Pam (Delicado) in appropriate dress for the season, in Guayraca, Colombia. Delicado and mountains beyond taken from Moonshiner in Guayraca Bay, Christmas day. (Temperature around 90deg F). These mountains are not so high but the ones further east were snow capped

The incredibly tight squeeze between a rock and a hard place that we managed to navigate safely en route to Rodadero, Boxing Day. It was only a few yards wide and the sea was quite lumpy and we had to gybe at some point too!!

Just a perfect sort of a lighthouse on a rock outside Rodadero, Colombia.

Believe it or not, this island and the strange house which sort of climbs up the rocks was owned by the most famous drug baron of them all, Pablo someone or other. I think he's dead now and the house doesn't look finished but there was a light on a night! (Rodadero) We stayed well clear...

As usual, the pictures have come up in reverse order so this one above is the oil refinery in Aruba where I spent at least 24 hours 33 years ago!

Just something I photographed quickly in Willemstad, Curacao. All the houses are really colourful. It's quite a nice place really though we spent most of our time getting checked in and out in the end...I did go shopping though and bought some lovely cheap and colourful clothes. Curacao is the cheapest place we have been so far in the Carribean.

Jim ( Delicado) needed to keep the sun off his head...a bit like Benjamin Bunny I think!

This is the famous floating bridge in Willemstad which opens and closes several times a day to let huge ships up into the port. It's quite wobbly to walk across too especially if you've had a beer or two!!

Frigate birds sitting on a tree on Blanquilla.....I'd never seen them at rest before. You have to go to some very remote places to see this1 Er, a cactus growing out of a rock but the rock could have been at L'eree Guernsey.
Where the Robinson Crusoe people lived on Blanquilla. They swam out to us and wanted cigarettes. No idea how they would have carried them back and kept them dry!!
The sea really was this gorgeous colour.
The most beautiful beach I have ever seen and we were all alone there for two days.....!!

The long trek

Delicado had joined us in Curacao on the 16th December when everything was closed and so caught up with us and the interminable checking in/out procedures. The decision was made to leave earlyish on Friday(18th) morning and head 20 miles along the coast of the island anchoring overnight in a quiet bay before the next early morning start for Aruba where there was no intention of going ashore as there are no facilities for yachts apparently. This was a shame because Aruba is the only Caribbean island that I could say I knew having been there 3 times in 1976 on the Esso tankers. I was looking forward to tasting an "Ariba Aruba" again. Never mind!

On the sail to Aruba, Dick caught a huge tuna…well over 20lbs anyway. The fridge was overwhelmed with the massive amount of fresh fish fillets and this may have been what caused it eventually to fail a day or so later? We haven’t had the thing working since…problematic in this heat. I hurriedly cooked all the lovely fresh (and incredibly cheap) meat that we had bought in Curacao and hoped it would last until we could give some of it to Pam and Jim to keep in their fridge. We have been sailing in company but not putting the dinghy in the water to visit each other. So I lobbed a black sack of salvageable fodder across to Delicado as we up anchored a few days later in another bay en route!!

On the day of the big catch, we anchored in a nice calm bay behind a reef next to the vaguely familiar oil refinery but the Aruba coastguard turned up and unceremoniously turfed us out. Charming! We hadn’t been going to check in after the Curacao farce but now we HAD to as we’d been discovered. Bother! This meant motoring around to the check in place, going alongside, doing all the boring paperwork then moving again to the designated anchorage and then returning early the next morning to check out. This scuppered all the plans to leave early enough to get to our next destination before dark (a tiny dark Venezuelan rock in the middle of nowhere called Monjes...... if you can find it on Google earth!).

It all ended happily however when Dick and Jim sweet talked the customs people who agreed to let us stay alongside for the night as it was unlikely that any other yachts would arrive that day to check in. So we rafted up alongside Delicado and I cooked some of the enormous tuna steaks for us all. I didn’t actually get ashore in the end even though it was now possible but there was nowhere to go anyway. Hey ho. I may have to wait another 33 years to sample Ariba Aruba again!!

After a longish daysail, we came upon the rock Monjes which is a Venezuelan coastguard outpost and really is a long way from anywhere. It’s very small and black (basalt I believe) and virtually barren, home mostly to the seabirds though we couldn’t get ashore to explore. The Venezuelan coastguard were very friendly but left us to tie ourselves up in the little sheltered bay around the back of the island. There is just a ragged rope across the bay to secure to but it worked and we were grateful for a reasonably safe if windy night before yet another early start, this time to the Colombian coast. It's always windy whereever we tie up it seems. Catabatic winds apparently, or Willywaws, which are parcels of cold air that tumble down the mountains.

We anchored in Bahia Honda that evening ( Monday 21st). This is a huge shallow bay with virtually nothing around at all apart from a vague glow of civilization somewhere to the west. I was rather glad to move on! The next day’s sail was a little shorter and the destination slightly closer to signs of life. We had the company of fishermen in little boats whose catch seemed to be crayfish. They didn’t offer us any though!

Now we had a longer overnight sail to the Five Bays area which sounded interesting. Christmas Eve morning arrived with a completely different view to the South…..Real mountains….the Northern extremity of the Andes. How exciting! We could even see a snow capped peak in the distance. This is the only snow you’ll see in the Caribbean and it was quite fitting that we saw it at the right time of year too!

We anchored in one of the Five Bays….Guayraca….our chosen spot for Christmas Day. Delicado were just a few metres away and we had Christmas lunch on board with Pam and Jim. It was a lovely day and extra specially good to have cold drinks from one of their TWO fridges after some days without! It was a little disappointing not to be able to get in touch with any friends or family though. There is no mobile phone agreement with Colombia and wifi is non existent in remote areas.

We left Guayraca on Boxing Day for the shortish sail to Rodadero…..a Colombian tourist resort. The route suggested took us through an incredibly narrow passage with unfriendly looking rocks on either side virtually within touching distance! The photos just cannot do it justice. But we survived! We anchored in Rodadero where the holiday season was in full swing. There was just one more yacht in the bay, an American who said that we wouldn’t be welcome ashore and should leave within 24 hours. We were resigned to staying on board but accepted an invite from Pam and Jim for sundowners on Delicado.

