March 20, 2006
Lat 13 00.3 N
Lon 061 14.5 W
(Anchored in Admiralty Bay, Bequia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines)
Local Time: 0900 (1300 Zulu)

Left off last time in Grenada, headed for Carriacou on Tuesday. One thing we learned from Carriacou is that you can’t believe everything you read in the cruising guides. Cruising Guides are actually very handy and are books put together by cruisers which cover certain areas and attempt to provide all of the information a sailor would need when visiting an island, or deciding which islands to visit. Typical information would include navigation (i.e. how to enter a harbor, notes on obstructions or shoal areas to avoid, type of bottom in the anchorages and its ability to hold an anchor, etc.), sketch charts, availability of boat parts and mechanics, shopping, restaurants and provisioning opportunities and sights to see. The cruising guide we are using right now covers the windward islands (Martinique in the north to Grenada in the south) and is written by Chris Doyle, sort of the big poobah of cruising guides. The author makes money by selling the guides and by selling advertising in the guides – and there is the problem. It seems the bigger the ad, the more descriptive information the guide contains about that particular vendor, and the more vendors on a particular island that purchase ad space, the more glowing the overall description of the island and availability of supplies. I think a lot of vendors on Carriacou purchased ad space, as the guide made it sound like a great place to reprovision. Not really, so we didn’t say there long.

Wednesday, we headed to Union Island, the southernmost island of the country of St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Hillsborough, the capital and main port, is a nice little town with basic supplies available, a couple of nice restaurants and a small airport, with a very short runway. It was fun to stand at the end of the runway (or actually the beginning) and watch the planes come in and attempt to stop before going off the end into the ocean. They all made it while we were there. Almost had an altercation at customs, as the Customs Officer asked what we thought of our President and I responded by saying “you can have him if you want” and Karen said she prefers a President who is smarter that she is. This guy then goes into a monologue about George’s great abilities and how he believes all you need to run a country well are churches (where everyone is required to go) and to get rid of all gambling and drinking. We kept our mouths shut and waited for him to stamp our papers.

Thursday, we had a short, good sail over to Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau. Salt Whistle Bay is a beautiful bay with a crescent shaped beach backed by palm trees, and only one small hotel hidden behind the trees. We spent the day there swimming, snorkeling and walking on the beach. In the afternoon, we bought a couple of lobsters from one of the locals that cruises the area anchorages selling seafood, bread, ice, etc., boiled them that night and, wow, was it good!

Friday we motored into the wind to Canouan and went to the airport to pick up Brien and Patrick, whose plane came in right on time. Pizza and beer at a local open-air restaurant on the beach, then an early start to the Toabago Cays Saturday morning. Without a doubt, the Tobago Cays are the prettiest islands and anchorages I have been to. The Cays themselves consist of 5 or 6 islands of various sizes, protected on the east by Horseshoe Reef, a large reef that protects the islands and the main anchorages from the Atlantic Ocean waves. They say when you’re anchored behind that reef, it’s the only thing between you and Africa. The colors of the water are unbelievable, the beaches on the islands perfect and the views from the tops of the cays spectacular. We’re going back there.

Yesterday morning, we set off for the island of Bequia, about 22 miles away. Most of the way was a great sail, but somewhat of a beat and into the swell. Karen is still asking where are the downwind sails in gentle Caribbean swells. I just tell her that once we reach Martinique, we start heading more west and it should be more pleasant. I hope I’m right.

As we sailed into Admiralty Bay, we spotted the first other Dolphin catamaran. Since we’re hull number 12, and some have been sold to Brazillians, there aren’t that many others around. Turns out this was Route 66, owned by Russ and Sue Hills, who we had met at last year’s Miami Boat Show. Small world. They were as surprised to see another Dolphin as we were, and as they came back to their boat from a trip into town, stopped by for a chat.

We’re staying here today to pick up some more supplies (I’m continuing to look for an oil filter for the genset – I haven’t been able to find one yet and it’s getting close to time to change the oil again. If anyone knows what other filters replace an Onan 185-5835, please e-mail me and let me know. You would think the owner’s manual would contain that kind of information. I know, they want to sell their own brands and I’d be happy to purchase an Onan brand if one were available, but none to be found.) Not sure where we’re going tomorrow, maybe to Mustique and see if Mick is in town and drop in and say hello.

