks on these little windy roads.....just with a little beep of their horn as they round the corner to advise anyone or anything to get out of the way!  The buses are vans and sometimes they have a conductor....a guy that sits in the back by the door, collects the bus fare, keeps the passengers squished together by moving people around as some get on and some get off; they spy anyone walking within a half mile that might need a bus....then the driver will either pull over or back up down the road to get the person!  No one usually talks on the bus, no one says good-bye or thank you, but they occasionally greet everyone when they enter the bus by saying "good morning or afternoon". Really an excellent transportation system.  You can catch a bus almost anywhere....and usually one will pass every few minutes!  There is a bus station downtown St. George's....which is a trip in itself.  You walk into the station, find the correct bus number that you need, hop in and wait.  The bus won't leave until it's full.  But we've never had to wait very long....but it does get hot until the bus starts moving!  The other thing is that the fare is really fair!  It varies according to the length of the trip, but from the anchorages to downtown, it's 2.50 EC....which is about 93 cents US!  The most we've ever paid was 6 EC....but that was the long trip home!  So....not bad, huh?  It's our way of getting around the island and having a great time doing it!

So......those are the UPs of Paradise.  But....it's not all fun and games!  Jim and I flew in to Grenada on the evening of November 11th.  Bees Knees had been docked at the Grenada Yacht Club which is in St. George's.  Great location, great people and fair prices!  We stayed there for a few days then headed out to anchor right outside the lagoon of St. George's, on Monday, the 15th.   Another great anchorage, clear water, dinghy distance to the yacht club and the Carenage of St. George's.  The day before Thanksgiving we moved around the coast to Prickly Bay, to be closer for the Thanksgiving event there.  We noticed the autopilot wouldn't work.  After many diagnostic tests by Jim, he deemed it to be a computer issue in the course computer.....needing to be sent back to Raymarine.  So.....we decided to purchase a new autopilot and wait until we're back in the States to get this one fixed.....then have a spare that we always thought we should have anyways.  So.....after a few thou....we bought the new autopilot and got that hooked up and....magic....it works again! 
We bought some anchor chain over the summer and it's rusting!  Jim's contacted the company in Ft. Lauderdale and they're willing to replace it, but won't ship it!  So....not sure what we're going to do about that!  A couple of days later, we started having some plumbing issues.....I won't go into detail.....but it involved taking out a hose and replacing it.  As Jim was doing that he was crouched under the head sink and I heard some more swearing!  The handle to the thru hull had torqued off!  Luckily it was in the closed position......we'll deal with that later.  But when Jim went to turn on his computer after dealing with those issues, his hard drive failed!!!!!!  Then I found a bug in the refrigerator!!!!!  I killed the bug and fed it to our pet gecko.....who ate it in five bites.  Jim recovered his hard drive.  This morning the plumbing is working again!!!  Whooohoooo!  You're just lucky I didn't take any pictures of all of this!!!!!  So....we don't have much planned for the rest of our stay in Grenada!

We did take a break from our projects on board last night and went to a talk by a couple, the Lowries, on a 1935 sailing vessel, Lista Light, who are doing seabird studies in the Caribbean.  They're visiting alot of the islands at different migration times and counting bird, eggs, etc. over a two year period.  They're working with EPIC and I'm sure you can google that to find out more.

Our new plan is to sail to Carriacou, then the Tobago Cays and Bequia.  We may shoot up to St. Croix from there, stop by St. Thomas for Jim's much deserved and needed cheap rum, the on to Culebra, Puerto Rico.  We are planning, in jello, to be in Maine by the end of May.
Bye for now!

                                    HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION

Saturday
November 14, 2009

     Well......it's just another long story!  But of course I'm going to try to tell it a little more concise........

     I flew out of Grenada on May 31st....leaving Jim and Bees Knees (and Scootie, the cockatiel) behind.  I needed to go back to work....so off I went to Mount Desert Island to work in Bar Harbor, Maine.  This was my third summer season working in Bar Harbor and I simply love it....as you may be able to tell by the end of this blog!  The first season Jim and I sailed there on Bees Knees in 2007....last hurricane season Jim and Bees Knees stayed in Venezuela....and this year he stayed in Grenada.  My work this season was scheduled around the hospital's needs and two family weddings!  So....I started in June and finished up the end of October....... able to attend my niece's wedding, Katie Frederick to Brian Whitta, on October 10th....then go back to work for a few more weeks and pack up and fly to Columbus for my nephew's wedding, Rob Frederick to Marla Hassink on November 7th.
     I worked at MDI Hospital in the Emergency Department for the Summer/Fall.

