Down the Queasy Pole

Back to Les Saintes: 22 Aug 08 

Tempting Grenadines - Tobago Cays

In the interests of not testing those weather gods further, we plotted a quick slide down the islands to the relative safety of The Grenadines. It was nearly September....   Should something blow up (not wanting to say that “H” word) then we could make a quick dash to Trinidad and real safety below the 11^th parallel. Our plan was to day hop and spend nights resting at anchor rather than sailing in one long, exhausting passage. Once we reached Bequia, we could “put out the drogue” and drift through the Grenadines, said to be the quintessential tropical paradise. We looked forward to that!

Not the big red ferry but big enough

We left our Point-a-Pitre harbour-front mooring early to fill our water tanks at the marina (and test the patience of the Capitainerie) before leaving for destination Portsmouth, at the top end of Dominica (said dom in knee ka). Inside, Point-a-Pitre harbour was a breathless mill pond; outside a nightmare!! Aside from the big red ferry that decided to tailgate & then when he finally sped by, drown us in his wake, the swell was a bullish 6-8ft behind a very fresh ENE at 15-20kts, giving us a rollercoaster ride (broad reach) – in all, a big test first test for Bert! 

Not looking too good?  Sea sick uglies...

The Galley Slave finally begged for mercy, so at the Iles de Saintes we anchored off Ilet a Cabrit under Fort Josephine to shelter from the strong winds. Cap’n Speedo and Boy Wonder sped off in Bruce to find dingy fuel. This involved scraping together our last euros, hiring a scooter, walking up & down a bush track and finally jerry-jugging 5 gallons in the heat. One up side for BW was meeting a fellow surfer and finally getting to ride a few “waves” local-style! 

Swimming off Ilet a Cabrit

While the boys were away, GS had hoped for a few restful hours… The elements had other plans and the winds changed direction completely, blowing WJ3 almost onto a little beach & into 8 ft of water, amidst a group of less than amused swimmers. Now, WJ3 draws 6ft; two options - pack my bags & catch the next plane out or invite the nervous swimmers on board for tea? Instead, much to the amusement of our nearby boat-afloat neighbours,  GS winched up some anchor line; snorkeled on the anchor to check its holding was ok; admired the garden eels below the boat; watched the depth sounder with every swing and wondered if the wine was cold enough, yet! Of course by the time the expeditionary forces arrived back, the winds had changed again…we were now floating in deeper waters. But I did need a strong tonic for my nerves that night. 

Natural Fort Defences

Just for the history buffs. The sight of the biggest naval battle between the French & English (on the Caribbean) is just off these small islands. The Saintes Harbour was the anchorage for (French) Admiral de Grasse’s entire fleet. However, in 1782, Admiral Rodney defeated the French marking the beginnings of British maritime supremacy. Forts Josephine and Napoleon were built later in the 1850’-60’s to be impregnable outposts. Fort Josephine became a hospital & quarantine station in use until 1902. Now it is a crumbling ruin. Funny how the world turns?

From:  Pointe-a-Pitre  Lat/Long: 16 14N  61 32W  Date/Time: 22/8/08: 0800

To:Ilet a Cabrit, Les Saintes Lat/Long: 15 52N 61 35W Date/Time: 22/8/08: 1230
Time Taken: 24nm (4.5hrs) Distance (this year): 421nm (91.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 421nm  (91.5hrs)   Fastest Speed: 6.7kt **
Weather: Fresh Trade Winds SW 15-20kts; 6-8ft swell;
(**Bert’s first solo; wave surfing too!)

And Peter's Point Was?

My diary reads, “Winds ENE (on the nose again!), small swell (no bucket necessary), able to get money (finally) and food (pizza!!!)". Clearly our previous anchorage had been a traumatic experience…..

Sunset over Pointe-à-Pitré

Pointe-a-Pitre is not necessarily on any cruiser’s list of idyllic locations. It’s a downtown dockyard for commercial shipping, inter-island ferries and large cruising liners. On the edge of town is a huge 1000 berth marina and it’s quite full, both locally owned and charter yachts. Charter companies here seem to offer mostly monohulls (or as the French say bateau monocoque) rather than catamarans - this doesn’t mean that there isn’t a sizeable fleet of them. We glide through many, many docks on Bruce looking at a distinctly French fleet of Jeanneau, Maramoo, Beneteau and an assortment of expensive aluminium hulled yachts. The Cap’n pointed out a couple of large, white Swans…..and yes, I was looking for birds! Well, the French are very stylish and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they didn’t have a few swans to add to the marina’s aquatic ambience!

