Martinique and Dominica

02 Sunday Apr 2017

Tags

Delphinus, Dominica, Martinique, Sailing

We have been very busy since my last post taking full advantage of what Martinique and Dominica have to offer. They are two very different islands, but equally beautiful. Martinique, a French Department, is very developed and has all the modern conveniences. Dominica is an independent island nation and works very hard to preserve the natural beauty and resources. More on each later.

Martinique

We arrived in St. Anne, Martinique just in time for their Carnaval, which is a week of themed parades and celebrations leading up to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. We caught up with friends we met in Grenada – Carl & Carrie on s/v Brilliant and Mark & Kathy on s/v Nancy Lu.

St. Anne is a quaint little town with narrow one-way streets. The parades were all relatively short, with musicians and dancers outfitted with that day’s theme. When the end of parade passed the town square the revelers joined in to dance their way down the street.

After Carnaval, we moved to nearby Le Marin – a very large anchorage and marina complex – in preparation for our daughter Colleen’s visit. Brendan and his girlfriend Alex arrived the day that Colleen left. For each of their visits we rented a car and spent the first few days exploring the interior of the island and a few more days exploring by boat. Unfortunately during Colleen’s visit we had less than ideal weather – high winds and rain – which made for wet dinghy rides and limited where we could go on Delphinus.

Lunch before the distillery tour

We took the kids to the Clemente rhum distillery. In addition to creating a wide variety of rums, they have planted beautiful gardens and installed contemporary sculptures throughout the grounds. It made for a nice stroll around the grounds before making it to the tasting room.

Next on our driving tour was St. Pierre, the original capital of Martinique. The town sits at the base of Mt. Pelee which erupted in 1902 destroying the entire town and killing everyone in it. Today it is another quaint seaside town. They have preserved what is left of the theater and jail and rebuilt around them. The local beach is made up of black sand from the volcanic rock.

Theater Ruins

Mount Pelee

Brendan & Alex

From the town we drove to the observation area near the top of Mt. Pelee. The day we were there with Colleen a cloud covered the observation area and completely obscured the view all around. When we were there the next week with Brendan and Alex it was a beautiful clear day. What a difference!

In the clouds

On a clear day

After turning in the rental car we moved Delphinus back to St. Anne to continue to explore. On a walk we happened upon a cemetery at the top of the hill overlooking the harbour. The family crypts are very ornate and the view is spectacular. We also stopped at this tree house like bar for a quick cold one before heading back to the dinghy dock.

Pete, Colleen and I took a hike to Grand Anse d’Salines. Another sailor suggested the hike and described where to start and that we would be able to have lunch at the other end. It had rained quite heavily the night before and trail was very muddy, slowing us down as we kept trying to scrape the accumulation of mud and muck from our shoes. The lunch at the other end was definately worth it.

While Brendan & Alex were with us we were able to take Delphinus to Grande Anse d’Arlet bay, which has a nice beach and is used primarily by locals. The beach is lined with small restaurants and shops. There we ran into our friends, Ian and Joy, from s/v Reberth and tried their recommendation for the best place for mussells. It did not disappoint! Brendan and Pete accompanied Ian on a very challenging 3 hour hike over to Anse Dufour that included 20-30 degree rocky trails up and down, and then similar inclination roads getting back. Alex and I opted to hang out on the boat and relax.

Rainbow over Grande Anse

Dominica

Soon after the kids’ visits were over we bid “au revoir” to Martinique (my French was improving ever so slightly) and headed for Dominica. The two islands could not be more different. Dominica primarily promotes eco-tourism. We once again met up with old friends and met some new ones. We reconnected with s/v Brilliant, Nancy Lu, Sea Frog and Profasea in Rosseau, the capitol.

On the way to Dominica we got an escort from a pod of dolphins.

We became very active in Dominica with snorkel trips and hikes. Pete went along with our friends on two different snorkeling trips and observed thriving reefs and fish populations. During the first snorkel trip he also saw an area known as Champagne, for the bubbles coming from the rocks/coral surfaces. The bubbles were from gases associated with volcanic activity on the island. I had come down with a chest cold and didn’t want to snorkel with the cough I had.

We also arranged for a tour/hike with one of the local guides, Octavius (aka Sea Cat). First, we drove into the rain forest for the hike to Middleham Falls, which is a 275 foot waterfall. The hike was quite challenging but worth it once we reached the waterfall. Along the way Sea Cat pointed out various plants and their purposes in local cultures. He even found wild raspberries which were a nice treat. At the end of the hike he found some sugar cane, peeled it and squeezed lime juice on it as a treat for all of us.

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Another stop that day was Trafalgar Falls which are actually twin waterfalls. They are referred to as Papa and Mama. Part way up the Papa fall is a hot spring. Sea Cat led some of the braver souls (Pete included) climbing up the boulders to soak in the pool created by hot water escaping through the rocks. Sea Cat, Carl and Pete climbed to the top pool of the water fall to experience the falling water directly.

Mama

Papa

Dominica has a large number of volcanoes – 11, of which 8 are active and being monitored. As a result there are a number of different activities for hikers – boiling lake, sulfur springs, hot water pools, etc. Next visit we’ll explore more of these geothermal areas.

The island has a series of 14 hiking trails called the Waitukubuli trail. During our stay we managed to hike portions of a few segments while searching for waterfalls, elusive parrots, and rain forest vegetation. The hikers guide indicates the south to north trail can be completed in two weeks. Hmm, maybe in the future says Pete.

While we were in our dinghy in Roseau we noticed a boat with the hailing port of Virginia Beach so we had to stop and introduce ourselves. We met Raleigh and Cindy on s/v Cinderella on their brand new Antares catamaran. They had just taken delivery of it in St. Lucia and along with their crew member Marco are working their way north through the island chain to bring her back to the states. Our group of boats was getting ready to move further north to Portsmouth, so we invited them to join us.

Portsmouth has an organized group to support the cruising community – Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services or PAYS. They provide moorings, security, transportation to customs, tours and best of all is their Sunday night beach barbeque. Almost everyone in the anchorage comes in for all you can eat grilled chicken and fish, side dishes and rum punch. When dinner is over, they push back the tables and the dancing begins.

Out first trek was a short walk from Portsmouth to Fort Shirley, formerly a British fort. The local government is working to restore the buildings and preserve the history with the support of the EU. It’s a beautiful spot and likely offered a good defense of the port. A little American history – this port was the first landing, on 24 March 1607, on the trip of the Godspeed expedition from England, to Jamestown, Virginia.

