The solo around the world yacht race and other sailing related items.
Dragging anchor
Anchored in Marigot Bay, we tried to find a French Canadian couple we met last season when sailing Tortola. They had just acquired an ex-charter boat and were moving aboard with their one year old daughter. The family had no sailing experience and was hiring a delivery captain to sail them back to St. Lucia. We were curious to see what had become of their life a year later, but unfortunately they had gone back to Canada for the winter and we were unable to find out news.
In St. Lucia we were ripped off by a boat boy. We want to support the local marine entrepreneurs, but they are known to take advantage of boats. We purchased bananas and oranges from Santa Clause for 20 EC to learn the next day in the market that the price was 5 EC for the exact same product. Through out our travels we are discovering that from the boat boys and local markets there are two prices, the local price and the gringo price. An elderly man whom I mistook for a boat boy did come around selling snapper that he had just caught. I asked the price and his price was just a bit higher than one would normally pay, but he was willing to clean the fish. I asked him if he would catch more fish in two days and bring us another supply, but he told me that he only fished on weekends and had a regular job during the week.
Geoff was joining us in St. Lucia and we were heading for the Grenadines. When he landed, he did so without bags. We spent 3 days waiting for his bags before being able to clear out and go south to Bequia. The passage was wet with a cold front passing through and numerous rain squalls.
Happy to be underway
In Bequia while we were clearing customs and trying to find a DHL package that was sent overnight to me, El Gecco dragged anchor. We saw her begin her drag and jumped in the dingy an motored as fast as we could, but the distance still took 10 minutes. Another cruising boat used their dingy to push her around to avoid hitting boats, and an old Norwegian ferry that was converted to a world cruiser secured a line to El Gecco and towed her to their transom and tied her off. We got there as they had finished securing her. We hopped aboard and I fired up the engines while Geoff got the anchor up. With help from the ferry crew we put her on a mooring and later returned to them with a bottle of rum to say thank you. Over the years I had helped many people save their boats and would not take a penny for the effort. That day karma paid off as they were willing to help and build new friendships.
I hunted around at produce prices in the market on the dock, and then saw a woman selling fresh fruit and vegetables away from the market. I inquired about certain things and she was much cheaper. We got talking. Her name is Bridget and she sells from across where the taxis await cruise ship passengers. She told us that if there was anything in the market that we wanted, to tell her and she would get it for us at local prices. We were happy to support an honest person like her who had only one price, and her story was interesting. She comes on the ferry every day from St. Vincent to tend her stall, and is one of three sisters in the business.
My package from the States contained my return tickets to South Carolina. I had a speaking engagement and was returning home for a few days. The tickets had still not arrived when we were ready to go to Tabago Keys. We sailed around to Friendship Harbor and left the next morning for the Keys at day break. The wind was fresh and the seas lumpy. On clearing the headland, under full sail going downwind, El Gecco got to stretch her legs. In no time we were sitting at 15 knots with the wind just off our port stern. I had to steer and felt uncomfortable as we were over canvassed, but I knew it would ease off once clear of the islands. It was exciting. She tried to surf a few times but the seas were too small. She is a sprinter.
We spent a full day at the Keys averaging almost 13 knots to get there. In the anchorage was a boat from Trinidad that we had seen and we met the couple for tea and pie on El Gecco. They had built there boat in South Africa at Fortuna and it was a nightmare. The yard demanded more money, and threatened to file bankruptcy if they did not step up to the plate. They were late delivering the vessel and the quality of the workmanship was very poor. The could spent 18 months fixing the poor workmanship, sinking their life savings into the boat. Much to the dismay of his wife, they sold their house to build this dream. The boat was 41 foot, two years old and they had spent almost the same as we did on ours, and did not have the quality or standards of El Gecco. It was a sad story. They too were glad to be underway and far from ship yards and the daily chores of vessel preparation.
On return to Bequia my ticket had come. Overnight in the islands is 5 days and my package had gone from Charleston to Ohio, to Florida, to Venezuela, to Trinidad to St. Vincent and finally to me. Geoff and I were flying out the same day from St. Vincent so we sailed over and put Darlene on a mooring in Blue Lagoon where the charter fleets are based.