March 14, 2006
Lat 12 07.8N
Lon 061 45.5 W
(Off the coast of Grenada)
Heading: 33 degrees
Local Time: 1000 (1400 Zulu)

I believe the last update had us in Trinidad, preparing to head to Grenada, so let me begin there. The trip to Grenada was great from a sailing standpoint, lousy from a comfort standpoint. It’s about 82 miles, so we were up at 0300 and left the dock around 0330. The sailing really didn’t begin for another hour as we had to clear away from the island of Trinidad. Had winds of high teens to the mid twenties most of the way on a close-hauled course, and a large northeast swell (that made for the uncomfortable part). We put the first reef in the main as the bows were crashing into waves, and the second reef shortly thereafter. Even if it was a bit wild, it was very good practice for our first solo ocean passage. Of course, I forgot to put the jackline out (it’s a line to which you attach your tether to keep from falling off the boat), so Karen was kind of nervous the whole time I was at the mast. About two hours from Grenada, the port jib sheet began to part, so we had to furl it in and make a switch. I found out later that the furling line had some serious chafe, so was lucky it held together. At first I thought all of this was really unusual, but then realized we have sailed the boat over 2500 miles, and almost entirely on starboard tack, meaning we have used that sheet almost exclusively.

We arrived in Grenada mid afternoon Saturday and anchored in the harbor at St. Georges, the capital. Grenada is really a nice island with lots of natural beauty. They got whacked pretty hard by Ivan in late 2004 (over 80 percent of the homes lost their roofs!), but have recovered nicely. Actually, I see the progress here and wonder what is taking New Orleans so long. Construction work is definitely a slower process here, but they seem to have overcome the problems.

Sunday we decided on a beach day, so took the dinghy to a beautiful two mile long beach just outside the harbor and spent the afternoon. Yesterday, we took a taxi tour of the island and visited a chocolate factory (a big hit), a rum distillery that has been in continuous operation since the late 1700’s, a rainforest (where we had an upclose encounter with a Mona Monkey) and a waterfall, where the girls went swimming in the pool at the bottom, in the rain. On the way back to the boat, we stopped at the St. Georges’ fish market and picked up some very fresh mahi mahi, which was marinated in teriyaki and barbequed last night. Very good!!

In addition to some replacement and spare lines, we were also able to finally pick up a life raft in Grenada at a very good, duty-free price. It was the exact model I had tried to get in Trinidad, but no one had and was told it would take at least three weeks to get. At Island Waterworld in Grenada (another sort of West Marine chain) they had one on display.

We’re on our way now to Carriacou, part of the Grenadines chain, but still part of Grenada. It’s about a 30 mile sail, so should be there by mid afternoon. Unfortunately, the wind is light and from the northeast (which is where we are going), so the engine’s on and we’re motor-sailing. From there, we will probably head to Canouan in a couple of days to pick up the boys on Friday.

March 10, 2006
Lat 10 40.8N
Lon 061 37.9 W
Chaugaramus, Trinidad
Local Time: 1600 (1400 in Chicago)

Okay, so I've been a little derelict in updating this Log page, but we've been kind of busy since Sunday, working out the kinks and completing the outfitting of roam (is one ever really finished outfitting a boat?). All systems seem to be functioning, and we've checked out of Trinidad in advance of an early am departure (3?) tomorrow morning. The distance to Grenada is about 80 miles, which concidentally is about the same distance as going from Waukegan Harbor to Grand Haven, Michigan. If we average 7 or 8 knots it should take 11 to 12 hours, too long to leave after the sun comes up as, if it's slower than anticipated we risk arriving in the dark. So, we're up before the sun tomorrow and should arrive early afternoon.

What can I say about Trinidad? We haven't really seen much of it, but get the paper delivered to our boat every morning and there seems to be at least one murder in Port of Spain every day. So, we've pretty much stayed around Chaguramus, which is a boat area with lots of boat yards, chandleries, electronics stores, etc. And, I think we're all anxious to get going to the Caribbean of palm trees and beaches. It's been a lot of work here to get the boat in shape, so we're ready for a little break. Our plan is a couple of days in Grenada, then a few days in Carriacou, which is part of Grenada and at the south end of the Grenadines. After that, we head north to the Grenadines which are part of St. Vincent, to pick up Brien and Patrick next Friday in Canouan. The distances are all much shorter now, as most of the above islands are only 15 or 20 miles apart, and once in the Grenadines they are even closer.

