Barry Grove
& Cyndie Koning & Family in the Cruising Lifestyle
Barry Grove and Cyndie Koning, with their two children Molly and Zak, left in 1999 to go cruising in the Caribbean. Barry purchased a boat on the U.S. East coast in the Spring of 1999, and persuaded some Edmonton friends to travel down there to help make the boat seaworthy for an extended cruise.
When that was done, Barry then managed to persuade a couple of them to help him sail the boat to Puerto Rico. With threats of early summer storms, they went via Bermuda. After some extremely rough weather they eventually arrived in Puerto Rico. Cyndie and the children flew down and joined them there. We have received quite a few e-mails from them...
Update from BreakAway 99 , by Cyndie
Hello Everyone:
Here is a quick update for those of you who havenāt heard about our trip since our departure from San Juan.
Zak, Molly and I arrived in Puerto Rico on July 2 and we left soon after that. Zak and I were quite seasick as we had quite big seas and winds of 20-25 knots on our way out of Puerto Rico towards Culebra. We have stayed at most of the islands we passed along the way at for at least a few days each. We went from Culebra (small island east of Puerto Rico) to St. Croix which is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although many people speak English we did buy a Spanish/English dictionary. St. Croix was incredibly beautiful and the people were very friendly. Molly became quite sick while we were there, but we received a lot of help from a lady who worked in one of the tourism offices.
We had to keep pushing south so we decided to sail for Guadalupe. Our original plan, though, had been to go to Montserrat. We later heard that a volcano at Montserrat had erupted right around the time we would have been there. The sail to Guadalupe was our first real night sail; an experience that we all found to be quite challenging. This journey took us two nights and one day. By the second night we were doing short watches. Zak and Molly were great company during those long hours.
Needless to say, we were very happy to see Guadalupe. (Thank goodness for autopilots!) Guadalupe is very French and Zak and Molly used their ability to speak the language a lot on this island. They were a great asset to Barry and I when dealing with the language barrier. The customs guys were also quite impressed with the two of them. Guadalupe also has an active volcano but is apparently almost always obscured by clouds so we didnāt challenge the long hike to see it.
We went to Dominica next, but because the customs office was quite far away and we wanted to leave the next day, we flew our yellow quarantine flag.
Our next stop was Martinique, which is also very French. This island was certainly one of the highlights of our trip, so far. The beaches, snorkelling, food, music, and anchorages were incredible. We spent more than a week in Martinique as we needed to do some wiring on the hoat.
We did have a bit of a harrowing experience approaching one of the bays when the motor failed to start and we needed to set anchor. We managed to navigate down this long narrow bay with many green and red navigation buoys and successfully anchor BreakAway under sail. This experience gave us two things: confidence in our ability to do something like this and a new friend who would stay with us for the rest of our sail south.
We continued on to St.Lucia (more incredible beaches) and then on to the Grenadines. We skipped St. Vincent on the advice of many other sailors and went straight to Bequia. I think that this is my favourite place so far. The anchorage had a sandy beach which was not accessible by road. The beach ended in rock caves with amazing shallow snorkelling. Zachary spent hours underwater and was able to identify many of the very colourful fish he saw using the Audubon book weād brought from Edmonton.
We met other sailors from Edmonton there who had chartered a catamaran. The man had been a taxi driver in Edmonton and he and his wife had retired to the British Virgin Islands. The markets and shops in the small town had every thing we needed, including some of the things that the kids were craving like taco shells and bagels.
After Bequia we headed for Mayreau. Apparently this is where the very rich and famous live but we didnāt recognize anyone. We did, however, spend some time in a spectacular place called Salt Whistle Bay. This little bay was only an hour away from our next stop, the Tobago Gays. This anchorage was huge and the only thing that separated us from the open Atlantic was a coral reef. The reef was identifiable by the waves breaking over it. It was hard to can imagine that Africa just over the horizon!
Our friend took us snorkeling there but it was really more than I could handle. The kids did really well but I was too overwhelmed and swam back to the dinghy. We saw huge sting rays, many large very colourful fish and breathtaking coral (literally, for me). Some of the brain coral measured 5 metres in width.
Because there are no stores anywhere nearby, the boat delivery guys brought fruit, vegetables, fresh bread, ice and fish around several times a day. There were lots of little uninhabited islands we could row ashore to.
Before leaving the Grenadines we made a quick over night stop at Union Island to clear customs. Union Islandās claim to fame was a garbage cow who fed off the garbage dump. Molly and Eric (our sailing friend) actually saw this animal walking through burning garbage.
From there we headed on to Carriacou and then to Grenada. So far, we have anchored in four bays there. The capital of Grenada is St.Georgeās which is very old and built with the red bricks that were brought over as ballast in the ships. We were happy to leave this busy town for our quiet little anchorage here in Prickly Bay. The steel band which plays here on Friday nights is great and thereās a beach barbecue on Sundays on a small island close by. Barry is already starting to talk about going to Trinidad. He needs some boat stuff and the availability and prices there are much better. We have made many friends who have already gone on to Trinidad. I donāt like the idea of all the rain, mosquitoes, and crowded anchorages but we may make it a short stay. It is only 80 miles away but weāll have to watch and listen carefully to all the weather forecasts.
The kids have been busy getting into the school groove. We have to do our work early because it is pretty hot in the boat by 11 a.m.
Cyndie (and Barry, Zak and Molly)
Here's an e-mail from Barry...
Hi Folks:
After three weeks in Grenada, on the hook, I am in real need of a chandlery fix. You would think on an island this size that there would be one decent one! I have learned to be patient and now expect to ask many times, even in different languages, for supplies. So off to Trinidad we go, where food is cheap and boat parts are available.
