Tag Archives: Windward Islands

Granada

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We sailed to Carriacou 29/1-16 after clearing out with customs in the village and immigration at the airport because we were sailing to another country, Grenada and Carriacou. We dropet anchor in Tyrrel Bay. There were several Danish sailing boats in the beautiful bay and soon we had visits from to of them, Karen and Niels from the Danish catamaran Mevoy (ARK+) and Hella and Flemming that stayed semi permanent here with there boat. Here we enjoyed eating at local restaurants like “Lucky”, tasty and law priced chicken every day except Saturday when she had grilled pork, (12 EC$ = 30DKK) with the other Danes.

Granada Prickley Bay for anchor. A Budget Marina close by but a long walk to food store. The famous Danish ketch sailing-boat “Nordkaperen”, owned by the explorer and author Truels Kløvedal came in 2/2 with 10 young sailor on-board heading for Asia. We were invited on-board the next day and it was amazing to see how much nice work they did on-board.

The 4/2 we sailed to Grand Anse St George Granada and dropped the anchor. The second night, due to stronger wind, the anchor did not hold. After to tough nights we sailed in to The Granada Yacht Club. Lars bought a Manson anchor, mounted it and sold the old CQR by announcing on cruisers net. We staid one more night at the harbour and took to the celebration of independence at the big sport arena. It was a very colorful event with lots of people dressed in the national colors yellow tomato red and green. Next morning we sailed out in the bay and dropped the new anchor. It hold amazingly good, so we got a nice night of sleep before the long leg to Bonaire, the next day. First, though, we had to say goodbye to our newly gotten friends, Karen and Niels, with a sun downer on Alexandra. We wish them good winds on there way back to Denmark!

Tobago Cay and Union Island

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At Union, the 27/1, the day after Henriks departure we were advised, by Tiger the owner of the mooring boy (60 EC$=150DKK / night), to move to another boy closer to the reef. We did so and got a fantastic view over the kite surfers playground and there were lesser swells.

Going south again

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Cruising in the Caribien with the family

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Finally Alexandra, with the whole close family on board, left Rodney Bay for a sailing-trip to St Vincent and the Grenadines the 20 of December. First we stopped at Soufriere with the spectacular mountains Petit Piton 2460 and Gross Piton 2619. (3h38min,17.05NM, SOG avg. 4.64 max 6,75 kts, TWS avg.11.33 max22.20).

The next day21/12 we were of to St Vincent island and Wallilabou anchorage bay. (6h15min, 38,71NM, SOG avg4,29 max8,74 TWS avg9,82 ax29,50kts) Here you have to drop your anchor and also give a line to a local who then tog it to a tree or a rest of a bridge or anything on land. They want to have money for that job. They also live big on that the picture Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed here and have a little museum. We had an excellent dinner at the pink house by the dingy dock. Fish for the day was tuna.

The 27 of December we left Admiralty Bay and sailed south to the island Mystique, famous for its many star inhabitants. (2h41min, wind from SE, 12.47NM, SOG: avg. 3.77, max 6.26, TWS: avg.12.95kts, max 24.10kts). Here you had to pay a mooring fee for three nights EC$200 (500kr) even if we only stayed for two nights. The island is private owned and many rich and famous people, like Mick Jagger and Bruce Willis, own houses here. We got to see the estates on a taxi tour (not aloud to walk around freely on the island because privacy for the inhabitants are strongly cherished).

The 29 of December we sat a northerly course to Kingstown on the Island of St Vincent to clear out with customs and immigration. Because of big swells in the harbour we sailed around the corner to Buccament Bay and dropped the anchor. Lars and Maria took a taxi driven by Elvis who guided us around in Kingstown. After touring around the city visiting a closed immigration office because of demonstration, police station and customs that did not want to do there job, Elvis had to drive us to the airport and there order us to patiently wait in the car for our turn to clear out of St Vincent and the Grenadines for this time for a double price because of the late hour. It was a costly tour but interesting and a stop by the supermarket on the way back made it better. In the meantime there had been swimming in the bay and located a cave with a bat colony while we had bin away.

Next day (30/12) we all wake up with mosquito bite and unfortunately worst of was our beautiful little grandson. Now we had to hurry up to get to the popular Marigot Bay on St Lucia, our New Year place. (? NM SOG avg. max TWS avg. max).

