May 2017
Still more rain
31 05, 17
More rain this morning. Hard down pours at about 3AM until 5AM. The rest of the day has been partly cloudy and warm. The pups joined me for lunch today at Rodney Bay. They were very well behaved and drank 1/2 a bottle of cold water (daddy had a couple cold beers).
Out of Africa stopped by this afternoon with fresh Wahoo caught at 1:30PM local time so it is only two hours off the hook. This is going to be Yummy.
Looks like Thursday and Friday will be dryer, so I'll plan on sewing. I also have to do a major provisioning run.
Out of Africa stopped by this afternoon with fresh Wahoo caught at 1:30PM local time so it is only two hours off the hook. This is going to be Yummy.
Looks like Thursday and Friday will be dryer, so I'll plan on sewing. I also have to do a major provisioning run.
Looks like the end of rain today
30 05, 17
This morning we had a couple of hard down pours. The skies are clearing but the humidity is still very high. Today I took the pups to shore and then we did a dink tour of the Lagoon here at Rodney Bay. The lagoon is very silty. We found the dink dock by the mall, so now I know where i have to go to provision the boat. There are two big grocery stores by the mall.
If the clouds let up, then I'll pull out the sewing machine and repair the dodger. Too early as of yet to make the decision.
Pups are sleeping now after their morning ventures and breakfast. They still need to get rub-a-dub-dub-in-the-tub before June 1 when they get their medication.
It is amazing how few boats are here. I guess high-season has ended and most of us or either heading north, south, or to Europe for hurricane season.
If the clouds let up, then I'll pull out the sewing machine and repair the dodger. Too early as of yet to make the decision.
Pups are sleeping now after their morning ventures and breakfast. They still need to get rub-a-dub-dub-in-the-tub before June 1 when they get their medication.
It is amazing how few boats are here. I guess high-season has ended and most of us or either heading north, south, or to Europe for hurricane season.
More Rain today
29 05, 17
I think this is not the heart of the tropical wave. All the water tanks are full!!! The clouds are low and full of rain, the humidity is very high. The clouds we have had produce short burst of rain and then light drizzle. Yesterday the really big clouds were just north of us. Filled with lightning. It appears that Martinique was the target for those storms.
I'm thawing out chicken for puppy jambalaya, so I'll be cooking this morning. Hopefully the rain will let up and I can go to town and run a couple of small errands and start my sewing projects.
Last I saw of the weather, this wave was going off to the west by Tuesday.
Doggies are officially in the country, we met the vet at the Rodney Bay dock today and she checked the puppies and scanned their chips. I have to pick up the official sealed document on Tuesday as the Customs office. I need to provision, there is a little dink dock near the mall and the Super J grocery store. I have enough fresh food for two more days, but I don't like being that low on snacks and supper.
Dink keeps losing air in the starboard tube. She is old and been through the ringer a few times. I'll stop by the store here and see how many boat dollars they want for a new AB-alum rib… If not I'll wait till I make it to Grenada.
I'm thawing out chicken for puppy jambalaya, so I'll be cooking this morning. Hopefully the rain will let up and I can go to town and run a couple of small errands and start my sewing projects.
Last I saw of the weather, this wave was going off to the west by Tuesday.
Doggies are officially in the country, we met the vet at the Rodney Bay dock today and she checked the puppies and scanned their chips. I have to pick up the official sealed document on Tuesday as the Customs office. I need to provision, there is a little dink dock near the mall and the Super J grocery store. I have enough fresh food for two more days, but I don't like being that low on snacks and supper.
Dink keeps losing air in the starboard tube. She is old and been through the ringer a few times. I'll stop by the store here and see how many boat dollars they want for a new AB-alum rib… If not I'll wait till I make it to Grenada.
One of Eleven
28 05, 17
For some reason today I though about oil and drilling. Then my head raced with BP and the disaster or the Deep Horizon Rig. One person on that rig was someone I knew. Blair Manuel was the older brother of Chris Manuel a classmate of mine since pre-school. We shared a birthday (or close enough). Blair was one of the missing from that disaster. Chris and Blair lived on a farm on the north-east side of Eunice where I grew up. I rode my bike there many times on the old road, as well as the new road, as well as the southern route off US 190 then North over the tracks. I much preferred the old highway on the North side as there were trees and shade for the bike ride. Chris and Blair turned me on to Black Sabbath, Cat Stevens, and Blue Oyster Cult…..Thanks!
I do not know the other 10 that died and were never found as a result of that disaster. But One is enough!
Cheap Gas - People die to produce it.
I do not know the other 10 that died and were never found as a result of that disaster. But One is enough!
Cheap Gas - People die to produce it.
Rain and clouds
28 05, 17
It has been raining today. That has cleared the haze out of the sky, but it is a light rain on us. Looks like Martinique is getting slammed with big storms. Winds are variable as predicted. The wind is predicted to start blowing hard on Monday and Tuesday at 25kts+. I'm running the engine this afternoon to charge the house bank cause the solar panels are dead in this weather.
I'll be in Rodney's Bay for a couple of weeks. I think I'll pull the sewing machine out on Monday and start restitching the dodger. It is in need of a few repairs. Most of the damage has been caused by UV on the stitching.
IWW has the 5/8 inch line I need for the new snubber, but it is in the container that the received on Friday. They asked be to come back next week once the container is unpacked to get the line.
I can't find peas here and I don't have anymore in the pantry, to the next batch of puppy jambalaya will be made without the peas. Cinco will like that (I don't think he likes the peas).
There is a really good pizza joint here. Not sure when, but I will go there one night and pig out on a meat pizza.
I got fresh pineapple, tomatoes and lettuce today. The pineapple has to sit for another day or two. I burned my lips off with fresh pineapple in Martinique… I'll take is slow from now on. But it is so yummy!
I haven't found star fruit yet. I'm not sure if it is in season right now. All the same, I'm craving a juicy star fruit with spines and all.
I'll be in Rodney's Bay for a couple of weeks. I think I'll pull the sewing machine out on Monday and start restitching the dodger. It is in need of a few repairs. Most of the damage has been caused by UV on the stitching.
IWW has the 5/8 inch line I need for the new snubber, but it is in the container that the received on Friday. They asked be to come back next week once the container is unpacked to get the line.
