Carriacou – One last Hash

On our way from Grenada to Martinique to pick up Anders from the airport we decided to stop once again in Carriacou. There was a special hash this weekend in Carriacou that we were gonna run. When leaving Grenada I had measured the distance so we would get there before dark but I had done something wrong or remembered something wrong. After motoring the last bit to be able to anchor in some light we dropped the hook just after the sun had set. But all was good and we settled down and prepared for the hash the day after.

The next day we woke up and prepared for the hash. It was a really hot day and around noon we gathered with a couple of hundred other people to sign ourselves in. After some waiting we jumped in to some buses and got a ride to the starting point. After some more waiting it was time for the start. It was really hot and the course started out with a climb up on the second highest point of the island. It was the toughest hash we had run so far. It was so much up and down all the time, but it did go through  lot of nice scenery.

After finally finishing the run we got treated to some included barbecue food and of course a few beers. We spent the evening with some other cruisers and hashers and at one point we were standing outside of a bar next to the town dock. Some fishermen came and started loading really big fishes on to the back of a truck. One of the fishermen stopped by us and offered a big piece of kingfish to the girl next to me but she said no but he then turned to me and I happily said yes. So suddenly I was standing with a beer in one hand and a 5 kilo piece of fish in the other hand, What do I do now??? But after some quick organizing by a friend of ours that lived on Grenada the fish was soon packed in a plastic bag with some ice from the bar and put in the dinghy for later. So we invited anyone who wanted for lunch the next day on the fish.

The next day Hanna ran the live hash that was a hash that was created at the same time as the runners were running it. There was a lot of circles and wrong turns to be made on this one. In the meantime I took the bicycle to the next town to check us out of the country. After having Some grilled fish for lunch together with Nick and Sarah we sailed off towards Martinique in the sunset.

//Andreas

Grenada – St Georges

We arrived in St Georges after a calm sail down the coast. But when we came closer to the town and were beating in to the wind to get to the anchorage we saw a charter boat going against us with his foresail sheeted on the wrong side so he was barely moving. We changed course to get close by to ask if he needed any help but he only pointed on the back of his shirt and waved. So we sailed on and half an hour later we saw another boat doing the same thing going in another direction. So we concluded this was an opposite day regatta and just continued to the anchorage.

In St Georges the anchorage is a little bit outside of the town in between the town and a big beautiful beach called Grande Anse. We spent a few days checking out the town and surroundings. Grenada was supposed to be a bit of a vacation in this long vacation of ours. Anders was heading home for some weeks for a wedding and to work a bit. Hanna and I wanted to just have some time when we didn’t move around too much, to meet some people, do some work on the boat and just get some routine for a little while.

There is a big community of cruisers in Grenada and therefore all sorts of activities happening. Most of them is happening in the southern bays which is quite a walk away so we put on our hiking shoes and went 5 km for some volleyball. There were also flee market for boaters so we got some fun new stuff. Otherwise we spent our days chilling and doing some boat work that had been on the list for a long time.

After some time it was time for my Birthday. We started out the day with some mimosas and later on some internet to make some calls home to the family. We spent the rest of the day with some nice food and later on we made our way to volleyball with some fellow cruisers. After the volleyball we went to Nimrods a pub nearby for some refreshments. A really nice day ended with a bus ride back home again to the boat.

It was now soon time for the big Carnival in town. We had heard from some other cruisers that you could go in the carnival by buying a package from a company. So Hanna and I got up at 4 o clock in the morning and walked to Carib the brewery to buy our package. The package included some bling with lights and a shirt so everyone looked the same.

We sent Anders off to the airport to fly home and then it was time for Carnival. It started out with something called Jouvert really early in the morning where everyone that wants to be in the train get smeared with used engine oil. It was a crazy experience with some mixed feelings about it. But at least we tried the local customs. We arrived at around 6 in the morning and were quite late so everyone were pretty much completely black from oil and we got some of it as well. Hanna a bit more than me.

