Happy Holidays

This year I learned how to do this on the internet so no snail mail started in September! 


A Christmas video for all our friends and family, celebrating all the incredible connections we have made with old and new. Friends from forty years past and new friends we hope to have forty years more, family always in our hearts, as well as strangers that warm our hearts.  


John Lennon knew......

Lots of Love and Good Wishes for 2011


Don, Deborah, and Daisy

St. Lucia or Bust!

11/30/2010

Our friends Diane and Ken have been welcome crew for our whirlwind, blustery, nine country journey and Don and I were very happy to have them aboard. 

Anxious to reach St. Lucia in time for our next guest, for the first time in a long time the Starship had a schedule to meet and were forced move more quickly than we prefer. 

Ken and Diane have a beautiful villa in the mountains of St. Lucia, open for bookings, with an incredible view of the southern tip of the island and surrounded by tropical forest and farms.

Anyone interested in a fabulous tropical vacation with a local flavor let me know and we will put you in touch!

St. Lucia is another island with a colonial plantation history and formerly occupied by both the French and British at various times. 

Now independent with a thriving banana export and tourist based economy, St. Lucia is also a major yachting destination. 

The transatlantic ARC rally terminates here in Rodney Bay where we watched as the winning 80ft Swan sailboat with a crew of 10 arrived after their 2 week journey from the Canary Islands. 

We picked up our friend Mike at the airport in Viex Fort on the extreme south end of the island and then made the long winding trek back to our boat in the north via the local minibus system. 

Don and I prefer the local form of travel over a private taxi, not only cheaper but a fantastic way to see the local off the beaten track sights. 

Our next port was Soufriere and the famed twin volcanic coned Pitons of St. Lucia, rising up 2500 feet from the waterline.

 The formerly French town of Soufriere sits in the lovely curve of the bay and is a major tourist and charter boat destination.

Part of the marine park and steep to it is necessary to use the moorings provided by the park as the wind and currents here are always contrary. 

Unfortunately St. Lucia was hit hard by Hurricane Tomas in October of this year. 

Tomas was a late season surprise that devastated the banana crop and destroyed much of the pristine rainforest and tourist sites. 

The many mudslides caused by the torrential rains forced people from their homes and vastly affected the water supply. 

Still recovering, in many places water is an issue, connecting roads are still being cleared, and the local population is very frustrated with the lack of efficient government assistance.

 Despite the disaster, the town of Soufriere is full of friendly locals and interesting architecture proudly displaying its European roots.

Another thriving market, fresh citrus and excellent chicken, the incredible view of the Pitons from our boat made this a paradise.

Despite the murky runoff from the mudslides the views below the water were still incredible. 

The unusual colors of the corals due to the rich mineral runoff was amazing and seemed from another planet.

Our last day in the park brought a quick squall of 30 knot winds and rain with a rainbow straight out of a travel brochure.

A few days anchored off the southern town of Vieux Fort where our friend Ken is from allowed us to spend a little more time visiting, fishing, and swimming. 

 Next stop St. Vincent and the Grenadines……

Thanksgiving in Martinique

11/25/2010

Another dodgy passage down island, and the former Canadian army tank commander reiterating “I think we can make it!” 

The beautiful and welcome island of Martinique welcomed us on Thanksgiving Day. 

Looming on the horizon and only twenty-five miles from Dominica, we were happy to drop anchor in St. Pierre. 

We keep hearing from other experienced Caribbean cruisers that this is the windiest November they have ever seen and we have to concur! 

Diane was kind enough to keep the captain in grapefruit and orange juice as he has developed a definite taste for it, and on this afternoon was deserving of a double!

A late arrival meant that all we were able to muster up for Turkey Day was a freshly BBQ’d chicken leg ashore from a local vendor and French fries!

A St. Pierre rainbow shared our am coffee time and the last bit of juice.

Friday was Market Day and visiting the stalls and seeing the local food is always one of our greatest pleasures.

Colorful, bountiful, wholesome, and healthy food is easily had on all these islands. 

Bonneted ladies out for the weekly fresh produce and fish, bunches of herbs and gossip.

Truly a farmer’s market, fish, oranges, ginger, squash, tania and cucumbers, a beautiful sight after our many months of Puerto Rican produce flown in from Canada.

St. Pierre at one time was the capital of colonial Martinique, known for its fine European architecture, fondly named the Paris of the Caribbean.

In 1902 disaster struck and the island’s 4800 foot Mt. Pelee erupted, instantly covering the city in ash and deadly gases. 

According to the local museum the government had plenty of warning and time to call for evacuation as small eruptions had been occurring. The impending elections and possible financial losses for local business took precedence. 

All 30,000 inhabitants save one lost their lives, one lone prisoner in the local jail escaping. 

The town has long since been rebuilt, with the new buildings incorporating the ruins of the old.

A few cannons and this grand Parisian staircase from the Grande Theater is all that’s left as a reminder of a bygone era.

Further down the coast Grande and Petit Anse D’Arlet were not to be missed. 

One large and full of sailboats and restaurants, the other sleepy and a working fishing village with the only thing to buy ….baguettes! This is becoming a serious habit...

Again the hallmark Caribbean colorful fishing boats and shops, with friendly locals having a rum and out for a chat with whoever walks by.

As we rounded the southern tip of the island and headed to our final Martinique destination of St. Anne we passed the HMS Diamond Rock.

In 1804 the British, perpetually at war with France, lacked a ship to stage off the coast of Martinique. Diamond Rock was “commissioned”  and supplied with cannons and men who for 18 months wrecked havoc on the unsuspecting French fleet.

