Finally!

Vessel Name: Katahdin
Vessel Make/Model: Cambria 44
Hailing Port: Cape Elizabeth, ME
Crew: Larry and Cathy Clough
About: We have been cruising Maine waters for 30 years on a Pearson 26, an Ericson 34, and now a Cambria 44
Extra: On our first journey south we left Maine in early September of 2011 to travel to the Caribbean and back over 9+months. Now we've begun our second trip, taking it at a bit more leisurely pace.
18 May 2016
25 March 2016
09 March 2016
21 February 2016
26 January 2016
05 January 2016
18 December 2015 | Jolly Harbor, Antigua
06 December 2015
21 November 2015
17 November 2015
13 November 2015
19 June 2012 | Portland Harbor
16 June 2012 | Provincetown, MA
12 June 2012 | Great Salt Pond, Block Island, RI
Recent Blog Posts
25 May 2016

Hashes, Hikes, and Hauling

Hashes, Hikes, and Hauling

18 May 2016

Grenada

At the end of March we sailed along the east coast of Grenada from Carriacou to the bays at its southern end. Since we were not sailing in the lee of the island we took a precautionary seasickness pill, Stugeron, which is not available in the US but which, as a non-prescriptive medication, can be purchased [...]

06 May 2016

Carriacou, Grenada's Grenadine Island

I'd like to fire myself as a blog writer. I have no excuse for waiting a month before writing about one of the most enjoyable islands we've been to. In my defense I'd say that to start writing about Grenada and its islands is to acknowledge that the incredible sailing adventure we've experienced would [...]

25 March 2016

The Grenadines

The Grenadines

09 March 2016

St. Lucia

St. Lucia

21 February 2016

Martinique Sud, and a Sample of our Daily Life aboard Katahdin

Today is February 21st. We left St. Pierre on the 8th and meandered our way down Martinique’s west coast to St. Anne at the southeast tip of the island. Along the way we overnighted in 3 anses (anse is a Creole word for bay), with decent snorkeling and hiking, 2 nights in the yachting center for [...]

Hashes, Hikes, and Hauling

25 May 2016
Hashes, Hikes, and Hauling

I've talked about how great Grenada is as if I were painting it using broad, not fine, brushstrokes. But now is the time to add greater detail.

The 3 h's - hashes, hikes, and hauling - are a bittersweet composite of the most striking moments of our last month on Grenada. It's not that we didn't want to come back to Maine - the hauling part - but that we wanted to continue to enjoy Grenada, specifically the hashes and hikes. So, what is a hash?

There are hash organizations worldwide, and there even has been one in Portland though I believe it is not very active presently. A hash has been described as a socialized run (or walk) geared to "runners with a drinking problem". It was much more for us on Grenada because it was an opportunity to visit parts of the island we would not normally see as the hash venues change weekly. One week we began along the coast before heading inland, and other times we headed into the interior of this mountainous island. We experienced different eco-climates such as lush bamboo stands, partially dried out grazing fields for goats and cattle, and terraced terrain for the growth of spice trees, predominantly nutmeg. The distance covered was very doable at about 2-3 miles for walkers, and a bit more for the runners.

We cruisers were just a small part of the hashing crowd as the local inhabitants represented the majority of the participants. After all, the locals are the ones putting on the hashes. Thank goodness for that as the ambiance fitted them perfectly - the music was loud and lively and the BBQ jerk chicken was just spicy enough. Beers were sold at 3 for 12 EC$ or about $2.30 each, and the meal cost 15 EC$ ($6.00). As if we weren't enjoying ourselves enough we got to revel in the discomfort of others (such a schadenfreude feeling) rightfully so because we ourselves had been targeted as virgins on our first hash, and doused with shook-up beer. The trail planner seemed always to face condemnation for some drummed-up charge and as, as a result, was soaked by beer; he was also required to drink beer from a bowl while having his arm unbending within a PVC pipe. Granted, the routine doesn't vary much from week to week, but everyone seems to enjoy the fate of those who have offended the hash gods. This includes those wearing new shoes; their fate was to drink beer out of the offending article.

As you might imagine, cruisers and drinking go hand-in-hand, but not necessarily all the time. The second h - for hikes - started off with only water to drink but on the next two hikes, after swims in pools at the bottom of waterfalls, finished with wine, bread, and cheese. Somehow it didn't feel decadent at the time but just right. We had fellow cruiser Steve on Slow Flight to thank for these hikes; he and sometime fellow cruisers Lou and Claudette would preview the potential hike on Tuesdays, marking the trail if need be. On Thursdays we would use the local van as our transportation, asking Shademan (Patrick), Christopher, or George to pick us up at this place and that time. We can't say enough how accommodating the van drivers were; these 3 gentlemen with their own vans provided the means to go on the shopping trips, the hiking trips, the hashes, and even brought us to less organized events.

The last h - hauling - meant for us a lot of work in preparation for the long layover on the hard (land). The oil in the engine needed replacing, the bilge needed cleaning, the deck needed covering, all food stores needed to be looked over and either tossed out if opened, stored securely, or given away, the interior walls needed to be sprayed with vinegar water to prevent the growth of mildew, all washable sheets and towels needed to be cleaned, dried, and stored securely away, and boric acid/sugar traps laid out for any trespassing cockroaches or ants. Some of this we could do before Katahdin was hauled out at Spice Island into its cradle home, and some had to wait until it was secure on land. And with outside temperatures high and with the inside temperatures reaching 93 degrees, we were drenched by mid-morning.

