Mar 2010 - Olympics over

The pictures tell the story - Helen and teammate ShelleyAnne win Silver, we have a great time, and great memories.

Kerry doesn't have much time to reflect on it all though - back to the boat a few days after the Closing Ceremonies.
There is work to do before cruising can restart. The raw water feed to the engine is struggling and it all because Capt Kerry was too eager to return to the water in October. The seacock should have been replaced.
But before its time to meet that challenge, its racing time in St Maarten. The Heineken Regatta is about to start, and "Augustine", skipper Tony, and her misfit crew from Antigua are returning to St Maarten to race again. We're in Spinnaker 6 - up against many of the same boats we beat last year, including "Kick em Jenny". But having shredded Tony's best sails last season, we know we're going to struggle unless we get lucky and get the perfect wind to suit the limited sail choice.
Not to be, the first day is light winds, and its the longest race - we struggle in to finish 11th. We come back a bit with stronger winds, and collect a couple of 3rds in Races 2 and 5, but its not enough and we end up 5th overall.
Still, it's always a good time. After a bit of r&r and shopping, the race boats all start to head off. And I have time to fix "Manx Mist".
I'm convinced my problem is a bust seacock - it won't either open or close fully - and the engine is getting less and less sea-water for cooling. I decide to take a shot at fixing it, without lifting the boat out (which would be the smart and safe thing to do). The plan is to dive below and plug the intake with plasticbags, then remove the seacock and replace - hoping as I do this that I don't crack the thru-hull seal. The plan works, as does the new seacock, and the engine is getting more water than I've ever seen - and running beautifully. Whoopee! I'm ready to go cruising.

First visitor is cousin Bill  from Canada - keen sailor and great company. We actually start off his cruising with a car rental, and tour the island, including a visit to Marigot and Grand Case.
Then we head out from Simpson's Bay, stop at Phillipsburg, before crossing to Anse de Colombier, St Barths. Stay there a couple of days. The weather is good and so is the swimming and snorkeling - with lots of turtles around as usual. We visit Gustavia and the pretty little spot of Corossol - a little fishing village amidst the luxury of St barts.
After a couple of days at Barts, we head back to St Maarten and then on to Anguilla. The timing is just right - Sunday - and its brunch and jazz at Johnnos on the beach in Road Bay. Excellent music - the drummer, Fred York (?), is really good. Lots of fun.
Next day we head back to Simpson Bay again. Anchor outside, in Simpson Bay. Its busy, with lots of mega yachts also at anchor including Pelorus. She's big and very beautiful - but not big enough for billoinaire owner Abramovich - he now has a new yacht Eclipse - now the worlds largest private yacht.
We catch up with Antigua sailing/racing buddy Peter, who is still busy working on his yacht Severance at Bobbys Marina.   Severance  had a brush with the beach and reef at Simpson Bay.
We all head across for drinks at the Sunset Bar on Maho beach and then out for Bill's last supper. He is on an early morning flight back to the frozen north.
Kerry stays on in Simpson Bay 1 extra day, to help Peter out with some mast work. There's a decent weather window to make the jump across to Antigua, so Manx Mist heads out to Phillipsburg first, planning to have an early supper and then leave around midnight, thus making the night passage shorter and still arrive in Jolly harbour with daylight to spare.

The plan sort of works. The weather does not cooperate fully, and the wind and waves are on the nose, so its a long motor job, and the diesel gauge is dropping steadily. Its well in the red as we pull in to Antigua after 16hrs and drop anchor in Mosquito Cove, just outside Jolly harbour. And the engine dies just after the anchor is set.
Not the end of the story though.
The next day the wind picks up to over 25kts. Yachts are dragging thru the anchorage, and Manx Mist is slowly headed back to the shallows on the NW corner (bottom of the picture). This was not in the weather forecast. Theres no engine, with air in the diesel lines. Kerry has just time to dinghy in to the marina, pick up a mechanic to help bleed the fuel system, top up with a jerrycan of fuel, then pick up sailing buddy Derek Knowles to help move off anchor in the strong winds, and into the safety of the lagoon and a mooring ball. All too close.

