Home and Back Again

Wow!  I've been negligent.   Sorry for the lack of updates but time flies when you are in Grenada, enjoying island life and having fun!  Hope I can get you all up to speed.

Jon and I dancing in the New Year at Whisper Cove Marina.  YES... Jon was dancing!!!

After Christmas and the New Year we decided to give Toi et Moi a present or two.  We have been without shade since leaving our slip back at Curtis Marine in May, 2013. Jon rented a workshop and, with the help of a local, built a hardtop Bimini for our cockpit.  The hard part came when it was time to move the top from the workshop to the boat.  I ended up towing the top AND Jon to Toi et Moi at anchor, where we hoisted the top using muscles and a halyard. 

Performing routine dinghy maintenance and enjoying the beautiful water on Hog Island. 

Workboats practicing for Grenada Race Week.

Toi et Moi getting ready for some more work.  We hauled out at Spice Island Marina for a much needed bottom job and installation of supports for the hardtop. 

We have always wondered how they get boats so close together in the boatyard.  During hurricane season boats are practically rail to rail  This handy gizmo is called a stacker.  We were transferred from the lift to the stacker and driven to our parking place in the boatyard.  Although the yard was not as crowded as it is in high season, this did allow the driver more maneuverability when placing us in our work spot.

My job was to sand and paint the bottom, centerboard  and boot stripe of Toi et Moi.  Jon was in charge of everything else!  So, here I am ready for action.  Mind you, it was in the high 80's while I was working my tail off in this very attractive jumpsuit.  None the less, I got the job finished... and I did it ALL BY MYSELF!  

My reward for a job well done included a trip to Florida, where I was able to attend the Miami Boat Show and hang out with Ian and Maggy for a while.  It had been  at least a year since we were both in St. Pete at the same time!  Despite the cooler temperatures, Ian braved the waters off Ft. Desoto to get in a little kiting.  Unfortunately, after a few great rides his bar broke and he had to call it a day.  

Grenada is great but there is something to be said about a Florida sunset.  

We happened to time our Keys visit with the annual Buccaneer Blast youth regatta at the Upper Keys Sailing Club.  We have seen this regatta grow from maybe 10 boats (when Ian sailed it my first year in the Keys) to 132 boats this year!  It was so satisfying to see our little program grow up.  Thanks, Andy, for taking us out and for your efforts in getting the youth sailing program back on track!

I had a great time in Florida, visiting friends and family in both he Keys and St. Pete, but it was time to head home to Jon, Opti, and Toi et Moi.  Jon had finished his work and we were now out of the boatyard and in the harbor.  

As you can see, the hardtop is in place and we are enjoying a lot more shade!  We are now in the process of adding screens and vinyl to make our cockpit truly livable in all kinds of weather.  

FINALLY!!! Our brand new sail has arrived, Jon and I have been sailing a total of 35 years and this is our first brand new sail!  We are thrilled.  Getting the wrap around sail rigged took some time and will need to be tweaked  during a sea trial, but to hear the crinkle of the new sailcloth was music to our ears. (Even J
 

Out and About in Grenada-- An Island Tour

Since we have been here for a while, I decided it was time to see ALL of this beautiful island, not just the grocery store and ships chandlery.  So a few friends and I booked a bus and started our tour high above St .George.  As you can see it was a busy day.... the cruise ship was in!

Cutty was our driver and guide today.  He is quite knowledgeable about everything Grenada.  Here he shows us a noni.  This fruit is made into a popular health juice but stinks like limburger cheese! 

North of St. George is the fishing village of Grand Mal.  Here are the fishermen hauling in the nets.  You'd be surprised at how many larger fish they got this close to shore.

  

Grenada is famous for its nutmeg.  All along our route we saw wild nutmeg trees.

When the fruit splits the nutmeg is ripe.  The red casing on the outside of the nut is mace.  The dried fruit and old shells are used for mulch.  The fragrance is unbelievable!

Cocoa trees along our route.  These are favorites of the local children, so much so that they are not allowed near schools!  To access the bean you break open the pod.  The beans are processed, similar to coffee.  I had the opportunity to taste the raw bean and  can understand why the kids find them such a tasty treat!

Once the beans are removed from the cocoa pod, they are placed on drying beds.  We were able to visit the Jouvay chocolate factory.  Yes, free samples were included with the visit!

The view from Petit Anse, at the northern tip of the island.  In the distance you can see Petit Martinique and Kick 'em Jenny rocks.  There is also a Kick 'em Jack rocks.  These are named after the female and male donkeys.

Of course, every island has its rum and Grenada is no exception.  The River Antoine Rum Factory has been producing rum for over 200 years and they still do it the old fashioned way. Local sugar cane is gathered and run through  the water driven conveyer belt to the crusher below.  Here the juice is extracted.  This particular rum is agricole rum. It's rough!  Unlike many rums, no molasses is used, giving it a taste a step above moonshine!

On the way back to St. George we cut across the island and through the rain forest of the Grand Etang Reserve.  Here we spotted several Mona monkeys who seemed to know Cutty.  Perhaps it was the bananas he bribed them with!

