|
|
| Citation |
- Permanent Link:
- https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00095627/00034
Material Information
- Title:
- Caribbean Compass the Caribbean's monthly look at sea & shore
- Place of Publication:
- Bequia St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Publisher:
- Compass Pub.
- Publication Date:
- December 2009
- Copyright Date:
- 2009
- Frequency:
- Monthly
regular
- Language:
- English
- Physical Description:
- v. : ill. ; 35 cm.
Subjects
- Subjects / Keywords:
- Boats and boating -- Caribbean Area ( lcsh )
Yachting -- Caribbean Area ( lcsh )
- Genre:
- serial ( sobekcm )
periodical ( marcgt )
- Spatial Coverage:
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- University of Florida
- Holding Location:
- University of Florida
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Compass Pub. Permission granted to University of Florida to digitize and display this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- 54085008 ( OCLC )
1605-1998 ( ISSN )
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CAR B BE A N
C2:MPASS
The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore
www.caribbeancompass.com
DECEMBER 2009 « NUMBER 171
Business Briefs
Eco-News
Meridian Passage
Regatta News
Cruiser Profile
Product Postings ..
Fun Pages
Cruising Kids’ Corner
Dolly’s Deep Secrets...
nO
alll
Cartbbean Compass 1s published monthly by
Compass Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 175 BQ.
Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Tel: (784) 457-3409, Fax: (784) 457-3410
compass@vincysurf.com
www.caribbeancompass.com
AINdNd NHOr
AZ INVA SASLS
Sally Erdle
sally@carlbbeancompass.com
Assistant Editor.
jsprat@vincysurf.com
Advertising & Distribution...
tom@caribbeancompass.com
Art, Design & Production
wide@caribbeancompass.com
Accounting.
debra@caribbeancompass.com
Elaine Ollivierre
-Tom Hopman
Wilfred Dederer
Debra Davis
.
a a
Comber Agents by Island:
DEPARTMENTS
The Caribbean Sky
Book Reviews
Cooking with Cruisers....44 - 46
Readers’ Forum
What’s on My Mind...
Monthly Calendar .... Fe
Caribbean Marketplace......
Classified Ads ...
Advertisers’ Index..
nee Petite Martinique:
Ad Sales tribution - Karen Maaroufl
Cell: io. er 2151 Office: (473) 444-3222
compassgrenada@hotmall.com
Martinique: Ad Sales_& Distribution - Isabelle Prado Tel:
oa 596 68 69 71, Mob: + 596 (0) 696 93 26 38
isabelle. prado@wanadoo.fr
St. Lucia: Distribution - Lisa Kessel
Tel: (758) 484-0555,
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Ad Sales - Stéphane ie
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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Ad Sales - Debra Davis,
Tel: (784) 457-3527, debra@carlbbeancompass.com
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ua: Ad Sales & Distribution - Lucy Tulloch
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Light time in Trinidad
Fun, Fun, Fun
Upcoming Caribbean events... 28
Big Hello!
Meet the local whales
Caribbean ass welcomes submissions of short articles, news items, photos and drawings.
See Writers’ Guidelines at www.caribbeancompass.com. Send submissions to sally@caribb eancompass.com.
We support free speech! But the content of advertisements, columns, articles and letters to the editor are the sole
responsibility of the advertiser, writer or correspondent, and Compass Publishing Ltd. accepts no
[ responsibility for any statements made therein. Letters'and submissions may be edited for length and clarity
Compass Publishing Ltd, accepts no liability for delayed distribution or printing quality as these services are
ry supplied by other companies.
©2009 Compass Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication,
Sara TAL Ln aes cry aeons cute ee Treat Te Setrecens GH art eae Cones Publishing Ltd
ISSN 1605 - 1998
Marooned. ae
.. in a very good way
Cover photo: The ARC embarks from the Canaries to St. Lucta — Photo: World Cruising Club
Grand Bahama [1 Great
rida Abaco Compass covers the Caribbean! From Cuba to Trinidad, from
Flo eee $ Payee Panama to Barbuda, we've got the news and views that sailors
Gulf of £ a can use. We're the Caribbean’s monthly look at sea and shore.
heme
The Bahamas “| keep a boat in St. Lucia. When not on the boat,
I try to stay in touch with activities in the Caribbean.
“When | return to the boat, | always look for the latest
issue of the Compass. Now, your new online format
allows me to stay in touch even better.
“Nice job, well done!â€
Mexico
— John Dupee
weute Haiti / Dominican
Republic US / British
Virgin Ishands.
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7 a ih Sheer bklartin | Mer Masten
Soa canes : ee Ce Barbe
| Swan Mawanicn Puerto Rico stro Sins", Antigua
Montserrat puadeloupe
‘eden hrm fiateamy†© Marte ettinert ae
Dominica
Caribbean Sea
Click Google Map link below to find the Caribbean Compass near you!
http://maps google.com/maps/ms ?t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8émsa=0damsid=112776612439699037380.000470658db37 1 bf3282d&Il=14 .54105,-65.830078 &spn=10.196461 ,14.0625&z=6&source=embed
Info
Port of Entry Status Re-established for Prickly Bay, Grenada
Anita Sutton reports: Since November 3rd, a Medical Officer has been stationed at
Prickly Bay Marina Customs & Immigration Office, so yachts can once again clear in
to Grenada at Prickly Bay. Yachts can also still clear in to Grenada at Hillsborough in
Carriacou and at the Grenada Yacht Club in St. George’s.
The Marine & Yachting Association of Grenada would like to thank the Ministry of
Health and the Chief Medical Officer who worked with us to enable the clearance facil-
ities at Prickly Bay to be restored, while ensuring Swine Flu precautions remain in place.
Clarifying Clearance in Aruba
Sander Vellinga reports: Aruba’s yacht clearance procedure is somewhat different
from that in many other islands in the Caribbean. As in most countries, all vessels are
required to go to an official port of entry before going to another harbor or marina.
Although both Oranjestad harbor and Barcadera harbor are ports of entry, due to the
ISPS requirements the Aruba Ports Control will send yachts to Barcadera harbor. Here’s
where the difference comes in: at Barcadera, yachts are required go alongside the
dock to clear in. There, the vessel will be cleared both by Customs and by Immigration.
Specific harbor entry information for Barcadera harbor, as well as the Customs
and Immigration forms, can be found on the website of the Renaissance Marina
(see page 15): www.renaissancemarina.com/clearance-procedures. There are no
visa requirements for citizens of the USA, Canada or the EC. Other nationalities can
find requirements at http//.brochures.aruba.com/entryreq/2007 entryrequirements.
pdf. While itis not up and running yet, Aruba is in the process of implementing the
eSeacClear system in the near future.
Compass Contributor Wins SSCA Award
Congratulations to Caribbean Compass contributor Ellen Sanpere and her hus-
band Tony who recently won the Seven Seas Clean Wake Award. The award recog-
nizes voyaging cruisers who exemplify by their behavior one of the main principles of
the Seven Seas Cruising Association, “to leave a clean wakeâ€. Award recipients are
those who show generosity and offer assistance to others, especially to people who
live in the countries they are visiting, and/or those who involve themselves in activi-
ties of significant benefit to mankind and the environment.
Ellen and Tony have rescued fisher-
men adrift in the Caribbean Sea, volun-
eered with medical missions in
Venezuela, and worked with a number
of active environmental groups in the
Caribbean region. Ellen is currently the
press contact for the charitable St. Croix
Hospice Regatta (see page 17). Tony is
a well-known skipper on the Caribbean
yacht racing circuit.
Other Compass contributors who
have been honored by the SSCA in the
past include Melodye and John Pompa,
who received the association’s 2002
Service Award for their efforts in alerting
he cruising community to safety mat-
ers in the Caribbean; Suzanne
Longacre, who with John Gideonse won
a 2002 Transocean Award; Pauline
Dolinski, who with her husband Voytek
won d 2002 Transocean Award; Bruce
Van Sant, who won a 2003
Camaraderie Award for his many years
of guidance and advice to cruisers
hrough his books; Devi Sharp, who with
her husband, Hunter, won a 2006 Clean Wake Award; and Marcie Connelly-Lynn,
who won a Recognition Award in 2007 for her efforts as the SSCA’s first volunteer
Cruising Station Coordinator. In 2002, Compass advertiser Don Stollmeyer (Power
Boats) won a Service Award for his efforts on behalf of the visiting Trinidad sailing
community, and in 2007 Caribbean Compass’s Trinidad agent, Jack Dausend, won
the Cruising Station of the Year Award for his tireless efforts welcoming cruisers to
Trinidad, and helping to organize multiple cruiser events such as the annual SSCA
New Year’s Day Gam.
Congratulations to you all. We're proud to have you aboard!
For more information visit www.ssca.org.
Ellen Sanpere, who with her husband.
Tony won the SSCA's 2009
Clean Wake Award.
Eight Bells
CARRICOU WEBMASTER, JOHN INGRAM
John H. Ingram, 58, of Carriacou died on October 14th after falling downstairs and
suffering a head injury. He was flown to the general hospital in Grenada where he
passed away. A native of West Virginia, John spent 19 years in Carriacou. His popu-
lar website, www.grenadines.net, was “The Carriacou Caribbean Connection: Your
Information Gateway to The Grenadine Islandsâ€. He was also proprietor of The
Caribbean Computer Company Internet Café and Back Porch Bar in Hillsborough,
where many cruisers and charter crew checked e-mail, got laptops repaired and
had websites built. John also booked yacht charters and acted as an agent for holi-
day home rentals on the island. He will be missed.
—Continued on next page
ta Spice ee
PO its Ce tema
* eT
————
—Continued from previous pag
page
GAME FISHING CONSERVATION PIONEER, SID JOHN:
SON
Steven Valdez reports: The Trinidad & Tobago Game Fishing Association (ITTGFA)
Caribbean region.
‘ask force that produced a document presented to
Fisheries in Sea Lots, Port of Spain, and send them to
Year award from the IGFA.
The Billfish Foundation named him 1991 Individual o
was also instrumental in having the Institute of Marine
passing Sid held a cabinet-appointed post on the Na
Foreign Fishing and was a member of the Trade and
eam of the Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister’s Vision
Sailor Still Missing
Kenneth Maurice Jackson, 45, was last heard from on March 28rd, 2009. He report-
ost founding member and former Secretary, Sid Johnson, on November 6th. Sid, a
part of the TTGFA management committee from inception in October 1986 to 2007,
was involved in many ways for the betterment of the sport in the Southern
Sid advocated conservation efforts in the region and was concerned about the
jong-liners and industrial trawlers operating in Caribbean waters. He lobbied against
hese practices in the Gulf of Paria in Trinidad and was included as a member of the
he Trinidad & Tobago Cabinet
‘© assist in dealing with these matters. Sid’s passion for conservation led him to take
photographs of Taiwanese large-scale pelagic driftnet boats seen at National
the International Game Fishing
Association (IGFA). These photos were later published on the cover of the New York
Times; the accompanying article was the first conservation story to be featured on
hat newspaper's front page. As a direct result, the United Nations banned large-
scale pelagic drift net fishing and Sid received an individual Conservationist of the
the Year. Sid will always be
remembered as the Southern Caribbean pioneer of billfish tag-and-release fishing. He
Affairs and Fisheries Division in
tinidad & Tobago take samples of fish caught in local tournaments. At the time of his
tional Monitoring Committee on
Industry Fish and Fish Processing
2020 committee.
edly set sail from Charleston, South Carolina heading
or Nassau in the Bahamas. His
family has heard nothing of him
since. Ken’s boat is a 40-foot
wooden ketch, thought to be
called Lily Ooh La La. The name
was not painted on the boat
when he left Charleston, and it
could be sailing under either a
British or US flag. The boat has
wooden spars, a white hull with
dark green sheer stripe, and pos-
sibly a New Jersey registration
number on the bow. It has no
winches or windlass, no EPIRB and
no autopilot, just a PVC self-steer-
ing mechanism. The boat did
carry a GPS system (full size and
hand-held back-up), a radar
reflector, VHF radio, life jackets
and fire extinguishers. British-born
Ken is six feet tall, medium build,
with curly bleached brown hair
and hazel-orown eyes.
Since Ken’s disappearance,
boat watches have been con-
ducted by the Boatwatch Net (www.boatwatchnet.org), Bahamas Air Sea Rescue
Association (www.basra.org), Bahamas Immigration, and the US Coast Guard.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact daisyi@cwgsy.net or gardensof-
style.commercial@hotmail.co.uk.
Cruisers’ Site-ings
e Frank Virgintino reports: The free Cruising Guide to the Dominican Republic is
now available at its new website, www.dominicanrepubliccruisingguide.com. The
site is interactive and users can leave comments, interact with Facebook and link to
other popular cruisers’ websites and to the Dominican Republic Marina Guerra
(Coast Guard). The guide can be read on-line, or it can be downloaded as a PDF
file at no charge. The costs of the guide and the site were underwritten by Rafael
Baez, owner of Marina ZarPar (see page 26), located on the south coast of the
Dominican Republic in Boca Chica.
The Cruising Guide addresses ports and harbors for the entire Dominican Republic,
gives an overview of Dominican culture, and tells what to expect while cruising
through this fabulous country, located on the second largest island in the
Caribbean. The guide also covers clearance procedures, which in recent years
have been simplified. Although entrance to most harbors has become straightfor-
ward, some, such as Luperon and Samana on the north and east coasts, are still
plagued by port officials who have a history of asking for unauthorized pay-
ments. Suggestions on how to handle these requests are also covered in the Guide.
Most cruisers who have passed through the DR have found it to be extremely
unspoiled and uncrowded. The costs for food and labor are relatively low, and
thanks to a vigilant coast guard most cruisers have found cruising here very safe.
—Continued on next page
~ Water sports
~ Rainforest tot
Floral arrang:
Spare part ot
Guests, Captains, and Crew - Enjoy High-end Amenities
Five Star Luxury Resort and Spa - Discovery at Marigot Bay
Seven local restaurants and bars
urs, sky fides, bike tours, and more
Shop high-end retail at The Marina Village
First-Class Faclllties, Services, and Staff
Yacht capacity: 250 feet LOA; 44 feet beam; 16 feet draft
WIFI and high speed Internet connection
Single and three phase electricity (50 and 60 Hz)
High-speed fueling
ements
Uquoer and food provisioning
Business Center: FedEx, car rental, travel agency
rdering and delivery
Chandlery Shop
Airport transfers
Charter Yacht Pick-up and Drop-off
International airport with direct flights from the US and UK
Heliport nearby
Private Jet landing at nearby George FL Charles Alrport (Vigle)
Contact Us for Details:
Christmas in Marigot Bay
Spend Christmas In Marigot Bay and celebrate a
St. Lucian-style Christmas with black cake, oy nv
spice rum and more ... Scove
Hear What Our Customers Say About Us:
“Best Marina we have been to in the Caribbean ..."— Black Pearl
“Excellent and friendly staff! Thanks you.†— Yacht Felina
“Marigot Bay Is a great place to hang out ... †— Stampede
Sane IWIN on
ok Menigok Jom,
www.marigotbay.com » marina@marigotay.com « (758) 451-4275 » VHF Channel 12
—Continued from previous page
There have been incidents of theft in a few harbors, but there is no record of vio-
lent attacks against yacht owners. The number of boats cruising the DR, as com-
pared to just passing through, has grown immensely over recent years.
* Robert the Wifi Guy reports: My website, www.wifiguy.co.cc/info.html, has up-to-
date information for cruisers planning to visit Venezuela’s Isla Margarita. It shows
cruisers new to the area what to do, what to avoid, how to save money by making
the most of the very favorable exchange rate, and how to stay safe. There is also a
comprehensive weather information page — plus a whole lot more!
« Birgit Roethal reports: We've updated the St. Maarten/St. Martin portal, www.
mapsxm.com, with YouTube videos, photos, flight info, movie times, weather, wikis
and road maps. There is also information on neighboring islands, and mapsxm.com
is a partner of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and the St. Maarten Marine Trades
Organization. Recently added is a forum and ranking system where you can cur-
rently rank more than 450 businesses on the island; the list is steadily growing.
e Linda Hutchinson reports: We have just set up a new blog site for our cruise,
www.mytb.org/Sandcastle27. It’s pretty cool!
Carriacou Children’s Education Fund 2009 Scholarships
John and Melodye Pompa report: The Carriacou Children’s Education Fund
2009 scholarship recipients Michelle Alexander, Codell Stafford and Nadia
Edwards, with Melodye Pompa of CCEF; Fleure Patrice, Director of the Carriacou
campus of TAMCC; and Judy Evans of CCEF
(CCEF) has announced the recipients of its 2009 scholarships. Michelle Alexander
and Nadia Edwards of Bishop’s College and Codell Stafford of Hillsborough
Secondary School have begun their studies at the Carriacou campus of TA
Marryshow Community College, with full tuition and fees paid for two years and a
contribution of EC$1,000 towards textbooks.
These three students join Carnisha Charles (Hillsborough Secondary), Reann
Martineau (Bishop’s College), Tahera Paul (Bishop’s College) and Marcia Scott
(Hillsborough Secondary). The first two students benefiting from the Carriacou
Children’s Education Fund scholarships, Stacy Bain and Rena Noel, have complet-
ed their course of study and are working in positions in line with the goals they set
for themselves.
Each student writes an essay of 1,000 words on the topic “How | will use my edu-
cation to build a better Grenadaâ€. Stacy’s primary goal, as stated in her essay in
2007, put teaching at the secondary school level at the top of her list, and she is
already addressing that goal.
Rholda Quamina (Bishop’s College) and Brian Lendore (Hillsborough
Secondary), the principals of the two secondary schools in Carriacou, select the
scholarship recipients based on CXC scores and financial need. Patrick Compton
of the Grenada Union of Teachers and Cleopatra Lambert, Principal of Harvey
Vale Government School, assist in the process every year, collecting and review-
ing the essays.
Visiting yachts and local businesses continue to assist local students through the
fundraising efforts of the Carriacou Children’s Education Fund (CCEF). These three
students bring the total amount of financial aid to nearly $14,000, and money has
been allocated to assist 2010 graduates of Bishop’s and Hillsborough Secondary.
The Carriacou Children’s Education Fund consists of concerned local businesspeo-
ple and volunteers from visiting yachts. Since 2000, CCEF has conducted fundraising
activities during the first week of August at the Carriacou Yacht Club, coinciding
with the annual Carriacou Regatta Festival. During this time, CCEF has raised over
$106,000 to provide uniforms, necessary school supplies and other educational assis-
tance to the children of Carriacou. The mission is to help as many children as possi-
ble and to fill the gap between what is required for a child to receive a proper edu-
cation and what their families can provide.
Since its inception, CCEF has provided assistance in more than 500 cases.
Success is due primarily to the hard work and generosity of the visiting yachts
and the local population who support CCEF, and is the yachtspeople’s way of
saying “thank you†to the people of Carriacou for the warm welcome always
received. These scholarships at TAMCC are a natural extension of the assistance
that CCEF has provided the primary and secondary school children of Carriacou
in the past. CCEF is just one example of how Carriacou benefits from the
presence of the yachts.
Welcome Aboard!
In this issue of Compass we welcome new advertisers Nelson’s Pursuit Race of
Antigua, page 17; Reef Gardens of Antigua, page 42; Reds Caribbean of Trinidad,
page 36; Jean-Jacques Poette auctioneers of Martinique, page 48; and Townhouse
Mega-Store of Antigua, page 50, plus Bluewater Sailing of Grenada; OnDeck
Maritime Training of Antigua; Tilikum marine refrigeration and electronics of
Martinique; and Mango Bay restaurant of Martinique — all in the Market Place sec-
tion, pages 51 through 53. Good to have you with us!
Sail the unspoiled habitat of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Enjoy pristine scenery in the Caribbean with tropical
landscapes, a spectacular volcano and great hotels.
Return home, determined to come back again and ———
ozaiM
St. VINCENT, YoUNG IstAND, Brouia, Mustiquz, CANOUAN, MAyREAU, TOBAGO Cays, UNION ISLAND, PALM ISLAND AND PETIT ST. VINCENT
Visit www.discoversug.com, call 1-784-450-6222 or email sugta@discoversvg.com
Photo: www. insandoutsofsyg.com
Budget Marine Launches Catalogue, Sponsors
Kayak Marathon
Budget Marine launched its 2010 marine equipment
catalog on October 28th. Each year Budget Marine
stages the official arrival of its first catalog. This year
the story was that in light of the financial climate, the
catalog was printed in-house by hardworking employ-
ees on a second-hand printing machine imported
from Bangladesh. The overall-wearing printer is Coleen
Lucas, who jumped out of the printing machine right
after completing the first copy printing. This coincided
with the annual Managers’ Meeting and the introduc-
tion of Ben and Amnerys Rivera of the newest Budget
Marine location, St. Croix. Group Manager Robbie
Ferron enthusiastically expressed his optimism for the
upcoming season and encouraged the crowd to
expect the best.
In other Budget Marine news, the group will sponsor
Ryan de Jongh, a Curacao kayak specialist and
nature activist, in attempting the marathon effort of
paddling between St. Maarten and Curacao. He will
leave St. Maarten on December 5th and stop at two
Budget Marine locations (Grenada and Bonaire) on his
way to his final destination of Curag¢ao where a party
will be ready for him, planned for December 27th. The
total distance to be covered is just over 1,000 miles.
The effort is intended to collect funds for the Carmabi
Foundation, which manages nature reserves
in Cura¢ao, as well as for a group that will provide 170
disabled children with a daily meal and education for
a period of a year. The other gold sponsor of this effort
is Insel Air and Ryan’s kayak will be accompanied by
the yacht Monsoon throughout the journey.
For more information on Budget Marine see ad on
page 2.
New Manager for St. Lucia’s Rodney Bay Marina
Ernie Seon reports: International Global Yachting
(IGY) has announced the appointment of a new gen-
eral manager at Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia.
Australia-oorn Adam Foster says, “It’s really great to
have been given the opportunity to serve the compa-
ny in this part of the world where there are both chal-
lenges and opportunities, given the fact that the com-
pany has undertaken a major investment in a period
of economic uncertainty. Our operations in St. Lucia
are still undergoing a physical transition and | am
pleased to have been given the opportunity to guide
the process, which will involve marketing and promot-
ing the marina globally.â€
Adam has worked in the industry for the past 17 years
in Australia, the South Pacific region and Europe. The
early part of his career included diving instruction and
equipment service, bridge and wharf construction, hos-
pitality, commercial vessel operation, new boat mar-
keting, sales and service. In 2000, Adam took his first
position in marina management with Cronulla Marina
on Port Hacking (New South Wales). He joined
Australia’s largest marina group, d’Albora Marinas, in
2005. In 2007 Adam was appointed Business
Development Manager for the seven d’Albora marinas.
The new GM has trained marina staff throughout
Australia and Asia for the Association of Marina
Industries, a subsidiary of the International Marina
Institute, and was awarded his Certified Marina
Manager's designation in 2008. IGY Marinas employed
Adam several months ago as Education Director
where he wrote the IGY university training program
and trained staff at all Caribbean locations. Once the
training was complete, he was offered the position of
General Manager of the Rodney Bay facility.
“Lam looking forward to my stint in St. Lucia. | have
received a warm response from the hardworking staff
here and from St. Lucians in general, and we intend to
continue to play our part in overall development of
the yachting product in St. Lucia,†he said.
For more information on Rodney Bay Marina see ad
on page 55.
Dockwise Yacht Transport Record Load Bound
for St. Thomas
On November 3rd, when the 556-foot Super Servant
4, one of Dockwise Yacht Transport’s (DYT) fleet of four
semi-submersible ships, left Newport, Rhode Island, it
was packed with a record load of 50 recreational
cruising and racing boats, worth upward of US$41 mil-
lion. The ship headed to Freeport, Bahamas, a newly
added port of call for DYT, where it unloaded eight of
the vessels (six motor yachts, one sport fishing boat
and one sailboat), then carried on to St. Thomas, USVI,
where the remaining vessels (17 motor boats and 25
sailboats) disembarked.
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We are maxed out on this trip; not one inch of room
‘o spare,†said Ann Souder, DYT’s sales agent for the
East Coast and Caribbean, explaining that while the
recession may have temporarily subdued demand,
it has not reversed the long-term upward trend in
yacht transportation between cruising destinations in
which DYT specializes. The company’s unique float-on/
loat-off method for yachts up to 200 feet in length is
accommodated by its ships, such as the Super Servant
4, which partially “sink†to allow their cargoes of boats
‘© load and unload under their own power rather than
be lifted by cranes.
According to DYT President Clemens van der Werf,
demand for yacht transportation services is mainly
generated by yacht owners and charter companies
seeking expansion of their cruising grounds to benefit
Tom two seasons within one year (e.g., New England
in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter). “The
market is mainly driven by the increasing global fleet
size, and the growing charter market along with the
development of new yachting destinations around
he world,†said Van der Werf. Since its maiden voy-
age in 1987, the company has transported over
10,000 motor and sailing yachts to various destinations
around the globe.
In addition to its conservation partnership with The
Billfish Foundation, the only non-profit organization
dedicated solely to conserving and enhancing billfish
populations around the world, DYT is also partnered
with the International Seakeepers Society. Its newest
ship, the 685.7-foot (209-metre) Yacht Express, is outtit-
ted with the modular SeaKeeper 1000 ocean and
meteorological monitoring system which samples,
measures, records and transmits critical measures of
ocean health — salinity, temperature, oxygen and
pollution, among others — to various scientific and
public communities across the globe.
For more information, see ad on page 9.
New Shop in Martinique for Diginav
Diginav is happy to let you know that its brand-new
shop specializing in marine electronics is now open. At
the new shop, located on first floor of Marina du
Marin, Martinique, you will find all the major brands,
best after-sale service for all products sold in the shop.
For more information see ad on page 23.
Grenada’s RYA Yachtmaster Success
Grenada Bluewater Sailing’s first combined Coastal
Skipper & Yachtmaster course was recently complet-
ed. Alex Johnstone, the principal, started off with the
five-day Theory Course, added the First Aid and SRC
VHF day courses, and then held a four-day
Yachtmaster preparation. Martin Northey from the
Iberian Sea School flew in as the external Yachtmaster
examiner, and after two days of examinations alll stu-
dents passed.
ARYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is
often the aim of aspiring skippers, both professional
Master class: Andell David, Selwyn Maxwell, Michael
Nelson, Alex Johnstone, Victor Cox
and Richard Watson
and recreational. RYA qualifications, in particular the
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean
Certificates of Competence, are recognized around
the world.
In most cases no formal qualifications are required for
crew on commercial yachts up to 24 metres in length.
The brand-new Diginav shop in Marin, Martinique is
open and ready to serve you
including Furuno, Raymarine, Garmin, Superwind,
Simrad and B&G, Jacques Fouquet, the owner, will be
pleased to advise you on the best solutions to fit the
needs of your boat. Diginav also assures you of the
However, many skippers prefer to hire crew who have
undergone training to at least Day Skipper level. If you
look for work through a crew placement agency, they
will often recommend that you hold a Day Skipper cer-
tificate, preferably supported by training such as the
Diesel Engine, First Aid and Radar courses.
The qualifications required for skippering commer-
cial yachts are determined by the area in which the
yacht is operating. With a Coastal Skipper Certificate
of Competence you can skipper yachts up to 24
metres operating up to 20 miles from a safe haven,
while the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of
Competence enables you to skipper yachts up to 200
gross tonnes, 150 miles from a safe haven. With the
Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence you
can work worldwide. Whichever area you are working
in, you must hold the commercial endorsement, so a
one-day sea survival course and medical fitness certif-
icate are necessary.
Grenada Bluewater Sailing will hold further examina-
tion courses in the New Year.
For more information see ad in this issue’s Market
Place, pages 51 through 53.
Montserrat Ferry Service to Return this Month
The Government of Montserrat is pleased to
announce the retum of a ferry service between
Antigua and Montserrat from early December. The
service will provide Montserrat with two daily return
trips on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information contact the Montserrat Tourist
Board at info@montserratiourism.ms.
New Caribbean CrewShow to Take Place
in St. Maarten
Following this year’s successful events in Antibes and
Palma de Mallorca, CrewShow — the only trade exhi-
bition focused exclusively on professional yacht crew
— announces its first Caribbean event: CrewShow St.
Maarten. The new show is scheduled for January 9th
at Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, an Island Global Yachting
(IGY) marina.
he Sacks Group Yachting Professionals will sponsor
this inaugural event. CrewShow founder Celia
Wagstaff will host the event together with Brian
Deher, IGY Marina Manager for Yacht Club at Isle de
Sol. Strategic support for CrewShow St. Maarten will
also be provided by Ann E. McHorney, who heads
TSGYP’s Caribbean division and runs Select Yachts
NV, another show sponsor. McHorney’s office in Plaza
del Lago, Simpson Bay, will be the headquarters of
CrewShow St Maarten.
For more information visit www.crewshow.com.
a
New Megayacht Services in Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe Yacht Concierge.com is the new and
only contact for megayachts cruising to Guadeloupe,
the Saintes and Marie-Galante. With four years of
experience on the island and more years at sea, the
agency staff is the shore link for all a yacht’s needs.
With high-quality service in mind, they link the yachts
with the best pros on the island.
he concierge services include Customs clearance,
marina bookings, provisioning, airport transfers, and
arrangements for day workers, services, repairs, parts
ordering and haulout, as well as tailor-made recre-
ational activities for guests or off-duty crew.
Guadeloupe Yacht Concierge has two convenient
locations: in Deshaies right at the dinghy dock, and at
the harbour office of Marina Bas-du-Fort in Pointe-a-Pitre.
For more information visit
hitp://guadeloupeyachiconcierge.com.
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Bahamas Announce New Marine Parks
In October, The Bahamas’ Prime Minister
Hubert A. Ingraham announced “the order-
ly expansion of our national parks system
to include up to ten percent of the terres-
trial areas and 20 percent of the near-shore
marine resources of the country.â€
The new parks encompass some of The
Bahamas’ most pristine lands and waters,
and include:
¢ the establishment of the Fowl Cays Land and Sea Park in Abaco, located between
Scotland and Man O’ War Cay in the barrier islands of Great Abaco
¢ the expansion of the West Side National Park of Andros, including Williams Island
and Billy Island, and
¢ the expansion of the Conception Island National Park.
In his announcement, Prime Minister Ingraham also noted, “We are mindful of the
pressures of development in certain parts of The Bahamas, and equally mindful of
our duty to protect the interest of our people and integrity of our resources.â€
The Bahamas continues to increase conservation momentum within the Caribbean.
In addition to these new parks, the government recently extended legal protection to
all species of sea turtles found within its waters. They may not be hunted, trapped
or otherwise harmed or harassed.
Since 2008, The Bahamas has provided key leadership and support for the
Caribbean Challenge. The goal of the Challenge — currently endorsed by five sover-
eign Caribbean nations — is to not only permanently establish a network of 20 mil-
lion acres of marine parks across the territorial waters of at least ten countries, but
also to ensure that once established, the protected areas also receive sufficient, per-
manent funding through sustainable financing tools.
For more information on the Caribbean Challenge
visit wiww.nature.org / initiatives / protectedareas.
Caribbean
Eco-News
Caribbean Coral Got a Break This Year
Lower-than-feared sea temperatures this summer gave a break to fragile coral
reefs across the Caribbean that were damaged in recent years. “We dodged a bullet
this year. The good news is that temperatures didn’t get quite warm enough for
there to be a large-scale bleach-
ing problem,†C. Mark Eakin,
coordinator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Coral Reef
Watch network, told the
Associated Press. He was
among scientists gathered in
San Juan, Puerto Rico last
month for a meeting of the US
Coral Reef Task Force. The
Coral Reef Watch program’s
satellite data provide current
reef environmental conditions
to quickly identify areas at risk
for coral bleaching.
The worst coral bleaching in
the region’s recorded history
occurred in 2005, when hot
seas caused bleaching of as
much as 90 percent of corals in
the Eastern Caribbean, with
more than half of that dying. In
July, the Coral Reef Watch net-
work warned that high temper-
atures this year might lead to
severe coral problems because
sea surface temperatures in
parts of the Caribbean were
unusually hot.
Eakin told the AP that the
threat had passed for 2009, since temperatures are now cooling, but the problem
could return. “We're seeing little signs of coral recovery in the Caribbean, where the
damage has been like a ratchet wrench clicking down and staying there,†Eakin said.
“Temperatures could be severe enough next year.â€
Reef-building coral is a fragile organism, a tiny polyp-like animal that builds a
calcium-carbonate shell around itself and survives in a symbiotic relationship with
types of algae — each providing sustenance to the other. Even a one-degree Celsius
(1.7-degree Fahrenheit) rise in normal maximum sea temperatures can disrupt that
relationship. Bleaching can occur when sea temperatures rise just a few degrees
above average in the warmest summer months. Bleaching that lasts more than a
week can kill the organisms, since they rely on the algae for sustenance.
For more information visit coralreefiwatch.noaa.gov.
AIC ODICNI/ NOSTIM AY
Errol Flynn Marina Gains Third ‘Blue Flag’
Dale Westin reports: For the third time, Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio,
Jamaica, has been awarded the coveted “Blue Flag Marina†designation. The Blue
Flag Campaign is an international voluntary certification scheme for beaches and
marinas. The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label that so far has been awarded to 3,450
beaches and marinas in 41 countries across Europe, South Africa, New Zealand,
Canada and the Caribbean. It has proven to be an effective environmental tool to
enhance the health, safety and environmental quality of beaches and marinas. The
Blue Flag has become a worldwide symbol for beach and marina environmental qual-
ity and is sought for the recognition received from visitors. Errol Flynn’s Blue Flag
rogram is monitored by the marina’s Administrative Manager, Christine Downer.
For more information on the Blue Flag Program visit www.blueflag.org.
Lionfish Response Efforts in USVI
Lionfish are a non-native fish capable of devouring native Caribbean species and
damaging reefs. They have begun to invade the Caribbean and have no known
redators here. Their spines contain venom that can cause intense pain. Nine lion-
ish have been collected in St. Croix waters this year.
A USVI Lionfish Response Management Plan was drafted by the Lionfish Response
Planning Committee, made up of a variety of stakeholders including the USVI
Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the University of the Virgin Islands,
The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, Coral World, the Reef
Environmental Education Foundation, the St. Croix Environmental Association and
the organizer of the USVI Lionfish Response Program (volunteer divers that search for
ionfish). The Plan, located at http:/ /fw.dpnr.gov.vi/Lionfish /OSJ30FinalPlan.pdf, is a
working document and can be amended at any time. Your comments are welcome.
——_
ESeaClear Update
by Aaron Smith
The February 2009 issue of Caribbean Compass reported on the implementation of
eSeaClear, the Caribbean Pre-Arrival Notification system. This is an online service
that provides yacht operators with the ability to submit electronic notifications of
arrival to participating Customs administrations in the Caribbean. ESeaClear was
developed by the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) as part of
a Regional Clearance System set up to facilitate the processing of yachts traveling
around the Caribbean.
ESeaClear is a voluntary system, based on a standardized Customs clearance
form. It gives yacht skippers the option of filling out Customs clearance forms on-line
in advance of arrival at a port of entry, rather than filling out forms by hand upon
arrival. The on-line form, found at www.eSeaClear.com, asks for routine data similar
to that on the various existing paper Customs forms. After the first data entry, sub-
sequent uses are easy because all data is stored.
The eSeaClear-using skipper must still go to Customs to clear in. There, you give
the Customs officer your pre-arrival notification (PAN) I.D. number provided by the
on-line system. (Your name will also work, if you've forgotten your number.) The
Customs officer will pull up your form on his or her computer and print it out for
you to sign. Any fees will be paid as usual.
Since February, the implementation of the eSeaClear system has been continuous
and the service is now available in 14 island nations and territories: Aruba, Antigua
& Barbuda, Anguilla, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands,
Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St.
CCLEC has received many valuable comments
and recommendations from yacht skippers
Maarten, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. Every port within each country may
not yet be eSeaClear compliant. To address this, only ports that are currently able
to handle eSeaClear are available in the drop-down list; users will not be able to
submit notification to ports that are not yet ready.
Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago will soon be able to accept eSeaClear notifica-
tions. The Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) is working with
the remaining islands to implement the program sometime in the New Year.
CCLEC has received many valuable comments and recommendations from yacht
skippers throughout the course of early site usage, and as a result we have made the
following changes:
¢ Passport fields can now accept alphanumeric characters
¢ Vessel Dimensions input field can now accept decimal point notation
¢ Vessel Tonnage (weight) input field can now accept decimal points
¢ Motor Brands are now open text so you are now able to type in any brand as well
as utilize a drop-down list
¢ The date picker has been updated to make date navigation and selection quick
and simple
For added convenience, we have included a Help section that includes a full site
manual and FAQ. The user manual deals with all aspects of site usage and is ben-
eficial in familiarizing users with using the system and thereby improving the user
experience. The manual is available in PDF format for immediate download.
The site is also equipped with a feedback option that can be used for support
requests, making recommendations, or simply to share some insight on your experi-
ence while using the service.
In May, Keats Compton of the regional yacht trades’ umbrella group, the
Caribbean Marine Association (CMA), met with members of the CCLEC to discuss
the system and it was agreed that CCLEC would improve cooperation with CMA
through the signing of an MOU. Some additional recommendations were made for
the improvement of the system, which CCLEC will take forward in the next phase
of the project.
Future Development
By popular request, the system will be adapted so that users are able to make
notifications for both parts of their voyage, i.e. Arrival and Departure. This means
that vessel operators will be able to submit notifications of departure to Customs
ahead of time and be facilitated in the same way arrivals are done.
The system was designed to help facilitate vessel operations with the process of
Customs clearance in the region. Hassle-free movement between the islands is our
goal and CCLEC has been working hard with Caribbean countries to standardize the
clearance requirements, but getting all stakeholders on board can be a challenge. We
will continue to work to streamline the clearance process, thereby making your visit
in the region as seamless as possible.
If you have any questions or comments please contact us — we would be happy to
hear from you. Our contact: eSeaClearSupport@cclec.net or cclec@candw.lec.
Aaron Smith is the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council's ITC Officer. Visit
the eSeaClear website at www.eSeaClear.com.
Your bottom is our concern
P%:
mee UARY “10
Crossing the channels between Caribbean islands with a favorable tide will make
your passage faster and more comfortable. The table below, courtesy Don Street,
author of Street’s Guides and compiler of Imray-Iolaire charts, which shows the time
of the meridian passage (or zenith) of the moon for this and next month, will help you
calculate the tides.
Water, Don explains, generally tries to run toward the moon. The tide starts running
to the east soon after moonrise, continues to run east until about an hour after the
moon reaches its zenith (see TIME below) and then runs westward. From just after the
moon's setting to just after its nadir, the tide runs eastward; and from just after its
nadir to soon after its rising, the tide runs westward. Times given are local.
Note: the maximum tide is 3 or 4 days after the new and full moons.
For more information, see “Tides and Currents†on the back of all Imray Iolatre
charts. Fair tides!
December 21 1548 10 0806
DATE TIME 22 1628 Il 0858
1 2327 23 1709 12 0950
2 0000 (full) 24 1750 13 1042
3 0030 25 1833 14 1131
4 0134 26 1920 15 1219 (new)
5 0235 27 2011 16 1303
6 0333 28 2107 eg 1346
£ 0427 29 2208 18 1427
8 0517 380 2312 19 1507
9 0605 31 2344 (full) 20 1547
10 0652 January 2010 21 1629
Il 0740 DATE TIME 22 1713
12 0828 1 0016 23 1800
13 0918 2 0118 24 1852
14 1009 3 0216 25 1949
15 1102 (new) 4 0310 26 2050
16 1155 5 0400 27 2153
G7 1246 6 0449 28 2256
18 1336 7 0537 29 2356
19 1422 8 0626 380 2454 (full)
20 1506 9 0715 31 0054
REGATTA NEWS
Hot Pursuit! New Year’s Eve Race, Antigua
On New Year's Eve, December 31st, out of English
Harbour, Antigua, there will be a fun pursuit race to
suit every vessel; yachts from 23 to 130 feet have par-
ticipated in this annual event. This annual race com-
memorates Lord Nelson’s heroic pursuit of the French
across the Atlantic in 1805. No paperwork is involved!
For more information see ad on page 17.
World ARC to Start in St. Lucia
Yachts are “gearing up†to carry their crews on a
world circumnavigation in the World ARC 2010/11,
organized and run by World Cruising Club. World ARC
is open to monohulls with a minimum length of 40 feet
(12.19 metres), and multihulls between 40 and 60 feet
(12.19 ad 18.29 metres.
The east-to-west circumnavigation will begin in St.
Lucia on January 6th, 2010, and visit Panama,
Ecuador, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Niue,
Tonga, Fiji, Australia, Bali, Mauritius, Reunion Island and
South Africa. In 2011, the rally crosses the South
Atlantic via St. Helena to Brazil, then visits Grenada
before arriving back in St. Lucia in March 2011, 15
months after the journey begins.
In this second edition of World ARC, there are yachts
representing 19 nations and a greater number of
nationalities within the crews of the 40 boats already
registered. The largest contingent is from Germany
with eight yachts entered, then the UK with seven.
Yachts from other European nations, the USA,
Malaysia, Singapore and Australia are also taking
part. Some are crewed by couples who will take on
extra crew for some passages, while others will be
crewed by a larger number of family and friends.
Some skippers are seeking crew to join them for par-
ticular legs of the voyage.
Around one third of the yachts sailing in World ARC
will arrive in St. Lucia with ARC 2009. As with all World
Cruising Club events, the programme for the World
ARC start will include safety equipment checks, par-
ties, activities and briefings.
Armchair adventurers can follow the World ARC fleet
progress and the crews’ experiences along the way
via the boat logs and image galleries on the
event website.
For more information
visit www.worldcruising.com/worldarce2010.
Early Interest in St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic 2010
West Indies Events and the St.Maarten-St.Martin
Classic Yacht Regatta Organization have announced
that early registrations for the January 21st through
24th event are coming in at full speed.
Lone Fox, winner of 2008 and 2009 events, will battle
Richard West's Anguillian yacht Charm Ii (which has
The lovely classic Grote Meid will once again compete
also won the regatta twice) for the perpetual trophy.
Grote Meid, owned by Paul Van Koelen, has under-
gone a complete refit in Curacao and will sail back to
St. Maarten together with the classic yacht Aler? to
participate in the regatta.
Several “new†classics, vintage and other yachts will
appear during the event for the first time. Among
these are Philip Walwyn’s (owner of the well-known 12
Metre Kate) classic Philip Rhodes-designed yacht and
the authentic 1910 Cornwall Crabber Magnolia.
For the first time the regatta will see a class for work-
boats, including the traditional wooden sloops from
the Grenadines, built mainly in Carriacou. Laurie
Gumbs from Anguilla, who helped out at all the previ-
ous regattas as mark layer, has acquired Tradition (see
story on page 34) and will race her this year. The local
Grand Case and Anguilla traditional boats have been
absent for a few years, but organizers hope to see
them again this January.
A “Spirit of Classic†class will give yacht owners a
chance to participate with boats that are not qualli-
fied in Classic, Vintage, Spirit of Tradition or other exist-
ing classes. Owners of those look-alike classics are
invited to contact the technical committee in order to
submit their yacht for inspection and approval.
A “Star Regatta†charity fundraiser will be held on
January 23rd with racing in Great Bay aboard the 12
Metre Challenge America’s Cup boats. Local and
international VIPs will join the public in this “regatta
within a regatta†to support the Nature Foundation
and the Sint Maarten Diabetes Foundation. Tickets
start at US$100. Places aboard spectator vessels will
also be available.
Holland House Beach Hotel in Philipsburg is the new
headquarters for the regatta. Fort Louis Marina in
Marigot will be the first race-day venue and arrival
place on Friday, again offering complementary dock
space for the classic yachts (subject to availability).
For more information visit www. ClassicRegaita.com.
Entries Strong for 2010 Grenada Sailing Festival
Some top racing and racing/cruising yachts are
already booked for the 2010 Grenada Sailing Festival,
presented by Port Louis and Camper & Nicholsons
Marinas. The annual event, run in association with the
Grenada Board of Tourism, will run from January 29th
to February 2nd, 2010, and organisers report that they
expect one of the most competitive fleets since the
event began in 1994.
In the Racing Class, 2009 Festival winner James
Dobbs with his Antigua-based J/122 Lost Horizon will
challenge such prominent names in Caribbean sailing
as Peter Peake with Storm, and Paul Solomon skipper-
ing Enzyme, both from Trinidad, plus well-known
Festival competitors the Lewis brothers from Barbados
in Whistler. Grenada’s home-grown talent will also be
in contention with Richard Szyjan in Category 5, David
Cullen in Pocket Rocket and Justin and Peter
“Champie†Evans in Tanga Langa 3. The event will
also welcome back British skipper Hugh Pringle and his
crack Cowes Week crew in Lancelot, and will say
bonjour for the first time to visitors from Martinique
in Sonadio.
The Cruising Class is looking just as strong, with early
notice from Jaguar, Wayward, Bloody Mary and
Boxxer that they will be competing. The J/24 fleet
looks hot, too, with local boats Die Hard, Blew by You
and Tempest taking on Steve Bushe’s Ambushe from
Trinidad, and Barbados J/24s Paddington and
Hawkeye, skippered by Peter Hoad and Robert Povey.
The Charter Class, sponsored by long-term regatta
supporters Boval, the Dutch insurance group, will
include 49 sailors from The Netherlands who are char-
tering seven boats to take part.
—Continued on next page
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The good early response is attributed in part to the
news that the 2010 Festival will offer some newly
designed longer courses and will also extend the very
popular South Coast Ocean Triangle. These changes
were introduced to attract bigger yachts and the
strongly competitive crews based in the region, and
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provide an early sailing season ‘tune-up’ for the inter-
national yachts visiting the Caribbean.
The Grenada Sailing Festival Port Louis Racing Series
is part of the Southern Caribbean Regatta Circuit
2010, which also includes the Carriacou Sailing Series,
(January 13th through 16th) and the Tobago Carnival
Regatta (February 18th through 21st).
For the second year running, yachts taking part in the
annual Grenada Sailing Festival will all be able to dock
at a ‘Home Port’ — Port Louis by Camper & Nicholsons
Marinas, the island’s newest international-class marina
facility, which will have some 160 slips available for
yachts of all sizes. Racing will start and finish from this
base, with dockside ‘Finish Line Limes’, Happy Hours
and a new calendar of After-Race Parties focusing on
the Port Louis Marina and Victory Bar.
The event for 2010 will be run with presentation part-
ners Port Louis and Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, in
association with the Grenada Board of Tourism. The
organisers also thank Work Boat Regatta sponsor
Digicel, plus sponsors and supporters for 2010:
American Airlines; British Airways; Colombian Emeralds;
Mount Gay Rum; Heineken; ScotiaBank; United
Insurance; Budget Marine; Boval and Spice Island
Marine Services. Thanks also go to long-term support-
ers True Blue Bay Resort and Coca Cola.
. = For more information on the
Grenada Sailing Festival see ad
on page 12. For more information
on Port Louis Marina see ad on
page 16.
Budget Marine Annual
Valentine’s Regatta
The Budget Marine Annual
Valentine’s Regatta, hosted by
Jolly Harbour Yacht Club in
Antigua, takes place on February
13th and 14th, 2010. Regatta par-
ties, barbecues, a live band,
dancing and amusing prizegiving
celebrations are alll in store, and
berths will be available free of
charge (excluding utilities) for par-
ticipants on the race days.
Everyone is welcome to the festiv-
ities even if you are not sailing!
For more information visit
www. jhycantigua.com.
St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice
Regatta — A Different Experience
Ellen Sanpere reports: “The St. Croix Hospice Regatta
is a different experience from the other Caribbean
regattas, each of which has its own flavor,†says
Regatta Director Julie San Martin. She hopes the
Cruzan flavor will appeal to many different kinds of
racers during the regatta, February 19th and 20th,
2010, and highlights some of the factors that go into it:
The Site: Unique in the Caribbean, the St. Croix Yacht
Club is located on six beachfront acres on Teague
Bay, a residential neighborhood on St. Croix’s east
end. All shoreside activities are on the beach, as is the
clubhouse and its 120-foot dock. In addition to 32
dock slips, the large mooring field, easily accessed
inside a protective reef, can accommodate up to 100
boats. US Customs and Border Patrol attend on the
Friday, so arriving visitors can conveniently complete
their entry and exit documentation along with their
regatta check-in. The Optimist sailors have their own
clubhouse area in the event tent, as well as games on
the beach and volleyball court.
The Sailing: Just about all sailing vessels are welcome
at this regatta, from hi-tech racing machines to
heavy-displacement cruisers, beach cats to live-
aboard multihulls, 19-foot keelboats to Optimist din-
ghies. Teague Bay, the Buck Island Channel and the
vast Caribbean provide perfect venues for one-design
racing, windwardleeward courses and mid-distance
racing. The Race Committee endeavors to give a
start to any class that requests it.
The Volunteers: The entire Yacht Club membership is
involved in the regatta, staffing the various commit-
ees and providing housing for visiting officials and
Optimist sailors. This is our annual opportunity to host
sailors from other islands, and we turn out for it. The vis-
iting officials are also volunteers, and many have
donated their time for decades. On-site first aid and
handholding is provided daily by volunteers from the
local hospice and medical communities.
The Activities: On shore, adults mix it up with the
eight- to 16-year-old sailors. During the racing, the
observers’ favorite activity is liming on the beach
watching the Optimists and one-designs race around
he buoys. Food and beverages are available from
he Club from dawn to dusk, and breakfast is free for
competitors on Saturday and Sunday. In the interest of
getting back on the water promptly, midday meal
service is provided to the younger generation as part
of the Opti entry fee. The rest of the time, they mix
teely with the other competitors and Club volunteers.
On-site entertainment happens nightly, and the all-
volunteer hospitality staff can recommend local restau-
rants and arrange transportation for those who would
ike to see a bit of our lovely, off-the-beaten-track
iskand. Wild parties? You're as likely to see a five-year-
old on the dance floor as a 20-, 40-, or 60-something!
Optimist prizegiving is first, featuring the winner on the
giant scale for his or her weight in sports drink. Adults
are encouraged to participate: the kids are high ener-
gy. full of surprises, and it’s a great opportunity to
recruit crew from the up-and-coming. Later, the adult
awards are presented, and the CSA Spin-1 winner
gets his/her weight in Cruzan Rum.
“Our goal is family sailing and family attendance in an
atmosphere of a community get-together,†says San
Martin. “The Club volunteers attempt to welcome each
competitor as if the regatta was held just for them.
Extending the hospitality of St. Croix to visiting yachts-
men is part of our charter, and we take it seriously!â€
—Continued on next page
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PAGE 14
CARIBBEAN COMPASS
DECEMBER 2009
—Continued from previous page
“Inspired by Competition — Enhanced with
Compassionâ€, the organizers aim to raise funds and
awareness for hospice care on St. Croix. Continuum
Care, Inc. is a Medicare-certified USVI company pro-
viding hospice care in the US Virgin Islands. Fiscal non-
profit sponsorship, provided by the St. Croix
Foundation, offers donors 501(C)(3) tax-deductible
sponsorship options at several levels.
For more information see ad on page 17.
February’s Tobago Carnival Regatta: ‘Radicall’
Niki Borde reports: “Awesome!†was one of the many
words used to describe the Tobago Camival Regatta
2009, as sailors and spectators alike witnessed spec-
tacular performances put on by the latest inclusion:
the Windsurfing and kiteboarding competitors. Last
year’s successful re-branding of the regatta that has
been held in Tobago for the last 25 years has sailors
worldwide wondering what surprises lie in store for
them in 2010 — and Regatta Promoters Limited have
no intention of letting them down.
Two days after the world-famous Trinidad Camival in
2010, Tobago will host a spectacular show of its own,
the Tobago Carmival Regatta from February 19th
through 21st at Heritage Park, Pigeon Point, Tobago.
With the continued support of the Tobago House of
Assembly and the Tourism Development Company,
next year’s regatta promises plenty of sailing action
for the traditional big-boat racers, and the bar has
been raised for the Bum Boat, Windsurfer and
Kiteboard sailors as well, with far more extreme races
and freestyle courses. Last year’s Bum Boat division
attracted a crowd of more than 90 racers and their
fans from Bequia, Grenada, Carriacou and St.
Vincent. 2010 will see an added Treasure Hunt race
that starts in Pigeon Point and ends in Buccoo Bay,
culminating in a full day of festivities at the home of
the famous “Sunday School†party.
One of the primary goals of Regatta Promoters Ltd is
to expand the participation of the local population in
the sport of sailing; as a result the Tobago Optimist
race will play a major role in bringing young local sail-
ors into the 2010 competition.
Dubbed a Festival of Wind, itis one of the most all-
inclusive regattas in the region and will include one
more surprise for the sailing enthusiasts and beach-
goers alike, but Regatta Promoters are keeping mum
about it! Those wanting to know will have to make
their way to Tobago and continue their Carnival cele-
brations on the shores of Trinidad’s sister isle.
For more information visit www.sailweek.com.
Stars Align for Second RORC Caribbean 600
Trish Jenkins reports: A star-studded fleet is lining up
for the second annual RORC Caribbean 600. As the
name suggests, this is a 605-mile race around the
Caribbean islands. The 2010 race will start on February
22nd from Antigua, and is already amassing a fleet
starring some of the best sailors from around the world.
The race record holder, the 100-foot super maxi ICAP
Leopard, owned by London property millionaire Mike
Slade, will be shipped from Sydney in January after sail-
ing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Taking the same
ship as Leopard will be the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race
winner, Niklas Zennstrom’s JV72, Ran, which will also be
attempting to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart.
Joining them will be 80-foot Beau Geste, whose owner
Karl Kwok hails from Hong Kong and has a crew of pro-
fessional sailors with lots of America’s Cup experience.
From the US we can expect to see two very compet-
itive boats: the STP 65 Rosebud, owned by Roger
Sturgeon, who won the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart
Race, and Tom Hill’s brand-new Reichel Pugh 75 Titan.
Last year’s overall winner, Adrian Lee’s Cookson
50, Lee Overlay Pariners, will be back to defend her
title against opposition from her sister ship, Privateer,
which is based on the US East Coast. From Italy, Danilo
Salsi’s Swan 90, DSK Pioneer, will also be back, and
one can expect to see some of the Class 40s after
their Atlantic crossing in the ‘Solidaire du Chocolat’
two-handed race from France to Mexico.
John Burnie, one of the founders of the race and a
member of both RORC and Antigua Yacht Club (who
support the race), says, “This race is destined to
become one of the classic ocean races, ranked
alongside the world-famous Rolex Fastnet and Rolex
Sydney Hobart races. The quality of the competitors
means that the world’s media will be focused on
Antigua and the Caribbean next February.†John will
be sailing Region Guadeloupe, the ORMA 60 trimaran
that he chartered for the 2009 race.
For more information visit www.caribbean600.rorc. org.
South Grenada Regatta to Round Out February
The dates of the South Grenada Regatta 2010 are
February 26th through 28th, 2010, the last weekend in
the month. The event, based at Le Phare Bleu Marina,
will feature somewhat shorter courses than last year
(more time for fun ashore!) and a third race will be
added. The Junior Sailing will be organized on the
Saturday, and Sunday will be for relaxation, family
and fun. One other significant change is the registra-
tion fee — now only USS50!
For more information see
ad on page 17.
Inaugural BVI Kite Jam for March
March Ist through 5th, 2010, will see a unique kite-
boarding experience presented by the BVI Tourist
Board. BVI Kite Jam is aimed at building awareness of
the BVI to the international kiteboarding community.
The event will bring together amateurs and profession-
als with competitions, demonstrations, and technique
clinics taking place in key locations including Necker
Island, the North Sound, Virgin Gorda and Anegada.
Sir Richard Branson, an avid kiteboarder, conceived
the event after staging an impromptu race with
friends between Necker Island and Anegada.
BVI Kite Jam will kick off on February 27th with a VIP
Party at the Fat Virgin Café on Virgin Gorda.
Additional events, competitions, parties and meals will
be hosted at Necker Island, Bitter End Yacht Club,
Anegada and Moskito Island. In addition, the event
will support green and eco-friendly operations by
obtaining a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta
Certification in conjunction with BVI Kite Jam accom-
modation partner Sunsail Yachts. Clean Regattas is a
third-party certification program that helps regattas,
yacht clubs and sailing programs voluntarily achieve
higher environmental standards.
For more information visit www.bvikitejam.com.
—Continued on next page
CLEAR SKIES FORECASTED FOR THIS SAFE HARBOR
Seru Boca Marina, Curagao’s finest private harbor, has openings
for dockage. Located outside the hurricane belt in the protected
waters of Spanish Water Bay, Seru Boca Marina is considered
one of the finest and safest yacht anchorages in the Caribbean,
SE Oca
MARINA
® The most advanced design on Curacao.
® Floating docks engineered in Holland.
® Accommodation for 68 yachts up to 150 ft. / 15 ft. draft,
® Electrical power (127 and 220),
® Cable T.V. and potable water available.
® Marina staff monitors VHF radio channel 67 and are available
Porta Blancu, PO, Box 4816, Curagan, M.A,
Tel. (399 9) 767-9042, fan (599 9) 767-9003
E-mail: stharba@ attglobal.net
www. santabarbaraplantation.com
to assist boaters in docking and leaving the Marina, as
well as to assist in locating pence services as needed.
®Seru Boca Marina is a safe harbor that offers
24 hours security,
For information on rates and facilities,
call (599 9) 560-2599 =
Be sama
Barbara
PLaittaTion
AD SPANIS OS WAT ES
—Continued from previous page
Gill New Title Sponsor for Commodore’s Cup
Heather Tackling reports: The Steering Committee
organizing the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on
behalf of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club is pleased to
announce the introduction of a new title sponsor for
the Commodore's Cup taking place March 4th, 2010.
Gill is a worldwide leader in marine technical clothing.
Through Budget Marine, Gill will offer on-site a
Commodore's Cup clothing collection decorated
with the Commodore’s Cup Regatta branding.
The Commodore’s Cup is a pre-event to the St.
Maarten Heineken Regatta, designed to give those
crews an additional day of racing. It is only open to
spinnaker and racing classes and focuses on the
windwardteeward courses that are generally favored
by the more serious racers. The one-day event pro-
vides racing off the south coast of Sint Maarten and
the opportunity for the many international crews who
are visiting from the wintry north to adapt themselves
and their vessels to the Caribbean climate and condi-
tions. The event is in its fourth year and has proven to
be a highly regarded part of the formula of the over-
all regatta event. The Gill Commodore’s Cup is scored
separately from the main event but the parties and
administration are integrated into the St. Maarten
Heineken Regatta.
For more information visit www.heinekenregatta.com.
Earlier Dates for Third Annual Grenada Classic
The 2010 Grenada Classic Yacht Regatta dates have
been moved forward to March 4th through 7th, 2010,
to tie in with plans for a Virgin Islands to Grenada
Challenge Race for yachts coming south to take part.
All regatta courses will be in the waters off Grenada’s
scenic southeastern coast. Register early and get a
break on fees!
For more information visit
www.grenadaciassicregatta.gd.
BVI Spring Regatta Adds Windsurfing Championship
for 2010
Linda Phillips reports: New for 2010, the BVI Spring
Regatta will host the BVI Windsurfing
Championship. This event will run concurrently with the
39th annual BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival,
March 29th through April 4th, 2010, sharing the
resources, parties and prestige that the BVI Spring
Regatta and Sailing Festival offers.
With the format of “one board and three sailsâ€, ama-
teur and professional competitors may compete in
either the Formula or Open Class. Classes will be fur-
ther divided by age and sex. Although on most days
competitors can expect two to three races per day
with distance and courses varying throughout Sir
‘ The annual Grenada
Classic Yacht Regatta
enjoys, optimum conditions
on the island's south coast
Francis Drake Channel, there is at least one downwind
long-haul planned as the boards race from the flat
water of North Sound to regatta central, Nanny Cay.
Nanny Cay Resort and Marina, the presenting spon-
sor and host, is allowing those without other accom-
modations to camp on the premises. In North Sound,
there will be facilities for rigging and ‘limin’
between races, group discounts on dinner
and accommodations.
Owen Waters, local windsurfing champ, is working
closely with the BVI Spring Regatta committee in the
planning of the BVI Windsurfing Championship. “There
are several events worldwide that encompass aspects
of what we are trying to do. We want to create a sce-
nario where it is all in one and the BVI Spring Regatta
has created the arena.â€
Bob Phillips, Chairman of the BVI Spring Regatta has
high expectations: “Following this inaugural event, we
plan to apply to the Caribbean Sailing Association to
hold the Caribbean Windsurfing Championship. We
know that we canrun a great regatta and we have a
lot we can offer to the board sailors.â€
For more information on the BVI Spring Regatta and
Sailing Festival visit www.bvisoringregaita. org.
Date Change for Round
Guadeloupe Race
The 2010 Round Guadeloupe
Race will be held from the Ist
to the 5th of April. The new
dates are during the Easter holi-
days, when many boats are still
cruising in the Caribbean, rath-
er than in May. The Tourism
Board of the Islands of
Guadeloupe is now involved in
promoting this popular event
and organizers hope to attract
even more boats than the 40
that raced around the island
last year.
The course starts at the town
of Gosier and includes legs to
Saint-Louis in Marie Galante, St.
Francois or Port Louis, Deshaies
and Les Saintes before return-
ing to Gosier. The Round
Guadeloupe race offers nightly
parties at each port, with Zouk
music and fi punch — a great
way to discover the
Guadeloupe archipelago and its people and culture.
For more information see ad on page 13.
News from Antigua’s Jolly Harbour Yacht Club
Carol Smith reports: Every Saturday afternoon JHYC
offers sailing off Jolly Harbour and Five Islands Harbour
in an “all comers†competitive sailing event for local
and visiting yachts. And every Sunday afternoon we
have up to 13 people racing Laser dinghies in a round-
robin event with A and B finals. It is always a great
social day with a barbecue on the beach. Many peo-
ple come to watch the racing, join in the fun and lime.
Twelve members of JHYC’s Youth Sailing Program
graduated in the last session. This program offers free
weekly dinghy sailing instruction to Antiguan children
between the ages of eight and 18. We are in need of
a safety boat so we are appealing for an RIB with
an outboard or a Jet Boat (its engine does not
have a propeller and is safe when the children are
in the water).
—Continued on next page
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The Renascance Marina, located in the heart of Oranjestad
it part of the Renuissance Anda Reiort and Candies and can
accommodate more than $0 yachts.
Located af 12°31" Nand TOO?" W, Renatssance Marina is the Giand's most
beautifel marina, part of the Renatvance Aruba Resort & Castine, it shretohes
entertainment and shopping facility ie Aruba with the eatural beauty of the
Marina, Renaiwiece Marina can accommodate yachts up te 200"
The marina supplies frevh running water and 110/220) 200V GOM electricity,
satelite TV with security guards on duty 24 hours a day.
RENAISSANCE
MARINA
ower mach of this pictureique waterfront community combining the largest
Tek: (e297) 58-0260 « Fax: (+297) SS8-0261 | www-srenaissancemarinacom | Channel 16 | Renaissance Marketplace, Oranjestad Aruba
—Continued from previous page
Any offers of assistance can contact Pippa Pettingell
at (268) 722-8468 or pippapettingell@hotmail.com.
For more information visit www.jhycantigua.com.
Fishing Lines
TGFA ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
Steven Valdez reports: The Trinidad and Tobago
Game Fishing Association (TTGFA) elected Richard De
Verteuil as President at their 2009 Annual General
Meeting, held at the Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club
on October 28th.
he newly elected TIGFA management committee
team is comprised of several existing committee
ecretary Alan Fitwilliam, Treasurer Alan Sheppard,
even Valdez, Paul Wittet, Geoffrey Pollard,
eginald MacLean, Dominic Wallace and
Aww
Outgoing President Chris Mouttet also remains on
the committee.
LEVERICK BAY WITCH HUNT FISHING TOURNAMENT
Efrain Rivera reports: Thirty participants, including
SS
os
members including Vice President Marylin Sheppard,
newly appointed Andre De Laparouse and lan Bose.
anglers and observers, signed up for the first edition of
the Leverick Bay Witch Hunt Tournament in Virgin
Gorda, BVI. Boats from St. Thomas and Puerto Rico
joined those from the BVI. Registration, Immigration
and fishing permits were organized at the Leverick
Bay Marina. Tournament winners were: Best Boat and
Best Catch, Peje, Best Angler, José Alvarez. The high-
light of the late October tournament was when five-
year-old angler Osvaldo “Tati†De Leén Jr. caught a
20-pound wahoo alll by himself.
For more information visit
the www.leverickbaymarina.com.
ST. CROIX’S DIAZ TOP ANGLER AT WAHOO WIND-UP
Carol Bareuther reports: None of the 114 anglers
aboard 27 boats competing in the USVI's 2009 Toyota
Wahoo Wind-Up managed to catch a 75-plus pound
wahoo, which would have gained them a Toyota
4-wheel drive extended cab truck on November Ist.
But that didn’t mean there weren‘t some real whop-
per wahoos reeled in.
St. Croix’s Curtis Diaz, fishing aboard the Wild Cat,
caught the Largest Wahoo, a 51.5-pounder, and
pocketed a US$1,000 cash prize. Eight-year-old Nathan
Gatcliffe of St. Thomas, aboard Double Header IV,
caught the second largest wahoo, a 47.4-p0under.
Nathan’s father, St. Thomas charter captain, Jonathan
Gatcliffe, earned the Best Boat prize for St. Thomas
with the catch of five wahoo weighing 173.07 pounds.
St. Croix’s Big Bills won Top Boat for St. Croix with the
catch of three wahoo weighing 113.2-p0unds. Each
captain won $1,000 cash. A total of 28 wahoo, collec-
tively weighing 934.7 pounds, were caught.
The event was hosted by the Virgin Islands Game
Fishing Club on St. Thomas and Golden Hook Fishing
Club on St. Croix. Personnel from the USVI Department
of Planning & Natural Resource’s Fish & Wildlife
Department conducted the weigh-in.
AIST SPICE ISLAND BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
Gary Clifford reports: EC$ 100,000 prize money will be
up for grabs at the 41st Spice Island Billfish
Tournament, Grenada, January 24th
through 28th 2010, for the first person
to catch a Blue Marlin over 1,000
pounds. Since 2009 the tournament
has allowed the use of 80-pound
breaking strain line che previous maxi-
mum was 50 pounds); this helps
increase the chance of such a fish
being landed.
Grenada is usually associated with
large catches of blue marlin, white
marlin and sailfish (104 were released
during the 2009 event) — the capture
of one or more of each of these spe-
cies in a day constitutes a “Grand
Slam†and Grenada is the only tourna-
ment where this is regularly achieved
by at least one of the participating
boats during the event (two boats
achieved Grand Slams in 2009).
Also for 2010 is a new software system
to improve the accuracy and speed
of results calculation. We are switching
to the use of digital cameras for
catch-and-release recording. Only a
few of the biggest fish (usually poten-
tial record breakers) are retained and
weighed for points. Therefore all boats planning to
enter this event must bring their own digital cameras.
SIBT is a qualifying tournament in the IGFA Offshore
championship. It is also included in the new Southern
Caribbean Billfish Circuit, which includes tournaments
in Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia
and Martinique.
For more information visit www.sibigrenada.com.
Port Louis Marina — another great reason to visit Grenada
e
GRENADA
WEST INDIES
in the Caribbean.
Grenada remains one of the most unspoilt and welcoming cruising destinations
Port Louis is owned and operated by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, and our friendly
and knowledgeable staff are on hand 24 hours a day to welcome yachts of all sizes
low, with Port Louis, visiting yachts can enjoy the security and convenience
of a beautifully appointed, fully serviced marina — located in the lagoon adjacent
to the island's capital, St George's.
Grenada’s southern location allows for yearround cruising, including the summer months,
and with an international airport just five miles away, Port Louis is the ideal base for
exploring the wondertul islands of the Grenadines.
As a Port of Entry, it's easy to clear in and out through Port Louis, and our 24-hour security,
dockside facilities and marina-wide wifi all contribute to making your stay safe and relaxed.
www. cnportlouismarina.com
from 2Oft to 300F.
For more information about securing a berth at Port Louis, including the opportunity
to purchase on a 30-year licence, please contact our Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator,
Danny Donelan on +1 [473] 435 7432 or email danny.donelan@enportlovismarina.com
Port Louis Marina — just one more reason to visit the ‘Spice Island’.
cage, &
YAGHTING SINCE 1782
MARINAS
ITALY | MALTA | TURKEY | WEST INDIES
Strong Fleet, Light Airs as 24th | Jangieua exrear
ARC Embarks for St. Lucia EVERY SAILING SUAB!
The 24th edition of the world-famous annual transatlantic yacht rally, the Atlantic , cE DO THEIR D aga!
Rally for Cruisers (ARC), defied the economic doom and gloom, and 209 yachts ;
YEAR’S EVE
departed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on November 22nd en route to Rodney
31st DECEMBER 2009
Bay, Saint Lucia. The largest is the US-registered Swan 112 Highland Breeze, at
34.34 metres. The smallest is Zahara, a British-registered Sadler 29 (8.67 metres).
Mostly sunny skies and eight to ten knots of northeasterly breeze provided a
There is (again) from
( ENGLISH HARBOUR a Pursuit Race
( TO SUIT EVERY VESSEL.
colourful display of spinnakers hoisted to help the yachts on their way. Winds were
forecast to increase to 18 to 23 knots and crews expected moderate tradewind condi-
tions for the first part of their crossing.
The 18 yachts competing in the Racing Divisions, run under the auspices of the
Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), were first to start. The expected winds had not yet
filled in, so it was a struggle to keep spinnakers flying in the awkward swell. The IOR
Maxi Umataiu (Anthony Balme, UK) was early over the line, earning a three-hour
penalty. The first clear starter, a Grand Soleil 50, Katawa (Andreas Costa, Italy), was
closely followed by the Wally 80 Bagheera (Kemal Cingillioglu, Turkey) and the
German JV58, Auliana IT. Unfortunately, Auliana IT was abandoned following the loss
of the yacht’s rudder some 36 hours after the start. The crew was safely evacuated.
Soon after the racing start, the cruising yachts set off. The wind had increased
slightly by this time, and at ten to 12 knots, was enough to provide the gentle start
most cruisers prefer. Gottfried Poessl’s Bavaria 51 Ceiox2 (Austria) was first across.
Vessels Large (130ft+) and Small
(23ft-) Get Ye to the Start Line!
Midshipman Sein Pearson: +1268
Deck Swab John Burnie: +590690 —
(There really is no paperwork - but lots of GROG
to be won on this Great Fun Family Race!)
REGATTA,
2 OF110,
At the start, the dock was full of well-wishers in carnival mode, cheering and danc-
ing. Yachts were bid farewell from Las Palmas via loud speakers around the port and
Banda Guayadra, provided by the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas (City Hall), marched
around the marina serenading on every pontoon to add to the festival feel.
Boats had to identify themselves as they left the marina and headed through a
“gate†before making their way to the start line. To the delight of the spectators, sev-
eral crews got into the spirit of the event and dressed up for their departure. There
were long blonde wigs aboard Blonde Moment; Irish leprechaun hats on Liberty and
Mexican waves from the ten-man crew of Swan 62RS Albatros.
A record 32 nations are represented in this year’s event, underlining the fact that
the ARC is an international event and the most popular way to sail across the
Atlantic. The ARC distinguishes itself by successfully combining racing and cruising
yachts with a mix of older and younger participants, all of whom thoroughly enjoy the
varied entertainment that is on offer for all ages at both the start and finish ports.
Since January 2006, the ARC has been run by the Cowes-based independent event
management company World Cruising Club Ltd, which always tries to incorporate
the most popular ideas and proposals put forward to improve the event. This year for
the very first time, the yachts in the ARC Racing Divisions carry Yellowbrick satellite
tracking devices. These provide automatic position reports uploading to the WCC
website every six hours via the Iridium Network.
The 2,700-nautical mile passage on the Northeast Tradewind route takes the fleet,
on average, between 14 and 21 days to reach the finish line. The bulk of this year’s
fleet is expected to arrive in St. Lucia, where a festive welcome awaits, during the
week of December 7th.
News from the fleet can be found on the official ARC website where daily yacht position
reports will be displayed and visitors can view individual route maps for each yacht.
Crews will also contribute daily logs and images direct to www.worldcruising.com/arc.
For more information visit wiww.worldcruising.com.
aT EXGIING WEEXENID WITH) Tein
cE SVALON GUM HIETS OU HECOASTEOFIGRENADAY
Se FO RIRAGING IBOATS)
jum
St. Croix Yacht Club
Hospice Regatta
Teague Bay, St. Croix
LS. Virgin Islands
wv
A,
Kegivhratiog new epen:
Tel: (340) 773-9541 stcroixyetemail.com
St. Croix Yacht Club | ‘ i i
Hospice Regatta www. stcroixregatta.com
fepinnd by Comprition —
Fehuncrd iy ( cmmpansion |
Iospired by
COMPETITION
February 19, 2010:
Registration
Cruzan Rum Welcome Party
February 20—21, 2010:
CSA Spin/Non-Spin, One-designs,
Beach Cats, Multi-hulls, Optimists,
Heavy Cruisers
Enhanced by
COMPASSION
Raising funds and awareness
for Hospice on St. Croix,
xy YAS
SCooxrcra
Sailing for Others... “==. @SailProud
A prognt ot thy Se dren, Femeedatiee
partner, Ann Louise, and I both >.
love sailing in Venezuela between
Cumana and Puerto La Cruz,
with the area’s plethora of wild
and beautiful anchorages all within a few miles of each
other. This year, however, after five previous visits, we
are noticing a big change. The cruising fraternity seems |
to have abandoned this part of Venezuela altogether.
On our cruise down from Grenada in Indaba we did
not see one other vessel sailing in company with us, at
any time, anywhere. This is unusual, and a bit unnerv-
ing in an area with a reputation for dubious security.
In Los Testigos we were the only yacht moored in the
bay adjacent to the Guarda Costa. In Porlamar, Isla
Margarita, there were a few yachts, but so few com-
pared to last year that it was remarkable. (One busi-
nessman who handles entry and other yacht services in
Porlamar said he is not sure his business can survive.)
And it was the same throughout the formerly popular
cruising grounds of the Golfo de Cariaco and Mochima.
Ours was the ONLY yacht wherever we went.
There were still a few yachts in the well-known mari-
nas and places like Medregal Village. But the few
cruisers who are still in Venezuela seem to have
resigned themselves to being stuck in one place. Many
have adopted a siege mentality. Few venture out to
cruise and most remain in the secure marinas.
Marinas that were brimming full just two years ago
now have more spaces than yachts.
Regular cruising folk in Puerto La Cruz tell us that
they are afraid to go out — unfortunately, probably with
good cause. As of this writing, we are moored in com-
pany with a brave lady whose husband was murdered
on their boat about a year ago when the couple anchored
their yacht off Isla Borracho, in a bay once considered
safe. Despite her courageous decision then to remain on
the yacht based in Venezuela, this stoic individual has
now resigned herself to going back to the USA. She feels
= she is now “always looking over my shoulderâ€.
Oo Above: Indaba alone at anchor — as usual. You can’t complain that Venezuelan anchorages are overcrowded!
a Below: Fishing boats become water taxis at Mochima, a popular weekend spot for locals
This dreadful incident, plus a recent attack on
another well-known local character off the Peninsula
de Paria, and an incident in Carenero harbour at
about the same time, has radically changed everyone’s
opinion regarding the safety of cruising here. Few now
consider it safe to spend a night at open anchor.
Times are very hard in Venezuela. Thieving and vio-
lence are not directed solely towards the cruising com-
munity. Local boaters, including fishermen, have also
been attacked and robbed. Some fishermen have been
attacked for their nets!
The very good deals of the past are mostly gone.
Some prices, in fact, have nearly doubled in two years
and are no different from those, say, in Grenada.
But we still love it here and as a cruising ground,
especially one below the hurricane belt, you cannot find
a better place. There are dolphins waiting to greet you
at the harbour entrance and an abundance of sea life
that is rare in the mid-Caribbean islands these days.
CARIBBEAN COMPASS
a
tae
uu The cultural differences are refreshing after a long sea-
2 son of the “same old songs†up-island. There are mar-
fo velous reefs and beaches on the offshore islands and
oO there are very well organized “holiday beaches†with
uu small restaurants and shaded picnic huts. It’s all very
a
clean and well run by the Mochima Parks Authority and
quite popular with the Venezuelans on weekends.
The friendly and helpful officers of the Guarda
Costa, which regularly patrols the area, told me that I
was the first foreign tourist they had met at Chimana
Grande all year. They said I was very welcome in
Venezuela and said they would try to respond immedi-
ately should I ever need their assistance.
—Continued on next page
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PO Box 39, Blue Lagoon, St Vincent, West Indies
Tel. 1-784-456-9526 / 9334/9144 Fax. 1-784-456-9238
barebum@vincysurf.com www. barefootyachts.com
—Continued from previous page
They gave me phone numbers and three radio chan-
nels to call them on. This team, together with local
police launches, also patrols the Morro waterway in
Puerto La Cruz, a large and attractive system of canals
lined by beautiful waterside residences of every size
and description. It is highly secure and very well run.
The only change this year is the complete absence of
visiting-cruiser canal traffic, which was so prevalent
two years ago.
It’s very strange — there are definitely safety and
security problems here in Venezuela, but I personally
feel less safe in so many other places. In fact, I actu-
ally find the island of St. Vincent much more alarming;
I really watch my back there and never anchor in the
remote areas. Experience in Guadeloupe also alerts
me to the fact that certain parts can be as bad as any-
thing in Venezuela. French sailors happily cruise West
Africa for months at a time — surely that has to be as
insecure an area as anything in the Caribbean.
It is abundantly clear to me that there is no orga-
nized, premeditated piracy on yachts in this part of
Venezuela, despite what many would have you believe.
The term “piracy†is often misused. Piracy, I feel, infers
totally premeditated and highly organized crime
against vessels on the high seas. In this area of the
Caribbean, any attacks on yachts, however shocking
and violent they are, in reality remain that — random,
disorganized crimes.
Many fishing boats in Venezuela carry guns, as
much to protect the fishermen themselves against
attacks as anything else. Those guns could be used to
rob a cruising yacht, however, if the opportunity arises
and the fishing is not going well. I have also read of
boats being targeted in port and followed out to sea.
But I still believe this is highly random. Until there are
heavily armed vessels engaged solely in the business
of hunting down and robbing cruising vessels, the
term “piracy†seems inappropriate.
There are very poor people in Venezuela, living under
such hard circumstances that desperate acts of sur-
vival might be inevitable. In better circumstances,
these people would be disinclined to engage in oppor-
tunist robbery and attacks on yachts, because so
many of them see visiting vessels as important con-
tributors to the local revenue.
Most attackers only want money or something they
can sell for easy money. This may explain why some
so-called “pirates†seem inept and haphazard, nervous
and afraid. Inexperienced at robbing, unaccustomed
to modern yachts and the “different†personnel aboard,
the robbers irrationally “trash†the vessel, a classic
response resulting from an anxiety of not actually
being sure what to steal or do. Incidents can deterio-
rate into violence because both the attackers and vic-
tims lose any sense of rationale or communication that
might defuse the situation.
Most attacks happen because an opportunity pres-
ents itself. Available circumstances meet potential
perpetrators, often without premeditation. Experience
indicates that potential attackers may “go away to
think about itâ€, leaving a window of opportunity for
alert travellers to leave the area if they have noticed
the danger.
We do cruise here on high alert and we take a num-
ber of precautionary measures. We have very bright
floodlights that we can switch on all over the yacht. We
have security “screamers†and pepper sprays. I have a
very powerful flare gun; not much against an AK 47
perhaps, but there are few instances of that firepower
in this area, despite its reputation as a “pirateâ€
hotspot. We have never actually needed to use any of
our safety measures. But we have moved on from
anchorages where we felt suddenly wary, especially
after boats approached us that we did not feel comfort-
able about. A keen awareness, particularly of every
passing boat, and an innate sense of what is risky,
may be our best protection.
The largest portion of the Venezuelan population liv-
ing near the coast between Caracas and Cumana/
Golfo de Cariaco seems friendly and quite “normal†(if
there is such a thing). We were visiting the Arapos
islands just off mainland Venezuela on Columbus
Day, a local holiday, which many locals celebrated
with picnics on the beach. Hundreds of fishing-boat
“taxis†passed us throughout the weekend. As the
only yacht anywhere around, we could not have been
more obviously alone and vulnerable. Yet all we felt
was that we were an object of curiosity, and — accord-
ing to the smiles and friendly waves — one that was
very welcome.
safe enough to permit proper and enjoyable Caribbean
cruising — e.g. one is able to be at anchor without
having to monitor every hatch and sound throughout
the night.
In truth, this is probably our last visit here and I
cannot conceal my disappointment about that. Despite
everything, I just love the area. The people are interest-
ing, the culture and the climate are wonderful. What a
waste to have to leave because of security fears! But
unless things change immediately, which is unlikely,
our luck may run out if we continue to try to cruise
here with any modicum of normality.
My abiding fear is that this proud and beautiful land
is slipping into decline, in such an unnecessary way,
and despite the good-natured will of most of its people.
Local people tell me that those who get a taste for
robbing often quickly get caught in Venezuela — the
deep-rooted Spanish-Catholic culture disapproves of
theft as a way of life. As explained to me, very poor
eople can ill afford to lose any of their meager posses-
sions to theft, so many of them have a curious moral-
ity regarding stealing. Even when they are engaged in
it themselves against richer people, they don’t approve
of the principle.
Nonetheless, street crime in the large towns seems to
have increased. In Puerto La Cruz, just outside the
well-known Bahia Redonda Marina there is a barrio
with three good fish restaurants. In daylight, cruiser
folk still visit them. But the hundred-metre walk is
now considered too risky at night. One friendly taxi
driver, lamenting the huge loss of visiting tourists,
explained that we were two of a mere handful of visi-
tors he had carried in recent months. Five years ago,
he said, there was a thriving tourist trade with visitors
rom all over the world.
Despite an enjoyable summer's cruise, increasingly
the evidence accumulates that these once-idyllic
coastal cruising grounds of mainland Venezuela are
currently to be avoided. Ann Louise and I prefer not to
be so security conscious all the time. Nor do we intend
to be marina bound. So shortly we will be off to
Tortuga and Los Roques. The off-lying islands still feel
In Puerto La Cruz is a system of canals lined.
by beautiful residences
Certainly the “normal†Venezuelan people we have met
seem genuinely appalled by all the incidents. All want
something done.
One painful truth is that the official response to
attacks on visiting yachts in Venezuela has been unac-
ceptably indifferent. It is astonishing how government
officials fail to see the damage their lack of response
does to the country, its tourism and its wider econo-
my. Because of a lethargic response to crimes and the
apparent lack of control by authorities and security
services, individuals come to believe they can get away
with attacks on foreign cruising yachts with impunity.
Thus, potential participants in this sort of crime
become emboldened.
If the matter of violent crime against visitors is not
fully addressed, the sophisticated visitor/cruiser mar-
kets, already in severe decline, could collapse. The
politicians alone have the control and resources to cor-
rect these matters. So far, they offer only lip service,
not remedial action. But unless they act soon they will
be failing the people of Venezuela. History will con-
demn them for their lamentable lack of action where it
was so vitally necessary. The businesses and the trav-
ellers will already be gone.
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oe
O Y | cruisers’ radio net if anyone would be interest-
ed in exploring the world’s highest waterfall:
Angel Falls in Venezuela. My wife Leona and I were among those who replied \ y I A rT ] I | :
from the United Kingdom (Freya, Beez Neez and El Lobo), Blue Song from
Austria/ Germany, Tashtego from the USA, and our Voyageur C from Canada.
Many cruisers have made the trip from Isla Margarita, Caracas or Puerto La Cruz
to Angel Falls, but to our knowledge, no one had done the trip from Trinidad before
— especially with our budget objective of US$1,000 per head — and there was a lot
of interest from other cruisers. Our timing was dictated by the ferry to Venezuela:
plus a carryon.
Although many people have never heard of the Guayana Highlands, that part
of Venezuela is the home of Angel Falls — the world’s tallest waterfall with an
mesas that rise thousands of feet above the Gran Sabana, a vast grassland.
On Wednesday, October 7th, we checked in at Pier One at 7:00am for the
9:00am departure of the ferry to Guiria, the Venezuelan port of entry on the Gulf
officer boarded to check us for swine flu. When the ferry finally pulled up to the
dock, Anne was delighted to see Branko and Betty waiting for us.
We celebrated our arrival in Guiria with local beer (3.5 Bf per bottle) and
ALL ASHORE...
“yesâ€!
it only runs once a week, on Wednesdays. Anne did all the “legworkâ€, coordinating
overall height of 979 metres (3,212 feet) and a clear drop of 807 metres (2,647
of Paria. After a smooth three-and-a-half hour crossing we pulled into the har-
Cacique rum (35 Bf for a 750ml bottle) and dined on excellent Syrian sha-
September morning in 2009, Anne of Freya of
Clyde enquired on the Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Our group eventually expanded to six couples from as many boats, with three
with travel agents Branko and Betty (of Turistico SurAmericaTravel) in Venezuela,
and hosting our weekly planning meetings. Yellow fever shots and anti-malaria
prescriptions were required and baggage limit would be one backpack per person,
feet). The area also hosts the Orinoco River and the tepuis — huge sandstone
bour at Guiria. After we waited in the harbour for nearly two hours, the medical
oO warma (18 Bf) while sitting at a table on the street wedged between the gutter and
N the traffic. To put the prices in perspective, you can buy five Bolivar Fuerte (Bf) for
Lu ONE US dollar — at the unofficial rate.
QO After our overnight stay at the Hotel Plaza in Guiria we took a 12-hour bus ride to
x Ciudad Bolivar, founded in 1764 as Angostura. (Angostura bitters now come from
Trinidad, but that is another story.) Our bus, ably piloted by Carlos, was basically
an extended air-conditioned van with little legroom and fixed seats, so the occa-
sional stops were greatly appreciated. Filling up the diesel van was an eye opener
— the price was equivalent to one cent per liter! Gasoline is twice as expensive.
a The trip took us through a surprising variety of topography from mountains to plains
> with grazing cattle. We crossed the Orinoco at dusk on one of only two bridges across this
oO river in Venezuela. We stayed at the Da Gino hotel (a cut above the Plaza) beside the air-
oO port and dined on pizza and beer at the hotel restaurant.
Zz Friday morning we went to the airport and met the representative from Sapito Tours
<< (www.sapitotours.com) who had made the arrangements for our group to enter
Ww Canaima National Park. The one-and-a-half hour flight to Canaima was made in six-
ray seater aircraft, so everyone had a window seat. Flying at a maximum of 6,500 feet
oe over the 119 miles we had great views of the tepuis and waterfalls as we approached
<< Canaima. Canaima sits on one side of Canaima Lagoon, which is fed by four spec-
O tacular waterfalls on the Rio Carrao.
After landing, we walked a short way and were then transported by canoe to
oO Camp Bernal (www.bernaltours.com) on Isla Anatoliy, which is situated in the
5 lagoon between two of the waterfalls. On arrival we were given refreshments and
9
?
presented with bead bracelets and necklaces. Native people here are the Pemon
(who operate the park) and guides must be native. We met our river guide,
Danielle, at the camp. Danielle spoke English like a first language — all of the
DECEMBER
C
guides here must speak English. The guides we met displayed grace, dignity and
excellent knowledge of the local flora and fauna.
We had the balance of the day at the camp so we wandered off to see Salto Hacha
(Axe Falls), which featured a lengthy path beneath a rock overhang directly under the
falls. It’s slippery, so socks are better than shoes or bare feet. Also, you are walking
through serious downpours here — ladies, hang onto the tops of your bathing suits!
Later Danielle took us to a lovely sand beach (Playita) just below the Salto E] Sapo
(Frog Falls sounds less exciting) where we had a swim. Then we crossed through a
path behind these falls — quite slippery with water dripping everywhere and very
tunnel-like with water on one side and rock on the other three sides. It was impos-
sible to hear anything over the roar of the water a couple of feet away! At the other
side of the falls we climbed up and walked back across the top of the falls. Despite
the torrents going over the falls, we could walk across the top with dry feet because
| YANMAR
| FLEETGUARD Filters
most of the water flowed through channels cut into and under the rock.
We had opted for cabins (four people to a room) with private baths, but the rooms
were very hot so some of us slept in hammocks under mosquito nets in the main
lodge — basically a roof with no walls.
On the Saturday morning we sorted through our stuff, stored what we would not
need at the upper camp and took the canoe to Canaima, then walked through town
and up around the falls to Port Ucaima — the curiara landing.
A word about the curiara. Our open boat held a party of 17, including the boat driver,
a guide and a bowman, with the other 14 of us seated two abreast and our luggage stored
under tarpaulins between us and the driver. This presented a full load, especially since
river depths were dropping as the rainy season came to an end. The curiara is powered
by a 48- or 72-horsepower Yamaha and might draw about six inches.