We will sail about 80 miles, visit some people we know who are staying in Trinidad for the season, and go shopping. I will be sure to stock up in the duty free and Rum, as if the normal prices arenāt cheap enough. A 40 ouncer of Bacardiās is $18.00 EC$ (that is about $10.00 Can, but donāt tell the fire-side boys)
Enough shopping!!! I wanted to tell you how fantastic these last few islands were to sail through. The Grenadines, south of St Vincent, were spectacular. You can actually see your anchor twenty five feet down. A real variety of sailing in what has to be considered sheltered conditions with some absolutely amazing anchorages. The Tobago Cays are probably the most spectacular. Imagine being anchored off in fifteen feet of calm, crystal clear water, protected from the open sea by a reef and facing directly towards Africa. Just around the corner is Enwhistle Bay, a little nook with palm-lined beaches. This is located on the island of Mustique which at times is a little crowded, but well worth it. Mick Jager has a house there, as do "other" British Royalty.
Barry
Now, here's the next e-mail...
September 30, 1999
I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't believe I was in Trinidad. I had to look out the hatch twice. Just being on a sailboat is wonder enough but of all places seven miles from Venezuela and South America. We are on the jetty at Peake Marina, in Chagaramus Bay, a very industrial setting with an oilrig directly in front of us, just outside of the bay.
There is NO swimming here and I'm not sure I want the boat in this water for long. A huge crane that floats and has six, six-foot diameter pipes for legs that push down to the bottom (raising it out of the water) resides next door.
Despite the industry we seem to spend all our time in boat work, school or shopping for groceries. There is a certain beauty when you look into the mountains. We are looking forward to taking a tour and seeing some more of the island. Zak and Cyndie want to see wild monkeys. Molly is enjoying playing with a troop of ten French kids.
I'm still not through with the chandleries, no surprise, and getting all the little things done. There are lots of sailboats both in the water and on the dry, all shapes and mostly large. Our forty footer seems to be dwarfed.
Thank goodness we are tied up on a concrete pier, although that has its perils. In Chagaramus bay ("Chag") the current and the swells are incredible. We watch the boats on anchor rotate in circles, not always in the same direction. The tide comes in from two directions and if the wind is coming from a third it really gets confusing. I watched a scraggly four-foot log drift east at a fair clip as the waves pushed west. The anchoring in the bay is at best questionable even without the swells coming in, with the latest wave of weather from the Atlantic.
There are a real variety of cars and trucks and who knows what lying on the bottom. The question is when will the anchor pull, on the incoming or the outgoing tide. There are often alarmed calls on the VHF, "the yellow boat has pulled anchor, there it goes", or "is any body on HornBlower , you're drifting", and when they get away the bottom drops off, so they really get away.
They have a Cruisers Net on the hailing channel every morning at 8:00, with weather, a swap, all-in-all a rather formal affair. After a frantic "Break, Break, Break" the net was put on hold, as there were so many boats pulling anchor they needed the channel free for communications. Twenty minutes later everyone is chatting away.
In the weather report this morning, we were advised to wear hip waders, as there was to be some rain. I got stuck in a chandlery when the downpour began.
We have been here for a week and a day (or two)--six days to go if all goes well. We are considering moving to another dock on nearby Fantasy Island which is supposedly a little quieter and cheaper, although harder to access the boat yards (but who could resist Fantasy Island?)
We are also considering a nearby bay where there are packs of wild monkeys on shore. This is all contingent on weather, the alternator, and our dinghy being back.
We are all looking forward to getting back to Grenada, although all our friends seem to be down here now. The 51 foot Fermosa that was going to sail down with us arrived today. I can't wait to get back to the Grenadines and the crystal clear water.
October 1, 1999
We have weather in Chagaramus. I thought I heard the wind coming up on what was a quiet sunny day. As I left the companionway, a gust of twenty five to thirty knots hit, and, before I reached the other end of our cockpit--under the bimini, I was soaked again. Thank goodness it's warm! I adjusted the dock lines and before I was back inside the sun was coming out again.
I can't get over the Industry. It is nothing for us to pull alongside a huge freighter, a fishing boat or a tugboat in our inflatable. Cyndie suggested we dinghy over to a nearby "marina", IMS to watch a movie. After finding the sign for the dingy dock, we had to maneuver around a barge that was being loaded under a steel pipe--around several half-inflated or half-sunk dinghies at the "dinghy dock".
These dinghies are a common site, but it never fails that the next day you see the worst one go scooting by. Once we climbed out of the dingy (this is often the most exciting part) we crossed an industrial site dodging fork lifts and toxic waste. All to see a movie! We settled in, in front of a TV in a bar for a movie we had already rented. Retracing our tracks in the dark was no problem. The same three guys were still sitting on the stern of a small freighter waving at us. This is a friendly place. Please know that these little adventures of discovery are always a lot of fun and have changed our perspective on a lot of things.
We hear tidbits of Canadian weather, 8 degrees in Toronto, but frost seems very foreign--although it does seems to get cooler the further south we go. The nights are quite pleasant. In fact, we got out a couple more blankets.
We are at 10 degrees 40.83 minutes North, 61 degrees 38.231 minutes West and have been without a Hurricane to watch for a couple of weeks. Everyone seems to be getting itchy and ready to migrate north or west. We will hide out until the end of October in Grenada. Some people have been here in Trinidad for four months. We have barely owned the boat that long. Cyndie did point out that about a quarter of our time is up.
I was told today by a woman that BreakAway 99 was a real Caribbean name for a boat. How did I get it? There is even a new pop song on the radio, BreakAway, although I had to ask if that's what they were saying and that's all I could understand. They must have seen us sailing by.
Electricity, even the few amps we consume, makes the dock a real luxury. Not having to run the engine every day, being able to have the CD player on without thinking of it, running the computer even for games. That is why I will miss Trinidad. It won't be the exceptionally friendly people, the inexpensive food, being able to find parts or get things done, or the cool nights.
