Monday it rained pretty hard most of the morning….and Winfield decided to just prep the boat as it was clear there wasn’t going to be a long enough dry period for him to varnish. So we went ashore for a while – amazed by the Bank Holiday crowds in town on a day trip from St Vincent – and then went back onboard for a lazy afternoon. John and Georgina joined us for sundowners and we had a really nice evening with them. They have headed off south now, so we hope to catch up with them again later in our travels.

We awoke to a cloudy day Tuesday but it was dry – hurrah! Winfield turned up early and got on with it straight away….. That’s the fifth coat of varnish done… It is starting to look really good. We had a quiet night on board and enjoyed another beautiful sunset.

Wednesday we are excited about the last coat of varnish being done….almost finished…. Winfield turned up at 7.15 am as he is eager to get this job over with too. Good job he’s not on a daily rate with all the weather delays and also that we are not in a great hurry to be on the move again. Well…he had virtually finished the whole boat…and the heavens opened. Not just a few spots but a tropical downpour. Winfield retreated into the cockpit with his head in his hands – not again – all ruined! He’s going to have to do most of it again….only the companionway and the bowsprit are potentially salvageable…… We cheer him up with a cold beer and he goes on his way. Have to say I would have been in a really bad mood at this point – but he’s really philosophical and chilled about it all and says that this happens sometimes…. Having a quiet night in the cockpit and the wind starts howling and the rain comes back with a vengeance. Oh ho….this is some storm….with lightening flashing around too, although thankfully at some distance. The wind builds and the noise is deafening and we have 35 knots blowing through with horizontal rain to accompany it. We stay up for a while until the worst is over and then retire to bed thankful that the anchor has held steady.

Thursday morning and we are shocked to see damage on shore – there is a large tree down at Jacks which has taken out his cabana and blocked the dinghy jetty. The Fig Tree restaurant has lost one huge branch of their ancient old fig tree and has demolished some tables and the guard rail leading to the boardwalk…. Thought we would have heard trees coming down – particularly the one at Jack’s place as we are not anchored that far away – but the noise of the wind and the rain drowned everything out. Winfield came by and, again, decided not to risk the varnish so just did all the preparation ready for Friday with fingers crossed for a dry day.

During the storm when we were in the cockpit we realised that we really need some additional canvas to protect us as we struggled to keep dry…… So when we went ashore we arranged for a canvas maker to come on board to give us a quote for the work later in the day. In the evening we had Chris and Linda over for a home-made curry night, including popadums… Had a really nice evening just chilling and chatting – although we did have to snuggle together a bit when the rain came down!  Definitely need that extra canvas…. 

As we were washing up after our guests had left suddenly we were both absolutely shocked by the deafening noise that appeared to be coming from somewhere in the saloon…..    Couldn’t find it immediately and then suddenly we spotted that it was the high water bilge alarm – we hadn’t heard this one before and wow you won’t miss that one!    So we looked in the bilge and yes there was a lot of water in there….so I went on pumping duty while Richard checked all the pipes etc…    Eventually we checked in the lazarette to find that the external shower hose on the transom was leaking into the bilges – Winfield had used this to clean off before he left us today and had forgotten to turn it off!!!   Phew….we’re not sinking then……panic over!    But frustrating to realise that we had lost at least a quarter of a tank of fresh water – so will have to run the watermaker a lot in the coming days to replenish our stocks…… 

This morning we have woken up to bright blue skies and Winfield is here in a positive mood – so fingers crossed that we get it done today…. It won’t be the end of the job as he will still need to come back and reinstall the stainless and clean up the hull etc….but at least that isn’t weather dependent. We are also going to go into the customs house to get our stay extended which will, no doubt, require copious amounts of form filling. We only found out last night that they keep passports for three days during this process so we won’t be out of here until potentially the middle of next week now….  And we are both really keen to get going again now….Mustique is calling.   Will keep you posted.

Bye for now

Jan

Thursday we came back on board to see that Winfield had done a great job – third coat of varnish applied now….. Looking amazingly shiny, I can’t imagine what it will look like when done. Thursday night had a really nice evening onboard Shamal with John and Georgina – great hosts, and another beautiful sunset.

Friday morning up early as usual and Winfield arrives on the dot of 8am. We have realised that our insistence on him not taking away our companionway boards as we need to lock the boat up at night, is giving him a bit of trouble as he can’t hang them up to dry so he rests them on cans each day and ends up with rings… So we decided to get some temporary boards made up so that he can take the original ones to his workshop. Richard measured them up, drew diagrams, and then we headed out to the wood yard. Yep – no worries – will be available later. Went back to collect them and realised that something had been lost in translation as they have made us 6 not 3, one of each! Oh well….never mind….at least the ones we brought back with us did actually fit!

Friday night is fish night at the Fig Tree restaurant;  Pnut the travelling chef is doing the BBQ;  and we have booked a table with John and Georgina. Chris is doing his acoustic guitar set too – supported by Linda. There was dancing, singing, and general fun…. with Cheryl (the owner) strutting her stuff; Pnut entertaining us with his Bob Marley rendition; and Mr Prince (didn’t catch his first name) wowing us with his great voice. Really good evening had by all – and we had a late night!

Saturday Winfield is back again bright and early as usual. He rubs down, varnishes the companionway first as always and heads off to start the bowsprit. Just finishes it and the heavens open…. He just sits with his head in his hands in the cockpit – totally despondent. Apparently rain on wet varnish causes holes and ruins the finish, so he will have to do this bit again…. And although it is only 11 am he actually takes the offer of a beer very gratefully! So we sat around chatting for a while – he is an interesting guy – and the rain cleared up. Hurrah…so he was able to finish the rest of Morphie. Not going to take any more photos of the varnish now as they are starting to look the same….will wait to wow you with the finished product! In the afternoon I went off on my own to the Fig Tree to take part in the reading club. Cheryl – as well as the Fig Tree also runs a bookshop in town – and is passionate about getting the local kids to read. On the cruisers VHF net each morning she has been appealing for cruisers to come by and join in…. Well I got the nine year olds – and had a crowd of eight – and we read a book called ‘Preparing for a hurricane’. During the reading they were a good bunch – when it was over they turned into monsters! Pinching, kicking and general unruliness…. Why did I have to get this lot!?! It took all my energy to keep them under control when each group was doing its summary of the books they had read and particularly when Mr Prince (who it turns out is a bit of a local celebrity) did his animated reading of a poem called The Banana Man. Shame the poem had to diss white tourists as pale and stuck up though….. Oh well – done my bit. Later on, we went onboard Troubadour for sundowners and an evening of Mexican train dominos. We finished in third and fourth place….was holding my own at second for a while but this game is mean!

