Author: bearcruzer

Married June 20th, 2009, Rented the House, Sold Everything and Left Pagosa Springs July 5th for an Extended Honeymoon in our Motorhome. We plan to travel around and look for a sailboat to spend the next couple of years sailing in the Caribbean. We hope you will join us on our adventures.

Lord Nelson’s Stompin Grounds

bearcruzer

Nov 13th – 14th

We made our way from Guadeloupe, north to Antigua.   As usual we dropped our lines in the water on the passage and soon the shout of “Fish On” was heard.   Mike brought in a nice Kingfish.   It put up quite a fight for the first few minutes and then suddenly stopped fighting and he brought it aboard easily.   Apparently we are not the only ones who enjoy the taste of Kingfish.    It was nice of it to only take the tail and leave us the majority of the filet.     Upon our arrival in Historic English Harbor, Antigua we reconnected with our friends aboard s/v Faith who we had first met in Tobago.   They are based in South Africa but are back here in Antigua at the request of a former employer and are working through the paperwork to obtain a work permit for continued employment here, not an easy task.    They are a wonderful family and we enjoyed our time together sharing stories and swapping movies.   They filled us in on the local amenities, hikes, food, and customs here, which is always a blessing when arriving at a place we have never been before.    We checked in with Customs and Immigration and took a walk across to Falmouth Harbor where we ran into Susie from s/v Queen Emma.    We stopped for a happy hour drink at the Mad Mongoose Bar and upon returning to the boat found s/v Diana had caught up with us once again.     We spent the weekend hiking around the ruins of Fort Berkely.  The trails here are not well maintained and now that we are back on the drier Islands much of the vegetation is scrub and shrubs with long thorns making the walk nearly impassable without good shoes.   As we picked our way carefully through the scrub we could see and smell evidence of the many goats who are the main users of these trails.   As we hiked the ridges we startled more than one group of them relaxing in the shade causing them to bleat in protest before reluctantly moving away from us.   We also spent some enjoyable hours learning about the history of the area as we wandered through the beautifully restored Nelsons Dockyard here in English Harbor.   Named after the Famous Lord Nelson who was stationed here in 1784.   The museum gives a wonderful glimpse into the life of Nelson and of the English Sailors who lived and worked on the Islands in the late 1700’s.   Their living conditions were less than accommodating.   Clothes washed once weekly in saltwater after being soaked in urine (thought to remove stains).  Mosquitoes were insufferable.   Those that didn’t die from dengue or yellow fever often succumbed to ailments brought on or exacerbated by alcoholism.   Sailors were issued a gallon of beer everyday much of which would go bad because of the heat.    Clean fresh water was in short supply and so was mixed with rum to make it drinkable.   Those that were unfortunate enough to contract more severe cases of these diseases or were severely injured in the course of their duties were normally finished off by the barbaric medical practices of the Fort hospital.  Bloodletting  and massive doses of heavy metals were the treatments of the era.  These treatments compounded by lack of knowledge regarding hygiene and sterile surgical procedures pretty much guaranteed that those who ended up there had a one way ticket to the grave.

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Sailing Pink Waters

bearcruzer

Nov 12th

We left Les Saintes before sunrise headed to Deshaise, Guadeloupe.  I love leaving at this time of day when the weather and waves are settled.      As we pulled away from the anchorage, the waters around the boat reflected the colors of the skies and we found ourselves sailing on a sea of pink.   The pictures don’t do it justice.   It was awe inspiring to watch the colors change and become even more beautiful and dramatic as the sun crept over the top of the Island behind us.    The sunrises out here,  take my breath away even more often than do the sunsets.    We arrived in Deshaise,  Guadeloupe around noon  and s/v Diana arrived a couple of hours later.   We spent the afternoon taking a walk around town and hiked up to the botanical gardens only to find that they wanted $20.00 US per person just to walk through them.   Not in the budget.  We walked back down the hill stopping at a small resort to snap a couple photos and then back into town where we picked up a couple of baguettes to take back to the boat.   We did not have any cash with us but Mike did have his CC.    When we placed our meager groceries on the counter we were informed we did not have the minimum purchase amount to use it.   So Mike in his wisdom sacrificed and grabbed a bottle of rum off the shelf to meet the minimum.  What we won’t do for a tasty baguette.