 
The hospital is a small hospital, about 24 beds, serving the community which blossoms in the summertime with tourists for Acadia National Park, cruise ships, honeymooners, the summer people "from away", and finally the "leaf peepers".  MDI Hospital is a critical access hospital that is one of the more efficiently run emergency departments and rating #1 on numerous patient satisfaction surveys!  So.....it's a great group of people to work with and for and I plan to return as long as they let me!!!!
     The great thing about working as a nurse.....there's alot of down time.  I was scheduled only three 12 hour shifts per week (but would gladly fill in anywhere....other than nights....when needed)....but that leaves alot of time for hiking, biking, wandering around town and the shops and hanging with friends.  Luckily this year I spent alot of time with my good friend, Gwen Hebert (common spelling, but wrong pronunciation!!!!  LOL!!!!), and we really tried to do it all in a few short months.
     The Acadia National Park (ANP) is one of the 5 smallest National Parks in the USA, but it is just gorgeous!  I tried to do all the trails, hiking, this summer......trying not to repeat the previous summers hikes.....and I still haven't done them all!  I really don't have a favorite, but I assume you'd have to do each trail each season to experience the trail fully since things change and scenery changes.  Jim sent me a new camera for my birthday in July and I must have taken a zillion pictures.  The camera is a Sony Cybershot...but Canon just happened to have a free workshop in ANP this summer that I attended....trying to learn a little more about aperture and timing/framing, etc.  So...hope you enjoy the pictures.
     One of the first days I was in Bar Harbor there was a "Blessing of the Fleet" at the waterfront.....all the local lobster boats motor by for the blessing and off they go for the summer season.  This years' lobster was cheap, plentiful and delicious!  In July, my friend, Pat Madden (who is from all over the country but we initially met in Jupiter, FL) aka The Beach Lady.....happened to be in the NE area of the country and came by to spend some time in Bar Harbor with me.  We enjoyed a great hike up Beachcroft Path to Champlain Mt. with Gwen.  Had a blast.
     On the 4th of July.....my birthday....they had a big parade in town and I volunteered to be part of MDI Hospital contingent......marching along, but mostly taking pictures!!! 
On July 9th, my friend, Lisa Smith (California girl), went on the Nature Tour.....a boat that takes you along the shore and by the lighthouse to observe the shoreline and sea life.  Of course when we spotted the seals my battery ran out!  I ordered an extra battery online the next day!!  In August I went out, as a passenger/tourist, on the Margaret Todd....an old gaff-rigged sailing vessel that sails out of Bar Harbor to Seal Rock and returns.  Not real exciting, but it was a chance to get out on the water!
     I did alot of hiking.....Norumbega Mt. to Lower Hadlock , the Giant Slide and Grandgent Trails, Otter Cliffs  , Asticou Gardens , the Gorge , Hunter's Creek , The Shore Path , up Dorr to Cadillac Mt , Beech Mt. , Kurt Diedrich's Climb , West face of Cadillac ,  Bubble Rock , Stratheden Trail to Kebo Mt., Bernard  and Pemetic Mts. 
     Our friends, Ed and Beep from MIDWATCH (a Hallberg Rassey that is presently for sale!!!!) sailed up to Maine and we hiked one day and biked the carriage trails the next.  I met them at the Ferry Dock to Swan's Island and we anchored out......my first time on the water since leaving Bees Knees!!!!!  Had a great visit with them....and they sailed away, heading South to Rhode Island and eventually Beaufort, NC.
     In the middle of August Gwen and I ventured off the island to head to Moosehead Lake.  It was just a blast!!  We drove up to Greenville, had a great lunch and off to the Birches where we rented kayaks.  We "borrowed" some crystal wine glasses from the bar at the motel, took a bottle of white wine, and off we paddled on Moosehead Lake.....stopping in the middle to enjoy the beautiful scenery, good stories and laughs , and a bit of wine!!  We went swimming in the freezing cold water....then paddled back to the motel.  That evening we enjoyed a great meal and crawled to our rooms to get up early the following day to go white water rafting!!!!  The adventure in all of this was the 4 hour drive down the potholed unmarked paper mill roads......laughing and talking....jumping out of the car to take pictures of 2 moose that were standing in the road or in a stream ....and arriving in time to hop on the bus for the ride to the West Branch of the Penobscot River.  This was my first white water adventure and I laughed and screamed most of the way!  I didn't realize we'd have to work so hard and also that the force of the rapids could easily throw me out of the boat!!!!  But we made it thru without leaving the boat or any injuries!!  Great fun.  We drove home to Bar Harbor that night to get back to work!
     Soon after that adventure, Gwen invited me to the "Pedrick Camp" aka Wine Camp.  The Pedricks are good friends of Gwen's who have a camp....aka huge nice home on a Lake .....just West of Bar Harbor.  So......their son, Brent, was there and we stopped on the way up to get Gulf Shrimp and alot of other great food, and of course, wine,  and spent two days just having fun kayaking , eating, swimming, walking and once again.....drinking wine.  Does there seem to be a theme here?????
