Some Pictures from the trip back up the island chain

A lesson in line splicing - that took all day!

Darrell blowing the conch

St. Anne Anchorage

Sunset St. Pierre

Mr. Pelee - the volcano

Phillipsburg, St.Maarten to St. Croix

    We came back to Phillipsburg to shop and have lunch. Last time the local tavern was out of curry goat and I really wanted to try it!  THIS time - I ordered it (delicious)!!  The proprietress even remembered us!!! We are living a life Mike would enjoy - every trip a field trip, every meal a banquet! To get here, we take a local bus. Last time, there had been an earthquake here and the whole bus was buzzing about how strong the tremor had been. This is very much a tourist stop - more than some of the islands we visit. 
    We waited out some strong winds to depart St. Martin. We left on Monday about noon. We parted company of Wayward Wind - ;.(.  They fly back to the US for the holidays next week. I am guaranteed to see them up island, though. We are making a new genoa cover and a new helm cover while they are gone and while we are waiting on the visit from Jessica, Craig, and Lyric. 
    A pleasant overnight sail of 19 hours - 100 miles. Much of it with our gennaker and going seven knots downwind.  We anchored Tuesday morning and low and behold, we are almost IN the airport runway. Yes, St. Croix uses seaplanes for air service. Interesting to watch and a busy place!  Weather dictated a short stay in St. Croix. 
    We left Thursday for Culebra. Had a wonderful beam reach for 9 hours to get here!  I think Christmas in Culebra sounds great - we were considering Christmas Cove but the northerly swells didn't sound great for that location.  We are here with Celtic Rover and hope to see Azaya, Kolibrie, and Plane to Sea while we are here. Also have some boat projects to tend to. 
    Happy Holidays to ALL!
    

Moving UP the island chain!

Guadeloupe

            Iles Des Saintes was the first stop in Guadeloupe.  We only stayed there for two nights before moving on.  Beautiful place!  Next, we traveled up the coast to a place called Pigeon Island – city named Malendur.  Just one mile off the coast is a waterpark named after Jacques Cousteau – SPLENDID!!  Gorgeous water, plentiful fish life, and warm.  Good thing it was protected waters, because there were some yellow tails that were big!! 

            After being joined by our friends for some snorkeling and and nice anniversary dinner in Malendur, we moved up to Deshaies – on the northwest corner.  Weather dictates that we move on or be here for at least another week.  So we checked out and left early on December 7.

St. Martin

            Just about 24 hours later, we anchored in Simpson Bay to wait for daylight and the lift bridge to open so we could enter Simpson Bay Lagoon.  A day to recuperate from the crossing and we are going strong again.   We are enjoying the tuna we caught on the crossing.  We shared with Celtic Rover – the ½ tuna we caught.  Yes, we had a double strike and by the time we reeled the second one in, he was only the front half.  Nice, fresh tuna that we ALL enjoy (including Roxy). 

            Bruce helped us with a tune up on the carburetor of the dinghy motor and we are back in business with being more mobile again.  Roxy appreciates being able to travel to shore more regularly – as we all do.  Literally, anything you need for a boat is here in St. Martin.  We are here in the protected lagoon to wait out the winds that have increased significantly in velocity.  It is a lot different here than when we were here in June or July – many more boats and some big mega yachts! 

            As soon as the weather allows (maybe Monday the 17^th), we are going to move again toward the USVI.  We are trying to make Culebra for Christmas.  Next stop, our phones will work once more!!!! :D 

Some pictures

Ann Snorkeling

And taking pictures

Alibi on the move Again

St. George's Harbor - Windjammer Mandalay at anchor

Cutty, our Island tour guide

Ann & Darrell at the waterfall

Who has a monkey on her back!?!?

Didn't know bamboo was so strong

Nutmeg, one of the spices of the spice Island

Rum Distillery

Wow, that's powerful stuff!

