Sailing Trismic

Sailing into Barbuda was amazing.  Because the island is so flat, before it became visible, you could see a green tinge in the clouds which was a reflection of the green vegetation of Barbuda.  You can’t really see the green in this photo but you get an idea of how flat the island is.

Getting into the anchorage through the reefs can be a bit tricky but luckily we had our friends on Drakkar ahead of us showing us the way.  Once we dropped anchor, in about 10 feet of water, I did the usual snorkeling duty to make sure the anchor was in a good spot and holding.  As soon as I dropped into the water I saw a BFB (a Big F@*$ing Barracuda…or, since our boat is rated PG, a Big Friendly Barracuda) right underneath me.  Very cool.  A few strokes later I was treated to a really large ray gliding right close to me.  Super cool!!

The beach, water and sky here were AMAZING!!

While we were here, we also visited a magnificent frigate bird sanctuary.  George Jeffry was our guide.

The sanctuary we visited is the largest frigatebird colony outside of the Galapagos.  The kids loved seeing the fluffy little baby birds and the impressive red throats of the males which blow up like balloons.

Soft, fluffy, white baby with Mom and Dad

Red neck inflates like a balloon.

They have such a beautiful silhouette against the blue sky.

While on the tour, the kids saw a whole bunch of upside down jellyfish and were fascinated by them so George Jeffery stopped to show us one.

After the bird sanctuary, we went on a lovely hike through some caves and up to some amazing views.

Sadly, we were low on cooking propane and were worried about running out so we had to leave Barbuda, but first, Millie had to have time with that island’s stray puppy.

All too soon, at first light, we bid the beautiful Barbuda farewell.  We were all ready for our next long open ocean sail to St. Barth’s.  It was about a seventeen hour sail and we were crossing our fingers we would get to the crowded anchorage of Gustavia before sunset.

***We had hoped to get back to Barbuda this year to help out in post-Irma rebuilding but unfortunately we didn’t make it back there.  Even though there are mixed views on what should happen to the land, I’m sure the beautiful people of Barbuda have rallied together to make it a wonderful place again.

Goodbye Guadeloupe – Hello Antigua!!!

The anchoring race was on once again. It seems that every time we are approaching an anchorage, another boat slips in minutes before us and drops anchor right where we wanted to go. This particular time it was a dark hulled monohull approaching Falmouth Harbour from the east, right at the same time that we were.  We had seen this movie before.  After hours and hours of open ocean sailing, two sailboats come together from different directions to claim their spot in an anchorage.  It was going to come down to the wire as to who made it there first.  It is unbelievable how often this happens.  We were pulling up the rear and Neil said his usual, “That guy is going to take my spot!”.  As we followed him in, sure enough, the mono pulled right into the spot that Neil was eyeing.  Foiled again!!  It wasn’t until we sailed right past the boat’s stern that we realized that the vessel, who ‘took our spot’, happened to be our very good friends on SeaSchelle from Grenada who we hadn’t seen in months!!  We managed to find a place not too far away and not long after that we were all laughing about it all over a cold drink.

One of the first things we do after anchoring, while one of us is diving the anchor, is hoist the new country’s flag, and the yellow Q flag until we’ve cleared in.

We had such an amazing time in Antigua which included two birthdays and so many new and inspirational experiences…

We witnessed two brothers make landfall after rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Wiskey Atlantic Challenge (https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/).  Of course their family was there to greet them.  In fact, the brothers had to slow down their rowing just before getting to Antigua because they came in a bit early and their family’s flight hadn’t arrived on the island yet.  There were also about seven kid boat families, many who had also sailed across the Atlantic, there to cheer them on.  Once all the formalities were done, of weighing the brothers and doing all of the checks to ensure no penalties were necessary, the rowers took some questions.  There were so many questions asked by adults and kids alike but by far the funniest was when one boat kid asked the brothers how long it took them to row across the Atlantic.  One of the brothers answered, “21 days” to which the nine year old boy replied, with a mischievous grin on his cute little face, “We did it in 17”.

