Monday 28 September 2015

Those we love

From a travel blogging perspective, we haven't had much to write about these past few weeks.  Even our country walks have been limited by rainy weather and a head cold, and outings in the car are pretty much exclusively to the grocery store.  But from a personal perspective, our hearts have been filled up as we have spent time with those we love.

The Captain has reconnected with friends from twenty years ago, and had a marvelous reunion golf tournament, although don't ask about the actual golf.

1989 "Boscombe Bash." It started in 1985 and was each Easter weekend until 2004.
The Captain (back row right) played every year and organized it in the later years.
2015 "Boscombe Bash Reunion." Five of these fine gentlemen are also in the photo above. Any guesses?
(The Captain is second from the right)
We've visited both his sisters and his daughters, including spending a few days with the enchanting Verity, the grandaughter who carries on the family legacy of beautiful curls.

Nat, Verity, and Phil

We had a lovely lunch with the Captain's daughter Amber & his sister Barbara. I was silly enough to not get any pictures of the people, but I can show you the outside of the pub where we ate.

The door at the bottom looks extra low from this angle, but actually you had do go down a few steps to get inside.
The last few days have been spent hearing about great Canadian adventures as the Captain's other sister and her husband arrived back home from their cross-country trip, releaving us of our cat-sitting duties. (I'm pretty sure the grumpy cat was glad to see them return.)

Grebo, 18 years young and fiesty as ever.
On the side of the Crew, I've been reconnecting in a virtual flurry with my own family, on the occasion of my paternal Grandfather's passing.  It was tough to be so far away, but the face to face-through-a-screen magic of Skype made the best of a difficult time. My Grandfather was an adventurer in his own right, you can read more about his life here.

A rare shot of the Crew enjoying coffee by the side of the Middlewich Canal.

This week we shall cross the Atlantic for one more Toronto run, and as the weather turns crisper, we are looking forward to tropical sunsets.  It seems to be the begining of the end of the Wrong Way Tour 2015.


Monday 7 September 2015

In the pink




I was thinking today about things to blog about and other than the fact that we've been to the same grocery store three times this week, there isn't much to say.

We are living a quiet country life right now, with great food, long walks through fields and gardening. (I know, boat life hasn't given me any advantages in a garden, but I am trying.)

The English have no rights as a pedestrian in front of cars, but they do when it comes to farmers' fields. So we've been having fun following the maps and the footpaths and trying to end up where we intend to, which mostly we do. Wildlife sightings have been limited to Peter Rabbit and all his cousins, birds, most of which I can't identify, and cows. The cows come in many varieties, and sometimes we walk right through their fields. Usually this is fine, but the other day a particular herd had horns and seemed extra interested in us. We walked quickly.

This church was unremarkable except for its colour. I am not exactly sure what kind of statement it intended to make, but I am having fun imagining. Or, of course, the paint could have been a donation...

You know, someone who is having blog-worthy fun is the Captain's sister Julia and her husband, Adrian. They are driving from Toronto to Vancouver Island and have just passed my home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba, recording their adventures along the way. Check it out:

Grandmajools.com

Thursday 3 September 2015

A few missing things

So some things happened in Vancouver that I didn't get to share with you.  And then you missed out on our trip to Toronto, round two, and now we are in another country entirely, living the English country life, full of tractors and sports cars (the Captain says that football billionaires live in this part of the country) in a village just south of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Fortunately, I've been keeping a photo record of our trip, so here we go:

Series One: thinking about meat, or almost-meat:


Thank-you Tesco's groceries, for providing these to the world.
Oh, the things you can do on Commercial Drive, Vancouver.
Seriously? I've heard of veggie cheese, but this?

Series Two: signs along the way


And when it's not working as a box, it moonlights as a triangle.
Very small sign, on a fence post in Toronto.
Clearly, what I've been praying for.

Series Three: partners in crime, adventure

Kate, hostess-with-the-mostess, being styled in West Elm, Toronto
Corrie, purveyor of free tickets to King West music adventures in Toronto, and intrepid shopper
El Capitano, a long way from his boat, but still rustling up good things to eat from his brother-in-law's garden.

