So we weathered storm and tempest, boat boys and pirates. Sailed the whole Island chain from top to bottom.  Appreciated sunsets and  got squiffy on cheap rum ashore and then dinghied aimlessly around various anchoragegs in the dark night trying to find the boat.  We climbed boulder strewn rivers and up to abandoned Napleonic forts, braved barracudas and jellyfish. We got the odd 'boat bite' but nothing more.

So on our last day, on the way to a quiet beach in Trinidad, with all work on the boat finished, how on earth did Fi slip over and break her wrist????!!!!!   Thank goodness it happened on the last day not the first.

Ho hum, roll on the end of the hurricane season.

Larry and Fi  (till next season)

So it was with much gnashing and wailing of teeth we pulled the good ship TF from the sea in the Power Boats yard in Trinidad last week.  Despite dire predictions of pirates on the trip from Grenada, strangely we didn’t see any.  However I had my new trusty flare gun well to hand, just in case.  Just for once we did the leg with three other boats who has the same plans as us.  They were more traditional types (Island Packets for those in the know) we left an hour after them and arrived two hours before them.  Once again I don’t regret our decision to buy a modern boat!! Oh and yes we caught yet more fish on the way.

We’ve spent the last few days with the boat on the hard, cleaning and servicing. Not too much of a chore as we’ve rented an air conditioner for the boat.  We are also taking advantage of the prices here and getting some boat davits made so next year we don’t have to continually remove the dinghy engine and hoist the dingy onto the foredeck.  Might also invest in some new cushion covers for the saloon and then it’s off to the airport on Friday to come home.

Some years ago we were sailing in the Channel Islands and at the end of a wonderful week were pondering what would happen if we just kept going, how long it would take the world to catch us up.  We had the same thought as we swung around a buoy in the harbour just before we lifted out and realised that this time there was absolutely nothing to stop us, indeed one of our new friends was keen to get company to go up the Orinoco river.  It must be an indication on how well the last 7 months have gone that we seriously considered cleaning her bottom and then just heading off to pastures new.  However we haven’t seen the kids in a while and there are some pressing domestics to sort out (and I have a couple of motor races already set up!) so we will be coming home. 

We’ve had a brilliant 7 months; travelled almost 2000 miles, caught fish, seen Dolphins and Wales, got fantastic tans, met loads of really nice people who we hope to keep in touch with and meet next year, had a couple of scares and some fantastic sailing and most importantly Fi and I are still talking !!!  Lets hope the next few months go as fast, so we can get back in the water and head off somewhere else.

We've been eating a lot of this guys cousins recently, hopefully he didn't know that when I took the photo on a dive this morning!!  Currently we are in Carriacou the northern island of Granada and a really great place.  Aiming to stay here another day or two and then off down to the main Island to drop off Robbie, before setting out to Trinidad, probably on the 24th.  We are still debating whether to go overnight to guarantee arriving in daylight and avoid paying customs overtime charges.  A lot of people say its a rather nasty passage but there again they said the same about the BVIs to St Martin and we had no problem.  (must stop asking Americans for advice).  It finally sunk in last night that in 3 weeks we will be home, it seems only yesterday that we arrived.  Actually we areally looking forward to it - see the kids, do some house selling etc.  What will be really interesting is whether we then decide that UK is a good place to visit rather than live, that said looking forward to roast beef and treacle pud and maybe even a kipper, but not all at once.

So there we were sailing from Mustique to the Tobago Cays with Fiona’ sister Robbie on board, (seen sharing the steering above), lovely weather and expecting a simple days sail.  Just off the top of the Island of Canouan the radio comes to life from the yacht charter company ‘the Moorings’.  Three divers have gone missing and any yachts in the vicinity are requested to look out for them.  We are in the exact spot so immediately drop the sails and join in with several of the charter firms boats for a search.  Luckily they are found safe on the coast an hour later so all is well. Makes one realise what little support there is out here – no coastguard, no SAR, just who’s about at the time. Anyway sails back up, fishing line out for 5 minutes and bang – we are into a big fish (sorry Hugh), a really nice 15 lb Tuna solves our supper problem.  Soon after, safely anchored in the Cays I clean the fish and chuck the remains over the side and within 10 minutes I am snorkelling with a large Sting ray and an Eagle Ray plus a multitude of reef fish, plus there is a friendly Turtle circling about.  Wonder what will happen tomorrow??

