OCC - In The Club

OCC burgee

April 2018
What is the famous line - "I don't want to belong to any club that would accept people like me as a member." - Groucho Marx

Actually, we are thrill.  We are in!  We are officially members of the Ocean Cruising Club, better known as the OCC.  We have been threatening to join for a couple of years now but just haven't gotten around to it.  Besides, it is not that easy.  There are rules and a process. 

To join the OCC you must have completed 1000 non-stop ocean miles.  Okay - check , we did that on our passage down from the USA in 2013.  AND we have a sponsor to join.  Someone to vouch for our character.  Oh dear.  Hee hee.  Actually, several cruising friends have encouraged us to join and offered to be our sponsors.  So many, it was hard to choose who to put as our sponsor.  But Richard and Rowena on sv Galene have been the most badgering.....I mean encouraging for us to join so Richard was our the one we chose.

We have yet to learn the secret handshake but I am sure that will come.  For now, we are proudly flying the OCC burgee thanks to OCC member Bill on sv Tootaloo.   

Bequia 2018 - Thief In Paradise

January 2018

So one calm morning.......
An American woman and fellow cruiser we are acquainted with was accused of stealing a local's iPad in Bequia.  The woman's husband was on heavy pain medication for a back injury and lost in la-la-land.....code for - he was out of it.  Tom and cruiser George sprung to action to assist as things were going downhill fast.  We are thinking....."This has to be a mistake."

By the time the guys get her husband and get ashore, she has already been booked in Bequia and is being loaded, "handcuffed" onto the ferry to the mainland of St Vincent for formal charges.  She will either go directly to court if court is in session, or to the central jail for holding until court is in session.  Either way, not good.  The next ferry isn't until 13:00.  A local advises...."Don't wait for the next ferry.  You really NEED to be there ASAP.  Do you understand what I am saying to you?"  Things are really happening fast!  We are still thinking......."But this has to be a mistake or misunderstanding."  A cruising friend asks "But how well do you really know her?"  Hum?

A mad scramble ensues.  The guys secure a private go fast boat to take them and hubby across to St Vincent.  A local recognizes trouble and steps up with the name and number of a good lawyer in St Vincent.  I begin emailing a few select people who may have contacts and connections.  The US Embassy has been moved to Barbados but I get a name and discover this person may be on island if I can track him down.  The seriousness of this sinks in, an American woman is handcuffed in St Vincent awaiting trial and possibly jail.  The guys come back to the boats and grab wads of EC and US dollars, cell phones, ID's /passports, and rain jackets - this is an open boat they will be crossing in.  Hubby sits stunned in a pain med induced haze.  Tom and George are directing everything.  We are thinking....."Maybe this is just a big mistake, or a set up?  Things are happening SO fast?"  Hum?

The guys take off for St Vincent in "Rumors" a 16ft wooden, open boat with 75 hp outboard.  It is approximately 10 nautical miles across to St Vincent.  The channel is usually windy, choppy and wet and it was.  They pound across.  The boat driver Shawn not only gets them there but escorts them to the lawyers office.  "You will never find it on your own."  What a guy!  The lawyer sees them immediately.  After 5 mins of hearing the story as they know it, he asked "Where is she now?"  The guys respond "We don't know.  The Bequia Police said she would either be in jail awaiting trial or in court if it is in session."  He makes a couple of calls.  "She is in court.  Come on.  We must go now."  It is late morning.  Tom texts me updates.  I am over on George's boat with his wife Jan still working on embassy and department of state contacts we may need.  Jan asked "So, how well do you really know her?"  I don't even know her or his last name without looking at their boat card.  But that is true for most cruisers I "know."

Rumors in for serious repairs after the crossing with the guys - OMG!

The guys walk with the lawyer through the back alleys and side streets of Kingstown (no place a cruisers should ever be) to the courthouse.  The Serious Offenses Court - no place a cruisers should ever be....inside or out.  The woman is already in there awaiting trial.  Lawyer and hubby go in.  Tom, George and Shawn wait outside.  After an hour, they all come out.  She has plead guilty, been sentenced and paid a fine.  They all go to eat a late lunch.  We get word they are headed back.  Half way back a fierce squall hits, more wind, waves and rain.  Then Shawn's outboard starts acting up.  Typical island boat - no VHF, no lights, just the basics.  He did have life jackets however.  A fuel tank pickup was the issue.  The outboard would go and then not, then go and then not.  They crawled back in fits and starts.  Jan and I were thinking "So she did it?  Maybe they got confused at the cafe and each picked up an iPad not knowing.  Maybe that was it?"   The few people I had reached out to for possible connections for help were emailing back "So it's possible she did it?"  Hum?

Shawn dropped everyone off at their boats.  I went back to sv Honey Ryder.  We each had a stiff drink on our individual boats.  Tom said "She did it.  She admitted she took it.  So how well do we really know them?  I mean we really don't know them other than the few times we have been in group settings with them."  

Then began the long, drawn out process of analyzing every single aspect of this......episode, over and over, and over again.  I will spare you that.  It is worth noting that there was video proof of the theft.  The local, Andy, whose iPad was stolen was sick of theft and everyone blaming the locals, so he put in a video camera.  He is a local community leader, running the youth sailing program among other community charities, events and such.  The island is small.  Word travels fast.  Everyone knew what happened.  Everyone knew George and Tom were involved.  Guilt by association?  We wondered.  They asked them in the following days "What happen with the white woman who stole the iPad?  She get off?  She didn't go to jail did she?"  That is when we learned that standard sentencing for this type of crime is two months jail time.  Think about that!  TWO months in a foreign jail.  Some cruisers have commented "That seems harsh."  Really?  Would they think it was harsh if it was their iPad that got stolen.  I doubt it.  She plead guilty with the lawyers help!  Paid a fine of $400 EC or appox $150US and NO jail time.  No deportation.  Lawyer fee was $600US.

