Back to Saint Lucia for New Years

Apparently this was the best weather window to return to Saint Lucia for the next week. With company coming on the 7th we took the advice. It was a wonder full beam reach with just two reefs in the main and our smallish jib we still averaged seven knots and kept all the water on the outside! We left St. Anne Martinique at 8:30 and dropped the anchor in Rodney at 12:30. What a perfect day. Now we are all set to take in the fireworks. ( if we can stay awake). Last night they had fireworks at St. Anne but after our four hour hike with Dawn and Laurie we were in bed by 8:30 and all the booming and banging was not enough to wake us until the finale. Apparently the walk had the same effect on Dawn and Laurie.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

What's Happening in Paradise

We had a very different but a lovely Christmas and now are gearing up for New Years and the anticipated arrival of good friends from Canada. We said our good byes and Val and Rick left on the 26 th only to be greeted by a big snow storm in Detroit. But they made it home safely after a very long day. We all had such a good time and really enjoyed the snorkelling at the Pitons. After watching the weather we decided to make a quick dash to Martinque for a few days. We had a lovely sail and all the water was on the outside. So the few fixes we made after the last trip seem to work. We arrived here about 4:00 and were quickly included in a cruisers snack pot luck on the beach. We met a lot of people and made to feel right at home. We are anchored in St .Ann and Laurie took their boat with 2 dinghies attached and we went into Marin. We anchored his boat and all made our way to shore to check into customs and do some shopping. It is about an hour wet dinghy ride if Cat Tales hadn't provided the tow service. We had a great lunch and shopped in many excellent chandleries. We found so many small items that had eluded us thus far. The grocery store .... LeaderPrice is a wonderful spot and the French wine and excellent cheeses at such low prices are too good to be true. We really loaded up the dinghy for the short ride back to the mothership. Today we are going to try to hike if it stops raining. We plan to be here for New Years and return before Warren and Linda Spence arrive on Jan 6th. We are really looking forward to friends from home. But Val and Ricks surprise visit made Christmas special. The picture is Dawn and Laurie's boat and my laundry hanging off the life lines I washed with caught rain water. What a water miser you have to be here. We have had very poor wifi service before coming to the French island and it is even worse here. We will try to blog when we can. Yesterday at the restaurant we tried to email and it was on and off again so messages may be short to fit the wifi available.
Happy New Years to All from Peace and Plenty ......PP they call us for short

Christmas in the Caribbean

Well it is certainly a very different Christmas for Brian and I. We are certainly enjoying the island and the fun but seem to be missing family and friends our church and traditions we have developed over the years. I am thankful to have two of my sisters here and their husbands. We had a wonderful dinner at the marina and many boats were decorated and did a parade of carols. Last night Christmas Eve Brian and I decorated our tiny tree and laid out our little treasures. This morning we enjoyed opening gifts and looking out on Pigeon Island and the cruise ship pictured below. Today we will spend our time at Val and Ricks hotel at the pool and will have a long hot shower ..... A real treat ! We will meet several Canadian friends for dinner. I hope all our family and friends are enjoying all the joys of the holidays and have a blessed New Year!

A Sail down the Coast

We up anchored on Friday from Rodney Bay and sailed down the coast to Marigot Bay. It was about an hour and a half of delightful sailing jib and triple reefed main with wind off the aft port quarter.I had made all the necessary adjustments inside in case we took in any water but with the seas and the tack it was not needed.... But better safe than sorry. At Marigot Bay you take a mooring ball and Laurie was able to set that up and we rafted off the side. We were able to step from boat to boat and made for easy visiting. When we were all set up the boat boy announced he had given us the wrong ball and we would have to move. Laurie very carefully maneuvered us still attached to another spot in the tight bay. We took the dinghy for a very short ride into see the touristy shops and a nice dinner. The next morning we set sail for the Pitons another short sail. Again another mooring ball but one each this time. We are in an area where Dawn and Laurie took us on our first trip to St Lucia in 2004 and it is the best snorkelling spot I have ever seen. We are about fifty feet off the shore and you can snorkel up and down the shore with the Pitons on the other side. Paradise!! We have decided to stay here an extra night and go back to Rodney Bay on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas Day lazing around Val and Ricks pool before our dinner.
Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season. It would seem we all survived the " End of the World" but with the very sporadic news we hear we never know.

