A change of cruising plans and Barbuda

                                                                                                               17/4/2012 

There is still so much to see and enjoy within the Caribbean, before rushing up to the USA! (The seemingly non stop radio networking yada yada of cruisers from those shores might also have influenced our thinking!)

Whatever! We decided having seen some of the magnificent Classic yachts, congregating for the Antigua Classic, that we just had to stay on, to witness this once in a lifetime opportunity of seeing this “celebration of sailing” !

This also meant that we had about 10 days to spare, before making our way back to Falmouth, to find a suitable anchorage, and to research all the best viewing points. So it was off to Barbuda!

Jervon and ourselves stocked up with provisions at Jolly Harbour, and went on to Deep Bay from where we sailed to Coco Point, Barbuda. We both made good time and were anchored off the pink beach near the Coco Beach Hotel, and inside the reef, by lunch time. Barbuda is a very flat pancake like island just over half the size of Antigua, but with a population of only about 2000, mainly living in Codrington. As a result, we enjoyed the wide open spaces, with hardly a person in sight!

The sad aspect, again, was the nearly empty Coco Beach hotel, and the enormous K Club resort, further along the bay, which was once the playground of the rich and famous, has been boarded up and closed for the past 7 years.

From our very selfish perspective, it was great! No people, jet skis, glass bottomed boats, and plenty of reefs to explore. We met Andre and Alison on “Ratcatcher”, another RSA couple who had done the Cape to Rio race, and were now enjoying the Caribbean. They collected a whole bunch of green coconuts from the laden palms around the K Club, and we were the lucky recipients of 10. The coconut water makes a thoroughly refreshing and nutritious drink when chilled, and diluted with a little rum!

We sailed up around Palmetto Point to Low Bay, on the 11 mile beach , which stretches from the Reefs in the north to Palmetto point.  

We snorkeled over the reefs there, and looked at the prices on display at the very up market (but empty) Lighthouse Hotel Resort. The cheapest bottle of wine was US $ 90 and there was one for US$ 1000 if you were feeling flush! Beers were $8.00. There is apparently a reasonably priced restaurant across the lagoon in Codrington, but a water taxi boat to take you the 2 miles over the lagoon will cost $40 before you look at the menu. The strip of land which separates the sea from the lagoon is only about 50m wide, at Louis Bay. (So named after hurricane Louis washed away the strip of beach for a while) It used to be quite easy to man handle one’s dinghy over the spit, and visit town for provisions or a restaurant. The water taxi owners have now built a fence along this narrow strip to force the yachties to use water taxis! 

A visit to the Frigate Bird Rookery (2 miles up the lagoon) will also cost you $60 to go with a compulsory guide, but you still have to get to Codrington by water taxi first! Needless to say we gave it a miss!

 Walking along the beautiful beach, one can clearly see the millions of fragments of pink shells, which give the beaches their pink hue in the sunlight.

We loved our visit to Barbuda, and were sad to leave. We managed to pick a good easterly to romp back to Jolly harbour, where we again stocked up with fresh foods at the supermarket. Two days later, we motored the 11miles to Falmouth in calm conditions, and luckily found ideal anchorage positions off  Pigeon Beach, before all the other yachts  flocked in to watch the Classic Race Week from 19^th to 24^th April.

Antigua, and Kate’s visit gone in a flash!

                24/3/2012

After our boisterous romp from Deshaies to Falmouth, we had a couple of days to check in at Nelsons Dockyard, and learn a little about Antigua before Kate’s arrival.

We then took a taxi out to the airport, which is in the North and at the opposite end of the island from Falmouth. What an island of contrasts!

We drove past the brand new Viv Richards Cricket Stadium, financed and built by China, and passed the “China Town”, which seems to be the legacy of all China’s Caribbean benevolence. We had seen the same pattern in other islands where China has financed and built, using Chinese labour, harbours, fish markets, jetties and markets, as well as the roadworks in Dominica. Right now there is a big issue in Antigua over the fact that the Chinese are paying all the fishermen over the set prices for lobster, buying up the islands entire catch, and shipping them out by the container load. Same old recipe! Exploit a species, drive it to the brink of extinction, to push up prices, build a monopoly, and milk the rewards! If that’s what they are doing here, I am pretty sure that they are doing the same in the other Caribbean islands in which they have left their “workers”!