A new year - 2010 - and back to St maarten

Christmas and New years is over, but winter isn't. Time to escape Canada again, and head back to the warmer climes of the Caribbean.
The excellent Westjet service whisks us through Toronto and into St Maarten, and in very little time we are back aboard "Manx Mist". Its less than a month since we left it on the dock. Everything is in good shape.

This will be the shortest sailing sequence that we've done, as we'll be headed back to Calgary, and then on to the Vancouver Olympics, in a couple of weeks.

Fortunately the weather is cooperating. We head out of the lagoon and anchor in the fresher waters outside, off Kim Sha beach. Next morning we're off to Anguilla. Road Bay is the main entry point for Anguilla. Its a lovely anchorage, usually well sheltered, although northerly swells can get in. It looks busy, with lots of local fishing boats and motor at anchor or on mooring balls - but its a big anchorage and theres plenty of space, and the holding is excellent. We just stay and hang-out for 4 days. Enjoy the beach. Take some dinghy trips along the coast.

Return to Simpson Bay to reprovision, and head off to circumnavigate St maarten.
First stop Phillipsburg - we're actually getting to enjoy the "big" town as a decent spot to overnight. It makes a change from the very relaxed and away-from-it feeling of Anguilla, and the beach is still good for walking and swimming.
 But its busy with those cruise ships in port.

We move on the next day, and around to Orient Bay, have lunch and a swim, and then move on again and around to Grand Case for market day. Always fun.
We decide to skip Marigot, and head on back to Simpson Bay.
Amongst the anchored boats we notice a few from Antigua, including Brian and Pippa on "Miramar". They are all over to race "Old Bob" in the St Maarten classic.
But thats it for Hil. Times up. Next day is the dinghy ride to the airport for her return flight to Canada.
Kerry has a few days left, so the next day its a short sail around to Phillipsburg to watch "Old Bob in action, and enjoy a few post race drinks.
Then back to simpson Bay, thru the bridge, into the lagoon, and back on the dock at Island Water World.
"Manx Mist" will have to wait there until March.
The Vancouver Olympics are imminent and theres a bobsledding daughter to watch.

December 2009, back to Sint Maarten

Timing for the overnight passage from BVI was good - as long as you're ok with 14 hrs of motoring. There's very little wind, but the sea is calm and its a starry sky.
We have sunrise over St maarten and arrive off Simpson Bay at 6am. Anchor off Kim Sha beach. Do the clearing-in stuff after breakfast. Then we reprovision. Worked out that its an easy walk up from the Port de Plaisance Marina to the Grande Marche store on the highway - so the best option to reprovision, if you don't have a vehicle, is to dinghy over there and then do the short hike.
A few more odd jobs to do, mixed in with some beaching and swimming, then we're ready to sail again.
Just a short hop around to Phillipsburg. The anchorage is back to normal, calm and sheltered - bit different than our abysmal last visit. More beaching and swimming, and some shopping - its a chance for Hil to add to her Pandora charm collection. Also a chance to do a good wifi catchup with the family.
Next day we return to Simpson Bay, enjoy some Lebanese food at Aldawyns. Then we clearout and move to the French side, clearing in to Marigot, before moving around to Grand Case.

Its the once-a-week market day in Grand Case, so the streets are busy with stalls at daytime and busy with music and revelers at night - its a fun spot.

We're enjoying some decent weather, so we head out and do some snorkeling off Creole Rock, before heading around to Tintamarre.
Its our first visit to the Park island of Tintamarre - another nice spot, lovely beach and some trails to walk along. Its only a short visit though. Our plan is to overnight in Orient Bay, so we cross over and check out the anchorage options - everywhere is a bit rolly - so plans change again.

We do a dinghy visit to the little island of Caye Verte, check that out, then back to the boat and a return to the more sheltered waters in Grand Case.


