Needs no comment - a perfect, perfect day
What a trip! We left Ribadeo early with the promise of sunshine & some wind, but within an hour or so, the grey was back, the wind had dropped to nothing and we even had some drizzle - no change there then! Once again we motored, consoling ourselves that we would reach La Coruna that evening & then we were heading south - we would see some sun! Some time after midday the wind picked up to around 15 knots (although still in the wong direction), so we were finally able to sail properly - it was great to have the engine off & to feel Trenelly stretch her legs a little. We had 15-20 knots for a few hours and were making really good speed, albeit in the wrong direction. The rain was intermittent, so our oilies came out - I'd optimistically thought we'd seen the last of them after our crossing from England, but in a way it was quite nice to get the wet weather gear on again - felt like proper sailing as we know it in England!
We tacked to come onto a heading that would take us towards La Coruna, and the sky went a bit darker grey, we had a few squally gusts & the waves started to look a bit mean. We couldn't see land as it was so grey and we could sense that something was brewing. Within the hour, we had the mainsail down, the headsail reefed & 2 reefs in the mizzen. The sea was evil. Nasty spiky swell which pushed poor old Trenelly all over the place. She was much happier without the main, but still was getting pushed around. At one point she went over so far our tea, coffee and hot chocolate flew to the ground - the chocolate lid came off and there is powder all over the place! Smells nice but will get sticky if we're not careful! Shame as we only just opened a new jar...
That was the biggest wave, but there were plenty others, and I kept expecting the daddy of all waves to appear just on the horizon. Often in these situations, the anticipation of whats to come generates a stronger fear than what is currently happening. Needless to say it was a really exhilarating trip into La Coruna (although I was 'a bit nervous' at times!!) & we couldn't help thinking it was our lesson for being so blase about the Bicay crossing. Weather like that really does teach you respect for the sea. The wind was no stronger than what we had seen before, but I think the waves were the biggest we have ever sailed in. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to waves like that, but it's amazing how you can still function as normal, making cups of tea, etc while in the middle of it all. It was a great experience & the feeling of getting into harbour afterwards (at 4am!) was fantastic. The sun came out briefly over the distant western horizon, making the waves slightly less threathening & the night was our clearest yet with all the stars out to play. There were a lot of fishing boats out, which were pretty poorly lit & hard to distinguish from the starry sky. We treated ourselves to a marina & have decided to take the day off for sight-seeing & shopping. We decided to go down the river a little rather than stay at La Coruna & it is a lovely marina & much smaller town.
Got up a little later than expected to leave Porto Sada. It was a grey, drizzly foggy day with no wind. After slipping our lines we sloped back up the river to La Coruna. We could barely see the land on either side. Mussel boats and fishing boats loomed out of the mist as we slunk from one headland to the next. The mist part lifted as we cam to the mouth of the river, so we could see the marina towers and Tour something or other. The day stayed grey & windless, but it was good to be passing close to land on our journey this time. Previously we had been far out from land or fog had prevented us seeing the coastline. There are a huge number of windmills along the coast, although this day they were all stationary! We had decided on a shorter leg this time, so were heading for Ria de Corme y Lage - 2 small harbours one in the north & one in the south of a bay about 48 miles down the coast. By the time we were close we were experiencing quite large swell (still no wind though), so decided on the southern harbour, Lage. It was lovely. By the time we rounded the breakwater, the sun was starting to peek out. It is only as small fishing harbour, so we anchored off the harbour, close to the beach. It really was idyllic - this was what it was all about! We cracked open a couple of beers and sat on the bow watching the sun shine on the water lapping at the shore, while people strolled along the beach. We took dinghy boy for a whizz around later on & sampled a local restaurant - bit of a hit & miss what we were going to get as we'd forgotten the dictionary, but it was good & fishy (except Jason had what seemed to be duck). Trenelly looked fantastic with the sun setting all over here - she's brilliant!
Woke early as planned to the whistling of wind in the rigging - really grey day again despite the beautiful evening. It was pissing it down and although the guage said 15 knots max it sounded nasty. We were really sheltered in our anchorage & I dreaded getting out into the real sea. We got our full waterproofs on and set out. There was no swell, but as we got further out into the bay, the wind speed guage crept up & the waves increased. The wind was in just the wrong direction, so we had to head straight out to sea in 25-30 winds with waves crashing over the bows - what a wake-up! It seems the wind is either all or nothing around here. Fortunately the wind veered a little so we were able to make better way on our next tack. We had made a back-up plan of stopping in Camarinas if the weather was too bad, and I must say I was tempted. Jason kept saying 'it's turned out nice after all, hasn't it', but really it didn't start getting enjoyable until way after lunchtime. By the time we got to Camarinas the waves had subsided a little and the wind had dropped to 15-20 knots. In addition, we were actually getting a bit of sun & when it was there it was hot. Since it was still quite early we carried on to our original destination of Finisterre. I'm so glad we didn't stop early as we had some really good, fast sailing. We were able to shake out the reefs and had a decent wind right on the beam for most of the way - Trenelly was steaming along. After all these days of motoring or having her sails reefed, it felt lovely to be letting it all flow free. We made Finisterre in super quick time, despite having had to tack out in the early stages. The harbour seemed a bit exposed, as the winds were still a bit blowy, and there were a lot of fishing boats around, so we made our way round to Sardineiro, a small beach. Once we had anchored and collapsed, the wind dropped, the sun made a weak appearance again and the seas on the horizon looked as though butter wouldn't melt. Had the best tinned curry I've ever tasted on deck. Just as it started to rain. Lovely rainbow. Both have had showers and are chilling out on deck before zonking out for an early night. Knackered, but so good to be camped out deck after a good, hard sail. Mmm.
Little sail to Muros - just 24 miles. The sun was trying a little as we set off and the wind was perfect. We had a full sail out and were doing a steady 7 knots south - yes! There was not another yacht in sight. Had decided to go through a channel with rocks on either side, which was good pilotage practise. The wind was right beihnd us by now so we had quite a rocky ride through and, of course, missed the rocks by miles! The wind came onto our beam as we turned in towards Muros & the full power of it hit us. Sped towards harbour and had some really exciting race tacks between the viveros. These are mussel rafts which are basically huge wooden floating structures with loads of string hanging off them from which they grow mussels. Great hulking things that are really hard to judge how close they are in the greyness! We anchored off the harbour and for the first time shared the space with a couple of other boats. One looked a bit unused, the other a french boat which looked like it meant business. The sun really came out in the afternoon and we lolled around on deck & let it really soak in - bliss. We went on shore later and had a wander. Muros is a really old town with tiny winding streets and narrow steps going up all over the place. While we were eating, there was some football on a TV (yeuk!) and we realised we didn't even know if England was still in the World Cup or not, and still less care. Fantastic. Don't miss TV at all and definitely timed it right to miss the football!
Woke to winds & lashing rain. What is happening with this weather? It's all over the place. Also, it had swung right around so it was coming from where we wanted to go again! When we lifted the anchor, there was a shirt and loads of muck. I just hope some fisherman lost his shirt overboard rather than anything sinister. We tacked out of the bay, without being able to see the land on either side (same old story!), then struggled out to sea until we were able to tack back towards our destination. Just before we were about to change course, the wind veered 100 degrees, then dropped within 5 minutes - we were way out to sea with no wind! What timing is that?! We were left slopping around in a messy sea with no option but to put the engine on and head back inland. This is the dullest 'sailing' and was made worse by the strong swell that had been left by the previously strong winds. However, the trip was brightened considerably just as we were about to reach the Bayona headland when we saw dolphins. One of the stayed for a while and cruised back and forth in our bow wave. Lovely. We made the harbour just before the sun set, and anchored for the night.
Bayona is a lovely town with islands nearby and beaches all around. We stayed on the boat for most of the morning as it was such gorgeous weather (told you - it's all over the place), and Jason even managed to sort out where our hammock should go. It works really well hanging between the main & mizzen booms and is really comfortable. We zipped into the town in the afternoon on dinghy boy who excelled himself again. We really enjoyed a walk around the cliffs and an old castle bit out to where you can see the islands and the entrance to the harbour. The swell was crashing into the rocks - absolutely beautiful, but we forgot the camera so you don't get that one! We watched a boat come in around the battlements and went to get an ice cream.
Another sunny day! Great! We set off into the sun. The wind was in completely the right direction to try poling out the headsail. We had about 10 knots of wind so nothing too serious to cause any problems. Took a while to work it out, as it didn't look right the first time, but once it was up it was brilliant. The wind increased a little, as did the swell and we were soon surfing along the waves hitting 12 knots on the speed dial at times (maximum was 9.4 on the gps). We made Leixos in double quick time despite a slightly late departure. It was our first time with a downwind rig like this, so I was a little nervous, but it all came down really easily at the other end and was no more bother than a normal rig. We did do an accidental gybe when the autohelm was on when the swell was bigger, but other than that, all went very well. When we got nearer Leixos it was like playing in the traffic. All sorts of container ships and cruise liners going in and out and around the port. Bit nerve-wracking as they appeared out of the grey (we'd lost the sun in the early afternoon & everything took on the colour of an out of season british seaside resort), but big enough to spot from quite a distance and avoid.
The port was a bit manky as you'd expect from something so huge, and I definitely saw poo floating around as we approached the corner where the marina was. When we got into the marina we were directed to a finger that was less than half the length of the boat!! We were being blown onto it as well in over 20 knots of wind, so quite an interesting one. Luckily there was a friendly man who took a rope. We'd heard all sorts of rumours about Portugal and how it was very officious, so we've been flying steaming triangles & being very good taking all our paperwork to the marina offices but actually they've been very friendly so far & we've had no problem.
We took the bus into Porto the next day which was a bit of an adventure as we know even less portuguese than spanish - we don't even know how to say hello or thankyou. How crap is that? We got there, though & it is a huge town - felt odd after being out at sea and in small places for so long. We'd taken a jumper and jacket each as it had seemed a bit chilly in the marina, but inshore it was scorching. Felt really silly carring around a coat! Porto has a very smart new part then you go down a hill to the old town and the river. It seems as though it is all in layers. Houses built on houses. Rock appearing between buildings. Steps & roads like snacks and ladders. We got down to the river and spent a bit of time in the shade, then decided it was time to check out the port cellars. There are loads of caves which offer tours and tastings - we decided on Taylors. We didn't get there until quite late, so had some lunch first in their restaurant, which is quite flash looking but very reasonable. It has a fantastic view over the city and of the bridge & was air conditioned (bliss!). The tour was really good & we now have a couple of bottles for the journey. We walked back through the old town and up to the 'Cristal Palace'. So many hills - amazing the people who live here aren't fitter. My calves have been aching for two days since then, although for 2 people who don't tend to walk more than 40 foot in a day, we did pretty well.
A long trip this one. Over 70 miles. We set off late (seems to be a bit recurring that one!) and there were quite light winds in the wrong direction. We motored for a while, then realised we were in deep fog. A huge ship appeared from nowhere, really close by, giving us quite a scare. We set up the radar with an alarm for anything that came within a mile radius, but it went off now and again for waves. Even when the wind is light, there is still a lot of swell along this coastline. It was quite eerie - we could still see the blue sky and clouds and sun above, but we were in the middle of fog which was really quite chilly. The mist was just over the water. After some time the fog lifted and the wind picked up, and had fortunately veered so we had about 10 knots on the beam, so were able to do a steady 7 knots. The sun came out and it turned into a very pleasant afternoon. We got to Fig. da Foz around 9.00 found the harbour easily. We decided we were going to reverse into our position on the pontoon, but there was quite a strong current running off it. Eventually we did it & again it was good practise!
.We spent the morning shopping for supplies & gas. Massive screen in town - seemed a bit odd until we realised it was probably for the football. We had planned to re-fuel at Figueira do Foz but Rally Portugal had all moored up alongside, so decided to fill up here. However, the guys from the office were off on a lunchtime & there was no telling how long that could take. We dipped the tank and there were still 20 gallons and the spare cans lashed to the deck, so decided to just head off.
We got the spinnaker up for the first time ever! It was a bit nerve-wracking as neither of us have even been on a boat with a spinnaker up, but we spent plenty of time thinking about it, then had a look at the sail & went for it. In fact it is much easier than we expected as the spinnaker has it's own bag, attached to a bucket. Once all the guys & sheets are attached you just haul the bucket up & the spinnaker is unsheathed in a very orderly fashion. I think we both had visions of it all getting a bit out of control as spinnakers are so powerful, but in fact it went very smoothly and in control. It was so exciting, seeing it up there for the first time. You get a much stronger feeling of being pulled through the water & gave us an extra couple of knots in the light following winds. Fantastic - this is the sort of sailing we were after! It looks so good up there - blue and white stripes billowed ahead of us.
Our next port of call was Sao Martinho do porto. Rather than go to the next marina along the coast, we thought we'd check out this small bay. The light was just starting to fade, so we were able to use the leading lights (2 lights which line up when you are at the correct angle to come in), as well as still see the cliffs on either side of the entrance. The coastline up until then had been one long beach with few distinguishing features (particularly in the fog). However, this bay had been whittled away by the sea to make a hole in the rock and a bay beyond - looked great. There was not much depth in there, so I used my day skipper knowledge to work out the depth at low tide and we had about 0.9 metres to spare (at low tide, I checked & to my surprise, the depth was exactly as calculated!!). We had had to anchor quite close to the mouth of the bay so there was a fair bit of swell coming in, so it wasn't the most comfortable nights sleep, but nicer (and cheaper) to be at anchor than a marina.
The next day we lazed on deck & finally took off the storm boards which had been on the windows since the Biscay crossing, then went into the town. We bought a few melons from a truck, then wandered along the beach and had a couple of beers at a beach cafe - lovely.
We had an even more uncomfortable night, then were up relatively early for our next trip which was over 60 miles. When we had anchored we had had to be careful as there were so many fishing buoys around and we were very limited by depth & we had been worried that one had slipped under the boat and got caught, but luckily we managed to leave the anchorage with no issues.
It was incredibly foggy leaving the anchorage & we were a little worried about the waves breaking just outside the entrance, but we stuck on the radar and headed out. The visibility was really crap but fortunately it cleared fairly quickly and became quite sunny. For the first time on the trip we were sailing in shorts and t-shirts! The wind was very light to begin with and even our new friend the spinnaker couldn't help us out, but it gradually increased. There were odd patches of fog which seemed to bring a little more wind oddly enough & during one particularly non-visible spell, we had a rubber dinghy with five men, including one with a massive pirates beard, stop beside us and ask where the nearest port was as they were lost in the fog! We gave them a bearing but since they didn't have a compass Jason pointed and they headed in the general direction - I hope they found it!
We had good spinnaker action and lots of sun all afternoon, then arrived at Cascais (nr. Lisbon) in the early evening. Darkness had already fallen by the time we were rounding the headland before coming into the marina, when a very fast boat whizzed out towards us. As it got closer we saw it looked very official, then it skewed in behind us and flashed a very powerful light at our stern. Presumably to check out our name and country. It was most unnerving, and it came back later as we were approaching the marina, but fortuately we did not see it again, so I suppose we offered no threat.
We slept really well in the marina with no swell or wind. However, they did have a bird-scarer which consists of megaphones around the marina with recordings of what sounds like birds in their final death throes. There isn't too much seagull poo around though. The next day as we were strolling into town we saw a really manky seagull - you know, the ones that look as though their wings are about to drop off. Then we noticed an old man following it slowly - holding a knife!! This must be where they get the recordings from. However, we did spot the seagull later on (hard to miss one that manky), But...the man was nowhere to be seen.
The 17th was my birthday - yeah! Was woken by lovely husband to a gorgeous sunny day. We had a lovely fresh breakfast of melon and yoghurt & presents, then (since it was my birthday) a shower. Jason had noticed a rope around the rudder & on diving to have a look we found that we had managed to pick up a buoy in Sao Martinho after all - so lucky it hadn't fouled our propellor. We had a wander in town & spent a long lunchtime on a restaurant terrasse overlooking the beach. Very nice indeed. We left the marina late afternoon to go and anchor (for free!) off the nearby beach. We had a delicious hot chicken salad with honey and mustard, cooked by my lovely husband and demolished on deck as we watched the sunset. What a perfect day. It had been good to be in the marina for fuel, water, showers, electricity, but it's just not the same.
The following day was tourist day and we took a train into Lisbon to do a bus tour (rather than walk around and get sweaty!). It was an interesting tour, but I can't help but wonder if they're a bit short of places of cultural interest if you're taken to the Coach Museum as the first stop...
The following day we left our anchorage in Cascais and before heading south sailed into Lisbon itself. A much better tour than the bus! It was fantastic to sail under the 'Golden Gate' bridge in the centre of town.
A really good days sailing. After leaving Lisbon, we headed south for our next port of call, Sines. We poled out the genoa and stormed down the coast, surfing the big following waves. I have to admit that up until now I've kind heartedly given the helm to Jason when there are large waves, but this trip I gave it a go & so glad I did. It's a really tippy feeling if you're not on the helm and feels a little bit out of control, but taking the helm felt great. There's a lot of concentration involved, but it's very controllable. I'll always feel a lot more comfortable with it from now on. The feeling of surfing a large wave and the speedo hitting 12 knots is quite amazing (ride 'em sailor!).
Arrived in Sines planning to anchor, but they have cordoned off a lot of the beach for a bathing area, so we went into the marina, which was really lovely. Had another shower - becoming a bit more frequent now! Also, we put some laundry on. Went to check it an hour later, still going. Went to check it an hour after that - still going! It was getting pretty late by then, so we just left it, but I have never experienced a washing machine that takes well over 2 hours to wash a load. Incredible.
After waiting way too long for our washing to dry we set off towards the southwest tip of Portugal - Cabo Sao Vicente. We had a beautiful days sailing with a decent following wind & the spinnaker behaving beautifully. The waves had died down a lot since the previous day, although they did build a little during the day. We zoomed down the coast again, and hit (not literally!) the corner well ahead of schedule. We brought down the spinnaker just in time, and as we turned across the wind it got right up to 20-25 knots. As we rounded the headland to our anchorage it was gusting 30! We are now anchored in the most desolate, windy bay you've ever seen (although I'm sure North Cornwall could give some alternatives). There isn't any swell at least, and usually the wind drops during the night, so it is likely to be calm in the morning. Funny though. Here we are, pretty much in the Algarve and we'd thought we'd be swimming from the boat and allsorts - no chance! We start heading east now towards Gibraltar.
As expected the wind dropped in the night & we both slept really really well. Rounding the south west corner of Portugal was a real land mark. From here in we are in more of a holiday mode rather than racing down the coast. There has been so much grey weather we have not felt too much like stopping anywhere.
We had bought some Bimbo bread somewhere along the line & it was really manky, so I was forced into finally making my own bread, yup baking Fiona! It was marvellous & rose as it needed to in our new wonderful warm cruising climate. Unfortunately there is no way of telling the temperature in our oven so it was a little up and down and in and out. Meanwhile Jason did some fishing - very housewife & hunter-gatherer behaviour. Maybe I'll spear some sharks tomorrow...
We had planned to go a little further along the coast, but as we were almost passing Lagos, we noticed some amazing rocks around the headland. We decided to go and explore and take dinghy boy out for a bit of an explore. So glad we did! There were a couple of tourist boats about but they weren't there for long & the caves were fantastic! There were all sorts of caverns and blow holes and all sorts. We anchored up & had a delicious lunch of out-of-the-oven-fresh bread with brie and my mum's lovely green bean chutney (which is now almost finished). Jason went for a bit of a swim, but seeing him virtually stop breathing, I decided to give it a miss. We took the dinghy round the caves and they were even more adventurous than we'd first thought. You can see where there are ways to get through under the rocks, there are small coves within coves and pillars of rock - brilliant - oh and a nudist beach along a bit!! We came back to the boat and, dangling the box in the water to keep it cool, had a few glasses of white wine whilst marvelling at the fact that we had been so close to sailing past this place. Much later on I got together a tasty feast of tinned sausage casserole (hmm). We realised we hadn't had a topless supper yet, so put that to rights (& took our minds off the food!). Lovely moonlit evening.
We dinghied ashore again to get some pictures as we had left the camera behind the previous day, then back on board for the onward (short) journey. We were headed for Vilamoura (town of love? town of death?). We towed dinghy boy for the first time. He is very heavy so we do have quite a drag from his weight, but at the moment we are in no rush to get anywhere and it is such gorgeous weather with smooth seas, it's cool to have the aft deck free & sacrifice a little speed - we had plenty of that racing down the west coast. We anchored off the beach and headed into town for a slap-up meal. I felt very english and really fancied a steak and chips. It is exactly the place you'd find it. A very very touristy place with all sorts of neon, restaurants and bars. Anchor held brilliantly again.
END
DIARY
2002/06/23,2002/06/23
Up the Lagoon - Vilamoura to Faro
We spent the morning getting supplies and trying to get a barbeque for the boat, but it is Sunday - doh! We did manage to find breakfast and a supermarket, though. The wind had picked up a little by the time we got back to Trenelly, so we quickly packed away the food and set off. We managed to get a reasonable speed going, despite dinghy boy dragging and got to the river entrance in a decent time. The tide was on the ebb and there was a huge amount of wave action at the mouth of the river - it was rapids in fact. Poor old dinghy boy was pushed all over the place, but we managed to sail through. The attraction for coming to Faro was the tidal lagoon. You have to navigate the buoys along the river up until the town, where you can anchor if there is room. To make it more fun, Jason insisted we sail. It was great - not always a huge amount of room, but good to be sailing at close quarters again. Out to sea it doesn't really matter if you are a little off-course! It took a couple of hours to come up the river at about 2 knots against the tidal current. It's lovely up here - I think a lot of the land is protected & it is kind of marsh land and mud flats. There are a huge amount of different birds around. We saw a couple of storks and a small bird of prey thing diving for fish for it's woman. Then heron and all sorts of other things we can't even indentify. We'd thought that after Piedade and the rocks, it would be a while before we found such a lovely place, but this is great in a different way. We sat on deck with our dinner, watching the sun set and the moon rise, listening to the various bird calls thinking how lucky we were.
We went into the old town the following morning. It has a lovely square surrounded by white houses and orange trees. The cathedral has a great view over the city and the lagoon and we could see little Trenelly waiting patiently for us. There were stork nests everywhere - the house opposite the cathedral had an adult and smaller one nesting on its roof!
As the tide was still coming in as we left the lagoon, we did not have any problem whatsoever with rapids on the way out of the river. However, we were due to arrive at our next stop, Tavira, on the ebb & the pilot suggested NOT entering until later in the tide, so we decided to have a bit more of a sail and come up the river to Ayamonte. This would mean the end of the Algarve and the start of Andalucia. The pilot is expressly against entering the river until at least half flood, but this would have meant waiting around for hours, so we gave it a go anyway. We were a little apprehensive as the rapids at Faro had not even been mentioned, but as it happened there was absolutely no problem. We were slowed a bit coming up the river against the tide, but not anything major. We weren't sure which courtesy flag to fly since we had Portugal on our port side and Spain to starboard. We thought it may be rude to fly both with one in preference, so took down Portugal and up went Spain, since we were staying in a marina on the spanish side. As we entered the marina, we noticed that we only had 2 metres of water (our draft)! This went down to 1.9, 1.8...1.4!!!! And this is the entrance to a marina! No mention of a depth problem in the pilot. Even once in the marina we barely had 2m. Once we had moored alongside our pontoon, we got out a plumb line and checked the depth. It seems we are probably about 0.5m out! Hard to tell though as our depth was ranging from 0.8 to 2.2 on our pontoon with no wave action. We'll wait until a more solid base and re-align the depth guage. We'll definitely wait until after low water to leave the marina though! We're off up the river tomorrow to explore, then onwards to Gibraltar.
We left Ayamonte soon after low water, so we would have the tidal current to help us up the river with the flood. The villages we were heading for were 20 miles up the river, so a nice, gentle motor in store. There are no buoys up the river, but it is deep up enough as long as you stay in the middle or on the outside bend of a curve. Soon after leaving the marina, we came to a bridge - the pilot reckoned it was about 20m high, but it seemed to almost scrape the top of the mast - wierd! The trip up river gets prettier once the bridge is left behind. There is very little around - a lot of small deserted cottages, and olive groves. There are a couple of other small villages alongside the river, but we carried on until Sanlucar (Spain) which is across the river from Alcoutim (Portugal). It was a lovely anchorage. There were a few other boats there already and it had a feeling as though some had been there a long time. Very, very peaceful. We set the anchor, then settled down for an afternoon nap.
It was such a lovely spot, we decided to stay another day, then catch the early tide out the following day. We took dinghy boy up the river, even further where there are small, small villages. Great to whizz up there on the plane for miles. We also worked out our canopy, which was invaluable. It was scorching hot, without the sea breeze and impossible to sit in the sun for any length of time. Such a hard life!
Although it had been a lovely trip up-river, it was great to be sailing again and get a bit of breeze! It was still hot, very good visibility and a reasonable wind. However, a short bit into the journey and we spotted a fishing pot - these are always a bit of a worry, as we are always expecting them to be attached to something which snags our prop, but have not had any problems so far. However, this was a real field of them - dense as anything! There are artificial reefs marked on the chart in this area and it seems they lay numerous fishing traps over them. Makes sense. Not nice to sail through though! We tacked back and skirted round the worst of it, but they seemed to be everywhere. In fact, it wasn't the most exciting trip so far, so it was something to look out for! We arrived in Mazagon at a reasonable time and went to a local cafe for a beer or two.
We'd planned to take a bus and train to Sevilla from Mazagon, but the times were a bit stupid, so we hired a car to drive the 100km. Felt odd to be in a car after so long, and to see so much of the Spanish countryside. We just see the coast usually. Seville is a beautiful city - well worth a visit if in the area. The architecture is a real mix of old and modern, moorish and spanish. We visited the cathedral (which was converted from a mosque!) and climbed the tower. Looking out over the city, there are hotels with swimming pools on their roofs, then on the other side an orange grove in the cathedral grounds. There are parks throughout the city, and it was great to stroll through them, sheltered from the sun by the trees. Plaza d'Espana is an incredible square - has to be seen - difficult to think of the city as spanish in many ways. Towards the end of the day, we went to check out the bull ring, which is enormous. There were no bull fights that evening - would have been good to see one, but not sure about the gore and ethics of it all! We settled for some gorgeous tapas & a couple of glasses of Rioja instead - mmm.
We stopped a day in Cadiz & gave the folding bikes some exercise - they found a great half pipe & Jason's did all sorts of tricks. Not sure they are completely solid enough for that sort of thing, but hey. It turned out that the city had a red line marked on the road through the streets, guiding you through the main parts of the city - this made our bike tour very easy & we were less likely to get lost. Cadiz is another interesting city, with narrow streets and similar (though less pronounced) moorish influences to Sevilla. Once again, we ended the night with some lovely tapas. The first batch we could pretty much guess what it was going to be & they were great, then we decided to be a bit adventurous and order something we did not understand at all. We ended up with lentilles and a plate of whitish sausages - hmm. I'll stick with anchovies in future!
The day we were due to leave Cadiz, we woke up and had breakfast in the cockpit as usual, then noticed a huge amount of mozzies kicking around. They stayed with us when we cast off and got out to sea. We had not seen anything like it during the trip (or since then). We got out the nuclear spray and zapped the whole boat, but they kept coming. When we thought we'd got them all we found they were all hiding on the transom (flat bit at the back of the boat) out of the wind. Where did they all come from??
We had to motor from Cadiz to Gibraltar due to lack of wind, but it was a nice journey. I clippered Jason's hair, he did some hand washing, general mooching. However, Jason decided it was a good day to sail with no clothes on, and I'm afraid to say that certain parts of his anatomy, which have never before seen the sun, were a bit shocked. Cream had to be applied for days after...
It was incredible coming round into the Straits of Gibraltar. We saw a huge mountain and it dawned on us that it was Africa. I knew it was close, but it is unbelievable to see. Spain on one side and Morroco on the other with a fairly constant stream of large traffic through the middle. I hadn't realised that North Africa was so tall - it really is mountainous.
As we rounded another headland, Gibraltar loomed. The land attaching it to Spain is really low lying while Gibraltar is just one big rock! By the time we arrived at the bay of Gibraltar is was dark, but we had a welcome committee of dolphins to greet us. We stood on the bow and watched whilst they played. Beautiful. The marina we stayed at is about 50m from the runway of the airport. Fortunately there are only a couple of flights a day, so it was not a bother, but great to see the planes take off so close to the boats. They have such a short runway - how do they stay on it?!
We had a couple of days before our first visitors, Dan and his friend Jules. We spent it doing a few jobs and getting some stores in (they have a Tesco and a Safeway!). We also had a man come and sort our fridge out so we now have beautifully cold fridge and freezer - absolutely necessary for the Med. Also bought a barbeque (mmm) for the boat & Jason made a bracket for it. Gibraltar is a bit of an odd place. It feels very english, but clearly isn't, and seems a bit stuck a few years ago. Good to get a few english supplies but not sure I would want to stay for a holiday.
Before heading up the Spanish coast, we headed South to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. I knew there had been some palava between the UK and Spain regarding Gibraltar, but had never heard that the Spanish had something similar themselves! It seems thay also have another island which was 'captured' by Morrocco during the following week. I guess people know about them now!
In the marina at Ceuta, it seemed as thought the wind had got up a little (it had been fog and zero wind the previous day for the trip there), but as we left the comfort of the marina walls it soon became clear that there was plently of wind and white-topped waves! 25-30 knots in fact - all or nothing, it seems. We reefed the sails and headed off back to Spain. It was a fantastic sail. After the long days of motoring and light winds, it was beautiful to be sailing at speed again, especially as the waves were very well-behaved. We flew back across the straits at 8 knots, with a large dolphin display half way across. There were loads of them - until then, we had only really seen dolphins in the morning or evening, when it was fairly calm, but these were loving it! We anchored off a beach that night - unfortunately this coast is a little dull with beach after beach, but it was good to get the barbeque up and running and Jules even went in and tested his new snorkel!
Another stop along the way was Peurto Banus, a flashy marina full of expensive yachts (primarily motor boats). Some of the larger motor boats were obscene! There was a beautiful super yacht which we ogled for a while. The marina really came to life in the evening, with super-skinny females parading around in ridiculous fashions. Everyone was there to be seen. We went to an English pub!! It was actually quite a pretty place in comparison to the major development all along this coastline. We had planned to hire a car and head to Ronda for a day trip, but since we'd had a bit of a late night we lazed around on the boat/hammock/beach.
For the rest of Dan and Jules' stay we had very little wind, so could sail at about 1 knot, which didn't get us far. One of the days the wind wasn't heading us, so we got the spinnaker up. The wind was still too light for that though! We tied a fender to a long warp and trailed it behind the boat and took it in turns to swim as we 'sailed'! We had beautifully sunny weather for the whole week and who can ask for more? We ate a huge amount of anchovies, sausage and olives - thanks Dan! They left us at Malaga after an evening watching the Cutty Sark tall ships fleet which happened to be in the harbour for a few days.
After we had said goodbye to Dan & Jules, we headed up the coast to the East. We anchored off a beach & had a lovely swim in the last of the heat of the sun. We noticed a few boats heading across the bay, all decked out in flags. As dusk fell, there were more and more boats heading out. We were very close to the opening of the marina, and getting a bit worried about whether they would all see us in the dark. I had gone down below to make some food, when Jason called me up onto deck. All the boats were heading straight towards us from the opposite side of the bay! There were fishing boats, yachts, motor boats, you name it! It was quite nerve-wracking, but they all seemed to stop and mill around some way off. I decided to switch the oven off and await developments. More and more boats came out of the marina, some throwing beer across to their friends in another boats. Then, as it got darker, some started letting off flares!! I looked up fiestas in our pilot and it is likely it was the festival of the Virgin Mary. They all headed off across the next bay along, then later we had a huge fireworks display. It really was a bizarre evening.
We carried on up the coast, sailing very slowly due to light winds. We were heading for a place slightly further along from where we ended up, but we spotted a lovely, small beach and decided to head in. A beautiful swim, snorkelling and a doze later, we decided to stay the night. It was a lovely spot. After we had eaten we headed onto shore for a beer at a small beach bar & on our return decided to have a bit of a midnight swim. There was phospheresence everywhere. As we swam, it seemed as though there were sparks flying from our limbs - incredible! We ended the evening with a hot chocolate with special sauce on the aft deck. A perfect afternoon and evening.
The following day, on the way to our anchorage in Almerimar, we spotted a swordfish as it leapt out of the water. He was beautiful - perfectly shiny silver with a huge sword nose. He jumped a couple of times, then was gone. Needless to say, our fishing rod went out immediately. Later in the day we saw another swordfish, but this time he jumped continuously - again he looked beautiful.
Absolutely zero wind as we set off early. The sea was like glass and nothing was moving apart from the bow cutting through the water. But then, a couple of hours into the trip, Jason noticed what he thought was a dolphin fin. It was way in the distance and I dismissed it as birds in the water. However, as we got closer we realised that they were disappearing under the water and appearing again. It was dolphins! As we/they got closer still we saw the sea was teeming with them. Since the water was so flat, the sea of fins looked incredible. The water was boiling with them! As we approached they headed for us from all angles, seemingly to take it in turns to play in our bow wave. It was the most beautiful sight and I can't imagine ever seeing anything like it again. The sheer volume, leaping from the water was breath-taking.
Some time later, the wind got up gradually to over 10, then 15, then 20 knots (although on our nose!), so we headed out on a tack. It was lovely to be sailing again, especially as we were rounding the south eastern point of Spain from where we were to head north east and up to the Balearics. The wind gradually dropped and backed so it was still heading us as we rounded the point. We would still have to tack! We decided to stick the engine on and head to our destination as we hadn't been that impressed with the coast and were keen to get on to the Balearics. We passed a lovely anchorage, but carried on as there seemed to be a more sheltered one further on. However, when we arrived the beach was cordoned off for swimmers and there were small boat moorings where there was shelter! Fortunately, the wind had died somewhat, so we stayed anchored off the beach, and used the mizzen to head the boat from the swell coming in.
We had noticed a bit of a rattle from the engine compartment, so before we set off from Agua Amarga we had a bit of a check-up and found it was the alternator fan. Jason sorted it out and we tightened the belts before heading off. We had managed to find a nice shop on shore and had a luxury breakfast of croissants. We had a long day ahead and were planning on reaching Cartagena that evening so we could fill up with fuel and water & provision the boat. There was still a good wind, but again it was coming from dead ahead. Frustrating as anything! However, we pressed on and it was a good trip. We were further out from land again, so it was not so hot, especially with a bit of wind. Also, there were waves, so made for a much more exhilarating ride. Twenty odd miles from our destination, I heard Jason cry out - his hat had gone overboard! I wasn't sure that it was worth going back - we'd never find it. But Jason was sure, so we headed the boat around, almost lost sight of it, then suddenly saw it on our beam. I edged closer and Jason managed to get it out of the water - quite a feat as the waves could easily have knocked it under. Tilley hats really do float. It was great to have rescued the thing & Jason would have been devastated to have lost it!
This put us in high spirits as we continued our journey and gradually land came into view again. However, as I glanced at the control panel, I noticed an unusual light. That wasn't usually there. Jason had a look and we saw that the engine temperature was way up and the oil pressure down to nothing. Shit! We shut down the engine immediately - this was serious. Luckily, we were still some way from land, so Jason went down below to check things out, while I kept a lookout. The light was starting to fade, but there was an almost full moon overhead. After ruling out several ideas, Jason began to think the problem was something electrical, although a broken oil pump was a horrendous possibility. After checking a few more things, we decided we would have to sail to an anchorage and anchor, then check things out more thoroughly then. I found a small bay on the chart that was close to Cartagena in case we needed assistance, and had a sandy bottom and no obstructions. The wind, as usual, was heading us, so we tacked cautiously towards the distant lights on the beach. There are very few navigational lights in this area, so we were so thankful for the light of the moon, by which we could just make out the cliffs. We edged our way into the bay, but as we got in closer to land the wind (which thankfully had grown lighter) turned flukey and could not decide which direction to come from. We were forced to do short tacks into the bay, keeping an eye out for the huge rock which juts out from the middle of the beach and a small boat to one side. We carried on in until we got to around 10 metres depth, then dropped the anchor. This is the first time we had done so under sail & we thanked our Day Skipper instructors for drilling us on under sail manouevres. I can't tell you what a relief it was to get there safely. We got dinghy boy off the boat and set him up to tow us if necessary. It would be a terrible night for the anchor to drag! We decided to get to sleep and look into the engine trouble in the morning. It was past midnight and we were exhausted. Since it was a Sunday the following day, we decided to spend the day trying to fix it ourselves, then call the marina for help on Monday. We could sail to the marina and use dinghy boy to help us moor on an easy pontoon...
We both slept surprisingly well, but when I woke up I was full of dread. How were we going to get her moored safely if we couldn't fix it? Dinghy boy was very keen to help, but I wasn't sure if the job wasn't too big for him. Jason was convinced by now that it was something electrical. The pre-heat button was the thing that had alerted us to a problem and there was no reason for that to have come on. There must be a fault that had switched that on, as well as sending the oil pressure and temperature at bizarre levels. He checked the back of the control panel again, and it seemed a relay switch may need to be replaced, then on looking into the engine it seemed that a wire was missing by the alternator. It was the earth of the control panel and must have been made loose when we tightened the belts, then come off during the day. Such a small wire! After Jason had fixed it back on, we tentaively tried the engine - success! I must admit I got a bit weepy at that point - I had been imagining the trip being scuppered due to having to have the engine replaced, but it was just a titchy small wire! The electrics on the boat are a bit dire & it's crazy that such a small thing could have stopped us in our tracks. But we coped with it very well, I think. Sailing into the anchorage the previous evening, we had been calm and competent, and I think we will be practising similar things from now on, just in case (although hopefully not in the dark). We were free to continue - what a relief! Jason really is my hero.
From our safe haven anchorage, we sailed to a small inland sea where we are resting for a day before heading for Majorca. It is an extraordinary place. It is seperated from the sea by some sort of sand bank, which has (of course) been developed on. It is about 12 miles long and has a couple of islands in it. Quite odd.
On our journey here Jason had, as usual, set the fishing line out. We had not had much success with it so far - we had caught a plastic bag and something that may have been a fish, but that broke the old line! However, I happened to look round and the line was straining. Jason immediately went into action and began coaxing it in. It was putting up quite a fight and seemed like a big one. Finally, we got it aboard and flung it into dinghy boy (always useful that lad!). He really was beautiful - shiny and bluey/silver, a massive one. We killed him by pouring some crap cuban rum into his gills and I like to think thats one of the better ways for a fish to go.
I had said that if Jason caught a fish, I would gut it, but... Jason gutted it! When we got to the Mar Menor we set up the barbeque and cooked the six little fish steaks - it was delicious - our first boat-caught fish - yeah! It had got quite late by the time it was ready, so we ate it with a tomato sauce and white wine by head torch light. Lovely.
We had a good couple of days in Mar Menor. No swimming unfortunately as there were huge quantites of jellyfish. They were probably quite harmless, but we certainly didn't fancy it. We met some other sailors in a bar on the beach and had a good chat. Nice to meet other like-minded people. We got up reasonably early to set off for Majorca. We had worked out it would take us around 36 hours, so we would need to do a watch system overnight. Felt good to be doing a decent passage & it was the first time overnight on our own. We are planning on heading straight down to Gibraltar from the Balearics in September, so a good chance to get a practise in! As we left our anchorage, there was a reasonable wind coming from the right direction, but by the time we had fuelled up and waited for the hourly opening of the bridge it had completely dropped - unbelievable! We headed off into the horizon and settled down for the journey. It was a beautiful day and there were a few boats around as we left. After a few hours we had some wind from behind which carried us along for some distance and allowed us to turn off the engine - lovely. It was great to be properly out of sight of land again, heading for our new destination. The wind was a little up and down, but got up a little in the night. However, it managed to end up 20 knots from ahead! We had quite a time limit to get to Majorca for a flight, so ended up motoring into this lovely strong wind - what a waste! As dawn broke we passed Ibiza, along the north coast. It was good to see so many sails up - we had not seen a lot of other yachts along the Costa Blanca, so great to see more boats about. Another 60 miles or so later and the mountains of Majorca emerged in the distance. We had managed to sail most of the distance between Ibiza and Majorca, motor-sailing when the wind dropped & we arrived in the early evening. So lovely to have a choice of bays to anchor in! (We had become a bit disenchanted with the Spanish coastline as there seemed to be few sheltered anchorages and these were not the most beautiful of places.) We anchored in a lovely cala near Andraitx, the harbour where we had planned to leave Trenelly while we whizzed back to England for Jane's wedding. The next day we had a gorgeous swim and lazy breakfast before heading around to the marina. We found that they had a swimming pool, which was an unexpected treat, and the harbour was quite lively, if a little touristy.
It was good to have a wide choice of restaurants after food that had been a bit tin-orientated - we had planned to get groceries in a supermarket near the fuel pontoon when we left Mar Menor, but it turned out to sell just beer, water & crisps! Luckily we bought plenty of bottled water, as en route we had discovered that the water tank was empty. This was a bit of a surprise as we thought we should have more, but had been having showers, so could have used up more than expected. We had 4 spare cans on deck, so emptied 3 into the tank as we sailed along. However, still nothing came out of the taps, although the water pump was definitely running. We lifted the floorboards to see that a pipe had come loose and the fresh water was going straight into the bilges! Thank goodness we hadn't filled the tanks up completely!!! Who knows how it came loose - all we could think of was that the change in heat caused it. Luckily it was only a 36 hour crossing, nothing major & we do have a watermaker on board if necessary.
Luckily we managed to find a marina that we could reserve a space for while we were away, as all others were either full or you could not reserve in advance. There was no way we were going to leave our little boat on anchor while we were gone for a few days! It felt terrible leaving Trenelly behind - we left almost guiltily at the crack of dawn to catch our flight (having turned off all seacocks in case of more leaks!). The airport was full of people & screaming kids and our flight was delayed. Although it had taken 2 months to get to Majorca and would take just 2 hours to get back to England, we decided that sailing was definitely the preferable option! Liverpool was sunny, but as we approached Wales the fog and rain crept in - actually quite refreshing after constant sun on the boat. We had a fantastic weekend - Jane looked brilliant and the wedding was great fun. The weather perked up for the important bits and suddenly Jane was Mrs Hudson!!
Lovely to see Trenelly again. She had survived the few days without us! We headed round towards Palma and stopped in a pretty cala near the head of the bay. It was a little crowded during the day, but no-one around overnight which was perfect. We spent time snorkelling, exploring the caves and swimming, then had a go at scrubbing the bottom of the boat. We had noticed that our speed was down generally, whether sailing or motoring and decided that cleaning the bottom would probably improve things. I'm still in the early stages of learning to dive with a snorkel, so Jason spent time under the boat doing those bits! We weren't in too much of a rush to get to Palma, as it was so gorgeous to be able to swim from the boat and have a proper rest in a sheltered anchorage. The second evening we ran the engine for a bit to get the fridges cold, but heard the old vibrating sound again. Jason took the cover off the engine and we saw the tensioner for the alternator for the domestic battery was snapped!!!! It could be that we had over-tightened the belts, but the fan for the alternator had been rattling for some time. We took out the alternator and found that the shaft was bent. This is pretty serious. Luckily we had a spare alternator as the broken one had been new in Plymouth, so we fitted the old alternator and adapted an old tensioner. It was a bit worrying as the temporary tensioner did not fully tighten the belts. The wind had got up a little and my over-active imagination was thinking of all the worse things that could happen. The next morning, we fitted some belts that were a tighter and headed into Palma to get proper replacements & to send back the alternator (it really shouldn't have broken like that). We had a fantastic wind to get us there, and tacked into the bay beautifully under 15-20 knots of wind. Fortunately we found a workshop where they were able to make us a new tensioner as an exact copy of the old one and told us to come back in a couple of hours. We wondered around for a bit until we spotted the yacht club, which looked a bit grand. We snuck in the back entrance and realised there was a regatta going on. We sat at the bar and watched all the boats come in, then it was mayhem as all the crews appeared clamouring for their gin & tonics. It had been a productive if tiring day (post offices are never the easiest places!) and nice to be in the middle of all the buzz of the regatta.
Once the engine was fixed we set off east of Palma towards Cala Pi. As we left Palma we saw a huge number of boats on the horizon, obviously part of the regatta. They were on our way, so we had a great view of them all, spinnakers and all. We had a good sail round to our cala, but as we got close the wind dropped and came behind us a little. A (larger) yacht had been gaining on us for some time and, feeling a bit competitve, we poled out the headsail and took off. They faffed for a bit with their poles and gave up. It was great to know that with all the practise we have had, we can do this sort of thing, quickly and efficiently, as a team. It felt gratifying to have left them way behind too.
Cala Pi is a really pretty little inlet. Very long and narrow. I had read up on it before we set off, but forgotten that we would need a stern line. We anchored, then Jason held her steady as I jumped in and took a line to shore to tie up her stern to stop swinging. There were quite a few other boats there, but this was the nicest place we had been yet. Again we spent a couple of days swimming, snorkelling and eating.
We set off early from Cala Pi. All was quiet and the sea was smooth. The scrubbed bottom really made a difference and we had the knot back that we had lost, but disappointing not to be sailing. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that we may have to motor there and back (10 hours each way). However, quite soon the wind started to pick up and we were able to sail. It did threaten to come round in front of us, but we managed to sail most of the way there. It was a really grey day, and as we approached the cala were we had planned to stay, it looked as though we were in for some rain. The wind was 15-20 knots and the sky was now black. The cala was completely unprotected, so we carried on round to the marina at Peurto Eulalia. As expected it was full, but it felt safer anchored close by. We had some rain, then the wind just disappeared! We felt safe enough to leave her, so went up to Steve's villa for a barbeque - lovely. Good to have a swim in the (non-salty) pool & great to meet up with Steve, Eve, Cath and Simon. Drank a bit too much, and woke up very groggy the next day. It had been a long day and night!
The next day we all sailed round to a nearby cala and had a day swimming, diving and playing with our new lilo/mattress.
We set off back to Majorca the next morning. I wasn't looking forward to another 10 hour journey, but the weather was looking good and we had a decent wind with us. We had slept in a little late to catch up, so headed off a little late. However, the wind was great and we sailed the whole trip at a decent speed. It was a much clearer day than on the way over, so good to spot another couple of yachts sailing between the islands as well.
We arrived in Majorca late (we had headed further east, so as to be in a good position to carry on round), and there was no moon out and very few lights, so it was a little nerve-wracking anchoring. We were miles from anyone though, so needn't have worried.
We made our way along the Majorcan coast and stayed at various calas. Had the spinnaker up a couple of times, which was good practise. It looks a bit ugly with the emergency repair, but we will get it to a sail repair in Mahon. We did some great snorkelling in Cala Barcas, where Jason found an octopus and managed to rouse it from it's rock and make it change colours and squirt ink. That day, we had had a bit of rain but nothing much, but during the evening and night it lashed it down. We had huge amounts of thunder and lightening and Trenelly had a long-awaited wash down. It was lovely to hear the rain on the roof and felt very cosy. I even made a hot lasagne. The next day it was still raining quite a lot, so we had to unearth our waterproofs! We headed off round to Porto Cristo to stock up on provisions. Here again we had to anchor, then tie a stern line to rocks as it was quite narrow. The forecast had been that it would be windy for that day and we had had nothing, so we weren't too concerned about the night. However, the wind did get up a little and we heard one of our halyards clanging where we had forgotten to replace it on the toe-rail. Jason got up to sort it out and luckily he did. It was mayhem out there. Several boats had pulled their anchors and everyone was being pushed against other boats. The wind was gusting quite strongly, although when it stopped there was barely any wind. Our neighbours were tied closer to the rocks than us, and were being blown onto them, so they had attempted to drive off. However, the wind caught their bow, and they were heading straight for us. We managed to get fenders out in time, and fend them off, and they managed to get the boat side on rather than pointing directly into us, but as they drove off, they were headed straight for our anchor chain, which was straining with the weight of the two boats. Fortunately, they did not get tangled in it, but it was all highly exciting stuff. Half the boats there had untied and were anchored in the middle of the channel. We un-tied, re-anchored and got the hot chocolate on. We had been whizzing about in dinghy boy helping a couple of boats with their warps, but it seemed to have settled down and the wind dropped to nothing for the rest of the night. Blimey!