Just about to make landfall

Almost taking their first step on land

First task was being weighed

The brothers the following day, after a much deserved burger lunch.

The kids in the row boat

As if seeing these brothers row in wasn’t enough, we got to meet Chris Bertish who had just SUPed (Stand Up Paddleboarded) across the Atlantic!!!  From South Africa, he is a big wave surfer and motivational speaker.  93 days at sea, many times fearing his life, he arrived in Antigua while we were there.  Check out his story at http://www.thesupcrossing.com/

We also got to see the start of the Caribbean 600, a 600 mile off-shore race that takes competitors around eleven (I think) Caribbean Islands.  Boats gather here from all over the world to compete or to watch this amazing race.  We saw some pretty fast looking race boats and an impressive number of mega yachts owned by some of the wealthiest people in the world.

Meanwhile, over in Nonsuch Bay, near Green Island, Neil took his first kite surfing lesson and actually caught air!…

We celebrated my birthday by going for a nice breakfast at Pillar’s Restaurant in Nelson’s Dockyard and then took a small ferry across to Boom – a lovely day.

Millie chose to have a birthday on the boat with just the family filled with games and prizes.  We played family charades, Chinese jump rope, a funny game Millie dreamed about and talked about for months where we had to find candy under someone’s arm while they were lying down and a few more.  Here are some photos.

Other adventures included visiting a Unesco World Heritage Site, hiking to incredible views, beaching with friends, and finding the best book store we have been to in the Caribbean.  So far, Antigua is one of my favourite islands.  I think I say that about every island!

I sent a message in a bottle.

I sketched a nice picture of the family on one side of the page…

… and on the other side of the page I wrote the message.  I brainstormed about what to write in my message.  I wrote my Mom’s email address so if anyone finds our message they can contact us.  I wrote my age, my name, where I am from and where we dropped the bottle.

We had an empty wine bottle with a cork.  We rolled the message up and tied it with a string so it could fit in the bottle. 

We put the cork in so the message didn’t get wet.

 I wore my life jacket with a safety harness when I was throwing the bottle overboard so I didn’t fall off the boat.

I threw it into the Caribbean Sea between Statia (St. Eustatius) and St. Barth’s (St. Barthelemy).  We watched it go and I hope someone will find it someday.

It just occurred to me that even though we spend a large portion of our time underwater,  I haven’t documented any of it on the blog.  Here are a few glimpses into our underwater world…

Some of my favourite shots are of the kids snorkeling.

Nathan got a great shot of a live conch.  We’ve eaten a lot of conch (lambi) while down here, apparently it is one of the best forms of protein out there.  (Notice his eye)

Love the sand dollars…

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and starfish!!

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One of many reef scenes…

Swimming with turtles…

Giant brain coral, cavernous star coral and finger coral close up…

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Millie loves making these magnificent feather dusters hide…

Snorkeling with friends…

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Sea rod and fan coral…

And we have so many photos of fish, I’m not sure where to start.  Here is one of a porcupinefish.  There will be more in another blog.  Stay tuned!

The beautiful french territory of Guadeloupe has so much to offer and so many off islands to explore.  We covered much of the country starting with The Saintes, a small group of islands just south of the main island of Guadeloupe.  Next we set sail for St. Francois to meet my brother, his wife and my little eight month old niece.  From St. Francois, we sailed to Marie Galante, back to Les Saintes, then to Pigeon Island and the Jacques Cousteau Marine Park.  That is where we had to say goodbye to our second visitors to the boat.  From there we went to Deshais and had a lovely time – found dim sum dumplings at the grocery store and spent a day a the beautiful botanical gardens.  Here are some photos along the way…

We had a great day at Baie des Pompiers in Les Saintes.

On the way to the airport we stopped at Cascade aux Ecrevisses.

Neil has a way with babies.  We loved our Maya time!!

Thanks for coming to visit Uncle Russ, Auntie Marilyn and Maya!!!