After the Jouvert everyone disappeared home to rest after having partied pretty much the whole night, so we did the same even though we cheated on the time a bit. Later on we met up with Paul and Miles two Australians whom we had met a few nights earlier on the volleyball. We had a couple of drinks before we got in to the main event for us. The big carnival train that was starting in the evening and continued throughout the whole night. We started walking at about 10 p.m. and we found Carib our supplier of drinks and music. We then pretty much walk/danced/tried to fill our beer mugs the rest of the night. We were around 200 people just in the Carib one all dancing with light in the hats, swords and necklaces. At around 3 a.m. we were too tired to continue and started to walk back home to the dinghy and got to sleep well tired after a full day of Carnival.

The next day was the so called fancy mas, the more pretty train with everyone who actually knows what they are doing. We kind of forced ourselves out of bed and went in to at least have a look. So we stayed for an hour or so but they were so slow on getting the train started so we only stayed for the first part of it. Later that week we did a dive with Paul and Miles before they flew back to Australia for some vacation and we lifted up the anchor and sailed down south to the southern bays instead to see some new surroundings.

Union Island – Finally some kitesurfing

We arrived in union Island after Tobago Keys snorkeling with turtles and rays. We spend a couple of days in Clifton Harbor, while waiting for the flight home for Anders’ parents. We had some walks around the Island and just hanging out. Anders father Jan also tried some fly fishing without too much success, but he got a nice long walk in the water. Clifton was calm since it is off season now and not much was happening.

The last night Anders´ parents was onboard we visited Happy Island for some sundowners and the much appreciated kiteboarding show that usually happens there at sundown. Afterwards went in to town and got treated to a nice dinner by them. The next day we walked them to the airport and wrote them of the crew list and said good bye for this time.

We then moved to a place called Ashton. Clifton is a popular place to be kiteboarding but Ashton is definitely a nice step up, at least for beginners as me. We decided to spend a week finally getting some nice wind in the perfect place. There is a small strip of land protecting the bay from waves but not messing up the wind which makes it so nice.

We spend a couple of days with me trying to learn and not doing to much of success the first days but it did go better and better. But then Anders stepped on a sea orchid and got ill for a couple of days so that gave us a bit of a break in the kiteboarding. As soon as he got better we were on it again and now it started to work fairly well. At the end I also was able to go upwind as Anders had learnt on his kite course a couple of months earlier. And Most of the transitions, turning from one side to the other, worked out well without swimming in the middle.

So over all it was a nice week but we felt we needed to get going so when the wind was going to be worse for a couple of days we headed for Carriacau and Grenada.

By the pen, Andreas

S:t Vincent – Best diving so far

We arrived in S:t Vincent after about 20 hours of sailing. A lot of current against us around the islands but over all a nice sail. We decided to go back to Blue Lagoon to check in because the customs were nice the last time and the office open. So we checked in and got to meet Oliver and Carlota Viking explorer over the Atlantic. We had a sundowner at the beach bar with them and updated each other a bit.

The next day most of the crew went in to Kingstown and checked out the town for the day. I stayed on the boat doing some work with resealing a window and installing some heat shields around the stove. We stayed 2 nights outside Blue Lagoon before heading back north to Petit Beuchat a wonderful small bay where we stayed two nights completely secluded.

We started with a dive on one of the sides of the bay. It was really nice with so much nice corals and fish. Everything alive and really a reef that is thriving. The next day we were going to dive the Bat cave about half a mile away. Anders went out with his parents in the dinghy and came paddling back 10 minutes later. So the motor had died and when trying to restart Anders ripped the starter string off and had to paddle and swim back to the boat. So after a quick change of starter string they were off again. They went in to the cave but turned around when there was a bit too much waves inside, and went back and dove around the cliff outside the cave. Still a very nice dive though. Afterwards me and Hanna had a try and we were able to dive through the cave and out on the other side of the mountain. It was really nice when the cave opened up into a deep ravine and the floor and walls were covered in lobsters. It was one of the best dives I have done so far.

