What worked!

[Maryanne]Warning - this post is LONG and really intended for boaters, especially Gemini Owners, others would be completely disinterested - so don't blame me if you keep reading....

Ok - after our post What Failed, and on special request from our good friend PY, I promised to make a more positive post on what worked... So here are all the things we could think of to mention.

We had a lot worse weather and seas than we expected so the boat and us took some pounding (the boat is low and the seas are big, AND we spent some time sailing into the wind). It is easy to miss things that work because they simply didn’t draw attention to themselves by breaking.. but here is my list for what it’s worth:

• Sat phone and data kit, along with the Yotreps position reporting and Sailnet weather /grib subscriptions! This was a HUGE emotional help to us aboard and those on shore following our progress. It never failed us (although sometimes we had to go into the cockpit for a good enough signal).
  
• Harness (built into life jacket) & Jacklines – worked well, we had no problems using them for a many forays to the foredeck and elsewhere.
  
• Foul weather gear. We really didn’t expect to need this for more than a couple of days of the journey but we ended up wearing it much more than that - it did the job (boots, jackets, and trousers, along with fleece hats and socks). I have the ladies trousers and that makes restroom stops a WHOLE lot easier!
  
• Fleece hat with baseball cap style sun visor and fleece ear warmers – I know, I’m a wimp but this makes things so much more bearable when it’s cold and wet out there.
  
• Pocket warmers – we had a stash of these on the boat and Kyle particularly (who had early hours watch appreciated them).
  
• Check lists – preparing the boat before we left was made easier with our check lists
  
• Boat Log – keeping details of position, conditions, etc was made easy (and helped break up the watch) with the log we had prepared and had printed in advance. We also kept a note of failures (and any items we noticed needed addressing at a later date) and have referred back to it often.
  
• Twice daily Rig Checks – we discovered a few missing/deformed / chafed items that we were able to resolve before they became an issue.
  
• Galley sink foot pump (factory option) and Head sink manual pump installed by us - this enabled us to not use the pressure water and keep batteries for more important needs
  
• Small Cooking timer - I use this on my watches to "remind" myself to take a good 360 degree look around - every 5 or 10 minutes. This way I know I won't get too engrossed in my book, or even nod off! Kyle doesn't use it, he's constantly tweaking things.
  
• Radar reflector - We witnessed ships alter course for us, but can’t say if due to lights or a radar detection.
  
• LED nav lights – again saved on battery power. We witnessed ships alter course for us, but can’t say if due to lights or a radar detection. Our tricolor light broke, but we are putting that down to our sail issues, and not blaming the light (for now)
  
• Solar and wind generator – for the most part kept up without our power needs
  
• Headlamp – my favorite and constant companion on night watches. The one I have has red or white light, and a brightness adjuster. I could check sail trim, safely go forward to reef/un-reef the mail, read, or just poke around for a snack all really easily, and without disturbing the sleeping off-watch. Kyle stresses that this would be #1 on his list.
  
• Shelf stowage security. Even though it is a catamaran, the boat still heels, and waves often lurch the boat and convince things to fly off the shelves or tables. We installed lines to keep things in place on the shelving behind the sofas (galley and nav area) and also in the master bedroom (shelving above the “draws”). All this stuff kept in place. Need to consider adding similar protection for the small shelving under the side windows in the galley and the nav area, as these items regularly tumbled.
  
• Pressure cooker: Nice hot food, cooked quickly and safely with no chance of spilling.
  
• Helm Seat. This is an option on the boat and although more of a 1.5 than a double it was nice for the little time we had together each day to be able to hang out on the seat. With the noise of the seas it was otherwise difficult to communicate easily if sitting either side of the cockpit. The helm seat also provides a stable place to grab / lean against in the otherwise large cockpit..
  
• GPS/Chartplotter with pre-input route – we used it constantly. It occasionally hiccupped but we would not be without it. Although it does sometimes make you feel you are playing a computer game and not really sailing in the middle of the ocean!
  
• Autopilot (we only used the wheel autopilot about half the time, but use it and abuse it we did!). Our autopilot and chartplotter are linked and we used the track feature from time to time (although mostly we were on wind or course settings)
  
• Radar (to track occasional storms and other traffic) – we found the rare boats we did see would not engage in any radio communication and it was often hard to visually determine what speed or direction they were doing (big seas!). On the one occasion where we came close, the yawing of our boat again made it difficult to tell if we were on a collision course and which was the best way to steer to avoid the other boat having to worry about us – the radar made that decision clear.
  

Some of you have noted that we didn’t use our enclosure… Hmm. Yes. We really thought the weather would be poor for only a couple of days, and once it was clear it had lasted longer, we still kept thinking “soon!”. The enclosure was buried under things and we kept determining it was not worth the effort to recover and install it. We made a mistake. Also with the enclosure fitted, the access to much of the running rigging is complicated/restricted, and we were uncertain what extra windage the enclosure might add to the boat. Next time we’ll have it installed I think, even if we only expect to need it for a couple of days.


Kind of related was our safety on the boat - here are a few comments on that too..