Blog shmog.  Mornings are for school, afternoons are for hands on learning (read: fun time) and evenings are for sleeping.  There really is no time for blogging.  So, in an effort to get caught up, here are some photos of Dominica, a most amazing island…

Darn, my editor won’t let me get away with that for our Dominica blog so, here goes nothing…

I suppose it is fitting to be writing about Dominica today since we are actually in Dominica!!…only we are on our way back down south after having visited nine other islands since and I am still writing about our trip north! Someday I’ll get caught up…

Before arriving here, we had hesitations about what it would be like.  For some reason we had always thought of Dominica as one of the lesser developed islands.  As such, we thought things might be a bit more run down, maybe with a bit more crime and aside from its natural beauty, not really a place we would want to spend a whole lot of time in.  Boy were we wrong!

Our first stop was Roseau, the capital of Dominica.  The first thing we did on shore (after checking in of course!) was a walk through town to the botanical gardens.  You have to love a city that has a huge green space/botanical garden ripe for exploring right in town including a great hike to a viewpoint to boot.  Within a few minutes of being there we were pleasantly surprised for the first time here (there were many more of these moments to come).  At first we saw this beautiful large tree in the middle of a field but then once we got closer we saw wires hanging off of it all over.  We thought there were some downed wires from a storm or something but once we got close enough to read the sign attached to the tree, we discovered this tree was specifically wired as… A FREE WIFI ZONE!!  Our first reaction was how incongruous and wrong it was to be encouraging people to be consumed in an electronics device while in a beautiful botanical garden but upon further thought, we realized it might help get people out of their homes and offices on their breaks for some fresh air in the great outdoors – brilliant.

We had a great hike up Jack’s Trail at the back of the botanical gardens to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the city with good little history lesson built in.  They called it Jack’s trail because the soldiers walking up to the fort used to carry a flag – The Union Jack.

The next day we went on an island tour to many of the natural wonders of Dominica.  Imagine, most Caribbean islands only have one volcano, Dominica has seven.  One could argue it therefore has seven times the natural beauty!

As well as from the obvious natural beauty, on the tour we were impressed by the great condition of the roads.  Apparently there was an influx of money from the Chinese to help develop a good road system, we can only speculate as to what it was in exchange for.  In any case, since Dominica relies heavily on tourism and offering island tours, good roads help are quite helpful to the local economy – another thing Dominica has done right.

We also learned on the tour that health care is free to children up to the age of 18 and to adults over 65 years old.  We also heard from our tour guide that university was free to local residents.  Amazing.  (Note: On another island tour a few months later, our guide said university was NOT free to residents – maybe too good to be true? – I’ll have to verify).

After Roseau we sailed/motored up to the island to Portsmouth.  Here Neil celebrated a milestone birthday.  Since Dominica was always high on Neil’s list of ‘must see’ places, it is fitting that he got to spend a birthday here.  Since this was the first birthday we were celebrating on the boat, we didn’t have any requisite party supplies so without much hope, we set off into the small town of Portsmouth to see what we could find.  To our surprise, we came across a party store!  I had never seen one of these on any of the other islands – there may as well have been a rainbow shining right onto it!  In the store we managed to find balloons, cards, a singing candle and a Happy Birthday sign – pretty good considering, prior to this store, we didn’t even think we would find candles!

In the morning of his birthday, we went on a guided tour up the Indian River which has partly been made famous because it is the site of the Calypso witch’s hut from the Pirates of the Caribbean.  It was quite tranquil and had lots of wildlife to keep an eye out for.

To make a long blog longer, this one about Dominica would not be complete without a mention of how friendly and welcoming the locals are.  Anytime we passed someone on the street and said hello, we were always greeted with a friendly smile and it often followed up with a couple of minutes worth of conversation.  But, what will truly attest to the character of the people here (and to my absentmindedness), I must tell the story of the two wallets.