And time is running out on sailing in 2009.

We head back to Simpson Bay, clear in, move thru the bridge, into the lagoon, and on to the dock at Island Water World.
It's only a partial pack-the-boat-up, we're headed home to Calgary for Christmas and a dose of winter weather.

The Spanish Virgin Islands - Nov 2009

Sailing west from the sheltered and familiar anchorage of Sopers Hole, West End Tortola, BVI, we cruise past the coast of St Thomas and then its a short hop across to Culebra, the first of the 2 larger Spanish Virgin Islands.
The Spanish Virgin Islands (also called the Passage Islands) are part of Puerto Rico. Despite being so close to the very busy and commercialized St Thomas in the USVI, the Spanish islands feel undeveloped, unspoiled, and off-the beaten-path. They are a new destination for us, and we're looking forward to the visit.
With reasonable weather, no north edge to the wind and no swells, we take the northern side of St thomas. Theres a few small islands and some rocks and reefs to avoid, but the light is good, so no problems. In poorer weather conditions, the southern side of the island is the leeward side and more sheltered from the winds and waves.
As you approach Culebra, you have a choice of access routes - theres some extensive reef to avoid. The main entrance is around the SE side of the reef and through some very clear channel markers and into Ensenada Honda. But theres a shorter and more scenic route in, passing between Culebrita and Isla Norte. Good light helps and knowing exactly where you are is a really good plan - theres a lot of rocks and reefs to catch the napping sailor.

But we pass through easily and motor up inside Culebrita and tuck into the mangrove-lined lagoon behind Los Pelas for a comfortable first night stop. We discover that the PR/Culebra parks folks have nicely placed lots of mooring balls in the popular anchorage areas. This avoids damage to the reefs - which we later discover to still be in fine shape. It also makes things easy for us first-time visitors.
It was 6 hours from BVI to Culebra, all told.

After a good nights sleep in a very calm and protected anchorage, we're ready to  move on.
We pop back across to Culebrita and pick up a mooring ball there, dinghy into the beach, and go exploring. Its a nice spot, with some good trails, and we hike up to the old lighthouse for the views and the photo opps.

After lunch we head out, and work our way thru the well-marked channel into Ensenada Honda. We drop anchor in about 10' of water, tucked in behind Pirate Cay. We're just off the main town of Culebra, so we head ashore to complete clearance requirements.
Clearance into the SVI is relatively easy - a short walk up to the airport to complete the necessary paperwork with the Customs and Immigration folks there.
Then we wander around the small town. It's definitely on the quaint and undeveloped side, which is really nice after visiting many more commercial ports in the Caribbean. But there are downsides - tough to get wifi and internet anywhere - and we need to check in with home and the daughters. But we do find some stores to do a little reprovisioning and have a nice meal out at Mamacitas restaurant.
After a couple of days in Culebra, its time to move on again, and we head out, back thru Ensenada Honda and out and across to Vieques. Vieques looks really appealing - particularly the eastern end which used to be a US Naval gunnery range and has a couple of fine looking anchorages. We checked in Culebra and were advised that there were no military areas any more and no restrictions to worry about. My old Pilot book for the areas gives us excellent instruction on how to safely get into the anchorages, so first stop is Salina del Sur. Looks like our books were right and it is a lovely spot. A couple of other boats - cats - anchored there already, but they leave and we have the spot to ourselves for the night. Next day, when Kerry goes ashore, he meets 2 reps from the US ordinance and is told that the whole area is a Wildlife Refuge and entry is restricted. They actually give us a little map that shows the Wildlife Area. So, its return to the boat and up anchor and away.
Now we're a little confused and our plans are really messed up. we hoped to also anchor in Bahia Icacos on the islands north coast, but that is also Refuge. We could head west along the south coast, but its a longish distance downwind, and then a beat back. So, we decide instead to cross back to Culebra - it seems more accomodating to visiting sailors.
The weather is looking interesting though. Very heavy  and dark clouds over St Thomas, and its heading our way. At the half-way point its getting squally, and off the northern side of the squall line are a series of waterspouts, the first of which is looming closer. We've seen and dodged a few of these before, but never seen a line of 4 or 5. The sails are down and stowed, and we motor around the first spout and dash across ahead of the 2nd, as fast as a Yammar marine engine will allow. By the time we've motored up to Culebrita again, we're back into blue skies and sunshine.
Funny how days change. We end up with a lovely last stay at Culebrita. The water is beautifully clear, the reef is in great shape, and the fish life is still very good. Hil is little off-put by a near encounter with a shark, but it doesn't hang around. The anchorages here are quiet - we have one boat for company and thats it.