Series Four: moments of bliss along the way


The cute coffee shop patio we stopped in for a break during one of the many Vancouver motorcycle rides.
First round was strawberry shortcakes, (the Captain has found new hobbies to occupy his time,) second round: blueberries and vanilla yogurt breakfast in bed.
Art by my Oma, to be hung in my house as soon as I have a wall.

Wednesday 5 August 2015

Rainy Vancouver?

It's raining here today, the third day of rain we've had during the six weeks we've been here. Lucky for you, because if it was sunny, I would be outside hiking with the Captain instead of writing this post.

We've made a point of getting outside for walks here. Partially because it's beautiful, partially because we were responsible for one of the black furry creatures you can see in the pictures below for a month, and partially because the Captain's been on a pastry kick (poor me) and I would be as wide as I am tall if I didn't move my body. Besides, some walks end at a craft brewery. :)

We have also been lucky to reconnect with my family. Sometimes this has involved hanging pictures at my Grandparents' new place, admiring the extensive collection of artwork my Oma has created in her lifetime. Sometimes this has involved getting "lost" in the woods with my sister and brother-in-law, and being rescued by the Angel responsible for lost car keys.

Most of the time reconnecting includes enormous quantities of really good food, like an extended family turkey dinner in July and a surprise bonus course of ice cream at dinner with my cousin Clara. We've also confirmed the opposite tastes in beer of my Father and the Captain. It has created a new point of discussion, and perhaps a reason to drink more beer?

Anyways, we're not out of time yet. There are still mushrooms to be eaten, motorcycle rides to be had, and perhaps another walk along the seawall. If it stops raining.









Friday 17 July 2015

Music on every corner

In the places we've been in the past four weeks, I've been noticing the public pianos. Sometimes I hear them before I see them.



Sometimes I stumble on them in strange places, like this community garden.


Random pianos - who'da thought?



Tuesday 14 July 2015

A visit from the yarn fairy


It appears that there is a yarn fairy in Portland. I went to the yarn store (only a block away from where we were staying) and I only bought one skein of yarn, but ended up with five and a commission for a pair of socks. How cool is that?

Monday 13 July 2015

Gone, but not forgotten


We've been busy these days, but we're still having fun. The Captain has decided that the Americans of Portland, Oregon, are not so, well, American... (Plus IPA beer is popular there, which helped, I think.)

Thursday 18 June 2015

Memories of tropical sunsets



Can you believe we left a place that looks like this?

Instead we are making do with Ontario peaches and micro-brewed beer.

The Wrong Way Tour of 2015 continues, albeit in jets that go well to wind. Look out if you live in Canada or the UK, we may soon be coming to a place near you!

Friday 22 May 2015

In time for happy hour

Well, we are back in Montego Bay and so happy to be here.

Yaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!!!

Thursday 21 May 2015

So close

Today we are feeling good. We were up early and on our way before that pesky sparrow got all farty on us. (Speaking of birds, the Captain found some crab legs on top of the doger (the cover over where we sit) this morning and either the crab forget something or the bird that sat on the boom and ate the crab missed a few pieces.)

Now we are chillin' in Discovery Bay, listening to the battle of the beach music stands and getting psyched for our arrival home tomorrow - here we come Montego Bay!


If you'd like to follow along, we are at: N18 27.851 W77 24.112
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner. Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Wednesday 20 May 2015

A little bit wet



We are sitting on anchor in the rain in Ocho Rios. The rain waited until the Captain went forward to the bow to prep the anchor (it must have a sense of humor.) We could have beat the rain, but the Wednesday cruise ship pulled off the dock and into the channel before us, and well, we don't argue right of way with cruise ships!

The motor sail from Port Antonio was uneventful, and we will continue to work our way along the north coast towards Montego Bay. It was sad to say goodbye to new friends in Port Antonio, but such is the life of a cruiser - meet new people, sail away...

