Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sailing from Grenada to Trinidad

Sailing from Grenada to Carnival in Trinidad.
At sunset we sailed out from St. George Grenada, planning to reach Chaguaramas
outside Port of Spain Trinidad next morning.
So we did. We landed at the custom and immigration bridge at 09.15 after 16 hours sailing
in total darkness, except two oil platform. One is the Hibiscus Trinidad gas supply platform,
and the other one is from Venezuela. We had one on each side, and the Trinidad on our port side.
We had heard that there had been some piracy going on around the Venezuela platform, so I turn of all the light on the boat. Hoping that would help if there was any Pirats of Caribbean out there.
There was not.
There is no pictures from that crossing of course.
Arriving Sunday morning at 09.15 we went to immigration and custom and cleared in.
Then we had a nice breakfast we a Canadian couple, Ken and Joni, I had met first time at Rodney Bay
St. Lucia and again at Marigot Bay St. Lucia. 
Tweet and me have been together with them every day since we came. They are very nice people,
and we have got to be very good friends.
They are on a "never ending" tour with there beautiful 49,5 foot Catamaran.

Well, we didn't go to the Carnival at Sunday night when they are trowing paint and mud on each other from 02.00 to 08.00 in the morning. Then they go home and shower (I suppose ) and come back
with costumes and mars the streets together with several dozen of long mega truck overloadded with
very power full speakers and PA system. The sound was so loud that your body was vibrating when they passed you.. Some of the truck also had Steel Pan drum bands on maybe 25 drums.

Here are some pictures of the colour full costumes.

 Yes, he is white, but from Trinidad.
I was easy to be asked for picture.

And they are walking for miles
Some green, some red some and everything
Some with less costume than others
Tweet got stocked between the stocks (Stylts)
Not erverybody had the rest after the night before
Not everybody had a perfect body

Friday, March 11, 2011

Tweet on board Zephyr

From Martinique to St. Lucia.
Next morning after Dave flew back home, I sailed down to Roodney Bay St. Lucia.
I needed to buy some for the boat, and there is a good boat shop there.
It happened to be Independence day for St. Lucia, so all shops were closed.
Had to stay till next day, were everything was taken care of.
Sailed down to Marigot Bay next day to meet Donald Caltvedt called Tweet.
He arrived from Utah USA and 6 feet show and freezing cold.
3 Norwegian boat were parked at the Chateau Mygo, so I had to go for a moring.
We spent 3 night at Marigot Bay and had a GREAT time.
February 26th. around 9 o'clock we started sailing down to Bequia.
Nice cruise, and arrived Port Elisabeth around 21 hours in total dark and now moon.
We went by anchor in between some boats where we found some OK space.
We had the dingy on deck, and didn't wanted to deal with it in the dark and strong wind,
so we called for a water taxi. With some light signals to him and some given direction,
he found us in the dark. Went to shore and had a anchor drink.

We stayed 3 night in Bequia and of course once again we had a GREAT time.
A  nice girl I know, Kirsty from UK, but lives there now, took us on a tour to part of
the island, which was very nice and interesting.

Kirsty overlooking the bay of Port Elisabeth.

Then we headed down to Tobago Cays, which is only 5 hours sailing.
I had been there once before with the Atlantic crew, but had to show it toTweet also.
Here are some great pictures from the day and one night we stayed there.
Of course we went to the beach for BBQ lobster at night, like last time.

Two happy sailors on a little island inside the cays.

He is not as dark as it looks, more red kind of.

Leaving that afternoon, we sailed next to Pink Lady. A local boat built at Careacua 25 years.
Kirsty was in charge fixing up the boat last year for the Classic boat regatta at Antigua.
They were 9 girls in pink bikinis sailing, and got a lot of publicity.

Pink Lady.

Next stop was Union Island at Clifton. This is the last island of the Grenadines going south,
so this is were you have to clear out with custom and immigration, and get your clearance paper which you need when you are arriving the next country.
At Clifton harbour there is a  man made island. A rasta man start building it 9 years ago.
There was a shallow sand bank inside the reefs, and he started to put shells on it.
thousens of conch shells. Then made a Tiki bar and later a house. Him and his girlfriend
is living on it, and guests come with there dingy or water taxi and have drinks.
He makes the best rum punch in the Caribbean I think.

Happy Island

The next day we sailed to Cariacua to visit Jude and do a tour over to the west side
of the island to see were they make the local boats of wood.
They are using the same techniques as they did 100's of years ago.
They were not working that day, but here is a boat on the way to be built.

All work is done on the beach.

Walking the beach road at Hilsborough. Zephyr is anchored outside..

Careacua belongs to Grenada, so we cleared custom and immigration hereat Hilsborough
Next stop is Grenada, and the capitol St. George.
We decided to stay at the Fancy and private marina Port Luise. We new we would arrive in
total darkness. so asked for advice over VHF radio were to berth the boat, and I asked for a long side
dock if they had. Yes, the harbour master said, I will flash you on the bridge to come too.
I had been there once before and new they had docks for the super yachts.
But I didn't think he was gonna place me there. Yes, for one night it was OK he said.
We can of felt a little small next to our nabours.


The dock have room for bigger boat than Zephyr.

The only thing we had in common was the Marshall flag and Bikini Island as home harbour.


Zephyr in good company.

The world biggest private own sailship.

From here we sailed out at sunset next day, heading for Port of Spain Trinidad for the Carnival.
Stories and pictures will follow soon.  Need to rest my finger now.