Family he in St Lucia

We are surrounded with family Dawn and Laurie are anchored ahead of us in the bay and Val and Rick are just down the beach at a hotel. Actually we are a half hour wet dinghy ride from Val but worth it. Yesterday we were off on the bus to Castries for a tour of the city and lunch in a back alley ... the best food Laurie says 9 starches on a plate with a side of protein all for 13ec about $6,00 Canadian.
Today we left Val and Rick to fend for themselves as the four cruisers catch up on boat chores. Laundry in a bucket still needs attention. It is raining right now and Dawn and are in a little bar with free wifi. Laurie and Brian are back on the boat hopefully doing chores?????
We will go off for three days on the boat and will sail down island to show Val and Rick the sights. Then for Christmas we have reservations at a waterfront spot with other island friends. After Val and Rick leave we are off to Martinique for a couple days before our company from London arrive. Yes we will try to sail again but pick a better weather window.
The Internet has been very sporadic since we are off the dock and out in the bay.sorry for the gaps.
Merry Christmas to all from sunny St Lucia
Lorna and Brian

We are Officially Peace and Plenty

Around noon on Monday December 10 we set out for Martinique with a good friend and seasoned sailor John Fallon aboard for guidance in making the passage and navigating the customs clearance systems at both ends. His presence and expertise were invaluable.

First of all the weather was not exactly ideal but with John's confidence and our eagerness to "finish" the purchase we left expecting to return on Tuesday. When the customs officer said it would be more like Wednesday we began to wonder. As it turned out it was rather blustery with the wind from the North East. Our intended destination was La Morin which is, you guessed it, to the North East. Since we were being blown North West we adjusted our course ( like we had a choice) to head for Fort De France on the West coast.

You need to understand that the passage between St. Lucia and Martinique is very deep except for the last five miles or so on each side. With the wind from the Northeast the sea piles up and the first stretch is very steep and boisterous, Lorna had the helm for all of that and about half of the rest. While I (Brian) had the helm we took a wave that soaked us all and left about 18 inches of water in the cockpit. It also knocked out the instruments and doused the nav station. At least the water was warm and the sun was shining. But not for long. When we were ready to turn for FdF the wind was directly on the nose. So we back tracked to a small anchorage, Grande Anse d'Arlet. By then it was getting to be dusk and anyone who has been in the Caribbean knows that doesn't last long. So dark, no depth instrument, plenty of other yachts at anchor, fish nets/pots marked with CLEAR plastic bottles and the wind blowing like crazy we used the GPS to get us as close to shore as we dared and dropped the hook. No good! All we did was clear out some grass. Second time was the charm, but try to relax and sleep.

Tuesday we were up bright ,well, early, and on our way to FdF. Anchored there no problem. Sat on the boat for about an hour and a half then into the dinghy. Checking in and out as Peace and Plenty was a breeze. First you find the chandlery then the computer in the corner put in your information and the clerk signs and stamps the papers. As they say "Voila"!!

We then went for a bit of a walking tour and had lunch at Chez Henry's in the market then to the Leader Price grocery for wine and cheese and other food items. Duly loaded we were walking back to the boat and nearing the dinghy when Lorna remarked "oh look here comes another Canadian boat in." It looks just like ours....OMG it is ours. It seems we hooked another ball of grass. Fortunately a German fellow was watching and recovered the boat after it had drifted about 300 yards into the ferry channel. By the time we got there he had it re-anchored for us and it didn't move until we left Wednesday morning. We gave him a bottle of wine and our profound gratitude for his efforts. His comment was that he hopes someone is there for him when it is his turn.