Dockyard Graffiti

Our mooring is within metres of a red shipping channel marker, so if this post seems somewhat disjointed it’s because I pop up on deck whenever I hear the chug of an engine to see what is going on. Lots of medium sized container ships – no doubt full of French goodies; ferries full of people travelling between islands (our Cap’n did wonder why we needed a boat!) and smaller local barges transporting cargo of cows, tractors, cars and containers; fascinating. if not a bit swelly at times! Never-the-less we’ve been busy cleaning up WJ3 both inside and out, so she is looking and smelling sweet again.

The Missing Link

If you think that Pointe-a-Pitre sounds Dutch, that’s because it was named after a merchant who settled in Guadeloupe in 1654. Peter was a Dutch Jew who had been exiled from Brazil (he must have been quite a character?). He started a fish market beside the harbour, known as Peter’s Point.  This useful harbour was further developed during British occupation (1759-63) into a major trading port for English and North American markets. It is now very definitely French and Guadeloupe’s largest city and busiest port.

Our arrival here was timely. At last! A relieved Cap’n clutched his self-steering rudder. We could assemble and commission “Bert” for our next crossing. Meanwhile alarmingly, the generator chose to blow out fuses (and not charge WJ3’s batteries), so we had three long days without refrigeration. Easy enough to cope with food-wise; left-over’s were consigned over the side as fish food. But NO COLD BEER!!! A mutiny was only narrowly averted……

 

From: Bourge des Saintes Lat/Long: 15 52N  61 35W Date/Time: 16/8/08: 1130

To:  Pointe-a-Pitre  Lat/Long: 16 14N  61 32W  Date/Time: 16/8/08: 1730
Time Taken: 24nm (6hrs) Distance (this year): 397nm (87hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 397nm  (87hrs)   Fastest Speed: 5.5kt **
Weather: Fresh Trade Winds SW 12-15kts; 2-4ft swell; 0.5kt W current
(Slow going; engine assisted to achieve a sober 5-5.5kts)  

Mixed Seafood on Iles de Saintes

Upsetting Wind Gods: 14 Aug 08

Ilet Pigeon Costeau Marine Reserve

After the peace and quiet of Deshaies, our next stop was to be Ilet Pigeon, a famed dive site and part of the Jacques Cousteau Marine Reserve. 

Unfortunately we nosed out of Deshaies into a fresh SW breeze.  What did we do to upset the wind gods, mmm? The anchorage opposite Ilet Pigeon was too exposed and four dive boats huddled in the only patch of calm water on the north side of the island. It would be like diving in Pitt Street, but full of Frenchies! 

Go Girl!

Keep moving down to the next anchorage, Anse de la Barque - nope…too exposed! So the crew rallied and prepared to make landfall in the Iles de Saintes, some 25 miles south of Guadeloupe. Our journey was only broken by the zing of our lure. 

The galley slave sought help from the Cap’n to haul in a 20lb barracuda. Having subdued him with a sip of Pernod (the Cap’n wasn’t wasting his good rum), our informative guide books listed barracuda as primary offender on the ciguatera list (damn!). Big Mistake 1 and NO fish dinner tonight again!! We kept him, thinking perhaps the locals might not be too concerned about toxic algae or at least need some lobster pot bait - Big Mistake 2. Isles des Saintes is a holiday destination for well-off Guadeloupians; a French Riviera in miniature. And of course, we expertly timed our arrival mid-Assumption Day long weekend. 

Pain du Sucre anchorage

Our anchorage, the least busy, off Pain de Sucre was filled with noisy party goers, mostly in powerful, big, pointy, hot water boats. All driven at high speed by alfa males through anchored craft and swimmers!! (Note to self: check French for “you crazy idiot” or perhaps something a little stronger?). 

Despite all this surrounding mayhem, we seemed to be destined to attract the crabs! Yes again, another visit from our efficient customs officers. 

Wakeboarding near Le Patè

The small settlement of Bourg de Saintes was jam-packed with visitors, arriving on huge ferries. With only a few shops and restaurants open, the crowds milled restlessly, up and down narrow streets in the heat. A temporary stadium had been set up with plenty of Heineken beer tents for the evening’s entertainment but at midday it was just too hot…. The boys walked over to the nearest beach, where boats had been recently banned due to pollution. It was now a temporary campsite, but with no toilets in sight, the boys beat a hasty retreat from this smelly paradise. “Besides it had no surf!” sighed a sadly deprived Boy Wonder.

Sunset over Iles de Saintes

As the weekend progressed, crowds continued to pour in. Fort Napoleon, built in 1867 was closed for the duration and by Saturday we couldn’t even buy a fresh baguette. Not that we could have anyway as we didn’t have any Euros and of course the only bank in town didn’t open until Tuesday. Also, Bourg de Saintes' one ATM wasn’t keen to give up its store of cash to us foreigners (with our greenbacks & English language)…. Frustrated, we upped anchor and actually backtracked north (5 hours!); to Pointe-a-Pitre, an airport, a UPS office, a working ATM and to wait for our rudder.