Sunday is Winfield’s only day of rest so we decided to have a beach day – we feel the need to get off the boat for a while as during this work we have been getting a bit stir crazy…. So we really enjoyed lazing around in the sun, bobbing and chilling with our favourite brew and watching the local kids playing in the surf. And of course admiring Morphie in the anchorage alongside her large catamaran neighbour…. Chris and Linda swam ashore for a few bobbing beers too…. The funniest thing we saw was the lady from the Whalebone bar – she had two boys with her and they had a kayak. The kids upended the kayak and cleaned the growth off the bottom using sand and had a good time generally playing with it. Then it was time for them to go home – and the mum paddled off round the headland and left the kids to walk over the rocks to get back to town!

Back on board for a quiet dinner and an early night. During the night the heavens opened and it is still raining this morning, Monday.   A tropical wave has been coming off the coast of Africa – so this is probably the start of it?  Potentially I think rain might stop play today….although Winfield has arrived on time, even though it is a Bank Holiday here!  

Bye for now

Jan

Sunday, luckily, was a non-working day for Winfield and his guys as it rained quite hard all morning, so we had a lazy time on board. Around lunchtime the weather improved so we took dink ashore to Princess Margaret beach and gave him a good old scrub…. We even took off his engine and cleaned his bottom… We also met some other English cruisers and a lone holidaymaker as they enjoyed wandering the beach. Looking much better, dink not us, and now branded with our UK registration number on both hulls – we went back aboard for a quiet night, quite shattered and enjoyed a spectacular sunset with an almost full moon….. And I mean a quiet night, as we haven’t had a drink all weekend and were tucked up in bed by 8pm!

Monday morning and Richard went off to collect Hanky from the dock at Ocar to bring him on board to rub down the recently sealed woodwork. Winfield wasn’t coming today as he had an appointment in St Vincent. Anyway, Hanky was there when he promised and came on board. We had got a bit bored sitting down below last week so we were going to come and go today – but always leaving one of us on board as we needed to leave the boat open for the companionway to be done.

So I take the dinghy ashore on my own and went shopping. As you can imagine on a small island such as this there is no one supermarket selling everything – so I ended up shopping in six places to get some basic provisions, including Darkies for my fruit and veg. Quite enjoyed myself and even did a bit of international rescue taking a local fisherman ashore from his boat on the way back! When I got back Richard went off to the chandleries to get a few more bits and pieces. Eventually Hanky was done and Richard ran him ashore while I prepared some snacks as we have Chris and Linda from Troubadour coming on board tonight for Sundowners. Well – the heavens opened again. This was torrential……and they radioed to let us know that they would be over when it passed. Well, it didn’t really, but they managed to get a small window to make the short dinghy trip across the anchorage. Nice quiet alcoholic evening had by all and we were late to bed….

Tuesday morning and up early for a swim before Winfield came by at 8.00 am. So we left him in charge and went ashore for breakfast at Gingerbread. Yummmmmmm….. Back on board at 11.00 and we went down below and just lazed around and read books for the rest of the day until he had finished. Well – this was first coat of varnish day – and the results were amazing….. Another beautiful sunset while we were having a quiet dinner on board.

Wednesday morning and the weather was a bit grey and threatened showers – and Winfield is worried about rain coming down after varnishing. Apparently he needs a two hour window post varnishing otherwise it gets damaged and he has to start again…. So he spends most of the day sanding again…. It seems counter-intuitive to varnish, make it beautiful, and then rub it all down again – but apparently this is essential to get a real good finish and to ensure that it adheres and doesn’t peel off. Learn something every day! So another quiet day on board although we were lucky enough to be able to get an internet signal so caught up on some online stuff. Another quiet night and we managed to stay up until just gone 8pm!

Oh yes, did I tell you, we have been in the wars as Richard has an ear infection, I’m on the third attempt to fix my diving mask, and I managed to catch my finger in the locker door giving me a huge blood blister…..as well as my back which keeps twinging…. So feeling a bit sorry for ourselves – but everything is put into perspective when we get bad news from home about a younger friend who has passed away suddenly. RIP Michelle – you will be sorely missed.

Thursday morning and we have gone ashore for breakfast again and have our fingers crossed for a second coat of varnish as the weather appears to have settled a bit. Winfield reckons we’ll need six coats – so this will be going on for a while yet – and we hope to leave Bequia towards Mustique our next destination some time next week….. Watch this space. Anyway, we are looking forward tonight to sundowners onboard Shamal with John and Georgina..

So nothing much to report – just chilling here in Bequia. Bye for now

Jan

Wednesday morning up bright and early as we are going diving again. As we are getting ourselves ready the travelling baker came by so breakfast and lunch question resolved – fresh croissants and baguette to take with us on the boat. Really nice thing about sitting at anchor – never sure what the next boat boy is going to bring you!!!

The dive boat came and picked us up from Morphie and again it was only Ed (from New Jersey) diving with us today – along with Jessie and Miranda the divematers. First dive of the day was to the Boulders, a deeper dive at 30 metres with interesting topography with large boulders, vibrant soft corals, some gorgonian fans and loads of nooks and crevices for things to hide in, behind and under. I particularly like the multi-level aspects of this type of dive site. Again there were loads and loads of beautifully coloured little fish around – of all shapes and types – but sadly no big critters. Starting to wonder whether they never get a chance to grow into big specimens as the locals rely on fishing for much of their diet? Anyway….had an interesting mooch around…and came across a very large greenback turtle sleeping in a cave. Peered back at us for a little while until he decided we were no threat and then he closed his eyes again…. A real treat. There was also a small nurse shark under another shelf but he managed to sneak further back into the gloom so neither Richard or I actually saw him. Oh well never mind. 50 minutes later and it was time to surface.

The second dive was to Devil’s Table – a shallow dive at only 8 metres – and is just really loads of sea grass with the odd bit of reef scattered around and more sea urchins in one place than I’ve ever seen before….  We had to be careful not to kick up the bottom here as it just kills the visibility for everyone else – and because much of it is just sea grass and mud / sand we can actually kneel on the bottom and stay really still if we find something interesting and want to spend time studying it… Well – we had an amazing dive. Small critters were on the menu and we were luckily enough to see two frogfish – one pink and one orange….looking like spongy coral rocky things rather than fish with their weird colouring, their rough texture, their spiky bits on the top of their heads and their webbed feet… Oh yes – they are pretty ugly too!!!! What a treat – couldn’t believe it.