Safety At Sea

Keeping us aboard

• We installed tread-master for extra grip. In the odd patches where we tended to walk / put our feet, but found no non-skid installed – this makes wondering around on deck a heck of a lot safer.
  
• Tethers, Life jackets with built in harness. Jackline running from each back corner of the boat to the (centered) anchor cleat – and line running high between the inner cockpit roof supports to clip onto. We installed a small pad eye by the door from cabin to cockpit to stow the tether so we can clip in as we leave the cabin.
  
• Love seat. We hardly use this for its intended purpose (no view) but this option is good for keeping us aboard if we have to venture out of the cockpit at the back of the boat.

Other safety (rig) items

• Mainsheet track – line controlled, and adjustable from inside the cockpit (so we don’t have to step out!).
  
• Genoa track – car is line controlled and adjustable from inside the cockpit (so we don’t have to step out).
  
• Preventer Rigged. Since our head is rarely anywhere near the boom – this is primarily a good item to prevent boom/mast damage due to uncontrolled gybe.
  
• Twice daily rig checks – our scheduled time to leave the cockpit – always when we are BOTH up and donned with our safety gear. We often found some worrying lose or missing item, point of chafe etc that we were able to rectify so it would NOT become an issue.
  

Recognized Rig Safety Danger areas!

• Reefing and unreefing the main – as factory setup we have to exit the cockpit, which makes us more likely to delay reefing and to “hope” that increasing winds are just temporary – not good. We kept clipped in and used the jack lines, but would often need to reef / un-reef several times in a watch – and generally we did not disturb the sleeping crew!
  
• Furling lines for genoa and screacher, and screacher track control lines. To get a decent purchase and angle we find ourselves leaning far out of the cockpit (or in my case straddling the combing) to get a decent purchase on these lines – a potential danger point (but always clipped in!).
  
• If the enclosure is on, access to the winches and the furling lines becomes a little more complex - the wall needs to be unzipped and held clear to give access here – not a perfect solution.
  

Communications

• EPIRB – to be activated if needed (luckily not!)
  
• FLOAT PLAN - Before we leave we generate an extensive “float plan” we post this to the web (the URL referenced on our EPIRB registration), and also send copies to our 2 on shore watchers. This includes expected arrival dates, and details about us and the boat. Hopefully never needed, but if it is needed, we think (hope) it is very thorough. (I'm happy to give the URL to any boating friends).
  
• Daily communication underway - Using iridium sat phone, data kit and lap top in our case to send and receive emails. Others may consider SSB rather than the Sat phone (after initial setup costs, it is free communication – unlike the sat phone!). Data speed is limited so we restricted communications to Critical and/or very short emails for the most part (we have a separate email account for this purpose)
  
• Weather updates daily (reports subscribed to before we left using saildocs services)
  
• Daily Grib file forecasts for up to 10 day ahead (again using saildocs services to download the grib file, and purchased OCENS software on PC to view file)
  
• Position reports to Yotreps and family daily
  
• email update to family daily (and occasional Yotreps postcard)
  
• Occasional Blog updates via email too
  

Note Yotreps and saildocs services are free and deserve a huge THANK YOU from us.
Note also – all this warm feeling about the great communications must be tempered with the fact it could all fail so easily. We do have 2 laptops, but only one sat phone and data kit – I can imagine many scenarios where something breaks and that is the end of our communications. We tell our on-shore support that if they don’t hear from us (provided the EPIRB is not activated) then we are most likely fine and not to raise any alarms until we miss our “overdue” date – provided in our float plan.

Cooking

• We didn’t invest in a harness or strap at the cooker – I cook to one side and the galley is really narrow enough to wedge myself in place – even in an unexpected lurch, the narrow galley at least keeps me from flying too far.
  
• I do have a PVC apron which I use when cooking on the stove top “just in case” I drop anything on myself (shame I wasn’t wearing it when eating the hot soup at the table that time!).
  

First Aid Kit
We did a LOT of research over several years into what we might need. This included many web sites, emails and books, and a couple of trips to our amazing Dr to discuss prescription and other medications we might need. We really didn’t need any of it – but we were ready! Kyle and I also studied for became qualified as and practiced as EMTs (true, Kyle's was years ago, but he doesn't forget ANYTHING); this didn't make us paramedics or anything, but certainly gave us the lingo, so if we needed external medical support we could at least communicate and take any required vital signs, etc.

Life Boat & Grab bag
Again, an item we didn’t need – but we put a lot of thought into it. Our dingy is a Portland Pudgy with the lifeboat options. It hangs on the davits (well strapped in) in case of need (there is so little space on the Gemini to place a traditional life raft AND we felt a life raft that we could practice with would be better than a mystery white box on deck). Before stowing the dinghy it was loaded with water and provisions, along with a host of safety gear. The Grab bag would complement that. Again a lot of research went into the grab bag contents. Actually we didn’t do a very good job of having the grab bag to hand and at the ready – we need to do better here.

