The happy couple!
There’s nothing like a sailors wedding… Take one happy couple, one mad Frenchman to play Poseidon, a little aluminium foil…, add water…. and voila!
Romain (you might of recognised him from the last rally), and Karen tied the knot this August.
Congratulations!
So glad I was invited… I so like weddings…. for the following reasons:
The following reasons…. Bridesmaids!
It’s Patrice… who’s Patrice?
Much as I love the place, there is only so much Saint Laurent I can take before an inevitable relapse of PBBS has me itching to set sail once more.
The Trinidad remedy…
Those who have followed this blog know that Post Brazilian Bikini Syndrome is a serious matter.
A pose or a wine?
Luckily, numerous remedies are readily available and I’ve elected to try the ever popular dose of Carnival in Trinidad as treatment.
Would you like to join in?
Not only does it relieve the symptoms of PBBS, it replaces the cravings altogether…
Birds of a feather…
But if you read the small print, some side-effects such as a mysterious desire to carry out further ornithological studies can occur. đ
Ouch!
Leaving the marina office in the capable hands of the lovely Marion (obviously the one on the left)…
Marion and Tonichi stayed in Saint Laurent
I sailed for 5 days to catch some carnival highlights…
It was bumper to bumper..
and the bus…
The sailors bus reaches carnival…
Mind you I could have done without some of the bling on display.
It’s the M.I.B. Men in Bling
Here are some more photos of my recent study…
Carnival caters for all sizes…
After a few camera adjustments…
Just helping with the adjustments.
It just got better…
Where was I?
and better…
I think the light is just about right now…
and better..
Smile!
What more can I say.
Hello hello…
No more PBBS…
I’m cured…
But wait, just to be sure…
An angel?
and extra sure…
Yes… I’m sure now…
No more PBBS…
Definitely not the end…
But wait… that’s not the end of this story…
See… no feathers!
It’s not only about the feathers!!
I do like the feathers!!
or is it…
Featherless in fine too!
I am of two minds on the subject…
What do you think?
Perhaps I should ask the audience…
How would you rate it?
Unfortunately they appear to be too busy to give an opinion…
So I’ll ponder the question as I sail on to Tobago…
Let the good times roll….
The high-life in Trinidad
Trinidad has grown on me!
Now that I spend less time slaving away in the yards of Chaguaramas and more time out and about, I’m content. It turns out that organising pre-rally seminars is even more fun than I had previously imagined… I’m in my element… Honestly… Just look at how much fun everyone is having.
I’m the one sleeping at the front!
This year, not only did we have a Guyanese delegation, but not to be out-done, the French came too! Even if only 3% of the people present understood what they had to say. Perhaps it was the free beer I offered to lure the audience there in the first place that was to blame (rather than any language difficulty)!
No matter, we had it all translated to English just to make sure.
The French Guiana delegation supervising from the rear.
The most difficult part of the whole affair was picking up the television for the delegations power point presentation.
You may recall that last year I had to purchase a new 40 inch TV for the show, and I’d given it away, but on the condition that I could use it again this year.
So far so good. The only trouble was that the family I’d given it to live in Arima. Not only is this a long drive from Chaguarams but…
Sunset in Trinidad… Time to drive to Arima.
Picture this…
Late at night… white man in Arima… leaving locals house…. with their TV in tow….
I felt a little conspicuous to say the least, but it was all for a good cause and I can add that the TV was brought back to where it now belongs pronto!
Maybe they will even let me borrow it again next year.
Nothing to do but watch the sun set.
Just one last stopover before Trinidad. Union island. Not my favourite, but a chance to catch up with Ron on his yacht Restless before I get stuck on more mundane matters. No ma, I don’t mean you ma….
Who’s Ron?
In the world of single handed yachtsmen, with 25 years+ of cruising under his belt, Ron is a legend. Well, perhaps an almost legend. Or would be legend, if anyone outside of sailing circles knew about him. Since he doesn’t write a blog, promote a rally or attempt to build a marina like some narcissistic self promoting sailor types, we may never know.
However, we are all waiting on the book!
Speaking of which, I did meet another single hander in Honduras on a gaffer with more than 45 years of cruising who did write a book.
âLittle Fish Big Pondâ John A. Smith.
Makes my eight years with Eileen seem paltry.
Solving the puzzle of the pause!
My last post had me arriving in Martinique at the beginning of May. Eight months have passed! A considerable hiatus in blog writing, even for me. What gives?
Obligation…
Work and family.
The former, as you may know if self inflicted. These days I have a yacht rally to run every September, and while it may only run for a month, there is a great deal of preparation involved.
As for the later?
The prodigal son must on occasion do more than âphone homeâ if he is to remain in the âgood booksâ. Need I elaborate further?