We made our way up the Majorcan coast to the north-west point, so we could set off for Menorca where Tim, Sarah, Charlie & Eliza were on holiday. We set off at a reasonable time, after a refreshing swim, leaving behind quite a range of swanky boats, tall-ship thing and gullet thing in Cala Gat. It was a really clear day and we could just about see Menorca on the horizon. It was about 35 miles to the south-eastern point, so quite an easy sail. We had a good wind the whole journey, and enjoyed a lovely, peaceful sail. As we neared our destination, the wind dropped and went a little behind us, so the spinnaker came out. Unfortunately, the wind dropped further and we were wallowing a little, but still good practise for getting the thing up and down! As we rounded the corner of the island we passed between Menorca and Isla del Aire, a small rock/island. The clearness of the water was incredible. The bottom is so sandy, and relatively shallow, so it is almost as clear as a swimming pool - absolutely beautiful. We arrived in Cala Alcaufa in the late afternoon, and anchored, then tied a stern line, as the cala was quite busy, and full of moorings. However, we had been a bit quick to tie the stern line before checking the anchor, and it seemed as though it was in a very small sandy patch between rocks, and so could drag later. After a lot of prevarication, we decided it would be safer to put down a second anchor, then re-set the first. That way, we could be more sure that at least one would hold. The second anchor went down no problem. We loaded it into dinghy-boy, who took it out to where it was needed. We then pulled up the first anchor, which had clearly not set, then loaded this into dinghy to go out again. The anchor is actually incredibly heavy. The tip is a solid wedge of metal - once it is properly set, we have never had any doubts about it whatsoever. Anyway, out went the anchor in the trusty, everhelpful dinghy-boy. About that time we spotted Tim and the kids, and waved, etc. However, this may have caused slightly less concentration on dropping the anchor, as instead of ploppng neatly into the water, it was driven into the bow of the dinghy! As I watched it seemed like slow-motion. Thank goodness the dinghy has a seperate float each side. After the anchor was hauled out, revealing a huge gash, he could just about float, but looked very sorry for himself - what a disaster! At least the anchors were both now set to our satisfaction, so we went off for dinner with the Youngs with the optimistic hope that we could fix it in the morning for our days sail.
Next morning Tim, Sarah and the kids came over for a sail. We were pretty nervous about having a 5 year old and a 3 year old on board without proper life harnesses for them, so decided to do a gentle one to Mahon. There was a bit of swell, but only a light wind. First we had to haul up the auxiliary anchor by hand, which I let Tim do. I think the exertion (it is really hard work!) set of the seasickness, but he was looking quite queasy for a while. Charlie was a great helmsman & Eliza had a nap en route. The sun came out more once we were anchored near Mahon, and we had a lovely lunch and watched Charlie being towed behind Tim in the spare dinghy. We checked our repair later in the evening and found that it wasn't airtight.
The next day, we knew we had to fix dinghy-boy. The 15hp engine is way too big for the spare dinghy (which has very little character) and rowing long distances isn't really an option. The most frustrating part is that after each repair we had to wait 12 hours minimum, then each time, there was an escape of air. We'd been in Mahon a couple of days and had several attempts, with different glues, bigger patches, whatever, but were getting more and more despondent. Jason suggested that we may have to buy a replacement dinghy and it felt so terrible that we'd have to get rid of him. I think we spend too much time on our own with the equipment, but I could imagine him leaping off the boat and limping along on one float to try and find owners who would want him. A very sad time. We had done one last repair and needed to wait until the next morning until we would know if it was fixed. We decided to see if anyone could help fix it, or if we could look into new dinghies. We found that no-one could do anything to fix him, and the only dinghies that would take our engine were far too big for Trenelly's aft deck. Even those that were unsuitable would not be available until early September (in addition to being very expensive). We bought yet another sort of glue, and tried to take our minds off it until the morning.
We held on as long as we could before pumping in the air, then did not fill it fully. There seemed to be no leakage. Phew! We put him back in the water - we were a bit sick of the aft-deck being a dinghy hospital - and loaded him with engine, fuel and pump. Later on we used him to get to shore, but were still very nervous. A few days on, we have pumped him up properly and using him as before, but still get nervous that the patch could leak. Apart from the fact that we have got way too attached to the boat, he would be very difficult to replace anyway, so I think we will be much more careful with him in future. Hopefully, we will be a little better at fixing him if anything further does happen!
Mahon is a great town - very boat-orientated and lots of restaurants. It was good to spend a bit of time in one place. The only problem was water - there are so many boats, but it is really difficult to get water. Unfortunately we chose a Sunday afternoon, so the fuel barge was just closing, so had to go to a floating pontoon, with a coin dispenser. Pitifully slow, and we did not have enough 50 cent coins so had to traipse all over to find them. We did get talking to a german couple though, who let us look around their converted german fishing boat. It was incredible - a bath, a washing machine, an engine room the siwe of our main room. They had pictures of the boat sailing through ice - the sails all frosted up with icicles. A very sturdy vessel.
We have been making our way along the south coast to get to Ciutadella, then will head back to Majorca for meeting up with Vinni, then George and Fay. These cala's are beautiful, with clear water and beautiful cliffs. I'll let the photos say it all! We are now in Ciutadella, where Jason has been able to reminisce over young family holidays. It is a really pretty town - more of a real town that Mahon, which was very boat-driven.
We had decided to go back and see a bit more of Majorca as we would be spending time in Menorca with Vinni, George & Fay. We had two stern lines on to stop us swinging as we were in the entrance to the harbour at Ciutadella and it was quite packed with boats. I went off in dinghy boy to sort the ropes out, and had let the 2nd one go without hearing Jason say 'not yet'! The engine wasn't on yet and there was a huge ferry approaching the harbour - oops. I hauled myself back on board to bring up the anchor, so we wouldn't swing into the path of the ferry. However, I must have rushed it a bit as it jammed - we were right in its path and it was massive! Jason came forward and hauled it up by hand as it was well and truly jammed, then we got Trenelly back out of the way and kept here out of the way until the ferry passed. Once we were out of the harbour, the tool kit came out and the windlass was tackled. It took a while to work it out, but in the end it wasn't too hard to free the chain and get it operational again. Thank goodness.
The journey to Majorca was fairly straightforward. We were able to sail (slowly) most of the way, but had to stick on the engine near the end. The sky had been looking quite threatening as we left and it looked like rain in Majorca, but it was OK over us.
We got to Cala Formentor while it was still light and headed in to find a spot to anchor. The chart had said no anchoring, but the pilot we have said anchor anywhere and we could see a few masts, so it was worth a try. Once we got there we realised it was full of moorings. It's a nice spot - a medium sized bay surrounded by pine trees - and seemed a better bet than continuing to the marina to anchor. So, we picked up a mooring and radio'd in to the authorities. They were out to see us reasonably quickly, telling us we had to pay 23 euros!!!!! Can you believe it - for a mooring. Anyway, we decided to stay anyway as we were already there, to do some exploring. The next morning, we had time for a swim & a sunning on board, when the people came up to the boat again and asked if we were staying (ie. pay more). We said we'd be off in a couple of hours & were told that check out time was at 11.00am!!! Check out time!? We couldn't believe it. I don't know who has the rights to the water, but it seems crazy to charge that much for no amenities and to throw people off. There are only a few safe anchorage along that stretch of coast, so this limits options even further. A really nice spot, but spoilt by their attitude.
On leaving our mooring in Formentor, we sailed down to Pollensa. We had a reaqsonable breeze and it was a good sail down there, then fun to tack back up the bay to Cala del Pinar where we dropped anchor for a swim, snorkel and lunch. Quite a deep anchorage and exposed to the north (where the wind was coming from), so after a lovely lunch, we continued round the headland to Cala Aucanada. Again, we had a lovely sail round there although the winds weren't over strong. When we got there the anchorage didn't look too welcoming. The only protection from the north was a small islet, and it was quite shallow. We had a look around, then dropped anchor. On snorkelling around the boat, we saw that the holding was really bumpy - there were patches of sand between metre high high mounds! However, there was plenty of depth, so we decided to stay. We spent a long time doing dives and I think I'm getting better - I can often get as far as the sand, but can't stay down nearly as long as Jason.
We had a lovely evening on board. After a shower, we had a good dinner with a bottle of wine and listened to music. All the CD's given to us for our wedding are on a hard drive, so we have a kind of computer juke-box. It was a beautiful evening with a full moon, so we bought the blow up mattress up to the bow and watched the stars snuggled in our blankets (thanks Trish & Roger!). It was absolutely lovely and a much better night than that spent on a 23 euro mooring!
We were woken by rain and a bit of wind, and thought we'd have a lazy day down below, catching up with the various newspapers around the boat. Then, half way through the morning, the wind started to sound a bit serious, and began to come from the south. We started to get a bit worried, as the ground was so uneven, and we did not want to drag towards the islet. The sea was beginning to chop up and we had around 30 knots of wind, so got the dinghy on board and headed to the marina at Alcudia, to anchor in the lee of the land. By the time we got there, the wind had dropped to nothing, but it came and went and we had several downpours - another great cleaning for Trenelly, who gets very salted up with the Mediterranean sea.
The next day, hoping for the wind to continue, we headed round the next headland towards Cala Gat, where we knew we could get shelter from a northerly. It was a pleasant sail, but the wind dropped and we were flopping along at a ridiculously slow speed. Jason wished for a day of sailing in 30 knots and I was to remind him of his wish the next day!
A pleasant evening spent in our anchorage, and I managed to dive under the boat for the first time!
In the morning, there was still not much wind, but the sea was looking quite choppy which was unusual. We both had a feeling something was going to kick up, so got everything ready - dinghy on board, hatches shut - then set off on our trip back to Menorca. We had 10 knots behind us, which came onto our beam and were going along lovely. Then as we rounded the corner, we saw the sky over north Majorca! To our right was beautiful sunshine twinkling on a calm looking sea below blue skies. To our left the land was in shadow, there were thick, dark clouds. The sea was dark and threatening and in the distance we could sea white tips to the waves. The sky was black. We still had only about 10 knots of wind, but could tell it was going to be serious. Life jackets on and poised on the reefing lines.
Within moments, the change happened. The sea was whipped up, the wind was vicious. We were so quick with our reefs - half the main, most of the headsail, the rest of the main, then back on the aft deck to put a couple of reefs in the mizzen. Incredible how quickly it had all come on. We had been told that the weather was really changeable here, but had only really experienced light winds and sunshine so far.
As we had been leaving the anchorage, a couple of other boats had been heading out too. One had headed right back in as soon as they saw the sky, the other almost collided with us in their haste to get sails down and head back. We were on our own heading across the channel! Within about 10 minutes of leaving our anchorage, we had gone from 10 knots of wind to 40. It settled on about 35 knots on our beam with frequent gusts of 40. I have to admit that after a while I escaped down below for a bit. It had been a long time since we had experienced weather like this! I had turned into a wuss. The boat was handling the weather brilliantly (as was Jason!), but I think the worse part is always - how much worse is it going to get? We had heard stories from a man who was caught in winds of 60 knots around Menorca in the summer - was it going to get worse? We had been told some time ago that there is no room for an imagination on a boat. I should remember that one! Once the wind had dropped to around 25 knots it was a much more pleasant sail. We put out some more sail and were steaming along. Before we reached our destination, though, it had dropped to 15 knots, then 10!!! We then had to motor the last few miles!!!!!! What bonkers weather.
We finally got to Mahon. It was lovely to get to somewhere familiar after such a big day. We set anchor and got a couple of vodka tonics on the go. Bliss - we could relax. We had been surprised to see so few boats at anchor in the harbour, but assumed that the last of the August holidayers had gone. Then, an officious man in a RIB came and told us we couldn't anchor there, and had to pay 25 euros to go on a pontoon. The previous week, we had tried to go on a pontoon, but had been told to anchor. This was madness. We were tired and didn't need this nonsense! There were less boats around and they wanted to make money out of us. We stuck, stayed where we were and slept soundly.
After picking up our spinnaker and other odd jobs in Mahon, we set off to Es Grau, about an hour up the coast. Vinni arrived by Ifor's dinghy express the following morning. Great to show off Trenelly again! Delicious sardines at Bar Es Moll, then we drove up to Addaya to pick up Lady M (Ifor's LM yacht). We sailed her back to Es Grau to anchor with Trenelly with plans to take the two boats out during the week. Unfortunately, due to weather and other plans this didn't happen, but it was fun to sail in someone else's boat. It felt a lot different to Trenelly, unsurprisingly since we have been on her for such a long time. Back at Es Grau, we were served up a gourmet roasted lamb and some incredible vegetables (Really struck home how lazy I have been in the galley these last few months) and copious amounts of wine on Ifor and Ally's balcony. Thank you both so much for all your hospitality. We then sailed with Vinni up to Fornells - lots of tacking to get there, then the wind dropped about half way - bit typical, but a lovely sail nevertheless. We stopped for a quick swim before anchoring in Fornells. The next day we carried on round to a lovely bay called Cala Pregonda, a shallow cala sheltered by a rock/island. We had some great snorkelling, then sailed round to Addaya to meet up with Ifor, Ally and Lady M. We had much better winds on this trip and were sailing along at a very decent 8 knots all the way back, then sailed all the way into the anchorage - very satisfying.
The next morning was very windy, and we were up early to check our anchor had not dragged. Luckily it was fine during the night, but once we had got up and had breakfast, it decided to head off. We got it up, then set two bow anchors, to try to hold it more fast. They stayed for a bit, then dragged as well. We got them both up, and moved to deeper water further up the cala. We set just one anchor and plenty of chain and it held very well. Lots of fun playing with chains all over the place!
Since the weather was up quite a bit, we didn't feel that Es Grau would be too sheltered, so we stayed in Addaya, drinking Rose wine and playing backgammon (Jason has not let me play for ages as I always win, but this time he won every game, so it may come out more in future!). It was lovely and hot and we all got slightly woozy - very pleasant!
The trip back to Es Grau was very slow, with ridiculously light winds that dropped as we sailed. A bit of a frustrating sail, especially for Vinni at the wheel. We arrived at Es Grau doing just over a knot and anchored under sail for a bit of fun. On arriving at Es Grau, we had a call from my brother (who was at the airport in the UK), to say that he was arriving a day early - hmmm.
We motored down to Mahon to meet up with George and Fay, showering en route and arrived at the pre-arranged bar in about the same time as it took them to fly from England. George was in a terrible state with some chest infection/cough and I was convinced he wasn't going to last the week.
We had a great sail out of the harbour and down along the south coast a little way, to Cala Covas, which is a cala we had visited before and really enjoyed. There was only one other boat there during the night and they had gone by the time we got up - lovely to be here at the end of the season when it is all a lot quieter. We had a barbeque and popped a couple of corks and talked nonsense - very nice evening. We had a bit of a lazy day swimming and sunbathing the next day. At one point a large motor cruiser came into the cala and seemed to be having trouble getting a stern line ashore - dinghy boy and Jason to the rescue!! I find it amazing that these big boats can't do it themselves - even with crew! We had to motor round to our next cala, which I had chosen as it should be sheltered. However, once we had anchored, we found there was still swell coming in. We set a stern anchor (after a couple of attempts), but by this time, there was a really big swell coming in and we realised we would have a really uncomfortable night if we stayed and there was no question of leaving her and going on shore. We decided to make a break for it and head back to Mahon - quite nice to have a night passage (although both boys slept through it!) and we found that our stern light was not working - better to find out here than en route to Gibraltar. We got to Mahon at about 1 in the morning and tied to a mooring before falling to sleep (but a very comfortable night!).
The next day we had a slow start, headed out of Mahon with only about 10 knots of wind, but it looked as though it was going to pick up. I was a bit worried that it was going to kick up into 40 knots like it had the previous week, so was a bit over-cautious, doling out life jackets. However, we started reefing once we spotted some darker water and white horses, and were soon flying along in 20, then 25 knots. Fay did a great job at the helm and we were in Addaya in no time. The wind had eased a fair bit by the time we got there, so we sailed in and set down the anchor. A really good sail and good to have it before we set off back to the Atlantic - all this Med sailing has made me a bit soft!
Vinni had been spending a couple of days with her Dad, but came out for the evening. The dinghy ride was a very wet experience, with slight waves coming into the harbour, but dinghy boy got us there fine. Fay and I were at the bow, so got a right soaking. A bit of a sleepless night, with the wind buffeting the boat, but a gorgeous day. By the time we left, the wind had dropped somewhat, but the strong winds during the night had kicked up quite a swell. There were only a couple of other boats out, and they seemed to disappear behid the waves. A really exciting ride and, especially once we had the waves behind us, very fast too. Trenelly loved it!
Another lovely meal with Ifor and Allie that evening, then a day in Mahon before the fiesta. This involves a huge crowd of drunken spaniards, about 20 horses taught to rear in crowds and aforementioned drunken spaniards running in front of the horses as they rear, in order to touch them and pretend to hold them up!!!! An incredible spectacle that I'm sure would not be allowed in the UK and I had to turn away at points when it looked as though the crowd was about to get crushed - it never happened, and everyone was in fine spirits.
The week finished with a straightforward sail to Fornells and a swim stop at Pregonda. I think we had some of our best sailing in the Med this week.
Unfortunately, not many pictures of George and Fay's stay, so George is going to set up a visitors corner for comments and pictures. If any of you who have come to visit would like to put anything on the site, please contact George.
Feelong a little sad that our visitors had gone, we set off round to Cala Morell where Jason spent many childhood holidays. We had a great wind as we set from Fornells and whizzed along at 7.5-8 knots, but after about an hour it started to drop. There was quite a swell, so once we had the wind behind us, the sails were making such a racket and our speed had dropped dramatically so we stuck the motor on. Cala Morell is a beautiful place, with the best snorkelling we have seen yet. We walked along the rock ledges and out to the cairn at the entrance, and even went up the lift to the apartments where Jason used to stay. Everything was exactly as Jason remembered it, right down to the buttons in the lift. Being in the lift again felt exectly as it had done nearly 30 years ago when we'd have been loaded up with snorkels and lilos, and desperate for the door to open so we could get down to the sea. We also went up to the Cave Bar, a restaurant built right into the caves, where Jason firt saw his mum and dad dance - a sight which obviously stuck in his mind. It was a really lovely visit. Unfortunately, it is not well protected from the swell, so we did not stay the night and carried on round to Ciutadella in the evening.
Our next stage is to head down to Gibraltar - our longest non-stop trip yet - which should take just over 4 days and nights, then along to the Canaries via Casablanca and Agadir. So there won't be any diary entries for a while, but they may well be interesting ones when they happen! I'm a bit nervous, but it will be really quite exciting!!
The day before we left Ciutadella, I realised we had planned our departure for Friday 13th!!! As it happened (and not being superstitious anyway!!) nothing whatsoever untoward happened - indeed, it would have been far more interesting if we had at least had some wind! Having enjoyed some decent winds in the week or two previously, we were confident that we would be sailing all the way to Gib in decent wind strengths. Maybe we'd even get there before our predicted 4 days...
We set off at a reasonable hour and headed towards the distance shadows of Majorca on the horizon. We had a good breeze and steamed along with 15-20 knots of wind for a few hours - perfect. A great start to the trip heading out of the Med. However, before too long, the inevitable nonsense started. First the wind started to veer, forcing us closer towards Majorca. No problem, we tacked out and kept up a decent speed, planning on tacking back later. Then the wind started to drop. Disaster. After setting up with such high hopes and a fresh wind, we were going slower and slower and eventually, you guessed it, put the engine on. Had some nice chicken brochettes for tea and it was a lovely evening, but really disappointing not to be sailing.
It seemed to take forever to get past Majorca, and when I got up after Jasons night shift, I could still see the lights of Palma, in the south of the island. They gradually faded, but it took me a while to figure out that the light I could see wasn't a boat that kept disappearing, then re-appearing, but planes taking off in the distance - der! We passed a yacht motoring in the other direction and a couple of bigger ships a little further, and Jason saw shooting stars on his watch, but it was an otherwise uneventful night. Good to be on passage again to the next chapter of the trip, and it is lovely to be on deck at night alone with Jason gently sleeping down below. A good feeling of looking after him, while he does the same for me.
Some time in the early morning we felt a little wind and were able to sail again. Later we poled out the genoa and had a reasonably respectable 5 knots out of 10 knots of wind. Once we were both awake, we got the cruising chute up for the first time. We used it in conjunction with the genoa, which worked really well (and was very pretty!).
When the wind dropped further, we had to bring it all down as there is such a racket with it all flapping around and our speed had dropped to a laughable level. From then on we had virtually no wind until the last day. Indeed, we had to make an unscheduled stop for more fuel in Spain. Several times we had tried sailing at 2-3 knots but we always slowed down further. We arrived in Benalmadina at 5.30am and had a couple of hours sleep (at the same time!) before fuelling up in the morning and setting off again.
We had a very grey, foggy, breathless days motoring, but something in the skies told us we might be in for a storm later on. Sure enough, late afternoon the wind freshened, the sails came out & within an hour or two we had white horses, plenty of wind, a couple of reefs in and thunder, lightening and pouring rain!!!! It was fantastic. After the slopping around earlier and constant engine, it was so good to be sailing, and sailing in a decent wind. Will be good to get back to the Atlantic where we should get something a bit more consistent. The wind soon dropped back to 15 knots, and we shook the reefs out and settled down for a decent sail (while I went down for my turn for a nap). However, by the time it was my shift, the wind had dropped!!!!! Oh well.
During the night, the phospheresence was like neon. The wake from the boat pushed it around and it rippled with colours. Jason had the luck to be visited by dolphins during his night watch and they swam in the bow wave lit up by the stuff - incredible! We were accompanied by dolphins several times the next day which cheered us up thoroughly. Gibraltar eventually appeared through the fog, and we battled with the currents to get to the Rock. Finally, managed to get a place in a marina, had a few beers at a local bar and zonked out - slept from 5.30pm to 9.00am! I think because we did so much motoring we weren't as good as we should have been with our shifts.
Gibraltar has been great for doing some jobs - having put up the cruising chute, we found a halyard was missing and on replacing that found a bracket was missing, causing another halyard to chafe. We have serviced the water-maker in preparation for the Atlantic and bought loads of tinned curry, etc for the trip as well! It has been good to talk to other people who are planning or have done similar trips and to have a short break before the next bit - Morocco, then the Canaries.
We had been waiting around in Gibraltar a little bit too long and were getting itchy feet. However, the wind was light and in completely the wrong direction for over a week. It had been great to get things done and get some spares and we met some nice people. Wish we had a picture of Liara to put on the site - a beautiful 65 footer headed for the canaries and the ARC. Was good to chat with Ian and Dave the crew as well. Maybe we'll bump into you both sometime!
We had decided to leave on the 29th whatever the weather, but in the event it was forecast to go easterly, albeit with force 7-8 forecast in the straits later (although we'd be out of it by then). We had to be out of the bay by 11.00am to catch the current - there is a strong east-going current going into the Med which can make a westerly passage very difficult. We woke to deep fog. Radar on. We headed up to the fuel barge and the fog seemed worse if anything - fantastic! Generally it had been clearing up during the morning, so we weren't too worried. Got our fuel and headed out. Not much wind to start with, but as we left Gibraltar bay it started to build. It was following as well, so with the genoa poled out we made fantastic progress. Behind us, other yachts were taking advantage of the wind direction to go West as well, although only one followed us south. We headed across the traffic at Tarifa and, with the 20-odd knots on our beam, we raced across avoiding all the huge shipping. Thankfully the fog had virtually all lifted by now, so we could see what was coming!
We passed Tangiers and headed round the headland and felt we were really on our way down to Morocco now. The wind was with us, and we were hitting 9 knots at times - flying! It was fantastic after motoring around the Med to have some decent wind with us. There was some swell, but not too much. By early evening the wind had dropped a lot, but what a great start to the trip!
Just as the light was beginning to fail we heard the fishing line go - a bite! Jason bought it in, but the fish got free, then the line went again - must have been a group of them. We got one in - not as big as our last catch in Spain, but still a decent size. We got our crap booze out and soused it to death. We put the line out again and I armed myself with marigolds to attemot the gutting process - yeugh! I had got it's guts out and the tail off, when I screamed - it moved! No, it can't have done. But no, it was twitching away as if there were no tomorrow. I got it again and chopped it's head off. It was lying on the chopping board, with it's head next to it - TWITCHING! Oh, my word! Jason distracted me by catching another fish. I was holding it while he got the crap booze, but it started to wriggle and I'm sorry to say I let it go. Jason almost caught it again, I almost got it again, but they're slippery buggers and it slid off dinghy boy and back into the water. Oh, well - back to my twitcher. My headless, tailless, gutless fish had now stopped moving around so I sluiced everything down, chopped off his fins and put him in the freezer (hoping he wouldn't wreak havoc down there!). The rest of the night was uneventful, with some wind and some motoring. The next day we had some lovely sailing in the afternoon, but even in the morning we had resigned ourselves to just going really slowly - so much better without the engine on. With the slight swell, there seems to be less flap to the sails, which is the main reason we just rolled away and motored in the light winds of the Med. Anyway, later we had a reasonable 10 knot breeze bringing us towards Mohammedia and were very happy with it.
I will put the approach to Mohammedia in a seperate diary entry as it was an experience alone...
As we got closer to Mohammedia, we could see the lights of the land clearly. We were still around 20 miles off when Jason went down, leaving me to my watch. There seemed to be a lot of fishing boats to starboard, but we had seen a lot the previous night so weren't too worried - nothing out of the ordinary. As we got closer in, I saw a bright light which started to flash, then heard a loud engine heading towards us. I immediately thought it would be the authorities checking on an unknown vessel arriving in the middle of the night. As the boat got closer, with more lights flashing, I called Jason up. It took a bit of time for the boat to get close to us, then we realised it was a fishing boat with a couple of gesticulating fishermen on board - we were in their net! We immediately turned away from the boat and net, but had snagged it. We had read all manner of horror stories about tunny nets and feared the worse. However, the fisherman poked at the net and asked us to turn the prop and we managed to release it (although our ensign pole was broken by one of the fishermen in the process!). There was a little swell and I was scared the fishing boat would smash into us, but we seemed free. They said the net was destroyed and irrepairable and we settled on a bottle of whiskey as compensation - the look on the blokes face when he saw it seemed to indicate that he had not expected anything as good and he looked as though he was going to tuck in straight away! Fortunately they spoke french so we had been able to communicate, but when I asked how we could get to Mohammedia without running into any more nets, he wasn't much help. We motored away, then got the sails up again as we still had at least a couple of hours still to go. We headed towards land with both of us keeping a sharp lookout for lights or buoys and felt quite exuberant about our narrow escape from nets. It was shortlived. We seemed to have lights to port and starboard, which we took to be either fishing boats or buoyed nets - whichever, we would give them a wide berth. We went between 2 which were a long way apart, and felt our speed drop considerably - our hearts sank. Shining the torch on the nets to stern, it seemed to extend forever - I couldn't see the end! What a disaster! We tried to turn the boat around so we could come out the way we'd gone in, but the wind had chosen this time to drop completely and we had no momentum. We were still 13 miles out to land and the net had not been lit or buoyed. We were approaching a harbour which was likely to have a lot of fishing, but even so we had not expected anything so far out. We were well and truly caught, but no angry fishermen came to hassle us so we set to seeing the extent of the problem. After pulling and poking with a boat hook, we realised that the line had gone right under - either around the rudder or the prop. We couldn't release it. Jason decided the only solution was for him to dive on it. It was the most scary thing I have ever had to do watching him get into that water - I can only imagine how he felt actually doing it. It was pitch black, god only knew what sort of big fish were down there - it was a tuna net after all - and there was net everywhere. It took a while for Jason to psyche himself up and I was on hand with a line in case he or we drifted off. The dan buoy (a floating device with a flag and light to show where the man overboard is) was near to hand in case the boat broke free leaving him behind and I had to go back for him. It was awful. We tied a line from the net onto a cleat, so we could deal with the other end and the loop. Jason stayed holding onto the ladder, so he could get up quickly if necessary. By feeling with his feet, it seemed there was a lot of rope and net around the rudder (we prayed it was just the rudder, not the prop) and he managed to push it down without needing to dive. The net got caught in his watch at one point which was frightening. Meanwhile the wind seemed to be getting up a bit & was whistling a bit in the rigging - great, just when you don't want it! It was pushing us slightly onto the net which was the last thing we wanted. We got the headsail out a little and managed to sail off a bit so everything was coming out of the stern without danger of new net being snagged. Most was off the rudder by now, but it was becoming clear that there was also net & rope around the prop. We had been trying for ages to get free in a fisherman friendly way, but now we decided we would just cut ourselves free. This did mean that there was likely to be residual net and rope around the prop, but we could sail somewhere and dive on it in the morning in the light of day. We got free, sailed off, still had some attached, cut free, sailed off, had some net still attached which gradually ripped as we sailed away free of the damn thing. We were free of this one, but dreaded getting caught in another. There were fishing boat lights surrounding us in a huge circle, but there seemed no reason to the lights. Our huge net had not been lit! We gingerly tried the engine - it seemed to work! Thank goodness. We motored slowly away - there was some vibration but the prop was going round. I stood on the bow with a torch, looking out for floats and we crept away from the scene of the crime. We managed to avoid any further nets and felt a bit better as we got further away. We felt terrible about cutting the net and also worried about the prop and just wanted to get out of the there. The tempation was to just give Morocco a miss and head straight for the Canaries. However, we still had to check the prop, so decided to go ahead as planned and head into Mohammedia and anchor. There are no marinas as such along this coast, so we weren't really sure what we would be up against, but at least it looked as though we could anchor there. Jason went back down below to catch up some sleep and we limped towards the distant lights. After about an hour, Jason poked his head up which was good as I had been getting paranoid about all the lights, so it was good to have another pair of eyes as lookout. Within moments there was an horrific noise from the engine. Jason dashed down to check it out & there was smoke gushing out and an intense smell of diesel - shit! Engine off straight away. I switched it on again briefly so Jason could check what was happened, then off almost immediately as he spotted the diesel spurting out of one of the fuel lines!!!! It never rains, but it pours. When he called up to me what was wrong, I just thought - It's all too difficult. We were knackered from all the net commotion and here was yet another problem, no doubt caused by the intense vibration when we had tried reverse and the prop had stalled. Aaaah.We were in sight of the harbour, but far enough away to drift a little while we worked on a solution. Eventually, we fixed duct tape round it and fastened off with a cable tie. Although the diesel was still leaking at least it wasn't spraying all over the engine - thank goodness we had just had the fire extinguishers serviced (just in case). We sailed towards the port with practically no wind. We had decided we would get as close as we could then, using the engine as little as possible, we would anchor in the port. We were doing less than a knot in the poxy nothing wind, with the sails flapping all over the place and it took hours to get close. Luckily there were a couple of huge boats out at anchor and we could tell we were getting past these which convinced us we were moving at all! As we approached the end of the port, we noticed a couple of other yachts anchored in the large area marked on our chart as no anchoring. We dropped ours - thankfully, as the area advised by our pilot book is tiny, shallow, and would have needed us to manoeuvre under close quarters without the aid of reverse gear, fuel leaking everywhere and no confidence in the engine. We still could not do reverse, so used the mizzen to sail backwards on the anchor to dig it in in what little wind we had.We haven't smoked for a year (except for one in Ibiza), but both had a cigarette and a glass of port (foolishly had no beer on board and had given away the whiskey!). The relief at having the anchor down and being safe was incredible. We knew it would seem easier in the morning. Actually, it was already 8.00am and getting lighter all the time! We slept like the dead. The next day it didn't feel much better. We were in Morocco and didn't feel hopeful about parts, but decided we could always wait and get them sent out. The prop was a problem, but probably once the rope was cut off, it would be OK. We had a hug and blew up dinghy boy to go ashore. We had re-repaired him in Gibraltar and he had seemed OK, then leaked - we hoped he would stay up again now. What a catalogue of nonsense! We went and tied up dinghy boy and, seeing a man in uniform, asked what we should do about immigration. He wandered off to his boat and got a small pad out and asked a few questions about the boat, then (presumably running out of good questions and feeling he should make a bit of effort) asked the names of our mother and father and our professions. Can't believe that is relevant at all. We told him we had broken down and showed him the fuel line. Then we saw a man in blue overalls who said he'd have a look and that we should come back in a couple of hours - cool. We were pointed in the direction of the police to have our passports checked, and spent way too long in what felt like a prison block of an office. Finally, we were given our laisse-passez bits of paper to enable us to come and go and told to come back in a couple of hours to pick up our passports. We had a bit of a wander in the town, but we were still too tired and it was all very different. Had a coke and some food and it all felt better. It started to piss down as we headed back - at least it wasn't so hot!We picked up our passports with no problems (kept expecting them to ask if we had been near any nets or anything!), then headed back to the dinghy. Our man in overalls had our part and had done a beautiful job of braising (? ask Jason!) some copper onto the hole - cool cool cool! Straight back to Nelly and a test and it worked - no diesel spewing anywhere! cool cool cool! It was really raining with a vengeance now, so we decided to leave diving on the prop until the next day (if we couldn't see how bad it was, we could put it off!). We opened a bottle of wine and breathed a sigh of relief.This morning, after sleeping like logs again last night, Jason dived on the prop and cut away a HUGE amount of net, line, floats and plastic. We tested the engine and the boat now goes forward AND backwards! Sweet relief! There may even be less vibration that we used to have before all this trouble.Jason has been in the engine bay checking out the alternator, as this seems to be what was squeaking so badly, and I have whittled down the end of the flag pole, so we can stick that back in. Now all that is sorted and the boat is in working order, we can think about what to do next. We had considered going straight to the Canaries, but it is silly to miss out on Morocco because of these problems. People have been friendly (especially the lovely man in overalls!) and we have no reason not to carry on and do the tourist thing. We will take the train to Casablanca tomorrow, then head down the coast - hopefully we will be able to catch up with Matt and Angela some time next week. Hopefully, everything really is fixed and the vibration hasn't broken anything else and we can carry on with no more unscheduled excitement!
We had a very foggy start to the trip, with radar on to dodge the anchored tankers, but the air cleared as we headed out to sea (to avoid nets!). By mid-morning we had blue sky and by midday we were sailing at a reasonable (but by no means excessive!) speed. The wind did its usual evening drop and we slowed to nothing so put the engine on. At around 4.00am, while it was my watch, I noticed a few lights ahead and decided to head right out to sea around them rather than risk another net incident. We were well over 10 miles out but you can't be too careful. After passing these lights, which were probably just fishermen, I noticed a trio of flashing lights which were surely tunny nets. I gave them a very wide berth, but we had very strong phospheresence and every time a wave was lit up by it my heart beat harder, thinking it was net around the boat. Jason came up at the end of my shift just as we passed - it was really good to have him break the spell!
We had an OK wind for most of the next morning, and to start with we sailed fairly slowly thinking it better not to arrive at our destination at night, but it felt terrible not making the most of the wind, so we poled out and went really well. As the sun went down there was no sign of the wind dropping and we even had a bit of an increase - it felt so good! We even had to reef as we turned across the wind to approach Essaouira. It was quite a tricky entrance - rocks to one side and an island to the other - both unlit. The breakwater at the end of the fishing harbour was lit, but the pilot suggested that the entrance may have a line across after dusk. We headed in with eyes peeled and me stationed at the radar - it was horrible hearing the waves breaking over the rocks so close to us, but we were in before we knew it. There was no moon, but we had enough light from the stars and the town to find a space to anchor in the bay. Lovely - a few hours sleep before entering the harbour.
Essaouira is a bit of a seaside town, and has great ramparts overlooking the Atlantic. The fishing harbour is very sheltered (if a little smelly!) and close to the souks where there is lovely woodwork and all manner of stalls. Between the harbour and the town are rows of stalls with fresh fish ready to go on barbeques and cooked to your taste. The colours are amazing - a really photogenic place.
Once again we have been lucky enough to catch up with people on their holiday on our route! We had thought we'd miss Matt & Angela, but by chance we were in Morocco at the same time! It seemed odd to meet up in Marrakesh, but absolutely brilliant - tour of the palace, then a chat about Paris, tours of the tombs, catch up with the gossip.
Marrakesh is an incredible town - when we arrived the main square was almost empty but we were assured by our taxi driver that at night it would be packed (with what, we wondered!). He was right - the place was full of barbeque stalls. Everywhere you looked there were kebabs, fish, sheeps head, even some maggoty looking things on one stall. We chose one where nothing was too suspect looking and got a selection - delicious! Also, there are many stalls full of oranges where you can buy a glass for 2.5 dirham - mmm.
Jason was a bit upset as no beer to be found anywhere, until on the second day he ordered a panache (shandy) thinking at least it would have beer in it. When it arrived it was bright pink and tasted foul!!
The souks were endless and, hidden amongst the shoes and metalwork, we found a chicken section, where the men kill, pluck and put it in the bag in moments - you certainly know the chicken is fresh!
Feeling a little jealous of Matt & Angela's forthcoming trip to the desert, but glad to get back to Trenelly and the sea air, we headed back to Essaouira.
We had waited a day in Essaouira as there was no wind and what there was was in the wrong direction. However, we woke to perfect conditions on the 10th October. A 10 knot north-westerly breeze. After getting our passports stamped and filling out yet another form, we set off. As we passed out between the island and rocks, we noticed quite a swell running. The forecast had been up to force 6 with fairly rough seas, so we were anticipating a good sail. We got full sails out and headed off. This was the part I had been most nervous about - offshore Atlantic with just the two of us, but it was terrific - really fantastic sailing. We were doing around 7 knots, there were a few white horses about, and the wind was constant - beautiful. During the afternoon, the wind increased until it was a constant 20 knots. With reefs in main and mizzen, we were now doing 8 knots. I had estimated an ETA based on an average of 5 knots as we had had such shocking winds up until now, but this was way beyond this. We didn't want to get our hopes up too high, but it felt like the wind was here to stay. We were worried it would drop in the evening, but it actually increased. By my watch we had 30 knot gusts and hit 9 knots a few times! The wind was pretty much on the beam, so we really flew along, with the odd gust or large wave heeling us around to wind. I had been worried about if I could handle it on my own on a watch, but it was brilliant - Trenelly is a fantastic boat and she loves a bit of wind! It felt so good to be going at such a speed, especially after far too many disappointing trips where we had had to settle for a meandering sail.
We saw very little traffic, but the sky was so clear the lower stars each looked like a yachts lights! On the evening of the second day we saw Lanzarote in the distance - a great landfall! We sailed by during the evening en route to Gran Canaria. The wind dropped a little between the islands and went behind us, so we poled out the genoa. We arrived in daylight, at least 12 hours before we had planned! Perfect, especially as Mum and John were arriving the following day!!
We had a lovely week with Mum and John. After our trip from Morocco, we were ready for a bit of a rest from sailing, so hired a car to go and explore the mountains. It was unlike anything I would have expected. I had been thinking it would all be a lot smaller, I think, but it was really impressive scenery. The roads twisted and turned along cliff edged precipices - I had to cling on to the door handle a few times. It was worth getting up there though. We parked the car and climbed up to Roque Nublo - fantastic to look over the mountains and we could even see Tiedes in Tenerife above a layer of clouds. The drive down was even more impressive and took us through the aptly named town of Teror! We recovered with a beer or two in the marina bar.
The following day, we set off down the east coast of the island. Fairly light winds, but on the beam, so it was a pleasant sail to our anchorage. We had a barbeque in the evening, but had such a swell coming in, it wasn't the most comfortable spot for the night. I think we have been spoiled with our Balearic anchorages, and the Canaries just don't compete.
Next day we rounded the south-east point (and got a bit of use out of the spinnaker), where there are dunes, beaches and some resort development. We anchored to swim, and Jason found a huge sea urchin and a fishermans anchor. We headed into a nearby marina for a more comfortable night and headed to a nearby resort for boquerones (anchovies in vinegar), padron peppers and paella. We mooched around the south of the island for the next few days, spending a very lazy day at anchor in Anfi del Mar, where we had lots of swimming, sunbathing and John caught a fish. Very relaxing. On the final day of their visit, the wind had turned westerly and there was no hope of a place in the nearby marinas, so we decided to head back to Las Palmas for the night. We had a bit of swell and about 10 knots as we left our anchorage. It was lovely sailing if a little rocky. As we rounded the headland, the wind got up a little. It was a following wind so we kept all the sails up and steamed along. When we were a few hours from Las Palmas, the wind was increasing steadily. We reefed and the wind increased until it was 35 knots apparent and we were doing at least 8 knots most of the time, so it was at least 40 knots of real wind. The waves were looking a bit lively too! We had gybed to avoid a shallow patch and our headsail had caught the wind in the wrong place, so I had to go forward to free that, and the release for the mizzen had jammed the reefing line for that, so we had some fun getting things ship-shape! It was a fantastic sail and hopefully we didn't put the wind up Mum and John too much! In fact, the last time they had sailed with us was in Plymouth where they came out with us to practise with our storm sail in 40 knots, so I think they are getting used to it!!
As we got Las Palmas in sight, the wind suddenly dropped to nothing, the whistling in the rigging cut out and the white horses disappeared. We were left with about 2 knots of wind and no steerage!! I was sure it was going to suddenly get up again, after we had fully rounded the land, but it never came back! It was the wierdest thing! There are acceleration zones around the islands, so it could have been the effect of that combined with a low passing through (the barometer had dropped from its usual 1025 to 1008), but I can't explain why it stopped so instantly. Quite a thing. We ended up motoring into the anchorage! Bonkers!
We had a great week and look forward to seeing you both in January in the Caribbean.
We had a day between the 2 visits of the Mums to unblock the toilets (Jason enjoyed that one!) and giving the topsides a good clean (I came out of the water while Jason was doing the crucial part of his job!) We hadn`t noticed how grubby she was getting as we hadn`t been on anchor for such a long time. She`s good and clean now, and the toilet works better than ever!
Sue H arrived in the afternoon, so we bought Trenelly into the Las Palmas marina. Luckily, we got a space - it is rapidly filling up with ARC boats, so berths are scarce throughout the island (and, I think, the other Canary islands too). Had a lovely steak in the yacht club in the evening, overlooking the marina.
We decided to head inland again as the hire car process had been really easy the previous week. We headed along the north coast this time, with breakers rolling into the cliffs from the trade winds. Pretty impressive stuff. We headed down to Nieves on the west coast, which had sounded attractive in the guide books. A small fishing/tourist town, again with huge rollers breaking along the coast, making it a good walk along the breakwater. We had a slightly disappointing lunch (esp. Jason`s calamari), then headed up to the mountains. I took a bit of a wrong turning and we ended up a twisty, turning road that got narrower and narrower and steeper and steeper. I could feel sweat breaking out on the soles of my feet & I think Sue was a tad nervous too, but Jason drove like a real pro, even doing a 3-point turn when me and Sue had had enough! Once we found the correct turn-off, we were up into the mountains in no time. Much prettier than the coast roads, which are either over-developed or desolate. We ended up in Artenara, where we found a great restaurant on the cliff, approached by a cave. Great views. We had had a lot of mist on the way up, and this was still hovering, giving a great atmospheric feel to the mountains. We ate on board - a delicious fish surprise a la Fiona (a bit of a surprise to me, even!).
Since we hadn`t found a decent anchorage on the east coast the previous week, we decided to head straight down to the south. We left at the same time as an American boat on the same pontoon and waved them off as we got dinghy boy loaded on the aft deck. We headed out of the marina under engine with no wind, although it gradually got up to about 10 knots. We got the sails up and started to sail. The wind was soon astern, so we got the genoa poled out and as the wind increased, we were soon going great guns. The other boat seemed to have motored for a lot longer than us, so was way ahead, but as Trenelly got into her stride with 20-odd knots of apparent wind behind her, we were soon gaining on them. White horses started to appear and we reefed the mainsail, eventually bringing it in completely, but still flying along with the genoa. We exchanged waves with the Americans as we passed them, then at the south-east corner of the island, as Jason had gone forward to take down the pole so we could turn off the wind, the wind came in front of us and dropped to nothing!!!!! This island has bonkers weather! At least we managed a really good sail for most of the journey, even though we were once again reduced to motoring the last part of the trip. We had a well-deserved gin and tonic at anchor and headed into Anfi del Mar for our evening meal.
We stayed a couple of days and swam and sun-bathed, then Sue helmed the boat round to Mogan which is a really pretty port. We had a bit of hassle/misunderstanding about a berth, but eventually ended up tied onto the reception pontoon for the night. Had a lovely italian meal, with the most delicious seafood salad I have ever had. We had to be up early to move for the incoming ferry, so were able to have a lovely dive and swim off the boat before breakfast. We also took dinghy boy over to the cliffs and used his anchor for the first time. There were some great fish and Jason smashed a sea urchin for the fish to eat. It was the first time I had seen this - the fish go bonkers!
The week had gone really fast as usual. Since we had a couple of days between Sue`s visit and meeting with Russ & Liz in Tenerife, we had arranged to have a lift out to do the anti-fouling, so headed to Peurto Rico for Sue`s last night. This is the most tourist-y place on the island, I think. A huge amount of apartments spread over every available cliff face. We headed up to the Centro Commercial to find a restaurant in the evening and were confronted by a mass of neon, tourist shops and people, people, people. It was heaving! Jason had noticed a sign for a bar where an Elvis impersonator was singing, so we decided to head for that instead. It turned out Elvis wasn`t on, but we had 3 other acts, including The Drifters! A jug of sangria and a cocktail (with sparklers!) later and we were well into it, with Sue giving us a great dance show in the taxi queue. Very difficult to get up for the 5am taxi!
We took Trenelly over to the lift in the morning, and were a bit nervous about the whole thing. The dock was very narrow and the whole process was conducted in shouted Spanish! With our mizzen, we are a bit long for the lift, so had to undo the backstay. We had done this before, fortunately, in England, so had expected it but still it is easy to imagine the mast coming crashing down. An American man watched with us as our home was yanked out of the water. His was coming out next and he was having reservations about the whole thing! I think it is best not to watch sometimes.
We arranged anti-foul paint (apparently it`s illegal to apply the stuff we ended up with anywhere else apart from here and is so strong it should last for a couple of years!!!) Sounds slightly dodgy, but having done the work, I`ll be happy if we don`t need to do it again for a long time! She was covered in barnacles and wiggly white calcium type worms which were a pain to get off. We spent a couple of hours with a pressure hose and pieces of wood and she was soon cleaned off and ready for action. We had lots of great advice from Paradise Yachts in Peurto Rico. We hadn`t really much idea of what we were doing, and they gave us lots of tips and help. We had a well-earned pint and the menu del dia at Titanic, a local cafe. It was full of builders and boat workers covered in paint and dust, and we felt we fitted in well. You can`t beat the hunger (and thirst) bought on by a bit of hard work. I certainly haven`t done so much in a long time! There were a huge amount of barnacles in between the rudder, so I finished this off while Jason fitted a new sacrificial anode, then we had to sand the hull down. By the end we were covered head to toe in blue dust. It was in our hair, in our nails, probably a lot of it in our lungs - good, old-fashioned poison. We both felt distinctly sneezy and coughy that night, but it seems to have passed. In our hectic working, we had forgotten to get a key to the showers! There was no way we were going to bed in our blue state, so had a quick shower on board (which drained straight out onto the yard!).
We were up bright and early - well, not that bright as the nearby builders started crashing about at 7.30am. Armed with masks, surgical gloves, rollers, brushes and a HUGE can of paint, we set about the first coat - beautiful. The second coat was a bit less fun, and by the time we put a final coat on the waterline and rudder, we`d definitely breathed in enough fumes! Once again, we`d managed to get as much blue on us as the boat. Thankfully, we had a card for the showers this time.
We got a lot of other odds and sods sorted out as well - spare belts, an injector service, a replacement gas bottle and a fuel filter. It had been a busy couple of days, but it felt good to have got it all done. Trenelly felt very ship shape indeed and looks lovely (a darker blue may have been nicer, but this colour is quite jaunty, I think). We just needed to fit our mended alternator and she`d be ready for anything.