Carriacou was the first stop.  A very nice day sail of about 8 hours!  It was good not to be going far because we had some kinks to work out after sitting in one place for over three months.  This is a lovely place!!  We came REAL close to seeing some friends who have their boat in Key Largo.  They had stopped there on a Windjammer sail – sorry we missed you, Marty and Louise!

            We were at Sandy Island, just off Hillsborough, Carriacou.  While there, we enjoyed some great snorkeling.  Darrell was the party planner when he invited the whole anchorage to a beach party.  We roasted hot dogs, chicken, kielbasa, fish and had all the trimmings.  We even had a musician.  What a fun time!!  The next night, we had an evening get-together with some other boats we met in Grenada (Darrell’s friends from Volleyball). 

            The next stop was Petite Martinique for rest and cheap beer.  It is the first place I have ever seen where your cases of beer are delivered by tractor bucket to the dock!  When we left there, we were gone for one hour and our main halyard broke (IN the eye splice)!

            SOOOO, once again, Darrell was up the mast!  This was one of many trips since we replaced the coaxial antenna wire for our VHF radio while we were in Grenada.  Our logbook reads:  Up the mast, down in the bilge, up the mast, down in the bilge, up the mast, …….hahaha!  At least the halyard didn’t break with him on it!!!!  Weather finally cooperated and we were able to leave there – after Miss Roxy got us kicked off a beach!

            Twenty-four hours later, we landed at Martinique again.  Le Marin is a very protected anchorage with LOTS of sailboats!  A few days there was enough (Thanksgiving included) so we moved to St. Anne (Great name).  We love the town and anchorage.  Much less crowded and pretty water.  While we were in Le Marin, we took Roxy to the vet for her annual shots – she got a pet passport and it’s in French!

            These French islands are challenging me to rapidly improve my French!  We so enjoy the culture.  Baguettes are quite nice!  We tried something here called accras – kinda like fritters. 

            We are waiting on our friends and buddy boats – Wayward Wind (Dave & Linda) and Celtic Rover (Bruce & Jan).  They are enjoying the Grenadines  -  a stop we had to miss because of the dog.  We really enjoy travelling in their company!

            We spent a few days in St. Pierre on the north west coast of Martinique with the above boats.  They will never trust Darrell to plan any shore excursions again!  WE all decided we wanted to see Mount Pelée up close – more history in a bit.  So we boarded the bus.  We departed the bus and began a hike up toward the mountain – a LONG hike.  We were a few kilometers from the summit when we all decided we had had enough uphill climbing.  So we returned to the bus stop.  After several minutes (about 40), we decided to start walking in the direction of St. Pierre and catch the bus as it came by.  MANY minutes into the trip, we had not seen any busses.  We kept walking (at least it was downhill).  Finally one of our group had had enough exercise – he decided to go call a taxi at a local house.  A few minutes later, we were all loading into a man’s van and being taken the rest of the way down the mountain.  It seems that the busses don’t run in the afternoon – lol!  We tallied the distances and think we probably walked about 15-18 kilometers – YOU do the math! 

            We left there on Friday night for a 15-16 hour sail to Iles Des Saintes (Guadeloupe).  A nice night sail with the full moon BUT we had a few squalls to contend with.  One on each end of the island Dominica.  We were pretty tired after the overnight sail so we rested most of yesterday.  Today, Darrell has been fixing some things on Wayward Wind and Roxy and I have been taking care of business.  We enjoyed a brief SKYPE session with Jessica, Craig, and Lyric at lunchtime.  They are coming to Puerto Rico in January – reason we are making tracks north to meet them! 

            Anyway for the history of St. Pierre:  It was the hub of the islands at the turn of the century with a population of 33,000 and considered the Paris of the Caribbean.  In 1902, the volcano erupted and killed the entire city but one man who was in a prison cell and one man on a boat.  Several boats in the harbor were also sunk.  The gaseous blast froze folks in their tracks.  Many had been encouraged not to leave for multiple political reasons – sad.  Now, only about 3,000 people reside there and the volcano is expected to erupt again sometime in the next 100 years.  I would have to think twice about staying there!   