The weather tomorrow looks good, except the winds may be a little north of east, and we are heading north. No screeching tomorrow.

On to Grenada!

March 5, 2006
Lat 10 58.34N
Lon 061 10.2 W
Reaching to Trinidad
Heading: 245 degrees
Local Time: 1200 (1000 in Chicago)

Alright, so I've been a little derelict in updating the logs.

For the first time on this trip, we’re on a port tack (that’s with the wind coming over the left side of the boat). I’m happy to report that roam sails well on this tack as well! 15 knots of wind from just aft of the beam, screecher up and 8.5 to 10 knots on the speedo. About 30 miles to go to Trinidad, so we should get there mid-afternoon.

Regarding the pool for sighting land, we sighted Tobago yesterday at around 1300, and had our first sighting of Trinidad shortly after leaving Tobago at the very civilized hour of 0900 this morning. So, whether the question is when we sighted any land or when we sighted Trinidad, Lydia is the winner as she guessed tomorrow and that’s the earliest guess.

Our detour to Tobago was definitely a great decision. The anchor was down at 1600, and we were walking down the main street of Scarborough (on wobbly legs) a half hour later. As soon as we hit the main street, Jorge spotted some very good friends of his (and now ours), a UK couple (Ann and Dave). Jorge had been planning on coming to Tobago and staying with them for a couple of weeks after our trip, but didn’t expect to see them as soon as we got there. Ann and Dave have been in Tobago since the Fall and are staying until April. Their story is that they have been tiring of the cold, dreary UK winters (sound familiar?), spent last summer in Spain and have been looking for someplace warmer to spend the winter. So far, their impression of Toabago has been very good, and we couldn’t agree more. Besides excellent prices (three large pizzas with lots of toppings for $25, and a cold Stag beer – a local brew- in a pub for less than $1 – it actually cost $4.50 TT, but the exchange rate is $6TT for $1US), the people are unbelievably friendly. Several times on the street we were asked by locals, in very cheerful voices, were we enjoying Tobago?

Even the officials are friendly, although we did get a little run around on our first check-in at a new country aboard roam. We first found Customs, who told us we had to check in with Immigration first, about 4 blocks away. So, off we went to Immigration which, of course, was closed with a sign saying it would open Monday. Back to Customs, who called Immigration at the airport and said we’d have to check in there. Dave offered to drive me to the airport, so we began walking to his car, while everyone else retired to a nearby café for beers and/or cokes and ice cream. Just as we neared Dave’s car, a car honked from behind and it was the Customs man. He had called the local immigration officer, who said he’d come by shortly, so the Customs man had come to drive us back to his office and save us the trip to the airport!! Back at his office, the Immigration man strolled in, inquired as to the location of the rest of the crew and, when told, said he’d need to have all of us present, but to take our time, enjoy a beer and come by when we wished. So, I went to the café and finally had my first cold one at about 5:30. After finishing, we returned to Immigration and Customs and everything went very smoothly, and the officials all had smiles on their faces.

When visiting the BVI’s, the sometimes disconcerting feeling I get is one of attitude. Not from all, but from enough to make one feel uncomfortable, particularly in the larger cities. The difference in Tobago is the positive, welcoming attitude. We spent the evening in a pub along the main street of Scarborough, bringing in pizzas from a nearby shop. We noticed as the evening moved along, that whenever other patrons would leave they would go out of their way to say goodbye to others, including us. Very comfortable. This is an island Karen and I would like to come back to and spend some time. Visually, Scarborough isn’t anything special, but the rest of the island is reported to be beautiful.

It was also great to get to know Jorge’s friends Ann and Dave. Two very down-to-earth, normal, likeable people. Evenings like last night are what I had hoped cruising would be about; seeing new, interesting places and meeting interesting people from around the world. Our Caribbean cruise is off to a good start.

March 4, 2006 (Day 3 without satellite service)
Lat 10 58.7 N
Lon 060 21.8 W
Running to Tobago
Heading: 298degrees
Distance to Tobago: 26 nautical miles
Local Time: 1200 (0900 in Chicago)

Tobago ? Yep, another case of our plans being cast in jello. Yesterday afternoon, two things became apparent: first, we would reach our Trinidad waypoint at around 1500 or 1600, with another 60 miles (7 or 8 hours) to go to the anchorage and, second, we would have to motor, as the wind had shifted south, meaning Trinidad was dead downwind. Tobago, on the other hand would be a nice run, was about the same distance as the Trinidad waypoint and, as part of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, we could check into the country in the more laid back Tobago. So, we’re closing in on Tobago, should arrive before 1600, get the anchor down, check in and be having a cold one by sundown. Then, we’ll leave tomorrow morning for Trinidad on what should be a beam to broad reach. and be there in the afternoon.

