Thursday 20 March 2014

Did the Leprachauns steal the trade winds?


Who Stole the Trade Winds?

Volver set off to sea with a plan to cruise overnight to St. Maarten.  Mother Nature did not co-operate.  She sent us light winds from the South, not the usual 10-15 knot easterlies of the trades and not enough to keep the sails filled while sailing downwind.  The swell, smacking Volver on the bum would cause the boom to swing from side to side as the boat rolled in the light air.  This is hard on your tackle and your nerves.  The first mate tried to serve as human shock absorber, grabbing the mainsheet and trying to ease the boom to each side, but this was a sure step towards shoulder dislocation.  All sailors learn flexibility is the key to happiness, but we had some charts of the Bahamas and Puerto Rico set aside for us at a chandelery in St. M aarten, and had to go pick them up.  So we altered our course to westward to minimize rolling, turned on our engine to assist the light wind, and were snuggled up on a mooring ball outside of Pinney Beach on Nevis by 2230.  Up at 0445 and on the road by 0500.d again by 0500.  

Sunrise through the Narrows, the channel between St. Kitts (left) and Nevis


We spent the next glorious day getting to St. Maarten, albeit in light air.  The capt'n was lamenting the motoring aspect of our journey, but was reminded that motoring brings hot water and power, so we listened to good music; it was a beautiful sunny day, no squalls in sight, and we were crossing the Caribbean sea at a place where we could see Nevis, St. Kitts, Statia, Saba, St. Barts, and St. Maarten!  We decided to practice an attitude of gratitude and were rewarded shortly thereafter by the arrival of a very large pod of dolphins.  Finally, they had time to come and play in our bow wake.  Magnificent!  Capt'n tried to capture on film.  Beauties in motion are hard to film.  And, like with most awe-inspiring sights, film fails, as the feeling is not three dimensional!  
Not Flipper


We enjoyed Philipsburg, which is the epicentre of cruise ship tourism:  4-6 cruise ships a day in the harbour, which is surprisingly clean.  The water was crystal clear.  We could see our entire anchor chain and were able to ascertain that the anchor was well buried, without a need to dive it.  Barry the Cuda came to visit frequently.   


Barry the 2 foot Cuda

We shopped, found the 12 metre bar, home base for the 3 Americas Cup boats (2 Canadian, one American), which was a good place to watch some champions league football games, and readied ourselves for an overnight passage to St. Croix.  

Another light air trip:  this one 95 nm, plus some gybing (zigzagging), for we could not make our course on the rhum line.  We settled into Christiansted, St Croix, which is the main port of entry for cruisers in this, the largest of the USVI.  



St Croix was owned by the Danes until 1917, when it was bought by the US.  There are 5 national park/historic sites comprised of a fort, a church, a scale house for sugar and other traded goods, a market building, where slaves were sold, and a government building, which the US gov't turned over to the territorial USVI gov't for their sole use in 1985.  Residents of the USVI get to vote in US federal elections, but unlike the first mate, who does not live in US/ US territory, they don't have to file taxes with the US!  Are they not hiding money in offshore accounts?  'Splain me this, Lucy?  I mean Barrack!  We digress...

Is there a Leprachaun in the House?  
Of course there is!

We were only settled in the the anchorage for an hour or so when Happy Chaos arrived, having sprinted north from Grenada over a very short timeframe.  They sprinted in order to make it to the St. Paddy's Day parade and party, which is legendary, and sees people arriving from the mainland US to join the party.  Their last name is one of the O' -types, so they can sniff out a St. Paddy's party from across the Caribbean Sea!  You can tell from Sean's socks that he came well prepared.  

You know by the socks that this party was planned for months in advance

Now, apart from the gorgeous weather and the rum, we think St. Croix has got New York and Boston whipped:  the parade is a green, celtic-flavored, carnival! Why the USVI, you ask?  Is there a large population of Irish descendants?  Not so much.  The history we heard from a local woman is of a cement truck filled with rum punch that started dispensing same elixor through the city streets in the 70's and the party evolved from this tradition.  


Dragonfly
Trapeze artistes


There were jumbies, steel pan and high school bands, mas bands, and yes, a rum truck, pay what you can, in benefit of area animal shelters.  











The two capt'ns enjoyed the libations (the first mates drove the dinghies that day) and the party ashore continued on into the night.  The live music was enjoyed from the cockpits of our boats.  
the warm up
The anchorage was a little rolly, being open to the sea and protected by a reef and the marine parks were a little too far to visit by dinghy. There was a horse that came for a swim at first light, and we enjoyed the American and Caribbean culture for a change.  


Oh, no:  not the green rum drink!


