The Caribbean

Sixth report 7 April 1999

by Peter

So, where were we last time?  I can't remember.  Of course we crossed from the Gambia on 3rd December and arrived in Barbados in time for Christmas, and New Year.  Barbados was pretty much as it had been last time, but even more tourist orientated which is a shame.

From there we went to Bequia which is an overnight sail and is truly one of the Windward Islands, which of course Barbados isn't.  The anchorage in Bequia is a long land locked bay with rocky floor which means that from time to time a yacht whistles past you going backwards because nobody's anchor holds very well there.  It is more friendly than many of the bigger islands and we spent some time walking across to the opposite shore (a couple of miles) to a turtle sanctuary there where they (not surprisingly) save turtles eggs and launch the mature creatures later in the year.   Interestingly there is also a bit of a French satellite that landed in the sea nearby (so hard hats should be worn by yachties near there!)

Bequia naturally led to the Tobago Cays (pronounced as most of you know Keys) where there is nothing at all to do but swim about in transparent water and watch fish - which is all very nice in January.  Interestingly some locals (the islands are effectively uninhabited except by T-shirt salesmen who motor out from nearby Union Island) anyway these guys burnt some rubbish and tried to set fire to a whole island, but despite their best efforts (and visits from yachties bearing buckets) they failed and the flora and fauna (well cactus and goats) remained intact.

Bequia is just north of Carriacou & Grenada which have the MOST unhelpful immigration people in the world but (in the case of Grenada) a number of rain-forest walks and beach bars. We did a rain forest and got lost which was a little exciting as dark encroached and we were still an hour's walk along steep water-logged paths from the way out - we had to retrace our outward route as we couldn't find the way forward.  It was all a bit nip and tuck, but we got back to the main road as everything went dark - which it does very quickly out here.  Another experience (a night in a rain forest) wasted!!

At Prickly Bay Grenada we passed a pleasant week or two with another yacht with a couple of girls Suzy and Sophie's ages and spent more time doing watery things as well as "mending things most people have never heard of"!

Grenada is north of Trinidad and we met an Irishman who claimed to be friends with the MD of a sail making company and who PROMISED he had arranged for  a complete suit of sail from North Sails for us at COST price - in Trinidad.  So we switched our plans from going to Venezuela to Trinny ( as the indigenous yachties call it.)  It is crawling with cruisers who went there to die (you know sold the sails and engine to buy more beer and now wonder how to get back to the real world - though since rum costs nothing, they don't worry about this much of the time!)

We didn't stop there long, only long enough to find out that the Irishman was a complete, but harmless, lunatic and we had no sails waiting.  Actually the Man at North Sails was as surprised as we were!!  Fortunately I'd got a Plan B, a French sail mender who did a super job.  We went mad in Trinidad and bought some more winches and things in case I had to do the Pacific leg short handed (or even single handed!!) But since then, all the crew seem to have reconciled themselves to another three weeks of rolling about on ocean swell - even Sally!! who has yet to do an ocean, so we are all looking forward to having her along (all except her that is!!)

We missed the carnival in Trinidad in order to hurry to Curacao to meet our good friends the Goggins (take a bow, the Gogginsss) who spent a tranquil week in Spanish Water Curacao with us swimming, mending things people haven't heard of... etc. as well as being at a kerb side seat (well you stand naturally) for carnival which amounted to three hours of procession with loud music and costumes and dancing and hot dogs and beer etc.   (some of you might have enjoyed that a lot - we did - but I suspect my folks would have retired with ear damage!)  Needless to say it poured with rain all that time and we got entirely drownded but hey, it was carnival.

Having said goodbye to the Goggins family we sailed, bravely, we thought, for Colombia.

Cartegena Colombia was an ancient walled town with markets and emerald dealers and was remarkably peaceable (in all the accepted areas.)  We met some locals and went out for a meal with them which at 2000 pesos to the pound was not, as you will guess, very expensive but it was a lot of fun to mix it with the locals in their own haunts.   There is a Museum of the Inquisition, which I gather went on until very late on, I think there was an inquisitor until the early 1800's! so you'd better have voted "Pope ...  X" on the ballot form or you'd have met 1) the Rack a device for making short people thinner 2) the very large lump of wood hanging on a rope from the ceiling - just a device for hitting people a lot without exerting oneself too much or 3) well it was a very empty museum...

Some people we know failed to heed everyone's advice and anchored overnight away from the yacht club and got to meet more locals at dead of night and it seems came off second best in the affray.  But that's why you only go where people tell you to!

The San Blas Islands are next on the route to Panama and we stopped a few days there amongst palm covered islands (some only the size of a British garden) where the KUNA people live.  These people sell you MOLAs not Molars but appliqué type pictures of coloured cloth etc.  They (the Kuna) are diminutive and still living in a by gone era, which is nice for visitors.  The chief of the first island we stopped at brought us a bag of fruit as a present as we arrived and invited us to visit him on his island, where we sat about and talked (er.. don't have much of the Kuna language actually so that was a bit quick) and then got a guided tour of the village, kitchen etc - all with arm waving and much grinning.  It was like actually being in one of those books written back in the turn of the century and a nice change from the Caribbean islands where tourists are two a penny.

Now, finally we are in Panama waiting to go through the canal.  It is often a two week Plus delay and we're about to enter week three, so we hope it will be our turn on Sunday or Monday.  They don't like sailing boats as they are an inconvenience to them in the canal so we get rafted together 3 boats at a time and follow big dirty ships into the canal under the instruction of an Adviser (to qualify as a Panama Canal adviser you must have been through the Canal 4 times and be a Canal Company employee, neither of which is much of a qualification but as adviser you get to bully the yacht skippers into making crass decisions and endangering the more vulnerable bits of the yacht, stanchions, mooring cleats, etc.

Anyway Suzy and I are going to get a trial run taking a yacht through tomorrow (Easter Friday)   I have to go as everywhere closes at noon today for Easter.

I hope you had a joyful Easter if you live in Greece, otherwise just ate lots of chocolate the rest of you.

Bye for now

Yacht Loquax.