As promised in my previous entry, above is a photo of sea and sand (the Tobago cays) but as we've been catching so many fish recently I couldn't resist adding one of Hugh and I landing a 'giant' Barracuda as well.  The bottle in my hand is full of rum and one quick squirt kills the fish - a better way to go than being clobbered with a winch handle. We've had 3 of these barracudas recently and they taste fantastic.  I also had a 40 lb Dolphin the other day - the fish not the mammal - otherwise known as a Mahi Mahi and we has so much meat from it we had to give over half away.  We are currently in Grenada to drop off Hugh and Susie and pick up Robbie, Fi's sister, then its off back up to the Cays and Caraicou etc for a few weeks.  The weather is now really hot and the wind has dropped so its true Caribbean weather ie, sun burn and heat rash!!  Hopefully a really nice last month in prospect before back to reality.

Oops, been rather busy for the last week or so exploring the Grenadines the lovely small Islands south of St Vincent. Oh and catching fish at last!! – A Yellow fin tuna and a Trevally  – both now in the freezer. So far we’ve been to Bequia the biggest of the Islands then down to Mustique where the very very very very rich people live.  The Island is rather like a theme park for the super rich and although you can drive around all the houses are all hidden behind large fences and trees.  Needless to say prices are not low.  Thence, to the Tobago Cays, a small group of uninhabited Islands hiding behind a great big reef and probably the most fabulously beautiful place in the whole Caribbean.  We will be back there next week once Susie and Hugh Maund arrive.  We also stopped off at Cahouan an Island almost exclusively owned by a property company but with a nice big bay.  We will be here down to Grenada for the next 6 weeks, so I will get some photos of some of the best places just to cheer up all our English readers.  Unfortunately we are now having to consider actually coming home and have booked flights back on 6 June having hauled the boat out on the 2^nd.  We have absolutely no idea what we will then do apart from sort out our small house in Bath and maybe look for some work for a few months.  Where did the time go??

Like the postcard?  Sort of says it all, for some reason this absolutely beautiful spot suffers from an irritating ground swell particularly every twelve hours as the tide changes and strangely no mention in the pilot book. Still it was worth it for a few days. Did some great diving and partly scrubbed her bottom (the boat).  You can get to the top of the Piton but apparently have to be a bit of a mountaineer so - we didn't. However we have now scuttled back to the lagoon at Marigot Bay for some sleep.  (Troutbridge - you are not to post a comment about catamarans!!)  Also Fi and I have voted the bar here 'the best so far in the Caribbean' so might just pop ashore for a beer or three tonight.

Off to St Vincent to see the boat boys on Monday then down to Bequia to start investigating the Grenadines.

Toodle pip

Larry and Fi

The photo shows Rodney Bay on the North of St Lucia taken from the top of the old fort on Pigeon Island (thanks Neil and Sue).  Its so nice to be back in an 'English Island'.  Lots of French here but now they are the foreigners!! We spent a couple of days in the marina to do some work on the boat, as they were slowly knocking it down around us - expanding it to take in Superyachts. We've now moved down the coast to Marigot bay a little lagoon just South of the capital -beautiful spot with free WiFi but which unfortunately suffers from 'Caribbean disease' ie playing louder and louder live music until the small hours, from the local bar. Why does it always end up with rubbish renditions of Bob Marley!!!!  Anyway we've got a car for the day and are going to have a look around and then head further down the Island to the Pitons are which is absolutely beautiful so we are told.

Faye - I haven't forgotten your plea for an article for the newsletter - just been so busy (really).  I will do it this week.

