To the Azores

After buying food, more food and even more food just in case, we finally left St Martin on Dad's birthday, 16th May. It was easy motoring up the Anegada passage, past Tintemare and around Dead Man's Cay off Anguilla. Our friends on Coromandel had an earlier start and although we were in radio contact it would be a few days before our paths crossed again. 

We left in light winds and it was a battle to make East. We avoided using the engine this early in the trip as we had over 2000 miles to go to Flores. We were glad of the monitor which Tristan had serviced before we set out but unfortunately close to the Caribbean, the amount of sargassum weed was extensive. This caught in the monitor blade and knocked it off, so we spent a lot of on watch time clearing weed.

The first few days were northeasterly 15 knots and Meriva sailed beautifully  often reaching over 6 knots, but alas it was not to last!   We tacked to SE to try and make East but it was very lumpy and the tack wasn't paying so we headed north again on a starboard tack. This was more comfortable and after a couple of days we had a long chat with Coromandel who were also finding it frustrating in contrary winds and struggling to make anything but North.

The sea went oily, it was amazing that we were in the Atlantic Ocean, flat seas and tranquility. I wouldn't have believed it if someone had told me. 

The sunsets were amazing, it looked like it was setting behind a forest.... Not that we would see one of them for a while. 

Every evening and every morning we were joined by a pair of shearwaters who were totally stupid. How on earth has a bird evolved to land feet first on the sea using its neck as a brake is beyond me.  It was fun watching their antics though trying to keep up with the boat. 

A few days out I saw an enormous blow in the distant horizon. I have never seen anything so powerful and so high. Looking at the field guides, I think it was the blow of a blue whale which do pass from winter breeding grounds to summer feeding grounds in the north. This was a one off so I cannot be 100% certain and it could have been wishful thinking on my part!

It was the first time we have  both crossed this part of the northern Atlantic. After a few day you settle into a routine and the  four hour watches become much easier.

 We were very grateful to my daughter, Lucy who texted regularly the weather systems. Tristan had skyped Lucy and trained her to use grib files before we left. She was brilliant and when the grib file didn't work she immediately checked other sites to keep us updated. Her weather reporting was spot on, accurate and when Ugrib was down she didn't hesitate to go to other websites to keep us informed. We bought a delorme InReach tracker and had the service plan of unlimited texts. It was fantastic. We had daily weather and were able to keep in contact with family and friends throughout the trip. Everyone has been encouraging and it's a brilliant bit of kit. Really easy to use and inexpensive for what it does. 

Our biggest concern was when Lucy announced  we were due to get purple rain!  Tristan was on watch at sunset and the sun had a halo around it, we knew were in for something nasty.

The weather pattern across the northern Atlantic was unusual. The Azores high spread all the way across and we constantly had contrary NE winds. This made it difficult to push East and we made too much North. When the gale hit, we were being pushed even further west and it looked like we'd end up in Greenland rather than warmer destinations. 

We were able to reef everything down and Meriva handled the weather brilliantly although she wouldn't hove to and we ended up running away from the huge seas and strong winds. 

After things had settled down and we were able to get back into our watch routine and sleep. We decided to throw in a SE tack to try and make East rather than head too far north. This put us on a heading for landfall in Antarctica! This was frustrating as we never made any progress to the Azores for a few days. 

We finally decided to tack north and see how much East we could get in.  At least we both felt we were making progress as the negative VMG and the prospect of at least another few weeks was frustrating. We knew we had plenty of food and water, but if we got stuck in the Azores high we only had enough fuel for a few days motoring.

It didn't take long....the seas turned to glass and went oily again. No wind so we motored slowly direct to the Azores. 

We saw six turtles drifting across the Atlantic.  At first they looked dead. Very sun bleached but they moved there flippers as if we had disturbed their sleep. They were going backwards!

Portuguese men of war were abundant and at one point the sea was sparkling from the salps. Green/ brown jellyfish, moon jellyfish and compass jellyfish were common. We saw three whales in the distance but not sure which species. The amount of marine litter was surprisingly low. Mainly plastic, rope and a few planks.

Interestingly with no wind and still seas we had a very strong smell of sulphur. At this time we were in 5000 metres of ocean.  We passed several oceanic monitoring buoys.

