05 – 08 February 2012 With a stiff breeze behind us we rolled out the head sail, wove through the reefs and headed the short distance from the Tobago Cays across to Palm Island. We were hopeful that it might just be protected enough with the reefs at both ends to be comfortable to anchor for the night. With our sails rolled in we motored close into shore our saw our friends on Miss Molly rocking from hull to hull on their catamaran – no chance for a flat night there for us! We carried on the extra half a mile across to Union Island and the main town anchorage at Clifton. With the wind steady at 25 knots, gusting 30 knots we gingerly nosed our way into this extremely busy reef anchorage, aptly named Roundabout Reef as there is a circular crunchy patch right in the middle. Space was extremely tight especially with the strong winds so we carried on to our third option for the night. Just 2 more miles west we tucked up with plenty of room but in very shallow water behind the isthmus on Frigate Island. The wind still howled through the rigging but the land was just high enough to protect us at deck level, it was almost calm and we were in flat water – good things come to those that wait (and persevere).…
Passage Prep Equals Non-Stop Work
With only a few days left before we leave, we are still scrambling to get everything done. Sorry for the lack of entries but getting ready for the long ocean passages ahead is really hard work.Since our guests Dave and Lorna left Astarte and headed back to Ohio, we have been shopping, buying, packing, checking, cleaning, storing and researching.…
Oriental
We pulled into Sailcraft Services yard just after New Years, expecting to be out on the hard for a couple of weeks. We’re finally leaving this morning, Feb. 15. Naturally, one thing leads to another when you’re working on a boat, and we were sometimes delayed waiting for parts, but we shouldn’t have to haul out for some long while now.Projects accomplished include (but not limited to) new SSB radio and modem so we can send/receive email and FAX while offshore; second wind generator (Your boat’s energy requirements always increase to slightly exceed your ability to produce it.) and mounting pole; hard-wired remote VHF with AIS in the cockpit; some fiberglass and gel coat repair; fresh bottom paint; 2 coats of wax on topsides; some, but nowhere near all, finish work on hard dodger; repacked rudder stuffing box; new dripless shaft seal; new inner and outer cutlass bearings; inspection, improvements and touch-up paint on mast when it was unstepped; new main and spinnaker halyards; and a zillion little things that improve our floating home.We most enjoyed meeting and sharing time and stories with Jess and Duncan, a young couple from England who bought a neglected Passport sailboat here and plan to voyage to Australia after they get her more seaworthy. We are very sad to leave them.Captain is calling…gotta post before we leave the dock.…
Honey, what were we thinking?
As they say, a picture tells the story!
All of our stuff arrived from CA in these two Pods and now the very difficult task of bringing all this stuff up the little ladder and through the skinny door has begun. It is like trying to shovel shit uphill into a sausage.…
Red on Valentine’s Day
I did not expect this much red on Valentine’s Day. Yesterday we left Montserrat and sailed to St. Kitts in very light wind. Hunter thought it would be great to fly the spinnaker (actually it is an asymmetrical sail). This sail is rigged when needed and lives in a long sock made of very light nylon.…
Turtle Time at the Tobago Cays ….. February 2012
30 January – 05 February 2012 We had sampled all on offer at Bequia, enjoyed our stay but it was time to move on. On yet another very windy morning it was time to shake the cobwebs out of the mainsail (last used with 3 reefs enroute from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde Islands) and head south. It’s 23 miles down to the next island of Canouan and we had a good race with Cuttyhunk, we did have the advantage of having a double reefed main, whereas they went for the much more leisurely option of headsail only, and although we arrived before them, by the time we had stopped to drop the main we had been caught (note to Skipper – we don’t need the main!!!!!).…
Octopus On Board!
This season Maxwell has really hit his fishing stride. Not just fishing behind the boat while we are traveling but spearfishing too. Of course we are always on the lookout for spiny lobsters but as we learn more about the creatures on the reef, our options grow.…
Transportation
For 3 months last autumn we shared a rental car with a Swiss guy and a German couple. It worked well for 3 boats to share the car because none of us need a car full time, although a car is absolutely necessary when berthed at this isolated marina.…
The island with an active volcano
The people of Montserrat are pretty amazing. In 1989 hurricane Hugo wiped out much of the island’s infrastructure. Over 90% of the houses were damaged. People rebuilt and resumed their lives. In August 1995 the volcano that had been dormant for four hundred years awoke and buried almost half of the island in ash rocks and debris, including the capital city.…
Beach bums and bonfires
By Nicole Our overnight stop at Isla Cocinas in Bahia Chamela was one of my favorites so far. The anchorage was surrounded by rocky, cactus studded islands; a secluded, sandy beach; the vast Pacific Ocean and the tropical Mexican mainland. Dozens of pelicans, boobies and Frigatebirds flocked overhead, and the water was a respectable 77 degrees. It was a gorgeous spot, and we all jumped at…
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