Our time in Jamaica was short and sweet. In Kingston we caught a bus to the Bob Marley Museum. It was a very interesting visit. The city is home to over a million people and full of contrasts between those that have and those that have very little. It is known for its inner city violence. We were glad that we were staying at the Royal Jamaican Yacht Club as it was far removed from the big city of Kingston. Everyday at the Yacht Club tons of garbage would come floating in from the main harbour, surrounding all the boats. All day long, two hard working Jamaicans would clear up all the garbage along the shoreline and in the water. Next day they would return and begin the whole process over again.

We were able to enjoy the use of the showers and pool at the Yacht Club. When I turned the water on for my very first REAL shower since staying at the Yellow House in Grenada, I was almost knocked out of the shower stall and into the wall 5 feet away. Now that's water pressure to be proud of! After a couple days of showers and more showers, Jim and I set sail along the South coast of Jamaica. We stopped at Pigeon Island the first night and then at Alligator Reef the next. Both anchorages were beautiful and we had them to ourselves. The entire south coast of Jamaica is very mountainous. Leaving Alligator Reef we sailed and fished our way to Bluefields. Jim caught a 28 inch Atlantic Mackerel and we successfully got it into the boat! That night we enjoyed free wireless, cerviche for an appie and seared mackerel for dinner. Jamaica is an island worth exploring. It is very beautiful and the Jamaicans we met were all friendly and helpful.

Our trip to Grand Cayman was a little rougher than expected but still an enjoyable one. We anchored near the customs dock in Georgetown and waited to clear in. The small harbour is very exposed and we found it very rolly. Every morning new cruise ships would arrive and anchor just off the town and tour boats would go back and forth all day to the ships, carrying passengers back and forth. We decided to head to the North side of Grand Cayman and get away from the city side.

North Sound is the best place to be. Here we were able to anchor by mangroves at the east side. Close to us was a beautiful beach. The eastern side is protected so you must anchor behind the buoys which mark the "Environmental Zone". We recommend any cruiser visiting Grand Cayman to spend time in North Sound and anchor over on the eastern side where it is quiet, uninhabited and peaceful. We took our dinghy to the south side of North Sound and visited the Harbour House Marina. They had a lot of stuff in stock but not what we needed to fix our propane system. We inquired about grocery shopping and were directed to Hurley's Grocery Store. It was only a short dinghy ride to the shopping centre's convenience dock.
We marched over to the store and entered. Wow! This is just like that time in the Turks and Caicos when our friend, Kennedy MacLeod, took us grocery shopping after we arrived from the Bahamas. We were surrounded with stocked shelves filled with everything you could ever wish for. There was a bakery, beautiful fresh flowers, strawberries, thick cut steaks.... I resisted shopping for about 2 seconds and then I was off, racing up and down those aisles, tossing in luxury items like there was no tomorrow and doing my best to avoid Jim, with his scrooge like attitude. We left with our bags full, our credit card maxed out and two huge chocolate covered doughnuts to tide us over till dinner time.

Later in the week we enjoyed a great wall dive just off North Sound and we snorkeled with the sting rays at Sting Ray city. After that, sea conditions were too rough for any more diving. We toured the island in a rental a car, drove by lots of very fancy homes and visited Rum Point. The island is very flat and not as beautiful as some of the islands we have visited.

We are now ready to depart Grand Cayman and sail to Cuba. The forecast calls for light winds and that means we will need our engine's help to get us there. Depending on how the wind blows, we will motorsail to Cayo Largo, 140 miles away or Cienfuegas, 180 miles. We have heard wonderful things about cruising in Cuba. We are looking forward to meeting the people, experiencing their culture, tasting the rum and diving on their pristine reefs.

Life is good. Love is wonderful.
Renate & Jim