—Continued on next page
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SERVICES
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Basic spare parts (filters, impellers, belts)
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High pressure cleaners 150/250bars
Electrical tools
Diverse hand tools
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Scaffolding
YOUR BOAT IN SKILLED HANDS
“Aerial view of Ista Anatoliy, situated between
two waterfalls
—Continued from previous page
The boats are massively built of wood with pitch caulking, which is a good thing con-
sidering the number of rocks we bounced off or over on the river. They change the
propeller and put on the “rock prop†when they leave the main river. In the rapids, the
stern man is continuously tilting the motor up and down and side to side to balance
propulsion, direction and draft, while the bowman calls the course and wields a large
paddle of the Warao pattern to steer the boat. Any cross wind and the bow wave is in
your face, and water often slops over the side in the rapids. Getting wet is guaranteed
— even if it doesn’t rain, which it did for an hour or so.
The curiara trip took us 24 miles up Rio Carrao and then 20 miles up Rio Churun
to Refugio Rustico on Isla Raton, base camp for the hike to Angel Falls. About ten miles
up the Rio Carrao we all had to get out and walk across the Mayupa Savannah while
the curiara ran the rapids. Five miles further upriver we
stopped for a box lunch at a waterfall where we enjoyed the
rock pool and the natural shower. From there we entered the
spectacular land of the tepuis with steep mountains, for-
ested lowlands and waterfalls around every corner.
While there are only a couple of rapids on Rio Carrao, the
run up Rio Churun in particular involves miles of rapids
and shallow spots and the water levels change rapidly with
the weather. A couple of times a few of us had to walk
around some of the rapids and once on the way up Devil's
Gorge we all had to fend the boat off while passing between
humungous rocks in mid-channel — on our first attempt
we drifted backwards downriver.
Overall, the upriver trip took seven hours including stops,
and we arrived at Isla Raton around 5:00pm. Refugio Rustico
is an appropriate name — hammocks enclosed in mosquito
nets slung over a dirt floor under a thatched roof with
benches for dining and relaxing. No running water or elec-
tricity, but the food was abundant and excellent, especially
the wood-fired barbecued chicken! Bonus: This is the only
camp that has a view of the falls — great morning light!
On the Sunday morning we crossed the river and hiked for
an hour toward Auyun Tepui (Evil Mountain), the home of
Angel Falls. The trail is well marked with easy going for the
first half but the second half is quite steep up to the Mirador
Laime viewpoint elevation at 2,300 feet. The view of the falls
is spectacular. We lucked into a perfectly clear and sunny
day. After lounging on the rocks at the viewpoint we
descended a very steep trail to the pool at the bottom of the
falls. Here we enjoyed a long swim, washing off the trail
grime and sweat.
There you have it — four days and 24 hours of travel to
reach the falls!
We returned to Isla Raton, had lunch and embarked on
the downriver trip. The water level had dropped so there
were a couple more portages. At one point the boat was
doing over 20 miles per hour down the rapids. However,
the trip was slower than the guides had planned, so we
made the Mayupa portage in twilight and the last ten miles
on the river in the dark — a tad unnerving, but we were
past all the rapids. We docked at the upper end of Isla
Anatoliy and then hiked down to Camp Bernal in the dark,
thankful for our Petzl headlamps and Danielle’s knowledge
of the trails. The trip downriver was faster by two hours,
but 12 hours over two days sitting on a wooden plank
screams for a cushion on which to sit. The river trips are
the most exciting segment of the trip!
Monday morning we walked back to Salto Hacha, crossed
under the waterfall overhang and climbed across a head-
land to swim in the pool under the adjacent falls, Salto
Wadaima. Then back to camp for lunch where we were roy-
ally entertained by the Canaima children’s choir in native
costume singing in Spanish and Pemon. Afterwards we
rushed to the airport to catch the plane to Ciudad Bolivar.
On the bus on Tuesday, we enjoyed a daylight view of the
three-year-old Orinoquia Bridge across the three-kilometre
wide Orinoco River and stopped to shop at the Warao camp
at Rio Morichal Largo. They would sell a small monkey for
500 Bf and also had a couple of agouti in cages for sale, as
well as the usual baskets and beadwork. Along the way, we
Stopping for lunch along the riverbanic
passed another person with an armadillo for sale.
We said goodbye to Betty and Branko in Carupano and arrived back in Guiria around
9:00pm — yet another 12-hour bus trip.
The next morning we found the shipping agency (Acosta y Asociados) where we paid
our 80 Bf departure tax and got our names on the ferry’s manifest. We found a wonder-
ful bakery for breakfast, and then checked in at the ferry around 2:00pm and we were
back in Chaguaramas at 7:30PM.
Our complex arrangements all worked flawlessly with no glitches. All agreed we
had a truly wonderful week — on time and on budget.
Bill and Leona Roberts left Halifax, Canada aboard their Island Packet 35 Voyageur C in
September 2007 and have been cruising the Eastern Caribbean for the past two years.
by Ann Vanderhoof
“Carpe diem,†the lyric poet Horace wrote more than
2,000 years ago. And when you're a cruiser, seizing the
day wherever you drop the hook invariably reinforces how
very right Horace was.
When the yachts Receta and Tusen Takic IT arrived in
Union Island’s Chatham Bay early last June, it would
have been oh-so-easy to spend a couple of days just
hanging out in that lovely Grenadines anchorage. But
Chuck on Tusen Takic I! had a plan, and Receta’s crew
seized it with a vengeance: Walk from Chatham Bay to the
town of Ashton, where we could catch a bus to the town
of Clifton, and from there climb to the top of the Pinnacle,
an aptly named, steep-sided, high-rising chunk of rock,
reportedly one of the island’s toughest and most spec-
tacular hikes. (“You need to have a good head for heights,â€
Chris Doyle writes in his guide, describing the Pinnacle’s
“dramatic 360-degree precipitous view.â€)
Chuck, Barb, Steve, and I set off early the next morning,
scrabbling up the hill behind Chatham Bay’s beach (a
modest warm-up for the hike to come) and then following
the road from (more or less) the middle of the west side of
the island around to Ashton in (more or less) the middle of
the south side, rewarded by expansive views of turquoise-
green water broken by patches of frothing reef. As we
descended into Ashton, the second-largest village on this
friendly island of about 3,000 residents, and stopped in a
shop for a cold drink before the next leg of our adventure,
we were greeted with: “Have you come for the Maroon?â€
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The Maroon — an annual ce
last year’s harvest and marks
son (and the rainy season) —
lebration that gives thanks for
the start of the planting sea-
is one of Union Island’s most
important cultural activities. The main Maroon, spearhead-
ed by the Roots Comnection Culture Club, takes place in
Clifton each May, three days before or after the full moon.
But this year, Ashton was also holding a Maroon, and only
serendipitous good luck (and a belief in carpe diem) has
brought us here on the very day of this traditional event. Its
roots stretch back to West African harvest rites, which came
to the Caribbean with slavery. Escaped slaves, who joined
together in communities on Union and other islands, were
called Maroons; from this grew the Maroon festival, which
celebrates not just the start of the planting season, but also
the unity of people coming together.
The celebration includes singing, drumming, dancing,
and communal cooking. “The cooking is already starting,â€
one of the villagers tells us, pointing to a cleared area...
—Continued on next page
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...down the road, where we can see smoke rising from wood
fires and women in long red-and-white dresses with match-
ing headscarves “seasoning up†mutton and goat, and lug-
ging big blackened pots — cauldrons, actually — to the
fires, where they are supported on tripods of rocks.
Red and white are the colors of the St. John Spiritual
Baptist Church, which is behind the Ashton Maroon,
Masani DeFreitas tells us. “It took us a while to get our
finances in order,†she explains, which is why Ashton’s
Maroon is being held two days before June’s full moon.
(Going back to their beginnings, Maroons were scheduled
Main photo: The communal cooking starts early in the
day. Everything is cooked outdoors over wood fires
Inset: ‘One of our hosts positioned herself on an upturned.
crate with a drum clutched between her knees’
Above: The drumming, singing, and dancing in the after-
noon gave us a taste of the Big Drum Dance to come
that evening
Right: Building an appetite: Chuck Shipley of Tusen Takk
Il starts to descend the Pinnacle
around the full moon so there would be light for the fes-
tivities, which extend long into the night.)
We hatch a revised plan: After we conquer the Pinnacle,
we'll return to Ashton to catch the Maroon in full swing. “How
long will the cooking go on?†Chuck asks. “Until everyone on
the island has something to eat,†Masani replies. She’s not
exaggerating: Maroons are all-island feasts, and everyone
from schoolkids to their parents to our quartet of cruisers will
be given a groaning plateful, without charge. Donations are
welcome, though, and we leave Masani with a contribution
and a promise that she'll see us again later in the day.
Fast forward four hours or so. The bus from Clifton depos-
its four very tired, very sweaty cruisers back in Ashton.
Despite the absence of anything resembling a marked trail,
we'd made it to the top of the Pinnacle; Chuck climbed to the
very highest rock, while the rest of us were content to enjoy
the view (as spectacular as advertised) from a slightly lower
perch. “A good head for heights†was indeed an asset — as
was a willingness to cling goatlike to narrow ledges and
boost each other over boulders. Having a helpful bus driver
who circled around until he got us to the most advantageous
starting point (by the radio mast) didn’t hurt either.
Sleepy Ashton has come alive in the time we've been away
— it’s now filled with music, people, and mouthwatering
smells. We are immediately offered cold drinks (very wel-
Ems
come, after the Pinnacle), followed by heaping plates of food.
The rich sauce from the meaty stew is absorbed by mounds
of rice and balls of coo-coo (West Indian cornmeal polenta),
with provision and salad on the side. After we eat, Chuck and
I wander over to where several women are making dump-
lings, and we're immediately invited to pinch off pieces from
a mammoth mound of dough and try our hands. The Union
ladies shape smooth, perfect disks; Chuck and I produce
ragged, irregular splats. More practice is clearly needed.
Meanwhile, one of our hosts has positioned herself on an
uptumed crate with a drum clutched between her knees
and is beating out a rhythm. Other women start to sing and
dance to traditional folksongs that clearly have African
ancestry. Bodies twirl, skirts swirl, and hands clap to the
rhythm. But this is just the start.
“The Big Drum Dance come this evening,†a young
woman next to me says. “Tonight, there will be many many
drums, and many many people singing and dancing. You're
coming back tonight, aren’t you?†Unfortunately not.
Though we happily seized the day, it’s just too difficult to
seize the night from our Chatham Bay anchorage.
“Back in time,†the ancestors of the people gathered here
called on the god or goddess of rain to open the heavens for
planting season. This aspect of the Maroon, however, has
long disappeared.
Still. Let the record show it poured the next day.
For information about the 2010 Maroons on Union Island,
call the Roots Connection Culture Club, (784) 527-0207.
Ann Vanderhoof is the author of An Embarrassment of
Mangoes. Her new book, The Spice Necklace, will be
published in January.
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CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS
Ryan Weaver
July 20th, 2009 was one special day.
65 years ago — Bomb almost assassinated Hitler.
40 years ago — First bootprint mashed into lunar dust.
30 years ago — I was born.
Thirtieth birthdays are vulnerable to insults, I discovered. My younger sisters
looked with persistence for symptoms of my new old age: hair loss and gain in all the
wrong places, wrinkles, a limp, liver spots, incontinence, etcetera.
My parents sympathized by whisking me away to Barbuda. It wasn’t a very far
whisking because we were already in Antigua. Still, an escape from an escape ought
to keep my newly old disposition refreshed and cheerful.
The Barbuda Express ferry parking lot was empty except for a beer label fluttering
across the pavement. When I mentioned our reservations to the ticket lady she
looked at her paperwork and cranked an eyebrow up a good half-inch.
“Says here you en’t have no tour,†she said.
“We prefer to do our own thing.â€
“Ooo-kay.â€
Courtesy of recent atmospheric temper tantrums, the ferry crossing was adventure-
some. We performed levitation tricks each time the catamaran went freefalling down
the backside of a swell. Mom tried to enhance the thrill of this phenomenon by hopping
but accidentally launched her head into the roof and was forced into retirement.
Despite earnest effort we made only a splashy, millimetric progress. It was not hard
to believe that the Apocalypse would arrive before Barbuda.
We weren't able to sight the island until it was right in front of us, because it’s flat.
This was news to me. I suddenly came to the realization that I knew nothing about
Barbuda. Nothing, that is, except what the perpetual ad-campaign in my travel
magazines claimed: that Barbuda was all beauty and charm, riches and exclusivity
— just the type of snooty island one deserved on one’s 30th birthday.
But the port wasn’t snooty. In fact I could identify nothing resembling a port.
Instead, Captain Greg seemed to be deliberately pointing our bow at an eyesore of a
shipwreck. The shipwreck consisted of rusty iron ribs drooping into a shallow sea.
Beyond the shipwreck lay a milky lagoon and a wharf where some battered boats
rollicked. Ashore, two busted vans awaited arriving locals. That was it. No taxis; no
buildings; nothing. Nearby an elevator dumped sand atop an industrial-sized pile
that grew no bigger because the wind whipped it all off and carried it along the road
and flung it into our faces.
“Happy Birthday, Ryan!†Mom shouted.
Ha, ha, hal
I assured my bewildered party that if we walked out past the chain-link fence with
the faded plywood welcome sign we'd surely hit a town soon. No island whose bloodline
was tourism, I assured them, would dare maroon their tourists in this rubble pit.
But the view stretching far down River Road (there are no rivers on Barbuda, by
the way) consisted of nothing but potholes and palm trees. We trudged back and
knocked on the window of the only vehicle left at the ferry landing. The driver seemed
baffled when we said we wanted to go to town.
“To rent a car,†I explained.
This put the driver in a state of noggin-scratching pontification. He scrolled
through his phone contacts and dialed the proprietor of (let’s call it) Acme Rentals:
ACME RENTALS
For the best in rentals use Acme Rentals.
The cost of getting a rental is never as affordable before.
Come enjoy Barbuda in air-conditioning comfort.
Acme agreed to help us out and I found myself charmed once again by the
Caribbean work ethic: why waste time holding regular hours at your rental car
agency when you could take the day off until someone phoned? It’s sound logic.
The island passing us by looked parched, thorny and scrubby, the type of place
you'd expect to see cattle bones half buried in the dirt. The road was poor.
—Continued on next page
—Continued from previous page
Codrington Village (where most of the 1,500 residents live) was poor, too. A wild-
looking old man in shorts and rubber boots strolled by twirling a machete. Somebody
was cooking barbecue in an oil drum. The driver pulled over suddenly and we looked
around in alarm. Had we lost our tailpipe? Run out of transmission fluid?
“I think we’re looking at Acme Rentals,†Pops whispered.
Before us lay humble dilapidation. A barbed-wire fence enclosing a small property
shipwrecked in weeds. House of paneled plywood, roof of tin. Rags fluttering in the
open windows, small faces peeking out. Three punished-looking automobiles in front
representing the rental car fleet of Barbuda.
It was becoming increasingly clear why an eyebrow would raise at paperwork say-
ing “no tourâ€.
Acme herself looked at us from the stoop. Caught unawares, she hadn’t found time
to clean the car. It smelled peculiar and could have doubled as a preschool sandbox.
Also, she said, it was running on fumes and we'd better hurry to the petrol station
because it closed at noon.
TIME OUT, I thought as we raced for gas. REFOCUS. Clearly we weren't going to get
what we thought we paid for in Barbuda, and unmet expectations can lead to regret.
Better come up with new expectations, for adaptation is crucial to happy travel.
Above: Guided by a saint, Yllithia captures a sunbeam in Indian Cave
Below: ‘We passed nothing but donkeys and shrubs and puddles for miles...’
We filled up and were some way down the road when Pops jerked to the shoulder
bellowing “Flat tire!†The tires were more or less inflated, however. We tried to push
on but it sounded like a World War II battle was being reenacted in our left axle. I
got out and watched the tire going jabberwocky — three lugs hanging by a thread
and one missing.
“No biggie!†I reported. “Our tire almost just fell off, that’s all.â€
Ha, ha, ha!
Fortunately, this was a quick fix. We proceeded to crunch over long dirt roads until
everyone was convinced we were lost and without hope of survival. Then a sign said
Two Foot Bay, which I recognized from a pamphlet as being a good place to be. Pops
pulled over at a thick stone ruin and somebody in a truck pulled up alongside to inquire
how we were getting along. He never introduced himself; we will call him Saint.
Saint guided our hike to Indian Cave. Indians favored the cave, he explained,
because of a ghoulish face in the rock. Apparently the horror of it inspired them.
Only two petroglyphs remain, and although they were right under our noses we
never would've found them without Saint pointing.
It was a huge cave full of sunspots and dazzling color. Pink. Green. Blue. White.
This is where I'd come to survive a hurricane or throw a good party, I thought.
Before parting ways I asked Saint for directions to famous Darby Cave, and he
drew me a mental map to the geocentric middle of nowhere and advised me not to
try it without a guide or only the buzzards would find us.
So we got lost looking for the pink sand beaches instead. There are 17 miles of
pink sand beach on Barbuda and no access. Not that we could find, anyway. We
fishtailed upon dozens of soft sandy trails only to hit their cul-de-sac ends. We
passed nothing but donkeys and shrubs and puddles for miles. In the end it took
me climbing a sand dune to get something like a compass bearing for us to find the
true End of the Road.
And there it was. Blazing white sand with pink sprinkles as far as one could see.
Nothing “ha, ha, ha†about this beach. This was by far the most exquisite beach
any of us had ever seen. I took off running with my girlfriend, Yllithia. Swam with
Mom and went shell collecting with Pops. Wrote “Happy Birthday†to myself in the
soft pink sand. Laid back and looked up.
TIME OUT, I thought. SAVOR. This feeling now, this is why you travel the
Caribbean. This feeling can be translated into the only wisdom I've gleaned from 30
years, the only advice I can share with complete confidence: seek out the places that
fill you with the profound satisfaction of being alive... and linger.
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Deck layout specialist
ndsurfer, rower, folklorist and hiking guide Telfor Bedeau is unique. He
is the first person to have climbed Grenada’s highest mountain, Mount
Saint Catherine, 100 times (the record hundredth time at age 60), and
has circumnavigated his home island of Grenada by windsurfer (self-
taught, in his 60s), by rowboat (twice — once in each direction) and on foot (to raise
funds for charity in the name of his late daughter).
Telfor Bedeau was born in Grenada on October 15th, 1939, just about the time the
Second World War started. He grew up on the island’s coast on the outskirts of the
town of Grenville. He became a seaman, sailing the old cargo schooners up and down
the island chain. He built his first rowing boat and called her Sea Hiker. He rowed
his boat up and down the coast, visiting the outlying islands and exploring the sea-
shore. He was also a land surveyor for a few years, giving him the opportunity to
explore many places in Grenada. He is now a full-time hiking and walking guide to
all parts of Grenada and knows the interior better than anyone else.
Aweek before his 70th birthday this year he invited me to join him on a commemo-
rative boat ride around Grenada to celebrate his last rowing circumnavigation, which
was 12 years ago in Sea Hiker IL. Four of us took off .
from the fishing village of Soubise on Grenada’s east
coast at seven in the morning, in a fast open fishing
boat. The sea was calm, the weather fine: a perfect
day. Heading north, we passed by Sandy, Green
and Sugarloaf islands, London Bridge, Isle de Caille
and Isle de Ronde, fishing all the way with no luck.
We stopped in the lee of Isle de Ronde and cracked
a bottle of champagne before heading down the
west coast of Grenada.
Reaching the capital, St. George’s, we pulled in
to Port Louis Marina for another drink, Telfor try-
ing out the quality of their margaritas. Our next
stop was True Blue Bay on the south coast, again
for margaritas. Last stop was Clarke’s Court Bay
Marina, and then we sped up the east coast and
arrived back in Soubise by late afternoon. (Rowing
around Grenada had taken Telfor two days, with
in a net rowing time of 20 hours.)
But the boat ride wasn’t the only birthday activ-
ity; Telfor celebrated his 70th for the whole month
of October. On the 15th, his actual birthday, he
wanted to climb Mount Saint Catherine with
friends. This would be his 158th ascent of the
2,750-foot (845-metre) mountain, more than a
hundred of which he did as a guide for hikers.
About 20 of us met in Grenville at eight in the
morning, took a bus to Mount Horn and started
hiking. The first couple of hours were relatively
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easy; there was a road many years ago so the trail is well defined and not too steep.
The last part is a steep incline, a narrow, muddy and slippery trail. Fortunately the
vegetation offers good handholds, otherwise it would be an impossible task. The
views when the clouds parted were spectacular. The top portion was misted over,
appearing and disappearing in the fast-moving clouds. It was this last section that
Telfor wanted to time himself on. His fastest time was 30 minutes, set years ago, and
now he wanted to see how much slower Father Time had made him. It made him 15
minutes slower; he made it in 45.
At the top, three bottles of champagne materialized and we all toasted Telfor’s
health and made jokes about the next time we would all climb up again.
Telfor Bedeau can be reached for hikes in Grenada at (473) 442-6200.
Above: Telfor and friends ascending Grenada's tallest mountain on his 70th birthday
Inset: His love of exploring the land and sea keeps Telfor Bedeau young
Below: A champagne toast in the lee of Isla de Ronde
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CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS
A Million Little Li
TX
Divali in Tri
by Devi Sharp
small village of Felicity
twinkled with hundreds of tiny
fires burning in small clay pots.
Mouthwatering smells of curry wafted from kitch-
ens and Indian music drifted from houses as people
walked through the streets admiring the lights and chatting with
families who were sitting outside their houses in this traditional East
Indian village in western Trinidad.
For several years my husband, Hunter, and I have heard rave reviews from other
cruisers of their visits to an East Indian village during the Divali festival. This year we
were in Trinidad at the right time, so on October 17th we joined a group of fellow
cruisers on a trip organized by Jesse James of Members Only taxi service. We were
welcomed to the Hindu temple by a priest in a long robe and instructed to remove our
shoes before entering the temple. Inside we were free to look at the altar and take
photos. At first I was a bit uncomfortable taking photos inside a temple, but we were
encouraged to use our cameras. The altar was ringed by statues called murti, sacred
images of deities that provide a point of devotional and meditational focus. The priest
welcomed us and told us about the murti and some of the traditions associated with
‘A small but
energetic
band of Tassa
drummers
played for us’
Divali. We were spellbound by the graceful young woman in traditional garb who
danced to Indian music. I am sure some eyes were glued to her bare muscular midriff,
but clearly her hands and body told a story. A small but energetic band of Tassa
drummers played for us. These traditional Indo-Caribbean drums are hung around
the neck. We were told that the two drummers and one cymbal player were a much-
abbreviated version of their band.
Divali (sometimes spelled Diwali) is a Hindu festival that symbolizes the lifting of
spiritual darkness and spiritual and social renewal. The actual date varies from year
to year, and is keyed to the day of the new moon in October. The word Divali means
an array of lamps (deep: lamp; vali: array) and is celebrated by Hindus around the
world with the lighting of the small clay pots, called diyas, which contain oil and a
cotton wick that is lit. Although Divali is a Hindu festival, in Trinidad’s multicul-
tural and multi-religious society, it is a national holiday observed by people of all
denominations. East Indians represent 44 percent of the total population of Trinidad
and of that group 24 percent are Hindus, but everyone gets a day off work and many
‘We were spellbound by the graceful young woman who danced to Indian music’
people dress in traditional Indian garb and light diyas at work or around their table
in the days leading up to Divali.
The actual celebration of Divali lasts for five days. The climax is the lighting of the
diyas after sundown on the last day. Diyas are lit by the thousands in yards, open
spaces, staircases, roundabouts and porches. They are usually placed on bamboo
stalks bent into fantastic shapes and designs.
If you have ever taken a trip with Jesse you know there will be food, good food,
and plenty of it. We reclaimed our shoes {I did have thoughts of upgrading my foot-
wear) and were ushered into a small dining hall. There was a large piece of palm
leaf at each place. The soharie leaf was at each place, and not as a placemat — it
would be our plate. We loaded up our leaves with traditional Indian foods: pumpkin,
channa (curried chick peas); mango, curried chataigne, kuchila and roti skin. The
roti was used to
pinch up the
other food on the
plate. It was deli-
cious and we
were not allowed
to leave until we
were showing
signs of being
really well fed.
Well fortified, we
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walked around
town as the sun
went down.
Women in colorful
saris and men in
robes, as well as
7 those in western
Sieibine, lit the diyas around their houses. A young boy had arranged diyas around his
bike. Families were sitting out on patios eating, drinking (non- alcoholic beverages) and
chatting. Small fireworks punctuated the Indian music and the soft lights of the diyas.
Cruisers were not the only visitors wandering around the town of Felicity. Many
Trinis had travelled to enjoy the lights, sights and sounds of this traditional festival.
And we were glad we came.
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The insurance business has changed.
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The Caribbean is synonymous with good times. Of course, every regatta is a party, but there are loads of non-
sailing celebrations that are just as much fun. From the multi-sensory explosion of Carnival season to the low-key
pleasures of an afternoon’s beach or river ‘cook-up’, the region is awash with boat-accessible events large and
small that visitors are encouraged to join in and enjoy.
Here are just a few upcoming highlights:
New Year’s Eve/Old Year’s Night
Fort-de-France, Martinique, traditionally celebrates this holiday a day before most — the “Boucans de la Baieâ€
festival, with a fireworks display over the harbor and special late opening hours of museums and restaurants in
the town on the evening of December 30th.
On December 31st, English Harbour, Antigua, offers the strictly-for-fun annual Nelson’s Pursuit yacht race,
while Admiralty Bay, Bequia, is a favored place for a waterfront pub-crawl and midnight fireworks show.
Music Festivals
The 17th Annual Barbados Jazz Festival, January 11th through 17th, will feature international acts ranging
from Motown icon Smokey Robinson to the Cuban Classics, performing at a range of venues.
The St. Barts Music Festival, January 11th through 20th gives you a chance to enjoy classical music with the chic
set.
One of the stars of the St. Thomas USVI Blues Festival on January 22nd is its great open-air amphitheatre venue
at the University of the Virgin Islands campus.
The 15th Annual Mustique Blues Festival, January 27th through February 10th, stars British blues diva Dana
Gillespie and her London Blues Band.
Opposite page: Jake Zaitz and Ian Siegal at the
Bequia Music Fest 2009
The eclectic Bequia Music Fest, January 28th through 31st, will host the Mustique Blues Festival on one night
and on other nights will showcase regional musicians including Bequia’s own international reggae star Papa
Winnie, plus the Mount Gay Blues Band from Barbados with special guest Toby Armstrong.
Moonsplash 2010's “Family Reunionâ€, March 25th through 28th, is a four-day reggae party in Anguilla hosted
by Bankie Banx.
The 4th International Aruba Piano Festival, April 17th through 24th, is not for pianists only, and has recitals,
matinees and master classes.
—Continued on next page
—Continued from previous page
Entertainers at St. Lucia Jazz Festival 2010, May 1st through 9th, will include Jean-Luc Ponty, Maxi Priest, Steel
Pulse and Foreigner. Visitors to the island at that time will be in for a two-for-one treat as Saint Lucia will be one
of the host nations for the International Cricket Council's World Twenty20 Tournament. The two Group Stage
matches will take place before the main stage shows of Saint Lucia Jazz Festival. The Semi Final matches take
place in the week following Jazz.
The BVI Music Festival, May 24th through 31st, boasts a nice seaside location at Cane Garden Bay.
Martinique’s Féte de la Musique, June 21st, is a celebration of Martinique’s rich musical tradition with free con-
certs performed in the streets throughout the island.
The World Creole Music Festival is held in Dominica during the last weekend in October, showcasing various
forms of musical fusion from the countries of the Creole-speaking world.
And, if you are a singer or musician, listen to the cruisers’ radio nets, talk to locals and ask around at Happy Hour
to find out about jam sessions that you can join — or just start playing in your own cockpit and see who turns
up!
Carnivals
Virtually every island has its carnival, and while some celebrate on the traditional dates of the Monday and Tuesday
before Lent, others are spread throughout the year — and they are all different. Here are a few that demonstrate that
diversity:
Not content with a two-day event, the St. Croix Christmas Festival kicks off on December 5th with an Old Time
Traditional Parade, and runs through January 3rd when there will be boat races. Similarly, Montserrat’s Christmas
Festival Celebrations extend until a street parade on New Year's Day.
- or hers oe
AZ INV SAR LS
Famous for “bikinis and beads†street parades and stupendous Carnival Queen costumes, Trinidad Carnival will
climax on February 15th and 16th.
These are also the dates for traditional carnival in Carriacou, which is quite different: don’t miss Shakespeare
Mas, when masqueraders compete by commenting on the happenings of the day in verse.
Each year as revelers in other Carnival hot spots wind down with the close of Shrove Tuesday, the party in
Martinique keeps going, reaching a decadent climax on one of the most solemn days on the Christian calendar, Ash
Wednesday. The fitting theme for Martinique’s “bonus†day of revelry is “Rejoice Today, Repent Tomorrow!â€
Other Happenings
The International Cinema Festival of Guadeloupe, January 29th to February 6th, will take place in the city of Le
Lamentin. The film festival's theme for 2010 is “From the West Indies to Asiaâ€.
The Caribbean Arts & Crafts Festival runs from March 5th through 10th at Trellis Bay, Tortola. Trellis Bay also
features monthly Fireball Full Moon Parties.
“May in Saint Pierreâ€, Martinique, commemorates the anniversary of the cataclysmic 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée
that annihilated the town. There c — ——.
will be a series of lectures, presen- we ,
tations and guided tours offering
greater insight into this historic
event.
See more events for December
and January in the calendar on
page 50. We'll give you a complete
annual Calendar of Events for 2010,
including regattas and much more,
in next month’s issue of Caribbean
Compass, and bring you news of
more events as they arise.
ONVTIO" 3191
Above: Beauty, bilcinis and beads at
Trinidad. Carnival 2008
Right: Cruisers get in the spirit at
Grenada Carnival 2009
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4
Meet eo a
by Nathalie Ward.
Here is an introduction to some of the whales you might see in the Caribbean.
Humpback Whale
From a distance, a group of humpbacks swimming in single file appears to be the
rippling coils of a gigantic sea serpent as they arch and submerge simultaneously.
Perhaps the most familiar of the great whales, the humpback whale gets its common
name from the hump on the forward part of the dorsal fin and from the way the back
flexes, or “humpsâ€, before a deep dive. Its long white flippers make it virtually unmis-
takable at close range and also give this whale its scientific name, Megaptera novae-
angliae, which translates to “big wing of New Englandâ€.
Humpbacks tend to favor shallow areas, often quite close to shore. They are among
the most sociable of the great whales and the most active at the surface, which
makes them among the easiest to observe. As a result, we know more about this
species than any other large whale.
Humpback whales have been recorded at nearly all islands in the Eastern
Caribbean. The largest breeding concentrations occur in the waters of the Dominican
Republic on Silver and Navidad Banks and Samana Bay. Additional wintering popu-
ations are found on Virgin Bank, Mouchoir Bank, and in the Mona Passage, Puerto
Rico, with smaller concentrations reported throughout the Lesser Antilles including
Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad
& Tobago and along the Venezuela coast.
They are not exactly gentle giants. Loud “wamps†and “whumps†are typical
sounds as one male humpback collides with another on the breeding grounds.
Dorsal fins and snouts are bloodied as the barnacles that grow on humpbacks turn
a low-level shove into a serious scrape. Males are aggressive as they jockey for posi-
tion near a cow (a female whale). They lunge along the surface with their heads
ifted and gulp water to swell their massive throats in an attempt to make themselves
appear larger, much as land mammals do by raising their hackles or manes. They
blast their rivals with disorienting clouds of bubbles, fending them off by extending
their pectoral fins and lashing at one another with their tail flukes.
Their breeding system is complex. Males compete for females with lunges, tail
slashes, blocks, and charges. Competitive groups may consist of two to more than
20 males around a single female, vying for the best positions, and these groups last
or hours.
When a big whale dives, currents set in motion by the passage of so many tons of
esh come eddying up in a column that smoothes the surface of the sea. This flat,
waveless patch on the surface of the water, known as a flukeprint, is the telltale
giveaway that a whale is beneath the surface.
WOTS0d0N LY480u
Bryde’s Whale
The best means to distinguish the Bryde’s whale (pronounced BROO-dus) at sea is
to look for the three prominent ridges that run longitudinally down the top of the
head. The three ridges run from just behind the tip of the snout to right in front of
the blowholes and are composed of one central ridge and two lateral sub-ridges.
Bryde’s whales are most easily confused with sei and fin whales in lower latitudes.
Sei and fin whales are usually larger, with only one rostral ridge (rather than three)
and are less likely to arch the back during a dive. On the belly, the throat grooves
(‘ventral pleatsâ€) extend to or beyond the navel, whereas the throat grooves of the sei
do not reach the navel. Fin whales have a distinctive right lower jaw (in Bryde’s
whales, both jaws are dark gray, although they may both be white in the “pygmyâ€
form) and a more variably shaped dorsal fin that appears at the surface after the
blowholes. Minke whales are much smaller and rarely have a visible blow. The
humpback whale is darker and stockier, usually with a less prominent and less
sickle-shaped dorsal fin, and frequently raises its flukes while diving.
SAVOY SIMA NATSY YA,
Above: Three ridges on the head identify a Bryde’s whale
In general, Bryde’s whales are identified by their grey body, sometimes mottled,
and prominent, sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Adults may reach 13 to 15.5 metres (43 to
51 feet) and up to 30 tons; at birth approximately 3.4 metres (11 feet), and one ton.
It is now accepted that there are at least two forms of the species, which may vary
in size and migratory habits.
Bryde’s whales are seen singly or in small groups of two to six individuals, although
larger concentrations may be found in areas of food abundance. They feed largely on
schooling fishes, anchovies and juvenile tuna but also eat cephalopods and pelagic
crustaceans. Bryde’s whales are believed to spend all of their time in warm water.
Presumably, they are able to forage throughout the year in their tropical habitat,
rather than fasting in winter, as many baleen species do.
They usually surface steeply;w like other baleen whales. The blow is three to four
metres high. They seldom fluke-up before diving. It is generally believed that they
usually move at two to seven kilometers per hour, but can swim as fast as 20 to 25
kilometers per hour and dive up to 300 metres.
Unlike other large whales, it appears to lack a distinct breeding season, appar-
ently calving at any time of the year. Calves are probably weaned at about six
months of age. Bryde’s whales have a two-year reproductive cycle composed of an
11- to 12-month gestation period, six months of lactation, and six months of resting.
Calves are weaned at about seven metres in body length. The age of sexual maturity
is eight to 11 years, when females are approximately 12 metres (39.4 feet) in length
and males are 11 metres (39 feet) long.
—Continued on next page
WALEACE & ©Om a
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—Continued from previous page
Bryde’s whales have been recorded throughout the Eastern Caribbean island chain
and have been reported year-round in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of
Venezuela. In 1983, a Bryde’s whale was stranded for some days in the Tobago Cays,
and in 2005 a Bryde’s whale was taken in the Bequia fishery. This past August, a
young Bryde’s whale stranded at Union Island, also in the Grenadines (see Caribbean
Compass October 2009 “A Whale Visits Union Islandâ€). Scientists wonder if the spe-
cies is extending its range due to global warming.
Occasional Visitors
BLUE WHALE
What words can do justice to the colossal blue whale, the giant among giants, the
largest animal ever to have lived on Earth. With mottled blue-grey bodies typically
24 metres (80 feet) long and weighing more than 100 tons, they out-measure a
Boeing 737. What’s more, blues have big babies. At birth calves measure seven
SUVS HOW
Big blue whales are infrequent visitors
metres (23 feet) long and weigh 2.5 tons. When weaned eight months later, they can
weigh up to 50,000 pounds and be 15 metres (50 feet) long.
Reports of blue whales in the Caribbean are rare, with only two reliable reports of
strandings in the Gulf of Mexico. Their blue-grey mottling pattern is highly variable
and is so unique that it can be used to identify individuals. Often a yellowish sheen
of diatoms coats the body and is most visible on the whale’s underside.
FIN WHALE
Known as the “greyhound of the sea,†the fin whale appears as a slender, silver-
streaked form, barely disturbing the water as it surfaces to breathe. Its tremendous
YALISSOY WÂ¥ITIIM,
Fin whales can be
confused with Bryde’s
or sei whales
speed and massive size make the fin whale one of the most impressive of all whales.
The double band of almost metallic silver, called a “chevronâ€, which loops from the
lower jaw up to the side just behind the blowhole, makes it possible to recognize
individuals. The species has a unique coloration — the right lower jaw is white,
whereas the left lower jaw is dark grey. This distinctive asymmetry, which is rare in
mammals, may be related to feeding strategies or social cues. Occasional sightings
in the Gulf of Mexico indicate that the species is not a frequent visitor but some may
winter in the region.
SEI WHALE
The sei (pronounced “sayâ€) whale looks like a scaled-down version of the fin whale
with a single rostral ridge and without white on the right side. The underside and
the flanks of the sei whale often carry small, pitted, oval scars that are characteristic
of this species, presumably the bites of lampreys or cookie-cutter sharks.
Together the sei and fin whales are arguably the fastest of the great whales, capa-
SOOMYVIA TIS" SLLOIAISY
ble of swimming at up to 25 knots for short distances. In Caribbean waters, sei
whales have been reported traveling alone or in small groups off the coasts of Puerto
Rico and Dominica.
COMMON MINKE WHALE
The common minke whale is the smallest of the “great whalesâ€. It has the dubious
distinction of bearing the brunt of current commercial whaling hunts for the simple
reason that most of the larger and more valuable species were recklessly overexploited.
The species may segregate depending on age, sex and reproductive condition in
Above: The sei
whale loolcs like
a small version
of the fin whale
NOOS/GYÂ¥M SITWH.LYN
_ —_ ee
Right: Minke
whales are
usually seen
alone or in
small groups
different geographic areas of their range. Very little is known about the reproductive
and breeding habits of the minke whale. A few mother-and-calf sightings and record-
ings of minke whale sounds suggest that some calving grounds may be in tropical
waters. Usually seen alone or in small groups, the minke has been reported on
Anguilla Bank and the Anegada Passage, as well as off the coasts of Puerto Rico, the
Dominican Republic and Dominica.
Dr. Nathalie Ward, PhD is a consultant for the United Nations Environment
Programme’s Caribbean Marine Mammal Programme, and while in the United States
works for the US Marine Sanctuary Program.
LULLEY'S
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CRUISER PROFILES BY JOHN ROWLAND
e
R.O.A.D.
The R.O.A.D. is a 40-foot sloop with an Angelo
Lavernos-designed hull, one of five made. Purchased
asa hull and deck, the boat took Taffy and Shirley four
years to complete. Her name, The R.O.A.D., is a conces-
sion to Taffy’s Welsh heritage, this crew's seemingly
bottomless sense of humor and the product of a boat
naming party that I'm sorry I missed. It is actually an
abbreviation for The Royal Order of Ancient Druids, the
abbreviation being far easier on a radio call. The
R.O.A.D. was launched in 1991, in South Africa.
Taffy took up sailing at the age of 40 when he real-
ized that cricket and rugby were best left to younger
men. After learning to sail on smaller boats on inland
waters of South Africa, Taffy earned his “captain’s
ticketâ€, allowing him to begin the cruising life and his
search for “something differentâ€.
Shirley’s interest in sailing started when she met
Taffy. Her first voyage out of sight of land was from
Cape Town bound for St. Helena and on to Brazil in
2000, the beginning of their cruising odyssey. She
made the transition from neophyte to Admiral quickly
and naturally. The crew is completed by a 12-year-old
African Grey parrot, Rubbish, apparently named for
his ability to “trash talkâ€.
The R.O.A.D.’s journey started in April of 2000,
bringing them across to Brazil, up past French Guiana
and Guyana to Tobago, Trinidad and the ABCs.
Cruising, like any other part of life, has its adversi-
ties. Near the end of 2002, while sailing from Margarita
to Martinique, despite numerous attempts to contact
and avoid the oncoming vessel, The R.O.A.D. was run
down by a large fishing vessel in the middle of the
night. The damage to the smaller vessel was extensive.
The larger boat’s outriggers shredded her sails, the
deck was separated from the hull, the impact disabled
engine and generator, stanchions and lifelines were
ripped off... The R.O.A.D. was dead in the water. The
fishing vessel crew cut themselves free, turned off their
lights and left The R.O.A.D. disabled in the open
sea. Taffy and Shirley were able to jury-rig the sails
enough to get underway, and The R.O.A.D. limped
back to Margarita.
They were met by an armada of dinghies manned by
fellow cruisers who had been monitoring their prog-
ress via VHF. In the finest cruiser tradition, their
friends helped them through the next days, but the
damage was so severe that the boat was eventually
brought back to Trinidad and put on the hard for two
years while Taffy went back to his profession as a proj-
ect manager to earn the money to repair her. The
R.O.A.D. was launched, again, in July of 2005, restart-
ing the cruising journey.
Above: Shirley and Taffy like meeting a variety of peopie
Left: The R.O.A.D. is ready to head west
Aside from the encounter with the fishing vessel,
Taffy and Shirley have enjoyed cruising in the Eastern
Caribbean. Shirley is a superb cook and really likes
learning the use of the local ingredients and styles of
cooking. Taffy is still an avid cricket fan and has offici-
ated in some local matches. They enjoy interaction
with local folks on the islands as well as with other
cruisers. When asked what they enjoy most about the
cruising life, the response is, “The people we meet.
Sitting in one place all your life, you would never meet
the variety of people we've met out here.â€
Back in prime condition, The R.O.A.D. is ready to
head west from Trinidad, through the ABCs and
Colombia, through the Panama Canal to the Galapagos,
through the Pacific islands and, in 18 to 24 months,
back to South Africa. For this journey, friends Barry
and Colin have signed on as crew, sharing the work of
this long voyage and what promises to be a continuing
great adventure.
2% more (sea)
The Perkins Sabre M225Ti is designed to replace the Perkins
M200 and M235 and provides more than 22% additional available
horsepower in the same package.
This large capacity 6 liter engine comes in a compact package and only takes out 225 hp.
By comparison, our nearest competition takes that out of a 4 liter engine. Running at a low 2500 rpm
versus the competition’s 3300 rpm or higher, the M225Ti will have a longer life (minimum 12,000 hour
TBO) and quieter operation.
The gear-driven fresh water pump has a longer life and less to go wrong while the waste gate turbo
charger gives better performance at lower rpms. An integral plate-type oil cooler combines fewer hoses
with longer life and better efficiency.
With Perkins’ outstanding marinization, excess hoses and belts have been engineered away and
everything has easy access for stress-free maintenance.
Call Parts & Power for your nearest dealer: (284) 494 2830
Lp,
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Part Three:
Skaunchir
Many hands are needed to push 20 tons of boat over rollers into the water’
by Frank Pearce
During a visit to Carriacou in April 2008 I saw, hauled.
onto the land, a large red Carriacou sloop hull. I was
struck by her beautiful lines, and after a few weeks’
dithering I agreed to buy her. She was named Tradition.
Thad a vision of her, rigged. as she had been when built
some 30 years before. Thus began a restoration project
with the shipwrights of Windward, Carriacou.
In the past two issues of Compass I described replac-
ing the coachroof, fitting new aft deck beams, making a
telephone pole into a mast, organizing the rigging anda
boom, making a new rudder, and much more. The end
of the project was in sight!
It was now October. While I was in the UK, searching
for an engine, someone suggested I look on eBay. To
my surprise, one advertiser had a completely rebuilt
115BHP 6-cylinder Ford engine and gearbox, with all
new marinizing parts from Lancing Marine in Sussex,
who were then really helpful in supplying control
panel, loom, alternator and ongoing good service. This
engine would fit perfectly on the existing engine beds,
and with 2-to-1 reduction and running at 2000rpm
max, it promised a low-down torque — just what
Tradition needed. The seller put it on a pallet, shrink-
wrapped it and delivered it to Geest Shipping who
shipped it to St. Vincent for £250. What a deal!
Arriving back in Grenada, I found that the mainsail
made by Turbulence Sails was completed, but it took
two people to lift it! 1 did a mega-shop in Island Water
World and Budget Marine, hoping to get all the final
bits and pieces Tradition would need.
Upon arrival in Carriacou I assembled the team
again: Gordon Patrice and Fitzroy “Nero†McLaren to do
the rigging with Leonard McLaren to assist them; Verrol
Compton fitting the new fuel tanks; Bernard Compton
finishing the cabin, fitting sampson posts and bowsprit,
making the deadeyes and bulls’ eyes; Bernard’s son
Eddie to cut a suitably grained tree and make the tiller;
Benny as painter and assistant shipwright, and a few
others who came to help from time to time.
The rigging team set up under the palm trees and
proceeded to splice the soft eyes to go around the mast
hounds, and parcel and serve the lower eight feet of
the standing rigging wire where it would pass over the
deadeyes and be seized in place. The soft eye and
deadeye length would be served with tarred marlin,
using a proper serving mallet, then wrapped in
Eddie fashioning Tradition’s tiller
Hessian heavily greased, then served with tarred mar-
lin again, and lastly covered in a tight tube of canvas
intricately hand stitched, ultimately to be painted
white. A work of art to my eyes.
By the end of October, we were ready to launch. There
is no question of paying for the task of launching itself,
but many hands are needed to push 20 tons of boat
over rollers into the water and everyone gets a good
meal and a fill of beverage. I asked Norman Roberts, the
previous owner of Tradition, what cost would be
involved. His response was, “Well, Frank, do you want
a Big Launching or a Likkle Launching?†I am not sure
what we had, but think it was a pretty Big Launching.
Tradition was ashore in Norman’s compound, and here
he set up huge cast iron pots of bubbling stewed goat,
chicken and “oildown†over wood fires. There were cool-
ers of beer, and cases of jack iron rum and the much-
favoured Johnny Walker Red Label.
Tradition, not being a new boat, had been hauled up
the beach bow first, whereas a new boat is built facing
the sea. This meant that launching the 50-foot boat
would be more difficult, especially as she had been fit-
ted with a skeg. The process started early in the day,
with large rollers being dug in under the keel and
arranged down the beach. Shortage of rollers at the
last minute resulted in the demise of a couple of old
palm trees. Two 20-foot, six-inch by two-inch planks
were then nailed under the bilge on the turn of the
bilge — into my new planking!
—Continued on next page
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—Continued from previous page
Next, rough-cut, inverted U-shaped blocks were
nailed to the topsides on one side of the hull — ouch
again! Light posts, about four inches in diameter, were
placed with one end buried in the sand and the top
end lodged in the U of the block.
But before “cutting down†began, certain formalities
had to be completed. The priest gathered his church
choir around the bow, then clambered up onto
Tradition's foredeck and gave her his blessing.
I arranged for Benny McLaren to be godfather of the
boat. Benny went to sea at an early age, at the time
when Urbin “Robbie†Roberts (Norman’s father) was
building Tradition. Robbie had previously owned the
larger and beautiful Yankee Girl. Tradition was to be a
smaller version. Robbie was an unusually particular
and thorough man, a proper seaman; he had a serious
reputation for keeping his vessels like yachts, even if
they were hauling cargo. So Benny had the best train-
ing available. He has been a good godfather to Tradition
and takes his role seriously.
I had been warned about the necessity of spilling
chicken blood on the samson post as a sacrifice — and
there on the foredeck was a suspiciously stirring sack. By
now a great crowd had surrounded the boat and it had
to be done. I grabbed a knife, put the poor chicken’s neck
on a wooden pad and hacked away. Island style, the
knife handle broke off. Someone quickly gave me another
knife. Blood was sprinkled, the crowd had another beer.
Those of us on deck clambered down. The crowd
assembled on the side of the boat opposite to the
cutting-down poles and pushed Tradition over until she
was lightly resting on the poles. Then four guys, each
with a sharp machete, began hacking away at the bot-
toms of the poles, which of course got shorter and
shorter and the boat heeled over more and more and
they hacked faster and faster until eventually, with a
brutal bump, she fell over, with the two previously
Zinc Anodes
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The church choir graces the launching with song
JG
Above:
_ The poor chicken
Once the jumbie
chicken’ was dis-
posed of, Tradition
slid more easily into
the sea
nailed-on bilge boards resting on the rollers.
All hands (except the ones who just came for the food
and booze) gathered around Tradition and started push-
ing. Norman had laid a heavy anchor offshore and to
this was attached a four-fold block and tackle attached
Eon]
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to a rope going right around Tradition’s hull. About 20
people lay onto the fall of the block and tackle and
started heaving. Tradition started to move, an emotional
moment. Then she stuck and the anchor pulled out.
The anchor was reset; more rum was consumed.
Some began pulling on the tackle again, others were
on the bow, others were pulling down on the bowsprit.
The bowsprit bent, the covering board creaked. It was
brutal. Should I stop it or let them do it their way? An
old guy tapped me on the shoulder. “Dat fowl be jumbie;
that why she no move.†He really, really meant it. I
reached up onto the foredeck and tossed the chicken’s
carcass into the scrub. Sure enough, the boat started to
move again, bit by bit, roller by roller. She entered the
water, got some buoyancy, moved a bit more, and then
Norman backed in his workboat. We attached a line to
Tradition’s bow and, with everyone up to their waists in
water, she was swung around, eventually to glide into
deeper water. She was afloat.
The next day, Norman towed Tradition, with the mast
floating behind, from Windward to Tyrell Bay Yacht
Haulout. There had been some repairs needed to the
underside of the keel prior to launching and now a bit
more scuffing where she'd ground on the rollers. Tim
Sudell and his crew lifted Tradition and blocked her,
and then laid the mast where we could dress it. The
engine was there, too, ready to be lifted in. Bernard set
vy Aire Big
After sailing to Antigua, we enlarged the rudder
about cutting out the damaged wood on the base of the
keel and scarfing in a length of purpleheart.
The yard crane (a vintage 22RB) does not reach out
over the water, and so after the mast was fitted with the
standing and running rigging it was necessary to first lift
it with the crane, then position Tradition under the mast
in the travel hoist, and then lower the mast into the boat.
The same process was done for the engine. Tradition was
then re-launched and taken to a mooring. I found it
amazing that she didn’t leak, even after the brutal beach
launching. Well, I exaggerate — but half a bucketful a
week is not bad for a 30-year-old working wooden boat.
The standing rigging was then seized to the deadeyes
Bernard had made out of a log of grape wood, beauti-
fully fashioned and coated with linseed oil. Then the
lanyards were set up and the mainsail was bent on.
For ballast I had bought a length of lead, about 16 feet
long and six inches on each side. This Nero cut into man-
ageable lengths using a chainsaw. But we needed more.
—Continued on page 37
i
An Antifouling
PAINT Test
2008-2009
by Chris Doyle
Ive been doing antifouling paint tests on my boat for nearly a decade. One of the
conditions I make when testing paints is that before the test, the paint supplier must
decide whether or not to let me publish the results. In other words, the supplier can-
not decide to let me publish if the result is favorable but ask me to keep quiet if the
test comes out bad.
The last antifouling report I published in Caribbean Compass was in 2005. In the
last couple of years I have tested more paints, but the paint suppliers opted not to
publish. I don’t blame them, because looking back over my reports, I notice that
paints that work and compare really well one year do not always do as well another
year. There is a lot of variability and results are not always consistent.
Last year, Echo Marine in Trinidad invited me to test Jotun Sea Quantum Ultra
red on my cruising catamaran, Ti Kanot, and publish the results. I used Micron 66
red as the comparison test paint.
I put my more detailed report at the bottom of this, but in brief, on the basis of
this test, they both worked as I have found good self-polishing antifouling paints do
these days.
First, Some General Observations
Iam going to take the opportunity to make some general observations about anti-
fouling paints that I have noticed over the last few years, with paints that no longer
contain TBT. These are impressions rather than a careful analysis of all the results,
so may not be all that accurate.
Every paint I have tested has stayed completely clean for a month. But between
two and three months, good quality self-polishing products, like most of the paints I
have tested and including those tested this time, have all managed to sprout a good
number of barnacles, This is less true for the only other paint I have often used, the
Jotun Sea Queen, which tends to stay cleaner longer in the initial phases. My tests
only last six or seven months (my in-the-water time each year), and for that period
an inexpensive paint like Jotun Sea Queen often works as well as anything, and
would probably be my paint of choice. But towards the end of that time, the higher-
end paints are often beginning to perform a little better than the Sea Queen, which
is also very soft, so that by the end of six or seven months it is beginning to wear off
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in high-wear areas. For this reason, if you want paint for long-term protection, a
remium self-polishing paint is probably the best choice.
It is also my guess that all the paints I have tested would probably give better per-
formance on a monohull than a multihull. I say this because the vast majority of the
fouling my boat gets is usually on the insides of the hulls, where there is shade from
the bridge deck.
I think it is important to monitor the bottom during the second and third month after
ainting, and remove any barnacles that grow as soon as possible — when they are
very small and preferably before they leave a white mark. If they grow big, the white
mark that is left has no protection against the growth of weed, which is a pain.
Barnacle Counts
I think almost no paint manufacturer still offers guarantees to yachts. But where
aints are warranted on large ships it is usually guaranteed to be 90- or 95-percent
effective. That means only between five and ten percent your hull will be covered with
barnacles. That sounds, and is, quite good. But if a yacht’s hull had barnacles cover-
ing five or ten percent of its total area, most of us would consider that a lot. Keep in
mind that even if you have a heavy batch of barnacles in one area, there is still
barnacle-free hull between each barnacle, so a horrible coverage might only be 50
ercent. In any of the tests I have done, if you actually measure square millimeters
of barnacle versus square millimeters of bare hull, I doubt it would be as much as
ive or ten percent. I mention this because I think with today’s paints you do have to
expect to do some maintenance, and that does not mean the paint is no good.
Every paint I have tested, with the exception of one (which you are most unlikely
to buy as it is not on offer in most stores), has afforded excellent protection against
weed. All eventually get some scum, which wipes off easily, and some get a bit of light
weed that also wipes off fairly easily. The hard-to-scrub, heavy, long green weed,
which is prevalent wherever there is no antifouling, seems to be completely pro-
tected against. This means the main fouling we see today is barnacles.
Where you choose to anchor makes a huge difference to your barnacle count.
Clean, clear water, like in the Grenadines, is the best for avoiding barnacles. The
worst fouling is in nutrient-rich lagoons like Rodney Bay Lagoon and Simpson Bay
Lagoon, or pretty much any land-enclosed lagoon. Being anchored in the lee of big
islands can also be quite fouling. I have even noticed that fouling in the same bay
can vary significantly from the outer part to the inner part.
After three months, the performance of high quality self-polishing paints often
seems to improve. They continue to get a few barnacles but don’t show the hundreds
that have arrived earlier. Often in the last couple of months they will outperform the
less expensive paint, whereas in the first months it is often the other way round.
Seeing Red
In general I have noticed with all the paints I have tested, red antifouling seems to
work better than other colors. I used to compare different color paints, but since
noticing that red seems to work best, I switched to comparing the same color of two
different paints in any one test. Now, comparing paints between years is dodgy.
Nonetheless, having tried various colors over the years I have gained such a strong
impression of this that I would always personally choose red. There is also a ratio-
nale behind this. Copper is usually a major ingredient and it happens to be red. This
means to overcome it and have a bright blue, or black or some other color, additives
will have to be blended into the paint that are unlikely to be adding to its effective-
ness and may detract somewhat.
Some paints come in two parts, which you mix before application. This is an added
complication to the painting process. If you just mix up two cans as they come, this
is simple enough. If it has to be done in smaller proportionate batches due to shelf
life, then it does leave room for error, especially if you are delegating the job.
Some people offer additives to paint. It is something I tried way back in the past,
with zero effect. It is my impression that paint formulation is complex, as is the
action of the paint, and anything you add is unlikely to help. If what you add is
TBT, not only is it unlikely to keep your hull clean, but it certainly will get out
into the marine environment where it has been implicated in damaging dolphins
and whales.
In addition to the paints mentioned in this article, another paint that worked well
on a past test was Seajet Red (single part).
The Latest Test Results
In Trinidad Jotun Sea Quantum Ultra red was painted on Ti Kanot’s port hull;
Micron 66 red was painted on the starboard hull. We launched in early
November 2008.
December 10th 2008 - No barnacles or fouling, having sailed from Trinidad to St. Lucia.
December 28th 2008 - Stuck in Rodney Bay for two weeks due to engine problem.
Hundreds of small barnacles on both sides, particularly the bow and stern (the
middle was much cleaner). Port hull (Jotun) had about 20 percent more barnacles
than starboard hull. Scraped clean except for keels.
January 14th 2009 - Sailed to St. Martin and spent a week inside the lagoon,
which is generally a heavy barnacle area. Areas on both sides had hundreds of bar-
nacles, particularly under the hulls from the keel to the stern and on the keels with
other patches here and there. The rest of the boat was clean. No obvious barnacle-
fouling difference between the sides. However the port side (Jotun) had some green
scummy weed, mainly within a foot of the waterline, which was absent from the
starboard side. This was not scrubbed at this time. All barnacles removed.
January 23rd - A quick look after another week in the lagoon. A few dozen bar-
nacles removed from each side. No real difference. (Notice here that I am not getting
the massive influx of barnacles evident earlier, despite being in a bad fouling area,
and this will continue to the end of the test.)
February 28th - Sailing around Antigua and Barbuda, including being stuck for
about ten days in English Harbour owing to an engine problem. A few barnacles, not
many, removed from each hull; no difference. Some scummy weed build-up noticed
more on the port side (Jotun). Still not removed.
March 30th - Sailing around Guadeloupe and its islands, including a week in the
Marina Bas-du-Fort (in a lagoon at Pointe-a-Pitre). Just a handful of barnacles on
each side; no real difference with some slime and weed on both sides, a little more
on port than starboard. Barnacles were removed and this time the hulls rubbed to
remove weed.
April 28th — Sailed to Dominica, St. Lucia and Bequia. Mainly anchored off. A few
dozen barnacles on each side, no apparent difference between them, not much slime
or weed.
May 25th - Hauled boat in Trinidad after spending some time in Grenada. Only a
handful of barnacles on each side.
Conclusion
There did not seem to be a significant difference between these paints. Both hada
significant influx of barnacle growth between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half
months. I find this typical for the high quality ablative paints, and it pays to do some
maintenance at this time. After cleaning a couple of times, both paints performed
well for the rest of the test, with very little subsequent barnacle growth. The Jotun
did seem to grow a little more scummy weed at one point, which I left on for some
time, but by the time I got round to scrubbing the hulls there was not much differ-
ence between sides and it all came off easily and showed no signs of being a persis-
tent problem. At the end of the period, both hulls looked very similar.
—Continued from page 35
Leonard had the lead keel of a yacht that had been wrecked some years ago at
Windward, so it, too, was chain-sawed into manageable chunks. We loaded in the
lead. She looked about right with the two-and-a-half tons of lead in her, but a bit light
by the head, so we got about 20 flour sacks and Benny filled them with black sand,
which was duly loaded on board.
Jorge fitted the engine, moving it from the hold onto the engine beds with chain
hoists, and connecting it up. The first run-up of the engine was satisfying. Engine
trials proved her to have “plenty powa, man†— eight knots at 1200 RPM, very com-
fortable, quiet and free of vibration.
Then the big day, trials under sail. I had been worrying about the weight of the
mast and the heavy mainsail, about how much more ballast she might need, and
whether the modified steel rudder would control her. The mainsail looked huge when
hoisted, but nicely cut exactly as I had wanted. The headsails, which came from the
destroyed Fife ketch Moonshine, were an exact fit.
With a bunch of friends to assist, we set off. No bravado here: I motored away from
the anchorage to set the main in clear water. It takes two strong people to hoist the
main. With the main hoisted but sheets not slacked off, Tradition was away but
almost uncontrollable, the long boom pushing her up into the wind. We set the large
Yankee jib on the bowsprit and then she balanced beautifully.
Benny, who had sailed Tradition up and down the islands for years, thought she
was “a likkle tender, Uncle.†(I was always Uncle to Benny.) Personally, I like a boat
to be a bit tender, initially anyway; it’s much easier on the gear and gives one a bet-
ter feeling for the wind. Tradition, with slack bilges but firm buttocks (lovely thought),
will lie over initially and then stiffen up.
Mark, a robust Trini, was anxious to add his considerable weight to the crew, so
Benny, Mark and I set off for Bequia.
I found myself feeling sad to be leaving Carriacou. It is such a friendly place, with
the common interest in boats overriding any superficial differences in wealth, gender
or race. Tradition was a special common bond, of course: she had been built there
Underway at last...
and worked from there for so many years. It was not unusual for me to be in
Hillsborough and a passerby or bus driver would shout, “How it going with Tradition,
man; when de launching gon’ be?†I was going to miss the easy familiarity between
the Carriacou people and myself, the visiting skinny-leg white guy!
The wind was a bit south of east and we were able to lay Bequia close-hauled. What
a huge relief to find that Tradition was able, close-winded, fast and very comfortable.
We got ashore to the Frangipani in time for an aperitif, or two or three.
Alexis Andrews joined us in Bequia and we spent the following day making adjust-
ments to the rig. The four of us set off early the next morning and, with a cracking
easterly wind, were off Deshaies, Guadeloupe, in 36 hours — an average speed of
over seven knots. A meal for the crew, a good night’s sleep and off in the morning for
a day sail to Falmouth Harbour, Antigua.
In Antigua we entered Tradition in the Classic Yacht Regatta. I had fitted her out
without using yacht gear, winches, windlass and so on, the result being a pretty pure
Carriacou boat of her era, but also a very labour-intensive boat if one wished to “race
around the cansâ€. Fortunately I did have lots of volunteer crew, some with experience
of this sort of rig, others who had to learn the virtues of the “handy billy†and rolling
hitch. With her 33-foot main boom, Tradition is very sensitive to mainsail trim, and
in a good breeze it took two strong guys and a trimmer just to look after the main-
sheet. The steel rudder that had caused me some anguish back in Carriacou was
clearly not powerful enough when she was pressed, and we found that gybing was
almost unachievable when the wind was strong. We resorted to “wearing ship†at the
gybing mark. To avoid confusion with the other boats we reached off away from the
mark, did our tack and then got back in line, losing surprisingly little ground.
Tradition won the Concours d'Elegance. This was a surprise because we had not
stowed the sails properly or washed up the dishes — in fact, we had not even entered
the competition. With all the great efforts other crews had made, I was somewhat
embarrassed. We also came second in class overall.
After Classics, we went around to Jolly Harbor where Tradition was hauled and the
steel rudder was sheathed with purpleheart, extending it back and upwards to
increase the area and block the flow of water over the top of the rudder. This greatly
improved the handling and made me wonder why I had not had the courage of my
convictions back in Carriacou when I suspected the rudder was too small.
Then we sailed to St. Barths for the West Indies Regatta of Caribbean working
boats (see Caribbean Compass, July 2009) and back to Antigua to lay up for the
hurricane season.
Having partially laid Tradition up in the mangroves, I was approached by Laurance
(Laurie) Gumbs of Anguilla, asking if 1 might sell Tradition to him. His intention was
to use her for his youth training program and also to make her available for longer-
distance passages, giving clients the chance to sail on a traditional Caribbean trad-
ing vessel. Laurie’s father, Sir Emile Gumbs, had owned and captained the much
larger trading schooner Warspite, and so the family has a history of involvement in
such vessels. For me to pass Tradition on to such an experienced and enthusiastic
family was ideal. With her refit completed, Antigua Classics a success, and the won-
derful West Indies Regatta experienced, I bowed out a satisfied man.
On June 6th, 2009, Tradition sailed with her new owner and enthusiastic crew,
bound for Anguilla.
Frank Pearce is a yachisman, tugboat captain and Vice-Commodore of the Antigua
Yacht Club.
Here are a couple of neat,
new little stocking-stuffers for the
special sailor on your list!
A First — The Sailing GPS
The Sailing GPS represents a
watershed in the history of naviga-
tional devices. For the first time, sail- ST N °
ors will be able to determine the
optimum tacking angle to arrive at their destination in the shortest possible time.
For cruisers, this means a dramatic increase in the ability to plan routes, and accu-
rately forecast Tacking Time to Destination. For racers, The Sailing GPS provides an
unmatched competitive advantage in determining the fastest line to mark — the result
of a continuous computation of the ideal balance between distance and speed.
Dr. Craig Summers, inventor of The Sailing GPS, says, “The Sailing GPS is the only
device in the world that accounts for tacking when calculating distances, time of
arrival, and optimal routes. The Sailing GPS does this automatically.
Moreover, it includes an algorithm that learns your boat's unique speed characteris-
tics, which is far more accurate when determining actual Tacking Time to
Destination than using generic polar plot specifications from manufacturers or simu-
lated models.â€
The Sailing GPS is Bluetooth wireless enabled, for sharing GPS data with existing
PC-based chart-plotters.
For more information visit www.TheSailingGPs.com.
New Floating VHFs
Cobra Marine, a division of Cobra Electronics, introduces its Floating Line of VHF
handheld radios, the MR HH330 FLT EU and
the Bluetooth®-equipped MR HH475 FLT BT
EU. With a bright, orange core, these unique
handhelds can be easily spotted in the
water, if they end up afloat. Incredibly com-
pact for a floating radio, these units fit nicely
in one’s hand and have easy-to-operate
controls and large LCD screens for easy
viewing. Operating with 6 Watts of power,
Cobra’s most powerful handheld radios,
they easily enable long-range communica-
tion while a noise-canceling microphone
blocks background noise for clearer conver-
sations. The unique “BURP†feature vibrates
water out of the speaker grill to improve per-
formance in extreme conditions. These radi-
os can also scan three channels simultane-
ously, including channel 16 and two user-
selected channels.
For more information
visit www.cobra.com.
DECEMBER 2009
‘Y ARIES (21 Mar - 20 Apr)
Romance is in the holiday air, but don’t forget to save some
energy for those ingenious boat projects. Also, ignore the
business glitch during the first week — it will sort itself out.
‘ TAURUS (21 Apr - 21 May)
Don't let communication difficulties hold you back. Try
not to be pedantic if people don’t seem to understand what
you are trying to tell them. Your low tide will be around
the 21st.
TL GEMINI (22 May - 21 Jun)
Squalls of bickering will be the weather of the month
with lovers and crew. It might hamper your creative prog-
ress, but you'll enjoy the holidays nonetheless.
CANCER 65 (22 Jun - 23 Jul)
It will seem that you have to repeat yourself endlessly to
get anything done. Boat business matters will be in irons
in the first week, but then everything’s fine sailing.
$2 LEO (24 Jul - 23 Aug)
You will find yourself wandering off course and then
feeling like you're drifting backwards. Spend time with
loved ones doing creative things until this aspect passes
and Santa slides down the hatch.
lip VIRGO (24 Aug - 23 Sep)
Contrary currents for you, with romance interfering
with interesting boat projects. Make the best of it all and
just have fun during the festive season.
= LIBRA (24 Sep - 23 Oct)
The first week will offer good business opportunities so
hoist all your sails and do your best. Your patience and
balance will serve you well.
Ti, SCORPIO (24 Oct - 22 Nov)
Your energy will be in the doldrums, especially around
the 21st. Best to just chill out with a good book — at least
until the holiday parties start.
Â¥ SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov - 21 Dec)
Your love life will be an asset to your cruising creativity.
Just don’t take on too much, and be sure to finish any
uncompleted boat chores before the 26th. Boxing Day will
be fun.
7 CAPRICORN (22 Dec - 20 Jan)
Use your verbal talents to good effect in marine-related
business during the first week. Complete any boat main-
tenance or racing arrangements before the end of the
month, then pop that champagne!
xx AQUARIUS (21 Jan - 19 Feb)
Your cruising kitty may suffer indigestion in the first
week. This is followed by a lack of enthusiasm that will
linger till the end of the year. A good time to swing on the
hook and just kick back for Christmas.
=& PISCES (20 Feb - 20 Mar)
You will experience some choppy seas in your love life
from the second week till the 26th. You will also find your
cruising creativity in the doldrums. Don’t worry; Santa will
bring smooth seas of romance and sailing inspiration.
parlumps marooned
Crossword Solution
ACROSS 32) AROUND 13) COURSE
4) YAWL 35) LINER 15) WHEEL
6) SHEET 37) DOCK 16) NO TILLER
8) WIND 38) LONG 18) SEA
1D AT 39) RUDDER _19) STRAIN
13) CROSS 40) SOS 23) TOE
14) UPWIND 41) EASE 25) PLOT
17) PUT 27) SWINGS
18) SURGES DOWN 28) STEERS
20) WEATHER 1) OLD 29) OR
21) TIE 2) WET 31) AN
22) SET 3) JIBS 32) AFTER
24) ASK 5) ABOUT 33) DECKS
25) PLAN 7) HARD 34) HELM
26) YES 9) DEGREES —36) ADD
28) SLOW 10) COMPASS
30) WATER 12) ROUGH
Is/
Rd
Cks
THE NIGHT
BEFORE GHRISTMAS
Teoas the might before CAristmas, I swting on the hook
‘aked ott ch the settee, asleep with ry Zack
When up on the deck I heard footsteps and stutf
Lve een Loarded!†I thought, and L tried to be tough.
Then down the companionwa/ hatch came a ditde, .
We was dressed like a nut and I thought,†Lm so screwed,
But he laughed and he hiimmed as he “surveyed my jtnk
Se EF figured Ae must be the resident dprtink.
Wis eyes were lit up hike @ Janke on Speed
But he gave mea whole biinch of stat that I need
Like rtt7 and cigars and new charts and a dinghy
And some kind &f Fancy electrical Chingy.
L thought it was stolen but ZL wasn ‘¢ ze/ling,
LZ hoped he was giving and wasnt, just sellin
And ‘I poured Wt a Prog which fe downed With a wink
Then £ pottred one Forme CZ sire needed a drink!).
Then he staggered above to the dark tropic. night ;
As L ester E beheld an incrediéle ie =
Eight tiny dolphins and a beatiful sleigh
Abel the dude hopped aboard and prepaFed to prake ea.
The dolphins were ready to power the sled
But the gety rased a genny and mains | instead.
With a burp and a chuckle he gathered the breeze
And called "to the dolphins, not Swimning with ease:
“On Fatty and Foxy and Old Barracuda!
On Teva and Meuntgay, Antiqua, Barbuda!
Or whatever Your hames are, you cute Iittle fishes, :
Here s to every last sailor, my best Christmas wishes!
As he sailed away leaving a ee bies wake
LE Aaped he had not mary stops left to make.
ot Close to Shore and Ae Soon was agrotind
But the dolphins proceeded to pel Aint aPottird
And LZ heard him exclam as he Ssaled aut of Sight
Merry CAnstmas to all, and to all a goodnight:
— Cruiser Claus
Editor's note: We don’t know who originally wrote this poem that’s been doing the rounds
anonymously for a while, but we published it last year and it’s back by popular demand!
FACT-OIDS
Fish have more complex brains
than previously thought. It
turns out that most take the bait
out of sheer depression.
d
fortunately, 1
into the whole
catch & releas
thing...
SAINT
WOQ awubhe
©
| gpodbye, >
{creel world...
Compass Cruising Crossword
40
‘HELM’
4) Rig with mizzenmast abaft the rudderpost
6) Rope controlling a sail
3) Breeze
11) __ the 34 Down: in control
13) To sail over another boat's course
14) Sailing _—_: sailing into the 18 Across
17) To tack, the 34 Down over
18) 13 Across seas can be caused by storm
20) Heavy: 12 Down conditions
21) To secure, as with a knot
22) To raise, as with sails
24) Inquire
25) File a “float
26) Aye, aye!
28) Not fast
30) H90
32) Gybe___—_s the windward mark
35) Some ocean ___s have a joystick for a 34 Down
37) Have an experienced person at the 34 Down when
coming alongside this
38) Set up a watch system for this type of voyage
39) A tiller connects directly to it
40) Morse distress signal
41) To let 6 Across out gradually
DOWN
1) Ancient
2) Covered in 30 Across
3) Back these to help the boat come 5 Down
5) Tocome __, put the 34 Down 7 Down over
7) Not soft
9) Units of measurement on a 10 Down
10) Direction indicator
12) Not smooth
13) Path
15) Steering device that’s not a tiller
16) Aboat witha 15 Down has
18) Aship 17 Acrosses to ___
19) Stress
23) Below the lifelines is the rail
25) ___ the 13 Down on the chart
27) Anadjustor ___—_—s the: 10 Down
28) The person at the 34 Down does this
29) To tack __ not to tack, that is the question!
31) Harold LaBorde’s book “__ Ocean to Ourselvesâ€
32) The 34 Down is usually in the ___ part of a yacht
33) Poop, fore and tween are some of them
34) Subject of this puzzle
36) Not subtract
_ (2 words)
Crossword Solution on page 38
HERE’S A GIFT FOR ALL OUR READERS, FROM
WORD PUZZLE MAKER PAULINE DOLINISKI —
A SPECIAL PUZZLE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON!
B
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Oommoaumera ow
Word Search Puzzle by Pauline Dolinski
HAPPY HOLIDAYS PUZZLE
Saet-merr
<—q? GOrom 2 =
wn Aa~muagaoage<*eezeeaaar
rPreHotwostowmwrc2man
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NDmxax HSrPPO
-~a V972reoma
z2remnyarve
Paw=zwDonDWAmMseamMer a
Domoo<«
S=rzAmmezcmoa-—
AZ2reo2zemreAzaaqammreo
v0oomaTtr- fOPFP TK HA <
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VOQArFACA PTA PZ aA P
BELLS FAMILY OBSERVE
BOW FOOD ORNAMENT
BOXES FRIENDS PARTY
BOXING DAY FUN PLAY
GAMES
CANDLES GELT SANTA
CARDS GIFTS SOLSTICE
CAROLS STAR
CELEBRATE HOLIDAY SWEETS
CHANUKAH KWANZAA
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOY
MENORAH TREE
DINNER MISTLETOE TRIP
DIWALI MUSIC WINE
DRINK NEW YEAR WRAP
Word Search Puzzle solution on page 32
*-E 40
PAG
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ELAINE OLLIVIERRE 2008 ©
CRUISING KIDS’ CORNER
Set like an emerald in the sapphire blue of the lower Caribbean is the
island of St. Lucia and every year the whole fish and sea-creature com-
munity of Cutie Cove celebrates Christmas. One particular year a pretty
little Angel Fish had a new idea that she thought would make Christmas
better than ever, so she said to her friends, “We all look forward to having
fun at Christmas, but I’ve been thinking of all those fish families who
have no Christmas fun at all and so I think we should bring Christmas
to the needy.â€
This suggestion sounded like a good idea but Betty, the yellow Butterfly
Fish, asked the all-important question: “That's all well and good Angel, but
how can we find the needy? We don’t have any in Cutie Cove so where do
we find them?â€
Everyone fluttered about nervously and Genny the small Grunt plucked
up the courage to say, “I guess we'll have to look outside the bay.â€
The Fishes
Christny9s
Good Deeds
by Lee Kessell
“And we're too small to do that!†wailed a black and red Blennie.
“I suppose we'll just have to ask our parents for help,†Angel replied.
“No,†spoke up Simon the Sergeant Major in a loud voice. “My dad, the
chief of the Sergeant Majors, says that we kids should be able to stand on
our own feet — er, fins — and I agree with him. If we want to do good deeds
then we're responsible, not our mums and dads.â€
“But we don’t know how!†Baby the Damselfish quavered in her
squeaky voice.
“Leave it up to me and by tomorrow I'll have a plan!†And with that Simon
swam off.
The next day everyone was ready to hear what Simon had to say. He had
it all figured out. “I'll dispatch our Flying Fish friends to the bay to the
south of us to find the needy fish there, then early on Christmas morning
Tll get the Dog Snappers to pick them up and bring them here.â€
The young fish friends, who included the Grunts, the Scads, the Chromis,
the Glassy Sweepers, the Gobies and so on, thought this was a very good
plan and they agreed to take care of the needy fish when they arrived.
“And make sure that the needy fish are mothers with their children,†said
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PETIT ST. VINCENT RESORT
+
( My name és
yell MY Manne & Pog
U4 fey
by Elaine Ollivierre
Last month, we looked at coral bleaching and the devastating effects it can have
on the marine life of the coral reef. Bleaching is not the only peril threatening the
existence of coral reefs. Scientists have found that the seas and oceans of the
world are becoming more acidic. If this continues, the effect on coral will be disas-
trous. Why is this happening?
To understand why the water on our planet is much more acidic now than it
was 300 years ago, we need to look first at the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle
shows how all the carbon atoms in the world are recycled in different forms and
in different places.
Carbon dioxide (COg9) in the air is used up by plants in photosynthesis, forming
sugars containing carbon. The plants are eaten by animals which give carbon
dioxide back to the atmosphere in respiration. Many plants die and decay, also
releasing carbon dioxide, as well as methane gas (CHy), into the air. The remains
Angel, once more sure of herself.
“Yes,†spoke up a pert little Fairy Jaw Fish, “and how about sharing our
gifts with the needy children?â€
Suddenly everyone wanted a say and when the crowd had quieted down,
Simon gave his orders to the Flying Fish to find the poorest fish mothers
and their little ones in the desolate bay to the south where he had heard
that the big and fierce fish ate any defenseless neighbours.
So it was that on Christmas morning, the ferocious-looking but docile
young Dog Snappers picked up the needy fish mothers and their little ones
and took them to Cutie Cove where all the young fish greeted them with
happy shouts. The Cutie Cove mothers, seeing their children welcoming a
strange group of fish carried on the backs of the young Dog Snappers, hur-
ried over to see what was going on. When Simon explained the mothers
agreed it was a very good idea.
Well, in no time at all, the children were playing together, filling their bel-
dal ANT
lies with food and having a wonderful time. Meanwhile, the mothers were
enjoying themselves, too. What came as a great surprise to the fish visitors
was meeting the different sea creatures of the cove such as the Sea Stars,
the Sea Urchins, the Eels and the Sea Anemones who usually stayed well
apart.
Now as the day was ending and the setting sun was turning the sea world
to gold, it was time for the new friends to return home, the children hugging
their precious gifts, the first they had ever received. It had been a day to
remember and one they hoped to repeat. In the meantime, the mothers
went home determined to change things for the better. It would take time
they knew, but here was the chance to make a happier life for everyone, the
fishes and sea creatures alike. Yes they promised themselves, one day they
WOULD change their world!
Thank you little Angel and your friends for spreading Christmas cheer
where it was needed most.
THE END
of plants from millions of years ago are now found as coal and oil. When these are
burned, they also put carbon dioxide back into the air where it can once more be
used in photosynthesis.
The oceans also absorb a lot of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon
dioxide can combine with water to make carbonic acid and this is where the prob-
lem arises for coral reefs. Coral reefs are made of calcium carbonate, which dis-
solves in acid. If more carbon dioxide is pumped into the air from respiration
(more people and animals) and from combustion (more industry, factories, cars,
etcetera), then more carbon dioxide is absorbed in the sea and more acid is
formed to dissolve more coral.
Here’s a diagram of the carbon cycle. See if you can give the names of the pro-
cesses labelled (a) to (f).
— Answers on page 47
CO, in the air
(9)
‘CO; in the
ocean
Fossil fuels
THE CARIBBEAN SKY: FREE SHOW NIGHTLY!
The Sky in December
by Scott Welty
The Planets in December
MERCURY - This planet’s farthest separation from the sun occurs on the 16th. With
a clear western horizon you might catch a glimpse of Mercury just after sundown.
VENUS - She's being shy this month and staying close to the sun. Venus rises around
6:00AM in the lighted sky early in the month and later as the month wears on.
EARTH - Open ‘till 10:00pm all month long for your holiday shopping convenience!
MARS - Rising between 10:00 and 11:00 all month, sitting right between Cancer
and Leo.
JUPITER - Look for bright Jupiter in the southwest after dark. Setting around
10:30 early in the month and about 8:30 by the end of the month.
SATURN - Rising between 1:00 and 2:00am all month and setting after sunrise.
Sky Events This Month
December 2nd - Full moon (“Blue moonâ€; see the 31st)
December 6th - Mars and the moon rise together around 10:30pm
December 16th - New moon
December 21st - Winter solstice (see below); crescent moon and Jupiter ride
together through the night sky
December 31 - Full Moon again! That makes the one on the 2nd a BLUE moon.
There’s normally only one full moon in a month but since the moon’s cycle doesn’t
exactly coincide with our yearly cycle, you end up with 11 leftover days after having
12 full moons. That means that you're going to get two full moons in a month every
two or three years and, yes, it is the early one that is called the blue moon.
The Winter Solstice
December 21st marks the winter solstice. This is the day of the year with the lon-
gest night and the shortest daylight. The sun will rise and set the farthest to the
south on this day and take its lowest possible path through the southern sky (for
those of us in the northern hemisphere). It marks the first day of winter.
In the Roman calendar from 46 BC that Julius Caesar (of salad fame) devised, the
solstice occurred on December 25th. He had devised a 365 1/2 day year, which is
pretty good, but not exact, so that since that time the solstice has shifted to
December 21st. Interestingly, there is no mention of the exact date of the birth of
Jesus (the Savior, not the Alou brother who played for the Giants) in the Bible. It
seems that around the time of the conversion of the emperor Constantine (272 - 337
AD) the early Christians “borrowed†what had already been a long-standing party
celebrating the return of the sun and designated the 25th as the official day to cel-
ebrate the birth of Jesus.
ea
Looking east on December 15th at 2200 hours
And what of the star of Bethlehem, you say? Other than the reports in the book of
Matthew (written sometime in the 1st century AD and probably not by Matt himself)
of the star that drew the three wise guys to Bethlehem, there are no other observa-
tions by the Chinese (good keepers of astronomical events) or any other civilization
of any special astronomical event around December 25th, Year 1. Of course, since
there is no definitive date of the birth of Jesus himself, perhaps there was an astro-
nomical event at some other time of the year. Most scholars put the birth of Jesus
between 6 and 2 BC. There was a very nice conjunction of Venus and Saturn in June
the year 2 BC that would have made the two planets appear to be one star. So, IF
here really was something in the sky back then, and not just fancy writing way after
he birth itself, perhaps this conjunction was it.
Orion and Friends
The onset of winter means the return of some of my favorite things to see in the
ky. Orion returns and is the easiest constellation to spot in the sky. Bonus if you
an focus your Steiners on Orion’s sword: in there is the beautiful Orion Nebula, or
42 to astronomers. It’s a gaseous region with some lively star formation going on
nd a favorite of amateur astronomers and pros alike. Orion is accompanied by the
emini twins — Castor and Pollox. Castor is 30 seconds older. Finally we have the
rightest star in the whole night sky, Sirius (the dog star) keeping us company for
he winter. Enjoy your winter viewing!
To Contemplate While Having a Glass of Wine on Deck
What was once a field is now a shopping center. Where a building stood is now a
parking lot. An interstate runs through the park you played in as a kid. Nothing
lasts... But the sky you see is exactly the same as the sky that the Mayans, the
Caribs, the Egyptians, the Romans, Galileo, Newton, and Einstein saw. Perhaps it is
the single constant that goes from era to era.
aoao
QY Zou
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Scott Welty is the author of The Why Book of Sailing, Burford Books, © 2007.
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The most extensive Information resource on yachting services,
equipment, provisioning, restaurants,
places to see & things to do on and around Martinique.
Guides that just
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better
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get the best!
www.doyleguides.com
A Cruising Sailor's
Christmas Bookshelf
Give the gifts that keep on giving — books! (Or ask Santa to bring them to you.)
Here are books for some of the various cruisers in your life.
RYA Fishing Afloat, by Dick McClary ©
2009, The Royal Yachting Association. Soft
cover, 112 pages, color photos and illustrations.
ISBN 978-1906-435-028.
For the yachting fisherman (or fisherman
wannabe), RYA Fishing Afloat is the perfect
catch. Dick spends several months a year sail-
ing and fishing in the Caribbean aboard the
38-foot sloop Alacazam. The instructive mate-
rial in this book is drawn from the author’s
experience gained fishing in Europe, the
Mediterranean, and Atlantic crossing and the
Caribbean. As the book’s Introduction points
out, the basic principles have almost universal
application. For example, the same tackle
might catch a mackerel in the UK, a gilthead
bream off Greece or a mahi-mahi in the West
Indies. “It’s not where you do it but how you
do it that’s the real secret.â€
This is one of the (UK) Royal Yachting
Association’s series of how-to books. It covers
every aspect of fishing from a sailing yacht
underway, adrift or at anchor. Abundant pho-
tos, diagrams and illustrations make the meth-
ods and principles described in the text easy to
digest. It tells you about the gear you'll be working with, too — reels, hooks, swivels,
knots and crimped connections — so you can set it all up properly by yourself. The
author even gives the all-important instructions on preparing your catch for the table
— after all, a cruiser’s main purpose in fishing is to eat. And if you follow the advice
in this excellent introduction to reeling in your own dinner, written especially for the
sailing fisherman (or is that the fishing sailor?), you stand a good chance of joining
the “regular catchers†club.
This book is available at boolcstores
or from www.ryaorg.uk/shop (order
code G72).
A Taste of Mustique, by Kevin
Snook with Elizabeth Penniman ©
2007, Macmillan Caribbean. Hard
cover, 194 pages, color photos. ISBN
978-1-4050-9906-6.
This book of recipes from “the island
of the rich and famous†will be uplift-
ing for any galley slave. No, it’s not all
champagne and caviar. Many recipes
highlight a variety of readily available
local ingredients that are often given a
sophisticated twist. Included are
Caribbean favorites such as roti, boi-
leen and conch fritters, plus as some
totally foreign, but good, recipes such
as a roasted artichoke and buffalo
mozzarella pizza. (If Fishing Afloat
helps you catch a yellowfin, there are
a couple of seared tuna recipes here
you'll want to try.)
—Continued on next page
agi rejpae
—Continued from previous page
Many of the recipes are by the author, a noted chef, and these are interspersed with
recipes selected from local chefs working on the island (aside from the restaurants,
virtually every private home on Mustique has its own chef). The chapters are orga-
nized by scenarios, including a beach lime, themed parties, and a midnight rendez-
vous. Also included are anecdotes about life
on Mustique from various residents and visi-
tors. These range from enlightening through
entertaining to wince-making, and are prob-
ably of greatest interest to the Mustique deni-
zens themselves. But the recipes are solid
and every cook will find inspiration.
This book is available at shops on Mustique
or from www.macmillan-caribbean.com.
This Old Boat by Don Casey, second edi-
tion © 2009, International Marine. Hard
cover, 548 pages, black-and-white photos
and illustrations.
For the owner who wants to turn a run-
down fiberglass boat into a first-class yacht,
this is the Bible. The first edition, published
in 1991, became a classic, and this revised
and expanded edition is better yet — and
timely. It’s a great time to find a deal on “pre-
owned†plastic boats, and with a bit of time,
money and acquired skills you can refurbish
a good old design into an admirable bluewa-
ter cruising machine.
As the author notes, “if you are looking at
four-color brochures of a $400,000 boat, you can probably buy an equally capable
boat on the used market for 20 percent of that amount, perhaps less.†He also notes
that well-built fiberglass boats have proven to be nearly immortal and a resuscitated
20- to 40-year-old boat can deliver performance, comfort and safety equal to or bet-
ter than a new boat.
This soup-to-nuts tome takes you through a
a logical, orderly process of bringing an ie bi /
“oldie but goodie†to progressively better ‘ re 4
condition. Most of Heer is devoted to al IC ) ul I
showing how to make desired changes,
repairs and enhancements. It tells you 2
what tools and materials to use and how to | a BI | id if nea
use them. 5
Don Casey writes, “Whether you will give
your old boat a new life or it will give you one
is hard to say.â€
Available at bookstores and. chandleries or
Jrom wuw.internationalmarine.com.
The Harbour Island Story, by Anne and
Jim Lawlor, © 2008, Macmillan Caribbean.
Soft cover, black-and-white photos, 320
pages. ISBN 978-0-333-9705 1-5,
If you plan to head to the Bahamas, this
book will enhance your understanding of its
people and their history. Anne Lawlor was
born on Harbour Island and is a professor of
English at the College of the Bahamas. Her
father was acclaimed historian Paul Albury.
Harbour Island has been at the forefront of Bahamian history since the first set-
tlers arrived. Its harbor encouraged trade and fishing while also sheltering privateers
and wreckers. Seafaring and shipbuilding were life, and the list of boats built on the
island from 1796 to 1843 is impressive. Eventually tourism took over from shipping,
and today Harbour Island is the habitat of millionaires. How this two-square-mile
island evolved from a place on which an early Dutch explorer found “nothing worth
noting†(the Lucayan people had died out a century before) to a hot spot for celebri-
ties is quite a story, and the Lawlors tell it thoroughly.
This book is available from www.macmillan-caribbean.com.
PICk. Urs
Ahoy, Compass Readers! When in St. Lucia, pick up your free monthly copy of
the Caribbean Compass at any of these locations (advertisers in this issue
appear in bold):
RODNEY BAY AREA
Island Water World
Johnson Hardware
DSL Yacht Charters
Regis Electronics
The Sail Loft
The Bread Basket
Rodney Bay Marina Boatyard Office
H20
St. Lucia Yacht Club
MARIGOT BAY AREA
Customs Office
Discovery at Marigot Bay
SOUFRIERE AREA
SMMA office
Basil’s Bar
Mustique
Visitors to Mustique are invited to:
BASIL’S BAR AND RESTAURANT: Basil’s Bar in Mustique was named one of the World's Ten
Best Bars in 1987 by Newsweek and today lives up to that tradition. Recently renovated, the new face
of Basil's Bar in Mustique is all that and more: offering fresh seafood, lobster in season, steaks and
the best beefburger in the Caribbean. Now equipped with WIFI, you can enjoy sunset cocktails and
catch up on the web. Basil’s Bar is home of the only Blues Festival in the Caribbean. The Mustique
Blues Festival takes place January 27 February 10, 2010, Breablast service begins at 8:00am.
