The one that didn't get away...

From fishing in St. Lucia.

Bequia And Tobago Keys 12*38.289'N, 61*21.359'W

Simply amazing.

Bequia is a small island just south of St. Vincent in the Grenadines that has long been a favorite for yachtspeople. It's small enough to still offer a culture and flair of it's own, but also offers all the services that cruisers could need from repairs to provisions to pristine beaches and great trails and even a little shopping. We went into Port Elizabeth, Bequia's main port in Admiralty Bay. It's full of small Boutique hotels, shops and restaurants on the waterfront, most of which are adorned with intricate wooden trim aptly called "gingerbread" making most of the bay look like something out of a storybook. There is a beautiful little walkway along the sea wall that offers a great look at these unique buildings.

On this leg of the trip, 2 noteworthy things occurred:
I've always had a great love for turtles, so I was pretty excited to learn that Bequia has a Turtle Sanctuary at the north end of the island. Since it's really the "low" season for cruisers (most have left the hurricane zone or are at least tied down for the season) we were able to get a great deal from the scooter rental place. A 7km ride over the hill to the Atlantic side of the island gave us a great reminder of how different things are on these islands once you get away from the harbor and into the countrysides. The Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary was founded and is still run by a gentleman called Brother King. When he was a young man of 22 (he's now in his 60's, I think), he was the sole survivor (from a crew of 10) of a shipwreck at sea. The fisherman that saved him was hunting turtles and he was so disturbed by how these creatures were being hunted and how fast they were becoming endangered, that from that time forward, he dedicated his life to working to save the turtles and educate people on the state of being for these docile creatures. When we arrived, we were the only ones there so we got a private guided tour from Brian (another perk of traveling in the off season). In nature, once turtle eggs hatch, the hatchlings will instinctively swim to the sea. This is where half of them meet their early demise as lunch for hungry gulls and seabird. Since man is their biggest predator, only about 1 in 1000 survive until they are mature enough to lay eggs (15-20 years). Brother King and his crew take the eggs and raise the turtles until they are old enough to have a better chance of survival and then release them. They also rescue turtles that are injured from fishing net, boats, hooks etc., or sick from other means. One of the really cool things we learned was that turtles love to have their shells scratched! They have nerves under their shells and can feel that sensation much like people feel on their nail beds. When you scratch their shells, they really wiggle and get their flippers going much like a dog thumps it's leg when you scratch the sweet spot on their backs. Olivia just loved getting splashed by the turtles' flippers when she scratched their backs.

Scratching the turtle's back - they love it!


Playing with the babies.


The second noteworthy event was the incredible amount of rain we experienced while we were there. To date, I had no idea that the sky was capable of holding that much water! We were treated to two "tropical waves" back to back which kept us in Bequia a week longer than we expected. A tropical wave is a system of low pressure that could eventually become a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, then a hurricane. Nothing really dangerous in a tropical wave but the wind gusts were 30+ knots and the rain....oh the rain! We have fairly high toe rails on our boat so we plugged a scupper (deck drain) on one side and Olivia had her own personal bath and fresh water pool in no time. When we saw how fast it filled, we gave the decks an extra good scrubbing on the other side of the boat where the water fill hole is, plugged the scupper, opened the water fill hole and filled our 200 gallon (800 litres) in less than 4 hours!! Saved us about $80 in water but I would have gladly paid the $80 to have had less leaks inside the cabin of the boat! Resealing all our ports and hatches is definitely job one when we reach Grenada.


Fun on a really, really, really rainy day.


Once we saw the dove carrying the olive branch, we figured it was safe to move on so we headed for the Tobago Keys. We had a quick and easy sail down to Union Island at about 7.5 knots which made the captain happy. Once we stocked up on some fresh fruit, veggies and ice, we made the quick 1 hour hop over to the Tobago Keys.

The fruit and veggie market at Union Island.


A restaurant on the reef at Union Island. You really want to make sure you have a designated driver when you leave here at night!