October 8, 1999
The Chag strikes again. We have remained on the jetty in Chageramus bay to maintain access to services and because of the poor anchoring. It is also familiar now, and easier to stay. OK, its the electricity. Cyndie is making our sunshade with a borrowed industrial sewing machine. When this thing is in the boat it seems to take on the proportions of a circus tent. So the point is we remain tied up.
Trinidad is a fascinating place with swamps (no wonder with all the rain) and rain forests, so we decided to do a tour to one of the nature reserves. This turned out to be a terrific day, finally meeting some new friends that we have been listening to on the radio for a long time ( Raffiki ), and getting a look at Trinidad as we drove through the towns on the way there. Our return was on the freeway passing shopping malls and suburbs, leaving me to question if I was in Kansas with Toto. The nature reserve was spectacular including the incredible downpour that we could enjoy from an elegant terrace on the main house. We also managed a swim in a pool and swam under a waterfall; the kids all loved this, in part because we aren't swimming in the Chag.
This brings us back to the boat at about 6:00 as another SE storm played havoc with all the boats anchored or on the docks. The swells drove the boats in a peculiar swirling motion that was a wonder to watch and even more fun to ride. One of the major concerns is the masts becoming entangled as they flail back and forth. We were fortunate that there was no damage; everything held, at least on our jetty. There were a lot of distress calls, as boats in the bay pulled anchor and every one was tossed around. Fortunately the storm lasted only a short time and we got some sleep. I must admit that the ominous clouds that bring our daily rain make me nervous now, and I am anxious to head to Grenada and a safer and clean anchorage. We are rushing to complete the growing list of important jobs. Our departure originally scheduled for the 5th is now hopefully the 12th, the day after Thanksgiving. Cyndie and I were just talking about how we should celebrate, and feeling homesick for traditional celebrations with all our friends.
October 12, 99
For the past few days we have been rising early, and going as long as we can. We're getting things in order, ready to head North, and following up with the people here to make sure things are ready. We still have to fit the new fan belt, and get the cockpit table installed. Then we are off to the clean, clear water. We got a report from the Great White North that even in Toronto the fluffy stuff is falling. This puts a serious damper on me, wishing I were back home for thanksgiving. There was a Canadian thanksgiving celebration here and we were lucky to get a seat.
Cyndie has been sewing on a "sailmakers" sewing machine that we borrowed from "Folie aux deux", a Canadian boat. It was horrifying to see Cyndie and I buried in gray sunbrella. Cyndie sat in the boat at the table with this huge sewing machine, and she could figure out which end was which of this 12 x 13 sunshade. When she was sewing, the material covered the whole salon. I should point out for those that are counting that it is still HOT HOT HOT here especially the last few days, so timing is everything. Varnishing and hull polishing starts at 06:00 to beat the heat and rain, by 09:00 it is hot. That is one of the downsides to being tied to the jetty--it is cooler at anchor.
Reports tell me that the Edmonton boats are on the hard and it's cold. I hope everyone had a good season, I do miss some of the excitement of racing. Our next sail will be the over-nigher back to Grenada. Then Island-hopping after the weather is clear. It is getting easier to just head out at night although it is often filled with little surprises. Good charts and the GPS make it possible. Cyndie has taken over the role of navigator and radio operator, and Zachary keeps an eye to make sure things are kept on course. Molly is a real help on watch, although she has got the knack of sleeping in the cockpit.
October 14, Caught in the Chag!!!
People warned us that we would get stuck here, and we have really worked hard to leave today, but it now looks like Monday. We have to check the alternator to confirm the regulator is functioning. I am wide-awake as my body clock is still expecting to be sailing all night back to Grenada. I just finished assisting a large boat tie-up to the dock. This is the copper-bottomed ketch that was getting a refit in the Peaks yard. It is a very beautiful boat in or out of the water, but it doesn't park worth a dam.
We ran into a friend from Grenada and heard that Prickley Bay was setting up for a rock concert, big stage and the works. Just as well we won't be there. The up side is we get a couple days to look after details before we head north.
October 17, 1999
We have been ready to depart for a couple of days now, and held up with little things, very frustrating.
October 19, 1999
After a day of battening down the hatches and a fair level of stress, the tropical storm JOSE passed north and threatens Grenada. Things were so close we rented a (cheap) hotel room at the marina so the kids and Cyndie could get some sleep if it came in. It turned out to be a very quiet night but it was the first time in six months I slept in a bed. We are preparing to sail out tomorrow to Grenada and hang out for a couple of weeks. It will be back on the hook in clear water with the evening breezes blowing. We have made a lot of friends here and will sail back with at least two other boats. Paradise looks much better from an air-conditioned room but you don't see much because you don't go out.
That's the end of the second e-mail, now to the next one...
Hi from Barry, Cyndie, Zak, and Molly,
I know it's been awhile since I updated everyone on what has been happening aboard SV BreakAway99 . The name of our boat is very popular down here in the Caribbean especially amongst the locals. We are headed back north now that the hurricane season seems to be over. There are still some tropical waves out in the tropical Atlantic, but nothing that has much chance of developing into anything. I think we've become amateur weather experts and we actually know about lows, highs, pressure gradients, ITCZs, upper level wind shears, etc. We had made out a tentative schedule for island hopping but we've already blown our schedule by staying in Bequia much longer. It really is a great spot--the beaches and snorkeling are spectacular; the town is great and has just about everything including easy (well not exactly easy) Internet access; many of our friends are staying on a little longer here too. We've had some pretty incredible sailing. The winds have been a bit stronger, and sometimes we even manage to time our sails for the right current direction. We sailed from Saline Bay on Mayreau to Admiralty Bay on Bequia (a short hop of about 23 miles) in just over 3 hours. We averaged above 7 knots with a double reef and about 2/3 of the foresail. I have to say it was our best sail yet. We left under sail and only turned the motor on because we needed to charge the batteries.
