December 2013

December arrives and we begin to head off North again. We have had a very quiet Hurricane season.
We will miss all the friends from Grenada but hope to be back sometime.

Sunset in Prickly Bay Grenada

Barracuda, Andy's first catch from Manureva

Phil showed us how to prep and cook this, It fed 6 with leftovers!

Andy fishing.

Ambler Tyrell Bay Carriacou 

Gig in the Lazy Turtle Frank on drums

Andy Cora and Stan. Lunch at the Lazy Turtle Carriacou.

Lazy Turtle gig was previous night

Stan on Dive dock Tyrell bay

Beach in Tyrell Bay

A cruise ship overtakes on our way to Bequia

A fantastic sail to Bequia in perfect conditions.

Wreck at the entrance to Admiralty bay Bequia

Manureva and Ambler anchored near L'Auberge Port Elizabeth Bequia

Sunset in Admiralty Bay

Trudy in Bequia Manureva in far distance

The Unicorn St Lucia

Sunset Rodney bay

On the hard in Rodney Bay 23rd December!

We needed to get our sail-drives serviced and chose to put a couple of layers of antifoul on whilst out of the water. We were lucky to get parts in two days so we were not out of the water too long.

Yachts decorated for xmas

Yole in Le Marin Martinique

Yole advertising a different beer

November 2013

Not much happened in November, we just wait for the end of the  hurricane season.

It took four hours to clean the oysters, mussels and weed from the anchor chain. I bet you feel really sorry for us!

Me with slipped halo  at the Oasis bar  in Clarkes  Court Bay Grenada

A couple of sunset pics off Hog Island Grenada

Full moon Hog Island

The noodling set

Manureva from kayak

More noodlers

Sue showing off her leg

On the way to Roger's bar

Renato joined us to play his sax

De Big Fish gig for RuffnNuff

October 2013

Our friends Matt and Sue's beautiful 1920's boat "Luludoo"

"Ambler" Stan and Cora's ex english lifeboat from the 1940's

Our neighbours, Hans and Bettina with a lovely sunset off Hog Island.

The stage at Hog Island with the band setting up.

The band on Hog.

Andy, well into it!

The start of the treck down to the fall's. Walking sticks provided.

Some nice shade from the rain forest.

A steep slippery walk down.

Worth it when we got there! Two of the fall's from " The seven sisters" waterfalls.

Butterfly our guide doing a back flip from about 40ft.

A nice view of the bay on our way back from Seven Sisters.

A rum shop on route.

Concorde Falls.

Andy playing with RuffnNuff at Clarkes court Bay.

Me and the crowd enjoying listening to the band.

The silly dog show at Grand Anse.

One of the stray pups they are trying to find homes for at the show. This is the guy I would have chosen!

Noodling every morning at Hog.

It's not really a spectator sport!

September 2013

September
Most days start with the radio net then Trudy kayaks off to the noodling (water aerobics) set. I get an extra hour in bed reading or an hours guitar practice. In addition this month the Americas Cup racing has kept us busy. As always we are watching the weather for hurricanes. September is renowned for being the most active month but we have been remarkably lucky with a very mild month.


Sun 1st
Usual jam session in Whisper Cove with a few new faces. Including a Blues harpist Christian and his country singing wife Alita from Spirit a Libre. They will come and watch us play next Saturday with a view to joining the band...


Mon 2nd
Stay on board, rest day and loads of rain.



Tues 3rd
Intended to stay on board but Hans and Betina are leaving tomorrow so we have a late farewell party at Rogers bar. Politics are hotting up over the use of this small island beach.


Wed 4th
I phone the owner of Shadowfax tours who supplied a lot of the beach equipment for Roger's bar. The French owner of Shadowfax concedes that as Roger has been squatting on the beach for over 20 years he now has ownership of the beach; so even if the barbecues and tables were originally supplied by them anyone using the beach should ask Roger first. It also seems reasonable that they should patronize his bar for some drinks at least. Mary's food is excellent value at about £4-50 a plateful and drinks are EC$5, about £1-20 for a glass of wine, a rum and coke or a beer. All with ice. I don't know why anyone would bother to bring booze and coolers to the beach at that price. Burger night at the Oasis and we meet Matt and Sue from Luludu. Matt is a good guitarist and agrees to join us next Saturday.