On the dinghy trip across to Delicado, we noticed smoke from the American boat (he was ashore having problems with engines etc). Dick and Jim went across with fire extinguishers but couldn’t do anything as the smoke very quickly became too choking. Pam and I were very nervous about things exploding too. Eventually, several locals noticed and came across on their boats to help. The coastguard were called…we had tried but the language barrier got in the way. Yes I know…..I really should have tried harder to learn Spanish! By now, there were flames appearing and the hapless owner was coming back in his dinghy to absolute mayhem and a boat which is now probably a write off. He was in shock I should think. He didn’t say much anyway. The locals were very helpful in the end thank goodness. There wasn’t much that anyone could have done to save the boat but it was a salutary lesson to us…. Don’t leave the boat with generator etc running. Something electrical had shorted out in a locker I believe.

So we stayed an extra day because of all of this and decided to venture ashore believing that the locals wouldn’t be unfriendly…and they weren’t. We had a very pleasant day in this nice holiday town which included sampling the local beer and dishes for lunch. It’s cheap too. It was very good too to set foot ashore after 9 days afloat. Once again, I wished that I had spent more time on the language, particularly where numbers were involved!
On the last leg of this trek, I spent most of the time trying to master the Spanish numbers......Not very successful..learning at sea is difficult!

OK....so now we're in Cartagena(we had a particularly lumpy trip on the last 50 mile leg with gusts of over 40 knots!) and I'm almost up to date. You'll know this because I've finally managed to post this blog. Sorry it's so long and no photos yet. I'm in an internet cafe in the city which is very nice, cheap and cool. There'll be more about Colombia next time. The good thing is that all the broken things are already being fixed after just two days here.....so much better than most of the other typical Caribbean places.

We are spending New Year's Eve in company with Delicado and Lady Meg. There will be fireworks later and we will have a wonderful view from the anchorage but I won't be taking photos..... they are always the same wherever they are taken all over the world aren't they?
Hope to get another blog with pictures posted soon.
In the meantime.... Happy New Year to all!!!

Going Dutch

So we had to leave Blanquilla as everyone does....you just can't buy beer there...in fact, you can't buy anything there!! It was a sort of paradise island though and I loved the experience!!
Next islands in the chain as we head west could have been Los Rocos...but we decided to tough it out as time was running short and stayed at sea for 36 hours (it was lumpy and grey!) to reach Bonaire before dark. Bonaire is the first in the ABC chain. A nice picturesque little island but unfortunately overrun every day at this time of year by enormous cruise ships. This means that the main town, Kralendijk is totally geared up for the tourists and it's virtually impossible to buy things for boats although the supermarkets were very nicely stocked with goodies! I would have taken photos but my little camera decided to pack up and so I will have to rely on Jim (Delicado) for pictures at some point later. Pam and Jim were just coming into Bonaire as we were leaving ...by sheer coincidence. We have now caught up with each other and intend to "buddy sail" for some while. It won't be a lonely Christmas in some Godforsaken place after all, thank goodness!

The next island in the chain is Curacao and we arrived here a few days ago. We have been anchored in Spanish Water along with all sorts of other boats, some of whom are also heading west. It's a lovely safe place to be and the weather is wonderful, apart from the occasional squall (up to 43knots once). Much breezier and therefore cooler than Trini...I even need a sheet over me at night!!! It's mostly desert and scrubby but still quite pretty, colourful houses and a lovely old colonial Dutch influence in the capitol city, Willemstad. We have got to know this city very well while we've been here as the standard checking in and then out process required by all visiting vessels has taken three days to complete, ie customs, immigration and permission to anchor meaning separate visits to each building located in different parts of the town; all of this happening partly over a public holiday. We ended up having to stay for lunch each day. Awful!! In fact, we've had a lovely time here with lots of delightful dutch people and fellow yachties. And it is sooooo cheap too; by far the cheapest place we've been so far. We now have enough good food on board to last until well into the New Year, including some good Christmas fare!

But all good things must come to an end and we are set to leave here for Aruba tomorrow morning. The weather at this time of year can be very bad so we have to take advantage of a few good days to continue west. I'll be glad to move into another time zone as we are still in Eastern Caribbean time (+4hours) making the mornings too dark.....I don't care about lighter evenings. I just hate getting up in the dark!

The next post will be from who knows where. Somewhere in Colombia is favourite at the moment....... I have a new camera but haven't got to grips with it yet. Hope to include photos next time.

Westward Ho!

We left Grenada at the appointed hour just as the sun was rising and set sail (one actually, just the yankee)for Blanquilla about 150 miles more or less due west and therefore about a 30 hour trip. Just for once, we had no problems at all with the boat apart from there being so little wind that we had to motor most of the way! We didn't turn on the navigation lights at night as a precaution although we were outside the purple alert Venezuelan pirate zone of activity(just!)but had to turn them on a couple of times anyway because of close encounters with tankers.


Mid -morning, Wednesday found us off Blanquilla, a asfe offshore Venezuelan island about 25 miles square, flat, rising just 50 feet out of the water. It is a true desert island mostly of coral, inhabited by birds but with a couple of hermits living on the beach in true Robinson Crusoe style and a small Venezuelan naval base nearby occupied by about 30 personnel. They came out to see us and escorted us ashore, jabbering away in unintelligible spanish. At the time, I wished I had tried for longer than a week to learn the language but I had stopped because I found it soooooo boring. Sorry to those who love the language ...I found it just too much to have to say "no speak spanish, no understand" etc although I'm sure it's far richer once you get into it? As we shall be in spanish speaking waters for some time now, I have promised myself to try again.

So, a true desert coral island. My thoughts so far? It's very grey, scrubby and dull even in bright sunshine! Most of the shore is rough old coral with consequently very few safe landing places for the dinghy though the sand where it does exist is soft snd white and the sea is an almost unbelievable azure. (photos soon when I can get access to my own computer). The flora is mostly scratchy shrubs and cacti and the fauna mostly caracara so far. I can't identify the shorebirds until I find a good book of South American birds! I can't see any palm trees from where we are anchored although there may be one or two further along the coast. Incidentally when we tried to anchor first in another bay around the corner which wasn't sheltered enough, we pulled up a sizeable lump of coral! Luckily, the wave motions washed it off. It's now starting to rain again so I shall retreat below...more later.