I can't find peas here and I don't have anymore in the pantry, to the next batch of puppy jambalaya will be made without the peas. Cinco will like that (I don't think he likes the peas).
There is a really good pizza joint here. Not sure when, but I will go there one night and pig out on a meat pizza.
I got fresh pineapple, tomatoes and lettuce today. The pineapple has to sit for another day or two. I burned my lips off with fresh pineapple in Martinique… I'll take is slow from now on. But it is so yummy!
I haven't found star fruit yet. I'm not sure if it is in season right now. All the same, I'm craving a juicy star fruit with spines and all.
Sail to St. Lucia
26 05, 17
WOW!!! This was great. 60deg wind angle and 12 to 16kts of winds with 1 to 2 ft. waves. We left at 7AM and go here just after 11AM. 5.5 to 6.5 Kts of speed all the way. The local here say that the haze is caused by the winds off of Africa. I didn't think that that happened until August, but they say it starts late in May and continues until October.
I got to fly the ginny for the first time since the BVI. It was an awesome sail to Rodney's Bay. We are anchored at 16ft and holding tight in sand in weed.
I sent all the paper work for the doggies clearance in today. Likely will not get approval until Monday. They are okay with that as long as the pee pee/poo poo pad is down below for them.
Rodney's Bay has lots of shops and stores so I'll provision puppy jambalaya over the next day or two. Jimi and Andy should be here next week.
There is a tropical wave coming our way in the next day or two so that should fill the water tanks with rain.
There are two places her that have Roti…. I'm looking forward to trying them out.
I got to fly the ginny for the first time since the BVI. It was an awesome sail to Rodney's Bay. We are anchored at 16ft and holding tight in sand in weed.
I sent all the paper work for the doggies clearance in today. Likely will not get approval until Monday. They are okay with that as long as the pee pee/poo poo pad is down below for them.
Rodney's Bay has lots of shops and stores so I'll provision puppy jambalaya over the next day or two. Jimi and Andy should be here next week.
There is a tropical wave coming our way in the next day or two so that should fill the water tanks with rain.
There are two places her that have Roti…. I'm looking forward to trying them out.
Checked out of Martinique
25 05, 17
We will depart for St. Lucia in the morning and stay there for a couple of weeks. Should be a really nice sail with winds on a broad reach at 15kts and waves below 2ft!
I just had a great grilled Lambis but didn't bring my camera to take a picture after it was consumed. Honestly there were two shreds of carrot left on my plate only because I couldn't scoop them up with my fork. I could not improve of the side dishes. I'm not even sure what they were but they were great. I would have marinaded the Lambis with a little pepper and shallots, but it sure was good fresh, likely caught this morning.
I just had a great grilled Lambis but didn't bring my camera to take a picture after it was consumed. Honestly there were two shreds of carrot left on my plate only because I couldn't scoop them up with my fork. I could not improve of the side dishes. I'm not even sure what they were but they were great. I would have marinaded the Lambis with a little pepper and shallots, but it sure was good fresh, likely caught this morning.
Live aboard to sail away part 10
24 05, 17
Substantial water and fuel storage
“We never know the worth of water till the well runs dry.” [Thomas Fuller: Gnomologia]
Fresh potable water is a necessity on any boat that will be away from shore for more than a few minutes. How much water is needed depend upon the daily consumption and the time it will take to reach a location with a fresh water supply. Daily consumption of water varies by person and environment. Drinking, cooking, and cleaning are activities that demand water. In addition, hot climates and cold climates will impact the amount of water used per person. Most boats carry water in 2 or more tanks. Multiple tanks reduce the risk that all of the water will be contaminated or spilled out in different situations.
Fuel is similar to water in that the amount needed varies by the boat size and engine, the methods for generating electricity, refrigeration, and the type of sailing the crew conducts. At a minimum a large sail boat will need fuel to get the vessel in and out of harbor, generate electricity when needed, and allow the engine to be used to keep the vessel safe when conditions require engine power rather than sail power. Fuel like water, is usually stored in 2 or more tanks to reduce the risk of contamination or loss in different situations.
There are many different estimates for the amount of water each person will use on a sail boat. The dogs and I use about 3.5 gallons of water a day in the winter and about 4 gallons a day in the summer and we are not trying to conserve water. Most estimates I've seen state a minimum of 2 gallons per person, and with extreme conservation 1 gallon per person. The next calculation is the time it will take to reach a fresh water supply. Since we are planning to sail all around the world, crossing an ocean is in our future. If we propose that the longest trip will be 2000 nautical miles (nm) and we can make 100 nm a day, then we need a water supply that will last 20 days. Then you have to add and time for days without wind and weather delays, in our case, we will add 5 days to the total for good measure.
It may be possible, depending on the sailing location and weather, to collect rain water to resupply the tanks, but that cannot be relied upon until the rain is in the tanks. Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems can be used produce fresh water from ocean water. Many of these systems will generate several gallons of water an hour at a cost of battery power off the house battery supply. Hand operated RO system can also be used to purify ocean water, but these systems generate a small amount of water for the human effort needed to operate them. As a result, hand operated RO systems are usually only found in life raft survival kits.
In total, the dogs and I will use 82 or more gallons of water on the 2000 nm trip described above. If we add a crew member, that would add 50 more gallons to the projected water consumption. When shopping for a boat, I was looking for a vessel that stored 100 gallons or more of water in 2 or more tanks. The boat I chose has 180 gallons of water stored in 4 separate tanks and this should be more than sufficient for most trips we will make. As an added bonus (or curse) the boat I chose also has a RO water maker that will produce about 14 gallons of water an hour.
The fuel capacity calculation is more complex. Most sailboats use the engine to recharge batteries or refreeze the cold plates in the refrigerator. In these cases, the engine will be run for a couple of hours each day. Alternative source of energy, like solar, wind, or water, can reduce or eliminate the need to run the engine to charge batteries and boats with electric refrigeration can eliminate the engine compressor for refrigeration. Larger sailboats may have an auxiliary generator that is used to charge batteries and power larger AC loads such as air conditioners. Auxiliary generators are typically smaller than the main boat engine and are not used to drive refrigeration compressors. If an auxiliary generator is used on your boat, calculate the fuel requirements for this separately since the fuel consumption per hour will lower than the main engine and loads driven by the generator will vary from boat to boat.
