Life on a sailing vessel...not for the feint hearted!

I blogged a while back about life on a boat and that was merely covering what it is like living on a vessel of some sort, (I say so because we have 'lived' on many) but not detailing what it is like to be crew on a sailing vessel, which is totally different. So today I will tell you more about my experience as a crew member on board a sailing vessel.

First let me start with the correct terminology so you have a better understanding of what it is I am referring to:

1. Cabin - a bedroom.

2. Head - bathroom: small toilet, A basin and a shower head which is the nozzle on the tap in the basin. Drainage holes for the water.

3. Saloon - lounge/diningroom: definitely not a salloon as we know it!

4. Galley - kitchen: usually small, only one person at a time.

5. Cockpit - helm and seating area which is outside.

6. Foredeck - the front deck area of the vessel.

7. Starboard side - the right side of the vessel.

8. Lockers - cupboards, found all around the vessel, used to store items safely.

9. Port side - the left side of the vessel. Thanks to our sailing buddy, Shaun Tarr, who explained it like this. There is too much port left. Meaning the port side is on the left. :-)

10.Hatches - windows

Walking around on a vessel takes concentration, balance and at times good strategy! When you are anchored you are able to walk around, get boat chores done and possibly a good night's sleep. This is not the case when you are sailing, crossings or island hopping. The minute the anchor is up and you move into deep waters, the boat rocks and roles continuously until you get to the next anchorage and you lay anchor. When I say 'rocks and roles' I mean that everything moves and so do you. Walking is an adventure, to get from the cockpit area to the galley, which is 6 steps (in my steps) you have to stand up, compose yourself, find some sort of balance in your sea legs, hold onto the table, then the door, then the counter and then into the galley It's best not taking too long to accomplish this adventure. If the weather is bad, the waves are higher, the water sprays in from all angles so everything is wet including you, walking becomes that much more difficult and frustration levels increase quickly. I have found that crawling is usually best and if you can't crawl then whatever you do next just do it with style!. Eventually you don't care what your butt looks like from behind. LOL!

The doorways of all vessels are lower than those in a home. I would say only about 1.5 meters in height. It reminds me a bit of a submarine, with those small oval shaped doors that seal when they are closed. This results in a whole lot of head injuries if you are tall. Thankfully I am short so moving through on on a vessel is easy.

So back to the cabin. "ooh so I'm claustrophobic", I hear you say. Yes your are right! This is usually a small space, cramped, with a bed that is higher than what you would be used to in your home. The bed for me is usually way to high, with me being 5ft tall and all, I always need some sort of a box to stand on to hoist myself up onto the bed. The box always being Barry's camera case! Thank goodness we have had this camera case with us throughout out travels or I wouldn't have managed to get into bed at all. The mattresses are hard and thin, so please don't think that you will have a great night's sleep on any vessel. If you do it's because you have consumed way too much rum and you have passed out for the night!

The heat in a windless anchorage is a killer. Avoid it whenever you can. Not a drop of air or a breeze passes through your boat. If that happens then you kick back, siesta and swim.

You simply CAN NOT have tidy cabin lockers. I have tried for 8 months now being the tidy freak that I am. You have to hoist yourself onto the bed, to get to the lockers, and if the vessel is rocking and rolling then you simply grab the first item of clothing and pull quickly to get it out. If you haven't mastered the art of removing clothes from a locker, then all the clothes come out with that one item you are after. So what's the best solution? just bundle it all up and shove it all back in, with the thought that you will simply repack again when you have time.

The head is pretty cosy, the toilet is just big enough to fit your butt onto. They remind me of the small toilets you find in a nursery school. Ideal form me, cos my feet still touch the ground! They remind me of the toilets you find in a nursery school. The toilet is usually one of those that you manually flush. So you fill the toilet bowl with water, do your business, then you pump at least 10 times, this flushes your business through the pipes, then you have to close the sea cocks (this is the valve that allows the water into the toilet) and pump another 5 times to empty the bowl again. If you enjoy reading on the toilet then this kind of toilet environment is not for you! There is no time to read while the boat is rocking and rolling. The room is also small so the stink can kill a person. It's best to do your business and get the hell out of dodge!

Your showers are usually cold, so don't for a minute think that you will enjoy a warm shower after your night watch is over. This is usually when you crave a warm shower the most. Because you are always in 'concerve water mode' its best to run 250ml of water into the basin. Soap yourself down and then use the shower to wash the soap off. You can not simply hang around under running water for the sake of hanging around under running water. If you are blessed and anchored in chrystal clear water then you simply jump into the ocean, climb back onto the boat, soap yourself with 'colgate shampoo' (the only shampoo that lathers in sea water), jump back in the sea to wash the soap off and then back on the boat to rinse the sea water off with fresh water (sweet water). If you don't have enough water on board then you simply don't shower until you do have water.

