5-18 New photo albums posted

Sue's posted the Guadeloupe and Antigua albums. Enjoy! Unfortunetly, not sorted out...no more picassa. Google plus won't show whole albums. :(

5-15 Admiralty Bay, Bequia

Pos: N13deg00.13min / W061deg14.65min. In Marigot, we raised anchor at 0630 intending to stop at Vieux Fort overnight. When we got down to the southern end of the island at about 0900, we decided that going the 11 nm to windward to get there (Vieux Fort) wasn't worth the aggravation as just going direct to Admiralty Bay, Bequia. We were on one corner of an isosceles triangle, our location at the southwest side of the island, and Vieux Fort, further east; the distance from either to Admiralty Bay was the same, 50 nm. We wanted to get to the anchorage during daylight hours but weren't too worried; we had been there before so a night entrance would have been fine. As conditions turned out, our average speed was 7+ knots. We made good time across the channel, and, as expected, hit the calm in the lee of the southern end of St Vincent and had to motor sail for a few hours. There, an onshore SW 10 knot breeze developed, then changed to an 18-21 knot E wind once in the Bequia channel, so we romped to the anchorage by 1700, with time to anchor in 14' of water, put the sail covers on and take a swim before dusk. It's been a full day.

Jan 1 - Happy New Year!

A very Happy New Year to all! We celebrated with pizza and friends at the newly re-opened Plantation House, and returned to Infini to watch a wonderful fireworks display which began at midnight. May 2016 bring good health, prosperity, and satisfaction to everyone!
Pic: Our neighbor, the Stad Amsterdam, a fully rigged clipper ship. Eye candy.

Dec 26 - Happy Boxing Day!

We had a lovely Christmas potluck dinner with 24 cruisers (including 2 children) getting together, using the tables and facilities at the Fig Tree Restaurant. The feast was plentiful, and most of us didn't eat breakfast the next morning. In the anchorage, it's been like a roller derby. Boats are dragging, re-anchoring multiple times, and there's been a few near misses but only two collisions that we know of. Very entertaining, unless you're the target. We've moved our anchoring spot twice to get away from neighbors that were too close and refused to move. Fortunately, we haven't been hit, but I must say, apparently we must have a bull's eye painted on our hull somewhere. Holding here in Admiralty Bay is dodgy; there's good holding in sand, but many areas appear sandy but are in actuality a thin layer of sand on top of gravel...almost impossible to get the anchor to bite; hence, boats drag as they finally come to that realization. Of course, all this is happening in steady winds of 20-25 knots and squalls to 37 knots! At any rate, it's all good. We've been visiting neighbors, learning what a real mince pie should taste like, and enjoying ourselves. Likewise, we hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas and had a chance to see family and friends. Cheers!

Dec 25 - Merry Christmas!

Wishing all our friends and family a very Merry Christmas! About 15 cruisers we've met got together at the Frangipani Restaurant last night for a lovely dinner, along with the sounds of a live steel band in the background. We hope this holiday season brings good cheer your way and we look forward to hearing from you!

Dec 22 - Perseverence pays off...

The watermaker...where were we? Let's see. I took off the many end fittings, then bounced the membrane housings up and down on the heavy wooden deck of one of the dinghy docks, enough to break loose the stainless end caps with their two O-rings. Before they slid out completely, we returned to Infini to finish the job. When the four end caps were removed, the membranes came sliding out with a bit of jostling, and I tied a line thru the center of each and hung them over the transom, hoping the movement of the water would help break up some of the micro-bacterial growth evident on them. Wishful thinking; didn't happen. Thinking that high pressure would be the only thing that may prove beneficial, I spoke with Cheryl, the woman who runs the morning VHF ch 68 radio net in the mornings, and got the name of a local person with a pressure washer. Off I went, and spent about a half hour pressure washing the membranes, getting a good shower as well in the deal. The results didn't appear all that promising, but there was nothing left to do but put the entire watermaker together again and test it. That didn't go so well, as there were beaucoup leaks in the fittings I had just reinstalled as soon as I attempted to put the membranes under pressure. The boost pump was dribbling at best, showing that the membranes were just about totally blocked. After tightening all the fittings, I went thru the start-up procedures again, and the leaks were still there, but manageable. The high pressure pump was turned up, and we started making desalinated water. I ran the unit for an hour before filling our tanks. I still need to tighten everything up, but it appears we're in business. I'll probably clean the membranes, but they appear to be on their last hurrah, so we feel fortunate to actually be able to get use out of them, yet alone take decent fresh water showers again; what a luxury. The saga continues, but the outcome seems to be improving....While all this was going on, a high pressure system in the Atlantic has been causing enhanced trade wind activity throughout the windward (where we are in Bequia) and leeward islands. We saw 35 knots at anchor the other night! Yikes! Didn't get much sleep with the wind howling and just worrying too much. It's moderated a bit; steady winds are less than 20 knots with gusts in the 25-27 range. Lighter winds aren't expected until next week, so it will be awhile until we move up the island chain. All's well aboard.
Pic: It's been interesting watching the different boats/ships come and go...

Dec 18 - Update

We've been walking around town checking out the resources. Provisioning is easy, with lots of groceries, specialty stores and market stalls. There are enterprising folks who pick up and deliver laundry from/to your boat, as well as fresh water, diesel, gasoline, baguettes and croissants, and grocery items; all delivered to your boat. Convenient, huh? Propane is a bit pricey, as we found out when we filled our 20# tank. There are mechanics, sail repair shops, sewing repair shops, and chandlaries. There's a small museum (we haven't been to yet); a tourist information kiosk, and taxis galore. Large and small tour boats come in and out daily, as do yachties. We've had a few boats anchor way too close and asked them to move, and watched the small Coast Guard boat help move a large, unattended yacht to a mooring as it dragged down in the middle of the fleet here at Princess Margaret Beach. There's a good crew of OCC members here, but haven't spotted any SSCA burgees yet. The winds are brisk; 18-25 with a few higher gusts. We're anchored in 10' of water with 100' of chain out, so are in good shape so far. Btw, I've finally removed the two watermaker membranes from their housings; they're presently hanging suspended off the stern of the boat in the hopes some water flow will help clean them. I saw someone using a pressure washer at one of the resorts yesterday, so I plan to stop by and see if I can use it on the membranes. Desperate times and all that...
Pic: Sundowners on the beach with new friends...

Dec 15 - Bequia

Pos: N13deg00.12min/ W061deg14.70min. Departing at 0600, we anchored at 1330 in Admiralty Bay. Although hard on the wind the entire 41 miles, the sun was out, the breeze fresh at 18-22 knots, and we had the jib, staysail, and single reefed main push us along smartly thru the short, choppy waves. Bequia's largest, indeed its only, town, Port Elizabeth is at the head of Admiralty bay, and it serves as a base for charter as well as visiting yachts. In its day, Bequia was a whaling town, but now serves mainly as a yachting destination. I have always wanted to visit here, so look forward to spending time exploring its nooks and crannies.