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.

Guadeloupe and Dominica

02 April 2013
Here we are posting about Guadeloupe as we leaving Martinique for Tobago, on Wednesday the 27th of March. We are on the move and the French islands don't seem to have the wifi coverage we've become accustomed to.

We've got good winds forecast from the East and North East for our sail due south to Tobago. We should arrive Friday, the 29th of March.

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Checking out the menus in Deshaies.

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The long walk to 'Best Beach in the Caribbean.' There are a surprising number of 'Best Beaches in the Caribbean.'

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It was a beautiful beach, but very steep and north facing with a LARGE surf that broke right at the water's edge. It would be more of a washing machine ride rather than a swim, so we didn't.

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I'm calling this one, Tropical Pastoral. See the cow under the scrubby trees in the middle ground? :)

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Deshaies waterfront and church steeple.

On Sunday the 17th of March we upped anchor and moved a little further south to Pigeon Island.

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There were a couple of turtles that spent a lot of time in the anchorage. They were quite bold and made picture taking very easy.

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Pigeon Island sunset. Madeline took some rather wonderful picture of Larus.

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This is the dinghy dock entrance at Pigeon Island. It felt like a mini maze, but baffled the swell from coming in and making it a very safe, if bird poop covered, place to leave your dinghy. The only area free to leave for a visitors dinghy is under a big tree. They're not stupid these locals.

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We saw Madras fabric all over Gaudeloupe, Dominica and Martinique.

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Saralane leaving us in their wake on the way to Ile des Saintes, Guadeloupe.

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Iles des Saintes water front to left of the dinghy dock.

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Iles des Saintes water front to right of the dinghy dock.

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Iles des Saintes church and spire.

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Iles des Saintes spire. Church spires are good landmarks from the sea.

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I really liked the look of this hill overlooking the cemetery. Half used for grazing maybe and the other half left wild.

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The Plage de Grand Anse. Swimming is strictly forbidden. It's a windward side of the island beach and the surf and currents would be something else.

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The end of the Guadeloupe runway.

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Chicken Harem.

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Iles des Saintes Anchorage from shore.

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Squall and Star Clipper, posh charter yacht.

Leaving Iles des Saintes for Dominica, Skip and Madeline chased us in their rib and took some wonderful photos.

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Guadeloupe to Dominica - Wedneday, the 20th of March. It was a memorably lumpy ride.

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The Roseau anchorage, on the south of the island. I love this jetty. It's all very deep so you really do need to pick up a mooring buoy. At $10 US an night it's well worth it. There is a lot to see in Dominica and we didn't' do the island justice but we will be back!

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Roseau street.

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Beautiful green house and Tim.

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Man with a speaker on top of his van, dancing in the street and everyone else just going about their business. It might have been to do with the West Indies winning at Cricket.

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Back with the shopping. The supermarket here was great. I love being able to buy flour and sugar in made up plastic bags. The sugar is very likely reasonably local. I know that Guadeloupe grows a lot of sugar cane. Not sure about Dominica.

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Way down the waterfront is the other anchorage by the aptly named Anchorage Hotel.

From Dominica we sailed to Martinique on the 23nd and arrived first at St Pierre in the north before sailing down to Fort de France.

We're off shortly so will catch up later from Trinidad. Bye!


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