Better yet, always have a solar shower packed in your backpack! you will love every minute of your showers!

Showers in the rain are the absolute best, when it starts raining you strip to your bare essentials, lather yourself up, arm yourself with a mop and you go onto the foredeck. That way you get to shower for as long as the rain lasts and the boat gets a good wash too. Don't be shy, every other 'yachtie' also does it, some more brave and do it in the nude, others in their costumes. Warning! Don't shampoo your hair! I repeat, Don't shampoo your hair. The rain doesn't last long enough to get it out. Either way, its an experience to tell your grandkids!

By the way - You usually looked beautifully tanned, just a friendly bit of advice, the top 2 layers of brown are usually dirt and when you wash at least 3 times you will see that your 'tan' will fade...lol ;-)

While sailing, water is the damndest thing! Collect rain water when and wherever you can! from the rain, from a lonesome tap at midnight (covert operations...lol!) or you have to buy water from a mariner. The crew must always ensure that water is a priority because you don't want to get caught in the middle of a crossing without water. When it rains, you have to line every single empty container up at the water catchers and you fill them and now you have to work in the rain. So what if it's raining and you will get wet. You can deal with your bad hair do later (later never comes by the way) and the bruised ego about slipping your ass off.

The boat is only neat and tidy while you are anchored. Its easy to tidy and clean when you are not rocking and rolling. When you sail its the complete opposite, the tools are out in the event of something on the engines needing attention, so the saloon area becomes a workshop. Dishes will pile up unless you are as skilled as I am and can wash, dry and pack dishes in the middle of high swells! Plain and simple...it looks like a bombs hit it!

When you are anchored you have to get stuck in and work like a hound dog! Wash windows, sweep the carpet, wash down the floors, repack lockers, wash down the heads, do your laundry (by hand), get your laundry washed and dry, clean the dingy and kayaks, clean the bottom of the boat, feed yourselves (because you haven't eaten properly in a few days), go shopping, have a shower because you probably stink! and the list goes on.

When crossing from one country to another you are out at sea for a few days and nights. Our first long crossing was 4 nights and 5 days, this was from Curacao to Colombia. Just when I thought I was equipped to handle night watches and possibly crazy weather, NOT! On the first night during my watch, 11pm to 2am, we sailed right into a rain squall. The wind was crazy, the rain was pouring, the swells were high, I was soaking wet, I couln't see through my eyes with the amount of water pouring down my body! And through this chaos you have to watch for giant tree logs in the water and tankers. Ha ha ha! anyway I survived that episode, at the end of my watch i dried off, put on a sarong and attempted to sleep. Thats not easy when the waves are crashing and everything inside of the boat is creeking or knocking.

On the 4th night, Joshua, Barry and I went to sleep leaving the Captain to handle the watch, we sail into another squall, which lasted the entire night or so it felt, we didn't close our cabin hatch properly, a huge wave hit us from the port side and swoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, we were woken with about 50 litres of water pouring onto the 3 of us. What a way to wake up! Wet, ice cold, 2am, dark, waves crashing, the Captain cursing! What a crazy experience.

"Well at least I you're in paradise." I hear you say. In my mind, paradise = peacefulness, tranquility, splendour. Well yes, that does very much exist and I have 'lived' that way for the last 7 months. Now we are anchored in the harbour.' We are anchored right off the Old City and the Town with rolling suburbs behind the high rise buildings lining the promonade.

As you, who live in the city, have taxi's, busses, bicycles, people etc etc, so we on water have 'water taxi's, fishing boats, speed boats, power boats, yachts, dingies, cruise ships, tankers.. etc etc. There isn't a quiet time on these waters. The rocking and rolling here is driving me crazy..lol. Like when you hike and climb to the top of the mountain and that wind just blows and blows and blows? Like chinese torture at times :-).

Saying that though, not always chinese torture. Every day continues to be an adventure, the awesome always outweigh the 'crap' days. Every morning we are greeted by the most beautiful sunrises and blessed good night with magical sunsets.

Life on the water. With only a few days to go until we finish on Moonjoos, I am both sad and extremely excited. Sad because I already miss that peace, tranquility and splendour but I carry it with in me, the smells, the sounds, the views..the very place where I discovered a whole lot more of myself. Extremely excited to be taking all I have experienced and learnt from the Caribbean and living on boats, to the city, back to my daughters, my family, friends and everyone we encounter, especially on our next adventure!

Travel, journey, have adventures, open your world to something new every day!

Blu

　

Christmas in Cartagena, Colombia!

Christmas was super special, with skype calls with people that I miss dearly and simply cant wait to see again when we are back in South Africa. We also received heaps of messages and comments via Facebook which were just awesome. It's so important knowing that people actually miss your presense when you arent a hop skip and a jump away.

On Christmas eve we went to the ATM to draw our last R200 to buy food for dinner and Christmas day lunch. There we had R490 instead, someone had deposited R290 into our account in Johannesburg the day before. What an awesome surprise! We bought what we needed and ate like royalty.. well as close to.