     In September, friends of my parents and subsequently my good friends, Anne and Ned Pahl,  invited Gwen and I out to their camp for a lobster feast.  We arrived at their beautiful home ....and immediately got in the inflatable dinghy for a wet ride into the waves and wind to get lobster!!!!  Poor Gwen was sitting in the front and really shielded  Ned and I from the worst of the water.....but we all looked like drowned rats by the time we arrived in South Surry to get some delicious lobsters......which Ned bought.....thank you Ned!!!!  We returned to their camp and had a great meal of lobster, corn on the cob, coleslaw and alot of other food, including......WINE!!  Just another great time with good friends.
     The first wedding I went to, my niece, Katie's, I rented a car, drove to Boston to pick up my other niece, Jamie, and we drove on to Findlay OH.  Jamie will probably never want to ever spend that much time with me again.....but I had fun.....alot of stories were shared....mostly me talking and her testing me for Alzheimer's!!  Katie and Brian's wedding was wonderful.  They had the reception at John and Deb's (my brother and wife) on their tennis court and it was perfect.  It was a beautiful, clear Fall day with decorations of pine cones , pumpkins and flowers.      Just really nice.  It was the first time I met Brian and he's a gem.......you can see it in Katie's face!!
     I did alot of biking also.  I don't own a car, so the only way for me to get around is on my bike or the public "free" bus transportation, thanks to LL Bean.  There were a few trails I had to bike to...then hike....then bike home.  It's a great way to exercise and enjoy the island.  I joined the YMCA and worked on the elliptical machine most mornings....to take the place of running (which I still miss but my knee won't take the pounding anymore)  I volunteered for the YMCA to help with a few running road races....the 1/2 Marathon and also helped at the First Aid tent at the MDI Marathon (one I'd highly recommend for anyone wanting just a beautiful scenic route and well organized run!!!)
     Jim and I talked twice a day in addition to frequent emailing....but just was never enough.  He enjoyed Grenada ....helped out at Carnival by joining a band and making costumes , did a few boat projects and got to enjoy the people.  We were to meet in Columbus at my nephew's wedding......but the Wednesday before that..... he showed up at the hospital!!!!!!  He had come to the States the middle of October to spend time with his daughter, Lauren, and her boyfriend, Greg, in Marathon....the he and Lauren drove to New Mexico to visit with Jim's sister, Barb.  So....I was working in the Emergency Department on Wednesday evening....picked up an extra 4 hour shift....and Carole from registration came up to me with a Santa Fe Pale Ale beer and said....."There's a guy that just showed up out front and asked me to give this to you....you'd know what it means!!!!"  I went crazy.......I finally went out front to registration to see who "this guy" was.....and there was Jim standing there!!!!  I cried and cried and cried......they finally let me leave work!!  What a great surprise!!  I had to work the next two days....but then had the rest of the time off.  So from Halloween thru November 5th, we were able to spend quality time together.  We went on a few hikes, had some good meals and just had fun. 
     We flew to Columbus, OH, on the 5th. My nephew, Rob Frederick, and Marla Hassink  got married on November 7th at a cathedral in Columbus.  Jim and I met up with my family for lunch and drinks.  We were invited to the rehearsal dinner, which was an honor, at Buca di Beppo...great food and fun.  On the day of the wedding, Jim and I followed Marla and some of the bridesmaids as they walked from the hotel to the cathedral in downtown Columbus.   The wedding was beautiful and the reception was at the State House ....all within walking distance.  Really really nice wedding!  The time spent with family during these weddings was soooo nice...... really had a great time with my brothers  and sister  and all the nieces and nephews and their friends/spouses.  Great time!!
     So......Jim and I flew to PBI, spent very short time with friends at dinner at Duffy's in North Palm Beach.....Hootie and Dan,
Mary and Alan , Martin and Tracy.  Time just really seems tooooo short everytime I pass thru SoFla.....never get to see everyone and never get to spend time with anyone.  After dinner we zoomed down to Singer Island to get together with Darlene and Kim.....my very dear friends who are CLODs.....cruisers living on dirt......and they really want to go cruising......but have a few loose ends to tie up!!  I will continue to watch for them on COOL CHANGE at every anchorage we visit!!  Jim and I dropped off a few things at our storage area, rearranged our luggage....spent the night at Mary and Alan's beautiful home in The Bluffs....got to play with their English Springer Spaniel, Katie, who looks more and more like my Springer, Maggie....who died at age 14 a few years after Jim and I met.  But we got our dog fix and they were so gracious to let us hang there for the night.  Then off we went....driving down A1A, taking our time, to go to Miami.  Our flight to Grenada left the next day, but we had to stop at our storage area in North Palm Beach and the flight to Grenada left at 1700 the following day.
     So......here we are.....floating, once again, on Bees Knees!!!!  Scootie, our cockatiel, came home from his sitter the day after we arrived and we are right back into the routine of going for walks around the boat in the morning......getting scratchies at night.....and that's just the bird!!!!  LOL!!!!
     The first day back I unpacked and cleaned.  The second day we walked to the bank to get EC dollars then took the public bus to the grocery store.  Today is the third day and we went to the market downtown to get fruit and veges and blackfin tuna.  It is sooooo nice to be back here in Grenada.  Now....I just have to get a tan!!!!
Bye for now.......