Now we head back to BVI, and then a longer head back to St Maarten.
After the passage back past St Thomas, we enter in to Sopers Hole to get a fuel topup, but theres a big wait so we move on and beat up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and into Marina Cay, where we do get fuel and stop for a sleep.

Another early start the next morning, but we can't pass one of our favourite spots without stopping briefly. Most tourists and bareboat cruisers who visit BVI make a daytime stop at the famous Baths on Virgin Gorda. They are beautiful - lovely little beaches and rock pools amidst a tumble of large boulders. But they are popular and always busy. Been there done that, lots of times.
Just next door, if you have a boat and the weather is right, is an idyllic mini version - Fallen Jerusalem - the name is enough to tempt you to check it out. It usually has 1 or 2 Marine Park balls for visitors to use. And then its own mini beaches and tumble of boulders - but you'll have this spot of paradise to yourself.

And having checked to make sure its still there, and still beautiful, we move on again.
We're planning to clear the east end of Virgin Gorda while its still earlish and the light is still ok. Then we'll make the crossing of the Anegada Passage as an overnight trip. The weather forecast is good, and we don't want to miss an opportunity for an easy passage back to St maarten.

Nov 2009 - back to the BVI

With nice weather and a calm sea forecast, we head out across the Anegada Passage, from Simpson Bay, bound for Tortola BVI.
 It's a trip I've done a few times, and now I like the routine of leaving around 3am and clearing into BVI early in the afternoon. The weather and seas cooperate and we have a smooth passage.
Its nice to be  back in the very familiar and sheltered waters of BVI. Its a busy place these days - full of yachts, and most of them bareboats charters. But if you know where to go, there are still a few quieter locations, away from the maddening crowd. And some of thise bareboat skippers are definitely maddening.

Our calm passage weather does not last, and we're treated to more windy, squally, wet stuff - and more south west winds bouncing us around in what should be sheltered anchorages. We take advantage of a break in the rain and hop across from Norman Island to Marina Cay. It's a sheltered spot in almost any conditions, so we hunker down for a couple of days.Its an opportunity to do some boatwork, and Kerry has solved the mystery of water entering the stern bilges. looks like theres some hairline cracks in the transom, and when the dinghy and engine are hoisted on the new davits, they allow water seepage. So its an uncomfortable and contortionist fibreglass job in the transom space. But it gets done and hopefully ends the water entry.
With an improvement in weather, we move on, take an early morning motor through Camanho passage and pick up a mooring ball off Monkey Point. This is a great location for snorkeling. We're the first there, and we get a special treat - two dolphins circling our boat. They stay for hours, continue their circling as other boats gradually come in and fill the location up. They don't seem bothered by anyone and we get the chance to snorkel in the water with them.


The weather continues to brighten so we leave the dolphin show and sail across to Diamond Cay and Foxy's taboo.


We have enough time for a walk to, and then a swim in, the bubbly pool.

The next day we move on again, breakfast stop at Green Cay and Sandy Spit before it gets too busy, and then continue on around Jost Van Dyke, sailing past Great Harbour and then motoring inside the reef across White Bay, to drop anchor just off the Soggy Dollar Bar. Too much beauty here - it's a busy spot but mainly around midday, and the evenings and mornings are quieter. Our stay here is also marked with some "entertainment" laid on by the bareboats. One catamaran coming adrift from a mooring ball, floating past us crewless (they were in the SDB having lunch) - Kerry pulls it off the reef with his dinghy. Another catamaran anchors too close in to shore, and ends up on the beach in the night when the wind shifts around. Manages to escape and re-anchor.