The next auxiliary use of the engine is heating water. Many sailboat have a radiator loop that runs from the engine to the domestic hot water tank and the engine heat is dissipated into this tank as well as being exchanged with sea water and blown out the exhaust pipe. I do not know of anyone that runs their engine for the sole purpose of generating hot water; however, it is a possibility. Most boats use the engine to recharge the batteries or refrigeration and in the process get hot water as an added bonus. Some boat have hydroponic heating systems that provide domestic hot water as needed. If this type of system is used on your boat, calculate the fuel requirements for heating separately as these systems vary widely in the fuel consumption, functionality, and complexity. When hot water is needed and not available from the tank, most boat will use a simple form of solar hot water heater such as a solar hot water bag. As a result, I would not count on using the engine for the sole purpose of heating water.
Beyond battery charging, refrigeration, and hot water, the only other use of the engine is to move the boat through the water. I would say that this is the primary use of the engine, however, I've been in situations where the engine was run often to charge up system than propel the boat. The engine will be used to maneuver a large boat in close quarters when docking, anchoring, or traveling in narrow channels. The engine may also be used when the vessel is becalmed and when forward progress is necessary for safety but sailing is impractical, e.g., in a storm. The sail plan of a boat and weather conditions will directly impact the how often the engine is used to propel a sailboat.
I assume that 20 gallons of fuel will be needed for safety purposes. This would be sufficient to power the boat for approximately one day. In addition, I calculate that one half gallon of fuel will be used for each anchorage and 1 gallon will be used for each port entry and exit. This may seem like a large allotment of fuel for situations where the motor may be needed for five minutes; however, if the engine is started, it should be run until it reaches normal operating temperature (I usually run my engine for 20 minutes). This helps prolong the life the engine by evaporating condensation that may have settled into the engine oil. So the base amount of fuel needed to make a trip would be near 30 gallons just for propulsion.
Next, the route of a trip may place additional demands on fuel for propulsion. For example, if your route is against the wind and current and you will have to either add time to the trip to account for tacking to an alternative route or fuel to the tanks to feed the engine as you motor headlong into the wind. A typical example of this would be traveling up the Baja coast where the winds are on the nose and the current is on the nose. If the engine will be used to propel the boat in this situation then you must calculate the boat speed, trip distance, and engine run time to estimate the amount of fuel you will need. You may be surprised at the amount of fuel it will take to power a sailboat for 600 miles at 6 kts of speed. A hundred hours of run time under load for most engines will require more than 100 gallons of fuel.
The more predictable demand for fuel will be the auxiliary uses of the engine to provide power, refrigeration and hot water. If the boat system require engine time for these purposes, you can count on either two hours each day to recharge batteries (actual time will depend upon the alternators on the engine, solar, wind, and the size of the house battery bank) or 1 hour for refrigeration. The engine will be run at half speed (about 1400 RPMs) for this purpose. A 25 day trip will use 25 to 50 hours of engine time for this purpose and that will require an additional 30 or 40 gallons of fuel capacity. Solar and wind can reduce this demand provide you have the space for these devices.
I decided that 100 gallons of fuel capacity was the minimum I would need without knowing the specifics of the boat systems. This would account for the 30 or 40 gallons of auxiliary usage, 30 gallons of emergency reserve and another 30 gallons for propulsion. The boat I chose has 170 gallon of fuel capacity in two tanks. I will elaborate the specific fuel consuming systems on my boat later.
“We never know the worth of water till the well runs dry.” [Thomas Fuller: Gnomologia]
Fresh potable water is a necessity on any boat that will be away from shore for more than a few minutes. How much water is needed depend upon the daily consumption and the time it will take to reach a location with a fresh water supply. Daily consumption of water varies by person and environment. Drinking, cooking, and cleaning are activities that demand water. In addition, hot climates and cold climates will impact the amount of water used per person. Most boats carry water in 2 or more tanks. Multiple tanks reduce the risk that all of the water will be contaminated or spilled out in different situations.
Fuel is similar to water in that the amount needed varies by the boat size and engine, the methods for generating electricity, refrigeration, and the type of sailing the crew conducts. At a minimum a large sail boat will need fuel to get the vessel in and out of harbor, generate electricity when needed, and allow the engine to be used to keep the vessel safe when conditions require engine power rather than sail power. Fuel like water, is usually stored in 2 or more tanks to reduce the risk of contamination or loss in different situations.
There are many different estimates for the amount of water each person will use on a sail boat. The dogs and I use about 3.5 gallons of water a day in the winter and about 4 gallons a day in the summer and we are not trying to conserve water. Most estimates I've seen state a minimum of 2 gallons per person, and with extreme conservation 1 gallon per person. The next calculation is the time it will take to reach a fresh water supply. Since we are planning to sail all around the world, crossing an ocean is in our future. If we propose that the longest trip will be 2000 nautical miles (nm) and we can make 100 nm a day, then we need a water supply that will last 20 days. Then you have to add and time for days without wind and weather delays, in our case, we will add 5 days to the total for good measure.
It may be possible, depending on the sailing location and weather, to collect rain water to resupply the tanks, but that cannot be relied upon until the rain is in the tanks. Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems can be used produce fresh water from ocean water. Many of these systems will generate several gallons of water an hour at a cost of battery power off the house battery supply. Hand operated RO system can also be used to purify ocean water, but these systems generate a small amount of water for the human effort needed to operate them. As a result, hand operated RO systems are usually only found in life raft survival kits.
In total, the dogs and I will use 82 or more gallons of water on the 2000 nm trip described above. If we add a crew member, that would add 50 more gallons to the projected water consumption. When shopping for a boat, I was looking for a vessel that stored 100 gallons or more of water in 2 or more tanks. The boat I chose has 180 gallons of water stored in 4 separate tanks and this should be more than sufficient for most trips we will make. As an added bonus (or curse) the boat I chose also has a RO water maker that will produce about 14 gallons of water an hour.