From: Deshaies, Guadeloupe  Lat/Long: 16 18N  61 45W  Date/Time: 14/8/08: 1020

To:  Bourge des Saintes           Lat/Long: 15 52N  61 35W  Date/Time: 14/8/08: 1700
Time Taken: 30nm (6.5hrs) Distance (this year): 373nm (81hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 373nm  (81hrs)   Fastest Speed: 5.8kt set by Hollywood
Weather: Fresh Trade Winds SW 12-15kts; 2-4ft swell; 0.5kt W current

Only Thinking of You....

Food for the Soul: 13 Aug 08

Caribbean Red (Quick, grab him!)

While we’re on a homey theme here, thought you might like this local (Creole?) recipe for chicken soup. (It appears on a Maggi soup mix packet). At least you can’t say we’re not thinking of you!

Chicken Foot Soup

Add 227g of chicken foot (yes, really!) to 2.5 litres of boiling water with a clove of garlic and few grains of pimento. Simmer 10 mins. Add 454g pumpkin and simmer for 15 mins more. Add 1 sliced carrot, 1 small cho cho (christophene) (still wondering?… for the Queenslanders amongst us it’s choko!), 3 small potatoes, chopped and 114g of yellow yam diced. Add 3 sprigs of thyme and 3 sprigs of escalion (chives). Season with spinners (I believe that’s small dumplings – no recipe for that!) and 1 scotch bonnet (a hot pepper). Continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Add 2 packets of Jamaica Cock Soup Mix with Pumpkin. Remove pepper before serving.

Roti Hut, a lunchtime snack bar, Antigua

Well, good luck. At least the vegies will be nice. Reminds me of that old story about cockatoo & stone soup? When the bird is cooked, throw it out and eat the stone.  

Oh yes, they really do have frozen packets of chicken foot here in the supermarkets if you need some! The Cap’n & I tasted this “local delicacy” of chicken’s feet in Hong Kong many years ago – I wasn’t going back for seconds then….

Days of Our Drearies...

Life on board: 13 Aug 08

On the hard, Tortola British Virgins

As we sit planning the next part of our voyage, it occurred to me that you might like to know something of our daily life on board – nothing personal – this isn’t really “days of our drearies”, you know! 

At 'A' Dock, Nanny Cay BVI

At dock: While this does have its good points – power sometimes (we run on 110v; some islands only offer 220v); real toilets; endless showers; no rocking about in swells, but being at dock can be a bit limiting.  Marinas are often tucked away in mangrove ringed backwaters so it’s often hot and still (especially when you can’t run the aircon/power); mozzies in their millions find you especially attractive and there’s all that land noise – cars, roosters, dogs, flies, boat repairs and so forth.

Refuelling near Pont Levant, St Martin

At sea: Currently because of our rudderless self-steering, shifts at the helm are about 1 to 1½ hours, largely dependent on wind and sea strengths. Both boys fiddle with the sails incessantly; there’s a speed record for each segment to be had! The Cap’n is in charge of the new GPS system which tracks our course, usually hourly, more frequently when we’re near land. We put out a lure, set up the ipods and avoid where possible going below…. The crew prefers to helm and the galley slave clutches a bucket (only if we’re bashing into it). 

Anchoring really can be this good.  Antigua

On arrival at a port, we put up the awning and winch both Bruce and motor off the boat back into the water. Everything that has been stowed away in lockers, can come out again (kettle, buckets, books, computers etc etc). This process takes us about an hour or so either side of departure/arrival.

Happily, BW found surf.  Apple Bay Tortola BVI

At anchor: This is our favourite because we can easily visit harbours, shop, fish, swim or sometimes snorkel - right off the back of the boat. Often, the water is so clear that even in 15 or more feet we can see the bottom.
 

Our day starts with a swim and freshwater shower off the back of the boat. The galley slave might (or might not) cook breakfast. It all depends on wash-up sizze/ hormones/ inspiration/ available foods! The generator runs twice a day for an hour to keep the fridge (food) cool and freezer (beer) cold. While the generator’s on we can power the microwave or toaster and maybe one aircon (but usually only in the evening to keep the cook happy). 

Mooring 'mongst the Cats at Saba Rock, BVI

As the fridge isn’t too efficient, we need to shop daily for our perishables. We try to buy local, fresh foods but as I’ve mentioned, most is flown in from US or for the French islands, from France. So most meats are frozen and I can’t remember the last time I saw a piece of real beef – pre-packaged hamburgers don’t count. Amazingly, Guadeloupe grows sugar (possibly to keep up rum supplies) & bananas commercially with only a few small market gardens here and there. We shop more frequently if there’s a nice patisserie close by. Mangoes are in season now, so we are sampling a few…. Of course, there’s always the Captain’s “Personal Favourite”, a stock of corned beef in the galley locker, if we’re stuck…augggghhhh!