And so, after a mostly uneventful sail back to Trinidad to haul out Eileen of Avoca at Power Boats Chaguaramas, you can cross off two months as âtime spent doing penanceâ for the care free lifestyle I’ve been enjoying.
I flew home to visit mum….
What of the other six? I’m getting to that…
The crew of Chicharra
On route single-handed from Marina ZarPar in Boca Chica The Dominican Republic, to Martinique, in the early hours of the 22nd of April 2014 Eileen of Avoca responded to a mayday call on VHF channel 16 from the yacht âChicharraâ 10 nautical miles south of Casa de Campo and approximately 7 miles west of Isla Saona.
Before dawn, I had noted a sailing vessel to my stern. I had also been listening to faint distress calls on VHF 16 which I monitor continuously.
At the time I was under the impression that the sailing vessel behind me was that of a friends yacht, which had left Marina ZarPar with me, and had been occasionally crossing my path the day of our departure and throughout the night.
Only after I saw what I thought to be a distress flare and heard a much clearer call for assistance, did I pay closer attention to the approaching vessel, and realise that it was sailing somewhat erratically.
I immediately responded to the mayday call and asked for a position report.
The response confirmed that the yacht I could see was the yacht in difficulty.
I turned Eileen about, reduced sail and radioed that I was on my way, pressing the Emergency button on my own VHF to relay my position and solicit further help.
As I approached two crew were abandoning ship, boarding an inflatable dinghy.
From the lack of free-board their yacht had obviously taken in a lot of water.
The crew made haste to come alongside Eileen and I helped them aboard.
My 23 foot yacht was too small to render any other kind of assistance.
I ferried the exhausted crew with their dinghy, to the Marina at Casa de Campo where I left them with the authorities. Continuing my trip to Martinique and arriving on the 1st of May.
Santo Domingo
By the way, I didn’t spend all my time at the beach whilst visiting the Dominican Republic. I reserved one day for touring the historic parts of Santo Domingo.
See?
On the tourist train.
Picturesque, but one day was enough for my infantile attention span.
Shoe shine?
Let’s face it… Since leaving Brazil, if it doesn’t wear a bikini…. I’m not interested… I’ve sunken that low, and have been told I’m getting worse with age.
At the restaurant….
True or not,… I’m flattered!
It’s Marina ZarPar in the Dominican Republic
Eventually I did arrive at Marina ZarPar in Boca Chica. The marina is comfortable and offers all the usual yachting services (though at a premium), from laundry to WiFi. Even free transport to the local supermarket. But it suffers one large drawback (for me anyway).
View from the marina
A marina that does not allow me to bring visitors onto the premises, or to my boat, will inevitably get poor reviews. To be fair, it is possible. Just pay a fee and sign the person on as temporary crew. But frankly, I find this requirement both cumbersome and borderline insulting.
My boat is my house, and I feel I have the right to invite anyone I please to it. Locals with boats at the marina have no such restriction! So what gives?
Now that I have expressed my indignation, I’ll switch to the proverbial âgood stuff”… and even allude to the reasons why I find the marina rules so restrictive… đ
Marina ZarPar is well placed, beside a popular beach that extends all the way to Boca Chica, and this beach is where âitâ all happens.
One continuous party extending for miles.
Pictures describe the scene better than any words so without further ado let me present:
Life is a beach in Boca Chica
The beach.
See if you can spot the tourist in this photo!
As you can see, if you want crowds…, no problem,
Waiter…., bring me a beer!
If you are more the 5 star beach resort type…
Lay down on your deck chair and order pina coladas to your hearts content.
I think I will go and chill out over here…
Want to idle away a few hours in rustic solitude…
Pull up a chair!
Fantastic! But what makes the Dominican Republic a must see tourist destination in my book are the people. Why?
For a start nobody here is camera shy. What a joy to have someone smile at you when you take their photo instead of looking at you as if you had just committed a crime.
Now don’t be camera shy…
See what I mean?
The only place I’ve visited that displayed a similarly positive reaction to my camera was the Cape Verde Islands.
I’ll buy 12!
For a smile like that I’ll buy a dozen bags of peanuts!
Who’s up for a banana ride?
Over Easter everyone was out to have a good time.
Music please maestro!!
To the accompaniment of bachata music to be sure, whether on the beach
Music in the streets!
or in the streets.
Hello sailor…
I even found a bar that catered exclusively to sailors! Sort of…
Not quite the usual fish & chips
Hungry? Take your pick. Fine dining or the Dominican Republic’s version of fish and chips.
Splendid.
Would you like to see my boat?
I could have stayed a month or a lifetime…! If the marina had allowed me visitors.
