St. Vincent & the Grenadines

Friday June 29, 2007
Last year we visited Wallilabou on St. Vincent. This was the harbour where parts of Pirates of the Caribbean 1 & 2 were filmed. The “boat boys” were very aggressive & unrelenting therefore we did not have a pleasant stay. There have been problems with thefts and violence against cruisers & “tourists” so decided to bypass the island this year.

The Grenadines are a group of islands that are part of the country of St. Vincent. Our destination this morning was the island of Bequia, pronounced Beck-way. As usual, we had a romping sail across the passage between St. Lucia & St Vincent, at times reaching 8.4 knots (with a little boost from the current). By 5:15 pm we were anchored in Admiralty Bay on Bequia. Port Elizabeth is a quaint but bustling little town and is very welcoming to cruisers (and no boat boys!!). The waterfront is attractive with stone walkways and flower gardens, dotted with lots of restaurants, bars, little shops and a new dinghy dock. Names like The Frangipani, Gingerbread, & Solana’s help paint the picture.

Saturday morning we went into Port Elizabeth to clear Customs & Immigration and also to pay a visit to the market for fresh veggies and fruit. The market is run by Rastafarians and they can sometimes be very aggressive in their marketing techniques. When we were here last year, I was not happy with the reception we got at the market as every vendor demanded that you buy something from them. This year it was a very pleasant experience.

Cruising involves the endless boat chores and maintenance as well as sightseeing and lazy days. The vinyl windows in our dodger had deteriorated so badly by UV damage that it was impossible to see through them, and since the stitching was also coming apart (threads rotted by the sun) we thought we might as well replace the vinyl rather than spend the time restitching it. We found Alick’s Sail Repair and Canvas Shop. Alick was too busy to do the repair for us but he was kind enough to sell me the material to do the job myself. Now I am a capable sewer and the little machine I have on board handles the heavy material fairly well but will not take the heavy duty thread required for a proper application. Therefore when I sew something for the boat, I end up double stitching everything, which means double the time necessary to complete the project. So after the better of 2 days, our dodger now has crystal clear windows. What a pleasure to look through! It was well worth the time.

Monday July 2nd
It was getting too late in the day to pick our way through the countless reefs surrounding our destination of the Tobago Cays so we stopped in Charlestown Bay, on the island of Canouan. It is essential to have good overhead light when sailing in reef strewn waters. Between the hours of 11am and 3pm seem to work best for us.

Tuesday morning we arrived in the Tobago Cays, often referred to the Bahamas of the Caribbean. We anchored in 10 feet of crystal clear turquoise water nestled among 3 little islands that are protected from the ocean by a treacherous reef that stretches for miles.
The Tobago Cays are a protected marine park and offer beautiful scenery, excellent snorkeling and of course a chance to play Bocce Ball on the beach. Unfortunately all good things seem to be cut short by the weather. (It’s hurricane season so we are particularly watchful) Weather systems referred to as WAVES cross the Atlantic Ocean after originating in Africa. Each wave has the potential to turn into a Tropical Storm &/or Hurricane. We keep a close watch on the wave at 48° W as it may combine with a Low Pressure system at 9.5°N 38° W and turn into a Tropical Depression. Time to change plans! We had wanted to go from here and explore the islands of Mayreau and Union Island (all part of the Grenadines) and then leave for Tobago &Trinidad (do not confuse Tobago with the Tobago Cays), instead we head to Carriacou, Grenada on Thursday July 5th. I guess we’ll have to come back next year.
Miriam

St. Lucia

We left Grande Anse d’Arlet, Martinique the morning of Friday June 23rd to cross the Martinique St. Lucia Channel, a distance of about 25 nautical miles. The forecast was calling for 20-25 knot winds and you can usually add 5 knots to the forecast, especially if the wind is forward of the beam; so we put a second reef in the main. Along with a reefed genny, we enjoyed a brisk but comfortable sail in 18-22 knot winds with gusts to 25. This was the first time that we could remember putting a second reef in the main. I think we may do it more often and run with a fuller genny. The main really helps steady the boat when the wind is aft of the beam. Each boat sails differently and it’s fun to experiment with different sail combinations. Rhiannon likes to sail on her feet and Miriam sure prefers a 10 degree heel over 15 degrees.