If you'd like to follow along, we are at: N18 24.616 W77 06.503
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner. Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Monday 18 May 2015

Yah, mon



Oh, the familiar sounds of a Jamaican accent. We are happy to be back "on island," as they say, arriving in Port Antonio marina in the early hours of this morning.

We've checked in with customs and immigration, bought some basic provisions (beer, bacon and tea) and now we are ready for a nap. Signing out for now...

If you'd like to follow along, we are at: N18 10.86 W76 27.26
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner. Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Friday 15 May 2015

Coming out of our safe haven


We've stayed here in Ile à Vache, Haiti, for so long that we've forgotten what the outside world looks like. Our days here have been a haze of relaxation and easy socializing with other cruisers. Throw in a few visits ashore to check out the last remaining beaches and chatter with the local boys who paddle up to our boat and try to sell us whatever delicacies they have - usually lobster or bananas - and this charming little island has lulled us into a trance-like state. We could stay here forever, and for a few days last week, it felt like we might have to.

The weather window has finally opened, so we take off for Jamaica tomorrow (Saturday) morning.  We expect to reach Port Antonio sometime on Sunday. And from there, it's just a few day-sail hops until we're home in Montego Bay.

The end is near.  I think we're going the right way now.

If you'd like to follow along, we are at: N18 06.259  W73 41.730
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view. 

Thursday 7 May 2015

Slower than usual

Alright, let's get the gory bit over with right up front.

The Crew, as you may be aware, has a tremendous appetite and a usually tough stomach, except when, well, when it's not so tough.  Things have been a bit "loose" around here so there has been some sugar water re-hydration solution in order and not a lot going on other than trips from the bed to the head and back again.

The Captain, who has a stomach made of iron, (either that or he eats and digests so quickly the bacteria don't have time to know what they missed) is fine, and has been playing nurse extraordinaire. "I'm sure she did it just to get out of doing dishes," he might have been heard to say.

Now that's over, let me tell you a bit about our adventures going to the mainland.

But first, I want to introduce "Udders of the Island," a video series done by some charming American young men detailing life on Ile à Vache, Haiti. I met their mother several days back. The video linked here is about the recent sailing regatta the locals had on the island. We've been watching these boats go out every day to check lobster pots and fishing nets, and move people and supplies from one place to another. The boats do not have any sort of engine nor a keel, so getting the boat to go anywhere is all up to setting the sails just so.  The Captain and I have been very envious of their skills!


The offending dish that caused all of the upset, was actually eaten at Les Cayes, the town on the mainland which we visited on Monday.  It is very different from Ile à Vache, an urban centre where the poverty of this country is more evident. We were successful in provisioning and getting fuel and drinking water, which was good.  We also ate a yummy chicken and rice dinner, which was not so good for me... (see above).

The trip to the island involved trip via a water taxi, then a hop onto a smaller boat that was punted closer to shore and then a piggy back (!!!!) to a very dirty bank.  This "Udders of the Island" episode captures it very nicely, although the day we went there was a pretty good swell running making it even more exciting!
 



The wind and seas are still running pretty high, so we plan to stay right where we are for another week or so. Don't worry, we shall be enjoying Prestige Beer and locally prepared cashews.


Monday 27 April 2015

Along the way

The Wrong Way Tour 2015 set out to visit the Dominican Republic and we stopped at Haiti because it was on our route.  In actuality, I think this tour really was to visit Haiti and the DR was just a stop along the way.

We arrived at Ile a Vache at 2:30 am this morning, after leaving Barahona on Friday evening.  It was a long sail, longer than we'd hoped, but for the most part it went fine.  We discovered the true downwind sailing, with the wind coming directly over the stern of the boat, presents its own challenges, mainly on holding the course.  Our wind vane self steering wasn't such a fan of holding an accurate downwind course, and our electronic autopilot gave up on it a few times as well.  So we were stuck holding the wheel ourselves (fun for only about ten minutes) or sailing slightly off wind, and also slightly off course.  However, it was great to sail with the waves behind us, instead of coming straight at us.