On Neil’s birthday, after a lovely hike up to Fort Shirley, the kids and I popped into the small souvenir shop to support the local economy and to pick up a little something for Neil.  There was a lovely older gentleman working the shop (he was over 80 and in terrific shape – leaving the next day for a vacation to England) and we got to talking.  After a good half an hour of chatting we purchased our souvenirs and went on our merry way.  We were half way home when my phone rang with a call from a local number.  I didn’t know any locals so I wondered who could be calling me.  The female voice at the other end knew my name and asked me if I was missing anything.  Oh my gosh, my wallet!!  But not just my wallet with all of its contents but Neil’s wallet too!!  I had left both wallets on the counter of the little souvenir shop.  This woman had found the wallets, looked inside mine for contact information, found my cell phone receipt and called the number.  Just as we turned around to head back up the long trek to the fort the woman at the other end asked where we were and offered to deliver the wallets to us.  Within a few minutes, both wallets were back in my possession complete with cards and money and there was no expectation of a reward.  It was simply a good samaritan doing a good deed and a being a super ambassador for the people of Dominica.  As for the wallet story, I will never live it down!

Thank you Dominica for a wonderful experience!

The bay that we’re in is totally packed with fish!

It’s crazy how fast I can catch them.  I just plop my handline in, and just like that a fish is hooked!  My record of how many I caught within the hour is about five or six.  It may be great fishing, but there is still that annoying half hour in between regular fishing time (when the fish inspect and smell the bait to see if it is their dinner or their doom) and feeding time (which is when they bite recklessly not caring what it is attached to) when they will swim around the bait taunting me by looking at the bait, rushing the bait, and veering off at the last second, but none of them ever touch it!

Yesterday when I cleaned the barnacles and other growth off the bottom of our boat with Dad while Mom and Millie went grocery shopping it caused quite a feeding frenzy.  Fish were darting all over the place eating anything they could find (including the occasional nibble on our flippers)!  I also had to take a few swings at the braver ones with my scraper to keep them from biting at me!  I got out because it got a little too cold for me, and a few minutes later, Dad started on the other side of the hull.  Suddenly I saw him jerk backward and I asked him what had happened and he said that one especially brave fish came up and accidentally hit him!

Afterward when I went fishing it was like it was already feeding time.  Fish after fish after fish they all came in so quickly, and in what felt like only 10 minutes I already had five! Soon after that, I saw an enormous fish.  It looked like the size of me!

We still aren’t quite sure what he is, and our best guess at first is that it a type of shark, but now we think it might be a remora or a relative of some sort.

Here are some pictures that I didn’t include in my blog above…

I cot my frst fish to day!  It was a jak, we thingk. I kot it on a fishingrod and I jigt it up and dawn!  Nathan tot me all of the tekneaks!  I was so exidid thet I was shaeking!

St. Pierre, a town on the northern tip of Martinique, was a highlight of the trip so far.  We were anchored off of a nice beach just south of town which the kids could paddleboard to on their own, but it was the history that made this stop unforgettable.

The town of St. Pierre has an interesting but tragic history.  It sits at the foot of Mount Pelee and in 1902 was the capital city of Martinique with a population of approximately 30,000.  It was known as the Paris of the Caribbean and was the commercial, cultural and social center of Martinique.  In early April, 1902, Mount Pelee’s volcano started rumbling and had a few small eruptions.  The Governor at the time was convinced by local planters and business leaders not to advise an evacuation because it would hurt their businesses.  Furthermore, evacuations would have affected upcoming elections.  So, with a committee to assess the risk, led by the high school science teacher, they concluded there was no danger.

On May 8th, 1902, the side of Mount Pelee facing St. Pierre glowed red and burst open releasing a giant fireball of superheated gas that flowed down over the city, releasing more energy than an atomic bomb.  An estimated 29,933 people burned to death leaving only one survivor – Louis-Auguste Cyparis.  He had been imprisoned and put in solitary confinement for alleged murder.  The cell he was in had thick stone walls with only a small slit for a window that faced away from the volcano.  He was found in his cell severely burned but alive four days after the eruption.  He was pardoned of his crime and later went to America to work for Barnum and Bailey’s Circus as a ‘freak show’ and became known as “the man who survived Doomsday”.