We also went ashore to pick some fruit since last time we were here we could pick both coconuts and starfruits and almonds. But we came back with only coconuts but not to bad either. Then we had some dinner and the next day we were off  for a short sail to Bequia once again.

Saaba- Not easy to visit but well worth the effort

We arrived in Saaba after about 2 days beating in to the wind from the BVI’s. There were very little wind so it was a very calm sail. We managed to tack so we missed a few thunderstorms. Saaba is a very steep island almost without any bays to anchor and no beaches. There is only one anchorage with some mooring buoys on the west side of the island. We were lucky and the weather was reasonably calm and the stay was okay.

We arrived and took one of the moorings because it was included in the park fee and anchoring was a bit restricted due to it being a marine park. Then we put the dinghy in the water and went in to  the main dock to clear in. this meant going to the south side of the island with the dinghy about 2 miles. It was a bit rocky and a little bit wet but we arrived and could dry off on the dock. We cleared in and everyone was super nice just as we have heard before that they should be on this isolated island.

We decided to go up the hill and take a look in the “town”.  We soon regretted this decision since the road to the city was one really steep and long hill. I think it was about 200 m up and about 1,5 kilometer to walk. We walked in a valley with pretty much no wind a the sun gassing at us. But we finally arrived in the town and it was not very much at all. But they had a nice bar so we could get a beer after this tremendous achievement. They also had a supermarket were they had a 1 dollar sale on products out of date so we got out of there with a lot of cheese and some really strange stuff but we were happy. We then walked back towards the dock and someone stopped and gave us a ride down the hill to the dock. As I said very nice people.

The next day was Sweden’s national day and we decided to do a longer hike up on the highest mountain on the island. So we started with the wet dinghy ride and then the very steep hill in to town. From there we took some small roads to get to the start of a path that lead up towards the mountain. The hike continued steep right through the jungle with a lot of mango trees. So we got some really nice ripe mangos. After a couple of pauses we arrived on the top at 877 m high it was Holland’s second highest peak. (Yes Saaba belongs to Holland, more or less) Finally on the peak we had some lunch and celebrated the national day with some Swedish “flaggpunch” and a Swedish flag.

On the way down we decided to take a smaller path down the other side of the mountain and visit the second town on the island. This path was a little less traveled but really nice with wonderful views. We arrived down on the main road and Chris decided to try some hitch hiking. We got a lift on the back of a truck and got in to the second town on the island. This town was really nice and we got a well deserved beer. Later after checking around a bit we hitch hiked one more time to get back to the dock.

The next day, as Saaba is well known for its life under the water. We went snorkeling and it was really nice. We saw a lot of fish and a lot of live coral. Turtles, barracudas and under water arches. It was one of the best snorkeling so far on this trip.

Saaba was a really nice place and we all loved it. All the people we met was so nice and the island is really beautiful. A real gem which is a bit of the beaten track and not very many cruisers come here. But after a few days we had to leave to be able to get to Martinique in time to leave Chris at the airport.

BVI, part I, White sandy beaches and a lot of charter Catamarans

We arrived in in BVI on the island of Virgin Gorda in the morning: We decided to stop in the northern part of the island where there were supposed to be a customs office in the Virgin sound. But this was apparently not true anymore since the big hurricanes in 2017. A lot of the islands were damaged and we realized this more and more in the coming days. So we had to get back out to sea and headed south on the same island about 10 nm to Spanish Town which had a open customs office. So we could check in there after a lot of papers and one extra visit to the boat to get flight information for the crew leaving us in the BVI´s.

 

So we stayed at Spanish town for the night and the next day we took a walk to The Baths which is a nature reserve area with some cool caves and nice beaches next to the very rocky sides. So we walk the touristy paths and had a beer at the beach bar. It was nice but a bit to many charter boat tourists around. We continued walking around the island to an old coppermine that were supposed to be cool. It was nice but not more than some walls standing from an old house. But it gave us some very well needed shade to eat some lunch and cookies.