So the customs officer was right it's Wednesday and we are off @ 8:30 A.M. At least we will have the winds at our back, so to speak. It did seem like a more relaxing ride but we still Had to fight our way East so we didn't miss St. Lucia. So it was more of a corkscrewing motion we encountered with lots of water over the bow but not so much in the cockpit. Remember the shelving for the last five or so miles into St.Lucia? Well they were a challenge and looked intimidating but the boat handled them well. By the way we went over with jib and main and the motor at @ 2000 RPM, back it was jib only and motor @ 1500 RPM. We averaged 7 knots both ways.

Well anchor down in Rodney Bay 2:30 P.M. and we find the whole v-berth has been soaked including the shelves which had up to three inches of water in them! The Admiral was not pleased! John and I left to check into customs as Peace and Plenty and Lorna was left to deal with the mess. (Her idea). We are unsure of the source of the water but suspect the forward hatch and the chain locker yet there is no clear indication.

Thursday was dry out day as with the great assistance of Kristin and Terry of Silk Pyjamas three loads of drenched laundry was sent in for wash and dry ($150.00 EC), numerous cracks were investigated and filled, the seal on the main hatch replaced.

Today is another day in paradise. We expect Lorna's sister and brother-in-law to arrive in the next couple of hours, we're talking to them on the VHF.

There were many lessons learned this week. One being that the boat is very reliable in heavy seas and the other is to avoid heavy seas and test your anchor's hold!

(Sorry no pictures are available from this adventure)

After Some Technical Difficulties We're Back!

All we did was update the App and boom we couldn't access our blog anymore. Obviously that has been overcome!

First from our note pad:

Views from the Bay
We are back in the anchorage after resolving our windless anchoring issues. It was a simple wiring problem and finally a quick and inexpensive fix. Brian also inspected wiring and tried to resolve our "engine noise" problem to no avail. But when we started the engine and turned on the instruments they worked. Who knows what he touched just right. When we came back we anchored in a new spot a little closer to the area beside Pigeon Island . It was a lovely quiet spot not like the party in front of Sandals. But for our big news we are finally a sailing vessel. We put the sails up and went for a sail on Friday morning. Peace and Plenty sailed beautifully.....now the crew has a few things to learn. I always pull in the jib at home but I sure couldn't on this boat. A two speed winch is a new experience too. Everything is just so much bigger. We will go out again today and practice some more.
Yesterday was a busy day in the anchorage with Sandals the parasails, jet skis, little Hobie cats are everywhere. There hasn't been any good snorkelling yet . The first sailboat in the ARC arrived and about 200 more will follow over the next ten days or so. Rodney Bay will become a very busy place with music and parties all along the waterfront.
The two pictures of the sky were taken back to back from each side of the boat. It rained really hard just shortly after. You can often look over towards the mountains and see it raining and none where we are.

A Little Fun Going By

This morning we are still working away and this catamaran came by for a tour of the marina ..... Also known as cattlemarans for the crowds of fun seekers they pack on. We have been cattlemaraners and it is a fun day for sure. This weekend here in Rodney Bay is The Mango Bowl regatta and lots of fun seekers in the area today. Brian is busily taking apart winches and cleaning and greasing each gear. I have teak oiled the entire inside of the boat and now I'm relaxing and Brian has two more winches to finish.

We are on the hook

We got off the dock on Mon at noon. This was a slow start but self imposed slow start. We had so many things to be attended to that we thought it was easier with the chandelier close at hand. Sometimes we were back and forth 2-3 times a day. Enough complaining the anchorage is lovely. We are at the north end of the island with Pigeon Island to one side and Sandals Resort on the other. It was very calm with just a gentle roll all night. We also had a swim off the back of the boat. Now I have a new concern chasing salt. You must rinse and dry yourself before going inside the boat or even sitting on the outside cushions. Bringing salt water in creates a lot of problems ...everything feels damp and never quite dries. Today we are going to explore Pigeon Island and go for a long walk and stretch our legs. Enough work for now. There is so little wind sailing will be another day. It is so calm we are just drifting around and the solar panels aren't even in the right direction. The joy here never ends!
On a bad note we did motor over here and have found none of the instruments worked. We had counted on the depth sounder but it flipped between 267ft and 50ft and 100ft none of which were right. This is another serious expensive problem. When we approached the anchorage Brian was deploying the anchor and I was driving the boat and we caught on the first try.
Heather and Kendra will be proud. On the upside we are one step closer to cruising just the same.