Couple of other matters. Noon to noon run was 206. The pool for sighting land will be won by Lydia, as we’ll see it today (the 4th) and she was the closest (sometime on the 6th, I believe). None of us understood the speed capability of roam. Once in Trinidad, I’m going to go over the stats for the passage and will report back. Needless to say, it was fast.

Headin’ for Tobago. Too bad we can’t spend some more time there, our friend Bob Law and all the guide books say it’s very nice. We’ll be back.

March 3, 2006
Lat 08 59.7 N
Lon 057 26.9 W
(Off the coast of Guyana, closing in on Trinidad)
Heading: 322degrees
Distance to Trinidad: 232 nautical miles
Local Time: 1200 (0900 in Chicago)

Today is a twofer – couldn’t get satellite service yesterday, so I’m sending two day’s worth of logs to Brien today. As above, the winds continue in our favor and we had another 200+ mile day (238). I’ve lost track of how many in a row that makes, but it must be 5 or 6. Winds are aft of the beam in the high teens to twenties, and the swell has moved further aft as well – still pretty choppy seas though. Last night we had some pretty big, mostly following swells and it was fun to watch the speed log go above 12 as we surfed down some of the waves.

As we approach Trinidad, there’s more and more talk of food. I think it’s going to be a food orgy for a couple of days, then back to work getting a few repairs made, finishing outfitting the boat and reprovisioning. It looks like we’ll get there sometime tomorrow (the 4th!!!!!), but probably at night. Jorge says the entrance is pretty well lit, so shouldn’t be a problem. We’re actually heading for a waypoint at the northeast corner of Trinidad. From there, we’ll need to go west along the north coast, until we can turn in to the south towards Chaguramas. After reaching our waypoint at the northeast tip, we’ll still have another 50 or so miles to go. Anyone looking at a map might ask why not go in from the south, between Trinidad and Venezuela? Two reasons not to: first, that narrow gap between the two countries can produce a nasty current, and second if we’re going to run into problems with “pirates” on this trip, that’s the place for it to happen. So, we’ll take the long way around.

The end is near!!

March 2, 2006
Lat 06 51.1 N
Lon 054 05.0 W
(Off the coast of Suriname)
Heading: 325degrees
Distance to Trinidad: 470 nautical miles
Local Time: 1200 (0900 in Chicago)

roam keeps hummin’ along – ho-hum, another 200+ mile day (243 to be exact). Still kind of lumpy seas, though. We passed by Cayenne, French Guyana last night about 2100 and ran into the national fishing fleet (at least that’s what it seemed like). In Brazil, most of the fishing boats are one or two person operations, no longer than 20 feet and may or may not have lights, so they stay pretty close to shore (within 20 miles or so). The French Guyana fleet looked more like the large fishing boats in The Perfect Storm, so they go out to much deeper water. We must have caught them just as they were all going out for the night, as there was a string of a dozen or so in front of us. Fortunately, they were all lit up like Christmas trees, so they were easy to spot and wind our way through.

Now we’re off of Suriname, then Guyana, then Venezuela and Trinidad. After Brazil having such a long coastline, we seem to be whipping by these others. I was thinking that it’s sad that the only thing I know about Guyana is the whole Jim Jones mess. I’ve had lots of deep thoughts like that while on this passage. Speaking of passages, some have asked “aren’t you bored on a long passage?”, to which I readily respond: you betcha’. I’ve read all of the sailing magazines where long distance voyagers wax eloquently about the spiritual nature of passages, how they get the time to reflect and contemplate, particularly on those long night watches, and how they devour books at an astounding pace. B.S.