Highlights include a green and white flash across the sky.  Just after dawn on Saturday the Captain looked up and a meteorite was visible, tracking across the sky for three or four seconds, bright green with a white tail. Either that or the aliens have felt the same way about the DR as we did and were heading for home.

We also had a great little sail up the Beata Canal, with nice winds and flat seas. It's shallow waters, five to twenty meters deep. I was on the helm and had good fun.  We had a fishing boat approach us as we entered the canal and wave a giant grouper at us, an offer of fish for sale, but we declined the opportunity to have a good size fishing boat raft up to us while we were moving quickly and navigating currents and shallows!

We are now enjoying the lovely harbour at Ile a Vache.  It may be a developing country, but we've certainly received first class service this morning, with several people that we'd met previously out in dugout canoes, catering to our every whim - well, a package of cigarettes for the Captain and a SIM card set up for mobile data for the Crew. Yay for Haiti!

We like this spot, and the winds are forecasted to be a bit much for us to move on this week, so I expect we'll just have to suffer through some really fast internet, beautiful white sand beaches, and fresh bread from the local bakery. It's a tough life. :)


If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N18 06.259  W73 41.730
 Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Wednesday 22 April 2015

The wonders of waltzing west

All right, all right, I will stop all this lazing about in tropical locations and write another blog post! 

(Actually much thanks to those of you who emailed me and gently asked, "Haven't seen a post lately, are you OK?" It's so nice to know that people actually read this stuff. :)

We are well.  Very well, in fact. UNBELIEVABLY well, really.  You know why?  (Because the Captain loves the fact that the Dominican's make their beer in 1L bottles?  Partly, but stay with me here...)

We are doing so well because we are going WEST!

Now, if you're a regular reader, you know that we have spent the last month trying to do the impossible in the Caribbean - sail east into the prevailing wind and waves.  And honestly, by the time we got to Las Salinas, we were taking it personally.  The Captain and I were having deep discussions about how maybe we just didn't know enough about sailing, maybe our lovely boat was just too old, and these were the reasons why the sailing had been so hard.  We pretty much gave up on going further east.  (We'd also not heard very nice things from other cruisers about the marina further on where we were planning to stop.) 

We just weren't feeling the sailing love.

Las Salinas is a resort town with some country homes for wealthy Dominicans who live in the city.  During the week there is no one there, but during the weekend we saw lots of BMWs, Landrovers, and Mercedes, not to mention a whole pile of kite surfers.  It's windy and pretty, but there isn't much to do other than drink beer in all of the little bars/shops/restaurants - we were there a week and went to a new one each day, so we got through most of them.

On Sunday, we decided we'd tried all the bars worth trying, and it was time to blow this popsicle stand. We had to sail back to Barahona to check out of the country with customs & immigration, a sail due west, across a bay where we'd sailed in extremely uncomfortable conditions twice before.  We were nervous.

But you know what? It was an AWESOME sail!  It appears we do know what we're doing - we just have to go west!  The wind was not too strong, coming across our port stern quarter, and we had a lovely, flat, uneventful sail back to Barahona. Wooo hoooo!

So that settles it my friends - the 2015 Wrong Way Tour has suddenly started to go right for a change (actually, that will be left looking at the map, but let's not mix too many metaphors here.)

It seems, in spite of not intending to come here at all, that Barahona will be the town that we know and love best here in the Dominican Republic.  Yesterday the laundry man greeted us with a smile, the pineapple/water seller gave me a kiss on the check to say welcome back, and the immigration dude tried once again to sell me a day trip to a nearby lake, but graciously took my "No thanks" when I offered him a beer instead. I can guarantee you that this town isn't going to make the top 10 lists of "places to go in the Dominican Republic," but it's certainly made the top of our list. 

Instead of drinking beer in bars, we are trying to set the record for how many days in a row we can go to the grocery store.  Our game will be up by the weekend, as we plan to head south, retracing our steps back the way we came. Best guestimate is that we will be back in Montego Bay, Jamaica by mid May. (But we're sailors, so don't put any money on that.)

They say it's all down wind from here, folks!