 

The next day we moved back north to Virgin Sound and found a really nice bay with really nice water and a nice long beach. We were almost alone with only 2 other boats around. The next day were a day with a few failed attempts. I drove Hanna, Ben and martin to shore to have a nice hike and find a bar for some wifi. I went back to the boat trying to do some kiting with Anders and was gonna get them 3 hours later. But as soon as they got of the dock a very angry local came running and said they could not go ashore. All of the old marina and bars where destroyed in the hurricanes and they were repairing and rebuilding so no one were allowed ashore in the meantime. Not even for hiking in the bushes. So they tried to call me and wave for me to come back but I could not hear them. So they settled in for a 3 hour wait on the dock. But after about 45 minutes a dive boat came and laughed heartedly and then felt a bit sorry for them and gave them a ride back to the boat. In the meantime Anders and my Kiting failed on to little wind so we decided to use the kiteboard as a wakeboard instead after the dinghy so we still had some fun.

After a couple of days we left the beautiful bay for Anegada the northern most point of BVI. Anegada is a sand island which is really flat and a lot of nice beaches. When we arrived close to the anchorage the water looked Green. So after anchoring we took a swim and there was a lot of sea grass on the bottom giving the water a greenish look. We tried some snorkeling on the reef and also tried to catch some lobsters. We did see a few but failed catching them. So we went back to the boat and then in to the beach and tried the beach bar. The next day we tried again on the lobsters and we caught 2 wich gave us some really nice grilled lobsters for starter. The next day we went to Tortola, the main island for a full moon party.

 

Antigua & Barbuda: Classic yachts and mile long beaches.

Antigua and Barbuda, Classic yachts and mile long beaches.

We arrived in Antigua with the idea to see the Antigua Classic Yacht regatta. This was
going on for about a week with different competitions and happenings. Already when
approaching the island we started too see some old classic yachts sailing around the in the waters close to the island. We decided to stop in English Harbor that is a Unesco world heritage site because it is a well kept old English boatyard. And it really was fancy with old buildings and walls around the area. Although a bit too fancy for us. We anchored outside in the bay, or at least we tried. we have never had to re anchor before but this time it was cramped with boats and we tried to put an aft anchor in because the boat next to us had done so and we did not want to swing in to him,  but we kind of failed getting the anchors to set properly and had to start over again. We circled the
anchorage a couple of times, got yelled at from a nice guy when we were not even
anchoring close to him, but finally found a spot and ended up a bit to close to a
smaller boat so we had too move the day after again. Later on after a couple of days we
had another boat anchoring close to us and after a while I was standing and holding the
aft of their boat away from our bow so they had to move as well.

We found the Germans in the same bay with pretty much the same plans as we had. They had some info on the regatta and there was gonna be a parade the next morning just 10 meters from our boats. But that was not really correct. But we did go of the day after that to see the start of one of the races, but of course we went to the wrong bay because no one seemed to know where they started. But after a lot of pistol shots we found the starting boats and think we understood the starting line. But there was a lot of starts and people got tires of it and walked of. But it was a nice day and a nice walk. We also brought our snorkeling gear because there was a snorkeling trail in a nearby bay that was not to special and a bit of an exaggeration. But the beach was nice at least and the snorkeling at least okay.

We also had time to look at all the fancy classic yachts in the harbor and there was a
lot of really big fancy both new and old classics. A bit of another world than our
sailing trip in a rather shabby boat in comparison.

After a few days in English Harbor we decided to race the Germans around the island
against the wind to the eastern side where there was a really nice anchorage protected by a reef and a small island with nice beaches. This was a popular kite place and Anders
and me tried the new kite equipment and kind of failed a bit. We did some really nice
maneuvers around and in the middle of the reef and I might have flown out of the dinghy onto the reef a little bit. But no harm done and we tried again after a pause and did a little bit better but then we kind of lost the wind and the kite was messing around with us and deflated a bit.

