Swamps & Oceans, Portsmouth, Dominica

Heading North - Single-handed

The Weather Gods had not been reading their rule book! My planned departure north was thwarted by NE 30-35kts and leaden skies. I was going nowhere! Had I cleared out of St Lucia only to become an illegal immigrant? For two days I left my anchor stuck firmly in the mud of the Lagoon.

The sail to Martinique was exhilarating. Still the wind was NE, but now the more usual 20-22kts. A fast 20 mile fetch in 2-3m seas, a tack, and it was engine on, sails down, and into Le Marin. France in the Caribbean. And France it was; Boulangeries, Euros, and expensive beer. Did I like it? Non! But I had come to pick-up Scott, a new crew. I cleared in, and we cleared out, first to St Pierre, then across to Portsmouth, in Dominica.

Polite and courteous, these boat-boys have got themselves organised. The Portsmouth Association of Yacht Security (PAYS) is a well conceived, well organised group of local lads who want to make a difference. They lay moorings, organise security 24/7, lay on water and road taxis, and arrange tours. They are a breath of fresh air in the Caribbean.

Rowing us up the Indian River, through the mangrove swamp, Alexis (PAYS) brought the history of the island, its people, and wildlife to us. He introduced us to Grey Herons, Green Kingfishers, and Hummingbirds. Huge White Crabs scuttled away, while Iguanas sat placidly waiting, like us, for the rain to stop, and the sun to come out. Tree ferns, as old as the dinosaurs, flowers of unbelievable brilliance, mangroves, and mahogany, towered over us, surrounded us, and dripped on us. Hidden amongst their roots the boa constrictors, mountain chickens (a frog) and termites continued their lives uninterrupted.

The original inhabitants of these lands, the Caribs, are still here. Proud of their heritage, and maintaining their traditions, our guide, Shadow (everyone has a nickname out here) drove us around his island. From rain forest to beach, village to waterfall, we enjoyed them all. We ate cassava bread, fresh cooked on an open fire, drank coconut milk (from both fresh green coconuts and brown nuts), and learnt how the banana tree only produces one hand of fruit in its lifetime.

From Dominica it was a great sail under a blue sky to the beautiful islands of Les Saintes - the only islands in the Caribbean never to have had slaves working in the fields. It was great to catch-up with friends again. "Ganhoa" with Louis and Jose, from Portugal were there….. well it would be rude not to invite them on board.

No longer am I heading south and west, but up - north! No more "Pirates of the Caribbean. Worse, far worse….to Antigua, and yes, that means the "Tot Club"!

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I'm (back) on the Map!

Good news - I have been able to get my position restored on the Yotreps site (they had "lost" the boat details). You may have to scroll down the list little further, look for my call sign mley4.

Will somebody please get the Weather Gods to read the rule book. I'm still here, in Rodney Bay, sitting out NE 30-35kts for the second day running. Not only that but its cloudy - this is supposed to be de Caribbean Mon!

Who needs Tescos? The boat boys sell everything. It's shopping direct, Carib Style!

There be Pirates!

The great thing about cruising is the people you meet. Everyone pulls together to help each other out. In the Cape Verde Islands I used the local internet cafe and picked-up a computer virus on my memory stick. Sadly it not only infected the computers on board but has corrupted all my photos. I just hope that there is some way to recover them on my return.

The good news is that thanks to the crew of Jinja I'm back in business. Computer is mended, camera is working, and new photos will be uploaded. Normal blog is now resumed! This photo of a dodgy looking character was taken on St Vincent in Wallilabou Bay....the Set is still there, now sadly dilapidated, like so much in the Caribbean, but worth the visit.

Back home gulls sitting in the rigging can be a big nuisance. Out here there are no gulls, Frigate birds yes, Pelicans, even parrots too, but these cause no problem, so I was amazed to look up to see, perched on the windvane above the anemometer was an Osprey! Polite requests for it to move received the same steely stare as shouts, arm waving, and stumping feet. Only as a crowd gathered did it stretch its wings and gracefully lift-off to continue his quest for lunch over the rich fishing ground of the lagoon.

The Round the Island Race

I never race my boat – but this was St Lucia, and the crew were good, Liat and Assaf, from Israel, Matt from Bristol, and me. We, just happened to have been sat in the bar when the skippers briefing took place. Well it would have been churlish to have said no……..

