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...