This brings up the whole locals vs cruisers.  In the days following there seemed to be an under current of them vs us.  Andy was right.  More often than not, when things go missing/stolen, the blame is immediately assigned to "locals" stealing.  Tom and I have come to believe that much of the theft that happens to cruisers is in fact committed by cruisers but blamed on locals.  Solar panels, battery chargers, generators, sailing gear, etc....this is cruiser on cruiser theft.  Dinghy accessories - cruisers.  Dinghy outboards - this one is split.  It is probably more locals but I personally think some of it is cruisers.  It was literally announced last spring and again this year on the Martinique morning net "Boats are headed back across the Atlantic to Europe.  Lock everything up unless you want to lose it as some will steal before they head east."   A cruising boat was intercepted last year while returning to Europe loaded with outboard engines stolen from the Caribbean.  Our custom made bamboo dinghy outboard handle that was stolen last year.....a cruiser most certainly took that.  Just a month ago, Turbulence Sails in Grenada posted video pictures of a cruiser who broke into their shop overnight and spent 3 hours trying to put together a roller furler to steal!  He was not able to do it in the time before dawn and left.  He was not caught and is still out here among us.  Friends told us just this week of other cruising friends that were rafted up along side a French cruising boat in Europe.  Both boats had their fenders tied in between.  When the French boat left, the people discovered that their nice fenders that been taken and the old, worn out ones from the French boat were left behind.  The French boat had simply retied the lines of the fenders switching them!

I had an in depth discussion via email with the head of the Caribbean Safety and Security Net. This group keeps track of incidents of crime involving cruisers.  It is invaluable information that keeps us all informed and let's us make wise decisions about our safety and where we chose to go. * If you are a cruiser and you are not using this - start NOW, today!!  To date, this site has been reporting on thefts and crimes that happen TO cruisers.  I suggested to CSSN that this recent iPad theft should be reported as well.  It was a crime involving a cruiser.  It just happened to be a crime BY a cruiser.  In the end, it was decided that it did not fit the criteria for reporting as they do not report on crimes that happen ashore, only on yachts or dinghy docks.  Interesting to think about however.

As for the woman and her husband. They waited a day or so and then sailed out of the anchorage.  Supposedly south, which is still part of St Vincent and the Grenadines.  You can be sure that all the locals down there knew about the theft.  Everyone is related.  It made the Bequia TV news and beyond.  The cruising community is a small and connected community as well.  Word spread fast.  Shock, disappointment, anger and disgust was the general feelings.  I have mentioned before how fast and hard we make friends in the cruising lifestyle.  We come together in unusual type settings.  We help each other out to extraordinary ends at times and then we sail apart.  There is an inherent trust built into this lifestyle.  But how well do we really know our cruising friends and fellow cruisers?  This event had much of the cruising community questioning these things.  Personally, in regard to what we know about our fellow cruisers - we know very few last names, or what they did for a living, or where specifically in England, Germany, Wales, New York, Michigan, etc. they are from.

But after much rehashing and discussion, ultimately Tom summed it up best.  "Knowing what I know now, that she did it, would I do it all again?  Would I put myself at risk and go to the extent I did?  Yes."

       

Bequia 2018 - Education

January 2018

I have told you before that cruising is not just beautiful sunsets and drinks with little umbrellas.  We learn.  In fact, we are in a constant state of learning.  In Bequia, our learning was in the form of talks/lectures.

Jason's Reef Fish talk - pic by George

The Reef Fish Talk - 
Cruiser Jason is a commercial diver and a marine biologist.  Last year when we were in Tobago, he gave us and sv Inishnee his reef fish talk.  It was really interesting.  The next day we went diving with them and saw so many things we had never seen before.  Little, tiny things that were there all the time but we just didn't know to look.  Well, I happened to mention the fish talk in a group setting with other cruisers.  "That sounds so interesting.  I would love to hear the fish talk."  "Yeah, me too."  "Oh yes.  We would like to hear it too."  "Please....Jason will you do your reef fish talk for those of us who haven't heard it?"  And just like that, Jason was on the hook (bahaha) to do his fish talk.  Jan and George volunteered their big cat  sv Wild Cat to host the fish talk.  Jason did a great job.  He updated the pics and the talk.  He only talked about two of the fish from the year before.  The rest were new.  So kewl.  And he doesn't just talk about obvious reef fish like the Parrot fish or Blue Tangs.  No, he talks about kewl little fish that change sex or where the male carries the eggs in his mouth and stuff like that.  It was very interesting and everyone learned a lot.