She was lifted back into the water and the engineer came on board to have a listen to the engine, but everything was suddenly all too much off a rush, with too many people doing different things and Trenelly went into the wall. Jason shouted at the boat lift people and was offered a fight. It was a bit nasty. She had really hit the wall with a clunk and just because it was the end of the day and they were in a rush - it turned out not to be too bad, but was completely unnecessary. We had felt really good about the whole thing, doing the anti-foul ourselves for the first time, but came away feeling bad about the experience. Best not to get too precious about the boat, but it`s very hard when people don`t respect you or your boat, when it is your home. Enough of that anyway.
We are now back on anchor and the replacement Balmar alternator has finally been fixed and returned (under warranty, thankfully). Had a bit of a nightmare this morning when a bit got broken, but it is sorted out now and should be ready to go any minute - fingers crossed. It is supposed to give us more charge than a standard alternator, but has been a pain from start to finish - mainly down to Merlin, the suppliers who have generally been a bit useless until you get to the MD. So, once that is back on, we are ready for an early start tomorrow to Tenerife. Great to be back in the water and will be good to get sailing again. Will be interesting to see what the weather will throw at us this time. We received a nav warning today that there is a plague of locusts expected, so that will be nice...
We had a fantastic sail to Tenerife from Gran Canaria to meet Russ & Liz. It was pretty quiet at the start, but once we were out of the lee of the mountains, we really started to get going. We averaged over 7 knots the whole way across and got into the anchorage at Los Cristianos well before expected. It was a reasonable anchorage, but very busy and the town looked very tourist-orientated. We fell asleep, but fortunately Jason was up in time to meet Russ & Liz at the Burger King at 2.00am!
We spent the day swimming and sunbathing, and Jason played with the fridge. It seemed to have stopped working since we had put Trenelly back in the water. The next day, we decided that the anchorages in Gran Canaria had been nicer, and that we could get our fridge seen to while we were there, so headed off straight away. We had a really exhilarating sail. Close-hauled with 20-25 knots of wind, we were constantly being splashed but steaming along. At one point I went below and noticed that there was a pool of water in the galley - oh no! The bilge was full to the top! We had switched off the bilge pump as it had stuck on the side of the bilges, but once on, the bilges were emptied in moments. Jason went round the boat checking the sea cocks, then we realised the water was not salty and could have come from the tanks. With the crashing against the waves, a tube had come off and emptied the tanks. It was a different spot from when in had happened en route to the Balearics. We have decided that during the Atlantic crossing, we will only switch the water pump on when we are using it. To lose a tank of water would be a nightmare.
We got to Anfi in no time, and Russel almost caught a fish! We got to the beach in darkness, and as we approached saw the lights of a yacht close to shore. They seemed to be floundering, and when we listened in to Channel 16, we heard a Mayday - they were on the rocks. Very sobering. A boat was out helping them. Fortunately, we had been to Anfi before, so were able to make our way in safely.
There followed a couple of days in Anfi and Mogan sunbathing and swimming and good food, before heading back to Los Cristianos for the last day of the week. On our last night in Mogan, we had the most fantastic barbeque. Russ & Liz got some great fish from the town and we whipped up a marinade and a couple of salads. Mmmmm! Drank a bit too much.
We sailed back to Los Cristianos in the evening. As it is a 50-odd mile crossing, we thought we`d go at night so we would still get the 2 days around the trip. Unfortunately, we had to motor a large part of it, but the sky was clear, we had a great display of stars and a bit of phosperescence. We took turns to sleep, then zonked out once we arrived in Tenerife.
A really lovely week
We left Los Cristianos, Tenerife on the 10th November headed for San Sebastan de la Gomera. We were hoping to stay in a marina for the final week of preparation and this was the only one that seemed to have any space. We motored from the anchorage with a flat calm sea and a sunny sky. We had about an hour on the engine, which gave us time to give Jason a timely trim, then we started to sea a few white horses ahead. The next two hours we had about 20knots of wind, so a great close-hauled sail over to La Gomera.
The marina is very well organised and the town is far less tourist-y than the other islands. It has been a great place to have a quiet week reflecting on the trip to come and get ourselves tidied up and ready to go.
We have serviced the winches, cleaned the boat up, de-pickled the water-maker, got the rest of our non-perishable stores in and stashed away (I have had to draw a plan of the boat so we can find the various stashes of pasta, rice and veg! I have hidden half of the chocolate!).
We took a day off jobs on Friday and headed into the mountains. This island is much greener than the others and is very popular with walkers - we walked to the highest point, Garajonay, and through a woodland path with was very reminiscent of England, particularly as this was our first day in months when we have had rain, and it was really making up for lost time! We got soaked (luckily we had our walking boots and Gore-tex`s). We had left a little late, so by the end of the walk we were a little worried that we might miss the bus back to San Sebastian. We had to find a tunnel (less than 6ft high and even narrower, with water coursing down it...) We had been advised to take a torch - thank goodness. It was pitch black in there and my thoughts kept thinking - rats. We got to the the other side and looked back at the mountain we had just walked through - crazy! We had to ojg the last bit of the walk and are both suffering - our legs haven`t taken such a beating in a long while.
Ben & Philip are due in today, then we have tomorrow to get our final stores in before we head off on Tuesday - finally!!! We have met a few other boats who are also leaving on Tuesday and also headed for Antigua, so have set up a radionet with them. This will mean we can all radio our position and weather to each other. Should be fun and is reassuring to think we will be hearing how the others are getting on.
And the time has cone to delay no longer. The final shopping trip for provisions is finshed with, the finest fishing tackle has been procured. Foodstuffs are stuffed into every crevice of poor little Trenelly who is groaning with the extra weight.
The daring foursome of Skipper Jason and his crew of Fiona, Ben & Phillip are in the final hours of the countdown.
We leave in the morning after a leisurely breakfast and shop for fresh bread before heading for far off lands.
The weather looks like a decent breeze in the right direction and we have our radionet friends to keep us company.
Antigua here we come!!!
So, we`re actually in the middle of the ocean - no turning back now! We have had all sorts of weather. Lots of sun, but recently some squally, rainy nights. We had a lot of light winds at the start, which was good for spinnaker action, but now seem to be in the trade winds proper. We have 20 knots of following wind and rollers to surf down - perfect conditions!
Trenelly and George (autohelm) are doing a fantastic job, Windy is a little lazy and Dinghy boy is getting an itchy outboard sitting around on the after deck (I`m sure Jason`ll take him for a good run once we get to Antigua).
We are approximately halfway across looking at miles over the ground, but it is likely that the second half will be quicker due to the trade winds. Current position is 18 58 N, 38 56 W. We have 1311 miles to go and have done about 1350 miles so far. Speed up until now has averaged 6.5 knots, so I`ll leave it to you to work out our arrival date!
Having a fantastic time, catching and eating fish every day - a mixed blessing (what are we going to do with all those tins of curry?!). Never imagined it would be this much fun.
Finally, here is the diary entry for the crossing!
We had a fantastic crossing and covered the 3051 logged miles in about 18 days and 4 hours (in the excitement of arrival, we didn`t stop to see what the time was!). The trip was better than we could have hoped for and it`s great to be in the Caribbean!
We set off from La Gomera on a beautiful sunshine-y day a few hours after our friends on Coral Moon, Firemoose & Lucy Ellen. We sounded our fog horn as we left and had a great response from other sailors waiting to leave. It was great to be finally off, and hearing all the horns going off around us made me feel quite emotional. Ropes off, fenders in and off we headed out of the marina. It was a really clear day and Mount Tiede in Tenerife stood out like a beacon. We motored along the lee of the island, and had a couple of false attempts with trying to sail as the wind was pretty light in the shelter of the land. However, once we were past, we flew along. It was perfect conditions and felt great. The sunset was beautiful that evening and we could see the masts of the other three boats silhouetted on the distant horizon. We passed the last of the Canary Islands, El Hierro, as night fell. We had to motor past the lee again, as we were again sheltered by the land, but only for a couple of hours. It was a full moon the night we left, so it was as though the sea was floodlit - incredibly bright. By the time daybreak came, we had left land behind and were out in the ocean.
The following day, the wind had dropped somewhat, so we got the spinnaker up. It is such a beautiful sail & even though I still get nervous of it when we`re not sure of the wind, in this lighter breeze it was perfect!
We checked in with the other boats at mid-day on the SSB radio (long range radio). This was to be a daily net - we would each give our position and wind and sea conditions. It was really great to catch up with the other boats and to plot everyone on our chart. Really good on a social level as much as an informative one! Allen & Jan from Coral Moon did a great job organising it and we felt a little less alone in the big ocean.
The spinnaker stuck when we took it down in the evening ready for happy hour, and we worked out it must have been put together a bit funny when we had it fixed in Mahon, so the tools came out and it was re-hashed. We tended to take it down around 1700, so we could have a happy hour in peace - everyone up and a beer/coke and maybe a few nibblies before dinner & sunset. It was a really nice routine. We had a couple of beautiful sunsets, but did not manage to catch the elusive green flash - apparently as the sun dips below the horizon, you can sometimes see the whole thing lit up green.
For the next few days we had fairly clear weather, occasionally a little grey and we either poled out the genoa or put up the spinnaker. The wind was a bit lighter than we had hoped and there was a big high, which we tried to dodge around a little by heading south.
After a few days, the crew decided they had too much hair, so the clippers came out and Ben & Phillip sheared each other. Much easier to have shorter hair in the hot climate!! The fishing tackle also came out and we started to fish for our supper. To our surprise we caught a dolphin fish (dorado, not related to dolphins). It was really beautiful as it was reeled in - a golden-yellow body, with blue fins, which faded as it was landed on the boat. It took Jason and I a while to identify it and work out if it was OK to eat, but we matched it to some pictures in a magazine and decided it was fine. It was delicious - nothing tastes so good as a fish caught, gutted, prepared and cooked on board! We steamed it and had it with potatoes - the first fresh meat for a while! For the next few days, it seemed as though every time we put the rod in the water we caught a fish. One was so big it managed to snap the rod and take all the gear, while another snapped the line and again took our gear. We attributed our success to our great disco-squid tackle. By the time the last bit of tackle had been lost, we had had steamed fish twice, fish pie 2 or 3 times, fish curry and were contemplating fish pizza - I think we breathed a sigh of relief that we were no longer able to catch anything! Our final fish had been a whopper - the usual trick of rum down the gills didn`t work, so a hammer came out and it got messy. I think this, along with the fact that the fish lasted for about three meals, was enough to put us off fishing for a while.
We actually ate very well. We had stocked a huge amount of pasta, rice, tinned food and sauces, but hardly touched them! Fresh meat for the first couple of days, then fish for some time worked well. We did get a bit partial to Fray Bentos with mustard mash and also lasagne made with dried soya. All in all we probably ate better than we usually do in harbour! Towards the end of the trip, Jason tried his hand at making bread and turned out some lovely baps - white and wholemeal!
We were very frugal with fresh water and washed up with seawater and cooked in diluted sea water. A couple of times we treated ourselves to a deck shower. One person poured buckets of sea water over the other, then a luxuriant soaping and shampooing before being sluiced down, then the piece de resistance of a fresh water rinse at the end. Once it got more rolly, this was a bit more complicated, but by then I for one was quite used to being a bit grimy!
The wind was a bit up and down - sometimes light, then often very squally at night. We felt that we would never reach the trade winds. The squalls were incredible. Since we could see for such a long distance, we could see the squalls coming. They were just like a child`s picture of a rain cloud. Big and fluffy, with rain below the cloud and nowhere else. If they were in line with where the wind was coming from, we either reefed or got a boost from it, otherwise they often passed straight by us - really odd to be in sunshine and to have a squall pass so close, yet be virtually unaffected by it. There was one particularly nasty looking one (looked as though it had nicotine stains around the edge) that looked a bit foul so we reefed right in and headed down below to shelter from the inevitable rain. It was a corker. We had over 35 knots of wind and Phillip & Ben stripped off and danced in the rain. We seemed to have more at night, but as they never lasted for a very long time, we got the extra speed rather than reef down each time. As it was, we had the main reefed during the night and a fairly full genoa, which worked pretty well and was quick to adjust.
Once we were more into the trade winds, we were able to stick with the main and poled out genoa and it was barely touched for days apart from gybing. We got some great speeds up surfing down the waves, but it was a very rolly motion with cross swell pushing Trenelly around a bit.
It was actually very easy to forget we were in the middle of an ocean, but around the midway point I remember it really coming home to me that we were over a thousand miles from land, no turning back. The waves seemed bigger that day and I felt more vulnerable, but at the same time, we were on the second half of the journey, closer to the Caribbean. When the sea was more calm it didn`t seem nearly so big. However, some days, when we had a bigger sea it seemed vast. Trenelly would be on the top of a wave and we could see for miles, with a wide white wake behind us. It really was an incredible feeling to be on a small boat in the middle of this vast ocean.
We had some beautiful nights. The stars were really clear, and the night shift passed quickly with a bit of stargazing.
We had a short visit from a handful of friendly dolphins who swam in our bow wave for a while, and something which may have been some sort of whale (perhaps a pilot whale?) - it was very dolphin like but much bigger and we only saw it for a moment.
On day 9, we were putting up the spinnaker and with the light winds it got wrapped round some stays as it went up and when the bucket was pulled down to drop it, it split. It went the whole way across which was a bit of a blow. The boys taped it up, but even using our spinnaker repair tape and all our duct tape, there wasn`t quite enough to do it on both sides - we put the sail up and it split across almost immediately. We got it down again and it managed to get a soaking, so we had it hung all over the saloon before getting down to some sewing! Luckily the wind was up a little by then, so we were able to pole out the genoa again and make some way. We made a very slow average speed that day. We knew that if we left the spinnaker we would be stuck with light winds and would need the spinnaker. We were hoping that by spending a few hours sewing the thing up, we would be able to invoke good winds. It seemed to work, as once it was all sewn up and ready to go, we didn`t use it again!!
We had very few technical problems. Jason noticed a bit of chafe on one of the genoa sheets (unsurprising as it was poled out constantly!), and he and Ben rigged a plastic sheath around it and through the pole to protect it. Fortunately, the sheet is fine - could easily have come apart if it had chafed right through which would have been fun!
Other than that, on the penultimate day the headsail backed and caught itself on one of the mast steps. Not too much of a problem (small tear to be mended), but may have contributed in some way to the nights excitement. Ben and Phillip had finished their watches, and I was up to relieve Jason from his. We were down below with a cup of tea, when the sail backed and sounded wrong. We went up to the cockpit and the genoa looked funny. By the time Jason was back with a torch it had pulled itself down over the bow and into the water! At first we were worried it was shredded to pieces, but we later realised that the shackle holding the sail up had come undone and let go off the sail, leaving it to drop into the water. Ben and Jason hauled the sail back onto the boat, while I tried to keep us downwind. There was quite a wind coming through and a strong weatherhelm with just the main up. Once the genoa was lashed to the deck, we decided to wait until daylight to check it and to carry on with main alone for the rest of the night. It was only a few hours to daylight. We knew it was our last day before arriving in Antigua, so quite frustrating not having a headsail. When the sail had come down it had rammed the furling gear onto itself, so we couldn`t even put our second jib up. In the end we settled for our storm jib, full main, and the mizzen came back into service - a funny looking rig for the last few hours of the trip as the storm jib is a pocket handkerchief of a sail and bright orange! Fortunately we had really good winds and were able to do between 6 and 7 knots even without a genoa, so we were quite happy!
Finally catching sight of land was brilliant. After sea and sky for such a long time, the faint smudge of Antigua on the skyline was mad. We ate the last of our Celebration chocolates and waited for the island to get clearer. It is amazing how long it takes to cover a few miles! The previous couple of thousand were nothing compared to the last three or four approaching Antigua! Firemoose had arrived the previous night and came to meet us in their dinghy with a fog horn, which was fantastic. Although we hadn`t seen any of the other boats during the crossing, Coral Moon was just behind us as we arrived. We dropped the anchor and jumped straight into the water - bliss! It was so good to be in the cool sea, anchored off a palm fringed, white sand beach. We popped a few corks that afternoon.
The first night on Antigua is a bit of a blur. We jumped into the sea as soon as the anchor had touched sand - a blissful feeling to be immersed after a distinct lack of water. It was a roasting hot day and the water was soo cool. It wasn`t too long before dinghy boy was in the water and the corks were popped. Champagne and fizzy apple galore. Jason went to sort out immigration, customs and mooring fees and came back incredibly shell-shocked - I certainly needed more time before facing people and land! We dinghied to shore later on and had rum and cokes in the beach bar, then back to Firemoose for a far too potent rum punch session. I`m afraid I`m a bit lost on events here apart from the fact that I woke with a cracked head (apparently I had been a bit of a wilful wife...). Jason stayed to look after me while the others went ashore to eat. It seems several of the party forgot what they had eaten and one fell asleep at the table! Ben and Phillip then kidnapped Charlie from Firemoose and gatecrashed a party on an enormous flashy catamaran in the dockyard, where Ben danced on a table...
We all woke surprisingly early the following day. We had not changed our clocks at all on the way over, so instead of the sunrise being 6.00am, it felt like 9.00 or 10.00. It was Ben`s birthday, so we were obliged to carry on partying! Ben and Jason swam ashore for bloody mary`s and breakfast in Colombo`s which sounded idyllic. It still felt a bit crazy that we were really in the Caribbean. We then dinghied ashore to explore Nelsons dockyard and ogle the the superyachts in the charter show in nearby Falmouth harbour - some really incredible yachts. Then back to Trenelly for a quick rest and birthday balloon moment before heading up to Shirley Heights. Every Sunday there is a barbeque up on the hill, with a tin drum band, then reggae. It was fantastic! A lovely walk up a narrow, rocky path in flip flops, with beautiful views of the bay and Trenelly, then some great food and dancing. We all got the douende and danced like mad things, grinning inanely. Every now and again we would catch sight of the view below - the lights of the boats in the bay and the moon and re-realised what we had done. An Atlantic crossing! It`s a wonderful thing.
Neil, Josie, Frank and Ian on Lucy Ellen arrived a couple of days later and came over for a rum punch celebration in the evening. Not as potent as Katie`s, but did the trick! No injuries this time.
Ben had been itching to go up the mast and since the halyard for the genoa was still up there, he scooted up to retrieve it. I`m told there are great views from up there!
We got the spare dinghy out so we could all be a bit independent if necessary, but one night we noticed that one of his oars had been knocked off. Bit of a shame, but we felt unable to get too upset about anything. Also, we had noticed that our bucket on a lanyard seemed to have gone overboard at some point. Heading off in search of the oar, we went to the right hand side of the bay and by chance noticed some girls carrying a long pole - the oar! In fact it was just a pole , but then as we got closer, they picked the oar up from the rocks! What a coincidence. We went snorkelling out by the reef at the entrance to the bay and saw some great fish, then once we were back at the boat, Ben decided he needed to practise his diving. He found the bucket and some scrape-y tool we hadn`t even noticed was missing!! A few days later, Jason lost his sunglasses overboard from the dinghy and managed to find them the following day. The water is 4 metres deep and very sandy and murky - quite a feat to find so much of the stuff. As Ben said, if there is a groove, we were in it!
When the time came for Ben to go, we were all very sad and Jason, Phillip and I had a quiet evening and went to bed ridiculously early. Phillip was due to go the following day, so we had a lovely lunch and dinghied him to the dockyard for his taxi. It was the saddest thing to see his face poking out of the window as the taxi drove off. They had both gone. We felt very forlorn and forwent the Shirley Heights party.
The last week has gone very quickly. We have got a lot of jobs done. The sails are back and I spent a morning trying to get the blue anti-foul off the genoa while Jason checked the water filter. We have had the alternator serviced and replaced the fridge belts. In between time, we have managed to squeeze in a few drinks and barbeques.
Yesterday we joined Lucy Ellen and Coral Moon for a beach barbeque which was lovely. Unfortunately, we had been to Shirley Heights the previous night and danced our socks off. When we got back to the boat, in my haste to get off and into the water to cool down, I managed to fall down our aft cabin hatch, so my back wasn`t feeling so good.
We are starting to feel a little more Christmassy now. Santa has dropped a few parcels off and we have had the Christmas carols out a couple of times. We had an early Christmas with Ben and Phillip before they left, which was fantastic. The lights, carols, Christmas cards, the lot!
The pressies are wrapped, mince pies will be on the go soon. It is Christmas Eve and we`re starting to get excited. Odd to have beautiful sunshine, anchored off a paradisical palm lined beach, when we should by rights be wrapped up warm in Cornwall. We are thinking of you all (Hope your electric blanket is working well, Frank - thanks for your message!). We have a Christmas breakfast planned on board Coral Moon, followed by a champagne party in Nelsons Dockyard, (then possibly a siesta!) before heading to Life for turkey and all the trimmings in the evening. So we will be thinking of you as we have our Christmas swim to, and walk, on the beach, in Freemans Bay rather than Crackington Haven!
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!
We woke to beautiful sunshine - could this really be Christmas day?! After opening our pressies, we phoned the mum`s in Cornwall. Felt very odd not to be in Canworthy Water this year, but good to speak to everyone (although I`m shocked that the present opening happened before the pub this year). We had a Christmas swim to the beach and back, then headed over to Coral Moon for a smoked salmon based breakfast on board. Absolutely delicious and lucky we ate down below as the heavens opened just as we got over there. It then continued to be blustery and rainy all morning - we all felt more at home with that!
We proceeded on shore to Nelsons dockyard where there was a reggae band playing and cheap champagne freely available. By now the rain had slowed and mainly stopped and the sun was peeking out. Jason wore his hat and we both wore our Christmas presents. It was a great atmosphere and everyone was dancing and swigging champagne. We were due at Life for a Christmas dinner at 5.00, so dragged ourselves away from the party to head back to the beachand boat briefly so calm down a bit. It had been quite a lively morning, so was good to get a breather before heading back.
We had a bit of a downpour again on the way to the restaurant and I think we cut up Coral Moon in their dinghy as we approached the restaurant jetty. Dinghy Boy gets a bit over-excited sometimes. We had a lovely roast turkey and all the bits - a very good meal. We even had crackers, too! Then a bit of a disco...
Boxing Day, we woke a bit groggy - it was a beautiful, sunshine-y day again, though. We had breakfast on Lucy Ellen - Josie did a fantastic full english for 6 people, which is very impressive stuff for any of you who have seen the size of our galleys! Neil had even got up early to bake bread - we felt very spoilt! Coral Moon and Lucy Ellen were planning to head off to Guadeloupe the next day, but we had a bit of fridge work to do and wanted to cruise round Antigua a bit, so it was our last day with them. Neil produced his boogie board and Jason and dinghy boy almost jumped up and down with excitement! My back was still a bit stiff so I abstained from playing and Josie and I sat on Trenelly and laughed and jeered at them as they dragged each other around the anchorage! Looked like good fun, and we are sure to get one of our own at some stage - the more toys the better!
We went and tied up on the dock for a couple of days after Boxing Day, so we could get our fridge sorted out. We had been having a few problems with it for a while. It mainly needed a vac and to have its pipes and things cleaning. We took the opportunity to have a good clear up as we were connected to fresh water. We had only just run out of water from the crossing, which was pretty good going, but with abundant water supplies we felt more free and easy with it - I even had a shower on Christmas Day!!
We got chatting to a few people on neighbouring boats, which was great to meet new people. We were invited to eat with a group on New Years Eve and had a brilliant evening, culminating with the obligatory reggae band and cheap champagne! There were even fireworks! It was a really good night - odd to spend such a good evening with people we may never see again! Needless to say, despite plans of leaving the following day, we didn`t. However, once we had done the more pressing jobs, we did finally leave the dock and anchor back in Freemans Bay with a view for leaving the following day and touring the island a bit
We both felt a bit jittery about leaving Freemans Bay. We had been sailing in Trenelly most days since leaving Plymouth in May, and even in Plymouth we were out several times a week. We had been in harbour for almost a month and finding it surprisingly difficult to leave! I think after the big crossing, where there is always going to be some feeling of insecurity out in the middle of the ocean, we had dropped anchor and felt safe, secure and trouble-free. I think there was a residual feeling of out-there being very big, even though we were just planing on doing a few short sails around the island. However, Once we set of out of the bay and got the sails up, the feeling of escape, liberation, whatever was fantastic. It was so wonderful to be out there, sailing, with the sun shining down, the water looking beautiful. Absolutely fantastic!! We were both still a bit wobbly on the sailing front - it felt as though we had forgotten what to do, even though we hadn`t - and we had lad to deal with, which we hadn`t had much to do with on the Atlantic crossing!
We were heading round to the west coast of the island, to Five Islands Bay. It was 15 miles maximum, so a very easy first sail (I remember the days when the 21 miles to Fowey seemed like a big deal!). We had a choice to go around the line of reef in the south or to go between it and the land. We chose to sail through it, which was a great way to revise our navigational skills. We had the wind behind us most of the way through, then a lovely sail up the island to Five Islansds Bay, which was wonderful. There was only one other boat in there, and no buildings. It felt marvellously remote after English Harbour, which is comparatively busy. We swam and relaxed and felt good.
We stayed for a couple of nights and dinghyed round to Jolly Harbour where we picked up a couple of steaks for the barbeque - mmmm.
Then a pleasant, but short sail round to Deep Bay, which was a bit more tourist orientated, but really only beacause we had come from such a quiet anchorage. There is a wreck in the middle of the bay which has it`s bow and a mast sticking above the water - great for snorkelling. There was coral all over the body of the boat and plenty of fish. It felt quite freaky looking down at it from the dinghy - remember in Jaws when the head comes out of the boat - yeugh! We got in though and it was brilliant - not having dived before, it was the first time I have seen a wreck and it was cool - just like flying over it. There were some quite large fish in there too!
We are now in the north of the island off an island called Long Island - we had quite light winds to get here, but it was a lovely sail. The second half involved a lot of dodging reefs - most of which are underwater and difficult to see. We had to tack through it all as well, so made for quite an interesting sail! It is a lovely spot. A beautiful beach and a bit of an exclusive resort (they weren`t interested in giving us food last night, so we had a Fray Bentos pie left over from the crossing!!!). The water is a beautiful colour and there are millions of starfish on the bottom - amazing we didn`t slice through one with the anchor, really...
We had a very tranquil sail back down the west coast of Antigua and stopped at Dickenson Bay in time for a lovely lunch on shore. This is a long white sand beach, but is full of jet skis and is quite touristy (half of the beach is taken by Sandals). However, there are a few good restaurants on the shore and plenty of watersports. Jason asked about waterskiing and they were able to pick us up from Trenelly and take Jason out. The sea was reasonably flat by the time they were ready and Jason did brilliantly (I did the proud wife bit and took photos from the safety of the speedboat!). I was particularly impressed by the going over the wake bit - very athletic looking.
We stayed the night anchored of the beach and then headed back to English Harbour to check out. We had a great sail down to Pelican Island, with a few short, fast tacks to get through the five islands on the way. As we rounded the bottom of the island, we came to Cades reef again. This time it was a bit more tricky to navigate as we had to short tack down it between the reefs out to sea and on shore. Good fun, but completely knackering - whenever either of us saw anything remotely like a reef (and they are fairly clear), we had to tack. We got to English Harbour exhausted, but it had been a great sail. We had planned to check out and go straight to Nonsuch, but decided to take it easy instead!
We awoke to a beautiful day for Jason`s birthday, and after checking out and trying to get some Euros for Guadeloupe we headed out towards Nonsuch Bay. It was a relatively short sail, so not much problem having the wind on our nose, and we got to Green Island in no time. We only stayed one night before heading to Guadeloupe, but this is a lovely bay - no noise, no houses, just sea, beaches, reefs and we had an anchorage all to ourselves - wonderful. We had a bit of a snorkel, then lunch, then some more swimming followed by a boat barbeque - mmm. It gets dark very early here, and was already very dark by the time we had finished our barbequed chicken, so we got the lamp and shone it into the water as we threw in a few bits of leftovers. Some of the fish down there were enormous!!
We woke very early so we would arrive in Deshaies, Guadeloupe, well before dark and with time to explore a bit. We had chosen to leave on this day as the wind was due to have more of a northerly component, enabling a smoother passage. We set off in brilliant sunshine and looked forward to an easy sail. However, a few hours into the trip, we noticed that the sky was looking particularly dark ahead. Sure enough, on came the squall! Rain and a bit more wind, meant a quick reef and George (autopilot) took over while we headed for the shelter of the sprayhood. This happened on and off all day, with Guadeloupe a grey blob in the distance, continually covered in dark cloud and rain! The final approach was particularly wet and we even got the oilies out - Not the sort of weather we`d expected in the Caribbean! Deshaies is a nice little town and very very french - surprisingly so, even though we had known it was part of France. It was good to be able to get croissants and baguettes for breakfast and even the roadsigns were similar to those in Paris. It felt very different from Antigua, which is very much more beaches and palm trees and it felt odd after we`d been in one place for so long, especially as the rainy squalls continued for several days.
We spent a few days in Deshaies and did a bit of snorkelling out by the cliffs. One day we decided to take dinghy boy out for some fishing - I prepared a packed lunch, while Jason set up a couple of simple lines. After half-heartedly dangling the lines in the water, we realised that if we put our heads in the water with mask and snorkel on, we could target our fish! Marvellous - just like picking them out at the shops! Unfortunately, there were more pretty fish than edible ones, so we moved dinghy boy along a bit and started again. This time we decided it would be even better if we got in the water and swam along looking for the fish, then dangled the bacon-laden line in front of them and Bob`s your uncle. It worked really well and we had four fish in no time. A great barbeque`d meal for the evening. It had all started because the fish stall in the town had no fish. Much better to catch our own!
We motored the 9 miles or so down to Pigeon Island and anchored off the beach. We had noticed the alternator was charging a bit high, so Jason fitted the spare, which didn`t work!! We had just had the pair of them checked out and couldn`t believe it. It seems as though we can never fix the problem, or another one comes in it`s place - would be wonderful if we could get it sorted once and for all. Not a serious problem, but niggly.
Pigeon Island is home to the Jacques Cousteau Underwater Park. It is a brilliant place to snorkel. There are whole schools of different fish. There is a lot of scuba diving here, and it was fun to follow them down and check out the bottom (obviously we couldn`t stay down for any time at all with our snorkel gear!!). We even saw a yellow and black eel in amongst some rocks.
We had popped into a tourist info place to find out where the nearest food shop was, and noticed some great pictures of people jumping in waterfalls. It was called Canyonning. We found the place that ran it and were immediately persuaded to sign up. It was cool - our first bit of eco-tourism! It was a cross between a nature trail and a water sport. Once we were kitted up with wetsuit, harness and hard hat, we followed our guide down a long trail through the forest down to the river. He pointed out all the interesting trees, fruits, orchids, fresh water shrimps and all sorts of things. We then wandered along the length of the river, jumping in rockpools, swimming through the same, we had one abseil beside a small waterwall, a huge jump (I wimped it a bit and jumped from halfway down!) and a rockslide. It was great fun, and cool to get into the interior for a while as we always tend to see places from the sea rather than inland. It felt very strange the first time we jumped into a pool and had fresh water go up our noses rather than the usual sea water. It was a really fun morning and I would fully recommend it to anyone (check from how high you have to jump, though!). I have included a couple of pictures that the organisers sent me - although it is not us in the pictures, it is the same part of the river we went along.
From Pigeon Island we headed down to the Saintes briefly to check it out before Mum and John get here - a lovely place, but we will be back there, so will write about it then! It was a bit of a tough sail as the wind was right on our nose and there was quite a short chop to the sea. However, it was a fairly short sail and was fun to tack into the anchorage.
We had terrible trouble checking out of Guadeloupe. It seems that the customs men are never in their offices. We tried on several days and in several ports but to no avail. We were worried we would be sent back the 40-odd miles from Antigua, but it seems they are used to it.
We had a brilliant sail back from the Saintes, with the wind on the beam most of the way. In the lee of the mountains, the sea is relatively flat and we managed a top score of 9.3 knots on the GPS - Trenelly really comes into her own with 15 knots or more of wind. She loved it (I think Dinghy Boy was quite glad to be on top rather than behind, as well).
A night in Deshaies, then up early to head back to Antigua yesterday - a cracking sail again - we managed almost 8 knots for most of the crossing! It went like a shot. We are now back in Antigua getting the alternator checked out again and waiting for Mum and John.
We sailed around to meet Mum and John at Nonsuch Bay. We had quite big seas and it was a bit rainy, so fortunately a fairly short trip. We anchored near Harmony Hall and they arrived just in time for a huge downpour. Dinghy Boy took us back to Trenelly in two trips, sporting his fancy new light that Jason fashioned while we were in Freemans Bay. Now he can go as fast as he likes and people can see him to get out of the way!! We had a bit of a delayed Christmas with pressies bought over from England which was lovely - you can`t have too many Christmas`s & this was our third!!
We had a wonderful lunch at Harmony Hall the following day, with a most impressive `bit of everything` starter. We had a lovely view of Trenelly anchored from the restaurant. A low-key evening with cards, poached eggs on toast a la Jason and some star-gazing. We identified Gemini which is quite a cool one, and apparently one of the heads is St Nicholas, patron saint of sailors! A very clear night. We sailed across to the anchorage on the Eastern side of Nonsuch where we anchored between three huge superyachts. Trenelly held her own, I think. A refreshing swim to the little island, then a snorkel on the reef. It is a nice anchorage with the Atlantic in full view, with any swell blocked by continuous reefs.
We stayed in Freemans Bay for a couple of nights as a strong Northerly swell was forecast which would have affected us on the west coast where we had planned to go. However, English Harbour had started to feel like home by then! We did some more snorkelling and Jason tried to catch fish but they ate the ham straight of the hook. Bacon is the thing for this style fishing. On the Sunday evening we climbed the hill to Shirley Heights for the weekly jump up. A sunset, a few rum punches, some steel band, some barbeque and a dance later we all felt pooped and headed back to the boat where we realised it wasn`t even 9.00pm yet! We tend to have really early nights here as the sun is really strong then sets rather suddenly at 6.00 when it is instantly pitch black. We are often in bed by 8.30!
We headed down to Deshaies in Guadeloupe the following day. I embarrassed myself by being the only one to be seasick - I think the rum punch may have been the major cause, unfortunately. It was a good sail if a little rolly, and we got to Guadeloupe in good time. It was really blowing when we got there - not the quiet anchorage it had been on our previous visit. Thank goodness for anchor alarms for peace of mind. Bit of a wander in town then on down to Pigeon Island the next afternoon, where we had a lovely barbeque on board.
We had planned to pick up a mooring by the island itself the next day, but they were all taken, so myself, Mum and John jumped in with snorkels and stuff and headed in while Jason drifted around waiting for us. It was a bit of a swim to the island and as we approached it, I turned and saw John having trouble - we ended up one on each side towing him to a french dive boat where we left him while Mum and I did some snorkelling. It was quite a worry though. The weather was very grey, so we headed on towards the Saintes shortly afterwards. We had a great sail across the channel, tacking across and trying to keep an eye on any other boats that might be trying to catch us up, but I think we were fast enough! The Saintes is a nice place to wander around, but full of french people on scooters - just like Paris! We thought if you can`t beat them, join them and hired a couple for a day. It was my first time on one so I had my eyes closed for a large part of the first ride - up a steep, winding hill road to the fort with a bit of a big drop to one side. I think me and mum got the hang of it pretty quickly though, although both John and Jason managed wheelies, skids and so on.... It was the perfect way to see the island in the end, as we could stop and start as we wanted and it is such a small island a car is unnecessary. Really good fun. At one point we ended up on a beach with signs saying that there should be no swimming. Obviously, everyone was in the water! Especially when we had a massive downpour - Jasons hat got a good rinse. We stayed a few days in the Saintes, but our favourite anchorage was under the Pain du Sucre which was idyllic - incredibly clear water, good snorkelling and no ferries. I made Jason a delayed birthday cake while he climbed the hill in search of that perfect shot of the boat (we seem to have a lot of pictures of goats as well, which I`ll spare you). Then, of course, a barbeque! We`d had a nice few days, although a bit grey with plenty of wind and rain. However, when we left for Dominica it was a clear, sunny day with not a breathe of wind and we had to motor the whole way!
We anchored in Portsmouth which was a bit disappointing, but had a nice swim and arranged for a boat boy to take us into the town for the evening, when we had a nice meal at the Blue Bay restaurant. We had a boat boy take us up the Indian River which is quite a nice trip - very quiet as we were reasonably early. Lots of crab holes and we saw quite a few egrets. The mangroves made beautiful reflections in the river.
Next, and final, stop was in Roseau where we hired a car and spent the day inland. The landscape is huge. Very lush and green with flowers everywhere. It was lovely just driving around, before we even got to the waterfalls. It was just a short walk to the waterfall, then a real effort to clamber over rocks and wade through pools to get to the main part. By the time we got there, we were soaked, so went for a swim in our underwear! There was hot water running down to another pool. I had never heard of this before, but it was, naturally, pretty hot. I think there was a bit of a landslide in recent years so it is not so good for swimming in as it was. We took the car off road a bit and ended up near some sulphur springs which were pretty stinky, then headed back to a large lake in the mountain. It took ages to get there, and the weather got worse and worse as we climbed - so much so that by the time we had crawled up steep rocky paths in the car, we could barely see the lake itself and it was way too wet to get out and have a wander!!! A good drive though!
We had just over a week before George and Fay came out to visit, so had decided to use the time to learn to scuba dive. Since they had done it before, we could dive with them while they were visiting. We had read that Dominica was one of the best places to dive in the Caribbean - I think it is less visited and so the coral is more protected. We signed up for a PADI open-water dive course at the Anchorage Hotel in Roseau. Jason had done a little bit of diving before, but I had wimped out in the Virgin Islands and not been since. We spent the first day and a half in the pool and watching videos, then into the sea! It felt so wierd to breathe underwater and to look up and see the surface and under boats. It took me a while to feel completely comfortable with it, but Jason took to it like a natural. One of my least favourite things was taking of the mask, but we got through the tasks, just off the jetty to the hotel. I had never seen coral so close up - there was a lot down there, even though it was just off the hotel and not a dive site as such. Our teacher pointed out fish, shrimp and eels.
After we qualified, we went off to a couple of dive sites to the South of the island. The first was a wall right at the end of the island. There is a huge underwater crater and the coral has grown all over the walls. It made our training dive area look desolate. There were so many colours - it was fantastic. We saw a frog fish, which has a real O of a mouth - quite a funny one. It was incredible how much there was to see. After this, we headed to the champagne beach, where we dived across to some coral, then round to the bubbles that give the beach it`s name. There is hot air coming up through the rocks which bubble all around. If you touch the rock in certain places it is actually boiling hot - really bizarre underwater!
We spent about a week in Roseau and spent a few evenings at the All One Bar just near where we were moored. This was a nice little bar, but with the most tricky pontoon I`ve ever come across. It has a bunch of floating plastic blocks, which are tied down to the rocks. They are attached to the shore by a rope and you have to pull in on this rope and make a leap into the water when the surge is going in the right direction and head to the shore. The first time we did it, we got soaked (especially John) but we got used to it after a couple of times. It was a great place to watch the green flash - we saw one for the first time the night after Mum and John left, then for 5 consequetive days afterwards! It was a really chilled out place to spend an evening and we didn`t usually feel like cooking after a days diving, so had some great Mexican food there.
Once we had qualified as open-water divers, we had 3 days before George and Fay got to St Lucia, so a couple of days sailing to get past Martinique and to St Lucia. We were a bit later than planned leaving Dominica as David from All One had got in a bottle of Cavalier rum and between us we made pretty good inroads. As we rounded the bottom of Dominica we saw a load of dolphins, some of which came to play with us. We had some jump and turn on their backs - it was a lovely sight. The weather was a bit up and down rounding the headland, with light winds then strong gusts as the wind went between the mountains. The mountains are huge on these islands and the effect on the wind can be quite variable. We had these gusts all the way across to Martinique with one incredible one where we could see the blackness in the distance, reefed and then were hit by up to 40 knots of wind! It was quite a trip. Once we got into the lee of the island, we had virtually no wind, then the odd squall came through to get our hopes up, then nothing. So we were motoring half the time, then could sail for a while, then it was too strong, then nothing. The most frustrating thing. We had been in contact with Coral Moon and had planned to get to the south of the island to meet up, but decided it was too far in these conditions. So headed into Grand Anse D`Arlet. It was getting dark as we approached, and we could see the lights of the land at Fort de France, but then a squall cqme through and cut everything out again. By now, we were in oilies and really looking forward to getting to an anchorage. The squall passed and we could see the outline of the bay by the moon, then just as we got to the entrance, another squall! Bonkers! With GPS, radar and me on the bow, we got into the bay and weaved between the boats to finally drop anchor - sweet relief! So nice to get there.
We left early-ish the next day and had a great sail down to St Lucia. The wind was a bit ahead and there was quite a sea running, but it was a lovely clear day. We got there in good time to relax for a bit before George and Fay arrived the next evening.
George and Fay were delayed and had to spend a day in Antigua due to a late arrival from the UK (bit more comfy in an Antiguan all-in hotel than Trenelly...!), but we met up the next evening in Rodney Bay. We spent a couple of days in Rodney Bay, anchored off the beach. We swam to the beach and were told by someone in a boat that we shouldn`t be in the water! That didn`t seem right, until we realised that there were windsurfers, jet skis and the like whizzing around. On the way back it felt like we were hedgehogs crossing a main road. We got some fish from the fishermans dock and barbequed it - very spicy and definitely better straight on the barbeque and not in foil.
Next day, we got the sails up and headed down to Marigot Bay, which is quite an enclosed anchorage, with a fringe of palms between the boat and the sea - very pretty. We decided to head for a swim, but as soon as we got to the waters edge it started to bucket it down - seems to be a bit of a theme starting for visiting Burrows`! Sampled a few happy hours and had quite a nice steak. We stayed in Marigot Bay the next day as well, although we moved the boat as she had dragged a fair bit in the night. However, once we had found a spot, we were almost immediately surrounded by two huge charter catamarans! On one side were a group of elderly Germans who dropped their anchor right on ours and on the other a group who were attempting to re-fit the mainsail. It was a bit windy in gusts, so both were a slight worry. In the end we moved again for peace of mind! Once we had dropped the anchor, the boat behind us needed to leave, so we motored forward a little to give him room. That was when Jason realised the throttle had gone! Thank goodness the anchor was down when it happened! Fortunately, we had a spare so it wasn`t a major problem and kept us busy for a bit.
After Mum and John had left us, they had gone to meet some friends to sail in the Grenadines. They were back in St Lucia, so we headed up to Rodney Bay to meet up with them. It was a nice afternoon on board and evening in Spinnakers on the beach front. On the trip up to Rodney Bay, the steering had seemed a bit sloppy, and we had previously noticed a bit of corrosion on the cables, so we had it checked whilst we were in Rodney Bay - it was OK, but needed replacing soon. George and Fay sorted out some scuba diving while we were in the north, and we dived around Barrel O`Beef and off Pigeon Island. It was not as good as Dominica, but still great to get down again. We saw a couple of lobster, lots of coral and other fish. It hadn`t seemed too sunny when we set off, so George & Fay had skipped sun lotion (after being really good all week). George had only just come down from a factor 30 to a factor 20. Both burnt hands and neck, but luckily were wearing long wetsuits, so arms and legs were protected.
Back down to Marigot Bay for the night, then on to Anse Chastenet for a snorkel and lunch. The water was really clear down here, so quite a good snorkel and we saw a fish trap full of exotic fish. A lovely lazy afternoon with a couple of bottles of rose, but we moved on to Malgretout, near Soufriere, for the night as it was a little rolly. We had to tie a line to a palm tree on the shore here, as the bay shelves quite steeply - the line acted as a great balancing line, somersault axis, etc...
We had heard that the diving was better in the south, so headed round to Jalousie, between the Pitons, to book up for a couple of dives. Our mooring was right opposite the Jalousie Hilton, which is a really smart resort. It is spread out among tropical trees and plants and very low key - rather nice. We spent a bit of time having a wander and then hired a taxi to do a bit of a tour. We covered the Botanical Gardens which was a bit of a walk in the heat, but quite nice, then the waterfall. There were a few people around the waterfall but no-one in it - we had brought our swimmers along especially, so jumped in. The water stream is surprisingly strong - we have some good video of us under the fall, if George can put it on the site, but otherwise you`ll have to make do with the photo! Our next stop was the drive-through volcano! It stinks! Although a relatively small area, there are pools of bubbling sulphur throughout. We had a wee drinkie at the Hilton on our return. Jason had a yearning for a rum cocktail out of a coconut, but they only had glasses - that`ll be a quest for us in the future. That evening we headed into one of the restaurants on shore where there was an Italian buffet (as much as you can eat!!!!) It was really good food and we stuffed ourselves.
We had a couple of good dives the next day. When we had booked them, we had asked if we could do a wreck, but had been told that they did the wreck on a different day. However, when we turned up he said we could go there! It was really cool to swim through the cabin and look through to a school of Blackbar Soldierfish on the other side. The trapped air on the ceiling reflected back at us. I had been a bit nervous of actually going in, but it was sooo cool! (and you could see an easy way out again!) Our next dive was called Supermans Flight which is a bit of a drift dive, but I don`t think the current was too strong that morning. It was a lovely dive with lots to look at. By now I was getting much more confident of being underwater and even able to blow bubbles up Jason`s wetsuit! We were all pretty pooped by the time we got back, especially after a HUGE cheeseburger, and had a lazy afternoon. Jason and George set up the spinnaker pole as a swing from the top of the mast, and played on that (despite torrential rain! Me and Fay stayed in the dry!).
And then it was suddenly the last day. We had a buffet breakfast on shore, then availed ourselves of the hotel pool, before George and Fay headed back to civilisation. Very sad to see them go.
We had planned to stay a couple of days between the Pitons after George and Fay left, but we had had so much wind there it was getting wearing. To top it all, our mooring line had snapped, leaving Trenelly to drift off! Luckily we were on board, but will be much more careful next time we take a mooring. We headed back up to Rodney Bay in the hope that our steering cable would have arrived from England. It actually took about a week before it got to St Lucia, which isn`t too bad. Oyster were really helpful. In the week waiting, we got lots of niggly jobs done that had been on the list for a while, but we hadn`t got round to. So it was a week well spent. We had quite a lot of wind and rain, so quite nice to be in a marina for a bit. Also, we had a bit of a bug problem, but managed to sort that out too.
We had a couple of other boats with us in Waterside Landings and they had a daily `happy hour` at around 4.00pm. After the first night when we met Charles, Ren and Mary it was decided we were to have Beer Butt Chicken! This delicacy involves inserting a beer can up each chicken, pouring beer into a smoker with some hickory chips and off you go! Very tasty indeed.
Dinghy Boy has never been the same since he had that anchor through his bow, and he had been getting worse recently, with us having to pump him up several times a day - not a happy dinghy - a bit depressed? We saw a sign for a proper dinghy mender and immediately sent Dinghy Boy off to the menders. It was sad to see him taken away, a shadow of his former self, but the next time we saw him, he was soo perky! We have not had to pump him up since!
Once we got the steering cable, it was obvious the job would take a few days. We took out the old stuff. The conduit (that the cable runs through) is made of plastic with wire wrapped around it and had completely perished. It had actually rusted into a solid mass which had welded itself into the hull - it took a day just to unscrew and take out the conduit. The job took longer than we had expected, but it felt good to have done it ourselves. I certainly understand the steering far better now.
It was quite nerve-wracking the day we untied and headed out to sea to try out the steering - in fact it was much better than before. The weather was beautiful and we did a few turns around Rodney Bay before setting the anchor. Although it had been convenient to be tied up for a while, it felt so free to be at anchor again and be able to swim off the boat. Wonderful. We set off for Martinique the following morning and had one of our best sails. I think it was partly that we had not been out for a few weeks, but also we had a good wind on the beam and the seas were fairly calm and no rain. It was beautiful! We got to Ste Anne, Martinique in a really good time and sailed under genoa between the other boats to find a good spot. It was a really lovely place. Very protected and we were right off the beach, so could do our daily swim to the beach and back.
Great food as well - we were able to buy fresh baguettes every morning and saucisson and goats cheese from Champion (the supermarche)! We even got a leg of lamb which we roasted with potatoes and which lasted for a few days - cold roast lamb in baguette with french grainy mustard - mmm! Also, a good fruit and vegetable market where we got mangoes, pineapple,... We took time out from eating and rented a car one day. Fort de France was pretty and had a Galerie Lafayette - bit smaller than the Paris version, though. Also, a lovely drive through the mountains and rain forest. At the north of the island is a large volcano (I don`t have much to compare it with, but it seemed big to me). It had wiped out the town of St Pierre some years ago and still looked very impressive.
