Christmas 2010

This is the cockpit of Persephone on Christmas Eve.....

Lynn and Ken of "Silverheels III" in their Christmas finest entering Clark's Court Bay Marina for Christmas dinner....

Ken actually has a tie aboard...and a Christmas one no less, featuring the Twelve Days of Christmas !!

Christmas dinner at Clark's Court Bay Marina.....

Cheryl (red crown) of "Just Imagine" and her guest Caroll (yellow crown) are in the foreground.

XMAS......

Persephone and her crew would like to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

"Christmas in the Caribbean, we've got everything but snow !"

"Getting to Look a Lot Like Christmas....."



The holidays are a perfect excuse for a cocktail party on Persephone:

From L to R: Anne ('Impressionist'), Lynn & Ken ('Silverheels III'),  Jim ('Impressionist')
 and Eric and Jackie ('Compass Rose')

The lawn of a local insurance company

A tin soldier stands guard over a hillside of lights.....



Colage of lights.........

 

"Deck the Halls"....but in this case its Deck the Mall !!



Trip to New England in Pictures

This is Wentworth by the Sea in New Hampshire where THE FAMILY gathered for our annual Pre-Christmas party.  My 86 year old father has hosted this annual event for more than twenty years.  Despite the "grey" described in my previous post, it was a great time....just needed a bit more WARM !  Seeing family and friends made the trip well worth it, but it IS good to be back "home".

Stately "Nubble Light" stands watch over a cold, rugged Maine Coast in stark contrast to the cobalt waters of the Caribbean:











                                                      





Christmas tree Maine style.....lobster traps and red buoys.  Gotta love the lobster on top instead of a star !!  Only in New England !











                Wentworth by the Sea at night decorated for the holidays.
















                                            



                                                                       







                                                                  

Gray vs. Grey

I am sitting in the airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico contemplating the difference between ‘gray’ and ‘grey’. The first question that may pop into your head is: “why are you in Puerto Rico” ? Followed by the question, “have you had a few too many rum drinks??….gray vs. grey….what the heck (%#*& ?) Who cares !!!

Well, I care.  I am returning from several days back in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. (I didn't announce on the blog that I had left Persephone in Grenada for security reasons.)  It was great to spend time in the states catching up with friends and colleagues. On Saturday night my 86+ year old dad hosted his annual Christmas dinner for the ‘sibs”. Dad was great; as was the time with my crazy, totally bazaar, and completely dysfunctional family….God love ‘em’; I wouldn’t want them any other way….well, maybe just a little…… !!




Rum tot in Gray

 

But, what struck me most about New England was the GRAY…..the sky was gray, the Maine water was gray, the hills were gray, the trees, streets, buildings….EVERYTHING was gray….but most of all, the mood was gray. Heck, this blog is even gray for God's sake !! It appears that the economy, unemployment and the general state of the US of A has sucked all of the color out of New England. Colleague after colleague told me that business was awful and we got out and went cruising in a nick of time……I stated to feel bad for blithering about the cruising life style.

I could feel the ‘gray’ lift as soon as the plane touched down in Puerto Rico. Christmas carols in Spanish with a Latin beat…..the color is back !! I have returned HOME to the Caribbean…..


After deep contemplation, the only difference I can ascertain is ‘gray’ is a color; whereas ‘grey’ is a “colour”…….Wow.....after all that, I DO need to find a watering hole at SJU !!

Another Saturday Night.....

Hello from soggy Grenada (and I thought the rainy season was supposed to end by mid-November...WRONG !!).  It has been raining off and on...mostly on.... since Thrusday.  Friday was a complete washout; I never left the boat.  We got over 3 1/2 inches of rain on Friday alone, and the rain continues.  So, to ward off cabin fever, there is only one thing to do....ROAD TRIP !!

The rain continues...and so does the street fair

Being the last Saturday of the month, the little town of Victoria, located in the northwest tip of Grenada hosts a street food fair.  This was started a couple of months ago, and it is strictly a "locals" event...i.e. no tourists.  So, a bus trip was organized to make the trip to Victoria....The street was blocked off and tents were set up featuring local food, local rums, and of course beer to wash it all down....

The food was very 'local'....'lambi water' (a conch stew...very good !),  'manny water'  (floating goat testicles....an all time favorite, I'm sure),  small fish still whole which are eaten like an apple, curried mutton (delicious), and ox tail stew... "Excuse me....does the ox tail have bones" ?? I asked.  O' course it does, mon....how da ya thig  it moves it's tail !!"  " Right...got it"....I muttered as I sidled away....   Seriously, all the food was delicious, fresh and different.