One route to Barhona in the Dominican Republic
It took almost 4 days to reach Barahona in the Dominican Republic from Ile a Vache, averaging approximately 50 nautical miles a day. Not a âSpeedy Gonzalesâ effort, but fast enough to have my new friends (Andy and Trudy in the catamaran âManurevaâ), when I met them again in Boca Chica (two days later), wondering about their boats performance.
Well my friends, I was cheating!
Without the aid of my little 10HP Beta Marine diesel, not only would I have taken much longer, but I might have found myself wrecked upon the eastern side of Cabo Beata.
After a night fighting a loosing battling for that all important âsea-roomâ, I voted on a âspecial dispensationâ to start the motor. Despite the fact that my fuel reserves running worryingly low. While many sailors believe it is a cardinal sin to motor-sail, I’ve never claimed to be one of these âpuristsâ and believe that if I have to lug an engine around in my boat, I might as well get some use from it. Especially when the alternative is running aground on a lee shore.
So you can see why I made such rapid progress and why I decided it might be prudent for me to make an unscheduled stop to stock up on more fuel.
The tiny marina in Barahona
Besides, Barahona is an interesting town and while I only stayed long enough to check-in with the authorities, I’d recommend it to other sailors as an agreeable port of call.
I had fun riding on the back of a motor scooter carrying my jerry-cans to the service station, listening to bachata music and having an informal beer with the immigration officer (out of office hours of course)!
Haiti, a paradise spoilt
It’s not the easiest sail across the Jamaica Channel. I’ll even go so far as to admit that all the sailing since leaving Mexico hasn’t been easy. But then what was I expecting when it’s East I’m headed, against the trade winds and against the current.
Closing a deal on Ile a Vache?
But the Jamaica Channel gets a special mention because of the difficulty I had getting round Haiti’s most southern headland, Pointe a Gravois. The current had pushed Eileen some 15 nautical miles Northwest of this cape and it seemed at the time I was not getting anywhere. Imagine the frustration of having to motor sail at half a knot for hours on end to slowly work your way out of the main current. Now double it!
Who wouldn’t want to drop anchor here?
No wonder that by the time a sailor has rounded Haiti’s southern cape and views Ile a Vache (Cow Island) just five miles away, he is inclined to drop anchor there to take a breather. Especially when it really is such a lovely little anchorage.
Hanging out with the Haiti gang.
The anchorages popularity stems from the fact that, like the Salvation Islands off Kourou in French Guiana, there is (or was), no need to check in with the authorities. They knew sailors were just there to rest a while before moving on.
Not now kids… I need some sleep!
I can’t stress this enough, because for some reason both the authorities, who plan to turn the island into an international marina resort, and the islanders themselves, who seem to think we are there to play Santa Claus, have got it all wrong (and as a result, risk loosing what has become a very lucrative source of income).
Here comes the supply boat…
That’s not to say that Ile a Vache isn’t worth visiting, (if you happen to be passing by). But I will suggest that it’s not the irresistible charms of the locals or welcome smiles that bring us here. For better or for worse, Haiti isn’t on many a tourists list of must see international destinations.
The crew of Maureva. Look at the smiles of the locals…
And when you find yourself:
surrounded by boat boys nagging incessantly for give-aways (not trinkets mind you but your valuable items), or paid work (but it’s illegal to employ a child), not once or twice a day, but until you have nothing left to give,
are boarded by armed officials (from the mainland) to pay your 20 dollar per passport immigration fee,
or failing that (as in my case as I was on shore at the time) are **threatened with imprisonment if I do not accompany the self elected local immigration enforcers to the mainland to pay the aforementioned 20 dollars,
OK, maybe it is worth the trouble…
you begin to wonder whether it’s worth all the trouble.
If you want my opinion, it isn’t.
Food aid still pours in to Haiti
There are half a dozen smaller islands to the North-east that will serve admirably instead.
Some sailors don’t have a choice but to stay.
**Two brothers (one runs a local internet cafĂ© and bar) boarded Eileen the morning after a random visit by armed officials (I had been on shore at the time, in the very Internet cafĂ© run by them and missed the excitement). They stated that as I was âhidingâ from the officials I now had to accompany them (for a fee) to the mainland to complete formalities.
If I refused to do so, they would call the coast guard and I would likely have my boat confiscated and face imprisonment. This just as I was preparing to leave. Since they were phoning the immigration office at the time, and as I had (and continue to have), no intention of disobeying local laws with regards to my sailing habits…, I asked to speak with the official over the phone.
Fortunately I speak French so it did not take long to arrange to leave copies of my passport and boat papers with the 20 US dollar immigration fee to be collected later.
Having sorted this out, the brothers threats ceased, but now, as they saw it, they were doing me a favour, so what was I prepared to give them in return? My ice box perhaps?
To their dismay they received only my thanks as I weighed anchor and sailed away from this little paradise. A paradise spoilt.
I won’t be back.