We had a nice barbeque on the beach and spent s couple of days on the beach playing
volleyball and a lot of other stuff together with the Germans. I also spent some time in
their engine compartment trying to align their engine and changing 2 bolts in the engine
mounts that had sheared of due to a axle that is shit. At least we got it together
enough so that they could keep going to St martin and fix it there.

After a couple of days we sailed on to deep bay on the west coast were they had a nice
snorkeling wreck. We anchored in a pair with the Germans tying the boats together and
had a movie night projecting the movie in our mainsail and sitting on their boat to
watch. This worked perfectly for about half the movie. Then we accidentally put the
projector in the water and had to do a free diving rescue mission. A bit of a boring
ending of a great night. But we found it and we took it apart and dried it. We did try
it a week later and it worked more or less for half an hour but then strange lines
started to appear on the screen so it is now waiting for some more surgery.

We stayed in This bay only one night and then went on to check out in the morning and
headed to Barbuda. Barbuda is a very low island surrounded by beautiful white beaches
mile after mile. We anchored outside one very long beach with only a few other boats
nearby. We arrived in the afternoon and just ate, had a few beers and tried to visit a
beach bar close by, but that was apparently a private resort that were not very
welcoming so we headed back to the boats instead. We then moved a bit further north on the island to another ridiculously beautiful beach with only a abandoned resort as far as you could see. We were almost alone with only one other boat next to us except for the
Germans who we traveled together with.

We spent the day playing on the beach with the Germans. Some snorkeling and some
wake boarding after the dinghy. We also went to check out the abandoned and half destroyed resort. Me and Daniel the captain of Serenity, the German boat, Headed in to town to visit customs which we had to to do be allowed to stay an extra night. After a walk trough and a lot of questions about the way we found a house that said customs. But of course no one was home. But with some excellent luck we waited for maybe one minute and a car stops on the street which were the customs officer. So he chatted for a while took a picture of our papers and then gave us a ride to the bar were we needed some wifi. He was by far the nicest official we have talked to so far and everyone in Barbuda was really nice even tough the island got hit hard by the hurricane 2 years ago and it still shows a lot. They had to evacuate the whole population from Barbuda to Antigua and a bit more then half has come back now.

The evening was spent with a nice beach barbecue that the Germans fixed for us as a
thank you for having helped them with the engine and shaft on their boat. So they cooked up burgers and vegetables on the beach for us and it was awesome. Thanks Serenity. The day after we spent some more time in the water and the beach and headed of towards St Martin in the afternoon to arrive there in the morning the day after.

Martinique

What to do in Martinique? All of a sudden we were in Europe once again, and it showed. At least Martinique is a close copy with a Caribbean twist on it. We did get to shop in a normal supermarket, with more than a few things imported from the U.S., which was nice

We got here on a Thursday afternoon meeting both Navajo from Viking Explorer and Serenity a German boat we have met quite sometimes so far. We anchored in the city anchorage right outside Fort de France, the Capital of Martinique. We had a nice welcome from Serenity and were invited for a nice barbecue on board because their oven was being repaired. After some food with some rum punch and a lot of catching up, we got back pretty late.

Now it was Friday and time for Michaels last day on board, he was flying home on Saturday. We were a bit tired in the morning and got into town to take a look around at 10 am and walked around in the warmest city we been to so far. The sun gassing and no wind blowing through the town and after seeing most of the city center we stopped in the shade for a beer. We then asked Michael what he wanted for his last day and after a lot of no discussion, we tried to get tickets for the big Fort in the town but we were at a loss if we did not want the tour in French. So we decided to rent a car and go around the Island instead. So we started walking to the closest car rental place guided by google. We walked and got to see kind of another side of Martinique and a community with a lot of differences. Neighbours where one has a house with a roof that is falling down and right next to it was gated house with a new Range Rover. After 40 minutes of walking we arrived but google had gotten the opening hours wrong, so it was closed. A quick Search gave us the next rental place only 11 minutes away so we started walking again. But once there, there was nothing even close to a rental place. In good spirit trusting in Google we continued. After 2 more places without any sign of rentals we finally gave up. We gave Google a last chance on a roof top bar on the way but there was of course no sign of that one either. So we headed back home again and would like to invite Google to visit Martinique together with us.