Father Christmas found Moonjoos and the Sanders- Costello clan. Christmas morning was magical. Joshua woke up at 6am with his cousin Faith, calling him on Skype. He flew out of the cabin and straight to the computer to say hello and merry Christmas, Feliz Navistad (in Spanish), and then he saw his pressie under the tree. His eyes grew big, looked at the plate where he place and ice cold beer and a traditional Colombian cookie. Just a quarter of the cookie was left and the beer replaced with a handwritten note from Father Christmas.

"Dear Joshua, I have heard so many good things from so many people around the world and this makes me proud. Thank you for the beer and cookie, I saved you a piece of my cookie to share with you, and I saved you a sip of beer too, it's in the fridge." Lots of love, Father Christmas.

Joshua ate the piece of cookie and drank his sip of beer and then opened his pressies. An awesome water pistol from Captain Brett and the Moonjoos Station. A small bag from Colombia which he uses to carry his UNO cards, a car, an army man and his bean bag. A holy stone necklace. A packet of chocolate and toffee lollipops, and a packet of fruit sweets. All small enough to travel with which is a blessing!

Christmas lunch was delicious. Barry did the cooking this year. Baked potatoes, cold meat, white sauce, fresh tomato and salsa. Full tummy's and it was time to siesta!

Travelling takes you away from those traditions which you have with your family back home. Thank goodness for skype, which allowed us to connect with some special people. Home sickness always hangs around and is a reality. With Joshua and Barry making it so special, I did just fine :-).

The best present I received was to speak to my girls and then my Mom. Mom only has a basic mobile phone without the bells and whistles that you and I are used to. So when my friend Christopher called my Mom, placed her on speaker phone and then connected to us via skype, and I heard her say "hello my lovie, merry Christmas", I new all will be just fine. Oh how I have missed chatting and being close to my Mom. Christopher rocks!

The streets, buildings, boats, cars, trucks, busses and taxis, the horse and carriages, everything is drenched in Christmas lights!  Every night there has been a Christmas pageant at the old fort which is a few meters from the boat.  The fireworks displays at night are just breath-taking, like nothing I have ever seen.  Every single person in Cartagena have been in the Christmas spirit since we arrived here on the 2 December.  Can you imagine, 23 days of celebrations and music all around us!

With just 26 days until we fly out of Caracas, Venezuela, we have a whole lot still to accomplish on our 'to do list'. Our backpacks are packed, and we are in full swing with the boat jobs that must be done by the 10th January. We are also working to raise money to get from Cartagena, Colombia to Caracas. Its going to cost us $550 USD.

We are so looking forward to this adventure. We have been on Moonjoos for 15 weeks now and living on water since June this year. Life on the water is magical but I am so ready to sleep in a comfy bed that doesn't move, to have a good shower so I can wash properly and smell good afterwards, and to enjoy nature along the way.

Then we fly from Caracas to Brazil to South Africa! Bring on the African sunsets, braai's, friends and family!

　

 

Cartagena, Colombia - surviving the big city!

After months of small islands, some uninhabited islands, the silent but powerful ocean.. we arrive in Cartagena Colombia.  A shock to the system and sensory overload of note!

The anchorage is surrounded by buildings, the coast guard, the navy, shops, local vendors, cars and taxi's, horse drawn carts, lights, fireworks, music, live performances... and life!

It is winter here in Cartagena, but the winter here is like our summers in South Africa with humidity levels sitting at 90% and above with very little rain.  Thus making water collection our first challenge.  That's okay, we have arranged water through the mariner for a great price.

The exchange rate is 1USD = 1800 Colombian Peso's.  We are now working with million's and hundreds and not much smaller than that.  A french loaf (pana in spanish) is 2500 Pesos.  A weeks worth of water from the mariner is 20 000 Pesos.  A kilogram of bananas is 2000 Pesos.  A 10 day data plan for our device is 20 000 Pesos.  It's much cheaper living from the streets as the local people do.  You can spend 5000 Pesos and buy quite a few pastries.  Fruit and vegetables are plentifull on the streets, all delicious.

Milk is not fresh cows milk as we know it.  Everything is powdered or long life milk.  Not delicious! 

The local transport is cheap, you can catch a ride on the back of a motorbike or scooter, a 3 wheeler bicycle or you can use your legs.  Everything is within walking distance so it's nicer walking.  Anything on wheels is pretty scary!

The water is good to drink and there are taps along the parks and in the streets of the old city so drinking water is easy to come by.  The bottled water is available at 2600 for 6 liters (sold in plastic that looks like a giant ice lolly).

The people are friendly if you can get a few words in Spanish to make sense to then. We have thankfully met a local guide, Henry Castrillon, who meets with us regularly to get information.  We have also made friends with some Spanish speaking backpackers who are helping us with Spanish lessons and Yoga lessons.  They have also helped us hugely with connectivity so we have comms with friends and family.