P.S. This is the windward side of the beach in Las Salinas: you can see the enTIRE thing! (Bad joke by the Captain)

P.P.S. We bought these in the grocery store - Salsa China?  But soy sauce, of course.  Salsa Inglesa? (English sauce is the literal translations) But Worcestershire sauce, of course!

If you'd like to follow along, we are at: N18 12.869  W71 5.280
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Sunday 12 April 2015

Not exactly a breeze

Happy Sunday from windy Las Salinas, Dominican Republic!

After an early start (anchor up at 5 am) we arrived at Las Salinas at 3 in the afternoon. I'm not going to tell you how far it is, because our speed record on this one was bad. (Remember again that thing about going east in the Caribbean? Not so much fun.) We motored two thirds of it and sailed the last bit, although we never did find the shelter from the land we were looking for, so it was another close haul.

Las Salinas seems to be pretty much a hotel resort and some holiday homes, so we are feeling good about the provisioning and laundry we did in Barahona. More exploring to confirm first impressions tomorrow.

Anyone's guess as to how long we'll be here. Once we know, I will let you know.

The photo shows our neighbour in Barahona. He just fit in the anchorage and we had to move for him to go in or out.

If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N18 12.883  W70 32.569
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.




Friday 3 April 2015

Never trust a sailor

After a long day of sailing yesterday, we are now in... Baharona. Now, if you were paying attention to the blog, you'd know that this isn't where we set out to go.

Up at the crack of dawn yesterday, the anchor was up at Isla Beata and we had the sails out and engine off within thirty minutes. We had an awesome sail through the channel between the island and the mainland, due to the flat water (it was only 5 to 10 meters deep in most places) and nice breeze so we only had to make one tack. The deeper swell at the outlet of the channel was a bit of a pain, but we cut ourselves some slack - sea will get choppy when you force five hundred meters of water up into twenty meters - and the afternoon saw a favourable wind shift sending us straight to Las Salinas. The Captain was deep into a Dick Francis novel when the seas started to pick up at about 7:00 in the evening. Although he said later that he resented not being able to finish his book, we shortened sail. To not much avail. The waves grew and the wind strengthened. We brought in more sail and eased off the main to de-power the boat, but we were still heeling too much. To give you an idea, I had most of my weight on my feet while "sitting" in the cockpit; my feet were braced against the other side.

Finally an executive decision was made (forced on us?) to give up on Las Salinas, which would have required a close haul over nearly insurmountable swell, and to make for Barahona, which was mercifully downwind, running with the waves, and about 15 miles closer. The Captain will tell you that he thought we should go to Barahona all along, but I know that when we had light wind and were making course, he was just as pleased to go to Las Salinas as I was.

For the non-sailors who are reading, think of it this way - we could continue going to the right, had the boat on its side (which it is designed to do, but this was a bit much), and not go in the right direction to a destination that was further away, OR we could go left, stand the boat up, and go to a closer destination that was much easier on the way. Duh.

Although heading downwind in 25-30 knots of wind with 3 meter swells wasn't exactly easy. We hand-piloted in fifteen minutes shifts, and I was very disappointed when I asked how much longer my shift was to discover I'd only been on the wheel for three minutes!

All's well that ends well, as they say. Here we sit in a pleasant anchorage in Baharona. Items of note include that our immigration official who cleared us in to the DR this morning would also like to sell us a tour to see an inland salt water lake complete with crocodiles (we're not going), there is a five foot section in the grocery store just dedicated to olives-yay, and we have to move the boat out of this cosy little anchorage at 6 am tomorrow morning so a commercial ship can come into the dock, but we can come back in again once it is docked.

We've been told the commercial ship is staying for a few days, and I think we might too. Happy Easter!

If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N18 12.869  W71 5.280
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Champagne in a beautiful place

Just after I pressed send on the last blog post in la Bahia de Las Aguilas, we received a VHF call from "Mr. Fizz." At first, the Captain thought they knew him and were calling "Mr. Phil," but it turned out to be a very friendly couple from France on the sailboat "Mr. Fizz" who were about half way through their one year of sailing from France through the Caribbean and home again. They had come from the Dominican Republic, and although they spoke English well, they said their Spanish wasn't so good and they were happy to find people with whom they could socialize. They invited us to join them for drinks on the beach and, they had a bottle of Champaign to share! (They said they had a friend back home who made the stuff-guess we need more French friends...)