It's now later and we have moved away from the "Robinson Crusoe" bay around the coast to the south and west and here it is just as I hoped the Caribbean would be...the first time I have sat on a beautiful deserted beach with white sand, shells and a palm tree or two. No signs of civilisation anywhere apart from a couple of ruins and a shrine.....Perfect!! Around here we have just the birds and some tiny lizards for company although we have heard some wild donkeys braying somewhere.
The rock which seems to make up the island beneath the coral is granite, not dissimilar to L'eree's rock, the main visual difference being the cacti which are growing in the cracks and boulders of coral scattered around. I shall be boring and try to Google Blanquilla's geology at some point. In the meantime,I intend to enjoy the cooling breezes and the luxuriously warm water just a few more times before we have to leave......

Finally, it's Greetings from Grenada!

We have finally left Trinidad after nearly 6 months of heat and humidity albeit with 5 weeks back home in July/August and 5 weeks of adventure and misfortune in Tobago and Guyana in Sept/Oct!
Moonshiner is now briefly at anchor in Prickly Bay, Grenada after a lumpy 13hour and sleepless overnight trip from Chaguaramas. Everything onboard now works………
We plan to leave early on Monday for the 30 hour sail to Blanquilla. (Look it up on Google Earth?) It’s supposed to be a lovely place but we won’t be staying there long unfortunately as we would like to be in Colombia by Christmas and that is quite a long way away
After Blanquilla come the Islas Los Rocas which is a Venezuelan national park. If we‘re lucky, we can stay there without paying (almost $100 for this boat if the Park Rangers spot us!) and then sail on to the ABC islands, Bonaire being the closest.
In Aruba, I intend to sample once again the legendary cocktail “Ariba Aruba” which I last tasted in 1976 as a cadet aboard the good ship “Esso Scotia”….my vague memories tell me that it was rather potent, that I managed to down three of them while on a run ashore and that I missed my cargo watch as a result but didn’t get into trouble because I had been in the company of the ship’s captain and the harbourmaster!! This time, I shall be more mindful of what I’m doing because I should like to see some of the island this time, slightly more clearly….. My memories of Curacao are still less clear as I didn’t even get beyond the dock gates of the oil terminal there, choosing instead to stop at the Seamen’s Mission where the beer was plentiful and cheap. Well, I was young and foolish then and the world was my oyster, as they say. This time, I may actually manage to take photos………

The leaving of Trinidad.

It's not over 'til the fat lady sings....well, she's not exactly fat, just well rounded (!)and she's not exactly well er at the moment and I'm not sure if she can actually sing (maybe people are just being polite!) but it will be over soon anyway......the Trinidad saga I mean. This is because the "final thing" is nearing completion and it should be back on the boat on Monday so we are now making preparations to go!!!

The generator is the final and the biggest thing and it has taken over three weeks to sort it out but, fingers crossed, it's sitting on a bench, no longer in half a million pieces...... and running. It just needs to be nestled back into place in the lazarette and connected up correctly to various bits. This will be no mean feat as we have to be alongside the dock rather than bows on as we are at the moment but it can be done!

We have to get fuel to fill the main and the reserve tanks as well as filling 14 x 20ltr containers because most of the fuel was removed when the tank was cleaned. This will be quite some task....the best and cheapest fuel dock is about a mile away by dinghy. This means at least seven trips there and back as we can only take four containers at a time in the dinghy. A possible alternative is to talk nicely to the tanker drivers just across the way who come down to refuel the fishing boats..... The yachties here are very good at finding the cheapest way of getting things done on their boats but this method of refuelling apparently hasn't been discovered yet. The little station previously mentioned sells diesel etc to the pirogues and at about a quarter of the price that one would pay in the marinas. So diesel and petrol cost about 16p per litre! Well worth the effort.

I went into Port of Spain yesterday with Pam (Delicado) and Chris (Canadian, Little Meg). We had a wonderful time doing "girlie" things which meant mostly looking in material shops. You would not believe just how many of these there are...a whole street of them and,inside,they are VAST....miles and miles of the most amazing fabrics. They were also incredibly busy: people here still make most of their own clothes, soft furnishings etc. We also spent some time in the shops dedicated to "carnival" which as you may know is huge, held annually in February and which seems to take a whole year to prepare for. These shops were a mecca for anyone who likes making things. I just wish I'd had my camera to show how colourful the place was.

I contented myself with buying some spandex (very cheap) to have a go at making bathers etc and to buying the most brightly coloured dress/skirt I could find (as shown above!). I love the amazing colours you see everywhere here. I shall miss that but we are more than overdue to move on. I shall miss the friends we have made here too although we hope to catch up with many of them further along the route. Some have left already. Pete (Troutbridge) left for Grenada nearly two weeks ago now but he is still there, waiting for us I believe!

So this may be my last blog for a while as the current plan is to head straight for the offshore Venezuelan islands having sailed north and west in a big arc to avoid "pirate territory". These islands (Blanquilla and Los Rocos) are virtually uninhabited but are far enough away from the Venezuelan pirates and make convenient overnight stops on the route to the ABC islands. First stop there is Bonaire. I have never been there but have visited the other two, Aruba and Curacao, in 1976 when I was a tanker cadet. It'll be very interesting to go back there!!

Ramblings with the heat.

It's just too hot to do anything apart from stand by the galley fan or lounge around in the pool. Trouble is, the pool is at least 25 yards away and getting there is just too much effort when the temperature is 34 degrees yet again so here I shall stay until it cools down by about 4.30pm... I was going to make some little Christmas cakes using "Delia" but I have no glace cherries. Going to the shop to buy some would mean the most enormous effort, actually walking about half a mile. This is an absoloute impossibility so cakes will have to wait until I can get the airconditioned bus to the shopping mall next week....

The work on the boat is progressing which is a good sign. Many boats sit here for months with nothing being done at all. The yard workers are very good at stopping work for all sorts of reasons so they have to be gently nudged into continuing until the job is finished.

I have been helping to feed the dear little cat, Phantom who lives around here. She is well fed and quite contented! She only gets fed in the evenings though when it's dark otherwise the birds eat her food. Cats in some of the other boatyards get fed too but not all. The uncared for cats look very skinny. There are also lots of sad and sorry dogs roaming around all over the island. Someone needs to sort out a neutering progamme I think.