Thur 5th
Darts match at Taffy's bar. Killer, 15 lives each and 12 people play. It takes ages then we have a 3 a side team 501 double in and out to finish just before dark. Then off to the Oasis bar until very late discussing (in great detail) after effects of prostate cancer with a fellow (recovering) cruiser. There is life after the op.


Fri 6th
The fourth final refund payment due on the failed liferaft service was due a week ago. We get confirmation that a second payment (of four) will be made today. Nasty taste. We should probably forgo the remaining payments and just report the guy as there are currently 4 yachts missing and who knows who serviced their liferafts.


Sat 7th
Busy day shopping for 4 hours Ugh! This shopping bus thing is getting to be a drag. Back to boat to cook for tonight's pot luck, Opening Rounds for the Final 17 races in the America's Cup. Then a brilliant night playing with Country Dave and Matt from Luludu. Christian and Alita bring their friends Karin and Jeanjaque and all goes very well. We plan a practice session later in the week with blues harps and vocals.

Short stop at Nimrod's

Sun 8th
Watch Americas Cup racing very close, very exciting. These catamarans fly over a meter above the water!


Mon 9th
Rest day on board. Karin and Jeanjaque from Merlin arrive on our boat, play a little guitar and try to sell us a massage at US$60...No chance.


Tue 10th
Invited for a “Bunhi Chow” a south African dish, curry in half a bread loaf. We are all watching the development of Giselle and Humberto the two named storms out in the Atlantic. Watch a couple of races from the Americas Cup.

Thur 12th
Invited for barbecue ribs at Taffy's after darts but cannot make this as we want to see the Americas cup; it might have been the last day. New Zealand only need two more wins but cocked up by nearly turning their cat upside down. This is followed by a practice session introducing the blues harpist and backing vocals.


Fri 13th
Thundery weather and lots of rain. So miss out on the boules and the karaoke.


Sat 14th
A brilliant set with Country Dave, Peter Bonta, Matthew, Alita, Christian and me. At the end we are swapping guitars and Dave stands down to let the guitars rip. Fantastic time.


Sun 15th
Sunday lunch at Taffy's. Everyone has been raving about this. Good job it was only £8-40 as it was a bit like school dinner. Mash, no roasties, overcooked cabbage and carrots, under cooked stuffing, flat Yorkshire puds, three slices of over cooked pork (with under cooked fat) all covered in gravy. Loads of food but not “The best Sunday Lunch in the Caribbean” as it is billed. They also do “The best Fish and Chips in the Caribbean” but I won't be rushing to find out. Strangely 4 of 6 people on our table also rated this very highly.


Mon 16th
Nothing done! Reading and browsing.


Tues 17th
Head out to the shops and the Grenadian Postal Corporation (GPC) I set up a Miami PO Box with the GPC. For £18 you can get the GPC to forward stuff from a Miami PO Box so it is possible to get imports from e.g. Amazon or Yanmar. Delivery is once a week on Friday for anything received in Miami by Wednesday. There is still stamp and duty to pay but it look like it will be a lot cheaper than the usual importers.
Wind is so strong in San Francisco (23 knots!) that the Americas Cup racing is cancelled, but we are in the bar so have a few before coming home. Hans and Betina are back with Son and girlfriend. They park right next to us. (But much better placed than the Canadians on “Pollucks” were a few days ago)


Wed 18th
Mikes (60th) birthday party on the Flying Buzzard. Starts at 5pm! We watch an Americas Cup race, the second is cancelled (too much wind!) so we get to the 'Buzzard early. A look in their hold unveils a piano! And a Matchless motorcycle of some description.

Thur 19th To Tue 24th
Every day spent doing not much but wait for the  Americas Cup racing at 4pm. The Kiwis we leading by 8 points to 1 needing one further win to take the cup. They then proceeded to lose eight races in a row. They were leading by a huge margin in one race; but we are told that the race must complete in 40 minutes! They cross the line first but 4 minutes late. The wind was too light (12 knots)! On other days the wind has been too strong (23 knots) and from the wrong direction (!). FYI normal boats just get going in a 23 knot breeze. 


Wed 25th
Burger night and we meet up with Else and Peter from “Whatever”, they are Dutch living in Curacao and Edith and Jacque from “Nave”. Final of the Americas Cup. The Americans retain the cup. Only consolation is that Sir Ben Ainsley was their tactician for the last eight races and was no doubt instrumental in the last eight wins.