    

May 20, 2009
Wednesday
Happy Birthday Bob!!!

Well......we made it!!  We were pulled out of the water at Spice Island Marine in Grenada, as scheduled and on time, at 1100 on Friday, May 15th.  Jim really did alot of prep work....trying to find the best yard for us, ordering 4 gallons of paint (after researching different brands sold in the Caribbean), nearly trying out a new prop paint from Sea Hawk (but it's not on the market yet).
We chose Spice Island Marine due to the good reputation and they were able to give us an estimate of the cost (which was right on at the end!!) without any surprises.  Plus another huge advantage is that they are right next to Budget Marine (which we consider probably the best chandelry in the Caribbean).  The marine yard is located in Prickly Bay on the South coast of Grenada and they were sooooo busy the entire time we were there....pulling out boats and stacking them side by side for the hurricane season. 
Our main reason for getting pulled out of the water was to paint the bottom of Bees Knees....our last haulout was in Marathon, FL, around Christmas of 2007.....right before we left the States bound for the Caribbean.  The paint did great for the first 12 months.....then we started getting so much growth on the bottom.  Jim spent about 4 hours cleaning the bottom while we were in Guadeloupe.....scraping what he called "maroon shag carpeting" from the bottom.  In the midst of all the growth were tiny shrimp and crabs!  One crab, named "Rudder", hung out on the rudder (ergo the name) for miles....but was sadly gone when we hauled Bees Knees.

The whole event went smoothly.....they hoisted Bees Knees easily out of the water with only "Scootie" on board.  Jim and I stood by watching our home hanging from straps!  They moved us into a working area and secured us with jack stands and wood blocks....and that's where we lived for the next 5 days.  We spent Saturday and Sunday varnishing teak, cleaning the hull, taping the bottom off for the painters, and sanding the prop and all underwater metal.  On Monday,  Nelson, one of the many yard workers, expertly put the first coat of black SeaHawk 77 on the bottom.  Jim was a bit nervous......he has always done his own work....this was the first time we had the bottom painted by someone else!!  But we were impressed with Nelson's work.  On Tuesday he put on the second coat and pulled the tape off!  It was beautiful!!  Jim and I then painted the prop and the underwater metal with Prop Speed....a very expensive, two-part, paint that we've used a couple of other times and it really keeps the prop clean from barnacles and growth!  Now we were ready to be splashed the following day.

I've always kinda liked being in the boatyard.  When I had MURPH....I usually hauled out at Cracker Boy Boatworks in Riviera Beach, FL, but once at Seminole Boat yard in Palm Beach Gardens.  I loved the hard work, dirt, feeling of accomplishment, plus the comraderie of all the other boaters that are suffering in those conditions.....sharing local knowledge and stories.  Jim and I spent some great times at Bock Marine in Beaufort, NC.....with his boat ESEMERAL, peeling off the bottom paint; and storing MURPH there for a season.  We also really enjoyed Cobb's Marine in Norfolk, VA, where we took Bees Knees to paint the hull.  But the major difference from those boatyards and Spice Island Marine in Grenada, West Indies......is the HEAT!!!  We had to have all of our work done by 1100......then sit around until about 3 or 4pm to start working again.  I have never been so HOT in my whole life!  But....it was only 5 days.  A big plus to having sooooo much heat......we didn't want to cook onboard....so we found several good, nearly cheap, restaurants.  We visited the pizza joint at Prickly Bay Marina, the Mongolian Restaurant just up the street from the boatyard, NY Bagels (believe it or not) for breakfast,  once went to True Blue Marina for brunch, a lunch and a dinner at Da Big Fish (right outside the boatyard gate!) and the best was joining Helen and Steve on DIGNITY on their catamaran for a wonderful dinner of curry (and more wine!!)   So....that was nice!  We just chalked all of the restaurant meals up to a boatyard expense! 

So....today we paid our yard bill, got a couple of free Tshirts (great gesture), and splashed back in the water.  We motored at 2200 rpm and 5.9K just about a quarter of a mile to the anchorage in Prickly Bay (amazing what a clean bottom will do!!!)  It is soooo nice to be back on the water and facing into the tradewinds!!  WhooooHoooo!!