Christmas away from home, this is my first Christmas away from South Africa and my family.  It's been quite tough for us but with skype on the boat we will be able to say hi to everyone back home and around the world.

When night falls and the city cools by a degree or two, the lights come on and the city is drenched in colour.  The boats, the harbour, the navy ships, the cars...they are all decorated with lights.  It's a sight I can not describe to you.  You have to see this to believe it!

Then the music starts, from all around the city. The music plays until the early hours of the morning.  Singing, laughter and party busses.  One after the other the party busses pass the mariner and they are jam packed.

The local people shoot fireworks every single night.  The shows are fantastic like I have never seen before.  Back home you can't just shoot fireworks anywhere at any time.  It's all so new.

Colombia is definitely a country to visit.  It's alive, happy and full of energy!  Oh how I miss the solitude of the islands and the sea.

We will spend Christmas eve in the old city, midnight mass with the local people. Christmas day in town and New Years eve on the boat is the way we will be enjoying the festivities.  It's going to be something else.

Wherever you are and whomever you are with, may your festivities be magical xx

Blu

We are now in Cartegena, Columbia!

Dropped Pin near Caribbean Sea http://goo.gl/maps/4MwkH

An epic journey!

We have spent the last 4 weeks on the ocean sailing from Grenada and now in Curacao.  The archipielago is breath taking! Los Roques is definitely worth visiting. Joshua took part in a documentary which was made at the Turtle Sanctuary. So he will be on tv in Venezuela soon.

We are now in Curacao until Friday and then sailing to Santa Marta and then Cartegena.  We will be hosting a kids program there over the festive season.

Its been tough with a shortage of rain, less showers, less drinking water. But all in all its an epic journey even with the lack of water. We visit the most remote islands and see the most beautiful sunsets.

Bring on Columbia!

Ode to the bitter side of paradise

"not all that glitters is gold"
From the start, our adventure was bereft with difficulty, positive thought, stubborn determination and a drive to make a success motivated us beyond the nagging disappointments. "it will only get better" we told each other. Our journey to the spice island was in full swing there was no turning back.
Believing we had a supportive base of friends we delegated a certain number of  important tasks to certain close members of our "tribe". This turned out to be an epic fail and left us close on a $1000US out of pocket.  In this part of the world a $1000 is not such a large sum, coming from a country with a poor exchange rate it is another story. So we take it in our stride, all we got to do is work harder and live smarter.
Taking the road less travelled allowed us to explore and wet our appetite, it has also made it harder to renew visas and move easy between islands, why? Well the immigration wants to know that you can leave. In other words you need a flight off an island or be signed on a boat that is leaving. It's not the end of the world it just makes it a little more complicated.
We have been in paradise for 3 months now, 90 odd days and all though we have done no sailing it has not been plain sailing. Our first port of call and the reason we were here in the first place turned out to be a test of patience and confinement. A clash of personalities and underhand dealings left us stranded on a deserted island, "literally". Thanks to positive thought and stubborn determination we were rescued by an unlikely couple and offered refuge on a spectacular Yatch. It seemed the wind was in our favour and the sailing was to get better. This however was not to last and within a short time we were stuck in the middle of a crazed ranting and raving individual, who's only thought or priority was with one self, regardless of the circumstances and so we quietly carried on doing what we do, being mindful that we have a 4 year old. And all this is a very new experience for him.
For every high there is a low and for every low there must be a high, I am not sure if they work in such an order and I would like to surmise, that they don't. At times it feels like the deck is loaded and not loaded in our favour. However we carry on regardless.
The heat is all encompassing, we live on a strict budget, having a shower is a gift and being able to charge our Blackberry so we can inter act with the outside world has the same value as one puts into owning a car.

We eventually organise our own boat! Our own space, shoo! our own silence, Priceless!
Again the winds of change and it feels like the current has changed as well. Wooohoo were making headway. Haha of course it doesn't last, we don't have water, we don't have power and we have no money but we have extended our time in Grenada so all is good? We no longer have a dingy and now need to paddle a kayak every were. No problem its a great way to keep fit, not the best place to load your weekly shopping especially when the winds have picked up. Collecting water in a kayak is also a challenge especially when its an hours paddle and you can only transport so many liters at a time. No problem we are determined I am an African, piece of cake. HAHA the first week was Ok the second week not so OK! every day is a mission now, our comfort levels are directly related to our energy levels. Simple things we take for granted have now become important survival issues. Water is rationed, food is rationed, hell even the light at night is rationed.

The sand flies and mosquito's continually attack, Toni and Joshua are covered in bites and heat rash and spend there time scratching. This 32 degree heat during the day and 27 degrees at night saps your resolve, daily the motivation ebbs away, we sleep in the cockpit at night because its to hot in the cabin, but lately it drizzle on and off, so we wake in the morning like Zombies, sleep deprivation added to this list of never ending survival all takes its toll. It is difficult to remain positive when not even your neighbours wish to interact with you.

