|
You are using an insecure version of your web browser. Please update your browser!
Using an outdated browser makes your computer unsafe. For a safer, faster, more enjoyable user experience, please update your browser today or try a newer browser.
|
|
We're Underway! |
We’re in Bonaire! Made it in this morning after a four day down wind sail. More boat issues to deal with before we can relax. All part of the adventure! It’s beautiful here, the water is so clear. We plan on relaxing here for a few weeks.
I’ll post pics after we get settled…
We’re still in Martinique waiting on a good weather window to head to Bonaire.
It has been quite rainy and windy here so we decided to rent a car and get off the boat for a couple of days. We drove up the west coast to St Pierre for a day, then shopping and an afternoon at the beach.
Breakfast at a waterfront pastry shop:
Then up the coast to St Pierre. St Pierre was founded in 1635, destroyed by hurricane and storm surge in 1780, and again in 1902 by volcanic eruption. In May of 1902 the entire city was destroyed and almost 30,000 people killed in just a couple of minutes. We had a nice time in spite of the gloomy weather. We walked around the town, visited the volcano museum (pictures not allowed), had a nice lunch then took our time driving back.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Pierre,_Martinique
Dark volcanic beach sand:
Nice building downtown, I think it was a bank:
Ruins from the waterfront:
St Pierre looking north, Mt Pelee obscured in the background:
From there we headed to Creve Coeur mountain and the ruins of an 18th century sugar refinery:
http://www.sainteanne-martinique.fr/EN/visite-les-ruines-de-creve-coeur_10785.html
We did some shopping, stocked up for our trip to Bonaire, and headed to the most amazing beach for the afternoon:
We brought lunch, went swimming in the warm clear water and when we needed shade we sat under these:
…with this guy:
We’re planning to depart for Bonaire on the 8th, weather permitting.
Until next time…
…from Martinique!
We put up the big flag today. I think we’re the only Americans here in Martinique.
We’re back in Martinique!
We need to get a better angle on the wind to get to Bonaire and we didn’t get much of a chance to explore Martinique on our last two visits, so we’re back to try again. It’s definitely rainy season in the eastern Caribbean! We think there is a going to be a lull in the rain on Monday and part of Tuesday so we reserved a rental car for those two days. We’re excited to do some sightseeing. We were planning on doing some hiking but I’m fairly sure I broke my foot so we’re just going to drive around, take pictures, and take it easy. I hope the car is an automatic…my clutch foot is killing me;)
On to the pictures. Click to enlarge.
I found a few pics from our last days in Grenada. We were so sad to be leaving such a wonderful country I think I was just snapping pictures. This is the south west coast of Grenada, Mt Hartman Bay in the center and Prickly Bay just to the left:
St Georges University:
Rounding the south west corner of the island, Pt Salines:
We spent the night in St George’s and departed the next day. The weather forecast was perfect for sailing but when we woke up it was a flat calm:
About halfway up the west side of Grenada the winds picked up. We were screaming north under full sail. Almost 7kts:
…and the trip was like this for about 100 miles!
Calm seas:
Some dolphins showed up. I had a hard time getting a picture of them breaching the surface. There is a gray patch in the center just under the surface…:
Sunset as we passed the Grenadines:
Now we’re in Martinique. Back in the land of cheap wine, Brie and baguettes! Hazy sunrise this morning:
Neighbors:
Downtown St Anne:
Dea Latis is out there somewhere…
We going to relax, tour the island, provision and head to Bonaire. We are waiting on the right weather window to make the 3-4 day crossing. There has to be decent weather and enough time between weather fronts for us to make it all the way. We will probably make 6kts sailing down wind but the weather travels much faster and we don’t want a tropical wave to roll over us while underway. We plan on being in Bonaire for a month or more…orrrr less. Who knows?
More to follow…
We are anchored in St Lucia waiting on weather to jump up to Martinique…which we can see from here on a clear day. We planned to stop here for internet/convenience and to wait out a nasty front that is going to blow through tonight and tomorrow.
We had a fantastic sail under full canvas, from Grenada to St Vincent, over 100 miles! Our first trip this season was perfect. We had clear skies, lots of stars, wind 12-15kts, seas 2-4ft, it was amazing. We were screaming along between 6 and 7kts for most of the trip…theeeeen everything turned to shit and it was quite lumpy with gust to 25kts. We thought it was some cape effect weather but it went on and on for about five or six hours, yuck. We arrived in Rodney Bay about 25 hours after departing St George’s, Grenada. After cleaning up the boat we ate breakfast and took a long nap! Oh and surprise, three things broke on the way! We fixed two of the problems in no time, the third we’ll knock out today. …living the life!
On to the pictures, click on them for full screen view.
When in Grenada we like to anchor in Mt Hartman Bay, it’s quiet, picturesque, and very little swell (which means the boat doesn’t roll and we get plenty of uninterrupted sleep).
Dea Latis anchored in a nice little cove in Mt Hartman Bay:
Mt Hartman Bay Estate in the background. MHBE is for sale for $15 million USD if you’re interested… shah-whatEverrrr…
We motored around to the Capital of Grenada, St George’s, to meet up with friends Ken and Vicky on SV Painkiller.
Carenage, St George’s:
Little sailboat motoring past the container ship:
Ft George on the hill top:
Ken and Vicky:
We tied up at the seawall to go find lunch…and a hardware store of course:
Tanya and Vicky in front of the Public Library, which used to be the women’s prison:
Just as we were walking up the street, the container ship departed:
Old buildings, St George’s:
Through the tunnel which connects the two parts of the city:
Pedestrian traffic…
…combined with vehicular traffic:
After lunch and some shopping we dinghied over to Pt Louis Marina to check out of Grenada:
We spent the afternoon and happy hour(s) with Ken and Vicky before leaving the next day, we had a blast! Thanks guys!
We had a fantastic time in Grenada. The island is beautiful, the people are wonderful, there is always something to do, there is a great cruising community, it is our favorite island and we’re very sad to be leaving.
Weather permitting we are planning to stay in Martinique for a week or two and then move on to Bonaire!