Birthday & NYE Celebrations!

Having a celebratory drink at Waldo's in Vero Beach with Mark and Liesbet.

What a crazy few days we have had with the arrival of Mark and Liesbet joining us for my birthday and New Years Eve celebrations. They treated me to a surprise visit at the cinema to see the new Star Wars in 3D. What a kind and clever treat, as I had just been saying how disappointed I was not to have gone to the cinema while we were still in the US! We finished the evening at a popular Italian restaurant near the seafront in Vero Beach.

At the cinema to see Star Wars with our 3D glasses!

We hung out and walked on beaches (and got stung by a bee). We sweated in the heat and got eaten alive by the noseeums on board with the hot, windless days in Vero Beach. But we had lots of laughs too. We saw the new year in with a few drinks at Waldo's, a rustic mexican bar down on the front and then back to the boat for BBQ, quizzes and paper hat making competitions. 

Sim, Liesbet & Mark at Avalon Beach Park, near Fort Piece.

Unfortunately it was up early for 2016 for us all. Mark and Liesbet have the first part of a long journey to Connecticut and we were going to leave for the Bahamas. I say 'were' as the weather is rapidly deteriorating over the next few days in the Abacos where we were headed and it looks as though there will be some uncomfortable days ahead. So we figure we are better of waiting it out over here until the next opportunity to cross.

Avalon Beach State Park... The first blue water we have seen in ages!

Having a picnic at the Beach.

Hanging out at the beach

So good to have my friend around

Liesbet and Sim and their party hats for NYE!

Sim in action BBQ-ing!

Happy New Year 2015!

Wandering Star at Soldiers Cay

Christmas, my birthday and NYE have all been and gone.  We have had fun, the weather has been surprisingly balmy....I think it is waiting for my family to arrive before it unleashes its usual ferociousness for this time of year.  We parted company with Khaya Moya at Tilloo Cay to start making our way to Nassau to meet my sister when she arrives in the New Year. We inched our way 12 miles further south to Lynyard Cay, a beautiful and popular spot at the southern end of Little Abaco - the water was stunning and the beaches great for beach combing – they even had a rustic (rusty) bbq and improvised chairs and tables set up under the trees. Just a stone’s throw across the beach the Atlantic Ocean thundered down onto the rocky shore – we could have stayed longer but we had to press on.  It was almost a 70 mile trip to the Berry islands and one we would not have managed in the light wind in daylight hours without our powerful engine.  My birthday was spent at Soldiers Cay – A favourite spot – even more so because we had it to ourselves.  We had a lazy day, swimming and beach combing and eating cupcakes, we even took the cat to the beach – just perfect.

On the shell phone! - Can you hear me Shirley?

We arrived in Nassau on NYE and in time to watch an impressive firework display. Though I admit it was a struggle to stay up.  It’s not the best anchorage as we bounce and roll from all the boat traffic and conflicting wind over tide, but we won’t stay long.  We’ll show my sister a few sights and then be on our bonny way down the Exuma chain.

Fireworks in Nassau

2015 has crept up on us and as we look back on 2014 I think we can say it has been a good year. It's maybe even been a great year.  We LOVED sailing in the USVI’s and BVI’s.  We had a fabulous trip from Puerto Rico through the Bahamas and up to the USA and in great company too.  America was AWESOME; so much nature and wildlife, we really, really enjoyed it.  We even enjoyed being hauled out, although there were a few fraught moments as to be expected and the living in dirt and chaos had me at my wits end. But Bock Marine is a very special place and I can only hope that every future haul out goes as smoothly as this one. We are both very lucky and fortunate to live a life that is so rich and rewarding and though there might be moments we like to grumble about we both realize how blessed we are.

So from us on Wandering Star – HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sim at Soldiers Cay

Lynyard Cay, Little Abaco

Lots of little starfish at Lynyard Cay

Sim taking a dip

Not sure the kitty was hugely impressed with her shore-side excursion

She rolled over and wouldn't move!

Birthday Cupcakes

Hermit crab living in giant conch shell 

Lots of Sand dollars

The water is beautiful at Soldiers Cay - hiding in the boat shadow is a giant 

Barracuda.

Soldiers Cay

Sun setting on another day

Lighthouse at the west entrance to Nassau and Paradise Island

More sunsets and cruiseships in the busy Nassau harbour

Green Island, Antigua

Kite surfers at Green Island

Sim and I have been keen to get over to Green Island on the east coast of Antigua since we got here. In fact it is the reason we came to Antigua in the first place instead of hot footing it all the way to St Maarten. But what with the gusty winds, big seas and Christmas shenanigans it has taken a while to get our selves into gear and find a weather window under 20kts.  Sure we could have gone with more wind but Sim and I agreed along time ago that we were not going to beat ourselves or the boat up trying to get somewhere in uncomfortable conditions if we didn’t have to. Boxing day the wind eased enough for us to motor around there with our mighty 85HP engine making easy work of it despite the lumpy ride.