Lunch 11:00am - 6pm, and Dinner 7:30 until late. Come to Basil's for cocktails anytime and plan
to attend the Wednesday Night Jump Up and BBQ. Call (784) 488-8350 or VHE 68.
BASILS BOUTIQUE: Fabrics as bright as the sea and as light as aix.. perfect for island joy.
Elegant island evening and playful day wea. For women, men and children, plus lots of T-shirts to
take home. Basil’s Boutique also offers silver and gemstone jewelry.
BASIL GREAT GENERAL STORE: There is nothing general about Basil's Great General
Store. Bountifully stocked with fine French wines, cheese from Europe, gourmet jams and sauces.
Imported cigars and an unusual collection of books not to be missed. Fine foods in Paradise.
Call (784) 488-8407.
ACROSS FOREVER: Imagine decorating your home with antiques from Bali and India.
Across Forever has a magnificent collection of furniture from Asia and beyond, contemporary
pieces, home fumishings, fabulous lighting accessories and more. Shipping is easily an
efficiently arranged. Call (784) 488-8407.
Visitors to St Vincent are invited to:
BASILS BAR: Located in Kingstown in an 18th century building named Cobblestone. Air
conditioned, you will enjoy cocktails most delightful, the staff most welcoming and the meals are
gomeiol the bert on the land. Now offing fll edlexing eemrvep: Coll (184) 467 2713.
AT BASIL: Newly opened full service SPA located in Villa across from Young Island. Also At
Basil’s is a collection of beautiful bamboo fumiture, contemporary pieces from Asia and beyond,
and more. December 2009 Opening of a new coffee shop by the sea.
Call (784) 456-2602
Visit Basil’s in Mustique or St. Vincent
www.basilsbar.com basils@vincysurf.com
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by Devi Sharp
My first encounter with sorrel was in St. Croix at Christmas time. My husband, Hunter, and I were touring
around the island in a rented car and stopped by a small roadside fruit stand. I love to stop at roadside stands
because there is always more to be had than the items for sale. We bought a few bananas and papayas and while
chatting with the ladies we noticed a heap of wine-colored flowers in a rolled-down feed sack. Being the ever-
curious naturalist and cook, I asked about the flowers and what to do with them. I just love to ask ladies at the
market what to do with fruits and vegetables — it opens a door of giving that almost always ends with new ideas
and good cheer.
The red-colored flowers of sorrel should not be confused with wood sorrel, a small plant with three leaves that
grows in temperate forests that has a tangy astringent taste. The scientific name of the sorrel used in the Caribbean
is Hibiscus sabdariffa and this name shows a relationship to the hibiscus flower bush, also a very popular plant
for teas and beverages. In the Caribbean, sorrel (also called roselle) is used for beverages, sauces, salads, soups,
chutneys, pickles, tarts, puddings and syrups, and as a substitute for cranberry sauce.
The “flower†that we had in hand was actually what is left over after the petals of the flower dry and fall off, leav-
ing the red sepals (the structure outside of the flower). The sepals of most flowers are green and not very con-
spicuous. As a collective unit the sepals form a calyx, and it is the calyx that you use for making your sorrel tea
or other dishes. In the inside of the calyx there is a large seed, which you can leave in if you are not steeping the
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brew overnight. For all other uses you will need to remove the seed. I have since seen sorrel sold in bags with the
seed removed, and dried sorrel in the grocery store.
Our new friend gave us a recipe for sorrel drink that I have tinkered with for years and with the help of testers
have hit the level of spices that taste good to me. Let this basic recipe be a starting point for your favorite sorrel
drink. I use a pressure cooker because it is a big pot that I can cover and let the tea steep in overnight without
fear of contamination. The amount of water you use does not need to be exact because you are making a concen-
trate and you can dilute the concentrate to your taste.
Rinse the sorrel and remove the calyx. You can cut around the seed with a small knife, or just pull the sepals
off the seedpod. This is a bit of a chore and will make you think twice about paying the bit extra to purchase your
sorrel deseeded.
Sorrel Drink
4 quarts of water
2 pounds of washed and deseeded sorrel
2 cinnamon sticks
whole allspice
whole cloves
one-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into four pieces
ieces of orange peel about 1 inch each
Cup sugar
dd cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger and orange peel to the water and bring to a boil. Add sorrel and sugar to
boiling water and boil for a minute. Cover the pot and let steep overnight. Strain the leaves and spices out from
the liquid and refrigerate the sorrel concentrate. You can add water or club soda to dilute the concentrate. You
can then also add rum for a refreshing cocktail. You may need to add more sugar, but start on the light side with
the sugar and you can always sweeten it as you use it.
After making my first batch of sorrel drink I chatted with a Trinidadian friend and she asked what I did with the
“leaves†(calyx). I told her that I tossed them. “Oh no, you use them for jam!†You can use the leftover calyx to make
jam or a mock cranberry sauce. If you plan to do this you may want to put the spices in a bag of cheesecloth or
net so you can easily remove them after brewing the sorrel tea. Sorrel has a lot of natural pectin, so to make the
jam you just add more sugar, heat to boiling and put the jam in clean containers and store in the refrigerator. Yes,
you eat the calyx, but they are soft and chewy.
Here is the recipe for Sorrel Jam starting with fresh calyx:
Sorrel Jam
1 pound sorrel
1/2 Cup water
1 pound granulated sugar
1 small piece cinnamon or other spices to taste
Remove the seed from the calyx and rinse. Place sorrel in a deep pot and cover with water; bring to the boil and
cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Measure sorrel and add 1 Cup sugar for every cup of fruit and juice. Return
to heat and bring to the boil; cook until jelly stage (about 15 minutes). Pour into hot sterilized bottles. Refrigerate
the jam or use a hot bath to seal the jars.
To make “cranberry sauce†use the recipe for jam and add orange peel, cinnamon and whatever spices you
choose.
If you do not feel like making your own, be sure to sample some of the holiday sorrel drinks and treats that the
islands have to offer at Christmas time. Ty
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Whether it's canned goods, dairy
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JONAS BROWNE & HUBBARD (G'da.) Ltd.
ki €5 FRUITCAKE
© fab TIME IS
SEigot
by Ross Mavis
It’s definitely time to bake your Christmas fruitcake, if you
have not already done so. These cakes, heavy with preserved
fruit and having less flour than most cakes their size, age well
and in doing so bring out their rich flavour and moistness.
In my home, preparing fruitcake was a tradition involving
all members of the family. That wasn’t too difficult an organi-
zational task for my mother as I am an only child. But she
made a point of having both my father and me assist in the
preparation. Mum always said it was good luck to have every-
one in the family help make the cake. Little effort was needed
to have us participate in its consumption some weeks later.
Usually on a weekend moming, Mum would take down the
largest pottery, grip-stand mixing bowl we had. Then from
hiding places in the recesses of cupboards would come won-
derful packages of fruits. These specialty items were nor-
mally not readily available or seen in our house at other
times of the year — candied cherries and pineapple slices
red, green and yellow; large dark sticky raisins and strange
pale-white raisins; small firm currants, crystallized ginger
and citron or candied citrus peel. The very sight of these fruit
gems was magical. Many of them seemed to glisten from a
light source within.
UNION ISLAND
During this time of year, there were many exotic fruits avail-
able to us. I can remember when Japanese oranges, packed in
small wooden crates, arrived by boat. These were a special
delicacy for us as kids. Strange fruits such as pomegranates
and litchi nuts also became part of our Christmas. The Chinese
vegetable man who delivered fresh vegetables to our door
always gave my Mum a box of candied ginger as a gift.
Dad wasn’t a fan of walnuts, so almonds or hazelnuts were
the only ones Mum would include in the fruitcake. In reality,
most of the fruit or nuts, if unavailable or not desired, could be
substituted for others. Dad’s help was sought once the ingredi-
ents had been combined and it was time to stir the heavy bat-
ter. I can still see him stirring the dense mixture. I was sure the
PTovisionin5
cake would not be successful unless he had used his brawn to e ive
mix the ingredients. Mum would then spoon the batter into . l .
round, deep cake tins that had removable bottoms. our Specia ity
Once baked and cooled, Mum ran a kitchen knife around
the inside of the pan, loosening the cake's edge and making UNION ISLAND, SAINT VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
removal easy. Then by simply pushing up on the bottom of VHF 08 - TEL.FAX (784) 458 8918 - ti dbeint
the pan, the cake and pan-bottom would easily lift out. The - hel CAROTID CDS INT CONT
metal piece would be taken from the bottom of the cake and
she would be wrap the cake in two layers of black-rum-
soaked cheesecloth and waxed paper and place it in the back
of the refrigerator to age.
As Christmas came closer, Mum would check the cakes for
moistness. A layer of almond paste or marzipan was sometimes patted on the top of the cake and a white frosting
applied over that. Wow, was that decadent or what? When Christmas rolled around, opening the fruitcake was
almost as exciting as opening presents.
We've baked our cake already this year. If you haven't, I recommend you try this delicious white fruitcake recipe
from my mother-in-law, Nana. My wife, Willa, prefers it to the darker cake my Mum always made.
ee Pn On Mec TAB Sasol Mei sa
Nana’s White Fruitcake
Willa’s mum and dad were married in 1929 exactly six months before the stock market crashed. Sadly, before
their first Christmas, the economy had taken a downturn from which they never fully recovered. But Willa has
always had this White Fruitcake recipe and many precious holiday memories from years ago.
1/2 Cup (125 mL) butter
Mulzac Square e Union Island
1 Cup (250 mL) sugar St. Vincent & the Grenadines
3 eggs
1/2 Cup (125 mL) milk
2 Cups (500 mL) flour
2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder Just one year after opening, our
1/2 pound (225 g) candied cherries (red and green) affordable prices, high quality and
1/4 pound (115 g) candied citron, finely cut welcoming staff have made CIAO PIZZA
1/4 pound (115 g) candied pineapple chunks famous throughout the Grenadines.
1/2 pound (225 g) coconut
1/4 pound (115 g) almonds or pecans, sliced or chopped pert mre eo
1 pound (450 g) white raisins lasagne, pasta, daily fresh fish and seafood,
vanilla and lemon flavouring prepared with love by the Chef “La Mariaâ€.
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). x - B
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, blend butter, sugar and eggs. Alternately add milk, flour and baking powder, ere RU ee
mixing well. Stir in fruit and nuts, mix until well combined. Pour in well greased loaf or tube pan, packing down well. PIZZA and LASAGNE to take away!
Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until tester comes out clean. Cool and wrap well in rum-soaked cheesecloth and ey wi eee eee emy emt ys yy)
plastic wrap and keep in a cake tin. If refrigerated, cake will last for many months.
Happy Holidays.
6
3S PAGE 4
Cc
2
>OMPA
ARIBBEAN ©
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Cc
NOVEMBER 2009
DECEMBER
THE SPICE LOCKER BY SHIRLEY HALL
Dill:
Not for Pickles Only!
Dill isn’t a traditional seasoning in Caribbean cuisine, but it grows well here and
is delicious with a number of tropical and cruiser-staple foods.
Dill weed’s wispy leaves are used fresh as an
herb, while dill seed is considered a spice. Dill
leaves have a crisp clean taste that enhances the
flavor of many vegetables, especially potatoes and
cucumbers. Dill seeds have a much more potent
flavor, like a blend of anise and celery. Both seeds
and leaves are used for pickling.
Yes, it is actually called a weed and it can grow
that easily — perfect for a cockpit herb garden. Dill
requires full sun, good drainage, and rich soil.
Spread the seed over well-worked soil and cover
with a half-inch of damp sand (not beach sand,
which will contain salt). Sprouts emerge in about
two weeks, and should be thinned to six inches
apart. Keep weeded, occasionally water, and it will
mature in about two months.
Snip the leaves you need with scissors, and leave
\ the rest of the plant to keep growing. Dill seed is
ce ' harvested by snipping off the flat, yellow flower
head as it ripens. Put the flowers in a paper bag and dry in the sun. Shake the bag
a few times to separate the seeds. Store in a cool dark shelf, or refrigerate. These
seeds can be used whole, or crushed in a mill or coffee grinder. The seed heads can
be used in breads, stews, and rice dishes, as well as in dill pickles.
Fresh or dried, dill’s leaves and seeds are great additions to fish, lamb, new pota-
toes and pea or bean dishes. I keep four stalks growing and use it fresh when cook-
ing fish fillets. Always add dill at the end of cooking, otherwise the heat will destroy
most of its flavor. Use it sparingly or it will overwhelm other flavors.
Dilled Fish in Foil
1 pound fresh fish fillets, (salmon or grouper preferred)
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh dill weed leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped very small
Divide fish into four portions. Smear butter on four squares of heavy-duty alumi-
ff
ood
num foil, and then put a portion of fish on each piece of foil. Melt remaining butter
in a small sauté pan and add lemon juice, parsley, dill weed, and salt. Pour over fish.
Top with onion. Fold foil so it doesn’t leak and put the four pieces in a baking dish.
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes (or longer, depending on the thickness of the fillets).
Plenty Beans Stew
1/2 Cup of each of the following beans: pinto, kidney, black and lentils
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 Cup chopped carrots
2 Cups chopped potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh dill leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
Soak beans several hours or overnight. Discard soaking water. Sauté onion and
garlic in oil. Combine all ingredients except dill and salt in a large slow cooker, crock-
pot, or heavy covered pot. Add water to cover, bring to boil and simmer for about 4
hours. Check occasionally and add more liquid if necessary. Add dill and salt near
7 the end of cooking time.
Cheesy Dill Biscuit Bread
2 Cups baker’s flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons COLD butter, chopped
3/4 Cup cheddar cheese grated
1 1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/3 Cup whole milk
3/4 Cup plain yogurt
In a suitable bowl whisk together all
dry ingredients. Add cold butter pieces
and continue to blend until the mixture
is coarse. Add cheese and dill. Combine
yogurt and milk into the flour-cheese
mixture.
On an ungreased cookie sheet, divide
dough into 1/4 Cup mounds about
two inches apart. Bake at 400°F for
about 15 minutes, or until pale golden
brown. (Best to use the middle oven
rack to keep bottoms from over hard-
ening and burning.)
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Dear Compass,
We “swallowed the anchor†of S/Y Mystique in January
2006 and have recently returned to Carriacou as tour-
ists. We read recent editions of Caribbean Compass and
were interested in the wonderful poem “Carriacou
Regatta†by Nan Hatch in the August 2009 issue.
In July 1967, we travelled down the islands from St.
Vincent to Grenada, on a schooner as far as Union
sland and on a converted MTB from there to Grenada.
We overnighted on Union and on Carriacou, where we
stayed at the Mermaid Tavern, owned and run by
Linton Rigg of Carriacou Regatta fame. The floors had
just been varnished so the whole place was rather
sticky and rather tricky to navigate. All guests sat
together at the same table for meals, with Linton Rigg
residing. As far as we recall, he monopolized the con-
versation and was an extremely interesting “mine
hostâ€. There aren’t many people who remember him,
so we count ourselves as especially privileged.
We based Mystique at the Tyrell Bay Yacht Haulout
rom 2001 to 2006 and have nothing but happy mem-
ories of those days, too, which included a fair of
amount of hard work in the best yard in the world
(we're biased)!).
Having worked in Barbados (1966 and 1967) and
Guyana (1967 to 1969), carried out occasional volun-
tary work in Barbados (between 1999 and 2004), and
kept our yacht in Carriacou, we decided to see if being
land-based would work, hence our recent trip. We're
happy to report on a successful trip, which included
the decision to buy a modest house on Carriacou
which we will call Mystique. The views are spectacular
to the north and northwest, so we'll see yachts on pas-
sage crossing Hillsborough Bay, and enjoy magnificent
views across to Union and up the islands as well. It
seems a fitting way to continue the journey we started
as a newly married couple all those years ago in
Barbados. And all because someone told me years ago
that, if I wanted to see the world (and poor eyesight
had disqualified me for the Navy in those days),
become an accountant! Weird, but it has certainly
worked for us.
We used to see Linton Rigg’s former Carriacou sloop,
Mermaid of Carriacou, in Tyrell Bay and the fact that
John Smith has kept that unique vessel afloat is
another reminder of an amazing man to whom racing
yachtsmen of the Caribbean should raise their glasses
each Carriacou Regatta. [Editor's note: As this issue of
Compass goes to press, John Smith is sailing Mermaid
Jjrom Aruba to Panama]
Wishing all yachties fair winds this winter season,
and hoping we'll be able to see old friends at Mystique
on Carriacou from February 2010.
Sincerely,
Christine and Paul Burnett
UK
Dear Compass,
In the October issue of Compass, there was an excel-
lent article on “Coming to the Caribbean from the US
East Coast†by Don Street.
For the past 35 years, | have read virtually every-
thing that Don Street has written. To me, he is the
Dean of Caribbean Cruising and to not heed his advice
is to lose the advantage that is gained by understand-
ing what a man of his experience has to say.
Notwithstanding my admiration for Don, it appears
to me that either the article contains an oversight or
else the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are not
part of the Caribbean. There is no question that if one
wants to go directly to the Virgin Islands, everything
that Don indicates in his article is the wisdom of the
ages. However, going south to the Caribbean can
include the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as
well. Moreover, if such a route were taken, one could
avoid the slog to windward in the Atlantic Ocean to get
to the destination.
Using Don’s map (see www.caribbeancompass.com/
online/octoberOScompass_online.pdf, page 28), if one
were to take Route VI, or any approximation of it
regardless of one’s jump-off point, one could take the
Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola. The
route is safe and most often the wind is favorable for
sailing vessels. The south coast of the Dominican
Republic is a wonderful cruising ground with numer-
ous stops and, instead of working to windward in the
Atlantic, you can work to windward in the lee of the
second largest island in the Caribbean, Hispaniola. Most
anchorages going east are within 30 miles of each
other and all are well sheltered.
Once to the east end of the DR, you are south of the
Mona Passage, and can make for the west end of
Puerto Rico. The south shore of PR is another fine
cruising area, with many wonderful anchorages and
interesting stops.
It seems to me if you are in the US and heading
directly to the Virgin Islands to get to the Caribbean,
you must be in a rush to get somewhere for you are
bypassing a part of the Caribbean that is often over-
looked, and so very worthwhile and interesting.
You can find complete information on all of the
Dominican Republic in the free cruising guide to the
Dominican Republic at www.dominicanrepubliccruis-
ingguide.com. [See related news item on page 6.]
Based on Don’s charts we can call this route, “Route
Via, Coming to the Caribbean from the US East
Coastâ€, or if such a route is not seen as plausible, then
perhaps we should have the title of the last article
changed to “Coming to the Virgin Islands from the US
East Coastâ€,
Good cruising,
Frank Virgintino, Author
Dominican Republic Cruising Guide
Dear Frank,
You are right that the article was mis-titled, and
that's my fault. It should have been called “Coming to
the Lesser Antilles from the US East Coast". (Don has
always said that he considers St. Thomas to be the best
landfall for those coming from the north and intending
to cruise the Lesser Antilles.) We hope that Compass
readers will check out your guide and consider the very
interesting option of cruising the Dominican Republic,
whether via “Route Via" or coming from any other direc-
tion.
Sally
Dear Compass,
I want to advise you that on October 18th my girl-
friend and I were robbed by four armed men while
anchored at Chateaubelair, St, Vincent, in the north-
ern part of the bay. We had broken the autopilot and
we wanted to rest there before sailing onward to
Martinique. They had time in the afternoon to see that
we were only two on board and robbing us would be
easy. At 9:00 in the dark night they came on board.
One of them got a pistol on me, another one held a
cutlass on my girlfriend, another one stayed outside in
a little boat with paddles, and another one searched
inside the boat.
They left when I gave all the money that we had, plus
a Breitling watch and a telephone. It was quickly done;
my girlfriend received a cut with the cutlass. The VHF
was out of order, so we didn’t report the incident until
we reached Martinique, where we were told that we
were the fourth boat in two years to be the victim of an
armed robbery in the same place! Strange that no
cruising guide warns about that place.
Anyway, we wanted to advise you about this incident
if it can help others.
Thanks and regards,
Emmanuel
Yacht Soca Girl
Dear Emmanuel,
Please tell other sailors in Martinique that reports of
crimes against yachts throughout the Caribbean, includ-
ing the incidents at Chateaubelair, are collected at www.
safetyandsecuritynet.com. After your incident was
reported, wiww.safetyandsecuritynet.com posted the
following: “At this point, Chateaubelair goes back on
our watch list: seven incidents confirmed in less than 2
years, with another four probable, and eight in the 18
months prior to that period. Yachts should not anchor at
Chateaubelair and should tell everyone they know of
the dangers there.†Reports about Chateubelair can
also be found at wiww.noonsite.com, and in his current
edition of the Sailor's Guide to the Windward Islands
Chris Doyle suggests avoiding overnighting there.
(Chris's website also contains updates and feedback
from cruisers; visit wiww.doylequides.com.) We realize
these are all English-language sources, but hope that
you and our other French-speaking friends will make
use of them.
Meanwhile, authorities in St. Vincent including the
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Glen Beache, and the
Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward, Hon.
Dr. Jerrold Thompson, have spoken recently about the
increasingly critical need for yacht security on this part
of the St. Vincent coast. We hope to be able to report
positive developments soon.
cc
—Continued on page 49
Yacht ee gE
PUR Ee Ee eet il eee oe mgtete list of boats for
For a fast sale to European buyers,
list your boat with us in USS
Us.and European Markets
Ee eure
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Bae tees tet) ese)
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aR a TL!
info@caribbean-yachts.com
www.caribbean-yachts.com
GOOD GUIDES ARE TIMELESS
Rocks don't move — or if they do they are shown on
up-to-date Imray charts. Regarding marine
infrastructure, virtually every island puts out a free
marine trade guide every year, which is much more
up-to-date than any guide; similarly, the tourist
departments put out a free annual guide for bars,
eco TU IEAM Uae Tele
With all these updates readily available,
Street’s guides are timeless.
Real sailors use Street’s Guides for inter-island and harbor
piloting directions, plus interesting anecdotes of people,
places and history. Street's Guides are the only ones that
describe ALL the anchorages in the Eastern Caribbean.
NEW! Street's videos, first made in 1985,
are now back as DVDs.
¢ “Transatlantic with Street†documents a sailing passage
from Ireland to Antigua via the Cape Verdes. 2 hours
¢ “Antigua Week ’85†is the story of the engineless yaw lolaire
racing round the buoys to celebrate her 80th birthday. 1 hour
¢ “Street on Knots†demonstrates the essential knots and
line-handling skills every sailor should know. 1 hour
¢ “Streetwise 1 and 2†give tips that appeared in the popular video
Sailing Quarterly, plus cruises in the Grenadines, Venezuela and
southwest coast of Ireland
DVDs available at Imray, Kelvin Hughes, Armchair Sailor/
Bluewater Books, and www.street-iolaire.com.
Full information on DVDs at www.street-iolaire.com
HURRICANE TIPS! Visit www.street-iolaire.com for a wealth of
information on tracking and securing for a storm.
Street's Guides and DVDs are available
at all Island Waterworld stores and at Johnson's Hardware,
or from www.iUniverse.com and www.seabooks.com
Dolly’s Answers
a) combustion
b) decay (or respiration)
c) respiration (or decay)
d) eaten by
e) photosynthesis
(
(
(
(
(
(
f) absorption
PAGE 48
CARIBBEAN COMPASS
DECEMBER 2009
JEAN-JACQUES POETTE
Judicial auctioneer
Telephone: + 33 (0)1 55331313 —-— Fax: + 33 (0)1 55331314 -— email: etudepoette@yahoo.fr
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17TH 2009 AT 11 AM
BAIE DU MARIN MARTINIQUE (97290)
PORT DE PLAISANCE, BASSIN TORTUE
Public auction, following winding up of
Private Limited Company SWITCH SA
5 SAILING CATAMARANS REGISTERED FOR COMMERCIAL USE, EXC. TAXES
4 Lagoon 570 Catamarans: 2004 (COOK) - 2005 (COPERNIC - COLBERT - CABRAL)
Engines 2x75 hp Volvo Generator + watermaker.
6 double cabins with 6 heads for 12 passengers excluding crew. SSS =
Length 17.06m, Beam 9.15m, Draft 1/4 F :
Mainsail 104m?, Genoa 68m?
1 Mojito 78 Catamaran (85) 2005 (CC 's TA RICA)
Engines: 2x215-hp Perkins Generator + Air Conditioning + Watermaker.
12 doubles cabins with 12 heads for 24 passengers excluding crew.
Length: 23.88m, Beam 12m, Draft: 1.62
ib 5 — : = - Pa |
Mainsail 208m?, Genoa 104m2 i) + > Piet Zz —
ith specifications avai fer study on reque
for consultation i \
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site www.poeite.artcover.com
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TEL: +596 (0) 596 7402 14 GSM: +596 (0) 696 29 64 29
LEGAL EXPENSES IN ADDITION TO THE AUCTION: 12% ext VAT*
*: the highest bidders with regard to their legal situation the possible change to assignment from commercial to leisure use,
and the boat’s future place of registration, will possibly have to pay the VAT applicable in the place of registration as well as the additional taxes in effect.
Bidders registration necessary 48 hours before the sale, with production of a bank authorization letter or deposit of 10% of the boat’s estimated value.
Office: 25 rue Le Peletier 75009 PARIS France
N° Siret 47866241 400026 — intra Community vat: FR30478662414
—Continued from page 47... Readers’ Forum
Dear Compass,
We recently had the St Lucia BMW J/24 Sail-Off, to get two teams qualified for the
St. Lucia BMW Invitational Championship 2009.
When we realized we did not have one single piece of paper on board the committee
boat to write down the results, we were so happy that we always have a copy of the
Compass! Thank you.
Cheers,
Danielle DeRouck, Social Secretary
St. Lucia Yacht Club
Dear Compass Readers,
We want to hear from YOU!
Please include your name, boat name or shoreside address, and a way we can con-
tact you (preferably by e-mail) if clarification is required.
We do not publish individual consumer complaints or individual regatta results com-
plaints. (Kudos are okay!) We do not publish anonymous letters; however, your name
may be withheld from print at your request. Letters may be edited for length, clarity
and fair play.
Send your letters to:
sally @caribbeancompass.com or Compass Publishing Lid. Readers’ Forum
Box 175BQ, Bequia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Dear Compass,
Reading the story of the loss of the Helen Mary G in the July issue of Compass has
got me thinking about bilge pumps. The yacht, a Sovereign 470, sank offshore on a
passage between the BVI and St. Kitts after striking a submerged object.
After 47 years in the insurance business, I know the most easily preventable claim
is a sinking caused by inadequate bilge pumps. Do you have hand pumps that could
save your boat if the electric bilge pump(s) stopped working?
Many yachts carry one or two Whale Gusher 10s. Pumps of this size are useless as emer-
gency pumps on a cruising boat of 40 feet or more. A cruising boat that does any serious
offshore sailing should have at least one 25-gallon-per-minute (or more) hand pump.
There are only two I know of on the market, the Whale Gusher 30 and the Edson.
My preference is the Edson, a single-acting pump with one 2 1/2-inch intake and
one 2 1/2-inch discharge valve. The valves are so big all sorts of small crud can get
sucked through and blown over the side — to the extent that on an Edson a strum
box is not needed. Instead, two eighth-inch bronze or stainless rods should be fas-
tened through the intake line at a right angle. The small stuff will suck through, and
the X made by the rods will stop the big stuff.
Install a five-foot-long handle and you can pump forever. My wooden yaw Iolaire’s
Edson has such a long handle that in years gone by (when she leaked a bit, to say
the least) the early morning job of my children, starting at about age six, was to
pump the bilge. I can honestly say that if it were not for Edson pumps, Jolaire would
have sunk at least half a dozen times.
If you do not want to permanently install a pump, you can buy an Edson pump mount-
ed on a board. It has two hoses, one long enough to reach to the deep part of the bilge,
the other to reach over the side. But when you order it tell them you do not want the fancy
varnished mahogany mounting board (it will slip and slide along and your foot will slide
on the varnished surface). Rather, ask for the pump to be mounted on a plain fir plywood
board and the bottom of the board to be covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting.
In addition, all boats should have the ability to use the engine’s saltwater pump as
a bilge pump. A T or Y valve should be installed on the intake line, one end led to
the normal saltwater intake line, the other into the bilge to a good strum box.
Some rough figures are supplied in the following table:
Intake diameter (in inches Gallons per minute
1 20
11/4 30
11/2 45
2 80
These are serious amounts of water and, most important, the pump will keep on
going as long as the main engine has air.
Many years ago there was a very resourceful skipper who was having trouble with
leaks he could not keep up with, even after he rigged the engine saltwater intake as
a bilge pump having made a strum box out of a coffee can. He had called the Coast
Guard and they were on the way with pumps, but he was losing it — the water level
had reached the engine. He was really resourceful, as he found a spare exhaust hose,
pulled off the air intake, and fastened the exhaust hose onto the air intake. By the
time the Coast Guard arrived the engine was underwater but still had air and was
still running. With the aid of the Coast Guard’s pumps, the boat was saved.
Don Street, Iolaire
DIESEL OUTFITTERS nv.
Marine Engineers
St. Maarten
John Deere
AUTHORISED DEALERSHIP
AND WARRANTY WORK
Parts, Sales and Service
Perkins
Overhauls, Repairs and Service to all Diesel Engines,
Marine and Industrial Generators
Hurth & Borg-Warner Gearboxes
Fuel Injectors Service
Suppliers of Donaldson Filters
Cel: +599 552 7645
Phone/fax:- +599 544 2320
ST. THOMAS YACHT SALES
Compass Point Marina, 6300 Est. Frydenhoj, Suite 28,
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 00802
Tel: (340) 779-1660
Fax: (340) 779-2779
yachts @islands.vi
La Creole 50’ 1978 Gulfstar
Ketch. Well maintained
classic, 3 strms, $145,000
Summer Place 44’ 1985
Beneteau Idylle, Great Cruiser,
AP, AC, Genset $86,000
Sail
36’ 1980 Albin Stratus, Cruiser or 6 pack charter vessel
41’ 1980 Morgan Out Islander AC, great condition
46’ 2000 Jeanneau twin helms, 3 staterooms
49’ 1979 Transpacific Ketch, Bluewater, 3 strms, loaded
$45,000
$79,000
$179,900
$180,000
Power
26’ 1987 Whale Boat Navy Capts gig, Perkins, 4109
29’ 1994 Phoenix SF, Twin Volvos, trim tabs, outriggers
32’ 1996 Carver 325 Twin Crusaders, great condition
36'1980 Litton Trawler, Yanmar diesels, Gen Set $30,000
40’ 1999 Tiara 4000 Express, Genset, AC, Twin Cats $275,000
Call, fax or visit our website for a complete list of boats for sale
www.stthomasyachts.com
$33,000
$64,500
$59,900
B.V.1. YACHT SALES
1981
MULTIHULLS: 40' Beneteau 40 CC‘00 Well Maint'd 129K
82' Dufour Nautitech’95, 10 cab/10 hd 995K 40°) Boat J/120°97,2 cab/1 hd 195K
46' FP Bahia‘01, Many Updates 349K 40’ Beneteau 40 CC'97;Solar and Wind 99K
45’ Robertson & Caine 99, Well kept 309K 40'Exe Marine C-Farer |I'82,World Crsr, 55K
41‘ Lagoon 410'01, Great Price 215K 39’ Beneteau 393 2005; Well-Priced 125K
41' Lagoon 410 ‘06 Great Revenue 380K 39’ Grand Soleil'87;Very Well Equipd 129K
37' Maxim Yachts ‘99, Strong, Fast 179K 38'Hallberg-Rassy 382°87; Strong 125K
SAIL: 37’ Jeanneau Sun Ody 37.1,'95 Grt Price 54K
54’ Hylas Deck Salon,‘00,Luxury Crsr_ 645K 37'Beneteau Oceanis 373'04;Clean 115K
51’ Morgan / CSY Custom’88 Loaded 159K 36’ Beneteau 361.'00, 2 cab/1 hd 85K
51’ Aluminum Van De Stadt Design’99 379K 36’Moody 36CC'96; Price Reduction — 99K
47'Vagabond 1980, Low Low Price 139K 34'Jeanneau'01;Perfect pocket crsr. 59K
46' Morgan 461 '79 2 Available, Solid 79K 32' Bavaria ‘02; Great Caribbean Crsr. 49K
45' Wauquiez MS45,'90, Pilothouse 169K 32'Bavaria’03;Great Condition /Price 69K
45’ Downeaster ‘79, Rare Schooner 139K
44’ Freedom 44’ 82, Rare, Great Shape 99.5K
43' Hunter 430°97, In Antigua, Grt Price 89K
43’ Young Sun '79,Lots ofequipment 70K
42’ Beneteau 42s7 ‘95, Immaculate 99K
42' Halberg-Rassy HR-42E’84, Refit 160K
42’ Albin Nimbus ‘81 Cutter 75K
42' Island Packet 420,'01 Immaculate 320K
42’ Beneteau 423 '04, Best Priced 423 129K
POWER:
63'Johnson Motor Yacht’91 Luxury = 375K
52' Jefferson Trawler’89;4cab/4hd 149K
48' Sunseeker Manhattan ‘97, 3cb/2hd 325K
48' Tarquin Trader 485 Sig.Beautiful 269K
46 Bertram 46.6 Sport Cruiser’81 99K
30’ Bayliner 305 ‘06, Only 80hrs 89K
26' Glacier Bay 2680; (2) Yamaha 1SOHP 69K
42'Tayana’85, Well equipped and kept 107K www.bvi yachtsales.com
Email:info@bviyachtsales.com Tel:284-494-3260 Fax: 284-494-3535
DYNAMITE
YACHT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
SKINNER’S YARD, CHAGUARAMAS, TRINIDAD, W.I,
TEL: (
Contac!
www yachtworld.com/dynamitebrokerage
www.dynamitemarine.com
Large selection of Yachts & Power Boats
List available on request
a FTES)
Saal
dees ee ees
Bay Island
as
1989 40° Hatteras
dynamitemarine@gmail.com
CALENDA WHAT'S ON MY MIND
Awh
-7
6-9
7-11
9
11-14
12 - 19
13
16
15
15
18
19
20
21
22
25
26 - 30
26
31
31
11-17
11-20
13-16
18
21
21-24
22
23 - 24
24 - 28
24 - 30
27 - 30
28 - 31
30
30-31
DECEMBER 2009
FULL MOON
Saba Day. Public holiday in Saba
Gustav Wilmerding 19th Annual Memorial Challenge, BVI.
West End Yacht Club (WEYC), Tortola, BVI, tel (284) 495-1002,
‘ax (284) 495-4184, mvh@surfovi.com, www.weyc.net
St. Maarten Charter Yacht Exhibition. www.mybacaribbeanshow.com
48th Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting. www.antiguayachtshow.com
National Heroes Day. Public holiday in Antigua & Barbuda
Sir John Compton Memorial Trophy 2009, race from St. Lucia
© Martinique and return. St. Lucia Yacht Club (SLYC), tel (758) 452-8350,
secretary @stluciayachtclub.com, www.stluciayachtclub.com
Chanukah
National Day. Public holiday in St. Lucia
Lionel Richie live at Pierre Aliker Stadium, Martinique.
www.bienglace.com/LIONEL-RICHIE-EN-CONCERT-EN. html
16 - 24 - Nine Mornings Festival, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Kingdom Day. Public holiday in St. Maarten
ARC Children’s Christmas Party, St. Lucia. SLYC
Lionel Richie live at Baie-Mahault Stadium, Guadeloupe.
www.bienglace.com/LIONEL-RICHIE-EN-CONCERT-EN. html
Separation Day. Public holiday in Anguilla
St. Lucia Yacht Club Fun Day. SLYC
Winter Solstice
Carols Afloat and Christmas Party, Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia. SLYC
Christmas Day. Public holiday in many places
Coupe de Nwel Regatta, Guadeloupe.
gerard.csbf-guadeloupe@orange fr
Boxing Day. Public holiday in many places
FULL MOON. Festival Day, Public holiday in Montserrat
Nelson’s Pursuit Race, Antigua. AYC. See ad on page 17.
JANUARY 2010
New Year’s Day. Public holiday or “recovery day†in many places.
Junkanoo parade in Abaco, Bahamas
Public holiday in Cuba (Victory of Armed Forces Day), Haiti
(Founding Fathers Day), St Kitts & Nevis (Carnival Day),
St. Lucia and Grenada (Second New Year’s Day)
St. Croix Christmas Festival Parades. www.shfestival.com
Three Kings Day. Public holiday in many places
World ARC 2010/11 starts in St. Lucia.
www.worldcruising.com/worldarc2010
17th Annual Barbados Jazz Festival. www.barbadosjazzfestival.com
St. Barts Music Festival. www.stbartsmusicfestival.org
Carriacou Sailing Series. www.sailingcarriacou.com
Martin Luther King Day. Public holiday in Puerto Rico and USVI
Errol Barrow Day. Public holiday in Barbados
St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta. www.ClassicRegatta.com
St. Thomas USVI Blues Festival. http://stevesimonpresents.com
Around Antigua Race. Antigua Yacht Club (AYC), tel/fax (268) 460-1799,
yachtclub@candw.ag, www.antiguayachtclub.com
Alst Spice Island Billfish Tournament, Grenada. www.sibtgrenada.com
Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, Montego Bay.
www.diramaicajazzandblues.com
Antigua Superyacht Cup. AYC
27 - 10 Feb 15th Annual Mustique Blues Festival. www.basilsbar.com
Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest. See ad on page 53.
29 -2 Feb Grenada Sailing Festival. See ad on page 12.
FULL MOON
Budget Marine Women’s Caribbean Championships, St. Maarten.
www.smyc.com
All information was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time
this issue of Compass went to press — but plans change,
so please contact event organizers directly for confirmation.
If you would like a nautical or tourism event listed FREE in our monthly calendar,
please send the name and date(s) of the event and the name
and contact information of the organizing body to
sally@caribbeancompass.com.
FREE Caribbean Compass On-line FREE
www.caribbeancompass.com
Moorings
by Jim Hutchinson
“No,†I called to the catamaran. “You can't pick up that mooring.â€
“Because you will be right on top of me.â€
They were about to pick up a big red mooring ball about 30 metres ahead of us.
That was all that was said. They saw that what I said was true (or didn’t want to be
near me) and went elsewhere.
If I anchor too close to a mooring for it to be used and someone picks it up anyway,
and hits me, who is at fault? Is a person allowed to reserve a piece of unused anchor-
age to the exclusion of others? If! fill a bay with moorings, do you have to pay me to
be there?
But there is more than meets the eye in this particular case. We've been
anchored in this spot for some weeks. The mooring was put there yesterday —
without a word.
Thirty metres ahead may sound okay, presumably what they first thought. But the
slack in the mooring plus the length of their bridle would put their bow five or ten
metres behind where the ball is now, and their boat is 12 metres long. That would
put them way too close, especially if they like running their engine — diesel exhaust.
But another interesting aspect was seen when I snorkeled the mooring. The sand
screw was about ten metres in front of our anchor, with its heavy chain laid out
across the wind. The chain would have fouled our anchor if it had been laid out
downwind. Whether the installers gave any thought to what would happen the first
time a boat picked it up and pulled it straight is something to wonder.
I could have been a good sport and moved, of course. But many of you will see that
there is at least one matter of principle here. I told the mooring’s operator that I was
there first, and nobody was going to occupy the mooring until I left. And I stayed as
long as I wanted.
The mooring in question is one of many rental moorings in the bay. There are also
many private moorings. Some yachts have moorings in several bays. And I some-
times leave our dinghy on a mooring when I do a daysail. There are other excuses
for moorings, too.
There are places where moorings are mandatory for alleged environmental reasons.
One island owned by the super-rich declared all of its surrounding waters ecologi-
cally sensitive and prohibits all anchoring — and installed mandatory moorings with
big fees in a sand-bottom bay that has been an anchorage for centuries. As environ-
mentally chic as that may sound, this same island has been caught dumping its
trash in the sea.
There are now so many yachts, and so many captains that know or care little
where their anchors fall, that there is a good case for protecting corals, grass, and
sponges from us. Sigh.
Here’s another problem with moorings. In general, I don’t trust them. I've had a
high rate of failure on the few I’ve picked up, and I’ve read and heard many mooring
horror stories over the years. Even diving a mooring isn’t a guarantee. Backing up a
mooring with your own anchor is sometimes a good idea. How do you know? Ask the
guy wanting to rent the mooring to you? (Or, sometimes, the next guy collecting on
the same mooring?)
The real and irresistible inevitability of moorings is convenience. The argument
that they are more secure will become increasingly true as yachts come to know less
and less about anchoring. And the more yachts there are, many oblivious to where
they are dropping their anchors, the greater the environmental justification.
And there is this. In many places where moorings are mandatory, high fees effec-
tively say “rich people onlyâ€. And of more moderate mooring fees, some of us say,
“that is almost (or more than) my entire budget!â€
Paha
Be dae sd
ecm lela deel ge ae
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Ces Core ey] tom@caribbeancompass.com continued on next page ———\>
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oa hetes PORES ined some orto com
ee ere ey
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* 50 Ton Hoist
= Fuel Dock
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© Apartments
Power Boats - sci
“the Place for Yachts" © Dockside Food Mart
Power Boats Mutual Facies Lid. | tei B6G.604 4500 665 64 427
PO) Box S063, Carenage, Trimet, 41 phe powertoats.o. M1
(Tere eM eee "CARIBBEAN MARINE.
ARIBBEAN RINE . tome of the |
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oe DE REEF Basile Bar
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Ft BEOQU | qnee
ads Mueiaus
cy yvincrsy Thurs 28th, 9pm: 13-piece Elite Steel Orchestra @ Frangipani Bequia =KARIB
aT SALW Fri 29th, 8.30pm: The Mustique Blues Festival comes to Bequia for 1 night @ De Reef
Sat 30th, 1.00pm: Jazz and Blues Jam @ Bequia Beach Hotel, Friendship Beach CABLE
Sat 30th, 8.30pm: Caribbean Clash, Bequia, Barbados, Europe @ De Reef
a Sun 30th, 1.00pm: Blues & Jazz Jam, Special Guests, Mount Gay Surprise Party @ De Reef
SS www.begos.com/bequiamusicfest musicfest@begos.com Tel: (784) 458 3286
ADMIRALTY TRANSPORT KEEGAN'S BEACH RESORT BEQUIA EXPRESS
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=
SSVdNIO
€g 4OVd
1975 German Frers_ 39ff,
2 sets racine sails, US 57.000
1981 pes Dory 30, US
39,000, 3 ucia duty paid
2000 Catana 471,
460,000 Euros
1987 Irwin 44 _ US 105.000
1992 Dehler 37 CWS,
90.000 Euros
1981 CT 54 US 195,000
2006 Bahia 46, Hi spec
upgrades, lots of extra
equipment with charter
contract, 390,000 Euros
Email Yachtsales@dstyachting.
com Tel (758) 452 8531
4 cabin,
MAXIM 38 CATAMARAN 2001,
very well equipped, E-mail
meoxim4sale@gmail.com or Tel
(473) 536-2319 for full details.
SEA RAY 420 SUNDANCER 2004
Twin 445h9 Yanmar Diesels, Perfect
condition, too many extras to
mention. Just received fresh bot-
tom paint, acid wash and wax.
Professionallymaintcined, $275,000
Email ngenceyancocon
Tel: (840) 513-4024
YOUNG SUN 46FT VENUS 1984 KETCH
Wergos, gc, new engine 2007,
excellentlive aboard and cruiser.
GPS, RADAR, VHF, Auto Pilot,
EPIRB, SSB, Water Maker, Ait-Con,
Solar Panels, Wind Generator &
more. Ful specs ot www free-
webs.com/venus4éforsale Price
reduced for a speedy sale
US$ 169,000 ONO Lying St Lucia.
Email venus46@live.com or Tel:
5%-696-907429
COCHISE, an elegant 39 ft
yacht (1991) and pleasure
to sail is for sale. Noted for
speed, ease to handle, sim-
plicity and Boat of The Year
2007 Trinidad. Cochise is
very well maintained, sailed
only by owner and brought
in from NL on containership.
Ideal boat for comfortable,
fast cruising with family/
friends, and equipped for
club racing. All J-Boats
design weaknesses taken
care of in recent years.
Extensively overhauled with
new_mast and rod rigging
(2002), large sail wardrobe,
many extras incl. new
Raymarine autopilot (2007),
well-maintained — Harken
1993 BENETEAU 445 - Cruising
Ready to go performance
ctuiser/live aboard located
in the Virgin — Islands.
Watermaker, wind genera-
tor, solar, davits, AGM bat-
teries, newer engine, navi-
ation electronics, dinghy.
129,000 Tel (340) 344-6262
www.ansano.com/4sale
winches, 2 anchors + chain,
large sun awning etc.
Interesting price of 55,000 US$
1979 HUGHES 38 Sparkman
and Stevens design.
Cruising Grenada. Ready to
go.US$$32,000_ ono E-mail
hughes38.1979@yahoo.com
cochisestellendam@zonnet.nl
teflects “current location
(Caribbean) and move to
larger world cruiser. Email
BOATS FOR SALE INTRINIDAD
Tel (868) 739-6449
www.crackajacksailing.net
aa
41’ CORONADO — 1973,
“M'Lady Kathleen†Now
available in the Grenadines,
loaded with goodies.
www.freewebs.com/
sv-mladykathleen for
details. US$56,000 E-mail:
Roland693@Yahoo.com
2003 BENETEAU OCEANIS
393, 3 Cabins/2 Heads,
Good Condition, Cruisin:
Ready. BVI’s, $115.01
E-mail starfrute@gmail.com
Tel (952) 221-3788
RIVIERA 2002 CONVERTIBLE
/SPORTSFISHERMAN __ Hard
op, B yrigse: LOD 37' 11",
Beart 13' 10", Draft 3' 5â€,
Cruise 20 Kts., Max 28 Kts,
win Cummins BTA, 370hp
(Only 800 Hours Use)
Furuno Radar , Furuno Depth
Sounder, Northstar _ Chart]
Plotter / GPS, VHF Radio ¢
flybridge & Cabin), Auto Pilot,
watermaker, ice maker,
freezer, fridges. Boat in excel-
lent condition and has been
professionally maintained
since ped are in 2006. Fully
and can be sup-
plied with semi_ rigid
Inflatable and Shp O/B, plus
spare set of new _ props.
Asking Price US$280,000
Located at Port St. Charles
Marina, Barbados .
Contact William = Tomlin
30’ BRADLEY 2005, Twin
Yamaha 115 HP 4 stroke 2005,
108 gallons fuel, IcomlC-+M402S
VHF, GPS: Gamnin GPSmap
198C sounder, Boat is in good
condition. Minor repairs: trim
tabs, indshield, shower
pump, railing, radio antenna,
gasket portside engine. Trailer
(699) 416 3295
Your Classified
on the Internet
SAILS AND CANVAS
EXCEPTIONALLY SPECIAL
DEALS at http://doylecarib-
bean.com/specials.htm
CALVERT HOME SCHOOL
Large quantity ofhome-school
ooks from Grade 1 through
6. For complete list E-mail
HALLBERG RASSY 39 1997
New engine. Exc. condition. cathy@bequiadive.com
St Lucia, Euros 217,000 E-mail
tabascojazz@hotmail.com 2 x 54’ F/glass catameran hulls
Trinidad (868) 650-1914 E-mail
JanDutch @tstt.net.tt
tO) he) ern
CARRIACOU, ONE ACRE LOTS
and multi acre tracts. Great
views overlooking _ Southern
Grenadines and Tyrrel Bay
CORT WINNER “UNCLE SAMâ€
www.caribtrace.com
BENETEAU 10-METER Custom,
2001 rebuild, Henderson BEQUIA, UNION LEVEL
bulb keel & rudder. 2 pieces of land for sale 23,000
Expanded cockpit, over-
size winches, custom helm,
all new, instruments.
Raytheon GPS, speedome-
ter, cockpit mounted chart
plotter, Maxi sail compais.
Completely rewired includ-
ing dual battery system &
grout breaker panel.
stooge past 2 years.
Usesenc5 rect Sam Laing,
Email laingusvi@gmail.com
sq/ft each. $4.25 US Bet sq/ft.
el (473) 404 4630 Email
Jhiamie9? @gmail.com
Ee)
BEQUIA, HAMILTON 2-bed
room, partly fumished, recent-
ly refurbished house. 100 yds
from the sea. EC$1,300 per
month, utilities not included.
el (784) 496-9872 Email
Jhiamie9?@gmail.com.
BEQUIA, PORT ELIZABETH 3
bed villa with pool. Stunnin
views. Jeep & Internet.
Short or lets. E-mail
Pearlwin]@aol.com.,
LA POMPE, BEQUIA
Large 2 bedroom house and/
or T bed studio apartmentin.
Big verandah and _ patio,
stunning view, cool breeze.
Internet, cable TV. 2 weeks
minimum, excellent _long-
pit, single owner,
maintained. Sailed through-
out the Caribbean and now
located in Trinidad. Ready
for you to start cruising tomeor-
row. 89,999° E-mail
SailingOnFree@aol.com
40 FT FISHING TRAWLER,
Fiberglass hull. 671GM Diesel.
Based in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou.
Good price, negotiable.
Tel (473) a 5-9323
MISC. FOR SALE
SELDEN RIG for VINDO 35,
deck stepped, boom,
spreaders, lights, winches
(has been changed for
upgrade) 2000 US OBO
oe for details 758 4528531
email: destsll@candw.lc
erm rates. Tel: (784) 495 1177
email: louisjan@vincysurf.com
ACCOMMODATION BEQUIA
Recently completed four
ensuite air-conditioned rooms
in waterfront property avail-
able for short or long term
rental. Panoramic view of
Admiralty Bay from verandah
and access to the sea from
our own jetty. Located in
quiet northwest comer of
Admiralty Bay.
Tel (784) 458-3942 Email
daffodil_harris@yahoo.com
BEQUIA, FRIENDSHIP
Unfurnished house, 3 bed-
room/2 baths.
Tel (784) 495 3704 Email
tinamitchel83@hotmail.com
SERVICES
INTERNATIONAL
INSURANCE US$5,000,000
worldwide “A†rated cover,
4700 US hospital direct billing
network, Highest Deductible
MEDICAL
Hospital option age 30-34: $35
monthly, www. protexplan.com
E-mail info@protexplan.com,
Tel (604) 724-7384
ISLAND VIEW at WOBURN BAY,
GRENADA cfferin: :
fesouren. jety. WA.
undry more! Open daily
‘CANE OPM, Tel (473) 443-2645 VHF 1%
sports bar,
showers, ice,
SI. LUCIA - SCOTIES SCOOTER
RENTALS (758) 450-1 404 or 684.8722
Email CARSONZ@HOTMAILCOM
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
AAR SSA INS OOUNA
“USE YOUR YACHT FOR AN
INCOME!†SuccessfulCaribbean
Day Charter business with strong
website offers Franchises
hroughout the Caribbean
sland chain. Low cost business
start up. For more information
visit wwaw.miramarsailing.com
hen contact us,
WANTED
YACHT CHARTER COMPANY
seeks certified marine elec-
tronics person with experience
in installation and mainte-
nonce of all modern systems
includin: arine and Tick
ack. 1a Gaps 9334.
MARINE TECHNICIAN WANTED
Respected Marine Engineetin
Co. in Grenada is seeking al
round experienced technician
for marine diesel engines, elec-
tical, electronics, watermakers,
wind generators, AC and reftig-
eration. We can assist wi
work pemit. Ideal for cruiser or
independent tech looking for
he stability of an established
company in Grenada. Please
emal CV to enzomarine@spi-
ceisle.com Tel: (473) 439-2049
col NS 1 tae PS)
US 50¢ per word - include name,
address and numbers in count.
Line drawings/photos accompany-
ing classifieds ore US$10. Pre-paid
by the 15th of the month. No replies.
ADVERTISERS INDEX
PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER
MP Clippers Ship Martinique MP Johnson Hardware
44 Cooper Marine USA 41 Jones Maritime
Curagao Marine Curagao 11. KNd Marine
Diesel Outfitters St. Maarten 49 KP Marine
Diginav Martinique 23. L'Auberge des Grenadines
Discovery Marigot St.Lucia Le Phare Bleu
Dockwise Yacht Transport Martinique Lulley's Tackle
Dockyard Electrics Trinidad Mango Bay
Dominica Marine Center Dominica Maranne's Ice Cream
Dopco Travel Grenada Marc One Marine
Down Island Real Estate Carriacou Marina Zar-Par
Doyle Offshore Sails Tortola Mcintyre Bros. Ltd
Doyle Offshore Sails Barbados Mid Atlantic Yacht Services
Doyle's Guides USA Navimca
Echo Marine - Jotun Special Trinidad Northern Lights Generators
Electropics Trinidad On Deck
Femando's Hideaway Bequia Perkins Engines
Food Fair Grenada Petit St. Vincent
Fred Marine Guadeloupe Porthole Restaurant
Friendship Rose Bequia Power Boats
Gittens Engines Trinidad Quantum Sails
Gourmet Foods St. Vincent Reef Gardens
Grenada Marine Grenada Reds Caribbean
Grenada Sailing Festival Grenada Renaissance Marina
Grenada Tourism Grenada Rodney Bay Marina
Grenadine Island Villas Bequia Santa Barbara Resorts
Grenadines Sails Bequia Savon De Mer
GRPro-Clean Martinique Sea Services
lolaire Enterprises UK Silver Diving
Island Water World Sint Maarten Soper's Hole Marina
Island Water World Sint Maarten Spice Island Marine
ADVERTISER LOCATION
A&C Yacht Brokers Martinique
Admiral Yacht Insurance UK
American Yacht Harbor St. Thomas 10
Anjo Insurance Antigua 42
Antigua Pursuit Race Antigua 17
Art & Design Antigua MP
Art Fabrik Grenada MP
B &C Fuel Dock Petite Martinique
Bahia Redonda Marina Venezuela
Barefoot Yacht Charters St. Vincent
Barrow Sails & Canvas Trinidad
Basil's Bar Mustique
Bay Island Yachts Trinidad
Bequia Marina Bequia
Bequia Music Festival Bequia
Bequia Venture Bequia
Blue Water Sailing USA
Budget Marine Sint Maarten
Budget Marine Sint Maarten
BVI Yacht Sales Tortola
Camper & Nicholsons Grenada
Captain Gourmet Union Island
Caraibe Greement Martinique
Caraibe Greement Martinique
Caraibe Yachts Guadeloupe
Carene Shop Martinique
Caribbean Marine Electrical Trinidad
Caribbean Propellers Ltd. ‘Trinidad
Caribbean Woods Bequia
Ciao Pizza Union Isand
CIRExpress St. Maarten
LOCATION
St. Lucia
St. Croix
Trinidad
St. Vincent
Bequia
Grenada
Bequia
Martinique
Bequia
Trinidad
Dominican Rep
Grenada
Azores
Venezuela
Tortola
Antigua
Tortola
PSV
Bequia
Trinidad
Tortola
Antigua
Trinidad
Aruba
St. Lucia
Curagao
Caribbean
Martinique
Carriacou
Tortola
Grenada
ADVERTISER
St. Croix Regatta
St. Thomas Yacht Sales
Supenwind
SVG Air
SVG Tourism
SVV Poette
Technick
Ti’ Ponton
Tikal Arts & Crafts
Tilikum
Townhouse Mega Store
Trade Winds Cruising
Transcaraibes Rally
Triskell Cup Regatta
Turbulence Sails
Turbulence Sails
Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout
Vemasca
Voiles Assistance
Wallace & Co
Wallilabou Anchorage
WIND
WIND
Xanadu Marine
YES
LOCATION
St. Croix
St. Thomas
Germany
St. Vincent
St. Vincent
Grenada
Martinique
Grenada
Martinique
Antigua
Bequia
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Grenada
Grenada
Carriacou
Venezuela
Martinique
Bequia
St. Vincent
Martinique
Martinique
Venezuela
Martinique
ZoOZVEZZo
U U Uv
wo
IMD
MP = Market Place pages 51 to 53
» ARRPY
AT THE SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN’S MOST
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RODNEY BAY MARINA st. Lucia, WI
248 renovated slips including 32 berths for megayachts up to 76
meters. Features IGY signature amenities and services including a full
SMe a evel elem Mam one Rm ae all situated in a spectacular,
protected lagoon. Marina Village with shopping, dining, ship’s
chandlery, recreation & guest services.
A
Pty N71 32!
“= IGY
ISLAND GLOBAL YACHTING
ola ee RCA UROL) AMERICAS | CARIBBEAN | EUROPE | MIDDLE EAST
WWW.IGY-RODNEYBAY.COM 1.758.452.0324 WWW.IGYMARINAS.COM 1.888.IGY.MARINAS
great am
Seek ec melt eae
rates
islandwaterworld.com what’s on sale in store?
what’s new? 30% orf
‘.
all Pre-Spliced Braided Dock Lines
Premium quality, Southern Rope double braid dock lines are
Treat yoursell to the latest pocket tool available in black, blue, and red, Each line has a professionally
this season! Check Leatherman's versatile spliced 1 inch eye. Available in a variety of diameters from 3/8"
lightweight Sketetool, Skeletool CX amd (10cm) to 5/8" (16mm) and in hengths from 15tt to 35ft.
Freestyle tools or Gerber's new “Flik†multi-tood
innovation as well a5 Paralrame and fast draw
knives.
re Caframo Sirocco Fans
t
Shimano Trolling and Casting Reels H+ Tas t2 atifan features a sotcue heated dosign that
Power, ight and durable! We have» grestangein i EG) ferret tet leterplepe ferent
nude tactics - t , = é the bulkhead when not in use, Multiple speeds, timer
or TLD and TLD - 2 Speed Trofling ¢ = settings and quiet operation.
reels. Real Reels for feal Fishermen, Only $100.00
Casting Reels from $83.25 and Trolling Reels from $299.95
ohh, (19) Waeco Coolmatic CB-40
Top Load Fridge
This 40-liter fridge is specifically designed for smaller ves-
sels and solves tricky space problems. |t can provide normal
and deep freeze temperatures and is filled from the top to
save space and energy. The cooling unit underneath can be
removed and mounted up to 1.5 meters away from the box.
The Danfoss BOS5F compressor makes this model extremely
(Only $55.95 powerful and efficient.
Only $775.00
Santa Cruz Crocs
(Crocs Santa Cruz for men are proof that loafers can be
truly comfortable. They offer the style of a traditional shoe
combined with the same comfort found in Crocs clogs. With
a canvas upper, the soles aro mado of ‘croslite' material just
like original Crocs footwear.
mmm Eee ES 3 Store prices good while stocks last and for the month of Deceenber only.
online and win..
ee eel what's on the web?
Mercury Outboard 10% discount for online shoppers
From now until the end of January buy anything
ONLINE at werw.islandwatenworld.com and you will
automatically be entered in our monthly dinghy and
re ge
Pa hase srnaptiples
I
i
em cenctereme EEE! island
shpingdesinatns! aol a | Water World
|
I
ae feeeee eer sere
Walker Bay Al Floor
keeps you sailing! =
St. Maarten, Cole Bay: + 599.544.5310
Bobby's Marina: + §99.543.7119
St. Lucia: + 758.452.1222 » Grenada: + 473.435.2150
Published by Compass Publishing Limited, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and printed by Trinidad Publishing Company Limited
|
| Full Text |
|
aN
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)
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4 â„¢ ss a 3
Sw for St. Lueia
“WORLD CRUISING CLUB
\ rye, Jit) ‘Oe
VIEKK EAE ’
from all of us at Budget Marine
Gtr
GILL RASHGUARDS XANTREX BATTERY * ;
FREEDOM INVERTER
* Goz lycra.
Combo Special Senator Reel
114H2 w/ 6'6 Ugly Stick Leatherman Serac S2 LED The Freedom
flashlight is all business. Sure it HF is designed
These combos come ready looks pretty innocuous hanging for demanding
to fish with the perfect from your keychain, but don't be marine conditions.
match of reel and rod, fooled.
some of these combos Temperature-controlled multistage
are already loaded with With two settings pumping out 35 charging ensures that your
line. lumens on only one AAA battery, batteries are recharged safely and
and an aircraft-grade aluminum efficiently. Includes an automatic
Our selection is body with stainless steel bezel, transfer switch and a detachable
separated between there's nothing little about it. digital remote control panel
Trolling applications display that provides precise
and Spinning or The S2 has a textured reflector system information and can be
Surf casting and glass lens for a completely mounted wherever you require the
applications. smooth, article-free light pattern. information.
* Away
stretch for
comfort and
fit.
* Flatlocked
seams for reduced chaffing.
* Excellent UV protection
CARIBBEAN CHANDLERIES
BUDGET MARINE ass
ANTIGUA » BONAIRE « CURAGAO ¢ GRENADA ° ST. MAARTEN ° ST. MARTIN » ST. THOMAS « TORTOLA * TRINIDAD
The Caribbean’s Leading Chandlery www.budgetmarine.com
St. Vincen
St.Lucia St. Martin
British Virgin Islands Curacao Dominica Grenada Panama Puerto Rico St. Croix
Bequia
Antigua Barbados
t_ Trinidad and Tobago
obeqo! pue pepliuld] UaDUIA IS
Antigua Barbados Bequia
British Virgin Islands
Curacao Dominica
For those who demand the very best,
Doyle Caribbean's 5/50
DOYLE
SAILMAKERS
Y-Not, Farr 80
14.000 miles on our Hydra Net sails
40,000 miles on our canvas
Still looking good, still working hard
That's Doyle value!
S
~~ Doyle Sailmakers
Road Reef Marina
Tortola
Tel: (284) 494 2569 Fax: (284) 494 2034
E-mail: bob@doylecaribbean.com
Antigua & Barbuda
Star Marine
Jolly Harbour
Bequia
Withfield Sails and Model Boats
Port Elizabeth
Grenada
Turbulence Ltd.
Spice Island Boatyard
St. Croix, USVI
Wilsons’ Cruzan Canvas
Christiansted
St. Lucia
The Sail Loft, St. Lucia
Rodney Bay
Panama
Regency Marine
Pedro Miguel Boat Club Fajardo
UE RIT ESM EL eK P
Construction.
5 years -
50,000 miles
GUARANTEED’
*Dacron and Hydra Net only
Barbados
Doyle Sailmakers
6 Crossroads
St. Philip
Tel: (246) 423 4600 Fax: (246) 423 4499
E-mail: andy@doylecaribbean.com
Curacao Dominica
Kapiteinsweg #4 Dominica Marine Center
Netherland Antilles Roseau
Puerto Rico
Atlantic Sails and Canvas
St. Vincent
Barefoot Yacht Charters
Blue Lagoon
Trinidad & Tobago
Soca Sails, Ltd.
Chaguaramas
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Wod*IAgs}oys]yorA'mam :0}0Yd
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CAR B BE A N
C2:MPASS
The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore
www.caribbeancompass.com
DECEMBER 2009 « NUMBER 171
Business Briefs
Eco-News
Meridian Passage
Regatta News
Cruiser Profile
Product Postings ..
Fun Pages
Cruising Kids’ Corner
Dolly’s Deep Secrets...
nO
alll
Cartbbean Compass 1s published monthly by
Compass Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 175 BQ.
Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Tel: (784) 457-3409, Fax: (784) 457-3410
compass@vincysurf.com
www.caribbeancompass.com
AINdNd NHOr
AZ INVA SASLS
Sally Erdle
sally@carlbbeancompass.com
Assistant Editor.
jsprat@vincysurf.com
Advertising & Distribution...
tom@caribbeancompass.com
Art, Design & Production
wide@caribbeancompass.com
Accounting.
debra@caribbeancompass.com
Elaine Ollivierre
-Tom Hopman
Wilfred Dederer
Debra Davis
.
a a
Comber Agents by Island:
DEPARTMENTS
The Caribbean Sky
Book Reviews
Cooking with Cruisers....44 - 46
Readers’ Forum
What’s on My Mind...
Monthly Calendar .... Fe
Caribbean Marketplace......
Classified Ads ...
Advertisers’ Index..
nee Petite Martinique:
Ad Sales tribution - Karen Maaroufl
Cell: io. er 2151 Office: (473) 444-3222
compassgrenada@hotmall.com
Martinique: Ad Sales_& Distribution - Isabelle Prado Tel:
oa 596 68 69 71, Mob: + 596 (0) 696 93 26 38
isabelle. prado@wanadoo.fr
St. Lucia: Distribution - Lisa Kessel
Tel: (758) 484-0555,
kesselle@candw.lc
St. Maarten/St. Barths/Guadeloupe:
Ad Sales - Stéphane ie
Mob: +590 (0 690.49 45
a endre Po ie
Distribution - endahan
Tel: (599) 553 mac ene com
St. Thomas/USVI: Distribution - Bi
Tel: (340) 774 7931, ey ae
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Ad Sales - Debra Davis,
Tel: (784) 457-3527, debra@carlbbeancompass.com
Pa —
ua: Ad Sales & Distribution - Lucy Tulloch
ar 68) 720-6868
fue lucy.com
Barbados: Distribution - Doyle Sails
Tel/Fax: (246) 423-4600
Cres Distribution - Budget Marine Curacao
cao@budgetmarine.com
Tet (5099) 4 77 33
Dominica: Distribution - Hubert J. Winston
Dominica Marine Center, Tel: (767) 448-2705,
info@dominicarmarinecenter.com
What a Trip
Getting to Angel Falls
Tortola/BVI: Distribution - Gladys Jones
Tel: (284) 494-2830, Fax: (284) 494-1584
Trinidad: Ad Sales & Distribution - Jack Dausend
Tel: (868) 621-0575, Cell: (868) 620-0978
Jack.Dausend@Gmail.com
Venezuela: Ad Sales & Distribution - Patty Tomasik
Tel: (58-28 1) 265-3844 Tel/Fax: (58-281) 265-2448
xanadumarine@hotmail.com
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Light time in Trinidad
Fun, Fun, Fun
Upcoming Caribbean events... 28
Big Hello!
Meet the local whales
Caribbean ass welcomes submissions of short articles, news items, photos and drawings.
See Writers’ Guidelines at www.caribbeancompass.com. Send submissions to sally@caribb eancompass.com.
We support free speech! But the content of advertisements, columns, articles and letters to the editor are the sole
responsibility of the advertiser, writer or correspondent, and Compass Publishing Ltd. accepts no
[ responsibility for any statements made therein. Letters'and submissions may be edited for length and clarity
Compass Publishing Ltd, accepts no liability for delayed distribution or printing quality as these services are
ry supplied by other companies.
©2009 Compass Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication,
Sara TAL Ln aes cry aeons cute ee Treat Te Setrecens GH art eae Cones Publishing Ltd
ISSN 1605 - 1998
Marooned. ae
.. in a very good way
Cover photo: The ARC embarks from the Canaries to St. Lucta — Photo: World Cruising Club
Grand Bahama [1 Great
rida Abaco Compass covers the Caribbean! From Cuba to Trinidad, from
Flo eee $ Payee Panama to Barbuda, we've got the news and views that sailors
Gulf of £ a can use. We're the Caribbean’s monthly look at sea and shore.
heme
The Bahamas “| keep a boat in St. Lucia. When not on the boat,
I try to stay in touch with activities in the Caribbean.
“When | return to the boat, | always look for the latest
issue of the Compass. Now, your new online format
allows me to stay in touch even better.
“Nice job, well done!â€
Mexico
— John Dupee
weute Haiti / Dominican
Republic US / British
Virgin Ishands.
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7 a ih Sheer bklartin | Mer Masten
Soa canes : ee Ce Barbe
| Swan Mawanicn Puerto Rico stro Sins", Antigua
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Info
Port of Entry Status Re-established for Prickly Bay, Grenada
Anita Sutton reports: Since November 3rd, a Medical Officer has been stationed at
Prickly Bay Marina Customs & Immigration Office, so yachts can once again clear in
to Grenada at Prickly Bay. Yachts can also still clear in to Grenada at Hillsborough in
Carriacou and at the Grenada Yacht Club in St. George’s.
The Marine & Yachting Association of Grenada would like to thank the Ministry of
Health and the Chief Medical Officer who worked with us to enable the clearance facil-
ities at Prickly Bay to be restored, while ensuring Swine Flu precautions remain in place.
Clarifying Clearance in Aruba
Sander Vellinga reports: Aruba’s yacht clearance procedure is somewhat different
from that in many other islands in the Caribbean. As in most countries, all vessels are
required to go to an official port of entry before going to another harbor or marina.
Although both Oranjestad harbor and Barcadera harbor are ports of entry, due to the
ISPS requirements the Aruba Ports Control will send yachts to Barcadera harbor. Here’s
where the difference comes in: at Barcadera, yachts are required go alongside the
dock to clear in. There, the vessel will be cleared both by Customs and by Immigration.
Specific harbor entry information for Barcadera harbor, as well as the Customs
and Immigration forms, can be found on the website of the Renaissance Marina
(see page 15): www.renaissancemarina.com/clearance-procedures. There are no
visa requirements for citizens of the USA, Canada or the EC. Other nationalities can
find requirements at http//.brochures.aruba.com/entryreq/2007 entryrequirements.
pdf. While itis not up and running yet, Aruba is in the process of implementing the
eSeacClear system in the near future.
Compass Contributor Wins SSCA Award
Congratulations to Caribbean Compass contributor Ellen Sanpere and her hus-
band Tony who recently won the Seven Seas Clean Wake Award. The award recog-
nizes voyaging cruisers who exemplify by their behavior one of the main principles of
the Seven Seas Cruising Association, “to leave a clean wakeâ€. Award recipients are
those who show generosity and offer assistance to others, especially to people who
live in the countries they are visiting, and/or those who involve themselves in activi-
ties of significant benefit to mankind and the environment.
Ellen and Tony have rescued fisher-
men adrift in the Caribbean Sea, volun-
eered with medical missions in
Venezuela, and worked with a number
of active environmental groups in the
Caribbean region. Ellen is currently the
press contact for the charitable St. Croix
Hospice Regatta (see page 17). Tony is
a well-known skipper on the Caribbean
yacht racing circuit.
Other Compass contributors who
have been honored by the SSCA in the
past include Melodye and John Pompa,
who received the association’s 2002
Service Award for their efforts in alerting
he cruising community to safety mat-
ers in the Caribbean; Suzanne
Longacre, who with John Gideonse won
a 2002 Transocean Award; Pauline
Dolinski, who with her husband Voytek
won d 2002 Transocean Award; Bruce
Van Sant, who won a 2003
Camaraderie Award for his many years
of guidance and advice to cruisers
hrough his books; Devi Sharp, who with
her husband, Hunter, won a 2006 Clean Wake Award; and Marcie Connelly-Lynn,
who won a Recognition Award in 2007 for her efforts as the SSCA’s first volunteer
Cruising Station Coordinator. In 2002, Compass advertiser Don Stollmeyer (Power
Boats) won a Service Award for his efforts on behalf of the visiting Trinidad sailing
community, and in 2007 Caribbean Compass’s Trinidad agent, Jack Dausend, won
the Cruising Station of the Year Award for his tireless efforts welcoming cruisers to
Trinidad, and helping to organize multiple cruiser events such as the annual SSCA
New Year’s Day Gam.
Congratulations to you all. We're proud to have you aboard!
For more information visit www.ssca.org.
Ellen Sanpere, who with her husband.
Tony won the SSCA's 2009
Clean Wake Award.
Eight Bells
CARRICOU WEBMASTER, JOHN INGRAM
John H. Ingram, 58, of Carriacou died on October 14th after falling downstairs and
suffering a head injury. He was flown to the general hospital in Grenada where he
passed away. A native of West Virginia, John spent 19 years in Carriacou. His popu-
lar website, www.grenadines.net, was “The Carriacou Caribbean Connection: Your
Information Gateway to The Grenadine Islandsâ€. He was also proprietor of The
Caribbean Computer Company Internet Café and Back Porch Bar in Hillsborough,
where many cruisers and charter crew checked e-mail, got laptops repaired and
had websites built. John also booked yacht charters and acted as an agent for holi-
day home rentals on the island. He will be missed.
—Continued on next page
ta Spice ee
PO its Ce tema
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————
—Continued from previous pag
page
GAME FISHING CONSERVATION PIONEER, SID JOHN:
SON
Steven Valdez reports: The Trinidad & Tobago Game Fishing Association (ITTGFA)
Caribbean region.
‘ask force that produced a document presented to
Fisheries in Sea Lots, Port of Spain, and send them to
Year award from the IGFA.
The Billfish Foundation named him 1991 Individual o
was also instrumental in having the Institute of Marine
passing Sid held a cabinet-appointed post on the Na
Foreign Fishing and was a member of the Trade and
eam of the Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister’s Vision
Sailor Still Missing
Kenneth Maurice Jackson, 45, was last heard from on March 28rd, 2009. He report-
ost founding member and former Secretary, Sid Johnson, on November 6th. Sid, a
part of the TTGFA management committee from inception in October 1986 to 2007,
was involved in many ways for the betterment of the sport in the Southern
Sid advocated conservation efforts in the region and was concerned about the
jong-liners and industrial trawlers operating in Caribbean waters. He lobbied against
hese practices in the Gulf of Paria in Trinidad and was included as a member of the
he Trinidad & Tobago Cabinet
‘© assist in dealing with these matters. Sid’s passion for conservation led him to take
photographs of Taiwanese large-scale pelagic driftnet boats seen at National
the International Game Fishing
Association (IGFA). These photos were later published on the cover of the New York
Times; the accompanying article was the first conservation story to be featured on
hat newspaper's front page. As a direct result, the United Nations banned large-
scale pelagic drift net fishing and Sid received an individual Conservationist of the
the Year. Sid will always be
remembered as the Southern Caribbean pioneer of billfish tag-and-release fishing. He
Affairs and Fisheries Division in
tinidad & Tobago take samples of fish caught in local tournaments. At the time of his
tional Monitoring Committee on
Industry Fish and Fish Processing
2020 committee.
edly set sail from Charleston, South Carolina heading
or Nassau in the Bahamas. His
family has heard nothing of him
since. Ken’s boat is a 40-foot
wooden ketch, thought to be
called Lily Ooh La La. The name
was not painted on the boat
when he left Charleston, and it
could be sailing under either a
British or US flag. The boat has
wooden spars, a white hull with
dark green sheer stripe, and pos-
sibly a New Jersey registration
number on the bow. It has no
winches or windlass, no EPIRB and
no autopilot, just a PVC self-steer-
ing mechanism. The boat did
carry a GPS system (full size and
hand-held back-up), a radar
reflector, VHF radio, life jackets
and fire extinguishers. British-born
Ken is six feet tall, medium build,
with curly bleached brown hair
and hazel-orown eyes.
Since Ken’s disappearance,
boat watches have been con-
ducted by the Boatwatch Net (www.boatwatchnet.org), Bahamas Air Sea Rescue
Association (www.basra.org), Bahamas Immigration, and the US Coast Guard.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact daisyi@cwgsy.net or gardensof-
style.commercial@hotmail.co.uk.
Cruisers’ Site-ings
e Frank Virgintino reports: The free Cruising Guide to the Dominican Republic is
now available at its new website, www.dominicanrepubliccruisingguide.com. The
site is interactive and users can leave comments, interact with Facebook and link to
other popular cruisers’ websites and to the Dominican Republic Marina Guerra
(Coast Guard). The guide can be read on-line, or it can be downloaded as a PDF
file at no charge. The costs of the guide and the site were underwritten by Rafael
Baez, owner of Marina ZarPar (see page 26), located on the south coast of the
Dominican Republic in Boca Chica.
The Cruising Guide addresses ports and harbors for the entire Dominican Republic,
gives an overview of Dominican culture, and tells what to expect while cruising
through this fabulous country, located on the second largest island in the
Caribbean. The guide also covers clearance procedures, which in recent years
have been simplified. Although entrance to most harbors has become straightfor-
ward, some, such as Luperon and Samana on the north and east coasts, are still
plagued by port officials who have a history of asking for unauthorized pay-
ments. Suggestions on how to handle these requests are also covered in the Guide.
Most cruisers who have passed through the DR have found it to be extremely
unspoiled and uncrowded. The costs for food and labor are relatively low, and
thanks to a vigilant coast guard most cruisers have found cruising here very safe.
—Continued on next page
~ Water sports
~ Rainforest tot
Floral arrang:
Spare part ot
Guests, Captains, and Crew - Enjoy High-end Amenities
Five Star Luxury Resort and Spa - Discovery at Marigot Bay
Seven local restaurants and bars
urs, sky fides, bike tours, and more
Shop high-end retail at The Marina Village
First-Class Faclllties, Services, and Staff
Yacht capacity: 250 feet LOA; 44 feet beam; 16 feet draft
WIFI and high speed Internet connection
Single and three phase electricity (50 and 60 Hz)
High-speed fueling
ements
Uquoer and food provisioning
Business Center: FedEx, car rental, travel agency
rdering and delivery
Chandlery Shop
Airport transfers
Charter Yacht Pick-up and Drop-off
International airport with direct flights from the US and UK
Heliport nearby
Private Jet landing at nearby George FL Charles Alrport (Vigle)
Contact Us for Details:
Christmas in Marigot Bay
Spend Christmas In Marigot Bay and celebrate a
St. Lucian-style Christmas with black cake, oy nv
spice rum and more ... Scove
Hear What Our Customers Say About Us:
“Best Marina we have been to in the Caribbean ..."— Black Pearl
“Excellent and friendly staff! Thanks you.†— Yacht Felina
“Marigot Bay Is a great place to hang out ... †— Stampede
Sane IWIN on
ok Menigok Jom,
www.marigotbay.com » marina@marigotay.com « (758) 451-4275 » VHF Channel 12
—Continued from previous page
There have been incidents of theft in a few harbors, but there is no record of vio-
lent attacks against yacht owners. The number of boats cruising the DR, as com-
pared to just passing through, has grown immensely over recent years.
* Robert the Wifi Guy reports: My website, www.wifiguy.co.cc/info.html, has up-to-
date information for cruisers planning to visit Venezuela’s Isla Margarita. It shows
cruisers new to the area what to do, what to avoid, how to save money by making
the most of the very favorable exchange rate, and how to stay safe. There is also a
comprehensive weather information page — plus a whole lot more!
« Birgit Roethal reports: We've updated the St. Maarten/St. Martin portal, www.
mapsxm.com, with YouTube videos, photos, flight info, movie times, weather, wikis
and road maps. There is also information on neighboring islands, and mapsxm.com
is a partner of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and the St. Maarten Marine Trades
Organization. Recently added is a forum and ranking system where you can cur-
rently rank more than 450 businesses on the island; the list is steadily growing.
e Linda Hutchinson reports: We have just set up a new blog site for our cruise,
www.mytb.org/Sandcastle27. It’s pretty cool!
Carriacou Children’s Education Fund 2009 Scholarships
John and Melodye Pompa report: The Carriacou Children’s Education Fund
2009 scholarship recipients Michelle Alexander, Codell Stafford and Nadia
Edwards, with Melodye Pompa of CCEF; Fleure Patrice, Director of the Carriacou
campus of TAMCC; and Judy Evans of CCEF
(CCEF) has announced the recipients of its 2009 scholarships. Michelle Alexander
and Nadia Edwards of Bishop’s College and Codell Stafford of Hillsborough
Secondary School have begun their studies at the Carriacou campus of TA
Marryshow Community College, with full tuition and fees paid for two years and a
contribution of EC$1,000 towards textbooks.
These three students join Carnisha Charles (Hillsborough Secondary), Reann
Martineau (Bishop’s College), Tahera Paul (Bishop’s College) and Marcia Scott
(Hillsborough Secondary). The first two students benefiting from the Carriacou
Children’s Education Fund scholarships, Stacy Bain and Rena Noel, have complet-
ed their course of study and are working in positions in line with the goals they set
for themselves.
Each student writes an essay of 1,000 words on the topic “How | will use my edu-
cation to build a better Grenadaâ€. Stacy’s primary goal, as stated in her essay in
2007, put teaching at the secondary school level at the top of her list, and she is
already addressing that goal.
Rholda Quamina (Bishop’s College) and Brian Lendore (Hillsborough
Secondary), the principals of the two secondary schools in Carriacou, select the
scholarship recipients based on CXC scores and financial need. Patrick Compton
of the Grenada Union of Teachers and Cleopatra Lambert, Principal of Harvey
Vale Government School, assist in the process every year, collecting and review-
ing the essays.
Visiting yachts and local businesses continue to assist local students through the
fundraising efforts of the Carriacou Children’s Education Fund (CCEF). These three
students bring the total amount of financial aid to nearly $14,000, and money has
been allocated to assist 2010 graduates of Bishop’s and Hillsborough Secondary.
The Carriacou Children’s Education Fund consists of concerned local businesspeo-
ple and volunteers from visiting yachts. Since 2000, CCEF has conducted fundraising
activities during the first week of August at the Carriacou Yacht Club, coinciding
with the annual Carriacou Regatta Festival. During this time, CCEF has raised over
$106,000 to provide uniforms, necessary school supplies and other educational assis-
tance to the children of Carriacou. The mission is to help as many children as possi-
ble and to fill the gap between what is required for a child to receive a proper edu-
cation and what their families can provide.
Since its inception, CCEF has provided assistance in more than 500 cases.
Success is due primarily to the hard work and generosity of the visiting yachts
and the local population who support CCEF, and is the yachtspeople’s way of
saying “thank you†to the people of Carriacou for the warm welcome always
received. These scholarships at TAMCC are a natural extension of the assistance
that CCEF has provided the primary and secondary school children of Carriacou
in the past. CCEF is just one example of how Carriacou benefits from the
presence of the yachts.
Welcome Aboard!
In this issue of Compass we welcome new advertisers Nelson’s Pursuit Race of
Antigua, page 17; Reef Gardens of Antigua, page 42; Reds Caribbean of Trinidad,
page 36; Jean-Jacques Poette auctioneers of Martinique, page 48; and Townhouse
Mega-Store of Antigua, page 50, plus Bluewater Sailing of Grenada; OnDeck
Maritime Training of Antigua; Tilikum marine refrigeration and electronics of
Martinique; and Mango Bay restaurant of Martinique — all in the Market Place sec-
tion, pages 51 through 53. Good to have you with us!
Sail the unspoiled habitat of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Enjoy pristine scenery in the Caribbean with tropical
landscapes, a spectacular volcano and great hotels.
Return home, determined to come back again and ———
ozaiM
St. VINCENT, YoUNG IstAND, Brouia, Mustiquz, CANOUAN, MAyREAU, TOBAGO Cays, UNION ISLAND, PALM ISLAND AND PETIT ST. VINCENT
Visit www.discoversug.com, call 1-784-450-6222 or email sugta@discoversvg.com
Photo: www. insandoutsofsyg.com
Budget Marine Launches Catalogue, Sponsors
Kayak Marathon
Budget Marine launched its 2010 marine equipment
catalog on October 28th. Each year Budget Marine
stages the official arrival of its first catalog. This year
the story was that in light of the financial climate, the
catalog was printed in-house by hardworking employ-
ees on a second-hand printing machine imported
from Bangladesh. The overall-wearing printer is Coleen
Lucas, who jumped out of the printing machine right
after completing the first copy printing. This coincided
with the annual Managers’ Meeting and the introduc-
tion of Ben and Amnerys Rivera of the newest Budget
Marine location, St. Croix. Group Manager Robbie
Ferron enthusiastically expressed his optimism for the
upcoming season and encouraged the crowd to
expect the best.
In other Budget Marine news, the group will sponsor
Ryan de Jongh, a Curacao kayak specialist and
nature activist, in attempting the marathon effort of
paddling between St. Maarten and Curacao. He will
leave St. Maarten on December 5th and stop at two
Budget Marine locations (Grenada and Bonaire) on his
way to his final destination of Curag¢ao where a party
will be ready for him, planned for December 27th. The
total distance to be covered is just over 1,000 miles.
The effort is intended to collect funds for the Carmabi
Foundation, which manages nature reserves
in Cura¢ao, as well as for a group that will provide 170
disabled children with a daily meal and education for
a period of a year. The other gold sponsor of this effort
is Insel Air and Ryan’s kayak will be accompanied by
the yacht Monsoon throughout the journey.
For more information on Budget Marine see ad on
page 2.
New Manager for St. Lucia’s Rodney Bay Marina
Ernie Seon reports: International Global Yachting
(IGY) has announced the appointment of a new gen-
eral manager at Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia.
Australia-oorn Adam Foster says, “It’s really great to
have been given the opportunity to serve the compa-
ny in this part of the world where there are both chal-
lenges and opportunities, given the fact that the com-
pany has undertaken a major investment in a period
of economic uncertainty. Our operations in St. Lucia
are still undergoing a physical transition and | am
pleased to have been given the opportunity to guide
the process, which will involve marketing and promot-
ing the marina globally.â€
Adam has worked in the industry for the past 17 years
in Australia, the South Pacific region and Europe. The
early part of his career included diving instruction and
equipment service, bridge and wharf construction, hos-
pitality, commercial vessel operation, new boat mar-
keting, sales and service. In 2000, Adam took his first
position in marina management with Cronulla Marina
on Port Hacking (New South Wales). He joined
Australia’s largest marina group, d’Albora Marinas, in
2005. In 2007 Adam was appointed Business
Development Manager for the seven d’Albora marinas.
The new GM has trained marina staff throughout
Australia and Asia for the Association of Marina
Industries, a subsidiary of the International Marina
Institute, and was awarded his Certified Marina
Manager's designation in 2008. IGY Marinas employed
Adam several months ago as Education Director
where he wrote the IGY university training program
and trained staff at all Caribbean locations. Once the
training was complete, he was offered the position of
General Manager of the Rodney Bay facility.
“Lam looking forward to my stint in St. Lucia. | have
received a warm response from the hardworking staff
here and from St. Lucians in general, and we intend to
continue to play our part in overall development of
the yachting product in St. Lucia,†he said.
For more information on Rodney Bay Marina see ad
on page 55.
Dockwise Yacht Transport Record Load Bound
for St. Thomas
On November 3rd, when the 556-foot Super Servant
4, one of Dockwise Yacht Transport’s (DYT) fleet of four
semi-submersible ships, left Newport, Rhode Island, it
was packed with a record load of 50 recreational
cruising and racing boats, worth upward of US$41 mil-
lion. The ship headed to Freeport, Bahamas, a newly
added port of call for DYT, where it unloaded eight of
the vessels (six motor yachts, one sport fishing boat
and one sailboat), then carried on to St. Thomas, USVI,
where the remaining vessels (17 motor boats and 25
sailboats) disembarked.
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—Continued on next page
NEW 24 Vv SOLAR PANEL
DOUBLE YOUR ENERGY
xantrex . Higher productivity by
installed with the mppt Xantrex regulator.
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. Improved efficiency: the 3 stage regulator and 2 programmable outputs (gel or acid) do not
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. Increased gain at cable level: losses are divided by two.
. Reinforced efficiency as two sets of batteries can be loaded at one time.
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Tel : +596 (0) 596 748 033
Fax : +596 (0) 596 746 698
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—Continued from previous page
We are maxed out on this trip; not one inch of room
‘o spare,†said Ann Souder, DYT’s sales agent for the
East Coast and Caribbean, explaining that while the
recession may have temporarily subdued demand,
it has not reversed the long-term upward trend in
yacht transportation between cruising destinations in
which DYT specializes. The company’s unique float-on/
loat-off method for yachts up to 200 feet in length is
accommodated by its ships, such as the Super Servant
4, which partially “sink†to allow their cargoes of boats
‘© load and unload under their own power rather than
be lifted by cranes.
According to DYT President Clemens van der Werf,
demand for yacht transportation services is mainly
generated by yacht owners and charter companies
seeking expansion of their cruising grounds to benefit
Tom two seasons within one year (e.g., New England
in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter). “The
market is mainly driven by the increasing global fleet
size, and the growing charter market along with the
development of new yachting destinations around
he world,†said Van der Werf. Since its maiden voy-
age in 1987, the company has transported over
10,000 motor and sailing yachts to various destinations
around the globe.
In addition to its conservation partnership with The
Billfish Foundation, the only non-profit organization
dedicated solely to conserving and enhancing billfish
populations around the world, DYT is also partnered
with the International Seakeepers Society. Its newest
ship, the 685.7-foot (209-metre) Yacht Express, is outtit-
ted with the modular SeaKeeper 1000 ocean and
meteorological monitoring system which samples,
measures, records and transmits critical measures of
ocean health — salinity, temperature, oxygen and
pollution, among others — to various scientific and
public communities across the globe.
For more information, see ad on page 9.
New Shop in Martinique for Diginav
Diginav is happy to let you know that its brand-new
shop specializing in marine electronics is now open. At
the new shop, located on first floor of Marina du
Marin, Martinique, you will find all the major brands,
best after-sale service for all products sold in the shop.
For more information see ad on page 23.
Grenada’s RYA Yachtmaster Success
Grenada Bluewater Sailing’s first combined Coastal
Skipper & Yachtmaster course was recently complet-
ed. Alex Johnstone, the principal, started off with the
five-day Theory Course, added the First Aid and SRC
VHF day courses, and then held a four-day
Yachtmaster preparation. Martin Northey from the
Iberian Sea School flew in as the external Yachtmaster
examiner, and after two days of examinations alll stu-
dents passed.
ARYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is
often the aim of aspiring skippers, both professional
Master class: Andell David, Selwyn Maxwell, Michael
Nelson, Alex Johnstone, Victor Cox
and Richard Watson
and recreational. RYA qualifications, in particular the
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean
Certificates of Competence, are recognized around
the world.
In most cases no formal qualifications are required for
crew on commercial yachts up to 24 metres in length.
The brand-new Diginav shop in Marin, Martinique is
open and ready to serve you
including Furuno, Raymarine, Garmin, Superwind,
Simrad and B&G, Jacques Fouquet, the owner, will be
pleased to advise you on the best solutions to fit the
needs of your boat. Diginav also assures you of the
However, many skippers prefer to hire crew who have
undergone training to at least Day Skipper level. If you
look for work through a crew placement agency, they
will often recommend that you hold a Day Skipper cer-
tificate, preferably supported by training such as the
Diesel Engine, First Aid and Radar courses.
The qualifications required for skippering commer-
cial yachts are determined by the area in which the
yacht is operating. With a Coastal Skipper Certificate
of Competence you can skipper yachts up to 24
metres operating up to 20 miles from a safe haven,
while the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of
Competence enables you to skipper yachts up to 200
gross tonnes, 150 miles from a safe haven. With the
Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence you
can work worldwide. Whichever area you are working
in, you must hold the commercial endorsement, so a
one-day sea survival course and medical fitness certif-
icate are necessary.
Grenada Bluewater Sailing will hold further examina-
tion courses in the New Year.
For more information see ad in this issue’s Market
Place, pages 51 through 53.
Montserrat Ferry Service to Return this Month
The Government of Montserrat is pleased to
announce the retum of a ferry service between
Antigua and Montserrat from early December. The
service will provide Montserrat with two daily return
trips on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information contact the Montserrat Tourist
Board at info@montserratiourism.ms.
New Caribbean CrewShow to Take Place
in St. Maarten
Following this year’s successful events in Antibes and
Palma de Mallorca, CrewShow — the only trade exhi-
bition focused exclusively on professional yacht crew
— announces its first Caribbean event: CrewShow St.
Maarten. The new show is scheduled for January 9th
at Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, an Island Global Yachting
(IGY) marina.
he Sacks Group Yachting Professionals will sponsor
this inaugural event. CrewShow founder Celia
Wagstaff will host the event together with Brian
Deher, IGY Marina Manager for Yacht Club at Isle de
Sol. Strategic support for CrewShow St. Maarten will
also be provided by Ann E. McHorney, who heads
TSGYP’s Caribbean division and runs Select Yachts
NV, another show sponsor. McHorney’s office in Plaza
del Lago, Simpson Bay, will be the headquarters of
CrewShow St Maarten.
For more information visit www.crewshow.com.
a
New Megayacht Services in Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe Yacht Concierge.com is the new and
only contact for megayachts cruising to Guadeloupe,
the Saintes and Marie-Galante. With four years of
experience on the island and more years at sea, the
agency staff is the shore link for all a yacht’s needs.
With high-quality service in mind, they link the yachts
with the best pros on the island.
he concierge services include Customs clearance,
marina bookings, provisioning, airport transfers, and
arrangements for day workers, services, repairs, parts
ordering and haulout, as well as tailor-made recre-
ational activities for guests or off-duty crew.
Guadeloupe Yacht Concierge has two convenient
locations: in Deshaies right at the dinghy dock, and at
the harbour office of Marina Bas-du-Fort in Pointe-a-Pitre.
For more information visit
hitp://guadeloupeyachiconcierge.com.
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Bahamas Announce New Marine Parks
In October, The Bahamas’ Prime Minister
Hubert A. Ingraham announced “the order-
ly expansion of our national parks system
to include up to ten percent of the terres-
trial areas and 20 percent of the near-shore
marine resources of the country.â€
The new parks encompass some of The
Bahamas’ most pristine lands and waters,
and include:
¢ the establishment of the Fowl Cays Land and Sea Park in Abaco, located between
Scotland and Man O’ War Cay in the barrier islands of Great Abaco
¢ the expansion of the West Side National Park of Andros, including Williams Island
and Billy Island, and
¢ the expansion of the Conception Island National Park.
In his announcement, Prime Minister Ingraham also noted, “We are mindful of the
pressures of development in certain parts of The Bahamas, and equally mindful of
our duty to protect the interest of our people and integrity of our resources.â€
The Bahamas continues to increase conservation momentum within the Caribbean.
In addition to these new parks, the government recently extended legal protection to
all species of sea turtles found within its waters. They may not be hunted, trapped
or otherwise harmed or harassed.
Since 2008, The Bahamas has provided key leadership and support for the
Caribbean Challenge. The goal of the Challenge — currently endorsed by five sover-
eign Caribbean nations — is to not only permanently establish a network of 20 mil-
lion acres of marine parks across the territorial waters of at least ten countries, but
also to ensure that once established, the protected areas also receive sufficient, per-
manent funding through sustainable financing tools.
For more information on the Caribbean Challenge
visit wiww.nature.org / initiatives / protectedareas.
Caribbean
Eco-News
Caribbean Coral Got a Break This Year
Lower-than-feared sea temperatures this summer gave a break to fragile coral
reefs across the Caribbean that were damaged in recent years. “We dodged a bullet
this year. The good news is that temperatures didn’t get quite warm enough for
there to be a large-scale bleach-
ing problem,†C. Mark Eakin,
coordinator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Coral Reef
Watch network, told the
Associated Press. He was
among scientists gathered in
San Juan, Puerto Rico last
month for a meeting of the US
Coral Reef Task Force. The
Coral Reef Watch program’s
satellite data provide current
reef environmental conditions
to quickly identify areas at risk
for coral bleaching.
The worst coral bleaching in
the region’s recorded history
occurred in 2005, when hot
seas caused bleaching of as
much as 90 percent of corals in
the Eastern Caribbean, with
more than half of that dying. In
July, the Coral Reef Watch net-
work warned that high temper-
atures this year might lead to
severe coral problems because
sea surface temperatures in
parts of the Caribbean were
unusually hot.
Eakin told the AP that the
threat had passed for 2009, since temperatures are now cooling, but the problem
could return. “We're seeing little signs of coral recovery in the Caribbean, where the
damage has been like a ratchet wrench clicking down and staying there,†Eakin said.
“Temperatures could be severe enough next year.â€
Reef-building coral is a fragile organism, a tiny polyp-like animal that builds a
calcium-carbonate shell around itself and survives in a symbiotic relationship with
types of algae — each providing sustenance to the other. Even a one-degree Celsius
(1.7-degree Fahrenheit) rise in normal maximum sea temperatures can disrupt that
relationship. Bleaching can occur when sea temperatures rise just a few degrees
above average in the warmest summer months. Bleaching that lasts more than a
week can kill the organisms, since they rely on the algae for sustenance.
For more information visit coralreefiwatch.noaa.gov.
AIC ODICNI/ NOSTIM AY
Errol Flynn Marina Gains Third ‘Blue Flag’
Dale Westin reports: For the third time, Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio,
Jamaica, has been awarded the coveted “Blue Flag Marina†designation. The Blue
Flag Campaign is an international voluntary certification scheme for beaches and
marinas. The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label that so far has been awarded to 3,450
beaches and marinas in 41 countries across Europe, South Africa, New Zealand,
Canada and the Caribbean. It has proven to be an effective environmental tool to
enhance the health, safety and environmental quality of beaches and marinas. The
Blue Flag has become a worldwide symbol for beach and marina environmental qual-
ity and is sought for the recognition received from visitors. Errol Flynn’s Blue Flag
rogram is monitored by the marina’s Administrative Manager, Christine Downer.
For more information on the Blue Flag Program visit www.blueflag.org.
Lionfish Response Efforts in USVI
Lionfish are a non-native fish capable of devouring native Caribbean species and
damaging reefs. They have begun to invade the Caribbean and have no known
redators here. Their spines contain venom that can cause intense pain. Nine lion-
ish have been collected in St. Croix waters this year.
A USVI Lionfish Response Management Plan was drafted by the Lionfish Response
Planning Committee, made up of a variety of stakeholders including the USVI
Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the University of the Virgin Islands,
The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, Coral World, the Reef
Environmental Education Foundation, the St. Croix Environmental Association and
the organizer of the USVI Lionfish Response Program (volunteer divers that search for
ionfish). The Plan, located at http:/ /fw.dpnr.gov.vi/Lionfish /OSJ30FinalPlan.pdf, is a
working document and can be amended at any time. Your comments are welcome.
——_
ESeaClear Update
by Aaron Smith
The February 2009 issue of Caribbean Compass reported on the implementation of
eSeaClear, the Caribbean Pre-Arrival Notification system. This is an online service
that provides yacht operators with the ability to submit electronic notifications of
arrival to participating Customs administrations in the Caribbean. ESeaClear was
developed by the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) as part of
a Regional Clearance System set up to facilitate the processing of yachts traveling
around the Caribbean.
ESeaClear is a voluntary system, based on a standardized Customs clearance
form. It gives yacht skippers the option of filling out Customs clearance forms on-line
in advance of arrival at a port of entry, rather than filling out forms by hand upon
arrival. The on-line form, found at www.eSeaClear.com, asks for routine data similar
to that on the various existing paper Customs forms. After the first data entry, sub-
sequent uses are easy because all data is stored.
The eSeaClear-using skipper must still go to Customs to clear in. There, you give
the Customs officer your pre-arrival notification (PAN) I.D. number provided by the
on-line system. (Your name will also work, if you've forgotten your number.) The
Customs officer will pull up your form on his or her computer and print it out for
you to sign. Any fees will be paid as usual.
Since February, the implementation of the eSeaClear system has been continuous
and the service is now available in 14 island nations and territories: Aruba, Antigua
& Barbuda, Anguilla, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands,
Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St.
CCLEC has received many valuable comments
and recommendations from yacht skippers
Maarten, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. Every port within each country may
not yet be eSeaClear compliant. To address this, only ports that are currently able
to handle eSeaClear are available in the drop-down list; users will not be able to
submit notification to ports that are not yet ready.
Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago will soon be able to accept eSeaClear notifica-
tions. The Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) is working with
the remaining islands to implement the program sometime in the New Year.
CCLEC has received many valuable comments and recommendations from yacht
skippers throughout the course of early site usage, and as a result we have made the
following changes:
¢ Passport fields can now accept alphanumeric characters
¢ Vessel Dimensions input field can now accept decimal point notation
¢ Vessel Tonnage (weight) input field can now accept decimal points
¢ Motor Brands are now open text so you are now able to type in any brand as well
as utilize a drop-down list
¢ The date picker has been updated to make date navigation and selection quick
and simple
For added convenience, we have included a Help section that includes a full site
manual and FAQ. The user manual deals with all aspects of site usage and is ben-
eficial in familiarizing users with using the system and thereby improving the user
experience. The manual is available in PDF format for immediate download.
The site is also equipped with a feedback option that can be used for support
requests, making recommendations, or simply to share some insight on your experi-
ence while using the service.
In May, Keats Compton of the regional yacht trades’ umbrella group, the
Caribbean Marine Association (CMA), met with members of the CCLEC to discuss
the system and it was agreed that CCLEC would improve cooperation with CMA
through the signing of an MOU. Some additional recommendations were made for
the improvement of the system, which CCLEC will take forward in the next phase
of the project.
Future Development
By popular request, the system will be adapted so that users are able to make
notifications for both parts of their voyage, i.e. Arrival and Departure. This means
that vessel operators will be able to submit notifications of departure to Customs
ahead of time and be facilitated in the same way arrivals are done.
The system was designed to help facilitate vessel operations with the process of
Customs clearance in the region. Hassle-free movement between the islands is our
goal and CCLEC has been working hard with Caribbean countries to standardize the
clearance requirements, but getting all stakeholders on board can be a challenge. We
will continue to work to streamline the clearance process, thereby making your visit
in the region as seamless as possible.
If you have any questions or comments please contact us — we would be happy to
hear from you. Our contact: eSeaClearSupport@cclec.net or cclec@candw.lec.
Aaron Smith is the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council's ITC Officer. Visit
the eSeaClear website at www.eSeaClear.com.
Your bottom is our concern
P%:
mee UARY “10
Crossing the channels between Caribbean islands with a favorable tide will make
your passage faster and more comfortable. The table below, courtesy Don Street,
author of Street’s Guides and compiler of Imray-Iolaire charts, which shows the time
of the meridian passage (or zenith) of the moon for this and next month, will help you
calculate the tides.
Water, Don explains, generally tries to run toward the moon. The tide starts running
to the east soon after moonrise, continues to run east until about an hour after the
moon reaches its zenith (see TIME below) and then runs westward. From just after the
moon's setting to just after its nadir, the tide runs eastward; and from just after its
nadir to soon after its rising, the tide runs westward. Times given are local.
Note: the maximum tide is 3 or 4 days after the new and full moons.
For more information, see “Tides and Currents†on the back of all Imray Iolatre
charts. Fair tides!
December 21 1548 10 0806
DATE TIME 22 1628 Il 0858
1 2327 23 1709 12 0950
2 0000 (full) 24 1750 13 1042
3 0030 25 1833 14 1131
4 0134 26 1920 15 1219 (new)
5 0235 27 2011 16 1303
6 0333 28 2107 eg 1346
£ 0427 29 2208 18 1427
8 0517 380 2312 19 1507
9 0605 31 2344 (full) 20 1547
10 0652 January 2010 21 1629
Il 0740 DATE TIME 22 1713
12 0828 1 0016 23 1800
13 0918 2 0118 24 1852
14 1009 3 0216 25 1949
15 1102 (new) 4 0310 26 2050
16 1155 5 0400 27 2153
G7 1246 6 0449 28 2256
18 1336 7 0537 29 2356
19 1422 8 0626 380 2454 (full)
20 1506 9 0715 31 0054
REGATTA NEWS
Hot Pursuit! New Year’s Eve Race, Antigua
On New Year's Eve, December 31st, out of English
Harbour, Antigua, there will be a fun pursuit race to
suit every vessel; yachts from 23 to 130 feet have par-
ticipated in this annual event. This annual race com-
memorates Lord Nelson’s heroic pursuit of the French
across the Atlantic in 1805. No paperwork is involved!
For more information see ad on page 17.
World ARC to Start in St. Lucia
Yachts are “gearing up†to carry their crews on a
world circumnavigation in the World ARC 2010/11,
organized and run by World Cruising Club. World ARC
is open to monohulls with a minimum length of 40 feet
(12.19 metres), and multihulls between 40 and 60 feet
(12.19 ad 18.29 metres.
The east-to-west circumnavigation will begin in St.
Lucia on January 6th, 2010, and visit Panama,
Ecuador, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Niue,
Tonga, Fiji, Australia, Bali, Mauritius, Reunion Island and
South Africa. In 2011, the rally crosses the South
Atlantic via St. Helena to Brazil, then visits Grenada
before arriving back in St. Lucia in March 2011, 15
months after the journey begins.
In this second edition of World ARC, there are yachts
representing 19 nations and a greater number of
nationalities within the crews of the 40 boats already
registered. The largest contingent is from Germany
with eight yachts entered, then the UK with seven.
Yachts from other European nations, the USA,
Malaysia, Singapore and Australia are also taking
part. Some are crewed by couples who will take on
extra crew for some passages, while others will be
crewed by a larger number of family and friends.
Some skippers are seeking crew to join them for par-
ticular legs of the voyage.
Around one third of the yachts sailing in World ARC
will arrive in St. Lucia with ARC 2009. As with all World
Cruising Club events, the programme for the World
ARC start will include safety equipment checks, par-
ties, activities and briefings.
Armchair adventurers can follow the World ARC fleet
progress and the crews’ experiences along the way
via the boat logs and image galleries on the
event website.
For more information
visit www.worldcruising.com/worldarce2010.
Early Interest in St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic 2010
West Indies Events and the St.Maarten-St.Martin
Classic Yacht Regatta Organization have announced
that early registrations for the January 21st through
24th event are coming in at full speed.
Lone Fox, winner of 2008 and 2009 events, will battle
Richard West's Anguillian yacht Charm Ii (which has
The lovely classic Grote Meid will once again compete
also won the regatta twice) for the perpetual trophy.
Grote Meid, owned by Paul Van Koelen, has under-
gone a complete refit in Curacao and will sail back to
St. Maarten together with the classic yacht Aler? to
participate in the regatta.
Several “new†classics, vintage and other yachts will
appear during the event for the first time. Among
these are Philip Walwyn’s (owner of the well-known 12
Metre Kate) classic Philip Rhodes-designed yacht and
the authentic 1910 Cornwall Crabber Magnolia.
For the first time the regatta will see a class for work-
boats, including the traditional wooden sloops from
the Grenadines, built mainly in Carriacou. Laurie
Gumbs from Anguilla, who helped out at all the previ-
ous regattas as mark layer, has acquired Tradition (see
story on page 34) and will race her this year. The local
Grand Case and Anguilla traditional boats have been
absent for a few years, but organizers hope to see
them again this January.
A “Spirit of Classic†class will give yacht owners a
chance to participate with boats that are not qualli-
fied in Classic, Vintage, Spirit of Tradition or other exist-
ing classes. Owners of those look-alike classics are
invited to contact the technical committee in order to
submit their yacht for inspection and approval.
A “Star Regatta†charity fundraiser will be held on
January 23rd with racing in Great Bay aboard the 12
Metre Challenge America’s Cup boats. Local and
international VIPs will join the public in this “regatta
within a regatta†to support the Nature Foundation
and the Sint Maarten Diabetes Foundation. Tickets
start at US$100. Places aboard spectator vessels will
also be available.
Holland House Beach Hotel in Philipsburg is the new
headquarters for the regatta. Fort Louis Marina in
Marigot will be the first race-day venue and arrival
place on Friday, again offering complementary dock
space for the classic yachts (subject to availability).
For more information visit www. ClassicRegaita.com.
Entries Strong for 2010 Grenada Sailing Festival
Some top racing and racing/cruising yachts are
already booked for the 2010 Grenada Sailing Festival,
presented by Port Louis and Camper & Nicholsons
Marinas. The annual event, run in association with the
Grenada Board of Tourism, will run from January 29th
to February 2nd, 2010, and organisers report that they
expect one of the most competitive fleets since the
event began in 1994.
In the Racing Class, 2009 Festival winner James
Dobbs with his Antigua-based J/122 Lost Horizon will
challenge such prominent names in Caribbean sailing
as Peter Peake with Storm, and Paul Solomon skipper-
ing Enzyme, both from Trinidad, plus well-known
Festival competitors the Lewis brothers from Barbados
in Whistler. Grenada’s home-grown talent will also be
in contention with Richard Szyjan in Category 5, David
Cullen in Pocket Rocket and Justin and Peter
“Champie†Evans in Tanga Langa 3. The event will
also welcome back British skipper Hugh Pringle and his
crack Cowes Week crew in Lancelot, and will say
bonjour for the first time to visitors from Martinique
in Sonadio.
The Cruising Class is looking just as strong, with early
notice from Jaguar, Wayward, Bloody Mary and
Boxxer that they will be competing. The J/24 fleet
looks hot, too, with local boats Die Hard, Blew by You
and Tempest taking on Steve Bushe’s Ambushe from
Trinidad, and Barbados J/24s Paddington and
Hawkeye, skippered by Peter Hoad and Robert Povey.
The Charter Class, sponsored by long-term regatta
supporters Boval, the Dutch insurance group, will
include 49 sailors from The Netherlands who are char-
tering seven boats to take part.
—Continued on next page
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—Continued from previous page
The good early response is attributed in part to the
news that the 2010 Festival will offer some newly
designed longer courses and will also extend the very
popular South Coast Ocean Triangle. These changes
were introduced to attract bigger yachts and the
strongly competitive crews based in the region, and
' TRISS ee
provide an early sailing season ‘tune-up’ for the inter-
national yachts visiting the Caribbean.
The Grenada Sailing Festival Port Louis Racing Series
is part of the Southern Caribbean Regatta Circuit
2010, which also includes the Carriacou Sailing Series,
(January 13th through 16th) and the Tobago Carnival
Regatta (February 18th through 21st).
For the second year running, yachts taking part in the
annual Grenada Sailing Festival will all be able to dock
at a ‘Home Port’ — Port Louis by Camper & Nicholsons
Marinas, the island’s newest international-class marina
facility, which will have some 160 slips available for
yachts of all sizes. Racing will start and finish from this
base, with dockside ‘Finish Line Limes’, Happy Hours
and a new calendar of After-Race Parties focusing on
the Port Louis Marina and Victory Bar.
The event for 2010 will be run with presentation part-
ners Port Louis and Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, in
association with the Grenada Board of Tourism. The
organisers also thank Work Boat Regatta sponsor
Digicel, plus sponsors and supporters for 2010:
American Airlines; British Airways; Colombian Emeralds;
Mount Gay Rum; Heineken; ScotiaBank; United
Insurance; Budget Marine; Boval and Spice Island
Marine Services. Thanks also go to long-term support-
ers True Blue Bay Resort and Coca Cola.
. = For more information on the
Grenada Sailing Festival see ad
on page 12. For more information
on Port Louis Marina see ad on
page 16.
Budget Marine Annual
Valentine’s Regatta
The Budget Marine Annual
Valentine’s Regatta, hosted by
Jolly Harbour Yacht Club in
Antigua, takes place on February
13th and 14th, 2010. Regatta par-
ties, barbecues, a live band,
dancing and amusing prizegiving
celebrations are alll in store, and
berths will be available free of
charge (excluding utilities) for par-
ticipants on the race days.
Everyone is welcome to the festiv-
ities even if you are not sailing!
For more information visit
www. jhycantigua.com.
St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice
Regatta — A Different Experience
Ellen Sanpere reports: “The St. Croix Hospice Regatta
is a different experience from the other Caribbean
regattas, each of which has its own flavor,†says
Regatta Director Julie San Martin. She hopes the
Cruzan flavor will appeal to many different kinds of
racers during the regatta, February 19th and 20th,
2010, and highlights some of the factors that go into it:
The Site: Unique in the Caribbean, the St. Croix Yacht
Club is located on six beachfront acres on Teague
Bay, a residential neighborhood on St. Croix’s east
end. All shoreside activities are on the beach, as is the
clubhouse and its 120-foot dock. In addition to 32
dock slips, the large mooring field, easily accessed
inside a protective reef, can accommodate up to 100
boats. US Customs and Border Patrol attend on the
Friday, so arriving visitors can conveniently complete
their entry and exit documentation along with their
regatta check-in. The Optimist sailors have their own
clubhouse area in the event tent, as well as games on
the beach and volleyball court.
The Sailing: Just about all sailing vessels are welcome
at this regatta, from hi-tech racing machines to
heavy-displacement cruisers, beach cats to live-
aboard multihulls, 19-foot keelboats to Optimist din-
ghies. Teague Bay, the Buck Island Channel and the
vast Caribbean provide perfect venues for one-design
racing, windwardleeward courses and mid-distance
racing. The Race Committee endeavors to give a
start to any class that requests it.
The Volunteers: The entire Yacht Club membership is
involved in the regatta, staffing the various commit-
ees and providing housing for visiting officials and
Optimist sailors. This is our annual opportunity to host
sailors from other islands, and we turn out for it. The vis-
iting officials are also volunteers, and many have
donated their time for decades. On-site first aid and
handholding is provided daily by volunteers from the
local hospice and medical communities.
The Activities: On shore, adults mix it up with the
eight- to 16-year-old sailors. During the racing, the
observers’ favorite activity is liming on the beach
watching the Optimists and one-designs race around
he buoys. Food and beverages are available from
he Club from dawn to dusk, and breakfast is free for
competitors on Saturday and Sunday. In the interest of
getting back on the water promptly, midday meal
service is provided to the younger generation as part
of the Opti entry fee. The rest of the time, they mix
teely with the other competitors and Club volunteers.
On-site entertainment happens nightly, and the all-
volunteer hospitality staff can recommend local restau-
rants and arrange transportation for those who would
ike to see a bit of our lovely, off-the-beaten-track
iskand. Wild parties? You're as likely to see a five-year-
old on the dance floor as a 20-, 40-, or 60-something!
Optimist prizegiving is first, featuring the winner on the
giant scale for his or her weight in sports drink. Adults
are encouraged to participate: the kids are high ener-
gy. full of surprises, and it’s a great opportunity to
recruit crew from the up-and-coming. Later, the adult
awards are presented, and the CSA Spin-1 winner
gets his/her weight in Cruzan Rum.
“Our goal is family sailing and family attendance in an
atmosphere of a community get-together,†says San
Martin. “The Club volunteers attempt to welcome each
competitor as if the regatta was held just for them.
Extending the hospitality of St. Croix to visiting yachts-
men is part of our charter, and we take it seriously!â€
—Continued on next page
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CARIBBEAN COMPASS
DECEMBER 2009
—Continued from previous page
“Inspired by Competition — Enhanced with
Compassionâ€, the organizers aim to raise funds and
awareness for hospice care on St. Croix. Continuum
Care, Inc. is a Medicare-certified USVI company pro-
viding hospice care in the US Virgin Islands. Fiscal non-
profit sponsorship, provided by the St. Croix
Foundation, offers donors 501(C)(3) tax-deductible
sponsorship options at several levels.
For more information see ad on page 17.
February’s Tobago Carnival Regatta: ‘Radicall’
Niki Borde reports: “Awesome!†was one of the many
words used to describe the Tobago Camival Regatta
2009, as sailors and spectators alike witnessed spec-
tacular performances put on by the latest inclusion:
the Windsurfing and kiteboarding competitors. Last
year’s successful re-branding of the regatta that has
been held in Tobago for the last 25 years has sailors
worldwide wondering what surprises lie in store for
them in 2010 — and Regatta Promoters Limited have
no intention of letting them down.
Two days after the world-famous Trinidad Camival in
2010, Tobago will host a spectacular show of its own,
the Tobago Carmival Regatta from February 19th
through 21st at Heritage Park, Pigeon Point, Tobago.
With the continued support of the Tobago House of
Assembly and the Tourism Development Company,
next year’s regatta promises plenty of sailing action
for the traditional big-boat racers, and the bar has
been raised for the Bum Boat, Windsurfer and
Kiteboard sailors as well, with far more extreme races
and freestyle courses. Last year’s Bum Boat division
attracted a crowd of more than 90 racers and their
fans from Bequia, Grenada, Carriacou and St.
Vincent. 2010 will see an added Treasure Hunt race
that starts in Pigeon Point and ends in Buccoo Bay,
culminating in a full day of festivities at the home of
the famous “Sunday School†party.
One of the primary goals of Regatta Promoters Ltd is
to expand the participation of the local population in
the sport of sailing; as a result the Tobago Optimist
race will play a major role in bringing young local sail-
ors into the 2010 competition.
Dubbed a Festival of Wind, itis one of the most all-
inclusive regattas in the region and will include one
more surprise for the sailing enthusiasts and beach-
goers alike, but Regatta Promoters are keeping mum
about it! Those wanting to know will have to make
their way to Tobago and continue their Carnival cele-
brations on the shores of Trinidad’s sister isle.
For more information visit www.sailweek.com.
Stars Align for Second RORC Caribbean 600
Trish Jenkins reports: A star-studded fleet is lining up
for the second annual RORC Caribbean 600. As the
name suggests, this is a 605-mile race around the
Caribbean islands. The 2010 race will start on February
22nd from Antigua, and is already amassing a fleet
starring some of the best sailors from around the world.
The race record holder, the 100-foot super maxi ICAP
Leopard, owned by London property millionaire Mike
Slade, will be shipped from Sydney in January after sail-
ing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Taking the same
ship as Leopard will be the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race
winner, Niklas Zennstrom’s JV72, Ran, which will also be
attempting to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart.
Joining them will be 80-foot Beau Geste, whose owner
Karl Kwok hails from Hong Kong and has a crew of pro-
fessional sailors with lots of America’s Cup experience.
From the US we can expect to see two very compet-
itive boats: the STP 65 Rosebud, owned by Roger
Sturgeon, who won the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart
Race, and Tom Hill’s brand-new Reichel Pugh 75 Titan.
Last year’s overall winner, Adrian Lee’s Cookson
50, Lee Overlay Pariners, will be back to defend her
title against opposition from her sister ship, Privateer,
which is based on the US East Coast. From Italy, Danilo
Salsi’s Swan 90, DSK Pioneer, will also be back, and
one can expect to see some of the Class 40s after
their Atlantic crossing in the ‘Solidaire du Chocolat’
two-handed race from France to Mexico.
John Burnie, one of the founders of the race and a
member of both RORC and Antigua Yacht Club (who
support the race), says, “This race is destined to
become one of the classic ocean races, ranked
alongside the world-famous Rolex Fastnet and Rolex
Sydney Hobart races. The quality of the competitors
means that the world’s media will be focused on
Antigua and the Caribbean next February.†John will
be sailing Region Guadeloupe, the ORMA 60 trimaran
that he chartered for the 2009 race.
For more information visit www.caribbean600.rorc. org.
South Grenada Regatta to Round Out February
The dates of the South Grenada Regatta 2010 are
February 26th through 28th, 2010, the last weekend in
the month. The event, based at Le Phare Bleu Marina,
will feature somewhat shorter courses than last year
(more time for fun ashore!) and a third race will be
added. The Junior Sailing will be organized on the
Saturday, and Sunday will be for relaxation, family
and fun. One other significant change is the registra-
tion fee — now only USS50!
For more information see
ad on page 17.
Inaugural BVI Kite Jam for March
March Ist through 5th, 2010, will see a unique kite-
boarding experience presented by the BVI Tourist
Board. BVI Kite Jam is aimed at building awareness of
the BVI to the international kiteboarding community.
The event will bring together amateurs and profession-
als with competitions, demonstrations, and technique
clinics taking place in key locations including Necker
Island, the North Sound, Virgin Gorda and Anegada.
Sir Richard Branson, an avid kiteboarder, conceived
the event after staging an impromptu race with
friends between Necker Island and Anegada.
BVI Kite Jam will kick off on February 27th with a VIP
Party at the Fat Virgin Café on Virgin Gorda.
Additional events, competitions, parties and meals will
be hosted at Necker Island, Bitter End Yacht Club,
Anegada and Moskito Island. In addition, the event
will support green and eco-friendly operations by
obtaining a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta
Certification in conjunction with BVI Kite Jam accom-
modation partner Sunsail Yachts. Clean Regattas is a
third-party certification program that helps regattas,
yacht clubs and sailing programs voluntarily achieve
higher environmental standards.
For more information visit www.bvikitejam.com.
—Continued on next page
CLEAR SKIES FORECASTED FOR THIS SAFE HARBOR
Seru Boca Marina, Curagao’s finest private harbor, has openings
for dockage. Located outside the hurricane belt in the protected
waters of Spanish Water Bay, Seru Boca Marina is considered
one of the finest and safest yacht anchorages in the Caribbean,
SE Oca
MARINA
® The most advanced design on Curacao.
® Floating docks engineered in Holland.
® Accommodation for 68 yachts up to 150 ft. / 15 ft. draft,
® Electrical power (127 and 220),
® Cable T.V. and potable water available.
® Marina staff monitors VHF radio channel 67 and are available
Porta Blancu, PO, Box 4816, Curagan, M.A,
Tel. (399 9) 767-9042, fan (599 9) 767-9003
E-mail: stharba@ attglobal.net
www. santabarbaraplantation.com
to assist boaters in docking and leaving the Marina, as
well as to assist in locating pence services as needed.
®Seru Boca Marina is a safe harbor that offers
24 hours security,
For information on rates and facilities,
call (599 9) 560-2599 =
Be sama
Barbara
PLaittaTion
AD SPANIS OS WAT ES
—Continued from previous page
Gill New Title Sponsor for Commodore’s Cup
Heather Tackling reports: The Steering Committee
organizing the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on
behalf of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club is pleased to
announce the introduction of a new title sponsor for
the Commodore's Cup taking place March 4th, 2010.
Gill is a worldwide leader in marine technical clothing.
Through Budget Marine, Gill will offer on-site a
Commodore's Cup clothing collection decorated
with the Commodore’s Cup Regatta branding.
The Commodore’s Cup is a pre-event to the St.
Maarten Heineken Regatta, designed to give those
crews an additional day of racing. It is only open to
spinnaker and racing classes and focuses on the
windwardteeward courses that are generally favored
by the more serious racers. The one-day event pro-
vides racing off the south coast of Sint Maarten and
the opportunity for the many international crews who
are visiting from the wintry north to adapt themselves
and their vessels to the Caribbean climate and condi-
tions. The event is in its fourth year and has proven to
be a highly regarded part of the formula of the over-
all regatta event. The Gill Commodore’s Cup is scored
separately from the main event but the parties and
administration are integrated into the St. Maarten
Heineken Regatta.
For more information visit www.heinekenregatta.com.
Earlier Dates for Third Annual Grenada Classic
The 2010 Grenada Classic Yacht Regatta dates have
been moved forward to March 4th through 7th, 2010,
to tie in with plans for a Virgin Islands to Grenada
Challenge Race for yachts coming south to take part.
All regatta courses will be in the waters off Grenada’s
scenic southeastern coast. Register early and get a
break on fees!
For more information visit
www.grenadaciassicregatta.gd.
BVI Spring Regatta Adds Windsurfing Championship
for 2010
Linda Phillips reports: New for 2010, the BVI Spring
Regatta will host the BVI Windsurfing
Championship. This event will run concurrently with the
39th annual BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival,
March 29th through April 4th, 2010, sharing the
resources, parties and prestige that the BVI Spring
Regatta and Sailing Festival offers.
With the format of “one board and three sailsâ€, ama-
teur and professional competitors may compete in
either the Formula or Open Class. Classes will be fur-
ther divided by age and sex. Although on most days
competitors can expect two to three races per day
with distance and courses varying throughout Sir
‘ The annual Grenada
Classic Yacht Regatta
enjoys, optimum conditions
on the island's south coast
Francis Drake Channel, there is at least one downwind
long-haul planned as the boards race from the flat
water of North Sound to regatta central, Nanny Cay.
Nanny Cay Resort and Marina, the presenting spon-
sor and host, is allowing those without other accom-
modations to camp on the premises. In North Sound,
there will be facilities for rigging and ‘limin’
between races, group discounts on dinner
and accommodations.
Owen Waters, local windsurfing champ, is working
closely with the BVI Spring Regatta committee in the
planning of the BVI Windsurfing Championship. “There
are several events worldwide that encompass aspects
of what we are trying to do. We want to create a sce-
nario where it is all in one and the BVI Spring Regatta
has created the arena.â€
Bob Phillips, Chairman of the BVI Spring Regatta has
high expectations: “Following this inaugural event, we
plan to apply to the Caribbean Sailing Association to
hold the Caribbean Windsurfing Championship. We
know that we canrun a great regatta and we have a
lot we can offer to the board sailors.â€
For more information on the BVI Spring Regatta and
Sailing Festival visit www.bvisoringregaita. org.
Date Change for Round
Guadeloupe Race
The 2010 Round Guadeloupe
Race will be held from the Ist
to the 5th of April. The new
dates are during the Easter holi-
days, when many boats are still
cruising in the Caribbean, rath-
er than in May. The Tourism
Board of the Islands of
Guadeloupe is now involved in
promoting this popular event
and organizers hope to attract
even more boats than the 40
that raced around the island
last year.
The course starts at the town
of Gosier and includes legs to
Saint-Louis in Marie Galante, St.
Francois or Port Louis, Deshaies
and Les Saintes before return-
ing to Gosier. The Round
Guadeloupe race offers nightly
parties at each port, with Zouk
music and fi punch — a great
way to discover the
Guadeloupe archipelago and its people and culture.
For more information see ad on page 13.
News from Antigua’s Jolly Harbour Yacht Club
Carol Smith reports: Every Saturday afternoon JHYC
offers sailing off Jolly Harbour and Five Islands Harbour
in an “all comers†competitive sailing event for local
and visiting yachts. And every Sunday afternoon we
have up to 13 people racing Laser dinghies in a round-
robin event with A and B finals. It is always a great
social day with a barbecue on the beach. Many peo-
ple come to watch the racing, join in the fun and lime.
Twelve members of JHYC’s Youth Sailing Program
graduated in the last session. This program offers free
weekly dinghy sailing instruction to Antiguan children
between the ages of eight and 18. We are in need of
a safety boat so we are appealing for an RIB with
an outboard or a Jet Boat (its engine does not
have a propeller and is safe when the children are
in the water).
—Continued on next page
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12°31'01.50°H | 70°02/15.6
The Renascance Marina, located in the heart of Oranjestad
it part of the Renuissance Anda Reiort and Candies and can
accommodate more than $0 yachts.
Located af 12°31" Nand TOO?" W, Renatssance Marina is the Giand's most
beautifel marina, part of the Renatvance Aruba Resort & Castine, it shretohes
entertainment and shopping facility ie Aruba with the eatural beauty of the
Marina, Renaiwiece Marina can accommodate yachts up te 200"
The marina supplies frevh running water and 110/220) 200V GOM electricity,
satelite TV with security guards on duty 24 hours a day.
RENAISSANCE
MARINA
ower mach of this pictureique waterfront community combining the largest
Tek: (e297) 58-0260 « Fax: (+297) SS8-0261 | www-srenaissancemarinacom | Channel 16 | Renaissance Marketplace, Oranjestad Aruba
—Continued from previous page
Any offers of assistance can contact Pippa Pettingell
at (268) 722-8468 or pippapettingell@hotmail.com.
For more information visit www.jhycantigua.com.
Fishing Lines
TGFA ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
Steven Valdez reports: The Trinidad and Tobago
Game Fishing Association (TTGFA) elected Richard De
Verteuil as President at their 2009 Annual General
Meeting, held at the Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club
on October 28th.
he newly elected TIGFA management committee
team is comprised of several existing committee
ecretary Alan Fitwilliam, Treasurer Alan Sheppard,
even Valdez, Paul Wittet, Geoffrey Pollard,
eginald MacLean, Dominic Wallace and
Aww
Outgoing President Chris Mouttet also remains on
the committee.
LEVERICK BAY WITCH HUNT FISHING TOURNAMENT
Efrain Rivera reports: Thirty participants, including
SS
os
members including Vice President Marylin Sheppard,
newly appointed Andre De Laparouse and lan Bose.
anglers and observers, signed up for the first edition of
the Leverick Bay Witch Hunt Tournament in Virgin
Gorda, BVI. Boats from St. Thomas and Puerto Rico
joined those from the BVI. Registration, Immigration
and fishing permits were organized at the Leverick
Bay Marina. Tournament winners were: Best Boat and
Best Catch, Peje, Best Angler, José Alvarez. The high-
light of the late October tournament was when five-
year-old angler Osvaldo “Tati†De Leén Jr. caught a
20-pound wahoo alll by himself.
For more information visit
the www.leverickbaymarina.com.
ST. CROIX’S DIAZ TOP ANGLER AT WAHOO WIND-UP
Carol Bareuther reports: None of the 114 anglers
aboard 27 boats competing in the USVI's 2009 Toyota
Wahoo Wind-Up managed to catch a 75-plus pound
wahoo, which would have gained them a Toyota
4-wheel drive extended cab truck on November Ist.
But that didn’t mean there weren‘t some real whop-
per wahoos reeled in.
St. Croix’s Curtis Diaz, fishing aboard the Wild Cat,
caught the Largest Wahoo, a 51.5-pounder, and
pocketed a US$1,000 cash prize. Eight-year-old Nathan
Gatcliffe of St. Thomas, aboard Double Header IV,
caught the second largest wahoo, a 47.4-p0under.
Nathan’s father, St. Thomas charter captain, Jonathan
Gatcliffe, earned the Best Boat prize for St. Thomas
with the catch of five wahoo weighing 173.07 pounds.
St. Croix’s Big Bills won Top Boat for St. Croix with the
catch of three wahoo weighing 113.2-p0unds. Each
captain won $1,000 cash. A total of 28 wahoo, collec-
tively weighing 934.7 pounds, were caught.
The event was hosted by the Virgin Islands Game
Fishing Club on St. Thomas and Golden Hook Fishing
Club on St. Croix. Personnel from the USVI Department
of Planning & Natural Resource’s Fish & Wildlife
Department conducted the weigh-in.
AIST SPICE ISLAND BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
Gary Clifford reports: EC$ 100,000 prize money will be
up for grabs at the 41st Spice Island Billfish
Tournament, Grenada, January 24th
through 28th 2010, for the first person
to catch a Blue Marlin over 1,000
pounds. Since 2009 the tournament
has allowed the use of 80-pound
breaking strain line che previous maxi-
mum was 50 pounds); this helps
increase the chance of such a fish
being landed.
Grenada is usually associated with
large catches of blue marlin, white
marlin and sailfish (104 were released
during the 2009 event) — the capture
of one or more of each of these spe-
cies in a day constitutes a “Grand
Slam†and Grenada is the only tourna-
ment where this is regularly achieved
by at least one of the participating
boats during the event (two boats
achieved Grand Slams in 2009).
Also for 2010 is a new software system
to improve the accuracy and speed
of results calculation. We are switching
to the use of digital cameras for
catch-and-release recording. Only a
few of the biggest fish (usually poten-
tial record breakers) are retained and
weighed for points. Therefore all boats planning to
enter this event must bring their own digital cameras.
SIBT is a qualifying tournament in the IGFA Offshore
championship. It is also included in the new Southern
Caribbean Billfish Circuit, which includes tournaments
in Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia
and Martinique.
For more information visit www.sibigrenada.com.
Port Louis Marina — another great reason to visit Grenada
e
GRENADA
WEST INDIES
in the Caribbean.
Grenada remains one of the most unspoilt and welcoming cruising destinations
Port Louis is owned and operated by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, and our friendly
and knowledgeable staff are on hand 24 hours a day to welcome yachts of all sizes
low, with Port Louis, visiting yachts can enjoy the security and convenience
of a beautifully appointed, fully serviced marina — located in the lagoon adjacent
to the island's capital, St George's.
Grenada’s southern location allows for yearround cruising, including the summer months,
and with an international airport just five miles away, Port Louis is the ideal base for
exploring the wondertul islands of the Grenadines.
As a Port of Entry, it's easy to clear in and out through Port Louis, and our 24-hour security,
dockside facilities and marina-wide wifi all contribute to making your stay safe and relaxed.
www. cnportlouismarina.com
from 2Oft to 300F.
For more information about securing a berth at Port Louis, including the opportunity
to purchase on a 30-year licence, please contact our Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator,
Danny Donelan on +1 [473] 435 7432 or email danny.donelan@enportlovismarina.com
Port Louis Marina — just one more reason to visit the ‘Spice Island’.
cage, &
YAGHTING SINCE 1782
MARINAS
ITALY | MALTA | TURKEY | WEST INDIES
Strong Fleet, Light Airs as 24th | Jangieua exrear
ARC Embarks for St. Lucia EVERY SAILING SUAB!
The 24th edition of the world-famous annual transatlantic yacht rally, the Atlantic , cE DO THEIR D aga!
Rally for Cruisers (ARC), defied the economic doom and gloom, and 209 yachts ;
YEAR’S EVE
departed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on November 22nd en route to Rodney
31st DECEMBER 2009
Bay, Saint Lucia. The largest is the US-registered Swan 112 Highland Breeze, at
34.34 metres. The smallest is Zahara, a British-registered Sadler 29 (8.67 metres).
Mostly sunny skies and eight to ten knots of northeasterly breeze provided a
There is (again) from
( ENGLISH HARBOUR a Pursuit Race
( TO SUIT EVERY VESSEL.
colourful display of spinnakers hoisted to help the yachts on their way. Winds were
forecast to increase to 18 to 23 knots and crews expected moderate tradewind condi-
tions for the first part of their crossing.
The 18 yachts competing in the Racing Divisions, run under the auspices of the
Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), were first to start. The expected winds had not yet
filled in, so it was a struggle to keep spinnakers flying in the awkward swell. The IOR
Maxi Umataiu (Anthony Balme, UK) was early over the line, earning a three-hour
penalty. The first clear starter, a Grand Soleil 50, Katawa (Andreas Costa, Italy), was
closely followed by the Wally 80 Bagheera (Kemal Cingillioglu, Turkey) and the
German JV58, Auliana IT. Unfortunately, Auliana IT was abandoned following the loss
of the yacht’s rudder some 36 hours after the start. The crew was safely evacuated.
Soon after the racing start, the cruising yachts set off. The wind had increased
slightly by this time, and at ten to 12 knots, was enough to provide the gentle start
most cruisers prefer. Gottfried Poessl’s Bavaria 51 Ceiox2 (Austria) was first across.
Vessels Large (130ft+) and Small
(23ft-) Get Ye to the Start Line!
Midshipman Sein Pearson: +1268
Deck Swab John Burnie: +590690 —
(There really is no paperwork - but lots of GROG
to be won on this Great Fun Family Race!)
REGATTA,
2 OF110,
At the start, the dock was full of well-wishers in carnival mode, cheering and danc-
ing. Yachts were bid farewell from Las Palmas via loud speakers around the port and
Banda Guayadra, provided by the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas (City Hall), marched
around the marina serenading on every pontoon to add to the festival feel.
Boats had to identify themselves as they left the marina and headed through a
“gate†before making their way to the start line. To the delight of the spectators, sev-
eral crews got into the spirit of the event and dressed up for their departure. There
were long blonde wigs aboard Blonde Moment; Irish leprechaun hats on Liberty and
Mexican waves from the ten-man crew of Swan 62RS Albatros.
A record 32 nations are represented in this year’s event, underlining the fact that
the ARC is an international event and the most popular way to sail across the
Atlantic. The ARC distinguishes itself by successfully combining racing and cruising
yachts with a mix of older and younger participants, all of whom thoroughly enjoy the
varied entertainment that is on offer for all ages at both the start and finish ports.
Since January 2006, the ARC has been run by the Cowes-based independent event
management company World Cruising Club Ltd, which always tries to incorporate
the most popular ideas and proposals put forward to improve the event. This year for
the very first time, the yachts in the ARC Racing Divisions carry Yellowbrick satellite
tracking devices. These provide automatic position reports uploading to the WCC
website every six hours via the Iridium Network.
The 2,700-nautical mile passage on the Northeast Tradewind route takes the fleet,
on average, between 14 and 21 days to reach the finish line. The bulk of this year’s
fleet is expected to arrive in St. Lucia, where a festive welcome awaits, during the
week of December 7th.
News from the fleet can be found on the official ARC website where daily yacht position
reports will be displayed and visitors can view individual route maps for each yacht.
Crews will also contribute daily logs and images direct to www.worldcruising.com/arc.
For more information visit wiww.worldcruising.com.
aT EXGIING WEEXENID WITH) Tein
cE SVALON GUM HIETS OU HECOASTEOFIGRENADAY
Se FO RIRAGING IBOATS)
jum
St. Croix Yacht Club
Hospice Regatta
Teague Bay, St. Croix
LS. Virgin Islands
wv
A,
Kegivhratiog new epen:
Tel: (340) 773-9541 stcroixyetemail.com
St. Croix Yacht Club | ‘ i i
Hospice Regatta www. stcroixregatta.com
fepinnd by Comprition —
Fehuncrd iy ( cmmpansion |
Iospired by
COMPETITION
February 19, 2010:
Registration
Cruzan Rum Welcome Party
February 20—21, 2010:
CSA Spin/Non-Spin, One-designs,
Beach Cats, Multi-hulls, Optimists,
Heavy Cruisers
Enhanced by
COMPASSION
Raising funds and awareness
for Hospice on St. Croix,
xy YAS
SCooxrcra
Sailing for Others... “==. @SailProud
A prognt ot thy Se dren, Femeedatiee
partner, Ann Louise, and I both >.
love sailing in Venezuela between
Cumana and Puerto La Cruz,
with the area’s plethora of wild
and beautiful anchorages all within a few miles of each
other. This year, however, after five previous visits, we
are noticing a big change. The cruising fraternity seems |
to have abandoned this part of Venezuela altogether.
On our cruise down from Grenada in Indaba we did
not see one other vessel sailing in company with us, at
any time, anywhere. This is unusual, and a bit unnerv-
ing in an area with a reputation for dubious security.
In Los Testigos we were the only yacht moored in the
bay adjacent to the Guarda Costa. In Porlamar, Isla
Margarita, there were a few yachts, but so few com-
pared to last year that it was remarkable. (One busi-
nessman who handles entry and other yacht services in
Porlamar said he is not sure his business can survive.)
And it was the same throughout the formerly popular
cruising grounds of the Golfo de Cariaco and Mochima.
Ours was the ONLY yacht wherever we went.
There were still a few yachts in the well-known mari-
nas and places like Medregal Village. But the few
cruisers who are still in Venezuela seem to have
resigned themselves to being stuck in one place. Many
have adopted a siege mentality. Few venture out to
cruise and most remain in the secure marinas.
Marinas that were brimming full just two years ago
now have more spaces than yachts.
Regular cruising folk in Puerto La Cruz tell us that
they are afraid to go out — unfortunately, probably with
good cause. As of this writing, we are moored in com-
pany with a brave lady whose husband was murdered
on their boat about a year ago when the couple anchored
their yacht off Isla Borracho, in a bay once considered
safe. Despite her courageous decision then to remain on
the yacht based in Venezuela, this stoic individual has
now resigned herself to going back to the USA. She feels
= she is now “always looking over my shoulderâ€.
Oo Above: Indaba alone at anchor — as usual. You can’t complain that Venezuelan anchorages are overcrowded!
a Below: Fishing boats become water taxis at Mochima, a popular weekend spot for locals
This dreadful incident, plus a recent attack on
another well-known local character off the Peninsula
de Paria, and an incident in Carenero harbour at
about the same time, has radically changed everyone’s
opinion regarding the safety of cruising here. Few now
consider it safe to spend a night at open anchor.
Times are very hard in Venezuela. Thieving and vio-
lence are not directed solely towards the cruising com-
munity. Local boaters, including fishermen, have also
been attacked and robbed. Some fishermen have been
attacked for their nets!
The very good deals of the past are mostly gone.
Some prices, in fact, have nearly doubled in two years
and are no different from those, say, in Grenada.
But we still love it here and as a cruising ground,
especially one below the hurricane belt, you cannot find
a better place. There are dolphins waiting to greet you
at the harbour entrance and an abundance of sea life
that is rare in the mid-Caribbean islands these days.
CARIBBEAN COMPASS
a
tae
uu The cultural differences are refreshing after a long sea-
2 son of the “same old songs†up-island. There are mar-
fo velous reefs and beaches on the offshore islands and
oO there are very well organized “holiday beaches†with
uu small restaurants and shaded picnic huts. It’s all very
a
clean and well run by the Mochima Parks Authority and
quite popular with the Venezuelans on weekends.
The friendly and helpful officers of the Guarda
Costa, which regularly patrols the area, told me that I
was the first foreign tourist they had met at Chimana
Grande all year. They said I was very welcome in
Venezuela and said they would try to respond immedi-
ately should I ever need their assistance.
—Continued on next page
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PO Box 39, Blue Lagoon, St Vincent, West Indies
Tel. 1-784-456-9526 / 9334/9144 Fax. 1-784-456-9238
barebum@vincysurf.com www. barefootyachts.com
—Continued from previous page
They gave me phone numbers and three radio chan-
nels to call them on. This team, together with local
police launches, also patrols the Morro waterway in
Puerto La Cruz, a large and attractive system of canals
lined by beautiful waterside residences of every size
and description. It is highly secure and very well run.
The only change this year is the complete absence of
visiting-cruiser canal traffic, which was so prevalent
two years ago.
It’s very strange — there are definitely safety and
security problems here in Venezuela, but I personally
feel less safe in so many other places. In fact, I actu-
ally find the island of St. Vincent much more alarming;
I really watch my back there and never anchor in the
remote areas. Experience in Guadeloupe also alerts
me to the fact that certain parts can be as bad as any-
thing in Venezuela. French sailors happily cruise West
Africa for months at a time — surely that has to be as
insecure an area as anything in the Caribbean.
It is abundantly clear to me that there is no orga-
nized, premeditated piracy on yachts in this part of
Venezuela, despite what many would have you believe.
The term “piracy†is often misused. Piracy, I feel, infers
totally premeditated and highly organized crime
against vessels on the high seas. In this area of the
Caribbean, any attacks on yachts, however shocking
and violent they are, in reality remain that — random,
disorganized crimes.
Many fishing boats in Venezuela carry guns, as
much to protect the fishermen themselves against
attacks as anything else. Those guns could be used to
rob a cruising yacht, however, if the opportunity arises
and the fishing is not going well. I have also read of
boats being targeted in port and followed out to sea.
But I still believe this is highly random. Until there are
heavily armed vessels engaged solely in the business
of hunting down and robbing cruising vessels, the
term “piracy†seems inappropriate.
There are very poor people in Venezuela, living under
such hard circumstances that desperate acts of sur-
vival might be inevitable. In better circumstances,
these people would be disinclined to engage in oppor-
tunist robbery and attacks on yachts, because so
many of them see visiting vessels as important con-
tributors to the local revenue.
Most attackers only want money or something they
can sell for easy money. This may explain why some
so-called “pirates†seem inept and haphazard, nervous
and afraid. Inexperienced at robbing, unaccustomed
to modern yachts and the “different†personnel aboard,
the robbers irrationally “trash†the vessel, a classic
response resulting from an anxiety of not actually
being sure what to steal or do. Incidents can deterio-
rate into violence because both the attackers and vic-
tims lose any sense of rationale or communication that
might defuse the situation.
Most attacks happen because an opportunity pres-
ents itself. Available circumstances meet potential
perpetrators, often without premeditation. Experience
indicates that potential attackers may “go away to
think about itâ€, leaving a window of opportunity for
alert travellers to leave the area if they have noticed
the danger.
We do cruise here on high alert and we take a num-
ber of precautionary measures. We have very bright
floodlights that we can switch on all over the yacht. We
have security “screamers†and pepper sprays. I have a
very powerful flare gun; not much against an AK 47
perhaps, but there are few instances of that firepower
in this area, despite its reputation as a “pirateâ€
hotspot. We have never actually needed to use any of
our safety measures. But we have moved on from
anchorages where we felt suddenly wary, especially
after boats approached us that we did not feel comfort-
able about. A keen awareness, particularly of every
passing boat, and an innate sense of what is risky,
may be our best protection.
The largest portion of the Venezuelan population liv-
ing near the coast between Caracas and Cumana/
Golfo de Cariaco seems friendly and quite “normal†(if
there is such a thing). We were visiting the Arapos
islands just off mainland Venezuela on Columbus
Day, a local holiday, which many locals celebrated
with picnics on the beach. Hundreds of fishing-boat
“taxis†passed us throughout the weekend. As the
only yacht anywhere around, we could not have been
more obviously alone and vulnerable. Yet all we felt
was that we were an object of curiosity, and — accord-
ing to the smiles and friendly waves — one that was
very welcome.
safe enough to permit proper and enjoyable Caribbean
cruising — e.g. one is able to be at anchor without
having to monitor every hatch and sound throughout
the night.
In truth, this is probably our last visit here and I
cannot conceal my disappointment about that. Despite
everything, I just love the area. The people are interest-
ing, the culture and the climate are wonderful. What a
waste to have to leave because of security fears! But
unless things change immediately, which is unlikely,
our luck may run out if we continue to try to cruise
here with any modicum of normality.
My abiding fear is that this proud and beautiful land
is slipping into decline, in such an unnecessary way,
and despite the good-natured will of most of its people.
Local people tell me that those who get a taste for
robbing often quickly get caught in Venezuela — the
deep-rooted Spanish-Catholic culture disapproves of
theft as a way of life. As explained to me, very poor
eople can ill afford to lose any of their meager posses-
sions to theft, so many of them have a curious moral-
ity regarding stealing. Even when they are engaged in
it themselves against richer people, they don’t approve
of the principle.
Nonetheless, street crime in the large towns seems to
have increased. In Puerto La Cruz, just outside the
well-known Bahia Redonda Marina there is a barrio
with three good fish restaurants. In daylight, cruiser
folk still visit them. But the hundred-metre walk is
now considered too risky at night. One friendly taxi
driver, lamenting the huge loss of visiting tourists,
explained that we were two of a mere handful of visi-
tors he had carried in recent months. Five years ago,
he said, there was a thriving tourist trade with visitors
rom all over the world.
Despite an enjoyable summer's cruise, increasingly
the evidence accumulates that these once-idyllic
coastal cruising grounds of mainland Venezuela are
currently to be avoided. Ann Louise and I prefer not to
be so security conscious all the time. Nor do we intend
to be marina bound. So shortly we will be off to
Tortuga and Los Roques. The off-lying islands still feel
In Puerto La Cruz is a system of canals lined.
by beautiful residences
Certainly the “normal†Venezuelan people we have met
seem genuinely appalled by all the incidents. All want
something done.
One painful truth is that the official response to
attacks on visiting yachts in Venezuela has been unac-
ceptably indifferent. It is astonishing how government
officials fail to see the damage their lack of response
does to the country, its tourism and its wider econo-
my. Because of a lethargic response to crimes and the
apparent lack of control by authorities and security
services, individuals come to believe they can get away
with attacks on foreign cruising yachts with impunity.
Thus, potential participants in this sort of crime
become emboldened.
If the matter of violent crime against visitors is not
fully addressed, the sophisticated visitor/cruiser mar-
kets, already in severe decline, could collapse. The
politicians alone have the control and resources to cor-
rect these matters. So far, they offer only lip service,
not remedial action. But unless they act soon they will
be failing the people of Venezuela. History will con-
demn them for their lamentable lack of action where it
was so vitally necessary. The businesses and the trav-
ellers will already be gone.
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O Y | cruisers’ radio net if anyone would be interest-
ed in exploring the world’s highest waterfall:
Angel Falls in Venezuela. My wife Leona and I were among those who replied \ y I A rT ] I | :
from the United Kingdom (Freya, Beez Neez and El Lobo), Blue Song from
Austria/ Germany, Tashtego from the USA, and our Voyageur C from Canada.
Many cruisers have made the trip from Isla Margarita, Caracas or Puerto La Cruz
to Angel Falls, but to our knowledge, no one had done the trip from Trinidad before
— especially with our budget objective of US$1,000 per head — and there was a lot
of interest from other cruisers. Our timing was dictated by the ferry to Venezuela:
plus a carryon.
Although many people have never heard of the Guayana Highlands, that part
of Venezuela is the home of Angel Falls — the world’s tallest waterfall with an
mesas that rise thousands of feet above the Gran Sabana, a vast grassland.
On Wednesday, October 7th, we checked in at Pier One at 7:00am for the
9:00am departure of the ferry to Guiria, the Venezuelan port of entry on the Gulf
officer boarded to check us for swine flu. When the ferry finally pulled up to the
dock, Anne was delighted to see Branko and Betty waiting for us.
We celebrated our arrival in Guiria with local beer (3.5 Bf per bottle) and
ALL ASHORE...
“yesâ€!
it only runs once a week, on Wednesdays. Anne did all the “legworkâ€, coordinating
overall height of 979 metres (3,212 feet) and a clear drop of 807 metres (2,647
of Paria. After a smooth three-and-a-half hour crossing we pulled into the har-
Cacique rum (35 Bf for a 750ml bottle) and dined on excellent Syrian sha-
September morning in 2009, Anne of Freya of
Clyde enquired on the Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Our group eventually expanded to six couples from as many boats, with three
with travel agents Branko and Betty (of Turistico SurAmericaTravel) in Venezuela,
and hosting our weekly planning meetings. Yellow fever shots and anti-malaria
prescriptions were required and baggage limit would be one backpack per person,
feet). The area also hosts the Orinoco River and the tepuis — huge sandstone
bour at Guiria. After we waited in the harbour for nearly two hours, the medical
oO warma (18 Bf) while sitting at a table on the street wedged between the gutter and
N the traffic. To put the prices in perspective, you can buy five Bolivar Fuerte (Bf) for
Lu ONE US dollar — at the unofficial rate.
QO After our overnight stay at the Hotel Plaza in Guiria we took a 12-hour bus ride to
x Ciudad Bolivar, founded in 1764 as Angostura. (Angostura bitters now come from
Trinidad, but that is another story.) Our bus, ably piloted by Carlos, was basically
an extended air-conditioned van with little legroom and fixed seats, so the occa-
sional stops were greatly appreciated. Filling up the diesel van was an eye opener
— the price was equivalent to one cent per liter! Gasoline is twice as expensive.
a The trip took us through a surprising variety of topography from mountains to plains
> with grazing cattle. We crossed the Orinoco at dusk on one of only two bridges across this
oO river in Venezuela. We stayed at the Da Gino hotel (a cut above the Plaza) beside the air-
oO port and dined on pizza and beer at the hotel restaurant.
Zz Friday morning we went to the airport and met the representative from Sapito Tours
<< (www.sapitotours.com) who had made the arrangements for our group to enter
Ww Canaima National Park. The one-and-a-half hour flight to Canaima was made in six-
ray seater aircraft, so everyone had a window seat. Flying at a maximum of 6,500 feet
oe over the 119 miles we had great views of the tepuis and waterfalls as we approached
<< Canaima. Canaima sits on one side of Canaima Lagoon, which is fed by four spec-
O tacular waterfalls on the Rio Carrao.
After landing, we walked a short way and were then transported by canoe to
oO Camp Bernal (www.bernaltours.com) on Isla Anatoliy, which is situated in the
5 lagoon between two of the waterfalls. On arrival we were given refreshments and
9
?
presented with bead bracelets and necklaces. Native people here are the Pemon
(who operate the park) and guides must be native. We met our river guide,
Danielle, at the camp. Danielle spoke English like a first language — all of the
DECEMBER
C
guides here must speak English. The guides we met displayed grace, dignity and
excellent knowledge of the local flora and fauna.
We had the balance of the day at the camp so we wandered off to see Salto Hacha
(Axe Falls), which featured a lengthy path beneath a rock overhang directly under the
falls. It’s slippery, so socks are better than shoes or bare feet. Also, you are walking
through serious downpours here — ladies, hang onto the tops of your bathing suits!
Later Danielle took us to a lovely sand beach (Playita) just below the Salto E] Sapo
(Frog Falls sounds less exciting) where we had a swim. Then we crossed through a
path behind these falls — quite slippery with water dripping everywhere and very
tunnel-like with water on one side and rock on the other three sides. It was impos-
sible to hear anything over the roar of the water a couple of feet away! At the other
side of the falls we climbed up and walked back across the top of the falls. Despite
the torrents going over the falls, we could walk across the top with dry feet because
| YANMAR
| FLEETGUARD Filters
most of the water flowed through channels cut into and under the rock.
We had opted for cabins (four people to a room) with private baths, but the rooms
were very hot so some of us slept in hammocks under mosquito nets in the main
lodge — basically a roof with no walls.
On the Saturday morning we sorted through our stuff, stored what we would not
need at the upper camp and took the canoe to Canaima, then walked through town
and up around the falls to Port Ucaima — the curiara landing.
A word about the curiara. Our open boat held a party of 17, including the boat driver,
a guide and a bowman, with the other 14 of us seated two abreast and our luggage stored
under tarpaulins between us and the driver. This presented a full load, especially since
river depths were dropping as the rainy season came to an end. The curiara is powered
by a 48- or 72-horsepower Yamaha and might draw about six inches.
—Continued on next page
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YOUR BOAT IN SKILLED HANDS
“Aerial view of Ista Anatoliy, situated between
two waterfalls
—Continued from previous page
The boats are massively built of wood with pitch caulking, which is a good thing con-
sidering the number of rocks we bounced off or over on the river. They change the
propeller and put on the “rock prop†when they leave the main river. In the rapids, the
stern man is continuously tilting the motor up and down and side to side to balance
propulsion, direction and draft, while the bowman calls the course and wields a large
paddle of the Warao pattern to steer the boat. Any cross wind and the bow wave is in
your face, and water often slops over the side in the rapids. Getting wet is guaranteed
— even if it doesn’t rain, which it did for an hour or so.
The curiara trip took us 24 miles up Rio Carrao and then 20 miles up Rio Churun
to Refugio Rustico on Isla Raton, base camp for the hike to Angel Falls. About ten miles
up the Rio Carrao we all had to get out and walk across the Mayupa Savannah while
the curiara ran the rapids. Five miles further upriver we
stopped for a box lunch at a waterfall where we enjoyed the
rock pool and the natural shower. From there we entered the
spectacular land of the tepuis with steep mountains, for-
ested lowlands and waterfalls around every corner.
While there are only a couple of rapids on Rio Carrao, the
run up Rio Churun in particular involves miles of rapids
and shallow spots and the water levels change rapidly with
the weather. A couple of times a few of us had to walk
around some of the rapids and once on the way up Devil's
Gorge we all had to fend the boat off while passing between
humungous rocks in mid-channel — on our first attempt
we drifted backwards downriver.
Overall, the upriver trip took seven hours including stops,
and we arrived at Isla Raton around 5:00pm. Refugio Rustico
is an appropriate name — hammocks enclosed in mosquito
nets slung over a dirt floor under a thatched roof with
benches for dining and relaxing. No running water or elec-
tricity, but the food was abundant and excellent, especially
the wood-fired barbecued chicken! Bonus: This is the only
camp that has a view of the falls — great morning light!
On the Sunday morning we crossed the river and hiked for
an hour toward Auyun Tepui (Evil Mountain), the home of
Angel Falls. The trail is well marked with easy going for the
first half but the second half is quite steep up to the Mirador
Laime viewpoint elevation at 2,300 feet. The view of the falls
is spectacular. We lucked into a perfectly clear and sunny
day. After lounging on the rocks at the viewpoint we
descended a very steep trail to the pool at the bottom of the
falls. Here we enjoyed a long swim, washing off the trail
grime and sweat.
There you have it — four days and 24 hours of travel to
reach the falls!
We returned to Isla Raton, had lunch and embarked on
the downriver trip. The water level had dropped so there
were a couple more portages. At one point the boat was
doing over 20 miles per hour down the rapids. However,
the trip was slower than the guides had planned, so we
made the Mayupa portage in twilight and the last ten miles
on the river in the dark — a tad unnerving, but we were
past all the rapids. We docked at the upper end of Isla
Anatoliy and then hiked down to Camp Bernal in the dark,
thankful for our Petzl headlamps and Danielle’s knowledge
of the trails. The trip downriver was faster by two hours,
but 12 hours over two days sitting on a wooden plank
screams for a cushion on which to sit. The river trips are
the most exciting segment of the trip!
Monday morning we walked back to Salto Hacha, crossed
under the waterfall overhang and climbed across a head-
land to swim in the pool under the adjacent falls, Salto
Wadaima. Then back to camp for lunch where we were roy-
ally entertained by the Canaima children’s choir in native
costume singing in Spanish and Pemon. Afterwards we
rushed to the airport to catch the plane to Ciudad Bolivar.
On the bus on Tuesday, we enjoyed a daylight view of the
three-year-old Orinoquia Bridge across the three-kilometre
wide Orinoco River and stopped to shop at the Warao camp
at Rio Morichal Largo. They would sell a small monkey for
500 Bf and also had a couple of agouti in cages for sale, as
well as the usual baskets and beadwork. Along the way, we
Stopping for lunch along the riverbanic
passed another person with an armadillo for sale.
We said goodbye to Betty and Branko in Carupano and arrived back in Guiria around
9:00pm — yet another 12-hour bus trip.
The next morning we found the shipping agency (Acosta y Asociados) where we paid
our 80 Bf departure tax and got our names on the ferry’s manifest. We found a wonder-
ful bakery for breakfast, and then checked in at the ferry around 2:00pm and we were
back in Chaguaramas at 7:30PM.
Our complex arrangements all worked flawlessly with no glitches. All agreed we
had a truly wonderful week — on time and on budget.
Bill and Leona Roberts left Halifax, Canada aboard their Island Packet 35 Voyageur C in
September 2007 and have been cruising the Eastern Caribbean for the past two years.
by Ann Vanderhoof
“Carpe diem,†the lyric poet Horace wrote more than
2,000 years ago. And when you're a cruiser, seizing the
day wherever you drop the hook invariably reinforces how
very right Horace was.
When the yachts Receta and Tusen Takic IT arrived in
Union Island’s Chatham Bay early last June, it would
have been oh-so-easy to spend a couple of days just
hanging out in that lovely Grenadines anchorage. But
Chuck on Tusen Takic I! had a plan, and Receta’s crew
seized it with a vengeance: Walk from Chatham Bay to the
town of Ashton, where we could catch a bus to the town
of Clifton, and from there climb to the top of the Pinnacle,
an aptly named, steep-sided, high-rising chunk of rock,
reportedly one of the island’s toughest and most spec-
tacular hikes. (“You need to have a good head for heights,â€
Chris Doyle writes in his guide, describing the Pinnacle’s
“dramatic 360-degree precipitous view.â€)
Chuck, Barb, Steve, and I set off early the next morning,
scrabbling up the hill behind Chatham Bay’s beach (a
modest warm-up for the hike to come) and then following
the road from (more or less) the middle of the west side of
the island around to Ashton in (more or less) the middle of
the south side, rewarded by expansive views of turquoise-
green water broken by patches of frothing reef. As we
descended into Ashton, the second-largest village on this
friendly island of about 3,000 residents, and stopped in a
shop for a cold drink before the next leg of our adventure,
we were greeted with: “Have you come for the Maroon?â€
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The Maroon — an annual ce
last year’s harvest and marks
son (and the rainy season) —
lebration that gives thanks for
the start of the planting sea-
is one of Union Island’s most
important cultural activities. The main Maroon, spearhead-
ed by the Roots Comnection Culture Club, takes place in
Clifton each May, three days before or after the full moon.
But this year, Ashton was also holding a Maroon, and only
serendipitous good luck (and a belief in carpe diem) has
brought us here on the very day of this traditional event. Its
roots stretch back to West African harvest rites, which came
to the Caribbean with slavery. Escaped slaves, who joined
together in communities on Union and other islands, were
called Maroons; from this grew the Maroon festival, which
celebrates not just the start of the planting season, but also
the unity of people coming together.
The celebration includes singing, drumming, dancing,
and communal cooking. “The cooking is already starting,â€
one of the villagers tells us, pointing to a cleared area...
—Continued on next page
Your Marine Store at Venezuela and the Caribbean |
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FEnoen SIMRAD alt AUWLGRIP
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—Continued from previous page
...down the road, where we can see smoke rising from wood
fires and women in long red-and-white dresses with match-
ing headscarves “seasoning up†mutton and goat, and lug-
ging big blackened pots — cauldrons, actually — to the
fires, where they are supported on tripods of rocks.
Red and white are the colors of the St. John Spiritual
Baptist Church, which is behind the Ashton Maroon,
Masani DeFreitas tells us. “It took us a while to get our
finances in order,†she explains, which is why Ashton’s
Maroon is being held two days before June’s full moon.
(Going back to their beginnings, Maroons were scheduled
Main photo: The communal cooking starts early in the
day. Everything is cooked outdoors over wood fires
Inset: ‘One of our hosts positioned herself on an upturned.
crate with a drum clutched between her knees’
Above: The drumming, singing, and dancing in the after-
noon gave us a taste of the Big Drum Dance to come
that evening
Right: Building an appetite: Chuck Shipley of Tusen Takk
Il starts to descend the Pinnacle
around the full moon so there would be light for the fes-
tivities, which extend long into the night.)
We hatch a revised plan: After we conquer the Pinnacle,
we'll return to Ashton to catch the Maroon in full swing. “How
long will the cooking go on?†Chuck asks. “Until everyone on
the island has something to eat,†Masani replies. She’s not
exaggerating: Maroons are all-island feasts, and everyone
from schoolkids to their parents to our quartet of cruisers will
be given a groaning plateful, without charge. Donations are
welcome, though, and we leave Masani with a contribution
and a promise that she'll see us again later in the day.
Fast forward four hours or so. The bus from Clifton depos-
its four very tired, very sweaty cruisers back in Ashton.
Despite the absence of anything resembling a marked trail,
we'd made it to the top of the Pinnacle; Chuck climbed to the
very highest rock, while the rest of us were content to enjoy
the view (as spectacular as advertised) from a slightly lower
perch. “A good head for heights†was indeed an asset — as
was a willingness to cling goatlike to narrow ledges and
boost each other over boulders. Having a helpful bus driver
who circled around until he got us to the most advantageous
starting point (by the radio mast) didn’t hurt either.
Sleepy Ashton has come alive in the time we've been away
— it’s now filled with music, people, and mouthwatering
smells. We are immediately offered cold drinks (very wel-
Ems
come, after the Pinnacle), followed by heaping plates of food.
The rich sauce from the meaty stew is absorbed by mounds
of rice and balls of coo-coo (West Indian cornmeal polenta),
with provision and salad on the side. After we eat, Chuck and
I wander over to where several women are making dump-
lings, and we're immediately invited to pinch off pieces from
a mammoth mound of dough and try our hands. The Union
ladies shape smooth, perfect disks; Chuck and I produce
ragged, irregular splats. More practice is clearly needed.
Meanwhile, one of our hosts has positioned herself on an
uptumed crate with a drum clutched between her knees
and is beating out a rhythm. Other women start to sing and
dance to traditional folksongs that clearly have African
ancestry. Bodies twirl, skirts swirl, and hands clap to the
rhythm. But this is just the start.
“The Big Drum Dance come this evening,†a young
woman next to me says. “Tonight, there will be many many
drums, and many many people singing and dancing. You're
coming back tonight, aren’t you?†Unfortunately not.
Though we happily seized the day, it’s just too difficult to
seize the night from our Chatham Bay anchorage.
“Back in time,†the ancestors of the people gathered here
called on the god or goddess of rain to open the heavens for
planting season. This aspect of the Maroon, however, has
long disappeared.
Still. Let the record show it poured the next day.
For information about the 2010 Maroons on Union Island,
call the Roots Connection Culture Club, (784) 527-0207.
Ann Vanderhoof is the author of An Embarrassment of
Mangoes. Her new book, The Spice Necklace, will be
published in January.
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CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS
Ryan Weaver
July 20th, 2009 was one special day.
65 years ago — Bomb almost assassinated Hitler.
40 years ago — First bootprint mashed into lunar dust.
30 years ago — I was born.
Thirtieth birthdays are vulnerable to insults, I discovered. My younger sisters
looked with persistence for symptoms of my new old age: hair loss and gain in all the
wrong places, wrinkles, a limp, liver spots, incontinence, etcetera.
My parents sympathized by whisking me away to Barbuda. It wasn’t a very far
whisking because we were already in Antigua. Still, an escape from an escape ought
to keep my newly old disposition refreshed and cheerful.
The Barbuda Express ferry parking lot was empty except for a beer label fluttering
across the pavement. When I mentioned our reservations to the ticket lady she
looked at her paperwork and cranked an eyebrow up a good half-inch.
“Says here you en’t have no tour,†she said.
“We prefer to do our own thing.â€
“Ooo-kay.â€
Courtesy of recent atmospheric temper tantrums, the ferry crossing was adventure-
some. We performed levitation tricks each time the catamaran went freefalling down
the backside of a swell. Mom tried to enhance the thrill of this phenomenon by hopping
but accidentally launched her head into the roof and was forced into retirement.
Despite earnest effort we made only a splashy, millimetric progress. It was not hard
to believe that the Apocalypse would arrive before Barbuda.
We weren't able to sight the island until it was right in front of us, because it’s flat.
This was news to me. I suddenly came to the realization that I knew nothing about
Barbuda. Nothing, that is, except what the perpetual ad-campaign in my travel
magazines claimed: that Barbuda was all beauty and charm, riches and exclusivity
— just the type of snooty island one deserved on one’s 30th birthday.
But the port wasn’t snooty. In fact I could identify nothing resembling a port.
Instead, Captain Greg seemed to be deliberately pointing our bow at an eyesore of a
shipwreck. The shipwreck consisted of rusty iron ribs drooping into a shallow sea.
Beyond the shipwreck lay a milky lagoon and a wharf where some battered boats
rollicked. Ashore, two busted vans awaited arriving locals. That was it. No taxis; no
buildings; nothing. Nearby an elevator dumped sand atop an industrial-sized pile
that grew no bigger because the wind whipped it all off and carried it along the road
and flung it into our faces.
“Happy Birthday, Ryan!†Mom shouted.
Ha, ha, hal
I assured my bewildered party that if we walked out past the chain-link fence with
the faded plywood welcome sign we'd surely hit a town soon. No island whose bloodline
was tourism, I assured them, would dare maroon their tourists in this rubble pit.
But the view stretching far down River Road (there are no rivers on Barbuda, by
the way) consisted of nothing but potholes and palm trees. We trudged back and
knocked on the window of the only vehicle left at the ferry landing. The driver seemed
baffled when we said we wanted to go to town.
“To rent a car,†I explained.
This put the driver in a state of noggin-scratching pontification. He scrolled
through his phone contacts and dialed the proprietor of (let’s call it) Acme Rentals:
ACME RENTALS
For the best in rentals use Acme Rentals.
The cost of getting a rental is never as affordable before.
Come enjoy Barbuda in air-conditioning comfort.
Acme agreed to help us out and I found myself charmed once again by the
Caribbean work ethic: why waste time holding regular hours at your rental car
agency when you could take the day off until someone phoned? It’s sound logic.
The island passing us by looked parched, thorny and scrubby, the type of place
you'd expect to see cattle bones half buried in the dirt. The road was poor.
—Continued on next page
—Continued from previous page
Codrington Village (where most of the 1,500 residents live) was poor, too. A wild-
looking old man in shorts and rubber boots strolled by twirling a machete. Somebody
was cooking barbecue in an oil drum. The driver pulled over suddenly and we looked
around in alarm. Had we lost our tailpipe? Run out of transmission fluid?
“I think we’re looking at Acme Rentals,†Pops whispered.
Before us lay humble dilapidation. A barbed-wire fence enclosing a small property
shipwrecked in weeds. House of paneled plywood, roof of tin. Rags fluttering in the
open windows, small faces peeking out. Three punished-looking automobiles in front
representing the rental car fleet of Barbuda.
It was becoming increasingly clear why an eyebrow would raise at paperwork say-
ing “no tourâ€.
Acme herself looked at us from the stoop. Caught unawares, she hadn’t found time
to clean the car. It smelled peculiar and could have doubled as a preschool sandbox.
Also, she said, it was running on fumes and we'd better hurry to the petrol station
because it closed at noon.
TIME OUT, I thought as we raced for gas. REFOCUS. Clearly we weren't going to get
what we thought we paid for in Barbuda, and unmet expectations can lead to regret.
Better come up with new expectations, for adaptation is crucial to happy travel.
Above: Guided by a saint, Yllithia captures a sunbeam in Indian Cave
Below: ‘We passed nothing but donkeys and shrubs and puddles for miles...’
We filled up and were some way down the road when Pops jerked to the shoulder
bellowing “Flat tire!†The tires were more or less inflated, however. We tried to push
on but it sounded like a World War II battle was being reenacted in our left axle. I
got out and watched the tire going jabberwocky — three lugs hanging by a thread
and one missing.
“No biggie!†I reported. “Our tire almost just fell off, that’s all.â€
Ha, ha, ha!
Fortunately, this was a quick fix. We proceeded to crunch over long dirt roads until
everyone was convinced we were lost and without hope of survival. Then a sign said
Two Foot Bay, which I recognized from a pamphlet as being a good place to be. Pops
pulled over at a thick stone ruin and somebody in a truck pulled up alongside to inquire
how we were getting along. He never introduced himself; we will call him Saint.
Saint guided our hike to Indian Cave. Indians favored the cave, he explained,
because of a ghoulish face in the rock. Apparently the horror of it inspired them.
Only two petroglyphs remain, and although they were right under our noses we
never would've found them without Saint pointing.
It was a huge cave full of sunspots and dazzling color. Pink. Green. Blue. White.
This is where I'd come to survive a hurricane or throw a good party, I thought.
Before parting ways I asked Saint for directions to famous Darby Cave, and he
drew me a mental map to the geocentric middle of nowhere and advised me not to
try it without a guide or only the buzzards would find us.
So we got lost looking for the pink sand beaches instead. There are 17 miles of
pink sand beach on Barbuda and no access. Not that we could find, anyway. We
fishtailed upon dozens of soft sandy trails only to hit their cul-de-sac ends. We
passed nothing but donkeys and shrubs and puddles for miles. In the end it took
me climbing a sand dune to get something like a compass bearing for us to find the
true End of the Road.
And there it was. Blazing white sand with pink sprinkles as far as one could see.
Nothing “ha, ha, ha†about this beach. This was by far the most exquisite beach
any of us had ever seen. I took off running with my girlfriend, Yllithia. Swam with
Mom and went shell collecting with Pops. Wrote “Happy Birthday†to myself in the
soft pink sand. Laid back and looked up.
TIME OUT, I thought. SAVOR. This feeling now, this is why you travel the
Caribbean. This feeling can be translated into the only wisdom I've gleaned from 30
years, the only advice I can share with complete confidence: seek out the places that
fill you with the profound satisfaction of being alive... and linger.
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Deck layout specialist
ndsurfer, rower, folklorist and hiking guide Telfor Bedeau is unique. He
is the first person to have climbed Grenada’s highest mountain, Mount
Saint Catherine, 100 times (the record hundredth time at age 60), and
has circumnavigated his home island of Grenada by windsurfer (self-
taught, in his 60s), by rowboat (twice — once in each direction) and on foot (to raise
funds for charity in the name of his late daughter).
Telfor Bedeau was born in Grenada on October 15th, 1939, just about the time the
Second World War started. He grew up on the island’s coast on the outskirts of the
town of Grenville. He became a seaman, sailing the old cargo schooners up and down
the island chain. He built his first rowing boat and called her Sea Hiker. He rowed
his boat up and down the coast, visiting the outlying islands and exploring the sea-
shore. He was also a land surveyor for a few years, giving him the opportunity to
explore many places in Grenada. He is now a full-time hiking and walking guide to
all parts of Grenada and knows the interior better than anyone else.
Aweek before his 70th birthday this year he invited me to join him on a commemo-
rative boat ride around Grenada to celebrate his last rowing circumnavigation, which
was 12 years ago in Sea Hiker IL. Four of us took off .
from the fishing village of Soubise on Grenada’s east
coast at seven in the morning, in a fast open fishing
boat. The sea was calm, the weather fine: a perfect
day. Heading north, we passed by Sandy, Green
and Sugarloaf islands, London Bridge, Isle de Caille
and Isle de Ronde, fishing all the way with no luck.
We stopped in the lee of Isle de Ronde and cracked
a bottle of champagne before heading down the
west coast of Grenada.
Reaching the capital, St. George’s, we pulled in
to Port Louis Marina for another drink, Telfor try-
ing out the quality of their margaritas. Our next
stop was True Blue Bay on the south coast, again
for margaritas. Last stop was Clarke’s Court Bay
Marina, and then we sped up the east coast and
arrived back in Soubise by late afternoon. (Rowing
around Grenada had taken Telfor two days, with
in a net rowing time of 20 hours.)
But the boat ride wasn’t the only birthday activ-
ity; Telfor celebrated his 70th for the whole month
of October. On the 15th, his actual birthday, he
wanted to climb Mount Saint Catherine with
friends. This would be his 158th ascent of the
2,750-foot (845-metre) mountain, more than a
hundred of which he did as a guide for hikers.
About 20 of us met in Grenville at eight in the
morning, took a bus to Mount Horn and started
hiking. The first couple of hours were relatively
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easy; there was a road many years ago so the trail is well defined and not too steep.
The last part is a steep incline, a narrow, muddy and slippery trail. Fortunately the
vegetation offers good handholds, otherwise it would be an impossible task. The
views when the clouds parted were spectacular. The top portion was misted over,
appearing and disappearing in the fast-moving clouds. It was this last section that
Telfor wanted to time himself on. His fastest time was 30 minutes, set years ago, and
now he wanted to see how much slower Father Time had made him. It made him 15
minutes slower; he made it in 45.
At the top, three bottles of champagne materialized and we all toasted Telfor’s
health and made jokes about the next time we would all climb up again.
Telfor Bedeau can be reached for hikes in Grenada at (473) 442-6200.
Above: Telfor and friends ascending Grenada's tallest mountain on his 70th birthday
Inset: His love of exploring the land and sea keeps Telfor Bedeau young
Below: A champagne toast in the lee of Isla de Ronde
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CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS
A Million Little Li
TX
Divali in Tri
by Devi Sharp
small village of Felicity
twinkled with hundreds of tiny
fires burning in small clay pots.
Mouthwatering smells of curry wafted from kitch-
ens and Indian music drifted from houses as people
walked through the streets admiring the lights and chatting with
families who were sitting outside their houses in this traditional East
Indian village in western Trinidad.
For several years my husband, Hunter, and I have heard rave reviews from other
cruisers of their visits to an East Indian village during the Divali festival. This year we
were in Trinidad at the right time, so on October 17th we joined a group of fellow
cruisers on a trip organized by Jesse James of Members Only taxi service. We were
welcomed to the Hindu temple by a priest in a long robe and instructed to remove our
shoes before entering the temple. Inside we were free to look at the altar and take
photos. At first I was a bit uncomfortable taking photos inside a temple, but we were
encouraged to use our cameras. The altar was ringed by statues called murti, sacred
images of deities that provide a point of devotional and meditational focus. The priest
welcomed us and told us about the murti and some of the traditions associated with
‘A small but
energetic
band of Tassa
drummers
played for us’
Divali. We were spellbound by the graceful young woman in traditional garb who
danced to Indian music. I am sure some eyes were glued to her bare muscular midriff,
but clearly her hands and body told a story. A small but energetic band of Tassa
drummers played for us. These traditional Indo-Caribbean drums are hung around
the neck. We were told that the two drummers and one cymbal player were a much-
abbreviated version of their band.
Divali (sometimes spelled Diwali) is a Hindu festival that symbolizes the lifting of
spiritual darkness and spiritual and social renewal. The actual date varies from year
to year, and is keyed to the day of the new moon in October. The word Divali means
an array of lamps (deep: lamp; vali: array) and is celebrated by Hindus around the
world with the lighting of the small clay pots, called diyas, which contain oil and a
cotton wick that is lit. Although Divali is a Hindu festival, in Trinidad’s multicul-
tural and multi-religious society, it is a national holiday observed by people of all
denominations. East Indians represent 44 percent of the total population of Trinidad
and of that group 24 percent are Hindus, but everyone gets a day off work and many
‘We were spellbound by the graceful young woman who danced to Indian music’
people dress in traditional Indian garb and light diyas at work or around their table
in the days leading up to Divali.
The actual celebration of Divali lasts for five days. The climax is the lighting of the
diyas after sundown on the last day. Diyas are lit by the thousands in yards, open
spaces, staircases, roundabouts and porches. They are usually placed on bamboo
stalks bent into fantastic shapes and designs.
If you have ever taken a trip with Jesse you know there will be food, good food,
and plenty of it. We reclaimed our shoes {I did have thoughts of upgrading my foot-
wear) and were ushered into a small dining hall. There was a large piece of palm
leaf at each place. The soharie leaf was at each place, and not as a placemat — it
would be our plate. We loaded up our leaves with traditional Indian foods: pumpkin,
channa (curried chick peas); mango, curried chataigne, kuchila and roti skin. The
roti was used to
pinch up the
other food on the
plate. It was deli-
cious and we
were not allowed
to leave until we
were showing
signs of being
really well fed.
Well fortified, we
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walked around
town as the sun
went down.
Women in colorful
saris and men in
robes, as well as
7 those in western
Sieibine, lit the diyas around their houses. A young boy had arranged diyas around his
bike. Families were sitting out on patios eating, drinking (non- alcoholic beverages) and
chatting. Small fireworks punctuated the Indian music and the soft lights of the diyas.
Cruisers were not the only visitors wandering around the town of Felicity. Many
Trinis had travelled to enjoy the lights, sights and sounds of this traditional festival.
And we were glad we came.
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The Caribbean is synonymous with good times. Of course, every regatta is a party, but there are loads of non-
sailing celebrations that are just as much fun. From the multi-sensory explosion of Carnival season to the low-key
pleasures of an afternoon’s beach or river ‘cook-up’, the region is awash with boat-accessible events large and
small that visitors are encouraged to join in and enjoy.
Here are just a few upcoming highlights:
New Year’s Eve/Old Year’s Night
Fort-de-France, Martinique, traditionally celebrates this holiday a day before most — the “Boucans de la Baieâ€
festival, with a fireworks display over the harbor and special late opening hours of museums and restaurants in
the town on the evening of December 30th.
On December 31st, English Harbour, Antigua, offers the strictly-for-fun annual Nelson’s Pursuit yacht race,
while Admiralty Bay, Bequia, is a favored place for a waterfront pub-crawl and midnight fireworks show.
Music Festivals
The 17th Annual Barbados Jazz Festival, January 11th through 17th, will feature international acts ranging
from Motown icon Smokey Robinson to the Cuban Classics, performing at a range of venues.
The St. Barts Music Festival, January 11th through 20th gives you a chance to enjoy classical music with the chic
set.
One of the stars of the St. Thomas USVI Blues Festival on January 22nd is its great open-air amphitheatre venue
at the University of the Virgin Islands campus.
The 15th Annual Mustique Blues Festival, January 27th through February 10th, stars British blues diva Dana
Gillespie and her London Blues Band.
Opposite page: Jake Zaitz and Ian Siegal at the
Bequia Music Fest 2009
The eclectic Bequia Music Fest, January 28th through 31st, will host the Mustique Blues Festival on one night
and on other nights will showcase regional musicians including Bequia’s own international reggae star Papa
Winnie, plus the Mount Gay Blues Band from Barbados with special guest Toby Armstrong.
