I Love Commuting!

All Alone.....except for the whales

Caribsailor — Wed, 10 Mar 2004 06:29:00 +0100

First morning single handed and arrive just after sunrise at the Silver Backs

I had read that it was a wintering area for humpback whales…..........Well guess what it IS. Fantastic and a little unnerving. I wish I had the picture of that but they were on the laptop that was stolen in the TCI’s

North of PR

Caribsailor — Tue, 09 Mar 2004 00:03:00 +0100

19°13.336’N 066°04.210’W

Auto Helm is doing a fine job of holding course. Winds are good, no traffic.

On the Way

Caribsailor — Mon, 08 Mar 2004 07:07:00 +0100

Finally got under way and set a course of 310M to shirt the silver banks and come into Grand Turk on the East side of the island.

Not much wind after waiting for a week because of to much wind and seas. Motor sailed most of the day.

Soggy Dollar Bar

Caribsailor — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 18:16:00 +0100

Spent the day watching charters boats come into the bay drop their hooks and everyone bail off and swim to shore for a drink at the Soggy Dollar Bar.

Checked the weather and the window has opened! I checked out with immigration for a morning departure. Single handing.

Moving

Caribsailor — Sat, 06 Mar 2004 18:06:00 +0100

Decided to explore a little of the BVI’s and untied from the dock and moved over to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke Island.

May as well see something else while I’m waiting for the window to open

Still waiting

Caribsailor — Fri, 05 Mar 2004 17:56:00 +0100

Still waiting

Crew Jumps Ship

Caribsailor — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 17:46:00 +0100

The weather window doesn’t seem to want to open for a couple of days and my crew needs to get back to work so they are leaving a few days early to meet up with fellow yacht club members in Antigua to act as rail meat for race week.

I was going to join them but remember I am commuting to work don’t you know!

Another day

Caribsailor — Wed, 03 Mar 2004 17:36:00 +0100

Another day of weather and no window. Oh well there are worse places to be stuck hanging out

Tortola

Caribsailor — Tue, 02 Mar 2004 17:26:00 +0100

Still in Tortola, a front is passing and we’re waiting for a weather window befor we push on to the Turks & Caicos Islands

Wrong weather info

Caribsailor — Mon, 01 Mar 2004 17:16:00 +0100

Arrived into Road Harbour and tied upto a mooring ball at 0837 after having a very uncomfortable night passage. Winds built to 25 knots and seas also built. At it’s worse we had our third reef in the main and a hanky out for a headsail.
All in control just uncomfortable from the sailing bliss we had experienced up until that passage.

We later move to Footloose Marina to have a rest and a shower.

Oh Well

Caribsailor — Sun, 29 Feb 2004 17:06:00 +0100

We decided to motor to the French side in the morning pick up some fuel and head to Tortola….......Well that was the plan, as we found out the French side does not have a fuel dock open on Sunday. So we had to race back for the 0900 bridge opening so we could get fuel and then hung out a did some laundry and traded yacht club burgee’s til the 1600

Stowed everything and departed to Tortola at 1706

Hind Site

Caribsailor — Sat, 28 Feb 2004 06:10:00 +0100

On the hook in Simpson Bay waiting for the bridge to open at 1600 into the Lagoon, so we could get fuel. Decided not to go inside as we would be trapped in the lagoon til morning.

Dominica to St Maarten

Caribsailor — Fri, 27 Feb 2004 06:00:00 +0100

Depart Dominica at 0600 under power as there was no wind.

at 0715 we shut down the engine and set full main and headsail
1015 we reduce the headsail to 100 from 135.

The day started out with a plan to go to Guadeloupe but the wind died and shifted twice while in the lee of the island so we decided to push on to St Maarten as the see was flt and the wind light after clearing the island.

A beautiful night for a sail…......well motor anyway.

St. Lucia to Dominica

Caribsailor — Thu, 26 Feb 2004 05:50:00 +0100

Headed out again bright and early, don’t think we woke anyone up on out departure

Picture is of a church in Soufriere Bay in Dominica at sunset.
We were told we could not anchor there for the night so we moved further north to Pointe Michel.

Bequia to St Lucia

Caribsailor — Wed, 25 Feb 2004 06:03:00 +0100

Raised anchor and head North East 034 M for Marigot Bay.

Nice sail, winds 10-15 from 090

Cleared in and out and then on the hook by 1815

Departure

Caribsailor — Tue, 24 Feb 2004 17:11:00 +0100

Raised anchor and headed north to Bequia and Admiralty Bay for our first night.

Arrived into Bequia 1716 and on the hook for the first night.