It’s Downhill from Here –  French Guyana to Salvador – June / July 2019

Captain’s Log:   25 July 2019

Location:  Nautico Da Bahia Marina, Salvador, Brazil  LAT 12 56.35 S   LON 38 30.94 W

Weather: Sunny mid 70’s, Breezy

It’s early morning 8 June as Paws makes her approach across the shallow silt filled delta at the entrance to the Maroni. Fortunately, the rising Sun is off the stern making forward visibility good.  The tidal river separates the Dutch Colony of Suriname and French inhabitants of French Guyana. Captain Brian fearlessly navigates through what he tells me are hundreds fishing nets strung up randomly with wooden poles. I’m thinking that this is not going to turn out good – one slip up and we will find ourselves stuck keel deep in the mud with a rope strangling my prop and a hole in my belly.  The water is the color and consistency of chocolate milk swirling around in a blender as the flood tide fights the outgoing flow of the river.  It’s like working thru a swamp filled with Cypress Knees.  What makes things a little more surreal is that we are still more than 20 miles offshore and cannot see the low lying coast at this point.  Turns out we survive and after sailing about 40 miles up the creek without a paddle, we arrive at an anchorage just W of an old wreck. The sunken ship is easily mistaken for a Tropical Island – it is totally covered by a mass of trees and vegetation. My long lost cousin, now reduced to a “Hazard to Navigation” according to the charts, once carried an assortment of French Political Prisoners and other misfits to these shores to live out a life of hard labor.  We anchor out for a few days before sailing south stopping at the infamous Devils Island Penal Colony (those French sure like their jails).  The current swirls around a bit making it a little challenging to secure Paws but once my hook is down and the chain snubber deployed,  Sea Tigger takes the crew to the ferry dock. She drops them off just ahead of the boat load of tourists arriving for day from Cayenne located about 25 miles to the W on the mainland. This is the island featured in the 1973 movie “Papillon”. The ruins of the cell blocks (maybe 6 x 10 feet) and guard barracks are still there but the island could now just as easily be a hideout for The Rich and Famous with amazing views from the Hill tops and beautiful clear water around the three islands that form the anchorage.  They spend the day wandering about, playing with the resident monkeys, peacocks, tropical birds and checking out the museum before coming back to Paws and continuing down the coast to Degrad Des Cannes.

My crew “launches” ashore to tour the nearby European Space Center (aka Guyana Space Center) which is utilized by several nations to send up unmanned communication and weather satellites as well as cargo to resupply the International Space Station (ISS).  The Space Port is strategically located near the equator allowing the vehicles to achieve orbit using less fuel (which equals more Payload) making it more cost effective.  Being along the coast also offers a measure of safety as the lower stages of the rockets fall into open water.  There is an upcoming launch scheduled in a few days but “on site” viewing opportunities are sold out so my crew makes the best of it by watching the rocket soar into orbit from out on the open sea as we work southward towards Brazil and the mighty Amazon River Basin.

About 25 miles offshore from the mouth of the Amazon, we spot the outbound flow of boiling and churning brackish water as it pours out of the river where it tries to mix with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean.  The flow rate is 209,000 cubic meters/second or 7,400,000 cubic feet/second (another way of looking at it is that’s about 56 million gallons every second). When we arrive at collision point between the flow from the river and the relatively calm ocean water, we get shoved around a bit by the eastward setting current which has to be accounted for by The Captain as we work to the SW under sail.

A few miles further on, we shed our Pollywog Status and King Neptune accepts my crew, anointing them Shellbacks when we cross the Equator on 21 June, 2343 GMT.  It Was A Dark and Stormy Night as we enter the river en-route to Belem, Brazil and with only The Captain and TreeBeard on board, the decision is made to delay the formal ceremony until we cross the Equator again in the Pacific heading North. Yep – I know that’s sorta like cheating but as the Portuguese say “ e’ vida ” .

We enjoy the sail up river arriving at an anchorage just off a small island accessible only by water. We see a few fancy homes on the north shore but the Island is mainly a weekend retreat with hostel type accommodations and beachfront activities for the local city dwellers from Belem.  Each of the small hotels has a small beach bar/restaurant set up with plastic chairs and tables that are just calling for my crew to venture ashore.   Just as Sea Tigger volunteers to take them in several Boto’s (Pink Amazon River Dolphins) surrounded me playing and slashing around my hull welcoming and inviting us to take advantage of the beach and to try out a burger and the bar.   The next morning we continue up stream, drifting by the Old City Wharf and pass a dozen or so River Cruise Barges – basically floating 3 story campsites. Some of the Barges seem pretty nice and others make me wonder if they will still be floating the next day. They feature as many hammocks as can stuffed on their open decks, a common area for mealtime and a viewing platform up top for taking in the sites.  My Barge Brothers run tourists up and down the river on 7 to 10 day “Amazon Rainforest River Cruises” stopping at villages and small settlements along the way. The Captain was tempted but in the end decides he had enough jungle for the time being in Suriname and French Guyana.   He takes me a little further upriver and we hook onto a mooring in front of the “Belem Yacht Club” which sports a small floating dock with a snack bar along with a dry storage facility a few boats. Located about 50 meters in front of the Club is a floating fuel pontoon which makes filling me up pretty convenient.  Certainly much easier than multiple trips hauling jerry cans to a nearby fuel station in a pickup truck and then out to Paws on Sea Tigger as the Captain has done the last several refueling sessions.   We spend several days in Belem with me swinging back and forth with the tide change while they enjoy the town and the sites.    Sometimes life doesn’t seem quite fair; they go sightseeing, feast on Tambaqui filets and stroll thru “Mercardo Ver-o-Peso”  – billed as the largest Open Air Market in the Southern Hemisphere – while I get to live in fear as beer infused locals speed by in their motor boats rocking me around with their wakes.    The Captain remarked that while it’s not quite Cairo’s famous Khan el-Khalili, the market here was certainly worth the visit with its endless rows of tents packed with jewelry, pottery, sandals, clothes and “stuff”.  He tells me the sights and smells of the seafood and produce areas were stimulating – maybe even to the point of being a little overwhelming.

The Island of Lencois and its spectacular sand dunes mark our next destination. The huge white dunes, strangely absent of any vegetation, can be seen from 15 miles away. We sail around to the S end of the island before turning in to find anchorage.  Clearing the point, we come upon a couple of fishing trawlers working feverishly to salvage one of my brethren that has gotten herself in a bit of trouble and is laying on her side half under water. They pull and tug at her as well as try floating her with inflation bags but to my chagrin, their efforts are not successful.  It appears Poseidon has claimed another Subject for His watery Kingdom.   We continue on towards the protected anchorage on the back side of the island just off a small village but the approach is too shallow so we stand off in deeper water. Sea Tigger once again does what she does best – takes the crew for a nice ride to shore so they can explore and climb the dunes. They spend the afternoon hiking and enjoying Rum with the locals at the one and only bar) in town. Life in this small fishing village is pretty simple and basic. Power is supplied by three large wind generators and water is hand pumped out of a common well.  The houses are constructed of wood planks, sheets of corrugated steel or whatever other materials are available. The streets are sand and the villagers get around by foot or boat – but with that simplicity seems to come contentment.  The people are friendly, unrushed and generally seem happy.  Maybe there’s something to this.

We depart for Tutoia a few days sail downhill. The approach to the harbour is not buoyed but there is a channel indicated on the charts.  There are notes indicating “shifting sandbanks” and sure enough we find one of those on the way in and bump bottom in a following swell.  From what Captain Brian can see from the swim platform, it appears I might have some damage to the lower section of my rudder. I tell him it doesn’t hurt too bad and the steering seems OK so we continue on with the intent to take a closer look when we reach the anchorage in town.  Enlisting the assistance of a passing fishing boat to guide us in the rest of the way and relying on his local knowledge, we arrive without further trouble.    The timing seems perfect as the town folks are busy setting up for a festival/carnival and to make it even better, we are able to tie up at the town dock right in the center of the activities.  The Captain never quite figures out exactly what is being celebrated but best he make out using his “extremely limited” Spanglish and Google Translate on his I-Phone, it’s a local holiday honoring the culture of the original indigenous people.  Costumed dancers, singers and performers entertain the crowd well into the evening.  We end up staying several days to explore and top off my fuel tanks.  The Captain also investigates my rudder issue a little more and determines that there is, in fact, a small section of my rudder that has broken off at the back bottom edge but decides it can wait until he is able to pull me out of the water.

We make several more quick stops as we work down the coast including Fortenzela where we take a berth at Marina Park Hotel and welcome aboard Paula and Art Mitchell. Despite being a Crimson Tide fan and calling California home, Art turns out to be a fellow Salty Sea Dog and they are a fun loving couple ready for some adventure and new challenges. Currently live in La Mesa but Paula is from Brazil and they spend several months a year here down this way.

The original thought was to sail about 250 miles E to Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil but the prevailing 18 – 20 knot ESE wind makes them reconsider and we decide instead to continue “round the point” at Natal to head SW towards Rio.

Paula is a great asset as galley slave, tour guide, interpreter, nurse, yoga instructor, logistics coordinator and quartermaster all wrapped up into one.  That frees up Art and The Captain to enjoy naps, occasionally trim the sails and make sure the autopilot is doing its job – it’s a rough life.   We enjoy stops at Natal, Olinda, Marau, Recife and Maceio.  A couple of memorable excursions are:

Renting 4-wheelers and trying their best to get lost in the backcountry around Marau and visiting a “medieval” Castle in Recife which The Captain gives his coveted “5 Seashell” rating calling the place a “must see”.  A real life “Game of Thrones” if there ever was one.

We arrive in Salavdor de Bahia in late July looking forward to spending a few days relaxing and exploring.  Rounding the Lighthouse off the NE point of Bay of All Saints, we come bow to face with Fort Sao Marcelo still proudly defending the natural deep water port and a towering vertical granite rock wall ( reaching skyward some 1,186 meters – 3,891 feet above sea level ) with the “Old City” strategically situated on top overlooking the harbour. It’s an equally majestic view whether looking up from my deck or down from the top of the cliffs.  The city, established in 1549 by the Portuguese, is a great place to experience the culture, distinctive foods, folkways and history of this part of Brazil.  After securing a slip at the marina for safe keeping, the crew takes their time strolling the cobblestone roads, enjoying street performers, roving bands, cafes, outdoor restaurants, museums, churches and parks. Salvador has a large concentration of Mulatto’s  – descendants of the Muslim/African slaves brought in during Colonial times and my crew is able to attended a Candomblé service which was described by The Captain as “an interesting” cultural learning experience. Fortunately they did not see any of the traditional animal sacrifice rituals being performed.

The Captain invites Paula to give a “crew view” of the trip and below are some of her thoughts.

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My Sailing Adventure

I just returned from a Sailing Cruise Adventure along the NE coast of Brazil. I knew this was something Art wanted to do and that the older we got, the less we would enjoy such an adventure.

I’ve sailed a few times with Art and friends off the coast of San Diego and enjoy sailing but don’t know anything about how a sailing boat works. Maybe because of that I had no expectations at all. Many lessons were learned. When you face things without expectations, then you don’t compare, you don’t judge. You play along, decide, act, consider the options as things happen.

What a marvelous way of living. Why couldn’t l always live like that?

The first days were a bit hard on me. Bad weather, big waves, the captain hurt, microwave plate broken, fruits smashed against the wall, no bath, little sleep…tired. Twice I couldn’t walk because my arms were too tired to hold myself in balance.

The days went by. We visited the most important cities of the NE coast. I always wanted to show Art that part of the country. The rich food, happy and friendly people, beautiful beaches, contagious music, history, culture.

When I left the boat to pursue a job opportunity, I knew I was going to miss the part of the trip I would enjoy more. The empty beaches, little villages, places I have never been to in those areas….the whales swimming with the boat.

Brian, the captain, is a huge man. Not only in size but in wisdom and technical knowledge. Even when we couldn’t find the boat, going back under heavy rain at night, he taught me something. Never in my whole life anyone had accused me of liking to be micro managed! I laughed.

Art worked hard, learned a lot, helped everyone, supported me, kept us safe. So strong. Every time things got tough and I considered leaving the boat – next time we anchored – he made me change my mind, because I knew I could trust him. I am so proud of him.

People say your problems go with you wherever you go. So, traveling doesn’t change your life much. I agreed with that before this adventure. Now I know that if you throw yourself into new experiences without expectations, you change for the better.

-Paula

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Joyce and Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

bclark@umihvac.com

WhatsApp +1 239 898 7646

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Date: 6 June 2019

Location:  On a mooring, Domberg, Suriname  LAT 05° 42.533 N   LON 055° 04.545 W

Weather: Overcast and Humid, Upper 80’s, Winds Light with occasional Squall

We dropped the ball early morning of 23 April and aim the pointy end S by SE – destination Trinidad.  My new Russian crew settles in and seems to enjoy the overnight trip.  We raise Monos Island at the NW end of Trinidad just as the horizon starts to show thru the mist and haze. Venezuela is barely visible off to the W. It’s a destination that will have to wait until the political winds are a bit more stable. The Captain has the crew ease my sails as we make for the marina in Chaguaramas primed and ready for the Immigration and Customs offices to open.

The group is planning a few days lazing around the pool and enjoying a bit of sightseeing while I am stuck at the dock – coincidentally next to a boat crewed by (4) Russians. The Comrades have made friends and score an invite to an evening Bar-B-Que at the pool grill.  We pick up one more crew member for the leg to Suriname, Senor Pedro arrives from Brazil looking to get in a few weeks with us.

An early departure and a short sail along the N coast brings us to Maracas Bay where we stage for the crossing to Tobago.  My crew hits the beach in Sea Tigger and meets Videl and Judith, a super nice local couple working on their Beach Bar/Restaurant that’s scheduled to “officially” open early June. Judith offers to whip up a pre-opening meal – fried bread, callaloo soup, local fish and veggies. She includes Iced tea with orange peelings and native plant leaves for flavor. Vidal is building the place himself and my captain reports you can sense his excitement to get things up and running.

The sail from to Trinny to Tobago has Pedro wondering if this sailing life is for him.  A NW wind against a W setting current between islands (~3kts) creates a bit of a chop on the water. Our original destination was Scarborough (Port of Entry) but Captain Brian makes a command decision to veer slightly N for Milford Bay (aka Sandy Bay) so we could arrive before dark.  Turns out that’s one of his better decisions as we met Mark (from South Africa) and Sandra (from Brazil) heading N on “S/V Cielo”, a 32ft plywood hull “Junk rigged” boat. They had just arrived from Brazil so we were able to gain some first hand info on anchorages located along our future route.

In the morning, Captain and crew head inland to visit Scarborough. Although the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are “one” country, the bureaucrats have to justify their existence. Cruisers are required to slog thru the process when traveling between the islands. The evening was spent enjoying a Steel drum gig in the nearby town of Buccoo.

A quick sail around the reef to Buccoo Bay to do a little snorkeling proved to be a bit of a disappointment. The report is murky water, damaged coral and a general lack of fish. They try the NE end of bay and find it is a little better with clearer water and healthy coral growing among scattered boulders but still no critters. There was a small island off the point covered with nesting Terns.

The sail up the coast to Plymouth was enjoyable, full sails rolled out as we top 7 ½ kts finally dropping anchor in 16 feet of clear water.  A look around town, afternoon at Rex Resort and watching baby leatherback turtles come out of their nests on beach make a memory. My crew ended the evening with supper on board and a rockin’ game of Mexcian Dominos with Mark and Sandra.

Englishman Bay was the next playground as a Pod of Dolphins playing at my bow escorted us northward. Captain and Treebeard helped the local fishermen pull their seine net up on the beach for a small haul of bait fish that they sell to a couple of fishing vessels anchored next to us. Crepes, snorkeling, then lunch at Eula’s beach restaurant make the day as S/V Cielo anchored next to us in the afternoon. Mark indulged the crew with his tasty secret homemade rum punch.

We went onward to Bloody Bay and wandered thru the “village”. Besides the cool name, the great snapper supper by the beach was the highlight.

Some exercise was on the agenda (The Admiral would be proud of the Captain), my crew arranged a taxi at 0500 to take them up Gilpin Mountain. It turned out to be an empty Park Ranger Station but they met a local that pointed them in the right direction where they eventually found the trail head. They report a nice hike back down thru the rain forest with hummingbirds and parakeets keeping them company. They came out at the bottom about two kilometers from me.  I welcomed them back and we made the short sail to Pirates’ Bay near Charlottesville where the crew went thru the government rituals.

Headed around the NE point the next morning with a quick overnight stop in Tyrrel’s Bay for the night. The confluence of several strong currents caused by the tide and small islands made the waters swirl and twirl making for an interesting approach.  The seas were flat and there was plenty of depth but it would not be the place to hop in the water for a swim.  The crew celebrated their last night in the Caribbean at a local beach restaurant.

The passage south toward Guyana found us dragging a couple lures in the water and we were rewarded with a couple small tuna. Hooked a sailfish but Treebeard threw the hook after a 5 minute fight. He claims it was a monster and he’s sticking to it.

Arriving off the coast of Guyana we enter the Essequibo River after dodging literally hundreds of staked and drifting fishing nets to anchor next to Fort Island. They toured the village and the Fort before relocating to Baboon Island for the night. Sea Tigger took them exploring the area around the island but no Baboons sited.

The Captain had a challenge trying to remove the rudder pin from Zig (the port side windvane) which left spending the better part of an hour drilling, bashing and twisting it. I wonder how the Captain ever got it installed in the first place. We woke up the next  morning to find a pair of Swallows set up house keeping in boom, guess it looked like a comfy place, not so great for my clean deck.  We took advantage of the 4 knot current to drift up the river for about an hour before cranking up The Yamster to maneuver around some sand bars. The “bad news” is we snagged one of the drift nets and got pushed up on a mudbank. The “good news” is the tide was rising (almost 8 foot high change in depth) so we were soon floating off.  The local fishermen came by and cut the net on both sides of the boat and motored off leaving us to work the remaining mess off the prop. We dropped anchor near the mining town of Bartica where the crew took a River swim and ended the day with a game of Mexican Dominos.