The fuel capacity calculation is more complex. Most sailboats use the engine to recharge batteries or refreeze the cold plates in the refrigerator. In these cases, the engine will be run for a couple of hours each day. Alternative source of energy, like solar, wind, or water, can reduce or eliminate the need to run the engine to charge batteries and boats with electric refrigeration can eliminate the engine compressor for refrigeration. Larger sailboats may have an auxiliary generator that is used to charge batteries and power larger AC loads such as air conditioners. Auxiliary generators are typically smaller than the main boat engine and are not used to drive refrigeration compressors. If an auxiliary generator is used on your boat, calculate the fuel requirements for this separately since the fuel consumption per hour will lower than the main engine and loads driven by the generator will vary from boat to boat.
The next auxiliary use of the engine is heating water. Many sailboat have a radiator loop that runs from the engine to the domestic hot water tank and the engine heat is dissipated into this tank as well as being exchanged with sea water and blown out the exhaust pipe. I do not know of anyone that runs their engine for the sole purpose of generating hot water; however, it is a possibility. Most boats use the engine to recharge the batteries or refrigeration and in the process get hot water as an added bonus. Some boat have hydroponic heating systems that provide domestic hot water as needed. If this type of system is used on your boat, calculate the fuel requirements for heating separately as these systems vary widely in the fuel consumption, functionality, and complexity. When hot water is needed and not available from the tank, most boat will use a simple form of solar hot water heater such as a solar hot water bag. As a result, I would not count on using the engine for the sole purpose of heating water.
Beyond battery charging, refrigeration, and hot water, the only other use of the engine is to move the boat through the water. I would say that this is the primary use of the engine, however, I've been in situations where the engine was run often to charge up system than propel the boat. The engine will be used to maneuver a large boat in close quarters when docking, anchoring, or traveling in narrow channels. The engine may also be used when the vessel is becalmed and when forward progress is necessary for safety but sailing is impractical, e.g., in a storm. The sail plan of a boat and weather conditions will directly impact the how often the engine is used to propel a sailboat.
I assume that 20 gallons of fuel will be needed for safety purposes. This would be sufficient to power the boat for approximately one day. In addition, I calculate that one half gallon of fuel will be used for each anchorage and 1 gallon will be used for each port entry and exit. This may seem like a large allotment of fuel for situations where the motor may be needed for five minutes; however, if the engine is started, it should be run until it reaches normal operating temperature (I usually run my engine for 20 minutes). This helps prolong the life the engine by evaporating condensation that may have settled into the engine oil. So the base amount of fuel needed to make a trip would be near 30 gallons just for propulsion.
Next, the route of a trip may place additional demands on fuel for propulsion. For example, if your route is against the wind and current and you will have to either add time to the trip to account for tacking to an alternative route or fuel to the tanks to feed the engine as you motor headlong into the wind. A typical example of this would be traveling up the Baja coast where the winds are on the nose and the current is on the nose. If the engine will be used to propel the boat in this situation then you must calculate the boat speed, trip distance, and engine run time to estimate the amount of fuel you will need. You may be surprised at the amount of fuel it will take to power a sailboat for 600 miles at 6 kts of speed. A hundred hours of run time under load for most engines will require more than 100 gallons of fuel.
The more predictable demand for fuel will be the auxiliary uses of the engine to provide power, refrigeration and hot water. If the boat system require engine time for these purposes, you can count on either two hours each day to recharge batteries (actual time will depend upon the alternators on the engine, solar, wind, and the size of the house battery bank) or 1 hour for refrigeration. The engine will be run at half speed (about 1400 RPMs) for this purpose. A 25 day trip will use 25 to 50 hours of engine time for this purpose and that will require an additional 30 or 40 gallons of fuel capacity. Solar and wind can reduce this demand provide you have the space for these devices.
I decided that 100 gallons of fuel capacity was the minimum I would need without knowing the specifics of the boat systems. This would account for the 30 or 40 gallons of auxiliary usage, 30 gallons of emergency reserve and another 30 gallons for propulsion. The boat I chose has 170 gallon of fuel capacity in two tanks. I will elaborate the specific fuel consuming systems on my boat later.
Motor to Ste Anne
23 05, 17
This morning we motored to Ste. Anne about 10 miles. The wind was on the nose the entire way, but I did get an almost full batt charge out of the alternators. Dropped the hook with about 120 other boats. I missed the big sand hole, so I dragged the anchor over the rocks for about 30 minutes until we hit the big sand hole… The Anchor is set now in sand and holding tight. The town is nice, quite a few small shops and restaurants. I will have to go to Marin in the next few days. Marin is the bigger town about 3 miles away.
The sky has been very Hazy for the past 4 days, not just high clouds, but also low level Hazy. Too early for Sahara dust storms to hit here, I think. Not sure what it is, but it is unusual to me. I might have to ask a local about this.
This anchorage is exposed to the winds more than the past few anchorages. As a result, it should be cool tonight inside the boat. A steady breeze is blowing though the hatches!
Puppies had fresh cooked puppy jambalaya today. Daddy is going to have seafood pasta onboard with some wine.
Tomorrow I'll check out the local restaurants for wifi and food. The puppies and I will walk down to the market and back to see how Jupiter is doing. If he can do that walk then later we will go north towards the big beach for a walk. There is a cool hike here towards the south and east that visits some nice beaches, much too long of a hike for the puppies. I make take that walk without the pups in a day or two.
The sky has been very Hazy for the past 4 days, not just high clouds, but also low level Hazy. Too early for Sahara dust storms to hit here, I think. Not sure what it is, but it is unusual to me. I might have to ask a local about this.
This anchorage is exposed to the winds more than the past few anchorages. As a result, it should be cool tonight inside the boat. A steady breeze is blowing though the hatches!
Puppies had fresh cooked puppy jambalaya today. Daddy is going to have seafood pasta onboard with some wine.
Tomorrow I'll check out the local restaurants for wifi and food. The puppies and I will walk down to the market and back to see how Jupiter is doing. If he can do that walk then later we will go north towards the big beach for a walk. There is a cool hike here towards the south and east that visits some nice beaches, much too long of a hike for the puppies. I make take that walk without the pups in a day or two.
