El gran show

Mon petit dejuner

La mañana comienza. Tout bién!. Un café con leche, pasteles franceses, la nevera llena de pescado fresco y el día programado, sólo para ser feliz. En contradicción con la noche nublada y la amenaza de lluvia; il fait beau!

Anoche, tras las montanas, una luz surgió como estadio de baseball que se acaba de alumbrar, en mi imaginación podía escuchar el vitoreo de los fanáticos de cada equipo. El impacto de la pelota contra el bate, los gritos de ovación, la carrera del bateador, la arena desplazándose bajo sus pies cuando se desliza por la primera base. La luz se hace más intensa con cada base que toca. El narrador deportivo, desde la cabina, anuncia exaltado el final glorioso de tan esperado juego. Segunda base lanza la bola pero es muy tarde, el corredor se impulsa y todos le ven volar, tres metros que parecen interminables mientras su cuerpo se avalancha hacia la base. “¡Save!” Grita el árbitro y extiende sus brazo inclinando su cuerpo sobre el ganador que mira hacia el cielo, mientras el catcher sostiene la tardía pelota.

El juego termina en gran celebración , el equipo alza al ganador. Y tras las lomas nace la luna llena, esplendida, brillante como un sol nocturno, abarcando toda la tierra y mi exaltado corazón.

AnechyNotes

Îles des Saintes, Guadeloupe

La villa

Rue principale, Bourg du Saites

La villa está despierta. Se escuchan martillazos, motores, un grupo de niños reman a toda prisa en sus kayaks, ríen con gozo y gritan “bon jour!”. La alegría flota en esas canoas plásticas. Luego se alinean cerca de la boya que marca donde descansa un barco hundido; y desaparecen en intrépida carrera, dejándome la sensación de un flash.

La Iglesia suena sus campanas que marca las 7:45 de la mañana. Veo un hombre vestido de blanco que camina por el muelle y un perro que corre felizmente a su encuentro. Todos los veleros en la bahía permanecen silenciosos, son tan tranquilos. A lo lejos uno pasa con sus velas izadas y detrás de él se asoma, entre la neblina, la isla de Guadaloupe, recordándome que debemos partir.

El norte nos espera inevitablemente. Le digo: ¡es tan bello aquí! Mientras sueño con un futuro en esta tierra. Este lugar me dona una paz interminable, el sonido de las olas cuando rompen en las rocas y la luz del sol tintineando como estrellitas alrededor de los botes pesqueros anclados a la orilla.

Los niños caminan hacia la escuela. Las campanas otra vez. Son las ocho. Una gallina cacarea corriendo alrededor del huevo. El gallo canta. Una cabra en la loma llama a su mamá.

La villa se despierta y yo sueño con ella.

AnechyNotes

Îles des Saints, Guadeloupe

Al umbral de la belleza

Terre d' Haut

Sentada en la plataforma del barco miro la tarde. El agua bajo mis pies se refleja tan azul, tan intensa. Se siente fría, pero refresca todo este calor de sol caribeño. Desde mi balcón la escena es un cuadro hecho de acuarela en una tarde de lluvia. Todos los colores corren hasta el mar. Las casas me recuerdan la ciudad que solía construir de niña con mi juego de lego. Las tejas rojas, puertas y ventanas pintadas de blanco, las flores y las lomas cubiertas de verde, completando la foto que termina en el cielo, perfectamente azul.

El la playa dos perros juegan a perseguirse, la carrera termina en el agua, nadando a toda prisa hasta que el amo les ordena que regresen. Los pelícanos expanden sus alas, tal ves juegan a planear cerca de la superficie serena, o persiguen su reflejo fantasmagórico sobre el agua. Al frente, la villa se dibuja a si misma con cada ferry, cada botecito, cada persona que se pasea por la arena. No se escucha un ruido que no sea el de las olas golpeando el barco, o los perros que juegan en la playa o mi respiración que con tanto asombro se ha convertido en un ¡oh! ante la belleza de esta tierra: Bourg des Saintes.

Anechy

Îles de Saintes, Guadeloupe

One or two sea legs?

The good thing about this islands is that if you take your prescription bottle, you don't need to get another prescription or if you know the name of the medication the pharmacist is willing to help you.