We have never seen these before and they are amazing things to watch. Really happy about this – then to top it all we came across a beautiful little browny-grey seahorse gripping onto a bit of tube coral with his tail – and Ed found an octopus lurking in a hole. I found a large caterpillar type creature with loads of legs and a hairy back – maybe a nudibranch variant? –  we also found the smallest spiny lobster I’ve ever seen hiding under a rock! On top of all that we also came across a scorpion fish and a iridescent coloured flatfish lurking on a rocky outcrop. Jessie was lion fish hunting again and killed three but you could tell he was really uncomfortable when it came to the baby one just sitting there hovering around….but it had to go. Sad this – never thought I would end up diving when fish were being targeted and killed – as it goes against everything a diver learns when training. We ended up spending 75 minutes on the bottom and only gave up because it was time rather than because we had no air. Certainly a dive to remember for a long long time……

While cleaning off all our gear disaster struck…. I clumsily managed to drop my mask. Well – anyone who knows me knows I’m completely useless without glasses and my mask is a prescription one. And yes, the frame cracked. Damn…..but at least the lenses are intact. Looking at it closely it is only the bridge on the nose and the rest remains unblemished – so I use clear silicone mastic to fix the break and leave it to set…. Late afternoon we met the dive crew at the Whaleboner bar for sundowners. On the way we did a bit of international rescue too as Pnut – our fruit and veg boat delivery boy – had broken something on his outboard. So we towed him ashore. He was very grateful… and tried to pay us in mangos for our help!!!

The Whaleboner’s entrance from the dinghy dock is too large whale ribs and the surface of the bar itself is made out of another one while the bar stools are made out of vertebra bones. Really interesting place!!! Had a really fun evening with Jessie, Boutan (not sure on spelling – sorry), Miranda, Ed and his non-diving wife Ellen. We were also joined by another British couple who are doing their diving qualifications with Dive Bequia this week. Enjoyed another beautiful Bequia sunset and after sundowners we headed off to the Fig Tree to take advantage of their internet again. 

Thursday was boat jobs day….My pink job was housework down below and blue job was Richard scraping off the growth on the hull again which had grown vigorously whilst in the marina in St Lucia. I did cheat a little by using the VHF to get Daffodil to come and collect my washing rather than waste fresh water doing it all by hand – well that’s my excuse anyway!!! We were also waiting for Winfield to come by – he does wood finishes on boats and comes recommended in the cruising guide. Morphie has always had Cetol on her teak rather than varnish as it was easier to manage in a charter fleet. But the last coat done before we took her from charter was a rough job and we have had stuff peeling off ever since – particularly under the rail. As a result – everywhere we go – we have had offers to get the wood varnished ‘for a good price’. This wasn’t on our list of priorities yet as we had vague plans to do it later this year. But Winfield was insistent that he would give us a good price – and would include our companionway, our drinks holders and our cockpit table in the price. Oh well – let’s see. Well – the price he gave us was less than half of the amount we know for sure another cruiser paid for theirs in St Lucia and we have loads more to do…. Really was an offer we couldn’t pass on…. So we’re going for it which means we’ll be staying here in Bequia for at least another week or so. Agreed for him to start on Friday – so here’s a few ‘before’ photos….

Thursday night we met Ed and Ellen and went to the Frangipani for their Caribbean night with steel band and a BBQ. Had a really nice evening in their company and so to bed. Was careful on the alcohol intake as we are diving in the morning again….

Friday morning comes and Winfield turns up as planned – he is going to get all the old Cetol off today…. We sort out our gear and my mask looks good and solid – let’s hope it holds. Dive boat comes alongside and off we go. We are heading off to the north of the island – Long Point – to do a dive off the ledge at a site which hasn’t been dived for two years by the dive shop, and certainly not by the divemasters who have only been working here for three months. We really enjoyed the fast boat ride to the site and the scenery so close to the rocky shore…

The sea is pretty rough today so looks like entry – backward roll off the side – needs to be carefully timed to avoid getting bashed on the head by the boat coming back down on the swell. All kitted up – all go in simultaneously – and we start to descend immediately…. Almost straight away my mask flooded, but wasn’t worried as it did appear to clear and I was hoping that the pressure as we went deeper would keep the mask together. But it didn’t…. Oh no… we are in about three knots of current pulling us along and down and I’m completely blind – I can’t see anybody or anything (let alone my instruments) and am trying desperately to kick up as I don’t want to hit rocks either… Richard realises I need help and kicks up against the current to help me and we decide to abort. As I need to be led (literally by the hand) Jessie is coming with us, and quickly we are doing our three minute safety stop and surfacing – into a whirlpool of currents / tides and big swells. We all get back on board safely and it takes me a while to calm down – bit shaky – and my eyes are completely red raw and oozing from the exposure to the sea. But although the ‘dive from hell’ as Richard has coined it, it did prove that the buddy system worked well and we just have to mark it up to experience!!! After a surface interval driving to another site Richard went in for his second dive of the day buddying up with Ed – while I had to sit it out. But I didn’t mind having a lie down on the boat and taking a breather. But I was a bit nervous as this was Richard’s first ever dive without me and I wondered how he would fare. But of course he was fine – let’s face it he almost 100 dives logged now – but it was still nice to see him surface.

After diving we paid up as we are not sure if we are going to do any more and said hi to Charlie the dive shop parrot.  When we got back on board it was great to see that Winfield had managed to get some of the wood back to it’s natural state and was working away hard….

Friday afternoon we had invited Ed and Ellen on board as it was their last day before they flew home on Saturday. Had a really nice time bobbing in style on our floating chairs and drank far too much rum… Was fun…..   Marvelled at the Golden Hind wooden boat that anchored behind us whilst enjoying the sunset and we let Ed drive the dinghy back to the dock to drop them off….with arrangements to go to dinner later.

Later on we went to the Fig Tree for ‘Fish Friday’ where Pnut – who is also known as the travelling chef – was cooking… Ed tried the curried conch whilst Ellen and Richard went for the tuna. I bailed and had Creole beef stew! There was also entertainment in the form of Chris from Troubadour who was playing and singing. Interestingly we have been following their blog for a while but this is the first time we have actually met them! Really good time had by all – and thanks so much to Ed and Ellen for picking up the tab at dinner. Wasn’t necessary….. Time to say goodbye – safe journey home.

Saturday morning had to be up early as Winfield is coming today to do the sanding and sealing. So we left him to it and went shopping for some boat bits – still trying to find some particular stainless steel screws, buy something to properly fix my mask with until I can get a new one ordered, and to try the second place to get one of our gas tanks filled…. Whilst we were out wandering we came across a really scary road and an unusual takeaway eaterie……  Also saw a rasta man treating two puppy dogs really cruelly when washing them down in the sea – but in the area we were in with people watching, didn’t feel able to take him to task.  Tears welling….and Richard made me leave quickly feeling really sad.

When we came back on board Winfield was working in the cockpit, along with his employee Hanky, so we went down below, opened the hatches, turned on the fans, and read and dozed….. Some areas are now sanded and sealed……. Had a quiet night on board once they had left….