The airport approach is through magnificent gardens, hotels, and another brand new cricket stadium. These developments were part of Alan Stamford plans to revitalize West Indies Cricket, using regional Twenty –Twenty cricket to attract and discover new talent. The stadium is named after him, and it all looks very impressive. Sadly, however, it seems that his methods of raising finance from investors left much to be desired, and he is now fighting legal battles to avoid  a lengthy period in jail. A grand vision turned sour.

NELSONS DOCKYARD

LEANDER

The taxi ride back gave Kate an overview of the islands extremes…the run down airport, the new and impressive stadiums, the local homes and corner pubs, back down to Falmouth with the incredible number of Superyachts on show! We later walked over to Nelsons Dockyard in English Harbour, where a number of the magnificent Classic yachts and Classic replica’s were gathering for Antigua classic sailing week. Another impressive motor yacht (ship!!), was the” Leander”, which was on loan to the Royal Family for a State Visit, by Prince Edward and his wife Sophia, to various Caribbean states.

ZEPHIRO

“Zephiro”, Gerhard Reuters  impressive new Southern Wind  100 foot yacht  arrived and anchored beside us. Twice in as many days, my services were called upon to get them out the dwang! Firstly, a 25knot breeze came up suddenly, and Zephiro started dragging its anchor, while Gerhard, the skipper and guests were having dinner ashore. Left on board were his two Burmese crew, who yelled to me, “ Please help, we are sliding!”  I got them to let out another 80 foot of chain. The extra chain did the job, and the anchor re-set. I then went to the restaurant, to alert Gerhard and the skipper to the problem. The following day, I noticed the Zephiro tender, drifting away in the wind, with Gerhard and guests on board, and an engine which they could not start. Once again….Rod to the rescue!

VIEW FROM SHIRLEY HEIGHTS

The next day, by way of thanks, Gerhard and Regina came over bearing gifts of wine, T-shirts, and an invitation to join them for the famous Sunday night Music and Barbecue up on Shirley Heights.  All gifts were graciously accepted, and we all enjoyed a wonderful evening together, watching the sun set over Falmouth and English Harbours, enjoying the Pan music, Reggae, spare ribs, and Rum!  

We sailed around to Jolly Harbour, Five Islands Bay, to Deep Bay, enjoying the turquoise waters, numerous beaches, and some wreck diving.

DIVING "ANDES" IN DEEP BAY

At the same time one cannot help noticing the low level of tourism in the Caribbean, and the number of empty hotels, closed shops, premises to let, and developments where everything has a “For Sale” notice. Clearly, the global financial crisis has exacerbated the problems here, In Jolly Harbour, for example, one could have a choice of any number of waters edge condominiums( each with their own mooring dock in front), for between  US $230 000 to $280 000. The massive Casino there stands unused and shut down. In other respects, prices just seem to be increased to compensate for the lack of business. A beer will cost between US $5 and $8, and a hamburger about $30. In addition there is a 15% tax, and a 10% service charge! There seems little attempt to attract new business by way of daily specials, or Happy Hours, which are common in St Maarten, or Grenada.

As a cruising ground, however, Antigua is right up near the top, with its blend of history, anchorages, beaches, coral reefs, and bays to explore. On top of that, Barbuda is only 30 miles away.

Kate’s two weeks, sadly passed in a flash, but she returned home to RSA a more relaxed, suntanned and happier young lady!  She is looking forward to her new job, knowing that she did well at Merrill Lynch, but confident that in her new job, she will be able to restore a little more balance to her life, and do more of the things she wants to do.                                                                                                       

Back in France!! (Marie Galante, The Saints, Guadeloupe)

 3 /3/2012
 

MARIE GALANTE MARKET

Christopher Columbus ran out of Saints’ names, so he named the little pancake island of Marie Galante after one of his ships. We had never visited the island as it calls for a tough beat from Portsmouth. The introduction of compulsory mooring balls in the “Saints” at 8 Euro per night decided us, having been to the Saints twice before.