We had a wonderful guide for our tours out of Portsmouth, Alec. He has a wealth of knowledge about the island’s history and the local plants and their many purposes for bush medicine. Our first tour with Alec was to Milton Falls and Syndicate Nature Trail. Both were nice hikes. The Syndicate Nature Trail is an area known as a parrot habitat. We did see parrots flying overhead but I wasn’t fast enough with the camera.

Alec

The next day we took a full day tour of mostly the north and eastern coasts. The tour included the ruins of the Hampstead Estate; a small chocolate “factory”; an area overlooking the Atlantic called Red Rock; and the Kalinago Reservation.

The Hampstead Estate is now in ruins but was once a thriving sugar cane plantation and rum distillery.

Dominca is also where Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was filmed. The scene involving the large wheel that the characters were rolling in down hill while sword fighting was filmed in the area of the estate. In fact, the wheel was patterned from the water-wheel in the picture below. Alec, who was Depp’s driver during the filming, pointed to the area where the actual filmed wheel was left. Of course if is heavily overgrown now.

We visited the Pointe Baptiste Estate Chocolate Factory. We got to see every step in how the chocolate is made from cracking open the pods, sun drying the beans, roasting, and processing. The best part was the sampling at the end of the tour. Of course, we had to buy some too!

Red Rock is lava rock formation on the eastern side of Dominica. The rock is porous and appears white until water is poured on it and it turns red. The views of the Atlantic Ocean are spectacular.

The last part of the day was a tour of the Kalinago Reservation. The Kalinago are the indigenous people of the the Carribean islands, also known as Caribs. On most of the other islands they were virtually wiped out after the Europeans came. Legend has it that they were able to hide in the mountains and survive to this day. When the island was under British control they were granted a territory on the Atlantic side of the island. Today, they are working hard to preserve their heritage.

Sign under a bridge

We are now in Iles des Saintes, which is part of Guadeloupe, another French Department. We’re already enjoying the baguettes and wonderful French cooking.

Stay tuned and stay in touch!

Grenada: The End of This Year’s Journey

12 Thursday May 2016

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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Cariacou, Delphinus, Grenada, Sailing

Our last stops with Delphinus have been in the country of Grenada; the island of Carriacou and the main island of Grenada. The weather has grown increasingly more hot and humid the further south we go and shade and cool breezes are becoming more important.

Lazy Turtle Entrance

Slipway

We dropped anchor in Tyrrel Bay on the southwestern coast of Carriacou. It’s a popular spot with cruisers so we had a lot of other boats for company. There were plenty of restaurants and businesses along the waterfront and we enjoyed our days of walking through and sampling local beers and food. Dinner one night at the Slipway Restaurant and lunch at the Lazy Turtle another day.

Since there was much more to see than we could easily access from the bay we booked a taxi tour to see more of the island. We got a thorough tour and background on the island’s history and culture from “Linky.” The views from the high points of the Carriacou were outstanding. The island’s only hospital sits atop one of its highest points.

The island also enjoys a long tradition of boat building by hand which started with Scottish settlers in the 1800s and is still carried on today. This boat was on a small beach just off the road. When a boat is ready to launch the whole community comes out to help and celebrate!

After several days of enjoying the warm welcome of Carriacou we pulled up anchor and headed for the main island of Grenada. On the way there we caught a tuna which provided a couple of delicious meals.

There are lots of places to explore on Grenada and we made it to most of them. We spent one night in Dragon Bay on the western coast. From there Pete snorkeled on an underwater sculpture park designed by Jason DesCaires Taylor. Sorry, but we didn’t get pictures. You can see some of his work here.

As we moved further south down the coast of Grenada and we stopped in St. George’s, which is a bustling commercial port with large ships, local fishing vessels and lots of other cruisers. We enjoyed a visit to the Grenada museum which traced the history of the island from prehistoric times through modern history, including the US invasion in 1983.

I was very excited to find a shop, Art Fabrik, which makes hand dyed batiks. Of course I had to purchase a several pieces and am looking forward to getting them home to figure out what to do with them.

Our next stop is Prickly Bay which is a nice protected cove on the southern coast of Grenada. It is a very popular place with cruisers as the local businesses provide easy access to anything we may need. Every morning at 0730 on VHF Channel 68 there is a “Cruiser’s Net.” The net begins with a weather report for the day, a chance for new arrivals to announce themselves and those leaving to say goodbye. Next the local businesses announce their activities, meal specials and land excursions, which are many. We came to feel like we in an adult summer camp with all the fun choices available.

There were almost daily lunch and dinner specials at the local restaurants. One of the best values was lunch at Whisper Cove Marina for $27EC (about $10USD) including a beer. Prickly Bay Marina hosted activities each evening of the week, including trivia night, movie night, BINGO, and local musical entertainment. It was here that we got to know Skip and Betsy on s/v Ducks in a Row and their dog Drake.

We came to know a bus driver, Shade Man, who caters to the cruising community by providing several different types of regular trips including:

Weekly trips to the north side of the island to see the giant leatherback turtles come up on the beach and lay their eggs
Transportation to the weekly Hash (more about this later)
Shopping trips which includes planned stops at the bank, hardware store, marine supply store and grocery store.

If you’ve never heard of a hash or Hash House Harriers you can read more about it here. The group here on Grenada hosts one each Saturday which is widely attended by locals, students from St. George’s Medical school and cruisers. They bill themselves as “drinkers with a running problem.” It is a walk/run through the countryside on a marked trail followed by an apres-hash party with food and cold beer. The locations/trail changes each week. Our first hash was billed as an easy one suitable for any fitness level. I’m not sure who decided that (probably a marathon runner) because I couldn’t even get half way up the first hill before turning back to home base. Pete finished and had such a good time he went again the next week. It’s a great way to see the countryside in different parts of the island. Plus Shade Man makes a stop at a rum shot on the way back.

Another of the activities organized for cruisers was an “oil down” prepared and served on a local beach. Oil down is considered the national dish of Grenada and traces its roots to the days of plantations and slavery. Today it is served at most family gatherings on holidays and special celebrations. It is made up of breadfruit, pumpkin, saltfish, chicken or pork, callaloo and dumplings – all simmered in coconut milk. It was delicious and very filling.

After anchoring (and playing) in Prickly Bay and Whisper Cove for a couple of weeks it was time to start the process of decommissioning Delphinus. We moved into La Phare Bleu Marina. It was a nice treat to be in a marina after so many months at anchor. We spent our days there cleaning, cleaning and cleaning. We’re told that if you don’t thoroughly clean everything and wipe it down with a vinegar/water solution, it will be covered in mold when we get back. At the end of each day we rewarded ourselves with happy hour and a dip in the marina’s pool. We enjoyed getting to know Bruce and Colleen on s/v Serenity as well as John and Nina on s/v Sunkist and sharing stories of our sailing adventures.