Next stop, back across to Tortola and Cane Garden Bay.


It's an excellent anchorage, but tough to find a spot to swing these days. Like most of BVI, the water is taken over by a pox of mooring balls. It's still a fine and classic caribbean beach, and a chance to sit in Rhymers and have a rum punch as the sun goes down.

And that completes the short return to and rounding of BVI. Not enough time to get out to Anegada this trip, and we plan to catch Virgin Gorda on the way back.

We make one last stop in Sopers Hole to clear out of BVI, and head west to new waters.

October 2009 - another winter sailing season starts

Late October 2009 -  An excellent new Westjet service via Toronto to St Maarten looks like it could make travel to the boat a lot easier and a lot cheaper. Hil is booked to arrive in SXM on Nov 5th, but first I need to get there. Another overnight passage from Antigua beckons - its about 160 km from Jolly Harbour to St maarten - or about 85 nautical  miles - and at a passage planning speed of 5.5 kts that works out to be 15 hrs. And that seems to be the time it usually takes.
A weather window appears to be opening up, so no time to hang around in Jolly world, "Manx Mist" heads out on a calmish and starry saturday evening. Different crew complement this time - with Claudia, daughter Tathra and dog Tila along for the ride.

The first half of the passage is lovely, but then it turns to crap. Clouds roll in, stars disappear, wind picks up, and by 3am we get the first of many squalls. The sails come down and we chug around under motor until daylight shows us St Barths and the squalls disappear. We motor-sail past Barths and into Phillipsburg, where we drop anchor with much relief.


St Maarten is a unique island - the southern half is Dutch, part of the Netherlands Antilles, and contains the largest town, the commercial port, the airport - and the northern half is part of the French West Indies (and thus part of the European community) and has a very french feel to it and the best beaches - though there are plenty of great beaches to go around.
Phillipsburg is a great anchorage - generally well protected, other than rolly swells from the north. Most of Great Bay is 10ft'ish depth, and sandy, so good holding. The beach is wide and excellent, but it is very commercial - there is usually 2 or more cruiseships on the docks, disgorging thousands of tourists.
The other disadvantage for "yachties" is the Customs and Immigration location - which you cannot reach by dinghy and is a long hike back into the commercial port. But they're friendly and helpful when you get there.
I usually head straight to Simpsons Bay, for easier clearance and access to the protected waters of the lagoon and the excellent chandlers for spare parts.
But I'm expecting some friends coming in on one of those cruise ships, so I hang around. It's an enjoyable break and a chance to rest up after the hectic boat "launch" work and the rough passage from Antigua.
After a few days in Phillipsburg, I do relocate to Simpson Bay and pass through the bridge, into the sheltered lagoon and onto the dock at Island Water Marina. This is far from a pretty location, but if you have some shopping to do and/or work on the boat, it's a great spot and I have about a week of odd jobs to do.
Hil flies in, via Westjet to join me. One of the "must do" things in St maarten is to go for a drink at the Sunset Bar on Maho beach and watch the planes land at Julianna Airport. They barely clear the beach as they come in, and it offers crazy youngsters the opportunity to stand and get blasted into the sea by the jetwash.
Hil arrives safe and sound and brings with her our new stove.
Another great Westjet fact - they have the best excess baggage policy around - and the stove is shipped as oversize and overweight accompanied baggage.
The stove fits perfectly (thanks Force10), and what a treat to have 2 working burners again. With that installation job done, we happily leave the dock and head out to the cleaner waters in the anchorage just outside the lagoon entrance.
 And it's time to go cruising.