The kids have made good friends with two kids from a South African yacht named Blue , so they swim over to the beach as soon as their schoolwork is done. Zak and Molly have kept their little monkey's-fist business going, and easily make all their spending money. Molly is stocking up on books here in Bequia because there is a great little bookstore. She's also done all her Christmas shopping! Its hard to think of Christmas with all the heat but the radio here is playing all those traditional snow-related Christmas songs even though most of the locals have never seen snow. Zak, whose is a very cautious spender finally bought himself a T-shirt!
Our next stop is probably going to be St Lucia. After that internet access will get a bit more difficult in the French islands. Hopefully it will be easier again in the Virgins.
That's the end of that e-mail, and here's the next...
December 24 1999
Nelson's Dock Yard, English Harbor, Antigua, West Indies
Seasons Greeting from the good ship BreakAway 99
We are anchored in the harbor on Christmas Eve with our Christmas Tree hanging to move with the sway of the boat. We are looking forward to celebrating here in English harbor with our friends although we miss being able to share the season with all of you. We have had a fine trip to this point and are looking forward to new adventures in the Virgin Islands and west through the winter. English harbor has been a terrific place to spend the holidays with lots of celebrations in Nelson's dock yard, BBQ's, Steel Bands, and a Christmas Olympics.
January 3 we will depart for St Bart's and then St Marten, which is an overnight sail of 97 miles. Hopefully it will be a beam reach with a .5 knot current pushing us along.
A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Barry, Cyndie, Zachary, Molly
A note from Cyndie:
It has been a very different Christmas and I've missed some of the traditions from home. The heat and the steel-band music were combined with a traditional turkey cooked on our boat, which made the most unusual Christmas we've ever had. Lots of our sailing friends are here with us and we've even made some plans for a beach potluck barbecue so that we'll get a good view of the fireworks. The kids have taken a bit of a break from school which means a break for me too, but we better get back at it soon or we'll start to lose ground. Thank you for all your e-mails and sorry I can't reply personally to everyone. I keep saying that it really is amazing how busy life onboard can be.
One more e-mail has recently arrived...
Late night ramblings from the nav station on BreakAway99
December 20
We have been in English harbor for a day and a half. On Sunday we found an Internet cafe and Cyndie logged on. The two harbors, English and Falmouth, might as well be linked they are so close. The old buildings and the way it is set up is quaint and comfortable. Nelson's dockyard is a fun place and we hear that there is quite a celebration over Christmas. With two nights sleep I am planning our next passage to St Martins, although we won't leave until Jan. 5 or so, waiting for weather. Our adventure through the river at Guadeloupe was fine--made the bridges and the canal (ditch) fine, then, when we hit the open area looking for markers we found some mud. After some effort we started for the channel that goes through the reefs. There were fair winds on our nose so progress was slow and huge breakers on either side that gave us an uncomfortable feeling. After a minor engine adjustment we made the open port labeled St Louis. The water was clear and there were sponges floating by, but very open with large breakers on the shore. The following day we rose with the sun after a good rest, and did the final preparations to head for Antigua. "Traveler" (our traveling companion) radioed and wanted to have coffee and look at the weather before departing. I held back, enjoyed a coffee and completed preparations as the weather seemed to be clearing. We set out with the winds on our starboard and moving comfortable with two reefs in the main, half the fore sail and the engine running as we needed a charge.
Things soon changed as we cleared the lee of Guadeloupe on a heading of 355, the seas build quickly and we trimmed sails and began to move. Four and a half hours later we arrive in a squall. What a sail! We left St Louis with Traveler and arrived an hour and a half before he did. The seas built to 25 feet with winds gusting over 35 knots. We have become accustoedm to sailing although it is seldom we sail in such weather. Everyone was glad to arrive in Antuiga but not a bad sail considering the conditions.
Dec 23
English harbor has turned out to be one of the best stops yet. The setting of Nelsons Dockyard, the historic buildings and the people are a marvelous combination. We have moved into the harbor closer to the dingy dock, partially to get out of the blustery wind, and to make transport easier. We have ventured into St Johns twice and bought groceries and looked around.
Dec 28
The people are terrific here. I have been adopted into the Royal Antigua Tot club; I won't go into the details of the initiation, but that is possibly why I haven't been writing more.
January 1, 2000
One of the first things I hear on the weather (David Jones) is that the new millenium does not begin with this date. So I guess we get to do this again next year! I am officially a member of The Royal Naval TOT Club of Antigua & Barbuda. We did my Mismuster on new year's eve. We had a terrific night on the beach with a barbecue and fireworks at midnight. Molly got stung by a jelly fish.
Jan 4
Still holed up in Antigua, waiting for a weather window, winds presently are 15-20 knots out of the NE, with seas at 8-10 feet, 0.5 knot pushing us along. It would be a great ride! This isn't so bad, but we try to wait for the optimum weather especially for an overnighter like the 97 mile run to St Bart's (Jimmy Buffet's home). When we came up from Guadeloupe we had a little larger seas, winds gusting 25-30, seas 15-30, but it was a quick five hour run averaging just under 7 knots GPS with two reefs in the main and a little bit of head sail..
On saturday The Royal Naval TOT Club of Antigua met on "Highlander" for our daily tot and toast (Saturday's - Sweathearts and Wives -- may they never meet!) Highlander is a 109ft Canadian, Gaff Topsl Schooner, training vessel, built to race the Blue Nose. What a beauty!