We were in St. Lucia, anchored in Rodney Bay. We needed some things from the grocery store and the pharmacy, so we made a trip to the town. I was wondering through the aisle of the store when I saw a box that captured my attention. “Sea legs”. I grabbed it and put it on my shopping basket. Because as you can tell: I still get seasick. That night before I went to sleep I took one and next morning before we started sailing I took the other one. Just as the instructions says. The journey began and the captain asked: “Did you take your sea leg?” “Yes!” I said. “When?” He requested. “Last night and this morning”. Thirty minutes later I was feeling like I had drank a whole bottle of rum. I couldn't keep my eyes open, it was worse than being seasick. Finally I lay down in the cockpit with several pillows and slept the entire trip from St. Lucia to Martinique.

I woke up entering Ste. Anne Bay, and the Captain said: “Well, you got your two sea legs”. We dropped the anchor. I put everything away down bellow and hit the bunk for four more hours.

This pill maybe kept me from puking, but made me stupid for a whole day. I rather go back to my old sailing days: up side down.

AnechyNotes

Watch out for your weight!

In the last four month we've met a lot of people and eventually got together for drinks and dinner. Food seems to be a motivation or a good reason to have a conversation. Most of the first mates I've talk to, complain about the same thing:gaining a lot of weight on the boat. You would think that it is because we are seating around most of the time. Actually we are not. But we might be eating more calories than we really need. “Now, how come men don't suffer from this problem? They stay pretty much in the same shape.” The ladies said. Well, they spend theirs calories thinking about the mechanical systems, water makers, toilets heads, generators, and on and on. Especially the: “What is going to break next?” It's got to be that, because Jim's belly goes down in less than a week, and then I need to move the buttons of his pants again.

But me? My blouses are fitting tie! I do Yoga, drink a lot of water, walk as much as I can when we go ashore and swim. I cut down the coffee, the bread and cheese, but nothing seems to improve. I don't know what to do next: run around the deck? Then I found this book: “French Women Don't Get Fat”. By Mireille Guilliano. It is about the secret of eating for pleasure. On the first lines I read on the cover page says: “not guilty or deprivation but learning how to get the most from the things you enjoy”. Then my French friend Chantal, who loves and enjoys food as much as I do, proves to me this theory of “not guilty”, after she finishes a huge plate. She is so slim! I feel like I should starve, when her husband says: “French women have svelte legs, because they eat a lot of frog legs”.

I rather be anchored though, then we avoid all the bad treats of restaurants in the marina. Raw fish and fresh fruits, at least keep me in a good mood. And the French women theory, I rather think is a genetic thing.

AnechyNotes

The first mate

The first mate

In the last few posts I've been talking about repairs, mishaps, my puking and you might think I'm just complaining all the time. I am not. All this trip has been a learning experience.

As you can tell I'm not a sailor. I am the first mate, even when there is nobody else to give orders. My job is mostly keep everything nice, clean, and the captain happy. Since he said, almost two month ago “this is not a journey for the sailing, this is a culinary trip”, I have been recollecting herbs, fruits and recipes for the specialties of my galley.

A little bit from every island has made this chef improve it skills. From Dominica we enjoyed the fresh orange and grape fruit juices. I also prepared a dessert with the orange peel, very delicious with cream or white cheese, a lot of work to prepare though. In Martinique I learned what is the easiest way to cut and peel a pineapple. It was at that carnival day in Fort the France, we went to the boulevard for lunch. We stopped first at the fruits stand where two young kids were making a killing with the smoothies. We got a Hawaiian smoothy with lots of pineapple and strawberries. It was so good! But what really impressed us was how easy and quick they peeled the pineapple.

In St. Lucia Jim tried the blogo plantain for the first time. In Cuba we call them donkey plantain or fongo. Not many people like them in the eastern part of the island, where they generally use them to feed the pigs. I introduced Jim to the semi ripe mashed boiled blogo with saute garlic, chives in olive oil and coking wine. The green mashed fried and ripe fried blogo were in the menu too.

Sour sop or guanavana is a fruit Jim never tested before, because when he saw it for the first time he thought “and if that thing comes to life at night and attacks me?” It is an ugly, spiky green thing, but inside it has the most tasty white flesh and it's good in ice creams, milk shakes and juices. Since he tried it, we always carry several green spiky little monsters on the boat.

There was not much of food discovering in Bequia, but I did a lot of cooking and we ate in some of the restaurants there. There was a new addition, to be honest, and that was the rum punch with nutmeg. The ingredients? Very easy: one of a sweet, one of a sour, lots of rum and grated nutmeg.