Alas, it is finally time to haul Delphinus out of the water to be stored “on the hard” until next fall at Grenada Marine. We are staying at La Sagesse, a small boutique hotel on a beautiful beach. The heat of working in the boat yard has gotten to me, so Pete has been handling the remaining tasks by himself while I relax and try to stay cool at the hotel – no air conditioning, but nice breezes most of the time.

We will leave Grenada on Sunday, May 15 with plans to return sometime in November to continue exploring the Caribbean. There are several places we look forward to visiting again and some we missed along the way.

Stay tuned for our next update in the fall!

Sailing the Windward Islands

17 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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Tags

Delphinus, Grenada, Grenadines, Martinique, Sailing, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tobago Cays

After leaving St. Lucia we sailed north to Martinique and anchored near the towns of St. Anne and Marin. St. Anne is a quaint little town with a market where we found locally grown fresh produce and fish. Of course, like in all the French towns we’ve visited, we found the local patisserie where we could get our daily fix of fresh baked baquettes and pain au chocolat – yummy!

While in St. Anne we also caught up with our friends Rick and Helen from s/v Symmetry III. Rick arranged to rent a car one day and the four of us explored the interior of Martinique. The first thing we noticed was the very modern highway system throughout the island (as compared to the narrow, often crumbling, roads on most of the other islands we’ve visited).

Schoelcher Library

St. Louis Cathedral

We found our way to Fort de France, the capital city, on the west coast. It was quite a mix of old and new in terms of architecture and infrastructure. We visited the Schoelcher Library, which is still in operation. The building was built in France, disassembled and shipped to Martinique where it was then reassembled. The structure of the building was very interesting and it was easy to see how it was put together. There were many books that were probably as old as the building. We also explored the St. Louis Cathedral which was undergoing renovations but still quite beautiful and in the tradition of European cathedrals. Later when walking around the city Helen and I found a small fabric store and purchased a few cuts of fabric each.

Sugar Cane

Bananas

From Fort de France we wound our way through the interior of the island to reach the east coast. We passed acre after acre of sugar cane and banana fields. After lunch at a little seaside fishing town we found the Habitation Clément, an old sugar cane plantation which still produces rum. Much of the grounds have been converted to a botanical and sculpture garden. After touring the gardens and the old manufacturing facility we found ourselves in the tasting room with a couple of dozen different rums to try (and of course purchase). We tried a drink of white rum, cane syrup and crushed lime – very refreshing!

The next day Pete and Rick took a two-hour bicycle ride through the town of St. Anne. They came back soaked from a rain shower, but feeling good anyhow.

Mount Pelée

Theater Ruins

We sailed further north up the coast of Martinique to St. Pierre. St. Pierre was rich in history as it had been the capital of Martinique until it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902. Approximately 30,000 people were killed within moments due to the super heated gas cloud that settled over the town. The town has since been rebuilt but some of the ruins have been left intact, including the jail (where the lone survivor was found) and a theater. They’ve created a “volcanology” museum with displays of some items found in the ruins afterward. Picture a box of nails with the box burned away and the nails melted together. The beaches we saw here were all black sand due to the volcanic rocks.

Market

Le Tamaya

Today it is a thriving community with a large open air market where one can find locally grown produce, fresh fish and arts & crafts. There are many shops and restaurants on the waterfront. We had a delightful meal at Le Tamaya, a small French restaurant owned and operated by a French couple who had cruised the Med and Caribbean for many years.

Moving south again we returned to Marin (Cul-de-sac du Marin) for a few days to wait out a weather system and have our refrigerator thermostat replaced. It was just working too hard and drawing too much power to keep it cool, so now our batteries are keeping their charges for longer. Since we would be leaving Martinique soon (and French territories) we stocked up on French wines, cheeses and sausages. For about 5 euros a bottle we found some great wines which would probably cost $20 to $30 back in the states.

Next we made a brief stop at Grand Anse D’Arlet, which is a beautiful little cove with sandy beaches all along the shore line. It seemed to be a popular spot for locals to spend the day on the beach and eat & drink at the small restaurants along the beach. At about 5:00 p.m. the beach and restaurants all began to empty, leaving just the sailboats at anchor in the harbour.

Gregory

On April 1 we left Martinique and headed back to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia for a few days before we began our trek south. We picked up some boat parts, celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary with grilled salmon on Delphinus, and just relaxed. We also caught up with Gregory again and I finally remembered to take a picture. Gregory brings his small boat, loaded with produce, around to all the boats in the harbor. His prices are reasonable and the quality of produce is great. He’s told us most of it is from his mother’s garden. We look forward to his visits every day and have purchased limes, fresh herbs, mangoes, lettuce, tomatoes, papaya, and more from him.

Admirality Bay

Our next stop is Bequia (pronounced bekway) which is part of the country St. Vincent and Grenadines. We bypassed the main island of St. Vincent because of recent reports of crime against cruisers. We anchored in Admirality Bay, which has a very nice waterfront area, complete with newly reconstructed beach walkway. The town, like so many others we’ve visited, has a thriving open air market for produce and fresh fish, as well as local crafts. The people here were very friendly and helpful.

Baby Turtles

One day we hired a taxi to give us a tour of the island. We’ve found this is great way to see more than the anchorage and learn a bit more about the history and culture of the island. Our tour included stops at an old fort, a turtle sanctuary and a maritime museum. The turtle sanctuary rescues baby turtles and raises them until they are about five years old before releasing them back in the wild. They also had several adult turtles which were injured and may not survive in the wild. We enjoyed our time at the Maritime Museum where Lawson Sargeant gave us a tour through his collection of scale models of large ships, including photos of when he presented one of his models to Queen Elizabeth. He did not allow photos inside the building, but was happy to pose in the doorway!

Lawson Sargeant

Our next stop further south down the island chain was Tobago Cays. The cays are surrounded by a large reef called Horseshoe Reef that protects the boats moored there. The lagoon is a protected area and full of lots of sea life, including turtles. Upon arrival we were greeted by Kojak on his boat. He helped us tie up to a mooring ball and invited us to his beach barbecue for dinner that night. For a reasonable price we had a whole grilled lobster, grilled potatoes, salad, plantains and banana cake, plus rum punch and cold beer. Kojak, his wife and son cooked and served the delicious meal.

We finished out our visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines with an overnight stop at Union Island. Our prime task here was to complete the customs check-out from St Vincent. After completing this task we walked throughout the town, bought some produce from the local market and had lunch at the Big City Grill. There is a small airport near the anchorage and when the planes come in for a landing they go right over the town – so close that it seems you can touch them! I never had the camera ready at the right time.