A down wind start; no flag signals; questionable sound signals; and we were away. Avocette made a good start, and powered down towards Pidgeon Island at a none too shabby 6kts in the 18kt tradewind. The beat around the top of the island saw us in 4th place with 22 miles to the days finish at Vieux Fort.

Then the wind died. No-one made the finish. Those who motored all the way were rewarded with a Roti dinner.

The next day, those who had made Vieux Fort started Leg 2 in little or no wind. Two boats finally crossed the line to finish. Liat and Assaf, having left Avocette after we “retired”, caught a bus the length of the island, hopped on another boat and came in second. So we had a party anyway. Thanks St Lucia Yacht Club.

Erupting Volcanoes to Roti Lunch

We were a mixed bunch from Finland, The Faeroes, Iceland, Spain, and England, with Charlie Brown, our driver from St Lucia. Playing grockles was the plan….

The muddy pools by my feet bubbled and spat. Steam rose, and the stench of rotten eggs, Hydrogen Sulphide, filled my nostrils as we surveyed the scene around us. We were walking through the volcano above the town of Soufriere, St Lucia.

The barren earth, stained yellow with sulphur, is only a thin crust. Beneath it, the hot mud and boiling water continually rise from the molten magma just a mile below; a reminder to all, that this volcano is waiting to erupt. Just a couple of miles away, under the sea, lies another. It too, is smouldering away, rising each year ever closer to the surface, soon to become another island in Caribbean.

St Lucia’s most famous landmarks are the Pitons. These great volcanic blocks rising spectacularly from the sea 2619ft, remnants of earlier eruptions, are even more awesome to sail past.

Marigot Bay, the classic Island anchorage, and hurricane hole, is set deep within a steep sided valley, protected from the sea by a sandy palm-tree covered spit. Changed forever, it is now full of moorings, and a marina - complete with hotels. The waterside bars are still there, but it’s changing.

Rodney Bay, a small marina in a mud-hole of a lagoon when I first arrived in 2004, is now a bustling and vibrant place, offering all the facilities and services, and is surrounded by luxury homes, hotels, and restaurants. Deep in the lagoon there is still room to anchor. Fish, hundreds of fish, even sharks, swim around the boat, and it’s not just the mangrove roots that stretch into the water here; if I don’t move on soon ……..

Repair and Maintenance

Rodney Bay Marina has changed dramatically since I was last here in 2004 after my first Trans-Atlantic on Swan Dancer. It's now a big, busy, and thriving marina. Superyachts come and go. Services are excellent ( Alwin Augustin is a great mechanic) and all are on site - but it comes at a cost; marina fees are European prices.

I shall be here for a couple more days as I want to see the Island.

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Swimming with Turtles

Sailing in the Caribbean is all blue skies, warm steady breezes with cotton-wool clouds drifting by….. Wrong! It rains here. Every day. Heavy showers fall from leaden skies in gusts that can reach 28kts. Despite that we’ve had a lot of fun. Sue Clutton joined in Grenada and we have sailed North, stopping at Carriacou, then Union Is, and the Tobago Cays.

Salt Whistle Bay in the corner of Mayreau Is. is a stunning anchorage in the Tobago Cays National Marine Park. Creeping around the reef, and up to the beach, we dropped the hook in just 3m, then swum ashore to sit under the palm trees that stretched over the turquoise water lapping around our toes. We enjoyed that cold beer.

The Cays were awesome. Slipping into the crystal clear waters it wasn’t long before turtles surrounded us. Big leatherback turtles looked us in the eye, as curious of us as we were of them. Quietly we watched them feed as fish of all colours, patterns, shape and size darted around us. The open patches of sand were littered with big starfish. Stingrays cruised through, and barracuda kept a steely vigil on all that went on.

This is pirate country. Jonny Depp style. It was here they were marooned. Moving just a few miles further north we dropped the anchor in Wallalibou bay and tied the stern to the same jetty that JD stepped onto. Much of the film set is still there, along with costumes and tales…….

The cruising lifestyle wasn’t for Roy. He is returning home.. He missed all the treats of the Cays, leaving them to Sue Clutton and me.

We are now in St Lucia. Marigot Bay has changed beyond belief. The snug anchorage and hurricane hole at the head of the bay is now full of moorings and pontoons. The anchorage is busy, the bars and restaurants are lively, and the rain is very, very wet…..