Unfortunately, we didn`t take a single picture in Martinique!
Our sail back south from Ste Anne to the Pitons was another lovely, fast one with good weather. We had a bit of a swim and an early night before heading down to St Vincent the next morning - it was a rotten day! It bucketed down with rain and was incredibly grey! Oh well. We got our oilies out and it was actually quite pleasant to sail in the rain - memories of our time in Plymouth, again. It cleared up well before we got to St Vincent and was another great sail. We arrived in Wallilabou in the late afternoon and anchored of the beach with a line to shore. We had thought it looked a bit odd when we arrived and once we were closer in, we realised that the film set for the film `Pirates of the Caribbean` was still there. It was quite odd to walk over a stone bridge and find that it is actually just plywood and plaster. It was all very realistic.
Our next stop was Long Island Cut and the Blue Lagoon. It had looked lovely in the photos, but was a bit disappointing. A bit of interesting reef navigation coming out the other side of Long Island Cut, then very low depths going into the Blue Lagoon - our draught if 2m, and the depth guage read 1.4m!! We do need to re-calibrate the guage. I was standing on the bow to watch for rocks and it was soo shallow! We only stayed a night and then headed down to Bequia.
A lovely down wind sail to Bequia which is very close to St Vincent - a few other boats heading the same way, so fun to try to keep ahead! Approaching Bequia you can see the rest of the islands of the grenadines stretching beyond it - these islands are much smaller and closer together than the other islands we had visited - some great island hopping ahead. As soon as we rounded the headland to Admiralty Bay, we loved it. A really pretty place with lovely beaches, shops, quite a low-key harbour, but it has pretty much all you need. This was the Caribbean we had been hoping for. After an exciting tack through the gusts off Devils Table we anchored off the beach, just far enough to be able to do our beach and back exercise. Wonderful.
Sue & Phillip were based in the Tamarind Beach Hotel on Canouan and we anchored off the beach opposite their rooms. It was an easy swim to and from shore to meet up with them. The first couple of days we stayed at Canouan, relaxing by the sea, although we did do a walk over to the Atlantic coast of the island where we found a lovely deserted beach protected by reefs, looking out towards the Atlantic. A very hot day, so very refreshing to have a swim (albeit some of us in pants!) at the end of the walk.
The 3rd April was Sue`s 60th birthday and we headed to Tobago Cays - a beautiful spot a few miles south of Canouan. The area consists of a few small islands (just sand and palm trees) protected from the Atlantic swell by a reef. The water was a glorious turquoise and so clear. A beautiful place to arrive at and it feels deserted until you round the last island and see all the other boats! We were in and swimming as soon as the anchor was down. The water was a beautiful colour and really hard to capture on film, although Jason did a good job from the mast head! Sue & Phillip`s hotel had organised a picnic for us and a HUGE chocolate cake which we scoffed with champagne. There were a lot of boat boys - each with a memorable name - but they weren`t over-persistent, and shortly after we arrived we arranged with `Goldfinger`! for a barbequed lobster on shore that evening. As arranged he picked us up around sunset and served up the most delicious lobster we`d ever tasted, barbequed with garlic butter and with barbequed vegetables - mmm. It was the nicest `restaurant` we`d been to as well - just a barbeque and a rickety table on the beach (luckily we remembered our head torch, or we`d have been truly in the dark). The next day Jason, Phillip, Me and Dinghy Boy went snorkelling on the horseshoe reef around the Cays - it was the most interesting snorkelling we have done with a real labrinth of coral to swim through.
After another slobbing around day in Canouan, we set off for Bequia where we wandered in town, swam to the beach and ended with barbequed chicken on the boat. Jason and Phillip were on the beach when a lizard fell on Jason`s back - meanwhile Sue and I bought some locally made necklaces, one with a carved wooden whale and one with a dolphin.
The following day saw us in Mustique, getaway for the rich and famous (and yachties!). We arrived for sunset and had a sundowner in Basils Bar and ended up spending the evening there with a lovely, if price-y, meal. We had seen a few little car things around and decided to hire one for a few hours to explore the island. This mule was ideal for the job and let in plenty of breeze as we drove around. Mustique is really unusual and a little surreal - we felt a lot like we were in the old series The Prisoner and kept expecting ballons to appear. The roads vary from wide pavement affairs to proper tarmac to dirt tracks, and navigation was difficult despite the low number of roads and size of the island! We found a lovely beach called Macaroni Bay - I think this is my favourite so far. It is on the east coast, so gets the Atlantic swell, but this is mainly broken up by the complex reefs out to sea. So, we had a fair amount of surf to play in which is quite a change from the usual calm seas. A bit like Widemouth, maybe...? It was a really lovely day and it ended with an easy down-wind sail back to Canouan.
After these two nights away, we stayed in Canouan for a couple more sunbathing days and Sue and Phillip were looking a lot browner than when they`d arrived, weaning off the factor 20!
We had a couple more day trips. One to Saltwhistle Bay in Mayreau which is a pretty, very sheltered anchorage to the west of the island. A long, whitesand beach and palm trees abounded. Our last day sail was another trip to Tobago Cays - it is a pretty windy spot, so this time we anchored behind one of the islands as protection against the wind! Still a lovely swim to the beach and beautiful clear water.
Our penultimate day back at Canouan we availed ourselves of the complimentary watersports of the hotel - Jason and Phillip took out sailing dinghies and disappeared into the distance, and I spent a bit of time climbing onto and falling off a windsurfer, despite it`s tiny sail. The wind in the bay is quite fluke-y. Close to land there is very little and further out it is very gusty, as we had found when tacking in with Trenelly.
All in all, plenty of good sailing with Canouan as a central base to come back to for lounging around when we were finished lounging around the boat! The grenadines are perfect for short hops and are more the Caribbean we had been expecting/hoping for with quiet beaches on smaller islands. Phillip and Sue had a lot of practise of tacking into bays and went home with decent tans and stronger muscles.
We headed back up to Bequia well in time for the Easter regatta. The town was quite lively and there were lots of boats around. We had dinner with Lucy Ellen on our first night - we hadn`t seen them since they had left Antigua soon after Christmas, so it was great to catch up. Coral Moon arrived a day later, so the Atlantic crossing gang were back together for a bit!
We had had slight thoughts about entering Trenelly in a race, but quickly decided against it. We dinghied out to watch a couple of races and were quite glad we hadn`t - there is quite a crowd going round those buoys and we later heard someone had got sandwiched between a couple of boats. Trenelly wouldn`t have been amused!! It was good fun to watch other boats having a go, though.
We also headed over to Friendship Bay on the other side of the island to check out the local boats racing. They are really colourful little sailing boats which were all lined up on the beach when we got there, then the crew dragged them into the water to fit rudder and daggerboard before racing. It was quite a breezy day and they were whizzing around at high speed. They are really pretty boats and are traditionally used for catching whales. When we`d been here a few weeks earlier a whale had been caught from one of these boats and everyone was highly excited. They are only allowed to catch 4 a year, so it is a big thing if they bring one in. We couldn`t get enthusiastic about it though, thinking how much better it would be to see one in the ocean.
Easter Sunday was a fantastic day. Most of the day was spent on the beach at Lower Bay starting with the sandcastle competition, then later a `crazy craft` race where people drifted around aimlessly on various constructions, often with just a sarong for a sail! There was beer and barbeque everywhere. The best part of the day though was sitting on a reef with our feet in the water and people watching. So many people turned up and there were kids of all sizes playing in the pool behind the reef. A man showed us some sea roaches - these are really manky and burrow into the sand as soon as they can - basically cockroaches in the water - yeugh!!
We had a later start on Easter Monday but managed to get to the town quay in time to watch musical chairs, followed by a beer drinking competition. This led to a bit of a discussion among the local contestants about cheating, so we wandered of to do some beer drinking on our own! The day ended with a bit of a big night in the Frangipani, a great bar on the sea front, which lethally offers 2 for 1 rum punches at happy hour - no more need be said, except we are off rum for the moment.
We spent about two and a half weeks in Bequia and met some new people as well as catching up with old friends. We were anchored right on the beach, so were able to swim to shore easily and got a bit more exercise than usual by swimming the whole length of the beach back to the boat! One afternoon, while on deck, Jason spotted a Manta Ray swim past. The sea was flat calm and turquoise and the ray was really clear close to the surcface - a really beautiful thing. We saw him again a couple of times but were never quick enough to get the snorkels.
All together a lovely stay, but a couple of weeks is more than enough in any one place and Jason had plans to take the wife to Mustique for the anniversary...
A beautiful sail to Mustique and we got there well in time for a sundowner in Basils Bar. Although Bequia is one of our favourite places so far, it was really nice to be in somewhere different for a change!
Jason popped onto shore for bread in the morning, so we started the day off with a lovely breakfast of baguette and coffee. We hired a mule for the day, so we could get to the windward side of the island for the day with a picnic. We hadn`t stocked up in Bequia as the shop in Mustique had been good when we visited previously, but there was not so much choice this time, so we ended up with Pringles, Boursin and some dried sausage. Very nice! Macaroni Bay was as lovely as we`d remembered and we found ourselves a secluded picnic table to lay out the goodies (after popping a cork). We had a gorgeous day eating and swimming. The wind had been up a bit for the last couple of days, so there was quite a swell coming in over the reefs - this made for excellent body surfing and near drowning - fantastic swimming. The mule was good fun too - it was even smaller than the one we`d hired with Sue and Phillip!
We ended the day with a meal at the Firefly (overlooking the bay) which was delicious.
The next couple of days we got the twins out which was a great way to get around the island, which is really quite small. We checked out Lagoon Bay which is a very calm, protected and shallow beach, and also the beach on the north side of the island. Really good to get the legs working and I felt muscles that hadn`t been stretched in quite some time.
A great few days, but our last night was very rolly, so we were glad to set off for the next place. After our long stay in Bequia we were back in wandering mode.
(We are going to put up a handful of wedding photos on 5th May 2001 as they never did get put onto the wedding website)
We had a wonderful sail down to the Tobago Cays from Mustique. As always an absolute drop in the wind past Canouan, followed by a gust! We sailed to windward of the Saline rocks and straight into the Cays. There were much fewer boats than we had seen previously, so good to have a bit more space in there. However, charterers seemed to find us a bit of a magnet - although there was so much space, they always seemed to pick a spot right next to us! One of the boats in the anchorage was Cerces, so we popped over to say hello and ended up arranging to go with a dive with them and their friends on Surprise. It was one of the best dives we have done so far! We were dropped in between Mayreau and the Cays and drifted with the current. It was quite a current, so if we missed something it was hard to get back for a closer look. We spotted a couple of sharks - one Black Tip and one Nurse Shark. This was the first time we had seen sharks, so was pretty cool. The second one was right at the end of the dive and it was just sitting under a rock minding it`s own business, when we all came along ogling it. A really impressive sight when it upped and swam away. There were a couple of lobster under the rock with it and Glenroy, our guide, told us that the sharks eat lobster - lovers of gourmet food! The dive was really pretty and the coral was very bright - some has been a little grey and dead looking on a couple of the sites we have dived. We also saw a huge ray on the ocean floor, covered in sand.
The dive boat then took us to Petit Tabac for a more sedate dive, then whizzed around Horseshoe Reef to drop us at the boat. There was quite a swell up and the boat jarred and soaked us as it jumped over every wave. We were very glad of our tins of soup back on board! Altogether a fantastic dive.
The Cays are a great place to be away from the shops, restaurants and people, especaially as it was so much emptier. We had bought enough for a few days worth of barbequeing before we left Mustique and were very happy! There are great views down the other islands, and we had a couple of wonderful sunsets. Also, there is a constant wind so the wind generator kept us topped up no problem.
On to Saltwhistle Bay on Mayreau, where we stayed a couple of days, taking time to walk around to Saline Bay and check out the brilliant view of the Cays from the church at the highest point of the island. We had a bit of a snorkel and saw a huge spotted ray with a long long tail (Eagle Ray).
An easy downwind sail to Chatham Bay on Union Island, where there was only a handful of boats, no shops, no bars. Very tranquil, although big gusts came shrieking down the hills from time to time. We had just dropped the anchor, when we saw a blue hulled boat motoring into the bay at speed. Jason recognised it at once as Firemoose, the other boat we had crossed the Atlantic with. We had thought they were heading up to the States, so it was a lovely surprise to see them again. Katy cooked us a great spag bol and we caught up with news. We had a bit of a snorkel around the headland of the bay, but it was quite murky and a bit threatening, especially when a huge shoal of tiny silver fish were disturbed and started swimming around us. Although they were only tiny, there were so many of them and they kept appearing out of the murk, that we sought refuge in dinghy boy and headed back to Trenelly.
We motored round to Clifton, into a headwind and large waves and anchored off the reef. It was very exposed and quite tiring to have such a wind constantly, but we stayed a few days to stock up with supplies (we had been out of beer for some days by now) and catch up on email. An enterprising local had built a bar on the reef, made out of conch shells and was in the process of building a dinghy dock. We helped him out with a couple of rum punches and went back to Trenelly to watch the total eclipse of the moon. The moon was very bright all evening and at around 11.00 (well past our usual bedtime!), it started to eclipse. Jason fell asleep before it happened, while I managed to watch the eclipse, but could not keep my eyes open as it uncovered again!
There are many pretty islands around and we stopped at Palm Island (where we were allowed on the beach, but not onto the rest of the island which was a resort!!), Petit St Vincent and Sandy Island. There are two islands/lumps of sand called Pinese and Mopion. They are just reef and sand with a palm umbrella. We had planned to stop on one of them, but there were people on Mopion and Pinese was a bit reef-orientated. Picture postcard stuff, though.
Our next stop was Tyrell Bay in Carriacou, where we had planned to do an oil change and general maintenance. As has often happened our Sailors Guide was a bit over-enthusiatic about the facilities and we were unable to get engine oil, or cooking gas. Unfortunate as our gas ran out halfway through some noodles. They weren`t too bad a bit crunchy, and it gave us an excuse to go out for pizza the next night (wonderful bacon and calalloo with garlic pizza - mmm).
OUr next sail was from Tyrell Bay to Prickly Bay in the south of Grenada. A decent length day sail after all our short hops. We had planned to go down the windward side of Grenada to avoid the nonsense of the lee (namely no wind, followed by gusts, then no wind) and to catch some fish. The wind did not agree, so we headed down the west coast instead. It was a lovely sail down to the Kick `Em Jenny and past the underwater volcano and we made good time. However, once we were behind the island, the wind started getting flukey as expected. At times we were headed almost West, and were really pushed out from the island, but by the time we passed St Georges, the wind came round and let us in towards Pt Saline.
We had quite a long stay in Grenada, primarily to get a good start on the varnishing. Since it is the first time we have done any we were a little apprehensive about stripping old varnish off. It looked pretty bad, but we didn`t want to end up with it looking worse after our efforts!
It was very slow to start, but as confidence grew, we stormed through it. Most of the floorboards are now done, which was interesting while in progress as we had holes throughout the boat, and it was a bit of a balancing act to move around down below. Added to this we had wet varnish on the pole and the steps and so on, so we couldn`t touch anything either. A bit of a nightmare, but she is looking much nicer now, and the rest I will do a little at a time!
We got a lot of other jobs done - the toilet had to be sorted out AGAIN, the automatic bilge had been playing up again, so that was fixed - the list is endless!
We are anchored in Prickly Bay which is a lovely spot, with a Tiki bar within dinghy distance and a chandlery close by. The maxi taxis are very cheap and easy to use to get into town. Maxi taxis are mini buses which rocket around, shouting out to any potential passengers, even if they are half a mile down the road, screeching to a halt at the slightest hint that someone might want to get in, then belting along at top speed, overtaking anything along the way, particularly around corners, and always just before screeching to a halt for the next unsuspecting passenger. You can`t stay any length of time in the caribbean without experiencing this form of transport - it is very cheap and you often get a few tunes along the way.
On one of our first days at anchor in Prickly Bay, we noticed a dinghy with the same size outboard as ours pulling along a wakeboard. We had been yearning for more toys for quite some time, but weren`t sure that Dinghy Boy was up to it - we knew that he would try his hardest, but he`s only a wee thing compared to some super RIB`s you see. Jason zipped over and asked to try pulling someone behind Dinghers and it worked!! Marvellous. We spent quite a few evenings wakeboarding round the anchorage with Alex from Zuno and Kate and Rob from Esprit du Nord, and will definitely get our own kit for next season.
We had a day out racing with Esprit du Nord which was great fun. Our first time in a yacht race! Jason saw hardly any of the race as he was a `winch monkey - constantly winching the sheets for the headsail. I had a much easier job of counting down the time to the start. It was wonderful to be out on someone else`s boat - responsibility lifted and a lot less to worry about. Esprit du Nord is bigger and lighter and hence faster than Trenelly, so fantastic to be flying around.
Just before we left it was Pete`s birthday. He was staying in his skippee`s pool house, so used the opportunity to have a pool party. Plenty of rum punch and everyone was thrown in the pool twice - the second time, after they had changed back into their dry clothes (I think Alex was most responsible for this!)
The time came to head down to Trinidad, which is a night sail. The first night sail since we crossed the Atlantic, and the last time we did a night sail on our own was back in September when we crossed from Morrocco to Gran Canaria. We were slightly apprehensive, especially on hearing about the possibility of `micro-blasts` - short bursts of high winds (traditionally called squalls!). We`d not heard of these before but they certainly added to the anticipation! We headed off at sunset nevertheless, and raised the sails as we left the bay. It was a lovely evening and we chomped our way through some pasta as the sun set - this is how it was supposed to be!! It was wonderful to be off again, and to have a bit of a bigger trip ahead of us. We have been pootling around so much in the caribbean that I think we have gone a bit soft! We had a wonderful trip, with quite a lot of traffic en route and a large oil rig about half way, so plenty to keep each of us awake on watch. We arrived at the Boca de Monos just before the sun rose, and lost the wind a little as we passed in the passage. We noticed that we didn`t seem to be passing the rocks, and on looking at the GPS, realised we were going backwards!! There must have been quite a current in there! Eventually, we put the engine on and had a gorgeous sunrise as we passed through the channel. It was all wonderfully quiet, apart from birdsong, which we hadn`t realised we had missed so much on the other islands. It was a really lovely arrival to Trinidad.
Well, after our lovely sail and early morning arrival we felt we could treat ourselves to a tie up berth for a couple of days. We had to check in near Crews Inn, and decided that would be as good a place as any (swayed considerably by the swimming pool!). We had a really lovely first few days with sunshine and very little rain, with plenty of trips to the pool. After a couple of days, we booked up for a turtle watching trip with the famous Jesse James. We headed off in a mini bus to the east coast of the island where, after a two hour drive, we tucked into some sarnies and coffee then strolled down to the beach to see what the turtles were up to. It is nearing the end of the laying season, and we were told we were likely to see a turtle laying her eggs, but also there may be some hatchings. We waited in the centre of the 8km beach until rangers radioed that a turtle was coming up the beach. Wisely they don`t encourage random groups to wander around whilst the turtles are in season, or they would all go elsewhere. The first turtle we saw had a problem with her flipper and was unable to dig her hole, but the next that was found had started to dig her hole by the time we got to her. It was an incredible sight - with her back flippers she had managed to dig a very tidy, narrow hole. She took turns with each flipper to scoop out sand and flick it onto the beach, then feel around with the other flipper to find the bottom of the hole. When she had reached down as far as she could she went into a trance as she started laying her eggs. It was only once she went into this trance that we were able to get close and use any lights, or take photographs. It was incredible to watch the eggs pile up - several eggs, then an empty `spacer` (like an egg but just to put a gap between the proper eggs). I was amazed how many she layed. Once she was finished, she gently covered it all with sand and left the area as if nothing had happened. Wow! We also saw some baby turtles that had hatched the previous night, which were surprising cute! What a night!
We had a few odd jobs to do and got some done between showers, and also went into Port of Spain, the capital city - phew, what a lot of noise! A long time since we had been to a big town and we didn`t feel the need to stick around too long!
Jasons mum`s friend`s daughter Nicki lives in Trinidad working for BP, so we got in touch with her while we were in the area. She introduced us to other of her friends, and it was really good to meet up with young, non-boaters for a change. We took Trenelly on a day trip to see the island of Chacachacare, an old leper colony which has been deserted for some years. It was wonderful to get away from it all again. The bay is huge, and has many smaller bays, so it was easy to find a quiet spot, with no other boats. Roger, Jason and dinghy boy went on shore to tie a line stern to, then we set up the barbeque after a cooling swim. We had been at Roger and Emma`s house the previous night for a barbeque and there was plenty left over, so another feast. Later we went on shore for a little explore of the hospital and random deserted leper houses!! It felt quite spooky at times, and I would not like to wander around at night - very Blair Witch, especially upstairs in one of the dormitories where there were odd human cut-out shapes in many of the walls. A bit of a sail back, then a beautiful dolphin display to welcome us back to the harbour (see Nicki`s website for some cool pictures on www.geocities.com/nickitadams/index.html). It was a really lovely day out and the weather held for us.
On our return we took a buoy in Chagauramas (pronounced shag-a-rama`s!). Unfortunately, no pool and the water is really too manky to swim in, but at least had some welcome breeze and were away from land and hence mozzers. By now, we had got the hang of where all the chandleries were and had a massive list of all the jobs we had been putting off, or had not been able to get parts for. Trinidad is a great place for fixing things and you can buy most things for boats here - paradise. We got things fixed that didn`t even know they were broken!!
Dave from Kasheeter (Cash eater!) took our cockpit sole away to work on - it was rotten wood underneath and squashy to stand on when steering, so a long overdue job. We also had a bit of deck on the bow which was coming away, so he stripped it off, and replaced it - very nerve-wracking to see the hole, but it looks wonderful now. Trenelly doesn`t know herself! A lot of the plugs in the teak deck are showing signs of rust and we have tackled a few of those too. The only thing with the new bits is that they are so lovely looking, the rest of the deck looks a bit tatty! It will all fade soon enough.
As well as the turtle trip, we have taken a bit of time between jobs to visit Maracas Bay for some of the famous Shark and Bake (deep fried dough, with fried shark and lots of different chutneys and yummies), Maracas waterfall and the Caroni swamp. The swamp trip was fantastic - it is the home of the Scarlet Ibis, an incredibly bright red bird. At the start of the trip, we saw a snake (a swamp boa?) coiled around a tree, and many birds including Blue Herons and White Egrets. The Scarlet Ibis stole the show though - such a beautiful colour against the clear blue sky, then the colour heightened again as they flew in front of the green mangrove foliage lit up by the setting sun. Too difficult to photograph, and I don`t think a camera could do them justice. They are currently nesting, but out of nesting season, apparently they all land in the trees, around the boats and are quite a sight.
We couldn`t leave Trinidad without a bit of a bar crawl, and Roger, Emma and Nicki did us proud. We met in Apsara for a wonderful curry and then headed to the (renowned?) Pelican, then Shakers followed by Smokey & Buntys, a smaller, local bar in St James that is well-known for going on all night. We managed to drag ourselves away by 4am, satisfied we had seen another side of Trinidad than boats and birdlife!
In all, we have found that Trinidad offers much more than expected and we have had a great stay (and I won`t bore you with any more of the many jobs that got done!!)
While Jason checked out with customs and immigration, I went to check the recent weather forecast, not expecting anything much. There was a tropical depression approaching the island chain which was expected to turn into a tropical storm, passing further north. It looked as though it was going to be north enough not to cause any problems. We motored round to Scotland Bay (the last bay before leaving Trinidad) and I spent the afternoon glued to various weatherfax`s. It was a nice bay, with forest all around, the odd gusty shower, but very protected and a good place to spend our last night in Trinidad. There was a lot of ferocious howling from the forest which sounded like lions, but was just a bunch of howler monkeys calling to each other. There was plenty of birdlife and wonderful yellow butterflies.
We got an early night in order to leave at 4am the next morning, weather permitting. We woke and looked at the last weatherfax that had come through at 2am and there was no sign of tropical storm Erika! As always, I`d worked myself up for nothing!! We left Scotland Bay in darkness, and motored up the Boca and to the ocean - back north to Grenada. It was lovely to be sailing away as dawn broke and not nearly so tiring as an overnight trip. It was a beautiful day and we stayed dry until a small squall nearing Grenada. We even caught three fish! These are the first since we have been in the Caribbean - after our great fishing luck during the Atlantic crossing, we seemed to have dried up. This trip we caught two small tuna things, and a Great Barracuda! The barracuda was so large it actually lasted for two meals and was surprisingly delicious.
Good to be back in a familiar harbour, we settled down to our anchor beer that evening, immediately noticing how less humid it was here. Trinidad has great facilities and we had had slight misgivings that we hadn`t booked Trenelly into one of the yards there for the rainy season, but coming back here we are glad we had decided on Grenada. The breeze is so refreshing after the stillness of Chagauramas.
We spent a couple of days getting her ready to go - drying the sails and getting them down (she looks naked without them!), getting the sprayhood off, trying to be ruthless over chucking out provisions that are going to go off, go damp or attract nasties.
We are now out of the water and on stilts, barnacles are knocked off and seacocks serviced. I really hate feeling balanced up here, but will get used to it soon enough. We just have to remember not to use the toilets or someone on the ground may get a nasty surprise!!
So we head off up to the USA for a few weeks before jetting back to England for a while - highlights to include Lol and Ali`s wedding and poking Penny`s baby, not to mention catching up with as many people as possible!
Since leaving Plymouth last May we have covered over 9000 miles and crossed an ocean. We`ve seen three continents, made many new friends and fixed (fingers crossed) far too many parts of the boat. Now, time for a break for Trenelly and for us - she`s lounging round in Grenada while we tour America and visit home - before returning in November for part two of the Great Cruise onwards and westwards.
We had a 6am flight to San Francisco, so checked in at 4am, feeling not quite perky. An easy flight to San Juan, Peurto Rico where we found that our boarding passes did not match our tickets and we had to hang around an additional 6 hours in San Juan - grr. We headed into the old town and had lunch to kill time and were put in first class for the next two flights but this did not compensate for an eventual 12 hour delay in arrival at San Francisco - aargh. Poor Ian and Hannah waited up until 2am for us to arrive. Bad start to the trip!
Unfortunately, Ian and Hannah had to work, but we saw a bit of San Francisco in the day and it was really good to see Ian and Hannah in the evenings. It seems a long time since we all left Paris and everyone has scattered a bit.
The climate is so much cooler and drier than we had been experiencing in the Caribbean during rainy season. The nights are ever so slightly chilly and around the Bay we needed jackets - lovely! Palo Alto is a lovely town and the flat is luxurious, especially after the boat.
We had a splendid few days exploring San Francisco - bonkers to drive around the city with all it`s one way systems and crazy no-turning corners. It is a really beautiful city with so much to see that we could easily have spent more time there. We even revisited a hostel that Jason stayed in about 10 years ago !
The view from the twin peaks is astouding - the city has so many interesting landmarks and the Bay stretches out for miles. There were always yachts sailing in the Bay and We spent part of one of our days visiting Sausalito which is a vary yacht orientated town with rows on rows of marinas and boats - incredible. It would be great to sail Trenelly under the Golden Gate bridge and into the Bay!! What a lovely place.
We had had a great time in a camping shop near Palo Alto getting a tent and some equipment for our trip. We left Ian and Hannah and headed off towards our first national park, Yosemite. The city had been fun, but we were ready for some countryside! We had booked a campsite on the edge of Yosemite called Crane Flat - it was really pretty. All the sites are far enough away from each other that you have some privacy. We were surrounded by forest and we had squirrels running around us. We were way too excited for a simple camping trip, but getting the tent up and setting up camp was soo cool. It all felt very cosy. We went for a short walk in the forest and came to an incredible viewpoint looking over one of the valleys of Yosemite - wow! Everything is so big and larger than life. We had been very organised and brought cutlery and so on from Trenelly, but unfortunately were less organised with our rubbish disposal and threw out the cutlery on our first nights camping.
We only had one night booked at Crane Flat, so had to get up ridiculously early in the morning to queue for places in Camp 4, a popular campsite in the main valley. It was good and central and we went for several hikes to Yosemite waterfall and along the rivers. The shorts we have been wearing for sailing are a bit disreputable, falling apart at the seams and with serious dinghy bum (the red from dinghy boy rubs off a bit too easily, leaving us looking like baboons), so we treated ourselves to a new pair of shorts each. We should have noticed that something was odd when we both came out after trying on two pairs each and both of us went for a pair that was comfortable in favour of the ones that looked really good.
Our best day was a hike to Half Dome. This is about 9 miles one way. We had to climb up beside two waterfalls, which were very steep, then through forest, before climbing higher and higher towards the Half Dome rock. What a beautiful trail. At Half Dome we were both pretty exhausted. To get up the final part of the walk (up Half Dome itself), you have to climb between two cables because it is so steep - blimey. I wimped out of that bit as I have been getting more and more crap with heights, but Jason dragged himself up there and back - a total of two hours!! He said the whole time he was climbing he was asking hinself what had he got himself into, and saying never again. The only thing that kept him going was the sight of women, children and old men going up behind him!!! There were spectacular views from the place where I stopped, so I can only imagine what it can have been like up there. After that, we still had to get back down, so another 9 miles to get back to the shuttle bus!! A total of 18 miles, a climb of almost 5000 ft and about 10 hours of walking - phew. It makes the Lake District seem a bit small.
This walk was when we realised we were getting middle-aged. Not only had we chosen comfort over looks in our shorts, but we had real trouble keeping up with the 20-somethings on the hike!! We had been kidding ourselves we were still fit despite spending the last couple of years lounging around on a yacht with zero exercise! The bubble has burst!
After that mammoth day, we were pretty much hobbling around, so had a rest day by the river which was very very tranquil.
We saw a couple of snakes, a deer and a bear on our half-dome walk. Whilst camping in Yosemite you are required to pack all food into bear boxes - metal containers that stop bears getting in. We had thought this was quite funny until we saw this bear really close up in the mountains, and then a couple of nights in a row there were bears sniffing around the tents - wow! We also saw a deer sat under one of the biggest trees in the world in the Seqouia park - apparantly the first time they have seen a deer there!
Another highlight of Yosemite was the moonrise at Glacier Point. We had heard it was full moon, so headed up there and were just in time to see the full moon rise between distant mountains - it was so beautiful and gradually lit up the distant valleys and on rounding a cliff we saw Yosemite Valley spread out beneath us, gradually getting clearer and clearer as the moon rose. Amazing. There is an incredible view up there anyway, but this was something else. A couple of nights later we went up again to see the sun set, and stumbled on a star party. A group of amateur astronomers meet up there each weekend in summer and you can look through their telescopes. There was a really clear sky and no light pollution and the milky way was very close. Mars is as close as it`s been for around 60,000 years, and we got a good look at that too - through the telescope we could even make out the polar ice caps - a great night.
Our next stop was Death Valley, a very aptly named red hot set of peaks and canyons. Not too hot when we started driving through - a mere 90-odd degrees F, it slowly rose to a maximum of 115!! We got out of the car a couple of times to look at some natural features, but were pretty glad to leave that godforsaken place. The feeling when you first descend into the main valley is wierd - you just know it is not the place to break down in. It is so desolate and the roads are pretty windy - the worst place for any sort of accident. I was so manic with drinking enough water so as not to get dehydrated, that we had to stop every 20 minutes for me to have a wee.
Enough of the countryside and extreme heat. Vegas and hotels and restaurants and bright lights. Phew, what a place! Spent far too much money, but surprisingly little gambling. That city is the most bizzare, non-real place I have been.
A taxi from the Luxor (egyptian) to Paris via New York was only $6! We had very high temperatures and a very rainy day on our second day. There were a lot of floods in the area, but we were OK on the strip.
After our very basic camping conditions, we treated ourselves to a room with a jacuzzi which was heaven after not nearly enough showers, no chairs and eating out of tins for a few days. We have to intersperse the budget travel with a little luxury!
Fun, but a couple of days is enough.
Despite it`s being one of the seven wonders of the world, I wasn`t entirely sure what to expect with the Grand Canyon. It actually exceeded anything we could have imagined. I had thought it was just another, big canyon, but it is vast and the most fascinating thing about it is the layers of colours added to the distance across. Incredible.
We hit the area in full thunderstorm season, so were treated to some incredible rainbow displays against a backdrop of dark dark clouds, accompanied by thunder and lightening. Probably more impressive seen like this than against a glorious blue sky.
We couldn`t resist a helicopter ride over this huge expanse, and duly set off from a nearby local airport. We flew over the land nearby and then, suddenly, were over the edge - wow! A most incredible feeling. The pilot was really good at pointing things out and gave us a wonderful flight. Seeing it all from above, we knew we had to get down there!
Having recovered from our massive hike up Half Dome in Yosemite, we were ready for this next challenge - hiking the Grand Canyon! I`m not necessarily bad at heights, but am VERY bad at edges near heights, so we took the longer, but less `edge-y` Angel trail. We set off as early as we were able to get up and headed down with plenty of water and energy snacks. There are so many warnings about the temperature and how you must drink plenty of water that I overdid it a bit and ended up having to go behind a bush every 2 seconds. At the height of summer (ie. when we were there) the temperature at the bottom of the canyon can go as high as 115F which is quite hot!! We were in the shade for a while, then got to the halfway point which is a kind of oasis with water and greenery. A great place to rest and have a sarnie break.
During our second half we got caught in a thunder storm, which was fantastic. We were down in the canyon and the thunder richoted off the walls, as lightening lit the dark skies overhead. Meanwhile we got absolutely drenched by a huge onslaught of rain. Very refreshing and it cooled the canyon down a lot.
We got to Phantom Ranch at the very bottom in good time and had a hot chocolate - the last thing I had thought we would need! We had our own cabin, a very hearty evening meal and a talk by a ranger about the history of the canyon, then a very early night to nurse the blisters and prepare for the walk up the next day. Not the first time we have thought `what have we got ourselves into?!` (middle of the Aatlantic, top of Half Dome, bottom of Grand Canyon...).
It was actually a gorgeous walk up, although the second half zig-zags in switchbacks for way too long. We could see the top, but had to keep walking away from it, but eventually got up by midday and had a well-earned ice-cream and slept all afternoon back at the tent!
Not much to say about this place - the pictures say it all.
Everything in America was so much bigger than expected, and there was so much natural beauty. The Natural Bridges were quite stunning and Bryce is a unique place - it`s also where we were camping when we heard that Phillip was to be married!
A long drive north and we came to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone parks. Grand Teton is beautiful, with several lakes with mountains lined alongside. We camped by one of the lakes and had several tranquil sunsets, as well as peaceful morning cups of tea. It wasn`t until we got here and saw the sailing boats that we started to think of little Trenelly back in Grenada.
Yellowstone is a vast park, and quite unlike anything we had seen yet. What with more bubbling geezers than you could throw a stick at, bison roaming at will and the odd elusive moose, it was a bit different from the canyon lands. It was also a little cooler (thank goodness!) and we had to wear socks in the evenings!! Unfortunately, there had been a bit of a problem with fire recently, so we weren`t able to use our fire in the campsite this time, but were still very cosy in our tent.
This is where we were when we found out that Penny and Greg had had Abigail - born 30th August 2003
So, our holiday from our holiday was coming to an end and we were headed back to the West coast. We stopped a few nights in Lake Tahoe, where it felt positively chilly at times. The largest alpine lake in the states, Lake Tahoe is surrounded by pebble beaches, large wooden chalets/cabins and mountains. It must be a wonderful place to ski in the winter and I could think of worse places to be in the summer too. It was here that we found one of our best diners. It was the end of the summer season and the shops near the campsite were useless, so we treated ourselves to a couple of delicious brunches - mmmm!
On the way back to San Francisco, we stopped in Sonoma Valley, land of the vine (along with, and neighbour to, Napa). We had a night in a motel with a lovely pool, then onto a campsite and some wine tasting. We had both been reading a bit of Jack London (as well as Kerouac - when in California...), so were keen to see the Valley of the Moon. Again it is a beautiful area, and once again different from the other places we had stopped at. There was a lovely walk up and behind the campsite where we watched the sunset.
Back in San Francisco, we happened to be around for the Americas Cup yachts, Oracle and Alinghi, battling it out. From Alcatraz we had a front row seat and without realising it, stayed on the convicts island for about 5 hours!!
Just a quick entry as most of you reading this will have seen us back home anyway. Thank you so much everyone for putting us up and putting up with us! We had a great time and really enjoyed catching up with so many of you. Thank you also for feeding us so well, especially the Mums! The extra weight we gained in the US was well and truly added to back home - we`ll be on rations now for a while!
A special thank you to Stuart for letting us stay in your luxury loft space for so long.
Congratulations to Lol and Ali, and Phillip and Sarah. Both were beautiful weddings.
A special hug to Abi, our new niece (poo-y chew-y).
We have had some wonderful sailing since we have been back and anchored in some of the prettiest bays.
After a week on the hard doing anti-fouling and other unpleasant jobs, we got Trenelly back in the water - yay! It felt so good to be floating again! A lovely breeze and daily swims - bliss. We had both put on a bit of weight whilst in the States and England, but the love handles came off in no time with all the work and a lack of roast dinners.
We were itching to start heading West and it felt as though there was always something else to look at or fix, but we were definite that we weren`t going to rush around with the jobs, but get through them slowly but surely. We were getting up very early and getting loads done before midday even, so were feeling really good. Then one afternoon, we realised - no jobs on the list - we can go! Excellent!
The first stop on our journey towards Panama and the Pacific was Los Testigos, a really lovely set of small islands in the middle of nowhere. A cracking fast sail from Prickly Bay overnight and we ended up have to deep reef all the sails or we were going to get there too early. Crazy! We were welcomed to the islands by a phenomenal display by hundreds of frigate birds riding the thermals. It was certainly a decent breeze and we`d enjoyed it too. Very rolly in the main anchorages, so we tied Trenelly stern-to the shore. It was lovely and peaceful, with birdsong and the odd bleat of a goat. Dinghy Boy had one of his biggest adventures crossing the passage between the islands to check in for us. With the swell coming in, I certainly wouldn`t have wanted to have been on board the little fellow!
After a barbeque and an early night, we were up early to head towards Margarita, a duty-free island, where we were hoping to stock up a bit. The wind was virtually non-existant and the sky was cloudy - not a great sign. We flapped our way half-way, motor sailing, then had a bit of a squall through, then another small one. The last one that came just didn`t stop - sheets of rain. We kept thinking it was going to pass, sitting there in shorts and t-shirts, but finally went below to dry up and get the oilies out - full jackets and trousers! It felt rather nice, although as we had a following wind it was bringing all the rain into the cockpit and both the front and back of my glasses were covered in drops. Finally, we arrived in Margarita with almost no visibility due to the rain, and dropped anchor - phew! I think we got in before the worse, as the wind picked up over night and we had lashing rain until the following day. Welcome to sunny Margarita! Because of the rain, we didn`t go to check-in straight away, and when we did we were told that we would have to wait until Monday and get our passports back on the Monday afternoon. A bit longer than we had hoped, but plenty of time to get stocked up with cheap diesel, cheap beer (10 slabs of 24 beers for less than 20 quid!) and blow the rest of our dollars on food stores for the boat.
We left in the middle of the night for Tortuga, an almost deserted island where there were just a couple of other yachts and a few fishermen. White sand and turquoise water and no crowds - perfect! We had a fair bit of wind (had helped enormously getting there and we had had practise poling out the headsail on the way), but great to feel a bit out of the way from things. As dusk fell, there were beautiful colours everywhere. The intense turquoise of the water, combined with the blue of the sky as the sun set, with the white of the surf crashing on the white sand beach was beautiful. We snorkled to shore rather than get Dinghers off the aft deck and it was a bit farther than we`d thought, but a good stretch of the legs and good to explore a little.
Onwards, to Los Roques! We had one of our best sails in ages, leaving Tortuga just before dark with 20 knots of wind blowing over the anchorage and white horses out to sea! The waves were pretty big (`they`re not that big` - Jason) but with the decent wind we were soon surfing down them and hitting top speeds. Very hard to sleep as we were all over the place, but great to be on deck with a full moon looking over us. I had three different large boats on (seeming) collision courses with us during one of my watches, but Jason saw hardly a thing on his! Trenelly loves a decent wind and we got to Cayo de Agua, Los Roques in record time. A very clear lighthouse, then a maze of reefs to get into our anchorage. As we approached I felt disappointed that there was another yacht there, then felt sorry for them that we`d arrived... It is the most spectacular anchorage so far. I keep saying that places are beautiful, but this is the top de la top. Gorgeous. We had kept to the west end of things as you are supposed to check in in the east, but it is silly money and we were just staying for a couple of nights. Also, I`d read that the westwern islands of the group would be quieter. How right. On our second day, the other boat left and we had the place to ourselves. How special! and it felt quite romantic! Quite fun not to worry about clothes and things for a few days!! Very hard to describe the beauty of this place. Very turquise, very clear, very white beaches, a couple of palm trees - the description could be a number of places, but this was soo much nicer. I think a big part of the charm was the isolation. We had sailed through the night to get here and it was just a bit of rock and sand, barely an island, all to ourselves. Beautiful, beautiful sunsets, too.
We had an easy sail to Los Aves - Aves de Barlovento is a great one to arrive at. Even more of a maze of reefs to get to our chosen spot. Great fun to gybe between the dark and light patches. This time there were a couple of other boats, but they`d left by our second day, once again leaving us the place to ourselves - hmm, maybe we should start washing more... Aves de Barlovento is home to scores of red-footed boobies (Jason was very excited about seeing these, until he realised they were just birds - ha!ha!). We anchored off the mangroves and the racket from the birds was incredible, especially at dusk. There were so many of them and all with bright red feet!! We had our first decent snorkel for a while and Jason fixed Dinghy Boy`s broken patch, so he is now fit and as firm as can be (Dinghy Boy is in quite good condition, too - oh ho!).
On to Aves de Sotaventa. Another short, fun sail and this time I caught my first fish! I set the line and pulled it in when it bit - and it was a whopper too! A barracuda (a tiddler, though, compared to some we have seen under the boat) with evil looking teeth, but looking right juicy. I hacked its guts out straight after our anchor beer and straight in the fridge with a marinade for the barbeque later - mm mm. I have been going on about catching fish for the barbie for days now. Fortunately, the fresh stuff we bought in Margarita lasted well, but I was ready for something a bit more meaty. And though I say it myself, it was delicious. I think Barracuda is one of our favourite fish. Once we got to Bonaire we saw a restaurant selling it as fish of the day for 14 Us$ - imagine! And I bet it didn`t taste as good as ours.
A bit of a frustrating sail to Bonaire, with light winds directly behind, with quite a big cross swell making everything flap. We did quite a good speed, but just pretty uncomfortable and niggly. A great sail up the west side of the island, though, once we had the wind on the beam and no waves. Grabbed a buoy and straight into the clear blue water.
So, about 500 nautical miles from Bonaire to Cartagena in 72 hours and a passage with a bit of a reputation.
We delayed our departure so we could make sure we got a dive in - come to Bonaire and not scuba?! Great couple of dives, especially as we were able to do them without supervision. In the E Caribbean we have always had to have a guide, but the diving in Bonaire is considered very straightforward, so we were off solo!!! Very exciting. There is a recent wreck just near the marina which is fairly shallow, so we started off on that as a practise as we had not dived for about 6 months. It was great, and more so as we were doing it alone. Quite spooky at first, but very cool! We also followed a line under the entrance to the marina to get to a reef with lots of fish, so extra excitement. The second dive, we took dinghy boy with us to Klein Bonaire, the small island opposite Bonaire on the west side. Dinghy Boy was very excited too, as it was his first time. Felt great to be loading him up with bottles and kit and heading off across the water. We barely fitted in, but we felt very liberated doing it on our own! Another pretty dive and we came across a small, very cute turtle who was so intent on getting as much coral in his mouth as possible that he didn`t bother about us at all - cool, cool!! Big incentive to get our own dive kit when funds allow - we will be looking out for second hand stuff from now on!
Anyway, the trip here. The weather forecast was 20-25 knots and less after we left, but we barely saw it below 25 the first day and often up to and past 30 afterwards. The main thing was the massive waves, though - on the last day, especially, we had some whoppers, and most mornings the decks were littered with flying fish. Lots of big ship traffic (not surprising with Panama so close!), so the night watches went quickly, dodging those. A very fast passage and it sounds like we got away lightly. Other boats here have had 50 knots and been pooped. Trenelly was brilliant and felt very safe throughout. It already feels like an age ago that we arrived, but 72 hours was a long time to be rolled about. Very very nice to get into the harbour and anchor off Club Nautico which is a very friendly place and full of other cruisers!
Cartagena is a lovely city, especially the walled old town, El Centro. Very vibrant and full of people just hanging out. Not at all threatening, full of street vendors, but no hassle and very very pretty. The squares are beautiful and surrounded by lovely old colonial style buildings. Extra special as being Christmas the town is strung with lights and coloured paper. In one of the squares the trees are full of massive yellow glass butterflies. Sculptures abound - naked ladies, chess players, a pirate. Cathedrals and churches on several corners and artisan shops on others. Further out, there are more shops, more bustle, more vendors selling drinks and snacks, and great to be in a real town for a while. We love it and are looking forward to Christmas and the New Year here!
Christmas was fun, although overshadowed by a slightly overdone Christmas Eve out with a pair of Aussies ending at 5.30am on their boat with a bottle of rum... Christmas Day morning saw us peeling a huge pile of spuds for roasties for the pot luck at the Club Nautico where everyone had contributed a dish for a turkey dinner. There was even a Mariachi (sp?!) band - not sure why we had mexican music in Colombia, but they added to the festivities! The town was even more lively than previously and plenty of party boats booming out music in the harbour until the wee hours several nights. New Years Eve saw us out with Kahala and Kay Tee with a meal of beef, chicken and prawns (surprisingly all in the same dish). Without any sort of planning, we managed to be out of the restaurant around midnight just in time to see the fireworks go off around town. There seemed to be 3 seperate displays, and unfortunately each was slightly obscured from us by a building. Still, we saw enough to know that they were pretty good displays! Next, we hit Mister Babilla where to save queuing at the bar we ordered a bottle of rum and several bottles of coke. We probably would have been OK except Mr `Evil` Harvey also ordered a bottle of the local aniseed drink, Aguadiente, which is pretty lethal. The bar was pretty empty when we arrived soon after midnight, but was starting to get busy by around 2.30ish. There were still hordes arriving at 4.30am! That`s the Latin way for you. Lots of music, a bit of `excellent` dancing and a very good time had by all. Bit of a slow day on New Years Day...
The old fort and naval museum also got a visit, and it was interesting to get an historical perspective on things. We also managed to get to see a bullfight out of town. It was pretty gore-y, but it is surprising how into it you can get, with the crowd shouting Ole as the bull runs under the cloak and the matador shows off to the crowd.
We spent Jasons birthday lounging by the rooftop pool of a flash hotel, which was lovely as we could not swim in the harbour at Cartagena (filthy), then into the old town with Kahala and Patty from KayTee for a slap-up meal where the band played Happy Birthday, then up to a bar on the city walls where we saw in Jasons actual birthday at midnight. Bit slow the day afterwards...
Bit of general waiting around for our solar panel mountings, then finally ready to go West again. We left through the small boat channel on the way out as it was daylight. The spanish built an underwater wall across the mouth of the channel as defences, so it is a bit nerve-wracking sailing over them. We had been told there was a green marker, but could see nothing but breaking waves on either side, and fishing boats all around. Finally, when we were almost on it, we realised that the fishing boat ahead, was actually a large buoy with a crowd of pelicans (rather than fisherman) on it. A relief to be out, then sailing off at a cracking speed, with 15 knots on the beam. Beautiful. We went well until the middle of the night, when the wind slowly dropped and came behind us, so that by 6am, we had to put the motor on and use the engine for the rest of the day.
