Tyrell Bay

Late morning on 20th July we arrived in Tyrell anxious to catch up with John & Jo from Out of Africa. Everything had gone smoothly and they were about to be launched and go back in the water. 

Underway to Tyrell Bay

We had arrived ready to complete our haul out. Time was spent checking out accommodation for us to stay in and talking to the yards to make our final decision. We booked for November, this would allow us to move Moosetracks should a hurricane or tropical storm threaten during the season until end of October, so November looked good. 

 We set our anchor in our usual spot, close to the dive store, along side several other boats we knew.

Sunset in Tyrell Bay

Hiking to Black Bay with Pat & Tom, Lone Star

what is in the well?

old Lime Kiln

We enjoyed hiking with friends, snorkeling, Saturday nights at Luckys rum shop. Dominos was a favorite past time on a lazy Wednesday afternoon out of the sun at the slipway restaurant and bar.

Devin as always contacted Richard and Diane to arrange some diving during our stay as well. We kept pretty busy starting on some of the simpler tasks on the list. varnish inside to upkeep along with some routine maintenance was completed . 

Even the Moose have a bath!

Early August we participated in the Carriacou Annual Regatta. Devin joined the sailing catamaran “Exile” owners Nevin and Hazel along with Mike from Nauti Dog, Johan and Nelia from Wind Kat. They had an awesome time, unfortunately several breakages were encountered and no one raced day they were still tied to a mooring ball just 7minutes before the start with Nevin up the mast. Devin enjoyed the challenge and they made the start of the race. Overall they took first place in Class and just missed taking overall winner of the Regatta. 

Devin concentrates ready for a tack

Ready to Race

Main sail manouvers

Nevin up the Mast,minutes before the start of race 2

Relaxing after the race.

Mike, Hazel, Nevin, Devin, Neila & Johan

Team celebrations

My birthday was a day filed with friends, we hike the tip of the point off the corner of Tyrell bay. On our return we buy local produce form someone selling from their yard. That the best way to buy, it’s so fresh and organic. 

In the evening Pat and Tom of Lone Star join us for dinner. Pat and Tom surprise me with a tub of Moosetracks ice cream. On their catamaran, they have a freezer big enough for a tub of ice cream a luxury we don’t have.

Devin, Liz & Tom



On Monday 17th September we join Pat and Lone Star along with four others for happy hour. Julius has a drone and was keen to take photos, so we gather on the front deck and while away some time, chatting and having fun. A good night was had by all.

Picture of Lone Star, by drone

A month in the Grenadines

Arriving in Mayreau was very disappointing. Our buddy boat Out Of Africa hit the edge of the reef, the marker buoy was missing, unfortunately their navigation was not good and trying to put 1 mile on a leeward shore went over a reef marked 2 meters on their charts and knocked the skeg off and bent the rudder at 40 degrees. Cruisers in the anchorage rushed to assist and they anchored to survey the damage.  First we all went and dived on the reef to pick up pieces of the rudder which Devin found. The next day the boys removed the rudder in the water and put a bung in it so the yacht  could be towed by Moosetracks into Chatham Bay. Another boat picked them up to go to clear customs and took them under tow into Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. We returned to Mayreau so we could watch the World Cup game playing at Dennis Hideaway bar. After several days of hiking and afternoon snorkeling it was time to move south. 

Devin over looking the Tobago Cays

Sargasso Weed, Atlantic side of Salt Whistle Bay

Salt Whistle Baay

 

Underway to Chatham Bay

Onto Chatham Bay on 7 July. We love the reef surrounding the south sided the bay, plenty of underwater life to look at there. During lobster season it’s a great place to be as well. 

Our 31st wedding anniversary was approaching so we did the short sail around to anchor off the private island of Petite St Vincent on July. Such a wonderful spot anchored in crystal clear waters. 

Petit St Vincent

 

We rode the dinghy the short distance over to Petite Martinique to find a bar hoping to watch the England World Cup games. After checking out the sports bar, nope, no TV there! We did find a local with his own TV eventually so we stopped and watched it there. We asked if we could watch a game the following day. He asked would we like his wife to cook us lunch. So with a lunch date we returned to watch another game. 

Cocoa House

On route to Tobago Cays a few days later against 30 knot winds we tacked, back an forth and unfortunately encountered a small tear in our mainsail. The Tobago Cays is not the place to start changing sails so we took the sail down and altered course and sailed with Jibe alone round to Chatham Bay where we knew we could hide from the wind and manage a sail change without difficulty. 



Chatham Bay

A short hop took us to Frigate Bay on16July, just a short sail took us to this wonderful bay, where we could hike, snorkel and relax. We walked into the tiny town of Ashton, finding locally made bread and limited produce. 