Mt. Hartman Bay, Grenada

Aboard Bella Blue

Bruce, Dave, & Linda

Sailing

Getting ready to go snorkeling

Bruce and a statue

Trying to get a shot coordinated !! lol

Second Attempt

Circle of Children

Scott & Kim

Heading Home

Roxy is loving life!

        Sunday (September 30) we went for a daysail on Bella Blue. A 40 ft Freedom sailboat of Scott & Kim. There were nine of us counting Roxy. We went snorkeling at a marine park north of St. George's. There are concrete statues as you can see in our pictures. Snorkeling with Roxy (in her lifejacket) is like having your own DPV (scooter)!!  She just keeps swimming all the time. People from a commercial snorkel boat took her picture. It was great fun!

     I am listening to the VHF radio cruiser's net. This area is almost like a cruise ship with so many activities to choose from. The net is great because one can also ask for help with almost anything and receive it!

     We had a great dinner last night on Tiger Lilly. Tom and Lilly are leaving for a circumnavigation.  We have really enjoyed their company and will miss them!  Fair winds to SV Tiger Lilly. 

     Many of our friends' boat projects are winding down. Darrell enjoyed a full day off yesterday. We went to church then he played dominoes. We really enjoyed church - both of us felt VERY welcome!

     This week we are going on an island tour. That should be lots of fun. Several more of our cruising friends are planning departures in the next few weeks. It will be sad to say goodbye to the many friends we have made but we are getting itchy feet!

Mt. Hartman Bay, Grenada

Our Island Ventures Crew - before the boats arrived!

Yes, it required two large boats for this crew - one is docked!

Getting ready for the garage sale - miss you Jessica and Scotty!

Captain Michael on our sunset cruise

Us being taken for a boat ride!

No it wasn't ALL work!  Thanks Conch Republic Divers.

My second favorite dive buddy!

A little relaxation

     We returned from the states on September 2.  Our great friends took wonderful care of Roxy - and yes, she was glad to see us.  Slightly more spoiled - if that is possible!

     Since we have returned, we have been working on boat projects on our boat and helping others, hiking trails, going to Yoga class, and swimming many times each day.  September is the hottest and stillest month - I believe it!  

******News Flash******

     September 21 the house deal was finally completed!  We no longer have to feel like puppets with someone else pulling our strings.  I could write a book about all the things that happened with this sale - and a bunch on the problems related to trying to do it "long distance".  Anyway, we are beginning another chapter in our lives - a homeless one!!

     Soon, our grandson, Lyric will be a year old!  It feels as though this year has flown by!  His birthday present from Paw Paw and Nan is a ticket to fly to the Caribbean to visit.  We are waiting on his mommy and daddy to tell us where he wants to visit so we can introduce him to the ocean!  By the way, he loves the water!

     Last Thursday (Sept 27), we got to experience healthcare in Grenada.  Darrell got fiberglass resin in his eyes - a long story why he wasn't wearing personal protective gear (PPG) but he wasn't.  Anyway, we were rushed to an eye clinic at the hospital and we learned that I am not very good at leading blind people - I ran him into doors, etc.  We have many to thank for helping facilitate rapid entry into St. Georges for the hospital visit.  He is being seen at the same clinic while I am typing this for a follow up visit.

Isaac

        Interesting, we have lived in Key Largo for almost 10 years. We have dodged a direct hit from hurricanes for the majority of those years. Now, when we are trying to sell the house and in need of a new roof - TS or Hurricane Isaac comes calling!  Here we sit in an almost empty house with about three days ahead of rain and wind. We have been having distant cousins of Isaac (feeder bands) come calling since Friday and he isn't even due here until Sunday!!  And now...instead of having the yard sale we had planned for this weekend, Darrell is making jokes about having a hurricane sale instead!

        TS Isaac did not allow another sale but we have been able to empty the house anyway. How do we accumulate so much STUFF?!?!?  