Bye for now!

May 14, 2009
Thursday

Once again.....securely anchored in the Spice Island of Grenada! 
I'm having a hard time writing this blog....we've just been moving from one anchorage to another here in Grenada, but truly just trying to realize that time is short and we'll soon be apart for 5 months!

We stayed an extra day at Union Island....because it was raining the Tuesday morning that we woke up!  Glad that we did, though.  Helen and Steve from DIGNITY invited us over to their catamaran on Tuesday evening with another couple from CAT TALES.  So....we shared wine and stories and many laughs!

The next morning we left Union Island for Grenada......and sailed to Carriacou (one of three islands of Grenada) and checked in at Customs and Immigration at Hillsborough.  We picked up a few fresh veges and fruit from the market and Jim got a Sim card for his phone with a local Grenadian phone number.  Now he is officially nearly and "almost" a dirt dweller!!!
We moved around the corner to Tyrell Bay (for Cinco de Mayo)  and anchored among the masses.  The boat "boys" here were offering just a bit different goods.....the first one came by with bottles of wine for sale!!!  But, luckily I still have a few French wines from Martinique!!  Then the second guy came around selling "oysters" (which are really mangrove oysters) that have paper thin shells and not a whole lot of meat.  Well....the price was right and we hadn't really had oysters since North Carolina....so we asked for a couple of dozen.  Roberto said he'd return the next evening with the oysters.  Well......he showed up promptly as promised with 4 dozen oysters and spent about 20 minutes separating them and showing Jim how to clean them and they ate a few raw with some sour orange squeezed over them.  Jim boiled up the rest and we had fresh bread and steamed oysters with sour orange and a little horseradish sauce!  Wonderful meal in the middle of "nowhere"!
On Thursday, May 7th, we sailed to the main island of Grenada, but were able to stay on the windward, Eastern, side.  The forcast for the following day was rain and squalls with increased winds.  We had 20-24K and big confused seas....just on the windward side of some little rock islands NE of Grenada....but after that the seas calmed down.  We dragged a fishing line....again......to no avail.....but were keeping pace with the local Grenadian fishing boat alongside us!  It's amazing how they can balance and not fall over in the seas we were encountering! 
We were planning on scooting into St. David's Bay along the SE coast of Grenada....but we came thru the cut and found a huge swell sneaking in and all the boats were rolling way tooo much for our comfort.  So.....we headed back out....and went down to Egmont Bay.....which has a little mangrove hurricane hole.  We got all the way back into the anchorage and decided it was tooooo protected and there would be little wind and alot of bugs.  So......we went back out the cut and made our way into Clarkes Court Bay.  There's are 3-4 little marinas here, but we anchored off Calivigny Island where a resort is still under construction.  It's a beautiful place to anchor....the reefs cut any swell or waves but you still get good wind and air flow (which is becoming more important as the days get hotter!!)
On Saturday we motored thru the reefs around Hog Island (about 2nm).....to anchor just on the leeside of Hog Island.  On Sunday they had a BBQ on the beach at a little thatch roofed bar/restaurant called "Rogers".  So....after we went for a little hike around the island.... we attended the beach BBQ of fish and chicken, pasta, callaloo and cake for dessert.  There were a few cruisers and locals that showed up during the day and the food and prices were great!  Not to mention the local Carib beers!
On Monday, the 11th, we decided to motor thru some more reefs to go into Prickly Bay.  We anchored and zoomed into shore in the dinghy to say "Hello" to the boatyard where we're going to be hauled out tomorrow.....stop by the local chandelry, Budget Marine, and pick out all the stuff we want to buy, but didn't.....then walked about 2 blocks to hop on a bus to take us into Grand Anse to visit the local bank and grocery store (10 EC round trip for two....about $4.50).  When we got back to Bees Knees.....we lifted anchor, again....to head over to the nearby bay of Mt. Hartman and anchored by ourselves just off a sand spot near the eastern shore of the Bay.  It's also home to the Grenadian pigeon.....so there were several other birds as well, including 2 Great blue herons. 
On Tuesday we walked around Mt. Hartman where there are just beautiful homes and flowers/trees.  We saw gigantic caterpillars.....an enlarged size of the same ones we saw at the Botanical Gardens in Rouseau, Dominica.  They were destroying a plumeria tree....but they were sooooo beautiful and colorful.  We walked up and down the streets in this neighborhood, just enjoying the wonderful views of the Bay and talking with the locals that were walking by or working in the yards.
After we got back from our walk and hydrated ourselves with plentiful water......we, once again, picked up anchor and moved back to Calivigny Island in Clarks Court Bay.