We’ve now arrived in Grenada where we will leave Delphinus for the hurricane season, but more on that in my next post.

Stay tuned and stay in touch!

Leeward Islands and St. Lucia

17 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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Tags

Antigua, Delphinus, Des Saintes, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Sailing, St. Barths, St. Lucia

It has been quite a while since I’ve written and this is a pretty long post. We’ve stayed busy with guests and are finding unlimited WiFi (needed to upload photos) not as readily available the further south we move in the island chain. Since my last post we’ve visited seven islands, each one a separate country (St. Barths, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Iles des Saintes, Dominica, St. Lucia and Martinique). We’ve been switching currencies from Euros to Eastern Caribbean Dollars and back again. As we’ve learned a little history of each island, most have changed from French to British control and back again several times throughout their histories. Some are now independent countries (Antigua, Dominica, and St Lucia), while the others are departments of France (St. Barths, Guadeloupe, Saintes, and Martinique).

Mega Yachts

View from Fort

We spent a few days in St. Barthelemy (St. Barths), which is quite the playground for the rich. We anchored in the harbour off Gustavia and took a hike up to Fort Gustav overlooking the harbour. The views were spectacular! The yachts, both motor and sail, lining the waterfront were huge, measured in the hundreds of feet. We were especially dwarfed going past them in our dinghy. The waterfront is lined with high end shops (i.e. Hermes, Tiffany, etc.)

Our next stop was Antigua which required an overnight crossing. We had waves on the nose most of the time which made it a bit uncomfortable, although we made it safe and sound into Jolly Harbour about 0730. Antigua is an English speaking island, which made communications easier for us. We met fellow Virginians, Neil and Shawn, on S/V Escapade in the mooring field and enjoyed a meal with them at a local pizzeria. They are in their third year of cruising through the Caribbean and had great information to share. The next night they showed us the way to Jolly Beach where we watched a beautiful sunset while enjoying drinks on the beach.

Doris & Dad

My Dad and his friend Doris joined us for several days aboard Delphinus. We made the most of our time with them, starting with a helicopter tour of the island. The helicopter ride was a first for Dad, Doris and I, and was exciting. The pilot took us over the marina where Delphinus was docked and many other highlights of the island. We passed some sailboats practicing for the upcoming Caribbean 600 race. We finished the day with dinner and drinks on Jolly Beach.

Delphinus at Dock

Race Practice

Steel Drum Band

We moved Delphinus to Falmouth Harbour, another place filled with mega yachts. Here there were more sailing yachts than motor yachts. We took advantage of the Sunday night barbecue at Shirley Heights, a high point on this end of the island and a great place to watch the sunset. We were entertained for three hours with non-stop playing by a local steel drum band, followed by a reggae band. Both bands played with incredible energy and talent.

Nelson’s Dockyard

Race Start

The next day we walked to English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard. We arrived in time to climb to Fort Berkley Point and watch the start of the Caribbean 600 race. This is a 600 mile sailing race with about 100 boats participating, in several different classes. The fastest boats (triamarans) finished the race in about 30 hours, while the rest of the fleet took three to four days to complete the course. We finished off the day exploring the exhibits at Nelson’s Boatyard and admiring the yachts.

Too soon it was time for Dad & Doris to depart and for us make our way to our next stop, Guadeloupe. We anchored off of Deshaies (pronounced day hay) for a few days. Guadeloupe is another French island and we’ve found that the further south we move through the island chain the fewer French islanders speak English, making communication a bit more challenging. We have the basic greetings down (i.e. bonjour, au revoir, etc.) and can usually order in restaurants, but have found that understanding the locals is still a big challenge.

The highlight of our stay in Guadeloupe was the visit to the Jardin Botanique (Botanical Garden). They maintain a very large collection of tropical plants from around the world. Although the signs were only in French, we could at least tell where the plants were from originally. There was an enclosed area with beautiful, brightly colored parrots who would land on you if they thought you had food for them. So many of the colors in the garden and on the birds were so brilliant that they appeared to be almost artificial.

Next we made a brief stop at Terre D’en Haut, Iles des Saintes (The Saintes). Pete wanted to hike to the top to visit Fort Napoleon and I opted to “hike” through the town and all the little boutiques. We each had a good time and met for lunch at a nice little waterfront restaurant.

We spent the next couple of days in Dominica. Dominica is an independent country today which was alternately controlled by the French and English throughout its history. Here is where we met our first “boat boys.” These young men approach your boat as you enter the harbour to help you find a mooring ball and then offer any other services they have available. The “boat boys” in Dominica are an organized, professional group of men in a group called PAYS. They provide security in the anchorage and on the dinghy docks, in addition to helping with clearance, arranging tours and other local activities.

We were approached by Maverick who introduced himself and led us to a mooring ball and then offered to take Pete to shore to clear in. Maverick also told us about the barbecue that evening on the beach, organized by PAYS. He obtained tickets for us and then arranged for the Indian River Tour the next morning. The beach party was great with unlimited grilled fish, chicken, ribs and rum punch, followed by dancing. All for just $20 each.

Indian River

The next morning Maverick picked us up from Delphinus and took us to meet our tour guide, James “007” Bond, at the mouth of the Indian River. James was a wealth of local information and quite entertaining as well. We had another family on the tour with us who were from France. James switched easily between French and English. He pointed out wildlife, native plants and even Calypso’s house (from Pirates of the Caribbean). The midpoint of the tour is where the river becomes too shallow to continue and there just happens to be the Jungle Bar for a break from the tour.

We didn’t have the time to fully explore Dominica like we would have liked to and plan to spend more time here when we return next year. It is probably the most undeveloped island of those we’ve visited so far and the locals seem to want it that way.

Our next island stop was St. Lucia to meet our daughter Colleen and her boyfriend Brendan. A bonus was catching up with our good friends, Rick and Helen of S/V Symmetry III.

After meeting Colleen and Brendan at Vieux Forte which is near the airport, we sailed back to Rodney Bay. The shoreline of Rodney Bay is lined with resorts and is a popular anchorage. We added our paddle boards to all the other recreational vessels (jet skis, Hobie cats) in the bay.

From Rodney Bay, we sailed down the west coast to Marigot Bay. There, if you pick up a mooring ball owned by the marina, you have access to the amenities of marina and the neighboring resort. The mooring field was very crowded and busy with local boat traffic. We took advantage of the resort pool for a relaxing afternoon. That evening we all saw our first green flash! Sorry – no pictures.