We had a great evening drinking bubbly on a moon-lit beach. The sand was stunningly soft and white with only a few shells for distraction and stretched on for miles in either direction.

This morning we left the pleasant anchorage and we thought we had an easy sail planned for Isla Beata, a few hours away. Well, six hours later after sailing close to wind through some choppy seas, we've arrived. Isla Beata is the southernmost point of the Dominican Republic, and although very beautiful, it is mostly uninhabited, with only a few fishermen and a coast guard station.

The officials came out to meet us in a fishing boat, as we were told they would, and were very friendly and courteous, despite the language barrier. There was paperwork to be done, of course, and that was obviously not their forte, especially in a foreign language. In fact, on the crew list for the 'despacho,' the piece of paper that gives us official permission to move from here to our next port of call, the Captain's name was listed as "First Name" for a short period of time, until we gently corrected the error. Tee hee hee

Tomorrow is up early and another full day of sailing. We plan to arrive in Las Salinas sometime tomorrow evening, but it's more 'easting' and judging from our experience today, it might take longer than we think. Cross your fingers for a good angle on the breeze...

If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N17 36.284  W71 31.732 Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Monday 30 March 2015

Arrived in the Bahia de Aguila

After thirty three hours of passage, we have arrived in the Dominican Republic. We saw small dolphins on the way, sailed the very beginning of the trip, and had a few rain squalls. Mostly we just motored...

Eagle Bay is a desolate, end-of-the-world kind of place. There is no permanent habitation, but the other boat in the bay warmly greeted us over the VHF. We are headed early to bed and then tomorrrow we will check the weather and decide when we shall return to the world.


If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N17 50.093  W71 37.899
Copy the GPS location above, click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view, which might be helpful when we get out to sea. 

Saturday 28 March 2015

What we didn't expect

We've been on the island of Ile à Vache, Haiti, for one week now.  It has been lovely.  The boys continue to come out and offer us things to buy from their dugout canoes daily, and sometimes when we don't want to buy what they are selling, they simply ask outright for a cookie or a soccer ball. We've got to know some on a more regular basis, and even when we refuse all their offers, they are unfailingly polite.

There are three hotels on Ile à Vache, all pretty small, but very quaint.  We've walked to visit them all, and as you can see from the photo, this one has a stunning beach.  (It also has a helicopter landing pad.)



On the way to this beach, I was mobbed by small children who wanted to hold my hand! There were four of them, aged about 2 to 5 and they thought I was a great target.  They only tried once to hold the Captain's hand, but they asked me what his name was and it was fun to watch him turn around suddenly to the shrill call of "Phil" in four high-pitched French accented voices.

On Thursday, it was the Captain's birthday, and also market day in the town of Madame Bernard, a few bays over.  We needed some things, so we decided to go.  Now, you should know, there are no cars on this island, only motorcycles (which they use as taxis), donkeys and horses.  We decided to go there as the locals do - walk.  It was an hour and a half there and an hour and a half back.  The Captain wants it to be noted that he's done it once so he doesn't need to walk it ever again!

The walk itself was very pretty, along cultivated land and through some shady groves of trees.  We had offer of a guide, but we decided his price for the trip was a bit steep, so we paid him a little bit to tell us which way to start walking, and NOT to come along...

Instead, once we found the one possible place that looked like where he said we should turn, we asked someone nearby, who in turn called out to a woman in a green skirt further down the road, who confirmed she was also on her way to the market.  So we just followed Our Lady of the Green Skirt all the way there.

The market was very busy and noisy and full of local food staples.  We found eggs, tomatoes, onions, and some green fruit which we discovered were under-ripe grapefruit when we got back and cut one open. We debated buying meat, although there were plenty of live pigs, cows, and chickens, and you could buy them live, dead, or even cleaned, but we weren't really comfortable carrying raw meat home in the hot sun, and the Captain firmly put his foot down when I suggested he should learn to pluck a chicken!