Later that night when we had gotten past our experience we got treated to a real nice dinner by Michael in town. After dinner we headed for a couple of beers at a local car inspired pub just in Michaels honor. On Saturday it was finally time for Michael to leave us. He been with us since Las Palmas and done an ocean crossing, although being a very calm one. We thank him for his company and hope he will come visit us again.

We had one more major thing to get done while being in Martinique that we saved until getting here. The starboard spreader on the mizzen mast was broken. The end cap of the spreader holding the stay in place had corroded and cracked. So you could say that the wire was hanging on by a thread. This made us less willing to use the mizzen sail while under way. We had planned on getting a new spreader here in Martinique but after taking it apart we decided to repair it instead. So we got an aluminum workshop to manufacture a new end cap to the spreader and after a few days it was all back in place again. Both quicker and cheaper than planned.

In the meanwhile we decided to make the most of the time here and make a full working week. So I started sewing a new bimini with a full enclosure out of some canvas fabric that we bought in Sweden before we left. It is not all done yet but at least the bimini is in place and the 2 sides are done. The rest will have to wait for a while until we have the urge to work again.

Hanna and Anders also made new trim around four of the windows that missed this in the saloon so now the saloon almost look respectable. Anders also had an adventure day going to Ducus, a close by city, where there was a diving shop who was a dealer for Coltri, our dive compressor. So we had ordered the parts we needed a month ago via email but they were not the best at answering and ordering. They thought they had the parts at home but that was not the case. So we ordered them again and it was going take about 10 days.

So after finishing the work week we were a bit tired of fort de France and left for St Pierre on the northern part instead and waited for the parts there. St Pierre is a city that was completely destroyed in 1902 by a volcano erupting with only three persons surviving in the city. There is still a lot of half destroyed houses showing so we got a bit of history sightseeing done. St Pierre was also a good point for hiking so we took a full day trying to go to a waterfall. When we got there, it turned out to be a big tourist attraction with entrence fees and a guide, not really what we were looking for so we continued walking towards the top of Mount Pelee, the volcano that erupted, instead. But when we got to the start of the trail we were a bit tired after walking the whole day it started to get a bit late. We did not want to walk back on the road though. Instead we found a small path leading from the track towards the town, only parts of it where showing on the App maps we had, but after some satellite imaging we found a small overgrown path. We climbed up and down a rather big ravine and after some more bushes we found a nice track and got to say hi to some cows on the way. After walking this track for an hour or so through a lot of different types of terrain everything from small bushes, rain forrest, open fields and sugar cane plantations, we arrived at a rum distillery, which of course had free tasting of its products. We had a well-earned break at the distillery and did buy a couple of the tested products. We then walked the rest of the way to the dinghy and pretty much crashed when we got back to the boat.

After almost a week in St Pierre with snorkeling, diving and hiking, we only had one more thing to do, bunkering food. We rented a car in St Pierre to be able to go to the bigger supermarkets closer to Fort De France. But first we decided to take a tour of the Island. We drove all around the island in a car that sounded like it where going to fall in to pieces most of the time. But finally at around 10PM we had finished with all the shopping having to go 2 times to be able to fit stuff in the very small car, Citroen C1, and also got the parts for the diving compressor. After storing everything and cleaning, we were off for Dominica on Sunday

Repairs in Bequia

Bequia

We arrived in Bequia after a long sail of little more than an hour. The distances here are a bit different from what we have been getting used to. Everything is so close together. Well in Bequia we found a lot of the Viking Explorers crews and got together with them for a bit.

We had some problem sometime during the crossing with one of the shrouds for the mizzen mast. The forward lower shroud on the starboard side. We found a crack in the deck next to the chain plate and the chain plate had raised the deck with the force of the shroud. We decided to fix this in Bequia. After a quick check we realized that the beam in the hull that the shroud ultimately was connected to had given away a bit because of to much force on the shroud.

