Captain Ken and the Reluctant Sailor: April 2016

More of the same….from the Reluctant Sailor

Honestly…as I write this blog I am wondering if the reader is saying “well, I am not sailing with them…they are clearly nuts”, or “how could so much go wrong, must be them!”.

Well, we sailed from Guadeloupe to Dominica; it was a good sail and we only motored for the last hour. We got on a ball in Portsmouth Harbor where there is an organization formed by the locals to look after the yachting crowd. The Portsmouth Association of Yachting Services (PAYS) was formed after cruisers started to avoid Dominica as it was considered to be unsafe for cruisers. The organization looks after the security of the cruisers, leads tours around the island and performs/advises on all boaters needs.

Dominica is a poor island, though rich in beauty. The island is a natural paradise, intensely green, covered in rainforests, rivers, Sulphur springs (both hot and cold) and steep, dormant volcanos. Portsmouth is a wide harbor, not too sheltered; the cruisers anchor on the northern end under the watchful eye of PAYS and the harbor stretches down along the town and includes a few piers, one for fishermen and another down near customs and immigration for ferries etc. We reckoned there were about 80 to 100 yachts in the harbor.

On our first night we were in a restaurant with friends when a PAYS representative came to the table to ask if any of us were from the yacht named… for a moment all of us froze… Chocalatier (or some such name). Apparently the boat had dragged its anchor and was on its way out to the ocean when the PAYS folk brought it back. We later found out that it had hit the Catamaran “Tonic”, (whose owner we all knew) on its journey seaward.

The next day our friends George and June headed into town, they were anchored in front of us and so we waved them off. Later we left to do some shopping and both boats seemed safe and sound. We bumped into George and June twice in town. The second time we were arranging to meet up for a drink and so George hailed friends on his handheld VHF radio. He was informed him that their boat ‘Fathom This’ had drifted off to sea and was in the process of being rescued. Turns out that ‘Fathom This’ had left the harbor, passing our boat on its way and was way out heading into the ocean when PAYS folk figured that she was unmanned. George and June were incredulous and in shock. Once again I contemplated the role of the anchor in a cruiser’s life. Imagine as you close your eyes each night having to wonder if your house will remain at your address; or when you go to collect your groceries you look at your home and wonder if you can trust it not to move to another zip code while you are gone. And, while your house is heading off on its own you have to worry that it might collide with your neighbors on its way.

Two days later we learned that another boat was rescued as it set off, in this case they had only put one rope on the mooring and it had chaffed and broken. We always use two ropes, one cleated to starboard and the other to port. Imagine our horror when we found out that it had collided into Tonic (yep, two boats hit Tonic in 10 days!) on its solo voyage.

All of this has not built my confidence in sleeping on boats…but it has shown me some of the realities that cruisers face and, misery loves company, taught me that it is not “just us”.

We toured the island with our friends: Gerry, Isolde, George and June. Rain forests, waterfalls, Sulphur springs…it’s like driving through a tropical paradise. We had a guide (Titus) for a river trip that that took us past sites used in Pirates of the Caribbean. Ken drove us another day in a rented van. What a trip that was…many roads had been washed away in mudslides. Roads were eroded so that you had narrow passageways with huge drop offs. We crossed about 10 Bailey Bridges (temporary structures) one river that had been 30 foot below bridge is now about 120 feet below! In some areas the road just ended and we had to find our way back to another one! Not for the faint hearted!

One night PAYS threw a barbeque for the cruisers, this is a regular Sunday night affair. About 150 to 200 cruisers attended the $20 all you can eat with rum punches dinner. Another eye opener…cruisers are not how magazines portray them. This is not the sportily clad, tanned, coiffed and uppity bunch of “yachtees” one imagines. Maybe those yacht owners are at the clubs having disembarked from their super yachts leaving the staff behind them to wash the decks with toothbrushes. Neither are they the charter crowd (yep I was one and enjoyed it immensely); the latter are a good looking, groomed bunch who are clearly having the best time and can dress up to enjoy the shore. The cruisers, however, are a motley bunch, fit and hardy from the trials of sea life, and looking a bit sea worn. The majority are in their late 50s upward, but there are some 20s to 50s with a few families thrown in for variety. Mostly they are not fashion conscious, t-shirts, skirts and shorts are the norm. I would best describe them as a rugged bunch of weathered tough individuals with a vitality that comes from a life that requires constant activity and agility.