Another unexpected but delightful birthday surprise was the arrival of S/V Pavo Real, or Tony and Anne.  We spent several months sailing with them in the San Blas and Bocas del Toro, Panama in 2013 so we were so pleased to see them.  We knew they were traveling west and we were heading east, but what d'ya know, here we all were in the same place.  So there was chocolate birthday cake and rum together, and then on Friday we had dinner on their boat. Great fun meeting old friends in new places!

Tomorrow the plan is anchor up and a push through the wrong way on the wind to the Bahia de Las Aguilas anchorage, our first stop in the Dominican Republic. Tony, who just came from there, promised us miles of unspoiled beaches, but no services or people.  Our stay there is likely to be short as the mounds of laundry are piling up in the forepeak and the level of water in our tank is dropping lower. But you know us sailors, plans are made to be changed.

If you'd like to follow along, we are at: N18 6.20 W73 41.73Copy the GPS location above (text in red), click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner. Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Sunday 22 March 2015

They came out to greet us

Would you like coconuts? A guide for the market tomorrow? Perhaps a fresh cooked Haitian meal?  Or any of the basics like diesel, laundry or... peanut butter and jam?

We arrived in the north anchorage on Ile à Vache, on the south coast of Haiti, at 11 pm Saturday night, after a passage of 39 hours.  We were able to sail about 16 hours, which pleased the Captain. The weather was very pleasant, although dark storm clouds built up on the Haitian coast, but we were well off shore. All, in all, a pretty good trip. We had a celebratory beer at anchor down and then went to bed, enjoying an uninterrupted sleep.

Until about seven in the morning, when the first visitor arrived.  "Welcome to Haiti," he said.  "I am Bernarde. There will be others who come and want to take you to the market, but tell them that Bernarde was here first."

And there were others.  It is now almost noon and I think the Captain or I have talked to almost twenty young men (with the exception of one elderly couple) who want to help us. They are all very polite and most of them speak English, although I have practiced my French a couple of times, but we really don't need much right now.  Except internet, I always need internet, like a junkie needs their fix.  And fortunately, an enterprising Haitian named William is renting me an internet stick with cellular data for $7.  Our sat phone modem isn't playing, so it was good timing.

And the peanut butter and jam?  Yes, one man really did try to sell me some pbj.  Maybe some people arrive in the anchorage without any food at all?  Not so sure.

Looks like we might be camped out here for a little while, exploring the island and waiting for a good weather window to head further east.

If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N18 6.20 W73 41.73Copy the GPS location above (text in red), click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner. Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view.

Thursday 19 March 2015

Last day in Jamaica



Weird fact of the day: did you know that Ocho Rios has it's own version of the Taj Mahal?

Today is our last day in Jamaica and we are enjoying the luscious greenery of Port Antonio. We arrived here yesterday at 7:30 am without incident, and yes, if you were wondering, we did get the diesel tank cleaned in Ocho Rios before we left.

Now we're down to one more quick trip to the store, checking out with immigration and customs, and a few other necessary bits and pieces. We expect to head out for Ile à Vache, Haiti, tomorrow at 8 am.

If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N18 10.86 W76 27.26
Copy the GPS location above (text in red), click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner. Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view, which might be helpful when we get out to sea.

Monday 16 March 2015

Who wants to clean the diesel tank?

Yech, not me.  But that's what we're gonna have to do next. 

There we were, having motor sailed right past Discovery Bay, our intended port of call when we left last night.  (Yes, Sunday night, don't ask.) We were headed for Ocho Rios and the sun was up and we were just over an hour and a half from arrival, and...  the engine stopped. 

But, being sailors, we pulled out the jib, set a course for land as close to wind as we could make it, and I sailed while the Captain tried his best to find and fix the engine problem while bouncing up and down in 1 to 2 meter swells. 