In hindsight, I'm not sure what we were expecting, but what we discovered wasn't it. The keys are a small beautiful group of 4 tiny uninhabited white beach islands surrounded many keel hungry reefs, so a lot of extra care is needed to navigate in and out of the area. This was the place I have most looked forward to because it's well known for it's population of Greenback sea turtles which are now endangered. Once we got there and anchored, I couldn't get my snorkel stuff on and get in the water fast enough...and we were not disappointed. With Olivia in tow, it took all of about 60 seconds to see our first turtle and then another and then another and pretty soon, we couldn't swim 20 feet without bumping into another one. It was such an awesome experience to swim 2 feet from these incredibly docile and beautiful creatures!! Some of the larger ones had shells that were as much as 3-4 feet long. They move from one sea grass clump to the next with such grace and don't seem to mind having awestruck spectators following them. While Ron and Olivia enjoyed the experience, they don't seem to be quite as turtle happy as I am and I was quite content to spend much of the day in the water - unquestionably the highlight of this adventure for me so far.

This life is for the birds.


Tree Huggers


Up a tree without a vine.


The anchorage at Tobago Keys

The latest weather report has another tropical wave in store for late Tuesday or early Wednesday and we have 40 nautical miles to cover, so after checking out of St. Vincent and the Grenadines with customs this morning, we are off to the first stop in Grenada, the island of Carriacou for tonight and then off to St. Georges on the main island of Grenada.

Pics to follow.

Thankful and Proud..

Cody Takeshi Thom

On Saturday June 19th (Cheryl's birthday), Ron's oldest son Aaron and his wife Cheryl welcomed their third child, and a brother for Keira and Brooklyn, Cody Takeshi Thom. Quick labor and delivery and an awesome birthday present for Cheryl!! We're sure looking forward to meeting Cody when we return!

Keira, Brooklyn and new brother Cody


Also, for the past few weeks, one of my nieces, Sarah is living her dream and competing in the prestigious Spruce Meadows Equestrian competition and has been landing in the ribbons!! She is only 16 years old and one of the youngest competitors at the event. Way to go, Sarah!!! Can you say OLYMPICS???

Sarah and "Splash"




We have been hanging out in Bequia, one of the Grenadines, waiting for the weather to be good enough to move on to the Tobago Keys and then on to Grenada. So much rain yesterday that we filled our 200 gallon water tank with rain water in less than 4 hours!!!

Definitely Dolphins...

On our way into Bequia, about 5 miles off shore...what a thrill!!


Off the bow with Bequia in the distance.

Catching Up...Bequia 13*00.314'N, 61*06.400'W

It seems that the further we go south, the more difficult it is to get good internet access, but the break from technology isn't so bad.

Last night we arrived in Bequia, which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and today is Captain Ron's birthday....so while he's enjoying a sleep-in, I'll try to get you caught up on our travels...


Mount Pelee Volcano

On May 22, we arrived in Martinique, which is a very French island with virtually no English either spoken or written. Signs, menus, instructions, food labels, labels on anything you purchase - it's all in French and although my vocabulary en francais has improved impressively, our time here has been a great lesson in how difficult it is to be a minority in a county where so much is unfamiliar and what a difference it can make if people choose to be friendly and helpful, or not.

Our first stop here was a tiny village at the north end of the island called St. Pierre which lies at the foot of the Mt. Pelee volcano. In 1900, St. Pierre had a population of 30,000 and was known as the Paris of the Caribbean. It was the cultural, commercial and social center of Martinique. The wealth of the island came from the plantations, most of which were around St. Pierre. The volcano started giving warnings in April of 1902 and on May 2, it spewed enough ash to kill some birds and small animals. Twice more that month, the Pelee spewed ash and boiling volcanic mud down it's sides killing 3 people and burying two estates. The only reason people stayed was that the governor at that time couldn't cope with the responsibility of evacuating Martinique's most important city and was pressured by the planters and business leaders who would have suffered financial losses has the city been evacuated. A few had the foresight and determination to leave the city regardless. The volcano finally blew on Assention Day that year and the destruction was massive. There were many witnesses to the disaster as many people were traveling to St. Pierre that day for the Assention Day church services and could see the heavy red smoke descend on the city. Rather than continue, they climbed the surrounding hills to see what would happen next. The end came at 2 minutes past 8 in the morning. The side of the volcano facing St. Pierre turned 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 perished instantly, leaving only two survivors - a cobbler who was in his cellar and a prisoner who was in a very thick stone cell. Twelve commercial ships were destroyed in the bay. Many of the town ruins remain today and a local museum has on display many of the artifacts from the town at the time including some very melted iron bells from the church, tools, dishes, even a meal of peas and potatoes that was preserved by the heat and gasses.

