07/25/02

St. Lucia

We are finally back on the boat in Rodney Bay Marina. I spent a few weeks working in Longview TX then visiting Houston TX, Findlay OH, Vineyard Lake MI, Lady Lake FL, & finally Louisville KY. Allen visited all but the Texas places with me. We had a great time visiting friends & family but are glad to be back on the boat. Leaving the boat sit for over a month is not good. We came back to find that many things needed attending. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we have had so little problems up until now & most of these little problems happened here where parts are available. There is a great hardware store (Johnson's) just across the street.

There are many convienient stores & restaurants in this marina & surrounding area. Our favorite, by far, is the Key Largo Café (great wood fired pizza- the veggie has corn on it)! Also good is the Cat's Whiskers Pub (fish & chips just like London & REAL green peas). The owner & his wife were true English publicans. I asked for my chips extra well done & the owner came out & said that they did them just right & she did not want to ruin them by overcooking them. She was rightly proud of them. They were perfect. Another group came in & kept asking questions about how long it would take to get certain items & she finally replied "a damn sight less time than it is taking for you to order them!"

Another favorite was Razmataz. They serve fantastic Indian food but a bit pricy.

There are many good restaurants within dinghy & walking distance on the bay.

Other services here include Banks, good sail loft (Inse), small grocery & great bakery (The Bread Basket), LPG fill & electronics shop (Regal). Jerry did our varnish but Tony did the boat beside us & it looks a little better. Both use epiphanes varnish, supposed to last longer in the tropics.

While we were gone some of our friends from the Bahamas have caught up with us. Our 1st morning back we were greeted by Tom & Marge (3/4 Time) & got to catch up with them. They are on the same path as us so we will see more of them. We got E-mail from Tony & Maria (Bretanha) & they have given up the cruise to the Azores.

We have met many new people on the dock Tom & Jennifer (Windwalker) & Jill & Rick (Wavewaker) are staying here. Steve & Helen (Island Dancer) & Shawn & Lynn (Tarifa) are heading South.

7/26/02

We spent our anniversary on an Island Tour (Greg Lionel). This island is like Dominica, lush & green with many waterfalls. The most interesting thing was the

"Drive Through Volcano". You actually drive right into the crater of the volcano, get out & walk past hot springs & bubbling holes. You can soak in the mineral baths for medicinal purposes if you wish. We had a good lunch with an incredible view of the twin Pitons mountains at Dasheene restaurant in the Ladera Resort. The rooms there have only 3 walls & one open to the view. It would be a great place to stay for peace & quiet but very expensive ($300-700/night w/o meals). We find most things on this Island are a bit more expensive.

There is a great park on Pigeon Island. You can hike up one peak to a Fort used by the British & the French in turns. Up another peak is the spot the US used as a signaling station in WW II. Both have spectacular views. There are shady paths to walk, a restaurant looking out over the bay &, of course, a good British pub built into the ruins of the fort (The Captain's Cellar).

08/02/02

We had planned to be on our way by now but yesterday was Emancipation day in the (formerly) British Islands so we decided to stay for the party. We moved out of the marina the day before so we could clean the hull before sailing. There was so much growth on the propeller that we could barely move the boat so we hooked the dinghy to the side & used it to help propel the boat with just enough power from the main engine to steer. We had almost 4 inches of alge growing on parts of the hull & it took several hours to scrape that & the barnacles off.

With the work done we went over to the marina to spend some time with Tom & Jennifer then off to the Emancipation party. There were several bands ending with a good reggae band. We had a great time & met a family from Trinidad. They said that if they were in Trinidad the party would have gone on into the morning instead of ending at 9:00 & been much wilder! We are not sure if we are going all the way to Trinidad but they really encouraged us to get there. I think they worked for the Trinidad tourism department! We finished out the night at the marina restaurant where another band was playing with an incredible female singer.

08/05/02

Bequia

We made it to Bequia in one day. We had planned to stop in St. Vincent but realized when we got there we had plenty of time left before sunset so we came on in. This place is cruisers heaven! It is a great anchorage in 20 ft of water surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches & a very cute, clean town on one end. There are many grocerys & today we even found tortillas (corn AND flour) & fresh cilantro & basil! (Doris Fresh Foods) The only problem is that now I want to cook on the boat & yet there are many restaurants calling our name. Today we ate at the Gingerbread & had the best Jerk chicken I have had on this trip.