Bye for now.

Jan

Saturday woke up to a bright and sunny day and went ashore to have breakfast at the Gingerbread house… It was lovely – real china, pots of tea, fat toast and a nice omelette and sausages. What a treat! Wandered around a little more in Port Elizabeth and got some basic provisions from the local vendors. Also enjoyed watching the local lads play cricket on the beach.   Shocked at the price of bread and potatoes! Back on board and I have a lay down as my back is playing up a bit…. Richard was keeping himself amused with boat jobs and decided to change the filters in the water maker for the first time. Very soon after he started I get called to assist as water is pouring out into the bilges from the charcoal filter. Luckily it is fresh water so we know we are not going to sink but disconcerting to say the least – so I am put on bilge pump duty while Richard tries to sort it out. Finally a lightbulb moment and he realises that he has left the water pressure turned on – so flicks the switch and it all stops… Phew!!! After finally switching them out he decided – thankfully – not to tackle any more boat jobs today. In the evening we had Graeme and Margaret from Dockbrief onboard for sundowners. It was nice to have some company for a couple of hours. After they had left we turned in for an early night.

Sunday my back was still playing up so it was another boat job day. This was more successful as Richard managed to fix the bow running lights (again!), the arch flood light and the compass light – all were suffering from corrosion. He also serviced some winches and blocks that had been complaining under load. So a successful morning and we went for a wander around town in the afternoon. Being a Sunday this place was really quiet but we had a productive time in the FigTree using their free wifi doing some business on the internet and also fixed an island tour for Tuesday. Also enjoyed the sight of the new large neighbour that we had in the anchorage….   Back on board before dark to enjoy a nice sunset and a quiet evening after we had sorted all our gear out for diving in the morning.

Monday morning we were up really early and got ready for the dive boat to come alongside to pick us up. We did two dives – both reef drift dives for about 60 minutes each. Only three divers – including us – and two divemasters in the water. Great pristine dive sites with beautiful colourful soft corals and thousands upon thousands of tiny tropical fish….but no bigguns. Really weird – not even the usual suspects like large parrots and triggers… We did see two very large puffer fish, one large trigger fish, a reasonable sized barracuda and a lovely eagle ray…. But the lack of larger specimens didn’t really matter as the diving was great and we loved being surrounded by all these tiny little critters who were playing in our bubbles when they thought we weren’t watching! The divemaster had a speargun with him to kill any lionfish that we came across as they are really trying to eradicate this imported menace – the end result was Divemaster 5:0 Lionfish. They are also trying to get local fish to realise that they are tasty to eat – so we tried feeding some dead lionfish to some moral eels and lobsters but they weren’t really keen…… Before we got dropped off back on Morphie we organised to go again on Wednesday. After a relaxing afternoon on board we went out for dinner and had a nice quiet evening ashore for a change. It was lovely to sit on the balcony watching the night draw in having a cold glass of wine. The season is really coming to an end here – which is much earlier than normal – and very few boaters are actually going ashore to eat. Most of the waterfront restaurants and bars are empty all night – not sure how they survive…..

Tuesday morning our first job was to re-anchor. There were a few boats around us who we thought were a bit close – so we picked up and reset easily. Task achieved – and having checked we were secure in our new spot – we went ashore and met Elson and his little safari bus. First stop was Mount Pleasant where we could look back at the anchorage and then went on a circuitous route to Friendship Bay which is where the whale museum is located. Bequia is the only island in the Caribbean chain that retains its right to kill whales. They only kill humpbacks and only four kills are allowed per year. They also still use traditional methods in local wooden boats and harpoons. There is also a small island which they use to butcher the whales. Not sure how we feel about these beautiful creatures still being hunted but this goes back hundreds of years and every part of the animal is used – the oil, the meat and the blubber…. At least the Bequians have not granted rights to the Japanese who are very active over here trying to secure this through the injection of funds into various local building projects….

The island of Bequia is tiny – only seven miles long – with 6,000 people living here. It is volcanic and lush with vegetation – with very very expensive houses being built tucked into the hillside. Apparently if you can afford to buy and build then you are welcomed – irrespective of your nationality. So Elson pointed out houses that belonged to British, Latvian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, American, New Zealand, French, Canadian etc etc etc…. Interesting how it was easy to spot the British houses from the cultivated lawns, the white picket fences and pretty planted gardens along the verges…. Wasn’t sure how Elson felt about rich foreigners moving in – but he did say that they provided work and an income for locals as the houses needed to be built, maintained and landscaped along with other domestic type jobs…. The main industry here is fishing and tourism – with the local fishermen selling their catch to other islands in the St Vincent and the Grenadines chain. Most of the locals lived either in the fishing village or the capital and they looked to have reasonable brick properties – not the tin shacks without facilities that we have seen elsewhere… Funniest thing we saw was a cow attempting to have a drink from a swimming pool – not sure he was meant to be there! 

Stunning views abound as you go up and down the main road which is precariously cut along the cliff top at times…. including out to sea to Mustique, our next destination. The Atlantic coast looked pretty rough and beautiful too…. We visited a place called Moonhole which is where houses are all built purely from stone including all the furniture with no glass in the windows and no electricity or communications…. People either rent or buy here – everyone to their own. Stunning views out to sea as these properties nestle into the cliff. There is also another brand new development being built at this end of the island and we were lucky enough to have a quick look around – don’t think that even a lottery win would get us one of these!

Moving on we went to the turtle sanctuary – where they are looked after from birth through to five years old and they have been responsible for almost a 1,000 releases to date. The baby turtles are tiny and you have to be careful not to touch the water as this could make them ill with bacteria from our hands. But you are allowed to touch the bigger ones – and, guess what, they like being tickled!!! Honestly…. It was lovely to get close to such beautiful creatures… As we were leaving the sanctuary Richard spotted a pen of tortoises – so he got close to them too – I think the photos are great! And then we came across baby goats sleeping….. Really cute…

Back into Port Elizabeth and we stopped for a bit of lunch before heading back on board. Having a lazy afternoon in the cockpit enjoying the space around us – and guess what….grrrrr… – another catamaran drops his hook and sets his anchor so that we have lost our privacy again. What is it with these people???? Another 50 foot of chain and he would be sitting behind us. Oh well… Was going to go ashore for sundowners but couldn’t be bothered as we had a short rain shower so we have lifted dink up onto the davits and now are getting ready to go diving again tomorrow.

Bye for now….