We arrived in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia shortly after lunch. It’s a great big bay bordered by a pleasant sandy beach and several resorts. You can enter a narrow channel into a protected lagoon which also houses the Rodney Bay Marina. There were a lot of boats traveling together in the same direction with similar time tables, so it made for a more active cruising community than when we were here last year. We enjoyed many Happy Hours at the Scuttlebutts Bar & Grill where it is 2 for 1 beer between 6 & 7 pm. It’s a great way to meet people. Scuttlebutts also offers free Wi-Fi so an even better reason to enjoy cheap beer and internet access.
While in Rodney Bay we enjoyed a hike up to the top of the signal station of Fort Rodney and a pleasant stroll through the ruins of the fort. You could see Martinique very clearly across the channel. We also took the bus into the main city of Castries to get our alternator fixed (it needed a new rotor) as well as have a little tour around.
From Rodney Bay we sailed south to the Pitons on Wednesday June 27th. We had stopped here overnight last year but did not get off the boat. This visit was spent snorkeling, exploring the coast by dingy, visiting the Bat Caves, and a short walk around the town of Soufriere. It was interesting snorkeling around the base of the Petit Piton as the coral was in terrible condition, it was really struggling to stay alive, but the fish were incredible. We hadn’t seen that many different varieties in a long time. Our new friends Chris & Natalie are Marine Biologists and they are searching for an area where they can do some research for their Masters Degrees. They felt the fish count was very low, especially compared to the British Virgin Islands, where they call home.
We had met Chris & Natalie in Portsmouth, Dominica and had given them an old Canadian Flag (as they couldn’t find any place to buy one) so it was fun to run into them again. One morning, they hired a guide and climbed to the top of the Petit Piton, a height of 743 meters (2460 feet) which was almost straight up. We considered joining them but thought our poor knees would not be able to make the descent. Besides we did not want to slow them down, considering they are about 25 years younger than us. After the hike they said it was more challenging than they had expected. Needless to say we were glad we made the decision not to go with them. (Although it would have been nice to say we had climbed another volcano). The Gross Piton is 777 meters tall and has a gentler trail, but apparently is too wooded to afford any nice views once you get to the top.

Petit Piton in the foreground; Gross Piton behind

12°50.0 N
62°04.0 W

It was time to move on and Friday June 29th we crossed the St. Lucia St. Vincent Channel.

Martinique

This is “Meggie” a Bermuda 30 with Mike & Kylie from Thornbury Ontario onboard as we leave the tip of Dominica and head out into the channel between Dominica and Martinique. We met Meggie’s previous owners last year. Dave & Kim from Toronto are now sailing on Amanzi. It truly is an amazing Cruising Community.

We are now in the Windward Islands!
Bonjour Martinique!
We arrived in another French Island on Monday June 18th after one more incredible sail. (Have I mentioned before how much we love the Sailing). I really wish I was bilingual!! These French Islands are astonishing. Not only are they beautiful and full of European Flare, if you attempt to speak any French at all, the people go out of their way to try and assist you in whatever it is you desire or need (like having the alternator for the engine bench tested). If only I had continued with French lessons when our kids started French Immersion in Elementary School. Throughout the Caribbean, in the English speaking islands, the locals speak a Creole French as well as English but on the French Islands they speak Creole and regular French. Very little English here.

Our first stop is St. Pierre, which was once a thriving port city known as the Paris of the Caribbean. It was destroyed in 1902 by the eruption of the volcano Mt. Pelee and took 22,000 lives with it. An amazing museum has incredible pictures of the pre-eruption days & the aftermath.