How many hands are holding the bottle ?

Eric ('Compass Rose') and I enjoying a coldie and sampling some of the local "Clarks' Court Bay Rum".  A special thanks to Matts on 'Elin Alida' my neighboring yacht from Sweden who supplied the pictures.  SKOL, Matts !!

An Ex-Pat Thanksgiving !!

On Wednesday, I was on the bus for the semi-weekly shopping trip to the grocery store.  I was sitting next to Rachel from 'Orchard';   homeport Brisbane, Australia. The general conversation among the American cruisers was Thanksgiving plans.  Rachel  turned and asked, "Embarrassingly, I don't know what Thanksgiving is all about....would you explain it to me "?  I immediately launched into a diatribe about John Smith and Pocahontas.  Others joined in with less relevant details about Pilgrims, help from the Indians, and a big dinner to celebrate the harvest....(I didn't have the heart to mention how the Pilgrams'  communal, socialistic farming methods in the first two years at The Rock almost caused them all to starve to death...Glenn Beck would have been proud....but I kept my mouth shut).   What I did realize by listening to the other cruisers from all over the world, is that Thanksgiving is a wonderful, unique, American tradition. 

This is the scene looking out on Clarks Court Bay from the CCB Marina.  Over fifty cruisers were here to celebrate "American Thanksgiving".  CCBM provided the turkeys, and the cruisers provided all the side dishes.  Persephone's contribution was cranberry sauce made from scratch (except for growing the berrys...)

Waiting for dinner......

Passports were checked at the door.  Non-Americans were segregated to a table at the rear. L to R:  Ken and Lynn of 'Silverheels III', Toronto, Canada, and Jim and Anne of  'Impressionist', Portsmouth, England.

Following dinner the  Patriots vs. Detroit football game was on the big screen TV.  No sleet, snow or freezing rain, but a tropical downpour just as we were about to leave on a 15 minute dinghy ride back "home"...It was a wonderful time, just what Thanksgiving is all about.



Galley on 'Persephone'

 Well, the galley on Persephone was really humming yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.  Eric and Jackie of 'Compass Rose' were invited for dinner so it was time to dust off my culinary expertise (yeah, right !!).  A Rainbow Runner was purchased at the fish market last week and quickly frozen aboard.  All fish is sold only at the government sponsored fish market.  The concrete block building is right on the water where the fishermen pull up and off load their catch.  All fish is sold whole ('on the hoof') at  $7.50 EC  ($2.75 US) per pound, no matter the type of fish.  Fishermen hanging out at the market will clean the fish for a couple of EC (75 cents US).  Rainbow Runners are a long, slender, brightly colored beautiful fish with blue and yellow full length stripes.  More importantly, it has an off-white, flaky, and mild meat which is delicious.

But I digress, the fish was sprinkeled with St. John's Grill Spice (a Persephone favorite)  grilled and accompanied with cold, cracked lobster and fresh taboule with lots of tomatoes. (Tomatoes don't grow well here due to soil conditions and, thus, a rarety).  Dinner turned out great, and was gobbled down with complements to Chef "Emril" Dave.  

Dinner was followed by a spirited game of Mexican Train (a domino game played throughout the islands).  I was winning until the the next to last game when I got stuck with the 'double blank' tile worth 50 points....Jackie pulled ahead for the win.  

Gotta go study my Fanny......Fanny Farmer that is !!  

GRENADA MUSINGS.....



Colors of Grenada

 As suggested in earlier blogs, life is very easy and predictable here in Grenada… Tuesday, lunch at Nimrod’s Rum Shoppe; Wednesday, burger night at Clark’s Court Bay Marina; Friday, BBQ at Secret Harbor Marina or pizza at Prickley Bay; and Sunday afternoons at Roger’s Barefoot Beach Bar. The pattern then repeats itself. In spite of the socializing, a ton of work got done on Persephone this summer; including completion of the awning, installation of a watermaker, the addition of solar panels, a new battery charger and inverter. Maintenance has been completed on all of the major onboard systems; and everything is restored to tip-top shape after the trek from New England. Persephone even got ‘handsomed up’ with a complete wash, wax and a refinishing of all the exterior teak….she looks great !!