sv Tegan Joe and Janet - pic by George

Watching The Superbowl Around The World - 
Joe and Janet on sv Tegan have been out cruising now for.....23 yrs I think.  Absolutely amazing.  We met them first in Trinidad.  But we have gotten to know them a little more here in Bequia.  Joe is a big football fan - American style.  He never misses a Superbowl.  He told us he has seen the Superbowl in some really unusual places, at unusual times (like 2am or 6am because it is live) and in unusual circumstances (like paying for diesel for the generator to run the lights and TV at a beach shack bar on some tiny south Pacific island.)  I really wanted to know more about all of their travels and adventures so I suggested they need to write their story with that slant - Watching Superbowls Around the World.  They laughed.  Then I asked "Would you do a talk along those lines?  We would really like to hear your stories."  Other cruisers with us jumped in as well.  Everyone wanted to hear their adventures.  Joe and Janet agreed.  They took four days to pull together their talk.  They said they had a fun time reliving memories as they organized it all.   How do you condense 23 yrs of cruising and exploration around the planet into a simple hour + long talk?!  You don't.  But they did it.  Jan and George on sv Wild Cat again agreed to host.  It was so interesting.  The best advice they ever got was early on as they sailed south out of Canada along the west coast of the USA -a cruising couple told them "Don't hurry through the Pacific.  Take your time and explore."  So they did just that.  Boy did they ever.  They took 9 years in the Pacific, 8 years in Indonesia and 2 years in South Africa.  They have only been in the Caribbean for 2 years and still have not seen it all!  (Neither have we!)  They also adjusted their sails in terms of plans.  For example, when they were in Ecuador, they had planned to go south to Peru.  However, there was political upheaval, so they changed their plans and headed to Easter Island.  Joe told of the various far away places and crazy settings he has watched Superbowls and Janet filled us in on other amazing adventures.  Their journey is truly inspiring and I thank them for sharing a small bit with us.  I hope they do go on to write a book because I know it would be a great read. 

One of the things we like about the cruising life is the fact that we are constantly learning.  Sometimes it is through experiences.  Other times, it is through other people.  It is not often that our learning takes on a more traditional tone like a lecture or talk but when it does, that type of learning is good as well.

Jan and George - pic by George

Big thanks to Jan and George (sv Wild Cat) for hosting the talks and all the other fun times on your boat.

It Is Not What But Who You Know

March 2018

It is not what you know, but who.  This phrase is timeless and well proven.  Not to brag but I think I have a pretty good talent for connecting people.  I enjoy it as well.

I have told you before how terrific the cruising community is - 99.5% are tops.  Ask and they will help.  This is true for Sherpa duties as well.  Need something brought down from the USA, cruisers are willing to schlep stuff great distances.  Examples - 1).  SV Casa Blanca brought a couple of small packages from the USA to Trinidad for sv Blue Blaze.  We then took those with us to Grenada to deliver to them.  2).They had purchased a used dive tank for me at a greatly reduced price from a cruising boat selling it in Grenada.  3).  We left two gifts for a solo cruiser Robin with cruiser Dan in Grenada because we were going to miss her by a day.  4).  We rendezvoused with sv Asseance in Bequia because they needed Raymarine parts and we had just replaced ours and didn't need the old ones anymore.  5.)  We left the rest of the Raymarine parts in Trinidad with sv Cape to give to cruiser Terry when he returns to Trini.  6.)  sv Gabriel found out we were in Grenada but going to Bonaire eventually so Kim asked for a big bottle of Nutmeg Syrup, only found in Grenada.  7).  While in Bequia, the island ran out of butter completely. NONE to be had.  None expected for several weeks.  None from the mainland of St Vincent.  I knew sv Aaventura was sailing down from St Lucia.  "If it is not too much trouble, can you bring us some butter?"  "Sure.  Is a pound enough?"  "Yes, thanks."  8.)  sv Cape is now unexpectedly in Martinique.  They do not like French rhum and asked "Do you know anyone coming north or south that can bring normal/real RUM?"  I reached out to sv Freedom and BOOM - sv Cape is getting RUM soon.

So.....as Saul Goodman (Breaking Bad fame) says, "I know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows another guy"...... or something close to that.  Anyway, this is how life goes if you are smart enough to get it.  And you aren't generally a jackass or worse.

Where Are You From

sv Honey Ryder

December 2017

A funny thing happened when we bused to the beach. 

It was a fairly good size group so we had two buses (van) full of cruisers.  I assumed we were all cruisers.  We piled out and started down towards the beach.  It was advised that if we wanted lunch, we should let them know now so they would know how many to plan for.  As we stood in line to put our name in for lunch, a woman I did not know said to me "Where are you from?"  I answered as I always do, "Hi.  I am Sabrina from sv Honey Ryder?"  She looked at me funny and said again  "Hi.  Where are you from?"  To which I responded a tad slower, "I am from sv Honey Ryder."  She cocked her head to the side, made a funny face and then said slowly and loudly "You cruisers talk funny.  WHAT- COUNTRY- ARE- YOU FROM?"  Then I realized, she wasn't a cruiser.  She was asking where I am from as in country.  "Oh, oh.....sorry.  I thought you were a cruiser.  I am from the US, Kansas."

You see, as cruisers, we identify ourselves and each other by boat.  I am "Sabrina from sv Honey Ryder."  That is how I introduce myself to fellow cruisers and they do the same.  We eventually get around to where we are from country wise after we answer the important standard questions covering what type of vessel we are on, where we have been and how long we have been cruising.  We rarely get around to what we did in our past life (land life) and we never get around to last names.  Those just aren't important, besides, last names are on boat cards if we really need to know. 

"Hi.  I'm Sabrina from sv Honey Ryder?  And you?"    

Passport Renewal in a Foreign Land

Oct 30^th 2017

We went to the US Embassy here in Trinidad this morning to renew our passports.  “Why didn’t you do it when you were back in the USA?”  Well, we had heard it was easy here, cheap here, fast here and why not.  It seemed like a good reason to visit a US Embassy.  General "visiting” of US Embassies isn’t something that happens.  And while we could stroll by and maybe take pics – cause you know I like to take me some pics – it would really be a waste of time.  And we certainly hope we don’t ever want to need / have to  visit to a US Embassy, so this seems like a good way to do it.  Yes, we are weird that we thought it would be kewl to renew our passports abroad.