The crew took advantage to stock up on fruits and veggies at local market in town while waiting for the tide to motor about 5 miles up river to Baganara Island Resort. Anchored off the beach in 20ft over a sandy bottom. The Captain had heard good things about the Resort but found it deserted except for the security guard and a couple of maintenance workers, must be off season. While making water later in the evening we had to question the water maker gauge when it indicated less than 5 ppm of particulates in the water coming thru the filters. Fresh water makes for pure water.

Motored back to Bartica on high tide to fuel up and clear out. One of the few times in our travels that the customs folks decided to come on board for an inspection. We stopped off at Parika at the river entrance where Daniel and Ana (Russian crew) depart to work their way south by land. Plans are made to meet up again in the southern part of Brazil in a couple months.

On the way south while motor sailing towards Suriname, The Yamster suddenly gets real quiet. Seems the fuel filters were working overtime trapping the bits and pieces of the dead dinosaurs and The Captain messed up by not checking them as often as he should. Yamster has been running great but won’t do her thing without clean fuel to drink. A change of the fuel filters, a flip of the fuel pump switch to bleed the air and prime the fuel line and she comes back to life allowing us to continue onward.

Five dolphins play at my bow under the unfurled Yankee as we motorsail at 1700 RPM cruising at 7.5kts in a 15 knot E wind. We soon reach the Safe Water Buoy marking the entrance of Suriname River but choose to keep the sails out as we turn into the channel behind “S/V Vivente”. We raise her on VHF to advise our intentions to overtake her to Port and soon slide past her and “S/V Jillybillie”, a  Dehler 38, in the channel as we approach the estuary. Sails stay up until we reach the first Channel buoy before we furl them and motor to Domburg to pick up a mooring. About an hour later, just before dark, we are joined by the two other cruisers.

Evening was spent at the Yacht Club bar and a great dinner at Indonesian restaurant opposite the club with new friends Steve & Helena (UK) on “S/V Amalia of London”, Judith & Patrick (NL) “S/V Vivente and “S/V Jillibillie” being single handed by Captain Merl (NL).  Steve and Helena built and operate the website NOFOREIGNLAND, which is a site to keep track of fellow yachties and to share information about places to visit.

The trip to Paramaribo for immigration is tolerable only because we were told of an outstanding butcher shop where the freezer could be filled with some great cuts of meat.  Senor Pedro walks the plank in Domberg to return to Brazil and his family. The Captain decides to spend several days here and leave me to fend for myself as he and Treebeard head inland for an adventure.  They rent a car and drive to where the “paved road” ends and the “water road” begins at the small town of Adjoni on the NW shore of Lake Brokopondo. They meet local guide Alberto who takes them in his motorized dugout canoe up the Suriname River Highway deeper into the jungle to Isadou Island “Lodge” just beyond the forgotten village of Jaw Jaw.  Several “lodges” and small (very small) settlements dot the shoreline and all commerce and supplies are delivered via the river.  No roads and only small generator supply power a few hours each day.  The kids that live in the scattered huts along the river take the “school bus canoes” to a central location near Adjoni.

There is civilization about but they definitely got the Jungle Experience. A “walk in the park” away from the lodge featured thick jungle cover, huge “skeleton” spiders in Maripa palm trees, mango-eating bats and frogs/toads, monkeys, lizards, huge butterflies, several birds and a nice Boa.  Several Caymans were seen at night during an evening boat ride thru the swap using high powered flashlights. No Jaguars were spotted but my crew suspect a Jaguar or two had eyes on them.

They spent several nights in the jungle with their hammocks to get their “fix” before heading back to Domberg and the relative comfort of their berths on board.

After noticing my boom resting on the hard top, The Captain finds my Backstay and Boom Vang hydraulic system decided that it hadn’t had enough love lately.  Seems the Pressure relief valve need some relief and attention. Turns out the seals in the Boom Vang Cylinder have worn out and no longer would maintain pressure required to support the weight of the Boom.  Temporary repairs where made and a search for a source of replacement seals was on.  They are located and ordered (from overseas of course) but a permanent fix would need to wait. The afternoon brought a nice Squall with 40kts wind gusts and a moving wall of rain. Welcome to the tropics.

We were joined by S/V Vivente as we moved upriver to Waterland Resort for a change in scenery. Nice place where we were able to take on fuel, fill the propane, water tanks and work on the generator.  My crew enjoyed talking to some new folks and watched the clubs pet Sloth and her cub s-l-o-o-o-w-l-y climbing down tree. Checked out at Paramaribo on 6 June to continue our trek heading for French Guyana. Departed on the ebbing tide in a nice downpour.

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

WhatsApp +1-239-898-7646

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

Date: 5 May 2019

Location:  Anchored Buccoo Bay, Tobago  LAT 11° 10.826  LON 060° 48.608

Weather: Mostly Sunny, Mid 80’s, Winds E 20 -25 Knots

While swinging peacefully at anchor in Young’s Cut on the southern tip of St Vincent waiting for The Admiral come aboard, Captain Brian and TreeBeard decide to get their blood pumping a little and venture up to the North shore and challenge “La Soufrière Volcano”. Still considered “active” with a pinch of steam leeching out of the lava dome although the last eruption was 40 years ago in 1979.  A vertical of about 3,800 feet over 3 ½ miles to the summit has The Captain puffing a little bit as they attack the slope. They pass thru distinct changes in the landscape on the way up to the crater passing thru a thick, wet rain forest that engulfs before approaching the carter. The jungle gives way to an open area of wind sweep, low scrub bushes then the path turns rocky and steeper. The scenery and good weather made the hike enjoyable and interesting.  Returning to PAWS in the late afternoon they join Deck Swab Mike for a Burger and some Rum at Blue Lagoon Marina and celebrate another sunset.

Meanwhile, Back at The Cut, Deck Swab Mike got a surprise from Nancy “Commander” Ashcraft who decided to join our Crew while The Admiral is aboard. Her travel saga worked out a little better than The Admirals but required an overnight flight and extended layover times as well. Charles Tango provides the airport rides and Sea Tigger brings the new crew out to PAWS. The Commander completely surprises Deck Swab when she boards. She quickly gets settled and is in the water in record time determined to enjoy her vacation to the fullest.

The Admiral arrives with tales of her experience from Charleston to St. Vincent. Limited flights and changes to airline schedules made it a bit of an adventure requiring an overnight stay in Barbados. The views as they crossed over Eleuthera in the Bahamas made the delays tolerable. Ironically, this was the same area we sailed over back in January, 2018. She says the endless long white sandbars stretching across the blue waters were breathtaking – however, I distinctly remember that is NOT what she said about those very same sandbars when we were stuck on one for 8 hours waiting for the tide to rise.

Consolidating down to 2 bags in Barbados, The Admiral shares a ride with Boat Captain Clyde to the airport for the short hop to St Vincent.  The LAIT agent eyes her Passport and One-Way Flight ticket and asks for a copy PAWS Boat Documentation. Seems The Captain screwed up and did not provide copy but she prevails using her return flight ticket from Grenada as evidence she isn’t going to stay forever. Once cleared, she’s on a mission for coffee finding an Italian Coffee bar and a piece of homemade apple cinnamon bread. Magically her day starts to look better. Arriving in St Vincent she gets to do the Immigration and Customs dance one last time before finding The Captain and Charlie Tango waiting to take her to PAWS!

A quick lunch before we weigh anchor for the short sail to Bequia where we grab a mooring and Commander Nancy and Captain take Sea Tigger to make a grocery run. On board, The Admiral’s Type A kicks in as she leaps into action with her white gloves cleaning the remaining dust and clutter in the Master Berth that somehow was overlooked during The Captains earlier efforts. With clean sheets and fresh pillows on the berth she can now get a good night’s sleep.

Meanwhile, Deck Swab and TreeBeard zero in on the floating boat bar moored about 30 meters away. The Captain and The Commander return to Paws and grab The Admiral to go scout the shoreline for a place for dinner. Wandering along the sidewalk that circles the Bay are a dozen restaurants. Maybe it was the décor or more likely it was the conch fritter appetizers that caught The Admiral’s attention but they decide on Mac’s Pizza.  The fritters were followed by a couple of large “Meat Pizza’s” to make The Captain happy.

Up early to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and soft breezes with Coffee brewing, the crew enjoys a quiet morning. They are greeted by the local “bread boat” and despite The Captains STRICT rule, The Admiral decides some “Banana Bread” would be nice and further decides to keep the transgression a secret by rationalizing to herself that “what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him”. She enjoys the contraband with fresh fruit while I trembles in fear for what is to come.

After breakfast, snorkeling gear is gathered up and the crew launches Sea Tigger to explore Devil’s Table Reef off the NW point of the bay. They report seeing colorful fish and are happy to get some morning exercise. Back to PAWS for a light lunch and afternoon siesta before heading to shore for a walk and a cool drink at the “almost famous”  Whalebone Bar. The décor inspires The Captain to get a Whale Tooth necklace from a local vendor.

Slipping the mooring early, we enjoy a downwind sail in Charlestown Bay, Canouan. With the anchor dropped, The Commander and The Admiral team up to fix egg sandwiches with bacon and cheese for brunch making the crew very happy. Afterward stuffing his belly, “someone” (no names here – but starts with a C and ends with N with a aptai in the middle) thinks that a swim to shore for exercise would be fun. He will remember to put on fins the next time he has such a great idea. Twenty or so minutes later, he crawls up on shore and finds a chair under the shade to recover. My crew enjoyed a day of relaxing on the beach with Pain Killers. Sea Tigger rescues them for the return the trip back to PAWS.

TreeBeard serves as our French Chef for the evening whipping up curry eggplant with chicken, peppers, onions cooked with coconut milk served over rice. Fresh fruit with ice cream for dessert.

The Crew wakes to another beautiful morning and soon The Admiral has coffee waiting on deck. Deck Swab takes a turn in the Galley, whipping up pancakes and bacon before our sail south. Time constraints require we bypass the Tobago Cays and head directly to Sandy Island passing between Mayreau and the Cays.  The first part of the sail was sunny with light winds but just as we arrived abeam Union Island “The CURSE of the BANANA”, teaming up with Mother Nature, decides it’s time for a lesson to remind all aboard who is really in charge. The Rain comes down and the Winds howl.  I’m happy to say The Captain and TreeBeard handled it well reefing quickly to reduce my sail and ease out my main sheet to depower bringing PAWS and the Crew thru safely. My AIS worked overtime allowing us to avoid getting tangled up with “M/V Sea Spray” that was using its Romulan Cloaking Device (a.k.a. – blinding rain) on this IFR sailing day! She obviously saw us on her AIS as well as we both made slight course deviations to Starboard before she emerged like a Ghost Ship out of the curtain of water about 50 meters off our bow. As we passed each other the Captains shared a salute.  Hopefully that will be sufficient restitution for The Admirals early transgressions.

After the storm passes, The Captain offers Deck Swab a chance to redeem himself at the helm and has him steer us into the Lee of Sandy Island. Rounding up in the wind to take a mooring just off the beach. Some sandwiches for lunch then Commander Nancy, Deck Swab and TreeBeard take to the water for some snorkeling on a nearby reef at the E end of the spit while Captain and Admiral perform a few boat chores. In the evening, we marveled at the awesome Sunset made more spectacular by the storm clouds that had moved off to the west and are now on the horizon.

The morning brings a true southern breakfast featuring eggs, bacon and grits (with cheese) on deck overlooking the Bay followed by a swim over the reef to the beach for some exploration. A large school of cuddle fish escort the crew along with a couple of large Parrot fish and hundreds of colorful reef fish that darted around the coral. No beach barbecue today so PAWS galley was open for lunch. Boat life many times requires you to use what you have on board and The Admiral never ceases to amaze offering up Chicken, pasta and avocado salad. After lunch, Sea Tigger gets a new prop for her outboard engine as the original prop sheered its rubber shaft hub which causes it to spin free at higher RPM under heavy loads – maybe an aftershock from “The CURSE of the BANANA”????

Supper was enjoyed on shore across the Bay at “Off The Hook Beach Bar and Grille”. Chicken wings appetizers, grilled fish, salad, and fried potatoes made for a delicious meal all while relaxing on the beach watching the Sunset. The crew enjoyed talking with a young backpacking couple from Germany working their way thru the Islands. While sipping on Rum they were also entertained by some charter folks with children from the UK. Water, sand and sun can work up an appetite and produce some active kids.

“The CURSE of The BANANA” had one final memorable message for The Crew making the trip back to PAWS after dark on Sea Tigger. Deck Swab, The Commander and The Admiral loaded in Sea Tigger as Captain and TreeBeard shoved her off the beach against the waves. During the ride back, the evening showers sprang to life and the wind picked up. Waves made their way over the bow of Sea Tigger and the rain came down. No real danger, but certainly made for a damp ride. Felt like The Gordan Fishermen, minus his Yellow Rain Gear! Once they got home, a warm fresh water shower was a nice luxury.

An early morning sail back to St. George Harbour, Grenada required Coffee on deck at 0500. We slipped the mooring and the Winds cooperated. Had a few light passing showers along the way arriving around 1230 with plans to meet friends at Umbrella’s restaurant on Grand Anse Beach for lunch.

It was a short ride to shore, but due to the swell they had to anchor Sea Tigger out and swim in. Lucky for them, the restaurant has a shower to wash off the sand and salt. They met our friends M&M, and munched on conch fritters, salads and sandwiches. The Pain Killers deserved a mention as well. The Captain mentioned his plan to remain at anchor for the evening, but The Admiral pulled rank and “suggested” we get a berth in the Marina for the evening so crew departure on Tuesday morning would be a little easier. Sometimes (ok – most times), The Admiral has good ideas. After spending the afternoon on the beach, the crew walked ½ mile down the shoreline to a hotel dock to get into Sea Tigger without having to swim and crawl over the sides into the dinghy. TreeBread made the sacrifice to swim out and take her over to the dock so the more experienced (i.e. – older, out of shape) crew members could board a bit easier! Back to PAWS, we weighed anchor and headed into to the marina.

This time the crew managed to secure me at the dock without scraping up my skin.  Stephanie and Tim from “S/V Endless Pleasure” hailed us and recommended joining them at Patrick’s located just outside the marina on the main road for a last meal. The evening was truly a true taste of Grenada, “Tapas” served family style. If you think only a spoonful from a platter won’t fill you up, you are mistaken. At least not if it’s a spoonful from 10 different platters which is then topped off with fruit cake, whip cream and “Under the Table Spiced Rum” for dessert.  They tell me everyone was filled to the brim. The party of 9 truly enjoyed the festive evening. After pictures, Commander Nancy, Deck Swab Mike and Admiral Joyce, bid M&M a final farewell before an evening walk back to PAWS then it’s lights out with full stomachs!

Up with the sun and their last coffee in my cockpit before the crew departs for home.

The Captain gathers everyone’s passport and my Boat Papers to clear in/out of Grenada. Easy stroll down the dock to PAWS to get bags packed and crew was ready for departure. Stephanie arranged for “Yellow” to transport them to airport. The pictures says it all.

A fun week that ended too soon. The Commander and Admiral must return to the working world of the hospital and Deck Swab must return to whatever it is that Deck Swab does. Thankful for sunny skies, fair winds, and a wonderful new engine, PAWS had another great adventure.

After The Admiral’s departure, Paws heads back out to anchor in St Georges Bay off Grande Anse Beach plans are made for our next move.  Finally received word from the Rigger that the section of Forestay we’ve been waiting on has finally arrived so the short term plan is over to Clarkes Court and the boatyard. The Stay was slightly damaged back in mid November when we hauled out and although The Captain was unaware of the damage at first, he noticed a dented section during our time in the Yard. He asked me about it and I mentioned that yard crew bumped it against the cross beam of The Big Blue Crawler. It didn’t hurt real bad but The Captain and Yard Manager discussed it and decided to have a new section fitted.

We motor around the southwest point of the island and leaving Seringapatam Shoals to Port. While at the dock, we also planned to have the strata glass in the dodger replaced and a few zippers and seams re-stitched. The Yamster is also due to receive her 50 hour checkup and warranty certification. The short trip starts out with a bit of rain and the E wind smacks us in the face as we round the point but we fight thru it and arrive around noon only to find the dock we were scheduled to tie on is unavailable. The yard is hauling out a 230 ton barge with The Big Blue Crawler that is only rated for 210 tons.  We stand off to wait for things to settle down. The Crawler shows her muscle and eventually gets the big boy up and out. The Captain maneuvers me into place and gets me tied up for the work to begin. The Rigger gets started but no surprise, there are several unforeseen issues and challenges getting things done so it looks like we will be here overnight.

Early afternoon the following day the Forestay section is replaced, the Yankee is hanked on and the The Yamster has her fluids changed and is checked out. We are more than ready to depart Clarkes Bay. Captain fires up the engine and instruments and quickly notes one last challenge to overcome. Despite the Dock Master’s repeated assurances that there was a minimum 3 meters (a little under 10 feet) at the dock at low tide, PAWS finds her 8 ½ foot keel in the muck. Departure is delayed as we wait for the Moon and Mother Nature to do their thing and bring us a little more water.

The wait is not too bad and soon the Tide does what the Tide does and we are free from the clutches of the mud ready to engage the Hyper Drive to escape the Black Hole of Clarkes Court Bay (hopefully for the last time). We joyfully head back over to St Georges Harbour where the water is cleaner and the scenery is better to wait for the canvas work to come back before heading south.

My crew joins our friends Tim and Steph from Catermaran “S/V Endless Pleasure” and tender over to Morne Rouge Beach, a “locals” beach away from the tourists and crowds. Captain was able to find himself a nice shady spot under a tree with a lounge chair. Later in the morning they are joined by Janet and Larry on “S/V J-Lynn” and munch on Fish Tacos at La Plywood Beach Bar (low overhead at this place according to The Captain) and then everyone piles on “S/V Endless Pleasure” to watch the latest episode of Game Of Thrones.

TreeBeard is low profile today. Seems he had a few too many beers and a little more Rum than his skinny frame can handle and spends the day in his bunk while The Captain did some boat chores.

