Saturday 29 May 2010

Grenada and on to Trinidad

From Chatham Bay Union Island it was a brisk 10 mile sail to Hillsborough on Carriacou where I checked into Grenada. I then moved round the corner to Tyrrel Bay which is a very well protected anchorage. After two days I set off for St George Grenada. About 10 miles SW of Carriacou there is a submerged active volcano which was in action about ten years ago. It's shown on the chart as Kick-em -Jenny and has a 1.5 mile prohibited zone around it and a 5 mile red alert zone. It is well monitored and there is a web site to check the alert state. Passing so close to an active volcano is a new experience and I was pleased when it was astern.



The 38 mile passage was typical for this region but sadly lacking in any marine mammal sightings. I dropped the hook in St George's anchorage. I thought I was well dug in sand and a good tug in reverse satisfied me that all was well. During the first night winds got up to 20kts and the GPS was showing larger positional changes than the normal range but I was well clear of any other yachts. Next morning I snorkelled the anchor which had left drag marks of about 50 feet and was on hard broken coral. I reset it and this time visually checked the CQR was well dug in which for some reason I neglected the first time.



A few days later I discovered the Grenada Yacht Club was offering a discount of 1 day free for every 2 paid for. Given that the daily rate was about £12 this enticed me to take a berth. It was a good move as the club has all the basic facilities and helpful friendly staff. Having resident Customs and Immigration checking out was simplicity itself. I met some interesting people most noteably Harold La Borde for whom I made a separate entry.



St George is almost a town of two halves connected by a tunnel which rather alarmingly is used by traffic and pedesrians. Hurricaine Ivan's [2004]handiwork is still much in evidence with a number of prominent buildings still without roofs. The C of E cathedral and parliament buildings are but two of more than a dozen that I saw. On the local radio I heard that the Australian Government had agreed to build them a new parliament. I wondered what we the British were doing for our former colony. It was noticeable that the catholic cathedral also severely damaged had been repaired.







I organsed a trip with some German cruisers to Fish Friday at Gouyave some 15 miles north of St George. They set up stalls in one of the side streets offering a wide range of samples of different fish cooked on the spot, mostly very tastey and excellent value for money. The taxi ride however was not a pleasant experience-not for the faint hearted.




Because of the threat of pirates it is now possible to submit a Float Plan to the Coast Guard in Grenada and Trinidad to let them know your plans which I did. Before setting off for the 80 mile passage to Trinidad I stopped off at the anchorage to clean the propeller which had a fine collection of barnicles. A German couple on a ketch Wanderer2 teamed up to sail in company.


The wind was predicted to be east with a touch of south south east at first, around 15 kts reducing to 10 kts within 24 hrs. Someone got it very wrong and within 3 or 4 hours after setting off rain squalls produced 25 kts of wind and by nightfall I must have been in a tropical wave front with winds now in the 25 to 30 kt range and gusting for periods to a full gale. Putting in a second reef in 25 kts in the dark was testing. PS does well in the heavy seas. There was a moment of excitement when a large fishing vessel with nets out came straight for me then turned away just before there would have been a real crisis-I had done everything to get out of his way. It turned out that Wanderer2 had the same treatment.



By first light some 15 miles off the coast of Trinidad the wind shifted so the best I could do was head east to make the angle to head for Boca de Monas, a gap in the islands that leads to Chaguaramas. The passage plan suggested a 15 hour trip which turned into 22 hours. I took a mooring with the help of a charming Dutch lady who got in her dingy to assist. I discovered the next evening when she and her husband came over for drinks that they had been run down by a freighter the same night that I sailed south only a few miles from my track. They were exceedingly lucky to have survived. Had they been 10 feet further on they would have been cut in two. As it was they were struck at the pullpit and bounced down the side if the ship. Their yacht is very strongly built but they estimate around £8000 of damage.
I now have plenty of time to get organised for the haul out later in June. The rainy season is now underway. There was serious flooding from the storm I encountered and the harbour is awash with flotsum and rubbish. There are also a lot of Frigate Birds, a bird I have been fasinated to watch. It is the supreme bully taking food off terns and other diving birds. Aerobatics are second nature to this large bird which can also soar with the best of them. I notice it does not try its luck much with Pelicans another bird I love to watch. I'll try to get a good picture of them too.















Friday 21 May 2010

Meet the Circumnavigator Harold La Borde



I happen by chance to be berthed next to Hummingbird III A 53 ft ketch built by Harold La Borde, a Trinidadian. Harold now in his seventies, is an extraordinary man so I have decided to write a special entry to tell you a little about him. Not only has he circumnavigated, he has done so twice and each time in a yacht he built himself. By way of a warm up he built a 26 foot yacht which he sailed to England as a young man without any of what we might consider the basics such as an engine,electrics, sink or toilet! He tells the story in his first book An Ocean to Ourselves published in 1962.

