No Internet excuses

Hello everybody,if you're still there,it's Christmas day I have good signal and I'm willing to have another go if the first picture comes up.So let's see.

This is Fort de France in Martinique

An interesting mixture of French chic and Caribbean nonchic/rustic.Our first morning we woke to a sunny day and drummers jammin' away on one end of the beach and a choir accompanying a few baptisms at the other end ,next to the fort.

Had some good times in Martinique.,also abunch of friends that we'd left behind in Antigua caught up and we played and drank and shopped etc .before moving on to the famous Pitons in company with Bob on Spirit'who is still with us now.Now I realise I'm still 5 months behind and I'll have to condense things and on top of that I'm doing this in the bar and folks are gathering for Christmas lunch.Must close ...but I'm encouraged.

I Don't Like Cricket Oh No I Love It

I forgot to mention that we stayed a night in St Kitts on the way from St Martin to Antigua and that we had an uneventful motor to Antigua before our eventful week there.Then it was a reasonable sail toward Dominica for the cricket.Had to motor in the last  3 or 4 hours  'cos although we were sailing it wasn't quite in the right direction.There is this trick called tacking but sod that.....we wanted to get to the 3rd and final test between the W.Indies and Oz..As it turned out we picked up the radio broadcast of the first day for pretty much the whole time we were motoring in.Kewl.

So as we motored in to the anchorage Australia managed to lose about 4 wickets and it was looking like the Windies were going to give them a good fight.More about that later.  Must remember to keep this short.I'm still 2 months behind.Right....we got closer to the anchored boats and there were our old (young actually)friends from way back in Cape May and N.Y Philip (Pip just doesn't sit with me)and Heather from Picaroon.After a few Mango Daquiries we arranged for Pip (ok it doesn't sound right but it's shorter to type)(or it was before I explained it)to come to the cricket with us.He's a good English lad and appreciates the game .That's him with Gail as we walked through the gates to this picturesque ground.It was good day.So was the last one but I must move on.If you want to see lots of good photos and more details about places we've been you should check out Picaroons blog as they've been 3 or 4 weeks in front of us most of the way and they don't use half of their time whinging about computers. picaroonblog.com will save us both a lot of time!!   Meanwhile a couple shots from the beautiful Dominica and I'm off for abit of lunch.Stay tuned for the next exciting episode when Jabiru takes of SAILING all the way to the Froggy Isles.Allright then.........as usual as I try to finish off in a calm and happy mood .........the damn photos are going anywhere they please.                      

I'm outa here.

No Whineing

So we got back to Puerto Rico just before dawn and were soon reminded of "Island time" on the little island of Culebra,our last stop in the Spanish Virgins.Then it was over to the U.S. Virgins at Charlotte Amalie.Bustling tourist trap that it is...we love it...but a couple of days was all we could afford as the target was Dominica for the 3rd cricket test West Indies v Australia.We by-passed St John,bit of a shame but we'd done it pretty thoroughly 3 years ago before we were forced to return to Oz and work for 9 months.Fortunatly that kind of nonsense is over with now.

We overnighted to St Martin/Maarten a delightful island jointly owned by France and Holland.There we caught up with a bunch of friends that had overtaken us while we were in Oz.Bill and Gail from Another Road to   and  Steve and Jody Blue Pelican (Aussies) Bob on Spirit and Danny on Chief (Oz) and Pat and Coleen on Cool Change (Yanks but the boat's named for the LRB song) and a few others that.No photos for any of this ....just didn't think about it..The pic. at left is most of those folk but this was when we'd got to the next one ..............
Antigua for race week.The miserable looking guy in the foreground is Bob who is actually a fun guy but every time I have a camera he's loking the other way or something.Must be on the CIA files or something.Anyway this was at the concert/party they put on for the opening of the classic regatta.The 'mystery' photo in the last post was Steve from Blue Pelican ,who had taken on management duties for me and told the band that they needed me up there. It worked and we all had a triffick night despite the fact that nobody fell out of their dinghy on the way back to respective boats.

The real reason for being there was, of course,the classic yachts.They were fabulous.Millions of dollars worth of the most beautiful things you've ever seen.The docks were just stacked with them and seeing them under sail ,racing was too spectacular to capture on film ,or digital image ,or whatever we call it nowadays.Still I'll try and put a couple o' shots on the end of this before I finish this installment.Things have gone smoothly so far and I don't want to push it.