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Les Saintes

bearcruzer

Click above for music

Nov 11th

On to Iles des Saintes or more easily,  Les Saintes.    The light and shadows from the bow of DD caught my attention and I attempted to capture this alien yet interesting perspective it offered.   We buddy boated with s/v Diana and as always dropped our fishing lines in the water for the trip between islands.     We had one good hit but lost the fish.    Ken had a really big hit when a French Charter Catamaran cut sharply behind his boat just outside of Les Saints taking out both lines and lures including his new birthday lure.   We watched as it looked as though they then may have been having trouble with their steering which can happen when you have 200lb test around your rudders.    We saw them in the anchorage later and so assumed they had worked through the situation.    If my French was better, I would have attempted to see it they were able to salvage the lures they took from him.     Mike continued to work on the Wind Transducer and took a couple of shots from the top of the mast.     It was nice to be back in Les Saintes.     In my opinion it is the most picturesque of the French Islands.   The church bells ring on the hour.  The colorful buildings are all trimmed in gingerbread details and the walks and historical fortresses are all impressive and beautiful.

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Back to Portsmouth, Dominique

bearcruzer

Nov 10th

We spent the day sailing up to Portsmouth Dominique and were met as usual by a boat boy looking to drum up some business.  The cruising season is just getting started again and so many are hungry for work.   He was disappointed when we told him we only deal with ALEXIS when anchored in Portsmouth.   His look of disappointment was obvious on his face as he pulled slowly away from our boat.   We anchored off of the Purple Turtle where we had access to WiFi last time only to find that they now have their site secured and we will have to pay for internet if we want it.   Alexis came by the boat with his nephew and protégé Donell who gave us a big smile when we addressed him by name.    We explained to him that we would only be staying overnight and would not be needing any supplies or tours this time around.  We had enjoyed his tour of the Indian River when we were here last June.  To anyone spending time in Portsmouth ,  we highly recommend his services if you are in need information or a knowledgeable guide to show you around Dominique.  He is licensed and certified and very professional.    We enjoyed a quiet evening and awoke to find our friends Ken and Katy from s/v Diana anchored near us.  They had caught up with us and had arrived around midnight.   They too are headed back north to their home port of St. John USVI.

Time to move!

bearcruzer

Nov 9th – 10th

As happens more and more frequently,  Mike decided, today was the day and now was the time, to get on the move north.   We said a quick farewell to our friends on s/v DaniellStorey and s/v Diana who do not find our impromptu decisions unusual in the least.   We checked out and left La Marin within a couple hours and traveled up the leeward coast of Martinique to the little town of St. Pierre.   It used to be called the Little Paris of the Caribbean but was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1902.  The only survivors out of 29,935 people were a man who happened to be in his cellar and a prisoner who was in a windowless jail cell.   Much of the town is built upon the ruins of the old city.    We arrived just before sunset and anchored just south of the main dock.   The swell was rather large but was supposed to be subsiding over the next few hours.   We had just enough time to drop Mighty Mouse and take a quick jaunt into town for some great sunset photos from the boardwalk.    With the swells it took a bit of maneuvering and some timing to climb from the dingy onto the dock but we managed alright.   We walked a bit enjoying the ambiance of this quaint little laid back town.   We had a somewhat rolly night sleeping but by morning the swells had begun to subside and we were awakened early by the ringing of the church bells and the bustle of the residents of St. Pierre who are up and busy early in the morning.

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A Change in Plans

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While staying in Martinique, we received an e-mail from Mike’s friend and ex-boss  Chris Angel on St. John.  He offered us a housesitting job and asked Mike if he was interested in working for a bit as an electrician again.    Chris was diagnosed with Cancer last summer shortly after he and Mike had raced in Foxy’s wooden boat regatta.   We had made the offer to them at that time to help them if they needed anything.     They had the situation covered but with the decision to remain in the United States to complete his chemotherapy he and Elsa thought they may be able to use our help after all.   It will help us out as well.   Not working for the last year and ½ along with numerous boat repairs, etc. has depleted the cruising kitty to an alarmingly low number.    Working through the winter on St. John should help us replenish the account a little and allow us to continue with this lifestyle for a bit longer.    Chris and Elsa plan on returning to St. John at the end of March or Early April at which time we plan on resuming our adventures.    So it’s back to the working world.    Yuck! The W word.   Not sure what I will do for work but it will be interesting living on land again.   Ken and Katy on s/v Diana who are from St. John and who have become good friends, offered us an extra mooring in Great Cruz Bay to keep DD on, so she will have a place to stay as well.      So north we go.    Home to St. John, at least for a little while.