We are going a barbeque this evening, the third time in a week I believe but it's probably the simplest way to cook and maybe the cleanest too in the end? A group of regulars meet "under the trees" for sundowners and food at around 5.30. We are mostly english speaking, Aussies, Americans and Brits. We were invaded by some Germans last week but we eventually learned to get there first and claim our seats before they arrived! At last Monday's gathering, I did some earcandling on a willing volunteer, Bill the retired US lawyer. See the photos on Pepe's blog address..... http://blog.mailasail.com/beezneez/381 I hope this link will work. It saves me a lot of writing.

On that note, it's started to rain so that means closing the hatches and absoloutely steaming below decks unless you sit outside and get wet. Some choice!!

Still in Marina with water, power and shiny clean diesel!

I have been trying to upload a few photos which Jim from Delicado has very kindly given me but have been thwarted every time by gremlins and bugs in the system....the power goes off, the computer runs out of battery, my time online limit expires or something else happens.....but THIS time I think I may just have succeeded in getting one or two......
Meanwhile, we wait in the marina on the boat for the "final thing" which is the putting back together of the generator, currently in millions of pieces in a workshop.
Then we prepare to LEAVE...... we are all "Trinied" out!!!

The pictures I've managed to upload are of an enormous moth which landed on the boat, about 5 inches across and of me washing my hair in rainwater in Guyana. Eat your heart out Timotei girl!!

Update from hot and sticky Trini..

An update on the boat repairs so far!
There were five things that had to be fixed, namely the GPS battery, the echo sounder, the “dirty” fuel in the tank, the engine (and start battery) and last but not least, the generator. So far, we have had three out of five done. Today, the boat is in a marina for the first time since February so that the fuel can be “cleaned”. The fuel was “polished” back in July but there is apparently an awful lot of gunk in the tank which finds its way into the engine and clogs it up so that it then stops running and leaves us up a creek etc…
The generator is still in bits in a workshop and will be the last and most awkward job to get done, the most expensive too!

From my point of view, it’s nice to be able to step onto dry land whenever I want and there are showers etc ashore as well as a couple of reasonably priced eateries nearby. We will stay here over the weekend while the work is done then fill up the water tanks and go back out onto a buoy while we wait…..and probably wait, for the dreaded generator.
It’s the time for fellow cruisers to move on westwards one or two have actually managed to leave but most are still waiting for things to be fixed. There always seems to be a hitch somehow. Sometimes it’s the weather…it absolutely buckets down many afternoons bringing all work to a halt. Mostly though, it’s the Trini problem (actually it’s the same throughout the Caribbean I think) that the workers are just “waiting” for something, anything really. They are good at that!

The constant heat and humidity makes any effort uncomfortable so people move very slowly to keep cool. It is better at night now, well it IS November after all! The decorations are up around the shops and Christmas music can be heard. I don’t feel at all Christmassy though. It’ll be my first one in a warm climate and I’m sure it won’t feel right at all. No one will get cards this year!! I haven’t seen any on sale yet and the postage will be prohibitive so it’ll have to be emails or short phone calls instead.
I think most of the yachties are planning to be somewhere special for the 25th Dec; the San Blas islands seem favourite at the moment. Let’s just hope that we can join them in time. It is a thousand miles to get there with a few short stops en route….so if the work is done within about two weeks, we will have enough time….

Now I’m off to explore ashore!!

Definitely NO "Greetings from Grenada!!"

So.......here we are back in Trini.
Which news do you want first? The bad,the worse or the worst?
Well today's news is that the water in the yard was suddenly turned off for the third day in a row just as I was rinsing my hair so I had to stand under a hose and get it finished by one of the cleaners!
Er.......we were all set to leave Guyana on schedule last week and head north to Grenada with the generator in bits to get it fixed there.... Then the trouble started when the engineers in Grenada said they wouldn't fix it and neither would any of the other engineering firms we tried there.Then the other problems started........ the echo sounder wouldn't work properly so we closely followed
Pete again on Troutbridge downstream. The GPS was also playing up with an internal battery going. So much for that.
So...we turned north west instead as we left the Essequibo River because Chaguaramas would probably be the only place nearby that could do anything to help.
I have to say that we had a wonderful sail doing around 200 miles in 24 hours albeit with the help of a strong current! THEN, we turned the northern tip of Trinidad and lost the wind and current as expected. Trouble was, we also lost the engine (it just suddenly died). Eek!! Thank goodness for Pete on the good ship Trouters. They were only a mile or so away and so took us in tow into Chaguaramas and safely onto a mooring buoy.
SO, this is where we now sit....... with so much going on and NOT going on too. All very frustrating.
Watch this space for updates....the boat isn't being abandoned........yet!

Photos next...

A close up of the falls at Kaieteur... they start about two feet away from where I was standing 741feet straight down!

Just a nice rainbow...

Obligatory posing shot....we all had one!!

From the islander aircraft as we circled round the falls.

This is a gold mine!!

We are due to leave Guyana tomorrow and head north westish for Grenada where we have to have some important boaty things fixed (the generator!) and then plan the trip west to Blanquila. I've enjoyed being here a lot for all sorts of reasons. The people are so nice and the wildlife is spectacular. The weather has also been spectacular. Thunderstorms nearly every day and blistering heat inbetween.

The problems on the boat made things a little difficult as we couldn't take the boat to other islands nearby...so I didn't get to see anteaters or armadillos but we did manage a trip to the zoo in Georgetown before we left and although it was a little old and run down in places, the animals looked quite happy and well fed. They had a jaguar there too!

I shall be out of touch for a week or so but hope to get back online in Prickly Bay, Grenada where the wifi is excellent.

Being in Guyana.

Sooooo.....We were all set to move a little upriver on Saturday to the lovely little island of Baganara having stopped off in Bartica to buy fresh supplies en route and having spent a wonderful day on Friday visiting islands in the middle of the Essequibo and then sitting underneath a series of waterfalls at Barracarra after a mini trek through the rainforest..... Then the trouble started! First thing was the engine not starting; and it looked quite serious. Help! Suddenly we felt rather isolated as really are no "yacht" facilities here at all.