There are so many cruisers in Grenada that they have their own "net" on the VHF radio every morning at 0730.  They give a weather report and you can introduce yourself if you're new to Grenada....or say good-bye if you're leaving.  They have announcements and the usual trading of boat goods.  So.....we took advantage of the great communication network and sold this stainless steel mast track that we've been carrying around with us for 2 years!!  We bought it, thinking we'd put it on the mast for our storm sail.....then decided it was way too many holes to put in the mast and we'll save our storm sail for emergencies.  We tried to sell this track in St. Martin.....and again in other islands......but here in Grenada we found a 70 something year old cruiser that has been wanting just exactly what we were trying to sell!!  Whoooohoooo!!  I know it must sound silly.....but you wouldn't believe how many times I stubbed my toes on that track lying on the starboard deck, tied to the stanchions!!!

On Wednesday we met up with Helen and Steve and caught a bus from Woburn to go into St. George's....downtown. (But I forgot to check my batteries in my camera...and they were dead.....so stay tuned to the next blog for pics of St. George's lovely architecture and activity!)   We had a great time walking around, thru the spice market and fresh fruit and vege market, stopping by a few shops.  We had a great lunch of rotis and drinks for about $11 US each couple.  I had a vege roti which was chickpeas, potatoes, mango, lentils with a hot sauce of your choice, wrapped in a roti wrapper.....the best I've had yet!!  We walked to the Grenada Yacht Club where Jim and Bees Knees will be for the summer and met Marilyn....the woman that Jim has been emailing regarding the slip.  It's a great set-up with a restaurant/bar, laundry, showers and a dock that isn't tooo huge.  We visited the other chandelry, Island Water World, and Steve was admiring a 6-squid lure.  (they caught a huge tuna enroute from Bequia to Mustique).  We all were pretty worn out from the sun and lunch and hopped on a local bus to take us back to Woburn about 1430.  But.....we got on the wrong bus.  The bus filled with little school kids and just kept going.  We found out too late that we were enroute to Grenville....a sign said 16 miles!!  So....the bus driver told us not to get off, but that he'd take us to Woburn after he dropped off the last of the children.  Well......40EC later (after some negotiation) he dropped us off at Woburn, about 1 block from where we left our dinghies!!!  Live and learn, right?  There's an art to reading the buses....numbers and cities posted on the front!
That evening the cruisers had a "hamburger" night....yes they did have vege burgers......so we gathered for drinks about 5pm......met several other cruisers that we've been hearing on the radio over the past two years or seeing their boats anchored in the many anchorages coming down this way......met up again with DIGNITY and ARCTIC TERNs....and met a lovely couple from Holland on their boat, ZWIT.  This AM, Devi (from ARCTIC TERN), gave a yoga class up on the deck at the marina at Clarks Court Bay.  There were 5 of us yogi students stretching all over the place and really enjoying the birds flying by and the nearly full moon still in the sky at 0700!

Tomorrow we haul BEES KNEES out at Spice Island Marina in Prickly Bay.  We plan on spending the weekend cleaning the hull....maybe doing a bit of varnishing, pulling the prop to prep for painting.  Then on Monday we should be ready to have them paint the bottom!  It's been since January 2008, in Marathon, since we last were hauled out of the water........so it's time!!  We have ablative paint and it's nearly gone!!

So......hope you all have a Happy and Safe Memorial Day weekend!
Bye for now!

May 3, 2009
Sunday

We're sitting in a beautiful anchorage in Clifton Harbor, Union Island....just returning from "Happy Island" bar!  It's an island built by a man in Clifton Harbor, initially from conch shells and now has a cement breakwall and sand brought in with a small building that he and his girlfriend live in.  They serve beer, rum drinks, and if you call 4 hours prior to arriving will have a BBQ waiting for you!  We met Steve and Helen from DIGNITY there for drinks at sunset.

Last Sunday, the 26th of April, we sailed from Canouan to The World's End Reef in the Tobago Cays.  It's exactly that....the end of the world as we know it!!  There's nothing between the reef and Africa!  Well....it was blowing 20-25 and the waves were breaking over the reefs....and it became a bit rolly about 1700...a little too late to move in the decreasing daylight.  So.....we stayed the night and rolled all night long.  But it was beautiful.....no lights so there were a zillion stars and all you could hear were the waves breaking.  Plus....we were the only boat anchored there.....wonder why????? 
The next morning we scooted just around the reef to the Tobago Cays Marine Park....which consists of four little islands, not inhabited...but white sand beaches and alot of marine life and big turtles just swimming lazily around the anchorage.  I just love the pattern on the shells of the turtles, hawksbill and green....as they munch down on the sea grass and swim by so close.  We spent the week here....mostly snorkeling the waters, walking the beaches and hills, enjoying the peace and quiet.  There are alot of boats coming in and out of the anchorage, about 15-30 boats at any time....some anchoring, some picking up a mooring.  But everyone is swimming or snorkeling and enjoying all the marine life.  The bottom sand is white and the water is sooooo clear, we could watch 2 flying gunards kissing under the boat this AM! 
Besides all the turtles, there were squid, some of the largest we've ever seen.....the flying gunards which are beautiful with their blue-tipped wings flying under water................................................................the trunk fish and cow fish.....turning colors as they swam over sand or grass....moray eels snaking along the sandy bottom; southern stingrays gliding along the bottom.....and all the other little fish just swimming by.