Yesterday we went snorkeling by some rocks between the two main beaches. At first it was disapointing as there was not a lot of coral but it turned out to be the most incredible snorkel yet. There were a surprising variety of fish but the most facinating thing was that we spotted two octopus wrapped around each other in one big mass. They may have been mating or trying to eat each other (or both?). I have never seen an octopus before on any dive & we hovered for a long time watching them. If we got too close the one on top (kind of hard to say who was on top) would turn white then as we backed off he would turn back to rust color. Finally they broke apart & just lay there until we finally left them alone. What a sight! On the way back to the boat we saw some squid & chased them & watched them turn white & swim away then turn back to purple.

After a shower we went over to visit another couple, David & Marion (Mariah). David was a high-end hairdresser before they started doing charters in the Virgins. After a few drinks we started discussing the possibility that he cut my hair. I had had only a couple of beers but it sounded like a good idea. (At the time!) The next thing I knew I had a shag! What have I done! It looks good but I cannot tie it all up or even braid it anymore. This was not a good time for this hairstyle but it will grow back & I was getting tired of it anyway.

08/15/02

My Birthday. We are still in Bequia although we planned to be horseback riding in Mustique today. I really don't want to leave here. Shawn & Lynn arrived with their friends Joan & Al. We had a great evening with them sharing mexican food (with fresh cilantro) that Lynn made. After munching for a while we decided to go night snorkeling. We saw more octopus of a different type than during the day so we now call this spot (between Princess Margaret Beach & Lower Beach) the Octopus' Garden.

This has been a great place to stay. We have hiked all over the island. One day we went to Brother King's Turtle Farm. He has singlehandedly raised & released about 500 hawksbill turtles & has another 400 presently in his care. All of this is done at his own expence. We also walked to the Whaleing museum. Not much there but it was interesting to talk with an old whaler personally. They are still allowed to kill four whales per year on Bequia (not that they can usually get that many, anyway). We also walked on down the road (a long way) to Moonhole. It is an old resort that was built into the mountainside. Some of the buildings are built into a stone arch over the water. All of the tables & chairs in the bar area were made of stone. It looks a lot like Fred Flintstone's house.

This is an ideal spot to stay for a while. The people are very friendly & happy, always playing in the water, young & old. The food is great & reasonable & the hotels are small & cute. This is pretty much what I hoped cruising life would be.

08/17/02

Mustique

This is an island that is controled completely by The Mustique Company. There are only 140 private homes allowed on the island. It is the island of the Rich & Famous, which means very expensive. Moorings are manditory (75 EC/3days). I think they charge you for three days knowing that you will probably not spend more than one night as the harbor is VERY rolly. Drinks at Basil's bar are pretty expensive but it's about the only game in town. It is a beautiful island to wander around, all perfectly manicured, maybe a little too perfect. We really couldn't see any of the houses, I guess Mic Jagger & David Bowie do not want guests. Actually almost all of the houses are for rent, some as low as $10,000 per week. That's pretty expensive but many have 6 or more bedrooms so if 6 couples wanted to rent Mic's house it would not be too bad. Our favorite place on this island was the library (air-conditioned & free). They had two coffee table type books on the history of Mustique & pictures of the houses & parties in the old days. Pretty impressive homes & people here. The party pictures usually had Princess Margaret lounging in the forefront with all of the muckity mucks around her.

There's a bit too much of the British Colonial feeling here for my taste. According to the books Colin Tennet bought this whole island & told the people living on it that he would give them $1000 to leave or they could stay & work for him. It is such a contrast to Bequia where many people owned their own homes & had pride in their island.