I met friends from the crew of Highlander Sea on Sunday and was invited to sail with them on a run to Guadeloupe. Zak and I arrived on the dingy dock in Falmouth harbor at 7:15 the next morning a little blurry eyed. We were picked up by the crew, lifted anchor and set three of the huge sails before leaving the harbor. The 16 man crew works extremely well together with only one winch on board there is a lot of heaving, and so many lines they really have to know where every one leads to. The canvas sails set, we cleared the harbor, set course to 190 and immediately made 10 knots. I was given the helm and quickly got the feel for this giant as we roared along. The helm is a reverse wheel well astern and not in any way easy to handle but Highlander is well behaved and I very much enjoyed the next two hours even when the squalls blew through, showering me down. We had a fantastic sail and watching this historic wooden Canadian ship in action was breath taking. With just three of her sails set huge sail area is almost horrifying I could barley imagine all 10,000 feet set in race conditions. The crew of 6 with 10 trainees was great; they especially like Zak and continued to compliment him on how he handled himself and his understanding of sailboats. We hope to meet up with Highlander Sea, Scott their captain and crew in June in the Chesapeake. This was truly an adventure that Zak and I will not forget.
The day drew to a close as we went to the Galley bar for Monday's TOT (Ships at sea) and Cyndie brought four Pizza's, that she is now famous for ashore and met all our friends. We have to make a decision to leave Tuesday or Wednesday waiting for the winds to lighten a little.
January 9
We are now talking to HERB daily for weather, winds are high and it is time to go, hopefully within the next few days we will be able to step out and make way to St Barts or St Martin. It is difficult to stand ready when you want to sail although we will be leaving a lot of friends on this island.
January 14, 2000
We are now anchored in Simpson's Lagoon, St Maarten, West Indies. We made our passage departing from Antigua Wednesday afternoon. We had coffee on board with friends in the morning, readied the boat through the day, bid our last farewells, and hauled anchor at 15:30 hours. The weather window was there and the winds were said to be 20 knots out of the ENE with seas at 10 feet. That doesn't sound bad and isn't but I would say that is was gusting to 30 and more like 12 foot seas. We have grown to expect the winds to be stronger so we left under a double reefed main and kept it in and adjusted the headsail to about 1/3 after we cleared the lea of Antigua. We made excellent time with a top speed recorded on GPS of 9.2, sustained at 8.8 for a short run, but averaged just under 7 knots. It seemed like a long night and with the twist on the top of the waves, resting was difficult for Cyndie and I but I napped for an hour. The kids know how to cruise and slept the whole trip. Zak woke and kept us company for a little while but was chased inside by some rain. Molly went to bed just after dusk and woke for the approach into St Martin. It was interesting to see the cruise liners hovering outside the harbor waiting for the pilot to guide them in. There was also two military ships doing circles outside the Philipsburg harbor and none of this seems to phase us any more but we have been seeing a lot of helicopters mounted on the aft deck of ships lately and this one was gray. We met two Cruise ships in passage, one responded and politely confirmed that they could see us, but later in the night we were approached off the bow by a ship and received no radio response. As they dew closer it became apparent that we were on a collision course we began to hail them on the VHF to no avail. As we grew closer and avoidance time was getting short we fell off 40 degrees port only to see them steer hard to starboard. It isn't often you see such large ships turn so rapidly but we were now directly pointed towards each other again so I quickly swung BreakAway to port into the waves. We cleared but we were so close we could read their name and still received no radio response.
By 0800 we had dropped the hook and really started to feel the exhaustion setting in. Naptime was interrupted by the bridge opening at 11:00 so we hauled anchor and made the dash through the bridge into the lagoon with hope of quieter waters. Why do Bridge operators get so impatient? I still find it nerve racking to move through the narrow openings they have. Then we dropped the hook again and went off to check out the chandeliers and I liked what we saw. I would say that prices on most things were cheaper than Trinidad, maybe even the US, and lots of selection. I guess that means we will be spending a lot of money again.
Late night ramblings
January 25, 2000
St Maarten: We have been here two weeks and are starting to get a little stir crazy. We tend to really settle into an anchorage and don't move around the islands very much, in a large way due to the unsettled weather. There are other factors, getting use to the lay of the land, buses, stores, internet providers and phones. Access to any one of these fairly significant issues can cause us to hesitate to move, it sounds romantic to be on a remote beach alone swimming in the surf on pristine beaches. We have a lot of reality to deal with and I can tell you it slows us down. We came to St Maarten for fuel filters and to check it out. It is very cheap for a lot of things. Three 26oz. bottles of rum $15.00 US. So we are provisioning (again). With some difficulty I got the fuel filters we needed and then the alternator arm went again. We now have all that settled and met a lot of terrific people in the process. Several of the fellows from the TOT club are anchored in Simpson's Bay Lagoon with us so we had our Saturday night toast "To sweat hearts and wives may they never meet, and the Queen God bless her". We also ran into a couple other friends: John, a Canadian on "Indigo" who was in Grenada with us and "Our Second Wind" a couple from Toronto and well, there are lots of Canadians, in fact Canadians may be in the majority here in Simpson's Bay. Our Second Wind dropped off some of the sword fish they caught while sailing. Over eight feet long and weighed in at +150 lbs. The slab they gave us (we would only take one) was a foot square and three inches thick. We had two meals of it and were the envy of everyone at the pot luck we went to.
Last Saturday we went to a big beach party to "Save an Alligator". There was the mandatory each beach Volley ball and skimpy bathing suit bottoms. and of course the sand castle contest. Well, Zak and Molly talked us into doing one so with the help of Colum (a rented child) and Cyndie we carved out a 20 ft Gator. Everyone raved about it. People were buying us drinks taking our pictures and of course we won FIRST PRIZE!!! They told us the pictures would be going into the local paper. The judges took us aside and gave us huge compliments. All this and more.
It is time to get going, Herb says tonight or tomorrow winds 15knts at night seas 8 ft. and building at the end of the week, so we are tidying up the loose ends and plan to pull up anchor and make the 17:30 bridge that will get us out of the lagoon.