After a dull days motoring against 2 knots of current, we were especially pleased to arrive in the beautiful San Blas. We had really enjoyed Cartagena, but it is not the cleanest of cities and the boat was covered in grime. In contrast, the San Blas are small, white sand islands with palm trees and a cool breeze. Reefs in the distance protected us from any swell, and there was not a boat taxi in sight - bliss! After a couple of days relaxing, we went to Porvenir to check into Panamanian waters, then headed back out to the deserted islands. We found a wreck to snorkel on, which had lovely coloured coral all over it, and loads of fish. We had one that followed us back to the boat and hung around waiting for us, so each time we got back in the water, he would appear and swim around us, between my legs and under Jasons armpit. He was very cute and loyal - our own little Nemo. Unfortunately, when we sailed off after a couple of days he couldn`t keep up.
There are supposedly around 365 islands within the San Blas, and just about all the islands we visited were beautiful, in many different ways. It was a fantastic place to cruise as the reefs out to sea meant very little swell could come in even when the wind got up. Also, the islands are so close to each other it can be a short sail to the next stop, rather than a whole day or more as we have been doing recently. We met up with Rob and Ross on Kahala for Robs birthday, and after a barbeque and an abortive attempt at snorkelling for squid, we had a game of volleyball on the beach with 3 Kuna boys who were staying on the island. Despite being utterly crap at the game myself, it was really good fun, with the Kunas leaping into the water at every opportunity to cool themselves down. They were a great team and held their ground very well, despite being 3 against our 4.
The Kunas were always very friendly, although we found it a bit wearing in some places with numerous canoeloads of ladies trying to sell us yet more molas. The women embroider really lovely designs, which they wear as part of their tradition costumes, and these also form a large part of the income for them, so there is quite a lot of pressure to buy, especially when anchored off the inhabited islands. Still, they are very pretty. On one of the islands, we had a huge welcome with a stream of canoes coming out to the boat, but generally we would just see a couple of the men with some fish or langoustine to sell. The canoes are made from hollowed out trees and very robust, and the Kuna either sail or row these things out across the channels and for quite long distances - they are beautiful to see sailing.
On one of our last days in the islands, we decided to go and explore a river. One of the older Kuna men spoke very good english and agreed to take us up the river in one of their canoes. Jason, and our visitors, Neil and Nicky, paddled but I was taken up full time bailing. The water was literally bubbling up through the bottom of the canoe! It was a lovely trip and we had a visit to the island afterwards, although the chief did stay in his hut.
This has been the best place we have visited so far. Fresh fish and seafood galore, beautiful isolated islands and friendly people on the inhabited ones and fantastic sailing. I would thoroughly recommend anyone visiting. It has definitely been affected by visits from cruise ships in the west and by yachts, so there is some pressure to buy molas, but otherwise it is an unspoilt paradise.
We`re in the Pacific!!! Finally we`re through and it already feels so much closer to the South Pacific islands than the other side of the canal! Feels like we`ve been waiting for so long to get to the Pacific and now here we are - fantastic! Colon lived up to it`s name and was pretty manky, but we got a few jobs done. We helped with lines on Kelly Marie so we could see what the score was before we took our pride and joy through. It all went very smoothly, albeit with a very early start of 0430. It took a lot of the mystery away and we were raring to get Trenelly through. There was a bit of a wait for a rally to go through and we helped Miss Molly, an Oyster 66, with their lines in the waiting period. Although a lot faster than us the start was a lot later, so we ended up spending the night in the Lake and having a jungle tour in the dinghy. Plenty of birds.
Finally, our turn. We had been given a start time of 0700, so although hoping to go through in one day, we knew we had a fairly slim chance. The morning of the transit, we radioed to check were the pilot was and were told he would be there at 0900. When he arrived he said he had been at the pilot station since 0630 and that there had been plenty of spaces earlier in the day. Very frustrating to think we could have got off earlier, but we have learnt that in things concerning the Panama Canal efficiency doesn`t really come into the equation. It was just great to get the anchor up and head towards the first lock on our way to the Pacific. There are three locks at each end of an enormous lake, Lake Gatun. First you are raised to the lake, behind an enormous container ship. We were tied alongside a steel boat, which was in turn tied to a tug which was against the wall. An incredible feeling as the gate behind us closed, the container looming above Trenelly`s bow and we rose above the Caribbean. Fantastic! When the forward lock gates opened the container in front of us moved forward out of the lock and each time there was quite an eddy, with Trenelly`s keel being dragged under the other yacht on the third one. A little unsettling, but we were all very secure, with both yachts covered in platic covered tyres and fenders, and double lines at bow and stern, as well as springs. We had to untie from the tug after each lock and reverse back. Each time felt a bit quick as we were heading backwards towards a steep drop!!
Great to get out of the last up-lock and untie from the tug and Titom, and we were off across the enormous Gatun Lake - a man made lake created by flooding. We had 28 miles of motoring to get across the lake to the down-locks, and motor sailed with the headsail up. It was a really lovely sail, with islands and channels. We finally saw a crocodile - classic pose on a rock with his jaws wide open!
We again spent the night in the anchorage at Gamboa. Dinghy Boy had been deflated, so no exploring this time, but the pilot boat which came to pick up our advisor, Edwin, had kindly brought out a HUGE bag of ice, so we put it to use in some of our newly acquired rum. The lake in the morning was very peaceful with plenty of small, friendly birds (tree martins?) which kept perching on the lines. Very odd to have the occasional container ship passing through this rather tranquil spot!
Our advisor, Edwin, came back on board the next day (so can`t have had too bad a time the previous day!) and got us to the final set of locks where we rafted with Titom again, and with a 2nd swiss boat who had also had to anchor the night in Gamboa. With three yachts and no tug, the two outside boats had a line from bow and stern to the shore, which had to be released as the water level gradually dropped. We had a dedicated lock just for us three yachts (as I may have mentioned before, there is very little efficiency demonstrated with the running of the lock...) and I think they let the water level drop more slowly than for our 2 previous transits. It went very smoothly and then we were out of the locks, under the Bridge Of Americas and IN THE PACIFIC!!!!! Yeehah!
3 guys from Big Reef had helped us through, so Jason has now gone back to help them with their lines, and they have a 0930 start, so it will be another 2 day-er. I think he should apply to be an advisor with all this experience!
As many of you have noticed we have not updated our site for some time. We have had some rather sudden developments which made us decide we needed to come home.
I woke to Jason having a seizure one morning. After visiting a couple of doctors in Panama City and having scans, it was found he had a brain tumour. We came home as soon as we were told. Jason has since undergone brain surgery from which he recovered very quickly, and is currently having a course of radiotherapy. So far, he has had no ill effects apart from half of his hair falling out, and we are able to enjoy reasonably normal life in Cornwall.
Trenelly is on her way home and we look forward to getting her back in Plymouth soon.
After leaving Panama on 19th May, Trenelly is now safe and sound back in Plymouth in her new berth at Plymouth Yacht Haven. She`s had far too many adventures without us, including towing an ocean rower from Cuba to Jamaica!
The delivery crew have done a fantastic job with many difficult repairs to make on the long trip home. Our thanks to Luke and the others.
We`ve got a few repairs to do before we can go out on the waves together, but hopefully we`ll be out there again before you know it.
So glad to be home.
Having found ourselves with a break from hospital check-ups and boat jobs for a while, we decided we needed a plan. The plan ended up being a jaunt to London with Trenelly. Having finished fitting our new fridge and FREEZER (yes!), we kept an eye on the weather, which had been a bit temperamental and had a window almost immediately. We set sail from Plymouth on a clear blue day, with a rainbow over the Mewstone and headed at a great pace to Dartmouth. It felt so good to be off on a proper trip and to have such perfect conditions was a gift. We got to Dartmouth in the early evening and in plenty of time for a hot shower and some grub and a pint.
We headed off at the crack of dawn, in order to get past Portland Bill races and into Weymouth. Neil (of Lucy Ellen fame) was driving past as we docked in, and it was lovely to see him & Josie. Jason went out racing with Neil the following day in Weymouth bay - another clear, blue, sunny day. Me & Josie caught up with a hot chocolate while the boys raced around in the cold!
We had a night in Poole, then onto Cowes, where we got the tides perfect (and a fresh wind) and were swept into the Solent at about 12knots! Fantastic. We had Steve on board the following day, but as the forecast was up to force 9, we decided to go a sort hop within the Solent to Portsmouth - in fact the wind was fine and it was only as we got into the mouth of the entrance that we got a 40 knot gust! We had a few days in Portsmouth due to bad weather, so spent a bit of time in the historic docks visiting the Mary Rose and a brilliant tour of the Victory.
After the bad weather, it was rather a surprise to have to motor in flat calm, mirror-like seas to Brighton! Another beautiful day - if we weren`t in thermals, it would have felt like the Med! Both me and Jason were at university here, so it felt great to cruise in close past the piers. When I was a pike-y student battling with overdrafts years ago, I never expected to come back in our own yacht!! The calm conditions were short-lived and we were harbour-bound for another day - no great hardship, as it gave us another day to wander the streets of Brighton. The visitor berths in Brighton marina, are close to the entrance and, in strong easterly winds, the swell gets right in. It was as if we were out at sea, even while safely tied up - not the most comfortable berth! The wind had dropped the following day, so we decided to head the short distance to Eastbourne. The swell was incredible - none of those long swells we had grown used to in the Caribbean, but short sharp waves - bleugh! As we sailed past Beachy Head, the lighthouse seemed to be beckoning to us.
A pleasant stay in Eastbourne, and the twins (folding bikes) finally got a look in as we took them for a ride along the promenade and onto Eastbourne pier. Ben joined us in Eastbourne for a long motor to Ramsgate, which is a surprisingly lively town. The next day we had a slog against the tide, followed by a great sail into the Medway. There were plenty of shallow areas to navigate and a surprising number of large ships and, surprisingly, some space invaders too. We hooked up to a buoy at Queenborough and Ben caught the train home leaving us to spend the night on the buoy.
Early the next morning we were shocked to find that the neighbouring yacht, "Tin Can", had taken a liking to Trenelly and was coming on a bit strong - moving in rather close. It turned out we`d dragged our mooring in the night and were now bobbing about, right on top of the amorous Mr Can. Trenelly wasn`t having any of it and decided to dump him. We skipped breakfast, dropped the mooring (and Mr Can) and made an early start for London.
We sailed up the Thames as far as the M25 (!), then let the Iron Mainsail (motor) do the business as it got more narrow and we needed to be a bit more manoeuvrable with several cruise ships sharing the Thames with us. Past the Thames Barrier, Dome, Docklands, Greenwich and suddenly there we were at Tower Bridge - fantastic! A really good trip up. With stops for bad weather, train trips to London, and sightseeing, it had taken us two weeks.
We had planned just a couple of weeks in town, but had so much fun we extended our stay to a month, and even considered staying for the whole winter. Highlights included fireworks (followed by sausages) in Clapham, catching up with nephew Archie, a wonderful night at Chancery Court (many thanks to Russell) and History Boys at the National Theatre. It was great to catch up with so many people and be around friends. We also had fun being right tourists and seeing museums, the Tower Of London, Houses Of Parliament, the London Eye!
We were quite sad to leave, but slipped away on 29th November. With the help of Ian, we blasted back to Weymouth in one go - sadly motoring much of the way and arriving at dawn on Wednesday. After catching up with nearly a whole day of sleep, onto Plymouth the following day. A wonderful sail and we were treated to a full moon and clear starry skies most of the way, if it was a little frosty on arrival to Plymouth.
Glad to be home in Plymouth ready for Christmas and the New Year, whatever that may bring.
Happy Christmas!
How lovely to be in England for Christmas! We even managed to get snow on Christmas Day - very rare in Cornwall. We got into the festive spirit very early and even got a small tree for the cockpit. Trenelly has not had mains power for Christmas before, but this year there was no holding us back with lights and dangles. Jason was even contemplating a lit up Happy Christmas sign for the side of the boat at one point, but we held ourselves back. Gales in the days following the tree decorating meant the angel went flying and the robin got a bit of a soaking, but otherwise Trenelly kept her fripperies intact. She enjoyed our Christmas CD and rolled along with the wind. Jasons famous hat came out and the mince pies flowed. Far too over-excited, but we`ve missed a couple of years!
A traditional Christmas Eve of salmon pie and Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang with Mum Harvey got us started on the feasting, then a full house at Mum Burrows` on Christmas Day. We missed George and Fay, but not for long - our lunch time was late evening in Australia, so a great phone call from George was passed round the table. Glad you had a good Christmas, George!
Abigail was the centre of attention, though. Masses of presents, but her favourite game was trying to get up the stairs when she wasn`t supposed to - bless!
Thank you Russ and Liz for organising a cottage for New Years Eve. A lovely place to cook and drink and play with the fire. Beautiful walks, despite gales and torrential rain on New Years Day - and you`re both bonkers for surfing in early January!!
Some good news today. We went to get Jason`s scan results and they are unchanged from the previous scan, so everything looks stable. The icing on the cake is that we don`t have to go back for another 6 months for the next scan. We are very relieved and very happy.
What a great start to the New Year...
Taking a break from the yacht, we headed for the slopes for a bit of snow action. Terribly flash!
Happy Birthday, Jason! He wore his birthday badge for most of the trip.
Beautiful weather for the first week was most unseasonal, but very enjoyable. We managed to explore a lot of Val Thorens, as well as Meribel and Les Menuires with John, who joined us for the first part of our trip. Great to know we hadn`t forgotten how to ski while we have been on the water the last few years. Jason and John had great fun jumping over lumps and off ledges, while I got back my confidence on the `ledge-y bits`. The weather was even warm enough to eat our sarnies on the snow without gloves on.
That all changed as John left and Matt, Rebecca & Stuart arrived. Snow, snow and more snow that lasted for 7 days! We were so happy on the first day, as the snow had been getting a bit thin, but after a couple of days of blizzard and white-out the novelty started to wear off. Still, the snow was fantastic, even if you couldn`t see where you were going. It was Rebecca`s first time skiing, and she did really well, with just a couple of mornings lessons. Hopefully, the next time you will actually be able to see the mountains!
Our final leg, we had the sun back, with the 7 days worth of snow to ski on. Perfect skiing conditions. Very very cold for the first few days - I have never had my fingers and toes lose all feeling like that - but brilliant brilliant skiing, especially having been skiing blind. Dan and Anna came out with their Russian contingency for the last week and it was good skiing in a big group. I think it is the first time we have ever sat in a pub discussing War & Peace (Jason`s birthday present from Mum H!).
Brilliant trip. Makes Plymouth seem positively balmy.
After a month in the city, and with job searching starting to pall, a trip to the Lakes for our 4th wedding anniversary was the perfect antidote.
Beautiful weather on the first day for a stroll along the river, lashing rain for the obligatory Cat Bells, and a warm but overcast day for Scafell (with hail and fog at the top).
Lots of lambs and so much green - beautiful!
Thank you everyone who sponsored us for this gruelling challenge! It was an incredibly hot day, and I am already convinced it will go down as the hottest day of the year, if not century. Me and Penny dragged ourselves round the course in the very respectable time of 25 minutes. We managed to get quite near the head of the crowd for the start, so had plenty of room to stretch our legs. We ran the whole 5km without any walking, and were spurred on by spouses with cameras and video at various points around the course!
Quite sobering to see how many women were wearing `in memory` and `in celebration of` banners. Too many people affected by cancer. If you forgot to put in a sponser in aid of Cancer Research, I think it is still not too late :
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/teamfred
A couple of birthday and niece photos in here too...
Our time in London is over. We’re sad to be leaving our friends but glad to be leaving the noise and rush of the city. We spent about one year in London and achieved what we wanted – to work and save for that time. So, time to go.
We spent about a week preparing the boat for the trip back to Plymouth. I think Trenelly had started putting down roots - sheÂ’d never been in one place for so long before. There was stuff everywhere, including a large PC, pots and pans on the shelves and a bicycle on the aft deck. Various things (including the radar display) had been removed to make life more comfortable. The sails were stowed, the outboard motor was stored at the foot of the mast and the log was out. Through the week we gradually got through all the jobs, restoring Trenelly to a seaworthy state.
For the trip back to Plymouth I was joined by Ben (old hand from our Atlantic crossing), Paul (keen sailor) and John (didnÂ’t know what he was letting himself in for).
Paul came over the night before so he could help with the short trip though Canary Wharf . We had to do this part in the small hours as British Waterways would only lift the bridges in the early morning to avoid holding up traffic. So at 0430 we got up and moved Trenelly off her mooring out into the dock. We motored slowly through the five lifting roads and walkways to the temporary mooring next to the lock that we would use for the day. We tied up, connected the electricity and went back to bed.
Our plan was that Fiona, being seven months pregnant, would drive down whilst I sailed. That way all our homely possessions could go in the car. No Problem. However when we started to load the car it quickly filled up. We just about got everything in including the PC, the new pram and the Moses basket. We happily went back to the boat only to realise – the bicycle was still on board! Despite the car being full to the roof we managed to squeeze this in too.
The tide was due to turn at 1515 and we planned to be on the river by 1400 to make the most of the outgoing tide. I gave Fiona a teary hug and stepped aboard, the lock gates closed and we sunk down to the river level. We all waved a sad farewell as we slipped our mooring in the lock and made our way out into the river. It was FionaÂ’s first time watching Trenelly who had never before sailed without her. A sad moment for both of us.
We took the tide all the way down river and spent the first night on a mooring at Queenborough in the mouth of the Thames to wait for the next tide to take us out to sea. We arranged the watches as Ben and Paul doing 1900 until 0100 and 0700 to 1300. This left Me and John with 0100 to 0700 etc. As the next tide was at about 0200 we were on first watch. We motored through the night, using the so called “Overland” passage as it has slightly less water than you might want for comfort, making as far as Ramsgate by 0700.
The watches came and went without incident until the first watch on Sunday when the wind was getting up, making for harder work reefing all the sails and generally keeping warm and comfortable in a boat thatÂ’s being thrown around. On top of this, the cooker had developed a gas leak meaning no more hot food or cups of tea. We were all quite tired by now so we decided that we should stop at Weymouth to fix the cooker and get some proper rest.
This stop was lovely. A calm harbour with fish and chips on tap was just what we all needed. Also, the cooker was quickly fixed by Paul (ex-gas man) and Ben. We all went to bed at about 1800 and got under way again at 0100 the next day.
The final day had lovely weather and the wind was perfect for the final approach into Plymouth Sound where all the crew enjoyed helming Trenelly round the bouys. We had been phoning Fiona regularly and arranged a reception committee for our arrival at TrenellyÂ’s new home: Plymouth Yacht Haven, berth H17. Both mums, John and Fiona turned out to welcome us in. We put on a good show for them with full sail up and all hands on deck. After a slightly emotional hello with Fiona, we celebrated in fine style with a bottle Champagne donated by FionaÂ’s mum.
WeÂ’ve been here now for about two months and are pretty well settled in. WeÂ’ve re-varnished the companion way sides and re-fitted the main hatch which now slides very smoothly. WeÂ’ve put socks on all the fenders, fitted a new ventilator to the aft hatch and done just about anything we can think of to keep busy until the baby comes. HeÂ’s due on Saturday 22nd April. Wish us luck.
Dan Weston said “You really don’t want to be there” when I asked him about Anna’s & his experience with Liza’s birth. Having done it now I can only agree with him. Except for one part: when you see that little person for the first time. There are no words.
Briefly, FionaÂ’s labour began at about 2 in the morning. We started off at home and moved to the hospital at 8am. Fiona had a TENS Machine which she used up until she got into the water bath around 5pm. She then moved onto Gas & Air after several contractions had passed but had to give this up for the final pushing stage. Dylan was born at 1855 on the 25th April 2006. He was 91/2 lb.
After a short stay in hospital due to jaundice we were discharged on the Sunday and are now, very happily, back at home on Trenelly in Plymouth Yacht Haven. The sun is out, itÂ’s warm and Dylan is sleeping happily.
The other day we were having a chat about middle names. After going through Zebedee (too magic roundabout), Oliver (too DOH – a la Homer Simpson) and Edward (too DEH) we decided on James – Jason’s Grandfather.
Here are a few photos of Dylan and his family.
Dylan has had a lovely month spending time with his family. Auntie Penny and Cousin Abi came for a couple of days, then we all took a trip to North Cornwall to visit Granny Burrows and Grandma Harvey.
Wonderful to spend time with them, and both were a great help. We were spoilt rotten with lovely meals, laundry and support with tinker, who was very well behaved and impressed everyone with his wind energy, especially GG (Great Granny).
Lovely for him to have baths in a grown up bath, which proved to be a great cure for his colick-y evenings.
He is feeding very well indeed, and seems to grow before our eyes. Little cherub!
After his exemplary behaviour on local trips, we decided Dylan was ready for a bigger one - across the water to the Channel Islands.
We have felt a draw to the Channel Islands for a long time. Jason`s first sailing experience was while at college when he sailed out of Brighton to Jersey and Guernsey. Despite our many sea miles to varied destinations far afield on board trenelly, we had not explored the closer delights across the Channel.
After a morning opening presents and cards (Fiona`s birthday), we set off in the early evening for Guernsey. The weather had been beautiful, but windless, and looked set to stay with us. What wind we had was on the nose, but we enjoyed a good tack out of the Sound and past the breakwater before we had to put the engine on. We had decided to go overnight so Dylan could sleep for the majority of the trip and he was brilliant. Having `enjoyed` slightly disrupted nights for the past 7 weeks, we found that the night watches were much easier than we remembered in the past! We had phosphorescence and a shooting star. Our landfall at Guernsey was rather eerie with glassy seas and mist shrouding the island. Les Hanois, evil looking jagged-y rocks, beckoned us in.
We arrived at St Peter Port in the early morning. I had been expected a very french influenced island, but the first things that caught the eye were huge signs for Woolworths, Boots and M&S! Definitely a very english island. We had a lovely few days, exploring on the local buses, visiting the shipwreck museum (great views of Les Hanois from a safer viewpoint), castle, and taking the pram on the ruettes verts (green lanes), where pedestrians have priority, and off-road on the cliff paths. We even found a crepe restaurant for a belated birthday meal.
From St Peter Port and the castle there are fantastic views out to Herm and Sark close by and Jersey in the distance, so we decided to head to Sark as our next port of call. We had a great little sail across and on arrival had two puffins fly by as a welcome. A beautiful island. No cars are allowed, so it has a very slow feel. The countryside is pretty, and beautifully overgrown. Everyone goes round on bicycles. At one point we came across the postman on his bike chatting to a man driving a horse and cart - we meandered around at a suitably relaxed pace. A couple of wonderful sunny mornings took us back to our proper cruising days - Jason even dived off the side for an early morning swim (although he was up the ladder pretty sharpish afterwards!).
Next stop Jersey - another beautiful day, although a trip under motor due to lack of wind. We caught the tide around the island and navigated the rocks around and into St Helier. The tides are huge in the Channel islands, so most of the marinas have a sill to keep the water in and you are only able to go in a few hours around high tide, so there were a lot of boats tied up on the waiting pontoon and a real holiday atmosphere. As we had a small baby we were given a proper spot rather than having to raft up - luxury! We weren`t so keen on Jersey as we were of Guernsey & Sark, but had a great day at the zoo - great gorillas, and amazing fruit bats.
We were now so close to France, it seemed rude not to pop in, so we headed to Carteret. Lots of rock dodging on the way out and a great sail between rocks/buoys. We even saw our old friends the Dolphins - this time with a baby who came to say hello to the baby human! The harbour at Carteret dries out to 4-5m above chart datum at low tide, so you have to be very careful that you have enough depth to get into the channel. We hovered around the entrance at the correct time, and then took the plunge. My ever cautious planning meant we had more than enough water to get into the marina and we were finally in France. We had not sorted out Dylans passport, but fortunately they didn`t turn us away or confiscate the little tinker and didn`t even ask for documentation. Wonderful to be back in France for a few days. A highlight was an early evening cliff stroll to the dunes on the next beach - stunning. We also hired a car for a day to go to Omaha Beach to see the war cemetery - a sobering sight. Although we had seen it on TV and film, it is hard to explain how you feel when you walk around the corner and see those white crosses and stars stretching in all directions.
Alderney was the last of our islands. A cracking sail with the tide in our favour. A beautiful island surrounded by more dinosaur tooth rocks. We took the pram off-road once again - it`s certainly getting a good running in - and Jason even went for another swim (nutter!)
Our trip to Salcombe from Alderney was all under motor, pounding into the wind and waves. Pretty tiring, but it didn`t detract from a lovely trip. From Salcombe we had a perfect sail home to Plymouth the next day. All in all, a really beautiful little cruise with our new recruit, Dylan.
Finally We`re off again
For all those who are sick of looking at `Dylan cruises the Channel Islands`, we have finally left Plymouth and are heading, slowly, into the sunset.
It has now been three years since our trip was cut short, but after brain surgery, radiotherapy, a year of work (much worse than the surgery!), sprog, full rig overhaul and a new mounting for Jasons computer, we are back in action with our new crew fully trained.
Five years ago we were two fresh young things ready for anything, now we are slightly haggard parents, with an adventurous one year old and a boat full of all the paraphenalia we swore we wouldn`t need.
Following a send-off by the parents, we left Plymouth at 2000 on 1st of May, on a sunny, if rather blustery, day. We made excellent progress, with a good wind on or behind the beam. Dylan slept well during the night, and entertained us during the next day. We arrived at Camaret at around 1900 after an excellent, and uneventful passage, scoffed the best cottage pie ever and crashed for the night. A great start to the trip!
This time around we plan to cruise around the Biscay coast rather than rush across. We will then dip into the Med for the summer, before heading to the Canaries for November and an Atlantic crossing.
Watch this space!
We enjoyed a well deserved rest day in Camaret, involving baguettes, croissants and a beautifully sunny, wide sandy beach, where Dylan climbed over snoozing parents and got us to walk him down to the sea. A night out at a fish restaurant made us feel we were well and truly on course.
We decided to catch the afternoon tide through the notorious Raz de Sein, and sail through the night again, in order to arrive at Belle Ille in the early morning (and for Dylan to sleep through the majority of the trip). We set off in brilliant sunshine yet again, and pottered off towards the Raz with weak winds astern and a bit of tide against us. Dylan dropped off after an afternoon slug of milk and we were sailing along nice and quietly when we noticed a customs boat approaching. They called us up and asked if we had been through customs, and since we had not, they said they would come aboard. The boat duly dropped a RIB and four large french customs men clambered aboard. On noticing the sleeping baby in his seat in the cockpit there was a general loud shushing and clomping as each new arrival appeared in the cockpit. Amid general hilarity one took our passports forward, another read our details out to a third, who we were told was usually the chef, and another offered his glasses to the main man who was having trouble reading our documents. They really were comedy douanes and each detail weas repeated at least two or three times by each of them. I think they probably didn`t have a huge amount to do, and were passing time as much as anything else. As they were leaving, Dylan woke briefly and gazed up at the cockpit full of departing frenchmen who chorused various bonjours at him. Luckily he was still in a slight zombie state, so he dropped of shortly after.
The Raz went smoothly, as we caught the slack tide, and we turned SE towards our destination. Fantastic winds and a smooth sea meant speeds of 8 or 9 knots, with 10.5 at one point. The night passed easily, with some odd lights, fisherman, and a bit of reefing up and down, and we arrived off Belle Ille just as dawn was breaking. We were unable to raise the harbourmaster to open the gate, and were just getting ourselves organised to tie up to some complicated looking moorings, when Dylan woke up. Jason mooched about while i got the tinker up and he had some milk, then we saw a girl coming out of the Bassin a Flot who informed us that the gate would be open shortly - excellent timing. Against all expectations, Dylan laughed and chatted to himself in the cockpit, whilst we got lines and fenders ready and got into the harbour to tie up - what a star! We were just in time for breakfast and, as luck would have it, we were moored right outside a boulangerie.
Belle Ille is indeed a beautiful island, and we enjoyed wandering around Le Palais, cycling to Sauzon, and moules frites on the harbour.
That weekend, however, there was a sudden influx of boats and mayhem around each evening high tide when the gate opened as numerous boats jostled for position to tie up in the harbour, which was just a wide lock really, so there were boats alongside the wall on either side, then boats rafted into the the middle. Incredible how they were able to fit so many boats in. We thought ourselves fortunate to have arrived when the bassin was practically empty. It did make for very entertaining cockpit viewing.
Our next trip was a short to the Golfe de Morbihan, where we made our way up the River Auray well reefed under a dark sky. We found a quiet mooring at the head of the river, a lovely spot albeit rather wet, windy and a little exposed. After a couple of nights, we made our way further into the Golfe to the ancient town of Vannes where we stayed another couple of days before heading out to Le Crouesty where we intended to stay for one night before heading down to La Rochelle. However, after a bit of a difficult night with Dylan, we decided to stay another night. It was still rather windy, so we watched various boats playing bumper cars - Le Crouesty is a huge marina, but they have really packed in the pontoons wherever they can, so very little space for manouevre, particularly with a lot of windage. Not a particularly pretty place to stay, but a good opportunity to catch up on laundry, supermarket and parks.
Our trip to La Rochelle started well as again we left in the afternoon, in order to sail overnight and arrive in the morning. A good wind and plenty of boats out, made for a very enjoyable and fast start. Rather an eventful night though, as winds backed and veered, eased then increased. Jason had an especially challenging watch with an electrical storm in the distance coming over the boat, unlit cardinals, a row of evenly spaced flashing lights that looked like buoys, but turned out to be fishing boats, all as the sea built and rain lashed down. The winds continued to ease, then build as we passed behind Ille de Re, and caught a few of the racing boats that we had met in the previous night. Then, as we passed under the road bridge approaching La Rochelle, we were hit by gusts of 35-40 knots. We reefed down, and then took all sail down as the sea turned rather nasty and we thankfully headed into the marina.
We had an enjoyable few days in La Rochelle, sheltering from the winds, and even discovered a takeaway pizza place that delivered to the boat on the first night - bliss after a night passage. We took a couple of trips into town on the water taxi - more hair-raising than our own arrival in La Rochelle - and spent a bit of time on the boat (often fendering off wandering boats in town for a regatta). A very busy marina. After this slightly longer stay in La Rochelle than expected, we dragged Jason away from the wifi and set off for Arcachon.
The entrance to Arcachon is through sandbanks and the Biscay swell can be rather spectacular, so boats are advised to contact the Cap Ferret semaphore to check on conditions before visiting. After Royan there is no safe harbour, so a long way to go if the entrance is not good. They were really helpful and asked that I call back before we got to Ryan and then VHF in the morning on arrival. A really excellent service from very friendly people.
We left La Rochelle with the winds still blowing a bit, but forecast to settle in the afternoon, then drop later in the evening. However, it was still pretty breezy, we had a lot of swell against us, and because of our timing to arrive in Arcachon to catch the tide, we had some tide against us leaving La Rochelle. A rather unpleasant few miles out of the bay, and a waypoint has never taken so long to arrive. Once turned off the wind and headed south, the noise levels and motion eases spectacularly and we enjoyed a peaceful, if rolly evening, and night. The wind did indeed drop, and we were once again forced to motor. We arrived at Arcachon soon after dawn broke, and I could see what looked like a huge white cloud which I took to be breakers, then finally realised was an enormous dune! A really stunning entrance, you find the end buoy which marks the start of the north channel, then follow a course between impressive breakers. Even with our very light winds, there was still a swell which crashed over the sandbanks at the foot of the massive dune. The channel then takes you in front of the Dune de Pylat, the largest dune in Europe, and into the Bassin d`Arcachon. Fantastic! Even if the town had been rubbish, it would have been worth stopping in just for that arrival. As it was we had a really good few days in Arcachon. We had a small rip in the mizzen, so took it to a local sailmakers for a repair on the first morning, and asked for a recommendation for dinner - we ended up at a really special tapas place - mmm mmm. Jason revisited a house where he had stayed as a young child, we saw a brilliant air display to celebrate 150 years of Arcachon, Dylan did some great walking (and falling over) practise on the beach and we cycled to and traipsed up the Dune. Arcachon is a really lovely holiday town with a free electric bus service to the centre of town to various destinations, and a really good cycle network.
However, we now had a schedule to keep to as we had booked plane tickets from La Coruna, so time to head off. The marina was pretty pricey, despite the second night being free, so we anchored outside and set off in the early morning with a planned destination of Gijon, in Northern Spain. This one was a bit of a disaster journey with bits falling of the boat left right and centre. We had a head wind and a fair swell, and after a couple of hours of making a terrible course either way, we decided we would just motor against it all. Since this was pretty uncomfortable against the swell we decided to change course to Santander to make the discomfort last less time. First the cleat for the headsail traveller pinged off, then the furler guide pinged off - neither too important and easily fixed but both within half an hour of each other. Then, the storm stay broke free from where it was lashed to the mast, and wreaked havoc snaking overhead and crashing into everything. Jason managed to catch it and make it fast, then whilst he was trying to make an alternative fixing, it flew off again and smacked into windy, breaking off one of the blades. This completely unbalanced the wind generator making it wobble (although that is an understatment) manically. The whole mizzen rig looked as though it was going to be shaken down. We turned the boat downwind, and windy calmed down, but it was clear he was going to have to be lashed down. Our hero steps in! Moments after a nappy change, our skipper was up the mizzen mast in mid(ish!) Biscay with associated swell. Windy was restrained, and order resumed. Blimey. Forunately that was the last of the excitement on that trip, but Jason didn`t sleep well on passage that night - I think the adrenaline was still coursing through his system. We arrived in Santander in the early morning in one piece, ready for a nice sleep - wish someone had mentioned that to Dylan, who was wide awake after a good nights sleep and ready for play...
Our passage to Gijon from Santander was relatively short and uneventful - we set off in the early evening to arrive in the morning, and had some impressive rain showers pass over but nothing of real interest to note. The harbour is an easy entrance, and the marina staff very helpful - an office full of women, all work stopped when they saw the baby! The restaurant recommended for our lunch was potluck as our spanish is pretty sketchy and we were still in a haze from night passage, and we plugged for menu del dia (always a good bet), which ended up as three courses, not including dessert which we had to decline, all for 9 euros each - incredible value for really good food.
We had a momentous (land and air) journey back to England for Russ and Liz`s wedding. The culmination of a very long day was the final train journey - while Dylan slept on Jason, I unloaded all the luggage and the pram onto the platform, only to realise that Jason hadn`t got off. I could only imagine that his door must be stuck. I ran up to where he had been sitting only to see him gesticulating at the station name as the train pulled away from me out of...Tiverton Parkway station! Easy mistake to make - Exeter is a major station with many platforms, Tiverton Parkway is a small country affair with just 2 - doh!
It was well worth the trip back - Russ & Liz`s wedding was fantastic. A perfect venue, they had taken over a whole farm complex with barn/cottages in North Devon, so many guests were able to stay close by for the whole weekend. They made a beautiful bride and groom, and the whole thing was planned to perfection - a wonderful day and weekend. Jason was honoured to be an usher for the day (Groom on the right, bride on the left, please!).
Once back in Gijon the skipper and cabin crew were struck down by a lurgy from England, so we did a couple of shorter sails to Ribadeo and then onto La Coruna. We left Gijon in dense fog, and had rainstorms - on putting away the headsail we realised that the furling gear was not right, so Jason was up the mast in Ribadeo to fix it. Unfortunately, a small part had broken, so we had to get a replacement in La Coruna. Since we had strong southerlies, it was not too much of a hardship to stay in harbour a few days. We had a lovely first day when the town was on fun day mode with kids and family playing games, bouncy castles, ponies and all sorts in the main street. Later in the week, we found a couple of great parks to play in, a quiet anchorage and took a short train ride to Santiago de Compostela where we spent a few hours exploring the cathedral and ancient, small streets of the city.
When the weather calmed, we headed out and had to motor due to lack of wind (typical), headed to Muros or Bayona (weather dependent). However, the wind got up very suddenly, and we decided that since it was to be right on the nose, we would stop off early in Camarinas instead - we have been here since, with gales forecast most days. Camarinas is a pleasant fishing village with nice walks (if you brave the high winds and occasional rain) and we hope to leave in the next couple of days, when the wind is due to go north.
Fiona`s birthday fell on the 17th so we had a celebration lunch (evenings being a bit restricted these days) in the Club Nautico De Camarinas. Dylan had a great time playing with the other children and the other children`s toys.
We headed out of Camarinas in quite heavy wind and waves on the nose, which was fun... However, once out of the ria, we got the sails up, well reefed, and turned off the engine, only to hear an ominous clonk clonk. Jason popped down to check the engine, and everything seemed fine, and when we turned off and on again, once again all seemed well. We had a cracking sail round Finisterre, but decided to head in early to Muros, in order to check out the throttle. After starting off under very heavy grey skies, we ended on a gentle downwind pootle up the ria to Muros in sunshine. Jason took the throttle lever apart and greased it up, and we enjoyed a relaxing evening at anchor.
We woke to rain and grey skies, so it seemed the ideal time to try out Dylan`s new waterproof trousers that I had fashioned from an old pair of Jason`s walking trousers, that had a massive rip in. Although slightly on the large size(!), with the elasticated waist pulled tight in and up under his armpits, and the ends cut off and turned under with duck tape Dylan looked ready to face any weather. The rain stopped just before we brought the anchor up, and we haven`t seen any since.
We had a fantastic sail out of Muros, but the wind seemed to be just a front passing through and we soon found ourselves without any. Back to the motor, then. However, after a couple of hours the engine seemed to drop revs, falter and then died. Jason went below and changed the secondary fuel filter, and we started up again, but it only went for another 45 minutes before dying again. We decided to sail into Bayona and drop anchor under sail, as we have done in the past. Jason had tinkered about with bleeding the fuel lines and we got a little bit of engine, until it stopped, After further tinkering we decided that we would probably have a short while of engine whilst anchoring if necessary. However, the wind just kept getting lighter and lighter, as well as coming from dead behind, until we were barely doing 2 knots with sails flogging, not helped by the Atlantic swell. As we got closer to Bayona, I radioed the marina and asked if they would be able to have someone standing by and they offered to come out. By now, the wind was so light, that we were worried about drifting onto the rocks at the entrance to the bay, so we accepted their offer of a tow into the marina. It was rather disheartening to give up our independence in this way, but ultimately the safest decision, particularly as it was well past Dylan`s bedtime!
Bayona was lovely, as it was the last time we visited. Fiona and Dylan traipsed around town and kept out of Jason`s way as he dismantled the boat and went through all four fuel filters, fixing the problem in no time. We had a celebratory tapas supper, followed by ice creams all round.
After a trek up to Vigo to collect a part sent from the US (which turned out to be wrong), we had a fantastic tack back downriver to Las Islas Cies. We anchored between two islands connected by a sandy isthmus (sounds nasty, Doctor) - a beautiful spot and a perfect place to spend a couple of nights. We had a gorgeous sunset, and the next day climbed to the top of the island for an aerial view. Atlantic crashing onto one side, with a calm sandy beach on the other - lovely.
The next few sails were classic downwind sailing in the Portuguese tradewinds. We poled out the headsail for the first time in ages, and enjoyed fast downwind sailing. Brilliant! It really brought back memories of our Atlantic trip 5 years ago. On this part of the coast, the wind tends to build during the day, so we often started out fairly sedately, and by the end of the day we would be surfing large swell and berthing in quite strong winds. We arrived in Leixoes (near Porto) with 25-30 knots behind us.
We had a very pleasant evening in Figuera da Foz, where after buying my birthday fishing rod, we stumbled on a brilliant barbeque restaurant. Very local, very basic, very friendly, very delicious. We sat next to another family with a toddler, so Dylan enjoyed playing peekaboo while we tucked into sardines, baby squid and other barbequed fish - mm mmm.
At Nazare, we fixed a hole we had noticed in the mainsail and enjoyed evening aperitifs on the french boat tied alongside us. Jason managed to look interested whilst we gabbled french around him.
We stopped a couple of nights anchored in Cascais (downriver from Lisbon), and got into a bit of trouble with some international racing. Jason had dropped wife and child at the fishing harbour, and went to tie up the dinghy at the harbour wall, near the racing area. As we met up he said `I think I tied up in a restricted area - oh, well I`m sure it`ll be fine`. After a really chilled out day around Cascais, which is a pretty, if a little touristy, town, we went to get the dinghy. Jason had been a bit worried as he had clipped the painter onto a ladder at the waterline, and the tide had risen. However, that wasn`t a problem. The problem was, that no-one would let us into the now tightly secure area. Jason even pulled the `How am I going to get my family back to our boat?`. I think maybe there was a language problem and the security didn`t understand that the dinghy was our only means of getting back home. Jason was even talking about going to the fishing dock and swimming for the dinghy. Eventually, after we had drawn a little bit of a crowd, the top security man came and took Jason to the dinghy, while me and Dylan went to the fishing dock to be picked up, only to be stopped by a different set of security who wouldn`t let me go on the dock. By now, our first top security man had arrived, asking the other security why I couldn`t get by, gesturing at the pram laden with laptop and numerous bags of shopping as well as a perfectly behaved Dylan (why can`t he have a fit, when it would really help). He ended up helping me carry all the gubbins down to the beach (which was also cordoned off for the competition). I can`t imagine we looked much of a security risk, but they have their rules. Very funny.
All the boats anchored in Cascais had been moved down the beach away from the usual anchorage because of the competition - `you should anchor over there, beyond the pier, watch out for the rocks` - which was not sheltered by the marina breakwater from the swell. The morning we were due to leave, we woke to a very heavy swell, and when we went on deck, we realised that the waves were almost breaking under the anchored boats. A very quick get up and leave.
After a short stay at the very friendly marina in Sines, we are now in the Algarve. A good sail down here, with winds building a little at the end of the day, but a very unexpected sudden increase for the last couple of hours, until we were sailing in 35 knots of wind, making a very good speed under scraps of sail. Now tied up in the very nice, very expensive Lagos marina looking at very strong winds for our next trip!
Just a quick entry to let everyone know we are still afloat and having fun. We have had rather epic engine issues, but more of that in the next instalment. In the meantime, a rogues gallery of visitors and visited - sunsets and beautiful calas to follow.
It`s been a while since we updated the diary - originally because we were too depressed about our engine troubles, then because we were busy doing a bit of exploring. Hopefully the distance from our woes will mean I`m less likely to go on about them.
Our stay in Gibraltar prior to heading into the Med consisted mainly of Jason with his head in the fuel tanks - cleaning, scrubbing and sluicing. Dirty fuel. With a tank full of new, clean fuel and a bunch of new filters, we headed onwards.
We headed into Almeria feeling unsure about the engine, and ended up staying there for the best part of a fortnight, waiting on Volvo Penta. A highly depressing time - further delay and, although Almeria is not the worst place to be stuck by any means, it is certainly not the best. Finally, an engineer saw us, we filtered the whole tank of fuel again and changed filters, and set off once again.
Light relief came in the form of a quick trip back to the UK for Mum Burrows 60th birthday. George and Fay were over from Australia for Fay`s sister`s wedding, and they were meeting up with Mum, John and the Knowlers in Ipswich, so we nipped over for a surprise visit. A really lovely few days and surprisingly sunny for England!
We had a lovely sail over to Ibiza and met up with Jez, Lisa and their three boys and had a relaxing day on the boat followed by a swim in their pool and a feast courtesy of Lisa. We spent a day in a southern anchorage before heading north to Majorca. It was sailing from La Rapita in Southern Majorca en route to Menorca that we were motor sailing when the engine died on us, and would not start, despite Jasons best efforts in the bowels of the engine. We turned tail and sailed incredibly slowly back to the anchorage, anchored under sail and Jason once again checked filters and all sorts. No joy. Once again, despite good facilities nearby, engineers were busy and we were not a priority.
We decided we would much rather be broken down in Menorca, had a Mum to get to, and anyway we were a sailing boat not a motor boat, weren`t we? We set sail later that day with a good breeze and had one of the best sails of the trip - really fast and comfortable. We arrived just off Mahon around 2300, and headed into a nearby anchorage. As soon as we got close into the anchorage, the cliffs cut out the wind and we had little control. We headed up to a new anchorage and finally got the anchor down, anchor alarm straight on and down to bed. Phew!
Our friends John and Nicola on Seraphim were in Menorca and we had called to say we were on our way up, albeit in a broken boat. They had kindly offered to stand by as we sailed into Mahon the following morning. Great to have a friendly voice on the VHF and even better to see John pootling out in his dinghy as we entered the harbour that morning. We sailed in and up to the main anchorage in front of the town, where Jason did a grand job of positioning us, so I just had to pop the anchor down. Perfect first time, thank goodness, and even better the Seraphims were soon over with the makings for bacon sarnies. Mmm mmm.
We then had the saga of the harbour patrol telling us we couldn`t anchor where we were and that we had to move. We told them we were broken down, so could they help us move. Someone came back later and helped us move. Later that day, the same people told us we couldn`t stay where we were. We told them we were broken down, and that they had put us there, so could they help us move. Someone came and helped us move. Craziness. Light relief came in the form of Tim, Sarah, Charlie and Eliza who were staying down the coast. A relaxing lunch, shower and a bit of laundry did wonders. We met up with the Youngs and the Seraphims in an Italian restaurant on the waterfront that evening. Great to be amongst friends again.
We were in Menorca and had friends around, and were there when Mum Harvey arrived. And Tim Young had brilliantly arranged an engineer to look at our problem on the Monday (two days away). We were over the moon. However, come Monday, the engineer announced that he couldn`t fix it. Clearly not Bob the Builder material. End of Over the moon feeling. Also, this was August in Mahon when work doesn`t happen. The engineers were busy or didn`t want to touch a boat that someone else had worked on. Time passed. Slightly depressed again, but we decided the problem was the injector pump. Jason took it off and with Vin`s dad Ifor`s help, took it to a truck repair centre who sent it off to Barcelona! It came back a week later looking like brand new. Luckily, We had found an engineer who would fit it for us, but we had to be on the dock. Great fun. Fortunately Sunseekers had a spot on their dock and agreed to bring their RIB over and help us get on shore. Trenelly is a hefty 18 tonnes, and that`s before all Jason`s tools and Dylan`s rubbish, so with a fair bit of wind it was a bit challenging. Once again John from Seraphim offered to give us a hand, and came on board to help. The Rib managed to get us alongside, then we used warps to get us stern to, and hey presto we were on the dock and before we knew it our engine was working. All in all it took about three weeks, but all of it in Mahon.
Anyway, we did have a very busy time. Jason`s Mum was out for a couple of weeks, staying in Cala Llonga, so she was able to enjoy our engine sagas, get a lot of Dylan time, and plenty of planing on Dinghy Boy II between her aparthotel and the boat. We visited Cala Morell where the Harveys had spent childhood holidays, the fort in Mahon, Mesquida beach and plenty of lunches. At the same time Vinni and Carina were out in Menorca, so we were able to catch up at Binibeca beach, and at Ifor & Ally`s where Vinni prepared a fantastic lunch for the five thousand. We then had a last minute visit from Philip and Archie, so although gale warnings meant no sailing, the cousins were able to hang off the rigging together, and we built a few sandcastles.
Finally, with a working boat and fair weather, we set off from Mahon harbour in company with Seraphim, and headed round to Cala Covas, one of our favourite anchorages from last time - great to be free at last! Despite all the hold ups getting here, it was fantastic just to get a few anchorages in before we had to head out of the Med again. We enjoyed Cala Macarella, some gorgeous tapas in Es Grau, the comparative metropolis of Alcudia, and more. Wonderful to cruise with friends - Jack is missed by Dylan.
Once down in Majorca, we had decided to stay a night in Cala Pi, another favourite from last time. However, once in this, one of the narrowest calas in the island, our throttle cable snapped!!! Thankfully, I had just dropped the anchor when we realised, so at least we were steady. However, we had only meant to anchor for a short time before moving in later, so we weren`t in a great spot. Wind and slight swell blowing in, and cliffs and boats a bit close for comfort. Dear oh me. Jason set tickover a little higher with the highly technical aid of a piece of string, then we inched our way out, got the sails up and headed out to sea to put our spare cable on. Does it never end?!
We decided against going back in, and headed across the bay of Palma to a very tranquil night in Cala Ponsa before an early start to Ibiza the following day.
We had a relaxing couple of days in Ibiza, before joining Russ, Liz, bump, Colin and Beryl for a highly enjoyable few days around Denia. Food, beaches, icecreams. Time passed all too quickly before, once again, we had to leave. A fairly easy 2 nighter down to Gibraltar and we were out of the Med, but ready to start the first Atlantic leg.