Tuesday morning and – guess what – it’s raining again!  We do a few boat jobs and get Morphie ready to go to sea.  By sunset the weather looked like it was improving and we planned to go to the Boardwalk for the start of the Jazz festival as they had a live band playing – but the heavens opened again and it was torrential – it hammered down continuously. Decided not to bother and so stayed aboard for a quiet night. It was really really hot and humid with all the hatches closed and the rain was relentless pounding on the coachroof above our heads.  Not nice…

Wednesday morning and amazingly we have some signs of a blue sky behind white fluffy clouds – so looks like the front has finally moved away. Hurrah….  The water in the marina, however, was sludge brown due to the rain run off from all the hills around – yuck!!!!   We paid our marina fees, checked out of customs and got charged overtime fees again – didn’t know it was ‘labour day’ ie a bank holiday over here….grrrrr… Anyway, finally slipped away and first stop was the fuel dock for diesel and some petrol for dink and our Honda generator. As we had checked out already we were able to buy this duty free – didn’t make much of a difference, but made us feel better! Saw our friends Dan and Ruth’s catamaran Evensong on the hard so we patted her on the hull and wished her the best for the forthcoming hurricane season…

Finally left Rodney Bay marina around 11.15 am and motored out past Barrel of Beef rock (who makes up these names????)….and then got the sails out. Had a really nice reach right down to the Pitons where the wind died on us. The scenery is spectacular here…and we really can’t believe that we are anchored under one of the most beautiful sights we have seen in the Caribbean… And on our own boat… Pinch me now!!!!  Had a quiet (and dry!) night at anchor and were pleased to see that the marine police are patrolling this area as there have been problems in the past. Stayed on board – ate healthily for a change – and had an early night.

Up before the sun at 4.00 am and we set sail for Bequia at 4.45 am…. No dramas in the dark – although we did come across a cruise ship moving really really slowly towards Castries…. Said goodbye to St Lucia and the Pitons as the sun started to come up… Magical moment.

Sails up and flying between 6 and 7 knots in relatively flat seas on a beam reach… Winds relatively light to start with….    Wonderful sailing – still no dolphins or whales but hey…. Then as we almost reached the coast of St Vincent the seas and the winds picked up, which this area is renowned for….so we reefed down and enjoyed the ride. Weird though – as soon as we got into the lee of the land the wind completely died and there was nothing – then it switched to the other side – but still not enough to sail. So the engine went on and we had to motor down the coast of St Vincent. We decided not to stop in St Vincent as it has had so much bad press in terms of aggressive boat boys and security on board with numerous boat burglaries and dinghy thefts in recent months…. This was a shame as the island looked really pretty and dramatic from the coast and this is also another Pirates of the Caribbean filiming destination… Particularly Wallibou Bay where the film sets are still standing albeit not maintained….. 

Rounding the bottom of St Vincent the wind went southerly…. Guess what, we are going south!  Damn…..can’t sail this either…. And we are feeling weary so decide to continue to motor to reach our destination. After 10 hours at sea we finally reach Admiralty Bay, Bequia. As we were looking for a place to anchor we had to avoid the large turtle that kept surfacing in front of us – and also had to tell the local boat boy who was trying to sell us fresh lobster that we were a bit busy right now! Anyway….having set the hook easily…. we quickly tidy up ourselves and Morphie and go ashore to do customs. Guess what – more overtime fees!!!! After 4pm it is overtime… Oh well….never mind….let’s boost the local economy. But, to be fair, the process was pretty quick and easy and only cost us around £40 for a month’s stay!!!

Went ashore to Jack’s bar on Princess Margaret’s Beach for sundowners and admired the view across the anchorage. Then back on board for a quiet night…..and slept very well as the motion of being back on anchor rocked us to sleep….. 

Friday we were up at a reasonable hour, had a leisurely breakfast and had a snorkel around. Went ashore to dump some trash and to explore the town a bit – Port Elizabeth is the only real town on Bequia. For such a small place it is very noisy – the market in particularly loud – but no-one bothered us as tourists. Although loads of market stalls around selling t-shirts, jewellery and local crafts – there was no hard sell…. Quite refreshing after St Lucia – perhaps we have started to look like cruisers who are renowned for being tight!!!! Anyway….we went to the tourist office and got some brochures, fixed up some diving for Monday, and wandered down the shorefront walkway having a look at all the bars and restaurants that we may frequent while we are here….

This afternoon we had a bobbing time back at Jacks and got chatting to a local guy who was off fishing. we came back on board before dark and had a steak and salad dinner…. Then the fisherman turned up to sell us some fresh fish which he had also filleted for us – so we now have four sizeable fillets of fish in the freezer waiting for a tasting session later in the week. We are not sure what it is – but we were told it’s really tasty – but if you don’t hear from me again then you know why!?!?!

Saturday more boat jobs and more exploring planned…..

Bye for now

Jan

Tuesday was another beautiful sunny and hot day….so we spent most of the day by the pool…and got Mum bobbing in both the pool and the sea – with beer in hand – and she really enjoyed it!   Mum’s hotel room is great and has smashing views across both the pool and into the anchorage beyond….     As it’s Mum’s holiday we are giving her the choice where to eat each night along the tourist strip behind Reduit Beach.    Tonight it was the turn of Firegrill steak house – fantastic fantastic steak… bit pricey as it comes with nothing other than garnish so all veggies are extra…. But absolutely lovely meal and we all went home pretty happy and full.

Wednesday it was time for Mum to have another adventure! So in the middle of the afternoon – of another hot sunny day – we got Mum to travel in the dink to take her to visit Morphie. All went smoothly although she did look a bit nervous as she is frightened of being on water which out of her depth!  But she did well….bless…. So we gave her the grand tour of Morphie who was beautifully turned out and sparkling with her freshly polished hull and stainless steel… Then we went into the marina for sundowners at the Boardwalk bar – amazed by the beautiful sky this evening – and then back on board for dinner. Only a pasta dish but we had a really nice evening in the cockpit before putting her in a cab back to her hotel. Really pleased that she has met Morphie as we have gone on and on and on about her for so long now!!!!

Thursday and the weather turned again….  Richard stayed on Morphie this morning to get on with some boat jobs and give me and Mum some girlie time…    So we were in and out of the pool in the sun and then, finally, up to her room to sit on the balcony and watch the torrential rain. But we made the most of it and, in the evening (along with a huge golfing umbrella!), went to the Chinese. Wow….it was fantastic. A great meal and we went back to the beach bar at Mum’s hotel for final drinks of the night. Lovely end to a nice day, despite the weather.

Friday night was another unsettled day with rain on and off. But hey who cares….we are on a family holiday. So again dodged the rain showers and in the evening took off to the local jump up in Gros Islet where we ate local food and drank too much rum!!!! Enjoyed the dancing; the singing; the drummers; the loud loud music; the company of a great couple from NY that we met; and these old party goers made the most of it. Got home very very late and all a bit wrecked.