There are highs and lows in every journey, we have had some awesome times but for the most part we have worked really hard for every thing and the last 3 weeks have been a serious test of character for all of us. But we have survived. So hold onto your seats there is more to come. Eyes up!

Sailing the Caribbean! 14 days of sun, sea and sailing.

Our second sailing adventure but this is the real adventure, the one we expected when arriving in Grenada 4 months ago. 

Captain:  Brett Uys
Country:  South Africa
Vessel:     Catamaran
Model:      Jaguar
Name:      MoonJoos

We departed Hog Island at around 14h00 and off to St Georges where we will lay anchor and zip to the mainland  to do some shopping at Foodland, check for parcels from home, collect a part for the boat and back to MoonJoos.

Our parcels have arrived! Wooohhoooo!  One from my Mom and Christine and the other from our friend Madeleine.  Rooibos tea, slabs of chocolates, nik naks, marshmallows and tampons! Yay for me :-)

Shopping done, back on MoonJoos, anchor up and just around to the next bay, Moullinare Bay.  No other yachts around. Its quiet. This is where the underwater sculptures are. 
Ploop! Baz is in the water for a quick look see and to check the anchor. Twilight is not the time to be in the water so it was quick.

Dinner: Curry and flat bread with sticky rice.
Dessert:  A cup of Five Roses tea

The night sky is magical!  The last crescent of the moon with a bright star below.  What a sight! 

Tuesday - 10 September

A full nights sleep was had by all.  There is nothing more peaceful than the rocking motion and the sound of the waves breaking on the point.

Up at 06h00, the sky is blue and the water crystal clear.  Fishermen scattered along the rocks waiting on their catch of the day. 

07h00 and we are in the water and snorkeling.  What a sight, there they were, some of the sculptures.  A mermaid, a man at a desk, a ring of people holding hands, a treasure chest.  The water was aquamarine... The color of mermaids.

Anchor up! Destination - Union Island.  6 hours of sailing!  The views are spectacular.  Houses tucked into the mountain side, clouds hanging low.  A breeze to cool the hot sun, real awesome rock music playing loud!  Reliving time in my life of 38 years.
Sailing the Caribbean, I wish you were here.  What a way to live life!  Even if its just for 12 months. 

It's my turn to sit at the helm, my watch.  Got to make sure we don't mow down a local fishing boat. 

The flying fish are too cool!  4, 5, 6 of them launch at once and fly across the surface of the water for meter and meters.  They look like birds!

Sailing over the famous, still active volcano, 'Kick em Jenny'.  The average depth is 1,2km, the water is rough, dark and pretty creepy.

Joshua has had his first pang of sea sickness, a tummy ache and sleepy. Time for a snooze.

We arrived at Union Island at 15h00. The air temperature was at least 32 degrees... Hotter than the hottest HOT!  Dingy lowered and the Captain is off to Immigration to check us and MoonJoos into French waters.  Cost: 30ECD per person and entry for 30 days.

Time to explore Union, find an ATM, shop and a bar!  A cold beer and a huge block of ice for the next leg of our trip.

Dinner: spagetti bolognaise
Dessert:  RUM

Bed!

Wednesday - 11 September
Up at 06h00, coffee, breakfast, anchor up and sailing at 07h00.

Destination: Tobago Cays and St Vincent

It's a beautiful day, we are off to take a sneak peak at the Tobago Cays.  This is where they filmed the Pirates of the Caribbean.  The water is amazing!  The islands are a sight!

So because we can, change of plans, we are sailing to Bequia!  Two squalls today, 50 litres of water collected  and a shower had by all. 

Bequia - arrival time 14h00. What a beautiful island! Population is only 5000. The main street along the mariner is lined with the most ornate buildings painted bright colours.

The snorkelling was magic, visibility at least 20m.  Time for an ice cold beer at Maria's, free wifi so managed to update everyone on our location. 

Dinner: left overs
Dessert:  RUM and 7Up Cherry

Fishing of the back of the boat was cool!  Joshua caught 4 fish. What a champ!

Thursday - 12 September
Up early, boat chores done! And the starboard side engine isn't starting.  After some attention, TLC and repairs, engine starts, anchor up and we are off. 

Destination: St Vincent, 15kms, 1.5 hours of sailing.

St Vincent!  Of course, another beautiful island.  There aren't many places to anchor so we will anchor at the mariner.  Yeh man!  That means we get to shower and find a local pub.

The heavens open, another 50 liters of water caught!  The skies are looking suspect with funnels and storms on the horizon.  A real eerie feeling as it is hurricane season.  The sunset is amazing.  I have never seen anything like it!