Party Land
21 05, 17
The sail to Anse Chaudiere was mostly down wind. The last mile was rough with the swell coming round the island. This is party land on Sunday!!! All the power boats are rafted up in 6 or more rafts just off the shore and the music is blasting and everyone is swimming and drinking. Hopefully they break up at sunset. NOAA forecast didn't come in last night, so i hit the maritime mobile network to make sure my radio is working. I connected to a HAM site in upstate New York. So the radio is working, maybe it was the haze or solar flares that stopped me from receiving the weather update. Still no internet onboard. On Monday I'll go into the town of Anse D'arlet and see if I can connect. I'll also take the pups up there and see what type of grocery store they have. I'll move on to Ste. Anne/Marin once the winds calm down and that area will be my last stop in Martinique before heading to St. Lucia.
Cooking a roast tonight once the sun sets and the temps drop a bit. I haven't fired up the oven in a while cause of the heat. Hopefully it would be too bad, this roast is only 800g so it should cook rather quickly. I'll have it with potatoes and peas, maybe a sliced tomato as well.
Cooking a roast tonight once the sun sets and the temps drop a bit. I haven't fired up the oven in a while cause of the heat. Hopefully it would be too bad, this roast is only 800g so it should cook rather quickly. I'll have it with potatoes and peas, maybe a sliced tomato as well.
Lazy Day today
19 05, 17
Pups went for a walk, we went to the bank and the gas station to refill one of dink's tanks. I sat at a beach bar for wifi, using my iPad that doesn't post my web pages or Facebook for Jupiter… So no real updates, but I did get to check email and send some email. We will leave here on Sunday and head to another beach on the south-west side of Martinique for a day or two. I'm hopping the winds will die down in a few days and then we can make it to the South side of Martinique without much trouble (specifically St. Anne's and Marin). There is where we will checkout before heading to St. Lucia to meet Jimi and Andy.
Motor to Anse A L'ane
18 05, 17
We left early in the morning after a puppy walk for Anse A L'ane and there wasn't much wind so we motored the 6 miles across the bay to the south side of Port de France, Martinique. We are anchored in 14ft of water off a beach. There is a dink dock here so that should make it easy to get the boys on shore. The water is not nearly as clean as St. Barth or Dominica, but you still have 40ft of visibility. As a result the water is blue-green instead of the deep, bright blue of St. Bath and Dominica. Once the sun gets low in the sky I'll take the puppies for a dink ride to the dock and we are going to go swimming until there lips turn blue and they are exhausted. They haven't been swimming since we were in Guadeloupe. They are going to hate me for this, but they will sleep until well after sunrise. I'm going to go checkout one of the restaurants tonight. I don't feel like cooking. I didn't sleep well last night in fear of an anchor dragging episode. Anchor is in sand at this spot and holding well, snorkeled her one hour after setting to make sure she was dug in. Looks good.
Puppies loved swimming this afternoon and they got DINGO treats after supper, which they also loved. They should sleep until late on Friday!
Puppies loved swimming this afternoon and they got DINGO treats after supper, which they also loved. They should sleep until late on Friday!
Still no Internet
17 05, 17
My Digicell is working for phone, but not data and there is no Digicell office nearby. Wow I smell cinnamon, someone must be cooking on shore or on a nearby boat. We will be moving on to Anse A L'ane on Thursday morning in hopes of getting better access to beaches and services. It is about 8 miles from here so it should be a short sail. In addition, there is not a drop off into the bottom of the ocean just a few hundred feet from where we are anchored.
I dragged anchor 3 times today and reset twice. I now have 10:1 rode ratio out and that is working. The anchor alarms are set, so I should sleep okay and I've prepared the boat so that I can start the engine and pull up the rode should the alarms go off without dealing with a towed dink and other stuff. All the electronics are on standby so there is no boot up time should they be needed quickly.
My last anchor reset, I move the boat to 16ft of water then dropped the anchor, there is a shelf of 20ft depth that runs about 300 feet and then it drops to 30ft for about 100ft of length, after that the bottom falls off quickly to 2000ft. So if I drag at night, the Bruce anchor should reset before I fall of the ledge :). (Murphy's law not withstanding).
I dragged anchor 3 times today and reset twice. I now have 10:1 rode ratio out and that is working. The anchor alarms are set, so I should sleep okay and I've prepared the boat so that I can start the engine and pull up the rode should the alarms go off without dealing with a towed dink and other stuff. All the electronics are on standby so there is no boot up time should they be needed quickly.
My last anchor reset, I move the boat to 16ft of water then dropped the anchor, there is a shelf of 20ft depth that runs about 300 feet and then it drops to 30ft for about 100ft of length, after that the bottom falls off quickly to 2000ft. So if I drag at night, the Bruce anchor should reset before I fall of the ledge :). (Murphy's law not withstanding).
Sail to Schoelcher Martinique
16 05, 17
This started as a motor sail cause we were in the lee of the northern volcano. It soon became and nice close reach with a little pinching to try to minimize the time after the tack. As usual, I executed the Tack a few minutes early so when I approached Schoelcher I was about 1/4 mile north on the coast. No problem. Anchored in 22ft of water and opened a bottle of St. Emilion. The dogs and I will make it to the park next to the city dock later today.
Sail to Martinique
15 05, 17
We started with mixed winds in the lee of Dominique for about two miles, then we crossed into the open ocean and the winds were NE at 16 to 25kts. This was great. Apparent wind was 50degrees the entire way through the open ocean. Set our heading for 167deg and flew down to Martinique with a reefed main and staysail at 5 to 6kts of speed. Once in the lee of Martinique winds got fickle for a while, but not long before they started blowing around the northern volcanoes and continued to head us up. Adjusted course as we where headed up to 150 deg and sail to within one mile of St. Pierre. Dropped the sail at 22kts of wind and motored in to anchor. We got there before 2PM and checked into France. In the morning we will go down to SCHOELCHER just north west of Fort De France. Sounds like a nice place, so we may stay there a while and see if I can set up and new phone and a mailbox drop.
St. Pierre is and interesting place. It was totally destroyed in 1802 or somewhere near then by the volcano. The ash flows into town are evident. 30,000 people killed instantly and only two people survived. The ash flows are now lush fields of fruit trees and farms. Many of the building in town have a wall or the corner of a wall that were pre-volcano destruction.
Maybe one day Montserrat's ash flows will look like that.