HARBOUR AT MARIE GALANTE

Once again we found the quiet, quaint French charm. A neat little town, serviced by an excellent Fishing /Ferry harbour, together with easy and accessible FREE Poubelle bins!

The yacht anchorage between the reef and the harbour wall was very rolly, so we only lasted 3 days, before heading on to the Saints. (Our Navionics Charts were again wrong!! They indicated that we were anchored outside the reef…..approx 650 feet out!!)

MURAT RESIDENCE

OLD RUM DISTILLERY

Before we left, however we went for a walk up to the old Murat Residence and Rhummary, which was built in 1810 .Enormous, gracious and elegant… typical of the pre French Revolution aristocracy and opulence. The ruins have been partly restored and have been converted into a museum, complete with the original medicinal herb and spice garden. The masonry and stonework is very impressive, as were the brass bushed bearings, cogs and gears with which the windmills crushed the sugarcane. The precision and workmanship is quite amazing, given that  they are 200 years old!

On the walk back, I picked up a calabash gourd, which I turned into our  cockpit light .

CALABASH COCKPIT LIGHT

We had a quick 16nm downwind sail to the Saints, where we at first resented having to pick up one of the 57 new mooring balls. We had never been there in peak season, and were forced to rethink our initial opinions. When all the buoys are taken, they only allow 23 more yachts to anchor (for the same fee of 8Euros). This restricts the number of visiting yachts to 80, and it was at this level while we were there, and they were stretched to breaking point trying to cope with the Poubelle removal and water demands. Prior to the buoys and the limits, they just could not cope. As it was, the refuse removal and water ferries were running 24/7 to keep up with the 80 yachts and cruise ships. We left understanding the 8 Euro charge!

MAIN STREET,  BOURGE DES SAINTES

After 3 days , we headed for Pigeon Island half way up Guadeloupe, where anchoring was safe and free!! In addition we found a big Leader Price Supermarket, where we could again stock up on French goodies!! On the way to the shops, we passed a car wreck with the number plate “ANC 1”. Prophetic perhaps???

                                                                                                    

Pigeon Island is the Jacques Cousteau Diving reserve, and an important tourism destination in Guadeloupe.

 We sailed on to Deshaies after a few days, from where we could wait for the right weather slot to do the 50nm leg to Antigua. Kate was due to arrive in Antigua in another week. We took one look at the gribs (computer generated weather predictions), and decided that our best chance was the next day, despite the predictions of  20- 25knot ENE winds and 3m-4m swells. It was only going to get worse during the next week! We left at 6.00am, and the forecast was accurate. With an Easterly current set of 2knots, we had to sail hard and fast, to minimize its effect. With 2 reefs in the main, the staysail, and about a No 3 genoa, we covered the 47 miles to Falmouth in exactly 7 hours. It was rough, wet, and quite uncomfortable, and we were very happy to drop the hook in time for lunch. We later met up with a NZ couple who had left Deshaies at the same time in their 52ft yacht, and took 9 hours for the crossing! Go Sheer GO!!

Back to reality!!!

                     18/2/2012

Portsmouth, Dominica lies about 60miles north of Martinique. We were lucky enough to pick an Easterly wind for the crossing, which meant a quick reach for the first half of the trip, before making the lee of Dominica. Once there, it’s a sort of feast or famine, with the katabatic winds coming off the lush green mountains, for the final 30 miles to Portsmouth.

Coming up the coast, we had our closest ever encounter with Humpback whales……. 2m to starboard, and 1m to port! I was alerted to their proximity by Mary’s strangulated yodelling, as she looked down into the whale’s blowhole!

Portsmouth seems to be a meeting point, not only of whales, but also of Tall Ships. There were three at anchor when we arrived (“Sea Cloud”, “Royal Clipper”, and “Star Clipper”), and at least 3 others stopped over during the week.

SEA CLOUD

ROYAL CLIPPER

JERVON AND STAR CLIPPER

Reality check 1

We were charged EC$ 68 instead of EC$ 8, (overtime!) because we arrived earlier on Sunday, even though we had filled in all the paperwork ourselves before arrival. I paid EC$ 70, but no change was forthcoming either.