We had allowed 2 and ½ days on the hard (on land) to finish all the preparations for summer storage, and we barely made it. But we left Katahdin in good hands with the Island Dream folks checking in on her every 2 weeks, and at a good marina, Spice Island, which has cruiser-approved security. It won't be until December before we return to take her out to sea again. Even though we'll be spending even more than a few days getting her ready for the upcoming cruising season it'll be time well spent; we want to ensure that next winter's sailing goes as smoothly as possible, and preparation plays a big part in making that possible.
Comments
Katahdin's Photos - Main
We spent most of the last month of our cruise in Mt. Hartman Bay on the southern coast of Grenada. There is a wonderful community of cruisers in this and nearby bays, and we found plenty to do and new friends to make. What we particularly enjoyed were the hashes and hikes we did each week. Do ready the blog of the same name if you want to discover what a hash is.
19 Photos
Created 25 May 2016
Grenada is, if not our favorite, at least in the top three. It is a large island, the people are fantastic, and there is so much to see and do that we were too busy to consider posting a blog. But, now that we're back in Maine, we have no more excuses.
11 Photos
Created 6 May 2016
Petite St. Vincent (PSV) is part of its namesake, while Petite Martinique belongs to Grenada. They are both considered part of the Grenadine archipelago and are separated by perhaps 1/2 a mile. In fact, they are so far off the normal route that a boat can travel from one to another without having to clear customs on another island.
9 Photos
Created 6 May 2016
Carriacou is one of the Grenadine islands; St. Vincent owns most of them but not this one or Petite Martinique. It is an interesting island, hilly with a shipbuilding heritage. We especially liked it because of the large number of cruisers who anchor for a while in Tyrell bay on the southwestern coast.
9 Photos
Created 6 May 2016
The Grenadines are a group of tiny to small islands just south of St Vincent and just north of Grenada. With a few exceptions they are wonderfully welcoming and quite beautiful, though, because there has been a consistent drought throughout the past 10 or so months, there's not much greenery.
17 Photos
Created 25 March 2016
From Rodney Bay to the Pitons, and nothing in between.
9 Photos
Created 9 March 2016
On the way to our current anchorage at St. Anne at the bottom of Martinique we visited 3 other delightful bays along the way. We've been doing our usual hiking and swimming activities, but this blog also reveals what a "typical" day for us is like.
15 Photos
Created 21 February 2016
During our first visit to St. Pierre we didn't go far afield. This time we did and have a new appreciation for this area.
13 Photos
Created 21 February 2016
We had a fabulous time on this island, one of the poorest in the Caribbean. It has been blessed with fantastic beauty and we did our best to take it all in.
21 Photos
Created 7 February 2016
After visiting the Pigeon islands and La Soufriere we were looking for places not so popular, and we found them.
21 Photos
Created 26 January 2016
The photos are from two distinctive and well-known locations on this island. First, from the Jacques Cousteau underwater preserve at Isles des Pigeons on the west coast, and then from the hike up to the tallest mountain on the island, La Soufriere, a still semi-active volcano at almost a mile height.
16 Photos
Created 16 January 2016
The photos are from two distinctive and well-known locations on this island. First, from the Jacques Cousteau underwater preserve at Isles des Pigeons on the west coast, and then from the hike up to the tallest mountain on the island, La Soufriere, a still semi-active volcano at almost a mile height.
6 Photos
Created 16 January 2016
We spent most of the past few weeks in English Harbor which was an idyllic spot to celebrate the holidays with our family
20 Photos
Created 5 January 2016
These were our last stops in the Virgin Islands where we spent a whole month. It's a great place, and lots of people know that as there are lots of other sailors such as ourselves.
13 Photos
Created 18 December 2015
We're spending a few weeks lazily navigating around the numerous islands here, looking for great snorkeling and sunsets.
12 Photos
Created 6 December 2015
7 Photos
Created 21 November 2015
Katahdin ended up here after being a "passenger" on a freighter. We joined her on 11/15/15.
5 Photos
Created 17 November 2015
Katahdin makes her way south to St. Thomas, piggy-backing atop a freighter.
2 Photos
Created 13 November 2015
We arrived in Fernandina Beach on 4/11, and hope to be back in Maine sometime in the latter part of June.
1 Photo | 9 Sub-Albums
Created 12 April 2012
We expect to meander slowly northward through the Bahamas before we cross the Gulf Stream again.
1 Photo | 13 Sub-Albums
Created 17 March 2012
We overnighted to Luperon from Gilligan's Island in Puerto Rico, and spent a wonderful 5 days, having adventures out of the town.
26 Photos
Created 17 March 2012
We took our time in the Spanish Virgin Islands, but sped along the southern coast of Puerto Rico
1 Photo | 1 Sub-Album
Created 1 March 2012
We took our time traveling from Portland into the Chesapeake, enjoying some beautiful stops along the way
1 Photo | 8 Sub-Albums
Created 8 February 2012
Martinique is quite beautiful, and we've enjoyed our stay here. However, we will start heading back north in the next day or so.
20 Photos
Created 7 February 2012
These include Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barts, down to Guadaloupe and Dominica.
1 Photo | 12 Sub-Albums
Created 18 December 2011
We arrived in Nanny Cay in the BVI on November 21, and will travel around the BVI and the US VI over the next month.
1 Photo | 7 Sub-Albums
Created 21 November 2011
The rudder leakage issue shadowed our first two weeks in Virginia; after the repairs, even the sunsets were more spectacular.
1 Photo | 2 Sub-Albums
Created 8 November 2011
An album of many of the places we visited through Chesapeake Bay on our way to Virginia
1 Photo | 7 Sub-Albums
Created 18 October 2011