“S/V Endless Pleasure” departs today for St Vincent to meet their next charter flying in from the US as my crew catches up with Janet and Larry for a repeat at La Playwood for more Fish Tacos and Double Cheeseburgers. Plans are made to relocate to Prickly Bay in the morning to meet the canvas dude and make the final preparations to head south. A short sail and we drop anchor off SGU University Club near “S/V J-Lynn” to make use of their pool. The Club has housing and a conference center for visiting and short term faculty working at the Veterinarian and Medical Schools here on the Islands. First class place for the folks to stay.

Canvas dude delivers repaired Dodger canvas and crew reinstalls it in the cockpit. I’m starting to feel whole again and can now keep the rain from coming down the companionway. In the evening my Crew heads over to Prickly Bay Marina (basically a dingy dock) for some “Live” music at the Tiki Bar consisting of a steel drum act and then a three member band of local talent.

For a change of scenery, and to position ourselves to allow Sea Tigger to take Captain to Customs and Immigration for departure check out, we relocate to Secret Harbour along with “S/V J-Lynn”.  Entering the harbour requires careful maneuvering thru the reefs to keep my new painted keel from getting scrapped up but once in provides great protection.

On Easter Sunday, Sea Tigger takes my crew over to Whisper Cove for a final Sunday Brunch with M&M, Janet and Larry and then to La Phare Bleu to enjoy the pool and finally Hog Island for the afternoon band party. The evening is spent at the local bowling alley in town to catch the weekly installment of Game of Thrones on the big screen. Captain tells me it turned out to be a disappointment as the sound was very poor. Says he will need to re-watch that episode. Back at the Secret Harbour Marina, the Captain meets up with two new crew he has been talking with that are joining us for points south. Anastasia and Danila (sic) bring some more international flavor to the crew. Both were born and raised in Russia and are backpacking along with sailing around the world.

Up this morning the Captain decides to give the new crew members a day to get adjusted and settled in before departing.  They enjoy the pool at the University Club, pick up a few provisions from a local store and clear out at Customs. The evening finds all my crew over on “S/V J-Lynn” for a rousing game of Mexican Dominoes and a nice meal.  Setting sail for Trinidad is on the schedule for the morning.

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

239-898-7646

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

 

Date:   31 March 2019

Location:  Anchored in Young Island Cut, St Vincent  LAT 13° 07.958  LON 061° 12.128

Weather: Mostly Cloudy with Drizzle, Upper 80’s, Winds ENE 15 – 20 Knots

Early March finds us in Trinidad at Crews Inn Marina in Chaguaramus, as the country is getting primed for Carnival. Paws had a great night crossing thru Gulf of Paria passing just W of the Hibiscus Offshore Oil Platform between Grenada to Trinidad.  There had been some reports of trouble from Venezuelan thugs (won’t honor them by calling them “pirates”) but we saw no suspicious activity. Raised Trinidad early in the morning and slipped past Bocas Del Dragon entering the busy port. Cuda and Mindy Caplinskas from “S/V Viviann” have come aboard looking forward to experience the festivities this coming week.

Captain Brian eases me between the floating buoys at the Marina and after securing me to the floating dock, they head off to do the Customs and Immigration dance (where they still use Carbon Paper to copy the forms). When the bureaucracy was complete, they head for the resort pool. Supper on shore at the resort restaurant and chilling in the evening rounds out the day as they will need their rest.

The Captain rings the Ships Bell rousting The Crew out of their bunks at 0200 the next morning – the only time my Captain can recall getting OUT of bed to go TO a party. After splashing some water on their faces they are off to check out “J’ouvert”. The local SSCA Cruising Station Rep – Jesse James, arranges a van to take my crew and 6 other folks staying at the Resort to the muster point in Port of Spain about 30 minutes away. They arrived at 0300 and were treated to a bowl of hot fish chowder and an open bar to get everyone in the mood. Things soon get rolling – the paint starts flying, the alcohol starts flowing and the Soca (loosely called music) starts blaring. Semi trucks stacked high with huge speakers that must have been scrounged up and left over from an old Led Zeppelin concert along with million megawatt amplifiers pump out the noise and lead the crowds thru the streets as they dance. The party wraps up about 0900 in the morning at a city park where water tankers spray everyone down washing the paint and grime off.

Not to miss the “Total Experience”, the Party Animals are up early again the next morning at 0600 and flag down a “Maxi Taxi” (mini bus) to head back to Port of Spain for “Carnival”. The Parade and Floats start down the streets bright and early. Colorful exotic costumes, Steel Drum Bands and more Soca noise blasts away (yes – The Captain is getting old). Plenty of street vendors to keep everyone fed and full of beer. For the most part, my Crew were spectators enjoying the scenery and (most) of the music.  The Festivities continue the entire day and late into the evening. My crew gave up about dark and made their way back home tired and happy.

Back on the Ranch, I’m corralled in the Marina and my stall is under the shadow of an impressive 92’ Paragon located in the slip next to us. The Crew enjoyed getting to know Mike “Oil Man” Finley on “M/V Seas to See”, hailing from Houston, TX.  “Oil Man” was full of great stories and jokes (Irish right!?) about his past boats and adventures in the oil industry and finance business. Handling the reins is Captain Ace who keep things operating and the ship headed in the right direction. Ace is a Licensed Commercial Ship Captain giving the “private” world a try.

While here in Trinny, we once again welcome back Deck Swab Mike “I’m on a Diet – Honest” Ashcraft.  The master plan is to work back to Grenada and pick up The Admiral. However, before departing, the Crew decides to check out The Caroni Bird Sanctuary and came away very impressed. The tour started out a little weak as they were wondering what they got themselves into as they boarded a small wooden boat with 12 other folks and the Tour Guide started pointing out fiddler crabs in the mud along the bank of a ditch. Just about the time the Captain was thinking Mutiny might be in order, things improved when they spotted some nice snakes hanging in the overhead Mangrove Canopy along with a couple of small “silky anteaters” (actually termite eaters) and a variety of birds. Eventually they entered a large open estuary dotted with mangrove islands and some beautiful scenery. As sunset approached, they spotted dozens of Flamingos wading in the shallow water but more impressive were the hundreds of Scarlet Ibis coming back to roost in the Mangroves. The birds are almost fluorescent red in color.  As with Flamingos, the brilliant red color of the Scarlet Ibis comes from carotene in the crustaceans they feed on.

Enjoyed our time in Trinidad but time to move on. Departed early morning sailing back to Grenada and marooned Cuda and Milda into the “abyss” that is Clarkes Court Boatyard so they can get back to the endless joy and satisfaction that comes with slaving away so they can get their house back in the water.  In Grenada, we Pipe on Board our newest crew member Jean “Treebeard” Echard. Treebeard is an experienced sailor and world traveler having spent 5 years in Australia and New Zealand. He joins us after recently completing an Atlantic Crossing from France via the Canaries, Cape Verdi, Martinique and finally Grenada.  He looks forward to PAWS trek south.

The Captain starts him out easy as they spend the day filling their bellies at the Sunday Brunch at Whisper Cove Marina, a swim at Le Phare Bleu pool and finally the BBQ on Hog Island. Treebeard can be heard commenting that maybe he’s going to like this cruise.

The Captain decides it’s best to have The Admiral fly to St Vincent so we depart Clarkes Court Bay staging in St George for the evening on our trip north.  Sea Tigger takes the crew into Port Louis Marina for a shopping excursion and find “M/V Seas to See” lashed to the docks. They join Oil Man for a drink and enjoy hearing some more of his lies (I mean stories).  We depart the next morning for a quick, easy sail to Gouyave, a small fishing village on the NW coast of Grenada, where we anchor just outside a Marine Park and Fish Sanctuary indicated with yellow buoys so The Captain and Treebeard can jump in for a little snorkeling. The exposed anchorage is a little rolly but we stay for a couple days. The crew hears about a great fish market in town and head in to check it out.  The swells wash up and break on the sand and rock beach so they drop Sea Tigger’s anchor about 15 meters off in waist deep water wading in to explore.  Fresh Tuna and Mahi are at the Fisherman Co-Op so fish is “What’s for Dinner”. Returning to Sea Tigger in the afternoon, Deck Swab puts on a show for the locals as he does his best to climb over the side of the dinghy in the waist deep water. He receives cheers and a round of applause for his efforts. Later in the evening, The Captain and 1^st Mate TreeBeard return to shore for the Friday Night Fish Fry under open air tents. Selection of todays catch, cooked several different ways, with plenty of Mac & Cheese, breadfruit, corn cakes, salad, and several things The Captain wasn’t exactly sure of they were.

The next day starts a little shaky as we prep to depart Gouyave. Deck Swab shows off his (limited) Helmsman experience by putting The Yamster in Reverse instead of Forward as requested and proceeds to swallow up the Sea Tigger’s painter wrapping it around the prop shaft. Before The Captain could scramble to the helm station, Sea Tigger is sucked against PAWS port hull and her bow partially wedged under my belly. First Mate TreeBeard volunteers to grab his mask and fins and take the plunge to investigate. He ended up having cut loose the a short section of her painter to free her from the clutches of The Yamster. After things get settled, we start N stopping at Sandy Island and after a spirited and sometime damp three hour upwind motor sail, we snag a mooring as a light shower approaches from the E. The place is a postcard picture perfect anchorage with a white sand beach and swaying Palm Trees.

The day ends much better as we find our discover “M/V Seas to See” in the anchorage hailing us with an invitation to come aboard for a fantastic supper complete with Mahi, Tuna, Red Beans and Rice, Salad, desert, of course, shots of Irish Whiskey. Oil Man and Captain Ace went all out to feed my Motley Crew.

After breakfast, Treebeard and Deck Swab take Sea Tigger to beach to scrub some of the bottom paint donated from PAWS hull the previous day. Her canvas cover being a little black around the bow. They also take the opportunity to do a little snorkeling and see “gazillions” (Deck Swab’s word of the day) of small fish right off beach. Later that evening Captain and TreeBeard head in for a beach BBQ of Ribs and Chicken put on by some local boat boys. Worn out from the days work, Deck Swab remains on board missing a great meal.

On a darker note: word reaches us about some recent “unrest” just to the south a few miles offshore of Trinidad. The political instability in Venezuela continues to effect the region. Seems a few “thugs” make a attempt on a cruising vessel. Link to the story: https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/date-2019-04-04-1030-country-name-trinidad-tobago-location-detail-trinidad-hibiscus-gas-platform-event-attempted-piracy/

No crew was hurt but the brave and gallant boat ended up taking a couple of slugs in her broadside protecting her Crew. She has been brought into St George Harbour in Grenada to be patched up and nursed back to health as the investigation continues.

From Sandy Island , we motor around Jack Iron Point entering Tyrell Bay meeting up with Erik and Barbara on “S/V  Sudamon”, friends we originally met in Puerto Rico last year.  They have her on the hard at the new boatyard for some repairs so they join my crew for a short walk along the shore front for dinner at “The Lazy Turtle” on the N end of the Bay. Pizza and good conversation take them late into the evening.

As the new day finds Sea Tigger skipping across the harbour taking the crew in to check out with Customs and dropped off a couple weeks worth of smelly laundry, they passed by one of the more interesting uses for one of my brothers. A Trimaran moored in the harbour is decked out as a complete Welding and Metal working platform. No doubt he has plenty of business.

After clearing out, my crew joins Erik and Barbara at Gallery Café for breakfast and to say goodbye before heading over to check on the wash. It’s seems it’s taking a little longer than Sea Tigger likes and she lets the Crew know she is ready to get moving by leaving the beach on her own – seems they forgot a basic fact of nature and failed to account for the rising tide when pulling her up on shore. The Captain gets to enjoy a swim in the harbour to retrieve her and we’re off to Petite Martinique. The 2019 Guidebook boasts that this little island has the “Best fuel dock in Grenadines”. The marketing guy for the publication must be an former Used Car Salesman. No response on the VHF, no dock hand to assist with lines, the dock is in major disrepair, it’s exposed and aligned perpendicular to a strong E wind that pushes and pins boats against the pilings and there is a decent chop on top of it all. Several local boats are tied up to the pier leaving a tight space for The Captain to work me in. We come in safely but the boards leave me with a scrape in my starboard hull from battling with a piling. Then, of course, we find the place is O.O.F. (Out Of Fuel) for at least another 2 or 3 days – maybe they could have mentioned that when we called in on the phone 30 minutes earlier advising our arrival and requesting fuel?  We wait for the wind to settle in the evening before departing and sail a few miles north across to Petite St Vincent and anchor for the evening licking our wounds.

We enjoy the sail N between the small islands of Mayreau and Tobago Cays Park to the channel between Petit Rameau and Petit Bateau to find none other than “M/V Seas to See” swinging on her hook. We position ourselves 30 meters downwind and give her a call on the VHF. Snorkeling in the afternoon rewards the crew with a large stingray and bigger turtle. There are several “boatboys” working the area and offering everything from propane to lobsters. They all of course want my crew to come to their Beach BBQ but The Captain politely declines.

The next morning, TreeBeard and a crewmember from “M/V Seas to See” take off for some snorkeling along Petit Bateau. After several hours, Captain Brian and Captain Ace hop in “T/T Seas to See” venture out to check if they have been eaten by the turtles. The search takes them around the E side of the Cays and over to Baradal reef where the sea turtle farm is and a netted refuge is located. They discovered their wayward crew relaxing on the shore of Petit Bateau. They reported lots of stingrays and puffer fish just off the beach near the BBQ grills, probably feeding on all the fish and lobster waste from the BBQ’s. They also reported sighting two small reef sharks patrolling the area. Dozens of cruising boats are moored behind the reef where there is great wind but flat seas.

After a pleasant sail N to Canouan we drop anchor just off Tamarind Resort. The crew takes Sea Tigger to the dock and rewards themselves with Pain Killers at the Tiki Hut on the beach. There good but certainly don’t compare to The Admiral’s PK’s.  The Moorings Yacht Charters had a base here many (many) years ago when the Captain and Admiral chartered a boat out of here. The base has since closed and relocated to Ft George in Grenada.  Snorkeling along rocks N of the resort, they see hundreds of baby lobsters all competing for whatever hole in the rocks might be available.

Looking for adventure, the crew hunts up a golf cart rental place to take a tour of the island. They ride over to a fancy new resort community and marina for the Rich and Famous on the south side of the island overlooking the ocean and Tobago Cays off in the distance. The place is still under construction but the guard allows them to enter and ride around to check the place out. The self guided tour continues around the island and over the hills as the crew manages to defy death again when brakes fail them on steep downhill run, Deck Swab shows his Golf Cart driving skills (fortunately they are better than his Helmsman skills) and manages not to run off the road and crash into the ditch at the bottom. On the way back to PAWS the crew stops off at the local framers market in the town center to mingle and talk to the locals while picking up a few veggies and fruits.

As we sail into the bay in Bequia, the welcoming committee is a young French girl skinny dipping off the back of the boat just in front of us. TreeBeard casually mentions that it’s “Another great day in the Grenadines” as he offers to go forward to look for coral heads as we anchor and then jumps in to check that its holding.  The Captain SAYS he didn’t notice her until after we dropped anchor or he would have found another spot – I’m not 100% sure I believe him but who am I to say.

We spend a few days here taking advantage of the snorkeling off the NW point of the harbour at Devil’s Table and exploring the town. Bequia is definitely a cruiser destination with numerous restaurants, bars and shops all along the shore. There are boat boys (and girls) that run water taxi services, handle laundry, fill propane and scuba tanks, take trash and sell ice, fish, water and souvenirs. All very pleasant and helpful.   The crew took advantage of the floating bar in the harbour on a couple of occasions for Sunset parties with Rum and Beer.

Captain and TreeBeard try out the local transportation options and take a bus/taxi ride across the island to Friendship Bay, Paget Farm, Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary and MoonHole. They watched local Whalers return empty handed after chasing a whale they spotted earlier. Although Humpback Whales are an endangered species. The residents of this island are still allowed to take up to 4 per year. However, the methods are restricted to “the old ways”. Only sailing vessels are allowed and they must be taken by hand thrown harpoons. Not the easiest way to harvest a whale.

The visit to MoonHole was particularly interesting. Located out on the SW point of the Bay, it is a large compound that was carved out of the rock and constructed using coral and local stone.  Wandering around the grounds, they were impressed with the effort and dreams that went into the place. The Sea, as she always will, has reclaimed most of the structure but there are still a few rooms remaining on the leeward side that are in use as a exclusive resort.

The island suddenly comes alive when word spreads that a whale has been brought in – the first one in 2 years. The processing station is over in Friendship Bay and the celebration is on. My crew kept their distance but got some good pictures.

We depart for the last leg to St Vincent and The Captain deploys my new Hydrovane self steering wind vanes – “Zig and Zag”.  The idea is that the main and foresail are trimmed to balance the boat and eliminate weather helm so I maintain a constant heading without pressure on the steering quadrant or main rudder. My wheel is then secured in placed letting “Zig and Zag” take over using the wind angle and trimming rudders like trim tabs on an airplane to keep me on course. If the wind angle changes the vanes can be adjusted to compensate and maintain the desired heading. If the wind increases, the sail trim can be adjusted or a reef put in to keep me balanced. The sail to St Vincent was a close haul and “Zig and Zag” worked as advertised.  They will typically be used on longer runs and will get a real workout on the passage to from Tobago to Guyana in mid May.

We raise Young’s Cut on the southern end of St Vincent and settle in looking forward to The Admiral’s arrival in a few days.

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

239-898-7646

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

 

Date:  28 February 2019

Location:  Anchored Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

LAT 12° 00.381  LON 061° 44.104

Weather: Mostly Sunny, Upper 80’s, Winds E 15 – 20 Knots

The Captain came back to visit me in mid November to open up the hatches and portholes so I could breath a little.  The time has finely arrived to get me hauled out. I had a nice long nap while The Captain was off in the US earning some pennies in Ft Myers and having fun tailgating and yelling at Clemson games. As for me, I just bobbed and rocked at anchor while working on my tan. The solar panels The Captain and Admiral installed on my roof back in St Thomas has kept the batteries topped off and the bilge pumps kept the water outside my hull where it water belongs.  The Captain shanghaiing’s a couple guys and they used Sea Tigger to maneuver me over to the basin where The Big Blue Crawler awaits. She immediately wraps her arms around me and carries me to a prime spot in the middle of the gravel yard – my new home for the next 5 to 6 weeks, or so they say. The Captain has his doubts but likes the optimism.