So, off we go into the wild blue yonder, (it seems to work for water) the British Virgin Islands, Virgin Gorda first stop. It is always tough to leave because of our friends and the feeling there is more to see. Eighty seven miles, the last overnight passage for a while as we will be in the land of the charter boats the VI's.
Jan 28
Now resting in the British Virgin Islands after a long night crossing the Anegada Passage. There is really nothing to report on the overnighter, Cyndie and I took turn napping as the winds were 20knts seas 8 ft, both directly off our stern. We chose a tack of 20 degrees off to stop the flogging of the sails. This was one of the more comfortable passages despite the reputation of the Anegada.
We made our way point at Round rock sailed into Sir Francis Drake Channel and tacked north along the coast of Virgin Gorda for Spanish Town. We were warned that the VI's were crowded and we were amazed at how many sails were visible. The impression I have is one of very protected sailing not unlike the West Coast but warm and with wind. We are as concerned with other boats as the sea state. We plan to be in the VI's for over a month and see most of the islands. This morning we pull the anchor and go to The Baths on the south end of Virgin Gorda caverns and caves cut into the huge boulders. This afternoon we will anchor in Gorda Sound near the Bitter End Yacht Club. The water is again very clean and swimming off the boat is something we missed in the inner harbor in Antigua and the Simpson's Bay Lagoon on St Maarten.
Virgin Gorda and the BVI's
We have had a marvelous day. May be the best sailing and Island day yet. We lifted anchor, motored a short distance to The Baths, a terrific beach and climbed in the rocks. It was a little crowded and difficult to get onto the beach but well worth it. After a morning of climbing and splashing we returned to BreakAway 99 and set sail for Gorda Sound. We made way up the Sir Francis Drake Channel pointing and running against the current but moving along nicely. We used the motor for a part of it and had to tack to make the channel but it was a fantastic sail (kept a good eye out for charter boats) out of the swell of the open seas. Also the close proximity of the islands makes it easy. We roared into Gorda Sound, through the channel a little too close to the reef for me, and into a large open bay protected on all sides and made our way towards the Bitter End Yacht Club.
All the boats seemed to be collected near the Bitter End, so we nestled in amongst the mooring balls and dropped the hook avoiding the $20.00 fee. This is an exclusive resort that has everything and opens its door to cruisers, it even has a small movie theatre (Mr Bean is showing).
We have a little catching up on school and I have to dive on the hull for a little scrape. It was a shame to leave the bitter end as we were begining to feel like we belonged there.
Jan 30
Tortola, Road Town
We had breakfast, pulled anchor and made our way out of the Gorda Sound channel in concert with six other boats. Took a hard left and adjusted sail for a leisurely 16 mile run down the Sir Francis Drake channel to Tortola. It is amazing to have such a comfortable ride and be in our next anchorage just after lunch. The seas were about a meter and I am not at all familiar with the best sail set for a run in BreakAway 99. I will admit that we are normally pointing into the wind and I enjoyed tweaking the sails (even got out the Sail trim book). I think a whisker pole is in order for a run in the swells. When in doubt buy equipment! Road Town is an interesting harbor with a huge charter fleet, an open rolly harbor and a gigantic jetty for the inevitable Cruise ships which is the largest industry in the Caribbean. Tomorrow we move again just 7 miles to the west end of Tortola, Sopers Hole to check out of the British Virgin Islands and into the US VI's. Our visit to shore was interesting as we are use to arriving taking the dingy off the deck attaching the motor all in a slight state of exhaustion and dashing off to the customs office to check in, or out. Here because of the close proximity of our anchorage's we towed the dingy, motor on, and arrived in plenty of time to look around. We found the laundromat, the Pusser's store and the original "CHEESE BURGER IN PARIDISE" ala Jimmy Buffet. We jumped back in the dinghy, got the bags of dirty laundry dropped them off and took the kids to a pool to swim while I took advantage of the deal of Bud for Superbowl Sunday. The commercials were great but I never did get it straight, who was playing. Some how as slow as the America's Cup can be it is much more interesting, just my slightly biased, and not just because I live on a boat. Cyndie was impressed to hear that the America's Cup was feeling it a little rough with 20knot winds and 6ft seas as that is reasonable weather for us to do an over night passage in now.
Jan 30
We were rousted early by a neighbor returning to his mooring ball, had our coffee and lifted the anchor, Zak still sleeping. We decided to try the run with just the head sail. This is a more comfortable solution that doesn't seem to cost any speed. As we rounded the west end of Tortola to Sopers Hole Cyndie decided the cruisers guide didn't paint a very good picture of the bay so we made the Thatch Cut, right astern of a four masted clipper, altered course to NNE and headed for Jost Van Dyke, Great Hbr. and the famous Foxy's. The distances between these islands makes all the difference, even with the added distance we were at anchor in Great Hbr. by 11:00. Great Hbr. seemed a quiet open arbor with only a dozen boats so we found a spot that seemed to be out of the wind and dropped the hook.