Grenada is the cross-roads of the southern Caribbean. As a result, cruisers from all over the world pass through here….many completing transatlantic crossings, some going south to Trinidad/Tobago, others continuing west to Venezuela/Columbia/Panama and THE canal, there is a group heading north ‘up island’… to the Leewards, Virgins/Puerto Rico; and finally there are some who are returning to the states ending their cruise. We have met a ton of cruisers here and have made many, many friends. But as hurricane season winds down, one by one friends are leaving Grenada (‘’Passport”, “Sailatious”, “Dancing Dolphin” “Campachano” “Daniell Storey” and “Sanctuary” to name only a few) , to carry on with their dreams; which makes for daily, bitter-sweet departures.


As for Persephone, she is getting ‘itchy feet’ (really bad analogy !!) and it is nearing that time for us to move on also. But our departure will have to wait for a couple of weeks as I will be traveling to Connecticut for a brief visit in December. Upon my return, Persephone will be re-joining the group of cruisers heading north for the winter season. Several of us are talking of meeting up in Bequia for Christmas. Although plans are up in the air, I know that Persephone we will NOT be cruising one inch north of Antigua…ok maybe to Barbuda for the beaches (central Leeward Islands) as I want to stay in the little latitudes with warm weather and warm waters….with the slightest chill, I will immediately head this boat south !! I have a very simple test, if the butter doesn’t melt when left out, I am too far north !


Gotta run (literally) !! I am doing my first “HASH” tonite. A hash is a 5-10 K cross-country run/ jog/walk through hill and dale. It has rained most of the day here, so I have been told to plan on getting filthy with mud. Most hashes are held in the late afternoon in different, scenic, location all over the country. As there is a full moon tonite, this is a night time event being held in the Prickley Bay area (the adjacent bay). Following the hash, there is a BBQ with sufficient libations to rehydrate the participants. What have I gotten myself into this time ??!!


Capt. Dave

Day for a Duck.....

What a 24 hours weather-wise....rain, Rain and more RAIN !!  (See, it is not always sunny in the tropics !)  Yesterday it rained longer and harder than I have ever seen it rain since cruising.  It even beat the rain during the remnants of the tropical storm that rolled over us while docked at Charleston last fall.  

So why so much rain,  you ask ??  The Ntl Hurricane Svc would say that it is the result of a tropical wave that  is anchored over the windward islands which may develop into the next tropical Low.   But, no, I don't think that is the real answer....I think it it the Greek goddess Iris (and her sisters)  busting my chops....

Iris is the Greek goddess of rain.  She is also a close friend and confidant of Demeter, Persephone's mother.  Until this week, Persephone has relied on Iris to provide rain to fill her onboard water tanks.  Now that I have installed a watermaker, Iris is miffed, feeling slighted, and unnecessary.  (Most goddesses-ancient or otherwise- don't liked being miffed or left feeling unwanted....).

Although Iris is very beautiful, her sisters, the "Harpies",  are really nasty.  The Harpies have women's faces but the bodies of vultures with wings, claws and strong beaks that can "break stones"; if you catch my drift.  The Harpies are the representation of storm clouds, squalls and evil winds.  Their sole purpose is to torment men when asked by a goddess.  I am sure that they would be more than willing to help out their sister, Iris and torment me....nice family I crossed by buying a watermaker.  So, in true ancient Greek fashion, Iris, aided by her sisters, are deluging Grenada with rain rendering my new, expensive, watermaker superfluous and unnecessary. Go figure...... The water tanks are overflowing, and I have only turned on the watermaker to test it !



Here are some pictures of the offending device:

This is the high pressure reverse osmosis unit

These are the waterpumps and filtration system

Sorry Iris....and will you ask your sisters to 'back off'....Thanks !

Tormented in Paradise.....Capt Dave

   

Hot, Hot, HOT !!!

There is only one way to cool off on a hot, summer afternoon in the tropics....jump overboard with a coldie !!

Photo by Eric on "Compass Rose" 

Grenada Morning....

Rainbow over Persephone in Mt. Hartman Bay

Every day seems to be fading into the next day here in Grenada. August has been 'jungle hot'; even the locals are complaining about the heat and humidity.  The thermometer has not dropped below 80 degrees even at night. But, it is paradise, so how much can you complain ??