After meeting with the various vendors to go over all the items that are on the schedule The Captain heads back to the airport. The biggest and most important task is to rid me of the Volvo engine and replace it with a brand new 200 HP Yanmar along with an upgraded transmission.  Of course lots of things have to happen as part of that project including reworking the fiberglass engine beds as the Yanmar is slightly wider and longer. There are several other projects on the Master Plan including a new swim platform and new bottom paint.  The sails and Sea Tigger’s clothes are already at the canvas shop for some work. Other items include life raft certification, rigging inspection, cutlass bearing change, seacock service, Yamaha 15 hp tune up and generator oil change. Assurances were given by all the vendors, all the bits and pieces are available and on site, the work is on everybody’s calendar and word was given that I will be taken good care of.

It’s now early December and The Captain returns to check on progress and – surprise, surprise – little to nothing has been done. I whisper to him that there has only been one person that has come on board since he left spending maybe 30 minutes looking at the engine. He is less than happy.

An early morning chat takes place with the owner of Palm Tree Marine, the main contractor for the project, to get an explanation. He listens their explanations and gets the expected apologies and excuses. I assume he got their attention as workers showed up about an hour later and began disconnecting and disassembling the hoses and wiring on my engine. Captain spends the next few weeks doing a fair amount of the work himself and motivating the contractors.  Turns out that in order to remove the engine the galley sink needs to be completely ripped out along with the wall behind the companionway ladder in order to mount an A-Frame support and a chain fall positioned over the engine to lift it up and out. Work now begins on the mounting beds which need to be cut down “more than we thought”. Also, it now becomes apparent that a corner of a fuel tank will need to be cut and re-welded to accommodate the routing of the new raw water piping.

Work progresses reasonably well for a while but then The Captain is “reminded” that the yard (and in fact most of Grenada) is closing for 3 weeks for the holidays. Given this reality, The Captain decides he will fly back to the US and return when things can continue.

I spent a quiet and lonely Christmas and New Years. Happy to see The Captain return and get things restarted as there is still quite a lot of work remaining. The Captain continues pushing best he can as he deals with “island time” mentality, the delays of getting parts and items shipped that had to be cleared though customs because they were overlooked larger items such as larger exhaust piping, a new exhaust riser, oil lines and cutlass bearings.

The shaft seal coupling takes 3 days to remove although in reality they only spend a total of about 8 hours. Seems we are only getting 2 -3 hours of productive work in the course of a typical day.

The original 5 to 6 weeks is now approaching 12 and there still remains outstanding items. While most of The Captain’s days are spent working on projects and trying to keep the yard personnel focused and on tasks, he does take some time now and then to play. Occasionally he gets together with other cruisers and Yard Rats he’s met and they go to the beach, relax by the pool at Le Phare Bleu, or go watch a sailing regatta (had a great view from the top of a hill overlooking a Turning Mark). They explored the island and checked out some new beach bars. The current Moving Target Date is mid February.

On Valentines Day, The Captain receives some GREAT NEWS when his daughter, Ashley “I’m Never Having Kids” Keith and her husband Carter “I’m a Tiger Too” Keith, present him with a new Deck Swab to join the Crew. Townes Waylon boards the ship on the Middle Watch at 0049 on 14 February with his Cutlass at the ready. At 7 lbs and 6 ounces it sounds like he is going to make a fine 1^st Mate one day soon.  Mama and Swab #3 are doing good. Ashley promises Captain that she’ll have him ready for some plundering and pillaging soon.

After MORE THAN THREE LONG months over the dirt and gravel, mounted high and dry on (8) 1 ½ diameter sticks poking me in my belly and my keel grinding on a stack of boards, the new engine (aka “The Yamster”) replacement is complete and I beg The Captain to get me back in the water where every good ship belongs. They cranked The Yamster up while I’m still on “The Hard” to verify operation and make initial operational checks. Fluids get topped off, throttle and transmission operation verified, a clamp gets replaced on an exhaust hose that’s letting a smidgen of water leak out and cooling system is thoroughly checked. All appears OK and I get the second bit of good news this month, we splash in the morning.

We’re # 2 on the schedule right after they pull a cousin of mine out that was damaged in a Hurricane earlier in the year. She’s been left unintended floating in the water and her underside shows just what the Mother Ocean can do without some occasional love by her crew. The layer of Salt Life was better than most coral reefs I’ve seen. While I feel her pain, in my opinion, it’s way better than sitting in the yard.

Then, finally, at 0945 hours, The Big Blue Crawler arrives and its MY TURN. They strap me up, slowly carry me to the basin and gently set me in the water. The Captain roots around under the floor boards looking for leaks from any of the dozen or so hull penetrations I have. He finds a little water coming in around the forward speed transducer which requires a quick lift back up. As I  hang in the clutches of the Big Blue, he removes the insert, cleans the housing sleeve, lubes the O-ring seal and re-seats the transducer. They ease me back in and recheck, issue resolved. The Yamster fires up, lines are cast off and we back out. The Captain and mechanic take me out for a short spin around the Bay to check things out and put things under load. Bringing Yamster up to operating temp, they check for any fluid leaks, proper exhaust water flow, vibration levels, verify acceleration, shaft alignment, transmission operation, pumps and general noise.

Returning to the Boatyard, I get tethered to the dock for one more night so my sails can be hanked on and all other systems are checked out after sitting idle for so long.

Feeling great to be back in the water gently swinging on Anchor, The Captain has me ready for new adventures. We welcome Milda and Mindaugas (Cuda) Caplinskas from “S/V Vivienne” on board and depart south for an overnight sail to Chaguarmus, Trinidad to enjoy J’ouvert and Carnival.  M&M are the young couple from Lithuania we met in Grenada back in August while anchored in Woburn Bay when we first arrived. They have plans to embark on their own round the world adventure after they get “S/V Vivienne” retrofitted.

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

239-898-7646

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

Date:  22 August 2018

Location:  Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada  LAT 12° 00.396  LON 061° 43.996

Weather: Scattered Showers, Low 80’s, Winds E 20 Knots

1 August 2018, Wednesday – Charlestown, Nevis

My Crew makes a final check on deck and down below to secure any loose items before we slip the mooring.  At 0500 the lines are off and sails up. Winds at 18-20 knots out of the E as we work pass Montserrat headed to Guadalupe. Around 1730 we were approaching the island and the Captain started engine to help get me into shore. The engine apparently decided it was time to stage a mutiny. I can confirm that the Smoke Alarm works as black smoke made its way thru the air vent in the cockpit. The fire extinguisher came in handy and the Captain put it to good use. Seems the Turbo overheated melting the plastic air filter and burned the insulation on the exhaust hoses. The engine was shut down and we sailed slowly into the anchorage off the beach at Point Ferry on the NW side of Guadalupe. I heard a little fussing as they cleaned up the black soot. The crew finally got to bed around 2200 after a refreshing shower.

 

2 August 2018, Thursday – Guadalupe

My crew awoke at 0620 to bright sunlight. Pretty view of the island from our anchorage. The Admiral had slipped and fell a few days earlier and wasn’t feeling her best this morning so taking it easy was on the agenda for the day (I’m sure it had nothing to do with the previous evenings excitement). Captain spent his time researching and considering options for our next destination.

3 August 2018, Friday – Guadalupe

The Captain pulls my Mainsail out about 1/3 the way to help move me forward taking pressure off the windlass allowing the Admiral to get my anchor up.  He uses the Bow Thruster to keep me inline with the chain. Once the anchor is off the bottom, he brings the mainsail out the rest of the way and falls off to starboard to fill the sail. My Yankee is unfurled and uses the wind to work offshore.  A decent breeze and minimal wave action this morning had us running along at 5-6 knots heading south on the lee of the island. A break between the mountain peaks along the coastline allows the apparent wind speed to accelerate to 25 knots and PAWS responds by accelerating to a SOG of 9 knots. Time to loosen the main-sheet to power down the Mainsail as I heel over.  We sail along at 7 knots for a bit before the breeze is blocked by the mountain peaks and boat speed drops rapidly to painful 1.5 knots. Trimmed the sails again and managed to get back up to around 3.5 knots. The plan is to sail to the extreme southern end of Guadalupe and anchor off Pointe Du Vieux overlooking the old fort. It takes 4 tacks to working into a light E wind to get me into to shore where they can drop the hook. We have a great view of the light house at end of Island and were greeted by a nice rain shower to wash the salt away. The events of the past couple of days has my crew in a somewhat melancholy mood so the plan was just to chill here and catch some rest before heading to Dominica tomorrow. The Friday night dinner special is hot dogs with onions and chili – a fine meal!

4 August 2018, Saturday – Dominica

Although there are no threatening storms in the Atlantic moving this way, there remains a slight sense of urgency to continue moving south as the peak of Hurricane Season is rapidly coming upon us. So it’s up at daybreak, generator started to charge batteries and get me prepped to depart. The procedure with the Mainsail to help get the anchor up and able to get under sail was relatively easy. Luckily, we changed the mesh screens around the cockpit enclosure to the isinglass panels as we ran into several rain showers along the way. Our first 4 hours of the trip almost feels like sailing in IFR weather as a front passed thru. We were in the fog, clouds and light rain with minimal visibility. Arrived at N tip of Dominica around 1000. As we continued on, the fresh winds that had been blowing in the low 20’s between the islands suddenly drop to less than 3 knots. One thing for certain is my 40 tons of fiberglass did not move very well in less the 3 knots of wind. PAWS went to turtle speed mode, as we basically drifted along.  A pod of dolphins played around the boat for a brief period and The Captain spotted a whale spouting in the distance, but The Admiral only got to see the tail. Too far away for a photo opt. After several brief showers, a rainbow in the clouds brings the promise of some better weather. “Patience” was the watchword as we waited for the winds to keep us moving along. We tried to work off shore to get some more wind but with little water flow across the rudder or wind in my sails, we were at the whim of the current. Had wanted to stop in Dominica and go ashore but we had to live with the view from 4 miles out. PAWS was trapped in a mini doldrums and after 9 hours of drifting along ever so slowly, averaging about 2 ½ knots, we made it to end of island around dusk. Once we passed the end of the island and clear of the mountain peaks, the wind speed increased and back to sailing at 8 knots. Mainsail out, Yankee out and sailing we went. A passage in the rain, thunderstorm and darkness with little visibility is neither fun or recommended, but sometimes the options are limited.

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Crossed the distance between Dominica and Martinique in 3 hours, cruising at 9.6 knots at one point. Once again, we arrived on the lee side of the island, the winds fell to 3 knots and, once again, we drifted along. Since we were meeting new crew in Martinique we had to sail close to shore if we had any hope of making the anchorage. It was a big effort to sail down the island. Without wind there is no steering. No different than turning the steering wheel in your car while in neutral on a flat road and hoping you’ll actually move forward. After floundering around, we decided to launch Sea Tigger and attempt to create some forward movement. As the crew readies Sea Tigger to splash, the Anemone decided to favor us with a little wind. We can now sail along the coast for Anse Chaudiere. Captain guides me close to shore and gets the anchor down. Boat tidying complete, a snack and a nap ensued after the overnight sail. Truly different sailing weather then we have experienced over the last several months. Dinner on board and they turn in early.

6 August 2018, Monday, – Martinique

The peaceful sleep and much needed rest was appreciated. Boat cleaning completed and Sea Tigger launched. Secured to local city dock in front of the town church and readied for some adventure. The Admiral’s French is limited, but the local hotel gave us directions to the Internet Café to check in with customs and immigration. 3 Euro’s, a bit of paperwork and it was official.

Inquired about a rental car and local repairmen behind the café called a friend of a friend. Fortunately, he picked up my crew, drove to them to his house to pick up a car and then to his office to fill out some paperwork. A manual transmission is necessary in Martinique with all of the hills and curves. However, Captain has 2 big wide feet when it comes to the clutch and the brake! They stopped at JoJo’s for lunch, overlooking the water. I heard the Chicken, shrimp, rice and vegetables were delicious.

After lunch, they were off to find the island’s Volvo Dealer to see if there was something that could be done as a temporary repair on the engine. His office was on the North end of island and several back roads had to be navigated to get to the wharf.  Just able to catch Frank prior to him leaving for lunch. Questions asked and information exchanged but didn’t seem real promising. Next on their list was a trip to the airport to pick up our new crew Deck Swab Mike “I’m on a Diet – Honest” Ashcraft, their neighbor from Charleston who wanted to come down for a visit.

Google Maps was truly helpful and roads were marked D7, N5 and so on. However, round-a-bouts are very popular and dangerous to those that are not use to them. Followed signs and waited in the pickup area. Deck Swab recognized The Admiral in baggage claim area and the journey back to PAWS begins.

They found small grocery store during the return trip and indulged in the French flare. Fresh bread, salami and cheese to make a great dinner.  Groceries, a suitcase, The Admiral and (2) 300+ pound slugs put Sea Tigger close to max capacity. My new crew was welcomed with The Admiral’s drink special ‘Paws Punch’. Informed him that A/C consists of fans and that he would truly be “SAILING.” Captain avoided (he claims he “forgot”) mentioning the engine details before Deck Swab got on the plane! After an evening of discussing our sailing plans, the crew decided to take tomorrow to visit the Botanical Gardens.

6 August 2018, Monday – Martinique

After several stops, U-turns and round-a-bouts, my crew finally found a place for lunch. Restaurant was located on bottom floor of a house with outdoor seating and a cool breeze. Pictures were used for the selection process as their ability to read the French menu was shall we say “limited”. After pointing at the pictures of shrimp, beef with rice and vegetables, their mission to find the Botanical Gardens began. They endured several miles of hills and curves to finally find their destination. The Crew tells me the excursion was outstanding. The Gardens were very creative and well maintained. The pictures they took were only able show a portion of the beautiful scenery. Of course the Captain suggested they traverse the wooden slat walkway overlooking the grounds that is suspended by cables and straps wrapped around the trees. Sign says only 2 at a time to cross, Admiral says it was shaky and a little unnerving to cross. The Garden tour was a 5 Star outing.

They had intended to also tour a Rum Factory located a few hills and round-a-bouts away but a traffic jam slowed them to a crawl and they were unable to get there before closing time. Heading back to PAWS, they stopped off at rental shop to picked up owner and so he could take them back to the town dock – very convenient. Gathered their gear, loaded it on Sea Tigger and then took a stroll along the waterfront, watching the local kids jump off the dock and picnic on the beach. Enjoyed a late afternoon refresher at a local beach bar. The owner spoke English which was a plus. Back to PAWS for a light supper after a fun day of exploring.

7 August 2018, Tuesday – St Lucia

Up early for sail to St. Lucia. The light winds were enough to sail out of the cove without too much difficulty. Once around the point, we averaged 6-7 knots. It was a 5 hour sail to Rodney Bay and had to tack a couple times to get the right angle to get close to shore before we could  drop anchor. PAWS holding, light lunch and a NAP! Captain and Deck Swab snorkeled an area near the Fort. Admiral stayed with Sea Tigger to rescue them if needed. After swimming back to PAWS they were ready for a snack and shower. As the sun set, they took Sea Tigger into the dinghy dock for some evening action. A local tells them the Casino is a 5 minute walk but another Taxi driver says its much further and offers a ride. It’s a 10 minute ride to the other side of the harbour. My crew reports Treasure Bay Casino rates right up there with Motel 6 amenities. However, the Black Jack table was pretty exciting with Captain, Deck Swab and Dealer trading dollars back and forth. They ended up coming away a slight winner.

Enjoyed dinner at the Casino restaurant which was open air and overlooking the main shopping area in town. Dinner was ok, maybe 3 out of 5. After supper, Captain proceeded to donate his earlier winnings back to the Casino before heading back to PAWS.

8 August 2018, Wednesday – St Lucia

Crew had a light breakfast, packed a cooler with water, some light snacks and headed out. They drove to the middle of the island looking for a “off the beaten path” waterfall that the locals recommended. No name – just (vague) directions. After an hour or so winding up the mountain they found a few cars parked along side of the road and stopped to check it out. Spoke with a jogger going by that indicated the trailhead they were in search of was 3 km further up the mountain road. Loaded back up and onward they went. Found another group of cars parked and assumed they were at the correct spot this time. Seems that the trail was not marked but roped off with No Trespassing signs! I have to laugh. Since when does that stop my crew? Captain has the keen eye for finding the path of adventure and others followed along. The trail was not for the weak. They were joined by a group of about 15 others that were also in search of the Falls. The path goes up and down, through the trees and over the rocks. A few of the hikers spoke English which was helpful. Finally they reached a tunnel of darkness that was utilized to get to the Falls. There were large water pipes that were once used for providing water to the city run thru the tunnel. They had to walk on top of the pipes and balance themselves with their hands against the sides of the tunnel walls. Thanks to the flashlight App on the phone for providing some light along the way. Of course the headlamp they brought was left in the car. Reaching the end of the tunnel, they continued their trek. Followed the path along the stream and finally found their destination. Captain takes the plunge in the cool refreshing water. The hike was a little challenging but rewarding. Return trip went a little quicker and the tunnel crawl didn’t seem to be as difficult the second time around.

9 August 2018, Thursday – St Vincent

Up at 0500 for sail to St. Vincent. As The Admiral went forward to weigh anchor, she found anchor locker was jammed. Captain was able to remove screws in hinges and raise the hatch – problem solved. Note to crew, keep loose straps free of the hatch when closing.

Slow sailing to start out and then reached an exhilarating 9 knots before again slowing to less than 2 knots as we entered the lee of St Vincent (see any pattern here?) Sailing without auxiliary power can be a challenge. We reached the entrance to the anchorage but could not get that last little puff of wind to get us in. Just as the crew was getting Sea Tigger ready to launch and drag me into the anchorage, a local fishermen on his way home stops to offer his help and offer us “his” mooring ball. The Captain allowed him to pull us into Wallilabou Bay where my crew secured us to a mooring. The Captain’s thought was that he would purchase some fish from the guy and maybe give him a little extra for the kind deed.  The fisherman however, must of thought he was the local Tow Boat US and demanded $200 USD for the 500 foot tow and use of the mooring. The Captain had him settle for $50 and sent him on his way. Lesson learned.