Other safety odds and ends

• I can't stress it enough - A HEADLAMP was really useful in all kinds of sail changes and trim, and to navigate my way to the mast or the foredeck at night – while keeping my hands free for more critical jobs (like holding on!). It also makes it easy to read, check charts, or search for tools or snacks on the night watch without disturbing the sleeping off watch
  
• Tool and spares Aplenty
  

Return to the Rigging

[Maryanne]We had to return to Angigua to prepare for Kyle's return to the real world of work. When we arrived we were able to download a week's worth of emails, and noted that the local rigger we have been talking with was keen to see the damage first hand and inspect the forestay, which they were concerned would also be damaged and need replacing. However, we have got into a very lazy daily routine, and only really managed to surface for our respective coffee and tea by 9am. Suddenly, we had to have the boat elsewhere by 9:30am. Wow. I'd forgotten we could move so fast.

The rigger managed to climb the rigging, and actually reassured us. Despite finding a couple of extra (previously unknown, but minor issues), many of the known issues were not as dramatic as they could have been; YES they need fixing, and DEFINITELY before any heavy, long distance sailing, but they would last until we haul the boat and un-step the mast in the Spring. The only critical repair was to replace the upper toggle (very deformed), and that can be done by the local rigger without even unstepping the mast (maybe a 15 minute job - certainly no more than an hour!).

The rest of the day was spent getting cash, organizing flights for Kyle and a cab ride to the airport. Once Kyle heads off to work, I'll be back to chore mode and fix all the smaller issues from our trip - but I do hope to make a few more breaks as a tourist and I'll certainly post anything interesting.

We did decide to try Caribbean Taste, a "local" Restaurant (one that seems to be owned by locals and not some ex-pat) that is tucked behind the main street. We passed it several times but always just after we'd eaten, or when it was closed - today we made an effort to go there. It turns out we are not the first: Rachael Ray, in 2005 visited and was impressed with the Conch Salad. Kyle had a Vegetable Roti (a kind of curry burrito) and I had Fish with Fungi (pronounced Foon-Jee, basically a cornmeal dumpling) with a curried tomato sauce and veggies.

There are still a few local dishes we need to try, but most of all I'm looking out for the famed black pineapple, smaller and sweeter than the more common yellow pineapple; I'm hoping to get to the food market in St Johns and try a number of new food experiences! Unfortunately recent heavy rains have washed out most of the crops so many things are hard to find this season - I'll have to see what I can get.

Final Day in Barbuda.. Very wet

Kyle got close up to a ray... Too close for my liking
[Kyle]We decided for our last full day in Barbuda to spend it snorkeling the many reefs surrounding our anchorage (which we still had all to ourselves). We loaded up the dinghy with supplies and provisions, and spent the day anchoring near various reefs using the dinghy as a base camp to explore all the adjacent reefs, move on and repeat!

We spent a whole day doing this. Further out from the beach, but still behind the protection of the main reef system we were able to find several large, diverse colorful reefs, filled with many different corals (soft, hard, fan, etc) and LOTS of multi-colored fishes darting in and out. Highlights were 2 large sting rays; and a family of 8 spiny lobster defending their small overhang, and looking as scary as they could muster (Unfortunately the camera batteries had died by the time we got there, and luckily these lobsters have no claws so it was as much amusing as threatening - they deter most predators by making a noise with their legs!).

Coral reefs are such endlessly fascinating places, with a seemingly unlimited number of nooks and crannies to peer into. The more you look, the more you see colorful creatures of all types in places you had first assumed were empty. It's easy to spend hours examining a small patch and observing the lives led below.

We returned to Footprint to get the boat ready for the return trip to Antigua, but even then I could not resist swimming back out to a couple of our local reefs for one last look, finally being forced home by darkness. What a beautiful place Barbuda is!

The next day we arose early to exit at first decent light; Maryanne piloting us out through the reefs. Once we got into open ocean, we had a nice fast reach back to the relative hustle and bustle of Antigua and English Harbour.

Barbuda Tour Day

[Kyle]George (our Barbuda Guide) had apparently been under the impression that we had a fast dingy with a motor when he told us where to meet him the next day. Since we were rowing, we just took it to the same spot as the previous day and walked the 2 miles down the beach to the designated rendezvous point. We arrived in plenty of time and decided that rather than just hang around, we'd start the walk towards George's house. The agreed time came and went and a few miles later we were still walking (our guide books had warned us that often tours and taxis in Barbuda fail to turn up!). Just as we were starting to think we'd have to walk all the way to his house, he and his car finally came into view. Fortunately he had a cooler full of cold drinks in the back of his truck.

We then got George's version of the Cosmo Kramer reality tour, before he finally summarily deposited us at the boat dock on the west side of town. We boarded the boat and sped off across the lagoon to the Frigate Bird nesting colony on the NW end of the Island. It was not until we actually arrived and the engines were shut off that our boat guide spoke to us and formal introductions were made. Eventually, Clarance turned out to be a very friendly guy. He knew a lot about the birds and let us spend plenty of time just watching and enjoying them.