So Dick phoned Dom, the Amerindian who drives the little boat into Bartica and lives and works at the resort "Hurakabra" nearby. (Photo in earlier blog). He came straight across then taxied to Bartica to pick up his friend and mechanic, Raymond, an Indian muslim (non practising, eats pork, drinks beer!). They spent the rest of the afternoon buried inside the engine and found a problem which they fixed. Hoorah!! Except that it wasn't the whole problem and when we tried to start it up again next day, it was a no go once more. Then the wind suddenly shifted quite violently and the rain arrived in sheets and we started to drag the anchor alarmingly close to the shore.... Phone Dom again dragging him from his Sunday lunch to give us a shove downstream towards safer and deeper water!

Next day, he brought Raymond out again and having found the real problem with the engine (which was quite a big one and would have cost an absolute fortune anywhere else), it was off to Georgetown (Capital city of Guyana) for Dick and Raymond for the day via water taxis, buses, taxis and ferries to find the man, possibly the only one in Guyana (?) who could fix it...... This took all day. In the meantime, I was having a lovely time ashore doing the most enormous pile of washing (photo of facilities in last blog!) while simultaneously dousing myself in deliciously cool rainwater. Indescribable!
The man in Georgetown knew his stuff and the new parts for the engine came back. Dom and Raymond then spent the next day fitting it all back together and phew, it worked!! Then, they started on the next problem which was fixing the generator leak. This meant taking the infernal thing out of its hidey hole and dismantling it. It was at this point that we left our miracle workers on the boat and set off via water taxi to Georgetown to spend a couple of days on an organised tour of the Kaieteur Falls.
Now we're almost up to date having done the tour yesterday. The trip was rather exciting in the end and very nearly didn't happen after some lack of communication on the part of one or two people or perhaps too much communication even! There were some heated exchanges but we all eventually stuffed ourselves into an "Islander" aircraft for the one hour flight to the falls. An "interesting" trip as most of it was over dense rainforest and through heavy downpours. The falls were incredible and the photos don't do them justice. I felt quite privileged to be one of a relatively select few to have actually seen them for real.
We stayed there for a couple of hours and then had lunch before the flight back. Islanders are very noisy as any Guernseyman will know but I fell asleep for a while anyway on the way back!
We are due to leave Georgetown shortly for the hour and a half boat trip upriver back to the boats. There are eight of us on this particular trip. It is possibly the biggest gathering of yachties that Guyana has seen!
We have made our mark here it seems and have become the talk of the little town of Bartica, so much so that we have been asked to meet the Minister of Tourism on Monday to talk about our experiences here and to discuss possible future changes to make Guyana more yachtie friendly. Coo!!!
For my part, I have really enjoyed being here...the weather, apart from horrendous but short daily downpours, has been a lot more tolerable then Trinidad. The wildlife is quite simply amazing. So many colours and sounds, toucans, macaws, howler monkeys, the "ocelot on the beach" (well it was dark so I couldn't see any colours but it WAS a big cat). The people are just lovely, so friendly and helpful, at least in the little towns and settlements. I know we heard several gunshots yesterday evening while eating dinner at the hotel, but hey, you could hear that in any capital city couldn't you??!!
We are due to leave Guyana midweek and sail back to Charlotteville, Tobago. The trip back should be much shorter and pleasanter, thank goodness. After Tobago we will head north for Grenada and then west for Blanquila, an island off Venezuela. Venezuela is not considered safe anymore for small boats though this particular island seems to be OK. Will let you know.....!

A few photos from Guyana. News later.....

Below is a colony of oropendula nests. These black and yellow birds are everywhere and very noisy!! Next picture is the rainwater "laundry" at Kit Nasciemento's place. Plenty of water and elbow grease and the washing hasn't been so clean for ages.

Left is the waterfalls at "Barracarra" which we all spent ages sitting under and enjoying a good soaking! Below is the best picture I could come up with of this "bird" but you can still see what it is. They are very common around here and make a noise like a little dog yapping.

No comment! It says "welcome to Bartica" on the wall behind though...

Greetings from Guyana!!

Dom, Amerindian at 30 knots.

Jim, Aussie at 30 knots!

The lovely resort where we had lunch. See how brown the water is? But you can swim in it!

We left Charlotteville, Tobago last Tuesday, heading around the north end of the island before striking out more or less southwards against the wind and current towards Guyana. Nearly four days later after a hard sail to windward and a lot of motoring, we ended up at the mouth of this enormous river, Essequibo, Guyana. We knew we were there because the water had turned a lovely shade of pale brown although it would be several more hours before we spotted land. We are almost pioneers in sailing here as so few yachts manage the long windward passage from the Caribbean and it’s off the beaten track for Transatlantic crossings.

We anchored for the night at a suitable spot where I was immediately attacked by millions of vicious biting things who had no doubt not tasted fresh “meat” for some time…but enough of my tales of woe!

We set off at the best time for the tide to take us upriver next morning, closely following Troutbridge whose chart plotter was still working (Moonshiner’s wasn’t: more tales of woe), to Bartica where we eventually anchored just before dusk. The trip upriver was a little hairy as the sandy bottom continually shifts leaving some parts of the channel extremely shallow. We did actually touch the bottom a couple of times…luckily, it’s very soft sand and mud.

So here we are now in Bartica, a sort of frontier goldmining town….it really does have that kind of atmosphere. There are cows wandering about the streets. It’s a wonderful mix of people, Amerindians, Portuguese, Afro-Caribbean etc. Some people charge around in high powered colourful riverboats, many used as water taxis…no pictures yet… I can’t recharge my camera…yet another tale of woe! Other tiny wooden boats carry whole families squeezed in, anyone big enough to, wielding a paddle. They cross the river, which must be over three miles wide here, and also have fierce currents to overcome. No helpful navigation lights or buoys anywhere.