Petit Piton

The next day we sailed further down the coast to the Pitons (Petit and Gros). The Pitons are two distinctive peaks next to each other and separated by a small bay. This is part of a national park and no anchoring is allowed. We were greeted by a boat with three young men onboard as we entered the bay who guided us to a mooring ball. Here the “boat boys” are younger and more aggressive in wanting to sell us services. After paying them for their “help” with the mooring ball and repeatedly refusing any other help they reluctantly left us alone. We were able to snorkel near the Sugar Bay Resort at the head of the bay, and saw quite a lot of different sea life. We all saw another green flash at sunset that night – two in a row!

We traveled next to Soufriere where we arranged a tour of some of the sites away from the coast. We were met at the dinghy dock by McGavin who drove us to Diamond Botanical Gardens, Maho Falls and Morne Coubaril Estate.

At Diamond Botanical Gardens we were met by a tour guide who explained the plants and agriculture of the island while leading us to the waterfall. The colors behind the falls are the result of the many minerals in the water and are said to change daily. The falls are a mix of fresh spring water that flows through volcanic rock. No swimming allowed here.

Maho Falls allows swimming in the pool beneath the falls and appeared to be a popular tourist destination based on the number of buses and cabs there. Since this is also spring water it was quite chilly.

Our next stop of the day was the Morne Coubaril Estate to go zip lining through the rain forest – probably one of the most exciting adventures of our time on St. Lucia. Sheldon and Dalton were our guides and were very good at their jobs. Now I have a pretty strong fear of heights but decided to try this since Pete, Colleen and Brendan were so enthusiastic. At the first line I couldn’t bring myself to step off the platform and asked Sheldon to just push me. Being the professional that he is, he refused to push me but did offer to ride with me in tandem. That worked and eventually I got up the nerve to try a couple of the lines alone. I think it took about an hour for my heart rate to return to normal after we finished. We had fantastic views from the tree tops in the rain forest, which I don’t think we would have seen otherwise.

As I write this, Colleen and Brendan have returned home and we have moved on to Martinique. More on Martinique in my next post.

Stay tuned and stay in touch!

The Virgin Islands

20 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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BVI, Delphinus, US Virgin Islands

American Yacht Harbor

Pete and I arrived in St. Thomas to find Delphinus safe and snug at the American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook. The marina is a bustling place with lots of boats coming and going, and restaurants and shops lining the waterfront – everything geared toward the American tourist.

Dinner with Friends

We caught up with our friends Bernie and Sherron Wahl, who arrived on the s/v Ballerina the day before we arrived. Pete’s first Caribbean 1500 was with Bernie about 10 years ago. The two have kept in touch over the years. We all enjoyed pizza and cold beer at the Island Time Pub, with a great view of the harbor, with Anthony, a crew member of Ballerina’s trip from Grenada, and James, our crew member.

After a couple of days of engine work and provisioning, we departed St. Thomas for Caneel Bay in St. John. Here we returned to the enjoyment and peace and quiet on a mooring ball in the harbor. We took a whole day and did nothing but read and relax. Ahh..back to the life of a cruiser. Caneel Bay is the site of a former sugar plantation and the ruins have been incorporated into a very nice resort.

We soon discovered that this is the rainy season here. The good news is that most of the rain comes during the night and early morning. The bad news is there is a hatch over my side of our bunk which we keep open to catch those nice breezes. Most nights I woke up after dreaming about water being sprayed in my face only to realize it was raining again. Oh well, it’s a small price to pay for being in paradise.

Rainbow over Caneel Bay

Butterfly Escort

Next, we headed for Road Town in British Virgin Islands to catch up with a mechanic who will look at the port engine. As we entered British waters we acquired an escort of small yellow butterflies. They flitted all around the boat, rarely landing, and we continued to encounter them throughout the US and British Virgin Islands.

Fort Burt Marina

We stayed at the Fort Burt Marina, which turns out to be the home of Conch Charters, the company we chartered from 10 years ago. The Pub is still operating at the dock, which was the first place we tried conch fritters. Our son Brendan enjoyed them so much he tried them everywhere else we went in the BVI and became something of a conch fritter critic by the end of that charter trip. Pete and I stopped in this trip for old times sake.

Pete at The Pub

Finishing Install

As I’ve written before, the definition of cruising is fixing your boat in exotic places. In addition to the port engine issues that are now fixed, we had to replace the wind transducer (at the top of the mast) and run a new cable down through the mast. Here is Pete making the final connections at the base of the mast. The space he folded himself into actually under the settee in the salon. I think it took him longer to get himself into and out of that space than to make the final connections.

Trellis Bay

Our next stop in the BVI was Trellis Bay. The community there is somewhat of an artists colony. There is a large shop featuring the works of the local artisans and produce from organic farmers. We had lunch at the de Loose Mongoose, where Pete tried Roti, a West Indian curry stew served with a large wrap. It seems to be quite popular in the local restaurants.

Sunset on Trellis Bay

Jost Van Dyke

Next we made the obligatory party stop in Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke. This harbor is the home Corsairs Bar and Grill (best restaurant in the BVIs) and Foxy’s Bar (a favorite spot for cruisers). We enjoyed a great lunch at Corsairs, which looks more like a sailor/biker bar. The food was delicious.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that the cruising community really is small. As we were returning to Delphinus from lunch on shore we were flagged down by a couple in another dinghy. We were delighted to see it was John and Jennifer Stallings from s/v Noel’s Delight. We originally met them in Emerald Bay in the Bahamas and then again in the marina when we limped into Southport, NC with our broken dinghy davit. We spent a fun afternoon swapping stories over cold beers followed by great wings and rum punch at Foxy’s. We hope to catch up again soon as we are both planning to head further south.

Sunset

We headed back to US territory again and cleared customs in Cruz Bay, St. John. Unfortunately, we arrived right behind two ferry boats and had a long line to wait in. After lunch and grocery shopping we pulled up anchor and made our way to Francis Bay. This area and most of St. John are part of the US National Park Service (NPS), so the natural beauty is preserved.

Near Francis Bay is a partially restored sugar plantation, Annaberg Sugar Plantation, dating from the late 1700s. Look for the blocks of carved brain coral used in the doorway pictured below. As beautiful as the location is, I can’t imagine that the slaves who labored there found any joy in their surroundings.

Arched Doorway

Windmill Ruins

View from Annaberg

We also stopped into Coral Bay, another eclectric artists community, located on the east side of St. John. It is one of the few places that allow anchoring so there are many live aboard sailors there. One entrepreneur built a floating bar in the middle of the harbor. There are small herds of goats that roam the community freely, keeping the grassy areas neatly trimmed.

Shop Sign

Goats Keeping the Park Neat

Floating Bar

We returned to Francis Bay and used the dinghy to explore the surrounding bays. Cinnamon Bay hosts a NPS campground, complete with small cabins, platform tents and a beautiful beach.