I mentioned in another blog entry that I have a fetish for Waterfalls. Well my number 2 fetish is Forts. Every island we visit has at least 2 forts and we like to visit as many as we can. Not only do they command the most dramatic views, as they are perched on the top of cliffs and highlands, but the history is amazing. The French and British fought over the islands in the Eastern Caribbean for decades, not to mention the Dutch and the Spanish influence. So much history!

The next day we sailed down the coast to Baie du Fort-de-France and anchored in Trois Ilets, (3 islands). From Trois Ilets we were able to take a ferry across the bay to the city of Fort-de-France. The French influence here is incredible. We had a great walking tour and a nice lunch.

Side street in Fort-de-France

Thursday afternoon we moved Rhiannon to Grand Anse d’Arlet, which is a big bay surrounded by a beautiful beach. It is a good staging ground to leave in the morning for St. Lucia.

Dominica

June 11th we sailed from Pointe-a-Pitre to Iles des Saintes, a group of tiny islands south of Guadeloupe. We had visited the quaint town of Bourg des Saintes last year on the main island of Terre d’en Haut, and since we were just looking for an anchorage for the night, we anchored in Marigot Bay just east of the main town. We were the only visiting boat there. It was very quiet

as well as very pretty.

Tuesday June 12th. Another great sail across the passage to Dominica. You just have to love these open water passages. We arrived in Portsmouth, in the northwest portion of Dominica, to be greeted by a “Boat Boy” (or boat helper as I prefer to call them) named Albert. In some of the islands especially Dominica, St. Vincent and St. Lucia, local men try to make a living by offering services to visiting yachts. They come out in their little wooden boats to your boat and offer to bring you water, gas, take your garbage, sell you fruit, veggies, trinkets, be a water taxi etc. You name it. Sometimes they can be very aggressive and down right annoying but Dominica & St Lucia have tried to organize the boat helpers and they have taken courses in tourism & guiding etc. This has made a great difference. We did not feel as hasseled as we did last year when we had a dozen guys hounding you for the same thing. It has been much more pleasant this year than last season.

Albert was also a certified Indian River Tour Guide. He worked with the film crews while they were making Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3. The scenes where “the pirates” travel up a swamp to visit the Witch were filmed on the Indian River. Albert’s role was to row his boat up the river carrying guns and people. He even met Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Lucky him. The Indian River meanders it’s way through a large swamp and makes for an interesting trek. They do not allow any motors on the river, therefore you have to hire a guide to row you there. (helps the local economy as well). It pays to visit these areas in the off season when it isn’t very busy; we had the river to ourselves for the majority of the trip.

We rented a car for a day for a self guided tour of 2/3rds of the island. Amazing mountains, banana & coconut plantations, rain forests and of course Waterfalls.

This is the Emerald Pool, the reward of a fresh water swim after a short hike through a shaded rain forest.

A typical plantation.

Coconut Palms reach high in the sky.

Banana Trees proliferate lower to the ground.

One Banana Tree produces one bunch of Bananas.

We also saw several other areas where the Pirates were shot. A lot of people back home ask the question “where did you like the best’? That question will probably never be answered. These islands are all so incredibly beautiful. Outstanding, breath taking, every adjective imaginable. I never get tired of the scenery.

On Monday, June 17th, we sailed down the coast to the city of Roseau hoping to take a tour of the southern part of the island from there, however weather dictates our agenda and we decided to continue south. Tuesday morning we headed out across the passage between Dominica and Martinique.

another late posting

After a really nice 2 week vacation to our land home in Quispamsis, we arrived back in Antigua May 31st. On June 2nd we sailed to Guadeloupe, a 50 mile day which entailed a boisterous 40 mile close reach across the open passage between the two islands. It was probably the wettest sail we have ever had, with steep waves and a short chop, but as Pat says what he enjoys most about cruising is the SAILING. I will have to agree.

Guadeloupe is often referred to as being the shape of a butterfly, with Grande Terre and Basse Terre separated by the Riviere Salee. On June 4th we entered the Riviere Salee, which in reality is a 5 mile passageway or channel through a mangrove swamp. The mangroves made for really neat dinghy exploration while waiting for the bridges to open the next morning. There are 2 bridges that we needed to pass through but they only open once a day; the first one at 4:30 in the morning and the 2nd one opens at 5 am. However there are mooring balls by the bridge where you can spend the night waiting.