The locals are incredibly helpful and friendly and we are managing to get things fixed by degrees thank goodness. The father and son electrician team and the local computer man have been wonderful even coming out to the boat and hardly wanting to be paid either. We had a visit from Kit Nascimento and his delightful jack of all trades righthand man, Dom who have both been brilliant. Kit, born locally, is well known throughout the country and has been an MP among other things. His wife Gem is also local and arranges tours into the interior, the rainforest and waterfalls etc. We hope to charter an aircraft (cheaper as a group!)and fly up to the Kaiteur Falls next week. These are the longest straight drop falls in the world at over 700feet….much more spectacular than the dribbly Angel Falls in Venezuela so I’m told. We also hope to see jaguars, sloths, caymen and possibly a manatee in the jungle and swamps en route.

Kit and Gem invited us all to lunch at their little holiday resort across the river. Dom picked us up in the boat which must have done over 30knots. We all really enjoyed zipping across the water like this…..a change from pounding into lumpy seas at 2knots max! We had an interesting lunch, local dishes included…think we ate something like capybara…it was described to me as a large rodent! Tasted “a bit like chicken” (well, pork actually) and was perfectly acceptable, quite a delicacy I suppose.

We had gone ashore our first night in Bartica and met some real prospectors who spend the week in the mines digging or panning for gold. I have the phone number of Pierre, a New Yorker who has made it big out here in the goldmining business. He said he is more than happy to drive us out to the mining areas. I’d love to find a small piece of native gold, not interested in jewellery, just a nugget will do!!

So I like Guyana. My bites are even starting to heal a little as I write!

Sunset, Friday evening, Charlotteville. Colours accurate. Perfect!!

Just a bar we passed on the bus on our way into Scarborough, Tobago.

The Atlantic coast of Tobago.

The bay we are currently anchored in. Boats somewhere in the middle.

Jim (Delicado) dangles in Trouter's rigging in Charlotteville, Tobago inspecting broken bits!

SO….We finally managed to leave Chaguaramas after just three hot, humid months there during which time the boat was totally “sorted out” in order that we may sail happily into the Pacific next year absolutely problem free!! Ha!! Famous last words…. Nothing is ever that straightforward with boats!
We set off in company with “Trouters” and her complement of four. Pete has been joined by crew member KayDee(?)...she’s American so spelling doesn’t necessarily follow (!) and our delightful Aussie friends, Pam and Jim from Delicado (so we’re very happy). Troutbridge encountered a problem with her”yankee” en route (that’s a sail to non yachties, not a reference to KayDee!!) and we encountered a problem with one of the rowlocks for the new dinghy in that it is now at the bottom of the sea. Oops! (It wasn’t me by the way who dropped it!)
Problems aside, we had three convenient overnight stops in Trini on our way round the north western corner of the island and then a longish daysail north east to Charlotteville, Tobago where we intend to stay anchored in the delightful bay for a week or so. We were accompanied by dolphins for a few minutes and I took a very nice short video which we will probably never watch again but never mind!
Charlotteville is lovely and seems to be more like the Caribbean used to be according to those who have been here before. The sea is very clear, warm and mostly calm so I have been in several times already. It makes a change from the choppy and very dirty waters around most of northern Trinidad where no one aside from the locals dared to swim.
Apart from the dirt, humidity, heat and insects, I actually enjoyed being in Trini though. There is a very good social scene for cruising yachts and we were there for long enough to make several new friends from different parts of the world with whom it will be nice to stay in contact and perhaps meet up with again.
I also enjoyed the best birdwatching so far there, thousands of screechy parrots aside, and even had Dick occasionally spotting new species high among the rainforest branches. These birds are a real delight to see….so colourful and with such weird calls We caught a few glimpses of the crested oropendula...you know...the ones that build those amazing hanging nests. I wish I could get better photos but will have to leave that to the professionals although I keep trying….!
The locals here in Charlotteville are very friendly, something we didn’t always find in Trini. The part of the island we stayed in used to be mangrove swamp which was cleared by the Americans during the war. The native “swamp dwellers” were resettled further inland but not everyone is happy with this; one individual in particular is always arranging protests hoping to reclaim his land and he resents the yachtie presence. On the way into town on the bus, we passed graffiti saying “ yatchies go home”, “yauties go home” or even “yautchies go home”..We got the message but stayed anyway!!
Yesterday (Friday), we took the local luxurious airconditioned coach from here into Scarborough, the capital of Tobago. The trip took nearly two hours and was virtually an island tour as we travelled from north west to south east up and over the mountains, through the dense rainforest and then zigzagged down the whole of the east coast. The whole trip was wonderful. Lots to see en route and the island is so clean in comparison with most of the other islands. I spotted a MotMot at last (look it up on Google!) and a purple gallinule (look that one up too!!)
We will have been here a week by Monday when we plan to sail south east for Guyana in company with Troutbridge. This should take five days or so and ought to be fairly pleasant and trouble free, but you know how it is with boats…. I think we will get wifi there which is pretty amazing as it’s supposed to be one of the last few relatively unspoilt places left on the planet. I know this because of the recent BBC documentary…Ahh….that’s why we now have connections with the 21st century there. Never mind; it’s still quite unusual for yachts to get there.
Hoping for some interesting tales and photos with my next blog entry then………

Incredibly fast and free wifi here in Tobago!!

We had a very expensive but very nice "indian" somewhere in Port of Spain...the house wine cost £22! Eek!! The other pair are Mike and Pat from "El Lobo", Geordies who have sailed across from the UK in their concrete boat.

This tern with injured wing landed briefly on the boat as we sailed towards Tobago...but it flew off just as I was going to feed it some lovely red snapper.

I tried to get a decent photo of a pelican but this has been the best so far...it was just about to dive, or rather "plop" into the water after fish.

Taken at the "Pan" on Independence Day. Our amazing tour organiser, Jesse James is in the middle with me and Elaine (Virgo's Child) on his right and Pete (Troutbridge) and Pam (Delicado) on his left. Dick is "lurking" at the back as usual!

At last, a photo of "Pete's rock", a massive lump of coral that his top of the range anchor (Rocna) managed to tie itself around. It took quite a lot of undoing!

Photos to go with the previous post.... I hope!!

One of the steel bands we saw on Independence day....pity I can't add the music too!

These women danced and sang...I don't know how they coped with the heat. It was stifling.

Waiting for the bus to take us to the "Pan" on Independence Day. L to R.. Elaine aka Ned Kelly, of "Virgo's Child"...Aussie if you hadn't guessed!, Dick, Pete, Pam and Jim. It was raining by the way!!