Then we got to Grenada, where we reached the culinary peak. There we found everything, but mostly the spices. I learned their traditional fresh herbs blend to season meat and fish. Ready? “You put your chives, your thyme, your shadow beni or cilantro, celery and seasoning peppers, in the mixer with oil and a little bit of water”. That is how they explained it to me.

In Trinidad and Tobago; where everybody has their own curry recipe, and they blend it from scratch; I found a little tough to get information. When I asked what do they put in their curry, I got lots of different answers and always that “secret ingredient” part. Well I put my sari on and made my own blend too: saffron, coriander, cumin, bay leaves, chili prouder, black pepper and if you want it really hot, slice some hot pepper and add it to your sauce.

I think that my cooking has kept the captain happy, because one night after dinner he stated I was his first mate. I don't now if dancing with the Gipsy Kings is part of my duties, but he seems to like my show too.

AnechyNotes

The leatherback turtles

Leatherback turtles

To ride in a minivan across the country for three hours. To pay 60 dollars for that trip, that included meals, drinks and the fees for the tour guide, it is nothing. To walk on a muddy road to reach the beach while the jungle bugs are munching on you, it's too little, insignificant compared to the effort of climbing the wet sandy beach with a 550 to 2000 pounds body and digging a hole with the back fences, just using the animal instinct and senses.

When we got to Matura, our destination, it was already dark. We took the road that leaded us to the jungle. This one line road was only lighted by the minivan lights, and Jessie James was showing us little birds that only come to feed at night time and lay on the middle of the street to catch bugs.

Then we got to Matura beach, where is prohibited to go on less you have a special permit and a guide, we waited for a while to get all the paper work done (register the names of the people and pay the fees). Everybody on the group was impatient, ready to get on the sand, specially when the tour guide's radio was crying “the another turtle is walking up the beach”.

We finally started fallowing our guide, Jim and I were walking very close to him, we wanted to hear all the details and he spoke in a very low voice. When we got to the site, the big mother was still digging the nest. Then, as soon as she started laying we could take pictures, touch her. They are so soft and smooth, I got on my knees and padded her head, fences and back, she was breathing deeply and contracting hard every time she pushed. She closed her eyes in pain and tears came out of them. In all that time she was in a trance that nothing bothers her. Then she stopped, covered the nest, camouflaged her trail and got in the water without looking back. I guess she thinks: “I did it right, everything is going to be okay”.

This was one of the most tender experiences in my life. This amazing creature deserves all our respect and protection. We've been always concern about the trash, but after that day we became the plastic trash police. Because that is one of the thing killing the turtles.

We have to be aware, every creature in this planet dissevers to have its own space.

AnechyNotes

The taste of Trinidad

Brazil nut

There is a taxi and tour company in Chaguaramas called Members Only. His owner, Jesse James, is the most happy person I have seen and an excellent entertainer. He, not only drives on the tours, but also have a very eloquent speech, that includes sound effects and DJ's style animation.

He offers different tours and services. The vegetable and fruit market on Saturdays, the movie town on Tuesday nights, The Angostura Bitters factory and steal pan tour, the leader back turtles, the taste of Trinidad and so more that we didn't have time to find out.

One of the fun things we did on the first week was the tour around Trinidad, tasting different kind of food. The bus picked us up at 9 o' clock, and from there on we started a trip that included history, sightseeing and a lot of food. We try 60 different kinds of food; traditional Indian food, local fruits and nuts and desserts. A lot of it was starchy, fried and spicy. Some Jim and I like, is a breakfast dish call doubles. This is a finger food that is served in a paper sheet, it consists in two fried split pees flour tortillas, filled with garbanzo beans and different sauces like green mangoes sauce and shadow beni sauce (like a cilantro sauce). It is messy, but very tasty.

On the list of all the things we ate, appears barbecue pig tale, salted fish, curry mango, Brazil nuts, milk fudge with ginger, mauby juice; made out of the bark of a tree, chicken gizzards and on and on and on.

The country side is beautiful and we went from the city to the coast and from there to the mountains. We stopped at a watermelon plantation, at a river's mouth, bakeries, a water park, a fruit stand, tasting, buying and eating. The last stop was in Port of Spain, at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. We got back to the marina at 9 o' clock, after twelve hours eating.

Next day we were still stuffed, we didn't have breakfast until three in the afternoon and it was just fruits. It took us two days to recover from that, but it was really interesting and fun.