With guidance from fellow cruisers Rico and Jackson (mv Shadowfax) I went online to do further research.  I briefed Tom and then a few days later we each went online and filled out the necessary paperwork.  Since we were applying from a foreign country, we could not submit online.  Instead, we printed everything out.  Then we applied for an appointment date.  The next available was 3 business days later.  Not too bad given that Global Entry appointments in the USA are out at least 6 months or more!  We also found a local photography shop that took official passport pics.  This gentleman had been in business since 1974 according to the certificate of business was hanging on the wall.  He certainly knew his way around all the requirements for passport photos in various countries, including the US requirements.  Four passport photos (two each) plus an electronic copy for $75TT or approx. $13US total.  We also stopped at a local TT post office to purchase to A5 envelopes, another renewal requirement for delivery of our new passports. 

Paperwork printed, official passport pictures in hand along with envelopes and printed appointment confirmation, we scheduled a driver through Jesse James Maxi Taxi Services and Tour Guide.  With an 8am appointment, we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in traffic in a regular Maxi. 

The alarm went off at 6am and we were picked up at 7am sharp by Leo.  I had on one of my “nice” skorts (meaning no or few stains), Tom wore long pants.  We almost looked like land people.  HA!  We were limited in what we were carrying with us.  The web site made it very clear and Rico and Jackson enforced it – NO cell phones, smartphones, cameras, tablets, MP3 players, etc….including smart watches.  Rut-ro……I had to leave my beloved Garmin Marine Quatix watch behind.  And yes, I looked at my empty wrist at least 20 times this morning. 

We arrived just before 8am.  There seemed to be two lines on the sidewalk outside this particular entrance.  A woman was previewing paperwork/appointment and specifics and sorted accordingly.  We were moved to the front of the line marked US Citizens.  Within 3 mins we cleared security and went to window #4.  The lady looked at our documents quickly and explained that we would need to pay the cashier first in another room and then come back.  We did that.  $50 US for the passport renewal and $60 US for facility fee = $110 total for each, rung through as separate charges.  We went back in the other room and back to window #4.  After about 5 or so minutes, she called me up.  She scanned the barcode on my paperwork and voila, the info filled her screen.  She attached my pic, helped me fill out the envelope, I signed and that was that.  Tom was next.  Unfortunately, his barcode would not scan correctly.  She had to type in his info.  Additionally, we did not take copies of our passports.  D-oh.  But she was ok and simply made color copies on her side of the glass.  She punched holes in our current passports and handed them back to us.  “Please take a seat, an official will call you shortly.”  We waited maybe 10-15 mins MAX.  Tom was first at window #5.  She asked him a few questions, typed in her computer, stamped and signed the docs and said “Raise your right hand.  Do you swear that……” blah blah blah.  Tom said yes.  She stamped one more time and then said “ You should receive your new passport in 10 days.”  I was next.  Same gig.  “Okay.  Thank you and have a nice day.”  “NO, thank YOU.”  We exited at exactly 9am.

So according to our fellow cruisers, our paperwork now goes into the diplomatic pouch which of course, goes back to the US.  Our new passports are then sent back down here via the diplomatic pouch and then put in the A5 envelopes we filled out and popped into the local mail for delivery to us here in the marina.

Easy peasy – we hope.  I will let you know once we get them. 

BTW – we only had 5 empty pages left.  Not too bad for a 10 yr passport.  We checked the box for the larger 52 page passport but it is unclear if the Dept of State is still issuing those. 

Update – We got our passports.  I think it was something like 6-7 working days.   And we got the bigger, 52 page passport.  Lookout world, here we come!

Digital Selective Calling - DSC

It is time again to talk about DSC.  Yes, we have discussed this before DSC.  However, it seems we need to discuss again as not enough cruisers are taking advantage of DSC.  In fact, only a small percentage seem to know what it is and a smaller percentage don't know how to use it, leaving the tiny population using it.  How do I know this?  Because we have been in place name removed to protect the guilty for six weeks now.  We keep our VHF on 68 when we are on the boat.  This is the hailing channel.  The same group of boats keep hailing each other multiple times each day without using DSC.  One particular guy is driving us nuts!  If he is on his boat, he is hailing 10-15 times a day!  It is not just us.  He is driving everyone in the anchorage nuts.  And I know I really shouldn't be sharing this with all of you but it's just between us, right?   

By the way, if you are around me personally, you may hear me call it DCS in error.  You will just have to "know what I mean and not what I say" as my mother says.

As a reminder for us all - what is DSC?  In simple terms, it is a method for calling one ship to another directly vs hailing over an open channel for everyone to hear.  All modern radios for the past 10 years and probably 12-15 yrs have DSC capability.  You must have a MMSI number.  You get the MMSI number from FCC or equivalent authority (in non-USA countries).  The MMSI comes on your ship's radio license.  It must be programmed into the radio.  You only get two tries.  After that, the radio must be sent back to the factory to be cleared or a professional marine radio tech has to be brought in.  Stupid I know, but that is just how it is.  Note - our particular brand of vhf requires you enter the MMSI number two times thus sucking up BOTH chances.  What does this mean?  It means if we ever sell our boat, the next person will have to send the VHF back to the factory to get their MMSI in there.  Stupid, I know.  BTW - why can't someone figure out a hack for this two time MMSI thing?!  Russian hackers......get on it!