Hummingbird II, a 40ft yacht he built himself took him and his family round the world. He wrote of his experiences in All Oceans Blue , published in Trinidad in 1977. For their exploits he and his wife were awarded the Trinity Cross[Gold], Trinidad's highest award.

To build Hummingbird III took 8 years and was launched on his birthday in June 1983. Harold his wife Kwailan and eldest son set off in May 1984 to follow the southern route around the world, used by the clipper ships. This involved rounding the 3 great capes: Good Hope, Leeuwin and Cape Horn. His third book Lonely Oceans South, published in 1989 records his experiences.

Now he sails Hummingbird III up to Grenada every year for a few months to the Yacht Club at St George to potter about and do a little maintenance. He has been doing his long enough to be an honorary member of the club. It was a great privilege to have him aboard Plane Song and listen to his stories, told simply with great modesty. A rare and very likable man.

Thursday 20 May 2010

Bequia to Union 11 May 2010



Another wonderful sail in near perfect conditions broad reaching in calm seas making 7 knots without trying. The island of Canouan had been my chosen destination but with a bit of north in the wind the pilot suggested it might be problematical anchoring so I decided Chatham Bay Union Island would be a wiser choice.

Enterprising individuals have set up restaurants and bars to entice the cruising community and they range from shacks to one beautifully built establishment.












The only drawback to this wonderful away from it all anchorage were the charter catamarans some of which were loud and lacking common sense when it came to anchoring. But the swimming was fantastic and shared with a resident turtle who wasn't too put out by the humans. I had a meal at the thatched restaurant a few feet from the waters edge gazing at Plane Song whilst the sun set with an amazing range of colours.











Union is the southern most island of St Vincent and so it was necessary to clear here before entering Grenada. Clearance is done at Clifton which by boat would involve a 4 mile motor into wind and waves to a small crowded harbour. I decided to walk there over some impressive hills and get clearance to leave the following morning. How nice it was to get some real exercise. The customs lady couldn't believe I had walked. Not much to say about Clifton except I was able buy the biggest mangoes I have ever seen call Imperial. Great flavour and not at all stringy but to eat a whole one was a real test!














From Union it is but a short 10 mile hop to Carriacou to clear into Grenada.







Monday 10 May 2010

St Lucia to Bequia 8 May 2010






The pictures are not in a logical order but at least they are labeled. Maria's cafe is where I write this blog-some view!



Anchoring spots don't come much better than Harmony Bay.



The anchorage at Harmony Bay St Lucia to Bequia is a 55 mile sail so I started at 0500hrs and decided to sail on the eastern Atlantic side of St Vincent. Too late I discovered that this may not have been the best choice as the wind shifted to SE making it a close reach in choppy seas. I made Bequia a little before last light and was able to select a good anchoring spot.



At the north end of St Vincent there is a big mountain that does funny things to the wind on the lee side of the island and was the main reason why I elected to sail the windward side of the island.

I plan to visit some of the many islands in the Grenadines as I head south back to Trinidad where I have booked a haul out on 21 June. If the wind permits I would like to get to Tobago but generally that would involve a hard slog to windward against the current.





Wednesday 5 May 2010

Back to St Lucia

The sail south to the marina at Marin developed into a hard beat to windward across the southern end of Martinique, made more testing by wind over tide. Chris Doyle's guide is very helpful with detailed descriptions of the entrance channel and the numerous anchorages in the Cul de sac du Marin. There are several hazards for the unwary with one or two abandoned yachts to make the point.

I wasn't quite prepared for the sheer scale of the marina and the number of yachts at anchor nearby. Yachts were anchored very close to each other and in places obscuring the channel buoys. I guess the it was a question of shortening the dingy ride to the minimum. I had not booked into the marina and had to wait a few hours for a berth to be available which are all stern or bow to with a buoys to pick up at the critical moment. Being on my own, I asked for help and got a tender with bow fenders to push me about and a couple of guys on the pontoon so it all worked well.



The place was a messy builders yard with very minimal shower and toilet facilities which were so far away that careful planning was needed to avoid being caught short. Never have I seen so many catamarans in one place all for charter. Mono hulls were definitely in the minority. The best thing I can say about my stay was I could stock up on some nice wine and eat fresh baguettes every day.

The sail back to St Lucia was a joy but apart from flying fish I saw no marine life. My problems began at Rodney Bay because I arrived on May Day and apart from a few security staff there was no one on hand to help at the marina. As a frequent visitor I know my way around the place so all was well in the end. The main reason to come back was to book flights back to the UK after PS is hauled out in Trinidad. No cheap flights from there.




My plan is to leave 7 May, overnight in Harmony Bay and then make a very early start for Bequia which could be a 60 mile sail.