The reality is this: One night of contemplation and reflection and I’ve reached my quota for a while. And, you can’t read much at night while on watch, because the light required to read ruins your night vision. Actually, I find I can’t read much during the day either as I get very sleepy when reading. (OK, so here’s a long aside. One book I did just finish is Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. I read it in elementary school, but forgot much of it. I want to like Hemingway; you know, a man of the sea, a man’s man, one of Amreica’s great literary figures, etc. Unfortunately, when reading his books, I can’t get over the feeling that the style resembles that of a fifth grader. “We went into the café and ordered breakfast. I had bread and cheese and two bottles of wine. She had fruit and a bottle of cognac. We paid our bill and left. I hailed a carriage, and we both stepped in. The carriage driver dropped us at the hotel, where we shared a bottle of vermouth……..” And everybody dies at the end of his stories. I start to thinking that maybe there just weren’t many good writers in his day, so he stood out. I sure think Tom Clancy can tell a better story. I hope none of my old English teachers are reading any of this. I wonder what my son/webmaster/English Major thinks of me now.)

But, back to passages. While they’re kind of boring, they’re like many things in life: a necessary evil or a means to an end. So, I can tolerate them. At this point, I think the girls and Karen are wishing they had taken the option of meeting me and the boat in Trinidad. Most of their discussions are about what they’re going to eat when we reach land and grocery stores. Can’t say I haven’t had many similar thoughts. A cold one and a pizza would taste pretty good right about now. Oh well, it’s a character builder.

Onward.

March 1, 2006
Lat 04 34.3 N
Lon 050 45.2 W
(About 100 miles southeast of Cayenne, French Guyana)
Heading: 330degrees
Distance to Trinidad: 713 nautical miles
Local Time: 1200 (0900 in Chicago)

First, the mea culpa. I sent the Feb. 28th log update to the wrong e-mail address, so had to resend it this morning, then I just didn’t do one yesterday. The Ocens e-mail program doesn’t have an address book (or at least I haven’t found it), so I have to type in e-mail addresses each time. And the internet is so picky about spelling.

The noon to noon run for 2/27 – 2/28 was 248 miles!!!!!!! And most of that was with two reefs in both the main and jib. We’ve had wind steady in the high teens to low 20’s, sometimes up to the mid-twenties, about on the beam. We took a second reef in the main two nights ago to try and steady the boat and keep it pointed more straight, and not only did it do that, but we didn’t lose any speed. OK class, what is the average speed of a boat that travels 248 nautical miles in 24 hours, expressed as speed in knots? Hint: more than 10.

Today hasn’t been much different. Wind speeds have held at around 20 and noon to noon we covered 225 miles. The beat goes on.

Of course along with the higher wind we get lumpier seas and lots of spray. Forces us to pretty much stay inside and some aren’t feeling in tip-top shape. If this speed keeps up, we could arrive in Trinidad sometime on the 4th! Nobody was anywhere near that in the pool. The Athletic Office at LFHS sent in a guess of 1900 on the 7th. While I don’t think we’ll really get there on the 4th, I think we’ll beat the 7th.

Night watches are becoming kind of difficult, as it’s hard to stay awake. No ship traffic, no sail changes, no nothin’. My watchmate (Lydia) and I have worked out a system where one sleeps for an hour, while the other tries to keep their eyes open, then we switch. Karen’s been temporarily removed from the watch rotation, as the mal-de-mer has the better of her – not sick, just very lethargic. She’s also been relieved of galley duties, for the same reason (she thinks it’s because of the very chewy pasta she whipped up the other night). Tonight should see a little more activity, as we approach the coast of French Guyana, although we’ll be 40 to 50 miles offshore, which is probably too far for the local fishing fleets.

Oh yeah, the generator conked out again, so we’re running an engine (in neutral) to keep the batteries with some juice in them. The indicator says the same problem: not enough fuel reaching the engine. Oh well, we have plenty of diesel to run an engine the whole way if necessary. It’s just goofy to be sailing as well as we are, yet still have an engine going.

We’ve really enjoyed the e-mails we’ve gotten along the way. Nice to know someone’s listening. Rev. Tom, glad to hear you made it back from Uganda safely. And thanks for the wind. Mayor Bill, could you send one of the guys over from Public Works to have a look at our generator? Peter Brown (Dolphin Hull No. 15) tells me Pete Celone on Hull No. 10 or 11 (?) is also out here, on his way from Brazil to Martinique (I guess he left Aracaju a couple months before us and left the boat somewhere for an extended period before continuing on). Peter, where is he now?

Special note to the webmaster: no attachments to the e-mails, no matter how cool it is.

Till Tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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