Making new friends

Laundry is also a weekly chore if there’s a laverie automatique nearby. If not, it’s a hand wash in that ever-useful bucket. WJ3 looks like a Chinese laundry at times with sheets and towels flapping from every available line. We’ve only lost one t-shirt overboard so far (and our yellow Q flag – but that’s another story!).

Rainy Season, Guadeloupe

There’s always communications too. Well, mainly posting up this blog, taking photographs during shore visits and keeping the computers up to speed. My preference is passage planning – “I think we should go here next, dear” - so we have a few good cruising guides to read up. Internet access is a must for weather information that we would like to check at least twice daily – if any internet’s to be found.

Any free time (day or night) is otherwise spent closing/opening hatches! Unlike windows, hatches (having been designed by men) naturally attract rain…in volumes! Just don’t get me started.

Fishing Championships

Fishing while you wait: 12 Aug 08

Fishermen in Deshaies

Fishing is only sport for fish…have you noticed? We had now unsuccessfully trawled a lure over long distances. 

"Kamikazi" flying fish don’t really count either, although I understand they are a local delicacy in Barbados. English Harbour had proven less than successful, even with fish flopping about close to the boat. An amused Cap’n was literally hand feeding these little treasures whilst my bait didn’t even get a tooth mark on it.

That squid must be working!

Our Cap’n was inspired however, after seeing a fisherman angling off the tiny dingy dock in Deshaies - with his spark plug sinker and squid for appat (bait). So, the challenge was on! Clutching a 3lb box of frozen squid, our fearless leader was back on board with rods at the ready. 

Kid Wonder, keen to participate, also put out a line over WJ3’s stern. And yes, they did catch something…mere babies who didn’t know any better! 

GS snorkelled by, reporting in on the action from below!

Clearly not a local fisherman

Inspired, we drifted the next night in Bruce (3 men in a tub?) off the cliffs that mark the entrance to the bay, hoping to strike it lucky. Not a chance! Maybe it’s low season for the fish too? 

Kid Wonder’s going to go further out to the reef tonight… If nothing else, I guess we could eat any left-over squid – the fish don’t seem to like it!

Finding the next Boulangerie

Southward Bound down the Leeward’s: 11 Aug 08

Quaint Deshaies

Guadeloupe is shaped like a giant butterfly; sitting a little less than halfway on our journey down the island chain. We can’t decide whether to gunkhole down the lee side (west side) or slide down the central mosquito infected mangroves of the Riviere Salee. Finally we take the former - the channel has 2 ponts levant (lifting bridges) with a 5.30am opening (the crew’s not at their best at that time of day) and a challenging depth (well, lack of it really!). Did we mention the mozzies? So, we left Antigua early for a short day sail, almost directly south, to the west side of this attractive island. Even with the winds tending to the east, the swell made our journey “challenging”. However I am happy to report (thanks to the wonders of modern medicine) no bucket was necessary. The Cap’n thinks he is making a sailor of me yet! (ho ho!)

And lots of Caribbean Colour

We anchored in Deshaies (pronounced day hay), after skimming a minefield of fish traps and lobster pots set along coastal reefs, to clear customs. The village is just so quaint with a central church and clock tower which chimes the hour. Deshaies also has many a misguided rooster, they crow all day long – all so very rural France! All the houses, cute timbered & shuttered, are painted in bright Caribbean colours. The surrounding countryside is quite steep but it is beautifully green and lush. The Cap’n took a short hike up-river to take some exercise declaring the scenery spectacular but quite remote.

Guadeloupe's rugged west coast

Thanks to low season closures, our prepaid wifi didn’t work… So once again we sought out an internet café. Le Pelican, (after slowly deciphering French signage), thankfully had a couple of computers available, even if the keyboards weren’t the standard “qwerty” system. How quickly one learns - it’s the little things that count!!!

Our rudder it seems is still in the UK… The Cap’n went ballistic. Need I say more?

From: English Harbour, Antigua Lat/Long:17 00N 61 45W Date/Time:11/8/08: 0740

To:  Deshaies, Guadeloupe  Lat/Long: 16 18N  61 45W  Date/Time: 11/8/08: 1400
Time Taken: 42nm (6.5hrs) Distance (this year): 343nm (74.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 343nm (74.5hrs) Fastest Speed: 8.4kt by Hollywood**
Weather: Fresh Trade Winds ENE 10-15kts; 5-6 ft swell; 0.5kt W current
(**Our record so far)