Easy Does It

I realise that our ' thousands'  of avid followers must be getting very worried about our apparent disappearance.....but there's nothing to worry about so all 10 of you can relax.It's the usual logistics of getting internet at around the same time as I can be bothered wrestling with the stupid computer in order to get a post together.I did start off with positive intentions today but unfortunately I let a girl use my lappy to do some skypeing and then I needed a password to get back to my page,which of course,I'd forgotten.....soooo...after throwing myself on the floor and crying a bit Gail got me a drink and encouraged me to sit up like a grown-up and carry on.A mere hour or so later ,having worked out that the completely different looking page in front of me was 'blogspot' and if I clicked on some little coloured thingy,it would take me to this vaguely familiar looking blank square that I could start typeing on.   And here it is......Trouble is I've had enough already.....but I have made a start.
I shall organise my thoughts and approach the abridged version of how we got from Puerto Rico to Grenada very soon...possibly tonight or tomorrow.

 Meanwhile ..what d'ya think's going on here. ?                                                                  

Welfare Farewell

Well here it is .This is the culprit that would not appear on the last posting but in the mysterious world of computers has now decided to do so.I'm doing this at Kennedy airport ,New York,just before we board for Puerto Rico.We've had a great flight today from LA with spectacular views all across this beautiful country.Unfortunately it got dark just before we flew over the Apple  but I'll see if my "aeriel" shots are worth posting next time.

PS that's our pension cards on display.We're still excited!!!!

Shootin' through to Jabiru

Time ,as usual , has flown .Tomorrow we jump back on a plane and head back to Salinas via Fiji , LA ,the Big Apple and Ponce.This globe trotting can get so tireing but someone's got to do it.Lucky for us we've been energised by Australia's fine range of cullinary delights .
First and absolutely foremost is Vegemite.This salty black paste (allegedly made from the yeasty sludge left over from the beer brewing process) is at its best when spread on toast and apparently is why Australians ,for generations ,have been so healthy and fit and world champions at ................
nearly everything.Actually it's a copy of England's Marmite.Moving on,the other Aussie staple is the meat   PIE .Pronounced  POI .Preferably ingested with mushy peas and a blob of tomato sauce.Catsup to our N American friends .

Not much more to be said on that except maybe cutlery optional.

The perfect dessert.  Rhubarb and custard.         Not uniquely Aussie but if anyone can tell me where I can get scrumptious thick , creamy custard pre-packed in pint or quart containers in the USA.....I'm definately applying for citizenship .

Everything has gone like clockwork,except my heart which has decided to palpitate or flutter or something but no worries ..I got pills....very cheap.

First thing was getting the pension ball rolling and then down to Sydney to see my daughters and grand daughters.Here we are at Darling Harbour doing the tourist thing.

That's (from the left)Lainie ,Brigit ,Lisa ,Laura .

Back row...If ya don't know ya shouldn't be reading this blog.

Brigit and I went bowling.

Laura went shopping ,but I didn't get a photo of that outing............I was bowling.

Before we had to get back up north we visited Lisa's classroom.

Teachers were a little more staid in my day.

Apart from me getting wired up like a robot for a couple of days,the next bit of excitement was Sophie representing South Coast in the Queensland Championships.                                  She started her team off well and knocked a second off her PB in the 100 metre freestyle.

On the way back from the Aquatic Centre (swimming pool )we called in to see yet more girls (eeeagh) Wendy and our 'god' daughters Jesse and Charlotte.The 'god' bit means  'thank god nothing happened to Wendy before they grew up ' !!  .......only kiddin

Well ,as usual the stupid laptop has decided to stop co-operating so it's time to go.

And it seems Geoff and Sue and Amber and Sophie and Jack think so too.

We're coming Jabiru.

Message From an Old Man

It's official.On the 10th March I turned 65 .I'm now old.I'm now going to get paid for cruising,which is why I'm here in Oz and Jabiru is all on her own back in Salinas.

Before we left we took her in to a dock at the marina so she'd be extra safe while we were away.We came to Salinas because it would be a good protected anchorage but when it came to leaving time we wanted to be extra sure so in she went to the slip.The next morning a manatee came mooching around our dinghy.His name is Bubba and it seems he's got a bit of a thing for dinghys,so it's not that Jabba was particularly attractive,just another 'available dinghy.He stayed around for about 20 minutes and rolled over and hugged Jabba and so on and so forth (??).   A few days earlier,apparently,a couple of young girls were scratching  his head and he loved it.I didn't want to touch him in case I frightened him off.Oh well.                                                                  

We had a day to go for a drive up the mountains with Roberto and Patricia and saw the usual pretty scenery and local colour such as young (and old) cowboys,bare backing about.This was a waterfall about 6 or 7 times higher than the bit you can see.We were going to get a shot of us in front of it ,and we did,but figure this young cowboy is more interesting than a couple of PENSIONERS!!!

         Next was the trip via Fort Lauderdale to L.A. and then on to Fiji where our plane was held up for 12 hours which meant 15 hours in Nadi.Luckily the airline compensated us by putting us in a flash resort ,with meals supplied, for the day.So we just put our feet up and enjoyed the rest stop.

Yuk Yuk.