Touring the town, with Mount Pelee looming over it, really brought history to life.  We got to visit the museum dedicated to the 1902 eruption, the theatre ruins and the prison where Cyparis was jailed.

The following day we got to hike up the volcano that caused all of the devastation.  Ever since Millie heard about the volcanoes that helped create the Caribbean, she has wanted to hike up one.  After learning about its interesting history, it was fitting that Mount Pelee be her first.

This is a look Daddy gets often these days…

usually followed by this.

This is a look Daddy gets a lot these days…often followed by this.

Apart from the fascinating history and amazing hikes, here are some more photos of the usual day to day antics on Trismic…

Our new swing!!

Paddleboarding 101 with instructor Nathan

Pummeled!!

Digging!!

‘Til next time!!

When setting sail for Martinique, we had no idea just how different the French Caribbean Islands were  from the English islands.  We had heard from other people who had been there that Martinique was supposed to have a good selection for shopping, it had cheap food and wine and beer and it had a wonderful store called Decathlon which is the equivalent of, but less expensive than, Mountain Equipment Co-op.  This was all good because we had Christmas shopping to do.

As we approached the island, a white man-made structure came into view.  As we got closer and peered through our binoculars we were able to make out cars zooming along this structure – it was a raised highway!!  A proper highway with cars on it driving in a straight line and fast!  Excitement rushed through me and it wasn’t until then that it hit me how long and far removed from so called “civilization” we had been for the last six months.

Our first stop was in the small town of St. Anne on the south coast of the island.  It has a huge bay with lots and lots and lots of boats at anchor, we had never seen so many boats in one place before

Being our first stop in a Department of France, it is here that we had to start brushing the rust off of our French.  It seems that after twenty years of not speaking the language, we are no longer as bilingual as we thought we were!  Also, we had never used boat jargon before so that was a major stumbling block in the beginning.  We now know how to say essential boating phases such as our/your anchor is dragging…we have a broken drive shaft…our diesel is leaking…do you have these parts to fix our head, etc.

One major difference between the English and French Caribbean Islands is in the customs and immigration procedures.  Every time we get to a new country, once we have dove the anchor to make sure it is set properly, the kids and I have to wait on the boat while Neil goes to customs to clear us all in.  So far, in the English Caribbean Islands, this has been a very formal process with proper customs and immigration offices and officers fully clad in heavily starched whiter than white shirts and shiny black shoes.  In Martinique, however, this process is a lot more laid back.  In St. Anne, it all takes place at a happening little cafe called Snack Boubou.  Yes, a cafe where you can get some lunch, a beer some ice cream and check in!  Furthermore, it is all done on a computer!  No white shirts or shiny black shoes, just the owner of the cafe who is busy running around bussing tables and serving up food.  Once again, vive la France!

St. Anne was a long stop encompassing Christmas shopping, Christmas decorating, Christmas, New Year’s celebrations and a few days at the dock getting the sail drive fixed.  We also finally caught up with several friends that we had met along the way and the holiday season provided many opportunities for happy gatherings.

After St. Anne, we headed around Diamond Rock to Anse d’Arlet for some snorkeling.  It was a cute little town with a lovely church right at the end of the dinghy dock (see photo).  We did some snorkeling here with some friends on Lauridae who showed us our first octopus.  They found him tucked away in a hole but knew he was there by the shells he had left in a pile outside of his hole.

The next sailing day was possibly the best sailing day we have had yet.  To leave Anse d’Arlet, Millie helped haul in the mooring lines for the first time with the Lauridae crew cheering her on from their boat.  From there we sailed a short distance to another tiny little bay called Anse Noir which is known for its snorkeling.  Since we wanted to get to St. Pierre that day, on the northern tip of the island, to catch another weather window to Dominica, this was only a short lunch stop.  We dropped anchor with only one other boat in the bay and jumped overboard.  Within no time we were swimming through a thick river of hundreds and hundreds of small fish moving about in similar directions.  It was amazing.

‘Till next time!!!