We snorkeled along a marked underwater trail on Trunk Bay (also maintained by the NPS). Another beautiful beach with lots of people visiting for the day.

As I finish writing this we are back in Red Hook getting Delphinus ready to rest while we head home for Christmas. We’re looking forward to seeing family and friends again and celebrating the holidays together.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the crew of Delphinus!

Stay tuned and stay in touch.

Caribbean Bound

29 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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BVI, Caribbean 1500, Delphinus, USVI

This post is Pete’s log of his journey from Portsmouth, VA to Tortola, British Virgin Islands:

Our Caribbean cruise began at 0639 on November 11, 2015. Delphinus crossed over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, passed Cape Henry lighthouses and entered the Atlantic Ocean for the 1400 mile sail to the British Virgin Islands. On board was Captain Pete and crew: Ron Fox, James Dylewski and Bob Alexander. We were in the company of 32 other sailboats participating in the World Cruising Club’s (WCC) Caribbean 1500 and ARC Bahamas rallies.

Cape Henry Lighthouses

We encountered some interesting weather along the way – winds varying from 6 to 50 knots, seas as high as 12 feet and waves coming from two or three directions at the same time. Delphinus and her crew handled these conditions very well, sailing at common speeds of seven to eight knots, with spurts at 10 to 13 knots.

Some items needed repair, but none that affected seaworthiness. We had a continuing problem with the port engine eating starter motors two day out. So the starboard engine was the primary propulsion in light winds. We will focus on electrical issues and potential hydrolock issues with the port engine when we return after Thanksgiving at home.

We did enjoy some recreation during the trip. We fished quite often but due to our sailing speeds we didn’t have much luck. We caught a small (less than three pounds) false Albacore that we threw back. We lost a sizeable Mahi as we were landing it – but he bit through the leader and was free before we could gaff him. On the next to last day at sea we caught a 15 pound Mahi that provided two wonderful meals for the crew.

Bob Filets Dinner

We encountered several large ships along the way. Our closest approach was less than half a mile from a tanker heading to Spain. It’s common to have boats pass within 20 miles or so. We can see their Automatic Identification System (AIS) identifiers on our chart plotter, and we pay a lot of attention to the closest point of approach (CPA) to avoid getting too close.

A Tanker at Sea

The trip took 8 1/2 days to complete, ending just before midnight on November 19, 2015 in Nanny Cay Marina on Tortola, BVI. We were greeted by the WCC staff and provided with celebratory rum punches after getting Delphinus tied up. The crew picture below (from left to right): Captain Pete, Bob Alexander (Seaford, VA), Ron Fox (Yorktown, VA) and James Dylewski (Erie, PA).

Delphinus’ Crew

Below is the tracker showing the course we traveled. Our course didn’t follow the rhumb line (the red line) due to winds. Our course is the lighter line. To ensure we got closer to BVI we sailed on a beam reach as we encountered the east trade winds that start about 300 miles north of the Virgin Islands.

Course Tracker

The morning after arriving we enjoyed breakfast at the marina restaurant – eggs, bacon, omelets, brewed coffee, etc. The first order of business after breakfast was rinsing and washing Delphinus to remove the crusted salt (yes, salt crystals do build up) from the deck and rigging. Getting showers at the marina and a relaxing afternoon of small chores followed.

Friday evening we enjoyed a happy hour sponsored by the WCC and dinner with crews of other boats. Many stories about weather, equipment, breakdowns, fishing and meals were shared and enjoyed. There were boats from Great Britain, Canada, Belgium and New Zealand participating in the rally. New friendships were made and old ones refreshed.

Delphinus

On Saturday morning we left Nanny Cay for a quick stop at St. Johns Island, US Virgin Islands to check in with US Customs. Our next stop was American Yacht Harbor Marina in Red Hook Bay on St. Thomas, USVI, where we left Delphinus and Pete returned home for Thanksgiving.

While in Red Hook, Pete noticed a boat that we had chartered 10 years ago – Clewless. This boat was our first family charter vacation with both kids. It was a memorable family vacation that we still enjoy reminiscing about.

Clewless

Next week we’ll return to Delphinus, meet up with old friends Bernie and Sherron Wahl (s/v Ballerina) in Red Hook, explore the US Virgin Islands for a few days, check back into the British Virgin Islands for a while and then head back home for Christmas.

Stay tuned and stay in touch!

Back to the Bahamas

17 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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Bahamas, Delphinus

This is a long post as it has been a while since we’ve had reliable internet connections. I’m writing this from a Starbucks in Nassau (the first one we’ve seen in the islands.)

We had a wonderful time back in the US for Christmas and New Years; although we had a hard time adjusting to the cold air. Dad drove down and spent Christmas with us. Colleen carried on Nana’s tradition and cooked puffs on Christmas morning. Our son Brendan joined us on the 27^th, with his dog, Ellie. We spent a quiet New Year’s Eve with Colleen and her boyfriend Brendan (yes, he has the same name as her brother.) Before we knew it, it was time to hop on an airplane and return to Delphinus in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.

The travel was relatively uneventful until we went through Customs in the Bahamas. With the new year new laws went into effect. The local customs official’s interpretation was that only things that affected the propulsion of a boat was allowed to be brought into the country duty free, but being in a generous mood, he allowed all of our parts and supplies to be brought into the Bahamas duty free.

Brendan Enjoying a Local Beer

We caught a cab and returned to Sea Breezes Resort where we left Delphinus. Bob & Mary took good care of Delphinus in our absence and greeted us on our return. Quickly, we met other guests at the resort and felt right at home. Before long, it was time to rent Bob’s “wreck” and drive to the airport to pick up Brendan from his flights from Massachusetts.

Bahamian Brewery

The next day we used Bob’s car to pick up packages we shipped ahead and shop to provision Delphinus for our next journey. Along the way, we found the Bahamas Brewery, home of Sands beer, and stocked up.

The packages were more of a challenge than we expected. The first one was the rebuilt wind generator which arrived before the new year and was not subject to the new Value Added Tax laws. We were able to retrieve this package with little trouble, but the other two arrived after January 1, so were subject to new laws. We were in the Customs area of the airport and could see our boxes, but were not allowed to touch them. Turns out we had to hire a broker to retrieve our boxes, which was done quickly with the appropriate cash changing hands. We emphasized our schedule and need for the contents of the packages. After multiple phone calls, we were given the “go ahead” to retrieve our boxes from Customs.

New Friends

After settling back into Delphinus we invited our new friends, Judy & Al and Nancy & Grant (guests at the Sea Breezes Resort), for Dark & Stormies. They brought along wonderful food to munch on including homemade salami, black bean dip and crudités. We traded stories and compared US and Canadian politics and generally enjoyed each other’s company. I hope our paths cross again.