Finally, the choice became whether to head back out to sea and fix the engine problem or for the Captain to navigate for me to sail into Ocho Rios harbour and drop anchor, and the Captain chose to navigate.  We had a lovely sail up the channel, and with the help of another visiting sailor in his dingy, we were tacked (with a nudge from the dingy) in very light winds around the cruise ship terminal and dropped anchor, all without an engine.  Yay!

More good news - the Captain fixed the problem after a cup of tea and so our fuel filter is clean, although we're probably going to have to clean out the tank itself at our next stop.

And, as you can see, the cruise ship came in, so we may just wait to leave until she's gone. We came into the anchorage through the hole between the dock and one of the bollards, now taken up by her bow.

But we'll sort that out too, we've sorted out lots already today!

If you'd like to follow along,we are at: N18 24.616  W77 6.519
Copy the GPS location above (text in red), click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view, which might be helpful when we get out to sea. 

Saturday 14 March 2015

One hundred good byes


This time we really mean it.

We've hugged and shared last drinks and said goodbye a million times, but we're on our way tonight! 

The boat is full of fuel and water, lots of provisions (the fridge is so full it takes ages to find milk for tea) and it's clean and tidy. The weather has finally decided to cooperate, so we'll leave tonight and take advantage of lighter winds at night.

Now, I'm going to ask for some audience participation.  If you'd like to follow along where we are, this is how it will work.  I will post a GPS location to the blog as we go. It looks like this:
N18 27.751 W 77 56.609
Now what you need to do is copy the GPS location above (the text in red), click through to http://netvicious.com/gps/ and paste the coordinates in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Then just push the 'Convert and map' button and you will see where we are. On the upper right hand side is an option to toggle map vs satellite view, which might be helpful when we get out to sea. You can also zoom in and out using the plus and minus scale on the left hand side of the map.

If you see the Montego Bay Yacht Club on the map using these coordinates, than you're doing it right.

And we're off!


Tuesday 10 March 2015

Going bananas



Latest tentative departure date is Saturday. Are you tired of this game yet? Me too.

Preparations are almost done, well, at least the boat is cleaner and fuller. And we think we know where we are going, at least where we want to go. It's a bit crazy going east in trade wind season.

A bit crazy. Like bananas.

Thursday 5 March 2015

Just in case they don't have tea

Provision shopping yesterday. Have you ever bought 3-4 weeks of dry goods at once?

It's like regular shopping, but you just buy 3 of everything. The Captain was feeling a bit faint after he paid the bill, but a Chelsea football win restored his spirits.

The Crew put it all away this morning, only took a couple of hours. Here's hoping we can find it again. She will have to channel her inner squirrel.

Trip update: not looking good for Saturday, maybe mid next week. There will be more grocery shopping!


Before it hit the cupboard.

Tuesday 3 March 2015

Preparations are in motion

You haven't heard a lot from me lately, party because I've been busy knitting these.

The Captain and I have been basking in the Montego Bay hospitality, but recently my travel bone started to itch.

I tried booking a few flights (Toronto in June, Vancouver in July-August and Manchester, UK for September, but l still couldn't stop scratching. (No, I promise I don't have flees...)

So we're preparing the boat to go to the Dominican Republic, leaving Mobay on... Saturday? You know us cruising sailors, the weather has to be just right.

Stay tuned to find out if the Captain can survive the provisioning expedition...

Sunday 11 January 2015

A pop and a crunch

Yesterday morning was full of promise as the Captain had an invitation to go water skiing. The Crew came along for the boat ride and all was well, until the Captain attempted to get up on one ski. He said he held on too long and then - pop! And oooowwwww.

There went the hamstring.

The first time - up on two skis, but the boat wasn't going fast enough. It was the second attempt that caused the drama.

It was a rough morning, but some drugs, ice, and a Chelsea victory in the football all helped repair him enough to conduct the ultimate new oven test - roast dinner!


As you can see, the oven passed its challenge and we had crispy roast potatoes, stewed vegetables, and a lovely roast chicken. 



The sunset co-operated wonderfully and all was domestic bliss.



Today, the pile of dishes and a Captain with a slight limp are the only remnants of our rollercoaster Saturday.