The work goes on

We are knocking things off the list bit by bit. All lines have been attended to, the hour meter and fuel gauge have been added. Now the wind is blowing hard and the main sail still isn't on and the chance of that happening today is slim. We are staying at the dock for a couple more days. We have new foot peddles to install for the anchor windless. The first picture is Brian in the v-berth doing the wiring on the windless. Don't you love how I use the ....we ..... for all these projects I have next to no input. We took the wind speed indicator down off the mast and took it to see who could fix it. We were almost laughed at. It is over 20 years old and can't be fixed. So probably no wind instruments this year.
We had a friend John Fallon over for dinner last night and had a great time. I have a new one pot chicken dish that I've made twice. That will be my new company dinner recipe. Spence's and Marshall's be prepared.
The day's go quickly I can hardly believe a month is nearly gone. We have news it is snowing in London and we sure don't miss that. Just now as I am writing a big cloud burst went by and I have run and shut hatches. The joy here never ends.

More busy days

The past few days have been so busy with getting the boat ready to sail. We have replaced a lot of lines cleaned a lot of lines turned old lines into new ... cutting away the bad ends washing and scrubbing and reusing. We have two anchors and the secondary was really bad so the primary chain and rode is now the secondary and a new chain and rode has been bought and installed. Looking at the third picture of the rusty fitting we think we replaced it just in time. Hopefully the big ticket items are bought and in a few days we might even leave the dock and go sailing. What a concept I know!!!! We had a local fellow (Vision) go up the mast clean and polish and bring down yet another broken piece. The wind speed indicator will have to be repaired or replaced and he will go up again to install it.
We have also started our first loads of laundry .... In 3 buckets in the cockpit. Trying to adjust to the cruising life.

Views

This is our view of the front yard and the back. The marina is lovely and we have not left the dock yet but have the dinghy pumped up and ready to take out for a test spin. The battery charger has been installed and the new batteries as well as the old are charging away. We have solar and wind power so we hope to be able to keep everything up without running the engine too much. We have wifi here at the dock too. I better not get too used to it. We have ice cubes too!!!!
Dawn and Laurie (my sister and brother in law) have arrived in Trinidad and preparing their boat for the trek north to meet us here in St Lucia. My sister Valerie and her husband Rick will be joining us for Christmas so we are expecting a lot of fun. They will be here for a week. So as you can see it will be busy for awhile. It seems odd to be in the stores and hear the Christmas tunes blaring while you are sweating . Still not quite have my head around that.
Lorna

We Splashed!!!

Finally we are in the water. They started the procedure at 8:30 am and we were in by about 10 am. We motored over to the marina and tied up to the dock and have booked in for a week. A couple small leaks have been addressed. The view and the scenery is far superior as well as the breeze. We will move out into the bay in a week or so after the bugs are worked out. We still need to inspect lines and put on the sails. The dinghy needs to be inflated and put into service. We have decided to call the dinghy Whipper after an old faithful dog of Brian's.

Monday is Splash Day

Or at least that's what they are telling us. All work by outsiders is done, Brian has a list that just goes on and on but even that is getting a bit shorter.
The hull washed and waxed
Two coats of bottom paint
The engine fully checked and tested
All through hulls checked and closed
Dock lines and fenders poised
The new fresh Canadian flag hung
Diesel fuel on board
Laurie Corbett's check list gone over
We think we are ready but I'm sure we will find something we missed. We'll know that tomorrow.

