Monday, 2 February 2009
We’ve been at anchor in Carlisle Bay now for a week and this is the first day without rain!! My mosquito bites are just beginning to disappear but I must remember to use insect repellent every time ashore as there are a lot of other little beasts that bite living around the beach and they seem to love me especially. I’m reliably told that my suffering will stop once I’m a little browner so bring on that sun….!
We have done a couple of the touristy things. Went to Harrison’s Caves the other day. My photos didn’t come out … it was rather dark down there….. interesting though! Friday nights are fish fry nights at the famous Oistins, a few miles along the coast so we went along there too. It was choc a block with tourists and the food was expensive but very good all the same.
For me, doing these things, the best part is the transport because we always choose to go local wherever possible and the buses are something else. They are really cheap at $1.50 (Barbados dollars) which is currently about 50p and you can go any distance for this fare. You get to see all the off the beaten track places en route as they wind their way up and down dead end and frighteningly narrow tracks to drop off or pick up passengers. The other public transport we have been using are the route taxis which have the same $1.50 fare and are basically just mini buses which somehow always manage to cram in around 20 people and have really loud reggae blaring out as they weave and dodge their way through the traffic. Great fun!
Later on today, we are going to the races at the local racetrack which is a dinghy ride, then a short walk away from here at the Garrison Savannah. Some of the horses are exercised here on the beach in the evenings. They seem to enjoy being in the water. Don’t fancy getting on board myself though. They look hard to handle and it’s over 20 years since I last rode!!
We have found a nice beach bar just opposite which does good rum punch and food, flying fish and chips mostly. The tourist hotspots that fill up with cruise passengers every day are much more expensive and are quite a rip off I think. We may try the yacht clubs later as they are both fairly close but the (Royal) Barbados YC has a dress code and it’s not easy getting dressed up, dinghying ashore in the surf (where I always manage to get a soaking) and staying presentable.
I’m writing this blog on the boat and hope to be able to transfer it when I next get to an internet café which may be in a day or so. If I can, there will also be photos but I’ll need help to do this and help may not be at hand!!
We should leave for St Lucia in 5 days or so and will probably do an overnight passage there. I expect the trip will be a little less eventful than the ocean crossing. Everyone we have spoken to has said it was the worst conditions they’d experienced. One chap has been coming across for 30 years so it must have been bad this time!!!
I am going to try to send some photos now but I'm not very good at these things so it may not work. I'm reliably told that St Lucia is much more efficient for everything so I may have to wait til we get there.
We have done a couple of the touristy things. Went to Harrison’s Caves the other day. My photos didn’t come out … it was rather dark down there….. interesting though! Friday nights are fish fry nights at the famous Oistins, a few miles along the coast so we went along there too. It was choc a block with tourists and the food was expensive but very good all the same.
For me, doing these things, the best part is the transport because we always choose to go local wherever possible and the buses are something else. They are really cheap at $1.50 (Barbados dollars) which is currently about 50p and you can go any distance for this fare. You get to see all the off the beaten track places en route as they wind their way up and down dead end and frighteningly narrow tracks to drop off or pick up passengers. The other public transport we have been using are the route taxis which have the same $1.50 fare and are basically just mini buses which somehow always manage to cram in around 20 people and have really loud reggae blaring out as they weave and dodge their way through the traffic. Great fun!
Later on today, we are going to the races at the local racetrack which is a dinghy ride, then a short walk away from here at the Garrison Savannah. Some of the horses are exercised here on the beach in the evenings. They seem to enjoy being in the water. Don’t fancy getting on board myself though. They look hard to handle and it’s over 20 years since I last rode!!
We have found a nice beach bar just opposite which does good rum punch and food, flying fish and chips mostly. The tourist hotspots that fill up with cruise passengers every day are much more expensive and are quite a rip off I think. We may try the yacht clubs later as they are both fairly close but the (Royal) Barbados YC has a dress code and it’s not easy getting dressed up, dinghying ashore in the surf (where I always manage to get a soaking) and staying presentable.
I’m writing this blog on the boat and hope to be able to transfer it when I next get to an internet café which may be in a day or so. If I can, there will also be photos but I’ll need help to do this and help may not be at hand!!
We should leave for St Lucia in 5 days or so and will probably do an overnight passage there. I expect the trip will be a little less eventful than the ocean crossing. Everyone we have spoken to has said it was the worst conditions they’d experienced. One chap has been coming across for 30 years so it must have been bad this time!!!
I am going to try to send some photos now but I'm not very good at these things so it may not work. I'm reliably told that St Lucia is much more efficient for everything so I may have to wait til we get there.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Space is BIG
We got here!! Actually it was four days ago but I have only just managed to get internet access as I don't get to use the incredibly expensive satellite/iridium service available on board!
It was quite a trip in the end as those of you following Pete's blog on "mailasail" (Troutbridge) will know.
We started off well, I quickly got over any queasiness and began to get used to my daily bath in a bowl. We sorted out a watch system and duty cook rota..... glad it wasn't going to be left to me to do most of it this time! So we all did our bit..... lots of pressure cooked stews with the odd full English breakfast when I felt so inclined and scrambled eggs to go with the "halfway across the pond" obligatory bottle of bubbly at 1330 miles
The three crew on board, Pete, Jamie & Vanessa all proved to be good company (21 -24yrs) and really interesting to chat with on the long night watches ( all Oxford science graduates). Quantum physics featured at one point. We all gazed at the stars and everyone managed to identify quite a few of the big ones by the end of the trip.
There were only a couple of whales sighted but quite a few birds..... all the usual suspects... tropicbirds, petrels, shearwaters etc.