Tonight there is a rescue at sea underway for the past hour on VHF radio. Some vessel has taken on lots of water and has flooded the engines and the French are going to enlist a cruise boat to rescue the crew from the sinking ship. There was some language problems at first, but the French rescue boat has a person that speaks english. Right now they are communicating the approach on the starboard side of the sinking vessel to execute a transfer of the crew. A cruise ship is sending a small boat to rescue on the port side of the sinking vessel.
Also tonight, the NOAA weather fax is coming in better on 12MHz vs 8MHz which is unusual for this distance and time of day. Usually 8MHz is better in the early evening. There are lots of tropical waves forming on the ITZ, but none of them heading north enough to start spinning into hurricanes.
St. Pierre is and interesting place. It was totally destroyed in 1802 or somewhere near then by the volcano. The ash flows into town are evident. 30,000 people killed instantly and only two people survived. The ash flows are now lush fields of fruit trees and farms. Many of the building in town have a wall or the corner of a wall that were pre-volcano destruction.
Maybe one day Montserrat's ash flows will look like that.
Tonight there is a rescue at sea underway for the past hour on VHF radio. Some vessel has taken on lots of water and has flooded the engines and the French are going to enlist a cruise boat to rescue the crew from the sinking ship. There was some language problems at first, but the French rescue boat has a person that speaks english. Right now they are communicating the approach on the starboard side of the sinking vessel to execute a transfer of the crew. A cruise ship is sending a small boat to rescue on the port side of the sinking vessel.
Also tonight, the NOAA weather fax is coming in better on 12MHz vs 8MHz which is unusual for this distance and time of day. Usually 8MHz is better in the early evening. There are lots of tropical waves forming on the ITZ, but none of them heading north enough to start spinning into hurricanes.
Sail to Roseau
14 05, 17
The sail to Roseau Dominica was great in the lee of the island so the winds shifted direction and speed a few times, but the waves were nice a calm. Left at 8AM and got here at 1:45 (about 20mi). This is a nice bay, but very slim anchoring I'm in 100ft of water on a mooring (the deepest mooring i've ever been on). It is very hot here as the bay is surrounded by very high volcanoes and it faces west and the clouds all burn off on the high volcanoes so the sun is slamming us with very little wind to cool things down. 96deg F inside the boat right now. That is HOT. I haven't had those temps since August in Chesapeake Bay. Normally in the Carib you have 15++ its of wind to keep you cool. Not here.
Dominica has more volcano ranges than I thought. While sailing down the west coast, there were the norther Volcanoes, the northern-central volcanoes (3 big ones) then the southern-central volcanoes (two big ones) the the southern volcanoes (look like three big ones, but there could be more, the view is obstructed by clouds).
Dominica has more volcano ranges than I thought. While sailing down the west coast, there were the norther Volcanoes, the northern-central volcanoes (3 big ones) then the southern-central volcanoes (two big ones) the the southern volcanoes (look like three big ones, but there could be more, the view is obstructed by clouds).
Foodies
13 05, 17
I see lots of people take pictures of their food when it is set on the table. Yes, it often looks good but that is no indication of what is really there — lipstick on a pig, eh? So I'm going to post my meals after they have been consumed. The first is a picture of Burger Night in Dominica. I haven't had a burger in 6 months so I was looking forward to this. This was a homemade bun, with home grown tomato, lettuce, and onion topping a sirloin burger with a slab of mild cheddar. It was served with fries and slaw. The meal plus beer was so filling I couldn't finish all the slaw. (a little hot sauce still on the plate with the paper napkin)
This morning I went to market and at the corner of market street and Bay Street there is a little bar that has Carib fried bread that is stuffed with salt fish. Carib fried bread is about the size on an english muffin and usually fried in either lard or coconut oil. I may have to change my opinion of salt fish after this and a meal of salt fish, ache and rice in St. Kitts. Notice the only thing left is the grease stain on the paper bag. :) It was awesome.
This morning I went to market and at the corner of market street and Bay Street there is a little bar that has Carib fried bread that is stuffed with salt fish. Carib fried bread is about the size on an english muffin and usually fried in either lard or coconut oil. I may have to change my opinion of salt fish after this and a meal of salt fish, ache and rice in St. Kitts. Notice the only thing left is the grease stain on the paper bag. :) It was awesome.
Puppy Brothers
11 05, 17
For the past three weeks Cinco has been snapping and snarling at Jupiter when he approaches. It first started if Jupiter went near Cinco's food bowl. Now it happens almost anytime Jupiter approaches him while on the boat. I don't like this, something is going on with Cinco.
Just helped to rescue a boat that broke it's moorings at 9:30PM in the rain. Five of us showed up and one had a big enough boat to tow the 52ft yacht back to harbor. Nice to see a response like that. Hopefully they will respond when my boat breaks free. Same thing happened in St. Barth but I was the one that called in for help and the Harbor Master respond with a big boat just in time to save a beautiful Hinkley from the rocks.
Just helped to rescue a boat that broke it's moorings at 9:30PM in the rain. Five of us showed up and one had a big enough boat to tow the 52ft yacht back to harbor. Nice to see a response like that. Hopefully they will respond when my boat breaks free. Same thing happened in St. Barth but I was the one that called in for help and the Harbor Master respond with a big boat just in time to save a beautiful Hinkley from the rocks.
Sail to Dominica
10 05, 17
It was a nice day for sailing. Slight drizzle and overcast all day, winds from the NE at 14 to 28kts (mostly in the 19 to 23 range) wind slightly aft of beam. Technically downwind, but just barely. 5 to 6kts of speed in the 20+kts range of wind and 4 to 5kts at the lower wind speeds. The wind finally died as we were about 3 miles from the anchorage so I pulled down the sails and fired up the engine. We left at 8AM and got here at 12:45, so just under 5 hours. I wish all the sail were like this. The waves were also on the aft quarter and that made it tough on Auto for steering, but she did well. The current was strong leaving the Saints, so I had to take control of Auto for about 30min to make sure she didn't run us into the rocks.
I had a late lunch of Mahi, rice, red beans, Dashene, Yams, Plantains, and Tomato/Cabbage salad for $10 US. I couldn't eat it all. They couldn't fit more in the to-go container if they tried, the meal weight 4lbs or more!