Rainbow over Freeport

Over the past few days Freeport had become more familiar. We ate at the same restaurant a couple of times, shopped at the same stores and became comfortable with driving on the opposite side of the road. The next day we departed Freeport for our next journey through the Berry Islands.

It was a long day and we dropped anchor off Great Harbour Cay in Bullock Bay close to sunset. The next day we took the dinghy into the marina looking for lunch. This was Sunday and the restaurant was closed. Fortunately we found a local lady who described our options: a 45 minute walk to the “Beach Club” or a five minute walk to a “local” restaurant. We opted for the local restaurant, which was adjacent to the local grocery, and were not disappointed. Along the walk we found cotton plants growing wild along the road, a residue of the failed cotton plantations of the 1700’s.

Cotton Growing Wild

On the path to the restaurant, we passed an Anglican church packed to the rafters with worshipers. When we found White’s Restaurant, it was full of locals playing pool and dominos while watching US football on TV. Lunch at Whites Restaurant was Baked Chicken and Barbequed Ribs, with the best Macaroni & Cheese we’ve had so far. Walking back from lunch we waved at the local worshipers on their way home from Sunday church. It seemed the settlement was divided into two camps … church goers and those gathered at White’s for drinks and play.

We had an unplanned day at anchor off Great Harbour Cay to deal with engine and generator problems. Dinner was solved with homemade pizza … pepperoni and shrimp/pesto. We all went to bed with full tummies!

Barricuda

The next morning started early with our destination of Chubb Cay. Early on we caught a barricuda but opted to cut it loose … not sure of how to turn it into dinner.

Along the way we encountered a thunderstorm and tried to pull in the gennaker sail in the higher winds, but were a little too late. The sheets worked themselves loose and we couldn’t completely furl the sail. We had to lower the gennaker until better conditions allowed us to refurl the sail.

Dinner!

Hank’s Place

On the trip from Chubb Cay to Andros we were lucky enough to catch a Mahi! We’ll have several meals from this catch, including that evening’s dinner – grilled Mahi.

We visited a local spot, Hank’s, for beers. Hank is pretty serious about no fighting.

A short walk from the marina is the Androsia fabric factory. Androsia is locally produced Batik fabric which is inspired by nature in the Bahamas and completely hand made. When we found the factory, Bertrand found us. He showed us through the process of adding the design to the fabric and then dying the fabric. We were lucky enough to see bolts of fabric drying in the air behind the factory. Bertrand cuts the designs into the sponges and sets them in hot wax to mark the fabric before it is dyed.

Brendan on Andros

Bertrand with his patterns

Fabric Drying

The Androsia Outlet store was closed as they were remodeling, but they allowed us in anyhow. I felt like a kid in a candy store with all the hand dyed fabrics, clothing and accessories. I finally picked out four fabrics I think will work together nicely in a quilt and then discovered the remnant basket and found three more pieces of fabric! Brendan found a few gifts for his girlfriend, Alex. I also found a hand woven basket with Androsia fabric woven into it.

Cruise Ship Port

The next morning was another early start for our crossing to Nassau. Unfortunately, we had the wind on the nose, so we motored the whole way. Our approach into the harbor took us past the cruise ship terminals, Atlantis and multiple resorts. We got a slip in the Nassau Harbour Club and found our friends, Rick and Helen on S/V Symmetry III at the end of the dock. We got together that evening on Symmetry for drinks and snacks, and to catch up on each other’s sailing adventures since we last saw each other in Marsh Harbour.

On Friday morning it was time for Brendan to return to Massachusetts (brrrrr). We got him a cab from the marina to the airport. It was great to spend the last 10 days together and Brendan was a sport to accommodate his parent’s new laid back lifestyle. We wished we could have spent more time actually sailing between destinations, but we enjoyed the time together all the same.

Preparing to Throw Off the Lines

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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Annapolis, Cape Charles, Delphinus

We have been very busy for the past month getting Delphinus ready for our offshore travels. We’ll be sailing in the ARC Bahamas rally organized by the World Cruising Club – destination Marsh Harbor, on Abacos in the Bahamas. This week is packed with seminars and social events, preparing for the fast approaching departure. So far, we’ve met some great people all getting ready to throw off their lines.

In the past week we’ve had the standing rigging replaced and are hoping the canvas work will be finished this week.

I’ve been busy planning meals and provisioning the boat, not just for the journey there, but stocking up on staples that we’ll have handy once we get there. I’ve learned on past trips to islands that you can’t always count on a nearby grocery store with everything you need. We have two crew members, Phil and Ron, and I want to make sure they are well fed

Our preparations over the past month have included several shake-down sails, seminars, provisioning and outfitting. A trip to Annapolis was the longest time we’ve spent on the boat so far (12 days) and included just about every type of weather except snow! A real learning experience.

Our cruise to Annapolis was to attend an Offshore Safety Seminar presented by JWorld Annapolis. Our trip there took us up the Eastern Shore with stops in Cape Charles, Onancock, the Choptank River, St. Michael’s, and then on to Annapolis.

Leaving our marina, we discovered the early morning meeting place of East Beach’s Seagulls. I don’t think there was any unoccupied space on that dock. We’re fortunate that cameras don’t capture smells, because the stench was awful!

Morning Meeting of East Beach Seagulls

The trip to Cape Charles was uneventful and as has been the pattern, we were directly into the wind, waves and tide. We had a nice evening, including dinner at The Shack and chatting with some nice folks docked nearby. We even got a look at a local novelty, a flying dinghy. It appears to be an ordinary inflatable dinghy rigged with hang-gliding type wings. He gets speed up on the water and then takes flight. It’s quite a site! The next morning we were underway early enough to catch the sunrise (not something I usually see).

Flying Dinghy

Sunrise over Cape Charles

We arrived in Onancock in time for lunch, followed by a walk around town. Following the recommendation of our waitress in Cape Charles we stopped at the Corner Bakery for afternoon donuts and cookies for later. Well worth the stop!

Pete at the Onancock Wharf

Onancock Wharf

The next day was a long one, motoring through high winds and rain, to the Choptank River. After anchoring, we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset.

Sunset over Choptank

The next morning we left for St. Michael’s. It was another cold, damp day. Once we arrived, even Pete was willing to walk through the shops in town with me in search of long sleeve shirts. We did not plan for the cooler temps on this trip. We were able to catch up with friends, Jim and Mary, for dinner.

On to Annapolis the next day in more cold rain and winds gusting to over 30 knots. I reached a point where I couldn’t even see through my glasses because of the rain drops, all the while trying to avoid crab pots – needed windshield wipers for my glasses. The starboard engine shut down unexpectedly and Pete had to get into the engine compartment, diagnose and fix the problem while we were being tossed around. With both engines running, we made it into Spa Creek in Annapolis and picked up a mooring ball as the rain stopped.

