I have fallen a little behind (ok, more than a little) on blogging. In the last blog, I wrote about our time in St. Martin, and we are now through the Leeward and Windward islands and have been in Grenada for a while. I will write about the Leewards and Windwards when we return to those islands after hurricane season. Grenada is where we are spending hurricane season (June 1 – November 1) because it is south of 12 degrees latitude and therefore “statistically” safe from hurricanes. I say statistically because it was hit once in the 1950’s and then again in 2004 and 2005, needless to say we keep a vigilant watch of the weather.

Slow Waltz is currently sitting on the South end of Grenada in Mount Hartman Bay on the hook (180 feet of chain in about 27 feet of depth) with about 60 other boats. We returned to the south end of the island after being in Port Louie Marina, St. George’s for the month of August. We had to find a dock to tie her to, because we were leaving her unattended to fly to Canada for a visit. We flew into Toronto and had an awesome, whirlwind visit with many friends, but as always, the time is shorter than you think. Many thanks to amazing friends for the good times, loaner cars, places to sleep including cottages, and delicious meals. It was very heartwarming to feel so welcomed and we were so happy to see friends and family after a year away. As Guillaume and I have said many times, the only thing we miss about life on land in Canada is family and friends. As we had occasion to catch up with friends, a lot of questions were asked of us, some really hard questions. Here are a few:

What is your favorite island

This is a really hard question. The islands of the Eastern Caribbean are very diverse. We have now travelled through the Eastern Caribbean chain (although we didn’t visit every island). We started with the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spanish Virgins, US Virgins, British Virgins, St. Martin, Leewards, Windwards and Grenada. We went through the Windwards and Leewards quickly and since it was getting to be mid June and we felt it was time to be south of 12 since hurricane season had officially started. French Islands feature all things French, baguettes, wine and pastries in addition to rain forests and beaches. Bahamas has gin clear water and white sand, but not much in the way of hiking. All the Virgins are beautiful and so close together for easy day sails from one to the next. The easy favorite for now is Grenada, because we have been here for three months and know it really well. Grenada has so much to offer and there is comfort in familiarity. After hurricane season we will have more time to spend in some of the Windwards and Leewards and a new favorite may emerge.

What has been your scariest moment

Running aground on a falling tide in the ICW was a scary moment, because a boat can be lost that way. I still remember the sensation of feeling the keel ride up a sand shoal and slumping 20 degrees to port. We have also experienced some “squally” weather bouts where the wind can spike up suddenly, say to 35-40 knots in our experience. It’s always better to be proactive about reducing sail so you are prepared (for the non-sailors, too much wind and too much sail out will result in the boat being overpowered and possibly very difficult to control). Our rule is as soon as you talk about reducing sail, you reduce sail. Other nerve-wracking moments come to mind, when we were on the north shore of DR and the depth sounder was reading 30 feet and dropping, but the charts were indicating over 100 feet, cause to be concerned that you aren’t where you think you are on the charts. We turned sharply and headed farther offshore. Knowing where you are when running on a leeshore at night is very comforting.

What has been the biggest surprise

In the approximate 4,000 miles that we have travelled from Lake Ontario to Grenada, we estimate that about 10% was purely under sail (motor off). This was somewhat of a surprise. However, next sailing season we will be cruising up and down the Windwards and Leewards and expect to do a lot of sailing.

Has the experience met your expectations/any regrets

Met and far exceeded, and no regrets whatsoever. We have thoroughly enjoyed our first year. We know we escaped a nasty winter. It’s not necessarily an easy life, but the rewards are frequent and plentiful. Each day is different, yet we wake up in our own home, on the boat. We love the variety.

How does it feel to be back home (Canada)

It felt comfortable, familiar and friendly, but frankly, not quite like home, since we knew we were leaving and we didn’t really have a routine. It was like an awesome Christmas vacation, but with nicer weather (sort of nicer). We spent a lot of time at the marina, it was kind of weird to be there and not have a boat there.

Is Guillaume eating fish yet

Funnily enough, this was the MOST asked question. The answer is no. He has eaten fish a time or two and managed to enjoy it, but still far prefers land critters on his plate. Hence, no fishing has or will take place on Slow Waltz.

Has the experience changed you

How can the answer to this question be no? Our life this past year has included, among other things, hauling water in jerry jugs, night passages under the moon and stars, diving the boat bottom to scrape off barnacles, snorkelling crystal clear waters full of sea creatures, repairing boat breakdowns, hiking rain forests, engine oil changes and maintenance, hauling laundry in the dinghy, beautiful sunsets over the ocean, 45 minute walks to get provisions (we could take the bus), sundowners on buddy boats, riding around in small, stuffy vans packed with 15 other cruisers. That’s just the chores list and fun list. Then there is the very dynamic nature of being on a cruising boat on the move and having to make decisions, sometimes quickly based on some factors that you have no control over. The consequences of unfortunate decisions could be extreme. We only have ourselves and each other to rely on for our safety and the safety of the boat. It’s a big blue ocean and when you are out there at night and all you can see are the lights of buddy boats (and sometimes all you see is black) you feel really, really insignificant. We rely on each other heavily and trust each other completely to keep us and the boat safe.

Then there is the whole matter of living amongst different cultures sometimes with developing economies. Islands can often be impoverished with little employment or opportunities. It is a stark contrast to the consumerism and consumption habits of North America which makes us grateful for the opportunities that we have been able to take advantage of. We think that visiting all these places has made us more aware of how other cultures live. We have learned to respectfully blend in (as best we can) and go with the flow.

The most overwhelming sense that we have felt since we left the dock, nearly one year ago is a sense of FREEDOM. Freedom to explore and travel, meet new people and see places, cultures and nature on land and in the sea. From dolphins, sharks, whales and turtles to coral reefs, rain forests, rivers and rocks, taking it all in on long hikes and slow passages without much need for a wristwatch or calendar has been very peaceful, eye opening, educational and enjoyable. All this on top of living with our finger on the pulse of the weather which, when it permits us, we can pick up and move from one island to the next.

So in short, living this life with 2 people on a 40 foot boat is definitely changing us.

When we got on our flight to return to Grenada, we were excited to get “home sweet home”. It felt that way for both of us. It was bittersweet, though. We had just said so many good byes to our friends and family and it will be a while before we see them again (although, there are trips to be planned :). As for family, who we didn’t get to see since they are spread across Canada and in France, we very much look forward to visits to Slow Waltz!

Stay tuned for our next installment on life at Camp Grenada.