Frigate Birds (also known as Man-of-War birds, Weather birds and a host of other local names) have the distinction of being the birds with the highest wing area to body weight ratio. This makes them extremely maneuverable, agile fliers. Unlike seabirds, they don't float and can't get their wings wet, so they tend to feed themselves by harassing other birds to drop their catches. We were fortunate in that our visit coincided with mating season, with all the males clucking and showing off their big red throat sacks any time any white breasted female flew overhead. For those that had found a female, there was action to be seen, watching them steal the best nesting materials (in flight to the nest in progress) from each other. We observed the colony for an hour or so, and then made our way back to town to meet up with George for the remainder of his tour.

George is a quiet man, and seemed to think of himself more as taxi driver than tour guide (despite being the local council tourist representative). Maryanne wasn't going to let him get away with that and peppered him with questions during the whole drive - we were going to get our money out of this guy (nearly $200 US). The island was once owned and managed by the Codrington family - the patriarch of which was Governor of the Leeward Islands for a time. The Codringtons had an estate (read: slave colony) on the Island and used it for hunting. We visited the ruins of Codrington Manor, built on the highlands of the island; overgrown with the outlines of stone buildings to see. The best part of this site was the view and the remains of possible gardens. The highlands of Barbuda are a small plateau/spine, 125' above sea level (the rest of the island is VERY low and flat).



For our next and last stop we went to the caves at Two Foot Bay. (On the east of the Island). Legend has it that the bay was named from the story of an escaping slave who put his shoes on backwards, leaving prints in the sand to distract/confuse his pursuers. The highlight of the bay is the beautiful beach and the caves in the highland cliffs that run alongside. We were able to enter one cave at beach level and climb through up to the highland plateau for spectacular views of the white sand beach below and the eastern coastline. Along the length the highlands, rock had tumbled down from cliff and overhangs, leaving giant boulders at the base which have long since covered with greenery. This was a stark backdrop to the smooth sandy beaches alongside. George dropped us off at this site, with a pickup time 90 minutes later. We hadn't known what to expect but 90 minutes was very rushed; I was constantly getting rushed along by Maryanne, who was more mindful of the time. [Maryanne]Kyle was in kid heaven among the cliffs and caves, every time I managed to get him to agree to turn around for our return, he would sneak off for "one more picture", "just the next point", or some such thing. He really enjoyed the place and it was fun (if a little frustrating) to let him have his way.

[Kyle]George, being done with the tour, and to deter any more of Maryanne's questions, simply turned on his car radio (very loud), and returned us to our rendezvous point (while completing a few personal errands en route!).

Mad Sea Dogs and English Woman

[Kyle]Our original "plan" once arriving in Barbuda was to take a tour of the Island given by one of the locals to the various "must sees" of the island. We tried contact via VHF and even satellite phone, but were unable to make contact. Maryanne (not me, Maryanne), looked at the map and, apparently not realizing that it was a scaled representation of the whole island, came up with the idea to WALK to Codrington (the only town on the island), a distance of about 8 miles the short way, but when I measured it out, 14 miles the long scenic way that she had chosen. The scenic route would allow us to see many of the sights on our own (no need for a full day tour, just a cab ride back).

Armed with an entire survival kit (food, drinks, GPS, VHF radio, map, etc) we rode the dingy to the beach. Ahh the beach! The sand here is pink, actually it is white sand with little flecks of red sand, making it look pink, AND it is as soft as talcum powder. We had the whole thing to ourselves. BUT we had to get going. We headed for the "road" which the chart actually calls "a road of sorts", and set off across the uninhabited eastern side of the Island. Of course we didn't leave until mid-day (just to make it more of an adventure, with the hot sun broiling us). It is difficult to appreciate by looking at the map just how remote and uninhabited the island is. There was NOTHING out there. That "road" was a rock and dirt track that would be suicidal to drive on at more than 5mph. On each side were low shrubs (no good for shade).

After several miles our road petered out, so we went overland to the beach and followed it north. There was another completely deserted pink beach that went on for miles and miles, lapped by turquoise blue water. After a couple of miles of this, we were tired of walking either on a slope or on very soft sand, so we managed to bush-whack our way through what must have been a goat trail to a "road" which was at least easier going. We walked and walked and even though we were well hydrated and fed, the rough terrain was starting to wear us out. The road was supposed to end in a couple of miles and we would need to traverse 4 miles of beach before the next road. As we came to the end, we arrived at Castle Hill. Because of the way the road runs, this is the most remote place on the island, furthest from Codrington. We were pleased to see a couple of locals also enjoying the area. We talked for a bit, and they directed us to a path to climb Castle hill (a small cliff), where we had expansive views of almost the entire island, including the place we were initially headed for - looking very far away. Back at the base of the cliff, Maryanne managed to negotiate a ride into Codrington in the back seat of their truck.

On the ride to Codrington we discovered our ride was the daughter of the guide we had been trying to reach the previous day; what a lucky break. They drove us to the guide (George's) house where he seemed surprised to have new business, but he found us some local food, acted as our return cab to the boat, and promised us a tour of the remainder of the island sights the following day. George was more taciturn than we would have expected a tour guide to be, and it took us nearly the entire ride back to the boat to extract a price from him. He wanted us to to move the boat to the other side of the island to make it easier on his truck to collect us the following day; Kyle wasn't having any of it, and he seemed pretty anxious not to drive on these remote roads again (they would shake any vehicle to death in short order). Eventually we compromised - We didn't move the boat, but just walked to the agreed rendezvous.

We cooled down with some more snorkeling of the adjacent reefs and retired early ready for a long day ahead of us.

[Maryanne]Kyle's title comes from the song "Mad dogs and English men, out in the mid day sun". However we only got such a late start since Kyle wouldn't budge in the morning! AND my epic walk was really only a plan to walk until we could get a decent VHF signal... But OK, let Kyle have his fun.

Barbuda..ahhhh

[Maryanne]Antigua and Barbuda were lumped together on independence from Britain. Just 30 miles of ocean separate them, but they are worlds apart. From the little I had read of Barbuda, I really wanted to go.. I used my wifely charm to finally convince Kyle to take us there. It was certainly worth it.

Of course, I had never heard of Barbuda a few months ago, now I am becoming an expert on Caribbean geography. Barbuda is NOT Bermuda (of the triangle fame) and nor is it Barbados (much further to the South East) - although all were (once, or still are) British colonies.

[Kyle]Almost everything we had read about Barbuda said things like "the last unspoiled Island in the Caribbean", or "real desert island". Only half the size of Antigua, but with just 2% of the population, there is reportedly vast areas of the island to explore that remain wilderness. It's 1400 residents have so far managed to avoid the enticements of developers, and the island remains simple, communal (no land ownership) and independent minded, even though it is tied with Antigua.

We got up very early, left Indian Creek in the dark (nerve racking, and thankful for our radar and previous plot of our route in) and immediately turned into the teeth of both the trade winds and the equatorial current - which made for a rather unpleasant three hours trying to get around the East side of Antigua (while trying to be gentle on our rig). Once we were clear of Antigua, we made good time the rest of the way to Barbuda. Unlike mountainous (well, hilly) Antigua, which can be seen from many (up to 50) miles away, Barbuda is low and flat country (125') - only becoming visible about 5 miles out. The entire island of Barbuda is surrounded by coral reefs, and every guidebook we had admonished against approaching the island in the dark or in poor lighting (now you realize why we left so early) - we wanted to enter the coral studded anchorage with the sun behind us and in good visibility. With Maryanne up on the bow she guided us through the passes and around the coral heads into 4.5' of water over white sand.

We found a spot as close to the beach as we dared (so the dingy row would be short), and marveled at our location - again we were the only boat anchored in sight, on the south of the island, protected by the reefs with a nice breeze (no bugs, plenty of electricity). The most AMAZING thing was the water; it really is the colour portrayed in the magazines - like the sky turned upside down, the boat floating above it just 5' (or so) above the surface. We could see our anchor chain stretching away from the bow and disappearing into the sand ahead of us. The water just screamed "Jump in!" and with much haste we broke out the snorkel gear and swam to the nearby coral patch to explore. We were told later that tropical storms had destroyed much of the reef - this was evident in the many large broken corals covered with sand, but even so, the sea life was much more varied and interesting than it had been at Indian Creek. We spent the rest of the day hovering over schools of angel fish, watching timid parrot fish guarding their caves; puffer and box fish; and so many more. The whole thing was fascinating to float over and watch. Eventually the sun moved low in the sky and we returned to Footprint, where we realized we hadn't eaten since breakfast! That was soon rectified!

The night was magnificent. There were no lights ashore and the only signs of human habitation apart from the distant glow of Antigua was a lonely street lamp about 5 miles away. The stars were brilliant, there was a nice bug free breeze to keep us cool (and batteries charged) and in the background, the soothing sound of the surf.

Indian Creek - 19 Nov

[Kyle]Since someone can only be expected to live in one place for so long, and since we'd already been in English Harbour for a week, we decided a little change in scenery was in order. Our first stop (2 nights and one full day) was a little harbour about 2 miles east: Indian Creek.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of English Harbour, Indian Creek (apart from us, and the goats on the surrounding hills) was completely deserted; we had the whole anchorage to ourselves. Like English Harbour it is surrounded on all sides by high, green hills. It was reported to be very tricky and difficult to get into and shallow once inside, so we felt our way in carefully and were rewarded with all the solitude you could need.

We arrived late afternoon (after numerous errands in English Harbour), and the first evening we were able to lay on deck and enjoy the stars for at least half an hour before we retired with exhaustion (mostly we sleep when it's dark). The next day, fully rested, we cracked open my new snorkel gear for the first time and took the dingy to one of the reefs by the entrance where we spent a few hours simply enjoying the different corals and fish. This was the first time we had used the Portland Pudgy as a snorkel platform, which worked well, although we were not graceful when climbing back in and I have a few new scars to prove it. After snorkeling we took the dingy high into the creek, into the mangroves, out of sight of Footprint. It was beautiful, but as soon as we were out of the sunlight and in the shade we were besieged by "teefs" (Flying teeth, or no-see-ums, or sand flies!); the discomfort was immediate and unbearable, so we found ourselves performing an emergency evacuation back into the sunlight. Lesson learned! Shade BAD!

Low Mileage, One Previous Owner

[Kyle]What do you do if you are in Antigua, and too cheap to rent a car, or even a scooter; Go to Grab an Ass! where "Our Assess have been thoroughly checked over by certified Ass-nitions".

Seriously, we didn't have much of an interesting day. We trudged miles in the hot sun with various minor chores. We went to a local rigger, only to be told that the items we ordered last week, were not actually ordered yet, they weren't sure if the part numbers that we double and triple checked on ordering were correct - did we still want to place the order? We purchased new dinghy oars (for 4x the quoted price), and returned to the rigging place to be told the guy we need to deal with is out for the day, Propane fills were delayed a day,etc, etc, etc. We are certainly (forced to be) on Island time; all part of the experience.

On our long trudge back to English Harbour we spotted this poor animal being harassed by an over energetic little dog who had chased her into the street. Maryanne, being the good samaritan that she is, dove into traffic, picked up the line that was trailing behind, and led the donkey to safety. We continued our walk with the poor animal in tow, trying to establish where she had come from. After repeated blanks we found a guy who seemed to know where the donkey belonged and directed us to the appropriate gate, from which we assume she was able to wander her way back home. Fortunately, she was very tame and had a sweet disposition. She seemed happy enough to follow Maryanne wherever she was led. Luckily there was no stubborn ass scene in the middle of the local road and traffic.

[Maryanne]This was such a cute donkey, she really did seem pleased to be rescued from the dog, and in human hands. It was a nice sidebar to our otherwise dull day. We thought of a number of headlines for the picture, perhaps you can think of others.
My number 1 choice was Does my ass look big in this?


[Kyle]As for the legs, they are mine, covered with mosquito bites. They mosquitoes here don't actually seem so bad, we don't feel swarmed by them, etc. But they do come out at night when we are trying to sleep. The problem is that it is too hot to sleep with the hatches closed, or even with a sheet on. Unprotected, you get mauled. We usually try to stay protected by keeping a sheet up to our chins, but every couple of hours it gets unbearably hot and you have to throw the sheet off until shortly thereafter you hear the buzz of the mosquitoes about you. They know that you know, you know!

[Maryanne]Now! First of all we have a ton of bug spray, and citronella candles, but Kyle either thinks he does not need these, or is being environmentally safe and doesn't want to use such chemicals (I have no qualms). We also have mosquito netting / covers for the boat and the hatches - but for the last week, we have had constant short rain showers, and the hatches can't be opened and closed if the bug screen is on (poor design!). So we need to invest in a mosquito net for the bed, AND I need to design and make rain/bug covers for the hatches so we can leave the hatches open in the rain and still be protected.

Oh joys, more jobs!

Shirley Heights - Take 2

[Maryanne]We loafed around most of the morning. We were intending to collect our new oars later in the day. Much of the communication on the island is done by VHF rather than phone, so we were able to contact our supplier who told us the oars were in, but he was out for the afternoon; advising us to come tomorrow. No problem!

So we decided instead to try a new trail, that Kyle had noticed on his "Swallow's and Amazon's" dinghy trip the other day.

As Kyle and I have discovered trails in the area, we have followed them. For the most part they seem to be (so far) managed by the an informal club known as Royal Navy Tot Club. We have taken to calling them the "Dot Club" as we follow the white painted dots, for which we have been very grateful many times. The trails pass through various National Parks, and some are quite hard going. After taking a 1/2 mile trail from Freeman Bay to Shirley Heights, gaining 148m (485') to reach the top, we had assumed the 1.5 mile trail with the same start and end would be a more leisurely, and gentle climb. WRONG! this just looped further around the cliffs, took us up AND down, passed some spectacular rock ledge formations scrambling in places like goats, slipping around WAY too close to sheer drops, while all the time avoiding the prickly cacti and other plants. We deserved a drink when we arrived at the top.

This time we had Shirley Heights to ourselves, and it had such a different feel to it; we were able to take some time to admire the scenery, and reflect on our hard earned elevation. Finally the weather was clear enough that for the first time we could see Guadeloupe in the distance. We took the 1/2 mile trail back down, one that we had previously considered steep was now an easy walk! (Or maybe we are simply getting our land legs back?).

We finished the day with a drink at the Galleon bar, and a swim in Freeman Bay to cool down and refresh us.

Shirley Heights

[Kyle]For today’s excursion, Maryanne and I slept in a bit so that we would be able to stay up late partying at what is pretty much billed as THE thing to do on the Southern end of the island: Sunday night at Shirley Heights.
Shirley Heights is on a high hill just to the East of English Harbour. During the British Navy’s occupation of English Harbour, it was used as a strategic lookout and gun location opposite the harbor entrance from Fort Berkeley, much lower down. Now it is occupied by the ruins of those structures plus some covered picnic tables, a bar and a big patio used as a barbecue area, all with sweeping views of pretty much the entire country.

We (That’s the Royal ‘we’) rowed to the dinghy dock on Galleon Beach at Freeman Bay (The Cheap Bastards Guide to Antigua that lives in my head and has yet to be written says it’s a good way to avoid the $5 cab ride). We climbed the steep ½ mile trail from the beach to Shirley Heights, occasionally popping out of the dense forest for an ever expanding view of the local area.

Antigua has very strange forests. They are very green and the undergrowth is very thick, which is to be expected in a tropical rainforest, but almost all the flora is of the dry climate variety. It looks as if someone took all of the plants from a square mile of Arizona desert and replanted them on an acre. Since there’s so much moisture, these plants are all huge, particularly the Aloe Vera and many of them are hosts to various giant bromeliads (air plants). It’s a bit schizophrenic but very pretty.

Anyway, the appeal of Shirley Heights on Sunday (and to a lesser degree, Thursday as well) is that they have live music.

We arrived via the footpath just as AMP Halcyon, who aptly call themselves a steel orchestra, were starting to play. They have two or three members playing traditional western instruments but the bulk of the large group were each playing huge sets of steel drums.

Since things were obviously not yet in full swing and we weren’t hungry yet, Maryanne and I went for a walk around the ruins and along the cliffs to take some pictures.

By the time we returned about thirty minutes later, the parking lot was filling up fast with mini buses. The main area was shoulder to shoulder with tourists shouting loudly at one another to be heard over each other and the music. It reminded me if an over crowded bar on a Saturday night. There was virtually no hope of getting to the edge for a view. It seemed that every tourist on the island was here. We bought some food and managed to wedge ourselves onto a corner of one of the tables long enough to eat it but by the time we were through, the place had become even more crowded. We decided we couldn’t take it any more and headed back down the footpath, rushing to get to the bottom before it got too dark to see (our original plan was to get a cab back). There was a nice open air bar on the beach that had maybe half a dozen people enjoying the view. The acoustics of the Harbour are such that we could still hear the music well and we had a nice relaxing drink with some very nice cruisers who gave us some good tips on how to avoid ‘tourist prices’.

On the way back in the dinghy, we stopped on the other side of the harbor at Nelson’s to dump our trash and have another drink at the Galley Bar – the place that served us that horrible food the first day. We figured that if we didn’t eat and stuck to rum, it would be okay. It was such a beautiful warm evening. The Dockyard was deserted except for a nice cruising couple and a couple of locals having a drink at the bar, one of them varnishing one end of the bar.

Oh, what fun we had! The poor guy doing the varnish, a rasta man called Flute, had all of us sailors standing over him watching him varnish while interjecting our own varnishing experience. We all agreed that he did a very nice job. “The trick,” He said in a thick West Indian accent, “is five rum punch, maybe ten rum punch!” (are you listening, JD?) It broke the ice, though and after the other cruisers left, we had a good time talking to the Antiguans about pretty much everything. We finally felt like we had started experiencing the culture and the people we had come so far to see and feel like we have made some new friends. One of the things we were proud to learn was that on November 5th, the Antiguan government renamed Boggy Peak, the highest point in the country, Obama Peak.

After staying up as late as we could, we headed back to Footprint feeling good. We were almost the last out of the bar. Just as I was falling asleep, I looked at my watch. Only 8:30!! Man, are we a couple of geezers.

You Drop Someting?

[Kyle] Having had a day of brisk tourism, we set out to find a place to buy a sim card for our phone (not open weekends) and orient ourselves further. We walked the half mile to Falmouth Harbor to the main shopping area and were amazed to find real stores with actual stuff. The grocery store was well stocked and reasonably priced, as was a bookstore upstairs. There were a couple of cafes with tables spilling out on the deck full of people on laptops having conversations with each other. We bought a couple of delicious Rotis (a nice portable Indian dish) from a woman selling them out of a basket in front of the store for something like four bucks each. Walking back, we were trying to be inconspicuous while perusing the drink menu through a window of a local bar when we were spotted by Zola, The Jamaican barmaid who insisted that we come in, sweeping us in her arms like old friends. Contrary to what Maryanne has been saying, I had not managed to have any actual rum since we've been here. I almost did yesterday. When we sat at what turned out to be an unacceptably snooty restaurant (well, now we know), Maryanne ordered a rum and a beer and then handed me the beer! Back to today. It turns out that rum here is cheaper than beer and I finally got to try a couple of different things for practically nuttin'. Now that's more like it! We had a couple of games of fooseball (bar football) and pool and returned to English Harbour in good cheer. We had a nice amble around the museum and grounds right after the cruise ship people left on their buses.

Shops were all starting to close and the place was shutting down, but it was still early, so I set up the sailing rig on the dinghy and thought we'd go sailing around the harbor. Maryanne said she was tired and didn't want to risk too much sun, so I dropped her off at the boat for a nap and went a-dinghyin'.

Since the harbor is so well protected from the tradewinds by the high hills, the winds at water level are very swirly and with all of the moored boats, it makes for some very challenging dinghy sailing that was a lot of fun. I eventually made my way into Freeman Bay just inside the entrance to English Harbour and landed on a nice, white beach shaded by palms under lush, green hills for a walk around and to take some pictures.

I had been tacking back and forth in the shifting winds for the better part of an hour trying to make it past the boats to the beach, which was directly upwind. I would think I was going to clear a boat, and then the wind would shift and I'd have to tack. Then it would die and shift again so I would have to tack back. It was a real struggle to get to that beach. Meanwhile, I was providing the entertainment for the people on the boats and the few on the beach. Often, I would spend several minutes and several attempts getting past a boat. My hands were full, with one on the tiller and the other on the mainsheet but every time I got within hailing distance, I would make a point of giving a nod and saying hello or good afternoon. In every instance except one, this was met with a cold, blank, Deliverance-like stare from the occupants. Up until now, the sight of someone sailing around the harbor in a distinctive orange dinghy with a distinctive orange sail tended to bring people out to their rails to ask what kind of boat it is or say that it looked like a lot of fun or just to say hi. Here - nuttin', just the stare.

I landed on the beach and walked to the other end towards a trail leading into the trees. On the way, I passed a few of the tourists who had been watching me. As I went by, I would smile and say hello. One woman completely ignored me and went about composing a text message. A couple at the far end, who had been watching me with great interest half an hour before, returned my hello by silently turning over onto their fronts to tan the other half.

I scrambled through the forest to another small beach. There were two guys launching a dinghy into the surf who gave me a brief glance of recognition. I waved and said hello. They climbed into their dinghy and sped off without any further acknowledgement of my presence. I was starting to feel like a cop in a land of fugitives.

Still, I don't get it. After Maryanne and I arrived, I was so glad to finally be in this beautiful place that I wanted to go around saying hi to everybody. Even considering that the land tourists came by a short plane ride and that most of the boats probably made much shorter sails from a nearby island, the beauty of the place seems incongruous with such anti-social behavior. I get up in the morning and breathe in the unpolluted air and look at the lush, green hills and think "Aaahhh! This is nice." I want to smile and wave at everybody.

I suppose this could be a cultural misunderstanding. Most of the boats here have British ex-pats on them or other Europeans to whom I may seem much too forward as the American going around saying 'hi'. But the British I know in Britain are some of the loveliest, most polite people I have ever met (I even married one of them).

Maryanne said the locals here are indifferent. I disagree. All of our guidebooks say that West Indians don't smile out of politeness or courtesy, only if something is funny. I get a feeling that there is a long-standing tradition, sad as it may be, not to bother tourists unless they address you first or to engage in frivolous conversation. Nevertheless, almost every time we have come within earshot of West Indians, they will say good morning, good afternoon or hello. The etiquette around here is that you don't go into a store and just start ordering things without first exchanging pleasantries or thanking and wishing a good day on the way out.

Perhaps most of the boaters have been here so long that they all know each other and thus know that we're new. Rather than welcoming us as fellow travellers, they have been here long enough to feel like a tribe that is threatened by newcomers, so we get treated like the new kid in class. Whatever. They're jerks. [Maryanne] One guy so far, John, on a large motor yacht, has been helpful - for John we are grateful!

[Kyle] So... Maryanne and I, in a unilateral attempt to change the status quo, have decided to start saying a friendly 'hello' to everyone we meet (wear them down!), as is West Indian custom.

Which brings us back to the title of today's rant. "You drop someting?" is an Antiguan saying that translates to "Excuse me, you seem to have forgotten to say hello." I think it's derived from the 'ting' you dropped being your manners.

Anyway, enjoy some nice pictures from my excursion.

Pictures from Galleon Beach - English Harbour Eastern Shore (Antigua)

Itchy Feet in Antigua

[Maryanne]Today, Kyle and I managed to be tourists in English Harbour, Antigua. English Harbour is a very small hamlet, and is the historic location of an early (18th century) port for the British Navy. Many of the early buildings still exist, and are restored and in regular use. There is also an original fort (Fort Berkeley), and several buildings on the hills surrounding English Harbour and the neighboring Falmouth Harbour.

We took the trails from town to Fort Berkeley, and then along the coast towards Falmouth Harbour. The trails involved plenty of elevation changes, and so lots of great views. Kyle and I got a good dose of exercise after so much time stuck on the boat. Once back in English Harbour, we sampled a few more rums, and finally managed an almost rain free day! (We also picked up our fixed Genoa and installed that back on the boat!)

The day was great, and the trails we took were reasonable (but not suitable for flip flops). The coastline trail was well marked with white paint dots every once in a while (although it certainly seemed longer than the 1 miles advertised). We met plenty of wild goats, but no other tourists on the trail! The plant life was a wonderful mix, and there were plenty of small lizards rustling out of our path as we tramped through the trail. We spent some time at a beautiful Pigeon Beach (took a dip to cool down), and had great views of English Harbor and Falmouth Harbour from the higher peaks.

For the journey, we packed a small picnic and supplemented that with pasties and turnovers from the local baker - we'll definitely be back to sample more of their wares.

A great day, well apart from Kyle's conflict with a fire ant compound - he still has itchy feet this evening!