John joined us in Gibraltar expecting Mediterranean sunshine, but found decidedly British weather - fog and rain. We had a couple of days to kill as the forecast was for south westerlies, so we trekked up the hill to check out the monkey`s - evil creatures. I had bought some new teatowels (such extravagance) and as soon as the monkeys saw the bag, it was snatched off me and ravaged. We also saw one nick someone`s Magnum ice-cream (a rather brighter option than teatowels on the part of the monkey, but each scenario as devastating for the owner).
After plenty of discussion about the weather, and a decision to invest as soon as possible in a brilliant weather system Jason saw on a kiwi boat we met, we decided to set off in light winds and try to sail if possible, but to stop for fuel in Al Jadida, Morocco if not. In the event we set sail (or rather set engine) on a slightly hazy morning, and quickly donned socks, long sleeves and additional jumpers. Blizzard, who we had met in Queensway Quay, left a couple of hours after us, and it was good to keep in touch by VHF, if only to discuss how rubbish the tide was. It was against us more or less all the way out of the straits until Cap Spartel when we started to get into the Atlantic proper. The trip through the straits was uneventful apart from crossing Tangiers when we seemed to get all the ferries at once in our track, as we attempted to motorsail across.
We had a very small moon come up very late in the night, but clear skies, so a spectacular display of the milky way. I was just thinking that the vast sky bursting with constellations and the phospheresence being nudged along by our motion was the sort of thing that made a lone night watch special, when I heard a loud `plop` alongside making me jump out of my skin. Spooky until I noticed extra movement in the bow wave. Clipping on and making my way forward, I was delighted to see at least 8 large dolphins frolicking in our bow wave - you could make out their path by the trail of phospherescence streaking behind them - fantastic. You could never ever get bored with dolphins. I got John up from the sea berth and he took pictures galore.
Night watches were made so much easier having an extra person to take watches, especially as Dylan took such a shine to John. From the first morning when he opened the forepeak door to discover a new person, he thought John was excellent - much better than his parents, so not only did we get a break during the night, but also in the day. In fact, Dylan was pretty good for most of this, our longest trip with him. Our second night at sea, we arrived around midnight in Al Jadida where we were to take on fuel, have a kip, then continue. The arrival at the harbour was fairly straghtforward, once we had figured out the breakwater light with the help of the radar (and to a certain extent C-Map, although at the end it told us we were above the breakwater and in the reef, when in fact we were safely in harbour) identified the harbour walls. There was a certain amount of dodging around, largely unlit, fishing boats, especially once we were close to the harbour and there was a constant stream of them. The following day we realised that we had been very lucky not to have got caught up in their buoyed, unlit nets, as it is only in daylight you can get an idea of the extent of the nets close to harbour. As it was we got around them all, but Jason and I had awful memories of the night coming into Mohammedia 5 years ago when we did get into a right old tangle 13 miles offshore (see blog 31st Sept 2002 - Approach to Mohammedia)
Once tied up alongside what looked like a lifeboat, but was probably a fisheries vessel, by the friendly and helpful Rachid, Jason was taken off to see the Capitanerie where he was politely interrogated by 4 men in a small room in the early hours. Lovely. After a very deep few hours sleep, we got money and Rachid rolled a large barrel over to the dock. After a bit of umming and ahhing, we got the boat alongside a wall, and Rachid sucked the diesel up a tube (taking a mouthful in the process) and we started the slow process of filling up through our filter. Having just had to service the injector pump, probably best to be careful with Moroccan diesel out of an old barrel... After what seemed forever, we were finally filled up, and set off again into a nicely building breeze from the NNE. Once we had got through the cats cradle of small fishing boats and their nets, we got full sail up and set our course. Even with just 10-15 knots behind it was so so nice to sail, not to have the engine hammering away. We had the headsail poled out and Trenelly looked like a graceful lady gliding along the waves. Beautiful. A very easy night watch, not so much traffic and no engine drone.
The next couple of days we made much faster progress, especially with the winds building in the afternoon making for excellent surfing opportunities. Really good to remind us what the Atlantic is all about.
We arrived at Peurto Calero around 5 in the morning, and enjoyed the best sleep ever - even Dylan had a little bit of a lie in before we had a lazy scrambled egg breakfast.
We stayed at Puerto Calero marina for a few days, taking the opportunity to hire a car, and see a few of the sights. Lanzarote has an incredible landscape, and it feels as though the volcanic activity was not long ago. In the interior, and particularly the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya, the desolation is complete. We drove to the Montanas del Fuego in the centre of the park and were treated to displays such as water being poured into a tube and a hot geyser spurting up. Amazing that there is still such heat so close to the surface. There are even holes cut into the earth and grills set up above them where the restaurant cooks its meals!
We also visited El Golfo, an old crater which surrounds a bright green, very toxic looking lagoon. Dylan was kept on a very short lead indeed!
A less interesting trip into Peurto del Carmen to get my gammy foot looked at - a slight graze suffered in Gib had turned rather nasty en route. Fortunately it didn`t need to be lopped off, and we got out of the tourist trap as soon as possible. The difference between the desolation inland and the huge development of tourism along the coast is vast.
After a couple of days, we bid a sad farewell to John, who had crewed for us from Gib - Dylan looked for him in the forepeak for a couple of days after he had gone. We then headed south to an anchorage between Fuertaventura and Lanzarote, off Isla Lobos. A quiet spot, until a huge tourist catamaran came and picked up a `buoy` - a plastic bottle - and backed up almost to our bow. Great! We ventured in for swims, but it was a bit choppy from the wind, so we didn`t stay in too long, maybe getting soft in middle-age?
After a very pleasant couple of days in the Marina Rubicon, where the luxury of an outdoor pool kept us an extra day, we set off for Las Palmas with an eye on chandlery. A very early start got us into the harbour as it was getting dark, and we tied up on the waiting pontoon ready for a good nights sleep. Despite being over a month before the ARC departure date, ARC boats had priority for the marina, so we were allowed to stay for 2 days only, so we ran around getting ourselves organised - a few minor sail repairs, a man to extract our heater crazy to be fixing the heater when we hope not to need it for years) and someone to advise on our replacement watermaker. Then it was into the anchorage to get down to some general maintenance and preparation for the crossing whilst waiting for the watermaker, due to arrive the following week. After a bit too much of a saga, the thing arrived weeks later and is now fitted and working well. The water tastes great, much better than the soapy muck we were getting from the marina.
In the middle of all this Mum and John came for a visit, staying in an apartment in Tenerife, as we had planned to be there by then. Dylan and I went to stay with them, leaving Jason to get on with his jobs whilst waiting for the watermaker and then fitting it. Dylan loved spending time with Granny and Granfer, and happily strew the place with stickle bricks and muslins. Granny did a grand job of getting him swimming in the pool, and he was kicking his legs by the time we left. It was a really nice visit, just a shame that Jason wasn`t able to meet up. A highlight was a spectacular drive across the island via the via village of Masca - John did a fantastic drive of chauffeuring us through switchbacks, teetering on the edge of huge drops. Fabulous views and a terrace cafe in the middle to stop and take in the scenery.
With jobs done, we motored down to pretty Mogan to spend a couple of days in this attractive marina. It was lovely to be able to step off the boat and have a short walk to restaurants and to hop back on afterwards. The dinghy trip back to the anchorage in Las Palmas had a tendency to be a bit wet, and it is often quite cold in the evenings here.
We are now in La Gomera, west of Tenerife, and getting excited about our forthcoming journey. Jason has given the engine a birthday of a complete filter and oil change, with new impeller and belt and I have stocked up the freezer (what a luxury - we didn`t have that last time). Not long to go now!! We set off on Saturday 1st December, all being well.
Miles over the ground (gps): 2729Nm
Time taken : 16 days 7 1/2 hours
Average speed : 7.1 knots (YES!)
Longest distance in a day : 188 Nm
Highest average daily speed : 7.8 knots
Shortest distance in a day : 153 Nm
Lowest average daily speed : 6.4 knots
Highest speed : 10.4 knots surfing down a wave
Fish caught : 0 ; Lures lost : 6
After months (years?!) of preparation, speculation, planning and provisioning, we were finally in La Gomera ready to go. Our crew, who we had not met before, arrived a few days before we were due to leave. After a days relaxing, we took Dave & Ela out for a test drive. We were very happy with them and they didn`t seem too put off by us, the boat or Dylan. Phew!
A hard couple of mornings at the supermarket and fruit stalls yielded a mountain of dry and fresh goods to be crammed into the boat. Dylan was to sleep on the seat in our room, while Dave and Ela had the forepeak, and Dylans bunk was converted into the greengrocers - crates of potatoes, carrots, onions, lemons, carrots, apples, oranges, garlic, chilis, bananas and plantain. We had a lakes worth in cartons of UHT milk in every available spare space, which Dylan enjoyed organising for me.
Finally the day came to set off, and Jason headed off to check out only to be told we had to wait until midday to get our passports back. Our anticipatory bubble burst, we headed into town for a coffee to await paperwork. It turned out to be a rather nice way to spend our last few hours on land before heading into the ocean.
After fuelling up, we slipped quietly out of the marina and into the Atlantic. A peaceful, no-fuss start to our crossing. A little too peaceful in fact since the land shadow of La Gomera meant very little wind. Reluctantly, we put on the engine for a couple of hours to get us away from it all. By evening we had a steady breeze, a tummy full of Dave`s sweet and sour chicken and a clear night sky overhead.
We got into our watches fairly quickly, including Dylan, and life aboard slipped easily into a routine.
From the start, we experienced a good, steady breeze, with very little cross swell. We picked up grib files over the satellite phone to get our weather information, and this was invaluable. On seeing a drop in wind strength ahead, we were able to head further south to catch a 25 knot band, rather than flap around in 10-15. Occasionally we were able to sail normally, but generally we had the headsail poled out, goosewing with the main which worked very well. We had found a few other boats leaving around the same time as us, so every day at 1200GMT, Jason started his radionet, to check in with the other boats.
We were lucky with wildlife in the first few days, and had a pod of around 20 minky whales swim across the boat from the north. Then, the following day we had dolphins come to swim on the bow. Sadly, after we left sight of land, we were deserted. Throughout the trip we had plenty of company often catching sight of other yachts and tankers in the distance. The previous crossing was much quieter in this respect. One night a large ship changed course quite close to us, and seemed to be headed straight at us. With the large, rolly seas it was unlikely it would have picked us up on it`s radar, so we called up on the VHF. After some time he answered and I think it is probable that he had not seen us. After chatting with him, we realised that the tricolour light on top of the mast had given up the ghost, which was great timing.
It was surprisingly chilly at nights until quiet close to the Caribbean, when we experienced more squalls and sudden, torrential downpours. This was often a refreshing shower, but Jason wasn`t happy when I dragged him up from his sea berth from a deep sleep to reef down, he got a right drenching, then the sails came right out again. I think he went through a few pairs of pants that night!
We had a few minor mishaps, one being the mizzen topping lift parting company with the boom, and wrapping itself around the wind generator. Not too much of a problem, but with the electric fridge/freezer and the autohelm, George, taking up quite a bit of juice, we needed old windy. The next day was a bit calmer (although still very rolly), and Brave Dave offered to go up the mast to untangle it. Sounds easy, but with that motion, rather him than me! Another squall backed the headsail which caught on the mast steps causing a small tear - fortunately we were able to continue sailing with it, although I was always nervous of it getting massacred by another squall - in fact it was still pretty strong and did fine in a 40 knot squall that Dave encountered on his night watch.
We ate horrendously well, and rather than lose weight as expected, I think we may even have put some on. We alternated days for cooking and, despite catching no fish, we had some gourmet meals, including smoked salmon sandwiches, enchiladas, pizza, various pasta dishes, salads, chicken teriyaki brochettes, barbeque chicken with creamed corn, gorgeous eggy bread, scrambled eggs and bacon, and more! When we weren`t cooking we were either talking about food, or drooling over Nigel Slater`s `Appetite`! Our fresh foods lasted until almost the end of the trip with only a pile of spuds and a handful of onions left over.
Later in the trip, afternoon tea was a real treat, after the Harvey family got up from their afternoon sleep a cup of tea was called for, with a little snackette. A large Mum H style fruitcake (a la Fiona) lasted less time than you would think, and we unearthed some chocolate, a malt loaf, even plain biscuits were munched up. Jason got into his baps nearer the end of the voyage, and produced some fine rolls which were gorgeous with a bit of roquefort!!
Fishing was the bane of the boys trip, especially Dave. The rest of us lost interest after losing so many lures - hooking them was easy but the line just wasn`t up to the weight of the fish out there. Eventually, Dave & Jason trailed a huge length of various bits of string from the mizzen winch - nice effort, but the fish didn`t even bite.
We had little or no moon most of the trip, which meant clear clear skies for fantastic stargazing & shooting stars a go go. I don`t think we have ever had so many so often. It was rare to have a watch without one, and one night in particular they seemed to shoot off every 5 minutes. Wonderful.
Dylan was brilliant - I never considered leaving him behind, but had worried about how he would be for 3 weeks stuck on board (or, more to the point, how I would cope!), but he was an angel. Obviously, he had his moments, and I was more often down below than I would have been, but on the whole he thrived from the captive audience, especially with 2 newies to boss around. Ela especially got a lot of `help` with suntan lotion and food preparation and was literally pushed around the cockpit. Dave`s hat and glasses were one of his biggest distractions, and he was happy to spend hours with them - not sure they started out quite as slimey. Dylan started his cold on day one of the trip, and finished it with 4 big new incisor teeth, so plenty of snot and dribble aboard! A few days out from Antigua Dyaln had a really nasty finger jam when a loose door swung as the boat lurched - blood and screams later, we doused it in wound wash and bandaged it up and it has healed well.
The final day or so, there was constant discussion about ETA. A few days from Antigua we had a very squally night, with very light wayward winds between (at one point we were doing about 4knots towards the north!), so had a very low average day. Fortunately, the fnial couple of days we stromed along with frequent wave surfs ensuring our arrival before nightfall. Jason was the first to spot a smudge on the horizon which quickly resolved itself into proper land. Fantastic! As usual, it took ages to actually get there once we had sight of it, but the excellent winds, it was not too long before we were rounding up into English Harbour, jumping into the clear blue water and quaffing champagne on deck - wonderful feeling to get there. It had taken just 16 days, which was much faster than expectations. Slightly wobbly to walk on land again, especially for Dylan whose walk had gone decidedly Forrest Gump.
We were blessed with good winds and straightforward swell. We had the best crew - Dave and Ela, who we had not met before the trip, were brilliant - good fun, good company and excellent with Dylan.
CHRISTMAS IN ANTIGUA
Wonderful to spend time in Antigua again. A perfect landfall, and great fun for Christmas. Christmas Day consisted of an early trip to the beach for a seasonal swim and sandcastle, then back to the boat for pancakes. Prezzie opening was fun, as mum had bought a pile of gifts to the canaries and Dylan definitely cottoned on quickly to the ripping off of paper, and toys toys toys! Once we`d totally trashed the boat, it was time to get out to the famous dockside christmas party, with a boat full of bottles of champagne, a barbeque, band and rasta santas. Great fun, and a few other kids about as well.
Antigua was one of our favourite stops last time round, and it didn`t disappoint this time. Another highlight was New years Day, dinghying to a beach when we spotted a dolphin in the water ahead. This was pretty special, as you don`t often see them in anchorages, but this one bought a friend over and they started playing in dinghy boy`s bow wave - fantastic! We could almost reach out and touch them.
SECOND HONEYMOON IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
We had decided that since we had limited time in the Caribbean, we would spend a bit longer in fewer places rather than flit around too much, so the next stop was an overnighter up to the Virgin Islands to celebrate Jason`s birthday (no denying he`s in his late 30`s now!!). We spent our honeymoon in the British Virgin`s in 2001 and hadn`t been back with Trenelly, so couldn`t resist. I was a bit worried that we would find it overcrowded and price-y, but it was actually a perfect antidote to the long passages (not least our Atlantic crossing) of the last few months. Beautiful islands arranged in a rough circle, so you can pretty much see where you are going next, and you are protected from the Atlantic swell. Very very easy sailing. We had pancakes for Jason`s birthday breakfast and a gorgeous day on Cooper Island. The staff in the beach restaurant even took Dylan off for a little play when we went for dinner in the evening. We found some lovely anchorages, and although it was rather different from our previous, honeymoon visit - with a little tinker on board - we had a perfect visit. I think we both could have stayed longer, but the grenadines beckoned.
MUM HARVEY AND THE GRENADINES
The grenadines are another charter boat heaven and with good reason. Bequia had been another favourite, so we just had to fit it in. We had a brilliant 3 day sail down from the BVI`s to Bequia, with decent winds slightly ahead of the beam. We made much better speed than expected, so arrived in the middle of the night, after a very sudden vicious squall during Jason`s watch. Out of nowhere, a brief strong wind appeared with a total downpour, as if someone was pouring water out of a bucket. Incredible rain, and fortunately over fairly quickly - at least we arrived clean. The entrance was fine in darkness, as the anchorage is very open, and we could just make out other boats. We set the anchor well away from everyone else and zonked out.
We had a few days to settle in before Jason`s Mum arrived. We had a lovely week with her in Bequia alternating between the boat, the Frangipani, and the odd breakfast at the Gingerbread. Great for Dylan to get a bit of Grandma time, especially as it was a second Christmas! Dylan took total advantage of Sue, shutting her in cupboards whenever he had the chance, and even managed to get her squished into his bunk on several occasions!
We met up with Neil and Josie from Lucy Ellen - wonderful to catch up, and hopefully we`ll see them in NZ or Australia in the not too distant future. We also met a lady who knew granny - it really is a very small world, especially among cruisers!
By the end of our time there, Dylan had become a minor celebrity (he is rather social, especially in restaurants). Everywhere we went, total strangers would greet him by name. Once we left him and Grandma on the boat, and swam ashore. We were sitting on the beach, just the two of us, when a couple we had never met before stopped and asked where Dylan was!
After our week in Bequia, we moved Sue on board, and spent a week in the Tobago Cays, Mustique and Mayreau. Gorgeous! Macaroni beach on Mustique is still one of our favourite beaches, we saw turtles in the Cays and in Bequia, and had loads of swimming and beach time. Again, time went quickly and all too soon we were saying goodbye.
GRENADA
On to Grenada to pick up a few toys. A replacement generator - with our electric fridge and freezer we were having to run the engine far too much to top up the batteries, so a generator was a must. And a new head-sail that was supposed to be bigger than the current one but ended up being pretty much the same. However, this proved perfect for use in a twin head-sail downwind sailplan. We also ended up hauling out again, so have a new bottom job to show for it as well. Ready to rock and roll to New Zealand!
Westwards towards Panama - more pictures than words on this leg, as we had a lot of beautiful spots en route...
LOS ROQUES
A relatively short sail of 2 nights, we started off with rather light winds, but once away from Grenada, we picked up and had a really good, speedy sail to another of our favourite destinations from last trip. We arrived around midday, perfect for reef spotting, and caught three fish in quick succession on our approach to the island. The first wasn`t down as good eating on our `Fish of the Tropics` doodah, so we decided to try again. This time, we managed a Blackfin Tuna (Jason has been desperate to catch a tuna forever!). Something big also fancied it for it`s tea, as just before we landed it, Jason felt all the struggle go out of it, and it arrived filleted (head in a bit of a state, with bulging eyes and the tail totally bitten off). The last was a barracuda, just to see if we truly had a charmed lure. The tuna did us for basic fried with lemon the first night, ceviche (raw with limes) for lunch, then teriyaki brochettes the following day. Gorgeous!
The entrance to our anchorage at Cayo de Agua was a little fiddly, but pretty clear with me on the bow reef spotting. The water is bright blue and clear, so often it is hard to guage depth. It would have been a lot easier for Jason, but I had forgotten to put Dylan in his chair, so as well as concentrating on the depth and looming reefs, Jason had Dylan pressing buttons, then hanging on and pulling down his trousers as we went throught the truly shallow patches!! Monkey.
We were only going to stay a day, but stayed a few - beautiful spot, especially when we had it all to ourselves.
CURACAO
Keen to head west, we upped anchor and headed on to Curacao to check out the famous Sarifundys cruisers bar, and do a bit of stocking up. We stayed a little longer than expected. Although the island itself didn`t appeal too much, there were friendly boats, free supermarket buses, and a couple of beaches.
SAN BLAS
The trip from Curacao to the San Blas was the longest so far on our own with Dylan, and ended up being a really enjoyable trip. I think because it was a little longer, it was easier to get into the rythmn of the boat, and watch patterns. Dylan was on best behaviour (as much as a monkey can be), and the days passed well. We had good winds, and had great success with the two headsails poled out together. The boat seemed more comfortable with the seas with this arrangement, and when we needed to reef down we were able to do both at the same time, so a lot less to worry about.
We arrived early in the morning to the San Blas archipelago - fantastic to be back. These are stunning islands, and a breath of fresh air after Curacao. We arrived on a weekend (usually we have trouble remembering the month, let alone the day of the week), so left customs for a couple of days and got down to some serious chilling out. Dylan loved the beaches, coconuts, starfish, friendly kuna, canoes, everything. We also caught up with our friends on Summer Wine, which was great for us as well. It all felt very familiar, although now as well as the ubiquitous kuna canoes selling molas (intricate reverse applique used in their traditional dress), there are now occasionally canoes selling fresh fruit and veg, bread and eggs.
With Easter fast approaching, we felt we should get to the canal and start our transit process before the bank holidays kicked in. We were sad to leave the San Blas before we were ready, but so lucky to have been able to come back a second time.
We arrived in Colon, after a brief overnighter at Portobello, a few days before the Easter bank holidays, so were able to get our huge pile of paperwork done before everything closed down. So much bureaucracy! Despite having checked in and form filled in Porvenir, San Blas, and having paid a cruising permit, we had to check in again at Colon. Then of course the Canal formalities, then wait to be measured. This time we weren`t measured as we had been through before, but it seemed rather random as to who was done or not. In any case, it was simply two men at either end of the boat with a tape measure between, so rather sketchy measuring. Once measured you go to the bank and pay a very reasonable $600 for the transit (which hasn`t increased since our transit 4 years ago) and a deposit, then await a date.
When we first arrived in Colon, we heard ugly rumours of a wait of a month, which everyone was very glum about. However, Jason bumped into a man who had a man who had connections, so we went with Ellington who, for a small fee, would get us through in a couple of days. Naturally, we were delighted to think we might jump the queue, but were rather sceptical of this non-stop talking taxi driver. Once we got our date of 20th April (a month after payment), he was still telling us we`d be going through on Saturday. Even after a few weeks, we were bumping into him and he was pretending to call his `friend` to get us through quickly. Crazy man. There were a huge number of toddlers around. The most recent James Bond was being shot in Panama, and cruisers were being paid $100 a day for a fortnight to be in it and I think a lot of the family boats were keen on the injection to cruising funds!! We couldn`t believe it. If we hadn`t spent so long in Grenada and Curacao, we could have been paid to wait, and gone through in 2 weeks. C`est la vie.
We thought about heading back to the San Blas, but decided to check out a river nearby first. What a tonic. Colon is one of the poorest, dirtiest places we have been. The yacht club is friendly, but in a fenced off compound and yachties advised to take taxis, rather than walk around the town. The anchorage is a choppy dinghy ride from shore, and a little rolly.
However, a short sail from Colon is the Rio Chagres, a beautiful river winding through the jungle. As we headed upstream, away from the sea, a calm descended. We saw egrets and parrots, and the beauty of the jungle took our breath away. Such a change of scene. We love beaches, but have seen a lot lately, so these totally new surroundings were extra special. We passed just three other boats, none in sight of each other, and couldn`t believe how many boats were staying in Colon rather than visit this place. We arrived for lunch and spent the first afternoon just birdwatching and listening to the jurassic roars emanating from the jungle. We saw many parrots and toucans and decided the `dinosaurs` must be monkeys. The evening was spent stargazing, and being further entertained by the mighty monkey roars! We didn`t even get our dinghy down until the next day. A dinghy ride to the end of the river takes you to a dam, then a short walk leads you to a view of the Miraflores Lock. We had not seen the Canal from this aspect before. It is basically a river, that was dammed so a lake formed in the middle, then there are three locks up and three locks down.
After lunch and getting in some jobs, we were delighted to turn around and see Summer Wine approaching. Mike, Ilona and their lovely boys, Laurie and Finn anchored a short way up the river and we spent a really great 10 days in the river. Our first dinghy trip up an estuary saw us in the middle of a monkey motorway - an overhanging branch acting as a bridge was obviously a favourite place to cross, and we saw several monkeys swing across - fantastic. Later while harvesting what turned out not to be calabash, a spider dropped onto the dinghy then after being whopped off with an oar, it ran across the surface of the water to get back to the dinghy. We found a jungle trail where we saw many many leaf cutter ants (of which Finn and Laurie were founts of knowledge), more monkeys, an anteater up a tree eating from an ants nest, and even several crocodiles (right where we had beached our dinghies a few days previously!). Amazing to think this is all a stones throw from the nastiness of colon and the vast manmade canal. If we hadn`t had to wait for our transit we may not have had the opportunity to spend such a relaxed amount of time here, so we are so pleased that we did.
On the way back to Colon we stopped off at the mouth of the river to check out the fort there. The Rio Chagres, along with Colon are steeped in the history of adventurers/pirates stealing each others gold. Frances Drake counted many a gold piece here.
As we exited the river, we got an exciting call on the VHF from Mike telling us we had been bumped up a couple of days for our transit. We had planned to fill up with water & gas and head back to the river, but as it was we were busy getting provisioned and organised for the transit. Also, wihlst up the river Mike had noticed one of the bits holding our rigging on was rusted and almost parting. Fortunately, we had time to get one ordered before setting off into the Pacific.
Our transit went very smoothly, and was most enjoyable. Summer Wine came along, and the boys (who are Dylan`s absolute hero`s, despite bossing them around mercilessly) were great as Dylan control. We also had Janet and David from Chanticleer as line handlers, and an advisor, so it was quite a packed boat. We had had rain more or less most of the day, and we set off a little late with a bit of lightening and drizzle, but were in the first canal by around 2100 after a cup of hot chocolate. We were tied alongside a small Warren cat, which worked quite well, as Trenelly was able to do her own thing, and Jason had control of the raft! I was a bit nervous in the first lock, as there was some confusion tying the boats together, then the line handlers on shore didn`t have one of the lines they are supposed to throw down. However, it went really well, and we got through and were anchored by around 0100. Dylan was asleep by the time we started locking up, Laurie tried to keep awake but was defeated, Finn valiantly kept his eyes open for the first 2 locks. The next day the advisor was dropped off not too early to join us for a breakfast of bacon baps, and we began our motor across the lake and out the other side.
The feeling of getting the boat under the Bridge of the Americas again was indescribable, and approaching the Balboa yacht club moorings it all came flooding back. Were we really back here again? All of a sudden we were on our own again, and heading up to the La Playita anchorage, where disaster struck us so badly last time. It was an incredibly emotional moment heading up towards Flamenco, a mixture of remembering our previous time here, and being so glad to be doing this all again.
It took us just over four years to get to the Galapagos. We finally arrived at dawn on our 7th wedding anniversary, welcomed in by sealions. We sipped tea in our jumpers and watched the sealions play around us as the sun slowly rose to uncover our destination - San Cristobal.
We originally transited the canal on 21st/22nd February 2004 and shortly afterwards had our disaster which took us back to the Uk for brain surgery and a major rethink. Thankfully we have now had a second chance to get ourselves back into the Pacific, this time with a tinker in tow.
We finally left the anchorage at La Playita (Panama) on 25th April, Dylan`s 2nd birthday, to fuel up and head for Taboga just 10 miles away - we were ready, but not quite ready and felt we needed to leave Panama behind and go `further than we have gone before`! We had a last supper with Summer Wine in Taboga, then headed south to the Las Perlas islands the following day. Foolishly, we were not thinking about the weather to the Galapagos and motored most of the way to the islands. Once there, we decided to check the upcoming weather and form our plan of action. Der! Very light or non-existent winds for the forseeable future - we would need all the fuel we had. We decided that since there was some little wind the following day or two before it dropped completely we would head off the next morning. We had already decided that we would have to miss our the Las Perlas as we had had such a delay in Colon with the transit. We set off early, after figuring out the spinnaker again, and ghosted out of our anchorage and through the islands as a very genteel pace. It was actually rather pleasant and we got to see a few of the islands in passing. The only worry was that we would end up simply bobbing around in the Pacific for days on end. We decided that if we could make 3 knots on average that would be fine, and we had enough fuel to run the engine for about 3 hours a day...
As it was we sailed at reasonable speeds with very light winds under spinnaker as the seas were so calm. As we crept away from the Las Perlas we saw something jump out of the water, then again, and again. Finally it happened close to the boat and we were amazed to see a huge ray flinging itself out of the water and flipping itself. Incredible to see. Then he swam along on the surface with just the very tips of his two fins poking out of the water. Beautiful creatures.
From then the weather varied slightly but was generally very light We had one very black and rainy day with very dark cloud all around and calm interspersed with wind - full oilies all round, including Dylan, with hot chocolate and baps to warm up. We both had hot showers - one benefit of a bit of engine is plenty of water and heated as well! In fact, our water tanks overflowed we made so much. Generally, it was a fantastic trip. Once again, this was the longest trip we have done alone with Dylan and we had thought we would arrive in the Galapagos wishing we had taken on crew for the Pacific. But, in fact, in was the most enjoyable trip to date. We ate really well, no seasickness, Dylan loved it, our fresh fruit and veg lasted the whole trip, so we had mangoes, melon or papaya for mid-afternoon nice-ies. Our bananas didn`t ripen until we got to the Galapagos, but you can`t have everything!
We were generally heading further south than west to try and get some slightly stronger winds forecast down there. This took us past the Malpelo rocks in the middle of the night. It was Jason`s watch and we were called up by an unlit boat which suddenly appeared behind us. They claimed to be the Colombian coastguard. We had spoken to someone back in the UK who had been approached by pirates in these waters, so although we felt it unlikely that pirates would call up on the VHF, we were a bit wary of an unlit boat so close to Colombian waters. Also, when we asked that they shine a light on their boat to show us they were a coastguard boat they just shone a light on us, so we couldn`t make them out. Next they asked us to slow down so that they could circle and get a good look at us. I replied that they`d had no problem sneaking up on us in the dark so why should I have to slow down now. Thankfully, they took pity on us poor, frightened cruisers and said they didn`t need to come aboard. We were still slightly concerned and as they slowly moved away from us we kept a close eye on them on the radar and had a few flares on deck in case.
With our really special arrival in the Galapagos, with a sunrise and sealions, we felt so glad to be there. We were looking forward to exploring several of the islands and discovering the unique wildlife. We were truly following in Darwins footsteps as officials fell over each other to get on board and get us to fill out yet another paper and show our passports yet again. The paper trail is second only to Panama. There is also a new regulation which means that you can only anchor your boat in one of the 2 main clearance ports, which meant we weren`t able to get to Santa Cruz where the Darwin Institute is based and where the majority of island trips are run out off. It was a really disappointing morning after our initial euphoria.
However, the island is quite special. There are sealions absolutely everywhere. As you walk along the main street there are sealions stretched under benches, and there`s a beach at the end of the town where they all congregate in the evenings. Huge daddy sealions, slim mummy seals and tiny little baby seals - very very cute! We visited the turtle sanctuary, saw giant iguanas, and had a sealion climb onto our bathing platform - Jason even managed to swim with him for a while.
By the time we left we were in need of more fruit and veg, so off to the market. Once again we got a big bunch of green bananas - as I had seen cockroaches in the market, and one had run from the bananas across my hand, we dunked them in the sea before bringing the on board. A couple of massive cockroaches at least an inch long swam out, then more, then more. There were at least a dozen huge ones. A couple even tried to swim against the current to get back on the boat but were beaten back by our stalk of bananas - yeugh! All the fruit was thoroughly washed before stowing.
We were slightly naughty and took a few days detour into Isabella. We had been told that even though we weren`t supposed to, the locals appreciated the money that yachts bring in, so we took our chances with the officials. So glad we did - this was more the Galapagos that we had been expecting. Penguins and blue footed boobies could be seen from the boat, the main `town` reminded us of a western - a wide, sandy high street and nothing much else. We took a water taxi tour and saw penguins and marine iguanas close up, then swam at close quarters with seals and penguins in a small lagoon. The penguins were totally unconcerned to have us snorkelling around them, and the sealions played with us - one even fetched a stick for Jason. They would swim up towards you, then swim tummy to tummy and then away - fantastic! It definitely took away the slightly sour taste from the officialdom of San Cristobal.
Crossing the Pacific with a two year old in tow is far too little of a challenge and not nearly exhausting enough, so we decided to put an order in for another one.
Very exciting to get a positive test in the Galapagos just before we set off across the biggest ocean in the world.
Thankfully the morning sickness didn`t kick in until we were well on our way, then peaked for our month cruising the Marquesas where even the slightest roll in an anchorage was enough to send me to the side of the boat with Dylan behind me pointing and copying my retching noises. My romantic visions of the bump slowly growing as we covered the miles across this beautiful part of the world were replaced by a dread that I would be beset by fatigue and sickness for the whole pregnancy, and didn`t we have enough on our hands with one. What were we thinking of...!
Fortunately, I was also sick with Dylan so couldn`t blame the boat. Also I knew the last time it stopped at 14 weeks, and as if by magic our last trip from Rangiroa in the Tuamotos to Tahiti was vom-free.
We have now had a scan in Tahiti and all is well. Tinker Too is due to be with us a couple of months after we get to New Zealand (although with our luck customs will put on weeks of delay...). He/she/it is scheduled for 10th January 2009, so at least I don`t have to think of what to get Jason for his 40th birthday!!
The thought of two little `cherubs` wreaking havoc in the cockpit and up the mast is enough to send me into cold sweats and the screaming heebie-jeebies, but we never signed on for a dull trip and it may just be fun.
Week one : `This is amazing!`
Week two : `We are SO lucky to be doing this!`
Week three : `When are we going to get there?!`
What a great trip. After the Galapagos trip we felt confident that we had made the right decision not to have extra crew for the Pacific crossing. We fitted into the routine really quickly and Dylan understood what was going on very early in the passage.
Looking at the weather prior to setting off, it looked as though we would have no wind whatsoever, so we decided we wouldn`t keep track of daily distance, average speed, etc as it would be far too dispiriting. With around 3000 miles ahead of us, it didn`t do to work out how long it would take at 3 knots! As it was we had enough wind on the beam to sail really well and a favourable current with flat seas, so we were making a good 6-7 knots or so for the first week before we hit the really light stuff. With these mild conditions the Pacific felt very different to the Atlantic. Someone had called it a female ocean to the Atlantic`s male and we could see why.
The second week the wind was a lot lighter and our speed dropped dramatically, although we were generally able to sail most of the day with just a couple of hours on the engine when everything got very flappy. It was nearly anchorage conditions - in fact a lot calmer than most of the anchorages we have experienced since our arrival. The sea was a beautiful turquoise and there was a long lazy swell undulating from the south where the real winds were. Many, many flying fish. Absolutely beautiful. It was very easy to sleep, cook, do trainset and all the other important things one does on passage. We felt very rested, the boat felt good and it felt wonderful to be just the three of us and Trenelly on this gorgeous ocean.
Extract from diary Day 8 (sorry a bit gushy): Jason was talking of the huge forces involved : the long gentle swells are enormous, the whole ocean has a constant current, the wind. We harness such a miniscule amount to make our way across this huge ocean. A sailor on the net said something along the lines of `How can so much ocean be so calm`. It has been beautiful. The colour is superb. We don`t mind going slowly so long as we are going. The evenings are beautiful with this wonderful full moon. WE ARE SO LUCKY TO BE DOING THIS.
We caught a ton of fish, compared to the big zero of the Atlantic. I think the stronger line definitely helped although they weren`t all massive. One was 9 and a half pounds - exactly Dylan`s birthweight - gave me second thoughts about having a second one... Gourmet meals included dorado fish fingers, fish curry, coconut and lime dorado, dorado and noodle soup. The run ended with a curious catch. A large dorado bit and rather than fight the line he swam up to and alongside the boat. The water was so clear we could see every detail as he swam next to us, then we realised that beneath him swam a second dorado. We had heard that they pair for life, and felt awful. We decided that we would let him go as long as he wasn`t too badly hooked. As it was he was done for, so he did dinner and the freezer. The next day we had a fishy visitor. From the beginning of mine and Dylan`s morning watch, around 7am, until the end of the afternoon, a beautiful dorado swam with us alongside the boat. The seas were still very calm, so we could could see her so clearly. For those who haven`t seen a dorado in the water, they are a stunning blue, green gold - sparkling. Occasionaly she would shoot off and stir up a ton of flying fish, but always back to swim with us. I don`t know if she was the mate of the one we caught or just a friendly fish, but it was lovely to have her with us for a day.
A slight disaster on our second night out when both headsails suddenly fell down in the middle of the night! It took a lot of muscle from both of us to get them clear of the water and back onto the boat. Once they were on board and lashed down, Jason went to inspect the damage. The sails were wedged into the forestay and the old headsail was ripped. It seemed that the shackle holding them up had sheared and let them go. Despite being the middle of the night, Jason felt he should go up the mast and get the halyard down to re-set the sails. I was so nervous for him. Fortunately the seas were still really light, but still the motion is amplified at that height enormously. Once he was past the deck lamp, I couldn`t even see him beyond the light. Such a relief to have him back down after visions of him being thrown off the mast and swinging. We eventually got the headsails seperated and put just one up. So, it was quite an eventful watch for Jason, and adrenaline packed. He was really busy for the rest of his watch getting everything tidied and was too hyped up to sleep when it came to his off watch. It took quite a few biscuits to calm him enough to sleep.
Really good to have a freezer this time round. Bacon butties on passage are a definite bonus, as is chili, chicken and all sorts of other goodies. It works really well cooking for all of us at the same time, as we all eat around 5pm before getting ready for Dylan and Jason to go off watch at 7pm. The days are really scheduled which makes it easier for all of us, especially with Dylan and his sleeping/eating. Thank goodness he still has a couple of hours sleep in the afternoon - we`ll try and keep that going until he leaves home.
On such a long trip I think it is inevitable that you get a moment when you suddenly feel tiny in a large ocean. Jason had his slight wobble near the start of the trip with the thought of such a long time at sea (cooped up with wife and child!), while I had mine nearer the end - we had covered so many miles but still had so many to go. However, generally I think the routine of the day, and the small different things that happened each day keep you going and not dwelling too much on the time at sea. I think you really would go stir crazy otherwise. I don`t think it is a passage that everyone could make. We had a few minor ailments which wouldn`t have been any worry ashore, but which get you more worked up when you are weeks from medical help - a bad mouth ulcer for me, a bit of a headache for Jason one evening - which got me thinking about what we would do if emergencies happened. Dylan`s so small, Jason`s brain, my bump.
The majority of the trip, especially the first couple of weeks, were a pleasure. Dylan waving `night night` to the sunset and turning to spot the moon each night. The beautiful full moon that seemed to last for a week or more, the many flying fish. Dylan`s first attempt at `thank you`, crossing the 1000 mile barrier. Many, many lovely moments.
We foolishly celebrated the 1000 mile to go barrier, and got hyped up into thinking we were on the final straight, when really 1000 miles is a hell of distance still to go. The wind picked up, which was great for boatspeed, but a lot more swell which made it less comfortable. By then, my morning sickness was starting to kick in and after several days we were itching to get to land. We were lucky enough to see and make contact with another boat about halfway though the trip, and joined their radionet, which met up for a short time in the evening to exchange position, weather and `what`s for dinner` type chat. When we first saw Mr P and realised there were other boats so close it felt really odd, as we had been in our little coccoon. It had been wonderful to be just the three of us on the ocean, and I hadn`t felt at all isolated, as I had thought we might. However, it was great to make contact, especially later when the conditions were stronger and we were all more tired. Good to know that others were in the same situation and to have external human contact.
We had a day of squalls near the end, day 19 (and it stayed that way until the end). I woke to Jason bundling Dylan down below, then thundering rain as Jason hand steered to keep the wind behind us. A bit of a nasty one and he looked bushed, so we reefed further as there was another nasty on the horizon, then he went down for a well-earned sleep. I popped Dylan back down below, and switched off the generator as it got closer, expecting a lot of rain, but not too worried as we were well reefed. However, it hit all of a sudden and I took the wheel, but it went a bit to pot. I think one of the sails backed, then after I had got it back, screaming for Jason (who was up in an instant and at the helm), the boat heeled right over, with water gushing over the gunnels. I really thought we were going to go over, but thankfully Jason got us straight. By now Dylan had climbed up into the cockpit and was bawling in the rain as well. It was when I tried reefing the headsails that we realised that they were both out fully and wouldn`t come in - the reefing line had snapped! What a nightmare. With Jason holding us steady in 30-35 knots under twined 130% headsails, fully unfurled, I scrambled to the bow and tied the loose ends of the furling line together. It seemd to take forever, and eventually we got them in. Rather more hairy than I like. We realised that one of the poles had been wrenched from the mast, so it may well have been in the water when we were heeled over. Luckily no extra damage was done. It was definitely a Fray Bentos night that night.
After this, we sailed with both reefed headsails on the same side and with the mizzen, as we had stronger winds, but we suffered gusty squally conditions, or with the wind either dead behind (and we weren`t keen to pole both headsails out with weakened furling gear) or pushing us well off course. A day or so later we suffered a rip across the mizzen after a gybe, and ended up with just the main for the final day or so of the passage. Fortunately we had strong winds so made decent progress even with our reduced sail plan!!
So, so good to arrive at Fatu Hiva. The most stunning landfall and I can`t imagine a better one. It is absolutely beautiful and Hanavave (Baie des Vierges) is the most spectacular anchorage you will ever see.
Fatu Hiva
Fatu Hiva was and remains our most spectacular landfall. After our longest passage, we were finally in! Hanavave Bay is absolutely stunning, surrounded by peaks, mountains and green. We could scarcely believe we were there. After our initial euphoria, phone calls on the sat phone and general celebration, we ended up having a `quick sleep` which ended up being the whole afternoon. Finally, our bodies were able to start catching up.
We had got involved in a radionet en route, and one of the three boats in the anchorages was familiar, by name at least. Astra invited us over for drinks that evening to celebrate our arrival. I`m sure we were totally shell-shocked and not totally with it that evening, but it was lovely to swap passage tales with others who had just completed the crossing.
Once we finally got ourselves organised, getting the dinghy in the water and generally sorting ourselves out, we loved the small village. A small shop sold baguettes, and we were able to find pamplemousse and bananas - a real treat. We had a lovely walk up to the waterfall, and to a viewpoint up the hill, although we did not attempt the walk around to the next village.
It was pretty gusty in the anchorage, but although we were anchored in quite deep water the holding was excellent. However, the gusts made for a lot of motion and didn`t help my morning sickness. We kept finding reasons not to leave. On our way back from a walk one day, we were beckoned into someone`e house where they plyed us with bananas and lemons, and chatted with us. As we were leaving, they handed us a tapa skirt for Dylan, which their son had worn one year in the dance celebrations. It was a really lovely gesture and we were keen to offer help or gifts in return. The next day, we returned with some rope we no longer needed and, on the way, had lots of other villagers asking if we wanted to barter it for fruit . We got to our friends` house and were again plyed with more fruit, and went home with a huge bunch of bananas, more lemons and a baguette. They also gave us some honey from the bees they kept in their garden.
Next time we planned to leave we saw some boats arriving into the anchorage and there was Sayonara. Following him in were B`Sheret towing in Mr P, the boat we `bumped into` mid Pacific! All three boats were involved in the radionet we had joined so we were pleased to meet them all face to face when Peter from Sayonara invited us all on board for barbequed steaks.
Hiva Oa and Tahuata
Finally, it was time to go, and we headed north up to Hiva Oa, where we were supposed to have checked in with customs rather than make landfall at Fatu Hiva. Luckily, the customs boat had been in Fatu Hiva just days before us so we escaped fines. We had great winds on the beam up to Hiva Oa and hit 8 knots or more most of the way, which was fortunate as we were late to leave.
The main anchorage is rather busy, so everyone anchors with a stern anchor as well as the main. We tucked ourselves in behind Ike and Becky on Rythmn, recognising a few boats and names. This island is far more developed than Fatu Hiva, so the provisioning was excellent - plenty of fresh vegetables and saladstuffs in the three or four supermarkets. Everything was quite price-y, but to be able to get french cheeses, tomatoes, eggs and almost anything else you wanted was fantastic. I went salad crazy! So good to be able to get fresh stuff into Dylan, apart from the usual bananas.
However, the anchorage was really rolly and packed with boats. The dinghy dock had a nasty surge and it was a bit of a long hot walk to the `town` with my continued morning sickness. We decided to stock up and head out after just a few days stay. The nearby island of Tahuata beckoned. Our departure was a bit more of an ordeal than expected as our stern anchor was stuck fast under an imovable object. Luckily, Ike from Rythm was on hand to help force it up - it came up with a 90 degree bend in the shaft. We stowed it away to deal with later.
Tahuata is beautiful. the first anchorage was in a large bay off a white sand beach, with plenty of space and no swell - this is what we were waiting for. We anchored in 10m and were able to see the anchor on the bottom. There was only one other boat in the bay. Beautiful.
The following day, we dinghied to the beach but there must have been a bit more swell running, as when wegot close in, we dinghy got totally swamped by a wave. Jason and I jumped out to pull the dinghy up the beach, but it was knocked over, as was Jason back into the dinghy and on top of Dylan. Dylan wasn`t impressed, and ran up to the edge of the shoreline in his lifejacket! On our return journey, we let Jason take the dinghy out, then me and Dylan swam out to beyond the swell before we got in! Luckily, it hasn`t put Dylan off beaches.
We met up again with Anne and Paul from Free Spirit, who we had first met in Fatu Hiva, who told us about a feast in the next village down the next day. Unfortunately, we got there much too late in the afternoon, and missed the celebrations, but had a lovely wander along the `main road` by the water`s edge. A beautiful spot, and no-one visits apart from yachties and one small cruise ship.
Ua Po
Once again we had excellent winds to get us to Ua Po. The trades were right on the beam, where Trenelly likes them. Unfortunately, despite this being some of our best sailing, my stomach was no match for the ocean swell and tinker 2 made his displeasure known. Not able to take any drugs, I was resigned to heaving over the side with number one son making loud and amusing retching noises behind me - cherub!
Ua Po is a distinctive island, with tall, narrow peaks formed in the central part of the island. It is stunning, especially at sunset. We spent our first night in the main town, but decided the northern village anchorage would be prettier. It was a much more comfortable anchorage and beautiful. We met up with On Verra, who we had originally met in Fatu Hiva, as well as Frasimada, an Italian cat. We were invited on a walk up to one of the peaks, but decided we would join the others up to the waterfall then head back, as Jason would have to carry Dylan. However, the walk seemed fairly straightforward so we ended up doing the whole thing. Jason wore just flip-flops as we had not planned to be doing anything too strenuous, so he really suffered on the steep bits with Dylan in the backpack! It was well worth the effort with amazing views from the top, back down to the sea. Thankfully, we had leftover cold dauphinois potatoes and some cold chicken for a gourmet picnic!
Again, we could have stayed longer but our watermaker packed in, and we felt we should get to Nuku Hiva, where we would be more able to contact Spectra and give them an address to have spare parts sent to, so another good sail up to Nuku Hiva, the last of our Marquesan islands.
Nuku Hiva
This is probably the larger of the Marquesas, and is well set up for yachties. We were even able to get our laundry done, and fill up gas bottles. Again, plenty of baguettes and small supermarkets within walking distance. I was amazed at the availability of pretty much everything you could need, even on the smaller islands. Although understandably price-y, you could buy most things. We were glad to have stocked up with most tinned and dried goods in Panama to last the whole way across the Pacific, but were able to buy treats and basics when we needed to.
Here, we also managed to deal with our bent stern anchor. Jason expected a realy difficult job, possibly requiring a blow torch and certainly a vice. In the end a helpful local wedged it against a kerb stone and bent it by had - one hand. He wasn`t even all that big!
Nuku Hiva was a very social stay, with many famliar boats in the anchorage. We stayed for a while, getting some boat jobs done that had been left for a bit too long while we explored the other islands, and generally relaxing.
We decided to hire a car as this was a bigger island, and had a bit of an explore. Jason enjoyed the off-road-ness of the road and had great fun, while we did the island circuit!