Thur 26th
We have Julie, Mike and Angie over for a chili with Hans and Betina. Late session. Much talk of Cuba and rum cocktails.


Fri 27th
Fish and Chips at Taffy's;we meet our neighbours Phill, and Piere from Beothuck and Honiara. Fish is Mahi mahi, chips are made from potatoes light batter, pretty good actually. Second best in Caribbean to date.
Dave and friends has been moved to Fridays, we find out this morning. It will be followed by an open mike event. And Karaoke is moved to Saturday. We need to chase around to get boat papers to a Yanmar spares shop and one of the chandlers announced they have a sale today. Dave's set and the open mike are excellent we have a crowd right until 11:30! 2 and a half hours after “cruisers midnight”.


Sat 28th
Rest day we don't go to the karaoke!


Sun 29th
Whisper Cove for a jam then Hog island for the  Sunday afternoon lime on the beach.


Mon 30th
Visit to Stingo. John gives me about 16,000 song sheets. He is the author of the Desperate Sailors website. A great site for finding crew and boats.

August 2013

August
A month without buying anything for the boat, and coincidentally our cheapest month yet!
Thurs 1^st
Last swim in marina pool before heading out into the bay.


Fri 2^nd
Early start to check out of the marina and head round to Clarkes Court Bay otherwise known as Woburn. Drop anchor with brand new G4 (high strength) chain. Windlass operation is very smooth. Happy hour in the Oasis Clarkes Court Bay


Sat 3^rd
Dinghy concert in roly waters “Pink” a Swiss guy was due to play but Eastjet cancelled his flight to London. So we had a local pan band at short notice. Followed, in the Oasis bar, by a set with Dave from Pavane, Peter from Too Much Fun and me. Three guitars and Dave sang, very enjoyable night.


Sun 4^th
Jam at Whisper Cove. Probably the best so far. There were so many good musicians and singers that the standard was extremely high.


Mon 5^th
Bank holiday for Emancipation Day


Tues 6^th
Jazz set at Whisper cove. Renato turns up with a tenor sax so we have thee horns. Peter and I play guitar. There are four people in the “crowd” plus Trudy and Mandy and the four staff! Two leave early...


Wed 7^th
We are back to a three piece band and the crowd has increased to six plus staff. This is our last set at Whisper Cove as Gavin is leaving for the UK.
There is a new service being provided by a local butcher, you order meat on Wednesday to be delivered fresh on Friday or frozen on Saturday. We order lamb Shanks, look forward to these.


Thurs 8^th
We move round to the next bay. “Hog Island”. This is a haven for live aboard cruisers. A quiet bay and a real beach bar. Quite busy with yachts though and we sneak in at the North end near the mainland shore.


Fr1 9^th




Sat 10^th
Country Dave plays with Peter and I at the Oasis.


Sun 11^th
Jam at whisper cove and then we had planned to go to Hog island. We stop off at Pink Panther on the way, 50 metres from the shore, and get Pantherized with Cuban Cigars (Cohibas) and Rum – Cuban, five types! We discuss pros and cons(none) of a trip to Cuba and pick up some good tips.


Mon 12^th
We wait in to see Robin, he has bought a new (very old) steel boat and picks it up from Grenada today. We meet on Hog island at Roger's beach bar. Our first time this year. Much the same thank goodness. Still the most authentic beach bar in the Caribbean. Robin, Angie, Mike and Julie from the Flying Buzzard, a tug boat from Maryport. Long way from home! James their crew and Gary from Margaritas and Tony (the tattooed lady) from Woiee. John the Gringo from Stingo brings out a guitar and we sing a few songs.


Tue 13^th
Visit Carnival parade. Not as good as previous years. Everybody seems to agree. But spectacular all the same and music is not so “insistent” less Soca and out of tune horns. Trudy plans to send out photos.


Wed 14^th
Keep eye on hurricane Erin.


Thur 15^th
Head to Roger's beach bar on Hog Island for early doors. Turns out late...meet Gro and Jason form Inanna and Gary from Margaritas.


Fri 16^th
Play Petanque at Clarkes Court Bay Marina. Trudy is semifinalist I am out in the second round with a near whitewash 10-1 to Jackie from Highheeled.


Sat 17^th
Dinghy around to get some fish and a few supplies.