We had read in the guide that the anchoring can some times be difficult so we paid special attention to see if the anchor was dragging. Our Bruce has been a very good anchor and it sets well but today we were dragging. When we tried to pull the anchor up there was a lot of resistance especially where the anchor is suppose to be off the bottom. I pulled on the windlass a little harder and after a great deal of work we could see we had hooked something. Now I would like to tell you it was something of great value but the immense bolder of coral that was caught in the anchor was not, but we do have two problems now: one we are now adrift in an anchorage with a somewhat useless anchor and we have picked up and seemed to be keeping something from the sea . This is illegal here. Into action: Zak takes the helm, I jump in the dingy and pull up to the bow, Cyndie stays on the bow and we have a closer look at our new friend. This thing is really wedged into the anchor now dangling off the bow and seems to be a real problem, it looks like I might have to try to chisel away part of the coral to free it. I begin to tug at it trying to twist it and free it as it swings ever closer to the gelcoat and we do circles to entertain the rest of the boats and make sure they can all see. As Cyndie dashes to get the largest hammer she can find I continue to twist at this thing to see if I can dislodge it. Suddenly when least expected the two and a half foot long bolder decides it likes it better in the water does a back flip gains some added momentum as it bounces off the inflatable and sinks out of sight. The dingy is ok I still have all my fingers and no charges were laid for stealing this valuable piece of coral. Now we have to anchor, so back on the boat and I remembered to tie the dinghy on. We had to find a suitable spot to anchor. As the entertainment is over several of the boats have pulled anchor and left. Again drop the hook, let everything settle down and check for drag under tension. We seem to be ok but there are some questions so we decided to dive on the anchor to make sure. Zak our resident dive master dove in with mask and fins but couldn't follow the 100 feet of chain that lay 25 feet down, so the second team is brought in and together we manage to track it down. When we find the anchor I dove down only to find that same rock (or a close cousin) attaching our anchor. I take a second dive push away this persistent rock and set the leading edge of the anchor into the sand. Success? Well we seem to be staying in one place but we can hear an eery sound of the chain dragging on rock. I fully expect to haul in the anchor with the rock attached. Now hear is the question, if I tried to drop the anchor and scoop up a rock could I, NO and its not like the bottom was full of them, it is all sandy so how could I hook even a different rocks twice in one day! Foxy give me a cold one!
Late night ramblings
Feb 1
Sitting in Great Hbr this morning having our coffee, it is very cold 76 F. Today we will be sailing to the US VI's St Thomas. Before we go I have the task of scraping the hull. We still get a lot of growth that started in the very warm waters. But who wants to talk about that. We spent the evening on a Canadian charter boat with the owner and two other couples. We had a nice time and Cyndie was very interested in the huge amount of space the cat have. Ken is building a 44 ft catamaran power boat at home max speed 25knts.
We are spoiled. This was a long day although we started by spending an hour and a half in hard labor scraping the hull. Then pulled anchor without our friend the rock, thank goodness. Cleared the harbor and unfurled the headsail and headed for the US VI's. The kids did some school which add to Cyndies load. We are finding it much easier with the wind at the stern to just put out the headsail. With no main the jib tends to keep fuller and less flogging with the roll of the seas and we make good speed with boat upright.
There are a lot more rocks and boats here than the passages we have become us to so it takes a little more effort in that respect but generally it has been easy moving west through the VI's. We will see how it is when we head east again against wind and current. Today's thrill came when we were going through the Current Hole at the east end of St Thomas. We looked carefully at this pass as it is about 100 feet wide with rocks on both sides and a strong current. So as we approached I rolled in the jib and revved up the motor to clear as quickly as possible. To make things worse, on the lee shore, a small rock, there rests a sail boat high and dry as an example of what not to do. So as we approach we are, shall I say cautious, tense, horrified to see a fairly large freighter approaching at warp speed. Timing being what it will be we are in this very small pass together. Well the freighter did radio so that got Cyndie inside to respond and she couldn't see half the fun. It did look as though he slowed so that we weren't in the narrowest part as we passed and he did ask nicely if we could move to starboard (much closer to the rocks). With grit teeth and a smile we looked straight up as the vessel just ten feet to our port smiled and waved. It took us a little while to slow the heart rate down and Cyndie did notice the sailboat on it's side but the best of it was Molly asking why they left the boat there and wondering if there was any parts on it I would want. She understands salvage.
Having said that we got back to getting the boat to its next harbor set the jib, watching the chart, dodging buoys and figuring out the approach. We passed a red buoy to our port (red right return your all saying) deciding there was 25 feet of water and not worth the time to go around when suddenly the bottom jumped up. You could see clearly the grass sand and rocks and the depth sounder started dropping 24, 20, 18.5. I did steer hard to port in desperation. That is as shallow as it got but we learned a little lesson, don't look down if you're afraid of heights.
To top off the day it took four sets to get the anchor to catch (grassy bottom).
Pulling in 120 feet of chain in is exhausting and it is now 15:30 and the customs office closes at 17:00 remembering we have to find it and dinghy in. So off we go to see the little man in the nice blue uniform, an American by the accent which perhaps only makes sense. However this was the worse customs experience yet. They told us we needed a visa for foreign yachts yes Canadian. The suggestion was that the nearest Canadian consulate is where we could pick one up. After they had a discussion behind closed doors and a reprimand for coming so late, 16:20 but they close at 17:00, we are late and naughty because the guy with the badge has to count the money. I guess it takes him an hour to count it all. We were forwarded to Immigration's (standard fare) to review our status where nothing was said they just stamped our passports and we ran. I'm not sure what will happen when we go back to the BVI"s and return two more times but we will see. We've gone island now, you learn to laugh about it even if it takes a day to see the humour.