AnechyNotes

At a river's mouth

Little river fish for sale

Sale stand in watermelon plantations

Crews Inn Marina

Sunset at Crews Inn Marina

Despite all the comments we heard about Trinidad; that is dangerous, that you need to walk looking around all the time, etc. We got there, rented a car, travelled all around, took the local transportation, got mixed between the crowd in down town and never had any problem. Trinidad is a big island, with 1,5 million people. Is a melting pot, you can find west Indians; east Indians, with their saris, British descendants  Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese and more. From Indian to Mexican food, very interesting. We were staying in Crews Inn Marina, in Chaguaramas, very nice place with all the facilities.

There was a very interesting group of cruisers there. Those who come every winter to get the boat ready and sail and those who don't go any where out of that marina. This was the first place we met with a very active political rehearsal. Because a lot of them have been there for so long that they are fighting for the Major position. There is a competition to be the first to talk to the new arrivals, giving them the advantage of votes. In our second day one of the ladies in our dock came to us, gave us a map, a telephone guide for all the businesses in the area and suddenly filled us up the scoop about an English lady: “You have to be careful, she will come to you very nicely, hand you a map and try to become your friend, but she hates Americans”. In short words, the place is a soup opera set.

We stayed out of the drama, talk to everyone and accepted help from everybody, finding out that the English lady was a very interesting character. One night we went to a sushi bar with one party and the next day we sat on a coffee shop with the other, because we are citizens of a peaceful world and social animals.

AnechyNotes

Maracas Bay from the hill

When the swells were gone

Charlottesville, Tobago

For the last week of the three we spent in Grenada, we've been saying: “We are going to go”. Our friends in the Marina said “good-bye” three times, “and we are glad you are still here” another three times. Until we finally stopped announcing our departure so much and just waited for a weather window.

In that time our friend Sylvan picked us up on his car to spend Friday afternoon on the beach and have a delicious creole lunch. We also went to the fish market and invited some friends, Danny, the manager of the marina and Tricia, for dinner. And they liked our seared tuna with sesame seeds and the ginger-garlic sauce, so much that next morning they took us to the market and bought fish to make a party for the crew members of the magi yachts and us in a big house across the marina that they were house setting that week- end. That was a Saturday night party with DJ and lots of interesting people from different parts of the world.

But Sunday was our day, when the north swells were gone and we had northeast winds to sail straight to Tobago, located southeast of Grenada. Even that morning we were still doubting if we'd go to an Eastern party in the mountains that we were invited to, by this lovely people in a community located on a road called 91, in Belvidere. But this was, probably our only chance in a few day to do this journey. So, after lunch, we tied off the nice floating dock and left. In the way out of St. George Bay, we called Danny and Tricia to say good bye. She walked out to the balcony just in time to see us going by.

We sailed over night, me upside down as usual, after 3 weeks docked I lost my sea legs. But this was the most beautiful night on the sea. The sunset was gorgeous, even between the fug in the horizon, and the moon rose full and orange and got behind a big cloud that looked like a puffer fish, lighting the eyes and the mouth. Then we had a tired bird hitchhiking. He was having a hard time to grab the bowpulpit and the running lights were not helping him either, so Jim turn them off and our guest rested until the light of Tobago showed up by 4 o' clock in the morning.

At 6:30 am we were anchoring across Charlotteville Town, in Man of War Bay. Where, as other boaters there told us, we were the only plastic boat on the anchorage.

AnechyNotes

Port in Scarborough

Fishing nets drying on a tree

Front Street in Charlottesville

Ruins in the way to Speyside

Salty Shores in Man of War Bay

Fisherman on his boat

Grenada

Grenada welcomed us with a rain storm. We sailed through a thick wall of rain just guided by the GPS and appealing to Jim's sailor's instinct, since we didn't have the wind instrument working. I have to confess I was concern about sailing on a storm (this wasn't quite one), but it was actually very pleasant. When it stopped raining and the sky was clear again, the sun shone, Grenada showed off like a mysterious island. We knew it was there, but its suddenly apparition behind the clouds was even romantic.

This island is as dangerous as the mystic islands in Pirates movies, with the mermaids' music making sailors fall in love with them. Everything is nice; its welcoming people who doesn't seem to care about the racial difference like the in other islands; the ever green forest, the good diving sites, the fruits and vegetables, their colorful architecture, the delightful spices the family traditions, the tourist who meet there and never want to leave. They end getting in that Grenadian flow that everybody love.