        Ever feel like a yo-yo?  The closing on this house makes me feel like one!  The roofers showed up right after the storm was past and got the roof done in 2 days - plenty of time to close on Friday. We scurried and made multiple trips to Salvation Army to get things gone. Habitat for Humanity is getting some of it on Friday. NOW, today, we learned the bank was not ready for closing on Friday!

        Regardless, I am flying back to the boat and the dog on Sunday. We are still not 100% sure whether Darrell needs to stay back or go!!!  I am looking forward to diving Saturday with my second favorite dive buddy, Rachel. And of course, we are squeezing in last minute plans with our dear friends here as much as we can. 

    

Key Largo

        Wait!  You're kidding, right, it took only 3 hours to fly the distance we took almost 5 months to cover. Yes, folks, we are back in Key Largo for a bit. Come see us!!!

        Got back to learn that the house needs a new roof and the small sailboat we have on a trailer in the drive has become a water collector - and this area has been getting rains with "record setting" rainfalls recently. Gonna be a fun few weeks!  But hey, we are getting to visit with our very good friends and go eat at some of the places we have missed. 

        Bittersweet going through mementos once again to pack, sell, or trash! It really makes one evaluate what is important to them in life. A lot of it is just "stuff" that only means something to us!  Really, in the end, the friendships are the most valuable things we take with us - everywhere we go.  But all of this is a bigger emotional roller coaster ride than I thought I was in for!

Safe from Ernesto

        Happy Birthday, Darrell!  I can't believe that you are celebrating another birthday, ALREADY!  Yes, we have been together for sixteen years now.  Unbelievable how much fun my life has been for the last sixteen years!!  Just look at where we are!

Roxy standing on a rock so she can see fish better!

Celtic Rover

Wayward Wind

Wayward Wind and Celtic Rover sailing from Carriacou to Grenada

Steel Drum Band at Prickly Bay Marina in Grenada

        We fly out on Thursday for Key Largo.  We are going to be selling, trashing, and/or storing the remainder of our "stuff" that has been at the house on Marina.  We are even considering and probably will sell our car (unless my dad wants it back).  It will feel good to get all that sorted out.  We are having fun dreaming about who we need to see while we are there, where we will go eat that we have been missing, and what we plan to try and pack to bring back with us.  It will be nice to have cell phone coverage for a while.  I am even planning a dive trip with my friend Rachel.
        Come see us if you want anything we have had stored there in Key Largo!

Windward Islands – Grenada

      WELL, we never made it back to Carriacou.  The predicted weather is for a possible tropical storm or worse.  I swear, we can’t win!!!!  We went north to get away from hurricanes last year and Irene joined us – this year, we went south to avoid them and here comes Ernesto (if it becomes a named storm).  I don’t know how much of the regatta got cancelled or postponed but we opted not to sail back over there – it is about 30 or 40 miles.

    Instead, we stayed at Grenada and have done some exploring and shopping.  We got to see a lot of the southern part of the island when we were looking for marinas and anchorages for Alibi.  We need a fairly secure place to leave her while we are in Key Largo.  We also hiked what was SUPPOSED to be 2.5 miles out to the airport to get our tickets (somebody doesn’t know how to measure).  Anyway, the trip is on – whether we close the deal on the house or not, we will have the house ready for the next deal.

    Once again, we have completely stripped the deck of the boat for a possible storm.  We would have done this even if the weekend didn’t have 30-40 knot predicted winds with the TD-5.  We have friends from Celtic Rover watching our boat and our dog for us.  In exchange, we are bringing some things back from the states and doing some fiberglass work on their boat. 

    News FLASH!  It is now Tropical Storm Ernesto as of 5PM Thursday.  We have internet here – if it doesn’t get knocked out and we will post a SPOT message after the storm passes in the event that internet/electricity take a hit.  Watch for facebook or check your e-mail if you are one of our “people”.  Stay Tuned……. 

Carriacou Photos

Off they go!  Boat built on Carriacou

American Eagle - launched while we were there.

Bow under construction

Amidship

Keel

The Boatyard

One being built

Left standing on the beach!

Attaching the Rudder