08/20/02

Canouan

We are anchored at the North end of Rameau Bay. This is a pretty smooth spot & the snorkeling is great along the rocks. We are all alone here & enjoying the solitude. We hiked all the way around the Conauan Resort, about a 4 mile hike up & down hills. We were lucky enough to find Don who gave us a ride back to the dinghy after we found out that the resort was closed & we would not get a rest stop before returning home. This island is a little like Mustique in that the Canouan Resort owns most of the island. It is run by an Italian company & I have to admit that it is all done very well. Again, maybe too well. You can see that no money was spared on this construction (laundering?). There is a huge casino, a golf course & hotel complex. Again, there will only be 120 (million dollar) homes allowed. It is all closed at this time to add more holes to the golf course & renovate the hotel. They are also building a marina with a Mooring's boat rental.

08/22/02

Tobago Cays

The Tobago Cays are just a group of very small islands surrounded by a horseshoe reef. We are pretty much anchored in the middle of the ocean with just a reef between us an Africa. It is quiet calm here in spite of that but there is no windbreak so we get the full force of the trade winds. It is a little disconcerting at first but at least we are always facing the wind & waves, a much more comfortable position than rocking in swells sideways.

The snorkeling here is said to be "the best in the world" & I cannot argue with that. I have never seen such great coral formations & it is such an easy place to snorkel. There are dinghy moorings right on the reef where you snorkel in very shallow water that is a clear as I have ever seen. After you get used to the fact that you are out in the middle of the ocean you realize that the only current is pushing you back toward the dinghy & if you are really in trouble all you have to do is find a sandy patch & stand up! I am trying out my underwater photography, hoping that the beauty of the surroundings will make up for my lack of skill.

08/25/02

Mayreau

This is one of the small Islands of the Tobago Cays. We stayed in Salt Whistle Bay where there is a small isolated Hotel. It is very cute & many of the buildings are built out of native rock. If you did not know there was a hotel here you would miss it as all of the lodgings are hidden in the trees. It is pretty expensive ($400/night) and billed as very secluded but with 20 boats anchored here the beach is somewhat occupied all of the time. There is a pleasant walk over to the small village & some nice, local restaurants there. We spent one afternoon at Righteous & the Youths & had a great time with Robert the owner. He is determined to help the community by hireing the "youths" around the island & teaching them how to run a business. All of the restaurants around there work together & incourage you to try each other's places.

08/26/02

Palm Island (Resort)

This is a small private island with only a hotel on it. It is a pretty big hotel & again, pretty expensive ($450-830/night, all inclusive). We had a nice lunch here & stayed overnight although hthe anchorage is rolly. It looks like a well-run operation, although it is large. At least they do have a dedicated beach for the hotel guests so they do not get those ugly transients all over their beach! They even have a, sort of, golf course. It's only 9 holes, par 3, & mostly rough, but it is a golf course!

08/28/02

Union Island

This is a large island & the checkout point for St. Vincent & the Grenadines. We anchored outside of Clifton near the outermost reef. I have learned to like the shelter of the reef with nothing to block the wind. It makes for a cool, non-buggy, & non-rolly night. The reef in front of us is not too good for snorkeling but one of the islanders has built a small (6'x10') island for himself within swimming distance of our boat. He is still "negotiating" with the government as to whether it is leagal or not but he's out there every afternoon selling rum punches.

Clifton is a nice small town with a good produce market. The Anchorage Yacht Club is really cute with what looked like nice rooms and a private beach ($110-320/night). Lunch there was good pizza but the best restaurant there was Bougainvilla (French).

08/29/02

Petit St. Vincent (Resort)

This Resort owns the whole (small) island & delivers what all of the other island resorts promise. There is complete seclusion for the guests in small villas scattered around in the trees. The beach is private with the exception of the front public area where the lowly transient boaters are allowed. They do allow a FEW boaters join them for dinner ($60 prix-fix & probably worth it looking at their menu) although we did not try it. Surprisingly they were very welcoming to us & gave us a 20 min. tour of the island (in our favorite transport, the mini-moke) & showed us a few of the villas. This is the spot! If you want to get away from people & feel like you are on your own private island you could do no better in the Caribbean. That is assuming you want to be on your own private island with great food & service. The service is provided by raising the yellow flag in front of your villa (there are no phones) & a waiter will come pick up your order & return with your needs. If you raise the red flag you will have complete privacy. It is, by far, our favorite resort we have seen &, of course, rather expensive ($415-830/night, all inclusive) although compared to the other places that charge similar prices it seems the most reasonable for what you get.

(updated 10/18/02)