Saturday morning we had organised a boat trip to take Mum down the east coast to give her a flavour of our cruising life…. So we had planned for her to come by taxi to the marina for 9.00 am….for a 10.00 am departure on Maliki’s boat. Well – she turned up – but she looked like death warmed up and we weren’t much better. However, we just had a well-deserved hangover, Mum was really ill (and not through the drink) and was near tears.    Clearly she wasn’t going to be able to make it today – and not an option to reschedule as she was leaving tomorrow…  A real disappointment and we felt that we couldn’t let Maliki down as, at this stage, he couldn’t get anybody else to book the trip.  So we put Mum back in a taxi to her hotel with strict instructions to go back to bed – and went on the trip without her.  It was really interesting to see hotels nestling into the lush scenery, to pass through rock formations and to go into the bat cave which is only accessible by boat. And we certainly wouldn’t have gone that close to rocks in Morphie – that takes serious local knowledge!!!!  So despite our hangovers we had a great trip down to Marigot and back and returned to Mum’s hotel for the afternoon.

Mum had managed to sleep it off, and although still fragile, we enjoyed the rest of the day together. None of us was in the mood to eat a huge meal on Saturday night but wanted to go out as it was our last night together. So we ended up eating waterfront at the Tapas Bar – which overlooks the lagoon – but then had to run inside to escape the torrential rain again….. A nice small meal picking at a nice selection –  we then headed off back to Rehab – the bar not the facility – and had our last cocktails together before bed.

Sunday morning – Mum’s last day – and the rain was still coming down and hadn’t stopped all night…. So we headed over to the hotel by taxi rather than by dink and ended up spending the time in her room on the balcony – playing cards and having a bit of a laugh. But then the time came to go – and we helped her down with her case to wait for her transfer. Oh yes, forgot island time.

Eventually (after the hotel reception chased down the rep) the minibus turned up at 2.50pm. Only 45 minutes late… And now it was time to say goodbye… Oh dear – this was difficult – and I ended up in tears again. Have really enjoyed seeing Mum and ended up waving goodbye shouting out see you at the end of August…which is when we get home this season.   Felt a bit low – and still in the rain – we returned quietly to the marina.  Richard treated me to a proper roast beef and Yorkshire pudding lunch – a little bit of home comfort was gratefully received – and we ended up just going back to Morphie and having a real quiet non-alcohol day.

Monday morning again it’s raining – this is really getting me down now – as the boat feels damp and it is so difficult to get stuff cleaned. But time to get back into gear – so we headed out to the supermarket for some major provisioning as we need to start eating on board again!!! – and did other boat jobs like the laundry and marking the anchor chain. Went ashore for an hour or so for sundowners – still with rain all around – and then back on board for a quiet dinner and evening.

This morning – guess what, it’s still raining!!!!  Grrrrrrr….    More boat jobs today and time to get ready to go back to sea.   Planning to leave for an anchorage near the Pitons tomorrow and then on to Bequia.   But all depends on weather of course.  Will keep you posted.

Bye for now

Jan

Tuesday night and Morphie is looking sparkling and clean – at least on the outside!!!  We go out for sundowners expecting to come back on board for dinner, but the heavens opened and we had no jackets or brollies. So we ran to the nearest restaurant – a Thai – and had dinner out instead. By bed time it was still raining so we got soaked making our way back on board.

Wednesday….heavens opened again…..and we carry on doing boat jobs down below like the internal stainless steel and scrubbing the heads…..    So now Morphie is sparkling clean inside as well….  During the afternoon the weather cleared up – hurrah – and we went ashore for happy hour.  We’ve found a waterside bar doing a promotion of a bucket of five beers for £5, happy days….    But again, we end up being stranded in the rain but this time we just legged it, got back soaked, and had a quiet night aboard.  But whilst sitting it out we were entertained by the lady carrying her little dog in a bag looking like Dougall from Magic Roundabout!

Thursday and it was raining again.  Oh dear, mum flies in today for 10 days holiday, so hope the sun comes out before she lands…. After a morning of boat jobs, getting some laundry done, we head off round to her hotel and await her arrival. Feel quite choked up and emotional. Stupid girl!   Anyway, she finally arrives around 4pm, I get her checked in and quickly unpacked and settled – lovely huge room with a great view over the pool and the sea beyond. Quite jealous of the air conditioning and a king-size bed that doesn’t move! Down to the beach bar to meet up with Richard and we have a really nice happy hour reunion sipping champagne before we leave her to catch up on her sleep….

Friday morning we head over to her hotel and it’s still a bit miserable – so have coffee in the lounge debating what to do. Then, luckily, the sun came out so we had a lazy pool day. Mum and I particularly enjoyed the very hot Jacuzzi…. We left her to it around 4pm and went back to Morphie to get washed and brushed up for a night out. We all decided that we didn’t want dinner as we had had a very late lunch in her hotel earlier around the pool – so went on a bit of a pub crawl down the Rodney Bay strip behind the Reduit Beach hotels. We ended the evening in a bar called Rehab which was local and rustic. Mum thought the sight of people using Segways as their transport pretty funny! After a really chilled evening, we made sure Mum was tucked up safely back at her hotel and returned back to the marina and Morphie.

During the night the heavens opened again….and our idea of a beach day on Saturday really wasn’t going to work. We know that we will just end up sitting around playing cards or something so we decided to hire a car for a couple of days rather than the original plan of taking tours with guides. So went and picked mum up from her hotel in our little car.  As well as rain it is very humid and not quite what we had in mind when we planned for mum to visit in the DRY season!  Oh well, what can you do, apart from have a good time?  We were surprised at the industrial side of Castries, amazed at the lush rainforest interior, and many many banana plantations.  During the day we went to Marigot Bay for lunch – a pretty anchorage with a swanky resort and a mangrove swamp making it a good hurricane hole.

Driving down the west Caribbean coast we navigated through Soufriere and had our first views of the Pitons. In the poor weather conditions hanging over the mountains they looked real sinister!  And the wind and rain was coming down virtually horizontal so we could see the palm trees bending and hanging onto the side of mountains for dear life! 

Driving around these crazy roads – not all of them in good condition – up and down and around and through small villages with loads of dogs barking at us, cows tethered and the occasional goat. Loads of Seventh Day Adventist churches too with very loud sermons being heard along the way…. Along with the strange sight of a naked man just standing there with his arms open to the heavens and enjoying the rain… Not quite what I expected to see but hey, everyone to their own!

Going round the bottom of the island we reached the Atlantic sea on the east coast and it was rough, with loads of reefs and rollers coming in….. This was a very different landscape and almost scrubland – but faster roads, so made it back to the marina at a reasonable hour. Introduced Morphie to mum for the very first time…with mum really amused by the visiting fruit and veg man!   Anyway, we had sundowners on board before heading off into the marina for dinner and some live jazz music. Nice evening had by all….