 Another dazzling rainbow greeted us after the morning drizzle as we sailed past, leaving its “pot of gold” on the Diamond.

The next island of St. Lucia, home to our crew and our final destination for the moment was within sight on the horizon and the Starship made way once again. As we depart Martinique, one more incredible rainbow. Not in Kansas anymore!

Dominica

11/18/2010

Known as the Natural Island of the Caribbean for its unspoiled hiking trails, numerous rivers, and lack of tourists, Portsmouth on the island of Dominica was our next stop. 

Dominica, a former pawn in the many struggles for colonization between Britain and France, finally became an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Britain in 1978. Still struggling with a turbulent government and a lean economy, Dominica is the least developed of all the Caribbean islands we have been to so far. 

The crew was treated to another picturesque, post drizzle rainbow, and immediately set upon by the numerous boat boys awaiting the arrival of yachts. Some were in brightly painted pangas offering everything from river tours and customs assistance to taxi rides ashore.

Others paddled out on boards precariously loaded with crates of fresh oranges, grapefruits and coconuts, willing to haggle and make a deal. The Garden of Eden and Plenty, for our entire stay we never lacked for fresh squeezed citrus to mix with our rum! Ashore Laurie the Juice Lady supplied orange, grapefruit, banana, tamarind, and other various juices hand squeezed, bottled and ready to go!

The town of Portsmouth consists of one main street along the shore, bisected by the Indian River and still decorated with numerous wrecks left by Hurricane David in 1979. 

 Boasting a thriving local market with an excellent roti shop, cheap beer, and friendly locals, a guided tour up the Indian River is the mainstay of tourism. 

We hooked up with Albert, a guide, taxi, and licensed member of PAYS, the Portsmouth Association of Yacht Security. 

In an attempt to dispel the reputation of security issues for boats, the local businesses and river guides created this association and provide regular nightly patrols throughout the anchorage.

The Indian River is a winding trip through swampy, vine-encrusted bamboo and huge blood wood trees. Shallow and bordered by the gigantic roots of the blood wood trees, the overhanging canopy allows in little light and the trip is eerily quiet as no motorized boats are allowed, each guide hand rowing the entire way. 

This river is one of the locations used in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the swamp witch scenes with all the creepy trees and hanging vines. Our guide Albert has been providing tours for twenty-six years and was very knowledgeable on local flora and fauna.

We spotted a few herons and crabs on our way up to the “Jungle Bar” for our requisite rum punch stop.  I had to checkout the bowls and bracelets being carved by this local craftsman, to haggle and negotiate a good deal. 

Little did he know I would have given him $100EC for the striking pearl and nut carved necklace he was wearing!

After a week the Starship meandered down the spectacular coast, south to Roseau. 

A slow sail in the lee of the island we tried to hug the coast so as to spy the many waterfalls this island is known for. 

Looking for a weather window to Martinique, only one night was spent in Roseau, a small cruise ship port with a bustling market scene. 

Don loves to buy from the little ladies on the street. Coconuts, bananas, nutmeg, ginger....

A dusty, dry day demanded a dip in the hotel pool in front of our boat. We didn’t have bathing suits with us, but the bartender didn’t mind as long as there was money for beer!

On to Guadeloupe

11/16/2010

The winds calmed at midnight and the captain was hoping for a calmer sea with the north east winds behind us for the push down to Guadeloupe from Montserrat.

But a trough decided to stall over St. Lucia, and instead we found ourselves in the midst of a cold front pushing its way south.

Did I mention we were glad to have additional crew onboard? A long, dark, and extremely lumpy night, the Captain earned an extra rum ration for his night on the helm.

At dawn the sight of the misty hills of Guadeloupe was a welcome sight.

Too keyed up for sleep we anchored off the picturesque town of Deshaies on the northwest side of the island. Another French island yet more tropical and lush than St. Marten, the crew headed in for baguettes, Corsair beer and freshly roasted legs of mutton, a local delicacy.

The French have so simplified the process of customs and check in that a visit to the local internet café was all that was required.

I am starting to seriously rethink my previous views on Napoleon and have a new appreciation for his emphasis on administrative simplification!

A night of rest gave us new energy for the am departure down the west coast. Our destination was Pigeon Island and the Cousteau Underwater Park.

A great place for snorkeling or diving, and no fishing allowed. The anchorage on the mainland was pristine and you could see the bottom at thirty feet.

First we snorkeled the north west wall of the mainland before heading out to the tourist entrenched island surrounded by tour and dive boats. Gorgeous tube sponge, energetic blue tangs, some camouflaged flounder, jelly like anemone, and a loggerhead turtle were some of our sightings.

Yet another night departure at 3 am so as to put us at the southern most tip of the island at dawn. A crossing to Les Saintes required morning light for fish trap watch and hopefully calm seas before the afternoon trade winds. Only six miles the Starship crossed on an early morning squall that drove us into a sheltered bay as soon as we rounded the island. But soon the skies cleared, the sunshine appeared and we motored to the main town of Bourg des Saintes.

A quaint and picturesque fishing village, motor scooters and European backpackers were the norm. Filled with shops, French restaurants, patisserie, and colorful fishing boats, strolling and meandering took precedence.

Oh and I think we were out of rum and baguettes too!

Colorful Gallic charm abounded with the requisite brightly colored doors and fishing boats.

Unfortunately the weather window was closing and forced a quick trip to customs for clearance papers. On to Dominica!

Wow, seven countries in seven days, a new record for this vessel! Maybe we should change the name to Carnival Cruise Starship?