A lot of sailors get stock between the arms of this place for a long time. We got here in the afternoon and made a plan for the weekend, so Archie could get to see Grenada before Monday, when he was flying back to the U.S. We rented a car and drove across the country, visited the farms and enjoyed the scenery of the mountains, its fresh air, the perfumes of the rain forest. We also went to the market, the most friendly sellers and better looking produce of the Caribbean, and took a tour of Belmont state, the town where the chocolate factory is.

We thought that three days of sightseeing would be enough, but we kept the car because we had to pick up the mast head unit and go to the machine shop to deal with the bowpulpit rebuilding. To get work done in Grenada is actually a pain, you have to chase the mechanics and beg them to take the money and do the job, and then harass them to get it done when you need it. It took several trips to the repair shop and lot of patience. In the other hand getting something shipped in Grenada from the U.S. is expensive and in top of that you have to pay a 65% of taxes for the total value of the goods. After all it was a good thing that we kept the car for two weeks.

When all the work was finished, we found out that we couldn't leave, there were so much to do and so many people to meet, places to go. We were definitely trapped in the enchanted waters of Grenada.

AnechyNotes

The journey continues

That night we went to happy island, it was already full of people. There was a regatta on the area and all the cruisers, wearing T-shirts to identify their team, were there too. The place was really busy, we got a rum punch and just stay around watching the people until the place started to get too crazy for our taste. The island people, trying to get in the party were jumping over the dinghies. We all agreed: “it's time to go”.

The cook impressed everybody, as usual, and we all went to sleep after dinner, but the Captain, who stayed all night thinking about the instrument. That night, unable to fall asleep; he got on Internet, fallowing that reflex of trying again and again, just to see if his eyes were lying. And for sure he found in the Datamarine repair website a refurbish mast head unit, on special” It was hard to believe. So he e-mail the company asking to hold it for him.

All the way from Union Island, to Petit Martinique, Petit St. Vincent, Carriacou, he was talking on the phone trying to get an address in Grenada, our next destination, to ship the piece in; and to assure that they were not going to sale this instrument to somebody else.

In the meanwhile Archie and I were enjoying the sights. Petit Martinique didn't look very exciting, there were little business and houses along the coast, couple of boats were being built on the beach and a cargo ship was moored on the only concrete dock of the island. A lot of fishing boats were anchored too and one of them, a new looking one, had his proud owner seating on the deck. “I just finished it a week ago”. He said very happy. That day we spent the night in Petit St. Vincent, which is a private island with a resort, and the next day in Tyrel Bay, Carriacou, where we actually went on shore to explore and find out how bad the economy is doing in places like that, that Jim visited four years ago and find them nice and now they are just banged. Specially the boat yard; with lots of abandoned boats; the restaurants and the spa. It didn't look like many boaters go there like they used to.

AnechyNote

A tour through the Grenadines

Chatham Bay

Saturday morning, by nine we were heading south. The Captain put his index finger on the chart over the Tobago Cays. The reality was, once we got closer, that there were still a lot of swells from the north and he changed course to Union Island, the kite surfing paradise. For sure there were a lot of people practising the sport.

We anchored in Clifton Bay behind the reef for one night, but it was really rolly and next morning we moved to another spot, called Chatham Bay, on the lee side of the island, and stay one night to wait for the swells to slow down and then go to Tobago Cays. Our first encounter with an boat boy was with this 25 years old guy with big eyes and always open smile, named Dindin. He welcomed us and told us the whole scoop about the place. He works for a restaurant on the beach, motoring around the anchorage trying to get customers to come ashore for drinks and food.

The third day we were ready for the Tobago Cays experience, so we took off about nine, and went around Union Island and then to the sparkling blue water spot. It looks like a well maintained swimming pool, just perfect. We got there at low tide, anchored, and went snorkelling on the reef, about quarter of a mile away. What a beautiful experience, we saw manta rays, puffer fish, parrot fish, sponges and corals, little craps of every kind... majestic! “Like swimming inside an aquarium” Jim said.

When the tide started coming in, the waves started breaking over the reef and the boat began to rock and roll. And we are talking about really rocking and rolling! “This will cure you from getting seasick”, said Jim, bracing and holding on while the boat rocked. That night I prepared a tasty menu in a shaky galley, almost like a song name, including choreography, that we called the sailing dance. Jim got it down pretty quick, but I couldn't get Archie to dance it, he just laughed. Ah! The menu: Black bean salad with Caribbean spice peppers and bay leaves; white rice and fried plantains. Jim was in charge of fixing a very nice tuna sushimi, with a yellow fin tuna Archie caught with his wallet. It was so fresh that it was still dripping blood. The bottle of Argentinian white wine hit us hard, so by 9 o' clock we were numb and went to sleep, not kidding, in literally a washing machine.