The main thing was the weather..... what a lot of it there was!! I'd expected a trip like the last one in Dec 2005 but twas not to be! A couple of days out, it started to get lumpy and that was it then for the duration (17days 19 hours). We really had to slog it out in the end... everything constantly crashing around all over the place, some quite horrendous following seas and a fair few that actually ended up in the cockpit. We spent most of our time trying to dry things out which is quite impossible when they're full of salt. The waves were often around 12' and mostly quite confused too........ and the rain......... well....... there was a lot of it. It was quite refreshing on occasion but actually quite painful too when it really lashed down.
One rather rare weather phenomenon we saw was a lunar rainbow. I took some photos but I don't think they will come out. I shall post some photos with the next blog as I don't have my leads with me here at the moment. I wish it was possible to show the size of the seas in a photo but apparently it's not easy to get the perspective or something.
Still, we got here in the end. We cleared customs in Port St Charles and spent a couple of days in this really luxurious resort until they persuaded us to leave as we didn't really look the part alongside the superyachts!
We're now in Bridgetown in the boatyard getting some essential repairs done as a few vital things broke on the way across including the loo.......... don't ask!!
I'm still trying to stop swaying after 4 days in port but think I need a few more rum punches before I get my land legs back!!
Next job today is the laundry. We've already done a lot but now it's all the other stuff which started off clean and dry in lockers but is now salty and diesely after one or two seawater deluges!
I'll sign off now as my time is up but hope to get in another post in a few days when I'll get the photos organised if possible.....
PS Barbados and it's people is still lovely but incredibly expensive...... red wine at $40 US per bottle is definitely out. Still, it helps with the weight loss.... reckon I've lost nearly a stone already!!
It was quite a trip in the end as those of you following Pete's blog on "mailasail" (Troutbridge) will know.
We started off well, I quickly got over any queasiness and began to get used to my daily bath in a bowl. We sorted out a watch system and duty cook rota..... glad it wasn't going to be left to me to do most of it this time! So we all did our bit..... lots of pressure cooked stews with the odd full English breakfast when I felt so inclined and scrambled eggs to go with the "halfway across the pond" obligatory bottle of bubbly at 1330 miles
The three crew on board, Pete, Jamie & Vanessa all proved to be good company (21 -24yrs) and really interesting to chat with on the long night watches ( all Oxford science graduates). Quantum physics featured at one point. We all gazed at the stars and everyone managed to identify quite a few of the big ones by the end of the trip.
There were only a couple of whales sighted but quite a few birds..... all the usual suspects... tropicbirds, petrels, shearwaters etc.
The main thing was the weather..... what a lot of it there was!! I'd expected a trip like the last one in Dec 2005 but twas not to be! A couple of days out, it started to get lumpy and that was it then for the duration (17days 19 hours). We really had to slog it out in the end... everything constantly crashing around all over the place, some quite horrendous following seas and a fair few that actually ended up in the cockpit. We spent most of our time trying to dry things out which is quite impossible when they're full of salt. The waves were often around 12' and mostly quite confused too........ and the rain......... well....... there was a lot of it. It was quite refreshing on occasion but actually quite painful too when it really lashed down.
One rather rare weather phenomenon we saw was a lunar rainbow. I took some photos but I don't think they will come out. I shall post some photos with the next blog as I don't have my leads with me here at the moment. I wish it was possible to show the size of the seas in a photo but apparently it's not easy to get the perspective or something.
Still, we got here in the end. We cleared customs in Port St Charles and spent a couple of days in this really luxurious resort until they persuaded us to leave as we didn't really look the part alongside the superyachts!
We're now in Bridgetown in the boatyard getting some essential repairs done as a few vital things broke on the way across including the loo.......... don't ask!!
I'm still trying to stop swaying after 4 days in port but think I need a few more rum punches before I get my land legs back!!
Next job today is the laundry. We've already done a lot but now it's all the other stuff which started off clean and dry in lockers but is now salty and diesely after one or two seawater deluges!
I'll sign off now as my time is up but hope to get in another post in a few days when I'll get the photos organised if possible.....
PS Barbados and it's people is still lovely but incredibly expensive...... red wine at $40 US per bottle is definitely out. Still, it helps with the weight loss.... reckon I've lost nearly a stone already!!
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Almost time for the off!
Arrived in Las Palmas Monday evening. Horrible trip! I HATE FLYING!! Yesterday we had the most atrocious weather wind gusting to 42 knots apparently but at least it was cool on the boat so that stowing all the gear wasn't too uncomfortable. Today is more like it, pleasant sunshine. Heard it was 3degC in Guernsey today!
We are very cramped on board; everyone else has diving gear with them. (I like being on the water, not under it!) and you wouldn't believe how much fruit we are expected to get through before we can sit at the table. A whole hand of green bananas is lashed to the backstay. Hope there aren't any big spiders enjoying a free trip with us!
We are due to leave this afternoon around 2pm and have all had to guess how long the trip will last. The one closest gets a free meal in Barbados. Last time in 2005, I won and am still waiting for the meal......!
So that's about it.... Happy New Year to All and back in touch as soon as I can when we get to the other side.
We are very cramped on board; everyone else has diving gear with them. (I like being on the water, not under it!) and you wouldn't believe how much fruit we are expected to get through before we can sit at the table. A whole hand of green bananas is lashed to the backstay. Hope there aren't any big spiders enjoying a free trip with us!
We are due to leave this afternoon around 2pm and have all had to guess how long the trip will last. The one closest gets a free meal in Barbados. Last time in 2005, I won and am still waiting for the meal......!
So that's about it.... Happy New Year to All and back in touch as soon as I can when we get to the other side.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)