Frigate Bay, Big changes are about to happen

19th July was check out day with customs, we walked the small narrow road into town. The marine park are going to put mooring ball in the bay at Frigate, changes we are not happy about, another of our favorite anchorages is going to limit our anchoring here. After picking up fresh produce around Clifton we walked slightly out of town and  enjoyed a local roti, she was selling from her back door, behind the hair salon, opposite the small hotel. You have to know she’s there to find her. Delicious chickpeas, potatoes, chicken with Mango diced into a tasty curry inside a huge wrap.  

Up early with the birds, we set sail for Carriacou, it’s a short sail and we wanted to be able to clear customs the day of arrival. 

 

 

Wonderful Bequia

We left St Anne, after a wonderful stay, catching up with so many friends. It’s was important for us to move south towards our safe haven for the hurricane season, we have until 30 June to arrive in Mayrea so it was time to get going. Along with our Buddy Out of Africa we sailed to Rodney bay St. Lucia on June 19th. A wonderful sail. The next sail up early for a great sail past St  Vincent into Bequia with fresh fish caught on the passage.

  Henmore Henville local photographer came out in his dinghy and took some wonderful photos of us under sail in a stiff breeze. He came by the following day to share his photos hoping for a sale. Well it’s not often you are offers such great photos so we said yes. 

We had organized Barbeques on the beach we also did a walk to Peggy's rock, the highest peak. It was then time to move on to Mayreau. 

St Anne

We arrived in Le Marin needing to visit a dentist, so anchored off the main channel. then first thing we went in to make an appointment. Would you believe they could do it the very next day! So 40 euros later the next afternoon everything was perfect, between our limited French and the dentists limited English the job got done. 

We then started our provisioning runs to Leader Price for our summer provisioning. As we always do we stock up here coming south for the excellent selection, quality and price of things. We only regret that the use by dates for so much of the things we love like cheese and meats is so short. 

We then moved to anchored out in the lovely clear water off the beach of St Anne to join up with Out of Africa again. Our first walk back was to Saline beach along the gentle coast path for a lunch stop at the beach, a couple of hours each way make this a favorite walk.

The lovely Saline beach

Our next walk was to Creve-Coeur a prominent hill with views back over Le Marin and the whole south end of Martinique. The hill itself is very steep and wears us out on the climb up but affords great views as you can imagine. 

There was a local boat regatta in the bay at St Anne on one of the weekends we were here in June, it happens every year and if you are around well worth staying to see. The local boats are Yoles and they have one or two masts, I think they take them off or put them on as conditions allow. As you can see from the photos they have no ballast so to stay upright to crew has to shift from side to side and hike out on long poles. It is very colorful and exciting to watch. The start/finish line is off the beach in front of the anchorage so the tacking in and out comes very close to the anchored yachts as you will see in the photos.

All action at the start

Close quarter racing for the first few minutes

The field soon spreads out

Hiking out as they return upwind

Almost everyone has to act as ballast

This guy waved at us as he passed

Yes they got this close to us

All hiked out before the tack

Very colorful

Tacking off our bow you could nearly jump aboard

The next walk was over to Baie Des Anglais on the eastern shore then following the path around the southern end of Martinique. The scenery around this trail is quite varied from  gentle hills to mangroves to barren tundra like rocks then a beach walk back. The walk was fairly flat and at around 6 hours a pretty strenuous hike.

Our first stop

Time for a cup of tea

A little shade

We have reached the east coast

A huge amount of Sargasso weed

Really varied terrain

Almost a moon scape

Fairly flat too

A cute little bridge but not easy to use

On the bridge

wading off the other side

A nice statue on the trail

Our last walk was to catch a bus to Cape Ferre and walk the eastern coast trail past Cape Chevalier to Baies Des Anglais and back across to St Anne. an early start was in order to catch the local bus at 7.15am. At one place on the walk the trail ends, mostly because there is no bridge over a river, but it continues on the other side. Well normally you can wade over near the sandy beach but today it was clogged with sargasso weed up to our thighs, it was really icky to wade into it. The rest of the trail was delightful and the scenery again was fabulous. This was a 7 plus hour hike and although not too steep there were certainly enough hills in the heat to wear us all out completely.

Devin, Liz and Nina reach the eastern shore

Great views from the start

Nina, Liz,John,DeAnne,Richard and Jo

Still huge amount of Sargasso weed in the bays

walking trough mangroves

A great lounge but no bartender

Another trail marker

More great coastal views

A couple of nice beaches too

Part of the track we used

We are here

Boardwalks across the swampy bits

A view from the tower we climbed

A nice way to disguise your trash

Some nice farm animals along the trail

A restored mill near St Anne

Well it is time to leave for hurricane season again as we must be further south to avoid the worst of the storms. Nowhere is totally safe but the further south you are there seems to be less violent storms and our insurance company agrees. So we must be below 12d40m by 1st July and so we head to the Grenadines.

we hope everyone has a wonderful summer in 2018.