The light was surreal. Very bright, ghostly and gentle. It was something we have never experienced before and even if the trip has taken an age, it is the most wonderful experience we have had.

Tristan has been fishing since we left......four lines out and absolutely nothing!  To make matters worse in the flat calm sea you can see all the fish jumping around the boat but no bites! Glad I packed the sardines and tins of tuna!

The evening have been spectacular. As the sun set the moon rose in the east. The reflected light from the planets, moonlight and nautical twilight meant that this part of the trip, 700 miles from the Azores , was never dark. This was in complete contrast to when we set out and the sky's were pitch black  but starry. 

Unfortunately it didn't last. We saw a super yacht for the first time for days. He radioed to say 35 knots of wind and 4 metre seas were predicted for our area.  This was consistent with what Lucy had sent us. On Lucy's forecasting, We decided to head off east to avoid the strongest winds, and it payed off. Thanks Lucy! Although the seas were huge often more than 5 metres and confused, the wind didn't get above 25 knots. We had two very uncomfortable days in this Atlantic depression but it was  better than the gale we hit previously.

The biggest problem was getting the boat balanced downwind, we sailed with  a reefed in gib and trisail. Eating was difficult, the gimballed cooker was challenged and standing up became almost impossible.  No bones broken, we were fine and when things calm down, you soon forget the discomfort and focus on getting the boat sailing again.  Whilst in the midst of lumpy seas we were joined by eight Atlantic spotted Dolphins. These species are small, skittish and almost impossible to photograph. They lept in the air and raised their tail fins and disappeared. Some were surfing in the waves, totally immersed. 

We  spent several days being told it was 400 miles to the Azores. It's likely being in a time warp, and you cant seem to sail fast enough to get closer.

The seas eventually calmed down and we at last had and ETE of 90 hours, but then it went again. The sea was grey, the cloud base thick, and it was cold and mizzley. More like a summer in Cornwall.  This gave us time to sort out the mess below and eat a hot meal. My first in two days. I get anxious when I know bad weather is coming so I tend not to eat. The last 300 nautical miles seemed to take forever. We were both tired of being at sea but the constant sail changes, wind shifts, changes in sea state kept us focused. I had kept back some goodies, statistically hidden around the boat so we had treats and good food, essential to keep the skipper happy!  A pod is spotted Dolphins joined us again and storm petrals.  Life is good.

We heard from our friends, Linda and Andy off Coromandal, who had arrived in Flores. We still had 150nm to go. With Lucy's weather forcasting and Linda's sailing experience, we kept plodding in the general direction of Flores. The last 100nm were a struggle. We were tired and even holding on was an effort. Overnight the seas and wind calmed down, it was a relief to feel more vertical but the last of wind was typical of this whole trip. 

The wind picked up the next day and it was a battle to reach Flores before sunset. We didn't make it so we took shelter in the lee of Flores and continued our watch routine. As soon as  it was daylight, we motored into the marina at Lages and were greeted by Linda and Andy who took our lines. That wasn't as easy as it sounds. The surge was unbelievable and Meriva would not go where we wanted her to. Typical, it's almost as if she knows what's good for her. We are snatching and jerking and after the crossing we can't help but feel a gale is preferable to bouncing off other boats or pontoons.

We are glad to be  able to walk on land after 2900 nautical miles and 25 days at sea and tree hugging was mandatory. However the Azores is still in the middle of the Atlantic and our journey is far from over!

St Martin to cooler climates

It seems that our days are full, how  did we ever find time to work?  For those of you who think we sit under an awning drinking gin and tonics watching the sunset.....you are nearly right, we drink  Mount Gay Rum with pineapple juice and coconut milk!

Actually it's hard work. We have to haul water in plastic cans, in a dinghy that is smaller than Lily and Ruby's paddling pool, with an outboard that cuts out every five minutes, avoiding speedboats that can't see us or  ignore us creating tidal waves that mean you constantly have a wet bum!

Provisioning means several trips to the supermarket as it won't fit in the dinghy and if it does it's likely to get wet.....not a problem except when you are stocking crackers and cous cous. 