Moonsplash 2010's “Family Reunionâ€, March 25th through 28th, is a four-day reggae party in Anguilla hosted
by Bankie Banx.
The 4th International Aruba Piano Festival, April 17th through 24th, is not for pianists only, and has recitals,
matinees and master classes.
—Continued on next page
—Continued from previous page
Entertainers at St. Lucia Jazz Festival 2010, May 1st through 9th, will include Jean-Luc Ponty, Maxi Priest, Steel
Pulse and Foreigner. Visitors to the island at that time will be in for a two-for-one treat as Saint Lucia will be one
of the host nations for the International Cricket Council's World Twenty20 Tournament. The two Group Stage
matches will take place before the main stage shows of Saint Lucia Jazz Festival. The Semi Final matches take
place in the week following Jazz.
The BVI Music Festival, May 24th through 31st, boasts a nice seaside location at Cane Garden Bay.
Martinique’s Féte de la Musique, June 21st, is a celebration of Martinique’s rich musical tradition with free con-
certs performed in the streets throughout the island.
The World Creole Music Festival is held in Dominica during the last weekend in October, showcasing various
forms of musical fusion from the countries of the Creole-speaking world.
And, if you are a singer or musician, listen to the cruisers’ radio nets, talk to locals and ask around at Happy Hour
to find out about jam sessions that you can join — or just start playing in your own cockpit and see who turns
up!
Carnivals
Virtually every island has its carnival, and while some celebrate on the traditional dates of the Monday and Tuesday
before Lent, others are spread throughout the year — and they are all different. Here are a few that demonstrate that
diversity:
Not content with a two-day event, the St. Croix Christmas Festival kicks off on December 5th with an Old Time
Traditional Parade, and runs through January 3rd when there will be boat races. Similarly, Montserrat’s Christmas
Festival Celebrations extend until a street parade on New Year's Day.
- or hers oe
AZ INV SAR LS
Famous for “bikinis and beads†street parades and stupendous Carnival Queen costumes, Trinidad Carnival will
climax on February 15th and 16th.
These are also the dates for traditional carnival in Carriacou, which is quite different: don’t miss Shakespeare
Mas, when masqueraders compete by commenting on the happenings of the day in verse.
Each year as revelers in other Carnival hot spots wind down with the close of Shrove Tuesday, the party in
Martinique keeps going, reaching a decadent climax on one of the most solemn days on the Christian calendar, Ash
Wednesday. The fitting theme for Martinique’s “bonus†day of revelry is “Rejoice Today, Repent Tomorrow!â€
Other Happenings
The International Cinema Festival of Guadeloupe, January 29th to February 6th, will take place in the city of Le
Lamentin. The film festival's theme for 2010 is “From the West Indies to Asiaâ€.
The Caribbean Arts & Crafts Festival runs from March 5th through 10th at Trellis Bay, Tortola. Trellis Bay also
features monthly Fireball Full Moon Parties.
“May in Saint Pierreâ€, Martinique, commemorates the anniversary of the cataclysmic 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée
that annihilated the town. There c — ——.
will be a series of lectures, presen- we ,
tations and guided tours offering
greater insight into this historic
event.
See more events for December
and January in the calendar on
page 50. We'll give you a complete
annual Calendar of Events for 2010,
including regattas and much more,
in next month’s issue of Caribbean
Compass, and bring you news of
more events as they arise.
ONVTIO" 3191
Above: Beauty, bilcinis and beads at
Trinidad. Carnival 2008
Right: Cruisers get in the spirit at
Grenada Carnival 2009
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4
Meet eo a
by Nathalie Ward.
Here is an introduction to some of the whales you might see in the Caribbean.
Humpback Whale
From a distance, a group of humpbacks swimming in single file appears to be the
rippling coils of a gigantic sea serpent as they arch and submerge simultaneously.
Perhaps the most familiar of the great whales, the humpback whale gets its common
name from the hump on the forward part of the dorsal fin and from the way the back
flexes, or “humpsâ€, before a deep dive. Its long white flippers make it virtually unmis-
takable at close range and also give this whale its scientific name, Megaptera novae-
angliae, which translates to “big wing of New Englandâ€.
Humpbacks tend to favor shallow areas, often quite close to shore. They are among
the most sociable of the great whales and the most active at the surface, which
makes them among the easiest to observe. As a result, we know more about this
species than any other large whale.
Humpback whales have been recorded at nearly all islands in the Eastern
Caribbean. The largest breeding concentrations occur in the waters of the Dominican
Republic on Silver and Navidad Banks and Samana Bay. Additional wintering popu-
ations are found on Virgin Bank, Mouchoir Bank, and in the Mona Passage, Puerto
Rico, with smaller concentrations reported throughout the Lesser Antilles including
Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad
& Tobago and along the Venezuela coast.
They are not exactly gentle giants. Loud “wamps†and “whumps†are typical
sounds as one male humpback collides with another on the breeding grounds.
Dorsal fins and snouts are bloodied as the barnacles that grow on humpbacks turn
a low-level shove into a serious scrape. Males are aggressive as they jockey for posi-
tion near a cow (a female whale). They lunge along the surface with their heads
ifted and gulp water to swell their massive throats in an attempt to make themselves
appear larger, much as land mammals do by raising their hackles or manes. They
blast their rivals with disorienting clouds of bubbles, fending them off by extending
their pectoral fins and lashing at one another with their tail flukes.
Their breeding system is complex. Males compete for females with lunges, tail
slashes, blocks, and charges. Competitive groups may consist of two to more than
20 males around a single female, vying for the best positions, and these groups last
or hours.
When a big whale dives, currents set in motion by the passage of so many tons of
esh come eddying up in a column that smoothes the surface of the sea. This flat,
waveless patch on the surface of the water, known as a flukeprint, is the telltale
giveaway that a whale is beneath the surface.
WOTS0d0N LY480u
Bryde’s Whale
The best means to distinguish the Bryde’s whale (pronounced BROO-dus) at sea is
to look for the three prominent ridges that run longitudinally down the top of the
head. The three ridges run from just behind the tip of the snout to right in front of
the blowholes and are composed of one central ridge and two lateral sub-ridges.
Bryde’s whales are most easily confused with sei and fin whales in lower latitudes.
Sei and fin whales are usually larger, with only one rostral ridge (rather than three)
and are less likely to arch the back during a dive. On the belly, the throat grooves
(‘ventral pleatsâ€) extend to or beyond the navel, whereas the throat grooves of the sei
do not reach the navel. Fin whales have a distinctive right lower jaw (in Bryde’s
whales, both jaws are dark gray, although they may both be white in the “pygmyâ€
form) and a more variably shaped dorsal fin that appears at the surface after the
blowholes. Minke whales are much smaller and rarely have a visible blow. The
humpback whale is darker and stockier, usually with a less prominent and less
sickle-shaped dorsal fin, and frequently raises its flukes while diving.
SAVOY SIMA NATSY YA,
Above: Three ridges on the head identify a Bryde’s whale
In general, Bryde’s whales are identified by their grey body, sometimes mottled,
and prominent, sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Adults may reach 13 to 15.5 metres (43 to
51 feet) and up to 30 tons; at birth approximately 3.4 metres (11 feet), and one ton.
It is now accepted that there are at least two forms of the species, which may vary
in size and migratory habits.
Bryde’s whales are seen singly or in small groups of two to six individuals, although
larger concentrations may be found in areas of food abundance. They feed largely on
schooling fishes, anchovies and juvenile tuna but also eat cephalopods and pelagic
crustaceans. Bryde’s whales are believed to spend all of their time in warm water.
Presumably, they are able to forage throughout the year in their tropical habitat,
rather than fasting in winter, as many baleen species do.
They usually surface steeply;w like other baleen whales. The blow is three to four
metres high. They seldom fluke-up before diving. It is generally believed that they
usually move at two to seven kilometers per hour, but can swim as fast as 20 to 25
kilometers per hour and dive up to 300 metres.
Unlike other large whales, it appears to lack a distinct breeding season, appar-
ently calving at any time of the year. Calves are probably weaned at about six
months of age. Bryde’s whales have a two-year reproductive cycle composed of an
11- to 12-month gestation period, six months of lactation, and six months of resting.
Calves are weaned at about seven metres in body length. The age of sexual maturity
is eight to 11 years, when females are approximately 12 metres (39.4 feet) in length
and males are 11 metres (39 feet) long.
—Continued on next page
WALEACE & ©Om a
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Diving or snorkeling? We have it all: suits, tanks, belts, masks, fins and
snorkels. We even have prescription lenses for the masks.
Electronics, marine electronics, 12 & 24 volts, inverters, lights,
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Open Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Look for the Big Blue Building.
Water, Diesel, Ice, Bottled Water and Dockage available.
The Yacht Club, Bequia Marina, Port Elizabeth, Bequia,
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
VHF 68, Telephone 784-457-3361
—Continued from previous page
Bryde’s whales have been recorded throughout the Eastern Caribbean island chain
and have been reported year-round in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of
Venezuela. In 1983, a Bryde’s whale was stranded for some days in the Tobago Cays,
and in 2005 a Bryde’s whale was taken in the Bequia fishery. This past August, a
young Bryde’s whale stranded at Union Island, also in the Grenadines (see Caribbean
Compass October 2009 “A Whale Visits Union Islandâ€). Scientists wonder if the spe-
cies is extending its range due to global warming.
Occasional Visitors
BLUE WHALE
What words can do justice to the colossal blue whale, the giant among giants, the
largest animal ever to have lived on Earth. With mottled blue-grey bodies typically
24 metres (80 feet) long and weighing more than 100 tons, they out-measure a
Boeing 737. What’s more, blues have big babies. At birth calves measure seven
SUVS HOW
Big blue whales are infrequent visitors
metres (23 feet) long and weigh 2.5 tons. When weaned eight months later, they can
weigh up to 50,000 pounds and be 15 metres (50 feet) long.
Reports of blue whales in the Caribbean are rare, with only two reliable reports of
strandings in the Gulf of Mexico. Their blue-grey mottling pattern is highly variable
and is so unique that it can be used to identify individuals. Often a yellowish sheen
of diatoms coats the body and is most visible on the whale’s underside.
FIN WHALE
Known as the “greyhound of the sea,†the fin whale appears as a slender, silver-
streaked form, barely disturbing the water as it surfaces to breathe. Its tremendous
YALISSOY WÂ¥ITIIM,
Fin whales can be
confused with Bryde’s
or sei whales
speed and massive size make the fin whale one of the most impressive of all whales.
The double band of almost metallic silver, called a “chevronâ€, which loops from the
lower jaw up to the side just behind the blowhole, makes it possible to recognize
individuals. The species has a unique coloration — the right lower jaw is white,
whereas the left lower jaw is dark grey. This distinctive asymmetry, which is rare in
mammals, may be related to feeding strategies or social cues. Occasional sightings
in the Gulf of Mexico indicate that the species is not a frequent visitor but some may
winter in the region.
SEI WHALE
The sei (pronounced “sayâ€) whale looks like a scaled-down version of the fin whale
with a single rostral ridge and without white on the right side. The underside and
the flanks of the sei whale often carry small, pitted, oval scars that are characteristic
of this species, presumably the bites of lampreys or cookie-cutter sharks.
Together the sei and fin whales are arguably the fastest of the great whales, capa-
SOOMYVIA TIS" SLLOIAISY
ble of swimming at up to 25 knots for short distances. In Caribbean waters, sei
whales have been reported traveling alone or in small groups off the coasts of Puerto
Rico and Dominica.
COMMON MINKE WHALE
The common minke whale is the smallest of the “great whalesâ€. It has the dubious
distinction of bearing the brunt of current commercial whaling hunts for the simple
reason that most of the larger and more valuable species were recklessly overexploited.
The species may segregate depending on age, sex and reproductive condition in
Above: The sei
whale loolcs like
a small version
of the fin whale
NOOS/GYÂ¥M SITWH.LYN
_ —_ ee
Right: Minke
whales are
usually seen
alone or in
small groups
different geographic areas of their range. Very little is known about the reproductive
and breeding habits of the minke whale. A few mother-and-calf sightings and record-
ings of minke whale sounds suggest that some calving grounds may be in tropical
waters. Usually seen alone or in small groups, the minke has been reported on
Anguilla Bank and the Anegada Passage, as well as off the coasts of Puerto Rico, the
Dominican Republic and Dominica.
Dr. Nathalie Ward, PhD is a consultant for the United Nations Environment
Programme’s Caribbean Marine Mammal Programme, and while in the United States
works for the US Marine Sanctuary Program.
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CRUISER PROFILES BY JOHN ROWLAND
e
R.O.A.D.
The R.O.A.D. is a 40-foot sloop with an Angelo
Lavernos-designed hull, one of five made. Purchased
asa hull and deck, the boat took Taffy and Shirley four
years to complete. Her name, The R.O.A.D., is a conces-
sion to Taffy’s Welsh heritage, this crew's seemingly
bottomless sense of humor and the product of a boat
naming party that I'm sorry I missed. It is actually an
abbreviation for The Royal Order of Ancient Druids, the
abbreviation being far easier on a radio call. The
R.O.A.D. was launched in 1991, in South Africa.
Taffy took up sailing at the age of 40 when he real-
ized that cricket and rugby were best left to younger
men. After learning to sail on smaller boats on inland
waters of South Africa, Taffy earned his “captain’s
ticketâ€, allowing him to begin the cruising life and his
search for “something differentâ€.
Shirley’s interest in sailing started when she met
Taffy. Her first voyage out of sight of land was from
Cape Town bound for St. Helena and on to Brazil in
2000, the beginning of their cruising odyssey. She
made the transition from neophyte to Admiral quickly
and naturally. The crew is completed by a 12-year-old
African Grey parrot, Rubbish, apparently named for
his ability to “trash talkâ€.
The R.O.A.D.’s journey started in April of 2000,
bringing them across to Brazil, up past French Guiana
and Guyana to Tobago, Trinidad and the ABCs.
Cruising, like any other part of life, has its adversi-
ties. Near the end of 2002, while sailing from Margarita
to Martinique, despite numerous attempts to contact
and avoid the oncoming vessel, The R.O.A.D. was run
down by a large fishing vessel in the middle of the
night. The damage to the smaller vessel was extensive.
The larger boat’s outriggers shredded her sails, the
deck was separated from the hull, the impact disabled
engine and generator, stanchions and lifelines were
ripped off... The R.O.A.D. was dead in the water. The
fishing vessel crew cut themselves free, turned off their
lights and left The R.O.A.D. disabled in the open
sea. Taffy and Shirley were able to jury-rig the sails
enough to get underway, and The R.O.A.D. limped
back to Margarita.
They were met by an armada of dinghies manned by
fellow cruisers who had been monitoring their prog-
ress via VHF. In the finest cruiser tradition, their
friends helped them through the next days, but the
damage was so severe that the boat was eventually
brought back to Trinidad and put on the hard for two
years while Taffy went back to his profession as a proj-
ect manager to earn the money to repair her. The
R.O.A.D. was launched, again, in July of 2005, restart-
ing the cruising journey.
Above: Shirley and Taffy like meeting a variety of peopie
Left: The R.O.A.D. is ready to head west
Aside from the encounter with the fishing vessel,
Taffy and Shirley have enjoyed cruising in the Eastern
Caribbean. Shirley is a superb cook and really likes
learning the use of the local ingredients and styles of
cooking. Taffy is still an avid cricket fan and has offici-
ated in some local matches. They enjoy interaction
with local folks on the islands as well as with other
cruisers. When asked what they enjoy most about the
cruising life, the response is, “The people we meet.
Sitting in one place all your life, you would never meet
the variety of people we've met out here.â€
Back in prime condition, The R.O.A.D. is ready to
head west from Trinidad, through the ABCs and
Colombia, through the Panama Canal to the Galapagos,
through the Pacific islands and, in 18 to 24 months,
back to South Africa. For this journey, friends Barry
and Colin have signed on as crew, sharing the work of
this long voyage and what promises to be a continuing
great adventure.
2% more (sea)
The Perkins Sabre M225Ti is designed to replace the Perkins
M200 and M235 and provides more than 22% additional available
horsepower in the same package.
This large capacity 6 liter engine comes in a compact package and only takes out 225 hp.
By comparison, our nearest competition takes that out of a 4 liter engine. Running at a low 2500 rpm
versus the competition’s 3300 rpm or higher, the M225Ti will have a longer life (minimum 12,000 hour
TBO) and quieter operation.
The gear-driven fresh water pump has a longer life and less to go wrong while the waste gate turbo
charger gives better performance at lower rpms. An integral plate-type oil cooler combines fewer hoses
with longer life and better efficiency.
With Perkins’ outstanding marinization, excess hoses and belts have been engineered away and
everything has easy access for stress-free maintenance.
Call Parts & Power for your nearest dealer: (284) 494 2830
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Part Three:
Skaunchir
Many hands are needed to push 20 tons of boat over rollers into the water’
by Frank Pearce
During a visit to Carriacou in April 2008 I saw, hauled.
onto the land, a large red Carriacou sloop hull. I was
struck by her beautiful lines, and after a few weeks’
dithering I agreed to buy her. She was named Tradition.
Thad a vision of her, rigged. as she had been when built
some 30 years before. Thus began a restoration project
with the shipwrights of Windward, Carriacou.
In the past two issues of Compass I described replac-
ing the coachroof, fitting new aft deck beams, making a
telephone pole into a mast, organizing the rigging anda
boom, making a new rudder, and much more. The end
of the project was in sight!
It was now October. While I was in the UK, searching
for an engine, someone suggested I look on eBay. To
my surprise, one advertiser had a completely rebuilt
115BHP 6-cylinder Ford engine and gearbox, with all
new marinizing parts from Lancing Marine in Sussex,
who were then really helpful in supplying control
panel, loom, alternator and ongoing good service. This
engine would fit perfectly on the existing engine beds,
and with 2-to-1 reduction and running at 2000rpm
max, it promised a low-down torque — just what
Tradition needed. The seller put it on a pallet, shrink-
wrapped it and delivered it to Geest Shipping who
shipped it to St. Vincent for £250. What a deal!
Arriving back in Grenada, I found that the mainsail
made by Turbulence Sails was completed, but it took
two people to lift it! 1 did a mega-shop in Island Water
World and Budget Marine, hoping to get all the final
bits and pieces Tradition would need.
Upon arrival in Carriacou I assembled the team
again: Gordon Patrice and Fitzroy “Nero†McLaren to do
the rigging with Leonard McLaren to assist them; Verrol
Compton fitting the new fuel tanks; Bernard Compton
finishing the cabin, fitting sampson posts and bowsprit,
making the deadeyes and bulls’ eyes; Bernard’s son
Eddie to cut a suitably grained tree and make the tiller;
Benny as painter and assistant shipwright, and a few
others who came to help from time to time.
The rigging team set up under the palm trees and
proceeded to splice the soft eyes to go around the mast
hounds, and parcel and serve the lower eight feet of
the standing rigging wire where it would pass over the
deadeyes and be seized in place. The soft eye and
deadeye length would be served with tarred marlin,
using a proper serving mallet, then wrapped in
Eddie fashioning Tradition’s tiller
Hessian heavily greased, then served with tarred mar-
lin again, and lastly covered in a tight tube of canvas
intricately hand stitched, ultimately to be painted
white. A work of art to my eyes.
By the end of October, we were ready to launch. There
is no question of paying for the task of launching itself,
but many hands are needed to push 20 tons of boat
over rollers into the water and everyone gets a good
meal and a fill of beverage. I asked Norman Roberts, the
previous owner of Tradition, what cost would be
involved. His response was, “Well, Frank, do you want
a Big Launching or a Likkle Launching?†I am not sure
what we had, but think it was a pretty Big Launching.
Tradition was ashore in Norman’s compound, and here
he set up huge cast iron pots of bubbling stewed goat,
chicken and “oildown†over wood fires. There were cool-
ers of beer, and cases of jack iron rum and the much-
favoured Johnny Walker Red Label.
Tradition, not being a new boat, had been hauled up
the beach bow first, whereas a new boat is built facing
the sea. This meant that launching the 50-foot boat
would be more difficult, especially as she had been fit-
ted with a skeg. The process started early in the day,
with large rollers being dug in under the keel and
arranged down the beach. Shortage of rollers at the
last minute resulted in the demise of a couple of old
palm trees. Two 20-foot, six-inch by two-inch planks
were then nailed under the bilge on the turn of the
bilge — into my new planking!
—Continued on next page
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email: golfsierra@hotmail.com
—Continued from previous page
Next, rough-cut, inverted U-shaped blocks were
nailed to the topsides on one side of the hull — ouch
again! Light posts, about four inches in diameter, were
placed with one end buried in the sand and the top
end lodged in the U of the block.
But before “cutting down†began, certain formalities
had to be completed. The priest gathered his church
choir around the bow, then clambered up onto
Tradition's foredeck and gave her his blessing.
I arranged for Benny McLaren to be godfather of the
boat. Benny went to sea at an early age, at the time
when Urbin “Robbie†Roberts (Norman’s father) was
building Tradition. Robbie had previously owned the
larger and beautiful Yankee Girl. Tradition was to be a
smaller version. Robbie was an unusually particular
and thorough man, a proper seaman; he had a serious
reputation for keeping his vessels like yachts, even if
they were hauling cargo. So Benny had the best train-
ing available. He has been a good godfather to Tradition
and takes his role seriously.
I had been warned about the necessity of spilling
chicken blood on the samson post as a sacrifice — and
there on the foredeck was a suspiciously stirring sack. By
now a great crowd had surrounded the boat and it had
to be done. I grabbed a knife, put the poor chicken’s neck
on a wooden pad and hacked away. Island style, the
knife handle broke off. Someone quickly gave me another
knife. Blood was sprinkled, the crowd had another beer.
Those of us on deck clambered down. The crowd
assembled on the side of the boat opposite to the
cutting-down poles and pushed Tradition over until she
was lightly resting on the poles. Then four guys, each
with a sharp machete, began hacking away at the bot-
toms of the poles, which of course got shorter and
shorter and the boat heeled over more and more and
they hacked faster and faster until eventually, with a
brutal bump, she fell over, with the two previously
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The church choir graces the launching with song
JG
Above:
_ The poor chicken
Once the jumbie
chicken’ was dis-
posed of, Tradition
slid more easily into
the sea
nailed-on bilge boards resting on the rollers.
All hands (except the ones who just came for the food
and booze) gathered around Tradition and started push-
ing. Norman had laid a heavy anchor offshore and to
this was attached a four-fold block and tackle attached
Eon]
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to a rope going right around Tradition’s hull. About 20
people lay onto the fall of the block and tackle and
started heaving. Tradition started to move, an emotional
moment. Then she stuck and the anchor pulled out.
The anchor was reset; more rum was consumed.
Some began pulling on the tackle again, others were
on the bow, others were pulling down on the bowsprit.
The bowsprit bent, the covering board creaked. It was
brutal. Should I stop it or let them do it their way? An
old guy tapped me on the shoulder. “Dat fowl be jumbie;
that why she no move.†He really, really meant it. I
reached up onto the foredeck and tossed the chicken’s
carcass into the scrub. Sure enough, the boat started to
move again, bit by bit, roller by roller. She entered the
water, got some buoyancy, moved a bit more, and then
Norman backed in his workboat. We attached a line to
Tradition’s bow and, with everyone up to their waists in
water, she was swung around, eventually to glide into
deeper water. She was afloat.
The next day, Norman towed Tradition, with the mast
floating behind, from Windward to Tyrell Bay Yacht
Haulout. There had been some repairs needed to the
underside of the keel prior to launching and now a bit
more scuffing where she'd ground on the rollers. Tim
Sudell and his crew lifted Tradition and blocked her,
and then laid the mast where we could dress it. The
engine was there, too, ready to be lifted in. Bernard set
vy Aire Big
After sailing to Antigua, we enlarged the rudder
about cutting out the damaged wood on the base of the
keel and scarfing in a length of purpleheart.
The yard crane (a vintage 22RB) does not reach out
over the water, and so after the mast was fitted with the
standing and running rigging it was necessary to first lift
it with the crane, then position Tradition under the mast
in the travel hoist, and then lower the mast into the boat.
The same process was done for the engine. Tradition was
then re-launched and taken to a mooring. I found it
amazing that she didn’t leak, even after the brutal beach
launching. Well, I exaggerate — but half a bucketful a
week is not bad for a 30-year-old working wooden boat.
The standing rigging was then seized to the deadeyes
Bernard had made out of a log of grape wood, beauti-
fully fashioned and coated with linseed oil. Then the
lanyards were set up and the mainsail was bent on.
For ballast I had bought a length of lead, about 16 feet
long and six inches on each side. This Nero cut into man-
ageable lengths using a chainsaw. But we needed more.
—Continued on page 37
i
An Antifouling
PAINT Test
2008-2009
by Chris Doyle
Ive been doing antifouling paint tests on my boat for nearly a decade. One of the
conditions I make when testing paints is that before the test, the paint supplier must
decide whether or not to let me publish the results. In other words, the supplier can-
not decide to let me publish if the result is favorable but ask me to keep quiet if the
test comes out bad.
The last antifouling report I published in Caribbean Compass was in 2005. In the
last couple of years I have tested more paints, but the paint suppliers opted not to
publish. I don’t blame them, because looking back over my reports, I notice that
paints that work and compare really well one year do not always do as well another
year. There is a lot of variability and results are not always consistent.
Last year, Echo Marine in Trinidad invited me to test Jotun Sea Quantum Ultra
red on my cruising catamaran, Ti Kanot, and publish the results. I used Micron 66
red as the comparison test paint.
I put my more detailed report at the bottom of this, but in brief, on the basis of
this test, they both worked as I have found good self-polishing antifouling paints do
these days.
First, Some General Observations
Iam going to take the opportunity to make some general observations about anti-
fouling paints that I have noticed over the last few years, with paints that no longer
contain TBT. These are impressions rather than a careful analysis of all the results,
so may not be all that accurate.
Every paint I have tested has stayed completely clean for a month. But between
two and three months, good quality self-polishing products, like most of the paints I
have tested and including those tested this time, have all managed to sprout a good
number of barnacles, This is less true for the only other paint I have often used, the
Jotun Sea Queen, which tends to stay cleaner longer in the initial phases. My tests
only last six or seven months (my in-the-water time each year), and for that period
an inexpensive paint like Jotun Sea Queen often works as well as anything, and
would probably be my paint of choice. But towards the end of that time, the higher-
end paints are often beginning to perform a little better than the Sea Queen, which
is also very soft, so that by the end of six or seven months it is beginning to wear off
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in high-wear areas. For this reason, if you want paint for long-term protection, a
remium self-polishing paint is probably the best choice.
It is also my guess that all the paints I have tested would probably give better per-
formance on a monohull than a multihull. I say this because the vast majority of the
fouling my boat gets is usually on the insides of the hulls, where there is shade from
the bridge deck.
I think it is important to monitor the bottom during the second and third month after
ainting, and remove any barnacles that grow as soon as possible — when they are
very small and preferably before they leave a white mark. If they grow big, the white
mark that is left has no protection against the growth of weed, which is a pain.
Barnacle Counts
I think almost no paint manufacturer still offers guarantees to yachts. But where
aints are warranted on large ships it is usually guaranteed to be 90- or 95-percent
effective. That means only between five and ten percent your hull will be covered with
barnacles. That sounds, and is, quite good. But if a yacht’s hull had barnacles cover-
ing five or ten percent of its total area, most of us would consider that a lot. Keep in
mind that even if you have a heavy batch of barnacles in one area, there is still
barnacle-free hull between each barnacle, so a horrible coverage might only be 50
ercent. In any of the tests I have done, if you actually measure square millimeters
of barnacle versus square millimeters of bare hull, I doubt it would be as much as
ive or ten percent. I mention this because I think with today’s paints you do have to
expect to do some maintenance, and that does not mean the paint is no good.
Every paint I have tested, with the exception of one (which you are most unlikely
to buy as it is not on offer in most stores), has afforded excellent protection against
weed. All eventually get some scum, which wipes off easily, and some get a bit of light
weed that also wipes off fairly easily. The hard-to-scrub, heavy, long green weed,
which is prevalent wherever there is no antifouling, seems to be completely pro-
tected against. This means the main fouling we see today is barnacles.
Where you choose to anchor makes a huge difference to your barnacle count.
Clean, clear water, like in the Grenadines, is the best for avoiding barnacles. The
worst fouling is in nutrient-rich lagoons like Rodney Bay Lagoon and Simpson Bay
Lagoon, or pretty much any land-enclosed lagoon. Being anchored in the lee of big
islands can also be quite fouling. I have even noticed that fouling in the same bay
can vary significantly from the outer part to the inner part.
After three months, the performance of high quality self-polishing paints often
seems to improve. They continue to get a few barnacles but don’t show the hundreds
that have arrived earlier. Often in the last couple of months they will outperform the
less expensive paint, whereas in the first months it is often the other way round.
Seeing Red
In general I have noticed with all the paints I have tested, red antifouling seems to
work better than other colors. I used to compare different color paints, but since
noticing that red seems to work best, I switched to comparing the same color of two
different paints in any one test. Now, comparing paints between years is dodgy.
Nonetheless, having tried various colors over the years I have gained such a strong
impression of this that I would always personally choose red. There is also a ratio-
nale behind this. Copper is usually a major ingredient and it happens to be red. This
means to overcome it and have a bright blue, or black or some other color, additives
will have to be blended into the paint that are unlikely to be adding to its effective-
ness and may detract somewhat.
Some paints come in two parts, which you mix before application. This is an added
complication to the painting process. If you just mix up two cans as they come, this
is simple enough. If it has to be done in smaller proportionate batches due to shelf
life, then it does leave room for error, especially if you are delegating the job.
Some people offer additives to paint. It is something I tried way back in the past,
with zero effect. It is my impression that paint formulation is complex, as is the
action of the paint, and anything you add is unlikely to help. If what you add is
TBT, not only is it unlikely to keep your hull clean, but it certainly will get out
into the marine environment where it has been implicated in damaging dolphins
and whales.
In addition to the paints mentioned in this article, another paint that worked well
on a past test was Seajet Red (single part).
The Latest Test Results
In Trinidad Jotun Sea Quantum Ultra red was painted on Ti Kanot’s port hull;
Micron 66 red was painted on the starboard hull. We launched in early
November 2008.
December 10th 2008 - No barnacles or fouling, having sailed from Trinidad to St. Lucia.
December 28th 2008 - Stuck in Rodney Bay for two weeks due to engine problem.
Hundreds of small barnacles on both sides, particularly the bow and stern (the
middle was much cleaner). Port hull (Jotun) had about 20 percent more barnacles
than starboard hull. Scraped clean except for keels.
January 14th 2009 - Sailed to St. Martin and spent a week inside the lagoon,
which is generally a heavy barnacle area. Areas on both sides had hundreds of bar-
nacles, particularly under the hulls from the keel to the stern and on the keels with
other patches here and there. The rest of the boat was clean. No obvious barnacle-
fouling difference between the sides. However the port side (Jotun) had some green
scummy weed, mainly within a foot of the waterline, which was absent from the
starboard side. This was not scrubbed at this time. All barnacles removed.
January 23rd - A quick look after another week in the lagoon. A few dozen bar-
nacles removed from each side. No real difference. (Notice here that I am not getting
the massive influx of barnacles evident earlier, despite being in a bad fouling area,
and this will continue to the end of the test.)
February 28th - Sailing around Antigua and Barbuda, including being stuck for
about ten days in English Harbour owing to an engine problem. A few barnacles, not
many, removed from each hull; no difference. Some scummy weed build-up noticed
more on the port side (Jotun). Still not removed.
March 30th - Sailing around Guadeloupe and its islands, including a week in the
Marina Bas-du-Fort (in a lagoon at Pointe-a-Pitre). Just a handful of barnacles on
each side; no real difference with some slime and weed on both sides, a little more
on port than starboard. Barnacles were removed and this time the hulls rubbed to
remove weed.
April 28th — Sailed to Dominica, St. Lucia and Bequia. Mainly anchored off. A few
dozen barnacles on each side, no apparent difference between them, not much slime
or weed.
May 25th - Hauled boat in Trinidad after spending some time in Grenada. Only a
handful of barnacles on each side.
Conclusion
There did not seem to be a significant difference between these paints. Both hada
significant influx of barnacle growth between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half
months. I find this typical for the high quality ablative paints, and it pays to do some
maintenance at this time. After cleaning a couple of times, both paints performed
well for the rest of the test, with very little subsequent barnacle growth. The Jotun
did seem to grow a little more scummy weed at one point, which I left on for some
time, but by the time I got round to scrubbing the hulls there was not much differ-
ence between sides and it all came off easily and showed no signs of being a persis-
tent problem. At the end of the period, both hulls looked very similar.
—Continued from page 35
Leonard had the lead keel of a yacht that had been wrecked some years ago at
Windward, so it, too, was chain-sawed into manageable chunks. We loaded in the
lead. She looked about right with the two-and-a-half tons of lead in her, but a bit light
by the head, so we got about 20 flour sacks and Benny filled them with black sand,
which was duly loaded on board.
Jorge fitted the engine, moving it from the hold onto the engine beds with chain
hoists, and connecting it up. The first run-up of the engine was satisfying. Engine
trials proved her to have “plenty powa, man†— eight knots at 1200 RPM, very com-
fortable, quiet and free of vibration.
Then the big day, trials under sail. I had been worrying about the weight of the
mast and the heavy mainsail, about how much more ballast she might need, and
whether the modified steel rudder would control her. The mainsail looked huge when
hoisted, but nicely cut exactly as I had wanted. The headsails, which came from the
destroyed Fife ketch Moonshine, were an exact fit.
With a bunch of friends to assist, we set off. No bravado here: I motored away from
the anchorage to set the main in clear water. It takes two strong people to hoist the
main. With the main hoisted but sheets not slacked off, Tradition was away but
almost uncontrollable, the long boom pushing her up into the wind. We set the large
Yankee jib on the bowsprit and then she balanced beautifully.
Benny, who had sailed Tradition up and down the islands for years, thought she
was “a likkle tender, Uncle.†(I was always Uncle to Benny.) Personally, I like a boat
to be a bit tender, initially anyway; it’s much easier on the gear and gives one a bet-
ter feeling for the wind. Tradition, with slack bilges but firm buttocks (lovely thought),
will lie over initially and then stiffen up.
Mark, a robust Trini, was anxious to add his considerable weight to the crew, so
Benny, Mark and I set off for Bequia.
I found myself feeling sad to be leaving Carriacou. It is such a friendly place, with
the common interest in boats overriding any superficial differences in wealth, gender
or race. Tradition was a special common bond, of course: she had been built there
Underway at last...
and worked from there for so many years. It was not unusual for me to be in
Hillsborough and a passerby or bus driver would shout, “How it going with Tradition,
man; when de launching gon’ be?†I was going to miss the easy familiarity between
the Carriacou people and myself, the visiting skinny-leg white guy!
The wind was a bit south of east and we were able to lay Bequia close-hauled. What
a huge relief to find that Tradition was able, close-winded, fast and very comfortable.
We got ashore to the Frangipani in time for an aperitif, or two or three.
Alexis Andrews joined us in Bequia and we spent the following day making adjust-
ments to the rig. The four of us set off early the next morning and, with a cracking
easterly wind, were off Deshaies, Guadeloupe, in 36 hours — an average speed of
over seven knots. A meal for the crew, a good night’s sleep and off in the morning for
a day sail to Falmouth Harbour, Antigua.
In Antigua we entered Tradition in the Classic Yacht Regatta. I had fitted her out
without using yacht gear, winches, windlass and so on, the result being a pretty pure
Carriacou boat of her era, but also a very labour-intensive boat if one wished to “race
around the cansâ€. Fortunately I did have lots of volunteer crew, some with experience
of this sort of rig, others who had to learn the virtues of the “handy billy†and rolling
hitch. With her 33-foot main boom, Tradition is very sensitive to mainsail trim, and
in a good breeze it took two strong guys and a trimmer just to look after the main-
sheet. The steel rudder that had caused me some anguish back in Carriacou was
clearly not powerful enough when she was pressed, and we found that gybing was
almost unachievable when the wind was strong. We resorted to “wearing ship†at the
gybing mark. To avoid confusion with the other boats we reached off away from the
mark, did our tack and then got back in line, losing surprisingly little ground.
Tradition won the Concours d'Elegance. This was a surprise because we had not
stowed the sails properly or washed up the dishes — in fact, we had not even entered
the competition. With all the great efforts other crews had made, I was somewhat
embarrassed. We also came second in class overall.
After Classics, we went around to Jolly Harbor where Tradition was hauled and the
steel rudder was sheathed with purpleheart, extending it back and upwards to
increase the area and block the flow of water over the top of the rudder. This greatly
improved the handling and made me wonder why I had not had the courage of my
convictions back in Carriacou when I suspected the rudder was too small.
Then we sailed to St. Barths for the West Indies Regatta of Caribbean working
boats (see Caribbean Compass, July 2009) and back to Antigua to lay up for the
hurricane season.
Having partially laid Tradition up in the mangroves, I was approached by Laurance
(Laurie) Gumbs of Anguilla, asking if 1 might sell Tradition to him. His intention was
to use her for his youth training program and also to make her available for longer-
distance passages, giving clients the chance to sail on a traditional Caribbean trad-
ing vessel. Laurie’s father, Sir Emile Gumbs, had owned and captained the much
larger trading schooner Warspite, and so the family has a history of involvement in
such vessels. For me to pass Tradition on to such an experienced and enthusiastic
family was ideal. With her refit completed, Antigua Classics a success, and the won-
derful West Indies Regatta experienced, I bowed out a satisfied man.
On June 6th, 2009, Tradition sailed with her new owner and enthusiastic crew,
bound for Anguilla.
Frank Pearce is a yachisman, tugboat captain and Vice-Commodore of the Antigua
Yacht Club.
Here are a couple of neat,
new little stocking-stuffers for the
special sailor on your list!
A First — The Sailing GPS
The Sailing GPS represents a
watershed in the history of naviga-
tional devices. For the first time, sail- ST N °
ors will be able to determine the
optimum tacking angle to arrive at their destination in the shortest possible time.
For cruisers, this means a dramatic increase in the ability to plan routes, and accu-
rately forecast Tacking Time to Destination. For racers, The Sailing GPS provides an
unmatched competitive advantage in determining the fastest line to mark — the result
of a continuous computation of the ideal balance between distance and speed.
Dr. Craig Summers, inventor of The Sailing GPS, says, “The Sailing GPS is the only
device in the world that accounts for tacking when calculating distances, time of
arrival, and optimal routes. The Sailing GPS does this automatically.
Moreover, it includes an algorithm that learns your boat's unique speed characteris-
tics, which is far more accurate when determining actual Tacking Time to
Destination than using generic polar plot specifications from manufacturers or simu-
lated models.â€
The Sailing GPS is Bluetooth wireless enabled, for sharing GPS data with existing
PC-based chart-plotters.
For more information visit www.TheSailingGPs.com.
New Floating VHFs
Cobra Marine, a division of Cobra Electronics, introduces its Floating Line of VHF
handheld radios, the MR HH330 FLT EU and
the Bluetooth®-equipped MR HH475 FLT BT
EU. With a bright, orange core, these unique
handhelds can be easily spotted in the
water, if they end up afloat. Incredibly com-
pact for a floating radio, these units fit nicely
in one’s hand and have easy-to-operate
controls and large LCD screens for easy
viewing. Operating with 6 Watts of power,
Cobra’s most powerful handheld radios,
they easily enable long-range communica-
tion while a noise-canceling microphone
blocks background noise for clearer conver-
sations. The unique “BURP†feature vibrates
water out of the speaker grill to improve per-
formance in extreme conditions. These radi-
os can also scan three channels simultane-
ously, including channel 16 and two user-
selected channels.
For more information
visit www.cobra.com.
DECEMBER 2009
‘Y ARIES (21 Mar - 20 Apr)
Romance is in the holiday air, but don’t forget to save some
energy for those ingenious boat projects. Also, ignore the
business glitch during the first week — it will sort itself out.
‘ TAURUS (21 Apr - 21 May)
Don't let communication difficulties hold you back. Try
not to be pedantic if people don’t seem to understand what
you are trying to tell them. Your low tide will be around
the 21st.
TL GEMINI (22 May - 21 Jun)
Squalls of bickering will be the weather of the month
with lovers and crew. It might hamper your creative prog-
ress, but you'll enjoy the holidays nonetheless.
CANCER 65 (22 Jun - 23 Jul)
It will seem that you have to repeat yourself endlessly to
get anything done. Boat business matters will be in irons
in the first week, but then everything’s fine sailing.
$2 LEO (24 Jul - 23 Aug)
You will find yourself wandering off course and then
feeling like you're drifting backwards. Spend time with
loved ones doing creative things until this aspect passes
and Santa slides down the hatch.
lip VIRGO (24 Aug - 23 Sep)
Contrary currents for you, with romance interfering
with interesting boat projects. Make the best of it all and
just have fun during the festive season.
= LIBRA (24 Sep - 23 Oct)
The first week will offer good business opportunities so
hoist all your sails and do your best. Your patience and
balance will serve you well.
Ti, SCORPIO (24 Oct - 22 Nov)
Your energy will be in the doldrums, especially around
the 21st. Best to just chill out with a good book — at least
until the holiday parties start.
Â¥ SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov - 21 Dec)
Your love life will be an asset to your cruising creativity.
Just don’t take on too much, and be sure to finish any
uncompleted boat chores before the 26th. Boxing Day will
be fun.
7 CAPRICORN (22 Dec - 20 Jan)
Use your verbal talents to good effect in marine-related
business during the first week. Complete any boat main-
tenance or racing arrangements before the end of the
month, then pop that champagne!
xx AQUARIUS (21 Jan - 19 Feb)
Your cruising kitty may suffer indigestion in the first
week. This is followed by a lack of enthusiasm that will
linger till the end of the year. A good time to swing on the
hook and just kick back for Christmas.
=& PISCES (20 Feb - 20 Mar)
You will experience some choppy seas in your love life
from the second week till the 26th. You will also find your
cruising creativity in the doldrums. Don’t worry; Santa will
bring smooth seas of romance and sailing inspiration.
parlumps marooned
Crossword Solution
ACROSS 32) AROUND 13) COURSE
4) YAWL 35) LINER 15) WHEEL
6) SHEET 37) DOCK 16) NO TILLER
8) WIND 38) LONG 18) SEA
1D AT 39) RUDDER _19) STRAIN
13) CROSS 40) SOS 23) TOE
14) UPWIND 41) EASE 25) PLOT
17) PUT 27) SWINGS
18) SURGES DOWN 28) STEERS
20) WEATHER 1) OLD 29) OR
21) TIE 2) WET 31) AN
22) SET 3) JIBS 32) AFTER
24) ASK 5) ABOUT 33) DECKS
25) PLAN 7) HARD 34) HELM
26) YES 9) DEGREES —36) ADD
28) SLOW 10) COMPASS
30) WATER 12) ROUGH
Is/
Rd
Cks
THE NIGHT
BEFORE GHRISTMAS
Teoas the might before CAristmas, I swting on the hook
‘aked ott ch the settee, asleep with ry Zack
When up on the deck I heard footsteps and stutf
Lve een Loarded!†I thought, and L tried to be tough.
Then down the companionwa/ hatch came a ditde, .
We was dressed like a nut and I thought,†Lm so screwed,
But he laughed and he hiimmed as he “surveyed my jtnk
Se EF figured Ae must be the resident dprtink.
Wis eyes were lit up hike @ Janke on Speed
But he gave mea whole biinch of stat that I need
Like rtt7 and cigars and new charts and a dinghy
And some kind &f Fancy electrical Chingy.
L thought it was stolen but ZL wasn ‘¢ ze/ling,
LZ hoped he was giving and wasnt, just sellin
And ‘I poured Wt a Prog which fe downed With a wink
Then £ pottred one Forme CZ sire needed a drink!).
Then he staggered above to the dark tropic. night ;
As L ester E beheld an incrediéle ie =
Eight tiny dolphins and a beatiful sleigh
Abel the dude hopped aboard and prepaFed to prake ea.
The dolphins were ready to power the sled
But the gety rased a genny and mains | instead.
With a burp and a chuckle he gathered the breeze
And called "to the dolphins, not Swimning with ease:
“On Fatty and Foxy and Old Barracuda!
On Teva and Meuntgay, Antiqua, Barbuda!
Or whatever Your hames are, you cute Iittle fishes, :
Here s to every last sailor, my best Christmas wishes!
As he sailed away leaving a ee bies wake
LE Aaped he had not mary stops left to make.
ot Close to Shore and Ae Soon was agrotind
But the dolphins proceeded to pel Aint aPottird
And LZ heard him exclam as he Ssaled aut of Sight
Merry CAnstmas to all, and to all a goodnight:
— Cruiser Claus
Editor's note: We don’t know who originally wrote this poem that’s been doing the rounds
anonymously for a while, but we published it last year and it’s back by popular demand!
FACT-OIDS
Fish have more complex brains
than previously thought. It
turns out that most take the bait
out of sheer depression.
d
fortunately, 1
into the whole
catch & releas
thing...
SAINT
WOQ awubhe
©
| gpodbye, >
{creel world...
Compass Cruising Crossword
40
‘HELM’
4) Rig with mizzenmast abaft the rudderpost
6) Rope controlling a sail
3) Breeze
11) __ the 34 Down: in control
13) To sail over another boat's course
14) Sailing _—_: sailing into the 18 Across
17) To tack, the 34 Down over
18) 13 Across seas can be caused by storm
20) Heavy: 12 Down conditions
21) To secure, as with a knot
22) To raise, as with sails
24) Inquire
25) File a “float
26) Aye, aye!
28) Not fast
30) H90
32) Gybe___—_s the windward mark
35) Some ocean ___s have a joystick for a 34 Down
37) Have an experienced person at the 34 Down when
coming alongside this
38) Set up a watch system for this type of voyage
39) A tiller connects directly to it
40) Morse distress signal
41) To let 6 Across out gradually
DOWN
1) Ancient
2) Covered in 30 Across
3) Back these to help the boat come 5 Down
5) Tocome __, put the 34 Down 7 Down over
7) Not soft
9) Units of measurement on a 10 Down
10) Direction indicator
12) Not smooth
13) Path
15) Steering device that’s not a tiller
16) Aboat witha 15 Down has
18) Aship 17 Acrosses to ___
19) Stress
23) Below the lifelines is the rail
25) ___ the 13 Down on the chart
27) Anadjustor ___—_—s the: 10 Down
28) The person at the 34 Down does this
29) To tack __ not to tack, that is the question!
31) Harold LaBorde’s book “__ Ocean to Ourselvesâ€
32) The 34 Down is usually in the ___ part of a yacht
33) Poop, fore and tween are some of them
34) Subject of this puzzle
36) Not subtract
_ (2 words)
Crossword Solution on page 38
HERE’S A GIFT FOR ALL OUR READERS, FROM
WORD PUZZLE MAKER PAULINE DOLINISKI —
A SPECIAL PUZZLE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON!
B
Ss
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Ww
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Oommoaumera ow
Word Search Puzzle by Pauline Dolinski
HAPPY HOLIDAYS PUZZLE
Saet-merr
<—q? GOrom 2 =
wn Aa~muagaoage<*eezeeaaar
rPreHotwostowmwrc2man
- Uv
rorrewne razaoxx Tn w
-
NDmxax HSrPPO
-~a V972reoma
z2remnyarve
Paw=zwDonDWAmMseamMer a
Domoo<«
S=rzAmmezcmoa-—
AZ2reo2zemreAzaaqammreo
v0oomaTtr- fOPFP TK HA <
-“â€7 AS HF ON
AA ZA QLDA
-~O F Pr-O Ta ama rx
VOQArFACA PTA PZ aA P
BELLS FAMILY OBSERVE
BOW FOOD ORNAMENT
BOXES FRIENDS PARTY
BOXING DAY FUN PLAY
GAMES
CANDLES GELT SANTA
CARDS GIFTS SOLSTICE
CAROLS STAR
CELEBRATE HOLIDAY SWEETS
CHANUKAH KWANZAA
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOY
MENORAH TREE
DINNER MISTLETOE TRIP
DIWALI MUSIC WINE
DRINK NEW YEAR WRAP
Word Search Puzzle solution on page 32
*-E 40
PAG
a
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NOC
ELAINE OLLIVIERRE 2008 ©
CRUISING KIDS’ CORNER
Set like an emerald in the sapphire blue of the lower Caribbean is the
island of St. Lucia and every year the whole fish and sea-creature com-
munity of Cutie Cove celebrates Christmas. One particular year a pretty
little Angel Fish had a new idea that she thought would make Christmas
better than ever, so she said to her friends, “We all look forward to having
fun at Christmas, but I’ve been thinking of all those fish families who
have no Christmas fun at all and so I think we should bring Christmas
to the needy.â€
This suggestion sounded like a good idea but Betty, the yellow Butterfly
Fish, asked the all-important question: “That's all well and good Angel, but
how can we find the needy? We don’t have any in Cutie Cove so where do
we find them?â€
Everyone fluttered about nervously and Genny the small Grunt plucked
up the courage to say, “I guess we'll have to look outside the bay.â€
The Fishes
Christny9s
Good Deeds
by Lee Kessell
“And we're too small to do that!†wailed a black and red Blennie.
“I suppose we'll just have to ask our parents for help,†Angel replied.
“No,†spoke up Simon the Sergeant Major in a loud voice. “My dad, the
chief of the Sergeant Majors, says that we kids should be able to stand on
our own feet — er, fins — and I agree with him. If we want to do good deeds
then we're responsible, not our mums and dads.â€
“But we don’t know how!†Baby the Damselfish quavered in her
squeaky voice.
“Leave it up to me and by tomorrow I'll have a plan!†And with that Simon
swam off.
The next day everyone was ready to hear what Simon had to say. He had
it all figured out. “I'll dispatch our Flying Fish friends to the bay to the
south of us to find the needy fish there, then early on Christmas morning
Tll get the Dog Snappers to pick them up and bring them here.â€
The young fish friends, who included the Grunts, the Scads, the Chromis,
the Glassy Sweepers, the Gobies and so on, thought this was a very good
plan and they agreed to take care of the needy fish when they arrived.
“And make sure that the needy fish are mothers with their children,†said
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PETIT ST. VINCENT RESORT
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by Elaine Ollivierre
Last month, we looked at coral bleaching and the devastating effects it can have
on the marine life of the coral reef. Bleaching is not the only peril threatening the
existence of coral reefs. Scientists have found that the seas and oceans of the
world are becoming more acidic. If this continues, the effect on coral will be disas-
trous. Why is this happening?
To understand why the water on our planet is much more acidic now than it
was 300 years ago, we need to look first at the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle
shows how all the carbon atoms in the world are recycled in different forms and
in different places.
Carbon dioxide (COg9) in the air is used up by plants in photosynthesis, forming
sugars containing carbon. The plants are eaten by animals which give carbon
dioxide back to the atmosphere in respiration. Many plants die and decay, also
releasing carbon dioxide, as well as methane gas (CHy), into the air. The remains
Angel, once more sure of herself.
“Yes,†spoke up a pert little Fairy Jaw Fish, “and how about sharing our
gifts with the needy children?â€
Suddenly everyone wanted a say and when the crowd had quieted down,
Simon gave his orders to the Flying Fish to find the poorest fish mothers
and their little ones in the desolate bay to the south where he had heard
that the big and fierce fish ate any defenseless neighbours.
So it was that on Christmas morning, the ferocious-looking but docile
young Dog Snappers picked up the needy fish mothers and their little ones
and took them to Cutie Cove where all the young fish greeted them with
happy shouts. The Cutie Cove mothers, seeing their children welcoming a
strange group of fish carried on the backs of the young Dog Snappers, hur-
ried over to see what was going on. When Simon explained the mothers
agreed it was a very good idea.
Well, in no time at all, the children were playing together, filling their bel-
dal ANT
lies with food and having a wonderful time. Meanwhile, the mothers were
enjoying themselves, too. What came as a great surprise to the fish visitors
was meeting the different sea creatures of the cove such as the Sea Stars,
the Sea Urchins, the Eels and the Sea Anemones who usually stayed well
apart.
Now as the day was ending and the setting sun was turning the sea world
to gold, it was time for the new friends to return home, the children hugging
their precious gifts, the first they had ever received. It had been a day to
remember and one they hoped to repeat. In the meantime, the mothers
went home determined to change things for the better. It would take time
they knew, but here was the chance to make a happier life for everyone, the
fishes and sea creatures alike. Yes they promised themselves, one day they
WOULD change their world!
Thank you little Angel and your friends for spreading Christmas cheer
where it was needed most.
THE END
of plants from millions of years ago are now found as coal and oil. When these are
burned, they also put carbon dioxide back into the air where it can once more be
used in photosynthesis.
The oceans also absorb a lot of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon
dioxide can combine with water to make carbonic acid and this is where the prob-
lem arises for coral reefs. Coral reefs are made of calcium carbonate, which dis-
solves in acid. If more carbon dioxide is pumped into the air from respiration
(more people and animals) and from combustion (more industry, factories, cars,
etcetera), then more carbon dioxide is absorbed in the sea and more acid is
formed to dissolve more coral.
Here’s a diagram of the carbon cycle. See if you can give the names of the pro-
cesses labelled (a) to (f).
— Answers on page 47
CO, in the air
(9)
‘CO; in the
ocean
Fossil fuels
THE CARIBBEAN SKY: FREE SHOW NIGHTLY!
The Sky in December
by Scott Welty
The Planets in December
MERCURY - This planet’s farthest separation from the sun occurs on the 16th. With
a clear western horizon you might catch a glimpse of Mercury just after sundown.
VENUS - She's being shy this month and staying close to the sun. Venus rises around
6:00AM in the lighted sky early in the month and later as the month wears on.
EARTH - Open ‘till 10:00pm all month long for your holiday shopping convenience!
MARS - Rising between 10:00 and 11:00 all month, sitting right between Cancer
and Leo.
JUPITER - Look for bright Jupiter in the southwest after dark. Setting around
10:30 early in the month and about 8:30 by the end of the month.
SATURN - Rising between 1:00 and 2:00am all month and setting after sunrise.
Sky Events This Month
December 2nd - Full moon (“Blue moonâ€; see the 31st)
December 6th - Mars and the moon rise together around 10:30pm
December 16th - New moon
December 21st - Winter solstice (see below); crescent moon and Jupiter ride
together through the night sky
December 31 - Full Moon again! That makes the one on the 2nd a BLUE moon.
There’s normally only one full moon in a month but since the moon’s cycle doesn’t
exactly coincide with our yearly cycle, you end up with 11 leftover days after having
12 full moons. That means that you're going to get two full moons in a month every
two or three years and, yes, it is the early one that is called the blue moon.
The Winter Solstice
December 21st marks the winter solstice. This is the day of the year with the lon-
gest night and the shortest daylight. The sun will rise and set the farthest to the
south on this day and take its lowest possible path through the southern sky (for
those of us in the northern hemisphere). It marks the first day of winter.
In the Roman calendar from 46 BC that Julius Caesar (of salad fame) devised, the
solstice occurred on December 25th. He had devised a 365 1/2 day year, which is
pretty good, but not exact, so that since that time the solstice has shifted to
December 21st. Interestingly, there is no mention of the exact date of the birth of
Jesus (the Savior, not the Alou brother who played for the Giants) in the Bible. It
seems that around the time of the conversion of the emperor Constantine (272 - 337
AD) the early Christians “borrowed†what had already been a long-standing party
celebrating the return of the sun and designated the 25th as the official day to cel-
ebrate the birth of Jesus.
ea
Looking east on December 15th at 2200 hours
And what of the star of Bethlehem, you say? Other than the reports in the book of
Matthew (written sometime in the 1st century AD and probably not by Matt himself)
of the star that drew the three wise guys to Bethlehem, there are no other observa-
tions by the Chinese (good keepers of astronomical events) or any other civilization
of any special astronomical event around December 25th, Year 1. Of course, since
there is no definitive date of the birth of Jesus himself, perhaps there was an astro-
nomical event at some other time of the year. Most scholars put the birth of Jesus
between 6 and 2 BC. There was a very nice conjunction of Venus and Saturn in June
the year 2 BC that would have made the two planets appear to be one star. So, IF
here really was something in the sky back then, and not just fancy writing way after
he birth itself, perhaps this conjunction was it.
Orion and Friends
The onset of winter means the return of some of my favorite things to see in the
ky. Orion returns and is the easiest constellation to spot in the sky. Bonus if you
an focus your Steiners on Orion’s sword: in there is the beautiful Orion Nebula, or
42 to astronomers. It’s a gaseous region with some lively star formation going on
nd a favorite of amateur astronomers and pros alike. Orion is accompanied by the
emini twins — Castor and Pollox. Castor is 30 seconds older. Finally we have the
rightest star in the whole night sky, Sirius (the dog star) keeping us company for
he winter. Enjoy your winter viewing!
To Contemplate While Having a Glass of Wine on Deck
What was once a field is now a shopping center. Where a building stood is now a
parking lot. An interstate runs through the park you played in as a kid. Nothing
lasts... But the sky you see is exactly the same as the sky that the Mayans, the
Caribs, the Egyptians, the Romans, Galileo, Newton, and Einstein saw. Perhaps it is
the single constant that goes from era to era.
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Scott Welty is the author of The Why Book of Sailing, Burford Books, © 2007.
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The most extensive Information resource on yachting services,
equipment, provisioning, restaurants,
places to see & things to do on and around Martinique.
Guides that just
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latest and
get the best!
www.doyleguides.com
A Cruising Sailor's
Christmas Bookshelf
Give the gifts that keep on giving — books! (Or ask Santa to bring them to you.)
Here are books for some of the various cruisers in your life.
RYA Fishing Afloat, by Dick McClary ©
2009, The Royal Yachting Association. Soft
cover, 112 pages, color photos and illustrations.
ISBN 978-1906-435-028.
For the yachting fisherman (or fisherman
wannabe), RYA Fishing Afloat is the perfect
catch. Dick spends several months a year sail-
ing and fishing in the Caribbean aboard the
38-foot sloop Alacazam. The instructive mate-
rial in this book is drawn from the author’s
experience gained fishing in Europe, the
Mediterranean, and Atlantic crossing and the
Caribbean. As the book’s Introduction points
out, the basic principles have almost universal
application. For example, the same tackle
might catch a mackerel in the UK, a gilthead
bream off Greece or a mahi-mahi in the West
Indies. “It’s not where you do it but how you
do it that’s the real secret.â€
This is one of the (UK) Royal Yachting
Association’s series of how-to books. It covers
every aspect of fishing from a sailing yacht
underway, adrift or at anchor. Abundant pho-
tos, diagrams and illustrations make the meth-
ods and principles described in the text easy to
digest. It tells you about the gear you'll be working with, too — reels, hooks, swivels,
knots and crimped connections — so you can set it all up properly by yourself. The
author even gives the all-important instructions on preparing your catch for the table
— after all, a cruiser’s main purpose in fishing is to eat. And if you follow the advice
in this excellent introduction to reeling in your own dinner, written especially for the
sailing fisherman (or is that the fishing sailor?), you stand a good chance of joining
the “regular catchers†club.
This book is available at boolcstores
or from www.ryaorg.uk/shop (order
code G72).
A Taste of Mustique, by Kevin
Snook with Elizabeth Penniman ©
2007, Macmillan Caribbean. Hard
cover, 194 pages, color photos. ISBN
978-1-4050-9906-6.
This book of recipes from “the island
of the rich and famous†will be uplift-
ing for any galley slave. No, it’s not all
champagne and caviar. Many recipes
highlight a variety of readily available
local ingredients that are often given a
sophisticated twist. Included are
Caribbean favorites such as roti, boi-
leen and conch fritters, plus as some
totally foreign, but good, recipes such
as a roasted artichoke and buffalo
mozzarella pizza. (If Fishing Afloat
helps you catch a yellowfin, there are
a couple of seared tuna recipes here
you'll want to try.)
—Continued on next page
agi rejpae
—Continued from previous page
Many of the recipes are by the author, a noted chef, and these are interspersed with
recipes selected from local chefs working on the island (aside from the restaurants,
virtually every private home on Mustique has its own chef). The chapters are orga-
nized by scenarios, including a beach lime, themed parties, and a midnight rendez-
vous. Also included are anecdotes about life
on Mustique from various residents and visi-
tors. These range from enlightening through
entertaining to wince-making, and are prob-
ably of greatest interest to the Mustique deni-
zens themselves. But the recipes are solid
and every cook will find inspiration.
This book is available at shops on Mustique
or from www.macmillan-caribbean.com.
This Old Boat by Don Casey, second edi-
tion © 2009, International Marine. Hard
cover, 548 pages, black-and-white photos
and illustrations.
For the owner who wants to turn a run-
down fiberglass boat into a first-class yacht,
this is the Bible. The first edition, published
in 1991, became a classic, and this revised
and expanded edition is better yet — and
timely. It’s a great time to find a deal on “pre-
owned†plastic boats, and with a bit of time,
money and acquired skills you can refurbish
a good old design into an admirable bluewa-
ter cruising machine.
As the author notes, “if you are looking at
four-color brochures of a $400,000 boat, you can probably buy an equally capable
boat on the used market for 20 percent of that amount, perhaps less.†He also notes
that well-built fiberglass boats have proven to be nearly immortal and a resuscitated
20- to 40-year-old boat can deliver performance, comfort and safety equal to or bet-
ter than a new boat.
This soup-to-nuts tome takes you through a
a logical, orderly process of bringing an ie bi /
“oldie but goodie†to progressively better ‘ re 4
condition. Most of Heer is devoted to al IC ) ul I
showing how to make desired changes,
repairs and enhancements. It tells you 2
what tools and materials to use and how to | a BI | id if nea
use them. 5
Don Casey writes, “Whether you will give
your old boat a new life or it will give you one
is hard to say.â€
Available at bookstores and. chandleries or
Jrom wuw.internationalmarine.com.
The Harbour Island Story, by Anne and
Jim Lawlor, © 2008, Macmillan Caribbean.
Soft cover, black-and-white photos, 320
pages. ISBN 978-0-333-9705 1-5,
If you plan to head to the Bahamas, this
book will enhance your understanding of its
people and their history. Anne Lawlor was
born on Harbour Island and is a professor of
English at the College of the Bahamas. Her
father was acclaimed historian Paul Albury.
Harbour Island has been at the forefront of Bahamian history since the first set-
tlers arrived. Its harbor encouraged trade and fishing while also sheltering privateers
and wreckers. Seafaring and shipbuilding were life, and the list of boats built on the
island from 1796 to 1843 is impressive. Eventually tourism took over from shipping,
and today Harbour Island is the habitat of millionaires. How this two-square-mile
island evolved from a place on which an early Dutch explorer found “nothing worth
noting†(the Lucayan people had died out a century before) to a hot spot for celebri-
ties is quite a story, and the Lawlors tell it thoroughly.
This book is available from www.macmillan-caribbean.com.
PICk. Urs
Ahoy, Compass Readers! When in St. Lucia, pick up your free monthly copy of
the Caribbean Compass at any of these locations (advertisers in this issue
appear in bold):
RODNEY BAY AREA
Island Water World
Johnson Hardware
DSL Yacht Charters
Regis Electronics
The Sail Loft
The Bread Basket
Rodney Bay Marina Boatyard Office
H20
St. Lucia Yacht Club
MARIGOT BAY AREA
Customs Office
Discovery at Marigot Bay
SOUFRIERE AREA
SMMA office
Basil’s Bar
Mustique
Visitors to Mustique are invited to:
BASIL’S BAR AND RESTAURANT: Basil’s Bar in Mustique was named one of the World's Ten
Best Bars in 1987 by Newsweek and today lives up to that tradition. Recently renovated, the new face
of Basil's Bar in Mustique is all that and more: offering fresh seafood, lobster in season, steaks and
the best beefburger in the Caribbean. Now equipped with WIFI, you can enjoy sunset cocktails and
catch up on the web. Basil’s Bar is home of the only Blues Festival in the Caribbean. The Mustique
Blues Festival takes place January 27 February 10, 2010, Breablast service begins at 8:00am.
Lunch 11:00am - 6pm, and Dinner 7:30 until late. Come to Basil's for cocktails anytime and plan
to attend the Wednesday Night Jump Up and BBQ. Call (784) 488-8350 or VHE 68.
BASILS BOUTIQUE: Fabrics as bright as the sea and as light as aix.. perfect for island joy.
Elegant island evening and playful day wea. For women, men and children, plus lots of T-shirts to
take home. Basil’s Boutique also offers silver and gemstone jewelry.
BASIL GREAT GENERAL STORE: There is nothing general about Basil's Great General
Store. Bountifully stocked with fine French wines, cheese from Europe, gourmet jams and sauces.
Imported cigars and an unusual collection of books not to be missed. Fine foods in Paradise.
Call (784) 488-8407.
ACROSS FOREVER: Imagine decorating your home with antiques from Bali and India.
Across Forever has a magnificent collection of furniture from Asia and beyond, contemporary
pieces, home fumishings, fabulous lighting accessories and more. Shipping is easily an
efficiently arranged. Call (784) 488-8407.
Visitors to St Vincent are invited to:
BASILS BAR: Located in Kingstown in an 18th century building named Cobblestone. Air
conditioned, you will enjoy cocktails most delightful, the staff most welcoming and the meals are
gomeiol the bert on the land. Now offing fll edlexing eemrvep: Coll (184) 467 2713.
AT BASIL: Newly opened full service SPA located in Villa across from Young Island. Also At
Basil’s is a collection of beautiful bamboo fumiture, contemporary pieces from Asia and beyond,
and more. December 2009 Opening of a new coffee shop by the sea.
Call (784) 456-2602
Visit Basil’s in Mustique or St. Vincent
www.basilsbar.com basils@vincysurf.com
WE SHIP AROUND THE WORLD!
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orrele Wakes Me Think
of Christmas °
by Devi Sharp
My first encounter with sorrel was in St. Croix at Christmas time. My husband, Hunter, and I were touring
around the island in a rented car and stopped by a small roadside fruit stand. I love to stop at roadside stands
because there is always more to be had than the items for sale. We bought a few bananas and papayas and while
chatting with the ladies we noticed a heap of wine-colored flowers in a rolled-down feed sack. Being the ever-
curious naturalist and cook, I asked about the flowers and what to do with them. I just love to ask ladies at the
market what to do with fruits and vegetables — it opens a door of giving that almost always ends with new ideas
and good cheer.
The red-colored flowers of sorrel should not be confused with wood sorrel, a small plant with three leaves that
grows in temperate forests that has a tangy astringent taste. The scientific name of the sorrel used in the Caribbean
is Hibiscus sabdariffa and this name shows a relationship to the hibiscus flower bush, also a very popular plant
for teas and beverages. In the Caribbean, sorrel (also called roselle) is used for beverages, sauces, salads, soups,
chutneys, pickles, tarts, puddings and syrups, and as a substitute for cranberry sauce.
The “flower†that we had in hand was actually what is left over after the petals of the flower dry and fall off, leav-
ing the red sepals (the structure outside of the flower). The sepals of most flowers are green and not very con-
spicuous. As a collective unit the sepals form a calyx, and it is the calyx that you use for making your sorrel tea
or other dishes. In the inside of the calyx there is a large seed, which you can leave in if you are not steeping the
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brew overnight. For all other uses you will need to remove the seed. I have since seen sorrel sold in bags with the
seed removed, and dried sorrel in the grocery store.
Our new friend gave us a recipe for sorrel drink that I have tinkered with for years and with the help of testers
have hit the level of spices that taste good to me. Let this basic recipe be a starting point for your favorite sorrel
drink. I use a pressure cooker because it is a big pot that I can cover and let the tea steep in overnight without
fear of contamination. The amount of water you use does not need to be exact because you are making a concen-
trate and you can dilute the concentrate to your taste.
Rinse the sorrel and remove the calyx. You can cut around the seed with a small knife, or just pull the sepals
off the seedpod. This is a bit of a chore and will make you think twice about paying the bit extra to purchase your
sorrel deseeded.
Sorrel Drink
4 quarts of water
2 pounds of washed and deseeded sorrel
2 cinnamon sticks
whole allspice
whole cloves
one-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into four pieces
ieces of orange peel about 1 inch each
Cup sugar
dd cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger and orange peel to the water and bring to a boil. Add sorrel and sugar to
boiling water and boil for a minute. Cover the pot and let steep overnight. Strain the leaves and spices out from
the liquid and refrigerate the sorrel concentrate. You can add water or club soda to dilute the concentrate. You
can then also add rum for a refreshing cocktail. You may need to add more sugar, but start on the light side with
the sugar and you can always sweeten it as you use it.
After making my first batch of sorrel drink I chatted with a Trinidadian friend and she asked what I did with the
“leaves†(calyx). I told her that I tossed them. “Oh no, you use them for jam!†You can use the leftover calyx to make
jam or a mock cranberry sauce. If you plan to do this you may want to put the spices in a bag of cheesecloth or
net so you can easily remove them after brewing the sorrel tea. Sorrel has a lot of natural pectin, so to make the
jam you just add more sugar, heat to boiling and put the jam in clean containers and store in the refrigerator. Yes,
you eat the calyx, but they are soft and chewy.
Here is the recipe for Sorrel Jam starting with fresh calyx:
Sorrel Jam
1 pound sorrel
1/2 Cup water
1 pound granulated sugar
1 small piece cinnamon or other spices to taste
Remove the seed from the calyx and rinse. Place sorrel in a deep pot and cover with water; bring to the boil and
cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Measure sorrel and add 1 Cup sugar for every cup of fruit and juice. Return
to heat and bring to the boil; cook until jelly stage (about 15 minutes). Pour into hot sterilized bottles. Refrigerate
the jam or use a hot bath to seal the jars.
To make “cranberry sauce†use the recipe for jam and add orange peel, cinnamon and whatever spices you
choose.
If you do not feel like making your own, be sure to sample some of the holiday sorrel drinks and treats that the
islands have to offer at Christmas time. Ty
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by Ross Mavis
It’s definitely time to bake your Christmas fruitcake, if you
have not already done so. These cakes, heavy with preserved
fruit and having less flour than most cakes their size, age well
and in doing so bring out their rich flavour and moistness.
In my home, preparing fruitcake was a tradition involving
all members of the family. That wasn’t too difficult an organi-
zational task for my mother as I am an only child. But she
made a point of having both my father and me assist in the
preparation. Mum always said it was good luck to have every-
one in the family help make the cake. Little effort was needed
to have us participate in its consumption some weeks later.
Usually on a weekend moming, Mum would take down the
largest pottery, grip-stand mixing bowl we had. Then from
hiding places in the recesses of cupboards would come won-
derful packages of fruits. These specialty items were nor-
mally not readily available or seen in our house at other
times of the year — candied cherries and pineapple slices
red, green and yellow; large dark sticky raisins and strange
pale-white raisins; small firm currants, crystallized ginger
and citron or candied citrus peel. The very sight of these fruit
gems was magical. Many of them seemed to glisten from a
light source within.
UNION ISLAND
During this time of year, there were many exotic fruits avail-
able to us. I can remember when Japanese oranges, packed in
small wooden crates, arrived by boat. These were a special
delicacy for us as kids. Strange fruits such as pomegranates
and litchi nuts also became part of our Christmas. The Chinese
vegetable man who delivered fresh vegetables to our door
always gave my Mum a box of candied ginger as a gift.
Dad wasn’t a fan of walnuts, so almonds or hazelnuts were
the only ones Mum would include in the fruitcake. In reality,
most of the fruit or nuts, if unavailable or not desired, could be
substituted for others. Dad’s help was sought once the ingredi-
ents had been combined and it was time to stir the heavy bat-
ter. I can still see him stirring the dense mixture. I was sure the
PTovisionin5
cake would not be successful unless he had used his brawn to e ive
mix the ingredients. Mum would then spoon the batter into . l .
round, deep cake tins that had removable bottoms. our Specia ity
Once baked and cooled, Mum ran a kitchen knife around
the inside of the pan, loosening the cake's edge and making UNION ISLAND, SAINT VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
removal easy. Then by simply pushing up on the bottom of VHF 08 - TEL.FAX (784) 458 8918 - ti dbeint
the pan, the cake and pan-bottom would easily lift out. The - hel CAROTID CDS INT CONT
metal piece would be taken from the bottom of the cake and
she would be wrap the cake in two layers of black-rum-
soaked cheesecloth and waxed paper and place it in the back
of the refrigerator to age.
As Christmas came closer, Mum would check the cakes for
moistness. A layer of almond paste or marzipan was sometimes patted on the top of the cake and a white frosting
applied over that. Wow, was that decadent or what? When Christmas rolled around, opening the fruitcake was
almost as exciting as opening presents.
We've baked our cake already this year. If you haven't, I recommend you try this delicious white fruitcake recipe
from my mother-in-law, Nana. My wife, Willa, prefers it to the darker cake my Mum always made.
ee Pn On Mec TAB Sasol Mei sa
Nana’s White Fruitcake
Willa’s mum and dad were married in 1929 exactly six months before the stock market crashed. Sadly, before
their first Christmas, the economy had taken a downturn from which they never fully recovered. But Willa has
always had this White Fruitcake recipe and many precious holiday memories from years ago.
1/2 Cup (125 mL) butter
Mulzac Square e Union Island
1 Cup (250 mL) sugar St. Vincent & the Grenadines
3 eggs
1/2 Cup (125 mL) milk
2 Cups (500 mL) flour
2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder Just one year after opening, our
1/2 pound (225 g) candied cherries (red and green) affordable prices, high quality and
1/4 pound (115 g) candied citron, finely cut welcoming staff have made CIAO PIZZA
1/4 pound (115 g) candied pineapple chunks famous throughout the Grenadines.
1/2 pound (225 g) coconut
1/4 pound (115 g) almonds or pecans, sliced or chopped pert mre eo
1 pound (450 g) white raisins lasagne, pasta, daily fresh fish and seafood,
vanilla and lemon flavouring prepared with love by the Chef “La Mariaâ€.
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). x - B
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, blend butter, sugar and eggs. Alternately add milk, flour and baking powder, ere RU ee
mixing well. Stir in fruit and nuts, mix until well combined. Pour in well greased loaf or tube pan, packing down well. PIZZA and LASAGNE to take away!
Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until tester comes out clean. Cool and wrap well in rum-soaked cheesecloth and ey wi eee eee emy emt ys yy)
plastic wrap and keep in a cake tin. If refrigerated, cake will last for many months.
Happy Holidays.
6
3S PAGE 4
Cc
2
>OMPA
ARIBBEAN ©
co
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NOVEMBER 2009
DECEMBER
THE SPICE LOCKER BY SHIRLEY HALL
Dill:
Not for Pickles Only!
Dill isn’t a traditional seasoning in Caribbean cuisine, but it grows well here and
is delicious with a number of tropical and cruiser-staple foods.
Dill weed’s wispy leaves are used fresh as an
herb, while dill seed is considered a spice. Dill
leaves have a crisp clean taste that enhances the
flavor of many vegetables, especially potatoes and
cucumbers. Dill seeds have a much more potent
flavor, like a blend of anise and celery. Both seeds
and leaves are used for pickling.
Yes, it is actually called a weed and it can grow
that easily — perfect for a cockpit herb garden. Dill
requires full sun, good drainage, and rich soil.
Spread the seed over well-worked soil and cover
with a half-inch of damp sand (not beach sand,
which will contain salt). Sprouts emerge in about
two weeks, and should be thinned to six inches
apart. Keep weeded, occasionally water, and it will
mature in about two months.
Snip the leaves you need with scissors, and leave
\ the rest of the plant to keep growing. Dill seed is
ce ' harvested by snipping off the flat, yellow flower
head as it ripens. Put the flowers in a paper bag and dry in the sun. Shake the bag
a few times to separate the seeds. Store in a cool dark shelf, or refrigerate. These
seeds can be used whole, or crushed in a mill or coffee grinder. The seed heads can
be used in breads, stews, and rice dishes, as well as in dill pickles.
Fresh or dried, dill’s leaves and seeds are great additions to fish, lamb, new pota-
toes and pea or bean dishes. I keep four stalks growing and use it fresh when cook-
ing fish fillets. Always add dill at the end of cooking, otherwise the heat will destroy
most of its flavor. Use it sparingly or it will overwhelm other flavors.
Dilled Fish in Foil
1 pound fresh fish fillets, (salmon or grouper preferred)
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh dill weed leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped very small
Divide fish into four portions. Smear butter on four squares of heavy-duty alumi-
ff
ood
num foil, and then put a portion of fish on each piece of foil. Melt remaining butter
in a small sauté pan and add lemon juice, parsley, dill weed, and salt. Pour over fish.
Top with onion. Fold foil so it doesn’t leak and put the four pieces in a baking dish.
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes (or longer, depending on the thickness of the fillets).
Plenty Beans Stew
1/2 Cup of each of the following beans: pinto, kidney, black and lentils
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 Cup chopped carrots
2 Cups chopped potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh dill leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
Soak beans several hours or overnight. Discard soaking water. Sauté onion and
garlic in oil. Combine all ingredients except dill and salt in a large slow cooker, crock-
pot, or heavy covered pot. Add water to cover, bring to boil and simmer for about 4
hours. Check occasionally and add more liquid if necessary. Add dill and salt near
7 the end of cooking time.
Cheesy Dill Biscuit Bread
2 Cups baker’s flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons COLD butter, chopped
3/4 Cup cheddar cheese grated
1 1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/3 Cup whole milk
3/4 Cup plain yogurt
In a suitable bowl whisk together all
dry ingredients. Add cold butter pieces
and continue to blend until the mixture
is coarse. Add cheese and dill. Combine
yogurt and milk into the flour-cheese
mixture.
On an ungreased cookie sheet, divide
dough into 1/4 Cup mounds about
two inches apart. Bake at 400°F for
about 15 minutes, or until pale golden
brown. (Best to use the middle oven
rack to keep bottoms from over hard-
ening and burning.)
Supermarket
& whole sale
Don't forget, we deliver daily
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for our valued Grenadines customers
The best supplier of chilled, frozen and
canned food from all around the world
if
A i
=m i on }
Gourmet Food Is
my key To success
in the kitchen
Christian Fredriksson, Chef, Sweden
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O'car (Next to GYE)
Shop 118 Kingstown
Cruiseship Terminal
Calliaqua
St.Vincent & the Grenadines
E-mail: gourmetfood@vincysurf.com
Dear Compass,
We “swallowed the anchor†of S/Y Mystique in January
2006 and have recently returned to Carriacou as tour-
ists. We read recent editions of Caribbean Compass and
were interested in the wonderful poem “Carriacou
Regatta†by Nan Hatch in the August 2009 issue.
In July 1967, we travelled down the islands from St.
Vincent to Grenada, on a schooner as far as Union
sland and on a converted MTB from there to Grenada.
We overnighted on Union and on Carriacou, where we
stayed at the Mermaid Tavern, owned and run by
Linton Rigg of Carriacou Regatta fame. The floors had
just been varnished so the whole place was rather
sticky and rather tricky to navigate. All guests sat
together at the same table for meals, with Linton Rigg
residing. As far as we recall, he monopolized the con-
versation and was an extremely interesting “mine
hostâ€. There aren’t many people who remember him,
so we count ourselves as especially privileged.
We based Mystique at the Tyrell Bay Yacht Haulout
rom 2001 to 2006 and have nothing but happy mem-
ories of those days, too, which included a fair of
amount of hard work in the best yard in the world
(we're biased)!).
Having worked in Barbados (1966 and 1967) and
Guyana (1967 to 1969), carried out occasional volun-
tary work in Barbados (between 1999 and 2004), and
kept our yacht in Carriacou, we decided to see if being
land-based would work, hence our recent trip. We're
happy to report on a successful trip, which included
the decision to buy a modest house on Carriacou
which we will call Mystique. The views are spectacular
to the north and northwest, so we'll see yachts on pas-
sage crossing Hillsborough Bay, and enjoy magnificent
views across to Union and up the islands as well. It
seems a fitting way to continue the journey we started
as a newly married couple all those years ago in
Barbados. And all because someone told me years ago
that, if I wanted to see the world (and poor eyesight
had disqualified me for the Navy in those days),
become an accountant! Weird, but it has certainly
worked for us.
We used to see Linton Rigg’s former Carriacou sloop,
Mermaid of Carriacou, in Tyrell Bay and the fact that
John Smith has kept that unique vessel afloat is
another reminder of an amazing man to whom racing
yachtsmen of the Caribbean should raise their glasses
each Carriacou Regatta. [Editor's note: As this issue of
Compass goes to press, John Smith is sailing Mermaid
Jjrom Aruba to Panama]
Wishing all yachties fair winds this winter season,
and hoping we'll be able to see old friends at Mystique
on Carriacou from February 2010.
Sincerely,
Christine and Paul Burnett
UK
Dear Compass,
In the October issue of Compass, there was an excel-
lent article on “Coming to the Caribbean from the US
East Coast†by Don Street.
For the past 35 years, | have read virtually every-
thing that Don Street has written. To me, he is the
Dean of Caribbean Cruising and to not heed his advice
is to lose the advantage that is gained by understand-
ing what a man of his experience has to say.
Notwithstanding my admiration for Don, it appears
to me that either the article contains an oversight or
else the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are not
part of the Caribbean. There is no question that if one
wants to go directly to the Virgin Islands, everything
that Don indicates in his article is the wisdom of the
ages. However, going south to the Caribbean can
include the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as
well. Moreover, if such a route were taken, one could
avoid the slog to windward in the Atlantic Ocean to get
to the destination.
Using Don’s map (see www.caribbeancompass.com/
online/octoberOScompass_online.pdf, page 28), if one
were to take Route VI, or any approximation of it
regardless of one’s jump-off point, one could take the
Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola. The
route is safe and most often the wind is favorable for
sailing vessels. The south coast of the Dominican
Republic is a wonderful cruising ground with numer-
ous stops and, instead of working to windward in the
Atlantic, you can work to windward in the lee of the
second largest island in the Caribbean, Hispaniola. Most
anchorages going east are within 30 miles of each
other and all are well sheltered.
Once to the east end of the DR, you are south of the
Mona Passage, and can make for the west end of
Puerto Rico. The south shore of PR is another fine
cruising area, with many wonderful anchorages and
interesting stops.
It seems to me if you are in the US and heading
directly to the Virgin Islands to get to the Caribbean,
you must be in a rush to get somewhere for you are
bypassing a part of the Caribbean that is often over-
looked, and so very worthwhile and interesting.
You can find complete information on all of the
Dominican Republic in the free cruising guide to the
Dominican Republic at www.dominicanrepubliccruis-
ingguide.com. [See related news item on page 6.]
Based on Don’s charts we can call this route, “Route
Via, Coming to the Caribbean from the US East
Coastâ€, or if such a route is not seen as plausible, then
perhaps we should have the title of the last article
changed to “Coming to the Virgin Islands from the US
East Coastâ€,
Good cruising,
Frank Virgintino, Author
Dominican Republic Cruising Guide
Dear Frank,
You are right that the article was mis-titled, and
that's my fault. It should have been called “Coming to
the Lesser Antilles from the US East Coast". (Don has
always said that he considers St. Thomas to be the best
landfall for those coming from the north and intending
to cruise the Lesser Antilles.) We hope that Compass
readers will check out your guide and consider the very
interesting option of cruising the Dominican Republic,
whether via “Route Via" or coming from any other direc-
tion.
Sally
Dear Compass,
I want to advise you that on October 18th my girl-
friend and I were robbed by four armed men while
anchored at Chateaubelair, St, Vincent, in the north-
ern part of the bay. We had broken the autopilot and
we wanted to rest there before sailing onward to
Martinique. They had time in the afternoon to see that
we were only two on board and robbing us would be
easy. At 9:00 in the dark night they came on board.
One of them got a pistol on me, another one held a
cutlass on my girlfriend, another one stayed outside in
a little boat with paddles, and another one searched
inside the boat.
They left when I gave all the money that we had, plus
a Breitling watch and a telephone. It was quickly done;
my girlfriend received a cut with the cutlass. The VHF
was out of order, so we didn’t report the incident until
we reached Martinique, where we were told that we
were the fourth boat in two years to be the victim of an
armed robbery in the same place! Strange that no
cruising guide warns about that place.
Anyway, we wanted to advise you about this incident
if it can help others.
Thanks and regards,
Emmanuel
Yacht Soca Girl
Dear Emmanuel,
Please tell other sailors in Martinique that reports of
crimes against yachts throughout the Caribbean, includ-
ing the incidents at Chateaubelair, are collected at www.
safetyandsecuritynet.com. After your incident was
reported, wiww.safetyandsecuritynet.com posted the
following: “At this point, Chateaubelair goes back on
our watch list: seven incidents confirmed in less than 2
years, with another four probable, and eight in the 18
months prior to that period. Yachts should not anchor at
Chateaubelair and should tell everyone they know of
the dangers there.†Reports about Chateubelair can
also be found at wiww.noonsite.com, and in his current
edition of the Sailor's Guide to the Windward Islands
Chris Doyle suggests avoiding overnighting there.
(Chris's website also contains updates and feedback
from cruisers; visit wiww.doylequides.com.) We realize
these are all English-language sources, but hope that
you and our other French-speaking friends will make
use of them.
Meanwhile, authorities in St. Vincent including the
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Glen Beache, and the
Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward, Hon.
Dr. Jerrold Thompson, have spoken recently about the
increasingly critical need for yacht security on this part
of the St. Vincent coast. We hope to be able to report
positive developments soon.
cc
—Continued on page 49
Yacht ee gE
PUR Ee Ee eet il eee oe mgtete list of boats for
For a fast sale to European buyers,
list your boat with us in USS
Us.and European Markets
Ee eure
UF eeu bi le aus
Bae tees tet) ese)
easel
tel ame Burial]
aR a TL!
info@caribbean-yachts.com
www.caribbean-yachts.com
GOOD GUIDES ARE TIMELESS
Rocks don't move — or if they do they are shown on
up-to-date Imray charts. Regarding marine
infrastructure, virtually every island puts out a free
marine trade guide every year, which is much more
up-to-date than any guide; similarly, the tourist
departments put out a free annual guide for bars,
eco TU IEAM Uae Tele
With all these updates readily available,
Street’s guides are timeless.
Real sailors use Street’s Guides for inter-island and harbor
piloting directions, plus interesting anecdotes of people,
places and history. Street's Guides are the only ones that
describe ALL the anchorages in the Eastern Caribbean.
NEW! Street's videos, first made in 1985,
are now back as DVDs.
¢ “Transatlantic with Street†documents a sailing passage
from Ireland to Antigua via the Cape Verdes. 2 hours
¢ “Antigua Week ’85†is the story of the engineless yaw lolaire
racing round the buoys to celebrate her 80th birthday. 1 hour
¢ “Street on Knots†demonstrates the essential knots and
line-handling skills every sailor should know. 1 hour
¢ “Streetwise 1 and 2†give tips that appeared in the popular video
Sailing Quarterly, plus cruises in the Grenadines, Venezuela and
southwest coast of Ireland
DVDs available at Imray, Kelvin Hughes, Armchair Sailor/
Bluewater Books, and www.street-iolaire.com.
Full information on DVDs at www.street-iolaire.com
HURRICANE TIPS! Visit www.street-iolaire.com for a wealth of
information on tracking and securing for a storm.
Street's Guides and DVDs are available
at all Island Waterworld stores and at Johnson's Hardware,
or from www.iUniverse.com and www.seabooks.com
Dolly’s Answers
a) combustion
b) decay (or respiration)
c) respiration (or decay)
d) eaten by
e) photosynthesis
(
(
(
(
(
(
f) absorption
PAGE 48
CARIBBEAN COMPASS
DECEMBER 2009
JEAN-JACQUES POETTE
Judicial auctioneer
Telephone: + 33 (0)1 55331313 —-— Fax: + 33 (0)1 55331314 -— email: etudepoette@yahoo.fr
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17TH 2009 AT 11 AM
BAIE DU MARIN MARTINIQUE (97290)
PORT DE PLAISANCE, BASSIN TORTUE
Public auction, following winding up of
Private Limited Company SWITCH SA
5 SAILING CATAMARANS REGISTERED FOR COMMERCIAL USE, EXC. TAXES
4 Lagoon 570 Catamarans: 2004 (COOK) - 2005 (COPERNIC - COLBERT - CABRAL)
Engines 2x75 hp Volvo Generator + watermaker.
6 double cabins with 6 heads for 12 passengers excluding crew. SSS =
Length 17.06m, Beam 9.15m, Draft 1/4 F :
Mainsail 104m?, Genoa 68m?
1 Mojito 78 Catamaran (85) 2005 (CC 's TA RICA)
Engines: 2x215-hp Perkins Generator + Air Conditioning + Watermaker.
12 doubles cabins with 12 heads for 24 passengers excluding crew.
Length: 23.88m, Beam 12m, Draft: 1.62
ib 5 — : = - Pa |
Mainsail 208m?, Genoa 104m2 i) + > Piet Zz —
ith specifications avai fer study on reque
for consultation i \
; }
site www.poeite.artcover.com
ra - | ,
y i - =
he . Ny = ">
—=W a = a ft
Tr.
TEL: +596 (0) 596 7402 14 GSM: +596 (0) 696 29 64 29
LEGAL EXPENSES IN ADDITION TO THE AUCTION: 12% ext VAT*
*: the highest bidders with regard to their legal situation the possible change to assignment from commercial to leisure use,
and the boat’s future place of registration, will possibly have to pay the VAT applicable in the place of registration as well as the additional taxes in effect.