After everything was secured, Rum punch was most needed by all Crew. Dinner on board, lights out early to the sound of insects chirping and dogs barking. Admiral decided that sleeping in the cockpit to listen for Pirates would make her feel better. Fortunately it was a cool evening with a light breeze and was reasonably comfortable….

10 August 2018, Friday – St Vincent

Awoke to sounds of local fishermen setting out. While The Admiral was enjoying her fresh perked coffee on deck, a boat boy paddled by and offered a fresh tuna. Captain negotiated a price and offered bag of flour and some metal brackets to seal the deal. Another boat boy brought us fresh bread that we had ordered the previous day.

For all of the movie fans out there, this Harbour was where Capt Jack Sparrow, in original Pirates of the Caribbean, steps off his sinking ship onto the dock as he enters what is supposed to be Port Royal. Click here to see the trailer.

The set for the Pirates of Caribbean movie and props still remain but have not been maintained. My crew wandered into the small museum that was set up and explored around the buildings. They rummaged thru the storage closets and took a few pictures. Snorkeled near the Rock Arch at the head of the bay (where the Pirates were swinging from their nooses in the movie), saw good coral formations, sea fans and several schools of fish – not a bad spot but no bones or treasure was be found. Did spot a Sea snake and a small Moray eel. Took Sea Tigger to other side of bay to explore a small cave. Needed a light for this exploration. After their little swim it was back to PAWS to set sail.

My Captain now better understands what sailing truly was like in the old days with no engine. I heard it said that it makes for better sailors. For sure it makes sailors more patient. The Captain uses Sea Tigger to pull PAWS out to open water. At least he doesn’t have to row us out like they did back in the day. Even after clearing the point there wasn’t any breeze this morning to fill the sails.

While we drift, The Admiral prepares lunch which was enjoyed in the cockpit as we scream along at about 1.5 knots. Captain takes advantage to filet the Tuna while we are in the calm waters. Floundering for 6 hours as sunset approached and unable to reach our intended port before dark, we decided to stay off-shore and wait for wind. Around 2000 hours, we get enough air to get us moving. We sail thru the night and decide to head to Union Island, 18 nautical miles, maybe 3 hours away if the breeze holds. As we approached the area under sail, The Admiral is concerned about clearing the point at the north end of Chatham Bay, in the dark and without a depth finder (forgot to mention some wiring also melted when the turbo overheated). With PAWS in the dark, without an engine, no depth info and limited on maneuvering, the approach is aborted and a heading was taken up for Grenada!

11 August 2018, Saturday – Grenada

We raised Grenada at daybreak. Winds again blocked by the mountains and yes, once again PAWS downshifts to turtle drive. At 1300 hours we finally can see the main anchorage near St. George and then the wind drops to “nothing”. I mean No. Wind. At. All. So once again Sea Tigger to the RESCUE! They attach her to starboard side of my hull with bow and stern lines. Captain is in Sea Tigger to provide forward propulsion, Deck Swab is at the helm steering and Admiral is checking the plotter and I-Pad for depth info and any underwater obstructions as we approach the anchorage. Of course soon after we get underway the winds start picking up. Taking advantage, the Captain makes the call to sail around the southern point of the island to head to our final destination – Clarkes Court Bay.  As we clear the Leeward side of island around the south point and turn up on the Windward side, the breeze comes alive. We suddenly find all that missing wind as it climbs into the mid 20’s hard out of the E. In order to get the right approach angle to sail into Clarkes Court, PAWS will have to tack several times to line up with the channel leading into the harbour. We were forced to sail several miles offshore to accomplish this. Sea Tigger is still tied to starboard side as the waves intensify and The Admiral suggests to Captain if he wants Sea Tigger to survive, the lines needed to be released. The Admiral puts on her harness and secures herself to the life lines as she climbs out on the deck to loosen lines so Sea Tigger can trail behind PAWS by her painter. With Sea Tigger now in tow, Captain can tack as needed and sail me into the bay.  As we make the final approach, the AIS shows a tugboat towing a barge that is on an intercept course. Captain hails the Tug on VHF and politely asks if he might be able to turn a few degrees to Port so we can cross in front of him and stay on our current tack. The Tug Captain obliges and we sail on. About a mile out from the harbor entrance, a blinding rain shower welcomes us. It doesn’t last long as the winds pushed shower off to the west pretty quickly. In we go between the waves breaking on the reefs protecting both side of the channel and get a view of “Sailboat Haven for Hurricane Season”. Grenada, located at 12 degrees N Latitude, is the Hurricane Parking Lot for boats from June to Oct mostly driven by the insurance carrier requirements.

But back to matters at hand. The Admiral strongly suggests putting anchor down ASAP – she is tired, wet and just a little grumpy. Anchor goes down with a lot of scope, snubber on and boat secured. After a 26 hour sail of light winds, no winds and then towing Sea Tigger in Force 5 winds, PAWS has reached her resting spot for the next several months. Time for PAWS Punch, snack and a much needed nap. Enjoyed their fresh fish, rice and salad for dinner and after a long sail, lights out at 1930!

12 August 2018, Sunday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Wake to sunlight and a calm anchorage. Fresh perked coffee the old fashion way as we view the surroundings. A delicious breakfast of pancakes and bacon, with Deck Swab assisting on the griddle. Genny is on, and water maker purring. R/O is doing her job converting salt water into fresh water at 30 gallons/hour!

After the nights rest, the Crew splashes off in Sea Tigger to explore the area and the boatyard where PAWS will be hauled out for her new engine. However, Sunday is a rest day for the yard folks and no one can be found expect a sleepy security guard. My Crew meets another sailing couple and they recommend the restaurant across the bay at Whisper Cove Marina. When lunchtime rolls around the crew boards Sea Tigger once again and across the bay they motor.  A nearby sailboat Captain points them toward the dinghy dock where they secure Sea Tigger and head up the plank.

Whisper Cove Marina was truly the place to be. Mary, co-owner, is the local “Go To Lady” when you need something or someone on the island. Marina offers a restaurant, laundry, butcher shop and Wi-Fi. Great meeting place for cruisers to relax, eat, drink, read and talk. Captain and Admiral enjoyed a coke and Deck Swab tries the local draft beer. Crew took advantage of the Sunday lunch buffet. It included soups, salads, meats, vegetables, breads and desserts. The Admiral had no problem taking a break from the galley.  Met some cruisers and was able to get the latest info on the happenings going on around the island.

When they started to clear the buffet tables around 1500, the suggestion was made to head over to the local hangout on Hog Island for the afternoon. Sea Tigger takes them across the harbor and under the bridge and one cove over they go (isn’t there a song that goes something like that?)  Sea Tigger is beached and painter secured to a log so she doesn’t go off exploring on her own if the tides rises. Once again, they lucked out meeting cruisers with local knowledge. Met several people from St. Thomas, US and London. Also, got the scoop on Carnival. Fun day swapping stories with our new friends about their travels to Grenada. Headed back to PAWS just after watching the Sunset.

13 August 2018, Monday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Admiral up early with the Sunrise. Only one rain shower during the night but cool with fans. Eggs, grits and bacon for breakfast. Trying to use up all of the groceries before leaving PAWS. Captain and Deck Swab set out to explore options for securing me while I wait to get hauled out later this Fall. They also visit Customs and Immigration to get all the paperwork complete. PAWS and Crew are legal now!

A light lunch onboard and napping between rain showers. Around 1530, they dinghy over to Le Phare Bleu to catch a ride into town for Carnival. A local taxi arrives to transport another group and they jumped in. Definitely a bit of luck because the hike to bus stop was 45 minutes and the rain showers started again!

Ride was cool and relaxing into town. They got dropped off near the festivities and were told just to follow the crowd. Streets were lined with locals and their food tents with pallets as the fences to mark their space. A flatbed truck with a DJ, amplifier, huge speaker blast of what could only be described as noise, louder than a jet during takeoff, fills the air. Locals were in costume attire, mainly bathing suits embellished with sequins, feathers, and sparkling glitter. They were running, dancing and grinding to the “music” as they made their way along the main street that circled the inner harbour of St George. The water in the harbour was covered with a film of body oil and paint left over from the early morning Slime and Body Painting Party know as Jouvue. My crew dodged the rain showers and found a local restaurant open and sat on the porch sipping on a coke while they people watched. Guess they missed some of the earlier festivities. Decision was made to return to Le Phare Bleu for dinner and a local police officer directs them to a stop for Bus #2 for return trip to marina. After several minutes, the bus rolls up but appears full – or so we thought. Driver says there’s always room for more. In case you didn’t know, Captain and Deck Swab qualify for 2 people each! A 13 passenger van now has 22 passengers stuffed in. How the van climbed the hills, passed on a curve and got them back to drop off point in one piece was nothing short of a miracle. The walk back to the marina starting at the top of the hill took 45 minutes. By the time they reached the restaurant, all they could think about was the need for lots of cold water. Nice that the restaurant faces the bay allowing a breeze. A flashlight was needed to read the menu or maybe they are just getting old and blind. Dinner was ordered and bread, butter and water held them over until the meal arrived. Pork chops, rice, chicken and vegetables was delicious. Captain indulged in homemade macaroni and cheese. Topped everything off with brownie and ice cream for dessert. A rain shower passed before Sea Tigger took them back to PAWS in the dark. Good thing Captain can maneuver in the dark, only bumped once on the way back.

14 August 2018, Tuesday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Woke to beautiful sunshine and moderate wind. R/O is full throttle making water. Funny how 3 people can go through water so quickly. Light clothes in the washer under counter in galley with sheets and towels loaded into Sea Tigger to wash at marina. As the Admiral and Deck Swab head off to the marina, her engine decides its tired and stops. After several attempts to restart, The Admiral grabs the oars and starts rowing to nearby boat to tie off to assess the issue. After securing the lines they hailed The Captain. He provides a few ideas and after 15 minutes of trying a few things the temp solution seems to be to leave the choke half way out and open the throttle at ½ speed, engine sputtered but finally starts. Back to PAWS for Captain to check her out. Seems the gas hose fitting was not fully secured to the engine fitting. The Captain takes Sea Tigger on a quick spin to make sure all is OK and then turns her back over to the Admiral to take to shore. Island time means patience, only 2 hours to wash 2 loads of clothes, low water pressure or something. Back to PAWS for drying the old fashion way, sunshine. Lunch of hot dogs, beans, coleslaw . Evening spent playing cards and talking.

15 August 2018, Wednesday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Up at 0700 to listen to the Cruiser’s Net on the VHF. Useful info (weather forecast, travel issues, parts and service providers) as well as the days social activities and events. They were treated to delicious pastries when the local bread boat stops by, made fresh daily. A quick run is made to the yard to secure a haul out date. Decision made to leave PAWS on anchor while waiting.

My crew explored the local farmers market set up at Adrift restaurant in the boatyard and the Captain visits the local ship chandlery for a float switch. One of those necessary items to keep excess water in bilge pumped out.

Invited to Le Phare Bleu Marina by our friends on S/V “Sail Pending” and S/V “We are Nuts”. Sea Tigger launched to their marina, easier trip in the daylight. They enjoyed a fun day of playing dice games and swimming in the resort pool. Their evening was finished at Whisper Cove Marina for “Pizza Night”. Mary was a wonderful Hostess and had been most helpful. The sunset was blocked by mountains, but sky colors were beautiful. They reported that the pizza was delicious.

16 August 2018, Thursday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Admiral woke up at 0430 and comes the companionway to enjoy the quiet and calmness of harbor while relaxing in the cockpit. Roosters crowing in the background was the only noise heard, except for the snoring below! Our friends, Steve and Greg from S/V “We are Nuts” arrived around 0630 to assist in taking down my sails for repair and storage. The boatyard requires all sailing vessels to remove their headsails while tied down on the hard to reduce the boats windage. Extra hands and no wind this morning make the task easy. However, folding up the sails on deck proved to be a little challenging. Yankee and Staysail are secured in their bags for easier transport to Sail maker for repair. They use the halyard to lift the sail bag down to Sea Tigger that waits patiently along side my hull. With the first job of the day done, The Admiral prepares breakfast with eggs, sausage, onions and grits for crew and our friends. Michael with Sunshine Canvas meets my crew and helps offload sails. Sea Tigger’s chaps are also sent out for repair and re-stitching. Her inflatable pontoons are holding up well under the chaps protected from the UV rays of the Caribbean sun. Now Sea Tigger doesn’t stand out with her orange and purple covers off.

The afternoon finds the crew back at Hog Island with the other cruisers for a fund raiser to help a local swimmer attend a competition off island. Conch Chowder was served and was delicious. Admiral brought some PAWS Punch to share with friends.

17 August 2018, Friday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

More fresh baked cinnamon rolls from the bread boat this morning as a snorkeling trip is arranged with a local dive shop and they are off again. Sea Tigger went over to Whisper Cove Marina where they were greeted by Mary with directions to the bus stop, only a short 10 minute walk with snorkeling gear in hand. Up a hill, down a hill, curve left and up one more hill is the bus stop. Took #2 Bus into town with only 13 on board. At the terminal, they catch #1 Bus to Grand Anse with only 20 passengers stuffed in!  Got dropped near the destination and fellow passenger headed to the IGA Grocery store offers to walk with us and pinpoint the Dive shop location, another short walk but on level ground this time. Greeted by staff, paper work complete, fees paid and ready to depart.

The Dive boat was well maintained and spacious. The crew offers water and fruit during the trip out. The Pontoon style hull and large outboard engines cut thru the water with ease. Their first reef to explore was just north of St. George Harbour. On the boat were several divers working on their SCUBA certification. Lots of fish and coral visible on the reef.  The second area they visited was an Underwater Marine Park where an artist had created concrete statues that were placed on the bottom for viewing. Unique but at the same time a little weird in the Captain’s way of thinking. Formations included concrete people in circles, a mermaid, nutmeg shaped statue, gentlemen sitting in a chair at a desk with typewriter and a young girl sitting on a park bench taking a selfie with a cell phone. Also, there was a statue to honor the lives lost on the Cruise Ship Bianca C that sank off the coast of Grenada in 1961 . Did not visit the dive site of the sunken cruise ship, approximately 165 feet deep per dive master.

Back at the beach, they enjoyed lunch at Umbrella’s while sitting outside in their wet attire. Provisioned at local IGA and opted for taxi ride back to Whisper Cove with 6 bags of groceries and snorkel gear. Taxi ride with plenty of room was a luxury. Back to PAWS to make water and charge batteries, more rain than solar power in the afternoon.

Spent the evening on “Big Red”, a large trawler “permanently” moored  at Le Phare Bleu listening to live jazz music. A young sailing couple from Lithuania, Milda and Mindaugas, joined them for the evening. Managed not to bump into anything on the dinghy ride back in the dark while using a spot light for traveling. Our new friends joined us for a late night snack and we learned a little about them and their country. They stayed up until almost 0100 talking.

18 August 2018, Saturday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Crew slept in due to rain showers this morning. Enjoyed chopped steak with onions and potatoes for brunch. Replaced float switch in mast bilge area and completed a few other boat chores. Admiral cleaned out freezer and found hamburger meat for spaghetti. On deck, a local dinghy driver was drifting by. Apparently he ran out of gas so my crew was able to come to the rescue.

The large pot of spaghetti was too big for 3 so Sea Tigger was dispatched to find our new friends, M&M. After 30 minutes, the 4 of them return and they enjoyed another evening savoring salad, spaghetti and bread. Found the last of the chocolate bars for dessert. As our visitors departed, rain showers started again. The Admiral donated her $1 rain ponchos for their ride back to boat yard. Genny  was running smoothly to charge batteries and make hot water. A nice warm shower and off to bed.

19 August 2018, Sunday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Sunshine this morning with a nice breeze. Coffee on for Admiral’s morning routine. Less humid this morning. Chicken roasting in the crock pot. Off to Le Phare Bleu to cool off in swimming pool and visit with friends on S/V “We are Nuts”. My crew reports its nice to have friends in a marina with access to swimming pool, I prefer the salty sea but to each their own. After their cooling off, back to PAWS for a quick lunch and packed cooler for another one of Hog Island’s Sunday fundays. Island is less than a mile away and Sea Tigger, without her chaps, blends in with gaggle of dinghy’s already on the beach. They spent the afternoon mingling with cruisers and locals. M&M joined us for supper later in the evening on board. Admiral was trying to clean out cupboards and freezer before the departure back to US.

20 August 2018, Monday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Up early for their scheduled tour of the Island. Dinghy ride to Whisper Cove Marina and Sea Tigger secured. Unfortunately their tour cancelled due to rain so “no problem” as they enjoyed breakfast at the marina and asked Mary how to get some gas for Sea Tigger since they gave our reserves away to the drifting dinghy. Mary responds with the words The Captain loves to hear, “ I can take care of it for you.” So its back to PAWS they go for their “close the boat up to do list” prior to their scheduled flight out on 22 August. Boat cleaning was in full swing and small maintenance items performed. Raining off and on most of the day. After a productive afternoon, crew feasted on pork roast, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese and sliced tomatoes.

21 August 2018, Tuesday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

Before they depart this morning for the re-scheduled tour, Deck Swab “I’m on A Diet – Honest” Mike, treats all to more homemade cinnamon rolls from the bread boat, if only I could consume that delicious treat. One could over indulge in these pastries and easily add a few pounds. I suspect they will surely miss that treat back in the States.