We serviced the life jackets and interestingly, gas inflation bottles don't last more than a year for the spin lock deck vest. The spares are also out of date and the chandlers sell replacements with a shelf life of 10 months at twice the price of the UK.

Sail repairs were done efficiently and quickly thanks to St Martins sails. The monitor parts took longer to ship in from the states but four star cargo  in Miami and safe cargo in St Martin were very good.

Tristan remade an emergency tiller at Woodcraft, thank you David for being so accommodating!

Last but by no means least, thank you to Paula and Keith at TOBY who make us feel like family and all the friends we have made in St Martin who are just great. We will miss you all but we have had a great time.

Now it's time to sail before our wooden boat grows roots.

So it's back on the wobble board tomorrow, water rationing and a four hour watch system. We don't know how long it will take, but we have enough food for months and I'm hoping Tristan's fish catching skills improve! 

Antigua. Classics 2015

Well we'd done it once, so we thought why not? It's the best test of the the boat prior to crossing the Atlantic, and Classics is fun.  This year, we had our crew....good friends who know boats, Keith from Time Out Boat Yard, St Martin,  and Linda and Andy off SV Coromandel.

We were a brilliant team well lubricated in the evenings on Mount Gay Rum, but ready for the start of the race the following morning.

We had decided to 'lighten' the boat by removing cruising spares and some of the usual baggage that you collect 'just in case'.

This year Keith was Tristans spotter for the single handed race.  Tactics were discussed and the 

 'man ' prepared himself for the first race of the year....

Last year Tristan nearly decapitated himself by the main sheet, so decided on an alternative approach. He was going to use the emergency tiller which meant all the lines could be handled easily from the cockpit......with the added bonus of Keith having a comfortable place to sit and watch.

Having a day off the boat was a novelty for me, so Linda, Andy,and myself decided to walk up to view the race from the  hill above windward  beach. After a compulsory stop in Nelsons Dockyard bakery for meat pies and carrot cake, we climbed upwards along with the goats. 

It's a bit of a scramble but well worth the effort as the view across the sea, from the pillars of Hercules to the entrance to Falmouth Harbour, is fantastic.  You just have to keep changing spots to keep up with the fleet.

The start of the race was delayed due to a squall coming through. We huddled under a few rocks and shared brollies until it passed. Tristan went out with the fleet and then headed back into Falmouth Harbour then out again!

The emergency tiller broke.....just as well we weren't dependent on it, so Keith encouraged Tristan to go out again and he used the steering wheel.  No rope burns this year, but the seas and winds were not as strong .

After an enjoyable race in the under 45 feet class, Tristan  arrived back of the dock buzzing on adrenaline. I guess that's what's it's all about.  He was made up that Blue Peter gave him space over line finish line and he finished third.

We knew that it was not really going to much of a race for us as our competitor was 105 foot, but it was more a challenging day sail with good friends.  We occasionally saw a boat and we were told that at some point during the race we reached 8.9 knots ( which is hull speed). Thank you our trusty AIS spotters, Paula and Ingo back in TOBY!

I think we would have been strong contenders for the last boat in.....not because Meriva doesn't sail, but because she cannot compete with the ' big boys'. She really looks petite compared to our competitors.

However, this little minx had an ace up her sleeve and on the final day she flew like the witch on  a broomstick, we know she is.  Upwind she sails beautifully and at one point we saw whitehawk! We overtook several boats which made a change!

At the last mark we were racing to go around and Rainbow, a J class was also charging to the race mark.

We gave  her water!   But ended up going around in her wake which was like being in a washing machine.  It was all good fun!

Antigua or bust

We left Nevis and decided to continue along the volcanic trail or there would be a mutiny on board! Fortunately the weather was brilliant and we sailed past the island of Redonda towards Monserrat. 

My dubious captain would scare anyone who came near us!  Unfortunately the sun protection failed ...a lesson in the strength of the tropical sun and someone ended up with a burnt nose.

We arrived at lLittle bay to find it empty of yachts, mainly due to the swell of previous days. We went in and out and round and about, again and again before we found a spot to anchor. It's funny how once we'd dropped the hook several other boats came in and anchored nearby.

