Bequia charter

A little charter trip around Bequia island

One day I met a couple from Paris. Julia and Frank.

They were here on Holiday by plane from Paris.

Flying into Martinique, and then down St. Lucia and then St. Vincent.

There they hired a car and vent by ferry to Bequia for the music festival

Thet's were I met them. Very nice people. Julia is from Italy and Frank France.

Julia spoke good english and Frank spoke good French. But after about a week around me

Frank was learning english. One day they asked me if I did charter, they wanted to sail around the island.

I said, well kind of. This far I have only had my old friends with me, but I can sail you around the island, said.

So two days later we met 09.00 at the Frangipani restaurant, and I took them out in my dingy to the boat.

We went around clockwice on the island. The sea was ruff, with the wind straight against us, so we went by motor to the north of the island. YES, the sea was VERY ruf. More north we got worst it got.

Frank liked it alot, Julia was a little more worried, but handeled it good.

North of the island I rolled out the front sail, and we cruised down wind with about 7 knots speed

We made a stop at Friendship bay, and had a great luch at Bequia Beach Hotel.

First we had a swim from the boat, and Frank went snorkeling around.

Frank after a swim in the bay.

Julia

Friendship Bay is a beautiful bay, but for some reason there was only one other boat there that day.

Friendship Bay

I moved my boat from a moring to anchor further out in the Admirality Bay.

Princess Margaret Beach. Beautiful beach with a very nice restaurant named Jack's Bar.

Jack's bar

Frank and Julia came here every day to snorkel and enjoy the sun.

My boat was anchored just out side, so I took the dingy in there every day visited them

and had great luch together at Jack's.

To morrow I will sail to St. Lucia and Marigot Bay to meet my old skydiving friend Dave Zinger from New York. He will sail with me for about 10 days. Looking forward to that.

Bequia

Bequia Port Elisabeth

13.00.451 N 61.14.398 W

Well, here is the view from my boat every morning when I get up in the cockpit

Not bad.

Looking into town.

I take my dingy in there to the dingy dock.

This is looking out of the bay.

about 100 boats right now.

Last weekend at the music festival it was about 200.



Tobago and going north

Tobago and sailing north.
11.09.480 N 60.50.640 W

Well, Charles and Franzi checked out at Tobago, flying to Dominica Rebublic,

staying couple days and then fly back to Switzerland. 

I have received mail from them, and they are well back into the snow and ice.

Ivan, Claus, Paal and Kari came down to Tobago to sail north.

We didn't see much of Tobago, but had a nice taxi ride to another beach.

We sailed to St. George Grenada and stayed at Port Louis, which is a new and first class marina.

We went on a half day tour in our private taxi to see some of the mountains, and how the locals

were living outside town. Very interesting. We also went to a waterfall cold Concord falls,

were we had a swim i the pool under the fall.

After Grenada we sailed north to Caraeacu were we achored of the beach and a little

but nice tiki bar on the beach. Beautiful white sandbeach.

Ivan and Claus had checked into a nice hotel, and even bought me a room.

That was the first time sleeping ashore for more than six months.

When I woke up in the morning I did not know were I was. Big double bed with mosquito

net hanging from the ceeling. Outside the window there was a palmtree. All walls roof and furnitures

was painted white. I thought for a moment that I probably was in heaven.

I sneeked out the door, and there was Ivan and Claus sitting on the balcony having a morning beer.

The hotel is owned by a Swedish man which come there 16 years ago, and decided

to move there and make a smal hotel. He also had the tikibar on the beach.

Paal and Kari took the ferry back to Grenada to check into a hotel.

Ivan and Claus sailed with me to Union island were they flew back to Barbados after a couple days.

They had to catch a flight back to Denamark and the snow two days later.

Also sailing with us from Cariacue was Jude from UK which is living there.

She was on the way to Bequia for a music festival, and was planning to take a ferry.

I offered her a ride there since I was also going to the festival.

Now I am by myself in the boat achored in Admirality Bay, enjoying the charming

Port Elisabeth town for 2-3 weeks.

Some of my old skydiving friends are flying down from USA to come sailing with me.

Dave Zinger which I skydived with in California back in the seventies, but had not seen

before he visited me in Copenhagen 3 years ago.

And Donald Carltweet which came sailing with me the first year I had the boat in 2004.

Probably Fernando from Peru is coming. He sailed with me from Copenhagen to Fredrikstad

summer of 2009.

Really looking forward to see them again.

Sorry about the lack of pictures, but I promise to but them in hopefully tomorrow.

Tobago

Sailing from Bequia to Tobago.

Yes, I wrote a little about couple days ago.

Here is some more, with some nice pictures.

After living lovely Bequia we sailed to Tobago Cays.

Tobago Cays have nothing to do with Tobago, but belongs to

St. Vincent territory called the Grenadines.

It's one of the most beautiful reefs in the world, and is today a national park.

You are not allowed to anchor inside the park area anymore, but the have put out

allot of moorings to tie on to for a price of 50 Easy Dollar pr. night (20USD)

The water is crystal clear and it is lots of turtles and fishes in all kind of color.

                                            Overlooking the Cays from the top of a little island.