This brings me to some of reasons people don't use DSC.  1). They bought their boat from someone and never filed for their own ships radio license. 2). They never programmed in the DSC into their VHF radio. 3). They don't use their main VHF radio but instead a handheld (no MMSI #).  4). They don't know another boat's MMSI.  Btw - easy fix.....ask or if they have AIS and you receive AIS, get it off your chartplotter.  5). They don't know how to use it AND have never learned.  The last one is where I suspect most cruisers fall.  At least that has been our experience.  

Next let us refresh the WHY you need to use DSC.  1). Safety and security.  I give you a common scenario - average Caribbean anchorage, hailing channel 68 that every cruisers and many locals monitor..... "Tango, Tango, Tango, Honey Ryder here."  "Tango here."  "Shall we go to channel 72?"  "Switching channel 72."  Of course anyone listening and interested can switch to 72 and listen along.  Continued on channel 72....  "Good morning.  How are you two?"  "We are fine.  How are you?"  "We are good.  Are you ready for our grand adventure today?"  "Oh yes."  "Ok.  Let's take one dinghy into the dinghy dock because it is so crowded.  We will drive since you are on our way.  We went ahead and got the rental car for two days.  It is a big island and I think it will take two full days.  Which reminds me, I am going to take the dinghy lights because we will no doubt be out very late each night but can you bring a torch as well?"  Do you see the safety and security concern here?  You have just announced to anyone listening that there will be two boats with no one aboard.  I know you might think this is not a big deal during the day time, only a worry at night.   No - in an anchorage in broad daylight, no one is going to say a word if someone gets on your boat.  They might think it is odd but they won't say anything because you just don't know.  It might be a friend or workman or even the owner or new crew, you just don't know so no one says anything if they even notice at all.  

Second safety reason to use DSC. - ships, bigass ships.  When we have crossing situations with big ships, we usually hail them to be sure that they know we are out there with them.  These huge ships have such small crews and we are a tiny boat in a big ocean.  Often times when we hail them on vhf we don't get a response on the first or second attempt.  They respond better if I hail them - something about hearing a woman's voice in the middle of the ocean prompts them to answer quickly.  With DCS, we can call them directly.  This call is logged on both sides (unless erased) just in case.  Additionally, these big behemoths often have odd or complicated names.  Hailing them directly, eliminates butchering a ship's name so badly that they don't answer.  The crews can also be multi nationality with limited English so if you don't say the ship name correctly when hailing, they may not answer.  But DSC eliminates all that hassle because it "rings" them directly.

Finally and most important reason to use DSC - because the constant hailing throughout the day is driving everyone in the peaceful anchorage up the wall!!

Death, Rituals, and Technology

Bethany Smith - photo credit Facebook page

3-16-17

Yesterday tragedy struck the cruising community here in the Caribbean as we woke to learn of the death of Bethany Smith.  She died when she fell to her death from the mast of the mega yacht she was working on in Jamaica.   She was just three days shy of her 19^th birthday. 

We met Bethany and her family our first season in Trinidad.  SV Cape – David, Sarah and kids Bethany and Bryn are seasoned cruisers having set off many years ago from the UK.  Bethany and Bryn did most of their growing up on sv Cape.  I believe they moved aboard when Bethany was 9.  They are a musical family and that is how we got to know them at the weekly jams in Trinidad.  David plays bass, Bryn guitar, Sarah sings and Bethany plays/played flute.  *It is so hard to change tense now when referring to Bethany.  David, Bethany and Bryn are from Wales.  I remember Sarah and Bethany would sometimes sing an ancient Welsh song as a duet at the jams.  I don’t know what it was about but it was sad and beautiful.

Cruising kids are unlike land kids.  They are mature, smart and worldly while possessing an extraordinary openness for adventure, exploration and fun.  Bethany was no exception to that.  We were not around her a tremendous amount because she was doing teenage things – studying for exams, hanging with friends, texting with friends, reading, listening to music, sailboat racing at TTSA, etc…. Soon enough Bethany was off to make a life for herself.  She traveled to Dominica to help with hurricane relief, hitching a ride here and there on various boats headed to Grenada, Bonaire, and such.  Then she was off to test the waters of the crewing life in the French Med.  I think she was 17 at the time.  What were you doing at 17?  I was an idiot teenager in high school doing nothing important.  Eventually, Bethany landed a paying position on a beautiful mega sailing yacht.  She was 3 months shy of her 18^th birthday, quite an accomplishment as most mega yachts will not take crew unless they are 18.  But Bethany proved to be an able bodied crew.   We all followed along on her adventures through Facebook and via her proud family.  She was living life!  She was young, working hard on a glamorous mega yacht, posting pics with other young fellow crew members in exotic ports around the world!  It was terrific to watch her coming into her own, living life to the fullest.  We saw her last year when she came home for a quick 10 day visit.

The cruising community is small, very small.  We meet fellow cruisers in a particular anchorage or harbor.  We become hard and fast friends.  Really fast.  Much faster than on land – cruisers somehow cut out all the extra bullshit when becoming friends.  We have to, ours is not a normal life.  We are oddballs living an abnormal life.  No one else understands this life but other oddballs.  And then BOOM - just like that, we sail over the horizon in different directions.  Sometimes we see each other again, and sometimes we do not. 