Bidders registration necessary 48 hours before the sale, with production of a bank authorization letter or deposit of 10% of the boat’s estimated value.
Office: 25 rue Le Peletier 75009 PARIS France
N° Siret 47866241 400026 — intra Community vat: FR30478662414
—Continued from page 47... Readers’ Forum
Dear Compass,
We recently had the St Lucia BMW J/24 Sail-Off, to get two teams qualified for the
St. Lucia BMW Invitational Championship 2009.
When we realized we did not have one single piece of paper on board the committee
boat to write down the results, we were so happy that we always have a copy of the
Compass! Thank you.
Cheers,
Danielle DeRouck, Social Secretary
St. Lucia Yacht Club
Dear Compass Readers,
We want to hear from YOU!
Please include your name, boat name or shoreside address, and a way we can con-
tact you (preferably by e-mail) if clarification is required.
We do not publish individual consumer complaints or individual regatta results com-
plaints. (Kudos are okay!) We do not publish anonymous letters; however, your name
may be withheld from print at your request. Letters may be edited for length, clarity
and fair play.
Send your letters to:
sally @caribbeancompass.com or Compass Publishing Lid. Readers’ Forum
Box 175BQ, Bequia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Dear Compass,
Reading the story of the loss of the Helen Mary G in the July issue of Compass has
got me thinking about bilge pumps. The yacht, a Sovereign 470, sank offshore on a
passage between the BVI and St. Kitts after striking a submerged object.
After 47 years in the insurance business, I know the most easily preventable claim
is a sinking caused by inadequate bilge pumps. Do you have hand pumps that could
save your boat if the electric bilge pump(s) stopped working?
Many yachts carry one or two Whale Gusher 10s. Pumps of this size are useless as emer-
gency pumps on a cruising boat of 40 feet or more. A cruising boat that does any serious
offshore sailing should have at least one 25-gallon-per-minute (or more) hand pump.
There are only two I know of on the market, the Whale Gusher 30 and the Edson.
My preference is the Edson, a single-acting pump with one 2 1/2-inch intake and
one 2 1/2-inch discharge valve. The valves are so big all sorts of small crud can get
sucked through and blown over the side — to the extent that on an Edson a strum
box is not needed. Instead, two eighth-inch bronze or stainless rods should be fas-
tened through the intake line at a right angle. The small stuff will suck through, and
the X made by the rods will stop the big stuff.
Install a five-foot-long handle and you can pump forever. My wooden yaw Iolaire’s
Edson has such a long handle that in years gone by (when she leaked a bit, to say
the least) the early morning job of my children, starting at about age six, was to
pump the bilge. I can honestly say that if it were not for Edson pumps, Jolaire would
have sunk at least half a dozen times.
If you do not want to permanently install a pump, you can buy an Edson pump mount-
ed on a board. It has two hoses, one long enough to reach to the deep part of the bilge,
the other to reach over the side. But when you order it tell them you do not want the fancy
varnished mahogany mounting board (it will slip and slide along and your foot will slide
on the varnished surface). Rather, ask for the pump to be mounted on a plain fir plywood
board and the bottom of the board to be covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting.
In addition, all boats should have the ability to use the engine’s saltwater pump as
a bilge pump. A T or Y valve should be installed on the intake line, one end led to
the normal saltwater intake line, the other into the bilge to a good strum box.
Some rough figures are supplied in the following table:
Intake diameter (in inches Gallons per minute
1 20
11/4 30
11/2 45
2 80
These are serious amounts of water and, most important, the pump will keep on
going as long as the main engine has air.
Many years ago there was a very resourceful skipper who was having trouble with
leaks he could not keep up with, even after he rigged the engine saltwater intake as
a bilge pump having made a strum box out of a coffee can. He had called the Coast
Guard and they were on the way with pumps, but he was losing it — the water level
had reached the engine. He was really resourceful, as he found a spare exhaust hose,
pulled off the air intake, and fastened the exhaust hose onto the air intake. By the
time the Coast Guard arrived the engine was underwater but still had air and was
still running. With the aid of the Coast Guard’s pumps, the boat was saved.
Don Street, Iolaire
DIESEL OUTFITTERS nv.
Marine Engineers
St. Maarten
John Deere
AUTHORISED DEALERSHIP
AND WARRANTY WORK
Parts, Sales and Service
Perkins
Overhauls, Repairs and Service to all Diesel Engines,
Marine and Industrial Generators
Hurth & Borg-Warner Gearboxes
Fuel Injectors Service
Suppliers of Donaldson Filters
Cel: +599 552 7645
Phone/fax:- +599 544 2320
ST. THOMAS YACHT SALES
Compass Point Marina, 6300 Est. Frydenhoj, Suite 28,
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 00802
Tel: (340) 779-1660
Fax: (340) 779-2779
yachts @islands.vi
La Creole 50’ 1978 Gulfstar
Ketch. Well maintained
classic, 3 strms, $145,000
Summer Place 44’ 1985
Beneteau Idylle, Great Cruiser,
AP, AC, Genset $86,000
Sail
36’ 1980 Albin Stratus, Cruiser or 6 pack charter vessel
41’ 1980 Morgan Out Islander AC, great condition
46’ 2000 Jeanneau twin helms, 3 staterooms
49’ 1979 Transpacific Ketch, Bluewater, 3 strms, loaded
$45,000
$79,000
$179,900
$180,000
Power
26’ 1987 Whale Boat Navy Capts gig, Perkins, 4109
29’ 1994 Phoenix SF, Twin Volvos, trim tabs, outriggers
32’ 1996 Carver 325 Twin Crusaders, great condition
36'1980 Litton Trawler, Yanmar diesels, Gen Set $30,000
40’ 1999 Tiara 4000 Express, Genset, AC, Twin Cats $275,000
Call, fax or visit our website for a complete list of boats for sale
www.stthomasyachts.com
$33,000
$64,500
$59,900
B.V.1. YACHT SALES
1981
MULTIHULLS: 40' Beneteau 40 CC‘00 Well Maint'd 129K
82' Dufour Nautitech’95, 10 cab/10 hd 995K 40°) Boat J/120°97,2 cab/1 hd 195K
46' FP Bahia‘01, Many Updates 349K 40’ Beneteau 40 CC'97;Solar and Wind 99K
45’ Robertson & Caine 99, Well kept 309K 40'Exe Marine C-Farer |I'82,World Crsr, 55K
41‘ Lagoon 410'01, Great Price 215K 39’ Beneteau 393 2005; Well-Priced 125K
41' Lagoon 410 ‘06 Great Revenue 380K 39’ Grand Soleil'87;Very Well Equipd 129K
37' Maxim Yachts ‘99, Strong, Fast 179K 38'Hallberg-Rassy 382°87; Strong 125K
SAIL: 37’ Jeanneau Sun Ody 37.1,'95 Grt Price 54K
54’ Hylas Deck Salon,‘00,Luxury Crsr_ 645K 37'Beneteau Oceanis 373'04;Clean 115K
51’ Morgan / CSY Custom’88 Loaded 159K 36’ Beneteau 361.'00, 2 cab/1 hd 85K
51’ Aluminum Van De Stadt Design’99 379K 36’Moody 36CC'96; Price Reduction — 99K
47'Vagabond 1980, Low Low Price 139K 34'Jeanneau'01;Perfect pocket crsr. 59K
46' Morgan 461 '79 2 Available, Solid 79K 32' Bavaria ‘02; Great Caribbean Crsr. 49K
45' Wauquiez MS45,'90, Pilothouse 169K 32'Bavaria’03;Great Condition /Price 69K
45’ Downeaster ‘79, Rare Schooner 139K
44’ Freedom 44’ 82, Rare, Great Shape 99.5K
43' Hunter 430°97, In Antigua, Grt Price 89K
43’ Young Sun '79,Lots ofequipment 70K
42’ Beneteau 42s7 ‘95, Immaculate 99K
42' Halberg-Rassy HR-42E’84, Refit 160K
42’ Albin Nimbus ‘81 Cutter 75K
42' Island Packet 420,'01 Immaculate 320K
42’ Beneteau 423 '04, Best Priced 423 129K
POWER:
63'Johnson Motor Yacht’91 Luxury = 375K
52' Jefferson Trawler’89;4cab/4hd 149K
48' Sunseeker Manhattan ‘97, 3cb/2hd 325K
48' Tarquin Trader 485 Sig.Beautiful 269K
46 Bertram 46.6 Sport Cruiser’81 99K
30’ Bayliner 305 ‘06, Only 80hrs 89K
26' Glacier Bay 2680; (2) Yamaha 1SOHP 69K
42'Tayana’85, Well equipped and kept 107K www.bvi yachtsales.com
Email:info@bviyachtsales.com Tel:284-494-3260 Fax: 284-494-3535
DYNAMITE
YACHT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
SKINNER’S YARD, CHAGUARAMAS, TRINIDAD, W.I,
TEL: (
Contac!
www yachtworld.com/dynamitebrokerage
www.dynamitemarine.com
Large selection of Yachts & Power Boats
List available on request
a FTES)
Saal
dees ee ees
Bay Island
as
1989 40° Hatteras
dynamitemarine@gmail.com
CALENDA WHAT'S ON MY MIND
Awh
-7
6-9
7-11
9
11-14
12 - 19
13
16
15
15
18
19
20
21
22
25
26 - 30
26
31
31
11-17
11-20
13-16
18
21
21-24
22
23 - 24
24 - 28
24 - 30
27 - 30
28 - 31
30
30-31
DECEMBER 2009
FULL MOON
Saba Day. Public holiday in Saba
Gustav Wilmerding 19th Annual Memorial Challenge, BVI.
West End Yacht Club (WEYC), Tortola, BVI, tel (284) 495-1002,
‘ax (284) 495-4184, mvh@surfovi.com, www.weyc.net
St. Maarten Charter Yacht Exhibition. www.mybacaribbeanshow.com
48th Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting. www.antiguayachtshow.com
National Heroes Day. Public holiday in Antigua & Barbuda
Sir John Compton Memorial Trophy 2009, race from St. Lucia
© Martinique and return. St. Lucia Yacht Club (SLYC), tel (758) 452-8350,
secretary @stluciayachtclub.com, www.stluciayachtclub.com
Chanukah
National Day. Public holiday in St. Lucia
Lionel Richie live at Pierre Aliker Stadium, Martinique.
www.bienglace.com/LIONEL-RICHIE-EN-CONCERT-EN. html
16 - 24 - Nine Mornings Festival, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Kingdom Day. Public holiday in St. Maarten
ARC Children’s Christmas Party, St. Lucia. SLYC
Lionel Richie live at Baie-Mahault Stadium, Guadeloupe.
www.bienglace.com/LIONEL-RICHIE-EN-CONCERT-EN. html
Separation Day. Public holiday in Anguilla
St. Lucia Yacht Club Fun Day. SLYC
Winter Solstice
Carols Afloat and Christmas Party, Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia. SLYC
Christmas Day. Public holiday in many places
Coupe de Nwel Regatta, Guadeloupe.
gerard.csbf-guadeloupe@orange fr
Boxing Day. Public holiday in many places
FULL MOON. Festival Day, Public holiday in Montserrat
Nelson’s Pursuit Race, Antigua. AYC. See ad on page 17.
JANUARY 2010
New Year’s Day. Public holiday or “recovery day†in many places.
Junkanoo parade in Abaco, Bahamas
Public holiday in Cuba (Victory of Armed Forces Day), Haiti
(Founding Fathers Day), St Kitts & Nevis (Carnival Day),
St. Lucia and Grenada (Second New Year’s Day)
St. Croix Christmas Festival Parades. www.shfestival.com
Three Kings Day. Public holiday in many places
World ARC 2010/11 starts in St. Lucia.
www.worldcruising.com/worldarc2010
17th Annual Barbados Jazz Festival. www.barbadosjazzfestival.com
St. Barts Music Festival. www.stbartsmusicfestival.org
Carriacou Sailing Series. www.sailingcarriacou.com
Martin Luther King Day. Public holiday in Puerto Rico and USVI
Errol Barrow Day. Public holiday in Barbados
St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta. www.ClassicRegatta.com
St. Thomas USVI Blues Festival. http://stevesimonpresents.com
Around Antigua Race. Antigua Yacht Club (AYC), tel/fax (268) 460-1799,
yachtclub@candw.ag, www.antiguayachtclub.com
Alst Spice Island Billfish Tournament, Grenada. www.sibtgrenada.com
Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, Montego Bay.
www.diramaicajazzandblues.com
Antigua Superyacht Cup. AYC
27 - 10 Feb 15th Annual Mustique Blues Festival. www.basilsbar.com
Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest. See ad on page 53.
29 -2 Feb Grenada Sailing Festival. See ad on page 12.
FULL MOON
Budget Marine Women’s Caribbean Championships, St. Maarten.
www.smyc.com
All information was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time
this issue of Compass went to press — but plans change,
so please contact event organizers directly for confirmation.
If you would like a nautical or tourism event listed FREE in our monthly calendar,
please send the name and date(s) of the event and the name
and contact information of the organizing body to
sally@caribbeancompass.com.
FREE Caribbean Compass On-line FREE
www.caribbeancompass.com
Moorings
by Jim Hutchinson
“No,†I called to the catamaran. “You can't pick up that mooring.â€
“Because you will be right on top of me.â€
They were about to pick up a big red mooring ball about 30 metres ahead of us.
That was all that was said. They saw that what I said was true (or didn’t want to be
near me) and went elsewhere.
If I anchor too close to a mooring for it to be used and someone picks it up anyway,
and hits me, who is at fault? Is a person allowed to reserve a piece of unused anchor-
age to the exclusion of others? If! fill a bay with moorings, do you have to pay me to
be there?
But there is more than meets the eye in this particular case. We've been
anchored in this spot for some weeks. The mooring was put there yesterday —
without a word.
Thirty metres ahead may sound okay, presumably what they first thought. But the
slack in the mooring plus the length of their bridle would put their bow five or ten
metres behind where the ball is now, and their boat is 12 metres long. That would
put them way too close, especially if they like running their engine — diesel exhaust.
But another interesting aspect was seen when I snorkeled the mooring. The sand
screw was about ten metres in front of our anchor, with its heavy chain laid out
across the wind. The chain would have fouled our anchor if it had been laid out
downwind. Whether the installers gave any thought to what would happen the first
time a boat picked it up and pulled it straight is something to wonder.
I could have been a good sport and moved, of course. But many of you will see that
there is at least one matter of principle here. I told the mooring’s operator that I was
there first, and nobody was going to occupy the mooring until I left. And I stayed as
long as I wanted.
The mooring in question is one of many rental moorings in the bay. There are also
many private moorings. Some yachts have moorings in several bays. And I some-
times leave our dinghy on a mooring when I do a daysail. There are other excuses
for moorings, too.
There are places where moorings are mandatory for alleged environmental reasons.
One island owned by the super-rich declared all of its surrounding waters ecologi-
cally sensitive and prohibits all anchoring — and installed mandatory moorings with
big fees in a sand-bottom bay that has been an anchorage for centuries. As environ-
mentally chic as that may sound, this same island has been caught dumping its
trash in the sea.
There are now so many yachts, and so many captains that know or care little
where their anchors fall, that there is a good case for protecting corals, grass, and
sponges from us. Sigh.
Here’s another problem with moorings. In general, I don’t trust them. I've had a
high rate of failure on the few I’ve picked up, and I’ve read and heard many mooring
horror stories over the years. Even diving a mooring isn’t a guarantee. Backing up a
mooring with your own anchor is sometimes a good idea. How do you know? Ask the
guy wanting to rent the mooring to you? (Or, sometimes, the next guy collecting on
the same mooring?)
The real and irresistible inevitability of moorings is convenience. The argument
that they are more secure will become increasingly true as yachts come to know less
and less about anchoring. And the more yachts there are, many oblivious to where
they are dropping their anchors, the greater the environmental justification.
And there is this. In many places where moorings are mandatory, high fees effec-
tively say “rich people onlyâ€. And of more moderate mooring fees, some of us say,
“that is almost (or more than) my entire budget!â€
Paha
Be dae sd
ecm lela deel ge ae
(un
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SSVdNIO
€g 4OVd
1975 German Frers_ 39ff,
2 sets racine sails, US 57.000
1981 pes Dory 30, US
39,000, 3 ucia duty paid
2000 Catana 471,
460,000 Euros
1987 Irwin 44 _ US 105.000
1992 Dehler 37 CWS,
90.000 Euros
1981 CT 54 US 195,000
2006 Bahia 46, Hi spec
upgrades, lots of extra
equipment with charter
contract, 390,000 Euros
Email Yachtsales@dstyachting.
com Tel (758) 452 8531
4 cabin,
MAXIM 38 CATAMARAN 2001,
very well equipped, E-mail
meoxim4sale@gmail.com or Tel
(473) 536-2319 for full details.
SEA RAY 420 SUNDANCER 2004
Twin 445h9 Yanmar Diesels, Perfect
condition, too many extras to
mention. Just received fresh bot-
tom paint, acid wash and wax.
Professionallymaintcined, $275,000
Email ngenceyancocon
Tel: (840) 513-4024
YOUNG SUN 46FT VENUS 1984 KETCH
Wergos, gc, new engine 2007,
excellentlive aboard and cruiser.
GPS, RADAR, VHF, Auto Pilot,
EPIRB, SSB, Water Maker, Ait-Con,
Solar Panels, Wind Generator &
more. Ful specs ot www free-
webs.com/venus4éforsale Price
reduced for a speedy sale
US$ 169,000 ONO Lying St Lucia.
Email venus46@live.com or Tel:
5%-696-907429
COCHISE, an elegant 39 ft
yacht (1991) and pleasure
to sail is for sale. Noted for
speed, ease to handle, sim-
plicity and Boat of The Year
2007 Trinidad. Cochise is
very well maintained, sailed
only by owner and brought
in from NL on containership.
Ideal boat for comfortable,
fast cruising with family/
friends, and equipped for
club racing. All J-Boats
design weaknesses taken
care of in recent years.
Extensively overhauled with
new_mast and rod rigging
(2002), large sail wardrobe,
many extras incl. new
Raymarine autopilot (2007),
well-maintained — Harken
1993 BENETEAU 445 - Cruising
Ready to go performance
ctuiser/live aboard located
in the Virgin — Islands.
Watermaker, wind genera-
tor, solar, davits, AGM bat-
teries, newer engine, navi-
ation electronics, dinghy.
129,000 Tel (340) 344-6262
www.ansano.com/4sale
winches, 2 anchors + chain,
large sun awning etc.
Interesting price of 55,000 US$
1979 HUGHES 38 Sparkman
and Stevens design.
Cruising Grenada. Ready to
go.US$$32,000_ ono E-mail
hughes38.1979@yahoo.com
cochisestellendam@zonnet.nl
teflects “current location
(Caribbean) and move to
larger world cruiser. Email
BOATS FOR SALE INTRINIDAD
Tel (868) 739-6449
www.crackajacksailing.net
aa
41’ CORONADO — 1973,
“M'Lady Kathleen†Now
available in the Grenadines,
loaded with goodies.
www.freewebs.com/
sv-mladykathleen for
details. US$56,000 E-mail:
Roland693@Yahoo.com
2003 BENETEAU OCEANIS
393, 3 Cabins/2 Heads,
Good Condition, Cruisin:
Ready. BVI’s, $115.01
E-mail starfrute@gmail.com
Tel (952) 221-3788
RIVIERA 2002 CONVERTIBLE
/SPORTSFISHERMAN __ Hard
op, B yrigse: LOD 37' 11",
Beart 13' 10", Draft 3' 5â€,
Cruise 20 Kts., Max 28 Kts,
win Cummins BTA, 370hp
(Only 800 Hours Use)
Furuno Radar , Furuno Depth
Sounder, Northstar _ Chart]
Plotter / GPS, VHF Radio ¢
flybridge & Cabin), Auto Pilot,
watermaker, ice maker,
freezer, fridges. Boat in excel-
lent condition and has been
professionally maintained
since ped are in 2006. Fully
and can be sup-
plied with semi_ rigid
Inflatable and Shp O/B, plus
spare set of new _ props.
Asking Price US$280,000
Located at Port St. Charles
Marina, Barbados .
Contact William = Tomlin
30’ BRADLEY 2005, Twin
Yamaha 115 HP 4 stroke 2005,
108 gallons fuel, IcomlC-+M402S
VHF, GPS: Gamnin GPSmap
198C sounder, Boat is in good
condition. Minor repairs: trim
tabs, indshield, shower
pump, railing, radio antenna,
gasket portside engine. Trailer
(699) 416 3295
Your Classified
on the Internet
SAILS AND CANVAS
EXCEPTIONALLY SPECIAL
DEALS at http://doylecarib-
bean.com/specials.htm
CALVERT HOME SCHOOL
Large quantity ofhome-school
ooks from Grade 1 through
6. For complete list E-mail
HALLBERG RASSY 39 1997
New engine. Exc. condition. cathy@bequiadive.com
St Lucia, Euros 217,000 E-mail
tabascojazz@hotmail.com 2 x 54’ F/glass catameran hulls
Trinidad (868) 650-1914 E-mail
JanDutch @tstt.net.tt
tO) he) ern
CARRIACOU, ONE ACRE LOTS
and multi acre tracts. Great
views overlooking _ Southern
Grenadines and Tyrrel Bay
CORT WINNER “UNCLE SAMâ€
www.caribtrace.com
BENETEAU 10-METER Custom,
2001 rebuild, Henderson BEQUIA, UNION LEVEL
bulb keel & rudder. 2 pieces of land for sale 23,000
Expanded cockpit, over-
size winches, custom helm,
all new, instruments.
Raytheon GPS, speedome-
ter, cockpit mounted chart
plotter, Maxi sail compais.
Completely rewired includ-
ing dual battery system &
grout breaker panel.
stooge past 2 years.
Usesenc5 rect Sam Laing,
Email laingusvi@gmail.com
sq/ft each. $4.25 US Bet sq/ft.
el (473) 404 4630 Email
Jhiamie9? @gmail.com
Ee)
BEQUIA, HAMILTON 2-bed
room, partly fumished, recent-
ly refurbished house. 100 yds
from the sea. EC$1,300 per
month, utilities not included.
el (784) 496-9872 Email
Jhiamie9?@gmail.com.
BEQUIA, PORT ELIZABETH 3
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Large 2 bedroom house and/
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email: destsll@candw.lc
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email: louisjan@vincysurf.com
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Recently completed four
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ADVERTISERS INDEX
PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER
MP Clippers Ship Martinique MP Johnson Hardware
44 Cooper Marine USA 41 Jones Maritime
Curagao Marine Curagao 11. KNd Marine
Diesel Outfitters St. Maarten 49 KP Marine
Diginav Martinique 23. L'Auberge des Grenadines
Discovery Marigot St.Lucia Le Phare Bleu
Dockwise Yacht Transport Martinique Lulley's Tackle
Dockyard Electrics Trinidad Mango Bay
Dominica Marine Center Dominica Maranne's Ice Cream
Dopco Travel Grenada Marc One Marine
Down Island Real Estate Carriacou Marina Zar-Par
Doyle Offshore Sails Tortola Mcintyre Bros. Ltd
Doyle Offshore Sails Barbados Mid Atlantic Yacht Services
Doyle's Guides USA Navimca
Echo Marine - Jotun Special Trinidad Northern Lights Generators
Electropics Trinidad On Deck
Femando's Hideaway Bequia Perkins Engines
Food Fair Grenada Petit St. Vincent
Fred Marine Guadeloupe Porthole Restaurant
Friendship Rose Bequia Power Boats
Gittens Engines Trinidad Quantum Sails
Gourmet Foods St. Vincent Reef Gardens
Grenada Marine Grenada Reds Caribbean
Grenada Sailing Festival Grenada Renaissance Marina
Grenada Tourism Grenada Rodney Bay Marina
Grenadine Island Villas Bequia Santa Barbara Resorts
Grenadines Sails Bequia Savon De Mer
GRPro-Clean Martinique Sea Services
lolaire Enterprises UK Silver Diving
Island Water World Sint Maarten Soper's Hole Marina
Island Water World Sint Maarten Spice Island Marine
ADVERTISER LOCATION
A&C Yacht Brokers Martinique
Admiral Yacht Insurance UK
American Yacht Harbor St. Thomas 10
Anjo Insurance Antigua 42
Antigua Pursuit Race Antigua 17
Art & Design Antigua MP
Art Fabrik Grenada MP
B &C Fuel Dock Petite Martinique
Bahia Redonda Marina Venezuela
Barefoot Yacht Charters St. Vincent
Barrow Sails & Canvas Trinidad
Basil's Bar Mustique
Bay Island Yachts Trinidad
Bequia Marina Bequia
Bequia Music Festival Bequia
Bequia Venture Bequia
Blue Water Sailing USA
Budget Marine Sint Maarten
Budget Marine Sint Maarten
BVI Yacht Sales Tortola
Camper & Nicholsons Grenada
Captain Gourmet Union Island
Caraibe Greement Martinique
Caraibe Greement Martinique
Caraibe Yachts Guadeloupe
Carene Shop Martinique
Caribbean Marine Electrical Trinidad
Caribbean Propellers Ltd. ‘Trinidad
Caribbean Woods Bequia
Ciao Pizza Union Isand
CIRExpress St. Maarten
LOCATION
St. Lucia
St. Croix
Trinidad
St. Vincent
Bequia
Grenada
Bequia
Martinique
Bequia
Trinidad
Dominican Rep
Grenada
Azores
Venezuela
Tortola
Antigua
Tortola
PSV
Bequia
Trinidad
Tortola
Antigua
Trinidad
Aruba
St. Lucia
Curagao
Caribbean
Martinique
Carriacou
Tortola
Grenada
ADVERTISER
St. Croix Regatta
St. Thomas Yacht Sales
Supenwind
SVG Air
SVG Tourism
SVV Poette
Technick
Ti’ Ponton
Tikal Arts & Crafts
Tilikum
Townhouse Mega Store
Trade Winds Cruising
Transcaraibes Rally
Triskell Cup Regatta
Turbulence Sails
Turbulence Sails
Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout
Vemasca
Voiles Assistance
Wallace & Co
Wallilabou Anchorage
WIND
WIND
Xanadu Marine
YES
LOCATION
St. Croix
St. Thomas
Germany
St. Vincent
St. Vincent
Grenada
Martinique
Grenada
Martinique
Antigua
Bequia
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Grenada
Grenada
Carriacou
Venezuela
Martinique
Bequia
St. Vincent
Martinique
Martinique
Venezuela
Martinique
ZoOZVEZZo
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MP = Market Place pages 51 to 53
» ARRPY
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Published by Compass Publishing Limited, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and printed by Trinidad Publishing Company Limited
PAGE 1
C A R I B B E A N C MPASS DECEMBER 2009 NO. 171 The CaribbeanÂs Monthly Look at Sea & Shore See story on page 17 WORLD CRUISING CLUB A R C ARC e m b a r k s Â… embarksÂ… Â… Â… f o r for S t . L u c i a St. Lucia On-line
PAGE 2
DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 2
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 3
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 4 Click Google Map link below to Þ nd the Caribbean Compass near you!http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112776612439699037380.000470658db371bf3282d&ll=14.54105,-65.830078& spn=10.196461,14.0625&z=6&source=embedCompass covers the Caribbean! From Cuba to Trinidad, from Panama to Barbuda, we've got the news and views that sailors can use. We're the Caribbean's monthly look at sea and shore. "I keep a boat in St. Lucia. When not on the boat, I try to stay in touch with activities in the Caribbean. "When I return to the boat, I always look for the latest issue of the Compass. Now, your new online format allows me to stay in touch even better. "Nice job, well done!" Ñ John Dupee DECEMBER 2009 € NUMBER 171www.caribbeancompass.com The CaribbeanÂs Monthly Look at Sea & ShoreVenezuelaQuiet anchorages, why? ........18What a TripGetting to Angel Falls ...........22Maroonedƒƒ in a very good way ............22DivaliLight time in Trinidad ...........27Fun, Fun, FunUpcoming Caribbean events ...28Big Hello!Meet the local whales ...........30 DEPARTMENTS Business Briefs .......................8 Eco-News ..............................10 Meridian Passage .................11 Regatta News........................12 Cruiser Profile ........................33 Product Postings ...................37 Fun Pages.........................38, 39 Cruising Kids Corner ............40 DollyÂs Deep Secrets ............40 The Caribbean Sky ...............41 Book Reviews ........................42 Cooking with Cruisers....44 46 Readers Forum .....................47 WhatÂs on My Mind ...............50 Monthly Calendar ................50 Caribbean Marketplace......51 Classified Ads .......................54 Advertisers Index .................54Caribbean Compass welcomes submissions of short articles, news items, photos and drawings. See Writers Guidelines at www.caribbeancompass.com. Send submissions to sally@caribbeancompass.com. We support free speech! But the content of advertisements, columns, articles and letters to the editor are the sole responsibility of the advertiser, writer or correspondent, and Compass Publishing Ltd. accepts no responsibility for any statements made therein. Letters and submissions may be edited for length and clarity. Compass Publishing Ltd. accepts no liability for delayed distribution or printing quality as these services are supplied by other companies. ©2009 Compass Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication, except short excerpts for review purposes, may be made without written permission of Compass Publishing Ltd. Caribbean Compass is published monthly by Compass Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 175 BQ, Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Tel: (784) 457-3409, Fax: (784) 457-3410 compass@vincysurf.com www.caribbeancompass.comEditor...........................................Sally Erdle sally@caribbeancompass.com Assistant Editor...................Elaine Ollivierre jsprat@vincysurf.com Advertising & Distribution........Tom Hopman tom@caribbeancompass.com Art, Design & Production......Wilfred Dederer wide@caribbeancompass.com Accounting.................................Debra Davis debra@caribbeancompass.comCompass Agents by Island:Antigua: Ad Sales & Distribution Lucy Tulloch Tel (268) 720-6868 lucy@thelucy.com Barbados: Distribution Doyle Sails Tel/Fax: (246) 423-4600 Curaçao: Distribution Budget Marine Curaçao curacao@budgetmarine.com Tel: (5999) 462 77 33 Dominica: Distribution Hubert J. Winston Dominica Marine Center, Tel: (767) 448-2705, info@dominicamarinecenter.com Grenada/Carriacou/Petite Martinique: Ad Sales & Distribution Karen Maaroufi Cell: (473) 457-2151 Office: (473) 444-3222 compassgrenada@hotmail.com Martinique: Ad Sales & Distribution Isabelle Prado Tel: (0596) 596 68 69 71, Mob: + 596 (0) 696 93 26 38 isabelle.prado@wanadoo.fr St. Lucia: Distribution Lisa Kessell Tel: (758) 484-0555, kessellc@candw.lc St. Maarten/St. Barths/Guadeloupe: Ad Sales Stéphane LegendreMob: + 590 (0) 6 90 49 45 90steflegendre@wanadoo.fr Distribution Eric Bendahan Tel: (599) 553 3850, ericb@cirexpresslogistics.com St. Thomas/USVI: Distribution Bryan Lezama Tel: (340) 774 7931, blezama1@earthlink.net St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Ad Sales Debra Davis, Tel: (784) 457-3527, debra@caribbeancompass.com Tortola/BVI: Distribution Gladys Jones Tel: (284) 494-2830, Fax: (284) 494-1584 Trinidad: Ad Sales & Distribution Jack Dausend Tel: (868) 621-0575, Cell: (868) 620-0978 Jack.Dausend@Gmail.com Venezuela: Ad Sales & Distribution Patty Tomasik Tel: (58-281) 265-3844 Tel/Fax: (58-281) 265-2448 xanadumarine@hotmail.comISSN 1605 1998Cover photo: The ARC embarks from the Canaries to St. Lucia „ Photo: World Cruising Club STEVE MANLEY JOHN BURNIE STEVE MANLEY
PAGE 5
DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 5 Port of Entry Status Re-established for Prickly Bay, Grenada Anita Sutton reports: Since November 3rd, a Medical Officer has been stationed at Prickly Bay Marina Customs & Immigration Office, so yachts can once again clear in to Grenada at Prickly Bay. Yachts can also still clear in to Grenada at Hillsborough in Carriacou and at the Grenada Yacht Club in St. GeorgeÂs. The Marine & Yachting Association of Grenada would like to thank the Ministry of Health and the Chief Medical Officer who worked with us to enable the clearance facilities at Prickly Bay to be restored, while ensuring Swine Flu precautions remain in place. Clarifying Clearance in Aruba Sander Vellinga reports: ArubaÂs yacht clearance procedure is somewhat different from that in many other islands in the Caribbean. As in most countries, all vessels are required to go to an official port of entry before going to another harbor or marina. Although both Oranjestad harbor and Barcadera harbor are ports of entry, due to the ISPS requirements the Aruba Ports Control will send yachts to Barcadera harbor. HereÂs where the difference comes in: at Barcadera, yachts are required go alongside the dock to clear in. There, the vessel will be cleared both by Customs and by Immigration. Specific harbor entry information for Barcadera harbor, as well as the Customs and Immigration forms, can be found on the website of the Renaissance Marina (see page 15): www.renaissancemarina.com/clearance-procedures. There are no visa requirements for citizens of the USA, Canada or the EC. Other nationalities can find requirements at http//.brochures.aruba.com/entryreq/2007entryrequirements. pdf. While it is not up and running yet, Aruba is in the process of implementing the eSeaClear system in the near future. Compass Contributor Wins SSCA Award Congratulations to Caribbean Compass contributor Ellen Sanpere and her husband Tony who recently won the Seven Seas Clean Wake Award. The award recognizes voyaging cruisers who exemplify by their behavior one of the main principles of the Seven Seas Cruising Association, Âto leave a clean wakeÂŽ. Award recipients are those who show generosity and offer assistance to others, especially to people who live in the countries they are visiting, and/or those who involve themselves in activities of significant benefit to mankind and the environment. Ellen and Tony have rescued fishermen adrift in the Caribbean Sea, volunteered with medical missions in Venezuela, and worked with a number of active environmental groups in the Caribbean region. Ellen is currently the press contact for the charitable St. Croix Hospice Regatta (see page 17). Tony is a well-known skipper on the Caribbean yacht racing circuit. Other Compass contributors who have been honored by the SSCA in the past include Melodye and John Pompa, who received the associationÂs 2002 Service Award for their efforts in alerting the cruising community to safety matters in the Caribbean; Suzanne Longacre, who with John Gideonse won a 2002 Transocean Award ; Pauline Dolinski, who with her husband Voytek won a 2002 Transocean Award; Bruce Van Sant, who won a 2003 Camaraderie Award for his many years of guidance and advice to cruisers through his books; Devi Sharp, who with her husband, Hunter, won a 2006 Clean Wake Award; and Marcie Connelly-Lynn, who won a Recognition Award in 2007 for her efforts as the SSCAÂs first volunteer Cruising Station Coordinator. In 2002, Compass advertiser Don Stollmeyer (Power Boats) won a Service Award for his efforts on behalf of the visiting Trinidad sailing community, and in 2007 Caribbean CompassÂs Trinidad agent, Jack Dausend, won the Cruising Station of the Year Award for his tireless efforts welcoming cruisers to Trinidad, and helping to organize multiple cruiser events such as the annual SSCA New YearÂs Day Gam. Congratulations to you all. WeÂre proud to have you aboard! For more information visit www.ssca.org. Eight Bells CARRICOU WEBMASTER, JOHN INGRAM John H. Ingram, 58, of Carriacou died on October 14th after falling downstairs and suffering a head injury. He was flown to the general hospital in Grenada where he passed away. A native of West Virginia, John spent 19 years in Carriacou. His popular website, www.grenadines.net, was ÂThe Carriacou Caribbean Connection: Your Information Gateway to The Grenadine IslandsÂŽ. He was also proprietor of The Caribbean Computer Company Internet Café and Back Porch Bar in Hillsborough, where many cruisers and charter crew checked e-mail, got laptops repaired and had websites built. John also booked yacht charters and acted as an agent for holiday home rentals on the island. He will be missed. „Continued on next page Info & Updates Ellen Sanpere, who with her husband Tony won the SSCAÂs 2009 Clean Wake Award
PAGE 6
DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 6 „ Continued from previous page GAME FISHING CONSERVATION PIONEER, SID JOHNSON Steven Valdez reports: The Trinidad & Tobago Game Fishing Association (TTGFA) lost founding member and former Secretary, Sid Johnson, on November 6th. Sid, a part of the TTGFA management committee from inception in October 1986 to 2007, was involved in many ways for the betterment of the sport in the Southern Caribbean region. Sid advocated conservation efforts in the region and was concerned about the long-liners and industrial trawlers operating in Caribbean waters. He lobbied against these practices in the Gulf of Paria in Trinidad and was included as a member of the task force that produced a document presented to the Trinidad & Tobago Cabinet to assist in dealing with these matters. SidÂs passion for conservation led him to take photographs of Taiwanese large-scale pelagic driftnet boats seen at National Fisheries in Sea Lots, Port of Spain, and send them to the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA). These photos were later published on the cover of the New York Times ; the accompanying article was the first conservation story to be featured on that newspaperÂs front page. As a direct result, the United Nations banned largescale pelagic drift net fishing and Sid received an individual Conservationist of the Year award from the IGFA. The Billfish Foundation named him 1991 Individual of the Year. Sid will always be remembered as the Southern Caribbean pioneer of billfish tag-and-release fishing. He was also instrumental in having the Institute of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Division in Trinidad & Tobago take samples of fish caught in local tournaments. At the time of his passing Sid held a cabinet-appointed post on the National Monitoring Committee on Foreign Fishing and was a member of the Trade and Industry Fish and Fish Processing Team of the Trinidad & Tobago Prime MinisterÂs Vision 2020 committee. Sailor Still Missing Kenneth Maurice Jackson, 45, was last heard from on March 23rd, 2009. He reportedly set sail from Charleston, South Carolina heading for Nassau in the Bahamas. His family has heard nothing of him since. KenÂs boat is a 40-foot wooden ketch, thought to be called Lily Ooh La La . The name was not painted on the boat when he left Charleston, and it could be sailing under either a British or US flag. The boat has wooden spars, a white hull with dark green sheer stripe, and possibly a New Jersey registration number on the bow. It has no winches or windlass, no EPIRB and no autopilot, just a PVC self-steering mechanism. The boat did carry a GPS system (full size and hand-held back-up), a radar reflector, VHF radio, life jackets and fire extinguishers. British-born Ken is six feet tall, medium build, with curly bleached brown hair and hazel-brown eyes. Since KenÂs disappearance, boat watches have been conducted by the Boatwatch Net (www.boatwatchnet.org), Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association (www.basra.org), Bahamas Immigration, and the US Coast Guard. Anyone with any information is asked to contact daisyj@cwgsy.net or gardensofstyle.commercial@hotmail.co.uk. Cruisers Site-ings € Frank Virgintino reports: The free Cruising Guide to the Dominican Republic is now available at its new website, www.dominicanrepubliccruisingguide.com . The site is interactive and users can leave comments, interact with Facebook and link to other popular cruisers websites and to the Dominican Republic Marina Guerra (Coast Guard). The guide can be read on-line, or it can be downloaded as a PDF file at no charge. The costs of the guide and the site were underwritten by Rafael Baez, owner of Marina ZarPar (see page 26), located on the south coast of the Dominican Republic in Boca Chica. The Cruising Guide addresses ports and harbors for the entire Dominican Republic, gives an overview of Dominican culture, and tells what to expect while cruising through this fabulous country, located on the second largest island in the Caribbean. The guide also covers clearance procedures, which in recent years have been simplified. Although entrance to most harbors has become straightforward, some, such as Luperon and Samana on the north and east coasts, are still plagued by port officials who have a history of asking for unauthorized payments. Suggestions on how to handle these requests are also covered in the Guide . Most cruisers who have passed through the DR have found it to be extremely unspoiled and uncrowded. The costs for food and labor are relatively low, and thanks to a vigilant coast guard most cruisers have found cruising here very safe. „Continued on next page
PAGE 7
DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 7 CharterYourWaytothefinestsailingintheCaribbean.The32islandsandcaysofSt.VincentandtheGrenadines ST.VINCENT,YOUNGISLAND,BEQUIA,MUSTIQUE,CANOUAN,MAYREAU,TOBAGOCAYS,UNIONISLAND,PALMISLANDANDPETITST.VINCENTVisitwww.discoversvg.com,call1-784-456-6222oremailsvgta@discoversvg.com SailtheunspoiledhabitatofSt.VincentandtheGrenadines. EnjoypristinesceneryintheCaribbeanwithtropical landscapes,aspectacularvolcanoandgreathotels. Returnhome,determinedtocomebackagainandagain... Photo:www.insandoutsofsvg.com „ Continued from previous page There have been incidents of theft in a few harbors, but there is no record of violent attacks against yacht owners. The number of boats cruising the DR, as compared to just passing through, has grown immensely over recent years. € Robert the Wifi Guy reports: My website, www.wifiguy.co.cc/info.html, has up-todate information for cruisers planning to visit VenezuelaÂs Isla Margarita. It shows cruisers new to the area what to do, what to avoid, how to save money by making the most of the very favorable exchange rate, and how to stay safe. There is also a comprehensive weather information page „ plus a whole lot more! € Birgit Roethal reports: WeÂve updated the St. Maarten/St. Martin portal, www. mapsxm.com , with YouTube videos, photos, flight info, movie times, weather, wikis and road maps. There is also information on neighboring islands, and mapsxm.com is a partner of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and the St. Maarten Marine Trades Organization. Recently added is a forum and ranking system where you can currently rank more than 450 businesses on the island; the list is steadily growing. € Linda Hutchinson reports: We have just set up a new blog site for our cruise, www.mytb.org/Sandcastle27 . ItÂs pretty cool! Carriacou ChildrenÂs Education Fund 2009 Scholarships John and Melodye Pompa report: The Carriacou ChildrenÂs Education Fund (CCEF) has announced the recipients of its 2009 scholarships. Michelle Alexander and Nadia Edwards of BishopÂs College and Codell Stafford of Hillsborough Secondary School have begun their studies at the Carriacou campus of TA Marryshow Community College, with full tuition and fees paid for two years and a contribution of EC$1,000 towards textbooks. These three students join Carnisha Charles (Hillsborough Secondary), Reann Martineau (BishopÂs College), Tahera Paul (BishopÂs College) and Marcia Scott (Hillsborough Secondary). The first two students benefiting from the Carriacou ChildrenÂs Education Fund scholarships, Stacy Bain and Rena Noel, have completed their course of study and are working in positions in line with the goals they set for themselves. Each student writes an essay of 1,000 words on the topic ÂHow I will use my education to build a better GrenadaÂŽ. StacyÂs primary goal, as stated in her essay in 2007, put teaching at the secondary school level at the top of her list, and she is already addressing that goal. Rholda Quamina (BishopÂs College) and Brian Lendore (Hillsborough Secondary), the principals of the two secondary schools in Carriacou, select the scholarship recipients based on CXC scores and financial need. Patrick Compton of the Grenada Union of Teachers and Cleopatra Lambert, Principal of Harvey Vale Government School, assist in the process every year, collecting and reviewing the essays. Visiting yachts and local businesses continue to assist local students through the fundraising efforts of the Carriacou ChildrenÂs Education Fund (CCEF). These three students bring the total amount of financial aid to nearly $14,000, and money has been allocated to assist 2010 graduates of BishopÂs and Hillsborough Secondary. The Carriacou ChildrenÂs Education Fund consists of concerned local businesspeople and volunteers from visiting yachts. Since 2000, CCEF has conducted fundraising activities during the first week of August at the Carriacou Yacht Club, coinciding with the annual Carriacou Regatta Festival. During this time, CCEF has raised over $106,000 to provide uniforms, necessary school supplies and other educational assistance to the children of Carriacou. The mission is to help as many children as possible and to fill the gap between what is required for a child to receive a proper education and what their families can provide. Since its inception, CCEF has provided assistance in more than 500 cases. Success is due primarily to the hard work and generosity of the visiting yachts and the local population who support CCEF, and is the yachtspeopleÂs way of saying Âthank youÂŽ to the people of Carriacou for the warm welcome always received. These scholarships at TAMCC are a natural extension of the assistance that CCEF has provided the primary and secondary school children of Carriacou in the past. CCEF is just one example of how Carriacou benefits from the presence of the yachts. Welcome Aboard! In this issue of Compass we welcome new advertisers NelsonÂs Pursuit Race of Antigua, page 17; Reef Gardens of Antigua, page 42; Reds Caribbean of Trinidad, page 36; Jean-Jacques Poette auctioneers of Martinique, page 48; and Townhouse Mega-Store of Antigua, page 50, plus Bluewater Sailing of Grenada; OnDeck Maritime Training of Antigua; Tilikum marine refrigeration and electronics of Martinique; and Mango Bay restaurant of Martinique „ all in the Market Place section, pages 51 through 53. Good to have you with us! 2009 scholarship recipients Michelle Alexander, Codell Stafford and Nadia Edwards, with Melodye Pompa of CCEF; Fleure Patrice, Director of the Carriacou campus of TAMCC; and Judy Evans of CCEF
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 8 BUSINESS BRIEFS Budget Marine Launches Catalogue, Sponsors Kayak Marathon Budget Marine launched its 2010 marine equipment catalog on October 28th. Each year Budget Marine stages the official arrival of its first catalog. This year the story was that in light of the financial climate, the catalog was printed in-house by hardworking employees on a second-hand printing machine imported from Bangladesh. The overall-wearing printer is Coleen Lucas, who jumped out of the printing machine right after completing the first copy printing. This coincided with the annual Managers Meeting and the introduction of Ben and Amnerys Rivera of the newest Budget Marine location, St. Croix. Group Manager Robbie Ferron enthusiastically expressed his optimism for the upcoming season and encouraged the crowd to expect the best. In other Budget Marine news, the group will sponsor Ryan de Jongh, a Curaçao kayak specialist and nature activist, in attempting the marathon effort of paddling between St. Maarten and Curaçao. He will leave St. Maarten on December 5th and stop at two Budget Marine locations (Grenada and Bonaire) on his way to his final destination of Curaçao where a party will be ready for him, planned for December 27th. The total distance to be covered is just over 1,000 miles. The effort is intended to collect funds for the Carmabi Foundation, which manages nature reserves in Curaçao, as well as for a group that will provide 170 disabled children with a daily meal and education for a period of a year. The other gold sponsor of this effort is Insel Air and RyanÂs kayak will be accompanied by the yacht Monsoon throughout the journey. For more information on Budget Marine see ad on page 2. New Manager for St. LuciaÂs Rodney Bay Marina Ernie Seon reports: International Global Yachting (IGY) has announced the appointment of a new general manager at Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia. Australia-born Adam Foster says, ÂItÂs really great to have been given the opportunity to serve the company in this part of the world where there are both challenges and opportunities, given the fact that the company has undertaken a major investment in a period of economic uncertainty. Our operations in St. Lucia are still undergoing a physical transition and I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to guide the process, which will involve marketing and promoting the marina globally.ÂŽ Adam has worked in the industry for the past 17 years in Australia, the South Pacific region and Europe. The early part of his career included diving instruction and equipment service, bridge and wharf construction, hospitality, commercial vessel operation, new boat marketing, sales and service. In 2000, Adam took his first position in marina management with Cronulla Marina on Port Hacking (New South Wales). He joined AustraliaÂs largest marina group, dÂAlbora Marinas, in 2005. In 2007 Adam was appointed Business Development Manager for the seven dÂAlbora marinas. The new GM has trained marina staff throughout Australia and Asia for the Association of Marina Industries, a subsidiary of the International Marina Institute, and was awarded his Certified Marina ManagerÂs designation in 2008. IGY Marinas employed Adam several months ago as Education Director where he wrote the IGY university training program and trained staff at all Caribbean locations. Once the training was complete, he was offered the position of General Manager of the Rodney Bay facility. ÂI am looking forward to my stint in St. Lucia. I have received a warm response from the hardworking staff here and from St. Lucians in general, and we intend to continue to play our part in overall development of the yachting product in St. Lucia,ÂŽ he said. For more information on Rodney Bay Marina see ad on page 55. Dockwise Yacht Transport Record Load Bound for St. Thomas On November 3rd, when the 556-foot Super Servant 4 , one of Dockwise Yacht TransportÂs (DYT) fleet of four semi-submersible ships, left Newport, Rhode Island, it was packed with a record load of 50 recreational cruising and racing boats, worth upward of US$41 million. The ship headed to Freeport, Bahamas, a newly added port of call for DYT, where it unloaded eight of the vessels (six motor yachts, one sport fishing boat and one sailboat), then carried on to St. Thomas, USVI, where the remaining vessels (17 motor boats and 25 sailboats) disembarked. „ Continued on next page ONNE VAN DER WAL
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 9 SAFEST WAY TO SHIP € PREMIER SERVICE FOR ANY YACHT € RELIABLE, FREQUENT SCHEDULES € UNIQUE DESTINATIONS € COMPETITIVE RATES Y acht at Rest, M in d at E ase WWW.YACHT-TRANSPORT.COM € 1 888 SHIP DYTDECEMBER VOYAGES PORT EVERGLADES ST. THOMAS MARTINIQUE PORT EVERGLADES PORT EVERGLADES ST. THOMAS GOLFITO PAPEETE BRISBANE AUCKLAND FEBRUARY/MARCH, 2010 VOYAGES PORT EVERGLADES ST. THOMAS MARTINIQUE TOULON MAY/JUNE, 2010 VOYAGES ST. THOMAS FREEPORT NEWPORT SOUTHAMPTON TOULON MARMARIS DYT USA : Tel. +1 954 525 8707 € E-mail: dyt.usa@dockwise-yt.com DYT Martinique : Tel. +596 596 741 507 € E-mail: nadine@dockwise-yt.com DYT Newport : Tel. +1 401 439 6377 € E-mail: ann@dockwise-yt.com PHotos by Onne van der Wal „ Continued from previous page We are maxed out on this trip; not one inch of room to spare,ÂŽ said Ann Souder, DYTÂs sales agent for the East Coast and Caribbean, explaining that while the recession may have temporarily subdued demand, it has not reversed the long-term upward trend in yacht transportation between cruising destinations in which DYT specializes. The companyÂs unique float-on/ float-off method for yachts up to 200 feet in length is accommodated by its ships, such as the Super Servant 4 , which partially ÂsinkÂŽ to allow their cargoes of boats to load and unload under their own power rather than be lifted by cranes. According to DYT President Clemens van der Werf, demand for yacht transportation services is mainly generated by yacht owners and charter companies seeking expansion of their cruising grounds to benefit from two seasons within one year (e.g., New England in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter). ÂThe market is mainly driven by the increasing global fleet size, and the growing charter market along with the development of new yachting destinations around the world,ÂŽ said Van der Werf. Since its maiden voyage in 1987, the company has transported over 10,000 motor and sailing yachts to various destinations around the globe. In addition to its conservation partnership with The Billfish Foundation, the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to conserving and enhancing billfish populations around the world, DYT is also partnered with the International SeaKeepers Society. Its newest ship, the 685.7-foot (209-metre) Yacht Express , is outfitted with the modular SeaKeeper 1000 ocean and meteorological monitoring system which samples, measures, records and transmits critical measures of ocean health „ salinity, temperature, oxygen and pollution, among others „ to various scientific and public communities across the globe. For more information, see ad on page 9. New Shop in Martinique for Diginav Diginav is happy to let you know that its brand-new shop specializing in marine electronics is now open . At the new shop, located on first floor of Marina du Marin, Martinique, you will find all the major brands, including Furuno, Raymarine, Garmin, Superwind, Simrad and B&G. Jacques Fouquet, the owner, will be pleased to advise you on the best solutions to fit the needs of your boat. Diginav also assures you of the best after-sale service for all products sold in the shop. For more information see ad on page 23. GrenadaÂs RYA Yachtmaster Success Grenada Bluewater SailingÂs first combined Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster course was recently completed. Alex Johnstone, the principal, started off with the five-day Theory Course, added the First Aid and SRC VHF day courses, and then held a four-day Yachtmaster preparation. Martin Northey from the Iberian Sea School flew in as the external Yachtmaster examiner, and after two days of examinations all students passed. A RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is often the aim of aspiring skippers, both professional and recreational. RYA qualifications, in particular the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean Certificates of Competence, are recognized around the world. In most cases no formal qualifications are required for crew on commercial yachts up to 24 metres in length. However, many skippers prefer to hire crew who have undergone training to at least Day Skipper level. If you look for work through a crew placement agency, they will often recommend that you hold a Day Skipper certificate, preferably supported by training such as the Diesel Engine, FIrst Aid and Radar courses. The qualifications required for skippering commercial yachts are determined by the area in which the yacht is operating. With a Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence you can skipper yachts up to 24 metres operating up to 20 miles from a safe haven, while the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence enables you to skipper yachts up to 200 gross tonnes, 150 miles from a safe haven. With the Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence you can work worldwide. Whichever area you are working in, you must hold the commercial endorsement, so a one-day sea survival course and medical fitness certificate are necessary. Grenada Bluewater Sailing will hold further examination courses in the New Year. For more information see ad in this issueÂs Market Place, pages 51 through 53. Montserrat Ferry Service to Return this Month The Government of Montserrat is pleased to announce the return of a ferry service between Antigua and Montserrat from early December. The service will provide Montserrat with two daily return trips on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. For more information contact the Montserrat Tourist Board at info@montserrattourism.ms. New Caribbean CrewShow to Take Place in St. Maarten Following this yearÂs successful events in Antibes and Palma de Mallorca, CrewShow „ the only trade exhibition focused exclusively on professional yacht crew „ announces its first Caribbean event: CrewShow St. Maarten. The new show is scheduled for January 9th at Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, an Island Global Yachting (IGY) marina. The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals will sponsor this inaugural event. CrewShow founder Celia Wagstaff will host the event together with Brian Deher, IGY Marina Manager for Yacht Club at Isle de Sol. Strategic support for CrewShow St. Maarten will also be provided by Ann E. McHorney, who heads TSGYPÂs Caribbean division and runs Select Yachts NV, another show sponsor. McHorneyÂs office in Plaza del Lago, Simpson Bay, will be the headquarters of CrewShow St Maarten. For more information visit www.crewshow.com. New Megayacht Services in Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Yacht Concierge.com is the new and only contact for megayachts cruising to Guadeloupe, the Saintes and Marie-Galante. With four years of experience on the island and more years at sea, the agency staff is the shore link for all a yachtÂs needs. With high-quality service in mind, they link the yachts with the best pros on the island. The concierge services include Customs clearance, marina bookings , provisioning , airport transfers, and arrangements for day workers, services, repairs, parts ordering and haulout, as well as tailor-made recreational activities for guests or off-duty crew. Guadeloupe Yacht Concierge has two convenient locations: in Deshaies right at the dinghy dock, and at the harbour office of Marina Bas-du-Fort in Pointe-a-Pitre. For more information visit http://guadeloupeyachtconcierge.com. The brand-new Diginav shop in Marin, Martinique is open and ready to serve you Master class: Andell David, Selwyn Maxwell, Michael Nelson, Alex Johnstone, Victor Cox and Richard Watson
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 10 For information or reservations WWW.IGY-AMERICANYACHTHARBOR.COM 1.888.IGY.MARINASFishing Boats at American Yacht HarborAMERICAN YACHT HARBOR ST. THOMAS, USVIT +1 340 775 6454 F +1 340 776 5970 6100 Red Hook Quarters #2 St. Thomas, USVI 00802 ayh@igymarinas.com igy-americanyachtharbor.com World-class sport“shing with access to North Drop Host of ABMT Boy Scout Tournament & other IGFA events Full-service marina with 128 “xed slips Vessels up to 110 LOA, 10 draft, 40 beam Dockside electric & water In-slip fueling & pumpout Restrooms, showers, laundry, 24-hour security Mail, phone, fax, internet Duty-free shopping, “ne dining & exciting nightlife© 2009 Island Global Yachting No hurricanes 270sq. miles of calm seas Full amenities Phone: (58-281) 267-7412 Fax: (58-281) 2677-810 VHF Channel 71 Web page: http://bahiaredonda.com.ve E-Mail: brmi@cantv.net marina internacional El Morro Tourist Complex Puerto La Cruz VenezuelaLat. 10° 12 ' 24"N Long. 64° 40 ' 5"W Bahamas Announce New Marine Parks In October, The Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham announced Âthe orderly expansion of our national parks system to include up to ten percent of the terrestrial areas and 20 percent of the near-shore marine resources of the country.ÂŽ The new parks encompass some of The Bahamas most pristine lands and waters, and include: € the establishment of the Fowl Cays Land and Sea Park in Abaco, located between Scotland and Man O War Cay in the barrier islands of Great Abaco € the expansion of the West Side National Park of Andros, including Williams Island and Billy Island, and € the expansion of the Conception Island National Park. In his announcement, Prime Minister Ingraham also noted, ÂWe are mindful of the pressures of development in certain parts of The Bahamas, and equally mindful of our duty to protect the interest of our people and integrity of our resources.ÂŽ The Bahamas continues to increase conservation momentum within the Caribbean. In addition to these new parks, the government recently extended legal protection to all species of sea turtles found within its waters. They may not be hunted, trapped or otherwise harmed or harassed. Since 2008, The Bahamas has provided key leadership and support for the Caribbean Challenge. The goal of the Challenge „ currently endorsed by five sovereign Caribbean nations „ is to not only permanently establish a network of 20 million acres of marine parks across the territorial waters of at least ten countries, but also to ensure that once established, the protected areas also receive sufficient, permanent funding through sustainable financing tools. For more information on the Caribbean Challenge visit www.nature.org/initiatives/protectedareas. Caribbean Coral Got a Break This Year Lower-than-feared sea temperatures this summer gave a break to fragile coral reefs across the Caribbean that were damaged in recent years. ÂWe dodged a bullet this year. The good news is that temperatures didnÂt get quite warm enough for there to be a large-scale bleaching problem,ÂŽ C. Mark Eakin, coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationÂs Coral Reef Watch network, told the Associated Press. He was among scientists gathered in San Juan, Puerto Rico last month for a meeting of the US Coral Reef Task Force. The Coral Reef Watch programÂs satellite data provide current reef environmental conditions to quickly identify areas at risk for coral bleaching. The worst coral bleaching in the regionÂs recorded history occurred in 2005, when hot seas caused bleaching of as much as 90 percent of corals in the Eastern Caribbean, with more than half of that dying. In July, the Coral Reef Watch network warned that high temperatures this year might lead to severe coral problems because sea surface temperatures in parts of the Caribbean were unusually hot. Eakin told the AP that the threat had passed for 2009, since temperatures are now cooling, but the problem could return. ÂWeÂre seeing little signs of coral recovery in the Caribbean, where the damage has been like a ratchet wrench clicking down and staying there,ÂŽ Eakin said. ÂTemperatures could be severe enough next year.ÂŽ Reef-building coral is a fragile organism, a tiny polyp-like animal that builds a calcium-carbonate shell around itself and survives in a symbiotic relationship with types of algae „ each providing sustenance to the other. Even a one-degree Celsius (1.7-degree Fahrenheit) rise in normal maximum sea temperatures can disrupt that relationship. Bleaching can occur when sea temperatures rise just a few degrees above average in the warmest summer months. Bleaching that lasts more than a week can kill the organisms, since they rely on the algae for sustenance. For more information visit coralreefwatch.noaa.gov. Errol Flynn Marina Gains Third ÂBlue Flag Dale Westin reports: For the third time, Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio, Jamaica, has been awarded the coveted ÂBlue Flag MarinaÂŽ designation. The Blue Flag Campaign is an international voluntary certification scheme for beaches and marinas. The Blue Flag is an exclusive eco-label that so far has been awarded to 3,450 beaches and marinas in 41 countries across Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and the Caribbean. It has proven to be an effective environmental tool to enhance the health, safety and environmental quality of beaches and marinas. The Blue Flag has become a worldwide symbol for beach and marina environmental quality and is sought for the recognition received from visitors. Errol FlynnÂs Blue Flag program is monitored by the marinaÂs Administrative Manager, Christine Downer. For more information on the Blue Flag Program visit www.blueflag.org. Lionfish Response Efforts in USVI Lionfish are a non-native fish capable of devouring native Caribbean species and damaging reefs. They have begun to invade the Caribbean and have no known predators here. Their spines contain venom that can cause intense pain. Nine lionfish have been collected in St. Croix waters this year. A USVI Lionfish Response Management Plan was drafted by the Lionfish Response Planning Committee, made up of a variety of stakeholders including the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the University of the Virgin Islands, The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, Coral World, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, the St. Croix Environmental Association and the organizer of the USVI Lionfish Response Program (volunteer divers that search for lionfish). The Plan, located at http://fw.dpnr.gov.vi/Lionfish/09J30FinalPlan.pdf, is a working document and can be amended at any time. Your comments are welcome. Caribbean Eco-News KAY WILSON / INDIGO DIVE
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 11 Crossing the channels between Caribbean islands with a favorable tide will make your passage faster and more comfortable. The table below, courtesy Don Street, author of StreetÂs Guides and compiler of Imray-Iolaire charts, which shows the time of the meridian passage (or zenith) of the moon for this and next month, will help you calculate the tides. Water, Don explains, generally tries to run toward the moon. The tide starts running to the east soon after moonrise, continues to run east until about an hour after the moon reaches its zenith (see TIME below) and then runs westward. From just after the moonÂs setting to just after its nadir, the tide runs eastward; and from just after its nadir to soon after its rising, the tide runs westward. Times given are local. Note: the maximum tide is 3 or 4 days after the new and full moons. For more information, see ÂTides and CurrentsÂŽ on the back of all Imray Iolaire charts. Fair tides! December DATE TIME 1 2327 2 0000 (full) 3 0030 4 0134 5 0235 6 0333 7 0427 8 0517 9 0605 10 0652 11 0740 12 0828 13 0918 14 1009 15 1102 (new) 16 1155 17 1246 18 1336 19 1422 20 1506 21 1548 22 1628 23 1709 24 1750 25 1833 26 1920 27 2011 28 2107 29 2208 30 2312 31 2344 (full) January 2010 DATE TIME 1 0016 2 0118 3 0216 4 0310 5 0400 6 0449 7 0537 8 0626 9 0715 10 0806 11 0858 12 0950 13 1042 14 1131 15 1219 (new) 16 1303 17 1346 18 1427 19 1507 20 1547 21 1629 22 1713 23 1800 24 1852 25 1949 26 2050 27 2153 28 2256 29 2356 30 2454 (full) 31 0054 MERIDIAN PASSAGE OF THE MOONDECEMBER Â09 JANUARY Â10 ESeaClear Updateby Aaron SmithThe February 2009 issue of Caribbean Compass reported on the implementation of eSeaClear, the Caribbean Pre-Arrival Notification system. This is an online service that provides yacht operators with the ability to submit electronic notifications of arrival to participating Customs administrations in the Caribbean. ESeaClear was developed by the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) as part of a Regional Clearance System set up to facilitate the processing of yachts traveling around the Caribbean. ESeaClear is a voluntary system, based on a standardized Customs clearance form. It gives yacht skippers the option of filling out Customs clearance forms on-line in advance of arrival at a port of entry, rather than filling out forms by hand upon arrival. The on-line form, found at www.eSeaClear.com, asks for routine data similar to that on the various existing paper Customs forms. After the first data entry, subsequent uses are easy because all data is stored. The eSeaClear-using skipper must still go to Customs to clear in. There, you give the Customs officer your pre-arrival notification (PAN) I.D. number provided by the on-line system. (Your name will also work, if youÂve forgotten your number.) The Customs officer will pull up your form on his or her computer and print it out for you to sign. Any fees will be paid as usual. Since February, the implementation of the eSeaClear system has been continuous and the service is now available in 14 island nations and territories: Aruba, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Maarten, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. Every port within each country may not yet be eSeaClear compliant. To address this, only ports that are currently able to handle eSeaClear are available in the drop-down list; users will not be able to submit notification to ports that are not yet ready. Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago will soon be able to accept eSeaClear notifications. The Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) is working with the remaining islands to implement the program sometime in the New Year. CCLEC has received many valuable comments and recommendations from yacht skippers throughout the course of early site usage, and as a result we have made the following changes: € Passport fields can now accept alphanumeric characters € Vessel Dimensions input field can now accept decimal point notation € Vessel Tonnage (weight) input field can now accept decimal points € Motor Brands are now open text so you are now able to type in any brand as well as utilize a drop-down list € The date picker has been updated to make date navigation and selection quick and simple For added convenience, we have included a Help section that includes a full site manual and FAQ. The user manual deals with all aspects of site usage and is beneficial in familiarizing users with using the system and thereby improving the user experience. The manual is available in PDF format for immediate download. The site is also equipped with a feedback option that can be used for support requests, making recommendations, or simply to share some insight on your experience while using the service. In May, Keats Compton of the regional yacht trades umbrella group, the Caribbean Marine Association (CMA), met with members of the CCLEC to discuss the system and it was agreed that CCLEC would improve cooperation with CMA through the signing of an MOU. Some additional recommendations were made for the improvement of the system, which CCLEC will take forward in the next phase of the project. Future Development By popular request, the system will be adapted so that users are able to make notifications for both parts of their voyage, i.e. Arrival and Departure. This means that vessel operators will be able to submit notifications of departure to Customs ahead of time and be facilitated in the same way arrivals are done. The system was designed to help facilitate vessel operations with the process of Customs clearance in the region. Hassle-free movement between the islands is our goal and CCLEC has been working hard with Caribbean countries to standardize the clearance requirements, but getting all stakeholders on board can be a challenge. We will continue to work to streamline the clearance process, thereby making your visit in the region as seamless as possible. If you have any questions or comments please contact us „ we would be happy to hear from you. Our contact: eSeaClearSupport@cclec.net or cclec@candw.lc. Aaron Smith is the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement CouncilÂs ITC Officer. Visit the eSeaClear website at www.eSeaClear.com.CCLEC has received many valuable comments and recommendations from yacht skippers
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 12 REGATTA NEWS Hot Pursuit! New YearÂs Eve Race, Antigua On New YearÂs Eve, December 31st, out of English Harbour, Antigua, there will be a fun pursuit race to suit every vessel; yachts from 23 to 130 feet have participated in this annual event. This annual race commemorates Lord NelsonÂs heroic pursuit of the French across the Atlantic in 1805. No paperwork is involved! For more information see ad on page 17. World ARC to Start in St. Lucia Yachts are Âgearing upÂŽ to carry their crews on a world circumnavigation in the World ARC 2010/11, organized and run by World Cruising Club. World ARC is open to monohulls with a minimum length of 40 feet (12.19 metres), and multihulls between 40 and 60 feet (12.19 ad 18.29 metres. The east-to-west circumnavigation will begin in St. Lucia on January 6th, 2010, and visit Panama, Ecuador, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Fiji, Australia, Bali, Mauritius, Reunion Island and South Africa. In 2011, the rally crosses the South Atlantic via St. Helena to Brazil, then visits Grenada before arriving back in St. Lucia in March 2011, 15 months after the journey begins. In this second edition of World ARC, there are yachts representing 19 nations and a greater number of nationalities within the crews of the 40 boats already registered. The largest contingent is from Germany with eight yachts entered, then the UK with seven. Yachts from other European nations, the USA, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia are also taking part. Some are crewed by couples who will take on extra crew for some passages, while others will be crewed by a larger number of family and friends. Some skippers are seeking crew to join them for particular legs of the voyage. Around one third of the yachts sailing in World ARC will arrive in St. Lucia with ARC 2009. As with all World Cruising Club events, the programme for the World ARC start will include safety equipment checks, parties, activities and briefings. Armchair adventurers can follow the World ARC fleet progress and the crews experiences along the way via the boat logs and image galleries on the event website. For more information visit www.worldcruising.com/worldarc2010. Early Interest in St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic 2010 West Indies Events and the St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta Organization have announced that early registrations for the January 21st through 24th event are coming in at full speed. Lone Fox , winner of 2008 and 2009 events, will battle Richard WestÂs Anguillian yacht Charm III (which has also won the regatta twice) for the perpetual trophy. Grote Meid, owned by Paul Van Koelen, has undergone a complete refit in Curaçao and will sail back to St. Maarten together with the classic yacht Alert to participate in the regatta. Several ÂnewÂŽ classics, vintage and other yachts will appear during the event for the first time. Among these are Philip WalwynÂs (owner of the well-known 12 Metre Kate) classic Philip Rhodes-designed yacht and the authentic 1910 Cornwall Crabber Magnolia . For the first time the regatta will see a class for workboats, including the traditional wooden sloops from the Grenadines, built mainly in Carriacou. Laurie Gumbs from Anguilla, who helped out at all the previous regattas as mark layer, has acquired Tradition ( see story on page 34 ) and will race her this year. The local Grand Case and Anguilla traditional boats have been absent for a few years, but organizers hope to see them again this January. A ÂSpirit of ClassicÂŽ class will give yacht owners a chance to participate with boats that are not qualified in Classic, Vintage, Spirit of Tradition or other existing classes. Owners of those look-alike classics are invited to contact the technical committee in order to submit their yacht for inspection and approval. A ÂStar RegattaÂŽ charity fundraiser will be held on January 23rd with racing in Great Bay aboard the 12 Metre Challenge AmericaÂs Cup boats. Local and international VIPs will join the public in this Âregatta within a regattaÂŽ to support the Nature Foundation and the Sint Maarten Diabetes Foundation. Tickets start at US$100. Places aboard spectator vessels will also be available. Holland House Beach Hotel in Philipsburg is the new headquarters for the regatta. Fort Louis Marina in Marigot will be the first race-day venue and arrival place on Friday, again offering complementary dock space for the classic yachts (subject to availability). For more information visit www.ClassicRegatta.com. Entries Strong for 2010 Grenada Sailing Festival Some top racing and racing/cruising yachts are already booked for the 2010 Grenada Sailing Festival, presented by Port Louis and Camper & Nicholsons Marinas. The annual event, run in association with the Grenada Board of Tourism, will run from January 29th to February 2nd, 2010, and organisers report that they expect one of the most competitive fleets since the event began in 1994. In the Racing Class, 2009 Festival winner James Dobbs with his Antigua-based J/122 Lost Horizon will challenge such prominent names in Caribbean sailing as Peter Peake with Storm , and Paul Solomon skippering Enzyme , both from Trinidad, plus well-known Festival competitors the Lewis brothers from Barbados in Whistler . GrenadaÂs home-grown talent will also be in contention with Richard Szyjan in Category 5 , David Cullen in Pocket Rocket and Justin and Peter ÂChampieÂŽ Evans in Tanga Langa 3 . The event will also welcome back British skipper Hugh Pringle and his crack Cowes Week crew in Lancelot , and will say bonjour for the first time to visitors from Martinique in Sonadio . The Cruising Class is looking just as strong, with early notice from Jaguar, Wayward, Bloody Mary and Boxxer that they will be competing. The J/24 fleet looks hot, too, with local boats Die Hard, Blew by You and Tempest taking on Steve BusheÂs Ambushe from Trinidad, and Barbados J/24s Paddington and Hawkeye , skippered by Peter Hoad and Robert Povey. The Charter Class, sponsored by long-term regatta supporters Boval, the Dutch insurance group, will include 49 sailors from The Netherlands who are chartering seven boats to take part. „Continued on next page The lovely classic Grote Meid will once again compete
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 13 „ Continued from previous page The good early response is attributed in part to the news that the 2010 Festival will offer some newly designed longer courses and will also extend the very popular South Coast Ocean Triangle. These changes were introduced to attract bigger yachts and the strongly competitive crews based in the region, and provide an early sailing season Âtune-up for the international yachts visiting the Caribbean. The Grenada Sailing Festival Port Louis Racing Series is part of the Southern Caribbean Regatta Circuit 2010, which also includes the Carriacou Sailing Series, (January 13th through 16th) and the Tobago Carnival Regatta (February 18th through 21st). For the second year running, yachts taking part in the annual Grenada Sailing Festival will all be able to dock at a ÂHome Port „ Port Louis by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, the islandÂs newest international-class marina facility, which will have some 160 slips available for yachts of all sizes. Racing will start and finish from this base, with dockside ÂFinish Line LimesÂ, Happy Hours and a new calendar of After-Race Parties focusing on the Port Louis Marina and Victory Bar. The event for 2010 will be run with presentation partners Port Louis and Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, in association with the Grenada Board of Tourism. The organisers also thank Work Boat Regatta sponsor Digicel, plus sponsors and supporters for 2010: American Airlines; British Airways; Colombian Emeralds; Mount Gay Rum; Heineken; ScotiaBank; United Insurance; Budget Marine; Boval and Spice Island Marine Services. Thanks also go to long-term supporters True Blue Bay Resort and Coca Cola. For more information on the Grenada Sailing Festival see ad on page 12. For more information on Port Louis Marina see ad on page 16. Budget Marine Annual ValentineÂs Regatta The Budget Marine Annual ValentineÂs Regatta, hosted by Jolly Harbour Yacht Club in Antigua, takes place on February 13th and 14th, 2010. Regatta parties, barbecues, a live band, dancing and amusing prizegiving celebrations are all in store, and berths will be available free of charge (excluding utilities) for participants on the race days. Everyone is welcome to the festivities even if you are not sailing! For more information visit www.jhycantigua.com. St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice Regatta „ A Different Experience Ellen Sanpere reports: ÂThe St. Croix Hospice Regatta is a different experience from the other Caribbean regattas, each of which has its own flavor,ÂŽ says Regatta Director Julie San Martin. She hopes the Cruzan flavor will appeal to many different kinds of racers during the regatta, February 19th and 20th, 2010, and highlights some of the factors that go into it: The Site: Unique in the Caribbean, the St. Croix Yacht Club is located on six beachfront acres on Teague Bay, a residential neighborhood on St. CroixÂs east end. All shoreside activities are on the beach, as is the clubhouse and its 120-foot dock. In addition to 32 dock slips, the large mooring field, easily accessed inside a protective reef, can accommodate up to 100 boats. US Customs and Border Patrol attend on the Friday, so arriving visitors can conveniently complete their entry and exit documentation along with their regatta check-in. The Optimist sailors have their own clubhouse area in the event tent, as well as games on the beach and volleyball court. The Sailing: Just about all sailing vessels are welcome at this regatta, from hi-tech racing machines to heavy-displacement cruisers, beach cats to liveaboard multihulls, 19-foot keelboats to Optimist dinghies. Teague Bay, the Buck Island Channel and the vast Caribbean provide perfect venues for one-design racing, windward-leeward courses and mid-distance racing. The Race Committee endeavors to give a start to any class that requests it. The Volunteers: The entire Yacht Club membership is involved in the regatta, staffing the various committees and providing housing for visiting officials and Optimist sailors. This is our annual opportunity to host sailors from other islands, and we turn out for it. The visiting officials are also volunteers, and many have donated their time for decades. On-site first aid and handholding is provided daily by volunteers from the local hospice and medical communities. The Activities: On shore, adults mix it up with the eightto 16-year-old sailors. During the racing, the observers favorite activity is liming on the beach watching the Optimists and one-designs race around the buoys. Food and beverages are available from the Club from dawn to dusk, and breakfast is free for competitors on Saturday and Sunday. In the interest of getting back on the water promptly, midday meal service is provided to the younger generation as part of the Opti entry fee. The rest of the time, they mix freely with the other competitors and Club volunteers. On-site entertainment happens nightly, and the allvolunteer hospitality staff can recommend local restaurants and arrange transportation for those who would like to see a bit of our lovely, off-the-beaten-track island. Wild parties? YouÂre as likely to see a five-yearold on the dance floor as a 20-, 40-, or 60-something! Optimist prizegiving is first, featuring the winner on the giant scale for his or her weight in sports drink. Adults are encouraged to participate: the kids are high energy, full of surprises, and itÂs a great opportunity to recruit crew from the up-and-coming. Later, the adult awards are presented, and the CSA Spin-1 winner gets his/her weight in Cruzan Rum. ÂOur goal is family sailing and family attendance in an atmosphere of a community get-together,ÂŽ says San Martin. ÂThe Club volunteers attempt to welcome each competitor as if the regatta was held just for them. Extending the hospitality of St. Croix to visiting yachtsmen is part of our charter, and we take it seriously!ÂŽ „Continued on next page
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 14 „ Continued from previous page ÂInspired by Competition „ Enhanced with CompassionÂŽ, the organizers aim to raise funds and awareness for hospice care on St. Croix. Continuum Care, Inc. is a Medicare-certified USVI company providing hospice care in the US Virgin Islands. Fiscal nonprofit sponsorship, provided by the St. Croix Foundation, offers donors 501(C)(3) tax-deductible sponsorship options at several levels. For more information see ad on page 17. FebruaryÂs Tobago Carnival Regatta: ÂRadical! Niki Borde reports: ÂAwesome!ÂŽ was one of the many words used to describe the Tobago Carnival Regatta 2009, as sailors and spectators alike witnessed spectacular performances put on by the latest inclusion: the Windsurfing and Kiteboarding competitors. Last yearÂs successful re-branding of the regatta that has been held in Tobago for the last 25 years has sailors worldwide wondering what surprises lie in store for them in 2010 „ and Regatta Promoters Limited have no intention of letting them down. Two days after the world-famous Trinidad Carnival in 2010, Tobago will host a spectacular show of its own, the Tobago Carnival Regatta from February 19th through 21st at Heritage Park, Pigeon Point, Tobago. With the continued support of the Tobago House of Assembly and the Tourism Development Company, next yearÂs regatta promises plenty of sailing action for the traditional big-boat racers, and the bar has been raised for the Bum Boat, Windsurfer and Kiteboard sailors as well, with far more extreme races and freestyle courses. Last yearÂs Bum Boat division attracted a crowd of more than 90 racers and their fans from Bequia, Grenada, Carriacou and St. Vincent. 2010 will see an added Treasure Hunt race that starts in Pigeon Point and ends in Buccoo Bay, culminating in a full day of festivities at the home of the famous ÂSunday SchoolÂŽ party. One of the primary goals of Regatta Promoters Ltd is to expand the participation of the local population in the sport of sailing; as a result the Tobago Optimist race will play a major role in bringing young local sailors into the 2010 competition. Dubbed a Festival of Wind, it is one of the most allinclusive regattas in the region and will include one more surprise for the sailing enthusiasts and beachgoers alike, but Regatta Promoters are keeping mum about it! Those wanting to know will have to make their way to Tobago and continue their Carnival celebrations on the shores of TrinidadÂs sister isle. For more information visit www.sailweek.com. Stars Align for Second RORC Caribbean 600 Trish Jenkins reports: A star-studded fleet is lining up for the second annual RORC Caribbean 600. As the name suggests, this is a 605-mile race around the Caribbean islands. The 2010 race will start on February 22nd from Antigua, and is already amassing a fleet starring some of the best sailors from around the world. The race record holder, the 100-foot super maxi ICAP Leopard , owned by London property millionaire Mike Slade, will be shipped from Sydney in January after sailing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Taking the same ship as Leopard will be the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race winner, Niklas ZennstromÂs JV72, Rán , which will also be attempting to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Joining them will be 80-foot Beau Geste, whose owner Karl Kwok hails from Hong Kong and has a crew of professional sailors with lots of AmericaÂs Cup experience. From the US we can expect to see two very competitive boats: the STP 65 Rosebud, owned by Roger Sturgeon, who won the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, and Tom HillÂs brand-new Reichel Pugh 75 Titan . Last yearÂs overall winner, Adrian LeeÂs Cookson 50, Lee Overlay Partners, will be back to defend her title against opposition from her sister ship, Privateer , which is based on the US East Coast. From Italy, Danilo SalsiÂs Swan 90, DSK Pioneer , will also be back, and one can expect to see some of the Class 40s after their Atlantic crossing in the ÂSolidaire du Chocolat two-handed race from France to Mexico. John Burnie, one of the founders of the race and a member of both RORC and Antigua Yacht Club (who support the race), says, ÂThis race is destined to become one of the classic ocean races, ranked alongside the world-famous Rolex Fastnet and Rolex Sydney Hobart races. The quality of the competitors means that the worldÂs media will be focused on Antigua and the Caribbean next February.ÂŽ John will be sailing Region Guadeloupe , the ORMA 60 trimaran that he chartered for the 2009 race. For more information visit www.caribbean600.rorc.org. South Grenada Regatta to Round Out February The dates of the South Grenada Regatta 2010 are February 26th through 28th, 2010, the last weekend in the month. The event, based at Le Phare Bleu Marina, will feature somewhat shorter courses than last year (more time for fun ashore!) and a third race will be added. The Junior Sailing will be organized on the Saturday, and Sunday will be for relaxation, family and fun. One other significant change is the registration fee „ now only US$50! For more information see ad on page 17. Inaugural BVI Kite Jam for March March 1st through 5th, 2010, will see a unique kiteboarding experience presented by the BVI Tourist Board. BVI Kite Jam is aimed at building awareness of the BVI to the international kiteboarding community. The event will bring together amateurs and professionals with competitions, demonstrations, and technique clinics taking place in key locations including Necker Island, the North Sound, Virgin Gorda and Anegada. Sir Richard Branson, an avid kiteboarder, conceived the event after staging an impromptu race with friends between Necker Island and Anegada. BVI Kite Jam will kick off on February 27th with a VIP Party at the Fat Virgin Café on Virgin Gorda. Additional events, competitions, parties and meals will be hosted at Necker Island, Bitter End Yacht Club, Anegada and Moskito Island. In addition, the event will support green and eco-friendly operations by obtaining a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta Certification in conjunction with BVI Kite Jam accommodation partner Sunsail Yachts. Clean Regattas is a third-party certification program that helps regattas, yacht clubs and sailing programs voluntarily achieve higher environmental standards. For more information visit www.bvikitejam.com. „Continued on next page
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 15 „ Continued from previous page Gill New Title Sponsor for CommodoreÂs Cup Heather Tackling reports: The Steering Committee organizing the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta on behalf of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club is pleased to announce the introduction of a new title sponsor for the CommodoreÂs Cup taking place March 4th, 2010. Gill is a worldwide leader in marine technical clothing. Through Budget Marine, Gill will offer on-site a CommodoreÂs Cup clothing collection decorated with the CommodoreÂs Cup Regatta branding. The CommodoreÂs Cup is a pre-event to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, designed to give those crews an additional day of racing. It is only open to spinnaker and racing classes and focuses on the windward-leeward courses that are generally favored by the more serious racers. The one-day event provides racing off the south coast of Sint Maarten and the opportunity for the many international crews who are visiting from the wintry north to adapt themselves and their vessels to the Caribbean climate and conditions. The event is in its fourth year and has proven to be a highly regarded part of the formula of the overall regatta event. The Gill CommodoreÂs Cup is scored separately from the main event but the parties and administration are integrated into the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. For more information visit www.heinekenregatta.com. Earlier Dates for Third Annual Grenada Classic The 2010 Grenada Classic Yacht Regatta dates have been moved forward to March 4th through 7th, 2010, to tie in with plans for a Virgin Islands to Grenada Challenge Race for yachts coming south to take part. All regatta courses will be in the waters off GrenadaÂs scenic southeastern coast. Register early and get a break on fees! For more information visit www.grenadaclassicregatta.gd. BVI Spring Regatta Adds Windsurfing Championship for 2010 Linda Phillips reports: New for 2010, the BVI Spring Regatta will host the BVI Windsurfing Championship. This event will run concurrently with the 39th annual BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, March 29th through April 4th, 2010, sharing the resources, parties and prestige that the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival offers. With the format of Âone board and three sailsÂŽ, amateur and professional competitors may compete in either the Formula or Open Class. Classes will be further divided by age and sex. Although on most days competitors can expect two to three races per day with distance and courses varying throughout Sir Francis Drake Channel, there is at least one downwind long-haul planned as the boards race from the flat water of North Sound to regatta central, Nanny Cay. Nanny Cay Resort and Marina, the presenting sponsor and host, is allowing those without other accommodations to camp on the premises. In North Sound, there will be facilities for rigging and Âlimin between races, group discounts on dinner and accommodations. Owen Waters, local windsurfing champ, is working closely with the BVI Spring Regatta committee in the planning of the BVI Windsurfing Championship. ÂThere are several events worldwide that encompass aspects of what we are trying to do. We want to create a scenario where it is all in one and the BVI Spring Regatta has created the arena.ÂŽ Bob Phillips, Chairman of the BVI Spring Regatta has high expectations: ÂFollowing this inaugural event, we plan to apply to the Caribbean Sailing Association to hold the Caribbean Windsurfing Championship. We know that we can run a great regatta and we have a lot we can offer to the board sailors.ÂŽ For more information on the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival visit www.bvispringregatta.org. Date Change for Round Guadeloupe Race The 2010 Round Guadeloupe Race will be held from the 1st to the 5th of April. The new dates are during the Easter holidays, when many boats are still cruising in the Caribbean, rather than in May. The Tourism Board of the Islands of Guadeloupe is now involved in promoting this popular event and organizers hope to attract even more boats than the 40 that raced around the island last year. The course starts at the town of Gosier and includes legs to Saint-Louis in Marie Galante, St. François or Port Louis, Deshaies and Les Saintes before returning to Gosier. The Round Guadeloupe race offers nightly parties at each port, with Zouk music and ti punch „ a great way to discover the Guadeloupe archipelago and its people and culture. For more information see ad on page 13. News from AntiguaÂs Jolly Harbour Yacht Club Carol Smith reports: Every Saturday afternoon JHYC offers sailing off Jolly Harbour and Five Islands Harbour in an Âall comersÂŽ competitive sailing event for local and visiting yachts. And every Sunday afternoon we have up to 13 people racing Laser dinghies in a roundrobin event with A and B finals. It is always a great social day with a barbecue on the beach. Many people come to watch the racing, join in the fun and lime. Twelve members of JHYCÂs Youth Sailing Program graduated in the last session. This program offers free weekly dinghy sailing instruction to Antiguan children between the ages of eight and 18. We are in need of a safety boat so we are appealing for an RIB with an outboard or a Jet Boat (its engine does not have a propeller and is safe when the children are in the water). „Continued on next page The annual Grenada Classic Yacht Regatta enjoys optimum conditions on the islandÂs south coast
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 16 Port Louis Marina Â… another great reason to visit Grenada ITALY | MALTA | TURKEY | WEST INDIES Grenada remains one of the most unspoilt and welcoming cruising destinations in the Caribbean. Now, with Port Louis, visiting yachts can enjoy the security and convenience of a beautifully appointed, fully serviced marina Â… located in the lagoon adjacent to the islandÂs capital, St GeorgeÂs. GrenadaÂs southern location allows for year-round cruising, including the summer months, and with an international airport just “ve miles away, Port Louis is the ideal base for exploring the wonderful islands of the Grenadines. As a Port of Entry, itÂs easy to clear in and out through Port Louis, and our 24-hour security, dockside facilities and marina-wide wi-“ all contribute to making your stay safe and relaxed. Port Louis is owned and operated by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, and our friendly and knowledgeable staff are on hand 24 hours a day to welcome yachts of all sizes from 20ft to 300ft. For more information about securing a berth at Port Louis, including the opportunity to purchase on a 30-year licence, please contact our Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator, Danny Donelan on +1 (473) 435 7432 or email danny.donelan@cnportlouismarina.com Port Louis Marina Â… just one more reason to visit the ÂSpice IslandÂ. www.cnportlouismarina.com „ Continued from previous page Any offers of assistance can contact Pippa Pettingell at (268) 722-8468 or pippapettingell@hotmail.com. For more information visit www.jhycantigua.com. Fishing Lines TTGFA ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT Steven Valdez reports: The Trinidad and Tobago Game Fishing Association (TTGFA) elected Richard De Verteuil as President at their 2009 Annual General Meeting, held at the Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club on October 28th. The newly elected TTGFA management committee team is comprised of several existing committee members including Vice President Marylin Sheppard, Secretary Alan Fitwilliam, Treasurer Alan Sheppard, Steven Valdez, Paul Wittet, Geoffrey Pollard, Reginald MacLean, Dominic Wallace and newly appointed Andre De Laparouse and Ian Bose. Outgoing President Chris Mouttet also remains on the committee. LEVERICK BAY WITCH HUNT FISHING TOURNAMENT EfraÃn Rivera reports: Thirty participants, including anglers and observers, signed up for the first edition of the Leverick Bay Witch Hunt Tournament in Virgin Gorda, BVI. Boats from St. Thomas and Puerto Rico joined those from the BVI. Registration, Immigration and fishing permits were organized at the Leverick Bay Marina. Tournament winners were: Best Boat and Best Catch, Peje , Best Angler, José Alvarez. The highlight of the late October tournament was when fiveyear-old angler Osvaldo ÂTatiÂŽ De León Jr. caught a 20-pound wahoo all by himself. For more information visit the www.leverickbaymarina.com. ST. CROIXÂS DIAZ TOP ANGLER AT WAHOO WIND-UP Carol Bareuther reports: None of the 114 anglers aboard 27 boats competing in the USVIÂs 2009 Toyota Wahoo Wind-Up managed to catch a 75-plus pound wahoo, which would have gained them a Toyota 4-wheel drive extended cab truck on November 1st. But that didnÂt mean there werenÂt some real whopper wahoos reeled in. St. CroixÂs Curtis Diaz, fishing aboard the Wild Cat , caught the Largest Wahoo, a 51.5-pounder, and pocketed a US$1,000 cash prize. Eight-year-old Nathan Gatcliffe of St. Thomas, aboard Double Header IV , caught the second largest wahoo, a 47.4-pounder. NathanÂs father, St. Thomas charter captain, Jonathan Gatcliffe, earned the Best Boat prize for St. Thomas with the catch of five wahoo weighing 173.07 pounds. St. CroixÂs Big Bills won Top Boat for St. Croix with the catch of three wahoo weighing 113.2-pounds. Each captain won $1,000 cash. A total of 28 wahoo, collectively weighing 934.7 pounds, were caught. The event was hosted by the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club on St. Thomas and Golden Hook Fishing Club on St. Croix. Personnel from the USVI Department of Planning & Natural ResourceÂs Fish & Wildlife Department conducted the weigh-in. 41ST SPICE ISLAND BILLFISH TOURNAMENT Gary Clifford reports: EC$100,000 prize money will be up for grabs at the 41st Spice Island Billfish Tournament, Grenada, January 24th through 28th 2010, for the first person to catch a Blue Marlin over 1,000 pounds. Since 2009 the tournament has allowed the use of 80-pound breaking strain line (the previous maximum was 50 pounds); this helps increase the chance of such a fish being landed. Grenada is usually associated with large catches of blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish (104 were released during the 2009 event) „ the capture of one or more of each of these species in a day constitutes a ÂGrand SlamÂŽ and Grenada is the only tournament where this is regularly achieved by at least one of the participating boats during the event (two boats achieved Grand Slams in 2009). Also for 2010 is a new software system to improve the accuracy and speed of results calculation. We are switching to the use of digital cameras for catch-and-release recording. Only a few of the biggest fish (usually potential record breakers) are retained and weighed for points. Therefore all boats planning to enter this event must bring their own digital cameras. SIBT is a qualifying tournament in the IGFA Offshore championship. It is also included in the new Southern Caribbean Billfish Circuit, which includes tournaments in Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia and Martinique. For more information visit www.sibtgrenada.com.