The following day we took a trip to see the volcanoes. We were shocked at the devastation and it was the first time we had seen the effects of pyroclastic flows of ash, so much more deadly than flows of lava.

The haze isn't out of focus, it's smoke and ash.

Plymouth was buried and it's hard to imagine the organisation that went into to evacuating people, not to mention the impact on families having to literally walk out of their homes leaving everything behind.

The brown field is ash, covering the old houses of Plymouth to the first floor.

This hotel was swamped by ash and still people are unable to return as the volcano is still active. The smell of sulphur was strong. Access is limited to certain areas and this is reviewed daily.

Nice swimming pool...

I really felt sorry for the people whose lives had been affected but we were told the British Government is supporting them. Cows, goats, horses and pigs have gone feral, no one could say whether the threat of pyroclastic ash flows or the brooding sows were the greater danger in the abandoned houses of Plymouth. With Montserratians comfortably on British dole, Guyanans and Haitians are employed in pretty much the one remaining industry, gravel extraction from the beds of the pyroclastic flows. These guys also hunt the feral animals, much to the dismay of locals who still covet the offspring of their livestock. 

We only stayed one day in Monserrat as we were expecting Tristans brother, Max, and Sarah and the boys, who were coming on holiday to Antigua. 

We had a very boisterous blast into big seas on the nose. Tristan went below and paddled into the heads. The door to our bunk had slammed shut and when he opened it a river of sea water gushed out. Someone had left the deck hatch open. So much for a romantic wedding anniversary, our bed was drenched in sea water.....bedding, cushions, clothes, the lot!

As soon as we approached Jolly Harbour, turquoise seas, white sandy beaches and turtles....all was forgiven. Calm and tranquility was restored and we remain married!

 We had a fantastic time with Max, Sarah, Charlie and Harry.....turtle spotting was top of the list.

Buoyancy aid training for crew....

The weather was a little fickle but we know how to treat or guests......put them out to sea in a rainstorm and see how they fare!

 'It's ok boys, just curl up in the boat'

'Hi!'

We enjoyed being tourists, swimming off beaches, visiting English Harbour and day sails. We had fantastic BBQ's, too many piña colada's at sunset. It was a real  break and put us in a good space for Antiqua Classics, the following week. 

 

Back on the broomstick

We finally cut the umbilical chord on March 9th ( would have been Mums 90th birthday), and inched our way out of TOBY , with a little help from our friends. True to form, Meriva ground to a halt as Tristan avoided the ferry. We were stuck aground. Keith was brilliant and nudged, badgered and like us probably cursed her out of the mud and into the channel. 

We still made the bridge and pushed ahead of everyone before anything else could go amiss. The brilliance of Marigot Bay took your breath away......this was what we had signed up for. It was so good to be floating again.

Marigot Bay

Marigot bay with Cranky in the background

Celebratory cigar! Followed by another .........

We had intended to go in for a drink with everyone but the outboard wouldn't start, it was blowing strong and a long way to row. Help was on hand and thanks to Chris, Fynn and Oscar in their rescue dinghy we made it in to spend our last night in Time Out Boat Yard with the good friends we have made. 

I think a combination of Rose wine, strong winds, lumpy seas, Tristan cursing  the outboard,  and the fact it had been nearly 10 months ashore....I felt sea sick and we hadn't gone anywhere.

One scopoderm patch and I felt fantastic....ready to face our new adventure, jump on the broomstick and sail away.  The next day we went around to Simpson Bay to see our friends, Linda and Andy for a night, then left.....direction, South!

Wind guru forcast a steady 20 knots and 2 metre seas from the east......slightly under estimated. We had nearly 3 metres, very short wave period, winds easterly with a bit of south in. It was baptism of fire for our first sail. Everything went fine, a few pumps on the bilge but nothing to worry about. Looks like Tristan's hard work has paid off. 

We approached the gap between St Kitts and Statia....the seas dropped, wind eased and it was one of the best sails we have had in the Caribbean. 

We anchored off Basseterre tired but smiling. Checked in, stocked with fresh food and decided to hide for a few days and enjoy. 