Sunday morning we have the car for another day and this time are planning to hit some of the tourist hot spots. The day started encouragingly with even a bit of blue in the sky – hurrah! However, it was short lived, and by the time we got to our first stop at the botanical gardens we were getting wet again – although this time we were prepared with an umbrella and jackets! Had a great walk through the gardens marvelling at some of the beautiful flowers and enjoyed the trail. At the end of the trail was the Diamond waterfall which does not allow bathing as it has large mineral / metal deposits within the water. Not hugely impressive but worth seeing. After this we went to the public baths which are fed by the naturally hot spring water – and are supposed to have youthful properties. Well we bathed for a while in this beautiful hot natural water and we are all 10 years younger now!

Leaving the botanical gardens behind we drove through Soufriere towards the drive-in volcano and went up to the information centre and watched a short film about how the sulphur springs and hot geysers were formed. Really interesting…then we walked around the crater and took in the amazing sight. Hard to believe you are in the middle of a volcanic crater. Then it was onto the high light of the trip – playing around in the hot mud pools. As you can see we had a bit of a laugh here and, yes, Richard did eventually wash his face! Oh yes, and you might want to know, that the temperature in this pool was really really hot….like a bath. We haven’t felt this clean since we left home in November!!!

We then went to the swanky Ladeera resort and had lunch with an amazing backdrop of the most spectacular view of the Pitons and the anchorage below. Amazing buffet and even better deserts and we all left here completely full… Back to mum’s hotel and we had sundowners – in the rain – at the beach bar before leaving her to an early night and back on board ourselves for an early night pretty shattered.

Monday morning we woke up and – hurrah, at last!!!! – the sun is out…  So we quickly dinked round to mum’s beach having a quick look at the fishing boats in Gros Islet in the channel and then spent the day by the pool and bobbing on the beach.   Last night we went out for a curry.  Perfect end to a perfect day.   Fingers crossed that this weather continues for the rest of her trip.

Bye for now.

Thursday morning we were up and about pretty early and headed out in our little car – this time into the interior around the bottom half of the island. First stop was a lookout place called Morne Gommier which had amazing 360 degree panoramic views… This was a pretty enterprising local lady who had built concrete steps and a viewing platform high above her house along with a little bar and a pretty selection of plants – and charged €2 for the privilege of climbing up to see the views. You know what – good luck to her – it was worth every penny !!!

Coming down we decided to cut across inland following a little road on the map….well, guess what, we found the vertical climbs again reminiscent of Dominica and we even ran out of tarmac. Our little hire car was really not built for this and there were a few hairy moments when the occasional car came the other way and Richard had to resort to first gear just to stop us sliding backwards. But despite all that it was great fun – and we did see some goats and those really pretty (but skinny) cows.  As a bonus, we even ended up where we thought we would….

Back on the Atlantic coast we followed a road towards a range of beaches – driving for about 20 minutes down a dirt track – and suddenly, out of nowhere, was a selection of villas some of which were occupied, others padlocked firmly shut whilst many were only building shells…..and all just plonked there in the middle of nowhere…with no facilities of any description.  Wondered whether these are holiday places rather than residential homes, but even so???  It was all a bit strange to be honest.   Eventually we ended up finding the beaches but we didn’t hang around for long…. instead we headed back towards our end of the island.

Driving around we really enjoyed the sights and sounds of Martinique with luscious greenery, colourful planted verges on the main roads and the complete contrast between three-lane motorways and concrete / dirt tracks. One of the things that really stood out though was the huge amount of unfinished housing construction around…. difficult to tell whether this was a housing boom and bust or just a boom…. but with the lack of building activity and/or materials I suspect the former. And you had to feel for the people who were living in their new apartments next to shells of others that hadn’t been completed. Oh well I guess the economic downturn has hit everywhere….. Another long tiring day so back on board for a quiet night.

Friday morning we returned the car – although we frustratingly had to wait 25 minutes for them to open the office – clearly on island time!!! Then off to get some last minute fresh provisions and into the marina office to check out of Martinique with customs for our next destination…. Decided that we would rather jump off from Sainte Anne than Marin so picked up our hook and went around the corner…. Got a good set first time and enjoyed a swim off the back in nice water. Did a few boat jobs and then went ashore for sundowners…and bumped into Cutter Loose and Dragon’s Toy, fellow island packeteers… We haven’t seen Eric and Pat since Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands which seems like a lifetime ago now. Anyway, we enjoyed visiting with them for an hour or so and then went back on board to watch our final Martinique sunset – which didn’t let us down with gorgeous colours again…

Saturday morning we slipped out of Sainte Anne for our run down to St Lucia. Aurevoir Martinique….

We had an amazing reach – at last!!! – and the wind stayed in the low 20s all the way. Absolutely fantastic stuff…although a few large rogue waves hit us on the side…but we had a great time and made the 24 miles in four hours even though we were being swept away from our destination by the tide… Still no whales or dolphins though. Oh well, a girl can’t have everything!

Arrived at Rodney Bay marina, St Lucia – where we have booked a slip – and we can’t raise them on the VHF.So we ended up going through the narrow entrance, completely through the marina and eventually into the lagoon where we picked up a mooring ball. Dinked into the marina to find customs shut for lunch – but by the time we had sorted out our slip in the marina office they had reopened…. Bit laborious to say the least. Back to Morphie, slipped the mooring, and then proceeded to our slip. As we did this we realised that huge numbers of World Arc Rally boats had come in all parading loads of flags…. This is the destination for the end of the Arc – a 16 month circumnavigation – and we turned up just at the time they came in.. No wonder there was no-one answering the radio! Never mind – we are set now and Morphie enjoyed being tied up to a nice full-length pontoon for a change.   And, as an aside, none of those horrible pilings either…..

Went ashore for a bite to eat – wow, the difference in price was staggering! So enjoyed a cheap meal and even cheaper beer – £1.50 a bottle here in St Lucia versus £4 in Martinique…. Think we are going to like it here – just as well as we are committed to staying quite a while as Mum is flying out on Thursday to join us here.. Really looking forward to seeing her….

Sunday we explored a little just to get a feel for the place – including having a look at Mum’s hotel and securing permission for us to use their facilities when she’s here – and went supermarket shopping again which had a great range of provisions, including baked beans….  I’m a happy camper now as my supply had been exhausted about a month ago….   Anyway, nice pool and jacuzzi – can see us spending some relaxing time here on our ‘family holiday’!

On the road between the shopping centre (which is near where dink gets tied up) and the hotel on Reduit beach there are loads and loads of different restaurants including Indian, Chinese, Steakhouses and numerous local hostelries…. Don’t think finding somewhere to dine is going to be a problem. Back in the marina we are getting some of the local guys to quote for giving Morphie a bit of a spruce up….  First quotes are hugely inflated and we resign ourselves to doing the work – but the second one is much more realistic (and affordable!) so that all starts on Tuesday.  