Our final stop was the Annandale Falls.  Although not the tallest falls on the island,  they are quite beautiful and popular with the cruise ship passengers.  We shared this beautiful spot with busloads of passengers getting an 8 hour glimpse of Grenada.  I hope they enjoyed all the sights, sounds, and smells as much as I did!

Grenada-- For A While

We arrived October 1st  to the bustling town and capital city of Grenada-- St. Georges.  We went into the 'lagoon' and stopped at the Grenada Yacht Club for fuel and water.  We asked about a mooring and for the same price ($20 US) they put us in the first slip we've been in since Turks and Caicos.  It was also our first attempt at a Mediterranean mooring.  Think we would rather anchor out!

Nicholas helped push us off the mangroves with his skiff.  We
gladly gave him some extra gas for his efforts.

 On October 2nd, we headed to Woburn Bay where our good friends, Will and Cheryl,  were  anchored.  Our first night in Woburn proved to be quite memorable.  We woke up at 3AM aground in the mangroves. Will and Cheryl looked out at the crack of dawn and didn't see us, so came over to lend a hand.  After we were back afloat we managed to drop the hook too close to another boat and in too deep water, get a line wrapped around the prop, place our bowsprit under the lifeline of another boat, let go of an anchor, and finally reset our second anchor right before another squall set in.  All's well that ends well with special thanks to the crews of Varua and Flying Buzzard and Nicholas!

So now that we are settled in we go about the usual tasks,  Luckily I was fully clothed and had shoes on before going to the grocery store.  

We went to our first Dinghy Concert at La Phar Bleu Marina.  Great live music, lots of cruisers, people passing food and beer back and forth.  Reminded me of a cruiser's Woodstock. Of course, cruisers have to be in before dark, and we were!

We had a blast with Cheryl and Will at the concert!

Woburn bay, where we will stay for a while as we do some upgrades to Toi et Moi.  Hopefully when we leave here we will have a new sail (blew out our mainsail in a squall before arriving in Grenada), a hardtop/bimini for much needed shade and protection, and a new crew member-- an auto-pilot-- to help with the steering.

In the meantime, we stay busy.  I go noodling near Hog Island several times a week.  Here are a bunch of noodlers on the 'noodle bus'.  I also play  Mexican train dominoes and Jon, when he isn't busy with boat chores,  has been  trying to keep up with his tai chi. 

While I was in Florida, visiting friends and family, Jon and Opti guarded Toi et Moi.  When these two aliens arrived on Halloween, Jon fended them off with treats!

Whisper Cover Marina, our tie to land!  This great little marina, owned by a French Canadian couple, has fresh baked baguettes, a fabulous meat market (Meat and Meet), a welcoming bar and great food.  The owners live aboard and are cruiser friendly, allowing anchored boats to use their dinghy dock. 

St. Lucia and Beyond

Marigot Bay, St. Lucia.  Truly a tropical paradise.  We took a mooring and enjoyed the best meal of our cruise at Rainforest Hideaway.  Great food, ambiance and live jazz in paradise.  Can't ask for much more.

Approaching the Pitons, our anchorage for the night.

Toi et Moi from the shore of Admiralty Bay in Bequia, our first stop in the Grenadines.

Not our state of mind, but a local sailing craft in Bequia.

Leaving Admiralty Bay we passed a neighborhood of houses built out of  rocks,caves and cliffs.  Some of these homes are for sale, some are completely restored and inhabited.  Moon Hole is an interesting neighborhood for sure!  

Union Island's fancy dinghy dock.  We landed here to clear out of St. Vincent, an island we didn't go to. Bequia and Union are part of the St. Vincent Grenadines.

Sometimes internet is hard to find.  This wireless station is on the island of Curacao, where we checked in to Grenada. 

Martinique... A Touch of French

At anchor in Sainte Pierre... One of our favorite Martinique anchorages, filled with a lot of history.  The French traded a way a bit of snow (Canada!) to gain possession of the small island.  

In 1902, Mount Pelee' erupted killing over 30 thousand of the town's residents.  Most were urged to come to the Theater as it was large and well built and  they would be safe.  Sadly, they were not and the cultural center of Martinique (and the Caribbean) was destroyed.

Fifteen years later, Rodin's assistant created this piece.  It symbolizes the town of St. Pierre, determined to lift itself up from the ashes.  Jon can feel her pain!

Walked to the DePaz rum factory.  This was also destroyed by the volcano but has come back from ashes as well.  Here are fields of sugar cane overlooking the coast, the view from the DePaz family chateau.

On a visit to the town of Fort De France we discovered a second Toi et Moi!  Wanted to buy a t-shirt with the logo but they didn't sell them.  Only Marshall University clothes, which Jon appreciated!

Anchored in front of Fort St. Louis.  We both had our French flags flying. 

Diamond Rock, on the way to Le Marin, the marine center of Martinique.

On the beach near Le Marin, local boats gather every Sunday to practice.  This one's sails reflect the local beer, Lorraine.

Nothing but masts in Le Marin.  There are over 1000 boats in the marinas alone.  Many more on moorings and at anchor.