We were all awake by 6, Archie and I didn't complain, but the skipper was all beat up and said: “Did everybody get enough of the Tobago Cays?” He was ready to set sail for a calmer anchorage.

AnechyNotes

Another mishap

Quick view of Clifton

Our brains were quite shaken from the night before's rocking experience, making any other anchorage look very good. Our next stop was Clifton Bay in Union Island, an anchorage protected by a long reef on which a local guy named Janti has constructed a small island made of conch shells and cement, he has named it Happy Island, a bar and restaurant where he serves drinks and food.

We motored in and dropped the anchor behind the reef, in the calmest and most protected place we found, in front of the kite surfing school. Then happy with the place that we anchored, we went ashore to have lunch and clear out of the Grenadines. We also did a tour around the island, that really didn't impressed anybody, but as we say: “been there, done that... don't need to come back”.

Then we went back to the boat thinking about a nap, a swim and a trip to Happy Island. Just as we started to lie down this dinghy approaches the boat and a kite surfing instructor announces that one of the kite surfing students got her kite tangled in the mast while we were gone, and said "I think she broke something up there, I'm sorry”. We looked up to the top of the mast and the wind instrument mast head unit was bent and had pieces hanging from the wires.

Archie and I took a express lesson of how to hoist Jim up to the top of the mast; and for his sake we are good students. He came down with the mast head unit, It was completely trashed. There was no way that it could be repaired.

The instruments on the boat were made 26 years ago, by a company called Datamarine, they are great quality and very accurate, and were put on Salty Shores in 1986, when she was built. Unfortunately this company is out of business and nobody makes them any more.

The solution he didn't like was to get a modern brand, which is not as reliable and more complicated. How was Jim going to make this Moroccan, raised in France, living in Haiti, working for the U.N. woman; understand that what had just happened wasn't a matter of a few hundred dollar?

Finally the French woman came on board. After a little introduction the conversation went nicely and then changed to the business of the problem. With a Budget Marine catalog Jim showed her a comparable new wind speed instrument. The cost of the mast head unit, the digital display, the  bracket and cable that connects the two would cost around 1800 dollars. The labor for installation would be at least 500 dollars and another two to three hundred dollars to stay in a Marina while the work was being done. There would also be the added cost of shipping and duties about 300 dollars.

“I understand, I understand it's not inexpensive. My father has a sail boat and I own a plane, I know.” At the end of the meeting they exchange contact information, Jim also gave her his bank  routing and his account number, since she suppose to transfer 2000 dollars to start the process. During the entire time that she was on the boat she wore huge aviator sunglasses, so we could never really look her straight in the eyes. When she left I felt a little uncomfortable.

AnechyNotes

And then we had fun

I never trusted picking up a mooring again, and Jim is wearing shorts to sleep every night. Archie has been a great help, telling Jim that he is sure that the Swiss man will pay for the damages while our other friend, Gene, kept predicting  that he was not going to get paid.

Well, a good English breakfast took the edge off, and by two in the afternoon Jim was in a dive shop booking a dive to "Devil's table" (name of the site), I joined them snorkeling, and I signed up to get my open water diving certification.

So for the next 5 days we were stuck in Bequia. I had to do 4 dives and study at PADI website, 5 sections of 60 minutes each, with small quiz and a final test. In the meantime Jim and Archie took a tour to the turtle sanctuary, were  harassed by the fruits and vegetable market sellers and finally bought produce from the less aggressive street vendors. They also had fun buying fresh tuna and mahi-mahi from the local fishermen. We had plenty of time to find someone to repair the fiberglass damage to the bottom of the dinghy.

The 5 days pasted very slowly, but we met other boaters with very interesting stories.

One of them, Tom and Annie, from Aspen, CO; were travelling on a demasted  40 foot catamaran. What a story! They lost the mast during the heavy winds of the past week (while we were in Rodney Bay). They were sailing from St. Croix, USVI straight to St. Vincent. Twenty miles off shore at one o' clock in the morning, the mast broke and went into the water. They thought about every possibility to save the sails or even the lines, but towing the mast could result in punching a hole in the hull, a much more serious situation. So, within 20 minutes they had cut all the rigging and watched everything sink into the Caribbean Sea. With no instruments or VHF, their only hope was the fuel in the tank, thanks to that they motored safely to Bequia. We met this great couple over my resort dive our third day in the island and they told us this story over a rum punch in a local beach bar.