The first trip is a little jaunt across to St Barths, to hook up with Keith Bate and "Blue Eyes" and catch the free Jimmy Buffet concert set for dockside Gustavia as part of the birthday celebrations for Le Select restaurant (makers of that "cheeseburger in paradise").

Jimmy has the Gustavia anchorage packed out, so we decide to hang out in the lovely Anse de Colombier. Colombier is a Marine Park, a fine, sheltered anchorage with mooring balls as an easy option, and a lovely beach. It's a favourite spot. Most of the reef has gone, but the fish life is still good and there is an abundance of turtles.
After a fine afternoon swimming and hanging out, we head in to the concert. It's a longish dinghy ride, but the sea is calm.
It's a fun evening, and even a heavy shower just before Jimmy starts up does not dampen the spirit of the Buffet fans.
Next day "Blue Eyes" and "Manx Mist" up anchor and enjoy a nice sail back to Phillipsburg.
It's a very hot afternoon, the wind dies to nothing and our boats spin around on anchor.

Having started with that squally passage to St maarten, I now get the 2nd taste of the weird weather that will bedevil us for the rest of this sailing season. At 9pm, the wind picks up, swings around to the southwest, and picks up some more. Its not in the forecast, and southwest is a rare event for the islands.
Its blowing above 25 kts and bringing rollers into Great Bay. Our nice sheltered anchorage is now a very uncomfortable lee shore. And our twisted anchors are lifting out, About half of the boats in the Bay seem to be chugging around in the dark, trying to reset.
Hil and I get Manx Mist safely anchored again, and then I bounce away in the dinghy to give Keith a hand.
The rest of the night is very uncomfortable as we are bouncing and rolling around in the waves. At 4am we give up and head around to Simpson Bay to await the bridge opening and shelter of the lagoon.

We get a few more days of windy weather, and Keith has more fun with anchoring in the weed infested lagoon. But then it clears and we enjoy some beach weather and some time with good friends.

Back in the water October 2009

Returning to the boat at the end of the summer is always done with a little trepidation and anxiety.

First of all, I usually head back to the Caribbean in mid October, just after Canadian Thanksgiving. It's still sort-of hurricane season. The old Mariner's poem about hurricanes, that started "June - too soon" and ended "October - All over", doesn't appear to be the current viewpoint. October has seen many late season storms - Wilma in late October 2005 being the most famous. Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever-recorded and the 22nd storm in a record breaking year. However, statistics also indicate that even though tropical storms continue through to as late as December, this late-season weather usually is limited to affecting the Mexican coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The Eastern Caribbean and islands are usually storm free after September. But.... don't count on it. Mother Nature calls the shots, and there was Lenny in November 1999, coming out of the west, travelling east with little advance warning, and surprising and devastating many of the eastern Caribbean islands as it smacked into their usually-sheltered leeward coastlines.
So, with very close scrutiny of the weather, I headed back to Antigua and "Manx Mist" on Oct 16th.
2009 was fortunately one of the lightest years on record, with only 9 named storms, only 3 of which made hurricane strength, and the season was over for the eastern islands. Sigh of relief!

Then you're thinking about what might greet you when you open the boat up. A leak could have it filled with water. Damp could have it filled with mould. And then there's the possibility of invasions of insects or rodents. You take as many precautions as possible when you pack the boat away, and hope everything is looking good when you return. And it was. 2nd sigh of relief!

What is guaranteed to await you is - work.

The excellent folks at Jolly Harbour marina (Stephen and crew) had relocated MM to the work yard prior to my return.
After running through the check list of prepping the boat to return to the water, the only main job to do was the annual bottom paint job. So after a good sanding, and 2 coats of anti-fouling, Manx Mist was ready to go "splash".
One small nagging issue was around a leaky seacock  on the engine water intake - it didn't appear to be a huge concern so, eager to be sailing again, I decided to ignore it - this would turn out to be an increasing problem for the rest of the season.
Anyway, back in the water on Oct 21st after 4 days of work in the yard, and we're ready to go sailing.