Sometime in the 1970´s when the boat was built someone thought it was a really good idea to separate our two masts altogether. I also thought this was a really good idea because if you loose one mast you still have the other one. Normally with a ketch rig, that we have, you have a triatic shroud between the two masts to get some force to the front of the boat from the mizzen mast. But on our boat the only thing holding the mizzen mast forwards were the two lower shrouds that is connected to the middle of the mast. This was a big problem when one tries to tension the rig because the two lower shrouds got a lot of force because of the mast acting as a lever. So finally the starboard one gave up in the fitting to the hull. I actually strengthen the port one 2 years ago after finding a small crack and that seems OK still.

So we took everything apart and removed the shroud and the chain plate to be able to repair the deck and the fitting to the hull. I was sure I had to dismantle the whole kitchen that I built there two years ago which is quite a big hassle but was able to do a keyhole surgery from the side instead so the kitchen remains. But after a couple days of sanding and then epoxying everything together and stronger then before we could paint and refit the pieces. We decided to do something about the root cause, not having a triatic, so after hanging in the mast tops for a long while trying to get the exact measurement we got in to town and had a new shroud made, it was 427 cm long :). But of course we could not just fit it in place. We had to move the aft shroud on the main mast to get some space to put the new one in there. At least after some drilling and banging during sunset to get the old pin out everyone close by new who we were. But the shroud is now in place and the rig can once again be tensioned properly. We just need to fix a spreader that has a crack as well then we can actually sail with the Mizzen mast again

In the mean while we did some other jobs on the boat as well. We finally fixed our leaking aft hatches on deck, sun protection for the doghouse, water seal for the mizzen mast, shower on bathing platform and a few other bits and pieces. We also had time to have a few beers at some really local pubs, had a full moon party on the beach with some fire and rum punch, saw our first turtles, failed with a dive attempt, tried to watch a fort that was no fort and much more.

One hangover morning Anders and Michael woke up by a mayday call on the vhf about a boat taking on water in the bay. They jumped in the dinghy and drove there to help out. The boat, an Amel 53 foot, had been rammed full speed in the side by a catamaran and had a big crack down under the waterline. They helped out trying to seal the crack and leaning the boat over by putting a lot of heavy people on the boom. After the boat was healed over enough they could drive it in to a dock and lean it against the dock and some locals began to seal the cracks with fiberglass to be able to take it to a repair yard.

This must have been quite an experience for the crew that was sitting in the cockpit and realized a few seconds before impact that the catamaran was heading straight for them. The Catamaran was running on autopilot on full throttle for the whole night and was a charter boat up for delivery. The captain and two amateur crew was asleep. The catamaran did not suffer any big damages and actually the captain freaked and turned around and headed out to sea again. But he got chased up first by a gay taking pictures of boats and after a while the coast guard picked him up. It is a really serious crime to flee from an accident at sea and there were only rumors about him being taking in to custody in the main island but we dont know what happened after this.

A few days later it was kind of time again. Of course it was a slow morning aboard Chibidarra after a few beers the day before another call on the radio said they had lost there fore stay. Michael and I went there to help out and the main fore stay had ripped from the boat and the sail was flapping hard in the wind with risk of taking down the mast. After some tries and some mast climbing we could get the sail wrapped around the broken furler and the inner stay with some ropes and they could safely anchor the boat in the harbor.

It was a fun week and a half in Bequia but quite a lot of work. So after this we were off and needed a vacation from this trip called a vacation.

//Andreas

Leaving for the Atlantic crossing, follow us online

We have spent about one month in Las Palmas fixing stuff on the boat and enyoing ourself a bit.

We plan the depart tomorrow the 7th of January and hoping to arrive at Mindelo on Cape Verde Islands in about a week or a bit more. Then we leave for the Carribean a few days later.

You can follow us online on the link below that will be updated along the way via Satelite.

https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/Chibidarra

See you on the other side.