Green Island anchorage

Green Island and the waters around it are protected by a large reef making it the perfect sport for sailors, snorkelers and other water enthusiasts, namely kite surfers.  Although the island is private all beaches in Antigua are public.  These beaches are beautiful; white sand so soft your feet sink in. Small rock pools to poke around in and seas so blue it’s like looking into the eyes of mother nature.

Green Island on the east coast of Antigua

There are a couple of anchorages to choose from.  A favourite is Ricketts Harbour which is a little more secluded, headed by a small beach and rocks to snorkel on down each side. Ten Pound Bay is also very idyllic, but is a tight spot for just one boat so we tend to visit by dinghy.  Though frequented daily by the day charter cats these are usually gone by the afternoon. But if you like to people watch, the north side of the island is where it is all happening with mega yachts and lots of kite surfers adding splashes of colour to all the beautiful blues.

Palm trees and beach at Ten Pound Bay

Sim and I have had a very relaxed time kayaking, swimming, snorkeling and walking on our own deserted stretch of beach.  Underwater a lot of the coral is pretty dead and covered in weed but there are still plenty of fish about and things to look at. The kite surfers are just totally awesome and these windy days have been just ideal for them. Sim wishes he was 20 years younger!

Brisk windy days for the kite surfers

It was the perfect place to spend my 37^th birthday, chilling with Sim in one of our favourite anchorages, eating cupcakes, swimming, snorkeling and doing all the fun things that cruising is supposed to be about.

French Frolicks, Birthday Rainbows & Rolly Nights

Wandering Star searches for that pot of gold - photo Jon Constantine

Thinking fondly of those motionless landlubber days, the boat rolls from side to side.  Everything tumbles one way and then the next.  The full water tanks gurgle and slap.  The halyards spank the mast, the boom swings violently this way then that. Sim and I are tired.  Not just from the constant roll, where even being wedged between cushions still has you thrown about, not just from the constant racket from everything rolling about but also because Sim has been up half the night with food poisoning.  Such a shame as yesterday was his birthday.

 

Fort De France

But up until that point we have had a wonderful few days.  Friday we left St Lucia for French Martinique.  We didn’t intended to stay long but started a day ahead of our traveling companion Jon from SY Imagine of Falmouth so we could do a quick stock up in our favourite French supermarket – Leader Price.  The sail across was super, just enough off the wind to be comfortable.  We anchored off the old fort ruins in Fort De France; another noisy anchorage, this time we were serenaded with the sounds of tribal drums that kicked off some time after 9pm – don’t they know that this is cruisers midnight? I actually quite liked it and for a new anchorage where I normally don’t sleep too well until I become accustomed to where I am – I nodded off like I was one of the dead.  Bright and sprightly we awoke Saturday morning and walked around the shabby metropolis that is Martinique’s capital.  It’s a colourful place, much more modern than other Caribbean islands. It’s an eclectic mix of old and new from designer shops to Chinese bargain basements, modern buildings matched with tired and crumbling shops with wrought iron balconies, well maintained waterfronts to churches in colourful painted squares.

 

Fort De France waterfront

We shopped, watched some kite flyers and then got on our way to meet Jon at St Pierre at the north of the island to stage ourselves for the next leg of our journey north.  I love St Pierre.  It’s not always easy to find a place to anchor and it can roll.  But it is so beautiful.  I never tire of the majestic Mont Pelee – a volcano that caused all that havoc over a century ago destroying the whole town and killing its entire population.  The unpretentious village is scattered around old ruins and charred remains. There is not much not to like.  Though once again we were treated to some more nocturnal clamor – this time it sounds like an out of tune choir practice.

 

St Pierre, Martinique

Alarms were set for 5.30am on Sunday morning – no time for the birthday boy to open any presents or cards – we needed to get underway. Motoring out into a grey morning it looked as if we weren’t going to get much wind.  The squally weather treated us to the most spectacular rainbow – the first of many that morning.  When the wind eventually filled in it was a lot more than expected.  The seas got bigger with huge spumes of water rolling across the decks.  Wandering Star handled very well in what turned out to be a force 6/7, steaming along at 8.5kts. We practiced a little “heave to” exercise while we waited to see if Jon was doing ok with the sudden onslaught of wind. He was.  I can’t quite say that it was an invigorating sail as I was feeling fairly queasy.  For all those who have seen the recent info on plugging your non dominant ear for a sea sickness cure – I don’t think it works – but then maybe I had the wrong ear!  As we approached the lee of Dominica the seas started to calm. We motor-sailed up the coast to Portsmouth at the north end of the island.  

 

Sims birthday rainbow

Dominica is hugely mountainous – it’s the emerald jewel of the Caribbean.  Rolling hills and black sand beaches fringe the anchorage.  That night for Sim’s birthday we had a small BBQ on board Wandering Star before we fell into our rolling bed for a night of fitful sleep.

Colourful Streets in Fort de France

Church Fort de France

Lively street corners

Fort de France anchorage

St Pierre, Martinique

Imagine of Falmouth

Beautiful rainbow

Windy ride

The captain takes the chair!

Lovely sunset Dominica

The birthday boy