Persephone has been a busy place over the past couple of weeks.  The preventive maintenance projects have been completed (oil changes, engine maintenance, waxing and polishing) and new projects are now underway.  When Mike and I installed the generator two years ago, we left a space in the aft cabin for a watermaker.  I wanted to give cruising a try for one full year before making a decision concerning a watermaker.  After a year, I have concluded that a watermaker is more than an expensive luxury; it is a convenience that upgrades life aboard. Winter is the dry season in the tropics and last season we went for weeks at a time (literally) without any rainfall.  When all of out tanks are full, we have a mere 115 gallons of water. We were constantly planning our destinations, and length of time we could stay at the out-islands based on the status of our onboard water supply.  When water was available, it had to be hauled from shore to Persephone, and we had to pay for  it at an average of 50 cents per gallon.  In addition, the quality was often questionable.  So, the decision was easy, a watermaker was ordered and should arrive here later this week.

We chose the Spectra brand which will make water at the rate of 14 gallons per hour.  (Actually, a watermaker doesn't "make" water, what it does is processes the seawater to remove salt, impurities, virus and bacteria etc; the result being pure water).  The install process is not technically difficult, but it is time consuming.  So, I will keep you informed of my progress. 

Glass of cold water anyone ??

   

Pretty Mas....

Dirty Mas wound up around 8 am on Monday morning.  The streets were cleaned and "Pretty Mas" stepped off on Monday afternoon.  Again, I will let the pictures tell the story:

 

From left to right:  Eric of "Compass Rose",  Dawnelle of "Celtic Dream", Two Brits which joined our group, Diane (in the yellow tee in the middle) of "Jabulani", Lynn and Ken of "Silverheels III", and Steve of "Sailacious"

"Dirty Mas...."

It has been Carnival Week here in Grenada.  According to the locals, you don't  'go' to Carnival; you 'play' Carnival.   After playing Carnival, I have a whole new definition for the word "party".  Grenadians have raised partying to a fine art as the entire country plays and plays and plays some more !!

In the wee hours of Monday morning,  Grenada plays "Dirty Mas".  We arrived shortly after 4 AM to play with the locals.  This is a huge street party where the party goers are covered in paint (water based body paint)  and a few douse themselves in used motor oil.  Many locals carry chains and have salted fish in their mouths as a reminder of the days of slavery.

I cannot possibly describe Dirty Mas....I will let the pictures tell the story:

Here is "Captain Carnival" blending into the crowd:

As dawn breaks, the partying continues:

 
                       Captain Carnival hang'n and chill'n (note the chains in the background):

           

         Covered in used motor oil:                    Behave yourself ??!!

                                       
                                             Eric from "Compass Rose"....

From left to right:  Andrew (a boat boy from Dominica), 'IB' from "Passport", Dawnelle and John from "Celtic Dream", Eric from "Compass Rose", Captain Carnival himself from "Persephone", and Lynn from "Silverheels III"

Under the Big-Top !!!

This is a view of Mt. Hartman Bay, Grenada.  Persephone is in the foreground just left of center.  You can spot her with the stripped awning.

This picture is the reverse angle of the shot above.  This was taken from Persephone looking at Secret Harbor where the previous picture was taken.

After nearly a month of "off and on" working on the awning, here is Persephone sporting her tropical weather ensemble.  The awning is quite large (24 feet by 12 feet) so we chose a pattern with stripes to jazz it up a bit.  The result was a circus tent effect....So, here's Persephone "Under the Big Top" :

The sun in the tropics during the summer is brutal.  So, an awning is the key to shading the deck in order to reduce the interior temperature of the cabin.  The issue is keeping the awning horizontal to the water and drum tight.  Otherwise, the wind will get under the awning and it will act as a sail, which would put a substantial strain on the anchor (an anchor failure is NOT an option !!).   After lots of experimentation, we finally got it right.

Dave on "Elysium"  (who is anchored next to me,  and gave me great advise on how to get the awning tight) used a digital thermometer and checked the heat of the deck under and outside the awning on his boat.  Under the awning the deck was 84 deg F, outside of the awning the deck was a sizzling 114 degs!  On Persephone, I have found that the interior temp had dropped between 5 and 10 degrees since erecting the awning....It is still a work in progress, but it is going great !!  In fact, I am sitting up on the deck, under 'the big-top' as I am typing this Blog.

Staying Cool in the Tropics !!  Capt. Dave

ARRIVED GRENADA !!!

