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.

Martinique to Tobago

02 April 2013
We left Martinique on Wednesday the 27th of March.

Tobago can be quite tricky to get to the winds are normally from the East with either a bit of north or a bit of south in them. As Tobago is a little East of South in relation most of the other islands in the Caribbean a South Easterly wind can be a problem. Added to that is a North Westerly current that strengthens the closer you get to Tobago.

 photo m_MartiniiquetoTobago_zpse8920c95.jpg

In the hope of a pleasant passage we opted to leave from Martinique allowed us to head almost much due south.

 photo m_001LeavingFortofFranceMartiniqueintherain_zpsd1849dd1.jpg

We left Fort of France in the rain. Squall after squall rolled through as we motored out of the bay. There was lots of rain but no wind at all.

 photo m_002DiamondRockMartinique_zpsab214fda.jpg

Diamond Rock - Its claim to fame is the role that it played in the Napoleonic Wars, Wikipedia.

 photo m_003RainbowleavingMartinique_zpsaebc5a6f.jpg

Thanks to all the rain, we had spectacular rainbows as we cleared the Martinique coast.

Sailing down the windward (eastern) side of the island meant that we had good consistent wind, but also at times a very lumpy sea. The passage took two days and two nights and that's not really enough time to get used to the rolling motion. Most of our time off watch was spent catching up on missed sleep.

 photo m_004CompanyMartiniquetoTobago_zps8485f3be.jpg

We had company both nights, same species but different birds. I suspect they were some sort of booby. Both had webbed feet but were able to perch, though I don't think perching was their first choice. They spent ages flying around the boat looking for a place to land. They have quite a wide wingspan and coupled up with being buffeted by the wind and the movement of the boat, they had a lot of trouble negotiating the rigging. Both tried the up wind solar panel first but I think it was a little too slippery for them Booby Number One spent half first night perched on the pulpit at the front of the boat and the other half on the mainsheet, which would without warning would go lax for a moment before snapping tight and launching it in to the air.

Booby Number Two, spent the night on the spray hood in what looked like reasonable comfort.

Booby Number One quite fancied that spot as well, but Tim wasn't as tired on the first night and kept chasing it off. Bird poop and canvas do not mix.

Wherever they ended up, with the possible except of the pulpit, they preened and snoozed and seemed quite contented.

Happily, Booby Number Two only pooped on the solar panel, so our kindness was amply rewarded.

 photo m_005alittlesomethingwepickedupenrouteMartiniquetoTobago_zps8fed0ed0.jpg

A little something we picked on en route. Tim noticed this rope streaming from underneath Larus's stern when he went to check put out his fishing gear. It hadn't got wrapped around or caught on anything and we got it aboard easily with a boat hook.

 photo m_006Ropecloseup_zps03178533.jpg

There were all sorts of wonderful things growing in it. The Goose barnacles for one that we had on the hull during the Atlantic crossing and are supposed to be very good eating.

 photo m_007MarviandRopeFajara_zps7032d058.jpg

Tim was on his way with it ashore when our neighbours here in Tobago, Greg, Bev and Marvi, the Tabby, on Fajara, offered to take it off our hands.

 photo m_009Marviandropesleeping_zpsddcd5c38.jpg

A scratch an sniff bed. What more could the discerning feline desire?

Comments

About & Links

Favorites