Have to see about getting Cell Phone Service here and then about some of the Hikes and River Tours they have. I also have to provision and do a few boat repairs (or stabilizations).
I'm right off a beach on the North end of this bay. Just a little roll. I used the preventer to stop the boom from rocking with the waves.
Mooring balls here are better than the Saints, they don't have a Giant Metal Hook to bang on the hull. P.A.Y.S. controls all the boat boys here, so it is very organized and low pressure. Nice.
The mountains are "wow" from here. This place has several volcanoes and a valley between the north and south sides. The northern mounts have been covered in clouds since I got here. The southern mounts have not and they look higher that the main volcano in Nevis. I hope this pace doesn't erupt like Montserrat!
I'm having some french wine while waiting for the ingredients for puppy jambalaya to cool down so I can debone the chicken and chop it up. The pups only and a half serving this afternoon cause we ran out and they don't seem to understand that it takes time to cook the chicken, rice and peas.
I finished watching 3 seasons of Upper-Middle Bogan. The third season was the best. I do hope they continue that TV show.
More laundry to do. I'll start a batch in the morning.
NOAA forecast coming in tonight. Looks like we will have a tropical wave it us on May 12, so May 11 will have to be laundry day. Should be just lots of rain and a SE wind. Fresh rain water for the H2O tanks!!! All gone by the 13th of May.
Next 3 days have the wind from the SE so we will be here for at least 4 days. Looks like we got really lucky today for sailing cause today the wind started shifting SE and is projected to stay SE for the next several days.
I had a late lunch of Mahi, rice, red beans, Dashene, Yams, Plantains, and Tomato/Cabbage salad for $10 US. I couldn't eat it all. They couldn't fit more in the to-go container if they tried, the meal weight 4lbs or more!
Have to see about getting Cell Phone Service here and then about some of the Hikes and River Tours they have. I also have to provision and do a few boat repairs (or stabilizations).
I'm right off a beach on the North end of this bay. Just a little roll. I used the preventer to stop the boom from rocking with the waves.
Mooring balls here are better than the Saints, they don't have a Giant Metal Hook to bang on the hull. P.A.Y.S. controls all the boat boys here, so it is very organized and low pressure. Nice.
The mountains are "wow" from here. This place has several volcanoes and a valley between the north and south sides. The northern mounts have been covered in clouds since I got here. The southern mounts have not and they look higher that the main volcano in Nevis. I hope this pace doesn't erupt like Montserrat!
I'm having some french wine while waiting for the ingredients for puppy jambalaya to cool down so I can debone the chicken and chop it up. The pups only and a half serving this afternoon cause we ran out and they don't seem to understand that it takes time to cook the chicken, rice and peas.
I finished watching 3 seasons of Upper-Middle Bogan. The third season was the best. I do hope they continue that TV show.
More laundry to do. I'll start a batch in the morning.
NOAA forecast coming in tonight. Looks like we will have a tropical wave it us on May 12, so May 11 will have to be laundry day. Should be just lots of rain and a SE wind. Fresh rain water for the H2O tanks!!! All gone by the 13th of May.
Next 3 days have the wind from the SE so we will be here for at least 4 days. Looks like we got really lucky today for sailing cause today the wind started shifting SE and is projected to stay SE for the next several days.
Removed the wind generator and radar
08 05, 17
Danger is now over, I managed to remove the radar and wind generator by myself. It took two days to plan and execute. Thanks to a mesh laundry bag for the radar and a lot of really cleverly tied lines the wind generator only moved about 5 inches when I popped the last bolt. I then used the lines to get her to mid-ship. I'm now taking a break after starting to disassemble her down into parts for storage.
This is a great relief, I'm not sure how much longer it would have been up there as is was slowly twisting to port and that was allowing the U-bolt to bend the steel plate and start to move from being horizontal to about 30 or 40 deg.
I should be able to sail to Dominica with no problem or worries now. But I will not have radar (but this a day trip) or the Wind Generator powering everything.
Eventually I'll get this figured out. And I'll build in safe guards so that when it fails at sea I can dispatch the system properly.
This is a great relief, I'm not sure how much longer it would have been up there as is was slowly twisting to port and that was allowing the U-bolt to bend the steel plate and start to move from being horizontal to about 30 or 40 deg.
I should be able to sail to Dominica with no problem or worries now. But I will not have radar (but this a day trip) or the Wind Generator powering everything.
Eventually I'll get this figured out. And I'll build in safe guards so that when it fails at sea I can dispatch the system properly.
Sail to the Saints
06 05, 17
The sail started out normal with E winds gusting to 18kts. Then, in the lee of Guadeloupe, the winds went West at 10kts. Seas were calm and we tacked over. This was the situation for about 2 hours. Ahead of us there were white caps and a sail boat a few miles ahead was on a different tack and heeled over hard. So as we exited the lee of the big mountains, the wind clocked to the East and began blowing at 24 to 30kts from the East. We were ready and had a really fun ride with a reefed main and staysail going 6.5+kts. One problem, the wind is East and we need to go South East. No problem, I just kept sail south-south-east until I lined up the the Big Island of the Saints. Then tack east and head into the Saints (another 5 or 6 miles). Tacking didn't work so well we were pinching the wind, there is a strong current and the waves were bashing us. (I'm not a good tactician, I'm getting better) Rather than beat everyone up (after all this is retirement) I turned the key or the Yanmar "sail" and we bashed into the waves for about 2 hours to make just 6 miles to the Saints. We are now on a mooring, anchors are not allowed here and in the morning we are going to explore Ilet a Cabrit. There are old Napoleonic ruins on this spot.
After catching the mooring single handed and securing the boat, I opened a bottle of Guadeloupe Rum. It is not as good as I hoped (no wonder why the French kept losing wars to the Brits)
Near disaster at Sea. The two stainless tangs that support the center of my radar pole broke at sea. Snapped right off. The only thing holding here in place is the 1/2inch stainless U-bold that ties to the steel that Kato added. I won't be able to get this repaired in the Saints, I'll have to go to Dominica to get this done. Hopefully I can get someone to repair the tangs and add 4 SS bars between the pole and the plate, or just go without the tangs and compensate for the side to side forces with one or two through bolts. I'm preparing to take down the wind generator using the topping lift and some other lines.