Friday- 13 September

Up early, scrambled eggs for breakfast, anchor up and today we are exploring the bays of Bequia.  Turtle Sanctuary, Industry Bay, Spring Bay, Marley Bay, Hope Bay, Ravine Bay and Friendship Bay.

Next stop, Petit Nevis.  The snorkelling took my breath away!  Box fish, Pipe fish, Dori Fish, eels, the list is endless! 

Anchor up, and we are off to a small island called Counaun.  The depth averages 600 to 900m.  The water is a little choppy with squalls on each side of us.

There they were! Dolphins swimming right past the front of MoonJoos! Wow!

One more hour and then we anchor in Counaun.  I can hardly wait to see what this little island is all about. 

We arrived in the bay in the dark, 20h30.  A local dingies over to us and offers us a mooring, cost 50EC, Captain responds 40EC, repy "OK" and we are off to the mainland.  We buy what we need and back to our dingy. Joshua in, I'm in, Brett's in and the next minute, shopping bag lands in the ding and SPLOOOSH Barry is in the water! Along with Brett's waterproof bag which wasn't closed!  Missing, wallet, smokes, camera and 2lt coke.  Lol!

After some late night search and recovery all the missing items were found and Brett's camera is in a packet of rice.  Time for a rum and coke.

What a day!

Saturday - 14 September

What a night! I didn't sleep a wink. One squall after the next, MoonJoos rocking and rolling!   It felt a little crazy, lightening and thunder.  We have woken up to an overcast and cool day.

Next moment, the same dingy from last nigh with another local.  Name 'Iceman'.  Demanding 50EC for the mooring.  A brief argument between Iceman and the Captain, mention police and off to the mainland Brett goes.  Returning 3 hours later, saying all was resolved over a strong rum.  He he he.

Anchor up, destination is Mayreau.  Two hours of sailing and we arrive in the most beautiful bay called Salt Whistle Bay   now this is a really beautiful little island.  White beach, clear water and a couple of beach stalls with a beach bar called 'The last bar before the jungle'.  Along side locals fixing their boats. 

After boach chores were done we chilled all day, snorkelled, sat under the trees, chatted with the locals.  Back on the boat for lunch and then a snooze on deck.

A friendly invite from the family sailing on the Sharon Lea to pop over for a Cane and cola.  Trevor is South African, Britt is from the USA and their children Dexter (3y) and Drey (9m).  We had such a cool time with this sailing family.  We will see them in Grenada in a couple of days time. 

www.ushersaweigh.com

Time for bed.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring :-)

Monday - 16 September

Up early, boat chores done, time to sail... Whooooohoooo! A brief visit to Saline Bay and off to Tobago Cays, Union Island  and then Carriacou.

Tobago Cays is amazing!  The water was choppy and the current strong.  Sting rays everywhere, giant ones, large ones, babies. What a sight!  The current grew stronger and we upped anchor and set sail for Union Island.  Here we checked out of French waters.  No time to waste, we have to check in at Carriacou by 16h00.  

Arrive a 15h25, dingy lowered, Captain dressed and off to Immigration with our passports. 16h25, Captain back on MoonJoos, anchor up and off to Tyrell Bay for the night.

It's all like the Amazing Race!  Time is of the essence.  We all have our responsibilities and we rock as crew :-)

A game of scrabble, good conversation, a rum and lights out!

Tuesday - 17 September to Tuesday 24th September was well.. Let's just say, what happens in Grenada stays in Grenada.

We ended up having a blast! What should have been a 4 day adventure turned into a 14 day adventure.  What a superb experience, Jam packed with exotic islands, laughter, delicious food, new friendships, learning's and hard work!

A big shout out to Captain Brett and the magical MoonJoos! 

Loosing our virginity at the Hash!

First time walkers/runners of the weekly Hash are called Virgins and on completion of your first Hash your virginity is broken!

Well what an awesome experience!  We all piled into Greg's van and off we went to join the weekly Hash which started on BBC Beach.  On arrival there were hundreds of people waiting to kick start their walk or run, dependent on your ability and energy levels.  Everyone signed in, the crowd was briefed and the trails were opened.

Off we went, along the beach, up some very daunting hills, through the local homes, past the children's home, alongside the airstrip, over a river, up some more daunting hills, through the forest/bush, past some very inviting rum shops, down some steep hills, through the town, down dusty highway, and then up another daunting hill, down onto the beautiful white sands of BBC Beach and right into the warm Caribbean Sea!

We met some very cool people along the way, we bumped into many people we have already met on our travels around the island and also had the pleasure of meeting Paul from the DSTV series, Distant Shores. 

After a grueling 7km walk/run, we enjoyed a few ice cold beers and a hearty meal.  A swim in the sea and some great conversation.  The sunset was breath-taking and we were all pretty exhausted!

Joshua took on the walk/run with us like a superstar!  He had lots of fun and enjoyed meeting up with some of his friends from Kids Camp. 

