Jules
28/05/2010, Admiralty Bay, Bequia

Thank you, thank you to all those who sent cards and pressies, email messages, blog comments, and phone calls and especially to Julie and Twent for making my day so very special ... it's like, if this is 50, I thoroughly recommend it!!!

It was a good start to the day with Julie, Mike and I walking over the hills to Friendship Bay (I was a little concerned that Twent didn't want to join us, but more of that later). The track was a bit steep at times but the beach on the other side was yet another sandy-white beauty. Most places have now closed for the season but we managed to find a beer in an up-market beach hotel.

We then went back to Port Elizabeth and Twent joined us for a 'cheeseburger in paradise' lunch.

Mid-afternoon we headed back to the boat. I looked up from the dinghy to see a ballooned and bannered Buzzard! The boys had been busy in our absence putting up all the stuff Julie had brought over from the UK, and it showed ... brought a tear to my eye it did.

Anyway ... not knowing that many people in Bequia made for quite a small party but it was good. Henry, Iris and Luana came over, as did Tanya, Jason and two month old Jesse, and Robin the FixMan turned up eventually too. Mike made some wonderful food, as usual, and the good times flowed.

Mid-way through Twent brought out the birthday cake he'd been busy working on all morning and it was one of the best I'd ever tasted - even though we'd actually had a bit of a trial run our last night in Tobago Cays when Ken, Karin, Ben and Becky came for a few drinks and brought a banana birthday cake. You could tell one of Twent's main ingredients was lots of love.

So .. it wasn't a big or late party but all in all one of the best I've had. It was a shame you couldn't all be here to share it but, well, we'll just have to have another later!

Once again, many thanks to everyone for making it such a special day ...

Lots of love to all from someone older and happier ... who knows, maybe I'm finally growing up????

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Jules
23/05/2010, Clifton, Union Island

Just a very quick one as we spend our last hour in Clifton before heading over to the Tobago Cays.

The problem with the steering turned out to be a seized bearing on the very back bevel gear (under the deck behind the steering ... nice). Mike and Johan spent the whole day being contortionists but managed to get the bearing off and replace it with a spare that we just happened to have.

That evening we met up with Ken (from Trinidad and Carriacou) and his new guest Karin. Ended up having one of the best pizzas ever; it helps when you haven't had one for months.

Lunch time next day we set off for Chatam Bay, only there was a problem with the oil pressure which took a bit of sorting. Apparently the internal pump that takes the oil from the dry sump round the engine has stopped working and so we had to switch valves so that the other pump took over ... or something like that.

Anyway, we got to Chatam just before sunset and had a night of fishing. Caught a couple of rainbow runners but the real big ones kept getting away.

Next day we arrived in Clifton around noon and within an hour or so we had the Lady Ina alongside while we decanted chairs, tables, sunhats, pencils, clothes, books, more books and lots of stuff beside. All this went up to the school and the kids unloaded; a really good sight and it's meant we can finally start to see the bottom of our hold again.

We met up with Chris and Duff who organized the drop off and then went to the Happy Island for sundowners. It's a round bar in the middle of the bay and the only means of access is by dinghy ... cool. Mike really wanted to go to the official rain dance in Ashton but by the time we got back to the boat and had a couple gin and tonics the momentum had gone; and anyway it was already raining!

Yesterday Chris and Duff took us to the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean and we had a great relaxing day. We ended up in a bar in Ashton eating chicken and chips and playing dominoes.

This morning, which is just about over, we've done some hold sorting and Mike's taking some of the oil from the engine as it's unfortunately leaking and there's not much we can do until we get back to Bequia. Ken's just phoned to say he's on his way up to the Cays and will meet us there in a few hours.

Thanks for the birthday messages so far. I guess a lot of you know that on Wednesday it'll be the big 50 ... can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it but hey, couldn't be in a better place!

Lots of love ...

Comments [6]

Jules
19/05/2010, St. Vincent

We left Bequia last Friday, and everyone knows you should never leave on a Friday. Probably a mistake, except we thought it only applied if you were leaving for long trips and we were only going ten miles to Kingstown. It was rough and rolly through the Bequia channel and as we approached Kingstown the rain started. Half a mile from the dock and you couldn't see land. Needless to say it was also blowing and our docking maneuvers left something to be desired ... I think we made it in on the fourth attempt. Luckily there were only two other boats at the dock and nobody in the bay otherwise I'm not too sure how we would have managed.

Still, Mike did it and we eventually tied up to the dock in the pouring rain. Willie, who owns a Trinidad ferry (Stingray II) was there to help and organized the water within an hour or so. It's strange that Union Island, which is only about 30 miles away is suffering a four month drought and yet St. Vincent has plenty of water. Something to do with the mountains and valleys and streams and springs. The water is supposed to be the best tasting in the Caribbean and so far we have nothing to doubt it ... and we're full again, yippee!!

While in Kingstown we did some major provisioning (or at least we thought we had), and then headed round to anchor at Young Island. Saturday was big clean up day ready for our visitors, and we went to pick them up from the airport at around 6 p.m., in the pouring rain. Not the nicest welcome for them but, hey, this is the Caribbean, mon, and after the first few rums what's a bit of rain?

The next day we set of Walliabou Bay, where the Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. Only we sort of over shot it and ended up at Cumberland Bay instead. It's truly idyllic, if a little wet, with palm trees, lush green vegetation, a few local bars and hardly any people.

Within minutes of dropping anchor, and tying the stern to a coconut tree on shore, we had William a local guy on board giving us all the fishing gen. and staying for supper. Art, who we've met in various places, was also anchored and we met up in the Black Baron bar for a beer. Unfortunately, or not, the rain descended once again and we had to wait it out in Joseph's beach bar; it's a hard life.

The next day, Monday, we decided that actually our provisioning wasn't as good as we'd thought; with eight people on board food just doesn't last that long. We took a maxi-taxi back to Kingstown to show Julie and Twent and get more food. What an experience that turned out to be! The roads are steep and winding and the taxi, which should hold 12, had 19 on board. It's cramped and hot and just a little scary as the driver slewed round the corners in an attempt to cut seconds off the 40 minute journey time.

The trip back was even more of an event as we got stuck in the middle of a funeral at the top of a hill. There was at least an hour delay while we navigated through the parked cars and in the hot, cramped, steamy conditions tempers were beginning to fray. Mike was all for getting out and finding a bar but we finally got moving and made it back in time for sundowners on the top deck.

The boys rigged up lights and within minutes the Buzzard was surrounded by ballyhoo (long, garfish type critters, maybe Atlantic Needlenose?). Johan and William had a ball fishing them out with a net on a stick and Anton fried them up. From sea to stomach in less than 20 minutes.

Yesterday we headed back for Bequia, well once Mike fixed William's dinghy for him and they went bamboo hunting. The ride back was great to begin, with, we were averaging around 9knts and at one point reached 10.2 which is the fastest we've ever done. Unfortunately though it got a bit rough through the Bequia channel, a real WAZ (wind acceleration zone) if ever there was one. Guess we'd got a bit complacent, hadn't even tied the fridges back ... 60 broken eggs was not good. Julie was a little perturbed, as was I, but at least we made it back safe.

Today we're supposed to be heading off to Union Island but the steering's sticking a bit and Mike's down under the back deck trying to sort it out before we leave ... kinda important.

Hopefully we'll be in the Cays for a few days after Union and then it's Canouan Regatta at the weekend which Twent's looking forward to. He's already met up with a couple of people in Bequia who he knew 16 years ago; it's a small world.

Love to everyone ...

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