We also met Ray and Susan, onboard a 46 foot mono-hull from Chesapeake Bay, they were also hit by the Swiss boat. JP and Susan, my classmates in the dive class. I have to also mention my scuba instructors Polly and Stuart, from England and George and Annie, an army pilot and his girlfriend, both living in North Carolina, who dove with me the last two days of the course.

This was the most social anchorage by far.

AnechyNotes

At the crack of dawn

Just by coincidence the night before, while I was cooking, I played the CD of the storyteller Donald Davis: “All about aunt Laura, and the crack of dawn”. I know hearing the crack of dawn was a gift his aunt left him when she died, but we literally woke up with the sound of a big crack!!! That very first morning in Bequia. It was like a hammer, a giant one, right on the head. I jumped up scared to death, Jim ran “butt naked” and in less than 3 seconds he was up in the bow of the boat pushing off this 80 foot long Catamaran that broke loose from one of African's moorings about 500 feet away, drifted and hit us on the bow-pulpit, smashing it so it looked like a pretzel.

I ran after Jim with his bathing suit in my hand, knowing he'll need it, and watched that incident (not quite awake yet) like a surrealistic movie. “What happened? What has just happened?” I kept asking. Next thing I realized was that we had also broken loose off our mooring, but Jim jumped into the cockpit, grabbed the steering wheel, started the engine and got us away from the drifting catamaran. In the meanwhile, the big catamaran; that had the line of our mooring wrapped around one of it propellers and both rudders; couldn't steer. It was spinning around and around and hitting other boats: 2 forty foot charter catamarans and a 42 mono-hull. This “boat eating monster” got his second propeller caught in the mooring of the last catamaran, parting the line and towing it away like a toy.

We follow the boat until he was anchored in the other side of Admiralty Bay. African was out on his boat within 5 minutes, nicely dressed with his big gold chain around his fat neck. “I'm the man!” he seemed to say. He talk to us. “Don't worry, I talk to him, he'll pay, let me get you back on your mooring”. And in less 20 minutes he had all the damaged boats back on his moorings.

Not too long after that, the owner of the catamaran comes over in his dinghy, takes pictures of all the damages, gives his contact information and offers his apologies. “It seemed so easy”, he said, “the boat boy just handed me the line... it seemed so easy, that was stupid of me. My boat was much too big to be on a small mooring. I'll pay for everything”. And for sure, Jim got an estimated from the "fix-it man", the only stainless steel shop on the island; gave the Swiss man his bank account information and in two days he had wire transferred the money . And I wrote this little song:

Old man, nice Swiss gentleman,

sent to England his crew and captain,

thinking “this week-end is just for fun”

took his 80 foot boat to the Windward,

and gave Salty Shores a Crack of dawn.

Jim will be talking about this story forever.

AnechyNotes

Bequia

I think this day by day journal might look like a “chickflic”, especially coming from a “free Cuban bird” like some of my friends already call me.

Well this free bird got beat up by the 18-22 knots winds sailing from St. Lucia to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. So, as usual, I travelled upside down. But that morning our Captain said: “this is going to be a brisk sail”. After a definition class of the word “brisk”, I agreed it was.

Now, I love having Archie on board, he is always cheerful; that gave me my courage back. It took us 8 hours to get to Port Elizabeth in Bequia. I found it colorful and very alive. With about two miles of coastline in the bay there were coffee shops, bars, restaurants, fruits stands and more, that really gives you plenty of things to do and places to explore.

There were at least 75 boats in the bay moored or anchored. As soon as we entered the bay, the boat boy, African, came along side Salty Shores, to rent us one of his moorings. In the beginning Jim didn't want to pick up a mooring, since we only draft 4 feet, we can anchor in shallow water easily. But by coincidence our friends from Nova Scotia, Joanne and Gene were on a mooring just a few boat ahead. “We are looking for Ely Blue” he said to African, who immediately yelled “Gene is on one of my moorings!” Then Jim said: "OK, I'll take one of your moorings".

Well, 15 dollars (US) later we were all set up and Joanne and Gene were coming by to say hello and make a get-together-plan for next morning.

The anchorage was calm and we were very sure it will be a nice sleep night, so we all went to bed right after dinner, about nine o' clock.

AnechyNotes

Standing by the sleeping beauties

Sunset at the Pitons

We couldn't have a better trip to the Pitons, we made it in four hours, it was cloudy, but even though the bright colors were hidden, the two sleeping volcanoes welcome us.