Met Cutty, a taxi driver and Tour Director, at marina. Joined with 2 other couples from the UK. Cutty was knowledgeable regarding the local fruits and spices grown and wasn’t afraid to share it. The locals will not go hungry due to availability of fruit trees everywhere on the island. Stopped off at some falls where Captain and Deck Swab indulged in the cool water. Cutty pointed out a building the US bombed back in 1983 as part of Operation Urgent Fury. Seems the structure they hit was 100 feet off from the intended government target. President Reagan had the Mental Hospital rebuilt after the conflict was over. The Tour Guide would randomly stop along the way as he pointed out various spice and fruit trees. He would pull over, hop out, grab a piece of fruit, some leaves or a seed pod and encourage them to smell and taste. Their tour included a visit to a National Park for a chance to stretch their legs with a little walk. They came by a spot along a trail where another group of tourists were looking up in a tree. Posey, the monkey, made her way down once a human chain was formed and food brought out to entice her. Captain was chosen to be first link in the chain since he was the tallest and was positioned closest to the tree. While The Admiral kept her distance, Posey climbed from person to person, eating along the way. Everyone enjoyed taking pictures while she ate bananas and star fruit. Captain was glad she did not poop on him or dig her claws in. Next, they visited a lake nearby filled with hundreds coy fish. The Chinese built Gazebo’s and a “Meditation Park” along the lake shore as a gift to Grenada. The next stop around 1300 was the Chocolate Factory. They report it was not quite as fancy as Willey Wonka’s but impressive in it’s simplicity. Enjoyed tasting several samples with varying percentages of pure chocolate from local cocoa beans. Captain indulged in several samples. Sometimes you just have dessert before lunch! Next on their list was the River Run Distillery. Cutty had arranged a buffet lunch at the distillery which offered a variety of dishes:  Rice, pasta, chicken, fish, vegetables, salads and several different fruits. A short walk to the distillery was needed after a great meal.  The Distillery continues to make Rum using the original methods and equipment. Very labor intensive with limited automation. A waterwheel is used for grinding the sugar cane, the liquid flows in concrete troughs to large iron pots for heating over an open fire fueled by wood that is shoveled in by hand. At the end of tour, the different recipes were sampled and judged for flavor. The Captain purchased a few bottles of his personal favorite claiming he wanted to support the local economy! They moved on to a Nutmeg processing plant and warehouse where farmers sell their harvest to market (I was going to say “where they deliver their nuts to market” but somehow that didn’t sound quite right).  Anyway, first there is a grading process to remove the nuts with holes, all performed by hand (this has become R Rated). The Nuts are then put on drying racks for several weeks. The quality is tested by putting the good nuts back in water. If the nut sinks, they are considered higher quality and set aside for export. If it floats they are considered lower quality nuts and are used in spices produced in Grenada. The pass rate is around 70%.  The tour ended back at the marina. It started at 0845 and ended at 1700, it was a long but very  interesting day.

Refreshments in the cockpit around 1730, when the crew felt a vibration through my hull. It seemed to be traveling up the anchor chain most of which was laying in the mud on the bottom. The event lasted about 20 seconds. After it stopped, The Captain inspected the anchor line and snubber and all seemed fine. He chalked it up to the current and the wind. An hour or so later, our friends from Lithuania stopped by to say farewell and informed us about the shaking. Turns out it was from an Earthquake (7.2 Rector Scale) that occurred in Venezuela approximately 178 miles away. Our friends from Le Phare Bleu later told us they were at the Brewery in Prickly Bay and the quake caused the light fixtures and glasses to shake and everyone ran outside with a beer in their hand! At least they didn’t loose the beer. The power of nature on display.

22 August 2018, Wednesday – Clarkes Court Bay, Grenada

With the final items close to complete, PAWS is ready for crews departure. Dry goods susceptible to bugs are donated and refrigerated items are given away to our friends from St. Thomas. Probably 2 large bags full. Luggage packed and Deck Swab is sent to marina with our friend Steve while Greg helped Captain and The Admiral hoist Sea Tigger on board and get her covered up for her long rest. Hatches closed and secured, 2 anchors down and PAWS awaits haul out in October. Friends will monitor me while they are away.

Good byes are said and Taxi awaits to get them to airport. They made it through security and grabbed a quick bite before the long flight to Miami. The big guys managed an exit row seat. Customs in Miami went smoothly, but had to wait for bag approximately 30 minutes. After rechecking bag, did not leave airport, but had to go through screening process again. Finally made it to their next gate area and enjoyed a Cuban sandwich before departure. The smaller plane back to Charleston was not crowded and they all spread out to take up two seats. Landed in Charleston and Karrie Lynn was there to chauffeur them home.

Admiral was happy as the house was clean, AC on and a nice hot shower was waiting before turning in from the long day.  I anxiously wait for my Crews return although not real thrilled about having to live “on the hard” during the engine change. Necessary evil I suppose. Captain will be off to Ft. Myers to work for a while and The Admiral will continue her Nursing career in Charleston.

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

239-898-7646

http://www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

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Date:  31 July 2018

Location:  Margot Bay, St Martin  LAT 18° 04.167  LON 063° 06.143

Weather: Scattered Showers, Mid 80’s, Winds ESE 20 to 30 Knots

9 July 2018, Monday – St Thomas, USVI

We return to Crown Bay Marina where sadly, our Vice Admiral Cathy and Skipper Extraordinaire Joe, jump ship and return to their landlubber life. A wonderful time and great adventures had by all. Next up is Saint Martin but prior to departure my Crew turns their attention to chores that need to be finished up. The Captain embarks on yet another HD (Home Dept) run as The Admiral tackles laundry and some cleaning. Solar panel installation continues but rain showers and high winds kept them off my hard top.

10 July 2018, Tuesday – St Thomas, USVI

The Captain decides to thru bolt panels to my hard top – another trip to Ace for bolts and screws needed. They stopped at the grocery store for a few items since we had a rental car.  Installed the first 2 solar panels on the port side while they had me secured to the dock. Worked until dark then off to bed.

11 July 2018, Wednesday – St Thomas, USVI

All solar panel project gets put off as The Captain and Admiral celebrated their 35^th Wedding anniversary (2 days past) by taking a break from their chores.

12 July 2018, Thursday  – St Thomas, USVI

Back at it running the feeders from panels to controls. Opted to stay at the dock and work in the AC. Made this job tolerable for my crew. They enjoyed Cuban sandwiches from the local Tickles Marina eatery.

13 July 2018, Friday – St Thomas, USVI

With completion of the Panel install in site, the crew washed clothes and made a quick run to grocery store for a few last items. Few last minute tasks mounting the disconnects and connecting the system to my house battery bank.

14 July 2018, Saturday – St Thomas, USVI

With the installation complete, my Crew enjoyed one last meal at Tickles and bid farewell to Jamie, the Marina Dock Master at Crown Point Marina. Luckily for PAWS, a large cargo shipped docked to windward which offered a wind break that made my escape a lot easier. Short trip to Christmas Cove for the evening where we anchored after finding all mooring balls in use. Often, working on one thing can create issues with other things. The Crew discovered the meter on the Wind Generator was not working. The Captain puts troubleshooting skills to work and finds his clumsy hands and fat fingers knocked the wires from the terminal blocks while routing control wires for the solar panels to the Battery Bank. Fortunately, the repairs were reasonably simple and once again the gauges were gauging.

15 July 2018, Sunday – Christmas Cove, BVI

Awakened at 0200 to anchor alarm squawking. PAWS was swinging but not dragging. Back to sleep. The next day found the added solar panels are keeping batteries juiced up to 13.5 Volts! Mission accomplished. Decided to celebrate and once again enjoy the Treasures from the Pizza Pi Boat located in the Bay. Ordered the medium pizza with extra meat. A little pricey at $39, but hey – you’re in the islands. After pizza, tried to get the anchor up, but Windless switch decides it doesn’t want to cooperate. The Admiral skillfully works the Helm while Captain used his magic touch to get anchor up. Steered PAWS between the rocks without hitting one. Then the wind fills in (at 20 knots) and provides a great sail to Jost Van Dyke. Soggy Dollar bar awaits in White Sound. Arrival finds the bay full of Charter Cats and Power boats so they work around Dog Hole Point into Great Harbour to pick up a mooring ball and dinghy back over. Soggy Dollar Bar was destroyed by Hurricane Irma but the owner and employees quickly rebuilt and back in business. Legend says the famous “Pain Killer” originated here in the 70’s. My crew found a chair near the beach and enjoyed people watching. Met John and Caroline from Tallahassee, FL, who were chartering a mono-hull boat for the week. After the sun set, loaded everyone into Sea Tigger for a short ride back to PAWS. John and Caroline joined my crew for some light snacks on PAWS. Lucky for us, they needed to offload their extra provisions they did not use. Fruit, juices and other supplies were greatly appreciated. Said good night to our friends and lights out.

16 July 2018, Monday – Jost Van Dyke, BVI

Got a little bath during the night while crew discussed options for the next anchorage. A quick run by The Captain and Sea Tigger to the Customs dock to give blood and then it was off to Cane Garden Bay where The Admiral showed off her skills and snagged the mooring ball on the first try! She said she missed her former crew helping on the hook but handled things like a pro. Scattered rain during the day so the crew relaxed and enjoyed swinging on the mooring ball.

17 July 2018, Tuesday – Cane Garden Bay

Replaced a failed Windless switch and weighed anchor to sail over to Lee Bay for the evening. Took two attempts to get her to set in the loose gravel over hard pan bottom. My anchor likes sand and not rocks. Washing done and The Captain takes a swim to rub some of the algae and slime build up off my belly – feels so good. After a full day of boat work, they enjoyed dinner with cabbage, rice and pork chops. Few showers throughout the night had my crew giving the hinges on my hatches a good workout. Lucky there was a good breeze in the cockpit!

18 July 2019, Wednesday – Marina Cay, BVI

Motored over to Marina Cay and grabbed a ball. The hurricane took care of the local restaurant and most of the other buildings on the island but rebuilding was in full swing. Back in 2010, when we visited the area on a charted boat, we saw the beginnings of a new resort. Scrub Island Resort and Marina is now up and going and quite the site. Caters to the “Big Boys”, not a cruiser hangout for sure!

Enjoyed lunch at Marina Cay under the tent, serving as the temp restaurant while the reconstruction is in progress. The small library was not totally destroyed and the walls of the store are still standing on top of hill. Met several couples who attended Clemson that were cruising with BVI Charters. Late afternoon found us in Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda. A lot of coral head about so again it took some time to find sandy spot. Finished the day with Pain Killers on ice. The only downer to a great day was the slight change of pitch in the engine that would need to be investigated.

19 July 2019, Thursday – Virgin Gorda

Departing the next day The Captain found my engine wouldn’t develop more than 2000 RPM as we slowly motor sail to Spanish Town. He took a look but nothing real apparent but obviously there was a problem. Contacted the local Volvo Dealer in Tortola and made arrangements to have one of their technicians working in Spanish Town come by and troubleshoot. Sea Tigger picked up Willard from shore and ferried him aboard PAWS. After some investigation, they found a piece of plastic from air filter broke off and sucked into the turbo. In addition, The Captain saw that custom exhaust riser we had installed in West Palm Beach had a crack in a weld joint. The process began to find a marina for repairs. That task proved difficult with an 8.5 ft draft and damaged docks. Spanish Town Marina was an option but they wanted $50 per hour to tie up plus 18% of the outside contractors bill. Not our first choice. Called several places, but no dock space available. Decided to motor sail slowly across Sir Francis Drake Channel to Tortola near the Mooring’s Base and near Volvo dealer. We squeezed in the Harbor just off Village Cay Marina. Unable to tie up dock side as Dream Yacht Charters has their base there taking up one of the intact docks and the other reserved for incoming private boats. Seems “Christmas in July” was underway which is a huge event where dozens of boats from nearby Puerto Rico head over to the BVI’s for a long weekend ofpartying.  After the last hurricane, Puerto Ricans loaded up and brought over supplies to help out their neighbors. We were able to set anchor, missing several sunken sailboats still underwater. Dinner on shore with Ribs and chicken.

20 July 2018, Friday – Village Cay Marina, Tortola, BVI

Willard returns to continue the investigation. Removed riser and discussed options. Decision was made to fix cracked riser and order new Turbo. Riser was sent off to machine shop for repair. Discussed hauling boat out for Hurricane season in the BVI’s but limited options and very $$$. Spent afternoon watching a barge mounted crane pull up a couple of sunken boats in the harbor. Nachos on board, ran generator to charge batteries. Need to check alternator on generator, draining start batteries.

21 July 2019, Saturday – Tortola

After seeing dozens of destroyed boats piled up along the shore and after multiple  continuing engine issues, Captain makes the decision to replace engine and get south. Turbo order canceled and PAWS sets sail to St. Marten. Captain wants PAWS out of the Hurricane belt and down to Grenada while our sailing window exists. We head out under sail with minimal use of engine. Sail started out smooth with a few scattered showers but no major storms. Captain took a short nap but had to be awaken when winds increased above 20 knots and boat speed above 8 knots in the dark! Admiral decides it’s a little fast at night with limited visibility. A reef in the mainsail and furl in the Yankee to reduce speed and stabilize the ride.

22 July 2018, Sunday – At Sea

We decided to tack into Marigot Bay. The stronger than expected East winds were not helping and maneuvers took some time. After a 29 hour sail, we anchored right off “Fort de Marigot” that overlooks and protects the large open bay. A beautiful sunset marked the end of a long day and off to bed at 1930. Awakened around midnight to rain, hatches closed and fans running.

23 July 2018, Monday – St Martin

Sea Tigger to marina to check into customs. Returned to PAWS, rain clouds approaching. Captain resting with kink in his neck. After nap, observed wind speed indicator not indicating. Another boat project at the top of my 82 foot mast. Admiral Joyce is not climbing up for this one. Dinner on boat and Captain Brian attempts to repair the oil line feeding the turbo on engine to decrease oil leaking into bilge and spraying out the exhaust. Making water and washing clothes. The joy of R/O, reverse osmosis, water taste refreshing. Off to bed and once again rain around 0100 means hatches closed and fans working.

24 July 2018, Tuesday – St Martin

PAWS really got a good fresh water shower overnight but day starts off with bright sun. Captain fetches the mechanic to look at the logistics of an engine replacement. Captain spent the day with local vendors and Admiral Joyce did a few boat chores. At least relaxing in the sun while clothes are washing is not too bad. Lunch prepared and waiting on Sea Tigger to return. Batteries at 13 plus volts with additional solar panels. At least something is working!

25 July 2018, Wednesday, – St Martin

My Crew ventures off on Sea Tigger to shore. They were able to dock near town square. Found ATM machine for some much needed cash. Translating French into English for a ATM withdrawal was a little challenging. Enjoyed a lunch at place on the water front and indulged in a tasty salad and chicken burger. Then it was off to find the Digicel cell phone store. Google Maps decided my crew needed some exercise and the App took them the long way there. SIM card purchased,  50 GB/month. Our friends at T-Mobile made this necessary because they canceled one of our numbers. The fine print in the “unlimited international plan” contract apparently allows this if 50% data used outside of US. Oh well, learning the cruising lifestyle. On a mission to find a adapter for 220v to 110v which is needed on French side of the island. Unable to find anything so they catch a bus to Dutch side. Bus ride for $2/person to Ace Hardware gets us an adapter. A walk to Island Water World Chandlery in search of a replacement Masthead anemometer is next. It was not to be so it was off to Budget Marine. The water cooler at Budget Marine was great sight. However, still no success in finding the part. They walked to street corner and caught one bus to a round-about and another back to Marigot Bay. After a full day of running around, Sea Tigger gets them back to PAWS. I think they looked a good 5 pounds lighter after their adventures today. They enjoyed the AC for a couple of hours while Captain ran the generator as the rain forced them to close the hatches.

The Admiral was able to touch base on Facebook with a former nurse co-worker coming in on Royal Caribbean “Oasis” on Thursday and plans were made to meet up.

26 July 2018, St Martin

Up early, coffee for Admiral Joyce – eggs, bacon and English muffin for The Captain. Launched Sea Tigger to take them ashore and caught bus to Philipsburg on the Dutch side where the cruise docks are located. Hard to beat a $2 bus ride across the island. Admiral Joyce struck up a conversation with a local on the bus who ended up walking them to the road leading to the cruise ship docks. Her friend, Peggy Dean Miller and husband Jeff meet my crew at the gate.  The Security Officer found us a cab to Maho Beach in Simpson Bay. The trip over the mountain was quite picturesque but Hurricane Irma certainly left a lasting impression on the island. Dozens of sunken boats scattered around the lagoon, several flipped airplanes on the airstrip and hotels with only the shell structure remaining. However, the island is open and tourists are flocking back.

My crews destination for the day was The Sunset Bar and Grill, best known for its close proximity to Princess Juliana International airport making it a popular hangout for plane spotters and tourist watchers. They enjoyed the afternoon with live bands, dancing, several rounds of Pain Killers, Grilled Fish sandwiches and seasoned fries while watching Darwin Award candidates risking their lives down on the beach. The idiots hang on to a chain link fence 30 meters off the departure end of the runway. The goal being to see if they can get blown off their feet and into the water as the planes depart. Truth be told, I’ve never considered humans to be exceptionally bright.

After a fun filled day, they loaded up in a Taxi, said their good byes and were off to the hardware store on a mission to find a specific bolt which apparently is only made by some secret tribe in southern Mongolia, only in the winter and only on Thursday mornings. The search will continue. Oh well, 15 minute walk to bus stop. 30 minute ride back to Marigot Bay and then another short walk to dinghy. Getting their steps in for the day, back to PAWS for a rest!

27 July 2018, Friday – St Martin

Dinghy to shore to find Wi-fi so the Captain can complete his Continuing Ed for his Electrical license. Admiral Joyce finds local eatery and orders ham and cheese omelet with homemade bread. While The Captain starts his online class, Joyce leaves to hunt down the customs office for check out. Evidence of the Hurricane destruction is everywhere, part of wall to the cemetery down and hotels still missing windows but there are positive signs of rebuilding. Found she was able to complete the check out without the Captain so she returns to the marina for paper work, checks on Captain and returns to Island World to complete process. Check out is done online. Even though keyboard set up in French letter placement, all forms are completed, the $2 fee paid and then it’s off to explore. Many of the shops have not reopened so it’s mostly window shopping while she makes her way back to marina to make sure the Captain hadn’t fallen asleep.