We are now booked in to take the boat out of the water on 2 June and are looking to return on the 6th.  It will be strange to get cold again - but not wet, its meant to be the dry season here so why is it p******g down as I write this.

Soggilly

Larry and Fi 

Just said farewell to Neil and Sue, we really enjoyed having them -  just got them trained up and they went home!.  They had a pretty varied time what with whales, dolphins and their final night.  Ah yes the final night – started off with a rainy day by far the wettest of our stay so far. It didn’t stop us going out for a good final meal in a beach bar but the monsoon wasn’t very ‘Caribbean’  nor was climbing back on the boat in foul weather gear, still all part of life’s rich pageant.  However at 0400 it happened again – another bloody great bang and a German yacht had dragged his anchor and drifted down onto us this time.  We ended up with both yachts alongside each other for a while, as we wondered what on earth to do, as he had clearly fouled our anchor line in the process.  In the end we got him to let out more cable and drift astern until daylight.  Once the sun was up we got ourselves untangled.  It says a hell of a lot for our anchor which was holding the combined weight of two 42 ft boats in gusts of up to 20 knots for several hours (Troutbridge should I start a new thread??!!).   But not a lot for the German owner who didn’t apologise once even though he admitted that he had not set the anchor or dived to check it.  Luckily once again no damage was done, but Fi and I are wondering if we are fated.  Still as you can see we did get the emergency dinghy out for a paddle and spent a happy afternoon going around in circles.  Stuck in a marina at the mo as they are forecasting ‘unprecedented northerly swells’ caused by a depression in the Atlantic.  I suspect that, like most forecasts round here, it won’t actually happen, or if it does the timing will be all wrong, but as even the waitress in the café knew about it we decided to be on the safe side.  Once things settle down its off to St Lucia and our first stop is the café on Pigeon Island as Fi has her eyes on the biggest book swap we have seen so far I have mine on the cheapest rum punches we have seen so far!!  Oh and I can check out our new fishing lure – Marlins watch out!!

Larry and Fi

Took Neil and Sue over to St Lucia for a couple of days and spent the last night off Pigeon Island in Rodney Bay. We had a great meal in the local restaurant,  plus the odd rum punch, plus a few more back on board.  Next morning, an early start was a tad of a challenge but we set off back to Martinique in beautiful weather with the wind in just the right direction.  A great sail up to the Island was suddenly interrupted when I saw something large and grey in the water.  The next clue was a large plume of water and it was clear that we something large and whale shaped ahead.  Just as that happened the fishing rod gave a jerk and clearly something was happening astern as well.  The big fish were far more important (yes I know whales are mammals!!) and in the end we spent a few minutes in the company of 5 sperm whales gently heading off in the opposite direction – fantastic.  Back to the fishing rod – did we have a fish or not?  One moment it seemed so, the next the line went light.  As I reeled it in it was clear that a large Marlin was playing with the lure dashing in and then disappearing.  In the end we didn’t hook him and I can’t say I was disappointed as getting him on board would have been interesting to say the least.  So pretty good really except that that as we approached St Pierre, our destination, we were joined by a pod of about 15 Dolphins who played in our bow wave for half an hour.  Oh and we had no squalls and found a decent anchorage spot.  Tough life this Caribbean cruising!!

Well established in Martinique now.  Once more we have extra crew on board .  Peter joined last week and is leaving today and Neil and Sue are with us for the next ten days. The picture shows the scurvy swabs being put to useful work, mind you I’m not too sure why there is a Rum bottle between them.  Marcus and Natalie – look Dad’s doing washing up!!  (Mum says she hopes you are not too cold as she is too warm).

Had a great tour of the Island the other day and visited the Volcano that devastated the top of the Island in 1902, couldn’t quite make the top as a 5 hour hike was not in our plans but a visit to a Rhum factory was and a lot of stock was replenished.  Plans now are to slob about here until Neil and Sue depart then head off to St Lucia.  However we may nip back up to Dominica to show our guests what a really laid back island looks like – won’t be using the moorings.