A long hot shower, dinner, a cup of tea and that was it... lights out and fast asleep!

We are signed up to join next weeks Hash and it's going to be fantastic!  This is a brilliant way to see the island and meet some very nice people. 

If there is a Hash taking place in your area, take the time and join in the fun.  You won't be sorry, you will be sore, you will be exhausted afterwards but it is all well worth the effort.

Until next week!

All good people meet at Nimrods!

That I now believe wholeheartedly!  All good people meet at Nimrods, that's no lie!

Let me first tell you a bit about Nimrods.  Its a fantastic Rum Shop that is situated in lower Woburn, on this magical island called Grenada in the Caribbean.  Nimrods sells all sorts of necessities such as milk powder, eggs, bread, condensed milk, fruit, muffins, cooking oil, tea bags, ice cold beers and of course a good hearty rum!

The staff and owner, Sep, are friendly and happy people!  They welcome you in and enjoy having a good chat!  You will always find someone playing a game of backgammon which Joshua is now learning to play.

The kitchen serves delicious meals daily and Friday nights is the BBQ on the deck.  Their prices are affordable and even more so for families with healthy appetites!

We have met the nicest variety of people there from locals to sailors to visitors of the island.  I had the privilege of meeting a wonderful lady and writer by the name of Nora Dunn who has a fantastic blog called The Professional Hobo.  A great read and jam packed with useful and humorous  info for travelers! 

Nimrods is now our pick up and drop off point, the local buses travel past there so this makes getting around so easy to do. 


After a visit to Nimrods you are guaranteed to be remembered and usually by name!  After a couple of visits you will be well known to the locals. 

Nimrods is one of our absolute favourite places to hang out and if you are ever blessed to visit this island, be sure to make a turn at Nimrods.  If you don't know where it is just ask the bus driver to take you to Nimrods, everyone knows where it is!  And I mean EVERYONE!!

If you are looking for good people, food, conversation and vibe, then Nimrods is the place to be.

 

Working on the beach!

From corporate to working from home to working 5 days a week on the beach!  It gets better and better!  Working on the beach has it's pros and its con's and I'm going to share them with you today!

Working on the beach ... when you hear that and put some thought into it I am sure you think that must be just fabulous.  It is fabulous in many ways, I get to watch a beautiful sunrise and sunset every single day.  I also get to eat meals with Joshua and Barry in the shade of the trees.  I snorkel at least twice a day every day and I have a sun kissed tan which most girls pay lots of money for :-)  Fresh air, beautiful views and always surrounded by fabulous people.  We never ever have dirty feet because we are always passing through water, in the dingy, out the dingy, on the boat, off the boat and so it goes on a daily basis.

The con's to working on the beach?  are there any you are most likely asking.  Oh yes there are plenty!  The sand flies are a killer, they bite continuously around my feet and ankles which have resulted in reptile skin and that doesn't impress me at all!  There is always sand everywhere, in my hair, under my nails, in my clothes, in my backpack and usually in my drinks or food.  The sun beats down from 06h00 to 18h00, no matter where you are hiding the sun always gets me and so my brown has turned to dark brown... I may have to change my passport photo soon :-)

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's are good days, but by the time I get to Thursday I am pretty much over the sand, sea and sun.  We are now on week number 6 and working on the beach is taking it's toll.  My skin, my hair and my clothing are taking a good ol' beating. 

So the pros outweigh the cons as always in my life's journey which means that working on the beach instead of an office is just awesome!  My work attire is, barefoot, costume, shorts and a had.  My views are just beautiful and my 'office' is nothing but wide open space!

Life is good!

Peace, love and happiness

Ship Jumping, Dingy Accident and Siesta's!

It's time to grab a cuppa, sit back, feet up and enjoy my Caribbean ramblings...

We have 'jumped ship' as my cousin Lawry so put it.  Well yes we had to jump ship, the Dixi Rollar is setting sail soon for Brazil and then onto South Africa. Our travel plans include a trip back to South Africa in March 2014.  This year we travel the Caribbean, so with that in mind we jumped ship right onto a beautiful Bavaria called the Inanna.

The Inanna is a fantastic yacht!  We have been blessed with a comfy and private cabin, which earned huge points from me.  The yacht is large which allows for more people on board, a maximum of 12 passengers.  The Inanna is equipped with all you need including access to wifi, a flat screen television, access to a laptop, sufficient water supply and true sailor's, Jason and Gro, who own and sail this yacht.

It's Carnival weekend so we are guests on the Inanna for the next few days and then the actual 'crew' work begins next week.  We will be officially signed on as crew which ensures we are not deported which could have happened if we weren't offered this opportunity.  The law here in Grenada says that we have to be signed onto a sailing vessel as crew, at all times!