Capt'n Morgan came too!
Northward Bound

We set off at first light, minutes behind the Happy family, and had a glorious 45 nm sail, true winds 15-20 knots, at 150 degrees, with benign 4 foot seas, full sail up, and an average speed 6.5 kts.  We sighted the briny breath of whales, then the whales themselves, shortly into our journey.  We think they were grey whales, about 35 feet long, sadly, going the other direction as Volver.   By 1430 hours, Volver was settled at anchor in the Honda Ensenada anchorage of Culebra, one of the "spanish virgin islands," islands of Puerto Rico.  After making it through the most complex customs process of our trip thus far (funny, going from one US territory to another), we are ready to dust off our Spanish (use of our pathetic french language skills seems to have obliterated our clumsy Spanish) and enjoy cruising the Puerto Rican coast, the next leg of our journey home.
Sunset in Culebra


Sunday 9 March 2014

Antigua is for Limin'



Volver enjoyed several days in English Harbour, Antigua.  This beautiful place is part of the National Parks system.  The historic 18th century buildings were restored in 1951.  There are several remnants of fortifications.  Unlike some of the other Caribbean Islands, there was no back and forth between the Brits and the French; Antigua was always a British colony, and it continues to host a large population of Brits, who seem to both live here and visit here in large numbers.   The museum highlighted the maritime activities of English Harbour over time and also the exploits of Lord Nelson.  He was not too popular in the islands, for he was charged with enforcing the Navigation Act, after the Brits outlawed trade with the US after the Revolution.  He managed to marry a Nevisian, but two years later, he was living with his mistress, her husband, and her mother, in England.   Apparently, this was a very minor scandal in the UK, and the couple were looked upon as a guidepost for the latest fashions.  

Approach to Nelson's Dockyard
the nicest Immigration Office around




The Pillars Restaurant
The Pillars


Nelson's Dockyard Museum




The Copper and Lumber Hotel/former lumberyard



Sadly, no longer in business


Freeman's Bay Sunset, view from Volver's dining room



 We enjoyed hiking to Shirley Heights, where the remnants of an officer's quarter, hospital, and signalling station are situated, and is the site of twice weekly parties.  A headache kept us from attending on the designated time, but we could hear both steel pan and reggae bands quite clearly from the anchorage.  There was also a hike across to Fort Berkeley, which branches off to Pidgeon Beach, which is in Falmouth Harbour, the next bay over from English Harbour.   Falmouth Harbour is easily accessed by foot from English Harbour, and caters to the Superyacht market.  
Freeman's Bay from Above (Fort Berkeley is on the spit in the middle)
English Harbour (in foreground) and Falmouth Harbour

Former Officer's Quarters, Shirley Heights


Bath by the Sea, anyone?  Shirley Heights


View over to the Atlantic side of Antigua
Ruins on the hike from Fort Berkeley to Pidgeon Beach
We spent some time at a dock for the first time in 2 months, in Jolly Harbour, Antigua.  There are hot showers that work, a hairdresser, wifi, propane, a decent grocer, a pool and a poolside sports bar, restaurants a laundry (sadly, not a laundromat), power, water and a fuel dock. Oh, don't forget TWO book exchanges!   We used all of these amenities with enthusiasm.  It is a little like being at home, like taking a vacation (except for all the chores, of course!) from our sailing lifestyle. We've been watching movies and listening to music.  We usually don't spare the power to do these things!  There is also a beach nearby, and a stunning anchorage about 1/2 nautical mile away. 

We left the dock and went to Deep Bay, which was beautiful and isolated.  There is a wreck from 1905, the Andes, visible in the shallow anchorage.  Sadly, despite the deep azure color of the sea, the visibility was only 3-4 feet:  when cap't  went to dive our anchor, he could not even see it lying on the bottom in less then 10 feet of water, so we did not bother to snorkel the wreck.  



The Five Islands, from the Sea en route to Deep Bay

We taxied in to St. John and enjoyed the Antigua and Barbuda museum and Cap't picked up his souvenir of the trip, a Windies jersey (West Indian Cricket team).   The town was not sparkling or architecturally interesting but it was vibrant, friendly, and safe!



Capt'n wears his windies jersey while meeting Sir Viv in the St. John Museum

Volver planned to anchor in the Jolly Harbour anchorage and set out to do so on a very windy day.  First mate was getting seasick at anchor, so we hauled it up and headed back to the dock. First mate advised, we must go to happy hour, and be amongst the people.  Capt'n agreed and off we went.  We are used to running into people from various boats we've met around the Caribbean, but not so much used to running into yachties who stayed at the dock in Toronto.  But Dave, Michelle, and mom Shirley G. just about walked by us despite our mad attempts to grab their attention, eventually we prevailed and were able to have a good catch up over two successive nights happy hours and several buckets of Banks beer!  



Happy Hour at the Crow's Nest:  the motley crew


Shirley, Michelle, and Dave G. on their lovely veranda

Volver is off to St. Maarten today, planning an overnight sail.  There is a very benign forecast with perhaps less wind than one would wish for, yet we don't believe it.  Time will tell and so will we!