While we visited a few of the major cities while we were on Martinique, our favorite was by far the last little village we went to called St. Anne. It's an adorable little seaside town that is full of delightful little shops, beautiful beaches, picturesque seaside cafes, cobblestone streets and church bells that remind of simpler times.

The church and town square at St. Anne, Martinique.


The sanctuary.

All along our travels, we've met some great cruisers and had the pleasure of their company in several of the ports we've been to because many cruisers are, like us, working their way south to get out of the hurricane zone. We have made good friends of a few boats in particular: Kamaloha, with Charlie, Maureen and their two kids Beth and Brenden, Msichana with Mike, Karen and Karen's daughter Samantha(who have been liveaboards and cruising for most of Samantha's 13 years!) and LaLa with Henrick, Maryola, Lala and Mischu, a delightful polish family from Kelowna who have entertained us with stories of their discoveries and blunders of cruising life. While Msichana is spending the summer in St. Lucia, we hope to bump into Lala here in the Grenadines any time and will catch up with Kamaloha in Grenada. It's been so great to have the company, advise, experience and pleasure of other cruisers as we make our way south.

Henrick on Lala.

Another of the highlights of this leg of our journey was meeting and getting to know a delightful couple that sailed from France who spoke no English. One day as Ron was walking on the dock to get back in our dingy, he came upon an older gentleman who was staring at his own dingy scratching his head. Ron asked it he needed some help and the man began gesturing and trying to explain something. Ron finally deduced that the man's gas tank for his dingy had been stolen (we always lock ours with the dingy for just that reason). Ron towed him back to his own boat and when he came back to ours, he remembered we had one on board that was no longer of use to us so he brought it over the the Frenchman's boat and returned with a bottle of rum and an invitation for us to come to their boat for drinks the next night. So, over we went and spent a wonderful 3 hours and many laughs with this couple who spoke no English and we happily entertained them with our Frenglish and passing a notepad and a French/English dictionary back and forth. Through out the evening, Olivia was looking at us all like we were nuts, but having a great time with the new dolly and the pack of smarties they had given her!! It just goes to show that the bonds of friendship can certainly cross into different cultures and languages. It was one of the nicest evening we had had on the island.

On June 7, we left for St. Lucia and had a really great, smooth and uneventful sail into Rodney Bay at the north end of the island. We treated ourselves to 3 nights at the marina dock here and felt really spoiled! Because we were plugged into the power and water at the dock, we could have long showers and run our air conditioning and it was sooooo nice to sleep in a very cool cabin! This marina also has great pubs, restaurants, shops a chandlery and a pool which Olivia enjoyed repeatedly throwing herself into. There is also a spa here run by one of the local ladies and I had the single best full body massage ever for $85 EC which is about $40 Cdn - If you're ever in Rodney Bay - finding Debra will be the most relaxing 90 minutes you could imagine.


Between the Pitons on St. Lucia

Back when we were in St. Kitts, we met a really nice couple from another Canadian boat called Annie II. Diane and Ken have both just retired from the Canadian military and now call St. Lucia home. Ken is originally from St. Lucia and immigrated to Canada as a young boy and always knew he would return someday to the caribbean. When we met them, they were bringing their 26 Tanzer back home from having been de-masted in a storm in the Bahamas. Since leaving the military, they have built a beautiful home and rental villa with a 180 degree view high over the Atlantic ocean in St. Lucia. They graciously invited us to spend a night or two with them, so who were we to turn down such an offer?? Since they live near the southern tip of St. Lucia, we invited them up to Rodney Bay to sail down with us to Vieux Fort where they live. We had a great sail down on Exodo and spent the night at anchor between the famous St. Lucia pitons which are huge mountainous rock formations that stick straight up from the ocean. The following day, as we continued on south under a great sail, we all heard a great big rip and looked to see our head sail falling away from the furler and wildly flapping in the wind. Once the momentary chaos was subdued and the sail brought back inside the boat, the guys decided it was time to fish. Ron brought all kinds of big sparkly, pretty fishing lures (that Olivia thinks are her own rubber petting zoo), but we hadn't had much time or opportunity to test them. Since we could only use our main sail and the conditions were just right, this was the day. After a very short time, the guys brought in a beautiful 15 lb. tuna. There was subsequently anther fish on the line and it gave a bigger fight than the tuna did but eventually got away. Ken says it would have been much bigger than the tuna - possibly a large Dorado or Sailfish, but you know the story about the one that got away...