We spent a couple of nights in Daniels Bay where we went to yet another waterfall. A pretty wooded walk with Sean, Cathy and their daughters from Adventure bought us to the waterfall. A friendly dog befriended us at the start of the walk and led us the whole way. I think he knew he`d get a share of the picnic at the end of the walk. We had heard there were two large eels in the pool at the bottom, but it was only after Sean had swam across the pool that we saw one - it was enormous, as big as Jason`s leg - no way we were going in there. But Sean was already on the other side and had to make a very brave swim back with all of us telling him how big and hungry looking the eel was!!
We stayed in Nuku Hiva long enough to meet Mum and John on the start of their cruise and spent the morning with them, before their ship headed down the Marquesan chain, and we got ready to head to the Tuamotus.
We had spent longer than expected in the Marquesas, so in order to meet Mum and John and their cruise ship with time to spare, we decided to head straight to Rangiroa. It was another fast sail and we managed to head off just before some nasty weather hit. In the event, we were going much faster than anticipated and had to shorten sail drastically in order to get in in daylight and catch the morning slack tide. The narrow passes through the reefs into the atolls can be quite nasty with a tide running, and although Rangiroa has good depths and is well marked, it can get quite choppy at the wrong tide with huge standing waves forming at times.
So, our final night was spent with virtually no sail - rather frustating when we had such great winds, to be wasting them, but we did not relish a night arrival. At dawn, we made an uneventful entry into the lagoon with smooth waters, following the leading lines. What was all the fuss about, we thought? Later, we took a walk down to look at the pass, and witnessed large waves with dolphins leaping from the crests as another boat surfed in. We were rather glad we had been cautious.
Rangiroa was gorgeous and it was no hardship to spend time here. Beautiful clear blue water and fantastic snorkelling. We had a couple of days to recover from our trip down. I was getting used to being constantly sick whenever we upped anchor and even in some of the anchorages, so it was bliss to be in such a smooth, protected spot. There was even a small cafe by the dock which did great burgers and chips! And we were able to get baguettes every morning. We made up for my poxy efforts at cooking for the last few days. It became a morning ritual for Jason to whizz ashore for bread each morning, and we ended up being slightly over-baguetted by the end of our stay.
The morning Mum and John were due in aboard the Aranui, we got ashore with plenty of time, only to find there had been a delay because of engine problems! We expect that with a smaller boat like ours, but a cruise ship?! We had a bit of extra time to do manic clearing up on the boat. Back down to the pass, where we waved the new arrivals through the lagoon entrance with foghorn and a bright orange sarong. We could just make out our visitors on the deck. After meeting up with Mum and John on the beach with the other cruise passengers, we got a few spots of rain and decided to dinghy back to Trenelly. Then there was downpour for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The visibility was reduced to nothing and we couldn`t even see their massive boat any more. Sitting down below on their first day on board, we all hoped this was a one off. It was probably one of the most intense rainstorms we had had since the Caribbean hurricane season. Thankfully it cleared and the rest of the visit was glorious sunshine.
The week went quickly. We had some fantastic snorkelling in `The Aquarium`, a small motu near the pass, one of the best snorkelling sites we have been to. We saw black tip sharks and shoals of all types and colours of fish. There were whole new varieties we had never seen before. Even Dylan swam with us, although he had a short attention span, not being able to see the fish - can`t wait to get him in a mask and snorkel! We also had Remora fish under the boat. These fish generally attach themselves to the underside of sharks and feed off bits and bobs dropped by their hosts, but in our case they hid under Trenelly and fed on leftover pasta, rice and baguettes. They were fascinating to watch and Dylan loved to feed them off the side of the boat.
We had thought that Bastille Day in Rangiroa would be fairly busy with some dancing competitions or fireworks. However, we had a fishing tournament, followed by a fiercely contested coconut chopping race (complete with police overseeing the competitors). This was followed by a palm weaving contest, by which time we decided that we had had altogether too much fun and got back onto our bikes and headed back to base. An added `excitement` to the day was whilst we were eating pizza, Dylan was busy fishing off the cafe dock with a bucket on a string. Next thing we knew, a very wet girl was carrying a sodden Dylan to our table - we hadn`t even noticed him going in - a real shock to us as well as him.
Before Mum and John left we managed to get a meal ashore in at the resort near to where we were anchored. We had a buffet dinner followed by traditional dancing. Jason and I totally over-ate, trying a bit of everything, while Mum and John were more selective, having been buffet-ed out during their Marquesan cruise.
Tahiti was the total opposite to the Tuamotus - busy, but pretty much everything available. We anchored in the lagoon outside the marina Tahina, in clear blue waters with waves crashing on the nearby reef, a short dinghy and bus ride away from Champion!! Exactly like the French ones with French cheese, pate, nutella, Bonne Maman jam (our alltime favourite) and a host of other delights, as well as good quality, good value New Zealand meat - we feasted on steak and lamb for several days. As Finn, from Summer Wine, put it - `we`ve just been to heaven!`. We used our time to do a few boat jobs which had been sorely neglected (as well as eating loads!). We also had our first baby scan here in the main town of Papeete, which was fantastic - by now I was 4 months pregnant, so it was starting to be obvious, but still good to get a look at the little tinker. We also took the boat down to the town quay for a couple of days. It was a fairly easy trip into town on the local bus - not dissimilar to a cattle truck, but less well built - but in the heat, with a toddler and pregnant lady in tow, we were often worn out before we`d been there 2 minutes. The town itself was very hot, very busy and had a lot of traffic. We treated ourselves to a couple of days on the town quay. From here, we could experience it for short periods at a time, without getting too jaded. we were a stone`s throw from a playground, hairdresser (for a much-needed sort out), the market and the great roulottes. In the evenings many food stalls, roulottes, set up around the bandstand area selling crepes, pizzas, chinese food, allsorts. The Maltese Falcon, a super high-tech square rigger, was moored nearby and loomed over the quayside imperiously. We were to come accross her again and again throughout the Society Islands - clearly she was following us!
Slightly jaded by the big smoke, we set sail for the nearby Moorea, a beautiful, peaceful island with several stunning anchorages. our favourite was at the entrance to Cooks Bay over the reef right next to a drop off where the bottom suddenly vanished as it fell from 3 to 30m. Fun anchoring on the shelf, particularly with our temperamental depth sounder (often we had to resort to shouting over to a nearby yacht and asking what their depth was). The water was a beautiful clear turquoise and it was relaxing to be away from the hustle and bustle of Papeete. We took the folding bikes up to the top of the peak which had a fabulous view over the two northern bays and out to sea - a taxing ride, but well worth it. I`ll admit to getting off and walking near the top, especially as we encountered a bike race up the hill. We stopped to let them past, and had a quick sandwich break, then continued to the top - as it happened just a short distance away. Jason got a cheer as he passed the finish line on his tiny folding bike with a big Dylan on the back!
Huahine was a nights sail away. We had planned to go the followig day, but as the wind was due to drop we did it the evening of our bike ride. It was a bit of a rough ride at the start, and coupled with a tiring day on the bike, I suffered again with seasickness. We held off the speed so we wouldn`t get in too early, but the wind died during the night and we ended up motoring at the very end! Huahine was a really lovely island and we stayed in the main town anchorage for a couple of nights, managing to catch the local vegetable competition - a wide array of massive roots with the odd bunch of bananas thrown in for variety! We do seem to get lucky with these local events... We checked out another anchorage further south - it was very deep with a shallower ledge, but our depth sounder went on strike, and there were no other boats around. We put out all our chain, took up the strain with the engine...and dragged. The weather was coming in now, with rain, and it was starting to get dark, so we tried again. Once more, the depth sounder didn`t want to play, so we put out all the chain and seemed to hold. Definitely a night to put on the drag alarm on the GPS. Thankfully we didn`t drag and woke to a clear morning.
Our next island was Raiatea, an easy sail away. We made excellent speed with a good wind, and tacked down the channel at the entrance. Once inside the reef we had to cross the flight path of the airport runway - signs gave notice that we should call the tower on the VHF before doing so. However, we`d heard several boats doing this and getting no reply. After a short discussion we decided to take a good look up for approaching aircraft and leg it over as fast as we could. Our mast is still standing.
We anchored on the far side of the island, where we had the choice of deep waters or dodgy mooring buoys. I wasn`t keen on the buoys, so we spent ages finding a decent spot. The holding seemed poor and there was always a high concentration of boats at the shallower parts. Thankfully, we found a reasonable spot and the anchor held. We were to stay here for a while as the winds were fresh for several days. However, as well as Beatrice who we had met again in Raiatea, we also had the company of Summer Wine and Seabright, our favourite kid boats.
We enjoyed exploring Tahaa, where we found a couple of pleasant anchorages, especially the coral gardens. We anchored on a shelf where sharply defined pale, bright and dark blue waters marked the shallows, moderate and deep waters. We had a prime view of Bora Bora through the palm trees and beautiful sunsets.
Bora Bora, a long dreamed of landfall, quintessentially Pacific, in its appearance lived up to expectations. However, it was not the paradise that we had hoped for. One night, whilst at anchor, we were boarded in the middle of the night. We were all asleep, and I only woke because I heard a small noise on the deck above me. In my sleepy state I assumed it was Jason, then heard a slight noise in the galley. Still half asleep, I put out my arm to feel Jason beside me on the bed, then popped my head up the hatch to come face to face with several men, one of whom was on the aft deck shining a torch at me. I`ll admit I did have a bit of a go at them. In fact, it was my screaming at them to `Get off my *** boat` that woke Jason and prompted him to join in with a little bit of shouting. He was a little hoarse the next morning. Summer Wine were anchored nearby and had been woken by the noise and set off their foghorn which woke the rest of the boats around us. The robbers had meanwhile jumped into their boat and dragged our dinghy away with them, setting it loose when they were clear of the boat. John from Oddity whizzed over in his dinghy with a cry of `Let`s get them!`and he and Jason retrieved our dinghy and gave chase. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the thieves got away but thankfully, in their haste, they left a lot of their booty in their (stolen) boat. Whilst the boys were gone, I got calls on the VHF from Janet on Chanticleer and Debbie on Oddity who had both been robbed. It was only at this point that I realised that the laptop was gone. Neither of the other boats had woken while the thieves were on board and it is only because of the aft deck that I heard them. I shudder to think how close they were to Dylan`s cabin. Thankfully, most of the stolen goods were left and no-one was hurt, so the main image I am left with of the night is one of Jason and John in high rage and just their underpants racing after the robbers in the dead of night.
On reporting the intrusion to the local police, we were told that this sort of thing happens all the time to local houses, hotels and boats. The policeman assured us that he wouldn`t go to Bora Bora on holiday! On reporting the robbery to our insurance company, Pantaenius, we were told that we were not covered since we had not locked ourselves into the boat! Great help.
Although not our favourite island, we found some beautiful spots, in particular the sail round the top of the island through the reefs to the southeastern anchorage. We let Summer Wine, with their shallower draught, lead the way but it was very well buoyed and for the first time since we had arrived in the Pacific, the electronic charts matched the reality. Very shallow at times, I kept a sharp lookout on the bow. The water was beautiful and you could see to the bottom. We stayed a few days our first time before heading back to provision and set off for the Cook Islands. However, very bad weather was forecast, so we headed back round to sit it out. No great hardship as it was a beautiful spot and the Chenoa`s had created a brilliant camp on the beach with swing and barbeque. The kids played and the adults sat and chatted, while the boats strained at their anchors. The weather never got as bad as forecast, but we were glad not to be out in it and that anchorage will stay in our memories a long time. We snorkelled with black tip sharks and stingrays. The local tour boats feed them, so at the sound of the outboards we would be met by ten or more rays and several sharks - fantastic to see. One day, as we were leaving, a local tour guide showed up and asked us to leave as they were `his` rays and sharks - eejit.
There were several anchorages full of yachties waiting to jump off for the Cooks or Tonga so weather talk was rife, with various nets and weather experts convincing each other and us to stay a little longer. Finally, a couple of boats left into huge seas, then a couple more until the weather talk was all a bit too much - should we, shouldn`t we. Needless to say, I was of the `shouldn`t` camp! Eventually, we decided that the wind looked right to go and the seas settled, and it seemed that most of the boats on the island had similar ideas, as that morning it was almost like a summer`s day in the solent with several boats goosewinged or twin-poled, navigating the nearby islands en route westwards.
Wow! Tonga is one of our favourite places.
The Passage - Bora Bora to Tonga
After far too much weather discussion, we had a fairly light, slow passage. We took it
fairly easy at night time as it often looked squally and I was getting more tired, but
generally the winds were fairly light and we had a day or two sailing at around 3 knots
or resorting to the engine. We would have loved to have stopped at Aitutaki, Nuie and
Palmerston, but there was simply no time. With the weather delaying us in Bora Bora and
Jason's mum due in Tonga, we couldn't afford to stop and risk another overlong stop. We
could see Palmerston on the horizon and hear people on the VHF, so spoke to Sam on
Ramprasad and John on Oddity as we passed. Halfway through the week long passage Dylan
had a bit of a fever - dry and hot and a bit lethargic (very unusual!) with quite a high
temperature. We were a bit worried, being in the middle of nowhere but after consulting
our baby book we were reassured that it was probably nothing too serious and it passed
in 24 hours. Our final couple of days were a bit exciting - can't remember exactly as
it is almost a year since the passage (must keep up better...), but we went from no wind
to various directions, then a strong squall that stayed with us until Tonga. Big seas
and the odd bit of lashing rain. Bit hairy, but the worst that happened was that Jason
was thrown across the cockpit in the dead of night and the travel scrabble went
everywhere! We had been doing a word each per watch each night, but spent the rest of
the night trying to figure out where previous words had gone. It might have been a
tactical drop on Jason's part!
On arrival to Tonga we slipped behind Vava'u and it was as though the wind had been
switched off and the wave machine stopped. Bliss. We waited until dawn before
approaching Neiafu where we tied up for the customs and immigrations visits before
taking a buoy outside the Aquarium cafe. Vava'u is yachtie heaven. Neiafu is full of
cruisers from all over, with a really useful radio net, many bars and cheap restaurants
and very well protected. The islands are close together, beautiful and a boat can find
protection in any weather. Provisioning is basic compared to French Polynesia, but much
more reasonable. Everything was really cheap compared to French Polynesia. The
Aquarium was excellent and we spent a lot of time there, meeting with friends, eating or
simply hanging out. There was a wide range of games for the kids and plenty of treats
for the grown ups.
Mum Harvey and Whale Watching
Sue (Harvey) arrived a couple of days after us. We dragged her off whale watching at the
crack of dawn on her first day where she watched Dylan as Jason and I hurled ourselves
into big swell after unsuspecting humpback whales. Sue did admirably despite major
jetlack after a very very long flights with tedious connections and little sleep! We
didn't do so well with the whales, however. Our friends had been out the previous day
and seen many whales and been able to swim with them, but the weather was a bit wild the
day we went. It wasn't possible to get too close to the whales with the large swell
running, and I didn't feel great in the water with the big seas. Still, it was a great
day out and we saw a fabulous display from the boat of two males leaping out of the
water competing for the affections of a female.
We sailed away the next day. One of the great things about the Vava'u group is the
proximity of the anchorages. It was a short sail from Neiafu and we were in a
beautiful, peaceful anchorage within an hour. We woke to glorious sunshine and another
day in paradise. The whale watching company had mentioned that we could go out again
for free as we had not swum with the whales, but we had wanted to explore the islands
with Sue, so hadn't expected it to happen. However, the next day we saw a boat approach
us as we tucked into breakfast. Surely there weren't whales in our anchorage? Then we
realised they had come round to get us. A quick rush around to get our gear together
and soon we were leaping into the water again! Another brilliant day, if exhausting.
We found a mother and calf and it was incredible to watch as they swam beneath us.
Jason ended up on the roof of the launch taking photos and enjoying the ride, but I just
had to keep going back in just in case I missed anything. Once a whale is spotted, the
boat gets fairly close then a limited number of people are allowed to get in as the
whales swim by. We were a small party so everyone was in each time.
The rest of Sue's visit was spent touring the islands on our own and with Summer Wine
and Seabright. We found a particularly stunning anchorage which was even more like
paradise than the rest and had it all to ourselves. Trenelly was the only boat anchored
off, and ours were the only footprints on the shore. Sue had a very successful snorkel
attempt and we saw plenty of fish and blue starfish.
We also had a couple of excellent nights out. One restaurant, La Paella, was a run by a
spanish couple were we enjoyed great food, followed by song. I have almost forgotten
how easy (relatively) it was to take Dylan out to restaurants. He spent a lot of time
smiply running around the tables, but our hosts were very understanding and even let him
have a bull with red flashing eyes to play with, and offered him an instrument to play
when the music started. Another night we went for a pig roast, on Mala island -
although not a traditional local event, it was delicious and a very memorable evening
which ended on the beach drinking rum out of coconuts around a fire. Again, quite Dylan
friendly compared to the 'real world'!. We also had Eva's 40th birthday in the mermaid
bar in Neiafu
All too soon we had to say goodbye and see Sue off at the very low key airport.
The Battle of Goat Island
We had a bit more time to explore the Vava'u group before heading south and one of our
most memorable stops was at the, now renamed, 'Goat Island'. We had gone ashore onto
the beautiful looking beach and enjoyed a stroll along the beach, swimming and general
lounging around. Jo, Dave and Jason had been sorting out the dinghies, as the tide was
coming in, when some goats started sniffing around. Fine, but one took a bit too much
interest in our dinghy, sharpening it's rather impressive horns on it. After some very
manly (!) attempts at distraction from the boys, the goat turned bad. Within moments we
we had waded into the sea to escape him. Women and children quaked (with laughter) as
the men defended us (by throwing sand). Dylan was keen to get on shore to get a good
look at the goat and Beth asked 'why are we in the water?' Very hard to stop laughing,
but there was no way I was going anywhere near it. The goat started nibbling Jason's
hat, so he made a dash to retrieve it, and around the time Jason and Dave summoned their
courage to charge the goat, Summer Wine had arrived in the anchorage. Seeing our
predicament they lobbed down the anchor and Mike, Ilona and Roz (Ilona's mum) jumped
into their dinghy, shouting and firing their foghorn. The boys, Finn and Laurie, swam
in quick pursuit armed to the eyeballs with their wooden swords and shields. The goat
stood no chance. The Battle of Goat Island will remain in local folklore for years to
come.
The day following 'The Battle of The Goat', we woke at the crack of dawn, or rather before dawn. We eased our way out from the islands in the dark, initially using our GPS track, then the slowly sharpening outlines of land. As dawn broke and it became possible to eyeball the last few rocks we were to avoid as we left the Vava'u group behind us, we were surprised by an almighty splash abeam as a whale appeared momentarily, then dived beneath us. What a wonderful farewell.
A decent day sail later, we arrrived in Lifuka, in the Haapai group - Sleipnir and Zepheranthes were already anchored off the main 'town' of Pangai, and Chanticleer and Ramprasad arrived the following day. It was a weekend when we arrived so there was no chance of checking in or out - the police station was deserted, although Jason found the chief next door doing his ironing and discovered we could complete formalities on the Monday. We made the most of the weekend by getting out the bikes and heading up island. A great bike ride (nice and flat), culminating in a rough track strewn with enormous spiders overhead, ending in a picture perfect spit of sand next to a cafe. A wholly unexpected eaterie and, on the beach, the best shells we had seen for a long time.
A couple of days later, after an early morning snorkel (Dylan got babysitters), we left in company with Summer Wine, Chanticleer and Zephyranthes. We had gentle winds, but managed to get a decent sail in. Summer Wine got up their cruising chute when they saw us getting away from them, while Chanticleer took it easy with just a headsail. The others saw whales (apparently right by us!), but we were too busy catching a massive fish to notice them. We caught up with Sam on Ramprasad as we arrived at the anchorage and had a quick chat on VHF, wishing him well for his onward passage to New Zealand via Minerva reef. Meanwhile we all stopped for the night and had a pot-luck with the huge fish curry on board Trenelly.
Pangaimotu
Two short daysails and a crappy anchorage later and we were in Tongatapu. We were welcomed in by whales - it seemed to be a couple of males leaping out of the water continuously, maybe another couple of boys arguing over a lady.
We anchored off the island of Pangaimotu. This was to be our last stop before the big push South to New Zealand and that was always on our minds. The day we arrived a lot of boats were just about to leave, so it all felt very imminent for us. It was a great final anchorage. The bar/restaurant (a sort of ad-hoc cruising club) was able to sort out laundry, diesel, water taxi's and pretty much anything else. We were lucky enough to time our arrival for the owners birthday and then a B-B-Q on the next night. The owners were really welcoming to all the cruisers and it was an excellent place to be for the last few days (or it could even have been a couple of weeks) in Tonga.
Our first night, we had lashing rain, but once we got ashore for the free barbeque it really started lashing down. Big winds and so much rain!! We rarely anchor and head straight ashore, but this time we did it in the worst conditions! As it was we could just about see Trenelly through the curtain of rain and Jason had to go back to the boat for something, getting totally drenched in the process, so we knew she hadn't been bouncing about too much. Sometimes it's better to be on shore in those conditions. We were on shore most days for beach, food, chat and weather worrying. Writing this in 'civilisation', where although it is generally very child friendly, we wouldn't go out to eat in the evening with the kids in tow, it is great to remember how the boat kids ran free on the beach all day and night, while the grown ups chewed the fat at the bar.
A short water taxi from the island was the main town of Nuku'Alofa, which as the first nation capital to see the sunrise, had an International Dateline Hotel. I don't know how many people fell for this on New Years Eve 1999 but it didn't look too busy now. The town had most things we might need. After the very basic supplies available in Neiafu, it was bliss to be able to browse a little further. A large fruit and veg market, a great bakery, a handful of hit and miss supermarkets and a knock-off DVD shop amongst many others. We spent several hours in the Friends Cafe, Jason battling with the internet while we polished off large breakfasts, coffees and sandwiches.
A highlight of the stay was our 'roadtrip' with Summer Wine. Most of the must-see sights were a little underwhelming. Our all-time favourite was the caves. As we approached, a man rubbed his hands in glee as we handed over our money then cranked the generator to start up the lights. The stalactites were pretty impressive, but we were a little wary of the loose wires hanging from the ceiling that were sparking as water dripped over them. On pointing this out to the guide, he asked us to wait a moment while he went to seek out a higher authority. We were pretty much at the far reaches of the cave, when the lights suddenly went out. We couldn't see a thing, but I could just imagine all the cockroaches that Laurie said he had seen. We used the lights of our digital camera screens to creep our way up and down the cave's steps back towards the entrance. Hilarious! Dylan wasn't so keen.
Many boats checked out before they were due to leave (some a week or two in advance), so they could head off as soon as they were ready, but customs and immigration cottoned on that most boats still hadn't left, and tightened up. They decided that we should check out no earlier than 24 hours before departure. They were also asking that boats were brought into the town quay for an inspection prior to departure. This caused a bit of bother between customs and cruisers when a weather window appeared and everyone wanted to check out on a Friday to leave on the Monday. It is never altogether certain that you leave on the day you plan to, especially on such a trip like this one. After arguments and discussion, they agreed that the yachts did not need to come into the town quay, but stuck to their 24 hour rule.
We had no choice but to check out on the Sunday. After a lengthy session with customs we were told that the port captain, who's 'office' was at the other end of town would be closing early! Mike and Jason shared a cab (the slowest cab ever) and made it to him with just 5 minutes to spare.
Passage South
With unsettled forecasts, the conversations in Tonga were predominantly weather orientated, but we finally broke away on 12th November, headed straight for Opua, New Zealand, a 1000 mile trip. We had originally planned to stop in Minerva Reef en route - a reef in the middle of the ocean would have been quite cool to visit. However, Tinker 2 was making his presence known more and more, and we didn't fancy being stuck for ages waiting for a weather window. We were well and truly ready to get to the land of the long white cloud.
The trip was pretty easy for the first half, with rather lighter winds than we'd hoped for but very
easy seas. The second half was rather more unsettled, with a 36 hour period of 25-30 knots and large seas, followed by light winds, followed by 12 hours or so of 20 knots on the nose, leaving rather lumpy seas in it's wake. It was during this unsettled period that the babystay toggle weakened, then finally broke, the engine alternator failed, and the autohelm packed in. Fun, fun, fun. It was during my short period of handsteering while Jason fixed the spare autohelm, whilst watching the babystay flap around and imagining the mast falling down, that I thought it would top it all if Tinker 2 decided to have a bit of a laugh and kick things off. Fortunately, he was good and quiet, the seas calmed and everything got fixed thanks to Super Skipper. Still, it was a great relief to coast into the Bay of Islands at daybreak, sipping our cups of tea as the morning sun gradually warmed us and slowly revealed the beauty of our destination.
Another fantastic landfall - Dylan went bonkers doing handstands and forward rolls shouting 'Shore', 'New town', 'Car'...
Supermarkets, midwives, playgroups, chandleries, fresh milk, grass...
Wow! Great landfall, met by friends (Seabright and Zepherantes were there to take our lines) and the incredible englishness of the place.
After a short wait on the Q dock, the customs and immigration came aboard and went through our stuff, taking a couple of our food items for their 'museum', thankfully not as strict as we were expecting, as sorting out forbidden foods en route had not been top of our list of priorities. Dylan and I stormed up and down the dock like a toddler who had been on a boat for over a week, stopping intermittently to investigate the famous floating toilet before rampaging back and forth again. We were briefly dragged back on board for a passport check which didn't go down too well with the littlest crew member until he realised that all the seats were up and the provisions exposed. Lots of 'helping' to be done. With 5 officers on board, bringing out tents from the sail locker, carvings from the master cabin and bikes from under the beds, there wasn't much room to swing anything and we still managed to forget many hidden cupboards. They were very cheerful and understood the inconvenience of the formalities which made it all much easier. We were even given a raffia 'Opua' bag containing local information and vouchers for the cafe! Apparently, they are rather stricter with incoming Kiwi boats.
Straight into the marina onto the dock (this time attached to dry land!). A quick change from our warm clothes to our sun hats and quick march to the marina cafe for a Boatramp Breakfast - oooh! We bumped into Mr P (and of course, Mrs P), and from then on it became pretty much impossible to walk from the boat to anywhere without bumping into someone we had met on our way across the Pacific.
Within a few days we had touched base with our midwife, recommended by Jason's cousin Sharon, who was suitably unfazed by our arrival from offshore in such a state, merely asking if we planned to have the baby on the boat. Quick response - no! I think they quite liked the idea of it arriving early and having to come out in a launch.
Jason had a field day (well several, and they're still happening) at Cater Marine, the chandlery. Indeed, one day there was even a 'boat show' with sausages, wine tasting and oysters right outside. Yachtie heaven - who needs palm lined beaches?
The days blurred into one, as we quickly settled into marina life. We had originally planned to be on the dock for a couple of days, then back for the birth and off again (it has now been almost a year off and on!).
We did a quick trip to Auckland to buy a camper - we needed wheels asap for when tinker 2 came, and planned on doing some touring, so our run around became a Toyota Hiace Hitop. Not that nippy but you can make a cup of tea wherever you are!
We had a great week in Auckland, staying at a fantastic backpackers hostel in Ponsonby. They gave us their largest double as we had a littl'un, and the manager was excellent with Dylan. He had a ball helping out with the cleaning and laundry in the morning, and she seemed to enjoy Dylan's company. We were fast approaching Christmas and the street we were on is traditionally decked out in the most ridiculously over the top house decorations, right down to giant lit up Santa's climbing up walls followed by many reindeer. Ponsonby was a really busy area in the evenings with lots of tiny interesting looking bars, which we had to forego for the sake of everyone. We loved all the green spaces and especially Auckland Domain.
We got a brain scan done for Jason which was 'no change' - coming up for 5 years now!
Then back up to Opua to await our frenzy of visitors from late December to the beginning of March!
We'd originially planned to sail straight to Australia, then decided that we should do New Zealand first or we probably wouldn't head back. We did still intend to fly to Oz to spend Christmas with George and Fay and their new baby, Emily. We even bought the flights in Panama back in April - just before we fell pregnant with tinker 2! Luckily for us, George and Fay decided they would come to us for the festive season, now we were neighbours. We only arrived in NZ at the end of November and had been hugely hectic with settling in, getting wheels, general midwifery and toddler stuff so Christmas was on us before we had even sussed out the islands.
We met our newest niece late on Christmas Eve and she settled straight into life on board. Dylan wasn't too welcoming, but definitely warmed to this small person by the end of the trip once he realised that she was easily distracted from taking his stuff and that he could move quicker than her. Thankfully, she wasn't too mobile yet as with 4 adults (one very large) and a Dylan, a full blown crawler or toddler would have finished things off! She was really chilled out and beautifully behaved throughout.
After a big bundle of present opening down below, we took Dylan up to the camper for his big prezzie, a trike! He thought it was OK, but was much more keen to get in the van to pretend to drive than do anything with a bike. Jason cooked us up a luxury poached egg breakfast before heading out to the islands. Fantastic to finally get out there. Our first stop was nearby Roberton Island, just a couple of hours away. It is a lovely little anchorage with a wide beach to dinghy to, and walks up to a central viewpoint. The beach looked slightly disappointing after our Pacific islands, but I think we have been a little spoiled. We stayed on board for a roast chicken Christmas dinner, wine and a catch up with the Burrows.
Boxing day was a little more active, seeing us actually going ashore and joining Summer Wine to explore the lagoon, and climb up to the viewpoint. Beautiful to be walking amid green trees and the views of the islands were stunning. A picnic and photo shoot at the top before heading back to Trenelly for a BBQ, again joined by Mike, Ilona and the boys.
The next day we headed for Paradise Bay, Urupukapuka but it was really busy, so stayed at the next door bay and little sister, Otaio Bay. While chilling out with drinks and nibbles on the beach that evening we watched as more and more motor launches rafted to each other until they were almost across the whole of Paradise! A gentle walk the next day (or a stiff one when your due date is fast approaching) took us to a gorgeous viewpoint with extra springy grass laid on. The kids ran wild while we rested, until the weather reports and grey clouds got me back to the boat and planning refuge. Our next anchorage was sheltered but very dull. Although the forecasted gales did not materialise we were all a bit cabin fevered after a very rainy day down below, so headed back to Opua for a days shore leave.
Back out to the islands the day before New Years Eve, we managed another anchorage on Urupukapuka, then on to Russell, a tiny town which we had been told would be good for seeing the fireworks. After an afternoon stroll around town (and it really doesn't take long) and lunch at a bar, we were back to the boat for a nosh up and some champagne to toast in the new year. We were all really sleepy by midnight, and Dylan woke just before the fireworks so he got to see in the New Year with us. Nice fireworks.
George and Fay then set off to explore the Far North, planning to come back on 11th Jan to meet their new niece/nephew.
Our camera battery went on the blink so we have very few photos. So, we have nicked a few from Fay's website - thanks guys!
Before we knew it George, Fay and Emily were already back from their Northland trip full of tales of cockneys and microwave letterboxes and George whipped Jason off for a birthday trip through the 'Hole in the Rock' on board Excitor, a large speedboat. Fay and I went for a demure coffee with the kids in tow.
Suddenly, Jason was 40!! The waterline dropped further and further as more and more chocolate was brought on board - everyone knew Jason's weakness!
Tinker 2 still hadn't made his/her appearance. We hadn't planned anything major for Jason's birthday as we thought we'd be in the middle or the aftermath of something a bit special already. As it was, I was just getting bigger and bigger and a bit tired. Fortunately, there was a tallships/classics boats race laid on for the occasion so we crammed all our visitors on board, lashed down the kids and set off to Russell for a prime viewpoint.
Jason got under the bows of several large and small boats for photo shots. Unfortunately everyone's camera batteries died within about 10 minutes of each other. It was good to see so many boats out on the water, although we had difficulty following the race, as there seemed to be no horns and boats took down their sails before what we thought was the finish line! Time to pop a cork! It was a bit of a drizzle-y day, so most of us stayed on board for a birthday lunch followed by ... chocolates. From Sarah's gourmet homemade dairy free to plain old dairy milk via delights from The Chocolate Factory in Kerikeri. Yum.
A short hop back to Opua, and we ended the day with take-out pizzas and a dvd. Jason has passed his wild days long, long ago so, all round, a perfect Birthday!!
Grandma had planned her visit back when we were in Bequia just after Jason's last birthday. We were due in New Zealand for Jason's following birthday, the big 40. She had booked her trip before tinker 2 was a twinkle and by coincidence, the travel dates fell around the due date. Perfect!
The 6th January finally came around. After initial concern that a bad flu might keep her away, Sue endured the long flight and got to us safe and sound, if in a weakened state! Understandable as the journey is not an easy one at the best of times.
Dylan was especially pleased to see his playmate again, after a couple of months break since Tonga. We went back to Sue's for a late Christmas present opening session, so Grandma got even more brownie points. A slow day the next day saw us taking a stroll along the local beach boardwalk and a bit of a picnic, then we heard that we were getting another visitor in the form of Julia, a family friend of the Harvey's.
A day out in nearby Paihia was next on the agenda, where a kids day was happening on the green. Julia chased down a hire car, while Sue got herself a glamourous sunhat and Dylan rolled down hills, jumped through hoops and spent a lot of time pulling up things that were supposed to be pegged in.
Combined flu, jetlag and the extreme heat after a British winter finished Sue off, and it was an early night and very quiet day the next day.
We had a wonderful month with Grandma Sue. Dylan loved having the extra attention and someone else to muck about with. We went on several long walks with the hope of coaxing out the second tinker of the family, at the same time exploring the beautiful countryside around the Bay of Islands.
From Kerikeri we followed the pretty woodland walk to a waterfall (via an old powerstation - Jason's treat). From Waitangi, we followed a gorgeous bush walk towards the Haruru Falls, but cut our losses a third of the way along. I was definitely a lot slower with the extra load. We visited Russell via ferry for fish and chips and an explore. We spent a day on a glorious, but very exposed beach on the Tutukaka coast. Not least we drove across the width of New Zealand to see the giant kauris. This turned out to be a little further than originally realised and had several bumpy roads. As we got further and further from home and the hospital, we got a little nervous about our timing. As it turned out, the baby came the following day - thank goodness we didn't go that day! The kauris are ancient trees typical to New Zealand. The countryside used to be covered in kauri forests, but many were harvested and cleared for agriculture, so there only a few concentrated areas left. We saw the largest of these. A long drive to see a big tree, but it was truly impressive and the forests were stunning.
More coming up in Grandma Part II - Post Tinker 2.
I had eaten pineapples, drunk raspberry tea, gone for long walks and other such 'remedies', but still no baby! The morning of the 19th January 2009, I woke feeling a little odd, but just as if I had eaten something funny. Jason was due to head into Paihia with Sue and Dylan, but we decided he should stick around just in case.
Within an hour we decided it was definitely contractions, sent Sue and Dylan packing (bags, she was due to check into a different accommodation) and gave our midwife a ring to let her know that things were starting.
We had gone in far too early with Dylan so I was determined to do the whole go for a walk thing, so as not to be hanging around the maternity ward for too long before the birth, but the contractions were only a couple of minutes apart. To be on the safe side, we decided to drive to Kawakawa and take a stroll in the park so we would be close to the hospital. Even as we drove past the park I was asking Jason to stop for a bit. As another contraction passed through me, I agreed that actually we probably were pretty close.
We were in the delivery room within moments of arriving at the hospital. On asking if there was time to fill a bath, an unequivocal no. It felt uncannily like it did just before Dylan was born. Oh! Our midwife arrived 15 minutes before our baby girl was born (she hadn't thought I was that close either!). Thank goodness we weren't en route to the kauri trees - she really would have been born in a campervan! She timed it between breakfast and lunch, so I didn't miss any meals or a nights sleep - bless.
Molly was gorgeous and they didn't even take her away for a wash - straight into my arms. She was born pretty, a real treasure.
The hospital was wonderful. A really small unit with such friendly midwives, and a room to myself once she was born. We were able to phone Mum in England before she went to bed, and Sue brought Dylan up to see his new sister within hours of her being born. Dylan, true to form, was more interested in the wheelchairs in the corridor than a tiny baby, but Sue was suitably besotted with our new little charmer.
9lb 10oz!
24 hours after leaving Trenelly, we were back on board with our new addition. Grandma Sue had been a star and taken Dylan to playgroup and kept him busy until we were all back on the boat and we all converged on the car park at the same time.
Ilona and the boys were round in a flash for cuddles. The boys were excellent at taking turns at Dylan entertaining to distract him from all the attention HIS friends were giving to the incomer. Molly was beautifully behaved throughout.
Although the hospital at Kawakawa was excellent, it was lovely to be back at home on the boat, especially as now I could get past Jason when we crossed paths in the galley!
Sue had to move out of her accommodation for a few days during Race Week and there was a spare room there, so we had a luxurious stay up the hill in Opua. Wonderful to have space to get used to the extra person, and a treat to sit out on the deck and watch the sails across the bay. Thanks so much Sue, for everything!
Things were a bit of a blur of nappies and constant feeding, but by 10 days old, Molly was ready to get out on the water. Jason's cousin Sharon came up for a couple of days from Auckland and we did a day sail to Roberton. A very grey day to start with with rubbish visibility, but by the time we got the anchor down and got onto the beach, the sun was out. The hike up the hill was far easier with Molly strapped to Jason rather than pregnant and we had a gourmet picnic at the top. Jason dived on the hull while we lolled around on the beach. Dylan fell out of the tree and Molly did a massive bottom explosion while with Sharon, but all went well, especially when Jason returned to shore with a flask of tea! A wonderful outing, but I was shattered the next day.
Sue's friend, Miriam, came up for another of the days, and the pair of them kindly took Dylan with them on a day out to Russell - I suspect it wasn't as relaxing a day out as it could have been, but we certainly appreciated the babysitting service and Dylan had a great day on the beach especially as Grandma caught an octopus...
All too soon, we were waving Grandma off at Keri Keri - a very eventful visit!
We had a pleasant couple of weeks between grannies, including a day out at the Lily Pond. The midwife even came to see us there to weigh and check up on Molly rather than have us wait at home - New Zealand is good like that! The Lily Pond is a great spot with lots of shade to sit and watch everyone throwing themselves off the waterfall and a shallow bit after the waterfall for the younger ones to paddle - lovely spot. We also spent a weekend out in the islands with Summer Wine and Seabright - it lashed it down but great to have the usual suspects out at anchor.
Then, it was Granny Burrows' turn to come and have a poke at her new granddaughter.
Fortunately, she visited George, Fay and Emily in Australia first and got her jetlag over with there, so we didn't feel too bad at dragging her straight out sailing to see the islands. After Roberton, we headed over to Urupukapuka where we had a wonderful sunset walk to a marvellous viewpoint across the Bay of Islands. I had my first swim since arriving in NZ - very cold as expected after the tropics, but good and refreshing.
Back to Opua, as we had another visitor due. Jez had work in NZ, so hopped up for a 24 hour visit. Lovely to see him, and w
The week after Mum left was a mad frenzy of medicals and blood tests for our visa application (extending our tourist visa), Molly's baby injections and a Health Visitor visit.
After our taster of life in the camper van, we were raring to see more of New Zealand and the Coromandel looked well worth a visit. We stopped a night with Dave, Jo and Beth from Seabright in their lovely Devonport apartment. Wonderful to see them in their new home - great views from the veranda out into the channel and good hospitality.
After a frenetic day in the city, we drove on to Thames at the foot of the peninsular. Not a particularly pretty place, so we stayed a little out of town. The area had once been rich in gold and a lot of the mines were based in Thames. We had a tour of a gold mine. with plenty of noisy machinery for the boys, and a dark tunnel for Dylan. Apparently, there are still small amounts of gold there, but I think it likely there is a higher income for the place through tourism. Then on up to Coromandel which is quite an old town (by Kiwi standards!). We had a very pretty drive along the water, with the obligatory kauri detour and lunch at one of the many cafes in Coromandel town. We then treated Dylan to a trip on the miniature railway. The guy who owns the land was trying to grow as many native plants as possible, as many are dying out. He was a train enthusiast, so built a small railway to get up and down the high slopes. The railway slowly grew and now it is the major part of the attraction. It has all been handbuilt and there is a lot of local art throughout. At several places, bottles have been used to build up the walls, scupltures hide in secret groves and the trains cross over each other for photo opportunites. We all had a brilliant ride. Molly, still only 7 weeks old, slept and ate for the whole trip! Our campsite that night was right by the water. We set up camp with our new canopy to block out the wind, which quickly grew to lashing rain. The canopy worked really well, but we didn't feel like sitting around outside in a near gale, so had an early night. Surprising how cosy the van was. Dylan has his space up top and Molly was at the bottom of our bed in her basket. It felt like a coccoon against the weather.
We woke to a grey day, although the rain had died out overnight. We had a bit of a walk around the headland to chase away the cobwebs and returned to the van to find that we had not only left the van unlocked, but the drivers door was still wide open! Oops! Thankfully they must have been a trustworthy lot in the campsite. We drove across the peninsular towards Hahei. The scenery is dramatic and almost more so with the grey drizzle! By the time, we arrived at the next campsite the rain had cleared and we had sunshine once again. The campsite backs onto one of the biggest white sand beaches. Really beautiful. We had a bit of a wander on the beach and turned in for the night. More lashing rain. The van actually rocked with the weather! Long treks in the rain didn't appeal and neither did spending the day in the van, either driving or camping out, so we wimped out and splashed out on a motel for the next night. It was really spacious, had views over the beach and was very comfy. Job done! Thankfully the weather cleared up again for our walk to the Cathedral Cove, billed as an isolated spot, where you could have this beautiful place to yourself. It was a lovely walk, although quite a hike with each of us lugging around a child, but we were far from the only ones. There is probably a constant stream of walkers. Still it was worth the walk. The beach is pretty and at one end has an impressive arch of rock. We found an exhausted penguin sheltering in there. A concerned holiday maker had called the MAF (Ministry of Ag and Food) who had recommended leaving it until it found it's own way back to the water. It was too cold to swim or even sit on the beach for long, so We climbed rocks and played in the sand before hoiking up the kids and trekking home.
Next stop, Hot Sands Beach. We had read a lot about this and were dubious as to how hot the sand would be, but once the tide was out enough, we dragged the pram across the beach to the right spot and sure enough, once we dug in, the water was really hot. In the central pool the water was actually too hot to stand in! We had fun lounging in the pools. There was not enough room for us to dig a hole with hot water in, so we dug one next to a really hot patch and allowed water to run into it whenever our pool got too cold - just like doing the taps with your toes!
This diary is mainly pictures!
We had some great weather for a few trips out to the islands, often in company with Summer Wine or Seabright. The Bay of Islands is a lovely cruising area as all the islands are so close to each other and the boats are pretty well spread out between the many anchorages available.
Sailing with a nearly 3 year old and a newborn wasn't always the most relaxing thing in the world, nor was it the most exhilarating sailing, but it was wonderful to be out on the water and brilliant to explore new anchorages, beaches and walks ashore.
Between trips we had plenty of boat jobs (Jason) and kids stuff (wife and kids) going on. There is a lovely community in and around Opua, and everyone made us feel very welcome. For such a small place there are a huge amount of activities going on.
After deciding to head to NZ instead of Australia, then being delayed with our kiwi visa and then Courier Post losing our passports, we finally got to Oz. Summer was over, but we got there in time to catch Sydney on fine Autumn form.
George picked us up at the airport, then Emily welcomed us to their home by walking up the corridor - a fairly new skill. She had only just been crawling when we saw her at Christmas. Emily kindly shared her toys with Dylan who is always willing to play with anything, whatever age group, and there was a bit of competition for the 'sit-on'. The kitchen had an island, obviously put in so Emily could career round it at high speed, so plenty of high speed fun.
Dylan's 3rd Birthday was at the beginning of our trip, so he loved it - all Emily's toys to play with and some new ones for him, too. We went to Tamarama for barbeque'd sausages and some of George and Fay's friends came too. A good intro to Bondi life.
The next day we got a ferry along the harbour - great view of the bridge and harbour, but a slightly wet ride! Probably the best way to see the harbour though. We also got to see plenty of koalas, kangaroos and wallabies and some wierd and wonderful birds at Featherdale Zoo. We were able to feed some of them, although not all the animals were that keen.
We don't generally get out much of an evening so we were keen to get a babysitter in and hit the city. Jason treated us all to a helicopter ride over the harbour, then we hit a couple of well positioned cocktail bars, before heading to the Cafe Sydney. Great night... I think.
Amazingly the same babysitter agreed to look after the kids for us to go and see some Aussie Rules football. Molly came with us and we left to the sound of Dylan and Emily screaming. Great game - Jason seemed to follow it easily. There certainly seemed like there was a lot of action. Molly loved the outfit, and we had beer afterwards, so we were all happy.
We took a couple of days out of Sydeny to check out the Blue Mountains - stunning - a couple of great hikes, and a really good lodge to stay in. We woke to silence - well as much as you can with a 3 year old and a 3 month old. Dylan fed parrots from our veranda and we lit a log fire each night.
Poor old Fay had been working, so it probably seemed like we probably hadn't even been away before we were back to wreak our own brand of mayhem. We did a really good coast walk and also some geocaches(bit like treasure hunting), involving hanging off a cliff and George wrestling with a rat-trap. Not sure that all geo-caching is always so daredevil!
I'm sure I've missed loads out. It was an action packed couple of weeks, and we had a great time, just hanging out with the Burrowses. Good to be in the Southern hemisphere for a bit to see Emily grow up and for the cousins to get to know each other a bit.
Mayhem on the boat with a tiny Molly and her bonkers brother. We had lots of fun though, although we tried to get off the boat lots. Although we had some rain it never got as cold as an English winter and we had plenty of winter sun. We had a major lifestyle change when we got a 'conservatory' made. What a difference! Having an extra room, especially as it was hose down-able for feeding times, and much cosier when the south winds blew or we had lashing rain. Another, 'why did we wait so long?' purchase!
Plenty of playgroup action for the kids, especially a trip to the Kawakawa steam railway, when the whole playgroup piled onboard.
Great sadness when friends left for the winter for warmer climes, or for visa reasons. Especially sad was our farewell to the Summer Wines.
It was with some trepidation that I set about taking out our engine for a full rebuild. I'd tinkered with engines before but had never really been inside one on my own. I spoke to Dave Lowes the local Volvo Penta dealer and he said he'd be happy for me to use his workshop to do the rebuild - great! So, I had a workshop and some experienced staff, I thought "it's only nuts and bolts - what can be so hard".
Well, I'll tell you!
Firstly, you've got to get the thing out of your boat. With ours, this was supposed to involve some screws round a locker and then a hoist. No. The screws round the locker had been rendered useless by the fact that the locker had been glued into position - probably because it was leaking water onto the boards below which formed the roof of the engine space - these were totally rotten. In the end I had to cut the locker out with an angle grinder and the boards - well, they just fell out in pieces. Having cut the locker out meant that I would need to find some way of reattaching it. I'd originally intended having the engine lifted out by Dave's truck with a dirty big hoist on it but I'd borrowed Shane's grinder to cut the locker out and he mentioned having used his boom to lift his engine out the year before. So I asked him for a hand and cancelled Dave's truck and set about removing those bits of engine that stuck out and would make it harder to lift through the narrow space available. We slung a couple of lines around the engine, attached them to the main sheet block so we could haul on this to lift the engine - it has a one in six leverage. I attached the Spinnaker halyard to the end of the boom to hold it up and an extra halyard just for safety. With a bit of shoving and squeezing and lots hauling we managed to get the thing clear of the locker and the cockpit. We just had to crank the spinnaker halyard a bit to lift the boom end and clear the rails to swing it over above the pontoon. Trenelly groaned a bit and heeled well over to Port. Then it was just a matter of lowering the engine down onto Dave's trolley. Job done! Now wait for high tide so there's no angle on the slip down to the pontoon - those engines are quite heavy when you're pulling them on a wheeled trolley!
So, I delivered my engine to Dave's workshop, ordered a rebuild kit from Volvo and went off to Wanaka Skiing. Sounds great doesn't it.