Reality check 2

The EC$8 is an environmental levy, but there are no garbage facilities for yachts. You are expected to give your bags to a local, for a “small tax”, who promises to dispose of it when the truck comes by. Judging by the mess we saw in the street on our way to the customs office, they are just dumped in the road to await the truck, giving underfed dogs ample time to redistribute the trash.

Reality check 3

If you resist this system, and prefer to carry it all the way into town, to use the bins there, you are likely to be seriously sworn at…. As was Jeremy!

Reality check 4

An agreed price for a service is not binding! Having accepted an offer to buy coconut water for EC$5 a bottle, I was asked for EC$40 when it came to delivery!

Reality check 5

We decided to take the ladies to Big Papa’s for a Valentines Day lunch. We were offered chicken, pasta, or fish, which were the days “specials”. We were the first to order, and all chose fish, as we had had chicken the previous day, and were having it again for dinner! We received the most pathetically small piece of fish, for EC$30 per head, to which had to be added 15% for Vat, and 10% for service (non existent!!), making it EC$40, or R120 per head.  In Roseau the next day, we had a really good lunch for a total of EC$22 (R66), which just highlighted the Big Papa rip off!

Reality check 6

The Friday night music, which blasts across the anchorage, ended at 6.10 in the morning. Saturday nights are, reputed to be louder!!

Reality check 7

We are checking out a week early, despite the islands natural beauty, Rain Forests and hikes. Time to go to France again!!

GOLDEN HIND ??????

 Perhaps it was just a case of Carnival Fever….. it certainly seemed to effect the crew of the Swedish flagged cruiser that arrived yesterday. “He” was a 300lb cube of transparent lard, with a crop of bright orange hair. We dubbed him “Fat Carrot”. “She” was a half sized version, with a full head of pink, purple and black “dreadlock” extensions. She was like a magnet to the boat boys, who flocked around like bees to a honeypot. Before long there were 4 boats hanging off the back of the cruiser, and the rum was flowing, and the weed glowing!

Mary took one look at this, and in her best Afrikaans, said “Hier kom K..K!” She was right!

 By 10.30pm, either the rum or the weed ran out, and “She” elected to go ashore with all the boatboys. This was not appreciated by Fat Carrot, and a full on Effing and Blinding screaming match took place, which she won,  hands down, as she left with the boat boys.

The following morning, when she had not returned to the boat, we heard his VHF radio appeals to the relevant boat boys ! He searched the shore with binoculars for any sign of her return, and eventually went ashore himself to search for her. Mary and I were now beginning to feel a bit concerned for her welfare, and sorry for him. Later that morning, however, we saw them reunited in a pub, drinking beer, and trying to avoid looking at each other!! When “Nature Boy”, the floating fruit and veg guy, came past, I asked what had happened. “She one hot chick ,and need a bit of luvin’” he tells us  Only in the Caribbean!!

 
Saturday is market day, and we enjoyed stocking up with lots of good quality, good value fresh fruit and veggies, (including 3litres of coconut water for EC$12), which has done much to restore our perception of Dominica! There are numerous Americans and Canadians who just love Dominica, but then perhaps because their currencies stretch a little further than ours, the odd rip off does not upset them so much!  

Fort du France to St Pierre

15/2/2012

                                        

One of the reasons for going into Fort du France, was to increase our “anti boarding” arsenal. Over the last year or so, there has been an increase in yacht boardings and boat theft in anchorages. Historically “safe” places such as Bequia, Tobago Cays, Salt Whistle and Saline Bay, Carriacou, and Tobago have all suffered attacks. Some cases might be vendetta based, and some might be opportunistic, where cruisers are simply too casual about their security measures.

We have special stainless steel security grids for all our openings, and always lock ourselves in at night. Is that enough? We do not want a gun on board, quite apart from the serious hassle about declaring and recovering it every time you check in or out. If you have to hand it in, what use is it anyway?

We have elected to buy serious gel spray anti personal repellants.... big enough to incapacitate three or four potential thieves. In addition, we bought a 1000k Tazer baton.  A two to three second zap is more than enough to incapacitate someone, and give us time to restrain them or kick them overboard.  