When you spend time with cruisers the talk is of far flung islands and journeys over the oceans. They chat about where they are from, where they are going and where they have been. Connections are made and often boats sail together, as we have been doing with our new friends. There is a sense of community and a willingness to help each other. There are the exceptions, but it seems to me, the more remote the islands the more you end up with the true community of cruisers. Only when prodded do they share the challenges they have faced and it is then that my jaw drops…everyone has faced the impossible odds. All boats are in constant need of repair (now I know why the cruising guides list where to get assistance in every harbor). It is one thing when you have a leak in your pipes at home but something quite different when the sea starts to come into your boat.

I have learned that cruising is not for the faint hearted.

The gang with Titus

Sailing onwards…

We left Dominica and our cruising friends and sailed back to Deshais on our way to Antigua. Good sail! The next day we left for a long sail (about 45 nautical miles) to Antigua. Slow start with winds of only 3-5 knots for the first hour but then it picked up to about 10 knots and that was enough for a good sail the rest of the way. We stayed in Falmouth Harbor, well protected anchorage and a pleasure for four days. We could walk to Nelson’s Dockyards…Georgian harbor which has been renovated and is now a national park. Really lovely. Great restaurants and bars!

We had a problem with a primary winch (need it for our Genoa sail so it is critical) it refused to turn. Found a rigger on the island but he was overwhelmed with work to get boats ready for the Easter rush and this was the week of Good Friday so a short work week. However he sent two guys out the next morning (they had to dinghy out to us as we were not in a marina) and they quickly discovered that a piece had been put in the wrong way and thus fallen out and they fixed it in about 10 minutes. Later we went in to pay…the job must have been between 30 to 45 mins. with travel. No charge….Happy Easter!

March 26^th…We sailed to Jolly Harbor further up the coast of Antigua to give us a good starting point for the long sail back to St. Martin. Nice downwind sail of 2 hours.

March 27^th we left for the 98 nautical mile journey to St Martin. We knew the forecast was for strong winds and gusts but the direction was in our favor and we planned to reef (when you don’t use the full sail – safer in strong winds) both the main and Genoa. We left around midnight (yikes…another night sail). Ken was in his element! There was a big moon (practically full) the sea was lit up beautifully and the boat sped along in spite of two reefs, in the main sail. We saw some other boats…a cruise ship…we kept an eye on it but it seemed to be hanging off the coast of an island probably waiting for dawn before docking. There were a couple of squalls, but light and of no issue to us. The journey took 10 hours…great time… our average speed was 10 knots though we got up to 13.7 on top of a swell (translates as great speed). All in all, a very good sailing experience and enjoyable to boot! It is nice to be able to not have to report any misadventures.

On arrival in St. Martin we anchored (with a degree of confidence) in Marigot Bay and made a list of work that we should accomplish on the boat. St. Martin is cheaper than the BVI for work and now that we know folks here we have advice on who to use etc.

Ken tackled the auto pilot which had given up working. We had never intended to rely on it for this trip but it will be critical in the future. It is a relatively new system on this boat and so he was puzzled as to why it was not functioning. We were concerned that it would be a computer problem but turned out to be the connection between the hydraulic ram and the rudder post (mechanical stuff- connection failed between hydraulics and post to turn vessel) and so he was able to source the part and fix it. When we set sail we will test it…fingers crossed. Fixed other stuff on the list and accomplished a LOT!

We leave St Martin today (April 5^th) having had a farewell dinner with Mike and Sally of Shrimpys as their guests last night. We feel like they have adopted us. They are a source of information and help for all cruisers and they are inspirational. Besides offering us guidance they lent Ken tools that he needed and we enjoyed chatting with, and learning from, them. They have sailed the world and now, though not in the best of health, live full lives and help anyone who crosses their door. We will miss them until next season.

Onward to the BVI.