Ten months and one day from cutting the dock lines in Connecticut, and over 2,000 nautical miles under the keel, Persephone proudly sailed into Mt. Hartman Bay, Grenada.  Grenada is at the "bottom" of the eastern Caribbean, in the "little latitude" of 12 degrees north; only 720 miles from the equator.  Grenada is located south of the "normal" track for hurricanes, so Grenada will be "home" for the next four months.  I will only leave Grenada if a rogue hurricane threatens and a run has to be made further south to Trinidad or Venezuela.  Over the last year, Persephone has been pushed hard, and has arrived here without any damage, major repairs and no big issues (the biggest repair/issue was a $125.00 pump used to drain the shower).  Most of all, she has taken great care of all who have sailed aboard her. So, over the next several months time will be spent on washing/waxing and preventive maintenance in preparation for the next leg of the sailing lifestyle.....where ever that will take Team Persephone...

Where it all began 50 years ago:

         Sailing "THE SHRIMP" on Cape Cod Bay in the Summer of 1960

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.....

Good Morning All.

It's been a very busy couple of days. It seems that all I have done is check in and out of various customs and immigration offices. These offices are never easy to find, so it becomes a game of "hide 'n seek". The locals never know where these offices are located as they never need them. To add to the game, customs and immigration are NEVER in the same building, or in the same area for that matter. I wound up humming Crosby, Stills, N &Y 's "Immigration Man".let me in..'Irritation man'.."imitation man".let me in.. your form is big enough to keep me warm...ect.

On Wednesday, I had an easy sail from the Tobago Keys to Union Island. Union is the most southerly island in the Grenadines chain. (The country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines) The principle town is Clifton which has customs and immigration offices. When leaving a country you need to "check out" and obtain clearance papers in order to legally leave. Without these papers, you are unable to check in to the next country. Wednesday was brutally hot so walking around Clifton looking for the customs office (one side of town) and immigration (opposite end of town) was plain torture..it only took 2 hours to round up all the paperwork; not bad for 'island time'.
The plan was to go to the "Happy Island Bar" for sundowners. The owner collected thousands (literally thousands) of conch shells and built his own island on the edge of the reef. The "island" is about 75' round and the owner has built a tiki bar on top of it.amazing !! Well, at five o'clock I was getting ready to dinghy over to Happy Island when a squall line approached. The wind increased dramatically, and there was a deluge of rain. All evening squall after squall came through, so I was unable to get to Happy Island. The only good thing was that I was able to refill all the water tanks aboard.

On Thursday, again, I had an easy sail from Union Island over to Carriacou; which is part of the country of Grenada. I dropped the anchor off the main dock in Hillsboro and dinghyed into town to find customs and immigration. Grenada being a former British colony is pretty civilized, so the check in procedure was straight forward..but it did require walking around Hillsboro to find the customs office, the immigrations office, and the revenue office where you pay for your "cruising permit". (Of course these offices are not together and the game of hide 'n seek continued) In the last several weeks, the cost of the cruising permit has skyrocketed from $50 EC per year, to $50 EC per MONTH. The cruising community in Grenada is screaming !! I just shut up and paid my $150 EC for a 90 day stay.

After checking in, I hoisted anchor and motored the couple of miles around the corner to Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. As I arrived, I got a radio call from "Compass Rose" welcoming me to the harbor. I haven't seen Compass Rose since Eric and Jackie left the Bahamas nearly 5 months ago. Jackie is back in the States, so Eric and his brother-in-law came over to Persephone for a coldie. We all went to the Hallalujah Bar for happy hour. The Hallalujah is a floating bar anchored in the middle of the bay. The owner, Lady D, had a work boat converted into the bar...not something you would ever get away with in the States..it was great ! Following the Hallalujah, we went to the Lazy Turtle for pizza and called it an early evening.
I will spend the day in Tyrell Bay just hanging out "liming". Tomorrow, Compass Rose and Persephone will sail the 35 miles down to Grenada...reaching a major milestone in the cruise.

"P.P.P."

This Blog should have been entitled “Busy in Bequia” !   Persephone has been anchored in Admiralty Bay for 1 day short of two weeks; and boy, a lot has happened since  arriving here; and yesterday was no exception.....it was one of the busiest days.


The morning was consumed with boat projects. I finished sewing a lifting sling for the dinghy which will allow me to pick it up out of the water using the spinnaker halyard. The first reason for the sling is to keep the bottom of the dinghy clean; the algae, barnacles, grass, and slime are prolific in 90 degree water. The second reason is security. Fifteen horsepower out board engines are a special target for thieves…..by lifting the dinghy out of the water, it makes the engine much more difficult to steal. Crime in this area is not a major concern, but rather safe than sorry. As the morning Safety and Security Net says: “Lock it or Lose It”…..