A local recommends Yacht Harbor for lunch overlooking the water. While waiting on lunch, they were entertained by local Iguanas looking for a few lettuce leaves. Salad with chicken for Joyce and Captain indulges in steak, he was happy. He continues with online class at the restaurant and Joyce takes off on a mission. About a mile later, she reaches the grocery store and the fun begins. Translating French into English was a little challenging but she finds a fellow shopper willing to help her. Bread, sliced meat, cheese and salty snacks purchased, bagged and ready for hike back to marina. At the restaurant Captain completes his online course and back to PAWS they come to get me ready for the crossing to St Kitts.

28 July 2018, Saturday- St Martin

After a rolling night on the anchor, on and off showers, we awoke to a beautiful rainbow after shower. Note to self, close hatch in salon, puddles of water and bare feet do not go together. Luckily the rug caught Admiral Joyce’s fall.

Anchor up, engine less than 1500 RPM and PAWS sets sail to Oranjestad Bay, Saint Eustatius, a dormant island volcano. My engine allowed us to get around rocks, the sails went up and engine off. We stayed on port tack, averaging 6-7 knots with winds 18-20 knots. A few waves over the bow washed in the helm station. Passed by Saba Island, which has shortest commercial runway in the world. Saint Eustatius has an Oil jetty extending out in water. Finally on Leeward side of islands. Set anchor in Oranje Bay, near the Harbor Club with music greater than 10 decibels. Captain resting, continues with neck discomfort.

29 July 2018, Sunday- Oranje Bay

After spending a rolling night in anchorage and Admiral not happy after little rest, Captain decides to sail on to Nevis. Started out with 18-20 knot winds going 6-7 knots. Passed by St. Kitts but heard they prefer cruise ships over Cruisers. Nevis is one island below St. Kitts, but the wind angle and no horse power on the engine made the sail a little more challenging. Finally made it to Penni’s Beach and secured a mooring after several attempts. Lines secured, dinghy in the water, hatches open and time to relax. We were greeted by jet ski boats zooming by as well as locals racing by us after a Poker Run.

We have learned if you ignore and don’t get your dander up, they go away. Beach bar playing loud music at 20+ decibels. Saw the local party Sunset barge go out. Also, saw cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas,  passing to St. Lucia. Her speed of 17 knots is a little faster than our 5-7 knots but they’re not as efficient. Raining off and on, hatches closed and fans on. Less roll in this anchorage.

30 July 2018, Monday-Penni’s Beach

Awoke after a great night’s sleep, less rolling. Boat chores complete, dinghy launched. Visited our neighbors on S/V “Space Between” and got some local info. Sea Tigger to Charles Town, Nevis to check in. Securing dinghy to damaged dock and swell from ferry boat was a little challenging. Followed signs to customs office on second floor, located in an Air conditioned room. 5 steps down, immigration, checked in and passport stamped. 3rd door down, port authority and mooring fee paid. $44 and we are legal for 3 days. Our officer explained what was happening in the city over the next few days.

Visited tourist office for local map and information. They walked through town to find a local lunch spot. Found a local eatery, enjoyed salad, rice/peas beef and chicken, 2 drinks, $20. Bartender walked my crew to local bus top and recommended Dr. Drake to drive us to Golden Rock, one of the places recommended to visit. It was the local bus with seating for 12. Their bus was filled with locals shopping and getting to work. On their journey they passed a local IGA with goats on one side of the traffic circle and donkeys in the cemetery on the other side. Finally made it to Golden Rock, old sugar mill converted into an Inn and Restaurant. Golden Inn site located several hundred feet up in the mountains. No A/C needed in the cottages. There is a 2 suite villa located in the old mill part. The bar area has the original stone form the 17^th century. Fishponds, numerous plants surround the area. This might have to be a revisit one day. Our bus driver picked my crew up promptly at 1630. One of the locals told them that donkeys are numerous on the island and some are used for research at the Vet school, Ross University.

Returned to Sea Tigger and explored  the coast along the beach. Unable to  launch dinghy on the beach due to incline. Continued up to Yachtsman Harbor Club for dinner. Enjoyed dinner with our friends from S/V Space Between, named for time between birth until the end. Dinghy ride back in the dark, but Captain able to avoid mooring balls with aid of head lamp.

Generator fired up to power batteries and AC on to cool off the cabin. However, when generator off, hatches open and fans on. Our nightly rain shower begins, hatches closed and fans on. A little roll during the night on the mooring ball.

31 July 2018, Tuesday – Charlestown, Nevis

Took Sea Tigger into Charlestown for lunch and Wi-Fi at The Caribbean catching up on emails and paid a few bills. Enjoyed the sunshine in the afternoon to wander around the town. The Captain scoped out an ice cream shop before heading back to PAWS. Yamaha engine secured to the stern rail and dinghy hoisted up to the fore deck with Spinnaker Halyard. Everything prepped for our early departure south. Rain showers off and on, hatches closed and fans on. DC fans are the greatest to keep my crew cool!

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

239-898-7646

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

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My crew enjoying a beautiful evening in Carriacou at “Off the Hook” restaurant. Spent the day giving me some TLC, replacing a prop on ‘Sea Tigger’, cleaning fans and taking it easy. Preparing for our 6 hour sail tomorrow to Grenada!

Date:  10 July 2018

Location:  Moored at Crown Bay Marina, St Thomas, USVI   LAT 18° 20.038  LON 064° 57.094

Weather: Scattered Rain, Mid 80’s, Winds SE 20 – 25 Knots

As we explored the BVI’s we were joined by of our friends Vice Admiral Cathy and Skipper Extraordinaire Joe Browder. Paws is Honored to have Guest Blogger Vice Admiral Cathy share our Adventures:

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Friday, June 22 – 0700

Our son Calvin drove us to the airport for the Flight to St Thomas via Puerto Rico. Upon arrival, I suddenly have Deja-Vu and realized that I was here in utero 59 years ago!! Back where it all began. Our bag with boat supplies had not been checked through to St Thomas, so Joe went to baggage claim, then through security before he could proceed to the gate. He made the connection and we walked aboard the small plane for the 15 minute flight to St. Thomas.

Friday, June 22 – St Thomas, USVI

Brian and Joyce picked us up from the airport and now the adventure begins!! The boat had been tied to the dock in Crown Bay Marina, so it was easy to move aboard. We spent the evening with some of Joyce’s Painkillers and watched a container ship unloading its cargo which included a really nice F-350 work truck.

Saturday, June 23 – St Thomas USVI

7:30am and Capt Bligh was trying to wake us up, raining all night, but thanks to being on the dock, we had electricity with air conditioning to give us a great night’s sleep.  Joe and Brian finished a small maintenance project that involved the salon table being moved.  It’s a large and heavy table. Water can be a friend or foe and they were tracking some errant water down or something like that. While I didn’t exactly understand what they were doing, whatever it was, the boys were satisfied that they had it under control and moved the table back in place.

Admiral Joyce and I walked to the Pueblo grocery store. While we were stowing all the supplies Joe and Brian found a Home Depot — of course they did! and got boat supplies for various projects.

Around lunchtime we unplugged from the marina and started motoring to Christmas Cove.  Rainy time, causing the water to be a bit rolly. We arrived Christmas Cove and hooked up to a mooring ball.

Spent a Triple “R” Night; Raining, Rocking and Rolling.

Sunday, June 24 – St Thomas USVI

Breakfast, then unhooked from mooring ball. Smooth motoring to St John. Arrived at  Maho Bay, St John USVI. Enjoyed a nice day swimming. Watched a sailboat come into the bay 100% under sail, nice job. Dingy’d over to congratulate them and discovered they were 2 brothers from Texas.  Next we headed over to land to walk around a bit.

Monday, June 25 – St John USVI

French Toast breakfast, yummy.  Boys worked on generator.

Smooth sailing to Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands. Moored out in Great Harbor. Dinghy’d to White Bay looking for snorkeling, but no luck. Walked around the beach surveying the storm damage. Dinner at Foxy’s with an entree of Baby back ribs and baked potato. Largest Caesar salad I’ve ever been served.

Tuesday, June 26 – Jost Van Dyke

Joe and Brian took trash and Joe found a T-shirt. Made ready and sailed to Monkey Point on Guana Island. Joe enjoyed the sailing with nice winds and calm seas.

Arrived at Monkey Point where we enjoyed snorkeling, saw an Octopus and lots of Cuttlefish. Motored over to Lee Cove for the night. Anchored out. Spaghetti for dinner.

Wednesday, June 27 – Lee Cove, BVI

Brian, Joyce and I went snorkeling, Joe enjoyed scuba. Joyce and I retreated early because of the attacking jellyfish and I wasn’t wearing hydroskins.

Joe and Brian started up the water maker. Filled all available jugs then filled 2 of the 4 tanks in the boat.  Pulled off mooring ball and let out the mainsail. Sail got stuck so had to work it in and out to get it raised.  Very slow sail so we could make water.

Off to Beef Island and mooring at Trellis Bay. We enjoyed snacks on the stern and had dinner consisting of chicken legs, onion, potatoes and carrots cooked in the crockpot with Lipton onion soup mix. Yummy! Calm weather and clear skies until rain began about 3am. Woke up to close the hatches. This is the most aggravating part for me. Sound asleep, WHAT?? It’s raining on me!

Thursday, June 28 – Trellis Bay, BVI

Boat chores today – a bit overcast to start the day. Joyce and I took the trash to the island and looked around at the massive destruction still visible along the shore from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, September, 2017. Large boats thrown onto the shore and crashed into each other, buildings without roofs.  I bought a 3 hanging bowl set made from Calabash pods.

Brian and Joe began the process of installing DC powered fans in both berths, forward head, and salon. Also installed DC power and USB chargers in the berths.

Joyce and I prepped the dinner, the menu for the evening was BBQ pork tenderloins in the crockpot with coleslaw. I fell in love with the perfect coleslaw chopper, Chef’n is the brand name.  We also cleaned up after the guys and I arranged our berth more conveniently. Sun came out and warmed everything up.

That night we enjoyed a Full Moon Party! Saw our first Jumbies (dancers on stilts), traditional Caribbean celebration. 3 different parties. Singer/dancers on the right, DJ and dancing in the middle, to the left was the art shop with iron balls lit on fire. Met Deo, the unofficial, self proclaimed mayor of Beef Island. Looked “behind the scenes” where the art is made and saw the Jumbies ascending descending their stilts using a ladder and climbing on the roof. One of the Jumbies fell over and got back up on his stilts by climbing into a tree.

Pleasant sleeping with the fan blowing. No rain overnight so hatches were open and nice breeze all night.

Friday, June 29 – Beef island, Trellis Cove BVI

Up early to motor to Virgin Gorda. Moored up in Malone Bay. Joe and I explored Leverick Bay Marina, found a way to get dive tanks refilled and made reservations for the BBQ dinner. Joe and Brian dinghy’d back to Leverick Bay to drop off the dive tanks.

Generator on for us to make water and wash clothes. Drying on the line up top.

What a fun night! BBQ was delicious, ribs, chicken and pork pulled from the whole hog they had cooked all day. Salads, corn on the cob, sautéed vegetables (yummy broccoli), and cookies and cake for dessert. Then the PARTY! Great fun, DJ and dancing. Joyce and Cathy danced the night away, conga line with the Jumbies. Met two groups from SC and one from Austin, TX.

Hatches open all night, very pleasant constant breeze.

Saturday, June 30 – Virgin Gorda, Western end of Sound

Morning slightly overcast, nice breeze. Unhooked from ball and motored over to remnants of Bitter End Yacht Club. Dive shop marginally open and had filled our dive tanks. Joe and I dinghy’d over to their dock to pick them up.

Off to The Baths under sail with Joe at the helm. Swam to The Baths, a large grouping of rocks that can be accessed by water. Walking through them, it was very interesting to see the formations of rocks as they were tumbled and impacted by water over the years.

Dinner of chicken and pork stir fry with rice aboard Paws. Overnight was spent rocking and rolling. Nice, clear weather. Hatches open all night.

Sunday, July 1 – Sailed to Peter Island, BVI

After breakfast of bacon, eggs and grits, snorkeled around. Saw some nice coral and nurse shark. Sailed to Peter Island, BVI. Brian hoisted Joe up the rigging to repair one of the sails.

Dinghy’d over to Willy T’s, a floating bar. It had been moored off Norman Island since 1989. When Irma came through, the bar boat was destroyed and Norman Island would not allow the replacement to be moored up there again. Sunday nights are the wild, loud, busy time at Willy T’s, we went, we saw, we left.

Monday, July 2 – Peter Island, BVI

Woke up to beautiful weather, most of the boats from last night had cleared out.

Dinghy’d back over to Willy T’s for lunch. Much quieter crowd. Joe and Brian jumped off the upper deck, something that Willy T’s is famous for. Apparently, females are supposed to jump topless and they will receive a t-shirt for their efforts. That was not going on at lunch today. But the drinks were good and STRONG. Lunch was very tasty and consisted of cheeseburger, fried fish, maho tacos, chicken Caesar wrap – all served with what tasted like fresh cut French fries.  The guys swam back to the boat and Joyce drove the dinghy back. Both Joyce and I needed naps.

Sailed to Lameshure Bay off St John.

Brian got the water maker started up.

After dinner of spaghetti with sausage we sat up top and watched very large tarpon feeding on smaller fish that were attracted to our lights.

Tuesday, July 3 – Lameshure Bay, St John USVI

Joyce and I slept up top after having to close the hatches. Hot and still night. Nice breeze this morning.  Will be going to Caneel Bay to be near the 4^th of July festivities at Cruz Bay. Before leaving Joe and I took the dinghy to the next cove over, lesser Lameshure Bay, where we met a sailboat Saltwater Taffy which was taking a group of Boy Scouts around. Then dropped off trash in the cans available on the beach.

Set sail for Caneel Bay on the other side of the island. Joe did a magnificent job while his crew assisted. Tied up to a mooring ball off Caneel Bay, the resort was totally destroyed by H Irma. We enjoyed a nice lunch of cold pasta salad, fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and pepperoni. Joe and I dinghy’d to shore and for the first time being in the VI and walked along the beach! Explored a trail to an overlook of Cruz Bay.

Dinner aboard of beef tacos. Joyce can certainly come up with the most marvelous meals! Early night.

Wednesday, July 4 – Caneel Bay, USVI

After sleeping soundly, woke up late. The night was cool and calm.

Took the dinghy into Cruz Bay to watch the parade. Mighty fine floats, dancing and steel drum bands. Met a couple who had been living aboard their sailboat until Hurricane Irma. He mentors kids, dreadlocks and all. Enjoyed talking with them.

Afterwards, lunch at the Greengios Restaurant. Walked around before finding the Scoops Ice Cream shop. Back to the boat for swimming and some rest before the fireworks. Nice watching from the boat. Snacks for dinner.

Thursday, July 5 – St. John, USVI

Woke refreshed after calm night with good breezes. Dinghy’d to shore and visit to STJ spice shop then we set sail for Buck Island.

Passed through little St James cut off Little St James Island, owned by American financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

Moored to a ball off Buck Island. Joyce and I snorkeled, Joe and Brian dove. Surprise! There was a wrecked ship under our boat that Joe and Brian explored. They swam to the next Cove over and while diving and befriended a sea turtle. Joe was able to pet and feed while Brian picked it up. Turtle was happy with making new friends. Brian calls Joe the Turtle Whisperer.

Released from the ball and sailed to Honeymoon Beach and enjoyed dinner at Dinghy Beach Bar. The cook, Malinda, is from Charleston, we were told that her special some Sundays is fried chicken and most of the locals from the island come for that.  Special of the day was BBQ pork sandwich with fries. Very tasty. Tom at the bar kept our drinks fresh.

Friday, July 6 – Honeymoon Beach, St Thomas, USVI

Brian checked with Crown Bay Marina that they were ready for us and we motored around the corner to the marina. Filled the fuel tank with diesel. Quite the time getting turned 180 degrees and moving to the marina dock. Joe and Brian walked the boat up the dock by pulling the ropes and moving from cleat to cleat. Finally Joyce hailed a small boat to come and help us turn to get to the dock.

Brian rented a car and he and Joe went to pick up 4 solar panels that Joyce and Brian will install on the hard top of the boat. The panels were secured to the stern of the boat.

Brian drove Joyce and I to the Price Club – similar to Sam’s or Costco with the addition of alcohol. Stocked up on many items they will need for the next leg of their journey.  The trip across the mountain took about an hour due to traffic. Brian did a great job maneuvering the traffic and driving on the left side of the road. Joyce and I were glad he was doing the driving. There were no traffic signals, cars gave way and made way. When we finally returned it was time for pizza. The marina restaurant had take out pizza only, so we ordered salads to eat while we waited. Took them back to the boat and enjoyed – yummy. Joyce kept the rum punch cups filled.

Saturday, July 7 – Crown Bay Marina, St Thomas USVI

Joe and Brian left early to get supplies needed to install the solar panels. While they were doing that, Joyce and I walked over to Pueblo grocery store to finish the provisioning. When we arrived back at the dock Jamie from the Marina informed us that due to the approaching Hurricane Beryl the marina was evacuating by 3:30pm. Joe and Brian returned with supplies, loaded all on the boat and we left the dock. Jamie suggested a mooring ball just out of the marina.

We found the “2 small mooring balls” and hooked up.  Got ourselves situated and Joyce cooked us a lovely meal of Kielbasa sausage, salad and pasta.

Winds continued to build but no rain. Joe and Brian began the design work for the solar panel installation. They came up with a design that involved drilling holes into metal brackets then painting those brackets.

Sunday, July 8 – Bay off St Thomas

Spent the day working on the solar panels. Overnight Brian had come up with a new design that did not involve the metal brackets that had been drilled and painted. New design involves other brackets being cut from a different piece of metal. I think Brian likes to cut metal. Meanwhile Joe worked below deck getting a sander to work. Then the fun began, with the winds coming in from Hurricane Beryl, Joe and Brian (a bit of assistance from me) attached the brackets to the solar panels – no panel or crew member went overboard, so it was a success!!  With dark coming on, the solar panels were secured to the deck.

Jamie came by and told us the marina was opening at 8:00am and we could move back to the dock.

Monday, July 9 – Bay off St Thomas

Rain overnight. Went to sleep with hatches open, 11:00pm closed from rain, laid awake until stars came out and reopened the hatches. 3:00am heavy rain, hatches closed. Woke to a blustery morning, rain has moved off for the moment. Secured the boat to move back into the marina. This time was much less eventful. Docked up to Port side of the boat so we didn’t have to spin her around.