One really interesting friendship we saw was a remora hanging onto a turtle's shell... the turtle just kept eating and swimming....the remora would move from the top to bottom of his shell and the turtle would touch the sand to get the remora off his belly!  There were peacock flounders that were hiding in the sand along the bottom of the sea....but we caught a few on the camera.

Jim and I hiked up Jamesby Island to see the views and sat on a rock watching all the sooty terns flying by, just playing or mating, and building nests in the rocks.  It was really entertaining......their feet dropping down just as they were landing and being blown by the wind.   Plus....as we were sitting on the rocks a few iguanas would walk along the rocks nearby.....and according to a website, might be endangered.  They just look so prehistoric to me!!

We visited Petit Tabac Island where Johnny Depp was left in the first "Pirates of the Caribbean".....he buried his rum and then found it again....only to have it burned!  It's a small island that we just walked around, but full of coconut palms on the East end.  We didn't see Johnny though!!

One evening we were invited over to ARCTIC TERN's for cocktails.  They are a great couple that, again, Jim met in Venezuela, Devi and Hunter.  They had some friends onboard from Alaska that were just a riot and a joy to get to know all of them.  The next night we all gathered on the little island, Baradel, to watch the sunset and enjoy cocktails with Helen and Steve, Devi and Hunter and their friends Deb and Jay....and Jim and I.  Again...lots of fun!

Are you catching a bird theme here???

We left Tobago Cays to venture about 2 nm to Mayreau....downwind sail for a short time.  We anchored close to the beach.... only the third boat in the anchorage.....until everyone else arrived and there were about 12 boats total by evening.  Luckily, DIGNITY arrived and we decided to go on a pub crawl on Mayreau.  Since it was "May Day"...the island was having a big celebration this weekend.  They had May Pole dancing and sailing scheduled for Saturday.  So....off we went hiking up the hill to go to the May Pole dance. On the way thru the village there were a bunch of goats but alot of baby goats.  Of course we picked up a couple of baby goats and held them....not more than a few days old and bleating for their mother.  (Picture of Helen and I with the baby goats and the Maypole dance in Mayreau are courtesy of Steve on DIGNITY, posted on his blog at: aboarddignity.com/blog.)   They were soooo cute.....would love to have one living on Bees Knees with the bird and geckos!!!!!  We continued down the hill to the park where they were dancing and having fun around the May Pole.  We didn't join in, but it was fun to watch.  That started the "pub" crawl with a few Hairouns (local St. Vincent beer).  Then we ventured back up the hill to another bar that was upstairs and overlooked Saline Bay and the Caribbean....pretty nice.  After 2 pubs we decided to get food and went to "Dennis' Hideout" for a delicious meal.  Jim and I had the Grouper Creole and Steve and Helen had Snapper....excellent meals and great conversation.  I'm learning "English" all over again!!  They are originally from Burma and Great Britain...then on to New Jersey.....but still have the British "accent" and "phrases" that I can't quite understand at times!!!  Which makes it all more interesting....especially since we're basically speaking the same language!!!!! 

We left the next morning to go back to the Tobago Cays while DIGNITY left for Union Island.  Jim and I just hung out and snorkeled around Jamesby Island and just enjoying watching the turtle heads pop up every now and then.  That evening we watched "The SecretLife of Bees" on DVD on our TV.  Kinda appropriate.....the bees and all. 

We left the Tobago Cays this morning, heading toward Palm Island...just South of Union....another whopping 2-3nm sail.....but the anchorage just looked too rolly from waves wrapping around the small island.  So....we motored over to Union Island to anchor about 100' from DIGNITY in Clifton Harbor.  Helen was jumping up and down on the deck, as was I, when we anchored....guess we missed each other, huh?  So...we made plans to meet at Happy Island for sunset drinks. 

That brings us up to date.  We found WIFI here....the first in a long time....probably since Bequia.  So...we're catching up with emails and news about Swine Flu.  We're starting to feel the stress of having to be somewhere at a certain date....we're scheduled for a haul-out in Grenada on May 15th...to paint the bottom....then I leave on May 30th to work the summer in Maine while Jim stays onboard Bees Knees.  Doesn't seem fair does it.....that I get a break from the heat....or he has to work on the boat all summer....or he gets to stay in the tropics while I go back to work.  Which part isn't fair????  Ask me!!!