Monday we do normal boat stuff including duty free shopping at the chandlery….    We caught up with internet stuff (although the marina signal is really weak and flaky)…. and I spoilt myself by having a massage in the spa.   Really really good…   During the course of the day we ended up being invited to an ‘end of dock’ party so I prepared some appetisers (this time it was breaded prawns and a sweet chilli dip) and we went along.  Met loads of cruisers, had a really chilled evening even in the drizzly rain, and eventually returned to Morphie for a restful night’s sleep.

It’s now Tuesday and Vision has started work on Morphie…  Richard is doing an oil change and I’m still indulging myself with internet catch ups and a much needed haircut.    When I’ve posted this I’m heading back on board to do a spruce up of the internal stainless steel….  

Bye for now

Saturday morning – in between rain showers – we went ashore to explore a bit more of Sainte Anne. We trekked up the long winding path to the shrine. At each turn on this steep path there was a small shrine which depicted various stages of the final journey Jesus made bearing his burden of the cross. Clearly this is a place of significant worship for the people of Sainte Anne as each of these little shrines were maxed out with candles… At the top the big shrine was closed up behind padlocked gates so we were didn’t get to see what was in there….but the view from the top of the hill across the anchorage was worth it alone.

Saturday afternoon we headed back to our favourite beach and Richard tried out the rum punch whilst I was far more attracted to the taster deserts served with expresso… Yumm… We also went for a few walks people watching and came across aqua basketball, which looked like a lot of fun. We had a quiet night on board watching the sun go down….

Sunday we were woken by serious downpours of rain which continued for most of the day on and off so we spent a few hours underneath Morphie cleaning her bottom of growth which had accumulated at a frightening rate of knots…something to do with the very eco-friendly US anti-foul paint that doesn’t do its job properly…. If we had left it much longer we could have opened our own dive site!!!!  Definitely something to change when she has been hauled out this season – which we have now finally organised for Grenada. After more boat jobs we went ashore just for sundowners for a couple of hours and then retired back on board just in time to watch another sunset as the rain clouds continue to move around us.

Monday morning we picked up our anchor and moved to Marin – which is one of the Caribbean’s largest yacht centres. The Marin Yacht Harbour is huge with over 600 berths and a range of charter boat companies are also based here. The anchorage around the marina is also huge – but loads of shoals to watch out for – not to mention the sheer volume of boats. We did try to get anchored relatively close to the channel but there really wasn’t room so we opted for a longer dinghy ride in and snuck away to the back of the mooring field behind a shoal where we set happily.

In the afternoon we explored and managed to spend some money in the chandlery buying up some more bits and pieces…. Whilst out and about we came across some old ruins in front of the church and the cemetery where most of the graves have little houses built on top of them with windows, wall tiles, locked doors etc making them look like multi-storey shrines…. Interesting.  Monday evening we were not impressed by the boat who came in late and dropped his anchor a bit too close to us – then he let out just enough chain so that he was level with our cockpit and now we have no privacy. Grrrrr….. We always try to be considerate of other cruisers when we drop our anchor and it annoys us when others don’t return the favour….

Again Tuesday was a bit cloudy and rainy at times. Having breakfast we were entertained by the massive yacht transporter who sits high in the water – then gradually sinks as they pump water into the stern so that the yachts can be motored inside – and then it rises up getting ready to go to sea. Amazing that huge motor superyachts were being loaded as these are clearly ocean going vessels, we were left wondering why they transported them like this rather than just driving them wherever they wanted to go? Apparently it is £10k for a 40 foot monohull to be shipped across the Atlantic so I can’t envisage how much it would cost them for this service!

Time to get on so we went ashore with loads of washing and spent a few hours in the laverie marvelling at the machine on the wall that takes money and starts the machines according to the number you punch in. Was a great system – would have helped if the instructions had been in English as well as French though! But I managed to work it out although it took a little while…… After returning to Morphie with lovely clean and dry stuff we headed back out to visit Leader Price for provisions – a huge supermarket with its own dinghy dock. This had come highly recommended by a few people, but I was disappointed with the selection, although what they had was good value. On the dink trips today we were amazed by how many dead or abandoned boats that were around – some still tied to docks and others to the mangroves. Seemed a bit odd that the harbour / township would just let them rot in the water… Oh well… Back on board for another quiet night…and a lovely homemade Chicken Jalfrezi!

Wednesday we hired a car in the morning for a couple of days – a baby Renault Twingo. We were amazed as we drove away from Marin on the main road. Are you sure we are in the Caribbean? Three lanes of motorway through industrial and shopping centre areas and traffic jams too. Not what we were expecting at all!

We headed north bypassing Fort de France – the capital city – and ended up driving through St Pierre to visit the sciences museum which has been built in a modern style and, apparently, it is hurricane and earthquake proofed. This museum is at the foot of Mount Pelee and pays homage to the devastation caused by the 1902 eruption. At the ticket office we were asked by the guy whether we were over 60 years old because then we could have concession tickets. I said no, we wanted to pay full price… He clearly wasn’t convinced that I understood the question because then he sent out his English-speaking colleague to ask us again. Not impressed – really?!?!?  Anyway she then gave us listening devices that would be our electronic tour guides as all documentation here is in French only. They were useful and we learnt a lot – including the scientists’ views on global warming and the impact across the world….

Leaving this building the heavens have opened up again and we dash for the car and drive up the mountain. As we move away from the main roads we are amazed to find that even the roads into the interior of the island – albeit narrow, windy and almost vertical in places – are still tarmac. We drove as far as you can get by car to the top of the mountain and we were in the clouds which masked any chance of getting a view! But at least we did it…and the mist did clear a bit later on so we did manage to get some mountain shots…. The funniest thing we saw on the way up was a really sweet looking little grey and white cow sleeping in the bus stop – but didn’t get a photo and when we came back down she had moved. Shame!

Heading away from the mountain we crossed the interior and continued to be amazed by this island. It is relatively rich in that houses are all of decent construction and appear to have power and water – not like the corrugated shanty towns that we have seen on other islands. Also the land has been extremely well cultivated with banana plantations everywhere and rolling fields and the photos could easily have been taken in Wales!!  But all around are lush tropical plants, beautiful gardens and the odd glimpse of rainforest here and there. Amazing diversity and really enjoyed the ride. Over on the Atlantic side heading back down the coast it is quite dramatic with indented bays, little islands and huge Atlantic rollers running up the beaches. A really good day and hope you enjoy some of the photos:

We have another day touring the island planned again for tomorrow.   But for now, we are absolutely shattered, so back on board for a quiet night.  Night night…

Jan