Yacht Larus

A slow circumnavigation

Vessel Name: Larus
Vessel Make/Model: Slipper 42
Hailing Port: Southampton
Crew: Tim Chapman and Nancy Martiniuk
About: Sailing together since 1988
Home Page: Http://www.sailblogs.com/member/yachtlarus
18 June 2016
03 December 2015 | Nanny Cay, Tortola, BVI
03 June 2015 | Antigua
19 October 2014 | Trinidad
04 July 2014 | Bequia
02 March 2014 | Chaguaramas, Trinidad
25 February 2014
24 January 2014 | Bequia
18 December 2013
09 December 2013
23 October 2013 | Port de Plaisance, St Martin
05 September 2013
11 June 2013
11 June 2013
Recent Blog Posts
18 June 2016

Blog is moving

There is no perfect blog site for those of us who have almost permanent internet challenges, however we're moving from Sailblogs now to a new blog site. The posts here will remain but all future posts will be at;

21 February 2016

Every cloud has a silver lining

It came to light during the Boat show that the boat's insurers were insisting that the delivery skipper had an Ocean endorsement on their Yachtmaster ticket. Tim doesn't have this. He's had his Yachtmaster for over 20 years and in those days Yachtmaster Offshore was the highest level of certification. [...]

04 February 2016

Best laid plans and all that.

Belated Happy New Year to all.

03 December 2015 | Nanny Cay, Tortola, BVI

Blog 78 - Cruising once again

Having just reread our last blog, I'm pleasantly surprised to find that it was pretty much spot on.

03 June 2015 | Antigua

Work, Work and more work.

It is an awfully long time since our last blog and we really haven't been doing much other than working.

27 October 2014

On the hard Chaguaramas and crusing in Tobago

Spring this year, April to July, found us working pretty hard. Summer found us spending our hard earned gains treating Larus and ourselves to some TLC. While Tim and I visited friends and family in Canada and the UK, we left Larus on the hard in Coral Cove Marina, Chaguaramas, Trinidad in the care [...]

19 October 2014 | Trinidad

New paint job

Couldn't resist painting the boat at Trinidad prices. Looking gorgeous in a slightly warmer shade of white. Also rolled on 4 more coats of Coppercoat for good measure.

04 July 2014 | Bequia

We’re still here!

And by ‘here’ I mean, Guadeloupe, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Marten and the British Virgin Islands. We have been working quite a lot over the last few months, and are currently in the Grenadines doing nothing but looking after Larus and pleasing ourselves.

02 March 2014 | Chaguaramas, Trinidad

The Run Up to Carnival

Trinidad is obsessed with Carnival. I've read that between Carnivals, the Trini's are either reminiscing about the previous Carnival or planning for the next.

25 February 2014

Trinidad

With our week long charter in the BVI completed we headed back to Bequia. Again, we had a great time and many laughs with our guests on 'Faith.' We also celebrated our Captain's birthday with cake, candles and, most importantly, ice cream.

24 January 2014 | Bequia

Charters and Bequia

Both Tim and I have been out on charter. I worked for two weeks in Guadeloupe on a 70' Flagship catamaran while Tim got called out to a short notice charter in the BVI.

Charters and Bequia

24 January 2014 | Bequia
Both Tim and I have been out on charter. I worked for two weeks in Guadeloupe on a 70' Flagship catamaran while Tim got called out to a short notice charter in the BVI.

Working on the Flagship was an experience. With 10 guests and up to 5 crew, including trainees, an new menu and a number of serious food intolerances, it was a challenging, but very satisfying, two weeks. It's nice to have to 'up your game' every now and then.

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Definitely, the biggest galley I have worked in so far.

Tim had a more restful week with 4 guests, 2 training crew and a Dive Master First Mate. It wasn't all smooth sailing however. Although Tim arrived in the BVI in time to start the charter, his luggage did not. It wasn't until the middle of the next week, that he was able to collect his bag from the airport.

We've now been in Bequia for almost two weeks deciding what to do next. Initially we had two options. We could go North to Antigua to visit with friends and relatives or south to Trinidad and Tobago to visit friends and fill up with VERY reasonably priced diesel.

While we pondered which direction to take, an additional reason for heading south popped up. The Christmas winds haven't let up and we use the dinghy a lot as we're at anchor. Our dinghy is small and light and easily stow-able, but it's also slow, quite tender, and we often get very wet when there is any chop, so Tim started researching the 'what, where and how much?' of a new dinghy.

The cheapest option was to order a dinghy from the UK to be delivered to Trinidad. As a yacht 'in transit,' we don't have to pay duty and even with the delivery costs it was by far the cheapest option.

So Trinidad it was, until yesterday when we were asked to work this weekend up in the BVI. Once the charter is finished we'll head straight for Trinidad.

But so far, here we have sat anchored in Admiralty Bay, off the lovely town of Port Elizabeth on the beautiful island of Bequia.

We did some sightseeing on foot and last Sunday, Tim and I walked up to Fort Hamilton.

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The magnificent view of Admiralty Bay. It's well worth the steep walk up hill. Larus is the yacht with two masts and blue sail covers in the lower right corner of the photo.

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Some of the infamous cannon.

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Cannon detail.

We also discovered how to tell sheep from goats. Up until then, I'd always thought that all the goat-like critters we saw tethered in various fields and gardens were goats. Not necessarily! Goat's tails stick up and sheep's tails hang down. Sheep also never have horns said the gentleman who was minding the sheep.

Sheep, not goat. photo m_008Sheepnotgoat_zpsd1f2bdab.jpg

This is a sheep. A particularly stupid sheep, it must be said. On our way back down the hill, this sheep had jumped down to the next terrace of the wall, only to find itself truly at the end of its tether. The tether was just long enough for all four feet to be firmly on the ground, but not long enough for it to move left or right or climb back up.

The guy minding the sheep wasn't there just then, but we figured the sheep would be rescued in good time and left it where it was. We also really didn't fancy man-handling a large boney sheep back up the wall.

One thing common to all the Caribbean Islands we've visited, is the love of the 'pimped up' car or minibus. There is one minibus here with 'Love is D Answer' beautifully spray painted across it's rear-end, but I never see it when I have my camera at the ready.

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This one however was having some road side work being done on it which made it easy. An intriguing choice of psalm.

We expect to be on the move later this afternoon to St Vincent and then an early flight tomorrow to BVI. Till then, we'll be packing, emptying the fridge, stowing and cleaning before closing up Larus.

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We have lots of friend in Bequia right now so she will be well looked after.
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