Martinique Magnifique!

bearcruzer

  Click above for Music.

Nov 4 – 8th

We reached La Marin, Martinique along with our friends on s/v DaniellStorey,  s/v Songbird, and s/v Diana.   We found that our wind indicator had been damaged by Hurricane Tomas and so we spent the next few days hauling Mike up and down the mast while he and Ken attempted to repair and reinstall it.    We have direction now but still no windspeed reading.   We also took this opportunity to reprovision our wine celler with French wines and stock up on the many of the wonderful cheeses and other delicacies we can only find in the French Islands.  On Sunday morning Michelle and I headed out for a walk.   We found ourselves meandering down a couple of side streets and through a quaint neighborhood.  We continued on over a hill into a beautiful little green valley with a small stream running through it.    We could see from a distance a road lined with royal palms and decided to head in that direction.   Michellle then spotted what she thought might be a Sandbox tree up on a hill across a pasture.   The Sandbox Tree has a seed that is naturally shaped like a dolphin and Michelle uses these in her jewelry making.    She asked me if I was adventurous and if I wanted to cross the pasture to check it out.   Me Adventurous!?      We hopped the fence hoping that there was not a large bull lurking somewhere out of site and proceeded to make our way across the field.  We had to ford part of the stream that ran through the valley but finally climbed the hill to the Tree.   It was indeed a Sandbox Tree but it did not have any seed pods on or around it.  Perhaps it only fruits at certain times of the year.   Michelle and I made our way back across field and stream and over the fence with only wet feet  and smiles to show for our efforts.    We walked back to town and along the beach where the local yacht club was having a get together.  They had food, and music playing.  Kids and Adults were taking turns sailing in the local boats around the harbor.    Everyone seemed to be having a great time.    We stopped off at the local crafts market and admired some of the work of a local Calabash artist and jewelry maker.  He and Michelle conversed in French.  Michelle is becoming more fluent every day.    I am very envious and have asked Mike for a French Phrase book so I can learn some before we return to these Islands.    It can be frustrating at times not knowing the words for common things and trying to figure out what we are buying in the grocery store is, much of the time, by trial and error.  Thanks to those of you who responded to my facebook request for useful French phrases.   Some of which might even come in handy.   Mike keeps asking me what things are when we are shopping, and I can only reply, “Your guess is as good as mine”.

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Fishing Fiasco

bearcruzer

Nov 4

A Sportfishing tournament hosted by the Rodney Bay Marina that had to be postponed during the hurricane did take place within a couple of days after the storm.   Mike got a few shots of the start of the tournament when the mass of boats took off from the bay in a cloud of diesel smoke and large wakes.  We would dred the mornings and afternoons when the teams of boats would leave or return to the marina as the large wakes would cause DD to rock violently at anchor.   We did enjoy listening to the radio transmissions from the Sports fishermen when they hooked up or landed a big fish.   When we left St. Lucia headed for Martinique we rigged our fishing lines and dropped them into the water.   The weather was a bit unpredictable and just as a big squall hit so did a fish on our line.   I yelled” fish on” and took the helm while Mike began reeling in the fish.       I can’t say we are as accomplished as those sports fisherman.    We proceeded through a comedy of errors to bring in our catch.   As the rain and wind pelted Mike he yelled “It feels big,  better get the gaff.”   I locked the wheel in place and went below to get the Gaff and when I returned to the cockpit DD was heading in a different direction.   I brought her back on course when the fish broke the surface and Mike yelled again “It’s got a Spike!”   Marlin, Swordfish, Sailfish?   In our excitement, we had completely forgotten the other line in the water and the fish proceeded to swim over it.   Now we had two lines to contend with.   Again I locked in the wheel and went to hold the fishing rod while Mike precariously climbed up the Davits and brought the other pole and line to the same side of the boat to untangle it from the first.    Again DD wandered off course in yet another direction.   This was repeated twice more when Michael said,  “I’m going to need my pliers”  and then “get me some gloves”.    I, of course, had to grab the camera to document this auspicious event.     Meanwhile back at the helm, DD continued behaving like a beagle off leash and at one point was even heading back in the opposite direction.  Our friends watching from their boats thought we must really be fighting something big to be making all these obscure maneuvers.    Mike finally brought the little Sailfish to the back of the boat and with gloves on and pliers in hand, released it.   It was tired but swam gratefully away.   This was the perfect example of a learning experience at its best.   Lesson 1) After locking in the wheel in place,  PRESS THE BUTTON to activate the Autohelm,  Duh!…..the boat will remain on course.    Lesson 2)  When one line has a fish on,  reel in the other so it doesn’t interfere with the first thus avoiding the need to perform death defying acrobatics in less than stellar conditions while your partner is frantically praying.      Lesson 3) Have everything needed to bring in a big fish or to release it, in the cockpit and at the ready so as not to have to rummage below, causing sudden bouts of stress induced Turrets’ Syndrome.     Or maybe just Don’t Fish when it is stormy out………Naaaaaaw!  Not an option!