Technology has really helped cruisers stay in touch not only with those back on land but with each other.  Each morning I/we check into the SSB Coconut Net.  I hear our fellow cruising friends checking in from various locations all up and down the island chain.  I know where they are because of this.  However, I have also been online already that morning via smartphone, checking in with several others prior to that morning net.  Bethany’s mom Sarah and I often chatted via FB Messenger or Whatsapp in the mornings.  Just a quick message to say “Hello.  How are you?  How are the kids?  What country is David working in these days?  How is the boat coming?” 

As much as I complain to all of you (dear readers) about Internet connectivity issues, and as much as I DO NOT like Facebook – finally joining when we moved aboard - technology has allowed us to stay much more connected than in previous years.  I now know this connection also includes grieving together.  As the sun came up and the sad news spread about Bethany via technology, we all sat stunned in our individual little boats as quiet tears flowed in nearly every anchorage over her death.  She touched SO many lives.  Everyone handles the shocking news of death and the subsequent grieving in different ways.  For many/most, the need to be with family/community is an important part of that.  Technology allowed the cruising family/community to grieve together yesterday.  By late morning the pictures and stories of fun memories with Bethany started appearing and we could all add a faint smile along with our tears.  The cruising community is nomadic; we are spread out around the world.  However, in less than a day, cruisers whose lives were touched by beautiful Bethany were able to give their condolences and grieve together.  It quickly became apparent that she was liked and loved by all those that she came in contact with.

We will continue to mourn together through technology until we can hug in person.

One final note, in my grieving yesterday, technology allowed me to get to know Bethany even better.  I looked back through her Facebook page and read her blog postings.  The first thing that jumped out at me from her blog was the motto if you will.   Right there on the homepage it said “Live life for today, you never know what tomorrow will bring.”  As I read through the various blog postings, it became apparent that Bethany did live her life.  It is unfair that she died….NO, IT SUCKS that she died.  However, it seems even in the short 18+ years she lived, she lived more than many people do in a long lifetime.  And that makes me smile a little as well. 

RIP Bethany Smith      

Bethany Smith - photo credit Facebook

Bethany's blog

http://www.flutingtootingbethany.com/fluting-tooting-bethanys-blogs/

There is a GoFundMe started by our good friend and fellow cruiser Willie Haskins to help the family pay for the extrodinary expenses so they can be together during this difficult time as well as ehlp with the final arrangements for Bethany.

https://www.gofundme.com/the-bethany-smith-memorial-fund

Fishing Report - Lion Fish Huntress

Laura on sv Blue Blaze LOVES to hunt lion fish.  I mean this girl really gets into it.  Charlotteville Tobago was ripe for the lion fish hunting.  The fishermen don't hunt them and don't eat them.  No one has shown them how to clean them safely and more importantly how to cook them up.  They are all afraid to eat the lion fish for fear of getting sick.  Therefore, the population of lion fish is unchecked.

Laura and I went for a simple snorkel around the rocks/coral in the middle of Pirates Bay.  We spotted several, a few were big ones.  I thought Laura was going to swim back to her boat right then and there to get her Hawaiian sling....mainly because she said "Darn!  I knew I should have brought my sling."  

The next day she was in the water going to town on the lion fish.  She speared (slinged - nope doesn't sound right) a huge one plus several others.  In the process of getting him, she ended up with a puncture from the fins - OUCH!  But she is a tough cookie.  They buzzed back to the boat and put some really hot water on the puncture wound to stop the pain and 45 mins later they were diving on the reef, spearing even more lion fish.  Go team Blue Blaze!

Yay Laura!  Proud of you.

Tom's New Drum

Various Carriacou drums

June 2016
One of the reasons we came back to Carriacou was to pick up the custom, handmade drum that Tom commissioned back in January 2016.

Tom's future drum

 Okay.  It's not quite ready but the drum was really just an lame excuse.

Levi singing "My Way" one of his favorites, at his rum shop

Tom jamming with locals and cruisers

We like and enjoy Carriacou.  Every time we are here, we find new and interesting things to see and do as well as repeat activities like drumming, visits to Windward, pizza night, lion fish hunts, hiking and such. 

Richard and Diane of Lumbadive

Captain Randy of sv Sinbad with crew Desmond

And of course there is always the wonderful people of Carriacou - locals, ex-pats and cruisers.

Sabrina and Willie (sv Liahona)

   What's not to like!!

Tom, Sabrina, Rowena, Richard (sv Galene)

  

Blogging Friends

June 2016

sv Honey Ryder and sv Kelly Nicole

We have several blogging friends.  These are fellow bloggers whose blogs I follow and vice versa.  99% are sailors and/or cruisers.  *Sorry, I don't have time/bandwidth to follow the blogs of dirt dwellers with the exception of a few peeps.  In some cases, we have not met these fellow blogging cruisers.  In other cases, we have - even if it's just once like Life Afloat blogger Jaye and hubby Dan of sv Cinderella OR blog Lat43 with Paul and Debra of sv Kelly Nicole OR Caliber blog Hello World with Jason and Christy of sv Hello World.   FYI - the last boat is a Caliber that is up for sale.  Jason and Christy have decided they want some dirt time.  Crazy I know but....if you are looking for a great cruising sailboat, contact them!

Smiles all the way around

We were very excited this season because sv Kelly Nicole was headed to the Caribbean for the first time - newbies!  We bought champagne, cheese, and other nibbles in Martinique in anticipation of a reunion and celebration.  They finally caught up with us in late May but then......blew past us!  WTF!!!  We couldn't believe it!  Actually, we could but teased them pretty hard and applied generous helpings of guilt just for added fun.   But weather rules a cruisers life.  They got a good weather window, took it and sailed past us.  However, they couldn't shake us that easy.  We wrapped up our time in Dominica and headed south in hot pursuit, catching them in Carriacou.  