Arrived in Martiniques yesterday after a fun filled windy trip over.  Now in St Pierre at the top of the Island so ready to accept paying guests!!  I will put a fuller entry in later but strangley the scruffiest Island (Dominica) has the best wifi, and here its non-existent except for one cyber cafe.

So having got over the trauma of Fionas birthday we have been exploring Domineeeeeca.  This includes purchasing samples of the native wildlife (£6), boiling them up and scoffing them!!  The local 'guides/boat boys' are actually quite helpful and not as intimidating as maybe they have been in the past.  They are really keen to get yachtmen into the bay - so why do they then think its quite acceptable to play really really loud music 3 times a week 100yds from the boats until 5 in the morning!!  When asked the answer was - 'hey thats how we party here man'.  Sort of sums up the whole Island.  Guadaloupe is like a bit of France dropped in the Caribbean, Dominica is what most of us would consider to be more like a real Caribbean Island - so laid back its beyond horizontal.  We started in Portsmout at the top of  the Island - a great big bay with the wrecks of at least 5 ships right on the beach front as a result of hurricanes - been there for years and no-one really sees why they need to be moved.  We are now in Rouseau the capital - marginally less decrepit but still very laid back. For all that the people are genuinely more friendly than any other Island we 've been to so far, its a shame there are so few places to stop. Out to dins tonight for a shared birthday meal (hint kids) Probably going to go whale watching tomorrow.  We'll stay here until mid week then our two weeks clearance will need renewing so we'll scoot off to Martinique. So Peter and Neil,  its still looking good - oh and the weather has perked up considerably.

Whats a catamaran useful for? - answer a fender - read on.  0100 in the morning in Portsmouth Harbour Dominica swinging around a mooring buoy -  bit windy but not too bad.  Except we weren't - swing around a buoy that is.  A series of loud bangs woke us up and we shot on deck to see a large catamaran bouncing down our starboard side, looking forward I could see the mooring buoy so asssumed he had hit us.  Not so - the whole damn buoy had come adrift, we had missed at least 5 other boats and just caught him with our anchor.  Another 6 inches to the left and we would have either woken up in the middle of the Caribbean Sea or on the Cabrit rocks (which were not far away).  Fi was great in containing the panic (just lik me) and helped to get the anchor down and then the kettle on.  In the morning, we were amazed to find no damage to us and just a scrape on the cat - who now has my insurance details.  The locals are now really worried as the moorings are only 4 months old and at 9 tons we are not the heaviest boat on them by far - and its forecast to blow up tomorrow night.  So it'll be two anchors in a clear area for us.  Who said Caribbean cruising was all a doddle?  Oh and its Fis birthday.

Having had a good rest in the marina we went off to look for pastures new.  We bumped into another Brit boat who told us of a nearby anchorage that wasn‘t in the pilot guides (many thanks chaps).  Leaving the marina in a crosswind proved fun and to cut an embarrassing story very short we found out that the prop line cutter works quite well especially when you’ve fouled your neighbours bow line.  What I couldn’t understand when I put on the snorkel and dived the prop was the other lines also round the shaft – must be all these perishing fishing floats all marked with old Castrol GTX cans. Any way the anchorage was everything we were told and we spent several days doing absolutely nothing – apart from getting a bit sunburnt when I spent some time trying out our new hammock.

A quick trip then down the Saintes, a rather beautiful group of small Islands at the bottom of Guadeloupe was next on the agenda.  As of writing, the weather hasn’t been too good for the last few days (relatively speaking), but is due to perk up this week and Fi has all sorts of plans of climbing to the top of the main Island,  I shall scotch these plans by going to a restaurant for a long lunch and I strongly suspect that her resolve will waver.  We plan to stay for another few days, do a bit of diving, chill a bit more and then of to Dominica. (probably to chill even more!!!)  