The brand new and very shiny dinghy gets pumped up for the first time.....it also floated some time later.....

Just a photo of an amazing thundercloud taken from the boatyard. We saw lots of lightning inside it but I just couldn't take a photo at the right time for some reason....... Anyway, it was rather spectacular.

I am waiting patiently yet again for these photos to upload....this must be the tenth time I've tried but at least I'm sitting in airconditioned comfort this time. And hoorah..because it worked this time...at last!

We are still moored in Chaguaramas Bay and just have to get a few more things sorted out with the new dinghy which has caused a hiccup or two... Then.....we plan to sail around to a quiet and clean bay on the north coast before setting out for Tobago where we plan to stay for a few days before striking out for the 300 mile trip to Guyana and the 40 miles up the Essequibo river

Pete on Troutbridge should be coming with us but he is out of the water again for a day or so while the boatyard people redo his antifouling. This antifouling which Moonshiner also has now (American "State of the Art", extremely expensive and on which absolutely nothing is supposed to grow...guaranteed for a couple of years... except that it doesn't appear to work in these warm, fertile waters!) is possibly going to be a cause for concern until we can get into cleaner water.

We have been on some serious stocking up shopping trips.....tins and bulk things like flour.... as we don't know what we will be able to buy in Guyana. Pam and Jim from Delicado are planning to join Pete on his really quite luxurious and very spacious catamaran(!) for this trip and I'm looking forward to their company. Guyana is still relatively unexplored by yachties...it is also therefore prudent not to go there alone?

We sailed on Troutbridge last weekend to a little island west of here, Chakachakaree (or something like that!). This island was a leper colony until they found the cure for the disease about 30 years ago and abandoned the place, leaving it to become a wilderness again. We wanted to go ashore but there was too much swell in the bay so we just contented ourselves with enjoying the peace and quiet for a couple of days......no photos would do it justice except the one that I shall try to upload after this post.....Pete has an anchor which is supposed to be the best in the world.....called a "Rocna"...that's "ancor" backwards...just in case you hadn't noticed. Past experiences have shown us that this anchor is really attracted to rocks and seems to attach itself to them whenever it can....just look at the photo when it arrives! We had one hell of a job to untangle it as you can imagine.

OK....more later but I just don't know when!!

Independence Day!

We, (The usual Suspects...see photo...sorry can't get photos to upload yet. Editor!) had planned a day trip, organised with precision by the delightful Jesse James, on August 31st, Trinidad's Independence day to see the steel bands, known as the "Pan" and then to watch the fireworks at the "Savannah", the huge open space inside the world's largest roundabout!
It nearly didn't happen as the heavens opened during the morning causing flash flooding in many places. I wondered how a steel band would sound when the drums were full of water? In the event however, it more or less cleared up in the early afternoon and we had a lovely day out. Some photos of the Pan above...... There was a surprise draw....lucky tickets under our seats.... our party was extremely lucky as we picked up two of the prizes (xxl T shirts...see photo later) out of only eight given! The music was varied and very good too. We didn't fancy any of the food though having observed the BBWs (big beautiful women!!) spread out in front of us, eating what was on offer.............chicken feet! Absolutely no way, in spite of so often being told by the locals how good they really are....I've seen what chickens love to walk in...........
After the Pan, we had a chinese meal which I shall not comment on (chicken feet may have been preferable) though everyone else enjoyed their choices. The fireworks started at 7.30 so we sat on the grass in the Savannah and waited..and waited, forgetting that Trinidadians do things at their own pace. They did start of course and were very good. I took photos though goodness knows why....one firework going off looks much like another..... it's the bangs and flashes at the time that you can't capture!
All in all though, a lovely day out. Thankyou Trinidad.
We are due to go back into the water at any minute so I'm taking advantage of the electricity while we're still connected. The aircon has gone so the galley fan is on full blast. The temperature in here has already risen 3degrees in about 10 minutes.
I shall post another blog before we leave for Tobago and possibly Guyana...I say possibly because we aren't sure yet..... I'd love to go but........Watch this space

Just a little more work to do

Jim and Dick admire the "shiny thing"


This is the sort of thing I get excited about!! The first loaf I baked with my new silicone "tin"....definitely NOT shiny!


A lot of work has been done on the boat in the last few days. She is now antifouled with the strongest stuff you can buy...essential for these fertile waters. It was expensive but worth it I'm told. The hull is shiny again after all the rain washing dirt off the deck and leaving brown streaks eveywhere. Jim from Delicado has been very helpful lending a very practised hand to removing then cleaning up and replacing three of the hatches which were leaking....not good with the recent wet weather! The main hatch forward which is huge was especially awkward to do....took three days in all....very unpleasant in the heat and impossible in the rain.




The boat now has a new dinghy which will sit on the still incredibly shiny new davits and a rather splendid, new, equally shiny outboard, a Tohatsu 9.8 HP......As far as I'm concerned, this means that Moonshiner's tender is now the equivalent of a BMW compared with the old one which was more like a Trabant! It will make dinghy trips ashore a lot faster and drier. No more spending the evening sitting in salty damp shorts




The boat is due to go back in the water in a couple of days. it'll be nice to be afloat again...no more having to clamber down long ladders to go to the loo, fewer mozzies around and hopefully a cooling breeze most of the time. We plan to stay around Chaguaramas for just a couple of days because the water here is so dirty and oily...it'll quickly spoil the nice shiny hull!! Note how many times I have used the "shiny" word...this is because all the men around here seem to be especially attracted to all boaty things that gleam....chandleries are just too full of this stuff and are just impossible to pass by without buying something else shiny to add to the collection! Hmm..



We haven't done any organised bus trips to other parts of he island while so much work is being done but we may have time to do something next week. Monday the 31st is Independence day here, a national holiday with lots of events being staged. We plan to visit the Savannah (an open recreational space inside the world's biggest road roundabout near Port of Spain) where there will be lots going on all day, steel bands and fireworks etc. If we go, I'll try to get some photos.



OK, that's it for now. back to work......