Tobago Cays are surrounded by this reef 360 degrees around.

On the way up to the top of this little but bushy island, we could hear
noises in the trees. This is what caused it.
Iguanas.

When I left Fredrikstad Norway July 27th. I was given a gift
from Henning, Hilde, Tønis og Camilla.
A Robinson Cruise emergency kit. The kit was fantastic creative put together,
and very funny.
One of the tings was a spare extra tire. I promised there and then that I would send them
a picture with the tire around my belly when I came to Tobago Cays.
Well, here it is.

We stayed over one night at the Cays, and were picked up by a local vendor
to go to a Lobster BBQ at the beach. It tasted fantastic, and the atmosphere was
out of this world.   Appetizer, two BIG half lobster and fruit dessert for each of us. For 150 Easy Dollar.

Well Hans went home to Sweden yesterday, and Jonas the 11th. from Grenada. Here is a great
picture of them.

Charles and Franzi is going home today, so now I am left by myself, and I will miss them.
 Ivan, Claus, Polly and Kari is coming sometime next week, so in the meantime I will take it easy.
work some on the boat etc.

Here is a picture of the beautiful Store Bay, were Zephyr is anchored close to the beach.



Tobago

Tobago Trinidad.

Arrived this morning at 10.30 local time, after 28 hours at sea from Grenada.

Tobago is north east from Grenada, so you have the 2 knot current, 15 m/s wind from east and the big waves against you all the way. Only 80 miles tacking in 28 hours with rainstorm most of ther way.

I will place pictures later, and tell more about the places in between.

Charles and Franziska, which came onboard at Canarias is leaving the day after tomorrow, And Hans which came onboard at St. Vincent, is leaving also.

Write more later. Time is out at the cafe machine

Bequia

Position 13.00.560 N   61.14.350 W  Bequia.

Arrived Admirality Bay Bequia yesterday, after a two hours sail from the Blue Lagoon St. Vincent.

St. Vincent is the capital island for almost all the Grenedines.

The Blue Lagoon Marina.  This is the marina for SunSail Charter.

So, we only had to check in with Custom and Imigration at Kingstown St. Vincent.

Which is very nice. The procedure is that me as the captain have to make clearence in each individual

island (country) which takes time and money. Now we are sett for next island going south.

Tomorrow we will sail to Mustique. That is a private owned island, and many rich and famose people

have houses there. For instent: Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Tommy Hilfinger and Rachel Welch.

After that we will sail to Union Island, and Tobago Cays ( which is known to be one of the most beautiful places on earth to dive and snorkel. Tobago Cays is today a national park, and very strick protected with rules were to anchor and dive. Am really looking forward to that.

I have my own scuba equipment, but you have to go on a organized dive tour to dive with tanks.

So, I will probably do that.  But you can snorkel by you own on certen places. Also at a place were all the turtles are.

After Tobago Cays we will sail to some not decided islands yet, but have to be at Grenada latest January 10 in the morning. That's were Jonas is flying out from to Barbados to catch his flight back to Gothenburg.

Charles, Franzi and Hans (which joined in at St. Vincent the 3. jan.)fly fly out from Tobago/Trinidad the 15th. Then I will spend 2-3 days there before Ivan, Claus, Polly and Kari is comming in from Barbados.

They will spend 2-3 weeks going north from there.

I will of course update the blog on the way south and comming back north, but now you have an idea how the sailtrip goes.

After February 7th. I have now confirmed reservations yet, so if you want to get away from the cold, or home, contact me on:  bent.nordmann@gmail.com  or through the blog here.

This is the view from were I am sitting right now updating the blog.

My boat is anchored in the back ground.

Marigot Bay St. Lucia

Here are some pictures from Marigot Bay. This is the dock I was offered from Dareen and Truls Berg.

I very nice restaurant with a bridge to dock stern into.

Seen from the stern of Zephyr. The way to the bar could not be closer.

The view from Zephyr looking cross over the bay.

From the top of the mountain, overlooking the Marigot Bay

3 happy guys at the swim in bar at the exclusive Marigot hotell
Prices starting from 1000 USD for one night, and up to 3.500 USD pr. NIGHT
But we could swim in for free and buy a drink.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year.

It was a great party at the restaurant her on the brighe last night. Live band a a excelente dinner.

The fireworks out from the jungle was also great.

When I got back from the capitol of St. Lucia yesterday, it was 4 other Norwegian boats next to me.

It's only space for 5 boats at the brighe, and it happend to be all Norwegians.

The very next nabour was from Sarpsborg. MY HOME TOWN, were my parents, sister and brother l,ive.

THE WORLD IS LITTLE SOME TIMES.

Today I have exchanged books about the music world og Sarpsborg, which is written of Harald Otterstad.

In the boat from Sarpsborg it was a lady with name Unni Olsen, which was pictured in the book, as myself.

We been talkeing alot about my home town, and commen friends.

Well, tomorrow we will sail to St. Vincente to pick up Hans Melin from Gothenburg. And then continue down south at the Grenedines.

Here are some pictures from the last night party.

The Raggie band

Ower beautiful server.

Jonas and me at a Happy moment.