Still on the Hard

Well work went on Thursday and Friday but when the yard boss Ricky came around with paperwork and said you are going in this afternoon we still had a hole in the back of the boat. Brian had the exhaust hose rerouted out the back instead of below. They didn't finish until 10:30 this am. So here we sit until Monday now. But there are still so many things to do Monday will be fine. The ladder is killing my knees. I have never had a knee problem but two weeks going up and down a 20 ft ladder often with a loaded back pack has done me in. But I'm sure when the ladder is gone I'll be fine.
The grassy area by the marina stores and restaurants is set up for a market today and we will check it out and add pictures. It should be fruits and veggies as well as local cuisine we are told. We have the refrigeration working powered by solar and wind power. But just barely we need the battery charger Brian bought hooked up and plugged in but that isn't until we are at a dock.
We got laundry done yesterday ... I paid 25EC for wash and brought it back and hung it out on the lifelines. That is about 8US or Canadian. Good deal in my books. I also bought beer off the delivery truck to the restaurant and they brought it to us. Beats having to carry it home in your backpack. Day to day living is just a little harder but far more interesting.
We met some people from Canada also waiting to go in the water. They said they were set up on the lido deck serving drinks... So of course we joined them.
We are at a wifi spot having lunch and will post this. The market was nice but more expensive than the grocery store. The stall with the orchids was beautiful.

Rainy Day in Paradise

What do you know it actually rains here. That may not sound to profound but its the all-day dull type of rain. I feel like I'm on vacation in New Brunswick! That is not a disparaging remark directed at NB, it's just my luck. It seemed that every summer when we came to visit the in-laws it would rain steady and cold for one of two weeks. Of course we would hear "you should have been her last week" or we would drive home in stifling heat and sunshine. Here at least it is worm. Lorna put her bathing suit on and scrubbed the hull while I was turning myself upside down and side ways pulling apart the stove.

Well it's raining again and today we prepare to leave the hotel and move aboard tomorrow. We've got the water tanks cleaned out, the hull ready to paint and the batteries charged up. We are waiting on some work to be done by the yard crew and expect to be launched on Monday.

Boat yard views

Today we took some pictures of the views on the walk from the hotel to the boat. It was a very quiet place today being Sunday but tomorrow it will be a bustling with work men,power tools, the travel lift and the chickens. Yes we have a chicken and a lazy old dog under our boat from time to time. Today was a typically hot day but a beautiful breeze was constant all day. That was a good thing since we had a very busy physical labour day. We finished preparing the bottom for painting tomorrow. The grounding plate was encrusted with barnacles and a real pain to chisel off. That was one of my jobs a short girls job for sure. Then I laid on the deck and scraped off the Aku Tiki 11 decals on both sides. It would seem nothing is easy. All the while Brian was on his hands and knees scraping and reprinting the bottom of the keel.

Another Day in Paradise

Woke up to heavy rain this morning but no worries a rainbow was soon coming. We are progressing slowly but steadily. Today we stopped into the sail loft and found him working busily on them. So far he replaced the sacrificial strip on the jib and was rebuilding the luff on the main. They will be ready for us tomorrow. We know they are old and expect to replace them soon. On the other hand we have a never been used storm sail and slightly used 135 genoa.

Work goes on with the boat. We changed the transmission and motor oil. Both presented their own challenges. See the picture for the transmission. Awkward does not do it justice. The oil was a struggle too! More like tar! It took about three hours. All along we are saying "it shouldn't be this hard". Fortunately the Admiral went on a mercy run and returned with cold beer! Tomorrow we attack the hull in preparation for anti fouling. We think we'll farm out the polish and buffing. Hope to launch next Wednesday.

Boat Yard Blues

We have been working on the boat cleaning and sorting. Finding treasures and other things not so treasurable. A few bags have made it to dumpster already. We took the sails in for inspection and any necessary repairs. Everything is so heavy in the heat. Yesterday we finally got hooked to the water meter and the top sides got washed down. As I was washing it started to rain .... the first time since we got here. A little free water never hurts and the washer enjoyed it too. Brian was under the boat scraping off barnacles preparing for bottom paint. We have found some things in better condition than expected and some in worse condition. Batteries being deemed next to useless is a bad thing.