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 17 A N T I G U A E X P E C T S ANTIGUA EXPECTS E V E R Y S A I L I N G S W A B EVERY SAILING SWAB T O D O T H E I R D U T Y ! TO DO THEIR DUTY! On NEW YEARÂS EVE 31st DECEMBER 2009There is (again) from ENGLISH HARBOUR a Pursuit Race TO SUIT EVERY VESSEL. Commemorating LORD NELSONÂS Heroic Pursuit of the Dastardly FRENCH across the Atlantic in 1805 Vessels Large (130ft+) and Small (23ft-) Get Ye to the Start Line!For further information call: Lord Admiral Tommy Patterson: +12687796449 Midshipman Stan Pearson: +12684642388 Deck Swab John Burnie: +590690 723028 (There really is no paperwork but lots of GROG to be won on this Great Fun Family Race!) JOIN AN EXCITING WEEKEND WITH Three races a long the south coast of grenada (FREE BERTHING FOR RACING BOATS) AND thatÂs not all! WWW.SOUTHGRENADAREGATTA.COM SOUTH GRENADA REGATTa 201026. -28. Feb Strong Fleet, Light Airs as 24th ARC Embarks for St. Lucia The 24th edition of the world-famous annual transatlantic yacht rally, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), defied the economic doom and gloom, and 209 yachts departed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on November 22nd en route to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia. The largest is the US-registered Swan 112 Highland Breeze , at 34.34 metres. The smallest is Zahara , a British-registered Sadler 29 (8.67 metres). Mostly sunny skies and eight to ten knots of northeasterly breeze provided a colourful display of spinnakers hoisted to help the yachts on their way. Winds were forecast to increase to 18 to 23 knots and crews expected moderate tradewind conditions for the first part of their crossing. The 18 yachts competing in the Racing Divisions, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), were first to start. The expected winds had not yet filled in, so it was a struggle to keep spinnakers flying in the awkward swell. The IOR Maxi Umatalu (Anthony Balme, UK) was early over the line, earning a three-hour penalty. The first clear starter, a Grand Soleil 50, Katawa (Andreas Costa, Italy), was closely followed by the Wally 80 Bagheera (Kemal Cingillioglu, Turkey) and the German JV53, Auliana II . Unfortunately, Auliana II was abandoned following the loss of the yachtÂs rudder some 36 hours after the start. The crew was safely evacuated. Soon after the racing start, the cruising yachts set off. The wind had increased slightly by this time, and at ten to 12 knots, was enough to provide the gentle start most cruisers prefer. Gottfried PoesslÂs Bavaria 51 Celox2 (Austria) was first across. At the start, the dock was full of well-wishers in carnival mode, cheering and dancing. Yachts were bid farewell from Las Palmas via loud speakers around the port and Banda Guayadra, provided by the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas (City Hall), marched around the marina serenading on every pontoon to add to the festival feel. Boats had to identify themselves as they left the marina and headed through a ÂgateÂŽ before making their way to the start line. To the delight of the spectators, several crews got into the spirit of the event and dressed up for their departure. There were long blonde wigs aboard Blonde Moment ; Irish leprechaun hats on Liberty and Mexican waves from the ten-man crew of Swan 62RS Albatros . A record 32 nations are represented in this yearÂs event, underlining the fact that the ARC is an international event and the most popular way to sail across the Atlantic. The ARC distinguishes itself by successfully combining racing and cruising yachts with a mix of older and younger participants, all of whom thoroughly enjoy the varied entertainment that is on offer for all ages at both the start and finish ports. Since January 2006, the ARC has been run by the Cowes-based independent event management company World Cruising Club Ltd, which always tries to incorporate the most popular ideas and proposals put forward to improve the event. This year for the very first time, the yachts in the ARC Racing Divisions carry Yellowbrick satellite tracking devices. These provide automatic position reports uploading to the WCC website every six hours via the Iridium Network. The 2,700-nautical mile passage on the Northeast Tradewind route takes the fleet, on average, between 14 and 21 days to reach the finish line. The bulk of this yearÂs fleet is expected to arrive in St. Lucia, where a festive welcome awaits, during the week of December 7th. News from the fleet can be found on the official ARC website where daily yacht position reports will be displayed and visitors can view individual route maps for each yacht. Crews will also contribute daily logs and images direct to www.worldcruising.com/arc. For more information visit www.worldcruising.com. www.caribbeancompass.com
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 18 BAREBOAT CHARTERS FULLY CREWED CHARTERS ASA SAILING SCHOOL PO Box 39, Blue Lagoon, St Vincent, West Indies Tel. 1-784-456-9526 / 9334 / 9144 Fax. 1-784-456-9238 barebum@vincysurf.com www.barefootyachts .com Barefoot Yacht Charters & Marine Centre € Doyle Sail Loft & Canvas Shop € Raymarine Electronics € Refrigeration Work € Mechanical & Electrical Repairs € Fibreglass Repairs € Laundry € Vehicle Rentals € Showers € Air Travel € Ice & Water € Diesel & Propane € Moorings € Island Tours € Surftech Surf Shop € Hotel Reservations € Quiksilver Surf Wear € Restaurant & Bar € Boutique € On-site Accommodation € Wi-Fi / Internet Café € Book Exchange Since 1984 MY partner, Ann Louise, and I both love sailing in Venezuela between Cumaná and Puerto La Cruz, with the areaÂs plethora of wild and beautiful anchorages all within a few miles of each other. This year, however, after five previous visits, we are noticing a big change. The cruising fraternity seems to have abandoned this part of Venezuela altogether. On our cruise down from Grenada in Indaba we did not see one other vessel sailing in company with us, at any time, anywhere. This is unusual, and a bit unnerving in an area with a reputation for dubious security. In Los Testigos we were the only yacht moored in the bay adjacent to the Guarda Costa . In Porlamar, Isla Margarita, there were a few yachts, but so few compared to last year that it was remarkable. (One businessman who handles entry and other yacht services in Porlamar said he is not sure his business can survive.) And it was the same throughout the formerly popular cruising grounds of the Golfo de Cariaco and Mochima. Ours was the ONLY yacht wherever we went. There were still a few yachts in the well-known marinas and places like Medregal Village. But the few cruisers who are still in Venezuela seem to have resigned themselves to being stuck in one place. Many have adopted a siege mentality. Few venture out to cruise and most remain in the secure marinas. Marinas that were brimming full just two years ago now have more spaces than yachts. Regular cruising folk in Puerto La Cruz tell us that they are afraid to go out „ unfortunately, probably with good cause. As of this writing, we are moored in company with a brave lady whose husband was murdered on their boat about a year ago when the couple anchored their yacht off Isla Borracho, in a bay once considered safe. Despite her courageous decision then to remain on the yacht based in Venezuela, this stoic individual has now resigned herself to going back to the USA. She feels she is now Âalways looking over my shoulderÂŽ. This dreadful incident, plus a recent attack on another well-known local character off the Peninsula de Paria, and an incident in Carenero harbour at about the same time, has radically changed everyoneÂs opinion regarding the safety of cruising here. Few now consider it safe to spend a night at open anchor. Times are very hard in Venezuela. Thieving and violence are not directed solely towards the cruising community. Local boaters, including fishermen, have also been attacked and robbed. Some fishermen have been attacked for their nets! The very good deals of the past are mostly gone. Some prices, in fact, have nearly doubled in two years and are no different from those, say, in Grenada. But we still love it here and as a cruising ground, especially one below the hurricane belt, you cannot find a better place. There are dolphins waiting to greet you at the harbour entrance and an abundance of sea life that is rare in the mid-Caribbean islands these days. The cultural differences are refreshing after a long season of the Âsame old songsÂŽ up-island. There are marvelous reefs and beaches on the offshore islands and there are very well organized Âholiday beachesÂŽ with small restaurants and shaded picnic huts. ItÂs all very clean and well run by the Mochima Parks Authority and quite popular with the Venezuelans on weekends. The friendly and helpful officers of the Guarda Costa, which regularly patrols the area, told me that I was the first foreign tourist they had met at Chimana Grande all year. They said I was very welcome in Venezuela and said they would try to respond immediately should I ever need their assistance. „Continued on next page Cruising Venezuela, Summer 2009 by John BurnieAbove: Indaba alone at anchor „ as usual. You canÂt complain that Venezuelan anchorages are overcrowded! Below: Fishing boats become water taxis at Mochima, a popular weekend spot for locals DESTINATIONS
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 19 „ Continued from previous page They gave me phone numbers and three radio channels to call them on. This team, together with local police launches, also patrols the Morro waterway in Puerto La Cruz, a large and attractive system of canals lined by beautiful waterside residences of every size and description. It is highly secure and very well run. The only change this year is the complete absence of visiting-cruiser canal traffic, which was so prevalent two years ago. ItÂs very strange „ there are definitely safety and security problems here in Venezuela, but I personally feel less safe in so many other places. In fact, I actually find the island of St. Vincent much more alarming; I really watch my back there and never anchor in the remote areas. Experience in Guadeloupe also alerts me to the fact that certain parts can be as bad as anything in Venezuela. French sailors happily cruise West Africa for months at a time „ surely that has to be as insecure an area as anything in the Caribbean. It is abundantly clear to me that there is no organized, premeditated piracy on yachts in this part of Venezuela, despite what many would have you believe. The term ÂpiracyÂŽ is often misused. Piracy, I feel, infers totally premeditated and highly organized crime against vessels on the high seas. In this area of the Caribbean, any attacks on yachts, however shocking and violent they are, in reality remain that „ random, disorganized crimes. Many fishing boats in Venezuela carry guns, as much to protect the fishermen themselves against attacks as anything else. Those guns could be used to rob a cruising yacht, however, if the opportunity arises and the fishing is not going well. I have also read of boats being targeted in port and followed out to sea. But I still believe this is highly random. Until there are heavily armed vessels engaged solely in the business of hunting down and robbing cruising vessels, the term ÂpiracyÂŽ seems inappropriate. There are very poor people in Venezuela, living under such hard circumstances that desperate acts of survival might be inevitable. In better circumstances, these people would be disinclined to engage in opportunist robbery and attacks on yachts, because so many of them see visiting vessels as important contributors to the local revenue. Most attackers only want money or something they can sell for easy money. This may explain why some so-called ÂpiratesÂŽ seem inept and haphazard, nervous and afraid. Inexperienced at robbing, unaccustomed to modern yachts and the ÂdifferentÂŽ personnel aboard, the robbers irrationally ÂtrashÂŽ the vessel, a classic response resulting from an anxiety of not actually being sure what to steal or do. Incidents can deteriorate into violence because both the attackers and victims lose any sense of rationale or communication that might defuse the situation. Most attacks happen because an opportunity presents itself. Available circumstances meet potential perpetrators, often without premeditation. Experience indicates that potential attackers may Âgo away to think about itÂŽ, leaving a window of opportunity for alert travellers to leave the area if they have noticed the danger. We do cruise here on high alert and we take a number of precautionary measures. We have very bright floodlights that we can switch on all over the yacht. We have security ÂscreamersÂŽ and pepper sprays. I have a very powerful flare gun; not much against an AK 47 perhaps, but there are few instances of that firepower in this area, despite its reputation as a ÂpirateÂŽ hotspot. We have never actually needed to use any of our safety measures. But we have moved on from anchorages where we felt suddenly wary, especially after boats approached us that we did not feel comfortable about. A keen awareness, particularly of every passing boat, and an innate sense of what is risky, may be our best protection. The largest portion of the Venezuelan population living near the coast between Caracas and Cumana/ Golfo de Cariaco seems friendly and quite ÂnormalÂŽ (if there is such a thing). We were visiting the Arapos islands just off mainland Venezuela on Columbus Day, a local holiday, which many locals celebrated with picnics on the beach. Hundreds of fishing-boat ÂtaxisÂŽ passed us throughout the weekend. As the only yacht anywhere around, we could not have been more obviously alone and vulnerable. Yet all we felt was that we were an object of curiosity, and „ according to the smiles and friendly waves „ one that was very welcome. Local people tell me that those who get a taste for robbing often quickly get caught in Venezuela „ the deep-rooted Spanish-Catholic culture disapproves of theft as a way of life. As explained to me, very poor people can ill afford to lose any of their meager possessions to theft, so many of them have a curious morality regarding stealing. Even when they are engaged in it themselves against richer people, they donÂt approve of the principle. Nonetheless, street crime in the large towns seems to have increased. In Puerto La Cruz, just outside the well-known Bahia Redonda Marina there is a barrio with three good fish restaurants. In daylight, cruiser folk still visit them. But the hundred-metre walk is now considered too risky at night. One friendly taxi driver, lamenting the huge loss of visiting tourists, explained that we were two of a mere handful of visitors he had carried in recent months. Five years ago, he said, there was a thriving tourist trade with visitors from all over the world. Despite an enjoyable summerÂs cruise, increasingly the evidence accumulates that these once-idyllic coastal cruising grounds of mainland Venezuela are currently to be avoided. Ann Louise and I prefer not to be so security conscious all the time. Nor do we intend to be marina bound. So shortly we will be off to Tortuga and Los Roques. The off-lying islands still feel safe enough to permit proper and enjoyable Caribbean cruising „ e.g. one is able to be at anchor without having to monitor every hatch and sound throughout the night. In truth, this is probably our last visit here and I cannot conceal my disappointment about that. Despite everything, I just love the area. The people are interesting, the culture and the climate are wonderful. What a waste to have to leave because of security fears! But unless things change immediately, which is unlikely, our luck may run out if we continue to try to cruise here with any modicum of normality. My abiding fear is that this proud and beautiful land is slipping into decline, in such an unnecessary way, and despite the good-natured will of most of its people. Certainly the ÂnormalÂŽ Venezuelan people we have met seem genuinely appalled by all the incidents. All want something done. One painful truth is that the official response to attacks on visiting yachts in Venezuela has been unacceptably indifferent. It is astonishing how government officials fail to see the damage their lack of response does to the country, its tourism and its wider economy. Because of a lethargic response to crimes and the apparent lack of control by authorities and security services, individuals come to believe they can get away with attacks on foreign cruising yachts with impunity. Thus, potential participants in this sort of crime become emboldened. If the matter of violent crime against visitors is not fully addressed, the sophisticated visitor/cruiser markets, already in severe decline, could collapse. The politicians alone have the control and resources to correct these matters. So far, they offer only lip service, not remedial action. But unless they act soon they will be failing the people of Venezuela. History will condemn them for their lamentable lack of action where it was so vitally necessary. The businesses and the travellers will already be gone. In Puerto La Cruz is a system of canals lined by beautiful residences
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 20 Marina Pointe-à -Pitre 97110 Phone: +590 590 907 137 Fax: +590 590 908 651 E-mail: fredmarine@wanadoo.frSERVICES Mechanics and Electricity Boat Maintenance Engine diagnosis Breakdown service 24/7 Haulout and hull sand blasting Equipment for rent Technical shop GOODS Genuine parts Yanmar & Tohatsu Basic spare parts (filters, impellers, belts)Filtration FLEETGUARD Anodes,Shaft bearings Electric parts, batteries Primers and Antifouling International Various lubricants FOR RENT High pressure cleaners 150/250bars Electrical tools Diverse hand tools Vacuum cleaner for water ScaffoldingTOHATSU LEAVE YOUR BOAT IN SKILLED HANDSMARINE MECHANICS (ALL MAKES) HAUL OUT 24h BREAKDOWN SERVICE € SALES € REPAIRS € MAINTENANCE FRED MARINE Guadeloupe F.W.I. ONE September morning in 2009, Anne of Freya of Clyde enquired on the Chaguaramas, Trinidad cruisers radio net if anyone would be interested in exploring the worldÂs highest waterfall: Angel Falls in Venezuela. My wife Leona and I were among those who replied ÂyesÂŽ! Our group eventually expanded to six couples from as many boats, with three from the United Kingdom ( Freya, Beez Neez and El Lobo ), Blue Song from Austria/ Germany, Tashtego from the USA, and our Voyageur C from Canada. Many cruisers have made the trip from Isla Margarita, Caracas or Puerto La Cruz to Angel Falls, but to our knowledge, no one had done the trip from Trinidad before „ especially with our budget objective of US$1,000 per head „ and there was a lot of interest from other cruisers. Our timing was dictated by the ferry to Venezuela: it only runs once a week, on Wednesdays. Anne did all the ÂlegworkÂŽ, coordinating with travel agents Branko and Betty (of Turistico SurAmericaTravel) in Venezuela, and hosting our weekly planning meetings. Yellow fever shots and anti-malaria prescriptions were required and baggage limit would be one backpack per person, plus a carryon. Although many people have never heard of the Guayana Highlands, that part of Venezuela is the home of Angel Falls „ the worldÂs tallest waterfall with an overall height of 979 metres (3,212 feet) and a clear drop of 807 metres (2,647 feet). The area also hosts the Orinoco River and the tepuis „ huge sandstone mesas that rise thousands of feet above the Gran Sabana, a vast grassland. On Wednesday, October 7th, we checked in at Pier One at 7:00AM for the 9:00AM departure of the ferry to Guiria, the Venezuelan port of entry on the Gulf of Paria. After a smooth three-and-a-half hour crossing we pulled into the harbour at Guiria. After we waited in the harbour for nearly two hours, the medical officer boarded to check us for swine flu. When the ferry finally pulled up to the dock, Anne was delighted to see Branko and Betty waiting for us. We celebrated our arrival in Guiria with local beer (3.5 Bf per bottle) and Cacique rum (35 Bf for a 750ml bottle) and dined on excellent Syrian shawarma (18 Bf) while sitting at a table on the street wedged between the gutter and the traffic. To put the prices in perspective, you can buy five Bolivar Fuerte (Bf) for ONE US dollar „ at the unofficial rate. After our overnight stay at the Hotel Plaza in Guiria we took a 12-hour bus ride to Ciudad Bolivar, founded in 1764 as Angostura. (Angostura bitters now come from Trinidad, but that is another story.) Our bus, ably piloted by Carlos, was basically an extended air-conditioned van with little legroom and fixed seats, so the occasional stops were greatly appreciated. Filling up the diesel van was an eye opener „ the price was equivalent to one cent per liter! Gasoline is twice as expensive. The trip took us through a surprising variety of topography from mountains to plains with grazing cattle. We crossed the Orinoco at dusk on one of only two bridges across this river in Venezuela. We stayed at the Da Gino hotel (a cut above the Plaza) beside the airport and dined on pizza and beer at the hotel restaurant. Friday morning we went to the airport and met the representative from Sapito Tours (www.sapitotours.com) who had made the arrangements for our group to enter Canaima National Park. The one-and-a-half hour flight to Canaima was made in sixseater aircraft, so everyone had a window seat. Flying at a maximum of 6,500 feet over the 119 miles we had great views of the tepuis and waterfalls as we approached Canaima. Canaima sits on one side of Canaima Lagoon, which is fed by four spectacular waterfalls on the Rio Carrao. After landing, we walked a short way and were then transported by canoe to Camp Bernal (www.bernaltours.com) on Isla Anatoliy, which is situated in the lagoon between two of the waterfalls. On arrival we were given refreshments and presented with bead bracelets and necklaces. Native people here are the Pemon (who operate the park) and guides must be native. We met our river guide, Danielle, at the camp. Danielle spoke English like a first language „ all of the guides here must speak English. The guides we met displayed grace, dignity and excellent knowledge of the local flora and fauna. We had the balance of the day at the camp so we wandered off to see Salto Hacha (Axe Falls), which featured a lengthy path beneath a rock overhang directly under the falls. ItÂs slippery, so socks are better than shoes or bare feet. Also, you are walking through serious downpours here „ ladies, hang onto the tops of your bathing suits! Later Danielle took us to a lovely sand beach (Playita) just below the Salto El Sapo (Frog Falls sounds less exciting) where we had a swim. Then we crossed through a path behind these falls „ quite slippery with water dripping everywhere and very tunnel-like with water on one side and rock on the other three sides. It was impossible to hear anything over the roar of the water a couple of feet away! At the other side of the falls we climbed up and walked back across the top of the falls. Despite the torrents going over the falls, we could walk across the top with dry feet because most of the water flowed through channels cut into and under the rock. We had opted for cabins (four people to a room) with private baths, but the rooms were very hot so some of us slept in hammocks under mosquito nets in the main lodge „ basically a roof with no walls. On the Saturday morning we sorted through our stuff, stored what we would not need at the upper camp and took the canoe to Canaima, then walked through town and up around the falls to Port Ucaima „ the curiara landing. A word about the curiara. Our open boat held a party of 17, including the boat driver, a guide and a bowman, with the other 14 of us seated two abreast and our luggage stored under tarpaulins between us and the driver. This presented a full load, especially since river depths were dropping as the rainy season came to an end. The curiara is powered by a 48or 72-horsepower Yamaha and might draw about six inches. „Continued on next page ALL ASHOREƒ A n g e l F a l l s Angel Falls „ V i a t h e „ Via the R o a d L e s s Road Less T r a v e l l e d Travelled by Bill Roberts In Puerto La Cruz is a system of canals lined by beautiful residences
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 21 „ Continued from previous page The boats are massively built of wood with pitch caulking, which is a good thing considering the number of rocks we bounced off or over on the river. They change the propeller and put on the Ârock propÂŽ when they leave the main river. In the rapids, the stern man is continuously tilting the motor up and down and side to side to balance propulsion, direction and draft, while the bowman calls the course and wields a large paddle of the Warao pattern to steer the boat. Any cross wind and the bow wave is in your face, and water often slops over the side in the rapids. Getting wet is guaranteed „ even if it doesnÂt rain, which it did for an hour or so. The curiara trip took us 24 miles up Rio Carrao and then 20 miles up Rio Churun to Refugio Rustico on Isla Raton, base camp for the hike to Angel Falls. About ten miles up the Rio Carrao we all had to get out and walk across the Mayupa Savannah while the curiara ran the rapids. Five miles further upriver we stopped for a box lunch at a waterfall where we enjoyed the rock pool and the natural shower. From there we entered the spectacular land of the tepuis with steep mountains, forested lowlands and waterfalls around every corner. While there are only a couple of rapids on Rio Carrao, the run up Rio Churun in particular involves miles of rapids and shallow spots and the water levels change rapidly with the weather. A couple of times a few of us had to walk around some of the rapids and once on the way up DevilÂs Gorge we all had to fend the boat off while passing between humungous rocks in mid-channel „ on our first attempt we drifted backwards downriver. Overall, the upriver trip took seven hours including stops, and we arrived at Isla Raton around 5:00PM. Refugio Rustico is an appropriate name „ hammocks enclosed in mosquito nets slung over a dirt floor under a thatched roof with benches for dining and relaxing. No running water or electricity, but the food was abundant and excellent, especially the wood-fired barbecued chicken! Bonus: This is the only camp that has a view of the falls „ great morning light! On the Sunday morning we crossed the river and hiked for an hour toward Auyun Tepui (Evil Mountain), the home of Angel Falls. The trail is well marked with easy going for the first half but the second half is quite steep up to the Mirador Laime viewpoint elevation at 2,300 feet. The view of the falls is spectacular. We lucked into a perfectly clear and sunny day. After lounging on the rocks at the viewpoint we descended a very steep trail to the pool at the bottom of the falls. Here we enjoyed a long swim, washing off the trail grime and sweat. There you have it „ four days and 24 hours of travel to reach the falls! We returned to Isla Raton, had lunch and embarked on the downriver trip. The water level had dropped so there were a couple more portages. At one point the boat was doing over 20 miles per hour down the rapids. However, the trip was slower than the guides had planned, so we made the Mayupa portage in twilight and the last ten miles on the river in the dark „ a tad unnerving, but we were past all the rapids. We docked at the upper end of Isla Anatoliy and then hiked down to Camp Bernal in the dark, thankful for our Petzl headlamps and DanielleÂs knowledge of the trails. The trip downriver was faster by two hours, but 12 hours over two days sitting on a wooden plank screams for a cushion on which to sit. The river trips are the most exciting segment of the trip! Monday morning we walked back to Salto Hacha, crossed under the waterfall overhang and climbed across a headland to swim in the pool under the adjacent falls, Salto Wadaima. Then back to camp for lunch where we were royally entertained by the Canaima childrenÂs choir in native costume singing in Spanish and Pemon. Afterwards we rushed to the airport to catch the plane to Ciudad Bolivar. On the bus on Tuesday, we enjoyed a daylight view of the three-year-old Orinoquia Bridge across the three-kilometre wide Orinoco River and stopped to shop at the Warao camp at Rio Morichal Largo. They would sell a small monkey for 500 Bf and also had a couple of agouti in cages for sale, as well as the usual baskets and beadwork. Along the way, we passed another person with an armadillo for sale. We said goodbye to Betty and Branko in Carupano and arrived back in Guiria around 9:00PM „ yet another 12-hour bus trip. The next morning we found the shipping agency (Acosta y Asociados) where we paid our 80 Bf departure tax and got our names on the ferryÂs manifest. We found a wonderful bakery for breakfast, and then checked in at the ferry around 2:00PM and we were back in Chaguaramas at 7:30PM. Our complex arrangements all worked flawlessly with no glitches. All agreed we had a truly wonderful week „ on time and on budget. Bill and Leona Roberts left Halifax, Canada aboard their Island Packet 35 Voyageur C in September 2007 and have been cruising the Eastern Caribbean for the past two years. Stopping for lunch along the riverbank Aerial view of Isla Anatoliy, situated between two waterfalls Angel Falls „ spectacular!
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 22 THE CRUISING SAILOR`S CHANDLERY SINCE 1990 AMERON ABC 3 TIN FREE SELF POLISHING ANTIFOULING PAINT CORNER: MIRANDA C O R N E R : M I R A N D A& GUARAGUAO, PUERTO LA CRUZ, VENEZUELA & G U A R A G U A O , P U E R T O L A C R U Z , V E N E Z U E L A TEL: 58 (281) 265-3844 E-MAIL : xanadumarine@cantv.net T E L : 5 8 ( 2 8 1 ) 2 6 5 3 8 4 4 E M A I L : x a n a d u m a r i n e @ c a n t v . n e t  Carpe diem ,ÂŽ the lyric poet Horace wrote more than 2,000 years ago. And when youÂre a cruiser, seizing the day wherever you drop the hook invariably reinforces how very right Horace was. When the yachts Receta and Tusen Takk II arrived in Union IslandÂs Chatham Bay early last June, it would have been oh-so-easy to spend a couple of days just hanging out in that lovely Grenadines anchorage. But Chuck on Tusen Takk II had a plan, and RecetaÂs crew seized it with a vengeance: Walk from Chatham Bay to the town of Ashton, where we could catch a bus to the town of Clifton, and from there climb to the top of the Pinnacle, an aptly named, steep-sided, high-rising chunk of rock, reportedly one of the islandÂs toughest and most spectacular hikes. (ÂYou need to have a good head for heights,ÂŽ Chris Doyle writes in his guide, describing the PinnacleÂs Âdramatic 360-degree precipitous view.ÂŽ) Chuck, Barb, Steve, and I set off early the next morning, scrabbling up the hill behind Chatham BayÂs beach (a modest warm-up for the hike to come) and then following the road from (more or less) the middle of the west side of the island around to Ashton in (more or less) the middle of the south side, rewarded by expansive views of turquoisegreen water broken by patches of frothing reef. As we descended into Ashton, the second-largest village on this friendly island of about 3,000 residents, and stopped in a shop for a cold drink before the next leg of our adventure, we were greeted with: ÂHave you come for the Maroon?ÂŽ The Maroon „ an annual celebration that gives thanks for last yearÂs harvest and marks the start of the planting season (and the rainy season) „ is one of Union IslandÂs most important cultural activities. The main Maroon, spearheaded by the Roots Connection Culture Club, takes place in Clifton each May, three days before or after the full moon. But this year, Ashton was also holding a Maroon, and only serendipitous good luck (and a belief in carpe diem ) has brought us here on the very day of this traditional event. Its roots stretch back to West African harvest rites, which came to the Caribbean with slavery. Escaped slaves, who joined together in communities on Union and other islands, were called Maroons; from this grew the Maroon festival, which celebrates not just the start of the planting season, but also the unity of people coming together. The celebration includes singing, drumming, dancing, and communal cooking. ÂThe cooking is already starting,ÂŽ one of the villagers tells us, pointing to a cleared areaƒ „Continued on next page C A R I B B E A N C E L E B R A T I O N S CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS  M A R O O N E D  O N ÂMAROONED ON U N I O N I S L A N D UNION ISLAND by Ann VanderhoofALL PHOTOS: STEVE MANLEY
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 23 „ Continued from previous page ƒdown the road, where we can see smoke rising from wood fires and women in long red-and-white dresses with matching headscarves Âseasoning upÂŽ mutton and goat, and lugging big blackened pots „ cauldrons, actually „ to the fires, where they are supported on tripods of rocks. Red and white are the colors of the St. John Spiritual Baptist Church, which is behind the Ashton Maroon, Masani DeFreitas tells us. ÂIt took us a while to get our finances in order,ÂŽ she explains, which is why AshtonÂs Maroon is being held two days before JuneÂs full moon. (Going back to their beginnings, Maroons were scheduled around the full moon so there would be light for the festivities, which extend long into the night.) We hatch a revised plan: After we conquer the Pinnacle, weÂll return to Ashton to catch the Maroon in full swing. ÂHow long will the cooking go on?ÂŽ Chuck asks. ÂUntil everyone on the island has something to eat,ÂŽ Masani replies. SheÂs not exaggerating: Maroons are all-island feasts, and everyone from schoolkids to their parents to our quartet of cruisers will be given a groaning plateful, without charge. Donations are welcome, though, and we leave Masani with a contribution and a promise that sheÂll see us again later in the day. Fast forward four hours or so. The bus from Clifton deposits four very tired, very sweaty cruisers back in Ashton. Despite the absence of anything resembling a marked trail, weÂd made it to the top of the Pinnacle; Chuck climbed to the very highest rock, while the rest of us were content to enjoy the view (as spectacular as advertised) from a slightly lower perch. ÂA good head for heightsÂŽ was indeed an asset „ as was a willingness to cling goatlike to narrow ledges and boost each other over boulders. Having a helpful bus driver who circled around until he got us to the most advantageous starting point (by the radio mast) didnÂt hurt either. Sleepy Ashton has come alive in the time weÂve been away „ itÂs now filled with music, people, and mouthwatering smells. We are immediately offered cold drinks ( very welcome, after the Pinnacle), followed by heaping plates of food. The rich sauce from the meaty stew is absorbed by mounds of rice and balls of coo-coo (West Indian cornmeal polenta), with provision and salad on the side. After we eat, Chuck and I wander over to where several women are making dumplings, and weÂre immediately invited to pinch off pieces from a mammoth mound of dough and try our hands. The Union ladies shape smooth, perfect disks; Chuck and I produce ragged, irregular splats. More practice is clearly needed. Meanwhile, one of our hosts has positioned herself on an upturned crate with a drum clutched between her knees and is beating out a rhythm. Other women start to sing and dance to traditional folksongs that clearly have African ancestry. Bodies twirl, skirts swirl, and hands clap to the rhythm. But this is just the start. ÂThe Big Drum Dance come this evening,ÂŽ a young woman next to me says. ÂTonight, there will be many many drums, and many many people singing and dancing. YouÂre coming back tonight, arenÂt you?ÂŽ Unfortunately not. Though we happily seized the day, itÂs just too difficult to seize the night from our Chatham Bay anchorage. ÂBack in time,ÂŽ the ancestors of the people gathered here called on the god or goddess of rain to open the heavens for planting season. This aspect of the Maroon, however, has long disappeared. Still. Let the record show it poured the next day. For information about the 2010 Maroons on Union Island, call the Roots Connection Culture Club, (784) 527-0207. Ann Vanderhoof is the author of An Embarrassment of Mangoes . Her new book, The Spice Necklace , will be published in January. Main photo: The communal cooking starts early in the day. Everything is cooked outdoors over wood fires Inset: ÂOne of our hosts positioned herself on an upturned crate with a drum clutched between her knees Above: The drumming, singing, and dancing in the afternoon gave us a taste of the Big Drum Dance to come that evening Right: Building an appetite: Chuck Shipley of Tusen Takk II starts to descend the Pinnacle SAIL DESIGN GROUP Nanny Cay, Tortola, BVI l t. 284 494 1124 l e. kwrigley@quantumsails.com Located near the entrance of Nanny CayClean, renewable fuel free with every sailLargest loft in the BVI Full sales and service loft Convenient location New canvas and canvas repair Pick up and drop off www.quantumsails.com
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 24 Grenada CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS arbuda irthday Ryan WeaverJuly 20th, 2009 was one special day. 65 years ago „ Bomb almost assassinated Hitler. 40 years ago „ First bootprint mashed into lunar dust. 30 years ago „ I was born. Thirtieth birthdays are vulnerable to insults, I discovered. My younger sisters looked with persistence for symptoms of my new old age: hair loss and gain in all the wrong places, wrinkles, a limp, liver spots, incontinence, etcetera. My parents sympathized by whisking me away to Barbuda. It wasnÂt a very far whisking because we were already in Antigua. Still, an escape from an escape ought to keep my newly old disposition refreshed and cheerful. The Barbuda Express ferry parking lot was empty except for a beer label fluttering across the pavement. When I mentioned our reservations to the ticket lady she looked at her paperwork and cranked an eyebrow up a good half-inch. ÂSays here you enÂt have no tour,ÂŽ she said. ÂWe prefer to do our own thing.ÂŽ ÂOoo-kay.ÂŽ Courtesy of recent atmospheric temper tantrums, the ferry crossing was adventuresome. We performed levitation tricks each time the catamaran went freefalling down the backside of a swell. Mom tried to enhance the thrill of this phenomenon by hopping but accidentally launched her head into the roof and was forced into retirement. Despite earnest effort we made only a splashy, millimetric progress. It was not hard to believe that the Apocalypse would arrive before Barbuda. We werenÂt able to sight the island until it was right in front of us, because itÂs flat. This was news to me. I suddenly came to the realization that I knew nothing about Barbuda. Nothing, that is, except what the perpetual ad-campaign in my travel magazines claimed: that Barbuda was all beauty and charm, riches and exclusivity „ just the type of snooty island one deserved on oneÂs 30th birthday. But the port wasnÂt snooty. In fact I could identify nothing resembling a port. Instead, Captain Greg seemed to be deliberately pointing our bow at an eyesore of a shipwreck. The shipwreck consisted of rusty iron ribs drooping into a shallow sea. Beyond the shipwreck lay a milky lagoon and a wharf where some battered boats rollicked. Ashore, two busted vans awaited arriving locals. That was it. No taxis; no buildings; nothing. Nearby an elevator dumped sand atop an industrial-sized pile that grew no bigger because the wind whipped it all off and carried it along the road and flung it into our faces. ÂHappy Birthday, Ryan!ÂŽ Mom shouted. Ha, ha, ha! I assured my bewildered party that if we walked out past the chain-link fence with the faded plywood welcome sign weÂd surely hit a town soon. No island whose bloodline was tourism, I assured them, would dare maroon their tourists in this rubble pit. But the view stretching far down River Road (there are no rivers on Barbuda, by the way) consisted of nothing but potholes and palm trees. We trudged back and knocked on the window of the only vehicle left at the ferry landing. The driver seemed baffled when we said we wanted to go to town. ÂTo rent a car,ÂŽ I explained. This put the driver in a state of noggin-scratching pontification. He scrolled through his phone contacts and dialed the proprietor of (letÂs call it) Acme Rentals: ACME RENTALS For the best in rentals use Acme Rentals. The cost of getting a rental is never as affordable before. Come enjoy Barbuda in air-conditioning comfort. Acme agreed to help us out and I found myself charmed once again by the Caribbean work ethic: why waste time holding regular hours at your rental car agency when you could take the day off until someone phoned? ItÂs sound logic. The island passing us by looked parched, thorny and scrubby, the type of place youÂd expect to see cattle bones half buried in the dirt. The road was poor. „Continued on next page B CHRIS DOYLE
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 25 „ Continued from previous page Codrington Village (where most of the 1,500 residents live) was poor, too. A wildlooking old man in shorts and rubber boots strolled by twirling a machete. Somebody was cooking barbecue in an oil drum. The driver pulled over suddenly and we looked around in alarm. Had we lost our tailpipe? Run out of transmission fluid? ÂI think weÂre looking at Acme Rentals,ÂŽ Pops whispered. Before us lay humble dilapidation. A barbed-wire fence enclosing a small property shipwrecked in weeds. House of paneled plywood, roof of tin. Rags fluttering in the open windows, small faces peeking out. Three punished-looking automobiles in front representing the rental car fleet of Barbuda. It was becoming increasingly clear why an eyebrow would raise at paperwork saying Âno tourÂŽ. Acme herself looked at us from the stoop. Caught unawares, she hadnÂt found time to clean the car. It smelled peculiar and could have doubled as a preschool sandbox. Also, she said, it was running on fumes and weÂd better hurry to the petrol station because it closed at noon. TIME OUT, I thought as we raced for gas. REFOCUS. Clearly we werenÂt going to get what we thought we paid for in Barbuda, and unmet expectations can lead to regret. Better come up with new expectations, for adaptation is crucial to happy travel. We filled up and were some way down the road when Pops jerked to the shoulder bellowing ÂFlat tire!ÂŽ The tires were more or less inflated, however. We tried to push on but it sounded like a World War II battle was being reenacted in our left axle. I got out and watched the tire going jabberwocky „ three lugs hanging by a thread and one missing. ÂNo biggie!ÂŽ I reported. ÂOur tire almost just fell off, thatÂs all.ÂŽ Ha, ha, ha! Fortunately, this was a quick fix. We proceeded to crunch over long dirt roads until everyone was convinced we were lost and without hope of survival. Then a sign said Two Foot Bay, which I recognized from a pamphlet as being a good place to be. Pops pulled over at a thick stone ruin and somebody in a truck pulled up alongside to inquire how we were getting along. He never introduced himself; we will call him Saint. Saint guided our hike to Indian Cave. Indians favored the cave, he explained, because of a ghoulish face in the rock. Apparently the horror of it inspired them. Only two petroglyphs remain, and although they were right under our noses we never wouldÂve found them without Saint pointing. It was a huge cave full of sunspots and dazzling color. Pink. Green. Blue. White. This is where IÂd come to survive a hurricane or throw a good party, I thought. Before parting ways I asked Saint for directions to famous Darby Cave, and he drew me a mental map to the geocentric middle of nowhere and advised me not to try it without a guide or only the buzzards would find us. So we got lost looking for the pink sand beaches instead. There are 17 miles of pink sand beach on Barbuda and no access. Not that we could find, anyway. We fishtailed upon dozens of soft sandy trails only to hit their cul-de-sac ends. We passed nothing but donkeys and shrubs and puddles for miles. In the end it took me climbing a sand dune to get something like a compass bearing for us to find the true End of the Road. And there it was. Blazing white sand with pink sprinkles as far as one could see. Nothing Âha, ha, haÂŽ about this beach. This was by far the most exquisite beach any of us had ever seen. I took off running with my girlfriend, Yllithia. Swam with Mom and went shell collecting with Pops. Wrote ÂHappy BirthdayÂŽ to myself in the soft pink sand. Laid back and looked up. TIME OUT, I thought. SAVOR. This feeling now, this is why you travel the Caribbean. This feeling can be translated into the only wisdom IÂve gleaned from 30 years, the only advice I can share with complete confidence: seek out the places that fill you with the profound satisfaction of being aliveƒ and linger. Above: Guided by a saint, Yllithia captures a sunbeam in Indian Cave Below: ÂWe passed nothing but donkeys and shrubs and puddles for milesƒÂ
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 26 Tel: 809 523 5858 Visit: marinazarpar.com Contact MARINA ZARPAR VHF Channel 5 email: info@marinazarpar.com € High Quality Sheltered Moorings € Slips to 120 with depth 10 € Shore power 30, 50 and 100 amps € All slips with fingers € Showers, Laundry, Restaurant, 24 hour security € Immigration office in the marina for clearance € Free WIFI and Free Internet € Dinghy Dock € 12 miles East of Santo Domingo and 7 miles East of International Airport Marina Zar-Par The Dominican Republic's newest marina catering to the needs of cruising yachtsmen 18.25.50N 69.36.67W Ma Ma Za FREE Dominican Republic Cruising Guide at: www.dominicanrepubliccruisingguide.com W Windsurfer, rower, folklorist and hiking guide Telfor Bedeau is unique. He is the first person to have climbed GrenadaÂs highest mountain, Mount Saint Catherine, 100 times (the record hundredth time at age 60), and has circumnavigated his home island of Grenada by windsurfer (selftaught, in his 60s), by rowboat (twice „ once in each direction) and on foot (to raise funds for charity in the name of his late daughter). Telfor Bedeau was born in Grenada on October 15th, 1939, just about the time the Second World War started. He grew up on the islandÂs coast on the outskirts of the town of Grenville. He became a seaman, sailing the old cargo schooners up and down the island chain. He built his first rowing boat and called her Sea Hiker . He rowed his boat up and down the coast, visiting the outlying islands and exploring the seashore. He was also a land surveyor for a few years, giving him the opportunity to explore many places in Grenada. He is now a full-time hiking and walking guide to all parts of Grenada and knows the interior better than anyone else. A week before his 70th birthday this year he invited me to join him on a commemorative boat ride around Grenada to celebrate his last rowing circumnavigation, which was 12 years ago in Sea Hiker II . Four of us took off from the fishing village of Soubise on GrenadaÂs east coast at seven in the morning, in a fast open fishing boat. The sea was calm, the weather fine: a perfect day. Heading north, we passed by Sandy, Green and Sugarloaf islands, London Bridge, Isle de Caille and Isle de Ronde, fishing all the way with no luck. We stopped in the lee of Isle de Ronde and cracked a bottle of champagne before heading down the west coast of Grenada. Reaching the capital, St. GeorgeÂs, we pulled in to Port Louis Marina for another drink, Telfor trying out the quality of their margaritas. Our next stop was True Blue Bay on the south coast, again for margaritas. Last stop was ClarkeÂs Court Bay Marina, and then we sped up the east coast and arrived back in Soubise by late afternoon. (Rowing around Grenada had taken Telfor two days, with in a net rowing time of 20 hours.) But the boat ride wasnÂt the only birthday activity; Telfor celebrated his 70th for the whole month of October. On the 15th, his actual birthday, he wanted to climb Mount Saint Catherine with friends. This would be his 158th ascent of the 2,750-foot (845-metre) mountain, more than a hundred of which he did as a guide for hikers. About 20 of us met in Grenville at eight in the morning, took a bus to Mount Horn and started hiking. The first couple of hours were relatively easy; there was a road many years ago so the trail is well defined and not too steep. The last part is a steep incline, a narrow, muddy and slippery trail. Fortunately the vegetation offers good handholds, otherwise it would be an impossible task. The views when the clouds parted were spectacular. The top portion was misted over, appearing and disappearing in the fast-moving clouds. It was this last section that Telfor wanted to time himself on. His fastest time was 30 minutes, set years ago, and now he wanted to see how much slower Father Time had made him. It made him 15 minutes slower; he made it in 45. At the top, three bottles of champagne materialized and we all toasted TelforÂs health and made jokes about the next time we would all climb up again. Telfor Bedeau can be reached for hikes in Grenada at (473) 442-6200. C C A A R R I B B B E A A A N C E L L L E B B R A A T I O O O N S S N a t u r e i s t h e Nature is the V e n u e f o r T e l f o r Â’ s Venue for TelforÂ’s B i r t h d a y Birthday by Jeff Fisher Above: Telfor and friends ascending GrenadaÂs tallest mountain on his 70th birthday Inset: His love of exploring the land and sea keeps Telfor Bedeau young Below: A champagne toast in the lee of Isla de Ronde
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 27 Chain & Rope Anchors & Fenders Electric Wire Marine Hoses Bilge Pumps Lubricants & Oils Stainless Fasteners Stainless Fittings VHF Radios Flares & Life Jackets Snorkeling Equipment Fishing Gear Antifouling Paint Paint Brushes Epoxy Resins Sanding Paper & Discs Hand & Power Tools Houseware & CookwareFOR YOUR MARINE HARDWARE, AND MORE Johnson Hardware Ltd. Rodney Bay, St. Lucia Tel: (758) 452 0299 Fax: (758) 452 0311 e-mail: hardware@candw.lc small village of Felicity twinkled with hundreds of tiny fires burning in small clay pots. Mouthwatering smells of curry wafted from kitchens and Indian music drifted from houses as people walked through the streets admiring the lights and chatting with families who were sitting outside their houses in this traditional East Indian village in western Trinidad. For several years my husband, Hunter, and I have heard rave reviews from other cruisers of their visits to an East Indian village during the Divali festival. This year we were in Trinidad at the right time, so on October 17th we joined a group of fellow cruisers on a trip organized by Jesse James of Members Only taxi service. We were welcomed to the Hindu temple by a priest in a long robe and instructed to remove our shoes before entering the temple. Inside we were free to look at the altar and take photos. At first I was a bit uncomfortable taking photos inside a temple, but we were encouraged to use our cameras. The altar was ringed by statues called murti, sacred images of deities that provide a point of devotional and meditational focus. The priest welcomed us and told us about the murti and some of the traditions associated with Divali. We were spellbound by the graceful young woman in traditional garb who danced to Indian music. I am sure some eyes were glued to her bare muscular midriff, but clearly her hands and body told a story. A small but energetic band of Tassa drummers played for us. These traditional Indo-Caribbean drums are hung around the neck. We were told that the two drummers and one cymbal player were a muchabbreviated version of their band. Divali (sometimes spelled Diwali) is a Hindu festival that symbolizes the lifting of spiritual darkness and spiritual and social renewal. The actual date varies from year to year, and is keyed to the day of the new moon in October. The word Divali means an array of lamps ( deep : lamp; vali : array) and is celebrated by Hindus around the world with the lighting of the small clay pots, called diyas, which contain oil and a cotton wick that is lit. Although Divali is a Hindu festival, in TrinidadÂs multicultural and multi-religious society, it is a national holiday observed by people of all denominations. East Indians represent 44 percent of the total population of Trinidad and of that group 24 percent are Hindus, but everyone gets a day off work and many people dress in traditional Indian garb and light diyas at work or around their table in the days leading up to Divali. The actual celebration of Divali lasts for five days. The climax is the lighting of the diyas after sundown on the last day. Diyas are lit by the thousands in yards, open spaces, staircases, roundabouts and porches. They are usually placed on bamboo stalks bent into fantastic shapes and designs. If you have ever taken a trip with Jesse you know there will be food, good food, and plenty of it. We reclaimed our shoes (I did have thoughts of upgrading my footwear) and were ushered into a small dining hall. There was a large piece of palm leaf at each place. The soharie leaf was at each place, and not as a placemat „ it would be our plate. We loaded up our leaves with traditional Indian foods: pumpkin, channa (curried chick peas); mango, curried chataigne, kuchila and roti skin. The roti was used to pinch up the other food on the plate. It was delicious and we were not allowed to leave until we were showing signs of being really well fed. Well fortified, we walked around town as the sun went down. Women in colorful saris and men in robes, as well as those in western clothing, lit the diyas around their houses. A young boy had arranged diyas around his bike. Families were sitting out on patios eating, drinking (nonalcoholic beverages) and chatting. Small fireworks punctuated the Indian music and the soft lights of the diyas. Cruisers were not the only visitors wandering around the town of Felicity. Many Trinis had travelled to enjoy the lights, sights and sounds of this traditional festival. And we were glad we came. CARIBBEAN CELEBRATIONS A M i l l i o n L i t t l e L i g h t s — A Million Little Lights — D i v a l i i n T r i n i d a d Divali in Trinidad by Devi Sharp T h e The ÂA small but energetic band of Tassa drummers played for us ÂWe were spellbound by the graceful young woman who danced to Indian musicÂALL PHOTOS: STEVE MANLEY
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 28 YAMAHAParts Repairs Service Outboard Engines 2HP-250HP Duty-Free Engines for Yachts McIntyre Bros. Ltd.TRUE BLUE, ST. GEORGEÂS, GRENADA W.I. PHONE: (473) 444 3944/1555 FAX: (473) 444 2899 email: macford@caribsurf.com TOURS & CRUISES CAR & JEEP RENTAL Marine Insurance The insurance business has changed. No longer can brokers talk of low rates. Rather, the honest broker can only say, ÂIÂll do my best to minimize your increase!ÂŽ There is good insurance, there is cheap insurance, but there is no good cheap insurance. You never know how good your insurance is until you have a claim. Then, if the claim is denied or unsatisfactorily settled, it is too late.I have been in the insurance business 48 years, 44 with Lloyds, and my claims settlement record cannot be beat. Fax DM Street Iolaire Enterprises (353) 28 33927 or e-mail: streetiolaire@hotmail.com www.street-iolaire.com The Caribbean is synonymous with good times. Of course, every regatta is a party, but there are loads of nonsailing celebrations that are just as much fun. From the multi-sensory explosion of Carnival season to the low-key pleasures of an afternoonÂs beach or river Âcook-upÂ, the region is awash with boat-accessible events large and small that visitors are encouraged to join in and enjoy. Here are just a few upcoming highlights: New YearÂs Eve/Old YearÂs Night Fort-de-France, Martinique, traditionally celebrates this holiday a day before most „ the ÂBoucans de la BaieÂŽ festival, with a fireworks display over the harbor and special late opening hours of museums and restaurants in the town on the evening of December 30th. On December 31st, English Harbour, Antigua, offers the strictly-for-fun annual NelsonÂs Pursuit yacht race, while Admiralty Bay, Bequia, is a favored place for a waterfront pub-crawl and midnight fireworks show. Music Festivals The 17th Annual Barbados Jazz Festival, January 11th through 17th, will feature international acts ranging from Motown icon Smokey Robinson to the Cuban Classics, performing at a range of venues. The St. Barts Music Festival, January 11th through 20th gives you a chance to enjoy classical music with the chic set. One of the stars of the St. Thomas USVI Blues Festival on January 22nd is its great open-air amphitheatre venue at the University of the Virgin Islands campus. The 15th Annual Mustique Blues Festival, January 27th through February 10th, stars British blues diva Dana Gillespie and her London Blues Band. The eclectic Bequia Music Fest, January 28th through 31st, will host the Mustique Blues Festival on one night and on other nights will showcase regional musicians including BequiaÂs own international reggae star Papa Winnie, plus the Mount Gay Blues Band from Barbados with special guest Toby Armstrong. Moonsplash 2010Âs ÂFamily ReunionÂŽ, March 25th through 28th, is a four-day reggae party in Anguilla hosted by Bankie Banx. The 4th International Aruba Piano Festival, April 17th through 24th, is not for pianists only, and has recitals, matinees and master classes. „Continued on next page C a r i b b e a n E v e n t s Caribbean Events t o L o o k F o r w a r d T o ! to Look Forward To! WILFRED DEDERER WILFRED DEDERER Opposite page: Jake Zaitz and Ian Siegal at the Bequia Music Fest 2009
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 29 „ Continued from previous page Entertainers at St. Lucia Jazz Festival 2010, May 1st through 9th, will include Jean-Luc Ponty, Maxi Priest, Steel Pulse and Foreigner. Visitors to the island at that time will be in for a two-for-one treat as Saint Lucia will be one of the host nations for the International Cricket CouncilÂs World Twenty20 Tournament. The two Group Stage matches will take place before the main stage shows of Saint Lucia Jazz Festival. The Semi Final matches take place in the week following Jazz. The BVI Music Festival, May 24th through 31st, boasts a nice seaside location at Cane Garden Bay. MartiniqueÂs Fête de la Musique, June 21st, is a celebration of MartiniqueÂs rich musical tradition with free concerts performed in the streets throughout the island. The World Creole Music Festival is held in Dominica during the last weekend in October, showcasing various forms of musical fusion from the countries of the Creole-speaking world. And, if you are a singer or musician, listen to the cruisers radio nets, talk to locals and ask around at Happy Hour to find out about jam sessions that you can join „ or just start playing in your own cockpit and see who turns up! Carnivals Virtually every island has its carnival, and while some celebrate on the traditional dates of the Monday and Tuesday before Lent, others are spread throughout the year „ and they are all different. Here are a few that demonstrate that diversity: Not content with a two-day event, the St. Croix Christmas Festival kicks off on December 5th with an Old Time Traditional Parade, and runs through January 3rd when there will be boat races. Similarly, MontserratÂs Christmas Festival Celebrations extend until a street parade on New YearÂs Day. Famous for Âbikinis and beadsÂŽ street parades and stupendous Carnival Queen costumes, Trinidad Carnival will climax on February 15th and 16th. These are also the dates for traditional carnival in Carriacou, which is quite different: donÂt miss Shakespeare Mas, when masqueraders compete by commenting on the happenings of the day in verse. Each year as revelers in other Carnival hot spots wind down with the close of Shrove Tuesday, the party in Martinique keeps going, reaching a decadent climax on one of the most solemn days on the Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday. The fitting theme for MartiniqueÂs ÂbonusÂŽ day of revelry is ÂRejoice Today, Repent Tomorrow!ÂŽ Other Happenings The International Cinema Festival of Guadeloupe, January 29th to February 6th, will take place in the city of Le Lamentin. The film festivalÂs theme for 2010 is ÂFrom the West Indies to AsiaÂŽ. The Caribbean Arts & Crafts Festival runs from March 5th through 10th at Trellis Bay, Tortola. Trellis Bay also features monthly Fireball Full Moon Parties. ÂMay in Saint PierreÂŽ, Martinique, commemorates the anniversary of the cataclysmic 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée that annihilated the town. There will be a series of lectures, presentations and guided tours offering greater insight into this historic event. See more events for December and January in the calendar on page 50. WeÂll give you a complete annual Calendar of Events for 2010, including regattas and much more, in next monthÂs issue of Caribbean Compass , and bring you news of more events as they arise. LUCIE ROLLAND STEVE MANLEYAbove: Beauty, bikinis and beads at Trinidad Carnival 2008 Right: Cruisers get in the spirit at Grenada Carnival 2009
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 30 Icom VHF Garmin GPS Accessories Leatherman Penn Reels Penn Parts Penn Service & Repair Phone: 784 458 3360 wallco@vincysurf.comSome people call us the Âmost interesting shop in the Caribbean.ÂŽ Wander around. You will find things you have been seeking for ages. We offer a wide range of hardware as well as necessary accessories and spares. Looking for a table hinge, a hatch spring, or a ladder? Come to us and get the right screws with it one time. Want to catch fish? Get a simple hand line with a lure just right for the speed of your boat, or go for a rod and reel to help you win the next fishing tournament. We take pride in sharing our expertise with you because we want YOU to succeed. Diving or snorkeling? We have it all: suits, tanks, belts, masks, fins and snorkels. We even have prescription lenses for the masks. Electronics, marine electronics, 12 & 24 volts, inverters, lights, sockets, navigation, charts, guides, marine hardware, blocks, cleats, SS fasteners, rope, Spectra, pumps, hoses, complete diving, snorkeling and fishing gear.The ONLY Duty Free Chandlery in Bequia Hablamos Español Nous parlons Français Wir sprechen Deutsch SlllhÂi i h h h h h h ihCibbÂŽ We moved to former Salty Dog next to Porthole Bequia Marina Open Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Look for the Big Blue Building . Water, Diesel, Ice, Bottled Water and Dockage available. The Yacht Club, Bequia Marina, Port Elizabeth, Bequia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines VHF 68, Telephone 784-457-3361 Here is an introduction to some of the whales you might see in the Caribbean. Humpback Whale From a distance, a group of humpbacks swimming in single file appears to be the rippling coils of a gigantic sea serpent as they arch and submerge simultaneously. Perhaps the most familiar of the great whales, the humpback whale gets its common name from the hump on the forward part of the dorsal fin and from the way the back flexes, or ÂhumpsÂŽ, before a deep dive. Its long white flippers make it virtually unmistakable at close range and also give this whale its scientific name, Megaptera novaeangliae , which translates to Âbig wing of New EnglandÂŽ. Humpbacks tend to favor shallow areas, often quite close to shore. They are among the most sociable of the great whales and the most active at the surface, which makes them among the easiest to observe. As a result, we know more about this species than any other large whale. Humpback whales have been recorded at nearly all islands in the Eastern Caribbean. The largest breeding concentrations occur in the waters of the Dominican Republic on Silver and Navidad Banks and Samana Bay. Additional wintering populations are found on Virgin Bank, Mouchoir Bank, and in the Mona Passage, Puerto Rico, with smaller concentrations reported throughout the Lesser Antilles including Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago and along the Venezuela coast. They are not exactly gentle giants. Loud  wampsÂŽ and  whumpsÂŽ are typical sounds as one male humpback collides with another on the breeding grounds. Dorsal fins and snouts are bloodied as the barnacles that grow on humpbacks turn a low-level shove into a serious scrape. Males are aggressive as they jockey for position near a cow (a female whale). They lunge along the surface with their heads lifted and gulp water to swell their massive throats in an attempt to make themselves appear larger, much as land mammals do by raising their hackles or manes. They blast their rivals with disorienting clouds of bubbles, fending them off by extending their pectoral fins and lashing at one another with their tail flukes. Their breeding system is complex. Males compete for females with lunges, tail slashes, blocks, and charges. Competitive groups may consist of two to more than 20 males around a single female, vying for the best positions, and these groups last for hours. When a big whale dives, currents set in motion by the passage of so many tons of flesh come eddying up in a column that smoothes the surface of the sea. This flat, waveless patch on the surface of the water, known as a flukeprint, is the telltale giveaway that a whale is beneath the surface. BrydeÂs Whale The best means to distinguish the BrydeÂs whale (pronounced BROO-dus ) at sea is to look for the three prominent ridges that run longitudinally down the top of the head. The three ridges run from just behind the tip of the snout to right in front of the blowholes and are composed of one central ridge and two lateral sub-ridges . BrydeÂs whales are most easily confused with sei and fin whales in lower latitudes. Sei and fin whales are usually larger, with only one rostral ridge (rather than three) and are less likely to arch the back during a dive. On the belly, the throat grooves (Âventral pleatsÂŽ) extend to or beyond the navel, whereas the throat grooves of the sei do not reach the navel. Fin whales have a distinctive right lower jaw (in BrydeÂs whales, both jaws are dark gray, although they may both be white in the ÂpygmyÂŽ form) and a more variably shaped dorsal fin that appears at the surface after the blowholes. Minke whales are much smaller and rarely have a visible blow. The humpback whale is darker and stockier, usually with a less prominent and less sickle-shaped dorsal fin, and frequently raises its flukes while diving. In general, BrydeÂs whales are identified by their grey body, sometimes mottled, and prominent, sickle-shaped dorsal fin. Adults may reach 13 to 15.5 metres (43 to 51 feet) and up to 30 tons; at birth approximately 3.4 metres (11 feet), and one ton. It is now accepted that there are at least two forms of the species, which may vary in size and migratory habits. BrydeÂs whales are seen singly or in small groups of two to six individuals, although larger concentrations may be found in areas of food abundance. They feed largely on schooling fishes, anchovies and juvenile tuna but also eat cephalopods and pelagic crustaceans. BrydeÂs whales are believed to spend all of their time in warm water. Presumably, they are able to forage throughout the year in their tropical habitat, rather than fasting in winter, as many baleen species do. They usually surface steeply;w like other baleen whales. The blow is three to four metres high. They seldom fluke-up before diving. It is generally believed that they usually move at two to seven kilometers per hour, but can swim as fast as 20 to 25 kilometers per hour and dive up to 300 metres. Unlike other large whales, it appears to lack a distinct breeding season, apparently calving at any time of the year. Calves are probably weaned at about six months of age. BrydeÂs whales have a two-year reproductive cycle composed of an 11to 12-month gestation period, six months of lactation, and six months of resting. Calves are weaned at about seven metres in body length. The age of sexual maturity is eight to 11 years, when females are approximately 12 metres (39.4 feet) in length and males are 11 metres (39 feet) long. „Continued on next page M e e t t h e T r o p i c a l Meet the Tropical W H A L E S WHALES by Nathalie Ward Above: Three ridges on the head identify a BrydeÂs whaleROBERT NORDBLUM MARSLYN LEWIS-ADAMS
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 31 LULLEYÂS TACKLE SHOP FISHING & DIVING GEAR DUTY FREETEL: (784) 458-3420 FAX: (784) 458-3797 EMAIL: lulley@vincysurf.comOur stock, quality, price, know-how and fishing experience is unsurpassedVisit us for all your needsFRONT STREET BEQUIA WEST INDIESSERVING FISHERMEN AND YACHTSPEOPLE SINCE 1950Penn & Diawa Rods & Reels Mustad Hooks Anglers Lures Rigged & Unrigged Leaders Fresh Bait Foul Weather Gear Snorkeling & Diving Gear Courtesy Flags Collectable KnivesYOUR #1 CHOICE IN FISHING GEARWire, Floats, Nets, Twines, Ropes G R E GRE N N A D I N E S ADINES S S A A I I L S & C A N V A S LS & CANVAS B E Q U I A BEQUIA Come in and see us for all your SAILS & CANVAS needs including CUSTOM-MADE stainless steel BIMINI & DODGER frames at competitive pricesLocated opposite G.Y.E. (northern side of Admiralty Bay) Tel (784) 457-3507 / 457-3527 (evenings) e-mail: gsails@vincysurf.com VHF Ch16/68 REPRESENTATIVE „ Continued from previous page BrydeÂs whales have been recorded throughout the Eastern Caribbean island chain and have been reported year-round in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Venezuela. In 1983, a BrydeÂs whale was stranded for some days in the Tobago Cays, and in 2005 a BrydeÂs whale was taken in the Bequia fishery. This past August, a young BrydeÂs whale stranded at Union Island, also in the Grenadines (see Caribbean Compass October 2009 ÂA Whale Visits Union IslandÂŽ). Scientists wonder if the species is extending its range due to global warming. Occasional Visitors BLUE WHALE What words can do justice to the colossal blue whale, the giant among giants, the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth. With mottled blue-grey bodies typically 24 metres (80 feet) long and weighing more than 100 tons, they out-measure a Boeing 737. WhatÂs more, blues have big babies. At birth calves measure seven metres (23 feet) long and weigh 2.5 tons. When weaned eight months later, they can weigh up to 50,000 pounds and be 15 metres (50 feet) long. Reports of blue whales in the Caribbean are rare, with only two reliable reports of strandings in the Gulf of Mexico. Their blue-grey mottling pattern is highly variable and is so unique that it can be used to identify individuals. Often a yellowish sheen of diatoms coats the body and is most visible on the whaleÂs underside. FIN WHALE Known as the Âgreyhound of the sea,ÂŽ the fin whale appears as a slender, silverstreaked form, barely disturbing the water as it surfaces to breathe. Its tremendous speed and massive size make the fin whale one of the most impressive of all whales. The double band of almost metallic silver, called a ÂchevronÂŽ, which loops from the lower jaw up to the side just behind the blowhole, makes it possible to recognize individuals. The species has a unique coloration „ the right lower jaw is white, whereas the left lower jaw is dark grey. This distinctive asymmetry, which is rare in mammals, may be related to feeding strategies or social cues. Occasional sightings in the Gulf of Mexico indicate that the species is not a frequent visitor but some may winter in the region. SEI WHALE The sei (pronounced ÂsayÂŽ) whale looks like a scaled-down version of the fin whale with a single rostral ridge and without white on the right side. The underside and the flanks of the sei whale often carry small, pitted, oval scars that are characteristic of this species, presumably the bites of lampreys or cookie-cutter sharks. Together the sei and fin whales are arguably the fastest of the great whales, capable of swimming at up to 25 knots for short distances. In Caribbean waters, sei whales have been reported traveling alone or in small groups off the coasts of Puerto Rico and Dominica. COMMON MINKE WHALE The common minke whale is the smallest of the Âgreat whalesÂŽ. It has the dubious distinction of bearing the brunt of current commercial whaling hunts for the simple reason that most of the larger and more valuable species were recklessly overexploited. The species may segregate depending on age, sex and reproductive condition in different geographic areas of their range. Very little is known about the reproductive and breeding habits of the minke whale. A few mother-and-calf sightings and recordings of minke whale sounds suggest that some calving grounds may be in tropical waters. Usually seen alone or in small groups, the minke has been reported on Anguilla Bank and the Anegada Passage, as well as off the coasts of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Dominica. Dr. Nathalie Ward, PhD is a consultant for the United Nations Environment ProgrammeÂs Caribbean Marine Mammal Programme, and while in the United States works for the US Marine Sanctuary Program. Big blue whales are infrequent visitors Fin whales can be confused with BrydeÂs or sei whales Above: The sei whale looks like a small version of the fin whale Right: Minke whales are usually seen alone or in small groups RICH SEARS WILLIAM ROSSITER R.ASMUTIS-SILVIA/WDCS NATHALIE WARD/SCCN
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 32 Simplicity. Reliability. Long life.Antigua Marine Power Services English Harbour Ph: 268-460-1850 Fx: 268-460-1851 mps@candw.ag Seagull Yacht Services English Harbour Ph: 268-460-3050 Fx: 268-460-1767 info@seagullyachtservices.com Bequia Caribbean Diesel Port Elizabeth Ph/Fx: 784-457-311 Grenada Grenada Marine St. David's Ph: 473-443-1667 Fx: 473-443-1668 info@grenadamarine.com Martinique Inboard Diesel Service Port of Case Pilote Ph: 596-596-787-196 Fx: 596-596-788-075 info@inboarddiesel.com St Croix St. Croix Marine Christiansted Ph: 340-773-0289 Fx: 340-778-8974 St. John Coral Bay Marine Coral Bay Ph: 340-776-6665 Fx: 340-776-6859 cbmarine@islands.vi St Lucia The Sail Loft Rodney Bay Marina Ph: 758-452-1222 Fx: 758-452-4333 iwwsl.ltd@candw.lc St Maarten Electec Cole Bay Ph: 599-544-2051 Fx: 599-544-3641 sales@electec.info St Thomas All Points Marine Compass Point Marina Ph: 340-775-9912 Fx: 340-779-2457 Trinidad Diesel Technology Services Siparta Ph: 868-649-2487 Fx: 868-649-9091 dieseltec@hotmail.com Dockyard Electrics Chaguaramas Ph: 868-634-4272 Fx: 868-634-4933 Richard@dockyardelectrics.com Tortola Cay Electronics Road Town, Tortola Ph: 284-494-2400 Fx: 284-494-5389 caybvi@candwbvi.net Marine Maintenance Services Road Town, Tortola Ph: 284-494-3494 Fx: 284-494-8491 timdabbs@surfbvi.com Parts & Power Road Town, Tortola Ph: 284-494-2830 Fx: 284-494-1584 partspwr@surfbvi.com Read in Next MonthÂs Compass : Selected Shortwave Weather Reports 2010 Annual Calendar of Caribbean Events A Cruise up GuyanaÂs Essequibo Riverƒ and more!
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 33 Sabre M225Ti The Perkins Sabre M225Ti is designed to replace the Perkins M200 and M235 and provides more than 22% additional available horsepower in the same package.This large capacity 6 liter engine comes in a compact package and only takes out 225 hp. By comparison, our nearest competition takes that out of a 4 liter engine. Running at a low 2500 rpm versus the competition's 3300 rpm or higher, the M225Ti will have a longer life (minimum 12,000 hour TBO) and quieter operation. The gear-driven fresh water pump has a longer life and less to go wrong while the waste gate turbo charger gives better performance at lower rpms. An integral plate-type oil cooler combines fewer hoses with longer life and better efficiency. With Perkins' outstanding marinization, excess hoses and belts have been engineered away and everything has easy access for stress-free maintenance.22% more (sea) horses www.partsandpower.comCall Parts & Power for your nearest dealer: (284) 494 2830 M92B M135 M225Ti The R.O.A.D.The R.O.A.D. is a 40-foot sloop with an Angelo Lavernos-designed hull, one of five made. Purchased as a hull and deck, the boat took Taffy and Shirley four years to complete. Her name, The R.O.A.D ., is a concession to TaffyÂs Welsh heritage, this crewÂs seemingly bottomless sense of humor and the product of a boat naming party that IÂm sorry I missed. It is actually an abbreviation for The Royal Order of Ancient Druids , the abbreviation being far easier on a radio call. The R.O.A.D. was launched in 1991, in South Africa. Taffy took up sailing at the age of 40 when he realized that cricket and rugby were best left to younger men. After learning to sail on smaller boats on inland waters of South Africa, Taffy earned his ÂcaptainÂs ticketÂŽ, allowing him to begin the cruising life and his search for Âsomething differentÂŽ. ShirleyÂs interest in sailing started when she met Taffy. Her first voyage out of sight of land was from Cape Town bound for St. Helena and on to Brazil in 2000, the beginning of their cruising odyssey. She made the transition from neophyte to Admiral quickly and naturally. The crew is completed by a 12-year-old African Grey parrot, Rubbish, apparently named for his ability to Âtrash talkÂŽ. The R.O.A.D.Âs journey started in April of 2000, bringing them across to Brazil, up past French Guiana and Guyana to Tobago, Trinidad and the ABCs. Cruising, like any other part of life, has its adversities. Near the end of 2002, while sailing from Margarita to Martinique, despite numerous attempts to contact and avoid the oncoming vessel, The R.O.A.D . was run down by a large fishing vessel in the middle of the night. The damage to the smaller vessel was extensive. The larger boatÂs outriggers shredded her sails, the deck was separated from the hull, the impact disabled engine and generator, stanchions and lifelines were ripped offƒ The R.O.A.D . was dead in the water. The fishing vessel crew cut themselves free, turned off their lights and left The R.O.A.D. disabled in the open sea. Taffy and Shirley were able to jury-rig the sails enough to get underway, and The R.O.A.D . limped back to Margarita. They were met by an armada of dinghies manned by fellow cruisers who had been monitoring their progress via VHF. In the finest cruiser tradition, their friends helped them through the next days, but the damage was so severe that the boat was eventually brought back to Trinidad and put on the hard for two years while Taffy went back to his profession as a project manager to earn the money to repair her. The R.O.A.D. was launched, again, in July of 2005, restarting the cruising journey. Aside from the encounter with the fishing vessel, Taffy and Shirley have enjoyed cruising in the Eastern Caribbean. Shirley is a superb cook and really likes learning the use of the local ingredients and styles of cooking. Taffy is still an avid cricket fan and has officiated in some local matches. They enjoy interaction with local folks on the islands as well as with other cruisers. When asked what they enjoy most about the cruising life, the response is, ÂThe people we meet. Sitting in one place all your life, you would never meet the variety of people weÂve met out here.ÂŽ Back in prime condition, The R.O.A.D. is ready to head west from Trinidad, through the ABCs and Colombia, through the Panama Canal to the Galápagos, through the Pacific islands and, in 18 to 24 months, back to South Africa. For this journey, friends Barry and Colin have signed on as crew, sharing the work of this long voyage and what promises to be a continuing great adventure. CRUISER PROFILES BY JOHN ROWLAND Above: Shirley and Taffy like meeting a variety of people Left: The R.O.A.D. is ready to head west
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 34 TYRREL BAY YACHT HAULOUT CARRIACOU New environmentally friendly haulout 50-ton hoist, 18ft beam, 8ft draft Water Do it yourself or labour available Mini Marina Chandlery VHF: 16 tbyh@usa.net Tel/Fax: 473.443.8175 B & C FUELS ENTERPRISE Petite Martinique The best fuel dock in the Grenadines for: FUEL € OIL € WATER € ICE Cheapest prices in the Grenadines Unobstructed dock in calm water 16-18 feet of water alongside Suitable for Large Power Yachts Easily approached from Carriacou, Union I., Palm I. & PSV Contact: Glenn Clement or Reynold Belmar Tel/Fax: (473) 443-9110 email: golfsierra@hotmail.com by Frank PearceDuring a visit to Carriacou in April 2008 I saw, hauled onto the land, a large red Carriacou sloop hull. I was struck by her beautiful lines, and after a few weeks dithering I agreed to buy her. She was named Tradition . I had a vision of her, rigged as she had been when built some 30 years before. Thus began a restoration project with the shipwrights of Windward, Carriacou. In the past two issues of Compass I described replacing the coachroof, fitting new aft deck beams, making a telephone pole into a mast, organizing the rigging and a boom, making a new rudder, and much more. The end of the project was in sight! It was now October. While I was in the UK, searching for an engine, someone suggested I look on eBay. To my surprise, one advertiser had a completely rebuilt 115BHP 6-cylinder Ford engine and gearbox, with all new marinizing parts from Lancing Marine in Sussex, who were then really helpful in supplying control panel, loom, alternator and ongoing good service. This engine would fit perfectly on the existing engine beds, and with 2-to-1 reduction and running at 2000rpm max, it promised a low-down torque „ just what Tradition needed. The seller put it on a pallet, shrinkwrapped it and delivered it to Geest Shipping who shipped it to St. Vincent for £250. What a deal! Arriving back in Grenada, I found that the mainsail made by Turbulence Sails was completed, but it took two people to lift it! I did a mega-shop in Island Water World and Budget Marine, hoping to get all the final bits and pieces Tradition would need. Upon arrival in Carriacou I assembled the team again: Gordon Patrice and Fitzroy ÂNeroÂŽ McLaren to do the rigging with Leonard McLaren to assist them; Verrol Compton fitting the new fuel tanks; Bernard Compton finishing the cabin, fitting sampson posts and bowsprit, making the deadeyes and bulls eyes; BernardÂs son Eddie to cut a suitably grained tree and make the tiller; Benny as painter and assistant shipwright, and a few others who came to help from time to time. The rigging team set up under the palm trees and proceeded to splice the soft eyes to go around the mast hounds, and parcel and serve the lower eight feet of the standing rigging wire where it would pass over the deadeyes and be seized in place. The soft eye and deadeye length would be served with tarred marlin, using a proper serving mallet, then wrapped in Hessian heavily greased, then served with tarred marlin again, and lastly covered in a tight tube of canvas intricately hand stitched, ultimately to be painted white. A work of art to my eyes. By the end of October, we were ready to launch. There is no question of paying for the task of launching itself, but many hands are needed to push 20 tons of boat over rollers into the water and everyone gets a good meal and a fill of beverage. I asked Norman Roberts, the previous owner of Tradition , what cost would be involved. His response was, ÂWell, Frank, do you want a Big Launching or a Likkle Launching?ÂŽ I am not sure what we had, but think it was a pretty Big Launching. Tradition was ashore in NormanÂs compound, and here he set up huge cast iron pots of bubbling stewed goat, chicken and ÂoildownÂŽ over wood fires. There were coolers of beer, and cases of jack iron rum and the muchfavoured Johnny Walker Red Label. Tradition , not being a new boat, had been hauled up the beach bow first, whereas a new boat is built facing the sea. This meant that launching the 50-foot boat would be more difficult, especially as she had been fitted with a skeg. The process started early in the day, with large rollers being dug in under the keel and arranged down the beach. Shortage of rollers at the last minute resulted in the demise of a couple of old palm trees. Two 20-foot, six-inch by two-inch planks were then nailed under the bilge on the turn of the bilge „ into my new planking! „Continued on next page ÂMany hands are needed to push 20 tons of boat over rollers into the water THE TRADITION PROJECT P a r t T h r e e : Part Three: L a u n c h i n g , R i g g i n g a n d „ a t L a s t ! „ S a i l i n g Launching, Rigging and „ at Last! „ Sailing Eddie fashioning TraditionÂs tiller
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 35 THE SPECIALIST FOR BOAT MAINTENANCE IN MARTINIQUE Centre de Carenage 97290 Le MarinTel: +596 (0) 596 74 74 80 Fax: +596 (0) 596 74 79 16 carene.shop@wanadoo.fr Zinc Anodes Plumbing Marine Paints Batteries Epoxy Antifouling THE Le Marin „ Continued from previous page Next, rough-cut, inverted U-shaped blocks were nailed to the topsides on one side of the hull „ ouch again! Light posts, about four inches in diameter, were placed with one end buried in the sand and the top end lodged in the U of the block. But before Âcutting downÂŽ began, certain formalities had to be completed. The priest gathered his church choir around the bow, then clambered up onto TraditionÂs foredeck and gave her his blessing. I arranged for Benny McLaren to be godfather of the boat. Benny went to sea at an early age, at the time when Urbin ÂRobbieÂŽ Roberts (NormanÂs father) was building Tradition . Robbie had previously owned the larger and beautiful Yankee Girl . Tradition was to be a smaller version. Robbie was an unusually particular and thorough man, a proper seaman; he had a serious reputation for keeping his vessels like yachts, even if they were hauling cargo. So Benny had the best training available. He has been a good godfather to Tradition and takes his role seriously. I had been warned about the necessity of spilling chicken blood on the samson post as a sacrifice „ and there on the foredeck was a suspiciously stirring sack. By now a great crowd had surrounded the boat and it had to be done. I grabbed a knife, put the poor chickenÂs neck on a wooden pad and hacked away. Island style, the knife handle broke off. Someone quickly gave me another knife. Blood was sprinkled, the crowd had another beer. Those of us on deck clambered down. The crowd assembled on the side of the boat opposite to the cutting-down poles and pushed Tradition over until she was lightly resting on the poles. Then four guys, each with a sharp machete, began hacking away at the bottoms of the poles, which of course got shorter and shorter and the boat heeled over more and more and they hacked faster and faster until eventually, with a brutal bump, she fell over, with the two previously nailed-on bilge boards resting on the rollers. All hands (except the ones who just came for the food and booze) gathered around Tradition and started pushing. Norman had laid a heavy anchor offshore and to this was attached a four-fold block and tackle attached to a rope going right around TraditionÂs hull. About 20 people lay onto the fall of the block and tackle and started heaving. Tradition started to move, an emotional moment. Then she stuck and the anchor pulled out. The anchor was reset; more rum was consumed. Some began pulling on the tackle again, others were on the bow, others were pulling down on the bowsprit. The bowsprit bent, the covering board creaked. It was brutal. Should I stop it or let them do it their way? An old guy tapped me on the shoulder. ÂDat fowl be jumbie; that why she no move.ÂŽ He really, really meant it. I reached up onto the foredeck and tossed the chickenÂs carcass into the scrub. Sure enough, the boat started to move again, bit by bit, roller by roller. She entered the water, got some buoyancy, moved a bit more, and then Norman backed in his workboat. We attached a line to TraditionÂs bow and, with everyone up to their waists in water, she was swung around, eventually to glide into deeper water. She was afloat. The next day, Norman towed Tradition, with the mast floating behind, from Windward to Tyrell Bay Yacht Haulout. There had been some repairs needed to the underside of the keel prior to launching and now a bit more scuffing where sheÂd ground on the rollers. Tim Sudell and his crew lifted Tradition and blocked her, and then laid the mast where we could dress it. The engine was there, too, ready to be lifted in. Bernard set about cutting out the damaged wood on the base of the keel and scarfing in a length of purpleheart. The yard crane (a vintage 22RB) does not reach out over the water, and so after the mast was fitted with the standing and running rigging it was necessary to first lift it with the crane, then position Tradition under the mast in the travel hoist, and then lower the mast into the boat. The same process was done for the engine. Tradition was then re-launched and taken to a mooring. I found it amazing that she didnÂt leak, even after the brutal beach launching. Well, I exaggerate „ but half a bucketful a week is not bad for a 30-year-old working wooden boat. The standing rigging was then seized to the deadeyes Bernard had made out of a log of grape wood, beautifully fashioned and coated with linseed oil. Then the lanyards were set up and the mainsail was bent on. For ballast I had bought a length of lead, about 16 feet long and six inches on each side. This Nero cut into manageable lengths using a chainsaw. But we needed more. „Continued on page 37 The church choir graces the launching with song After sailing to Antigua, we enlarged the rudder Above: The poor chicken Once the Âjumbie chicken was disposed of, Tradition slid more easily into the sea
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 36 An Antifouling P A I N T Test 2008-2009 by Chris DoyleIÂve been doing antifouling paint tests on my boat for nearly a decade. One of the conditions I make when testing paints is that before the test, the paint supplier must decide whether or not to let me publish the results. In other words, the supplier cannot decide to let me publish if the result is favorable but ask me to keep quiet if the test comes out bad. The last antifouling report I published in Caribbean Compass was in 2005. In the last couple of years I have tested more paints, but the paint suppliers opted not to publish. I donÂt blame them, because looking back over my reports, I notice that paints that work and compare really well one year do not always do as well another year. There is a lot of variability and results are not always consistent. Last year, Echo Marine in Trinidad invited me to test Jotun Sea Quantum Ultra red on my cruising catamaran, Ti Kanot , and publish the results. I used Micron 66 red as the comparison test paint. I put my more detailed report at the bottom of this, but in brief, on the basis of this test, they both worked as I have found good self-polishing antifouling paints do these days. First, Some General Observations I am going to take the opportunity to make some general observations about antifouling paints that I have noticed over the last few years, with paints that no longer contain TBT. These are impressions rather than a careful analysis of all the results, so may not be all that accurate. Every paint I have tested has stayed completely clean for a month. But between two and three months, good quality self-polishing products, like most of the paints I have tested and including those tested this time, have all managed to sprout a good number of barnacles. This is less true for the only other paint I have often used, the Jotun Sea Queen, which tends to stay cleaner longer in the initial phases. My tests only last six or seven months (my in-the-water time each year), and for that period an inexpensive paint like Jotun Sea Queen often works as well as anything, and would probably be my paint of choice. But towards the end of that time, the higherend paints are often beginning to perform a little better than the Sea Queen, which is also very soft, so that by the end of six or seven months it is beginning to wear off in high-wear areas. For this reason, if you want paint for long-term protection, a premium self-polishing paint is probably the best choice. It is also my guess that all the paints I have tested would probably give better performance on a monohull than a multihull. I say this because the vast majority of the fouling my boat gets is usually on the insides of the hulls, where there is shade from the bridge deck. I think it is important to monitor the bottom during the second and third month after painting, and remove any barnacles that grow as soon as possible „ when they are very small and preferably before they leave a white mark. If they grow big, the white mark that is left has no protection against the growth of weed, which is a pain. Barnacle Counts I think almost no paint manufacturer still offers guarantees to yachts. But where paints are warranted on large ships it is usually guaranteed to be 90or 95-percent effective. That means only between five and ten percent your hull will be covered with barnacles. That sounds, and is, quite good. But if a yachtÂs hull had barnacles covering five or ten percent of its total area, most of us would consider that a lot. Keep in mind that even if you have a heavy batch of barnacles in one area, there is still barnacle-free hull between each barnacle, so a horrible coverage might only be 50 percent. In any of the tests I have done, if you actually measure square millimeters of barnacle versus square millimeters of bare hull, I doubt it would be as much as five or ten percent. I mention this because I think with todayÂs paints you do have to expect to do some maintenance, and that does not mean the paint is no good. Every paint I have tested, with the exception of one (which you are most unlikely to buy as it is not on offer in most stores), has afforded excellent protection against weed. All eventually get some scum, which wipes off easily, and some get a bit of light weed that also wipes off fairly easily. The hard-to-scrub, heavy, long green weed, which is prevalent wherever there is no antifouling, seems to be completely protected against. This means the main fouling we see today is barnacles. Where you choose to anchor makes a huge difference to your barnacle count. Clean, clear water, like in the Grenadines, is the best for avoiding barnacles. The worst fouling is in nutrient-rich lagoons like Rodney Bay Lagoon and Simpson Bay Lagoon, or pretty much any land-enclosed lagoon. Being anchored in the lee of big islands can also be quite fouling. I have even noticed that fouling in the same bay can vary significantly from the outer part to the inner part. After three months, the performance of high quality self-polishing paints often seems to improve. They continue to get a few barnacles but donÂt show the hundreds that have arrived earlier. Often in the last couple of months they will outperform the less expensive paint, whereas in the first months it is often the other way round. Seeing Red In general I have noticed with all the paints I have tested, red antifouling seems to work better than other colors. I used to compare different color paints, but since noticing that red seems to work best, I switched to comparing the same color of two different paints in any one test. Now, comparing paints between years is dodgy. Nonetheless, having tried various colors over the years I have gained such a strong impression of this that I would always personally choose red. There is also a rationale behind this. Copper is usually a major ingredient and it happens to be red. This means to overcome it and have a bright blue, or black or some other color, additives will have to be blended into the paint that are unlikely to be adding to its effectiveness and may detract somewhat. Some paints come in two parts, which you mix before application. This is an added complication to the painting process. If you just mix up two cans as they come, this is simple enough. If it has to be done in smaller proportionate batches due to shelf life, then it does leave room for error, especially if you are delegating the job. Some people offer additives to paint. It is something I tried way back in the past, with zero effect. It is my impression that paint formulation is complex, as is the action of the paint, and anything you add is unlikely to help. If what you add is TBT, not only is it unlikely to keep your hull clean, but it certainly will get out into the marine environment where it has been implicated in damaging dolphins and whales. In addition to the paints mentioned in this article, another paint that worked well on a past test was Seajet Red (single part). The Latest Test Results In Trinidad Jotun Sea Quantum Ultra red was painted on Ti KanotÂs port hull; Micron 66 red was painted on the starboard hull. We launched in early November 2008. December 10th 2008 No barnacles or fouling, having sailed from Trinidad to St. Lucia. December 28th 2008 Stuck in Rodney Bay for two weeks due to engine problem. Hundreds of small barnacles on both sides, particularly the bow and stern (the middle was much cleaner). Port hull (Jotun) had about 20 percent more barnacles than starboard hull. Scraped clean except for keels. January 14th 2009 Sailed to St. Martin and spent a week inside the lagoon, which is generally a heavy barnacle area. Areas on both sides had hundreds of barnacles, particularly under the hulls from the keel to the stern and on the keels with other patches here and there. The rest of the boat was clean. No obvious barnaclefouling difference between the sides. However the port side (Jotun) had some green scummy weed, mainly within a foot of the waterline, which was absent from the starboard side. This was not scrubbed at this time. All barnacles removed. January 23rd A quick look after another week in the lagoon. A few dozen barnacles removed from each side. No real difference. (Notice here that I am not getting the massive influx of barnacles evident earlier, despite being in a bad fouling area, and this will continue to the end of the test.) February 28th Sailing around Antigua and Barbuda, including being stuck for about ten days in English Harbour owing to an engine problem. A few barnacles, not many, removed from each hull; no difference. Some scummy weed build-up noticed more on the port side (Jotun). Still not removed. March 30th Sailing around Guadeloupe and its islands, including a week in the Marina Bas-du-Fort (in a lagoon at Pointe-a-Pitre). Just a handful of barnacles on each side; no real difference with some slime and weed on both sides, a little more on port than starboard. Barnacles were removed and this time the hulls rubbed to remove weed. April 28th Â… Sailed to Dominica, St. Lucia and Bequia. Mainly anchored off. A few dozen barnacles on each side, no apparent difference between them, not much slime or weed. May 25th Hauled boat in Trinidad after spending some time in Grenada. Only a handful of barnacles on each side. Conclusion There did not seem to be a significant difference between these paints. Both had a significant influx of barnacle growth between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half months. I find this typical for the high quality ablative paints, and it pays to do some maintenance at this time. After cleaning a couple of times, both paints performed well for the rest of the test, with very little subsequent barnacle growth. The Jotun did seem to grow a little more scummy weed at one point, which I left on for some time, but by the time I got round to scrubbing the hulls there was not much difference between sides and it all came off easily and showed no signs of being a persistent problem. At the end of the period, both hulls looked very similar.