We found what we wanted in Fort du France. Together with our existing “surprises”, we believe we are now sufficiently prepared to suggest that other targets might be easier!

The only bummer about our shopping in Fort du France, was that Standard Bank, yet again, ”for my own protection”, saw fit to stop my card, for about the 20^th time in 3 years of cruising.  Their reason this time??? I was now apparently shopping in France,  Europe, when I had told them only the previous week, that I would remain in Martinique for the next 3 weeks!! On that occasion, they had done the same thing, merely because I had sailed 26 miles from St Lucia, (EC$), to Martinique, and spent Euros!

But let me not digress…Standard Bank have now progressed to a whole new level computer initiated incompetence … Any hint of common sense, experience, geographic knowledge or service options have been  deleted as inapplicable!! They now deserve, and will get an entire blog, dedicated  to some shining examples of their  inability to service a customer of 45 years standing, who has simply decided to go sailing!! My first bit of advice to any South African wishing to go blue water cruising, and who has the misfortune of being a Standard Bank customer… is to CHANGE banks!!  You will live longer, and enjoy life more!!

There!!! I feel better already!

We left Fort du France and explored Trois Islets, the little town in which Napoleon’s Josephine first lived. It proved to be a squally, miserable day, compounded by our running aground on a sandbank in a channel  marked 9.7mts deep on the charts! We lost a little of our new antifoul, and decided, after a couple nights, to head up to St Pierre, on the northern tip of Martinique.

Another pleasant downwind sail did much to restore our “wa”! St Pierre was known as “the little Paris of the Caribbean”, and was a very important trading  and cultural centre from the early 1700’s until 1905. It boasted a beautiful and elaborate 600 seat theatre, a tram system, and was home to 30,000 people (the entire poplation of Martinique at the time was 180000). The eruption of Mt Pele on 8^th May 1905 reduced this population to just 2 people in 11 minutes!

The ruins, and Museum, housing relics, factual accounts and photographic records really brings the scale of this tragedy home. Today, St Pierre has been rebuilt and the population is around 5000 people. Mt Pele  is continuously monitored , but is effectively dormant now. The saddest fact, is that the volcano gave plenty of early warnings…. Mini eruptions, the sea in the bay got so hot that the fish left… ominous rumblings and smoke emissions!  So why was the town not evacuated? Because the elections for the Mayor, were due to be held on the 8^th, and he wanted them to be held as scheduled!!

So once again, political expediency cost thousands of innocent people their lives.

Ironically, one of the two survivors was not so innocent. He was a convicted murderer, and was found in his cell 3 days later, suffering from terrible burns. He was nursed back to health by some monks, and then paraded around the USA by Barnhams Circus as “The volcano survivor’!

 After our month long taste of French culture, we set off on the 60 mile sail to Portsmouth, Dominica

Poubelles, Long Drop Cities, and poulette fume!

                                  25/01/2012

All serious yachties know that “check in”  procedures, garbage disposal and ATMs, together with the prices of beer and wine, are amongst the most important issues facing a cruiser

Our  beat over from Rodney bay, St Lucia, to Cul de Sac du Marin, Martinique, was only 25 miles, but it represents a serious step up in terms of  all of the above criteria, and especially in terms of ones culinary choices!

Gone ….is the pedantic bureaucratic nonsense about the exact minute of your arrival, and whether you arrive before or after overtime hours, the ridiculous cruising permits, expensive mooring buoys, and carefully hidden rubbish bins and the harassment of  opportunistic boat boys!  The quick and easy computerised self service procedures are a joy…… even if it takes a while to find Afrique du Sud in the alphabetical list of counties! (Its just below Yugoslavia!) Everything is of course in French, and on their own French (non querty) keyboard, but once learned, it’s a breeze!!

Hello! To the whole new range of French wines, cheeses, sausages and other delights, Free cruising permits:  the worlds best built dinghy docks, and the best and easiest ….and FREE garbage (poubelle) disposal facilities in the whole Caribbean! Of course, eating out in the restaurants is beyond most RSA cruising budgets, but the choices available make on board cooking a pleasure, once one looks beyond the baguettes, pain, and other French treats.