Tom and Paul sharing some laughs

It was SO nice to see them again and get caught up.        

Cruising Friends and the Nomadic Life

Terry, Tom, Tracy, Wayne, Sabrina, Sarah

After our wonderful time Dominica albeit too short, we set sail for Carriacou.  We decided to sail directly but then got wind that a few cruising friends were in Bequia.

sv Margret Anne

We don't know when we will see these people again so we stopped overnight for a quick reunion full of laughs and hugs.  This is not uncommon in the cruising life.  Generally, nomadic cruisers come together in anchorages, bond quickly, spend time together and then depart on the winds to various points on the compass.

sv Libertine

  

Absolutely Fabulous - Sweetie Darling

Ab Fab - Eddie and Pats

Previously I mentioned a movie night.  Actually it was a night of watching episodes of the British comedy "Absolutely Fabulous" or "Ab Fab" as true fans call it.  Shawn (on Sv Amaris) and I somehow landed on Ab Fab and our excitement about the new Ab Fab movie coming out this summer - "Sweetie Darling" - very excited about this.  Then Shawn says "We have all the episodes on dvd."  Omg!  To which I suggested we should watch a few some evening.  However in true sv Amaris form, it was then decided that we would not just watch, but make an evening of it.  An "Ab Fab" party.  Fabulous!!

Speaking of absolutely fabulous....Shawn and Steven are

The next night I teased my hair up monumentally high into a proper Pasty (one of the main characters on "Ab Fab")  twist, stacked high and sprayed to stay put in a hurricane.  FYI - My super fine hair teases really well.  And yes, I did sleep with my lofty Pasty hair as it took nearly an hour to brush all that teasing out the next morning.  I was just too tired at the end of the night.  I know, I know, it's bad for your hair to sleep on it like that but guess what....whatever.  Anyway, hair teased up, I tossed on my best sparkly top and a scarf, dug out my red lipstick and heavy black eye liner and off we went to the "Ab Fab" party.  The champagne flowed and we laughed our way through four episodes.  Their guests Ron and Barbara were "Ab Fab" virgins, can you imagine!    

My best Pats - ciggie was prop only

Ab Fab virgins are ready

So are Shawn and Tom

This was actually our second watch party on sv Amaris.  The first was two years ago when Steven and Shawn invited us over to watch the latest Star Trek complete with popcorn.  The cockpit of their Outremer 49 makes a great place to view movies.  A laptop, projector, a sheet and BOOM, the best Cineplex in the world that also happens to be in a lovely anchorage somewhere in the Caribbean or wherever.  How kewl is that!  

Laptop, projector, screen, candy, champagne - check

One last look at the Pasty hair

Thanks guys.  It was fun.

Another Caliber 40 For Sale

Our friends Jason and Christy are selling their Caliber 40 sv Hello World.  You already know from us and this blog that Caliber is one of the best cruising yachts out there.  Now you can buy your own.  These are good peeps.  They lived aboard and had many grand adventures.  They took great care of sv Hello World and she did the same for them.  The time has come for them to try their hand at land living.  If you are interested or know anyone interested, check out the link below to get the details and see this beauty.  You won't be sorry.

http://svhelloworld.com/

The Little Boat and Freedom

Can you see their fort on the back and their two little heads just below the flag?

While anchored in Pirates Bay -Charlotteville Tobago, a  German cruising catamaran with two kids arrived.  These boys looked to be about 5 and 6 or 6 and 7.....I don't have kids so I am terrible at guessing kids ages.  Plus cruising kids are a totally different breed of kido from land kids so guessing their ages is even harder.  Anyway, they played around the deck of the boat and in the kewl fort they built on the back of this cruising cat.  After a day, their dad rowed over to our boat to see if we had a paintbrush he could buy/have.  It seems they had found a old, damaged, hard dinghy abandoned in some mangroves on Martinique.  They decided it was worth rescue and were attempting to bring it back to life as a dinghy for the boys to use.

We immediately thought this was way kewl.  When he mentioned it was a sailing dinghy, Tom became green with envy......he totally digs sailing dinghies of all shapes and sizes.  We happily gave him a new paintbrush with the condition that we be allowed to come ashore and inspect the rebuild progress.  "Of course, of course, of course.  Come and see."   

I watched the parents and kids ashore working on it.  Oddly, the kids just didn't seem all that interested.  I told Tom "I don't think the boys are grasping the fact that this boat.....their boat means freedom for them.  Big time freedom."  The parents on the other hand, completely understood that this boat means freedom for their boys and thus, freedom for them.  Tom agreed.

They completed the repairs late afternoon the next day and the maiden voyage took place.  Life jackets on, the two little boys piled in to their dinghy with oldest at the helm and took off.  Mom and dad gave chase in their motorized dinghy snapping pics and video and giving little bits of advice....although not much.  Come on, these are cruising kids.  They can sail circles around most of us.  We watched with big smiles on our faces.  It clicked.  The boys finally understood that this little boat means HUGE freedom for them.  You could almost feel the freedom in the air.