We anchored near the main city of Pointe-a-Pitre and had an incredible tour of the islands. One day we dug out our bicycles and toured a major portion of the city. It was a great place to bike.

We then rented a car for 2 days. The first day was spent circumnavigating Grande Terre. It is mostly what they refer to as a chalk plateau, lower & drier than Basse Terre. We drove through sugar cane fields, past beaches and hiked along some incredible cliffs looking out across the Atlantic Ocean.

A midday self guided tour through the Damoiseau Rum Factory, which sits in the middle of a beautiful plantation, was very interesting.

The next day we were blessed with an unbelievably clear day. Most days you are unable to see the tops of the mountains on any of the islands in the Caribbean, as they are covered in clouds, but this day was a rarity and we took full advantage of it. After driving over the bridge to Basse Terre it was like immediately entering a different world. The lusciousness of vegetation was strikingly different from Grande Terre. Unfortunately, there is never enough time to “see it all” so we chose to spend our day hiking. The term in French is “Randonee”. The first hike was to Les Chutes du Carbet. The Carbet consists of 3 levels that cascade down the hillside from the Soufriere for 10 km. The first falls is 125 meters, the second is 110 meters and the third is 20 meters high. They have developed a beautifully groomed walking trail to the second falls, which takes about an hour to do the return trip. The hikes to the other falls are more rigorous and require a lot more time. We chose to do the 2nd falls mainly due to lack of time. It was GORGEOUS! (but then I have a little fetish about waterfalls). From the base of the falls, we climbed along the river bed to a little shady spot away from the main “tourist” trail and had a little lunch. Another magical moment of our trip.

To top the day off, we drove to the southern tip of the island, dipped our feet in the ocean at a black sand beach and then climbed to the Summit of the Soufriere (an active volcano), a 2 hour hike one way. The Eastern Caribbean chain was created by volcanic activity many years ago, but the Soufriere in Guadeloupe is the tallest of them all, at a height of 1467 meters. Needless to say, the randonee was breathtaking. The trail started through the rainforest and eventually went through about 5 different types of vegetation zones. Near the summit, we were virtually rock climbing to reach the top. It was a fabulous feeling to know that these old bodies could still perform. As I mentioned earlier, it was an incredibly clear day, which also meant it was extremely hot at well, so the heat and the elevation slowed us down a little. By the time we reached the top, the batteries in the camera were getting low, so did not get as many pictures as we would have liked, but took a ton anyways. I would also like to mention that the trail was very rugged and not at all groomed like the nice new trail to les Chutes du Carbet. It was 6:30 pm before returning to the beginning of the trail where we were rewarded with a swim in a great little fresh water pool.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and it was time to move on. Our cruising life is strongly dictated by the weather and since it is hurricane season we need to head south. On June 12th we sailed to Dominica (pronounced Dom-e-neeka) and that will be another chapter.
Fair Winds,

Miriam & Pat

June 10, 2007

Hello from Guadeloupe. This is the 2nd cascade level of the Carbet Waterfalls. There are 3 levels to this falls. It was a beautiful hike through the rainforest to get to the bottom of the falls. To reach the upper level is a 3 hour hike one way, so maybe next visit.

I will try to post more pictures and text next internet stop.

Where would I rather be right now. At the moment we are sitting in JFK Airport waiting for a connecting flight to Portland Maine. We are on
our way for a 2 week visit to our land home in
New Brunswick. Our son Darryl is graduating from Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Brunwick. A great reason to be celebrating.
It will be a great opportunity to visit with family and friends before returning to Antigua. Once we rejoin Rhiannon, we will be heading south through the Islands so will try to keep you posted.
This photo was taken in March, in Antigua and Rhiannon is the boat beside Pat's elbow.
Take care,
Miriam