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 37 „ Continued from page 35 Leonard had the lead keel of a yacht that had been wrecked some years ago at Windward, so it, too, was chain-sawed into manageable chunks. We loaded in the lead. She looked about right with the two-and-a-half tons of lead in her, but a bit light by the head, so we got about 20 flour sacks and Benny filled them with black sand, which was duly loaded on board. Jorge fitted the engine, moving it from the hold onto the engine beds with chain hoists, and connecting it up. The first run-up of the engine was satisfying. Engine trials proved her to have Âplenty powa, manÂŽ „ eight knots at 1200 RPM, very comfortable, quiet and free of vibration. Then the big day, trials under sail. I had been worrying about the weight of the mast and the heavy mainsail, about how much more ballast she might need, and whether the modified steel rudder would control her. The mainsail looked huge when hoisted, but nicely cut exactly as I had wanted. The headsails, which came from the destroyed Fife ketch Moonshine , were an exact fit. With a bunch of friends to assist, we set off. No bravado here: I motored away from the anchorage to set the main in clear water. It takes two strong people to hoist the main. With the main hoisted but sheets not slacked off, Tradition was away but almost uncontrollable, the long boom pushing her up into the wind. We set the large Yankee jib on the bowsprit and then she balanced beautifully. Benny, who had sailed Tradition up and down the islands for years, thought she was Âa likkle tender, Uncle.ÂŽ (I was always Uncle to Benny.) Personally, I like a boat to be a bit tender, initially anyway; itÂs much easier on the gear and gives one a better feeling for the wind. Tradition , with slack bilges but firm buttocks (lovely thought), will lie over initially and then stiffen up. Mark, a robust Trini, was anxious to add his considerable weight to the crew, so Benny, Mark and I set off for Bequia. I found myself feeling sad to be leaving Carriacou. It is such a friendly place, with the common interest in boats overriding any superficial differences in wealth, gender or race. Tradition was a special common bond, of course: she had been built there and worked from there for so many years. It was not unusual for me to be in Hillsborough and a passerby or bus driver would shout, ÂHow it going with Tradition , man; when de launching gon be?ÂŽ I was going to miss the easy familiarity between the Carriacou people and myself, the visiting skinny-leg white guy! The wind was a bit south of east and we were able to lay Bequia close-hauled. What a huge relief to find that Tradition was able, close-winded, fast and very comfortable. We got ashore to the Frangipani in time for an aperitif, or two or three. Alexis Andrews joined us in Bequia and we spent the following day making adjustments to the rig. The four of us set off early the next morning and, with a cracking easterly wind, were off Deshaies, Guadeloupe, in 36 hours „ an average speed of over seven knots. A meal for the crew, a good nightÂs sleep and off in the morning for a day sail to Falmouth Harbour, Antigua. In Antigua we entered Tradition in the Classic Yacht Regatta. I had fitted her out without using yacht gear, winches, windlass and so on, the result being a pretty pure Carriacou boat of her era, but also a very labour-intensive boat if one wished to Ârace around the cansÂŽ. Fortunately I did have lots of volunteer crew, some with experience of this sort of rig, others who had to learn the virtues of the Âhandy billyÂŽ and rolling hitch. With her 33-foot main boom, Tradition is very sensitive to mainsail trim, and in a good breeze it took two strong guys and a trimmer just to look after the mainsheet. The steel rudder that had caused me some anguish back in Carriacou was clearly not powerful enough when she was pressed, and we found that gybing was almost unachievable when the wind was strong. We resorted to Âwearing shipÂŽ at the gybing mark. To avoid confusion with the other boats we reached off away from the mark, did our tack and then got back in line, losing surprisingly little ground. Tradition won the Concours dÂElegance. This was a surprise because we had not stowed the sails properly or washed up the dishes „ in fact, we had not even entered the competition. With all the great efforts other crews had made, I was somewhat embarrassed. We also came second in class overall. After Classics, we went around to Jolly Harbor where Tradition was hauled and the steel rudder was sheathed with purpleheart, extending it back and upwards to increase the area and block the flow of water over the top of the rudder. This greatly improved the handling and made me wonder why I had not had the courage of my convictions back in Carriacou when I suspected the rudder was too small. Then we sailed to St. Barths for the West Indies Regatta of Caribbean working boats (see Caribbean Compass , July 2009) and back to Antigua to lay up for the hurricane season. Having partially laid Tradition up in the mangroves, I was approached by Laurance (Laurie) Gumbs of Anguilla, asking if I might sell Tradition to him. His intention was to use her for his youth training program and also to make her available for longerdistance passages, giving clients the chance to sail on a traditional Caribbean trading vessel. LaurieÂs father, Sir Emile Gumbs, had owned and captained the much larger trading schooner Warspite , and so the family has a history of involvement in such vessels. For me to pass Tradition on to such an experienced and enthusiastic family was ideal. With her refit completed, Antigua Classics a success, and the wonderful West Indies Regatta experienced, I bowed out a satisfied man. On June 6th, 2009, Tradition sailed with her new owner and enthusiastic crew, bound for Anguilla. Frank Pearce is a yachtsman, tugboat captain and Vice-Commodore of the Antigua Yacht Club. Underway at lastƒ Here are a couple of neat, new little stocking-stuffers for the special sailor on your list! A First „ The Sailing GPS The Sailing GPS represents a watershed in the history of navigational devices. For the first time, sailors will be able to determine the optimum tacking angle to arrive at their destination in the shortest possible time. For cruisers, this means a dramatic increase in the ability to plan routes, and accurately forecast Tacking Time to Destination. For racers, The Sailing GPS provides an unmatched competitive advantage in determining the fastest line to mark „ the result of a continuous computation of the ideal balance between distance and speed. Dr. Craig Summers, inventor of The Sailing GPS, says, ÂThe Sailing GPS is the only device in the world that accounts for tacking when calculating distances, time of arrival, and optimal routes. The Sailing GPS does this automatically. Moreover, it includes an algorithm that learns your boatÂs unique speed characteristics, which is far more accurate when determining actual Tacking Time to Destination than using generic polar plot specifications from manufacturers or simulated models.ÂŽ The Sailing GPS is Bluetooth wireless enabled, for sharing GPS data with existing PC-based chart-plotters. For more information visit www.TheSailingGPS.com. New Floating VHFs Cobra Marine, a division of Cobra Electronics, introduces its Floating Line of VHF handheld radios, the MR HH330 FLT EU and the Bluetooth®-equipped MR HH475 FLT BT EU. With a bright, orange core, these unique handhelds can be easily spotted in the water, if they end up afloat. Incredibly compact for a floating radio, these units fit nicely in oneÂs hand and have easy-to-operate controls and large LCD screens for easy viewing. Operating with 6 Watts of power, CobraÂs most powerful handheld radios, they easily enable long-range communication while a noise-canceling microphone blocks background noise for clearer conversations. The unique ÂBURPÂŽ feature vibrates water out of the speaker grill to improve performance in extreme conditions. These radios can also scan three channels simultaneously, including channel 16 and two userselected channels. For more information visit www.cobra.com. P RODUCT OSTINGS
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 38 DECEMBER 2009 ARIES (21 Mar 20 Apr) Romance is in the holiday air, but donÂt forget to save some energy for those ingenious boat projects. Also, ignore the business glitch during the first week „ it will sort itself out. TAURUS (21 Apr 21 May) DonÂt let communication difficulties hold you back. Try not to be pedantic if people donÂt seem to understand what you are trying to tell them. Your low tide will be around the 21st. GEMINI (22 May 21 Jun) Squalls of bickering will be the weather of the month with lovers and crew. It might hamper your creative progress, but youÂll enjoy the holidays nonetheless. CANCER (22 Jun 23 Jul) It will seem that you have to repeat yourself endlessly to get anything done. Boat business matters will be in irons in the first week, but then everythingÂs fine sailing. LEO (24 Jul 23 Aug) You will find yourself wandering off course and then feeling like youÂre drifting backwards. Spend time with loved ones doing creative things until this aspect passes and Santa slides down the hatch. VIRGO (24 Aug 23 Sep) Contrary currents for you, with romance interfering with interesting boat projects. Make the best of it all and just have fun during the festive season. LIBRA (24 Sep 23 Oct) The first week will offer good business opportunities so hoist all your sails and do your best. Your patience and balance will serve you well. SCORPIO (24 Oct 22 Nov) Your energy will be in the doldrums, especially around the 21st. Best to just chill out with a good book „ at least until the holiday parties start. SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov 21 Dec) Your love life will be an asset to your cruising creativity. Just donÂt take on too much, and be sure to finish any uncompleted boat chores before the 26th. Boxing Day will be fun. CAPRICORN (22 Dec 20 Jan) Use your verbal talents to good effect in marine-related business during the first week. Complete any boat maintenance or racing arrangements before the end of the month, then pop that champagne! AQUARIUS (21 Jan 19 Feb) Your cruising kitty may suffer indigestion in the first week. This is followed by a lack of enthusiasm that will linger till the end of the year. A good time to swing on the hook and just kick back for Christmas. PISCES (20 Feb 20 Mar) You will experience some choppy seas in your love life from the second week till the 26th. You will also find your cruising creativity in the doldrums. DonÂt worry; Santa will bring smooth seas of romance and sailing inspiration. fact-oids Crossword Solution ACROSS 4) YAWL 6) SHEET 8) WIND 11) AT 13) CROSS 14) UPWIND 17) PUT 18) SURGES 20) WEATHER 21) TIE 22) SET 24) ASK 25) PLAN 26) YES 28) SLOW 30) WATER 32) AROUND 35) LINER 37) DOCK 38) LONG 39) RUDDER 40) SOS 41) EASE DOWN 1) OLD 2) WET 3) JIBS 5) ABOUT 7) HARD 9) DEGREES 10) COMPASS 12) ROUGH 13) COURSE 15) WHEEL 16) NO TILLER 18) SEA 19) STRAIN 23) TOE 25) PLOT 27) SWINGS 28) STEERS 29) OR 31) AN 32) AFTER 33) DECKS 34) HELM 36) ADDparlumps marooned PARLUMPS@HOTMAIL.COM The Night Before Christmas ÂTwas the night before Christmas, I swung on the hook Flaked out on the settee, asleep with my book When up on the deck I heard footsteps and stuff ÂIÂve been boarded!ÂŽ I thought, and I tried to be tough. Then down the companionway hatch came a dude, He was dressed like a nut and I thought, ÂIÂm so screwed,ÂŽ But he laughed and he hummed as he surveyed my junk So I figured he must be the resident drunk. His eyes were lit up like a junkie on speed But he gave me a whole bunch of stuff that I need Like rum and cigars and new charts and a dinghy And some kind of fancy electrical thingy. I thought it was stolen but I wasnÂt telling, I hoped he was giving and wasnÂt just selling And I poured him a grog which he downed with a wink Then I poured one for me (I sure needed a drink!). Then he staggered above to the dark tropic night; As I peeked I beheld an incredible sight „ Eight tiny dolphins and a beautiful sleigh And the dude hopped aboard and prepared to make way. The dolphins were ready to power the sled But the guy raised a genny and mainsÂl instead. With a burp and a chuckle he gathered the breeze And called to the dolphins, now swimming with ease: ÂOn Fatty and Foxy and Old Barracuda! On Teva and Mountgay, Antigua, Barbuda! Or whatever your names are, you cute little fishes, HereÂs to every last sailor, my best Christmas wishes!ÂŽ As he sailed away leaving a wobbly wake I hoped he had not many stops left to make. He got close to shore and he soon was aground But the dolphins proceeded to pull him around And I heard him exclaim as he sailed out of sight ÂMerry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!ÂŽ Cruiser Claus „ EditorÂs note: We donÂt know who originally wrote this poem thatÂs been doing the rounds anonymously for a while, but we published it last year and itÂs back by popular demand! I s l a n d Island P o e t s Poets
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 39 Crossword Solution on page 38 Word Search Puzzle solution on page 32 Word Search Puzzle by Pauline Dolinski Compass Cruising Crossword ÂHELM ACROSS4) Rig with mizzenmast abaft the rudderpost 6) Rope controlling a sail 8) Breeze 11) __ the 34 Down: in control 13) To sail over another boatÂs course 14) Sailing ______: sailing into the 18 Across 17) To tack, ___ the 34 Down over 18) 13 Across seas can be caused by storm ______ 20) Heavy _______: 12 Down conditions 21) To secure, as with a knot 22) To raise, as with sails 24) Inquire 25) File a Âfloat ____ÂŽ 26) Aye, aye! 28) Not fast 30) H 2 O 32) Gybe ______ the windward mark 35) Some ocean _____s have a joystick for a 34 Down 37) Have an experienced person at the 34 Down when coming alongside this 38) Set up a watch system for this type of voyage 39) A tiller connects directly to it 40) Morse distress signal 41) To let 6 Across out graduallyDOWN1) Ancient 2) Covered in 30 Across 3) Back these to help the boat come 5 Down 5) To come _____, put the 34 Down 7 Down over 7) Not soft 9) Units of measurement on a 10 Down 10) Direction indicator 12) Not smooth 13) Path 15) Steering device thatÂs not a tiller 16) A boat with a 15 Down has __ ______ (2 words) 18) A ship 17 Acrosses to ___ 19) Stress 23) Below the lifelines is the ___ rail 25) ____ the 13 Down on the chart 27) An adjustor ______ the 10 Down 28) The person at the 34 Down does this 29) To tack __ not to tack, that is the question! 31) Harold LaBordeÂs book Â__ Ocean to OurselvesÂŽ 32) The 34 Down is usually in the _____ part of a yacht 33) Poop, fore and tween are some of them 34) Subject of this puzzle 36) Not subtract HEREÂS A GIFT FOR ALL OUR READERS FROM WORD PUZZLE MAKER PAULINE DOLINISKI „ A SPECIAL PUZZLE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON! © Caribbean Compass 2009
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 40 PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PETIT ST. VINCENT RESORT CRUISING KIDS CORNER Last month, we looked at coral bleaching and the devastating effects it can have on the marine life of the coral reef. Bleaching is not the only peril threatening the existence of coral reefs. Scientists have found that the seas and oceans of the world are becoming more acidic. If this continues, the effect on coral will be disastrous. Why is this happening? To understand why the water on our planet is much more acidic now than it was 300 years ago, we need to look first at the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle shows how all the carbon atoms in the world are recycled in different forms and in different places. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the air is used up by plants in photosynthesis, forming sugars containing carbon. The plants are eaten by animals which give carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere in respiration. Many plants die and decay, also releasing carbon dioxide, as well as methane gas (CH 4 ), into the air. The remains of plants from millions of years ago are now found as coal and oil. When these are burned, they also put carbon dioxide back into the air where it can once more be used in photosynthesis. The oceans also absorb a lot of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide can combine with water to make carbonic acid and this is where the problem arises for coral reefs. Coral reefs are made of calcium carbonate, which dissolves in acid. If more carbon dioxide is pumped into the air from respiration (more people and animals) and from combustion (more industry, factories, cars, etcetera), then more carbon dioxide is absorbed in the sea and more acid is formed to dissolve more coral. HereÂs a diagram of the carbon cycle. See if you can give the names of the processes labelled (a) to (f).„ Answers on page 47Set like an emerald in the sapphire blue of the lower Caribbean is the island of St. Lucia and every year the whole fish and sea-creature community of Cutie Cove celebrates Christmas. One particular year a pretty little Angel Fish had a new idea that she thought would make Christmas better than ever, so she said to her friends, ÂWe all look forward to having fun at Christmas, but IÂve been thinking of all those fish families who have no Christmas fun at all and so I think we should bring Christmas to the needy.ÂŽ This suggestion sounded like a good idea but Betty, the yellow Butterfly Fish, asked the all-important question: ÂThatÂs all well and good Angel, but how can we find the needy? We donÂt have any in Cutie Cove so where do we find them?ÂŽ Everyone fluttered about nervously and Genny the small Grunt plucked up the courage to say, ÂI guess weÂll have to look outside the bay.ÂŽ ÂAnd weÂre too small to do that!ÂŽ wailed a black and red Blennie. ÂI suppose weÂll just have to ask our parents for help,ÂŽ Angel replied. ÂNo,ÂŽ spoke up Simon the Sergeant Major in a loud voice. ÂMy dad, the chief of the Sergeant Majors, says that we kids should be able to stand on our own feet „ er, fins „ and I agree with him. If we want to do good deeds then weÂre responsible, not our mums and dads.ÂŽ ÂBut we donÂt know how!ÂŽ Baby the Damselfish quavered in her squeaky voice. ÂLeave it up to me and by tomorrow IÂll have a plan!ÂŽ And with that Simon swam off. The next day everyone was ready to hear what Simon had to say. He had it all figured out. ÂIÂll dispatch our Flying Fish friends to the bay to the south of us to find the needy fish there, then early on Christmas morning IÂll get the Dog Snappers to pick them up and bring them here.ÂŽ The young fish friends, who included the Grunts, the Scads, the Chromis, the Glassy Sweepers, the Gobies and so on, thought this was a very good plan and they agreed to take care of the needy fish when they arrived. ÂAnd make sure that the needy fish are mothers with their children,ÂŽ said Angel, once more sure of herself. ÂYes,ÂŽ spoke up a pert little Fairy Jaw Fish, Âand how about sharing our gifts with the needy children?ÂŽ Suddenly everyone wanted a say and when the crowd had quieted down, Simon gave his orders to the Flying Fish to find the poorest fish mothers and their little ones in the desolate bay to the south where he had heard that the big and fierce fish ate any defenseless neighbours. So it was that on Christmas morning, the ferocious-looking but docile young Dog Snappers picked up the needy fish mothers and their little ones and took them to Cutie Cove where all the young fish greeted them with happy shouts. The Cutie Cove mothers, seeing their children welcoming a strange group of fish carried on the backs of the young Dog Snappers, hurried over to see what was going on. When Simon explained the mothers agreed it was a very good idea. Well, in no time at all, the children were playing together, filling their bellies with food and having a wonderful time. Meanwhile, the mothers were enjoying themselves, too. What came as a great surprise to the fish visitors was meeting the different sea creatures of the cove such as the Sea Stars, the Sea Urchins, the Eels and the Sea Anemones who usually stayed well apart. Now as the day was ending and the setting sun was turning the sea world to gold, it was time for the new friends to return home, the children hugging their precious gifts, the first they had ever received. It had been a day to remember and one they hoped to repeat. In the meantime, the mothers went home determined to change things for the better. It would take time they knew, but here was the chance to make a happier life for everyone, the fishes and sea creatures alike. Yes they promised themselves, one day they WOULD change their world! Thank you little Angel and your friends for spreading Christmas cheer where it was needed most. THE ENDThe Fishes Christmas Good Deedsby Lee Kessell by Elaine OllivierreHello! My name is Dollyand my home is in the sea.DOLLYÂS DEEP SECRETS JANE GIBBELAINE OLLIVIERRE 2008 ©
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 41 WALLILABOU ANCHORAGEWALLILABOU BAY HOTEL VHF Ch 16 & 68(range limited by the hills) ... PORT OF ENTRY MOORING FACILITIES WATER, ICE, SHOWERS CARIBEE BATIK BOUTIQUE BAR AND RESTAURANT TOURS ARRANGED CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED HAPPY HOUR 5-6 P.O. Box 851, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, West Indies. Tel: (784) 458-7270 Fax: (784) 457-9917 E-mail: wallanch@vincysurf.com CREW VACANCIES!email: crew@tradewindscruiseclub.comTradeWinds Cruise Club operate a fleet of catamarans across six destinations in the Caribbean. We are the fastest growing charter company, operating TERM CHARTERS, all inclusive, 7 days. We are looking for crew, mainly teams in the form of a Captain and a Chef/Hostess. We prefer couples that are married OR have been living together for at least a year. The nature of the job is such that the better the understanding and teamwork between Captain and Chef the more successful your charters will be. Requirements: Captain with a Skipper's licence. Chef/Hostess with a basic understanding of cooking. Dive master/ instructor for either the Captain and/or Chef is a plus. We offer full training onsite in the Caribbean. This is a FUN job with great earning potential. If you are willing to work hard and have a positive disposition to life this could be your DREAM job. Anyone with an interest is welcome to apply. If you would like more information about this job or send your CV to us, please use this email address: crew@tradewindscruiseclub.comor by mail to: Bequia Marina, P.O.Box 194BQ, Port Elizabeth, Bequia, St Vincent & the Grenadines Tel. St Vincent +784 457 3407 Tel. St Maarten +599 5510550 The Sky in Decemberby Scott WeltyThe Planets in December MERCURY Â… This planetÂs farthest separation from the sun occurs on the 16th. With a clear western horizon you might catch a glimpse of Mercury just after sundown. VENUS Â… SheÂs being shy this month and staying close to the sun. Venus rises around 6:00AM in the lighted sky early in the month and later as the month wears on. EARTH Open Âtill 10:00PM all month long for your holiday shopping convenience! MARS Rising between 10:00 and 11:00 all month, sitting right between Cancer and Leo. JUPITER Look for bright Jupiter in the southwest after dark. Setting around 10:30 early in the month and about 8:30 by the end of the month. SATURN Rising between 1:00 and 2:00AM all month and setting after sunrise. Sky Events This Month December 2nd Full moon (ÂBlue moonÂŽ; see the 31st) December 6th Mars and the moon rise together around 10:30PMDecember 16th New moon December 21st Winter solstice (see below); crescent moon and Jupiter ride together through the night sky December 31 Full Moon again! That makes the one on the 2nd a BLUE moon. ThereÂs normally only one full moon in a month but since the moonÂs cycle doesnÂt exactly coincide with our yearly cycle, you end up with 11 leftover days after having 12 full moons. That means that youÂre going to get two full moons in a month every two or three years and, yes, it is the early one that is called the blue moon. The Winter Solstice December 21st marks the winter solstice. This is the day of the year with the longest night and the shortest daylight. The sun will rise and set the farthest to the south on this day and take its lowest possible path through the southern sky (for those of us in the northern hemisphere). It marks the first day of winter. In the Roman calendar from 46 BC that Julius Caesar (of salad fame) devised, the solstice occurred on December 25th. He had devised a 365 1/2 day year, which is pretty good, but not exact, so that since that time the solstice has shifted to December 21st. Interestingly, there is no mention of the exact date of the birth of Jesus (the Savior, not the Alou brother who played for the Giants) in the Bible. It seems that around the time of the conversion of the emperor Constantine (272 337 AD) the early Christians ÂborrowedÂŽ what had already been a long-standing party celebrating the return of the sun and designated the 25th as the official day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. And what of the star of Bethlehem, you say? Other than the reports in the book of Matthew (written sometime in the 1st century AD and probably not by Matt himself) of the star that drew the three wise guys to Bethlehem, there are no other observations by the Chinese (good keepers of astronomical events) or any other civilization of any special astronomical event around December 25th, Year 1. Of course, since there is no definitive date of the birth of Jesus himself, perhaps there was an astronomical event at some other time of the year. Most scholars put the birth of Jesus between 6 and 2 BC. There was a very nice conjunction of Venus and Saturn in June of the year 2 BC that would have made the two planets appear to be one star. So, IF there really was something in the sky back then, and not just fancy writing way after the birth itself, perhaps this conjunction was it. Orion and Friends The onset of winter means the return of some of my favorite things to see in the sky. Orion returns and is the easiest constellation to spot in the sky. Bonus if you can focus your Steiners on OrionÂs sword: in there is the beautiful Orion Nebula, or M42 to astronomers. ItÂs a gaseous region with some lively star formation going on and a favorite of amateur astronomers and pros alike. Orion is accompanied by the Gemini twins „ Castor and Pollox. Castor is 30 seconds older. Finally we have the brightest star in the whole night sky, Sirius (the dog star) keeping us company for the winter. Enjoy your winter viewing! To Contemplate While Having a Glass of Wine on Deck What was once a field is now a shopping center. Where a building stood is now a parking lot. An interstate runs through the park you played in as a kid. Nothing lastsƒ But the sky you see is exactly the same as the sky that the Mayans, the Caribs, the Egyptians, the Romans, Galileo, Newton, and Einstein saw. Perhaps it is the single constant that goes from era to era. Scott Welty is the author of The Why Book of Sailing , Burford Books, © 2007. THE CARIBBEAN SKY: FREE SHOW NIGHTLY! Looking east on December 15th at 2200 hours DAVID MALIN/ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN OBSERVATORY
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 42 Give the gifts that keep on giving „ books! (Or ask Santa to bring them to you.) Here are books for some of the various cruisers in your life. RYA Fishing Afloat , by Dick McClary © 2009, The Royal Yachting Association. Soft cover, 112 pages, color photos and illustrations. ISBN 978-1906-435-028. For the yachting fisherman (or fisherman wannabe), RYA Fishing Afloat is the perfect catch. Dick spends several months a year sailing and fishing in the Caribbean aboard the 38-foot sloop Alacazam . The instructive material in this book is drawn from the authorÂs experience gained fishing in Europe, the Mediterranean, and Atlantic crossing and the Caribbean. As the bookÂs Introduction points out, the basic principles have almost universal application. For example, the same tackle might catch a mackerel in the UK, a gilthead bream off Greece or a mahi-mahi in the West Indies. ÂItÂs not where you do it but how you do it thatÂs the real secret.ÂŽ This is one of the (UK) Royal Yachting AssociationÂs series of how-to books. It covers every aspect of fishing from a sailing yacht underway, adrift or at anchor. Abundant photos, diagrams and illustrations make the methods and principles described in the text easy to digest. It tells you about the gear youÂll be working with, too „ reels, hooks, swivels, knots and crimped connections „ so you can set it all up properly by yourself. The author even gives the all-important instructions on preparing your catch for the table „ after all, a cruiserÂs main purpose in fishing is to eat. And if you follow the advice in this excellent introduction to reeling in your own dinner, written especially for the sailing fisherman (or is that the fishing sailor?), you stand a good chance of joining the Âregular catchersÂŽ club. This book is available at bookstores or from www.rya.org.uk/shop (order code G72). A Taste of Mustique , by Kevin Snook with Elizabeth Penniman © 2007, Macmillan Caribbean. Hard cover, 194 pages, color photos. ISBN 978-1-4050-9906-6. This book of recipes from Âthe island of the rich and famousÂŽ will be uplifting for any galley slave. No, itÂs not all champagne and caviar. Many recipes highlight a variety of readily available local ingredients that are often given a sophisticated twist. Included are Caribbean favorites such as roti, boileen and conch fritters, plus as some totally foreign, but good, recipes such as a roasted artichoke and buffalo mozzarella pizza. (If Fishing Afloat helps you catch a yellowfin, there are a couple of seared tuna recipes here youÂll want to try.) „Continued on next page
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 43 BasilÂs Bar Mustique WE SHIP AROUND THE WORLD! Visit BasilÂ’s in Mustique or St. Vincentwww.basilsbar.com basils@vincysurf.comVisitors to Mustique are invited to:BASILÂ’S BAR AND RESTAURANT: BasilÂ’s Bar in Mustique was named one of the WorldÂ’s Ten Best Bars in 1987 by Newsweek and today lives up to that tradition. Recently renovated, the new face of BasilÂ’s Bar in Mustique is all that and more: offering fresh seafood, lobster in season, steaks and the best beefburger in the Caribbean. Now equipped with WIFI, you can enjoy sunset cocktails and catch up on the web. BasilÂ’s Bar is home of the only Blues Festival in the Caribbean. The Mustique Blues Festival takes place January 27 February 10, 2010. Breakfast service begins at 8:00am. Lunch 11:00am 6pm, and Dinner 7:30 until late. Come to BasilÂ’s for cocktails anytime and plan to attend the Wednesday Night Jump Up and BBQ. Call (784) 488-8350 or VHF 68. BASILÂ’S BOUTIQUE : Fabrics as bright as the sea and as light as air... perfect for island joy. Elegant island evening and playful day wear. For women, men and children, plus lots of T-shirts to take home. BasilÂ’s Boutique also offers silver and gemstone jewelry. BASILÂ’S GREAT GENERAL STORE: There is nothing general about Basil's Great General Store. Bountifully stocked with fine French wines, cheese from Europe, gourmet jams and sauces. Imported cigars and an unusual collection of books not to be missed. Fine foods in Paradise. Call (784) 488-8407. ACROSS FOREVER: Imagine decorating your home with antiques from Bali and India. Across Forever has a magnificent collection of furniture from Asia and beyond, contemporary pieces, home furnishings, fabulous lighting accessories and more. Shipping is easily and efficiently arranged. Call (784) 488-8407.Visitors to St Vincent are invited to:BASILÂ’S BAR: Located in Kingstown in an 18th century building named Cobblestone. Air conditioned, you will enjoy cocktails most delightful, the staff most welcoming and the meals are some of the best on the island. Now offering full catering services. Call (784) 457-2713. AT BASILÂ’S: Newly opened full service SPA located in Villa across from Young Island. Also At BasilÂ’s is a collection of beautiful bamboo furniture, contemporary pieces from Asia and beyond, and more. December 2009 Opening of a new coffee shop by the sea. Call (784) 456-2602 World CruiserÂs Online Resource w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w . . . . . . . . . . . . b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i l l l l l l l l l l l l l i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g . . . . . . . . . c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m .bwsailing.co w w w w . . . . . . n n n n n n n n n n m m m m m m m m m g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g w w w w w. w . . b b b b w w s s s s a a a a a a i i i i l l i i i i n n g g g g . . c c c c o o o o m m m 2 Free Issues of Blue Water Sailing magazine 100s of Boat Reviews Latest Cruising News & Notes Exclusive Link to Yachts for Sale BWSÂs Cruising Classi“eds Worldwide Marine Weather Forecasts The WorldÂs Best Cruising Magazine PICK UP! Ahoy, Compass Readers! When in St. Lucia, pick up your free monthly copy of the Caribbean Compass at any of these locations (advertisers in this issue appear in bold ): RODNEY BAY AREA Island Water World Johnson Hardware DSL Yacht Charters Regis Electronics The Sail Loft The Bread Basket Rodney Bay Marina Boatyard Office H2O St. Lucia Yacht Club MARIGOT BAY AREA Customs Office Discovery at Marigot Bay SOUFRIERE AREA SMMA office „ Continued from previous page Many of the recipes are by the author, a noted chef, and these are interspersed with recipes selected from local chefs working on the island (aside from the restaurants, virtually every private home on Mustique has its own chef). The chapters are organized by scenarios, including a beach lime, themed parties, and a midnight rendezvous. Also included are anecdotes about life on Mustique from various residents and visitors. These range from enlightening through entertaining to wince-making, and are probably of greatest interest to the Mustique denizens themselves. But the recipes are solid and every cook will find inspiration. This book is available at shops on Mustique or from www.macmillan-caribbean.com. This Old Boat by Don Casey, second edition © 2009, International Marine. Hard cover, 548 pages, black-and-white photos and illustrations. For the owner who wants to turn a rundown fiberglass boat into a first-class yacht, this is the Bible. The first edition, published in 1991, became a classic, and this revised and expanded edition is better yet „ and timely. ItÂs a great time to find a deal on ÂpreownedÂŽ plastic boats, and with a bit of time, money and acquired skills you can refurbish a good old design into an admirable bluewater cruising machine. As the author notes, Âif you are looking at four-color brochures of a $400,000 boat, you can probably buy an equally capable boat on the used market for 20 percent of that amount, perhaps less.ÂŽ He also notes that well-built fiberglass boats have proven to be nearly immortal and a resuscitated 20to 40-year-old boat can deliver performance, comfort and safety equal to or better than a new boat. This soup-to-nuts tome takes you through a logical, orderly process of bringing an Âoldie but goodieÂŽ to progressively better condition. Most of the text is devoted to showing how to make desired changes, repairs and enhancements. It tells you what tools and materials to use and how to use them. Don Casey writes, ÂWhether you will give your old boat a new life or it will give you one is hard to say.ÂŽ Available at bookstores and chandleries or from www.internationalmarine.com. The Harbour Island Story , by Anne and Jim Lawlor, © 2008, Macmillan Caribbean. Soft cover, black-and-white photos, 320 pages. ISBN 978-0-333-97051-5. If you plan to head to the Bahamas, this book will enhance your understanding of its people and their history. Anne Lawlor was born on Harbour Island and is a professor of English at the College of the Bahamas. Her father was acclaimed historian Paul Albury. Harbour Island has been at the forefront of Bahamian history since the first settlers arrived. Its harbor encouraged trade and fishing while also sheltering privateers and wreckers. Seafaring and shipbuilding were life, and the list of boats built on the island from 1796 to 1843 is impressive. Eventually tourism took over from shipping, and today Harbour Island is the habitat of millionaires. How this two-square-mile island evolved from a place on which an early Dutch explorer found Ânothing worth notingÂŽ (the Lucayan people had died out a century before) to a hot spot for celebrities is quite a story, and the Lawlors tell it thoroughly. This book is available from www.macmillan-caribbean.com.
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 44 BEQUIATel: (784) 593 7264Located at Gingerbread Café Stock Upon the widest selection and the best prices in Grenada at our two conveniently located supermarkets. Whether itÂs canned goods, dairy products, meat, fresh vegetables or fruits, toiletries, household goods, or a fine selection of liquor and wine, The Food Fair has it all and a lot more.HubbardÂsJONAS BROWNE & HUBBARD (GÂda.) Ltd. The Carenage: Monday Thursday 8 am to 5:30 pm Friday until 8:45 pm Saturday until 1:00 pm Tel: (473) 440-2588 Grand Anse: Monday Thursday 9 am to 5:30 pm Friday & Saturday until 7:00 pm Tel: (473) 444-4573 Sorrel Makes Me Think of Christmas by Devi SharpMy first encounter with sorrel was in St. Croix at Christmas time. My husband, Hunter, and I were touring around the island in a rented car and stopped by a small roadside fruit stand. I love to stop at roadside stands because there is always more to be had than the items for sale. We bought a few bananas and papayas and while chatting with the ladies we noticed a heap of wine-colored flowers in a rolled-down feed sack. Being the evercurious naturalist and cook, I asked about the flowers and what to do with them. I just love to ask ladies at the market what to do with fruits and vegetables „ it opens a door of giving that almost always ends with new ideas and good cheer. The red-colored flowers of sorrel should not be confused with wood sorrel, a small plant with three leaves that grows in temperate forests that has a tangy astringent taste. The scientific name of the sorrel used in the Caribbean is Hibiscus sabdariffa and this name shows a relationship to the hibiscus flower bush, also a very popular plant for teas and beverages. In the Caribbean, sorrel (also called roselle) is used for beverages, sauces, salads, soups, chutneys, pickles, tarts, puddings and syrups, and as a substitute for cranberry sauce. The ÂflowerÂŽ that we had in hand was actually what is left over after the petals of the flower dry and fall off, leaving the red sepals (the structure outside of the flower). The sepals of most flowers are green and not very conspicuous. As a collective unit the sepals form a calyx, and it is the calyx that you use for making your sorrel tea or other dishes. In the inside of the calyx there is a large seed, which you can leave in if you are not steeping the brew overnight. For all other uses you will need to remove the seed. I have since seen sorrel sold in bags with the seed removed, and dried sorrel in the grocery store. Our new friend gave us a recipe for sorrel drink that I have tinkered with for years and with the help of testers have hit the level of spices that taste good to me. Let this basic recipe be a starting point for your favorite sorrel drink. I use a pressure cooker because it is a big pot that I can cover and let the tea steep in overnight without fear of contamination. The amount of water you use does not need to be exact because you are making a concentrate and you can dilute the concentrate to your taste. Rinse the sorrel and remove the calyx. You can cut around the seed with a small knife, or just pull the sepals off the seedpod. This is a bit of a chore and will make you think twice about paying the bit extra to purchase your sorrel deseeded. Sorrel Drink 4 quarts of water 2 pounds of washed and deseeded sorrel 2 cinnamon sticks 3 whole allspice 5 whole cloves 1 one-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into four pieces 2 pieces of orange peel about 1 inch each 1 Cup sugar Add cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger and orange peel to the water and bring to a boil. Add sorrel and sugar to boiling water and boil for a minute. Cover the pot and let steep overnight. Strain the leaves and spices out from the liquid and refrigerate the sorrel concentrate. You can add water or club soda to dilute the concentrate. You can then also add rum for a refreshing cocktail. You may need to add more sugar, but start on the light side with the sugar and you can always sweeten it as you use it. After making my first batch of sorrel drink I chatted with a Trinidadian friend and she asked what I did with the ÂleavesÂŽ (calyx). I told her that I tossed them. ÂOh no, you use them for jam!ÂŽ You can use the leftover calyx to make jam or a mock cranberry sauce. If you plan to do this you may want to put the spices in a bag of cheesecloth or net so you can easily remove them after brewing the sorrel tea. Sorrel has a lot of natural pectin, so to make the jam you just add more sugar, heat to boiling and put the jam in clean containers and store in the refrigerator. Yes, you eat the calyx, but they are soft and chewy. Here is the recipe for Sorrel Jam starting with fresh calyx: Sorrel Jam 1 pound sorrel 1/2 Cup water 1 pound granulated sugar 1 small piece cinnamon or other spices to taste Remove the seed from the calyx and rinse. Place sorrel in a deep pot and cover with water; bring to the boil and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Measure sorrel and add 1 Cup sugar for every cup of fruit and juice. Return to heat and bring to the boil; cook until jelly stage (about 15 minutes). Pour into hot sterilized bottles. Refrigerate the jam or use a hot bath to seal the jars. To make Âcranberry sauceÂŽ use the recipe for jam and add orange peel, cinnamon and whatever spices you choose. If you do not feel like making your own, be sure to sample some of the holiday sorrel drinks and treats that the islands have to offer at Christmas time.
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 45 Restaurant & BarLive Music: Stan & Cora € Thurs, Fri, Sun, Mon Bequia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tel: (784) 457 3555 VHF Ch 68 Free WIFI auberge@caribrestaurant.com www.caribrestaurant.com R R R R e e s s t t a a u r a n t t & & B B B B a r BEQUIAHamilton French/Caribbean Cuisine a la carte for the most memorable dinner in Bequia – where the staff serves you with a smile! Live Lobster Pool  Vivier à Langoustes C I A O P I Z Z A CIAO PIZZA P I Z Z E R I A R E S T A U R A N T PIZZERIA RESTAURANTMulzac Square € Union IslandSt. Vincent & the Grenadines B I G S U C C E S S ! ! ! BIG SUCCESS!!!Just one year after opening, our affordable prices, high quality and welcoming staff have made CIAO PIZZA famous throughout the Grenadines. Come and enjoy the best Italian pizza, lasagne, pasta, daily fresh fish and seafood, prepared with love by the Chef ÂLa MariaÂŽ. Located in front of the main wharf at Clifton PIZZA and LASAGNE to take away! Open from 11am to 2 pm Â… 5pm to 10pm T e l : ( 7 8 4 ) 4 3 0 8 6 3 0 Tel: (784) 430 8630 FRUITCAKE TIME IS HERE! ItÂs definitely time to bake your Christmas fruitcake, if you have not already done so. These cakes, heavy with preserved fruit and having less flour than most cakes their size, age well and in doing so bring out their rich flavour and moistness. In my home, preparing fruitcake was a tradition involving all members of the family. That wasnÂt too difficult an organizational task for my mother as I am an only child. But she made a point of having both my father and me assist in the preparation. Mum always said it was good luck to have everyone in the family help make the cake. Little effort was needed to have us participate in its consumption some weeks later. Usually on a weekend morning, Mum would take down the largest pottery, grip-stand mixing bowl we had. Then from hiding places in the recesses of cupboards would come wonderful packages of fruits. These specialty items were normally not readily available or seen in our house at other times of the year „ candied cherries and pineapple slices red, green and yellow; large dark sticky raisins and strange pale-white raisins; small firm currants, crystallized ginger and citron or candied citrus peel. The very sight of these fruit gems was magical. Many of them seemed to glisten from a light source within. During this time of year, there were many exotic fruits available to us. I can remember when Japanese oranges, packed in small wooden crates, arrived by boat. These were a special delicacy for us as kids. Strange fruits such as pomegranates and litchi nuts also became part of our Christmas. The Chinese vegetable man who delivered fresh vegetables to our door always gave my Mum a box of candied ginger as a gift. Dad wasnÂt a fan of walnuts, so almonds or hazelnuts were the only ones Mum would include in the fruitcake. In reality, most of the fruit or nuts, if unavailable or not desired, could be substituted for others. DadÂs help was sought once the ingredients had been combined and it was time to stir the heavy batter. I can still see him stirring the dense mixture. I was sure the cake would not be successful unless he had used his brawn to mix the ingredients. Mum would then spoon the batter into round, deep cake tins that had removable bottoms. Once baked and cooled, Mum ran a kitchen knife around the inside of the pan, loosening the cakeÂs edge and making removal easy. Then by simply pushing up on the bottom of the pan, the cake and pan-bottom would easily lift out. The metal piece would be taken from the bottom of the cake and she would be wrap the cake in two layers of black-rumsoaked cheesecloth and waxed paper and place it in the back of the refrigerator to age. As Christmas came closer, Mum would check the cakes for moistness. A layer of almond paste or marzipan was sometimes patted on the top of the cake and a white frosting applied over that. Wow, was that decadent or what? When Christmas rolled around, opening the fruitcake was almost as exciting as opening presents. WeÂve baked our cake already this year. If you havenÂt, I recommend you try this delicious white fruitcake recipe from my mother-in-law, Nana. My wife, Willa, prefers it to the darker cake my Mum always made. NanaÂs White Fruitcake WillaÂs mum and dad were married in 1929 exactly six months before the stock market crashed. Sadly, before their first Christmas, the economy had taken a downturn from which they never fully recovered. But Willa has always had this White Fruitcake recipe and many precious holiday memories from years ago. 1/2 Cup (125 mL) butter 1 Cup (250 mL) sugar 3 eggs 1/2 Cup (125 mL) milk 2 Cups (500 mL) flour 2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder 1/2 pound (225 g) candied cherries (red and green) 1/4 pound (115 g) candied citron, finely cut 1/4 pound (115 g) candied pineapple chunks 1/2 pound (225 g) coconut 1/4 pound (115 g) almonds or pecans, sliced or chopped 1 pound (450 g) white raisins vanilla and lemon flavouring Preheat oven to 300 ° F (150 ° C). In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, blend butter, sugar and eggs. Alternately add milk, flour and baking powder, mixing well. Stir in fruit and nuts, mix until well combined. Pour in well greased loaf or tube pan, packing down well. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until tester comes out clean. Cool and wrap well in rum-soaked cheesecloth and plastic wrap and keep in a cake tin. If refrigerated, cake will last for many months. Happy Holidays. by Ross Mavis
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NOVEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 46 DECEMBER Gourmet Food is my key to success in the kitchenChristian Fredriksson, Chef, Sweden Supermarket & whole sale VISIT OUR NEW OUTLET!Calliaqua St.Vincent & the Grenadines E-mail: gourmetfood@vincysurf.com Shop 118 Kingstown Cruiseship Terminal The best supplier of chilled, frozen and canned food from all around the worldCALL 456 2987 TO PLACE YOUR ORDER! Don't forget, we deliver daily to the plane and ferry services for our valued Grenadines customers New in Bequia: O'car (Next to GYE)Dill: Not for Pickles Only! Dill isnÂt a traditional seasoning in Caribbean cuisine, but it grows well here and is delicious with a number of tropical and cruiser-staple foods. Dill weedÂs wispy leaves are used fresh as an herb, while dill seed is considered a spice. Dill leaves have a crisp clean taste that enhances the flavor of many vegetables, especially potatoes and cucumbers. Dill seeds have a much more potent flavor, like a blend of anise and celery. Both seeds and leaves are used for pickling. Yes, it is actually called a weed and it can grow that easily „ perfect for a cockpit herb garden. Dill requires full sun, good drainage, and rich soil. Spread the seed over well-worked soil and cover with a half-inch of damp sand (not beach sand, which will contain salt). Sprouts emerge in about two weeks, and should be thinned to six inches apart. Keep weeded, occasionally water, and it will mature in about two months. Snip the leaves you need with scissors, and leave the rest of the plant to keep growing. Dill seed is harvested by snipping off the flat, yellow flower head as it ripens. Put the flowers in a paper bag and dry in the sun. Shake the bag a few times to separate the seeds. Store in a cool dark shelf, or refrigerate. These seeds can be used whole, or crushed in a mill or coffee grinder. The seed heads can be used in breads, stews, and rice dishes, as well as in dill pickles. Fresh or dried, dillÂs leaves and seeds are great additions to fish, lamb, new potatoes and pea or bean dishes. I keep four stalks growing and use it fresh when cooking fish fillets. Always add dill at the end of cooking, otherwise the heat will destroy most of its flavor. Use it sparingly or it will overwhelm other flavors. Dilled Fish in Foil 1 pound fresh fish fillets, (salmon or grouper preferred) 1 Tablespoon butter 1/4 Cup lemon juice 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed leaves, crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1 medium onion, chopped very small Divide fish into four portions. Smear butter on four squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil, and then put a portion of fish on each piece of foil. Melt remaining butter in a small sauté pan and add lemon juice, parsley, dill weed, and salt. Pour over fish. Top with onion. Fold foil so it doesnÂt leak and put the four pieces in a baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes (or longer, depending on the thickness of the fillets). Plenty Beans Stew 1/2 Cup of each of the following beans: pinto, kidney, black and lentils 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil 2 stalks of celery, chopped 1 Cup chopped carrots 2 Cups chopped potatoes 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon fresh dill leaves, crushed 1 teaspoon salt Soak beans several hours or overnight. Discard soaking water. Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Combine all ingredients except dill and salt in a large slow cooker, crockpot, or heavy covered pot. Add water to cover, bring to boil and simmer for about 4 hours. Check occasionally and add more liquid if necessary. Add dill and salt near the end of cooking time. Cheesy Dill Biscuit Bread 2 Cups bakerÂs flour 2 Tablespoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 6 Tablespoons COLD butter, chopped 3/4 Cup cheddar cheese grated 1 1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill 1/3 Cup whole milk 3/4 Cup plain yogurt In a suitable bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Add cold butter pieces and continue to blend until the mixture is coarse. Add cheese and dill. Combine yogurt and milk into the flour-cheese mixture. On an ungreased cookie sheet, divide dough into 1/4 Cup mounds about two inches apart. Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes, or until pale golden brown. (Best to use the middle oven rack to keep bottoms from over hardening and burning.) THE SPICE LOCKER BY SHIRLEY HALL
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 47 Dear Compass , We Âswallowed the anchorÂŽ of S/Y Mystique in January 2006 and have recently returned to Carriacou as tourists. We read recent editions of Caribbean Compass and were interested in the wonderful poem ÂCarriacou RegattaÂŽ by Nan Hatch in the August 2009 issue. In July 1967, we travelled down the islands from St. Vincent to Grenada, on a schooner as far as Union Island and on a converted MTB from there to Grenada. We overnighted on Union and on Carriacou, where we stayed at the Mermaid Tavern, owned and run by Linton Rigg of Carriacou Regatta fame. The floors had just been varnished so the whole place was rather sticky and rather tricky to navigate. All guests sat together at the same table for meals, with Linton Rigg presiding. As far as we recall, he monopolized the conversation and was an extremely interesting Âmine hostÂŽ. There arenÂt many people who remember him, so we count ourselves as especially privileged. We based Mystique at the Tyrell Bay Yacht Haulout from 2001 to 2006 and have nothing but happy memories of those days, too, which included a fair of amount of hard work in the best yard in the world (weÂre biased!). Having worked in Barbados (1966 and 1967) and Guyana (1967 to 1969), carried out occasional voluntary work in Barbados (between 1999 and 2004), and kept our yacht in Carriacou, we decided to see if being land-based would work, hence our recent trip. WeÂre happy to report on a successful trip, which included the decision to buy a modest house on Carriacou which we will call Mystique . The views are spectacular to the north and northwest, so weÂll see yachts on passage crossing Hillsborough Bay, and enjoy magnificent views across to Union and up the islands as well. It seems a fitting way to continue the journey we started as a newly married couple all those years ago in Barbados. And all because someone told me years ago that, if I wanted to see the world (and poor eyesight had disqualified me for the Navy in those days), become an accountant! Weird, but it has certainly worked for us. We used to see Linton RiggÂs former Carriacou sloop, Mermaid of Carriacou , in Tyrell Bay and the fact that John Smith has kept that unique vessel afloat is another reminder of an amazing man to whom racing yachtsmen of the Caribbean should raise their glasses each Carriacou Regatta. [ EditorÂs note: As this issue of Compass goes to press, John Smith is sailing Mermaid from Aruba to Panama. ] Wishing all yachties fair winds this winter season, and hoping weÂll be able to see old friends at Mystique on Carriacou from February 2010. Sincerely, Christine and Paul Burnett UK Dear Compass , In the October issue of Compass , there was an excellent article on ÂComing to the Caribbean from the US East CoastÂŽ by Don Street. For the past 35 years, I have read virtually everything that Don Street has written. To me, he is the Dean of Caribbean Cruising and to not heed his advice is to lose the advantage that is gained by understanding what a man of his experience has to say. Notwithstanding my admiration for Don, it appears to me that either the article contains an oversight or else the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are not part of the Caribbean. There is no question that if one wants to go directly to the Virgin Islands, everything that Don indicates in his article is the wisdom of the ages. However, going south to the Caribbean can include the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as well. Moreover, if such a route were taken, one could avoid the slog to windward in the Atlantic Ocean to get to the destination. Using DonÂs map (see www.caribbeancompass.com/ online/october09compass_online.pdf, page 28), if one were to take Route VI, or any approximation of it regardless of oneÂs jump-off point, one could take the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola. The route is safe and most often the wind is favorable for sailing vessels. The south coast of the Dominican Republic is a wonderful cruising ground with numerous stops and, instead of working to windward in the Atlantic, you can work to windward in the lee of the second largest island in the Caribbean, Hispaniola. Most anchorages going east are within 30 miles of each other and all are well sheltered. Once to the east end of the DR, you are south of the Mona Passage, and can make for the west end of Puerto Rico. The south shore of PR is another fine cruising area, with many wonderful anchorages and interesting stops. It seems to me if you are in the US and heading directly to the Virgin Islands to get to the Caribbean, you must be in a rush to get somewhere for you are bypassing a part of the Caribbean that is often overlooked, and so very worthwhile and interesting. You can find complete information on all of the Dominican Republic in the free cruising guide to the Dominican Republic at www.dominicanrepubliccruisingguide.com. [ See related news item on page 6.] Based on DonÂs charts we can call this route, ÂRoute VIa, Coming to the Caribbean from the US East CoastÂŽ, or if such a route is not seen as plausible, then perhaps we should have the title of the last article changed to ÂComing to the Virgin Islands from the US East CoastÂŽ. Good cruising, Frank Virgintino, Author Dominican Republic Cruising Guide Dear Frank, You are right that the article was mis-titled, and thatÂs my fault. It should have been called ÂComing to the Lesser Antilles from the US East CoastÂŽ. (Don has always said that he considers St. Thomas to be the best landfall for those coming from the north and intending to cruise the Lesser Antilles.) We hope that Compass readers will check out your guide and consider the very interesting option of cruising the Dominican Republic, whether via ÂRoute VIaÂŽ or coming from any other direction. Sally Dear Compass , I want to advise you that on October 18th my girlfriend and I were robbed by four armed men while anchored at Chateaubelair, St. Vincent, in the northern part of the bay. We had broken the autopilot and we wanted to rest there before sailing onward to Martinique. They had time in the afternoon to see that we were only two on board and robbing us would be easy. At 9:00 in the dark night they came on board. One of them got a pistol on me, another one held a cutlass on my girlfriend, another one stayed outside in a little boat with paddles, and another one searched inside the boat. They left when I gave all the money that we had, plus a Breitling watch and a telephone. It was quickly done; my girlfriend received a cut with the cutlass. The VHF was out of order, so we didnÂt report the incident until we reached Martinique, where we were told that we were the fourth boat in two years to be the victim of an armed robbery in the same place! Strange that no cruising guide warns about that place. Anyway, we wanted to advise you about this incident if it can help others. Thanks and regards, Emmanuel Yacht Soca Girl Dear Emmanuel, Please tell other sailors in Martinique that reports of crimes against yachts throughout the Caribbean, including the incidents at Chateaubelair, are collected at www. safetyandsecuritynet.com. After your incident was reported, www.safetyandsecuritynet.com posted the following: ÂAt this point, Chateaubelair goes back on our watch list: seven incidents confirmed in less than 2 years, with another four probable, and eight in the 18 months prior to that period. Yachts should not anchor at Chateaubelair and should tell everyone they know of the dangers there.ÂŽ Reports about Chateubelair can also be found at www.noonsite.com, and in his current edition of the SailorÂs Guide to the Windward Islands Chris Doyle suggests avoiding overnighting there. (ChrisÂs website also contains updates and feedback from cruisers; visit www.doyleguides.com.) We realize these are all English-language sources, but hope that you and our other French-speaking friends will make use of them. Meanwhile, authorities in St. Vincent including the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Glen Beache, and the Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward, Hon. Dr. Jerrold Thompson, have spoken recently about the increasingly critical need for yacht security on this part of the St. Vincent coast. We hope to be able to report positive developments soon. CC „Continued on page 49 R E A D E R S ' READERS' F O R U M FORUM Real sailors use StreetÂs Guides for inter-island and harbor piloting directions, plus interesting anecdotes of people, places and history. StreetÂs Guides are the only ones that describe ALL the anchorages in the Eastern Caribbean.NEW! StreetÂs videos, first made in 1985, are now back as DVDs. € ÂTransatlantic with StreetÂŽ documents a sailing passage from Ireland to Antigua via the Cape Verdes. 2 hours € ÂAntigua Week Â85ÂŽ is the story of the engineless yawl Iolaire racing round the buoys to celebrate her 80th birthday. 1 hour € ÂStreet on KnotsÂŽ demonstrates the essential knots and line-handling skills every sailor should know. 1 hour € ÂStreetwise 1 and 2ÂŽ give tips that appeared in the popular video Sailing Quarterly, plus cruises in the Grenadines, Venezuela and southwest coast of Ireland DVDs available at Imray, Kelvin Hughes, Armchair Sailor/ Bluewater Books, and www.street-iolaire.com. Full information on DVDs at www.street-iolaire.com HURRICANE TIPS! Visit www.street-iolaire.com for a wealth of information on tracking and securing for a storm.StreetÂs Guides and DVDs are available at all Island Waterworld stores and at Johnson's Hardware, or from www.iUniverse.com and www.seabooks.com GOOD GUIDES ARE TIMELESSRocks donÂt move „ or if they do they are shown on up-to-date Imray charts. Regarding marine infrastructure, virtually every island puts out a free marine trade guide every year, which is much more up-to-date than any guide; similarly, the tourist departments put out a free annual guide for bars, restaurants and hotels. With all these updates readily available, StreetÂs guides are timeless. DollyÂs Answers(a) combustion (b) decay (or respiration) (c) respiration (or decay) (d) eaten by (e) photosynthesis (f) absorption
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JEAN-JACQUES POETTEJudicial auctioneer Telephone: + 33 (0)1 55 33 13 13 à Fax: + 33 (0)1 55 33 13 14 à email: etudepoette@yahoo.fr Assisted by Monsieur Jacques SCHARWATT marine surveyor, BP111 bd Alegre, 97290 Le Marin, Martinique TEL: +596 (0) 596 74 02 14 GSM: +596 (0) 696 29 64 29 LEGAL EXPENSES IN ADDITION TO THE AUCTION: 12% ext VAT**: the highest bidders with regard to their legal situation the possible change to assignment from commercial to leisure use, and the boatÂs future place of registration, will possibly have to pay the VAT applicable in the place of registration as well as the additional taxes in effect. Bidders registration necessary 48 hours before the sale, with production of a bank authorization letter or deposit of 10% of th e boatÂs estimated value.Of“ ce: 25 rue Le Peletier 75009 PARIS France N° Siret 47866241400026 Â… intra Community vat: FR30478662414 Lagoon Mojito Lagoon THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17TH 2009 AT 11 AM BAIE DU MARIN MARTINIQUE (97290) PORT DE PLAISANCE, BASSIN TORTUEPublic auction, following winding up of Private Limited Company SWITCH SA 4 Lagoon 570 Catamarans: 2004 (COOK) 2005 (COPERNIC COLBERT CABRAL) Engines 2x75 hp Volvo Generator + watermaker. 6 double cabins with 6 heads for 12 passengers excluding crew. Length 17.06m, Beam 9.15m, Draft 1.4m Mainsail 104m², Genoa 68m² 1 Mojito 78 Catamaran (85) 2005 (COSTA RICA) Engines: 2x215 hp Perkins Generator + Air Conditioning + Watermaker. 12 doubles cabins with 12 heads for 24 passengers excluding crew. Length: 23.88m, Beam 12m, Draft: 1.62m Mainsail 208m², Genoa 104m² Detailed list with speci“ cations available for study on request, and available for consultation on the web site www.poette.artcover.com 5 SAILING CATAMARANS REGISTERED FOR COMMERCIAL USE, EXC. TAXESMojito Lagoon DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 48
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 49 ST. THOMAS YACHT SALESCompass Point Marina, 6300 Est. Frydenhoj, Suite 28, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 00802 Tel: (340) 779-1660 Fax: (340) 779-2779 yachts@islands.vi Sail36 1980 Albin Stratus, Cruiser or 6 pack charter vessel $45,000 41 1980 Morgan Out Islander AC, great condition $79,000 46 2000 Jeanneau twin helms, 3 staterooms $179,900 49 1979 Transpacific Ketch, Bluewater, 3 strms, loaded $180,000Power26 1987 Whale Boat Navy Capts gig, Perkins, 4109 $33,000 29 1994 Phoenix SF, Twin Volvos, trim tabs, outriggers $64,500 32 1996 Carver 325 Twin Crusaders, great condition $59,900 36Â1980 Litton Trawler, Yanmar diesels, Gen Set $30,000 40 1999 Tiara 4000 Express, Genset, AC, Twin Cats $275,000Call, fax or visit our website for a complete list of boats for sale www.stthomasyachts.com La Creole 50 1978 Gulfstar Ketch. Well maintained classic, 3 strms, $145,000 Summer Place 44 1985 Beneteau Idylle, Great Cruiser, AP, AC, Genset $86,000 LETTER OF THE MONTH Dear Compass , Reading the story of the loss of the Helen Mary G in the July issue of Compass has got me thinking about bilge pumps. The yacht, a Sovereign 470, sank offshore on a passage between the BVI and St. Kitts after striking a submerged object. After 47 years in the insurance business, I know the most easily preventable claim is a sinking caused by inadequate bilge pumps. Do you have hand pumps that could save your boat if the electric bilge pump(s) stopped working? Many yachts carry one or two Whale Gusher 10s. Pumps of this size are useless as emergency pumps on a cruising boat of 40 feet or more. A cruising boat that does any serious offshore sailing should have at least one 25-gallon-per-minute (or more) hand pump. There are only two I know of on the market, the Whale Gusher 30 and the Edson. My preference is the Edson, a single-acting pump with one 2 1/2-inch intake and one 2 1/2-inch discharge valve. The valves are so big all sorts of small crud can get sucked through and blown over the side „ to the extent that on an Edson a strum box is not needed. Instead, two eighth-inch bronze or stainless rods should be fastened through the intake line at a right angle. The small stuff will suck through, and the X made by the rods will stop the big stuff. Install a five-foot-long handle and you can pump forever. My wooden yawl IolaireÂs Edson has such a long handle that in years gone by (when she leaked a bit, to say the least) the early morning job of my children, starting at about age six, was to pump the bilge. I can honestly say that if it were not for Edson pumps, Iolaire would have sunk at least half a dozen times. If you do not want to permanently install a pump, you can buy an Edson pump mounted on a board. It has two hoses, one long enough to reach to the deep part of the bilge, the other to reach over the side. But when you order it tell them you do not want the fancy varnished mahogany mounting board (it will slip and slide along and your foot will slide on the varnished surface). Rather, ask for the pump to be mounted on a plain fir plywood board and the bottom of the board to be covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting. In addition, all boats should have the ability to use the engineÂs saltwater pump as a bilge pump. A T or Y valve should be installed on the intake line, one end led to the normal saltwater intake line, the other into the bilge to a good strum box. Some rough figures are supplied in the following table: Intake diameter (in inches) Gallons per minute 1 20 1 1/4 30 1 1/2 45 2 80 These are serious amounts of water and, most important, the pump will keep on going as long as the main engine has air. Many years ago there was a very resourceful skipper who was having trouble with leaks he could not keep up with, even after he rigged the engine saltwater intake as a bilge pump having made a strum box out of a coffee can. He had called the Coast Guard and they were on the way with pumps, but he was losing it „ the water level had reached the engine. He was really resourceful, as he found a spare exhaust hose, pulled off the air intake, and fastened the exhaust hose onto the air intake. By the time the Coast Guard arrived the engine was underwater but still had air and was still running. With the aid of the Coast GuardÂs pumps, the boat was saved. Don Street, Iolaire „ Continued from page 47 ƒReaders ForumDear Compass , We recently had the St Lucia BMW J/24 Sail-Off, to get two teams qualified for the St. Lucia BMW Invitational Championship 2009. When we realized we did not have one single piece of paper on board the committee boat to write down the results, we were so happy that we always have a copy of the Compass ! Thank you. Cheers, Danielle DeRouck, Social Secretary St. Lucia Yacht Club Dear Compass Readers, We want to hear from YOU! Please include your name, boat name or shoreside address, and a way we can contact you (preferably by e-mail) if clarification is required. We do not publish individual consumer complaints or individual regatta results complaints. (Kudos are okay!) We do not publish anonymous letters; however, your name may be withheld from print at your request. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and fair play. Send your letters to: sally@caribbeancompass.com or Compass Publishing Ltd. Readers Forum Box 175BQ, Bequia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 50 CALENDARDECEMBER 2009 2 FULL MOON 3 Saba Day. Public holiday in Saba 6 7 Gustav Wilmerding 19th Annual Memorial Challenge, BVI. West End Yacht Club (WEYC), Tortola, BVI, tel (284) 495-1002, fax (284) 495-4184, mvh@surfbvi.com, www.weyc.net 6 9 St. Maarten Charter Yacht Exhibition. www.mybacaribbeanshow.com 7 11 48th Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting. www.antiguayachtshow.com 9 National Heroes Day. Public holiday in Antigua & Barbuda 11 Â… 14 Sir John Compton Memorial Trophy 2009, race from St. Lucia to Martinique and return. St. Lucia Yacht Club (SLYC), tel (758) 452-8350, secretary@stluciayachtclub.com, www.stluciayachtclub.com 12 19 Chanukah 13 National Day. Public holiday in St. Lucia 16 Lionel Richie live at Pierre Aliker Stadium, Martinique. www.bienglace.com/LIONEL-RICHIE-EN-CONCERT-EN.html 16 Â… 24 Nine Mornings Festival, St. Vincent & the Grenadines 15 Kingdom Day. Public holiday in St. Maarten 15 ARC ChildrenÂs Christmas Party, St. Lucia. SLYC 18 Lionel Richie live at Baie-Mahault Stadium, Guadeloupe. www.bienglace.com/LIONEL-RICHIE-EN-CONCERT-EN.html 19 Separation Day. Public holiday in Anguilla 20 St. Lucia Yacht Club Fun Day. SLYC 21 Winter Solstice 22 Carols Afloat and Christmas Party, Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia. SLYC 25 Christmas Day. Public holiday in many places 26 Â… 30 Coupe de Nwel Regatta, Guadeloupe. gerard.csbf-guadeloupe@orange.fr 26 Boxing Day. Public holiday in many places 31 FULL MOON. Festival Day, Public holiday in Montserrat 31 NelsonÂs Pursuit Race, Antigua. AYC. See ad on page 17. JANUARY 2010 1 New YearÂs Day. Public holiday or Ârecovery dayÂŽ in many places. Junkanoo parade in Abaco, Bahamas 2 Public holiday in Cuba (Victory of Armed Forces Day), Haiti (Founding Fathers Day), St Kitts & Nevis (Carnival Day), St. Lucia and Grenada (Second New YearÂs Day) 2 Â… 3 St. Croix Christmas Festival Parades. www.stxfestival.com 6 Three Kings Day. Public holiday in many places 6 World ARC 2010/11 starts in St. Lucia. www.worldcruising.com/worldarc2010 11 Â… 17 17th Annual Barbados Jazz Festival. www.barbadosjazzfestival.com 11 Â… 20 St. Barts Music Festival. www.stbartsmusicfestival.org 13 Â… 16 Carriacou Sailing Series. www.sailingcarriacou.com 18 Martin Luther King Day. Public holiday in Puerto Rico and USVI 21 Errol Barrow Day. Public holiday in Barbados 21 Â… 24 St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta. www.ClassicRegatta.com 22 St. Thomas USVI Blues Festival. http://stevesimonpresents.com 23 Â… 24 Around Antigua Race. Antigua Yacht Club (AYC), tel/fax (268) 460-1799, yachtclub@candw.ag, www.antiguayachtclub.com 24 Â… 28 41st Spice Island Billfish Tournament, Grenada. www.sibtgrenada.com 24 Â… 30 Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, Montego Bay. www.airjamaicajazzandblues.com 27 Â… 30 Antigua Superyacht Cup. AYC 27 Â… 10 Feb 15th Annual Mustique Blues Festival. www.basilsbar.com 28 Â… 31 Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest. See ad on page 53. 29 Â… 2 Feb Grenada Sailing Festival. See ad on page 12. 30 FULL MOON 30 Â… 31 Budget Marine WomenÂs Caribbean Championships, St. Maarten. www.smyc.com All information was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time this issue of Compass went to press „ but plans change, so please contact event organizers directly for confirmation. If you would like a nautical or tourism event listed FREE in our monthly calendar, please send the name and date(s) of the event and the name and contact information of the organizing body to sally@caribbeancompass.com. FREE Caribbean Compass On-line FREEwww.caribbeancompass.com WHATÂS ON MY MIND Moorings by Jim HutchinsonÂNo,ÂŽ I called to the catamaran. ÂYou canÂt pick up that mooring.ÂŽ ÂWhy?ÂŽ ÂBecause you will be right on top of me.ÂŽ They were about to pick up a big red mooring ball about 30 metres ahead of us. That was all that was said. They saw that what I said was true (or didnÂt want to be near me) and went elsewhere. If I anchor too close to a mooring for it to be used and someone picks it up anyway, and hits me, who is at fault? Is a person allowed to reserve a piece of unused anchorage to the exclusion of others? If I fill a bay with moorings, do you have to pay me to be there? But there is more than meets the eye in this particular case. WeÂve been anchored in this spot for some weeks. The mooring was put there yesterday „ without a word. Thirty metres ahead may sound okay, presumably what they first thought. But the slack in the mooring plus the length of their bridle would put their bow five or ten metres behind where the ball is now, and their boat is 12 metres long. That would put them way too close, especially if they like running their engine „ diesel exhaust. But another interesting aspect was seen when I snorkeled the mooring. The sand screw was about ten metres in front of our anchor, with its heavy chain laid out across the wind. The chain would have fouled our anchor if it had been laid out downwind. Whether the installers gave any thought to what would happen the first time a boat picked it up and pulled it straight is something to wonder. I could have been a good sport and moved, of course. But many of you will see that there is at least one matter of principle here. I told the mooringÂs operator that I was there first, and nobody was going to occupy the mooring until I left. And I stayed as long as I wanted. The mooring in question is one of many rental moorings in the bay. There are also many private moorings. Some yachts have moorings in several bays. And I sometimes leave our dinghy on a mooring when I do a daysail. There are other excuses for moorings, too. There are places where moorings are mandatory for alleged environmental reasons. One island owned by the super-rich declared all of its surrounding waters ecologically sensitive and prohibits all anchoring „ and installed mandatory moorings with big fees in a sand-bottom bay that has been an anchorage for centuries. As environmentally chic as that may sound, this same island has been caught dumping its trash in the sea. There are now so many yachts, and so many captains that know or care little where their anchors fall, that there is a good case for protecting corals, grass, and sponges from us. Sigh. HereÂs another problem with moorings. In general, I donÂt trust them. IÂve had a high rate of failure on the few IÂve picked up, and IÂve read and heard many mooring horror stories over the years. Even diving a mooring isnÂt a guarantee. Backing up a mooring with your own anchor is sometimes a good idea. How do you know? Ask the guy wanting to rent the mooring to you? (Or, sometimes, the next guy collecting on the same mooring?) The real and irresistible inevitability of moorings is convenience. The argument that they are more secure will become increasingly true as yachts come to know less and less about anchoring. And the more yachts there are, many oblivious to where they are dropping their anchors, the greater the environmental justification. And there is this. In many places where moorings are mandatory, high fees effectively say Ârich people onlyÂŽ. And of more moderate mooring fees, some of us say, Âthat is almost (or more than) my entire budget!ÂŽ
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 51 UNIQUE IN DOMINICA Roseau & Portsmouth Tel: 767-448-2705 Fax: 767-448-7701Dockmaster Tel: 767-275-2851 VHF: 16info@dominicamarinecenter.com www.dominicamarinecenter.com The Dominica Marine Center is the home of the Dominica Yacht Club and your center for: € Yacht Mooring Anchorage € Grocery Store & Provisioning € Bakery (SukieÂs Bread Company) € Water at dock € Fuel (Unleaded / Diesel) € Ice € Yacht Chandlery agents Budget Marine /Sea Choice Products Mercury Marine / Yanmar Marine € LP Gas (propane) refills € Showers & Toilets (WC) € Garbage Disposal € Security € Telephone & Fax € Mobile Phone Rental / SIM Top Up € Laundry WiFi Internet € Beach Bar € Nearby Restaurants € Taxi & Tour Operators € Whale Watching & Sport Fishing € Light Engine and Boat Repair € Customs / Immigration Clearance Information € Visa / Master Card accepted To advertise in Caribbean Compass Market Place, contact your island agent (see list on page 4) or contact Tom at (784) 457 3409 tom@caribbeancompass.com Caribbean Compass Market Place continued on next page PORTHOLE RESTAURANT & BAR& Shoreline Mini-MarketA friendly atmosphere where you can sit and meet people.Admiralty Bay, Bequia Noelina & Lennox Taylor welcome you! VHF CH68 Phone (784) 458-3458 We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner MID ATLANTIC YACHT SERVICESPT-9900-144 HORTA / FAIAL, AZORESProviding all vital services to Trans-Atlantic Yachts! Incl. Chandlery, Charts, Pilots, Rigging EU-VAT (14%) importation Duty free fuel (+10.000lt)TEL +351 292 391616 FAX +351 292 391656 mays@mail.telepac.pt www.midatlanticyachtservices.com CARRIACOU REAL ESTATELand and houses for sale For full details see our website: www.islandvillas.com or contact Carolyn Alexander atDown Island Ltd e-mail: islander@caribsurf.comTel: (473) 443 8182 Fax: (473) 443 8290We also handle Villa Rentals & Property Management on Carriacou TechNick Ltd.Engineering, fabrication and welding. Fabrication and repair of stainless steel and aluminium items. Nick Williams, Manager Tel: (473) 536-1560/435-7887 S.I.M.S. Boatyard, True Blue, Grenada technick@spiceisle.com BEQUIA VENTURE CO. LTDappointed agents in St. Vincent & the Grenadines for Primer, Epoxy, Top Coat, Antifouling, ThinnersPORT ELIZABETH, BEQUIA Tel: 784 458 3319 € Fax: 784 458 3000 Email: bequiaventure@vincysurf.com € SPRAY PAINTS € ROLLERS € BRUSHES € TOOLS €€ CLEANING SUPPLIES €€ NAILS € HOSE CLAMPS €€ FILLERS € STAINLESS FASTENERS € ADHESIVES € on deckRYA Training Centre STCW coming soon Sailing courses to Yachtmaster Powerboat to Advanced Powerboat Other Worldwide accredited courses including SRCMaritime Training antigua@ondeckoceanracing.com +1 (268) 562-6696
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 52 Packages Pick – up call: + (599) 553-3 8 50 / + (590) 690-222473 Int. 001-3057042314 E-mail: ericb@megatropic.com CIRExpress COURIER SERVICES St. Maarten/ St. Martin, collect and deliver door to door Caribbean Compass Market Place continued on next page Voiles AssistanceDidier and MariaLE MARIN/MARTINIQUESails & Canvas (repairs & fabrication) located at Carenantilles dockyardOpen Monday to Friday 8-12am 2-6pm Saturday by appointment tel/fax: (596) 596 74 88 32 e-mail: didier-et-maria@wanadoo.fr LE MARIN, MARTINIQUE € GRENADAwww.caraibe-greement.fr cgmar@wanadoo.frPhone: +(596) 596 74 8033 Cell: (596) 696 27 66 05 R I G G I N GS H I P C H A N D L E R clippers-ship@wanadoo.frTel: (0) 596 71 41 61 Fax: (0) 596 71 77 Shipchandler, Artimer Le Marin, Martinique Marine Electrics WatermakersInstallation / Repair Zac artimer Le Marin, Martinique FWITel: + (596) 596 650 524 Fax: + (596) 596 650 053 yescaraibes@hotmail.com tel: (473) 440-2310 fisher@caribsurf.com  rare exotic arts + crafts  jewelry  wooden-ware  hammocks + more unique gifts for your boat, home + friendsyoung street st. george's grenada just steps from the carenage SAILMAKING, RIGGING, ELECTRONICS Grenada Marine € Spice Island Marine Tel/Fax (473) 439-4495 turbsail@spiceisle.com Happy Hour Every Day from 6 7PMOpening Hours from 7AM 11PM Martinique Marin B a r € R e s t a u r a n t € D e l i Bar € Restaurant € Deli T e l e p h o n e : 0 5 9 6 7 4 6 0 8 9 Telephone: 0596 74 60 89 W I F I C o n n e c t i o n f o r o u r G u e s t s WIFI Connection for our Guests w w w . r e s t a u r a n t m a n g o b a y . c o m www.restaurant-mangobay.com
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 53 Caribbean Compass Market Place www.savondemer.comT 95 4 41 4 -9 9 9 9 Dealers welcome to register The Ultimate Choice for sailors, boaters, swimmers, divers, fishermen and campers. SAVE your FRESH water, shampoo and body wash with . Counteracts the drying effects of salt and sun on your hair and skin. ORDER ONLINE or at DEALER ORDER ONLINE or at DEALER Biodegradable pH-7 Neutral Biodegradable pH-7 Neutral Publishing Ltd. ADMIRALTY TRANSPORT DE REEFBequiaBasilÂs BarMustique Thurs 28th, 9pm: 13-piece Elite Steel Orchestra @ Frangipani Fri 29th, 8.30pm: The Mustique Blues Festival comes to Bequia for 1 night @ De Reef Sat 30th, 1.00pm: Jazz and Blues Jam @ Bequia Beach Hotel, Friendship Beach Sat 30th, 8.30pm: Caribbean Clash, Bequia, Barbados, Europe @ De Reef Sun 30th, 1.00pm: Blues & Jazz Jam, Special Guests, Mount Gay Surprise Party @ De Reef www.begos.com/bequiamusicfest musicfest@begos.com Tel: (784) 458 3286 January 28 January 31, 20107TH BEQUIA MUSIC FESTThe Bequia Tourism Association presentsKEEGAN'S BEACH RESORT BEQUIA EXPRESS
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 54 CLASSIFIEDS BOATS FOR SALE 1975 German Frers 39ft, 2 sets racing sails,US 57.000 1981 Cape Dory 30, US 39.000, St.Lucia duty paid 2000 Catana 471, 4 cabin, 460.000 Euros 1987 Irwin 44 US 105.000 1992 Dehler 37 CWS, 90.000 Euros 1981 CT 54 US 195.000 2006 Bahia 46, Hi spec upgrades, lots of extra equipment with charter contract, 390.000 EurosE-mail Yachtsales@dsl-yachting. com Tel (758) 452 8531 MAXIM 38 CATAMARAN 2001 , very well equipped, E-mail maxim4sale@gmail.com or Tel (473) 536-2319 for full details.SEA RAY 420 SUNDANCER 2004 Twin 465hp Yanmar Diesels. Perfect condition, too many extras to mention. Just received fresh bottom paint, acid wash and wax. Professionally maintained. $275,000 E-mail jmoraino@yahoo.com Tel: (340) 513-4024 1993 BENETEAU 445 Cruising Ready to go performance cruiser/live aboard located in the Virgin Islands. Watermaker, wind generator, solar, davits, AGM batteries, newer engine, navigation electronics, dinghy. $129,000 Tel (340) 344-6262 www.ansano.com/4sale 1979 HUGHES 38 Sparkman and Stevens design. Cruising Grenada. Ready to go.US$32,000 ono E-mail hughes38.1979@yahoo.com YOUNG SUN 46FT VENUS 1984 KETCHfiberglass, vgc, new engine 2007, excellent live aboard and cruiser. GPS, RADAR, VHF, Auto Pilot, EPIRB, SSB, Water Maker, Air-Con, Solar Panels, Wind Generator & more. Full specs at www.freewebs.com/venus46forsale Price reduced for a speedy sale US$169,000 ONO Lying St Lucia. E-mail venus46@live.com or Tel: 596-696-907429 COCHISE , an elegant 39 ft yacht (1991) and pleasure to sail is for sale. Noted for speed, ease to handle, simplicity and Boat of The Year 2007 Trinidad. Cochise is very well maintained, sailed only by owner and brought in from NL on containership. Ideal boat for comfortable, fast cruising with family/ friends, and equipped for club racing. All J-Boats design weaknesses taken care of in recent years. Extensively overhauled with new mast and rod rigging (2002), large sail wardrobe, many extras incl. new Raymarine autopilot (2007), well-maintained Harken winches, 2 anchors + chain, large sun awning etc. Interesting price of 55,000 US$ reflects current location (Caribbean) and move to larger world cruiser. E-mail cochisestellendam@zonnet.nl BOATS FOR SALE IN TRINIDAD Tel (868) 739-6449 www.crackajacksailing.net 41' CORONADO 1973, ÂM'Lady KathleenÂŽ Now available in the Grenadines, loaded with goodies. www.freewebs.com/ sv-mladykathleen for details. US$56,000 E-mail: Roland693@Yahoo.com 2003 BENETEAU OCEANIS 393, 3 Cabins/2 Heads, Good Condition, Cruising Ready. BVIÂs, $115,000, E-mail starfrute@gmail.com Tel (952) 221-3788 RIVIERA 2002 CONVERTIBLE /SPORTSFISHERMAN Hard Top Flybridge, LOD 37 ' 11", LOA 42' 11", Beam 13' 10", Draft 3' 5ÂŽ, Cruise 20 Kts., Max 28 Kts. Twin Cummins 6BTA, 370hp (Only 800 Hours Use) Furuno Radar , Furuno Depth Sounder, Northstar Chart Plotter / GPS , VHF Radio ( flybridge & Cabin), Auto Pilot, watermaker, ice maker, freezer, fridges. Boat in excellent condition and has been professionally maintained since acquisition in 2006. Fully equipped and can be supplied with 8 semi rigid Inflatable and 5hp O/B, plus spare set of new props. Asking Price US$280,000 Located at Port St. Charles Marina, Barbados . Contact William Tomlin Tel: (246) 231 3439 30 BRADLEY 2005 , Twin Yamaha 115 HP 4 stroke 2005, 108 gallons fuel, Icom IC-M402S VHF, GPS: Garmin GPSmap 198C sounder, Boat is in good condition. Minor repairs: trim tabs, windshield, shower pump, railing, radio antenna, gasket portside engine. Trailer in good condition. Asking price: US$ 35.000, or best offer. Contact: Saba Conservation Foundation, Tel (599) 416 3295 HALLBERG RASSY 39 1997 New engine. Exc. condition. St Lucia. Euros 217,000 E-mail tabascojazz@hotmail.com CORT WINNER ÂUNCLE SAMÂŽ BENETEAU 10-METER Custom, 2001 rebuild, Henderson bulb keel & rudder. Expanded cockpit, oversize winches, custom helm, all new instruments. Raytheon GPS, speedometer, cockpit mounted chart plotter, Maxi sail compass. Completely rewired including dual battery system & circuit breaker panel. Dry storage past 2 years. US$36,000 Contact Sam Laing, E-mail laingusvi@gmail.com 46 PETERSON PERFORMANCE CRUISER 1988 Center cockpit, single owner, lovingly maintained. Sailed throughout the Caribbean and now located in Trinidad. Ready for you to start cruising tomorrow. USD 189,999 E-mail SailingOnFree@aol.com 40 FT FISHING TRAWLER. Fiberglass hull. 671GM Diesel. Based in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. Good price, negotiable. Tel (473) 415-9323 MISC. FOR SALE SELDEN RIG for VINDÖ 35, deck stepped, boom, spreaders, lights, winches (has been changed for upgrade) 2000 US OBO ask for details 758 4528531 e-mail: destsll@candw.lc SAILS AND CANVAS EXCEPTIONALLY SPECIAL DEALS at http://doylecaribbean.com/specials.htm CALVERT HOME SCHOOL Large quantity of home-school books from Grade 1 through 6. For complete list E-mail cathy@bequiadive.com 2 x 54 F/glass catamaran hulls Trinidad (868) 650-1914 E-mail JanDutch@tstt.net.tt PROPERTY FOR SALE CARRIACOU, ONE ACRE LOTS and multi acre tracts. Great views overlooking Southern Grenadines and Tyrrel Bay www.caribtrace.com BEQUIA, UNION LEVEL 2 pieces of land for sale 23,000 sq/ft each. $4.25 US per sq/ft. Tel (473) 404 4630 E-mail Jhjamie99 @gmail.com RENTALS BEQUIA, HAMILTON 2-bed room, partly furnished, recently refurbished house. 100 yds from the sea. EC$1,300 per month, utilities not included. Tel (784) 496-9872 E-mail Jhjamie99@gmail.com. BEQUIA, PORT ELIZABETH 3 bed villa with pool. Stunning views. Jeep & Internet. Short or lets. E-mail Pearlwin1@aol.com. LA POMPE, BEQUIA Large 2 bedroom house and/ or 1 bed studio apartment in. Big verandah and patio, stunning view, cool breeze. Internet, cable TV. 2 weeks minimum, excellent longterm rates. Tel: (784) 495 1177 email: louisjan@vincysurf.com ACCOMMODATION BEQUIA Recently completed four ensuite air-conditioned rooms in waterfront property available for short or long term rental. Panoramic view of Admiralty Bay from verandah and access to the sea from our own jetty. Located in quiet northwest corner of Admiralty Bay. Tel (784) 458-3942 E-mail daffodil_harris@yahoo.com BEQUIA, FRIENDSHIP Unfurnished house, 3 bedroom/2 baths. Tel (784) 495 3704 E-mail tinamitchell83@hotmail.com SERVICES INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL INSURANCE US$5,000,000 worldwide ÂAÂŽ rated cover, 4700 US hospital direct billing network. Highest Deductible Hospital option age 30-34: $35 monthly. www.protexplan.com E-mail info@protexplan.com, Tel (604) 724-7384 ISLAND VIEW at WOBURN BAY, GRENADA offering sports bar, restaurant, jetty, WiFi, showers, ice, laundry & more! Open daily 10AMÂ…10PM. Tel (473) 443-2645 VHF 16 ST. LUCIA SCOTTIE'S SCOOTER RENTALS (758) 450-1404 or 584-8722 E-mail CARSONZ@HOTMAIL.COM BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ÂUSE YOUR YACHT FOR AN INCOME!ÂŽ Successful Caribbean Day Charter business with strong website offers Franchises throughout the Caribbean Island chain. Low cost business start up. For more information visit www.miramarsailing.com then contact us. WANTED YACHT CHARTER COMPANY seeks certified marine electronics person with experience in installation and maintenance of all modern systems including Raymarine and Tick Tack. Tel (784) 456 9334. MARINE TECHNICIAN WANTED Respected Marine Engineering Co. in Grenada is seeking all round experienced technician for marine diesel engines, electrical, electronics, watermakers, wind generators, AC and refrigeration. We can assist with work permit. Ideal for cruiser or independent tech looking for the stability of an established company in Grenada. Please email CV to enzamarine@spiceisle.com Tel: (473) 439-2049 CLASSIFIED ADS US 50¢ per word Â… include name, address and numbers in count. Line drawings/photos accompanying classifieds are US$10. Pre-paid by the 15th of the month. No replies. A&C Yacht Brokers Martinique MP Admiral Yacht Insurance UK 44 American Yacht Harbor St. Thomas 10 Anjo Insurance Antigua 42 Antigua Pursuit Race Antigua 17 Art & Design Antigua MP Art Fabrik Grenada MP B & C Fuel Dock Petite Martinique 34 Bahia Redonda Marina Venezuela 10 Barefoot Yacht Charters St. Vincent 18 Barrow Sails & Canvas Trinidad MP BasilÂs Bar Mustique 43 Bay Island Yachts Trinidad 49 Bequia Marina Bequia 30 Bequia Music Festival Bequia 53 Bequia Venture Bequia MP Blue Water Sailing USA 43 Budget Marine Sint Maarten 2 Budget Marine Sint Maarten MP BVI Yacht Sales Tortola 49 Camper & Nicholsons Grenada 16 Captain Gourmet Union Island 45 Caraibe Greement Martinique 8 Caraibe Greement Martinique MP Caraibe Yachts Guadeloupe 47 Carene Shop Martinique 35 Caribbean Marine Electrical Trinidad MP Caribbean Propellers Ltd. Trinidad MP Caribbean Woods Bequia MP Ciao Pizza Union Isand 45 CIRExpress St. Maarten MP Clippers Ship Martinique MP Cooper Marine USA 41 Curaçao Marine Curaçao 11 Diesel Outfitters St. Maarten 49 Diginav Martinique 23 Discovery Marigot St.Lucia 6 Dockwise Yacht Transport Martinique 9 Dockyard Electrics Trinidad MP Dominica Marine Center Dominica MP Dopco Travel Grenada 24 Down Island Real Estate Carriacou MP Doyle Offshore Sails Tortola 3 Doyle Offshore Sails Barbados MP Doyle's Guides USA 42 Echo Marine Jotun Special Trinidad 37 Electropics Trinidad MP Fernando's Hideaway Bequia MP Food Fair Grenada 44 Fred Marine Guadeloupe 20 Friendship Rose Bequia 29 Gittens Engines Trinidad MP Gourmet Foods St. Vincent 46 Grenada Marine Grenada 24 Grenada Sailing Festival Grenada 12 Grenada Tourism Grenada 5 Grenadine Island Villas Bequia MP Grenadines Sails Bequia 31 GRPro-Clean Martinique MP Iolaire Enterprises UK 28/47 Island Water World Sint Maarten 56 Island Water World Sint Maarten MP Johnson Hardware St. Lucia 27 Jones Maritime St. Croix 28 KNJ Marine Trinidad MP KP Marine St. Vincent 19 L'Auberge des Grenadines Bequia 45 Le Phare Bleu Grenada 17 Lulley's Tackle Bequia 31 Mango Bay Martinique MP Maranne's Ice Cream Bequia 44 Marc One Marine Trinidad MP Marina Zar-Par Dominican Rep 26 McIntyre Bros. Ltd Grenada 28 Mid Atlantic Yacht Services Azores MP Navimca Venezuela 32 Northern Lights Generators Tortola 32 On Deck Antigua MP Perkins Engines Tortola 33 Petit St. Vincent PSV 40 Porthole Restaurant Bequia MP Power Boats Trinidad MP Quantum Sails Tortola 23 Reef Gardens Antigua 42 Reds Caribbean Trinidad 36 Renaissance Marina Aruba 15 Rodney Bay Marina St. Lucia 55 Santa Barbara Resorts Curaçao 14 Savon De Mer Caribbean MP Sea Services Martinique 21 Silver Diving Carriacou MP Soper's Hole Marina Tortola 10 Spice Island Marine Grenada 25 St. Croix Regatta St. Croix 17 St. Thomas Yacht Sales St. Thomas 49 Superwind Germany 35 SVG Air St. Vincent 32 SVG Tourism St. Vincent 7 SVV Poette 48 Technick Grenada MP Ti' Ponton Martinique 42 Tikal Arts & Crafts Grenada MP Tilikum Martinique MP Townhouse Mega Store Antigua 50 Trade Winds Cruising Bequia 41 Transcaraibes Rally Guadeloupe MP Triskell Cup Regatta Guadeloupe 13 Turbulence Sails Grenada 25 Turbulence Sails Grenada MP Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout Carriacou 34 Vemasca Venezuela 22 Voiles Assistance Martinique MP Wallace & Co Bequia 30 Wallilabou Anchorage St. Vincent 41 WIND Martinique MP WIND Martinique MP Xanadu Marine Venezuela 22 YES Martinique MP ADVERTISERS INDEX ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# MP = Market Place pages 51 to 53 Your Classi“ ed on the Internetwww. caribbeancompass. com
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DECEMBER 2009 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 55 AT THE SOUTHERN CARIBBEANÂS MOST SPECTACULAR SAILING DESTINATION RODNEY BAY MARINA St. Lucia, WI 248 renovated slips including 32 berths for megayachts up to 76 meters. Features IGY signature amenities and services including a fullservice boatyard with long-term storage, all situated in a spectacular, protected lagoon. Marina Village with shopping, dining, shipÂs chandlery, recreation & guest services.NEWLY RENOVATED!Come Experience Rodney Bays World Class R enovation and New Megayacht Docks© 2009 Island Global YachtingFor information or reservations WWW.IGY-RODNEYBAY.COM 1.758.452.0324 ISLAND GLOBAL YACHTINGAMERICAS | CARIBBEAN | EUROPE | MIDDLE EASTWWW.IGYMARINAS.COM 1.888.IGY.MARINAS
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Published by Compass Publishing Limited, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and printed by Trinidad Publishing Company Limited
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