I heard and unusual bang noise at sea, but didn't realize until I was away from the boat that the radar and wind generator were not well. I thought it was the outboard motor banding the rail.
After catching the mooring single handed and securing the boat, I opened a bottle of Guadeloupe Rum. It is not as good as I hoped (no wonder why the French kept losing wars to the Brits)
Near disaster at Sea. The two stainless tangs that support the center of my radar pole broke at sea. Snapped right off. The only thing holding here in place is the 1/2inch stainless U-bold that ties to the steel that Kato added. I won't be able to get this repaired in the Saints, I'll have to go to Dominica to get this done. Hopefully I can get someone to repair the tangs and add 4 SS bars between the pole and the plate, or just go without the tangs and compensate for the side to side forces with one or two through bolts. I'm preparing to take down the wind generator using the topping lift and some other lines.
I heard and unusual bang noise at sea, but didn't realize until I was away from the boat that the radar and wind generator were not well. I thought it was the outboard motor banding the rail.
Hair cut day
05 05, 17
Today was hair cut day, and I did a better job this time. But I cut toe nails as well and i got on toe on each of Cinco's hind feet a little to short and he yelped and then was bleeding for several minutes. Ouch. I'll have to be more careful with Cinco's toes in the future. This is the first time i've drawn blood. Cinco is busy licking his hind paws and Jupiter is going all around the boat finding every spot of blood and liking it clean.
Jupiter did pay me back for his hair cut. He is so cute now, but he peed on the rug… Full Bladder dump. I guess that will show Daddy who is boss on hair cut day!
I have to provision today and then head to the Saints on Saturday. Getting ready for a swim to wash all the itchy puppy hair off of me.
CarreFour had wine and chicken thighs (essential ingredient in puppy jambalaya). Wind it blowing again. I'll have to get the latest weather update from the sat system since Digicell SUCKS.
We will leave by 8:00 AM that give the pups time to go for a walk and daddy time to get everything loaded and secured. It should be about 25 miles to the Saints. We are planning to be there for a few days.
Jupiter did pay me back for his hair cut. He is so cute now, but he peed on the rug… Full Bladder dump. I guess that will show Daddy who is boss on hair cut day!
I have to provision today and then head to the Saints on Saturday. Getting ready for a swim to wash all the itchy puppy hair off of me.
CarreFour had wine and chicken thighs (essential ingredient in puppy jambalaya). Wind it blowing again. I'll have to get the latest weather update from the sat system since Digicell SUCKS.
We will leave by 8:00 AM that give the pups time to go for a walk and daddy time to get everything loaded and secured. It should be about 25 miles to the Saints. We are planning to be there for a few days.
Rain and Laundry
03 05, 17
I did one load of laundry yesterday, sheets, towels, etc. and as soon as I hung them to dry it started raining. It rained on and off until the late afternoon, just enough time for the sheets and pillow cases to dry before nightfall.
Today I started a second load at 9AM and hung them out to dry at 11:30 and it started raining at 11:33. What luck?
Almost no wind today. The NOAA forecast was for less than 10kts, but we are having less than 2kts.
We will leave tomorrow for Pigeon Island and stay there for a day or two then off to "the Saints" for a few days. There should be some good snorkeling at Pigeon Island. So far, St Barth had the best but I have yet to see the rocks on the north side of this anchorage. They are supposed to be good.
Cinco came home with more thorny seeds in his hair than I have ever seen. He must have 100 of them tangled in there. I think the puppies are getting crew cuts once we get the Pigeon Island. They won't like it but it is needed. Jupiter only has two or three tangled in his leggings.
Today I started a second load at 9AM and hung them out to dry at 11:30 and it started raining at 11:33. What luck?
Almost no wind today. The NOAA forecast was for less than 10kts, but we are having less than 2kts.
We will leave tomorrow for Pigeon Island and stay there for a day or two then off to "the Saints" for a few days. There should be some good snorkeling at Pigeon Island. So far, St Barth had the best but I have yet to see the rocks on the north side of this anchorage. They are supposed to be good.
Cinco came home with more thorny seeds in his hair than I have ever seen. He must have 100 of them tangled in there. I think the puppies are getting crew cuts once we get the Pigeon Island. They won't like it but it is needed. Jupiter only has two or three tangled in his leggings.
Guadaloupe
02 05, 17
So far, I like this place. I had to find a Canadian boat to help me recharge my DigiCell phone. DigiCell sucks for internet access its 1G. So I'm planning to go ashore to the Dive shop and see if they have WiFi. I I did some provisioning, 84Euros worth for just two bags, so it is not cheap here at this town, though the next stop has a CarrFour grocery store accessible by Dink. So I'll do more provisioning there. I think I'll have to get an Orange or Lime SIM card for my phone to get better speed. How is DigiCell still in business? I don't know. They sucked in St. Martins and they suck here too. But I do have a good voice connection; however, Internet access is more important to me than voice.
Doing laundry, but rain showers are coming in — I guess my sheet will have a good rain rinse before they dry :) That is good.
Doing laundry, but rain showers are coming in — I guess my sheet will have a good rain rinse before they dry :) That is good.
Checkin Failure
01 05, 17
France is closed today. Some national holiday, so I didn't get to checkin. Looks like the restaurants are open, the ATM at the post office was working but the post office is the only place were I can top-up my DigiCell phone card and they are closed. I'll lug my lap to a cafe with the dogs and trash and see if I can get some WiFi for lunch. Maybe then I can check email and post of the blogs for the past few days.
I like this town, Deshaies, it reminds me of a small version of Grand Case. Oh they have fish on several menus… Should be fresh as this down has a large number for fishing boat in a harbor made just for them.
I need to top up on provisions, almost out of milk and OJ and the dogs ate the heart out of my cabbage. I saw a couple of veggie stands in town as well as two grocery markets.
I like this town, Deshaies, it reminds me of a small version of Grand Case. Oh they have fish on several menus… Should be fresh as this down has a large number for fishing boat in a harbor made just for them.
I need to top up on provisions, almost out of milk and OJ and the dogs ate the heart out of my cabbage. I saw a couple of veggie stands in town as well as two grocery markets.