Back in a French Island and how different things are.  Customs are polite and don’t charge you for everything, the food is great as are the roads, shame we don’t understand a word anyone says.  Spent a couple of great days in Deshaies and then off Pigeon Island, apparently Jaques Cousteau filmed there for his first ever episode and it’s been a National Park ever since.  Certainly the most interesting and varied Caribbean diving I’ve done so far.  We disturbed the turtle who was warming himself in a small thermal vent, this Island is quite volcanic in nature.  As of writing we’ve hired a car and intend to drive over the volcano for a peek.  Took it out this afternoon and couldn’t understand the rush, surely 50kph is fast enough for anyone – now I know I’m getting laid back!

Now in a marina in Pointe et Pitre having said we would try to keep clear of them, mainly because the weather is not forecast to be too good for a few days, but also because we are off to some more remote spots and Fi wanted the laundry and I wanted to make sure we didn’t run out of rum – just got a 4.5 litre ‘rhum box’ of 60% hooch for 30 Euros (pickled liver anyone??!!)

Oh and Troutbridge – didn’t say I’d never use a spray hood – only use it offshore.  If I’d had it up yesterday as we came in we would have been trailing about 50 fishing floats!! So there nyah nyah.

Hopefully the Saintes early next week and then Dominica for early Feb.  Peter, Neil and Sue – see you in Martinique soon.

Had the most fantastic sail over from Antigua yesterday - averaged 9 knots for 5 hours - fantastic and we didn't get hit by any sqalls.  Use the link below to get really jealous - sorry about the sound quality

http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee310/larryjc/?action=view&current=4c540527.pbr

Had some extra crew for the week, seen here working hard on the beach at Jolly harbour (Fi and I are the brown ones!).  Really good to get together and have the odd extra person to shout at.  Didn't travel too far and very strangely didn't consume all the acloholic supplies that we laid in.  The biggest dissapointment was the 'fish that got away', as we sailed back to Falmouth, something bent our rod at 90 degrees and started taking off line very fast.  In retrospect I am not too upset when we lost it as whatever it was it would have been fun getting it on the boat.  We are off to Guadaloupe as soon as the weather is OK and hopefully catch some free supper or the way.

Came into Falmouth Harbour Marina today to better load up the kids and their baggage.  For some reason we feel rather out of place!! (nb. the big 3 master at the back of the Photo is the Maltese Falcon,  apparently the most expensive yacht in the world, unlike us - who isn't)

The New Year out of the way, we moved back to swing round the anchor at Falmouth for a few days before setting off to see a bit more of the Island.  We also put into Jolly harbour and met some very friendly Canadians before finally spending the night in Mamora Bay, home to one of the most exclusive hotels on the Island.  Some time ago someone said to me the best thing about cruising is to anchor off a really posh hotel and make the residents jealous of you – yup, they were right.

I’ve also decided to ignore all weather forecasts, last week it was going to blow 25-30 knots and get cold.  Guess what – its now windless and boiling hot.

We’re now getting ready to be invaded by siblings, who arrive on Friday for a week, Fi is sorting out food, cleaning and generally being a mum again – god knows why as in 30 seconds flat the boat will be a mess, still it will be nice to see them again.

The photo is Falmouth harbour at sunset - one of the best times of the day when we can finally relax!!!!

Now we know many of you are reading this, ‘cos you’ve told us and quite a few have said they might like to come out so here’s the current ‘plan’ which I will not be held to (this is the Caribbean!).

Guadaloupe and the Saintes mid Jan to early Feb

Dominica mid Feb

Martinique last week in Feb to mid March – booked already.

End March to mid April St Lucia

Mid April to mid May St Vincent and the Grenadines (mainly the Grenadines)

Mid May to June Grenada

Trinidad early June to lay up and come home

So Hugh and Suzie, Bas and Karen, Robbie, Mike and Wendy, James and Jenny, Matt and Penny, Helen and Peter and all the rest book early to save disappointment!!!