First Morning in St Lucia

Well here we are it's 10:30 and we are at the Bread Basket, Rodney Bay Marina for breakfast. It's feeling like 39 degrees already so we are in for a slow day while we acclimatize.

Just a quick update: the flight from Calgary to London into the teeth of Sandy was uneventful until the landing approach which was a bit like being in the back seat of a long school bus. So we had two days to make final preparations which included a run to the airport to weigh bags (5 in total 49.5 lbs avg) and dinner engagements with Lorna's sister Valerie and my mother, both were great. Not that we weren't busy enough but my mother got her call to move to Kingston on Wednesday at 3:00 PM meaning she has to be there by Tuesday! Go Go brother Dave and Sister in-law Katherine! It is a relief to us that we will know that she is
being well looked after and that this all happened before the winter. Now Kendra, our daughter, only has one set of seniors to look out for.

Breakfast is here will post again soon.

More Albertan Hospitality

Yea! We got to drive through a blizzard to Edmonton (Sherwood Park actually) to visit my brother Robert (aka Jeff, Rob) not much snow just blowing like crazy. Each passing truck was an instant whiteout. One plow in the passing lane was creating more havoc than the wind blown stuff. I guess they need to practice. We arrived safe and sound but we did see one guy drive off the road and one serious accident. Very sobering. ( Not that is was drinking, you know what I mean). Ask me if I'll miss this stuff? Not hardly! The only ice I want to see is in my glass!

Brian

Chillin in Calgary

Okay so we're both retired now and in Calgary for a Grandson fix before heading south. Who knew they would have a prolonged cold spell at 10 - 12 degrees below their normal of 10+ Including snow! Off to the zoo today to watch the elephants shiver; actually they have a heated pavilion. I hope someone will remind us of this if we ever complain about the heat in the Caribbean. Tomorrow we're off to Edmonton for a couple of days to see the Bro and his family. He's soon to be a new grandfather. We will be back in London on the 29th for a Nov 1 departure to St Lucia and then the work begins before the fun.

5 More Shifts to Work

As I Lorna write this I have 5 shifts left to work. I have worked for Shoppers Drug Mart / Big V for over 28 years. I am very emotional about this farewell. I have worked with some very good people over the years. But the fast approaching sailing adventure is certainly worth retiring for.
The bags are packed, a trip to Calgary to see our daughter Heather,Tom and Hunter is scheduled for Oct 19 and then we are off to the great unknown.
You start to second guess yourself have we learned enough sailed enough planned enough to go and do this???We will just do it and tell you all about it. Keep posted.
Lorna

The lists are getting shorter!

Today is Saturday and Brian is in Port Stanley having Peace and Plenty North lifted out of the water. Another sad day when the summer in Canada ends. But the winter in the Caribbean will begin. Yes we now have two boats that we will refer to as Peace and Plenty North and South. I am going to repack the suitcases for the third time and to cull more of what we don't need. We have two sets of visitors booked to visit in Jan. I know more comforts will follow. Necessities are one thing and comforts are another and it depends on who is doing the packing who decides which are which. Lorna

We are Official

We received the registration papers for "Peace And Plenty" today.

Just learning

We are just learning the way around the site and how to add pictures and make it interesting enough you will want to follow us.our girls Heather and Kendra (and their husbands ) gave us an IPad and it is an amazing piece of equipment and we probably haven't tapped into 1/2 of what it will do. Still learning.....

The countdown is on...

We are sitting in London Ontario with our daughter, signing up for things like blogs and google accounts to which we know nothing about. Nonetheless, we are learning, as slow as the turtles that we may soon be swimming with.
There are 56 days until our arrival in St. Lucia so many things to do and learn before then! We hope this blog proves useful for keeping in touch with family and friends...my mother,Jean, says we can't go until we have a blog. So here we go