Well, the skiing was, but when we got back we found that parts for a 1986 MD30A were not all that available. My rebuild kit would have to come from Europe and would take a while longer than originally thought. Not that bad as there was plenty of work to be going on with - the block would need to go to a service centre for re-boring and skimming and all the ancillary parts that I'd removed would need stripping down and refurbishing. So I got down to all that lovely, mucky work. The oil cooler needed quite a lot of (sharp intake of breath from Opua Marine Engineering) work, as would the heat exchanger. I got all that under way then thought about our steering pedestal (a real mess of chipped WHITE (wait for it) paint and corrosion) - I took that to a local blasting and painting guy and left it for him to sort out. When I went to pick it up he grumpily walked off to his office and came out with on ORANGE pedestal! I don't know about you but I've never seen or heard of an ORANGE steering pedestal! I looked at him in a not quite-frankly-I'm-stunned-by-your-stupidity kind of way, and said that I thought I'd said I wanted it back WHITE! A few days later it came back - white.
I got the Engine back from the Engineers in Whangerei (pronounced Fong-ger-ray) then thought "now I need my rebuild kit" which is somewhere between Europe and New Zealand on a cargo ship. Long story. Finally it came and I had fun trying to fit all the lovely new bits into my engine block. I learned a few things along the way, like there are little oil squirting nozzles which fit just below the pistons and are really, really fiddly to fit. And the oil pump in the engine has very fine tolerances in it's gears and new ones cost a small fortune and are only available in the USA. Well, I got one, in the end. It had to come via a friend in San Francisco as the dealer would not ship internationally. There are a thousand other small points of interest but probably only to me, so I'll leave them out of this report.
Some of the time waiting for parts was spent doing shopping with Fiona and taking kids to the park, and some giving the engine space a good clean and a coat of Flow Cote (two part white isophthalic Polyester to you). See the pictures.
Finally the big day came - my engine was rebuilt and ready for a test start in the workshop. have to say I was quite nervous as I connected up the battery and an oil pressure guage, wondering if I'd done everything correctly. Well, there was no need for the nerves as it fired up immediately, ran smoothly and gushed cooling fluid all over the floor where I'd left out an O Ring. I'd been wondering what all those green rubber bands were for! I put a few more rubber bands in and suddenly it was time to put it back in the boat.
Again, Shane lent me a hand and we struggled, shoved, heaved and hauled until it was back on it's bed, bolted down and ready for all those extra pieces to go back on. A few days later it was the big "start it in the boat" day. A bit of an anti-climax really as there was still lots to do rebuilding the roof of the engine space and fitting the locker again but it went first time and has run really well ever since. There have been a few issues with oil and fluid leaks here and there but nothing to worry about.
Just a few hurdles left - the new roof of the engine space and the locker - all made quite simple by Ashby's yard at Opua.
Throughout this process I had plenty of help and advice from the team at Lowes Marine - Bandara, Rob, Ivan and Dave who all put up with my constant questions without a hint of annoyance. Many thanks to them. And, of course, Shane, who inspired and helped me to do the lift myself and let me borrow his Big Grinder. Thanks to all.
Despite all the parts difficulties and the fiddly bits, I really enjoyed rebuilding my engine and making it look nice again (each piece was cleaned and sprayed Volvo Green at a huge cost per can). After I'd finished shane told me that when he'd rebuilt his engine it had failed quite badly a few hours after fitting it. He ended up having to buy a brand new engine. Several other yachties confessed to the same thing. My engine is now well over 100 hours running time. Watch this space.
So we're almost ready to leave lovely New Zealand, Visas expire 28th, Fiona and Kids fly out on 28th and Jason and crew are poised for action! The weather looks good for the weekend, so hopefully Trenelly will be offshore again soon.
We will be really sad to leave NZ, but so excited to be off cruising again. We are starting to need the odd jumper of an evening, so it is definitely time to head north to the tropics.
Jason has done so many good things to the boat. The 'new' engine runs beautifully and so many other long neglected jobs have been seen to.
The kids are so grown up. Dylan was just 2 and a half when we arrived, but we celebrated his 4th birthday yesterday. Molly is walking (trying to run after her brother) and saying her first words - Duck, Apple. It feels as though we arrived only yesterday, but we have managed to fit quite a lot in.
Too much to keep up with, hence the sudden jump in the blog. We have decided we must start from now, or we will never catch up! We will backdate when we feel the urge, so please sign up for the RSS thing and you should get a reminder when we get round to updating things.
Jason's engine re-build was a biggie, and we have done so much touring by land and sea.
With the boat in great shape (probably the best she'd ever been) and Fiona and the kids packed off on a plane to Fiji I settled into the idea of sailing a blokes boat up to the islands. Chris from Zepheranthes who we'd met during our Pacific crossing in 2008 had agreed to help me take Trenelly to Fiji. I thought it would be easier on us both if we had one other so from an advert in the marina laundromat I found Stu. He was local to Opua so came down to the boat for a chat. Despite his bandana head cover and his curly bone earrings, I liked him immediately so signed him up on the spot.
Chris arrived on the Wednesday afternoon and Stu picked him up from the bus in his Orange Bedford camper van. Stu was still working (as mate on the Bay of Islands overnight cruise boat, Ipipiri) so we didn't see him again until the next afternoon. We got into a discussion about the weather for the trip and decided that Saturday looked best. However, there was an ICA rally (about 20 boats) leaving Opua for Tonga on the Saturday and we didn't want to get caught up in the race for customs and immigration clearance, so Friday was set as our departure day.
I'd noticed in the paper that Iron Man II (with an AC/DC sound track!) was playing in the Kerikeri cinema on Thursday night and thought it would make a great team night out before leaving the next day. Plus I needed to get some more shopping in at the New World round the corner too. Stu said he'd drive us in his camper - we were made up. A great film (did I mention the AC/DC sound track), some shopping and a few beers! It turned out that Iron Man II had gone missing in the post so we had to settle for "Shutter Island" instead. V-poor. The beers were good however, and the company excellent - Stu seemed to be one of those people who was a hit with most people he met, chatting happily with anyone and everyone.
Next morning we were all set at the customs office with paper work, passports and a photo of the boat. Not sure I'd come across that before but, with customs, one just does as one's asked. I gave them a nice shot of Trenelly in her element at Marigot Bay, st Lucia. The whole process was so smooth - all done in five minutes. Thanks Kiwi Customs.
We cast off our shore lines at about 1100 and motored away from the BOI and New Zealand. The wind came up quite soon out of the bay and we were soon sailing on a North Westerly at about 6.5 knots. I could handle a trip like this - no problem. The wind was a bit up and down for the next 2 days, we motored for about 12 hours to get through the worst of it, but then settled down into 25+ from the East to North East. I could not have asked for more - Trenelly was in her element - sailing beautifully! It's hard to describe the feeling, surprisingly rare, when your boat is going like that. You know she's in good shape, the wind is strong and from just the right direction and you're just powering through everything, wave after wave, inexorably towards your destination one thousand miles away and it just keeps on going day after day after day. Sorry - got a bit carried away.
Chris proved my best friend by being really nice about Trenelly - he loved her in-mast furling main sail and the "all done from the cockpit" sail systems. We were all impressed with the new Raymarine Plotter with AIS, but mostly by the swivel mount which meant you could look at it when sitting in the favoured under the spray hood position.
The night watches worked really well with Chris on first watch at 2100 until I came on at 2400. Stu was up at 0300 and I'd hit the sack for another 3 hours. Usually I'd sleep pretty well except one night when I heard an odd creaking noise that seemed to be timed with the self steering, which I can hear from my cabin. when I got up for a wee I heard it again but louder - it was coming from the wheel in the cockpit, but also from the steering box! Oh S**T - we really didn't need steering failure in these conditions. I went up top and told Stu - he heard it in the cockpit too.
I really could not work it out - noises from both ends of the system at once - it seemed pretty serious. It all turned out to be nothing but a creaky wheel bearing (salt from a wave had crusted on it) and a creak from a halyard being projected into the steering box behind my cabin. It was synchronised by the motion of the boat being affected by the steering - boat hits wave, steering reacts, halyard strained by slowing of boat.
We had a couple of big wind nights when we had 35+ predicted on Chris's grib files (add 10 kntots as a rule). We reduced sail down to a storm Jib and a scrap of Mizzen. We really didn't see more than 38 knots, though. That was the first serious use of Trenelly's heavy weather tactics so I was keen to see how well it all worked. We set it all up just before dark in 30 knots. It was perfect - the boat settled right down, our heal angle decreased and the auto helm was able to keep a clean course despite the wave height.
We all got along really well with cooking being shared on a rotation so we all had a turn at being the "keeatchen beeatch". Some great dishes were dished, including sashimi from Stu after he caught a Tuna on day two. Chris's memorable kitchen moments were a great Shepherd's Pie and a bangers and mash - we ate like kings! I'd done my favourite Chilli for the first night, and later tried poached eggs, though why I tried to use my usual wine glasses to hold the eggs I've no idea (Can you get glassware in Fiji?).
All too soon the trip was over, Fiji appeared through the cloud and we just had the passage through the reefs to worry about. We made it up to Lautoka for cutoms clearance. We were in the Navula passage by 1000 on the 6th May. 6 days and 23 hours for 1094 miles. Trenelly did us proud!
We BBQd some sausages that night as customs all knocked off about 1500 on a Friday. The next day, being a Saturday, we could not get a cruising permit so were not officially allowed to go anywhere, but as I was quite keen to see Fiona, Dylan and Molly the customs guy allowed us to go down to Musket Cove anyway (perhaps he saw the look in my eye when he said we were stuck at Lautoka 'til Monday!). It was a shame to have missed George, Fay and Emily who left the day before but we were in time to enjoy a few days at the Reef House before Stu and Chris headed for home.
It was a great idea. We'd be in Fiji with Trenelly. George and Fay had a short flight to meet us, Mum and John could see all of us at the same time (lucky them?!) and do a bit of island hopping as well.
I flew up to Fiji about the same time as Jason set off, so I was there on time, but Jason and Trenelly arrived in Fiji the day after George, Fay and Emily left. The week before we were due to meet up, John fell ill and was hospitalised, so there was no way he or Mum could come out. So we were a rather reduced Burrows clan at the Reef House.
We missed Jason, Mum and John, but managed to have an OK time on the island paradise of Musket Cove on Malolo Lailai, with its beaches, swimming pools, restaurants and so on!
The flight up from New Zealand was far better than expected with both kids behaving themselves really well on the flight, then falling asleep just as we reached our destination. A steward carried a comatose Molly, while I lugged a passed out Dylan through the luggage collection and a fast track passport control - I've never been through so quick! I managed to wrestle Molly back from the Fijian helper, then we met up with George and Fay. Dylan and Emily bonded pretty quickly racing round the Malolo ferry check in and we went to find a cafe to wait for the boat. True to form, we suddenly realised the ferry was about to go 5 minutes beforehand and had to run to catch it!
The Reef House was great - lots of space for the three kids to move around, which they did - lots. Plenty of space for adult lounging too. The only problem was the mosquitoes - we daren't sit on the deck as we were indundated with enormous, persistent mosquitoes at any time of the day. Small price to pay. The house was really open (with plenty of insect netting), so there was a constant breeze through the rooms.
The nearby Musket Cove resort had a couple of swimming pool areas as well as the beach, and there was a second resort a little further down the beach. The kids were in heaven. The Burrowses had been on the Coral Coast for a few days already, so Emily was well into her pool chick vibe - she was really good in her armbands and didn't mind at all if she went under the water. Dylan had a new inflatable whale from Uncle George, so he was happy as a lark in that, while Molly's favourite was the water slide at Plantation Island. Water 'fun' was the main order of the day and we were a bit of a sight dragging the kids and all their toys to the pool every day. My favourite image is of a pregnant Fay with a rubber ring round her waist!
We managed a couple of nights out. The island bar was a brilliant idea - they set up a load of barbeques and you could bring your own food to cook. They provided plates, cutlery, washing up and of course, beer. Wonderful! You could even get barbeque packs at the resort shop, so you didn't have to faff making salads and marinades. We also had a babysitter a couple of nights for grown up outings!
We also had a couple of barbeques at the house, with George and Fay going soppy at the stray cats! Nice to catch up with a few beers.
Our last day was spent at Plantation Island resort nearby. After a full day in the pool, Dylan was mucking about on a golf buggy which suddenly decided to go - oops, I hadn't checked the keys. So Dylan went full speed ahead into a tree, just as we were due to get a ride home. The ride home was late, then broke down, then the replacement ride said we'd miss the ferry if he went to pick up George and Fay's luggage...
It was really sad to wave goodbye to George, Fay and Emily, and crazy that Jason was sailling into Fijian waters as they were leaving!
Jason arrived with Trenelly a couple of days after George left. He had had a cracking trip up with Chris and Stu, and I didn't feel at all bad to have flown up. It would have been a rotten, wet, bumpy trip with the kids. Jason still reminisces about his crew that did the washing up straight after meals, did boat jobs before he'd even noticed they needed doing, didn't leave toys lying around...
It was wonderful to have Jason back and the kids were really excited, especially as he'd sailed a boatload of their toys up with him!
We spent a further couple of months in Fiji with a bit of time in Musket Cove at each end. It felt a bit more like real life than holiday once we were on the boat, and we settled into a good mixture of boat time and shore time. Dylan got really confident with his snorkel, and managed to swim really well without armbands until his snorkel filled with water! It was great to have use of the swimming pool every day in Musket Cove, and it was a really easy place to be with the kids. The kids loved the seaplane which often motored out past us in the anchorage - a funny sight amongst all the cruising yachts.
We had to head round to Lautoka to do our formalities - crew change and cruising permit (we later found we could have done it in Musket Cove!), and managed to hit a reef on the way into the harbour. A quick haul out in Vuda Point showed it was mainly scratches, so with some relief we headed off to cruise.
We had a lovely cruise up the Yasawa chain. A mixture of uninhabited islands, traditional villages and low key resorts, we had a very gentle re-introduction to the cruising life. Each anchorage was a short sail away, so we were usually able to time it so that Molly was asleep for most of the sail, and we were more free for reef spotting. We had some close misses and heart-stopping moments, but managed to make it up the chain without any problem. We later found that there were copies of cruisers tracks going round - so you could just follow their gps course through the reefs. However, we didn't get one until we'd done all our own tracks!! Part of the fun, I guess!
We had a bit of a salt water leak in one of the engine cooling pipes while going up a bit of a reefy channel, which was fun - not, but at least an easy fix - what would we do without duck tape and cable ties?
Highlights included swimming with manta rays. We tagged onto the local resort boat and took turns swimming with these enormous rays which drift along the pass at certain tides. When it was my turn, one of the guys from the resort hopped into the dinghy with me and Dylan and took us on a personal tour following the rays. I jumped in and swam with 2 really close up (good thing really as my prescription goggles had broken and I was using Jason's normal ones!). It was really amazing. Livi, The guy running the boat, invited us over to his village, and asked if we could give his wife a lift back as we were headed round later that day. We met them ashore the next day before church. Livi lent Jason his sarong and his wife gave me a dress to wear and take home, and Dylan was given one of her sons shirts. I think they had fun dressing us up island style! We were on time for the service but most of the village arrived in dribs and drabs over the next hour or so! The singing was beautiful - although we couldn't understand the sermon, it sounded very much like we had all done bad things. Livi and his family came over to Trenelly for tea in the afternoon, and Dylan got out all his toys for their boys.
As we were working our way up the chain south to north, we always had the sun ahead of us, so reef spotting was made extra difficult. The Blue Lagoon was particularly bad in this respect. A really pretty spot, but highly stressful getting in. There is a marker buoy to get through the reef, but we just thought we'd be lucky if it was there. When we couldn't see it and so started heading in to where we though the transit was. The waves bore down behind us as we approached the brownish water, and I told Jason we should probably turn back, then a moment later to turn round NOW! We got away with it, and on the way out we spotted the white marker buoy some way south.
We stayed a few days at Blue Lagoon and even ventured in land to find a farm so we could have some fresh vegies. We were told it was just in the next bay and not far from shore. Jason eventually found it after a gruelling dinghy ride and a walk more like the Ten Tors. But the farmer was friendly and the crops inexpensive. The hunter gatherer returned home with peppers, lettuce, cucumber, spring onions and an enormous pumpkin.
We wanted to visit some caves on an island to the north but had been worn down by the reef navigation, so we organised a water taxi to take us. Blue Lagoon Resort told us the taxi would not take us with children, but when we found his number and called him there was no problem at all. The caves were wonderful, deep inside an island and with a large pool where we could swim. There was an extensive network of caves all partially filled with water which could be explored by ducking under some walls in the main pool - this felt a little frightening at first but there was really no distance to go under water before you popped up into the next cave. Luckily our guide had a torch as there was total darkness on the other side.
The Yasawas were great - a good way back into cruising for us with a few little warnings along the way to remind us that it's not all plain sailing.
Having missed the grand meet up with us and George, in Musket Cove, Mum was keen to get out to the southern hemisphere to see everyone as soon as she could. She was also trying not to be away for too much of the short Cornwall summer. Various plans were discussed, until Jason jokingly suggested she crew with us for the trip between Fiji and Vanuatu. Suddenly it seemed that actually it was a good idea. Mum would see a bit of both countries, 'experience' a short offshore passage and would help us out hugely with the kids on passage. Both sides seemed to think it was a good idea, so tickets were booked immediately!
Checking the weather in the days leading up to Mum's arrival it seemed as though we might have to delay due to some weather coming through, but by the time she arrived, we had a really good weather window. We checked into Vuda Point marina and got Mum a room for a couple of nights - jetlag and immediate immersion into crazy kids on a small boat seemed a bit much to expect! After a bit of a disappointing car hire day we headed round to Lautoka to check out of Fiji. En route we realised that we wouldn't have enough time to check out then do shopping, but that they might not let us do our final provisioning in the town once we were checked out - oops. Luckily they were kind and let us do our shopping after our formalities were done. It can't be often that the small office sees babies, pushchairs and grannies in tow. Me, Dylan, Molly and mum were added to Trenelly's crew list.
We left 'early' after stowing and getting the dinghy on deck (and the obligatory cups of tea and coffee), and managed to get lunch done before we were out of the islands. It was flat calm and the gribs (weather files) looked as though it was going to be very light winds. We were worried we would have to motor the first day or two. We needn't have worried. As soon as we were out of the lee of the island, we had a consistent 20-25 knot wind pretty much on the beam! Full sails up and 8 knots + straight away. This wind was to stay with us for most of the trip. It was great sailing but the motion was probably not what we would have asked for for the first overnighter with the kids and for Mum.
That first night Molly was sick which was a surprise. We had had a couple of rough trips up from Auckland and she had seemed to have no ill effect. A seasick child - agh! Fortunately, although she was sick several times during the evening, she finally settled and was OK for the rest of the trip. I had hoped she would have Dylan and Jason's iron stomach, but she seems to have a touch of my genes after all. Dylan had fallen asleep in the afternoon, which is unusual for him, so both kids were up for my first night watch, as was Mum. Quite nice to have the company, but probably a bit too much chat in the cockpit for Jason, sleeping below in the saloon. It is always hard to get the sleep pattern right on the first night. We all went down to sleep when Jason came up at 10pm, but then Molly was up again at 5am, helping Jason with his second watch.
None of us felt too lively the second day, but Trenelly did us proud and the weather stayed with us. Thankfully the kids went down well and slept through the night. Mum was in our aft cabin with Dylan, and every time I went through, he had thrown a leg or his whole body over the lee cloth and onto Mum.
Our last full day was rainy on and off all day. Mum was excellent and spent most of the day down below entertaining the children in the hellish pit that is our saloon on a hot, rainy day, with all the windows closed. That night Molly was really difficult to get down, but eventually slept only to wake in the night and refuse to go down again. She ended up in our cabin with mum and Dylan (who she also woke up),and the threesome were then up most of the night. Thank goodness for granny! Meanwhile the wind seemed to be getting up and the skies looked rather threatening. Reefing right down to the tune of Molly's screaming, I wondered what on earth we were doing bringing small children out in a boat... Thankfully the weather never came to anything and early next morning we could see Tanna in the distance, belching clouds of smoke into the air. It had been a good fast sail, but with children if you miss your sleep, you really don't catch up.
A relatively easy anchorage to enter, we thankfully dropped the hook off the 'yacht club' and set to putting the coffee on and cooking up a batch of pancakes for brunch. Showers and a tidy up later, we felt almost human again.
As we were getting the boat straight, we saw another boat coming into 'our' anchorage. As they passed we realised it was Robert and Carmen on Caminata. They had only just left New Zealand - apparantly lots of yachts had set off and had to turn back over the last couple of months because of adverse weather.
We all dinghied ashore to the village to say hello and organise a lift into Lenakel to check in at Customs and Immigration. We found Stanley who was our main man. He was really friendly and although he was in the middle of housebuilding, he downed tools to chat with us. Indeed, everyone working on the job downed tools while he chatted! Molly loved the chickens and she and Dylan had great fun trying to pick the chicks up. We were given yams, bananas and some odd crab apple things to take home.
The truck to Lenakal left at 7.00 the following morning, so we piled up to the village again. We had been warned to bring cushions which was a godsend as the truck was a pickup with narrow wooden benches down the side. Once we had got in and taken our photos, we realised that it had to be jump started. We piled out again and waited for the men to get it rolling. What a trip! It is 2 hours to Lenakal and the 'main road' was rather interesting. Dylan loved hangin off the side and couldn't get enough of the muddy puddles. There were wide trenches in the road, overhanging trees, lush trees and foliage (Mum knows all the names). There was a Banyan tree in each village - very Avatar-esque. Suddenly we were in the ash plains of the volcano. Mount Yasur loomed spewing out clouds of smoke, ash covered us in the truck. Because of the recent rains, the ground was relatively solid, but I can imagine that the ash in the air is usually far worse. We traversed the base of the volcano then forded a river away from the plains. A brief bit of concrete road and gutters got our hopes up as by now we were black and blue with aching fingers from holding on, but it soon reverted to mud track. Molly managed a little sleep, though. Me and the kids managed to get the front seat on the way back, so it was much more comfortable! Lenakel isn't a particularly attractive place, but we got our paperwork done and had a meal in a local cafe. A great and memorable trip across the island, though.
The following day we went up to the volcano. The truck got us there just before dusk, and as we got out of the front (me and the kids got the cuchy seat again!) I was surprised at the temperature. It was really quite chilly and we all needed long sleeves. The volcano was only at level 2, so not too dangerous... The thundering noises didn't seem quite real until we had climbed up to the rim and saw the red sparks. Incredible! It is a large crater, and most of the action is quite deep down, but there was plenty of lava and rocks flying up out of the thing. I can't describe it at all, and the photos could never do it justice. One of the most incredible things we have ever seen or done.
Mum was due to fly out of Port Vila in a few days, so we sailed overnight up to Efate, the main island, and headed into Havannah Bay, a natural harbour partly enclosed by two islands. It was a pretty, peaceful spot and a good place to rest up after another night of little sleep. Jason caught a tuna on the way up, just before sunset, so the grown ups had sushi as the sun set, and we saved the rest for barbeque the following day. Mum and Jason found a good snorkel spot near the boat. We took the boat round to Lelepa and found some excellent snorkelling in the passage (after deciding the anchorage in the bay itself was far too daring). We then dinghied round to the next bay to find another snorkel spot. It turned out to be right along the island, a bit of a dinghy trip, especially as we weren't entirely sure where we were going! A tourist boat was heading out that way and they fed the fish, so we had quite a display. On the way back, Jason decided he would try to plane with all of us in our little dinghy - me, Jason, Mum, Dylan and Molly, all our gear... We all piled forward and the dinghy plowed bow first under the water, at speed! Hilarious!! Luckily, Jason got us straight up again and no harm done, except rather a lot of bailing to be done.
All too soon, it was time to head around the dreaded Devil's Point (much talk of bad seas around the headland, but we have so far not experienced anything of note there) and into Port Vila. We took a mooring and headed ashore for some chips. The afternoon was spent in the market and playground, then we had a fancy french meal ashore in the evening. Very nice. Next day was Mum's departure date, but we managed to squeeze in a morning at the Mele Cascades, which were well worth the trip. Dylan couldn't wait to get in until he put his foot in and found the current to be quite strong, so Jason ended up carrying him up the final part of the walk which takes you through the waterfall and up to the top pool, where we took turns swimming in the pool and through the falls to a cave in the back.
Quite an eventful visit! We will definitely have Mum as crew again...if she'll come! Thank you!
We love Vanuatu! Our first stop on our way north, after Mum left, was back to Havannah Harbour. We took ourselves to the far end of the harbour, to Sema. There was a lot more outrigger traffic here, and many villagers stopped to chat. Some just wanted a chat, another wanted to trade some fuel and another had Jason onto his motor boat fixing his spark plugs.
On our previous visit to Havannah we had been told about a turtle sanctuary, so we asked one of the outrigger visitors about it. They told us it was in the nearby village on Moso island. After a while one of them pulled out a large turtle from the floor of the outrigger. We were really surprised. They told us they were taking it to the turtle sanctuary to be tagged and logged, but paddled off in the opposite direction towards their village.
The next day we found the sanctuary further up the island. The owners pay villagers to bring the baby Hawksbill turtles, so they can rear them in the sanctuary until they are old enough and big enough to fend for themselves. They are critically endangered, and the primary cause is humans, especially catching them for their shell.
The sanctuary asks tourists to visit and sponser turtles to pay for the sanctuary. Dylan chose a 2 year old ready for release and named him Thomas. On our return south, we stopped by and set him free. I hope he heads right out to the open ocean and has a long life. Every time we see a turtle from the boat now, we wonder if it could be him!
From Havannah, we had a day sail up to Epi. This was a fairly windy sail again, so nice and fast. We decided to stop in at Revelieu Bay, as our cruising guide said it was the most protected anchorage on the coast. It was rather rolly with the large swells curving with us around the coast, so we headed north to Laman Bay the next morning.
This was a really big open bay, quite attractive and much more protecteed. We had a bit of a rainy first day, but managed to get ourselves ashore in the afternoon. The kids were just coming out from school and came over to check out Dylan and Molly. It was hilarious to see Molly totally surrounded, and she was pretty good about being kissed and picked up and cuddled by so many kids. They all wanted to touch her hair.
Malekula - We avoided the Maskelyne islands as we were a bit wary of malaria and had read that it was particularly rife in these islands. We did however, stop off in Crab Bay midway up the east coast. We sprayed a ton of insect repellant on ourselves and the kids and went ashore - not a mosquito to be seen. Even in the evening, there was no evidence of biting insects, so we decided we had been a little paranoid and should stay longer.
We could catch the Maskelyne islands on the way back south. Crab Bay was a lovely spot. We were the only boat in for the first day. We dinghied straight ashore to the picture perfect beach, to chat with the guys ashore and play on the beach. There were a few villagers busy building a visitors centre. Apparently, they each come from a different village and shared the construction of the area, camping out for a few days before heading home for a few days.
Each village was some distance from the Bay. We were still a bit green, and after being told there were sharks about and not to swim, we kept the kids well in the shallows. Another boat who came in the next day thought this was excellent news and they got their diving gear on straight away! The sharks were probably just white or black tips, but the kids did look small and juicy, and would have looked like ideal shark bait splashing in the deeper water! It didn't take too long to relax on both the malaria and shark worries, and within a couple of anchorages the kids were swimming off the back of the boat and we were ashore in the evenings.
Our next stop up Malakula was Wala Island where we had read that there was some fantastic dancing. We had, as always, 20-25knots of winds and the accompanying seas so although we were anchored behind the island, it didn't feel too comfortable. Suddenly a man appeared on the beach and directed us a little way down the island to the perfect spot - much more sheltered and a beautiful view of the island. We had several visitors in their outriggers stop by to chat, one with a little boy about Molly's age. He was a bit confused by the ice-cream we gave him! Another gave us the biggest cucumber we have ever seen - and they come big in Vanuatu! We had a guided tour through the village and up to the ceremonial site, including the cannibal stone and drum.
Jason was taken to see the skull of an ancient chief. The kids were excluded as by this time, they weren't exactly in demure mode, so we stayed in the 'cathedral' area. Literally, a cathedral of overhanging trees, but the ancient religion practised there was anything but christian! The next day we were taken to see some kustom dancing. It was fantastic, especially as it was put on just for us.
We were taken to a beautiful clearing, then the drums began. The male dancers appeared in the clearing from a track and gave us several demonstrations of traditional dance, then the women and children did some singing. A great experience. We were also offered a trip to the main island to watch the interisland football games, but we're not big sports fans, so declined this time. The islands are football crazy and each village has a team.
Our next island was the larger Espirito Santo, and our first stop was the Aore resort opposite the main town. Again, we had fairly strong winds and large seas, and the anchorage off the main town of Luganville looked particularly exposed and rolly. The resort was quite small, and had a tiny pool, a long beach which seemed practically deserted and a restaurant which served food all day. The moorings were well protected from the swell, but as we had the furthest mooring to windward, we did get quite a lot of bounce at certain points of tide. The ferry across to Luganville was cheap and quick, so it was an ideal spot. We enjoyed a couple of cafes, and a bit of provisioning, although on the first trip we didn't discover the main supermarket and just found the many asian sell-everything shops. We did, however, find baguettes - yum! On a later trip to the veggie market, we found they were selling bats alongside the usual massive cucumbers, bok choi and pawpaw. Dylan was fascinated, asking if we were going to have bats for tea, and sounding quite keen - pretty surprising for a bit of a fussy eater generally! Needless to say, we passed on the bats and left with fruit and veg only.
Later, in Ambrym, we asked a young boy to show us his catapult technique and he was incredibly accurate at a long distance. When asked, he said he used it for bats.
Luganville is a dusty, busy place without much charm, so we visited for provisioning only and, after a short stop in the quiet Palikulo Bay, we soon headed round to Peterson Bay on the south east of the island. There is a well marked channel into the bay, then a rather more shallow entrance into the inner bay. We anchored in the outer bay, to wait for the morning tide, then manoeuvred through the channel. Slightly nervewracking as we saw 2.1m (the same as our draught) on the depth on the way through. There were plenty of bombies (large coral heads) on the way in, but impossible to tell how deep they were.
We really enjoyed our stay, with excellent dinghy rides up the nearby rivers to blue holes. These blue holes were where beautiful, blue tinted, fresh water just flows out of the ground to form a river which runs to the sea a few hundred meters away. We had another short visit to Luganville to check out, this time anchored off the beach near the main town, then a fairly long daysail to Lolowai on Ambae.
We had quite strong winds on the nose, and biggish seas, so we were crashing into them, great big shuddering crashes. It was great to get into the lee of Ambae. We had planned to anchor in Vanihe Bay, but found that we had caught the tide exactly right and could head straight into Lolowai. What a stunning anchorage. One of my favourites, I think. It is an old volcano crater with the northern side caved in, so you are surrounded by a circle of cliffs, beautifully green. The northern edge is reefs except for a small passage through in the western part, which has a couple of leading triangles to guide you through. Beautiful.
We enjoyed walks in the village and the kids loved the black sand beach where they rolled around and covered themselves in it. A flat calm day to motor to nearby Maewo and the stunning Asanvari. We anchored just off the waterfall, across from the white sand beach. Does it get any better?! We had a brilliant swim in the waterfall, and found millions of tiny hermit crabs. The river kept the littlies busy for ages, while Jason went and visited the chief. We had three kids visit us on an old surfboard and they were delighted with the biscuits Dylan gave them and we got our kids in for a swim with them. Later, when we were on shore again Dylan was off playing with them in minutes. The poor child is deprived of kid contact, and this stop was one of his favourites. The kids were really good with him, and they spent hours in the water. Dylan and Molly were invited to the village kindergarten one morning and the local children showed off their singing and colours, then had fun with the big ball of playdough we had bought along with us.
Later on we had a bit of a scare when a crack appeared in the bulkhead, but thankfully it was a just a little bit of rot and was very easily fixed. But it did get us down to Port Vila a bit sooner than planned to get things checked out, so we had to miss out on a couple of places we would have liked to go - still, that's cruising. There are so many times I have had to say 'next time around'!
Mum Harvey came to join us for the Whitsundays leg of our trip. We planned 3 weeks to get a nice leisurely tour, but things didn't go quite to plan. Jason's delayed hernia operation had been delayed by an extra week, so not only was he in Sydney for our 10th wedding anniversary, he was also still down there mid-operation as Sue landed in Mackay. After three trips to the airport in 2 days(Sue had an absolutely horrific flight/s over) we were finally reunited and ready to go. We gave Jason a few days to recover, then were hity by 30 knots winds. We decided with Jason still on the mend it was a sign not to push on to soon, and held on in the marina. Strong winds gave way to lashing rain!
After a week in the marina, the winds had let off a bit and Jason (and, more importantly, the nagging females on board) felt he was ready to go. We had a short sail to Brampton island under cloudy skies and a bit of rain, but had a fine evening for a stroll ashore and Sue's first sighting of kangaroos. We carried on the next day to Goldsmith, then Shaw island. Each day we had rain, with occasional hints of sun!!
The next day, we headed round to Whitehaven Beach - what a difference! The sun started doing what it was supposed and suddenly we were anchored off the most beautiful beach with no rain to be seen. We were also in charter country. Although not nearly so crowded as the Caribbean or the Med, there were a lot of tourist boats and charterers. Good to get twice daily weather updates though!
We also visited Nara inlet, a pretty inlet which we had to ourselves briefly and took a short walk to some aboriginal engravings. We anchored of a very windy sandy spit on the way to Butterfly Bay, and also spent nights at South Molle and the pretty Cid harbour. We finished our trip at Hamilton Island, where we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at a fancy hotel while Sue slummed it on the boat with the kids - bliss! Our final night we planned to go to the yacht club with Sue, but they said no kids (fair enough!). But they gave us the number for a babysitter who came to the boat - how good is that?!
Great trip! Thanks Sue for the night off, and also for all the lego organising and building, and all the 'talking'!
What wonderful sailing!! We have some of the best sailing of our whole trip coming up this vast country. It was a bit daunting back in Sydney looking at our usual large scale passage planner (Jason's old school atlas) and thinking how far we had to go. Once in the Whitsundays it felt like we could breathe a bit easier, but time was ticking to get to the top in time for the rally.
After Sue left us, we stopped in at Airlie beach to purchase some dinghy wheels - Darwin tides are notorious, often around 6m or more range. We then made an overnighter to pick up some mail from Townsville. the entrance to the marina is very silted over, so there was less clearance beneath the boat than our original information indicated, but the marina people were very helpful. We got laundry, diesel and gas refills done, so felt set up to go onwards. We also found a brilliant, warm, outdoor swimming pool - all through Queensland there are manmade lagoons in the towns which are free for the public. It is not always safe to swim in the sea with box jellyfish in warm season and Irikanji in wet season, crocodiles... However, it has been unseasonally cold in Qld this year (fruit and veg have suffered, as has the consumers pocket), so although as Brits we enjoy cool evenings and mornings, the swimming lagoons were often icy cold and the kids had blue lips in moments. However, Townsville, not usually a stop on the tourist trail, had a heated outdoor pool (paying), and further along the beach front a waterpark with spraying fountains, slides and allsorts (free), right next to the marina and a brilliant playground. We continually find our needs and priorities are a little different from the older generation cruisers!
Tides dictated a midnight departure from Townsville which got us to Orpheus Island for dawn. We gratefully picked up one of the free moorings and took turns for a quick sleep catch up when some divers came to move us off it so they could service it. They were very nice about it, though and gave us a massive round buoy - we could have had 2, but they really were big and I'm not entirely sure the first one isn't beyond our needs. A visit to the beach and a good nights sleep and we continued north to Dunk Island, which had taken a bit of a clobbering from a cyclone by the look of it, then onto Fitzroy, and into Cairns.
Cairns has an excellent lagoon swimming area and the best playground we have ever seen - and we've been around. Also, very good fruit and veg market which happened to be on the day we were there.
From Cairns, we overnighted to Lizard Island - a popular destination among Aussie yachties who cruise up to lizard, spend the season, then head back down the Barrier Reef into the prevailing SE'lies. A beautiful spot, where we found a lot of fellow Indonesia rally'ers. We did a nice walk to the lookout, just the right length for the kidsto walk all the way up, but without being too dull for us. We met the first kid boat in ages, and Molly was especially taken with Eiric (2yrs). We played on the beach, then all the yachties met on the beach for drinks and nibbles. A really good evening.
We felt the need to keep moving, so headed north in day hops, often leaving at the crack of dawn, or before. We had beautiful skies, especially on our first very early morning out from Lizard, when we were surprised to see a partial eclipse of the moon - really beautiful, the more so for not knowing it was going to happen.
We had a bit of a big birthday en route up to Darwin. I had decided that I would like to spend it sailing up inside the Great Barrier Reef with my lovely family. Lucky that!
We were up early and sailed pretty well in light winds. We experimented with the poles, and with our cruising chute. neither of which had been out for a while. With the kids playing together so much better now, we get so much more time for playing as well, with the sails. The winds dropped and we drifted slowly along contentedly, until we really weren't getting anywhere and got the engine on.
Birthday cake, balloons, present opening and pin the palm tree on the deserted island, passed the afternoon until we dropped anchor at Morris Island. We packed the kids off to bed and Jason chucked a couple of steaks on the barbie and popped a cork to celebrate.
It was a lovely day.
We left at the crack of dawn as Molly woke up before it got light, and we thought we may as well get going to Margaret Bay. The bigger boats in our group soon left us standing, but with the cruising chute up, we at least felt pretty! PLenty of reefy bits to dodge and another interesting brush with a large boat. Good winds meant we had a very speedy trip. A few boats were anchored in Margaret Bay and we saw a couple of crocs floating round the anchorage. Nice.
We'd been told that the Escape River was a miserable anchorage, so had planned to bypass it and head straight to Albany Pass, but to catch the tide we would have had to sail through the night. We were tired and didn't fancy dodging ships and reefs in the dark, so decided to do the day sail up to Escape and on the next day. We came into the entrance on the ebb, but luckily the winds weren't too strong and the entrance was pretty smooth. The first anchorage was windy and exposed, but the other 2 boats headed down river and reported a really calm spot further down. We joined them and found smooth water, no wind and mangroves. Beautiful. We had another barbeque, and listened to the big croc-y noises as the sun set. A rather nice anchorage. We had a bit of a lie in the next day and didn't need to leave until 0900 to catch the tides. Since we had had enough water under us on the way in, we followed our track out of the river. Suddenly we came to a sickening halt - we'd hit a rock. We hauled ourselves of it, and anchored in the middle of the river to check there was no water gushing into the boat. Thankfully all seemed well, but our nerves were jangled. Usually, we would have dived on the bottom to check it out, but in these croc ridden waters...
Nevertheless, we had another good sail north. The Albany Pass has strong currents, so you have to time it right to get it with you. However, we had half a knot against us the whole way up and very little with us through the pass. It was rather pretty passing through, and very exciting to get to the northernmost point of the country - Cape York.
More fast sailing towards Seisia, with plenty of current with us now, pushing us on at high speeds! Bit shallow rounding the/ buoy into the anchorage, but a beautifully protected spot once in. A load of boats had left that morning, so there was just one othe boat in when we arrived. Plenty of space to choose a spot.
We decided to wait a couple of days for some weather to pass, as the gulf of carpentaria has a bit of a reputation for short choppy seas. A few other boats arrived and we all left on the same day in a bit of a flotilla, once the winds had eased. It has been great to sail in company up the Australian coast. We have not done it before.
The trip across the Gulf was fairly uneventful. We had good winds, but not too strong, and made it to Cape Wessel in good time to anchor in Two Island Bay. We spent a couple of nights to rest up and have a leg stretch on the beach, then pressed onwards to Darwin.
Another 2 nighter got us to port Essington, where we anchored in Coral Bay. There were already 1 other yachts in the anchorage, but room for another one! We spent the following day in the resort there. It has newly re-opened and not busy at all. In fact we were the only people there, so had the small pool and sun loungers to ourselves - bliss. The kids loved the pool with it shallow edges and ledges. We've really missed playing in the water, while there has been the threat of crocs around. Whilst at the resort, someone pointed out a large crocodile floating in the bay - it was enormous, and looked so menacing just floating on the surface. The resort is a little higher than the beach, so we could look down on it, without too much worry. Later we also saw a small one sunning itself on the beach, but it ran into the water and floated as soon as it saw us coming - they are pretty quick on land as well. We had also heard that some cruisers had been for a walk on the beach and been chased by a croc.
We left the resort in the evening and suddenly felt nervous. Our dinghy had a slow puncture, we only had our small, slow outboard on and all the ther boats had left the anchorage heading for Darwin. We loaded the kids into the dinghy and began the slow drive home. It seemed to take an age. We didn't want to freak out the children, but both of us where jumping at every ripple, scanning the water for movement. The kids lolled around the dinghy, wanting to dangle their hands in the water, it would be dark soon, the boat seemed a long way off. We were so relived to get Dylan and Molly up the ladder and get ourselves and the dinghy up out of the water!
The next morning we had to leave at 0400 am to catch the ttides out of Port Essington and round Cape Don, but with the anchor up, we realised that the plotter hadn't left a track on the way in and we had to inch our way out in the pitch black. There was no moon, no stars, no yachts as a point of reference. We inched our way at 2 knots, thankful that the plotter had been accurate on the way in. Once out, we had a strong current helping us down the coastline, but spotted a large boat on the AIS. They didn't respond to VHF, although we called several times. We headed towards the reefy shore, thinking a larger boat would stay out, and we did not want to cut across him if he didn't know we were there. He still didn't respond to calls on the VHF and we could see red and green lights as he headed straight for us... He passed by as light started to break, but we had had to drastically change course and felt a bit squeezed towards to the shore. Bit nerve-wracking. The current just got better and better and swept us past Cape Don and down through the Gulf. We made good speed until about halfway when the current turned and the wind dropped. One more night at anchor, then a short day hop into Darwin.
Finally, it felt like the end of the trip. It is an enormous country and we have thoroughly enjoyed sailing up it. But very very good to be in Darwin at last.
We arrived in Darwin to find a packed Fannie Bay full of cruisers, many of whom where heading into Indonesia. Many boats we had encountered on our trip up the East Coast of Australia were there, and many many more.
We had planned to head into Tipperary Waters marina for a week to clean the boat and do some jobs, but you need to get divers to squirt things into your seasocks first to check you're not bringing in a nasty breed of mussels. Whilst the lady diver was down there we asked her to take a couple of pictures of our keel as we had had a bit of a clonk on the way up. Turned out it was a bit more than a scrape. Luckily, the tides were just about with us and we were able to squeak into the narrow channel to Spot Onn Marine to get her looked at. So our first week was spent on the hard. Luckily it was an easy fix, and just took time to dry out. We took the opportunity to get off the boat (the kids coped surprisingly well living on the hard, but the ladder was a long drop down) and get our selves to Kakadu.
A great 2 day trip, but far too much driving - the distances are vast and much of the landscape is very dry. However, the Yellow Waters were stunning, as was the sunset from Ubirr.
Back in Darwin, we got the boat back in the water and had a great stay in the very friendly Tipperary Waters marina. We used this as a base to see a bit of Darwin itself in between the usual cleaning, provisioning and list making for me and boat jobs for Jason.
All too soon, we were ready to get going to Indonesia.
We had been keen to get to the Komodo islands and they didn't disappoint. Beautiful islands, clear water, great snorkelling and dragons!! We even got the sails up quite a few times. The currents in the passes are crazy and, with a bit of help from a dive boat, we did our research and were generally getting a good lift from it, rather than going backwards!
We started at Labuan Bajo for to get our premits and stock up a bit with food and fuel. As always we had been doing a fair bit of motoring.
We then sailed to Rinca, where we anchored near the ranger station and arranged a guided tour. I let the kids run around outside while I did the paperwork, so was pretty surprised when we all stepped around the corner and there were a bunch of giant Komodo dragons lazing around the rangers base! They seemed fairly sleepy, but there was no way we were getting too close. The rangers carrying forked sticks, which looked like they may have been a bit lightweight for a full blown dragon charge, but I'm sure we were all perfectly safe!
We had a fantastic walk around the island the next day, and were lucky enough to spot water buffalo, a wild pig, a couple of large komodo and some baby ones.
We sailed round to the south side of the island with pretty strong 20 knot + winds, which was all very exciting. We also took a bit of a short cut through a narrow passage. Luckily, the current was going with us, although the wind wasn't, so it was a bit like being back on the high seas for a short while.
The southern anchorage, Uwada Dasami was well protected from the strong winds, but a bit choppy for snorkelling unfortunately. However, we saw wild komodo on the beach from our anchorage. The next day we saw wild deer and pigs as well. And a dive boat anchored nearby did an eagle feeding session. We had a bit of a stroll on a beach one day, and on our return to the dinghy came across a komodo headed straight for us!! He had his tongue flicking in and out, which is how they smell, and although he was taking his time, he looked pretty purposeful. Jason was carrrying a leaf full of hermit crabs which the kids had been collecting and they were the first things to go the komodo's way. Unsurprisingly, he didn't seem too deterred by some small sea creatures. We then threw a small rock to his side to scare him off. By then he was fairly close and I was a fair way into the sea with Dylan and Molly, but I think he realised there were quite a few of us, and we had nothing to eat (except for two juicy children), so headed away again. Very nerve wracking and much more scary then the Tongan goat Incident! When we got back to the dinghy, there were footprints and tail marks to the dinghy and footprints over the seat!!
We found beautiful anchorages at Pink Beach which offered lovely snorkelling and at the north end of Komodo Island at Gili Lawa, where we snorkelled, explored the beach and hills, and swam with a manta ray!
Beautiful Bali
Amazing temples and great friends.
Just like the film "African Queen" but with Orang Utans too!
After Lovina Bay, we had a couple of night sails to get up to Kalimantan, where we planned to visit the Orangutan sanctuary. We had an excellent sail up, with a few odd wind shifts between the island chain on the way up, and plenty of fishing boats en route - fortunately everything was well lit, and no close encounters at all.
We approached the river with some trepidation as we had heard of various boats being marooned on the shallows in the approaches. However, we had plenty of waypoints to help us up the river. Using these as well as a bit of Mark I eyeball, we made it up the river safely to Kalimantan. We had three operators come to visit offering their services as guides for the river trip, and we decided that since they all used the same boats and crew we would go for the middle price and the least pushy sell.
We shared the trip with a couple of friends from another boat, so had a good sized river boat. The cook was constantly preparing vegetables and snacks, so we were never hungry. I had been a bit concerned about how the kids would go with a small river boat for two days and overnight, but there was so much space it really wasn't an issue.
The Orangutangs were incredible. It would be fairly quiet when we got to the feeding stations, and they would gradually arrive from above. Most were fully integrated back into the forest, but some still come back for the daily banana sessions. It was really funny to watch the way they ate - some were very delicate, peeling the skin and eating just the banana and others just rammed in as many as possible with the skin included!!
We loved watching the mothers hanging between branches as their offspring clung on, either to their mum, or a nearby branch. Some of them swang on impossibly thin vines to get to their next branch. We could have watched them all day.
Luckily we had two days to visit the three stations, so had plenty of time for bird spotting and a really lovely evening spent anchored on the river. Well, a tyre on a rope was thrown into the bushes alongside! What a lovely place to wake up. The kids really enjoyed camping out under the nets.
Singapore! Clean, Efficient, Modern and Multicultural.
More cruising in Thailand! Another visitor and a birthday
Our last month in Thailand before we ship the boat. We managed a cheeky trip back south to renew visas and revisited the beautiful, calm and clear Ko Rok Nok en route.
We could have stayed far longer here, but always on the move...
Trenelly was safely picked up in Phuket for her transit to Turkey.
Fantastic! What were the chances of all this lot being in the same place at the same time.
Well, we finally made it back to Plymouth. As my sister said 'It's not exactly round the world in 80 days'!
However, we managed to fit in a brain tumour, 2 Atlantic crossings, 2 Panama Canal transits, a baby en route to New Zealand and even, finally, got to the Scilly Isles!!
Our final passage we took on extra Granny and Grandma crew to help us around from the river Yealm and John gamely waved the Cornish flag off the Breakwater to mark our triumphant return.
BBC Spotlight did try to contact us, but Jason had lost his phone and didn't find it until a week later, by which time we were, quite literally, old news!!
How did we manage to get ourselves around without more mishaps!!?
Upon telling Dylan he had sailed around the world and that Molly had sailed half way round.
Molly ; "I want to go ALL the way around the world"
Dylan ; "I'm not going round the world AGAIN!"