So here we are back in dear old Trini…..just about to pour with rain for the afternoon just as it has been doing every day since we left….at least everything is looking very green as a result.It was also raining as we left Gatwick…there’s a lot of water up there at the moment!! At least three proper tropical depression/storms are also currently threatening the more northerly Caribbean Islands but we’re quite safe here as storms don’t reach this far south though we may experience some of the rain associated with them. The yard workers tell us that lots of yachts will be heading this way to shelter. I’m watching the progress on Wikipedia!

It’s nice to be back after some major travel hassle on the way here, thankfully now resolved. We flew Virgin Atlantic to Tobago then on via Caribbean Airlines to Trini which sounds simple enough except that my bag (with my whole life in it of course!!) got left on the Virgin aircraft along with several other unlucky passengers and so I experienced Caribbean bureaucracy tinged with inefficiency, which is quite normal I’m told except that it hadn’t happened to ME, yet……

My bag eventually turned up after two days at Piarco (Trinidad airport) and that was as far as anyone involved was prepared go so I had to get a taxi there and back….each way takes over an hour by road on a good day. At least the trip was cheap, only about £25 total…I don’t think that would even cover the petrol in the UK? My things were a bit squashed but otherwise undamaged thank goodness. I had some 100% Deet in there which would have been a disaster if it had leaked…….melted through the fuselage I should think!!

So, now settling back into life in the slow lane after five weeks visiting friends and family scattered across England and Guernsey. Everyone was very kind in putting me up and putting up with me too. I didn’t get to do half as much as I’d intended….far too much catching up to do…lots of socializing, eating out as well as watching all those awful but compulsive viewing TV programmes….I hope I will get regular updates from now on via email on Big Brother and Eastenders….well, not seriously you understand!

I was sorry to miss quite a few people while I was in Guernsey as I’m not sure just how long it will be before I am able to fly back from now on…it gets incredibly expensive as we head west beyond Panama. I am hoping that one or two people may actually be able to fly out to see us as we have fixed dates in some of the Pacific Islands with the Blue Water rally which we join in December in the San Blas Islands.

The boatyard workers were supposed to be getting on with a lot of work while we were away but it doesn’t look as though they’ve done much at all… (oh dear!).Pete on Troutbridge had the same problem when he returned. It’s been pretty busy though since our return and the boat now has a very nice shiny set of davits which were needed for the new dinghy…..hoping THAT will arrive soon along with a much more powerful outboard….fairly essential for the long dinghy rides around the Pacific Island coral reefs. I don’t fancy having to row those distances!

I have tried out the amazing new, vibrant orange (!) silicone bakeware set that I bought via the internet… I think the place is QVC, a shopping channel no less, but it works. The baking sheets make very good trays with the rigid edges and are very heat resistant too. No more burnt knees as we sit in the cockpit in the evenings eating dinner! It’s going to be brilliant too when we sail…nothing rattling around in the lockers and no more rusty tins to scrub. Maybe I should get a job promoting this stuff to other yachties?

The other thing that I’m looking forward to doing is making my own ear candles….don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it! I have beeswax and calico and just need a little trial and error and a willing guinea pig or two!! On that note, more to follow with some up to date photos soon.....NOT of people having their ears done you will realise!!

Our plans are otherwise just to get the boat fit for relaunch as soon as possible maybe in about ten days. I’ll miss the airconditioning but not the noise it makes and just hope that we are moored far enough outside the mozzie belt….yes, they ARE still biting, mostly me of course……Hmm.

Somerset in the Rain!

Katharine at "Rivas" restaurant where she treated me to a very nice lunch!

Jen and Min at 8 Belmont Rd in my old workroom, now a living room....very nicely decorated too!

Exeter 24th July, Richard with his "not quite so cheesy" grin!

Posing after the ceremony, now officially R Hall (MEng)

Lunch at Wetherspoons.....I had a Guinness, Jenny and Richard had fruit juice!!!

Here I am in Othery, Somerset at Mary (sister) and John (brother-in-law)'s home having been driven here yesterday by Richard (son) after his graduation at Exeter Uni on Friday. Richard is now an MEng and we are all very proud of him and his achievement after four years of hard slog......well sometimes anyway......no, seriously, it was a lot of hard work I'm sure! He just made it look easy!! He has also recently passed his driving test at first attempt so it was a double celebration.

He is starting a temporary job in his chosen career in a couple of days and is looking for more permanent work soon, hoping that engineering in some areas hasn't yet been hit too hard by the recession... He and his girlfriend, Jenny, are staying in the Exeter area for another year but expect to move after that and to travel perhaps. Jenny has a maths degree from Bristol so they are quite a pair!!

I have been in the UK and Guernsey for a couple of weeks now, seeing family and friends, trying (and succeeding!) to bore them all with my Caribbean photos and tales of sunshine. It's been so good though to see everyone again and to spend time in the National Trust shop selling sweets etc. I made quite a few cello bags for the sweets...I haven't lost the knack yet(!) and even managed to get some knitting done in between all the very necessary chatting!

I have spent rather a lot of time on this, my wonderful little laptop, sourcing essential things for the boat such as ear candles.....don't laugh.....just wait 'til you try them! Everyone seems to have a broadband set up now so the internet is free and FAST and I have been able to win things on ebay.....it's been quite hard not to get carried away after a seven month break from my "addiction" to the site....but I must try to stick to lightweight things. I'm very unwilling to pay excess baggage again... so I'd better stop............ NOW!

The weather has unfortunately been mostly fairly awful since I've been back but then it's quite a nice change from the heat and humidity in Trini except that I hope I don't become too deacclimatised... if that's a real word.... before we go back on August 13th?

Richard is driving up here again tomorrow from Exeter to take me across to Holbeach, Lincs to see my father for a few days then I am training down to Chichester to see friends there before ferrying back to Guernsey. In Holbeach, I hope I'll be able to persuade my father to go online so that he can stay up to date with my travels via this blog. You simply can't say it all on a postcard these days!

There will be farewell parties with friends and family back in Guernsey as I have no firm idea when I might come back next time. As we sail west later on this year, the distance and difficulty to fly back increases and the fares rise well beyond my reach until we are in Australia.

I'm really looking forward to the trip island hopping westwards across the Pacific...it's supposed to be so much nicer than the Atlantic! Not too sure about the long distance from Trini to Panama though with the stories of pirates and big seas and not too many safe havens en route anymore...but at least we won't be alone!