Sun 18^th
Afternoon on the beach at Hog Island. Local food, barbecue chicken, cilantro salad, bread fruit salad and rice and peas. £6. huge plate and fantastic quality.


Mon 19^th
Trudy goes noodling in the morning and picks up a hull scraper designed and built by Mike from the Flying Buzzard. Works a treat, or so Trudy says!


Tue 20^th
Take shopping bus around town collect the new gas bottle.


Wed 21^st
Noodling and hull scraping for Trudy. Watch Louis Vuiton Americas Cup. Amazing racing between two top class crews and catamarans. They fly! In 14 knots of wind the can reach 40 knots of boat speed and are suspended 1 to 2 metres out of the water on hydrofoil type lifting keels and rudders. You must check it out on Youtube. Listen to some music from Gilfy and Jomo, barbecue supper and I get a birthday surprise in the form of an announcement over the mic, a chocolate cake with three flare sized fireworks and a present from Hans and Betina five Cuban cigars, including two Cohibas. Very generous. Lots of hand shakes and kisses. Its a day early, but who cares! Country Dave asks me to play again on Saturday. Pretty good last day as a 57 year old teenager.


Thurs 22^nd
Make Trudy tea in bed, Take her ashore so she can go to a book swap while I clean the bottom of the dinghy and remove barnacles from the outboard engine. Hang on, Its My birthday...Meal out at Whisper Cove and back to the boat for rum and Havana Cigars mmmmm.


Fri 23^rd
Cricket at Clarkes Court Bay. 28 to 50 and I drop two catches and I'm out for 2 but I'm still on an unbeaten side. A few youngsters have started turning up and the standards have vastly improved. Bowlers are actually bowling now, not chucking! We still have a no LBWs rule though.


Sat 24^th
I do another set with Country Dave in the Oasis. It is not advertised so we only have a small audience. Later we watch Leonard Cohen in concert on the big screen. He is much improved since the 70s! We finish up watching his three encores at 1:30.


Sun 25^th
Another day on the beach at Roger's bar on Hog Island. End up chatting with locals and the German contingent in the early hours. There is talk of two more birthday celebrations, a 50^th on Tuesday and a 70^th on Wednesday. Looks like being another busy week...


Mon 26^th
Chill out day. John from Stingo visits with guitar and we go through a few songs in preparation for the birthday parties. I glue my acoustic guitar back together and readjust the neck.


Tue 27^th
Rumour has it that the pig roast will not go ahead but Trudy checks this out (after noodling 09:30) and the pig is already on the spit. Great party, great pig, home after dark..(somewhere between 18:30 and 05:30!) Gary has paid for the pig roast and all the trimmings, very generous.


Wed 28^th
Another party, this time for Phill on Beothuck (extinct aboriginal tribe from Newfoundland), he is 70. Just a “pot luck” barbecue on the beach from 14:00, but loads arrive including guitars, blues harps, Tom toms, and singers. There is a great atmosphere, even for here, with cruisers and locals mixing. We get away early about 8pm. When we go for our dinghy it is out in the bay. Someone has been in our boat and set us adrift; probably by mistake as the dogs and kids seem to play in all the dinghies. A young chap kayaks out to collect our dinghy and another that is also adrift.


Thurs 29^th
Our usual service provider is not providing a decent signal so..Hunt for internet connections. There is no 3G on the island so we need a 2G USB dongle to connect via the mobile phone network. Unfortunately after a day searching there are none in Grenada. Hans and Betina from Pink Panther do an excellent talk on visiting Cuba which lasts into the night. He has provided three page handouts and burned discs with charts and pilot for all those attending. He must have spent hours.


Fri 30^th
Dinghy to Secret Harbour to get internet. It looks like we will have to do this whenever required. Bit of a pain. The marina has been done up since last year and now has an open kitchen and does food all day. Very handy. We buy petrol in the marina and head back to the boat.


Sat 31^st
We advertise for a 2G dongle on the morning cruisers net, and Stewart and Julia from Desiderata offer one free of charge. We put XCD50 on the number and discover that it is the wrong one! Finally get the correct number, put another XCD50 on it, select a data plan and were off and running.
Night time is pot luck in Clarkes Court Bay marina and Country Dave and I do another set. This one was advertised and coincided with the pot luck so we end up with the biggest audience yet. We (He) now have a regular Saturday night spot.