We enjoyed the quaint charm of the villages, churches, shops and restaurants, the bright colours, the Madras cottons, as well as the clearly buoyed channels and boat free swimming areas.

Religion, as in most of the Caribbean is an important part of life. The pretty, old churches, roofed with  old, red, “fish scale “ tiles, and filled with flowers, chiming their bells to summon the faithful, sure beats the heck out of the distorted, over amplified, hell and damnation sermons belted out across the anchorages via tired  loudspeakers elsewhere.

 The music too, is more sophisticated. We listened one evening to a truly gifted musician, probably from a French Moroccan background, play his music using an assortment of 20 to 30 different homemade wind, string, and percussion instruments.   One can even find good music on the local radio stations, instead of the noisy, brain numbing, SOCA music, so favoured on the other islands.

As we have found on so many islands, the cemeteries seem to occupy the very best view sights and real estate, overlooking the bays and anchorages. In Martinique however, (perhaps due to the rocky ground), the cemeteries comprise flower covered family owned crypts, where numerous family members are laid to rest. The little buildings are of all shapes and sizes, and painted white, facing either the church, or the access road. The backs of all these little buildings face the sea. As we were motoring into Marin, I pointed out to Mary this strange collection of little white buildings, saying it looked like “Long Drop City”! Only when we went ashore, and saw them from the other side, did the penny drop, and I could not help but think that it was not such a bad mistake after all!!

Linked to the St Annes Church (circa 1780), were the 14 Stations of the Cross, zig zagging their way up the hill to a little chapel on the top. The view over the bay from these stations was lovely, and many locals used the climb as a form of exercise, even while others went through their chants and prayers on their knees.

Two weeks later, we restocked the pantry at Leader Price in Marin, and for once, enjoyed a DOWNWIND sail to Petite Anse D’Arlet, a very pretty little town and anchorage (might become one of our absolute favourites).En route we passed the very conspicuous Diamond Rock, which was once captured by the British Navy, and commissioned as HMS Diamond.

 After that we went to yet another lovely little anchorage called Anse a L’Ane,  where we had been told one could buy the worlds best smoked chicken from a street vendor. Mary had set her heart on one such “poulette fume”. It was indeed excellent, but at 10 Euro, it  blooming well should have been!! So with us both poulette fume’d, we sailed off to Fort du France, where we anchored alongside the old fort. We were beginning to really love Martinique!

We are also beginning to understand why so many of the French people seem so smug and almost arrogant….I think if I were from Martinique, I too, would become even more smug and intolerably arrogant than I am already!

  

Farewell to Rodney Bay

                                                    20/01/2012

One can only put up with jetskies roaring about in an anchorage for a limited period…. Even in a large, pretty and well protected bay! 3 weeks was our limit!

Before we left, we managed to meet up with a whole host of new cruising friends, as well as others who had sailed up from Grenada and Carriacou.

One of the fun get togethers was a dinghy “raft up”, where about 30 cruisers met at one point along the beachfront, to form one huge raft. Each boat brought something to share, and the “raft” changed shape, amoeba like, as dinghies disconnected and moved around the raft to meet other people. With so much movement, it was inevitable that the one or two dinghy anchors holding the raft in position, would drag…. And so the raft slowly drifted out to sea! By the time the sun set we only had two yachts between ourselves and the horizon!

We also took a walk up to the top of Fort Rodney, from where we could look over to Martinique, some 25miles away. It was from this Fort that the look outs could watch any attempts by the French Navy to attack the British fleet anchored behind Pigeon Island. Ownership of this strategic position changed many, many times. We just wanted to see what point of sail would be required to make St Anne when we left…35 - 40degrees! All the old canons carry the Royal coat of Arms, but I did question the sensibility of the gun carriages having square axles in their wheels!

We were not the only boats on the move, and watched as the World ARC departed for their one year circumnavigation, which ends next year in the same bay. There were about 20 entrants, and it appeared that showing off flags was a very important qualifying condition!

On our last evening before we left, the Club Med cruise ship presented an interesting backdrop, to yet another gorgeous sunset!