Bye for now!

April 25, 2009
Saturday

Well....we arrived in Bequia on Sunday, April 19th, making our way into Admiralty Bay and anchoring off of a beautiful white sand beach.  We were to meet some friends here from Maine, and the timing would have been perfect, but they were unable to find direct flights and it would have taken them two days on either end to make it to St. Vincent and the Grenadines!  We visited Bequia last year, around June, but only stayed two days.  So....we really wanted to get more of a feeling for the island that we really liked on our brief visit before!
This harbor is bigger than all of the harbors since Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, so the number of cruising boats anchored were too many to count!  But, our friends, DIGNITY, were here as were another couple that Jim had met in Venezuela, Linda and Ed on DREAMTIME.  We're also seeing alot of the boats that we've seen on the way South....as we're all starting to gather for hurricane season.

We checked into Customs and Immigration for St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent is the "mainland" with the capital of Kingstown, and along with the Grenadines make up one country) on Monday....but we had to pay an extra fee since we really arrived on Sunday!!!  Oh well!!  The price you have to pay for being in paradise!
We walked around the town....found the hospital....and of course visited all the little shops (way to pricey for us) but were able to find alot at the fresh vege/fruit market run by the Rastas from St. Vincent!  We had to stop when they offered carrots for 7EC per pound...which is about $2.25/pound!!!  EEeeeekkkkk!!!  Everything else seemed reasonable.  Jim told them they were "tourist" prices, but they wouldn't budge.  This is the market where they really don't budge on the price, but they keep throwing in extra tomatoes, passion fruit, one or two bananas.....so really you get your money's worth...it just might not be what you wanted!!  But it's all fun!

The fisherman were pulling into the dock about the time we arrived with their fresh catch of the day.  The one rasta told me that they went out at about 0600, to to where the birds are fishing, and caught mahi mahi and tuna.  So...their day was done by 1000 that morning.  I would love to post a picture of this nice guy that I talked to while Jim went and got fuel....but I'm really hesitant to ask people if I can take their picture, like they're unusual or something.  But they are!!  This guy was about 6'5" Rasta man with his hair wrapped in the panty part of pantyhose and a baseball cap somehow over the front of that....he had really pretty green eyes....a heavy wool long sleeved sweater on and had a very gentle voice.  They tried to sell to the restaurants first since they get more money per pound since they sell them the whole fish, not just the fillets.  It must be good fishing though....we saw him around two days later!

Bequia used to be an active whaling station...and they are still "allowed" to catch a whale during the whaling season between February and April.  We did hear that they caught/killed a whale on our last day on the island and we were glad to be leaving before we saw any process of that entering the harbor!  But this picture of the Whaleboner restaurant shows bones and vertebrae for bar stools!  All of this, kinda ironic, during the week of Earth Day on April 22nd!!

On Tuesday we walked around the island with our friends from DIGNITY.  We walked past the beautiful local sailing skiffs on the beach and up to yet another fort!  The views from Fort Hamilton of Admiralty Bay are just beautiful!  We stopped by the local bakery on the way back to pick up the fresh bread that we smelled baking halfway to the fort.  Jim and Steve had half of it gone by the time we got back to our dinghies!

We spent some time snorkeling and diving.  Jim and Steve experimented with Steve's HUKA....a device that has a motor/compressor that floats above the water and long tubes that allow you to breath fresh air under water. While they went diving, I just snorkeled above and enjoyed the serenity.

One night we went for drinks and Mexican food with DIGNITY and DREAMTIME.  It was great fun.....still not the best Mexican food, but the drinks made up for it!  Jim and I went to dinner the following night.....I took him out for doing my taxes again this year!  We went to a really nice restaurant that overlooked the bay, The Gingerbread House, but we were the only patrons for dinner for the entire time!!  There were a few locals that came to the bar....but not very crowded at all.  After dinner we walked down the beach to listen to a Steel Pan drum band that was really good and fun to watch! 

When we headed out on Saturday, we were able to sail with a beam reach from the anchorage around the SW end of the island of Bequia where there is a whole little town/development called "Moonhole".  According to Doyle's guidebook, it was developed by American architect, Tom Johnson....but there is no good road or anchorage to get to it.  The houses are in the rocks and built of rocks without straight lines or angles....so when you see it it looks like it's rundown and abandoned.  But I guess people live there or vacation there and are a "special sort"!

We attempted to go to the SE side of Canouan...a little anchorage behind the reefs, but it was rolly with the leeside being a big cliff....so we motored back around and anchored in Charlestown Bay in Canouan.  We didn't plan to stay long in Canouan....there's a big resort on the beach and home to a Moorings charter for sailing vessels.  So.....we watched the stars at night and took off early today for the Tobago Cays!
Bye for now!