The next morning, bright and early I climbed up into the cockpit to see the oldest boy already sitting in the dinghy - just hanging out as it floated tied up behind their catamaran.  Freedom indeed!  Later that morning we were ashore and spotted the sailing dinghy tied up at the dock.  A short time later, dad and the oldest boy came along and stopped to say hello and chat.  We congratulated them on the new dinghy.  Both just grinned.  Then they departed.  The boy hopped into his sailing dinghy alone and took off for the mother ship.  Dad took his time and eventually followed along in the motorized dinghy.  After lunch the boys took off again by themselves in their dinghy.  This time dad followed along for a bit and then returned to the catamaran, leaving the boys free to explore the huge Man of War Bay.  Of course I could see him keeping a watchful eye from their cockpit but the freedom was flowing as sure as the tide.

*I didn't take any pics of the boys sailing their dinghy.  It was too kewl to witness to ruin with pics. Plus I didn't want to be the creepy lady in the anchorage snapping pics of little boys.                

Fishing Net Dangers

sv Imagine's rudder damage

Tom = "Good morning dear.  Hey, I think Kurt's boat sv Imagine is on the mooring ball behind us."
Sabrina = "Rut-row.  That can't be good.  He should be in Grenada by now.  It wasn't there last night when we left the cockpit at midnight to go to bed.  I hope everything is ok."
Tom =  "I am going to get us doubles for breakfast.  I think I will stop by on the way back and check in with him." 
FYI - Best husband in the world.....he went and got us doubles for breakfast.  YUM!

I know you have heard me mention on more than one occasion how we have to keep a close eye out for fishing floats and how hard they are to spot.   They are usually marked with two or three small plastic pop bottles- often clear in color.....because that's easy to spot.   NOT!!  If you will remember, we even snagged a fishing float on two different occasions in season two.  These fishing floats are usually 1-3 miles off island coastlines. 

Besides these coastal fishing floats, we also have to keep an eye out for bigger fishing nets.  These are much larger and spread out over a bigger area.  Usually between Grenada and Trinidad.  These seem to be set out at night.  They might have a tiny light or two on them or they might not.  Same is true for the fishing pirogue (type of fishing boat found in the Caribbean).  Sometimes the only light is the headlamp worn by the fisherman.  Tiny lights like these are nearly impossible to see in any sort of seas other than dead-flat-calm.

Even if you spot the lights, it is very difficult to tell which way to steer to for clear water.

Deep cut by polypro line and net

Turns out Kurt sv Imagine was 7 miles off the north coast of Trinidad in the middle of the night.  He was headed to Grenada which is usually done as an overnight passage.  The wind and seas were building a bit when suddenly the boat stopped.  He was caught in a big fishing net.  The drag of it spun the boat around part way until he was stern to the wind with breaking waves crashing over the back of boat and into the cockpit.  His head sail got twisted/tangled, flailed about and eventually tore.  Oh yeah, Kurt is a solo sailor!  The fishing pirogue finally came along side, banging and scratching his hull up and denting the toe rail in a couple of places as they did.  They cut most of net free and then just left.  They didn't offer to assist Kurt at all.  He checked the bilge for leaks, thinking the net might have pulled on the shaft.  Luckily, he didn't have any water in the bilge.  Much later, he made it back into Chaguaramas but still in the dark of night and took the mooring ball behind us.  Again, SOLO.

Deep cut

In the morning light he could see remnants of the floating polyprop line and the net.  Tom grabbed his snorkel gear and dove under his boat to have a look for him.  The prop/shaft was clear.  Whew!  However, the polypro line (no bigger than 3/8" diameter) had cut into the rudder pretty deep.  No wire, polypro line and net only!  I know - crazy!  Being stern to the waves, bashing up and down, the line just sawed through it.  The only thing that stopped it from going deeper ....(read) all the way through...was the actual rudder post.  OMG, right?!

He was able to haul the next morning to start repairs.  The good news in all of this is that he is okay.  This is now the third boat we have known to get caught in these types of nets.         

Every Man A Wildcat - EMAW

K-S-U

12-24-15

Xmas eve we joined an informal cruisers pub crawl to meet some fellow cruisers, check out some places we had not been and generally say Merry Xmas.  We were the newbies of the group as the others cruisers knew each other, some from hurricane season in Luperon Dominican Republic a couple of years back, others from being in Tyrrel Bay for 2+ years.  

K-State Alum

One cruiser is a solo sailor named Farrow.  As we left the second place, he asked where we were from.  I said Kansas City.  He broke into "Kansas City Here I Come." - a common response.  At the forth stop I asked Farrow where he was from.  He had an accent I couldn't place.  "I am originally from Iran.  I came to the US in the 60's, to Chicago."   He said a couple of other things and then said....... "Kansas State University is where I graduated from."  WHAT?  "Yes, in Manhattan.  The school of engineering."  Of course we were the Big 8 then and the engineering school was in Seaton Hall, across from the Union."    WHAT!  Tom joined us and I had Farrow repeat it.  "WHAT?  No way!"  It turns out he was accepted into three schools.  One was in Michigan - "too cold". The other was Idaho somewhere.  And the third was K-State in Manhattan.  He looked up K-State and learned of its reputation as a top engineering school and that made up his mind.

You be the S - like this

Okay, you be the U

EMAW!!!

Tom looks more like the P sign than a K

New Years Eve we did the K-S-U sign.  It took us a bit to get organized but we did it.

Bon Voyage - For Now

Farewell

Best part of cruising? - The people we meet.
Worst part of cruising? - The good-byes.

Fair winds and following seas

A weather window has opened and the first wave of cruisers are departing Trinidad.  Some we know we will see again.  Others?  Who knows.  But as we hug good-bye, we tell each other we will see each other again....somehow, somewhere over the horizon.  Cruisers are a nomadic group so chances are high that we will.

The first of three empty slips this week on our dock