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A story worth retelling!

bearcruzer

November 2 – 4

With the seas calming down, we opted to move DD off the docks at Rodney Bay Marina.  Although power was available to some yachts we were never able to get it working at our dock.   The entire Island is without running water except for what is caught or stored in individual cisterns.   The local radio station broadcasts a continuous series of how to gather and sanitize water to drink as well as requests for assistance and where to drop off food, clothes, bottled water, etc. for those less fortunate.  We took a walk with Ken and Katy of s/v Diana around the town.   Rodney Bay is better off than much of the Island, as power has been restored to many of the homes and business.   It is interesting seeing how many have had to adjust their business practices to continue to function without running water.    We did find one working restroom in the new mall but most public restrooms are closed.     We walked up around the point on what appeared to be a well maintained trail.  It turned out it is maintained for use by people who want to rent Segue’s for a low impact Island Adventure.   We got same experience for a lot less money and got some exercise to boot!   As we made our way along the path I was saddened to see a small dead hummingbird on the trail, the smallest victim of Tomas.    We continued on and came across a couple of men working to clear a small mudslide that had blocked part of the trail.   We talked to them for a few minutes, inquiring after their families and they were happy to tell us they were all well and making do without fresh water.    When we asked where the trail led?  They said up to the rock face fishpond.   When we asked what was beyond that.   We were told we shouldn’t go further as “there be Jumbies up their Mon and it not be Safe”.     After our hike, we stopped at a beach bar on our way back to our boats where we ran into a group of Americans who we learned had been constructing a series of zip lines for a tour company in the forest outside the town of Soufriere.     With massive mudslides and loss of life, Soufriere was the hardest hit town in St. Lucia.   This bunch were an interesting group of rugged mountain men,  many of which were heavily tattooed with menacing artwork.  They regaled us with their story of their time here on St. Lucia.    They told us of awakening one morning to find they had been robbed.  They reported the robbery to the local authorities and then decided that they would use their tracking skills to see if they might locate the thief themselves and retrieve some of their belongings.     The trail led from their bungalow into the forest, where the men discovered an intricate well hidden system of trails, water catchment systems and hideouts.   They knew they were on the right trail when they came across some of their own paperwork from a stolen briefcase.    When the thief saw this mud covered undaunted group of strangers coming toward him he took off running and the chase began.    They tracked and chased this elusive Island bushman through the forest for 5 days and nights, at times having to double back to pick up his trail.    This accomplished thief, who previously had always been able to slip into the forest to elude the authorities must have been astounded and outraged to find himself having to play cat and mouse in what had been his safe haven for so long.   Finally this crew of maverick foreigners succeeded in flushing the thief from the bush and into the hands of the local authorities.   However, the thief and his family’s subculture of witchcraft and jumbies, was well know within the dark undercurrent of this local town.    His gang, were none too happy when they heard of the details of his arrest and the part played by this group of outsiders.   The Americans comfort level with remaining in Soufriere deteriorated further with the subsequent suicide, by hanging, of this same thief while incarcerated.   They suddenly had the unwanted attention of this seedy group.   They even resorted to keeping 2 men on night watch during the remainder of their stay.   Then, to add insult to injury, Tomas hit.   Soufriere was completely cut off by road from the rest of the Island.   Because of the work they had been doing, they had at their disposal chainsaws and began clearing the roads of debris after the storm.  They were met with smiles and thumbs up from many of the residents of the town and scowls and death threats from the gang of hoodlums.   Needless to say, with everything they had been through, they were very relieved to finally catch a boat away from Soufriere and were celebrating with a few beers.   With the main airport closed, they did not know how soon they would be able to book tickets back to the States and spoke of stowing away aboard ship.   What a story!    As we stood together enjoying the sunset and with a gleam in their now glassy eyes, they asked “So which boat is yours?”

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