Ron and Ken and the tuna having a very bad day.


Pouring rum into the gills of a fish is the humane alternative to clubbing them - I guess Diane thought the fish had more than it's share.

We spent two wonderfully relaxing nights at Ken and Diane's home enjoying the spectacular view, great showers, a tuna and lobster feast(I had chicken) and great company. Diane was kind enough to drive us back up to Rodney Bay to have the sail repaired and we were treated to the incredible island scenery during the drive up the coast and through the jungle rain forest. The terrain and vegetation is very similar to Dominica - simply stunning.

Lobster dinner at Ken and Diane's


Olivia and "Socks"

We've just arrived in Bequia which is an island just south of St. Vincent. We opted not to stop in St. Vincent at this time due mostly to our time constraints to get to Grenada, and the recently reported levels of crime in St. Vincent. Hopefully, the conditions will be more favorable for a visit there when we return up the island chain.

We're still floating!!

Yes, We are alive and well!! Thanks for the emails of concern - we're glad you're looking out for us. We've been in Martinique - a country of fabulous bakeries and wine, but really, really crappy internet access. We'll update with pics at the next place we can get access.

Dominica Highlights 15*34.770N 61*27.690W

Olivia hunting for food on the beach.


Nearing Dominica

What a great time we've had here. Even though we have survived rain, rain and more rain, it's still be a beautiful place to experience and one of the last unspoiled natural tropical rain forests in the Caribbean. Our first few days were just hanging around Portsmouth in Prince Rupert Bay. As we work our way south, Dominica is the first island that has what have been termed "Boat Boys" These are not boys at all, but rather full grown men coming from a variety of backgrounds. They are guys who come out to meet you in their small wooden boats as you near the island and they basically lay claim to you and become your personal valet/tour guide while you're here. They will do everything from arrange tours to getting fresh fruit or bread, taking your garbage or whatever else you need...for a small price. Some even paddle out to the boats on surfboards to sell Mangoes, coconuts or passion fruit they've just picked. While some seem a little questionable, most are very hardworking, respected locals trying to earn and honest living. Our guy was Albert and we just loved him. He's a certified tour guide and has been here all his life. He's been doing tours on the Indian River for 28 years, so we were thrilled to do this trip with him...and he didn't disappoint. We learned more about the river than we thought there was to know and any question, no matter how seemingly insignificant, he was able to answer. The river trip meandered up as far as boats can go to a bush bar that served "Dynamite Punch" and sold it by the bottles - yes, we definitely took a bottle back to the boat. Crazy stuff. Many of the scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean II were filmed there and you can sure tell how much the islanders care about preserving this pristine environment.

Incredible vegetation in the jungle.

Grass hut near the Bush Bar on the Indian River.

The Amazing Indian River.


Buttress Roots on the trees.


The following day we had more rain and the cabin on the boat gets pretty small you're stuck inside for days on end, so we got together with Charlie, Maureen and their kids Beth and Brenden from Kamaloha, threw some snacks, beers and towels in a bag and found a great stretch of beach that no one was on. Just as we were pulling into the beach, we spotted Susie from Spirited Lady hanging out with one of the locals and she invited us to hang out there. The kids had a great time playing in the soft, black, sparkling sand and the locals entertained us with their talents. "Shorty" lives in a hut on the beach and rents Hobie Cats for a friend. He showed us how to peel, split and roast coconuts on the beach and Andrew made each of the kids the most beautiful little birds out of palm fronds. It turned out to be the best rainy day we've ever had.