We anchored off White House Bay........but were declined entry to the beach bar dock as it was for clients only. We wanted a drink but were told to land the dinghy on the reef lined beach by a jobs worth security guard. So, we eschewed that drink...

We were told they had put a dingy dock for people to use in the marina.

The new marina 

Meriva at anchor

Thank god we didn't dinghy round.....it's a building site with nothing there but concrete pontoons for very large yachts. We did walk over to look at the plans for the salt pond and were rewarded by seeing monkeys! 

 

Green vervet monkeys

We went over to sand bank bay. It was deserted, covered in Sargassum weed with a couple of private clubs off the beach. 

Sargassum 

Tristan pointed out the sewage discharge point..I'm getting him trained. It's on a windward beach!

We left St Kitts and headed over to Nevis, another brilliant sail  and have spent a few days chillin off Pinneys Beach. Quiet anchorage apart from at night!   At 3.15 am the Friday night music stopped.  I'd spent an hour in the cockpit, unable to switch off from listening to reggae, enjoying the fish leaping and the waves lapping around the boat.The stars were bright and at last I saw the southern cross. I always look for the three stars that make up the belt of orion and think of my girls, but Tristan had talked about th southern cross, visible  in Australia.  It was rising just above the horizon.....so I spent time thinking about Amy in Melbourne. 

The red beach umbrellas look inviting!

Nevis in the background.

 

This island is so relaxing.....no hustle and bustle, laid back and friendly, very friendly, the folk here are lovely! We ventured ashore paid our mooring fees and took a ride up to the botanical gardens and hugged a few trees, not many though as they had spikes on the trunks!  It was peaceful and deserted!  We ate in the Thai restaurant and had a stroll down to the road back into Charlestown Harbour, the capital of Nevis.  

We have relaxed after a hectic few months and we are enjoying being on holiday again. It's not easy to do nothing, takes practice.  

Times out........

Well the first part of the year can be put down to Chikungunya. Chikungunya head and shoulders knees and  hands! Knees and hands! In fact any part of the body that has previously been injured and any movable joint......they all hurt. Needless to say progress on any jobs has been slow.

Tristan did manage to climb the mast after a hefty dose of paracetamol, to refit the replacement staysail stay and the rebuilt furler. We did accept help. Thank you Astrid and Bjorn. 

I've been varnishing, just for a change, and decided to sand off the transom. It's taking a long time and a lot of frustration to rebuild the layers of varnish especially in humid conditions, before we apply the new name stencil.

Once you have stopped for a while, it's hard to leave and to get going again. Compound that with Chikungunya and you begin to feel like you'll never be able to function normally again. 

We were invited to go sailing last weekend on Rosie by  Paula and Keith. After a moment of guilt for not keeping up with jobs, we jumped at the chance. It was the best weekend we have had for a long time.


  Perfect weather, excellent company, beautiful anchorage, a roaring sail and turtles!

We  passed through the bridge by TOBY at 0900 and headed out into Marigot Bay. There was no wind and flat seas, so we had a gentle relaxing motor around the south west of St Martin, past Simpson Bay and Phillipsburg in the south and out towards Ile Fouche which is part of St Barts. 

The horse shoe bay wasn't too crowded and as soon as we arrived  we all  went for a swim. It had been such a long time...I miss snorkelling. The coral reef near the shoe was good.....gorgonian corals, huge parrot fish and turtles. Perfect.

Tristan also got to sleep with a leggy blonde!

The next morning we left in gusty winds and headed towards Tintamare under sail. With the help of George, the autopilot....well until Rosie decided to turn off the 12V supply and we did a 180. That's the trouble with blondes!  

As we approached Tintamare  a dolphin crossed the bow.....never to be seen again!  Keith gave us a guided tour of Tintamare. The old airstrip used  as a refuelling station during the Second World War, reclaimed by nature. The remnents  of planes, boilers  and dwellings. Once a hectic community, now overgrown. 

After a relaxing lunch, kindly cooked by Paula we motored back  around St Martin. We had circumnavigated St Martin in 24 hours and got our sea legs back. Both of us are ready to go sailing.

We needed  a big kick up the backside to get going, but we are in no rush to get anywhere. It's another day in paradise and we need to enjoy it.  That's what we are doing.