We were lucky to get one of the last moorings in the beautiful bay. SY Bellafonte from Canada did not get a mooring the next day and had to go back to Rodney Bay and another ARC boat from GB had to drop the anchor further out.

New Year dinner were reserved at the cosiest restaurant and it was a good choice. We had a wonderful three course dinner after champagne on Alexandra, without the Queen Margretes speech despite many trials. Lars and I was even up dancing for a while. At 12:00 we were back on Alexandra and had a celebration of the knew year with a nice cava thank´s to Jørn and Sus. That was the last bottle with pearls for celebration. Thank you all for them.

We sailed up to Rodney Bay and anchored and the next day continued north to Fort de France Martinique to clear in and provisioning. Fort de France have a nice anchorage. Every morning the bay is filled up with local swimmers that sad bonjoure when they past by Alexandra.

Kristoffer had to fly home early 5/1-16 so we sailed to a bay close to the airport and from there we could get to the airport, by foot by walking threw the mangrove, very early in the morning. Thanks for the tip to the friendly Norwegian sailor in Las Palmas de Grand Canaria! We met a lot of joggers and bikers, in the early morning getting there exercise while it was not to hot.

Christmas in Bequia

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On the 22 December we had a leg to the island Bequia and Admiralty Bay were we intended to stay over Christmas and we did stay there until the 27 of December. (apr. 3h, 14.9NM, SOG: avg. 4.78 and max 7.70, TWS 16.16 max 28.90 kts). We got a mooring and started to prepare for Christmas. My parents Christmas tree were folded out and Anne-Marie´s “kravlenisser” placed there and my mother in law’s hand-kraft were hanged up. The Christmas huts brought by Frederik and Jeanne were hanged up so we had a touch of Christmas aboard Alexandra. We had “risengrød” (rice porridge with cinnamon and sugar) made from long corned rice for 23/12 dinner, and that was fine. The porridge could be used for “risalamande” dessert on Christmas eve with chopped almonds, vanilla/sugar and “kirsebærssås” (cherry sous) from home but without crème that obviously is hard to get here. It tasted good. I have not seen whipping crème here yet. We had tasty chicken, marinated by Jeanne and grilled on the gas-grill on aft deck, for dinner. We were invited to have dinner with the other Danish people in Bequia but we wanted to be by our self on that evening. It was a very special Christmas having our first lovely grandchild with us.

At Christmas day we ordered a water taxi to transport us all to land and have a nice dinner at the hotel. When we should go back to Alexandra there were water taxi available but luckily a Norwegian sailor herd our pledge on channel 68 and came and fetched us. He sailed twice because we were so many. Lots of thanks to him!

Next day we all took a walk to beautiful Friendship bay where I and my two sons bathed in high waves. Beautiful resort were here but a little simpler living for the locals. I was bit by a dog on our way back to Admiralty bay but remembering that I have a fresh tetanus booster took the worries away. Bathing from the little beach in Admiralty Bay was good for rinsing the wound and little Oskar could come into the water testing the knew bathing ring.

The rest of the family arives

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We sailed back to St Lucia and Rodney Bay and the D pontoon, were we had a reservation. On the 18 of December al precipitant in the ARC and family were transported by mini buses to a sport arena for the price giving party. It was very hot there but the rum-punch helped. As placed on 4 position in our group we did not get a price but we fought that we did good sailingThe rest of our family, our eldest son Frederik, daughter in law Jeanne and our grandson Oskar arrives in Martinique 13 December 2015. The day after Lars, Maria and Kristoffer sail up to Anse Mitan, Martinique and fetch them.(35.18NM, 8:30h, SOG avg4.23 max8.24, TWS avg11.06 max18.40). We dropped anchor in Fort de France for a couple of days to make provisioning. Also Lars had to clear in and out with customs and immigration. He did that in the local chandelier and this was the only place we did not have to pay anything because it is EU. over the Atlantic ocean on 17 days and 10 hours with a maximum over 24 hours of 284 NM. It was a long and somewhat tedious ceremony but in the brake they served tapas and more to drink so we hold out. We did not leave empty-handed because Lars got a bottle of rum for having been net controller under the tour over the Atlantic Ocean.