Author Archives: Christine

About Christine

The one that makes it all happen

Morning full of fun

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For some reason, I could not sleep last night so I was up enjoying the cool early morning breeze at 330am when I spied a strange occurrence. Of course I did not have my glasses and I did not want to want to wake Wayne so I strained to see what was going on…I grabbed our super strong binoculars and still could not tell what was what, but it appeared a catamaran had saddled up to a major super yacht. I waited until dawn, grabbed our super long lens for the camera and watched as the yacht crew woke up and scrambled to get fenders out, then the cat people woke up and grabbed their incredibly small fenders (why bother honestly) and decided Matt needed to be a part of this folly. So, I woke him up just at dawn and he watched the “folly” of the separation and re-mooring. It was an interesting morning, full of excitement and activity.

After everyone woke up, several hours later, we made a plan for Kimberly and I to go ashore. Unfortunately, I forgot how incredibly boring the mainland is with no shopping and most places closed due to the fact that it is Sunday. So, we walked about 1.5 miles one way, swapping street sides for the side walks. We went to the bank and it was closed, even the 24 hour ATM, we walked to a new store, just opened a few days prior to our arrival and we picked up a 6 litter bottle of water and 2 6-packs of beer. The bummer thing was that we had to walk the 1.5 miles back to the boat with our new loot. We ended up stopping at a beach bar for a drink and Kimberly’s Pina Colada was HORRIBLE, but my banana cow was scrumptious! Back to the boat with the help of Rafi a local boat boy, to find the men/boys swinging from the make shift boom swing.

Matt decided to fix our lazy jacks that broke on our trip over and check out our steaming light which was about 25′ up our 70′ mast.

A few hours later, a local in a man in a home made boat was selling his jewelry and we had to buy something as he rowed this tiny boat from shore, had to continuously scoop water out from a leak, and hand carved this jewelry. I bought a necklace made of from the black pearl tree seed that is incredibly soft and matched a sweet bracelet I bought. I am sure they will both break after the first wearing, but they are pretty and super soft to touch.

Matt and Wayne made a fabulous pork chop dinner with corn, peas, garlic bread, and sausage. it was so yummy. After dinner, dishes, clean up and what not, we are all in the cock pit enjoying the beautiful diamonds in the sky – more stars than we’ve seen all trip!

Just a few more days of 2012, I am so grateful for my family, friends, new job with an amazing company, new friends and co-workers,, and amazing opportunities afforded to me on a daily basis.

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Last morning Moustique

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Slightly less rolling, Christine woke me up to see a catamaran whose anchor didn’t hold. Seems they had in impromptu raft up with a 100 foot yacht whose anchor was holding and had been here the whole time we have.

This charter will have some explaining todo when they get to port, it also appears to be missing a dingy.

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This is what they rafted up against.

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As soon as the first boat left this morning, the catamaran came in an grabbed a the newly vacated ball. Course the balls have no painters, so their method of picking it up involved someone jumping over the bow and threading the lines while in the water. You could see the early morning grogginess on the attempts and you know there are barnacles growing on the lines on these mooring balls. Needless to say, as soon as they were on all situated and a quick attempt and bending the stanchions back, they quickly retied back to the sleeping that they were awakened from.

Today’s plan is a sail up to young island, a little cut near blue lagoon on St Vincent. There is a beachbar there that we haven’t been too. Heard its nice but expensive. Figure its a great place to stage for the new years eve, and the early new years departure for newly seasoned sailors. So far everyone appears to be hangling the motion of the ocean with ease. Today we’ll have about a 20 mile sail, early this morning the winds look light but we are hidden behind the island and most of this sail will be exposed on the Atlantic side of Bequia.

No sightings of the Rich and Famous, and the real story seems to be they are just trying to keep the island exclusive, at least during the high times, christmas, new years, and easter. I guess if you have that kinda cash to spend on an second or third home down here, you deserve something for your money even if you are not here. One of the islands hill top homes, looks like it belongs in greece or italy and it totally out of place, the owners are from Gemany and only visit like once every 3 years or something. Most of the other places fit into the landscape naturally. Maybe next time we’ll brush elbows with the upper crust, but if not this is still a lovely place to visit.

Full day, full bay

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Woke up to find the island being pumped with fuel. The tanker parks off the island and they drag a hose a shore to pump it up. Happened last time we were here too, that means where we anchor, we have to dingy around the back of the fuel truck, and around the hose to get to shore which adds about 10mins to the dingy ride. The loud blasts of the air horn as others who don’t notice try to dingy straight to the dock are a quick reminder that you probably aren’t sleeping in this morning.

Dropped Christine and Kimberly off at the dock early to explore the shops, as its also a crew members birthday today. (er Yesterday,as I write this). And back around the hose to get the boys and do some swimming. Came back and futzed with the dingy arm and again decided its more work than I want to tackle when we need a working dingy to get us to and from shore and a limp wrist is something we can deal with.

The freezer finally gave up again, the ice was water, the chicken a soggy mush, need to make a trash run, don’t want all that smelly stuff onboard. I looked through the documentation, the E1 that we were seeing is possibly a short somewhere. Off it is, that means no more jello shots.

Finally got the boys motivated and setup the generator, to make some electricity and water while we are away. So that we don’t have to listen to the wonderful sounds of electricity being made, poor boats behind us, they are stuck with the noise. No sooner than everything is set and we are loading up in the dingy, all devices charging, all hatches closed, girls spotted on shore walking to the meeting spot. The sky opens up, and lets the water come down. Not a sprinkle, a down pour, scrambling back aboard, setup the water capturing, and hid from the rain for 20 mins while it passes. So we were forced to listen to the generator for a bit. Its all good.

Change of plans, lunch/snack at Basils and of course a cold beer or two. Christine and Kimberly got to talking to some locals that sat at the table next to us and managed to get an offer for a personal tour of the island. As it turns out, Richard and Valerie run Mustique Tennis on the island and have lived there for close to 14 years. We took them up on that, Wayne took the boys swimming, I went back to check on the boat – quickly cleaned out the starboard fore peak, back over to the beach where the boys were swimming and a short while later tour by mule was complete. We’ll look up our local guides from the tennis center next time we are here for a more in depth tour in the ‘off season’ where presumably we’ll be allowed to explore again and certainly owe them dinner and drinks for the extreme generosity!

After swimming we returned to the boat and found the generator had run out of gas, which was planned, the watermaker was still running. We had a full house of electricity, and both water tanks were 1/2 full, that should last for a while.

Both Firefly and Cottonhouse, the other 2 restaraunts on island were booked for dinner, so we made reservations for appetizers and drinks around 5pm @ Firefly. An awesome place that overlooks the bay where the boats are anchored and lovely staff to take care of you. Not an inexpensive place, I think our pizza’s and appetizers could have bought coach ticket to mexico.

Back to the boat to celebrate a birthday, Christine whipped up an anglefood cake and frosted it with cool whip. Complete with candles and presents, the way every birthday should be.

Lovely relaxing day.