Well,that's it.I had my birthday cake and blew out all the candles and made a wish.Can't remember what it was ....................but it'll be a lovely surprise when it comes true.

When what comes true?

Oh.

Una Mes Aqui en Salinas

Jabiru is starting to get itchy sails so we took her out for a little run last week and gave her bottom a thorough clean.I'm sure she enjoyed that but was probably disappointed when we brought her back in and anchored her again.She'll just have to get used to it,especially as she 's going to be on her own most of March while we pop back to Oz.

We rented a car last week with Bill and Gail,from Another Road,aHylas 46,and went looking for some mineral springs just north of here.They were a bit of a disappointment as they were 'organised' into segregated swimming pools but just up the road Bill spotted his favourite fountain of youth so all was well.After that we drove to the east end of the island and up into the mountains for a spectacular visit to the rain forest.We did the apparently official "challenging " climb to the top and as you can see from the clouds behind us....the view was great.....most of the time.

On the way back we found a great watering hole that is famous for its spit roasted pig,or lechon to us spanish speakers.Had to get a photo so's we didn't stand out as gringo tourists.

Apart from that we're just doing things for Jabiru and hanging about meeting locals like William here who is a local artist and salsa drummer.Got the name 'cos he was born in Gibralter while his parents were en route from Africa to here.He's painting portraits of baseball stars on the walls of the local sports ground.

Think I'll have a nap.

We're Back

Here we are in beautiful Puerto Rico.Doing boat things and organising our trip back to Oz in March and working hard as we can to improve our spanish.First word .....manana.....don't do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow.Hence a long time since the last blog.

Meanwhile,back in Georgetown,we spent Christmas day on the beach at a deserted resorty type place with our new Aussie mates Stephen and Jody and Bob,a sort of Bryan Brown lookalike who fitted the Oz theme.The rest of the cruisers were a couple of bays up but by this time we'd had enough of the Georgetown 'organisation.It was a very merry day and we finished up with a game of bolle or two.                

Next day looked as good as any to start down the 'thorny path' to the Caribbean.So Boxing morning saw us taking off with Blue Pelican (Stephen and Jody) motoring into the constant easterlies(hence thorny path) up and over Long Island where we managed to have great close hauled sail for the rest of the day and then a night ,a day and another night mostly motoring before we arrived at the Turks and Caicos islands and paid our $100 entry for one week(it was $14 three years ago) and had 2 days,over New years eve in the South Side Marina where Stephen and I played guitar and sang songs til midnight and kept all the other boats up way past cruisers midnight which is officially 9pm.Here's the marina,and the boat coming in is sailed by a couple in their 80's.Figure that gives us another 15 years of this!

We then went out and anchored in Sapodilla Bay until we got another weather window to head to Puerto Rico.Thats us in the distance,behind the wreck.

Just on our week we had 15 to 20knt north easterlies accompanied by 10 ft swells to take us pretty much in a straight line to PR.  A bumpy ride but SAILING all the way.A rare treat on this run.Blue Pelican decided to go to the Dominican Republic so I guess they'll catch us up later.On the 3rd day whilst in the middle of the Mona Passage,between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico we came across Roberto single handing his Dream Catcher.We'd been hit by a couple of 35knt squalls a few hours earlier and his dinghy,with outboard motor,had been ripped off his davits and he was towing it upside down with the motor under water.The dinghy was starting to get ripped up so we went over a couple of miles and circled him while he got in the water and hooked it up again.Bit of fun......for him anyway.

Anyway ,next morning we arrived in Mayaguez and cleared in and went round Boqueron,a lovely little place,even if some of the buildings look a bit wobbly!

Nearly finished.......................hang in there.

A few days later we worked our way round to Salinas via Ponce which required leaving a few hours before daylight for each trip in order to make your destination before the winds come up,pretty much 8.30 on the dot every morning.The Ponce to Salinas stretch we actually SAILED......AGAIN!

And here's the beautiful Salinas bay.

Got here on a friday and Saturday night we went into town(village...pueblo)and were hit by a cacophony of salsa,backing tracks with singers and percussionists actually but that's the way of the world,but more to the point,it was the Three Kings celebration and there were 3,000 yes folks 3,000 Purto Rican cowboys on 3,000 horses charging,well trotting really,all over town.Impossible to describe the action .It was amazing and of course I didn't have my camera with me....but Roberto had his Iphone.......but..............

You had to be there!

Well we're just hanging here and we'll do trips around the island which I'm sure you can't wait for (wake up Geoff)...but I forgot our fishing day with our new amigos Carlos and Isabel on their friend Johnny's boat.

It's amazing how squeemish people like us suddenly get overtaken with the bloodlust and just can't catch enough fish!!

Nevertheless,Carlos got the big one and Johnny assured us that Barracuda is OK to eat.Not that we did.

OK  I'm off...Thanks for your attention.