Back in a previous post, I may have mentioned one of the great books I read that really inspired us and helped us learn what we might expect on this trip. The book is called "An Embarrassment of Mangoes" and is written by Canadian author Ann Vanderhoof, and is about how her and her husband Steve did what we are doing and basically put their lives on hold for 2 years in the late 90's to explore these warmer waters (they have since packed up lock, stock and barrel and are now out on Receta indefinitely). It's a great read and I brought it with us on the boat mostly for all the great Caribbean recipes made with local ingredients one can find through the island chain that she has included in each chapter. Anyway, we were just delighted to discover that they happened to be anchored in the very same bay we were in about 6 boats away! I couldn't stuff my book into a baggie and jump in the dingy fast enough over to their boat, Receta! We were thrilled to meet Ann and Steve and excited to learn that she has written a second book called "The Spice Necklace" that will be released this June. I'm now the proud owner of a personally signed copy of "An Ambarrassment of Mangoes".

Personally autographed by Ann Vanderhoof!


The best part of our trip to Dominica was visiting with our new friends Stanley, Gail and their niece Chenise (sp?). Ron's brother and sister in law hooked us up with some friends they have that live here. Stanley is a native of Dominica and Gail is from Canada and has been married to Stanley for 18 years. While they now call Dominica their home, they spent several years on Vancouver Island also. They kindly invited us to their hand crafted "treehouse" up the Layou River on the edge of the jungle. So... we rented a beat up, right hand drive jeep, drove on the left side of the pot hole laden road and braved our way into the mountains. I don't think words and/or pictures can ever describe the heart stopping, stunning beauty of the environment they live in. They live a very simple life without electricity or running water, no fridge or washer and dryer, no TV or internet...and they lack for absolutely nothing. Their adorable home is both comfortable and spacious enough for their needs and their land provides them with more food than they could ever use including mangoes, grapefruit, breadfruit, bananas, guava, passion fruit, limes, cherries, and that's just some of what grows above the ground! Very near to their home is a spring in the rocks that provides the cleanest, purest drinking water we've ever tasted. To support their lifestyle, they process cocoa bricks (that make the most heavenly cocoa tea) from the plants on the island and demonstrate their many other talents to some of the cruise ship passengers that pass by their way in the mountains. I had a few moments to sit quietly alone in the yard and it was hard not to be moved at the sight, sounds and smells of the environment that provides for them, entertains them and soothes them. They were such wonderful, gracious hosts and Gail prepared a local chicken, rice and fig (fried green bananas)meal that was truly one of the best meals I've had since leaving home. Gail and Stanley: if you're reading this, thank you once again so much for your kindness and generosity - we can't wait to see you again on our way back!!

New pals having lunch together.


Stanley, Gail and Chenise


The "Treehouse"


Stanley demonstrating the process of coco pod to coco brick.

The icing on the cake is that today (May 20th) after 113 days, six countries and nine islands, WE FINALLY SAW DOLPHINS!!! As we sailed in the lee of the island from Portsmouth to Roseau, I spotted one about 30 yards off the starboard side. In the next blink, there were six or so and they were right beside the boat and jumping through the water at the bow! I scrambled down into the boat to grab the camera but as soon as I came up they were gone just as fast as they appeared. The whole sighting was about 15 seconds, but what a thrill! I squealed so much that I jolted Olivia out of her cockpit nap and she even caught sight of one too! Hopefully, that will have been the first of many dolphin encounters ahead of us.


Hanging with my pals

The Flip Side

One of many rain squalls moving towards us from the hills, and a preview of the rainbow that usually follows them.


In reading over some of our previous posts, it occurs to me that I'm really portraying only part of this adventure - the best parts, the parts that we all dream and romanticize about. I think that's because they are all the things we did this for and they're the things that we choose to focus on, but there is definitely another side - the "not so romantic" side.

It's not always an easy go. Even when we were planning this trip, we knew there would be some rougher times, but it's hard not to have visions of laying around on the deck with a cool, fruity drink and the biggest problem being what spf sunscreen to use. Some might envision this as a week long charter cruise or an all inclusive vacation, only a lot longer. The reality is, this is hard work. Harder than we expected even though lots who've gone before us have regaled us with their stories and some truths about cruising as they've lived it.