Yesterday, was Fishermen’s Day on the island. The fishermen bring their catch to the town dock where their wives/volunteers prepare the fish in front of you, and cook it with traditional island spices. The fish is served in heaping portions with rice and beans, and local root vegetables. Have to admit that I didn’t recognize some of the root vegetables, but, OMG, absolutely delicious….The “lunch” was washed down with the local Hairoun Beer served ice cold.

In the evening, I hosted a “P.P.P.” ie. Pizza Party on Persephone to reciprocate for the kindness extended to me by other cruisers in the harbor who have “adopted me”. Two large pizzas got scoffed down in short order !! After dinner everyone retired to the deck (with the remainder of their pineapple rum punches) to stargaze and see how many stars/constellations could be named. The guests left quite late; well past “cruisers midnight”.

Today is “get ready day”…..The anchor is getting hauled tomorrow AM for a 25 mile southbound hop to the Tobago Keys for a few days. The TKs are a series of low lying islands and reefs, which have been designated a nature park and turtle sanctuary…..it is supposed to be pristine and beautiful, with great snorkeling. The weather report is excellent for 4-5 days of settled weather, so anchoring among the reefs should be excellent….I am really excited; and promise to take lots of pictures….

The Tobago Keys are pretty isolated so there is no internet; communication will be back to email via ham radio only as of tonite (Sunday). All for now….off to the beach to clean up the dinghy……

Capt Dave….

"Singlehanding"

Persephone is still playing in the waters of Admiralty Bay, Bequia. Bequia is in the Grenadines Island chain which is part of the country of St. Vincent (also known as SVG….St. V and the Grenadines). The residents of Bequia really live sailing….sailing seems to be the island’s passion. From old wooden schooners which were built here (and are still being used here), to sailing “work boats” still used for fishing, to working on modern “plastic” boats. When they are not using the “work boats” the residents are racing them.


Bequia is a beautiful, more upscale island that has everything a cruising sailor needs right at hand. We are anchored off a great beach, town is just a short dinghy ride away with needed supplies, laundry is picked up by the “laundry boat” when you call and returned later in the day; washed, dried and folded. The same company delivers water if needed (Persephone has been collecting rain water for a couple of weeks, as this is the rainy season in the islands. So, no water has been purchased or hauled….thank you rain gods !!)

Now that the awning is complete (few adjustments are needed when the wind drops !) I have been working with the boy’s high school sailing team. Their coach has not been available, so I have been helping out; basically working on starts, mark roundings and basic rules. The crews from “Boldly Go” and “Persephone” chipped in and bought the team T-shirts which say ‘Sail Fast, Live Slow---Bequia” for the big regatta which starts today in Tortola. We all went to the ferry yesterday to see the team off, and to wish them good luck. The team will be competing against 16 other Caribbean island nations, and we wish them well…..The Caribbean newspaper “Compass” showed up with a photographer and got some group shots as the team boarded the ferry. Go Bequia !!!!!!

Lastly, Trudie has decided to return to Connecticut for a while. She left Bequia yesterday morning. Since leaving Connecticut, Persephone has safely sailed over 2000 miles with “THE CREW”. T will be missed.

 
Persephone and I will sail to the Tobago Keys early next week, then on to Carriacou, and finally Grenada.   As soon as the tropical waves stop going over the SE Carib, we will leave Bequia.  (Tropical Waves bring clouds, wind, and thunder storms across the Atlantic all the way from Africa.  In addition they bring a reddish-brown dust which causes a thick haze around the sun and gets all over everything.  What's with this annoying red dust on everything?  "Oh, that's sand from the Sahara Desert".  You've got to be kidding me !!  Unbelievable but true....pretty small planet.  I have to put up with dust from Africa !!)  Hopefully, we will be underway by Sunday or Monday.
 
Singlehanding Dave

Catching up with Pictures.....

Here we are loading up to explore the Indian River in Dominica.  The river is a nature preserve so no motors of any kind are permitted.  Therefore, all visitors must be rowed up (and down) the river.  The crews of "Dancing Dolphin" and "Persephone" are all set for the adventure !

Rowing up the Indian River....what a way to stay in shape.....

One of the local residence keeps a sharp eye on us...The skies, rainforest and waters were just teaming with life.

While we are Martinique, Mike and Crystal celebrated their first wedding anniversary.  We didn't know what to do for them.  But, Trudie came up with the idea of putting together a medley of songs which she would sing for them.  (I had to promise to keep my mouth shut so as not to spoil the event)  So, we dinghyed over to "Dancing Dolphin" (in the rain) and toasted their anniversary in song: