North from Trinidad
Today is February 18, 2008, we arrived back in Trinidad four months ago today. Time has passed without realization of how quickly. Kyeta has carried us from Trinidad in November to St. Maarten in February with numerous and familiar stops along the way. We continue to meet up with old friends from past years, some we've not seen since our first year out, others since only last spring. It's always such a treat to hear on the VHF radio "Kyeta, Kyeta, this is _______ calling Kyeta" and know that a friend is nearby. We also have met new friends from around the world and a few with ties from Traverse City and Elk Rapids, convincing us once again how small this planet it.
Of the four months we've been back in the Caribbean, family and friends have visited for 43 days. Beginning with Margaret and Priscilla arriving in Trinidad and sailing north with us to the Grenadines; Jeanette landing in Martinique heading north to Guadeloupe; Mike and Corrine (one week) in Antigua and ending with Scott (another week). Each visit a unique experience - from an earthquake in Bequia, to islanding hopping through the French Islands, to a full week of illness/bad weather, to a lost bag that arrived the day before departure, it's all part of the cruising life and we've loved having the company and sharing all this with them.
So, a few highlights of these four months, other than our visitors of course . . .
Trinidad: Duvali - an annual Hindu holiday. 120 cruisers were treated to a Hindu religious ceremony witha visit to a temple for dancing, music, and a short explanation of the celebration, a feast of local food served on banana leaves, at long community tables, and baggies of "sweets" handed out in welcome by the local people gathered in the streets. It is the festival of lights held yearly on the darkest night of the year. In the town, streets and buildings are lit up with thousands of candles and lights. People wander the streets in their finery welcoming all those around. It was a calm, serene, peaceful night.
Great sails coming north. Some good fishing - a 40" mahi for Christmas, a small but nice tuna arriving in St. Maarten and a decent size yellow snapper moving to St. Martin.
Bequia earthquake: 7.4 quake centered deep in the ocean off Martinique but felt up and down the chain. As we head into Bequia the mast begins to "thump" (our mast doesn't do that? but there is a definite rumbling sound, Denny thinks motor shaft but we're not in gear, lasting for 30 seconds or so. Boring Alice (friends in their dinghy) is doing a photo shoot of Kyeta and Silver Seas (our sister ship) and takes a rather large wave over the dinghy bow. Once we anchored and got to shore we discovered what had happened. We think volcanoes and hurricanes in this part of the world but not necessarily earthquakes.
Christmas in Les Saintes: arrived here in time for the Christmas Eve live nativity reenactment by the young children of the island; the streets filled with local families and tourists reminiscing the meaning of Christmas, singing familiar carols in French while we sang along in English. We love this place.
Whale sighting: heading north from Guadeloupe to Antigua on a lumpy, windy sail just after deciding to go on rather than turn back, Denny says "I think I saw a whale or maybe it was just a wave." It was VERY lumpy. I peek out from behind the dodger and am treated to a sight we've not experienced before - a good size whale breeching clear out of the ocean. Less than a minute later another sighting but much closer and coming our way. Yikes!! Then it was gone - incredible, scary and exciting all at the same time.
New Year's Eve in Falmouth/English Harbor Antigua: visited Lord Nelson's Dockyard, a restored historical area where the British fleet were housed during colonial times. Nelson was responsible for the final British victory over the French navy securing British domination in this hemisphere. The reason we speak English rather than French. Dinner on friends' boat, dancing on the docks and fireworks at midnight. Quite the festivities.
We remained in Antigua through January never having visited this island before and we awaited arriving visitors and explored the island leisurely. Although the weather was very windy causing large northern ocean swells thus limiting many of the anchorages we could get to , we toured the island by local bus and rental car, made arrangements to haul Kyeta there this spring, and met up with more and more friends coming and going. Our "visa" and cruising permit ran out so we could either pay $150 or check out of the country, visit another and return later. When we return we'll get to those remote anchorages and the island of Barbuda.
Thus, in early February we opted to sail to St. Barths, a 75 mile trip northwest of Antigua. Expecting a 15 hour trip (5K average) we actually arrived in Gustavia in 11 hours and 22 minutes, averaging 6.6K, a quick sail with reefed main and no jib. Four days in St. Barths and then on to St. Maarten, another quick sail with a small tuna for dinner that night. Weather has been WINDY and squally throughout the area so we remained on the Dutch side of the island until there was a brief lull and then moved to the French side - St. Martin where we'll be before heading back to SABA (maybe), St. Kitts and finally Antigua.
February: Social Security sign-up. Denny turns 62 in April. Could do it over the phone from St. Maarten. Can't believe it!
It has been a good season. We've meet new friends and become reacquainted with old one; said goodbye to friends heading in different directions; had visitors;, caught fish; returned to favorite spots and explored new ones. Kyeta is doing well and we are both happy and healthy. We are thankful for our many blessings and that GW only has a few months left. Anti-American (not the people)/Bush sentiment is strong in the Caribbean and folks don't hold back on expressing them. We welcome the coming change.