Picking up the mooring was very easy with Jahvin's help, the boat boy, who chased us when we got in to make some business and took us to Sufraire on his boat, where we cleared out the island. He did a nice job driving along the bigger Piton; on his 10 feet long boat with 70 horse power outboard motor. At the meanwhile he was telling stories about the town, the hurricane and the battles between France and England for the island.

The town of Sufraire wasn't too exiting, but we had a nice walk around it, bought four pounds of fresh Mahi-mahi for lunch and sat down at the water front park to wait for our ride back to the boat.

We waited until 3 o' clock to go snorkeling while Archie swam in the beach of the Pitons Resort. Oh, life is good! But boating life is full of emotions. I was wondering why the dinghy kept filling up with water when I found a crack all the way across the fiber glass bottom. That started another tragic-comic episode of our trip. Any way we couldn't do anything until we got to Bequia, the Grenadines.

So that night we took a ride on shore with some people we met in the marina a few day ago and were on a mooring next to us. We took a taxi together to a Resort in the hill called La Ladera, very recommended by the cruising guide: “its spectacular view from the bar-restaurant called Dashin will blow your mind”. And it does. It's like seating on front of a high definition TV. “When you get there” he insisted “You'll say, wow!” And guess what? Wow!

Petit Piton

Gros Piton

AnechyNotes 

Dock sailing in Rodney Bay Marina

March 2^nd. A few circumstances “not controlled by our voluntary” had us stocked on D-8 slip, at Rodney Bay. I'll expose them:

1- get the laundry done

2- fix the toilets

3- fix the salt water pump

4- and the gimble lock on the stove

5- go to the market in Castries and buy fruits and veggies “twice” 

6- paint the cracks on the wood rails of Salty Shores

7- wait for our friend Archie, who is jointing us to sail to Grenada

8- and a weather window, because it has been really windy and stormy the last 3 days.

Today, we got up at six. After clearing out and paying the bill twice, because for days we kept saying: “we are going to go today!” And went to the office close the bills and then Jim calls a few minutes later to ask if there was any problem if we stay one more day; the marina nice officers just answered: “Salty Shores, you can stay all the time you want.” Of course...

But today, we were tired of dock sailing and with Archie here we felt more that committed to do something. Yesterday, when we came back from our second adventure in Castries with the provision (soursops, plantains, pepper, local chives, celery, grape fruits, coconut water, tomatoes and cooked lamb); we checked the passage weather, the winds were calming down, it was still raining, but the voice was out: “we are going to the Pitons”.

So here we are, 10 miles of 15 to the most scenic place in the Caribbean, where the two sleeping volcanoes, one on each end of the bay, almost touch the sky. So emblematic of St. Lucia that it is name to their national beer, very good, by the way.

AnechyNotes

40 nautical miles south

St. Lucia overview

February 22^nd. Salty Shores was ready to sail to St. Lucia, so we started our way at 6:30 in the morning. It was blowing 16-17 knots Northeast and the beautiful main sail and the genoa were showing off between flying fishes and birds.

This passage is known to be very rough right between Martinique and St. Lucia. A few days earlier I was telling our friend Louie from Newport, NC, that I couldn't wait to see him turn yellow and green when he comes to sail with us, maybe not very nice of me. But in fact I'm the one who travels outside down all the time; and the seasickness medicine makes me sleepy, so when I'm not puking, I'm immerse in my dizzy land.

We were expecting a nice Mahi-mahi, but not even a hint of good luck with that this time.

We got to St. Lucia at 11:00 am, actually we did a very good time. Jim called Rodney Bay Marina on the VHF to make a reservation and went straight ahead to the fuel dock to fill up the tank, making sure that it was filtered before. I guess the dirty fuel we had before had him a little traumatized. The fuel boy gave Jim a look of disapproving, until he told him our episode changing filters a few days ago and gave him a tip to keep him happy. “It's not that I got that diesel here, It's that I am a little paranoid about it”. He finally said.

A few minutes later we were docked in a very nice marina, with unlimited water, nice hot showers, good restaurants, free internet... Yey! Good to power up and continue the trip.

After we checked in the marina and customs and immigration, we had lunch at an Italian caffé called Elena's. They have a good pizza chef, with a stone oven and a great repertory of Italian songs that he sings while he is making the dough. He doesn't speak any English, but his pizzas are too good to be truth. That was plenty of stimulation to get brushes, rags and hoses and clean nicely our sailing home.

AnechyNotes