I am very keen to get started with my crew training.  Sitting under a tree on the beach all day isn't my idea of stimulation and motivation.  Sitting under a tree on the beach for most of the day is guaranteed to result in an ice cold rum and coke or a Carib beer, and of course one will always mean a two and a three.  Then the remainder of the day is just a complete party.  You are thinking that that's also not a bad idea but let me tell you that it often is a bad idea, all in 'hind sight'.

Our Kidz Club program has been a hit!  We have the next few days off to rest and  enjoy Carnival, then we kick off again next week Wednesday.  We now have 5 students for Conversational English lessons, twice a week and it is going really well.

We had our very first dingy accident a few days ago.  Now that was just to hilarious!  Off we go to Whisper Cover to use the wifi and have a fanta each.  The jetty on the one side was jam packed with dingy's so we eye out a free spot on the other side.  Off we go put putt putting along into the opposite entrance, the plan was for Barry to grab the side of the jetty, cut the engine and we would slow down and 'park' with ease.  WELL we put putt putted in, and somehow with Barry standing up to grab the jetty and Joshua and I still seated, we all ended up on the one side which resulted in the dingy tipping to the same side, next minute SPLASH and Barry is in the water and hanging from the jetty and Joshua and I plus the dingy end up put putt putting into the mangroves.  Of course everyone along the jetty and in the restaurant heard the big SPLASH and all came out to have a look.  There I was totally laughing my ass off, tears rolling, Joshua hanging on for dear life and Barry soaking wet and hanging from the jetty... waaahahahahahahahahaaaa... too funny!

With access on the yacht to wifi, I will be blogging more often.  In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy my siesta's under the trees on the beach :-)

Peace, love and happiness xx

It's time for Carnival!

It's 'carnival' time here on this breath-taking island called Grenada.  The local people refer to this celebration as Spice Mas.  Below is more about this magical celebration that gets the island talking, laughing, singing, dancing and festive.  

"The premier cultural event, ‘Spice Mas’ is Grenadian expression in all its glory, climaxing during the second Monday and Tuesday in August, this annual event with multiple activities takes months of planning and coordination. Brimming with pageantry and expression linked to our African, French, British and Caribbean heritage, Carnival is colorful  humorous and full of surprises. Calypsonians, steel pan orchestras, beauty contestants, ‘fancy mas’ bands and others perform and parade to compete for Carnival honors  Grenadians gather to watch, participate and enjoy. Many take on disguises in the costumes of ‘Shortknee’ and ‘Jab Jab’ players.

The Shortknee tradition combines pieces of distant Grenadian history expressed through masks, dance, chants and colorful costumes. Armored with tiny mirrors to reflect enemies and ankle bells to make music, masqueraders in knee-length pants carry talc powder as they stomp through towns and villages. The powder is a symbol of appreciation and sprinkled on those who make cash donations. 

Jab Jab revelers paint their bodies black, put red helmets with make-believe horns on their heads, and march in energetic groups. Originating with African and European rituals, Jab Jab has evolved as an integral part of contemporary Spice Mas, shedding long ago customs of frightening Carnival patrons and establishing a unique rhythmic chant to Carnival. All this and more, can be part of your Spice Experience." - www.grenadagrenadines.com

We are in for an absolute treat!  This weekend the children of the island celebrated Kiddies Carnival.  The weekend is dedicated to the children, music, entertainment, face painting, food and treats.  

Watch this space for an update and footage!

Caribbean Kidz - Holiday Program

What a fantastic two weeks we have had!  We facilitated a holiday program for the cruising/sailing children for 10 days.  From 08h30 to 12h30, Monday to Friday and each day we had an average of 15 children attend.  The children came from all over the world, Australia, America, Germany, Sweden, Island and of course Joshua was from South Africa :-)

We decided to host this program to introduce Joshua to the various children that sail and in turn to the lifestyle of sailing families, which is very different from those that live life on land.  Joshua made a great friend by the name of Michael and the two of them hit it off from day one!  This resulted in Joshua being invited to spend some time on their beautiful floating home and he had an awesome time.

The program was pretty easy to run as we hosted all of the activities on Hog Island and in the ocean.  The activities included:
*  Snorkeling
*  Sand castle competition
*  Jam sessions
*  Hiking
*  Bug Hunting
*  Fire Making - the safe way
*  Coconut Boats - each child had to make their own coconut boat which had to be decorated and it had to stay afloat.  The regatta took place on the last day of holiday care and it was AWESOME!

We investigated every inch of Hog Island, there are various private little beaches around the island, along with that came some interesting findings and learning's.  We identified the poisonous plants and trees and so everyone new what to stay clear of.  We were surrounded by bugs and lizards, birds, fish, squid, sea cucumbers and lots more, to many to list.

The children all had a fantastic time together, they educated each other on their home countries, the songs they sing, the food they eat and their way of life.  How interesting it all was!

We look forward to the next opportunity we have to meet more of the sailing children out there!  Until we meet again :-)