We had a great time during our stay in Annapolis, including a visit from my brother Mike, his wife Rita, son Brian and his wife Cairen. The water taxi system there is fantastic and provided us with mobility around town. We were lucky enough to see a wedding on a nearby boat in the mooring field!

Dinner at the Federal House

Nautical Wedding

Sunset in Spa Creek

The two day Offshore Safety Seminar was full of great information and hands on practice. Pete even jumped into the water with his inflatable PFD and climbed into a life raft. He found this is not an easy task. The bulk of the PFD interferes with the ability to climb through the opening of the life raft. Mario Vittone was a featured speaker and provided great insight based on his experiences as a Coast Guard Search & Rescue Swimmer.

On the way out of Annapolis Pete wanted me to practice docking (something I have not done before), so we head to the seawall at the city docks. With Pete giving me step by step direction, I was able to smoothly pull the boat to the seawall. With that small success, Pete wanted me to take Delphinus to a fuel dock and tie up there. He forgot that I still needed the second by second direction and I came in too fast, hitting the fuel dock with the port bow. Caused quite a stir with the staff, except for a woman sitting on a bench reading, looked up from her book briefly and went right back to her reading. No serious harm done to the dock or Delphinus; although I think the staff was glad to see us go.

Made it home, safe and sound, a few days later. We did make a stop at Zahniser’s Marina in Solomon’s Island to have the port engine fixed. It is a great facility with friendly, helpful staff.

Our next post will likely be from Marsh Harbor, talking about our passage. Keep us in your thoughts for fair winds and following seas.

The Adventure Begins

23 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by krdavenport in Uncategorized

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Delphinus, Fountaine Pajot Belize

After eight months of searching, travelling up and down the east coast, switching from looking for a monohull to a catamaran, we finally found the right boat- a Fountaine Pajot Belize! While I stayed home to handle the details of selling our home, Pete was checking out what would be our new boat in BVI. We had a very busy end of May, with selling our house, buying our condo and buying Delphinus! A week after moving homes, we take off for Fort Lauderdale to bring her back to the Chesapeake Bay.

If you notice the dolphins painted on the hulls, they are the inspiration for the name Delphinus, which is the name of a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere shaped like a dolphin.

We had already planned to have her hauled out to get some work done, but uncovered more problems than we planned for (isn’t that the way things work on boats?) The generator starts, but isn’t passing cooling water, so we can’t use it until we can get it fixed in Norfolk. On different days, the port and starboard engines take turns not starting. A rudder bearing is replaced but we discover the bearing housing needs to be replaced soon too. The large burner on the stove won’t work. The list seems endless, but in the end we decide to through off the lines to begin our adventure.

Our crew consists of Pete (the skipper), myself, our son Brendan, and an invaluable crew member, Jim Underwood. Jim has a wealth of experience in offshore sailing and was very generous in sharing that knowledge with us. After leaving on Tuesday evening, we settle into our routines of watches and meals. No one has a problem with motion sickness and the weather is generally very nice.

From Fort Lauderdale, we are quickly out in the Gulf Stream. The winds are light and we are forced to motor, but we are making 11 knots. We see dolphins and flying fish every day and continue to marvel at how blue the water is. Beautiful sunsets and a full and nearly full moon every evening.

Sunset at Sea

Moon Rise at Sea

On Wednesday evening we have our only injury of the trip. Pete slips in the cockpit and hits his back on the edge of a seat. It’s obvious he’s in a lot of pain and can’t move for quite a while. After some Naproxen and ice, he’s able to move a bit, but very restricted in his range of motion.

Along the way we caught a beautiful Mahi-mahi and Brendan reeled it in. Dinner that night was mahi burritos and mahi fried rice a couple of nights later. Yum!

By Thursday evening we’re reviewing our plans. Because we’ve been motoring the whole way, and will likely have to continue motoring, it is decided to hop off the ocean into Beaufort, NC for fuel and to spend Friday night. It’s a pretty little town with a bustling waterfront. We even saw a couple of their wild horses on the beach opposite the marina.

I take Pete to the local hospital to have his back checked out. The marina offered us the use of one of their cars to get there. The dockmaster explained where the car was parked and that it is a “very vintage Buick Station wagon.” He wasn’t kidding. A traffic cone is used to block the space when you pull out, so it will be available when you get back. Diagnosis – nothing broken, just deep bruising. Muscle relaxers to help with the spasms.

The Saturday weather forecast looks it will be difficult getting around Cape Hatteras, so the decision is made to complete the trip on the ICW. More motoring, but in some fairly narrow channels with tree stumps poking out of the water. Instead of the crystal clear blue water of the oceans, we now have the dark, tannin stained waters (picture strong tea).

Delphinus is listed as having a 63 foot mast and the Wilkerson Bridge (near Belhaven, NC) is listed as having a 64 foot clearance. As we pass under it, we find out that one of those numbers is wrong. The anchor light and wind vane at the top of the mast are knocked off by the bridge and bits of glass fly all around us. No injuries and no damage to the mast itself, but a close call.

At the end of my watch, I check the fuel guage and see that we are already down to half a tank. We anchor for the night near Bear Point (MM 103) and Jim notices a bit of fuel in the water on the starboard side. He climbs into the engine compartment and finds over 5 gallons of fuel on the floor because of a fuel leak. After a big clean up job, he finds the source of the leak and fixes it. Seems we made the right decision to finish the trip on the inside. This could have been a much bigger problem on the ocean.

Monday is pretty uneventful (which is nice). We stop in Coinjock, NC to replenish the fuel and continue on into the Elizabeth River and anchor at Hospital Point. The next morning we are up and underway early.

When we left Fort Lauderdale, we planned to make the whole trip on the outside and arrive home on Saturday. Instead, we split the trip between the ocean and the ICW, and arrived at our home slip on Tuesday morning. As with most things in life, you have to adapt to the changing circumstances. I think we all did a good job of doing just that, with our system malfunctions, unfavorable winds and injuries.

We pull into our new slip at about 10:00 am on Tuesday and are glad to be back. Now, where will the next adventure take us????

We have arrived!

Sailing with Delphinus

Tag Archives: Delphinus

Martinique and Dominica

Martinique

Dominica

Grenada: The End of This Year’s Journey

Sailing the Windward Islands

Leeward Islands and St. Lucia

The Virgin Islands

Caribbean Bound

Back to the Bahamas

Preparing to Throw Off the Lines

The Adventure Begins

Martinique

Dominica

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