Departure day for Joe and me. Bittersweet because it was such a fun adventure. Joe and I packed up and Brian rented a car. He and Joyce drove us to the airport. Hugs all around – until next time. Christmas in Cartagena, as Brian says. Who knows??

St Thomas airport, Joe and I got checked in for very short flight to Puerto Rico. The skies stayed grey but no rain. Landed in Puerto Rico to rain. By the time of our next flight departed the rain and winds had mostly passed on and our flight to Charlotte was on schedule.  Pleasant flight, slightly bumpy and as I walked to the bathroom, I felt like I was still on the boat.

Seatmate was Dave Dailey who has an Air B&B on Vieques, PR.  Casa Del Paraiso is its name, 765-210-4292 cell phone to call anyone wants to rent directly from him (Tell him Cathy sent you). He owns it with his brother who stayed there during Hurricane Irma. It is concrete and had no damage from the storm. All trees and vegetation are coming back.

9:00pm, back home in Charlotte. Calvin picked us up.

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Thank You Cathy! PAWS, The Admiral and The Captain thoroughly enjoyed your visit and the adventures with you and Skipper Joe. We look forward to

future adventures downstream.

My crew has a few chores to finish up here in St Thomas in preparation for the trip down the islands towards St Martin and the Windward Islands.

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

239-898-7646

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com

Date:  20 June 2018

Location: Anchored Isla de Culebra, Puerto Rico   LAT 18° 18.219  LON 065° 17.515

Weather: Overcast, Mid 80’s, Drizzle, Wind SE 20 – 25 Knots

Up at 0530, PAWS secured, anchor up leaving the Dominican Republic in our wake and Puerto Rico just over the horizon, 100 miles across open water. Early morning found the winds light and The Captain and Admiral alternated 1 hour short naps throughout the day. PB&J sandwiches gave them energy. Late afternoon brought some rain clouds and changing Winds which simply could not decide on which way to blow. Crew finally rolled in the Yankee and fired up the engine. Darkness rolls in and The Admiral takes first watch. Captain awakened when Auto Pilot decides it needs a break and AIS identifies boat on an intercept course! Around 2230, moon rises and sky is light. We approach Puerto Rico near Mayaguez, the main shipping port on the West side of the Island. To avoid any issue with commercial vessels, they take up a southerly course and sail further down the coast to Puerto Real. Heading into Marina Pescadena at night was a little bit of a challenge. Water is shallow, but luckily the channel markers were lighted buoys helped guide us into the Bay without too much difficulty. At 0130 the anchor is down and holding, time for the crew to catch some well deserved bunk time after our 20 hour sail. Sunday 3 June they awoke to bright sunlight and marina in view. Captain Brian calls US Customs to notify our arrival. Crew advised that Official Paperwork could be completed on Monday. Launched Sea Tigger to Marina to find  laundry facilities and local eatery. On tap was clothes washing and a local restaurant next to Marina. Their servings were larger than the Crews empty stomachs, but To Go boxes were appreciated. Collected washed clothes, no dryer available, reserved rental car for Monday and back to PAWS. Makeshift clothes line, free sun and air, laundry drying.

Next morning Jose, marina owner, set them up with rental car and off to Mayaguez to Customs. The roads along the coast were free of pot holes but some hurricane damage after 200 mph winds. West end of island is up and running.  Customs most helpful with getting PAWS cleared in. Only 1 hour to figure out government paper work, but got it done.

Back in US territory, they left me swinging on the hook and took advantage to hunt down Home Depot, Sam’s,  Wal-Mart and grocery store. Able to restock necessary items at reasonable prices. Full day of shopping made the Crew hungry. I hear they found a great Cuban sandwich eatery recommended by the Customs Agent.

Back to Marina for the Monday night social with local cruisers and transient sailors docked at marina. Networking with cruisers is the best way to gather local knowledge about what to do and where to do it. Back to PAWS late and unloading groceries and supplies in the dark (seems my crew is always looking for a challenge).

Tuesday, The Captain visits the local Post Office in town and ships off the WINCHRITE for repairs. The Admiral really likes this tool for furling in the Head Sails and winching up the dinghy. Captain finds a local eatery and returns with fresh bread and Empedas for breakfast. Some troubleshooting on the generator and found Temp sensor not sensing the temp (darn those things). Thanks for the Honda portable generator for charging batteries and making water.

Shopped at the Fish Market located at marina for dinner. Ordered (2) Grouper, gutted and cleaned for $12. The Admiral managed to cook the whole fish with eyes staring up at her.  Despite feeling just little sad for the fish they enjoyed it with minimal remorse. No wind in the evening, so very thankful for our DC fans.

The following day we motor sailed 5 miles to Cabo Roja.  The Lighthouse helps vessels navigate safely through the Mona Passage from Caribbean into the Atlantic Ocean. With my Mainsail reefed out to stabilize the roll we had a short trip. The sea was clean and we were able to make water at the anchorage while enjoying a breezy day swinging in the calm water. Generator gets a new paint job and parts ordered.

After winds calmed, the crew launchs Sea Tigger and heads to shore. They meet a young couple from Puerto Rico on a nearby sailing vessel that survived the hurricane. Their boat raced in a Bermuda sailing event in the past and they enjoyed visiting and hearing some stories. Very unique and interesting design with no standing rigging and two huge heavy masts (no headsails). The anchorage is a small beach town complete with local bars and live music. The Crew opted for Pelican’s eatery with inside tables and A/C. The Rum drinks were super refreshing. Ordered pizza, salad, and of course Captain topped it off with a chocolate cake and ice cream. After a brief walk through town, Sea Tigger carries them back to PAWS.

The next morning they were up early again to take advantage of good winds and we work our way to La Paraguera.  Anchored behind reef with minimal swell. Snorkeling area with kite surfing nearby. The winds build to 20 knots until night fall so Sea Tigger stays on deck.

Continued on the next morning arriving at “Gilligan’s Island”.  Our “3 Hour Tour” ended much different with calm winds and a secure spot to anchor in a protective cove, blocked by mangroves and reefs. This allowed Sea Tigger to take the crew out for exploration. Stopped by to meet and chat with some cruisers on “S/V Progress”. Their boat barely survived Hurricane Maria in Tortola, broken mast and water damage. Their boat name was appropriate as, in fact, they had made a lot of Progress get her back together. All window seals broken due to wind pressure.

A ferry boat loaded to capacity and all manner of private vessels brings visitors over to island for the day. Coolers, chairs, water floats, tents all to enjoy a day at the beach. Brick grills are located on the island for one’s use. Water is clear, swimming and floating in the currents in refreshing temperatures.

Enjoyed lunch at San Jacinto (Guanica) Restaurant. Traditional Puerto Rican meal: A plate full of meat, vegetables, rice/peas for $5. Affordable for the cruising budget.  After lunch, back to PAWS for a few boat chores. Later in the afternoon, Mike and Erica from S/V Progress came over for evening snacks and beverages. Discussed their trials and tribulations trying to get boat parts for repair. A wait and see when parts will arrive.

On Sat the winds were up, but finally calmed after midnight. Up at 0445 to take advantage of easing winds and waves, The Captain decided to sail past Ponce, avoiding the shallow depths and headed for “Coffin Island”. Isla Caja de Muertos is only accessed  by ferryboat from Ponce or by private boat. Coffin Island is a National Park and access to shore requires swimming from boat or a ride on a paddle boat. Ferry Dock was damaged by hurricane and not repaired. Original ferry boat destroyed during Hurricane Maria. High winds picked back up in the afternoon which kept Sea Tigger on the davits as the crew made plans to explore when winds were calmer on Sunday morning. Dropped anchor, decided against mooring balls due to reliability.

Launched Sea Tigger after morning rain shower. Tied up to damaged dock. The platform was about 4’ above the dinghy and The Admiral gave quite the show with an impressive “Launch and Belly Roll” dismount to get up and out of the dinghy onto the wooden dock. Only then did she discover the Sea Gull remains laying in her path.  After a Blood Curling Scream that would raise past Sailors up from Davy’s Jones Locker, were they able to secure Sea Tigger and head off to explore. The island has picnic areas, bathrooms, and a Ranger Station. The Ferry brings picnic supplies for its guest, $70/ person for trip and lunch.

They set out to explore the roped off area past another one of those pesky “No Trespassing” signs, up to the Lighthouse. Cactus towering over 8 feet tall much of it damaged by the Hurricane. A path had been cut to clear debris blocking path. After a 45 minute winding hike, made it up the mountain (OK – Big Hill) and to lighthouse. The place has rusted iron bars that they squeezed by. There is a stone/brick building that once was home to Caretakers of the lighthouse. On the way down, they met the local snake on the Island as well as Iguanas and butterflies that were plentiful.  Enjoyed a fun evening with Eric and Barbara on “S/V Sudamon”. They purchased their boat in Ponce that withstood the winds of Maria, luckily boat was on the hard in a boatyard during the storm. After plenty of exercise it was back to PAWS and off to sleep just to be rudely awakened at 0400 to rain drops. Hatches closed and fans on for air.

Getting ready to depart, The Admiral went forward to raise the anchor but Windlass switch not engaging. However, The Captain shows The Admiral how to use pliers to short the terminals to make the circuit connection. Considerably easier than manually pulling up 100 feet of chain and anchor. The Admiral was a little leery at first but once The Captain showed her that she wouldn’t get shocked she was able to perform her duties. Another “Project” added on the “Boat To Do” list.

Next anchorage is Punta Pozuelo, near a power plant. I was rolling with beam on 24 knot winds and moderate seas. Captain deployed my Mainsail to stabilize the roll and motored into the waves. Our sailing friends on S/V Sudamon allowed PAWS to lead the way with our working depth finder as we anchored behind the reefs for protection. Currently PAWS is using RayMarine, Garmin, INAV-x and visual observation for navigation. Soon the anchor went down and time for a short nap. Cleaned terminals on anchor windless and she came back to life. Salt water and over use play a number on boat parts! Barb and Eric came over for dinner and our travel plans for our next passage discussed.

Up early the following morning ready and waiting for light. Charts working and visual assessment of reef to motor into open water. Maneuvering through the waters and reefs takes a little skill. Winds at 20 knots at our nose of course, engine purring and mainsail out for stabilization on the way to Puerto Patillas. Entrance into anchorage behind reef and sand bar. Anchored in 10 feet, less than ½ mile from shore. Town is still recovering. Observed helicopter with crane lifting High Tension metal power poles into position.

Dinghy to shore with Barb and Eric for dinner. However, no restaurants open on a Tuesday evening. Found a local to take us to next town over for dinner. Eating establishments were limited: Chinese, Burger King and KFC. Chinese was restaurant of choice with plenty of food to consume. Leftovers are always great for another meal on PAWS. Back to Puerto Patillas and a stroll through town. Homeowners were polite and conversed. After sand fleas attacked, backed to S/V Sudamon for dessert. Spent time with our new friends before heading back to PAWS. Rain at 2330, hatches closed and fans on once again.

Following days brought Boat chores, laundry and making water. Battery on main generator “DEAD”. Another opportunity to fix something – isn’t life grand. Appears there is a short in the Alternator which is draining the battery when it off. Solution is to disconnect the battery when not in use until Alternator can be replaced.

Enjoyed dinner on shore at Poblados. Our local friend drove The Captain to a gas station for Sea Tigger fuel, much better than walking the 2 miles!  Enjoyed chicken and fish for dinner. Back to PAWS, dinghy hoisted to deck, items secured below for early departure for a 26 mile sail the next day.

Admiral up at 0415, coffee brewing, as we wait for the first light to hoist anchor. At 0515, anchor up, engine purring and depth finder working to lead us to open water. Had to maneuver through shallow water out to open water. Since Paws draws 8.5 feet, I have to be extra careful. Motor sailed 5 hours to Vieques Island. This area was once used by Navy for missile and live bomb training.  Hurricane left her mark on Palm trees, electrical lines and dock. After brunch and a nap, launched Sea Tigger to explore. Rocky reefs are near shore with plenty of Sea Urchins but no coral or fish visible. Motored along coastline to check out the area. Met a Moorings charter boat with a group of 8 from Georgia. Graduates from Georgia, Ga Tech, Auburn. PAWS was displaying her Clemson flag with honor. One couple shared that our current quarterback at Clemson, Trevor Lawrence, went to school with their children. Enjoyed sharing stories with our new acquaintances. Last evening with Barb and Eric as they were departing the next morning. Great couple, hope to catch up with them further down the Islands

Awoke to calm morning, with a few clouds and crystal clear waters. PAWS resting today.

Saturday found the crew up with Sun for a motor sail to Marina Del Ray. Upon arrival to marina, I was instructed to squeeze my 19 ½ foot beam into a 20 foot wide slip with wind pushing against piling. Admiral wisely vetoed that order and requested a T-Head spot. Even that took 2 attempts but we were finally able to tie up on outside dock, only drawback was we were now minimum a 1/2 mile away from marina office. Lucky for The Captain, a golf cart chauffeured him to sign in. The Laundry facilities were greatly appreciated as we were able to wash several heavy loads at one time. Replaced battery for generator. Our spare battery we brought from US was already used. To replace battery in the Bahamas would have cost $900 and some change! PAWS finally got a bath and cleaned up. The Admiral/Cook was a little tired so the Captain made a Command Decision and treated her to dinner at La Cueva Del Mar. Popular restaurant at the 1,000 Boat slip Marina. After dinner, ½ mile walk back to PAWS. Enjoyed shore power at the dock.

Received news that Grandbaby #2 born to Dustin and Elyse – Brighton Rhys Clark – the newest Deck Swab.

The Captain slept in on Sunday and caught up on some extra shuteye. Time to restock before heading to St. Thomas. No rental cars available, so Taxi called for ride to grocery store. Provisioning for sailboat takes a little thought and time. Taking the large cooler helps to keep the cold stuff from spoiling. Two grocery carts and a full cooler and they were ready to head back to PAWS. Our original taxi driver called his brother to transport us back to marina. Packing the groceries in a small conversion van was a little challenging. Needless to say, the Crew worked up an appetite after shopping. Enjoyed eating at Pollo, a local Cuban establishment. Treated their driver to lunch and enjoyed hearing about his life story. Back to marina, loaded groceries in golf cart and trailer and down the dock back to PAWS we go. Unloaded our mountain of groceries and the fun begins for finding storage. Lucky for The Admiral, the AC’s were working good and were cranked up during the lengthy process of finding storage and repacking meat for freezer. Finally got it done and took advantage to wash one more load of clothes prior to the planned departure in the morning. Enjoyed the cool air one last evening at the dock. Ashley and Carter called and shared their good news “ We’re expecting in February!”

Loosened the lines from the cleats and slid along the dock on the bumpers as the East wind pinned me against T- dock but no damage to port side. Able to spin around in the turning Basin to head to fuel dock. Lucky for us, enough open water area near fuel dock and enable to turn around and tie up on starboard side. Fuel tanks full and bound from Culebra. Motor sailed 4 hours to the entrance of the Bay marked by a sailboat on the reef – always a sad site. This is not an entrance to be entered at night or haphazardly! Narrow passage marked by small buoys. Headed to back of harbor closer to town and restaurants. After 2 attempts, anchor finally caught held! Finally we feel that we are in a “Cruiser Community”, with many sailboats close by. Watching a sailboat near us pull up anchor by hand makes one appreciate the motorized Windlass.

Enjoyed dinner at the Dinghy Dock Restaurant. Ribs, fish, rice and beans. Leftovers are shared with local tarpon near the dock. Watching the feeding frenzy is pretty neat. Met a group from Charleston celebrating a wedding that lives near the Crews rental house in SC. Met a couple from Maine, on S/V Moira. Their dinghy engine was having a little trouble but Sea Tigger’s engine was purring as we towed our new friends back to their sailboat. Cruisers are always help each other.

Tuesday was boat project day. Cleaned water tanks #1 and #3 looking for a leak. Drying out tank so the area could be patched. Rain and a little wind off and on but my anchor is holding tight! Around 1400, The Admiral spotted a Catamaran “S/V Black Pearl” dragging anchor in the harbor. Somehow it missed several boats as it drifted through the harbor. Summoned, The Captain and Sea Tigger launched to assist. The anchor caught and held before the boat drifted to shore. Crew from catamaran was at Dinghy Dock for lunch. Boat secured and back to PAWS in the rain. Boat and Crew enjoyed the fresh water bath. Enjoyed a quiet evening on the boat.

Wednesday brought some cooler air for sleeping. Continued on a few projects prior to heading to shore. Boat hatches and ports closed before venturing out to the island.  Secured Sea Tigger to a public dinghy dock, only required a 3′ launch and belly launch to get up on dock this time and the Admiral checked the deck before taking the leap. Sargassum weed was plentiful and piled high along the shore with a potent odor that lingers! Walked over the non-working canal bridge. Local grocery store had all of the basic needs for tourists and cruisers. The ferryboat travels from Fajardo to Culebra daily. Culebra has a lot to offer with diving, beaches, hiking and fishing. Also, commuter flights from San Juan come in daily.

Enjoyed pizza at Heather’s and started back. Afternoon showers halted the crews walk back to dock as they ducked into a covered porch when the thunder shower continued. Finally the rain eased off and they made the way back to Sea Tigger. Visited our friends on S/V Moira and the decision was made to take a short hike to Flamingo Beach. Learned that definition of short hike varies among Cruisers, only 3 miles there! Captain and friends enjoyed snorkeling and exploring the reef. Area was damaged by hurricane and still recovering. Another short 3 mile hike back to dock and back to PAWS to fix dinner for our friends. Spaghetti and salad is an easy fix for teenagers and tired parents from S/V Moira. The kids enjoyed laying on the hard top over cockpit enjoying the stars. Funny what can entertain siblings after being in close quarters on their 38 ft boat for 4. Galley cleaned and dishes stored. Set to leave for St. Thomas and the BVI’s early in the morning.

Joyce & Brian Clark

S/V Pawsitive Latitude

bclark@umihvac.com

239-898-7646

www.PawsitiveLatitude.com