Here's the short version of the hard parts:
Undoubtedly, the hardest part falls on Ron's shoulders. Not because he's the captain, and ultimately carries that responsibility, but more because he gets all the "blue" jobs. He's logged more hours buried in the engine room than he ever thought he would and I can tell you that if the outside air temp is 85 degrees, it's easily 20-25 degrees hotter in the engine room with no ventilation. On average, Ron spends at least 3 hours each day either in the engine room, fixing the dingy outboard or some other mechanical or electrical issue. Getting parts isn't always as easy as visiting your local West Marine so much time is spent figuring out how to make something work until we get to where we can find some parts. As I write this, Ron is trying to determine why the outboard won't start. Could be the all the rain.

Rain, Rain and more Rain - We are currently in Dominica and it's spectacular, but it has poured rain here for the last 5 days. I know that sounds just like home, but rain here is a whole different story. It comes in 10 minute intervals and as soon as the rain stops, the humidity shoots up and you instantly sweat so much you think it's still raining. We have a 2 gallon bucket sitting on the deck that fills up every six hours. Can you guess how dry my "hand washed with love" laundry is getting on the deck?? We have also discovered we have leaky deck hatches - all of them. We now have trays, towels and pots strategically placed all over the boat to catch the water coming in. My mustang self inflating life vest inflated this morning - INSIDE THE BOAT!! I guess we have a new set of projects to add to the list of things to do in Trinidad.

Grocery shopping is a full day event: Not only are the things we're used to not available, but if you can find a grocery store, it likely has shelves stocked with items from Europe and therefore many are not in English. We've had some pretty interesting meals on the boat. Buying groceries is the easy part. Now you have to lug them all back to the dingy, sometimes by taxi, and then into the dingy and then into the boat. Want to know how often a full dozen eggs actually makes it to safety? Never. Once on board, we have to immediately remove all (and I mean ALL) cardboard packaging and repack items in airtight containers or zip lock bags to avoid vermin or moisture.

The "C" word: Yes we've had a couple of those on board which was always my biggest fear. Cockroaches are actually quite harmless, but yuck, yuck, yuck. We have been neurotically careful about what we bring on board to avoid them. Cardboard is usually the culprit because cockroaches and other bugs love to lay eggs in the crevices of cardboard, especially if it's corrugated. I have probably 50 cockroach motels strategically placed all over the boat, but one of two of the little buggers have managed to get on the boat and elude the motels.

Laundry: In St. Martin, we were spoiled to have a laundry service that washed, dried and folded our stuff for $9 a load and worth every penny. Doing laundry by hand, piece by piece is fun - once. After that, it's just hard sweaty work that takes up a lot of time and deck space.

We miss stuff: I miss fresh milk and I'm sure Ron misses many of his power and hand tools. Olivia misses Jojo and her pals, Kiddie Capers and most of all, Nathan. We miss long daily showers and fresh towels. We miss the smell of crisp, cool air, clean dry sheets, take out food if I don't feel like cooking, a fridge that stays cold, stopping into a grocery store when we want or need to, and most of all we miss our friends and family.

I could list a few more, but you get the picture - it's not always sunshine and tropical flowers, but there are trade offs for everything. For example, an ice cold beer in St. Maarten is $1, the most "to die for" baguettes in the French Islands are $1 and piping hot in the morning. The 10 minute intervals when it's not raining in Dominica give off the most spectacular rainbows you can imagine, the smell of the jungle up the Indian river is incredible and the people we've met, well that's the best part of the whole adventure. And we wouldn't trade any of it - good days and not so good days - it's all what we bargained for.

I think I hear the outboard running...


My mustang inflatable vest that actually inflated because of a water leak inside the boat.


Catching water from a leaky hatch



Raining on the Indian River. They don't call it a rain forest for nothing.

Around Terre de Haut in Les Saintes

Some of the ammo bunkers around Fort Napoleon


The moat around the fort.


Fort Napoleon, Terre de Haut, Guadeloupe


Giddy up cannon.


Olivia and Ron in the dingy


Exploring Ruins



Feeding leaves to the wild goats on Isle Cabrit


Pretty streets of Terre de Haut


The new biker gang in town.