Feb 5
We checked out of St Johns US VI's this morning after motor sailing to wind out of Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas. This was a little rolly despite the forecast 15 knot winds. We have our first guest on board, Cyndie's mom and she seems to be really enjoying her self. Cruz Bay, St Johns was small and very crowded with 10 feet of water so we quickly went ashore to check out. The Customs and Immigrations people took a little different approach than the officers at Charlotte Amalie. They thanked us for letting them know, that's all. We asked about returning (never ask questions is the rule of thumb) so they gave us the form to fill out for when we returned. Too easy. Our stay on St Thomas was interesting, we rented a car to pick up Oma from the airport and toured the island the next day. Our drive put us in an odd state of mind not just because it is the first time driving in over six months or the fact it is left hand drive but just the domestic availability of the car. We are now very use to climbing on a little bus they call the Maxi Taxi to get any where we need to go and are quite fond of seeing things from that perspective. Our main stop was Coral World, a sea aquarium that allowed us to see a lot of the reef fish being fed and even feed some rays and sea turtles our selves. We returned to the boat for the evening and prepared for today's sail. This morning did begin with a laugh because we brought up a fairly large metal object on the anchor this time. I was able to pull it off with the boat hook but if this continues I am going to put the CQR (presently the Bruce) back as the number one. The worse part of snagging something is the drifting while we get off. I am always nervous bobbing around anchorages with the ground tackle hanging off the bow. After we checked out we pulled around to Caneel Bay, took one of the mooring balls provided by the parks and enjoyed the scenery. Some friends we were meeting from Antuiga were in the bay so I dinghyed over to Yantina for a visited. After dinner (Cyndie is still feeding us too well) we noticed a Ramora Shark swimming in the light given by the cockpit light so Zak got to fishing. We hooked a shark three times with left over steak but with a twist they snapped the line above the metal leader. So we got out the heavy line (50lb test) and hooked another only to have it break when Cyndie and Zak were hauling it in. It was a nice day in paradise and we are all looking forward to tomorrow and we were a little glad not to have a shark on board. I would have been the one that removed the hook.
We spent the morning on the beach, making a 10 ft. lizard and other sand things, Molly made a crab and Zaks two holes that joined to make a tunnel, This was the softest white sand we have seen. Oma had a swim in the crystal clear water and found a Conch shell (we can see the sand clearly down 35ft.). We returned to the boat to head to the next bay. We set a full main while still on the mooring ball (you have to love how easy they are) turned away from the wind and hauled out the jib. We moved through the anchorage, caught a little puff and made for the channel. Oma is a good sailor and loved it when we caught a little gust to really make us move. We maneuvered around the reef that was well marked and headed for the beech and tonight's mooring ball in Francis Bay . After a suitable recovery period and a couple of cold ones we started to relax. We went for a walk on the beach and checked out the Maho Bay Camps. These are ECO-TENTS on the hill (so there is a lot of stairs to get to the beech) that cost $115.00 US a day, cool yes the Bitter End, NO. So back to BreakAway for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Supper will be ready in an hour (Cyndies famous Pizza). I'm exhausted and can't wait for bed HA!! Tomorrow we return to Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke. We will be looking for that rock again as there are no mooring balls, I'm spoiled.
Feb 7
We made a break from Francis Bay right after breakfast and hoisted the full main and jib and pushed through the pass at Whistling Cay, heading due north for Great bay Jost Van Dyke. As we across the Windward Passage we caught a good gust and flew before a squall that was moving through the islands. By the time it caught us we were in the bay and dropping the sails. Oma and Molly both took a turn at the helm. We anchored in 30 feet in a fairly empty bay near "Solitude" our friends from down island and checked in to the BVI's. We regrouped and had a cold one at Foxy's and met Richard from Yantina as we headed back to the boat. As we sat in the afternoon sun, charter boats came in from all quarters and quickly filled the bay.
At 5:30 we met Colleen, Richard and their guests as well as Jewel and Magnus back at Foxy's. We had a wonderful time chatting and sipping rum punches. Canada, USA, England, Australia, Switzerland, and South Africa were represented at the table.
Tomorrow we cross the Windward Passage again to Tortola and drop the hook in Cane Garden Bay.
Feb 9
Cane Garden Bay mentioned in Jimmy Buffet's song is not showing us why so many people like this anchorage. However our sail from Jost Van Dyke to Tortola was very pleasurable. The highlight was the whale breaching (although at some distance), then when we were preparing for our entry to the channel we spotted two whales circling so we held off and watched for a half an hour as they surfaced and swam in circles around the boat until they finally were no longer there. Some how these amazing mammals and seem to connect with you when you see them. WOW!
We make our way through the channel and drop the hook amidst the mooring balls, Cruisers resent paying for mooring balls. We go to shore and survey the settlement. Back to the Boat and settle in for the day. These days are so different from our moving north and stepping Island to island and the passages. I must admit I'm a little bored with all these wonderful beaches. We don't have many friends around although we bump into them and the short sails are too short and easy. I checked out the heavy jib by hoisting it and was impressed. It appears to be a 160% go fast deck scraper! I'm tempted to load it to add a little spice to our lives, you never see these sails on boats. We have had our 125 cursing jib on since Puerto Rico. I finally shook out the two reef a couple days ago as the Christmas winds have passed and we get the normal trade winds at 15knts. It is easier to tune a full main.
We left fairly early and moved four miles to Sopers Hole where we check out of the BVI's to head back to USVI's it is already time to think of Omas departure. Oma is a good sailor and likes it best when the boat really begins to move. Sopers Hole is a Sun Sail base with Pussers Landing. We take a mooring ball as the 60 foot depth and thinking of anchoring is a little daunting amongst the mooring balls. Off to Pussers to replenish the stock and look at the outrageously priced clothes and a shore lunch. It's been weeks since we have eaten on shore. Well the good news on these short hops, not that anyone cares is, there is much more time to babble on. We returned to Pussers landing for happy hour, the steel band and the .25 cent chicken wings. What a sun set!
Feb 10
We fled Sopers Hole before the mooring ball police showed up and cut through the narrows on the head sail, for St Johns and set the hook the in Cruz Bay once more to check in to the USVI's. after checking out the internet sites we back tracked to Caneel Bay, we like the soft white sand and the national perks mooring balls. This may be our favorite spot so far. If any one wants the coordinates of the clothing optional beach, 18 degrees 20 minutes North, 64 degrees 47 minutes west, talk to me for details. To day the temperature has gotten back to normal with the sun in its full glory a totally blue sky and the ocean dancing in the light its hot Lake Wabamun will never be the same. I have to jump of the stern for a swim.
Feb 13
I was woken by an increase
in the wind and upon checking out side it look as though we can expect it to
keep up.
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