To Trinidad then Tobago and Back to Grenada

Just a quickie here.  Looks like we were so busy we didn't take many photos. We left Grenada, with  Bob, for an overnighter to Trinidad and after dodging round an oil rig, that some fool had decided to stick right in the middle of our rhumb line, we slipped in to Chaguaramas in a thrashing squall and against an amazing current, which actually had Bob going backwards for a bit.
We were there to work. We got hauled and painted Jabirus bottom and varnished her interior and oh yes, layed a little teak decking at the companionway.Now try and tell me that's not interesting

Then we put her back in the water and had a look around Trini.

How's that for excitement.

Gail, and her friends, were photographed doing water aerobics for a cruising publication and later published book.

You're on the edge of your seat now aren't you?

Don't get me wrong...we loved Trinidad.

Just can't remember many details and like I said..the camera seemed to be having a rest.

Might have been something in the water

Or was it......

Never mind........We took off to anchor overnight in a bay on the north coast . Bob called us up about two suspicious looking guys lurking around in a Panga. Turned out one of them was fishing and the other one was an outboard motor..........but ya can't be too careful!

 Next day we sailed over to Tobago.

Anchored at Charlottville up on the north coast. Cute place and pretty anchorage. Got there late ,so cleared in the next day on ..Gails birthday....whoopee.

Here's downtown Charlottville with the anchorage in the background. Note chicken crossing the road. I do actually know why......but I'm not tellin'.

Cute native on the beach.

The bus stop.

We explored the island by public transport.

And forgot the camera again.

Gails restaurant.

Bobs dilemma.

10 days or so saw us doing another overnighter back to Grenada to get a good shot going west to the ABC's.The Dutch islands.....Actually it's B C A heading west but after another week or so in good ol' Grenada we took off west in good winds and not bad waves.We weren't really interested in calling in anywhere in Venezuela as the elections were coming up and (the now 'late' ) Senor Chavez seemed to be encouraging violence especially towards us "filthy rich" gringos.

Anyway 3 days and 3 nights later we pulled up in Bonaire..picked up a mooring ball....and I'll tell yez about all that later.

Moving On

Well,it's still today but my friend was getting in a bit of  'mood ' so thought I'd just start a new post.
Where was I............aha.....yes ....things to do in (or on )Grenada.

Every Sunday at Whisper Cove Marina there's the cruisers 'Jam". Not a 'jam' as such but everyone who can play something sits in a circle ........drinks...... and takes turns in singin' a song. Always fun ,although I sometimes got a bit of resentment when I wanted to do a song that didn't necessarily include the chords G C and D .
More of a musical highlight for me was the monthly,or sometimes fortnightly jazzy concert in the big smoke...the lively little city of St Georges.There , a band led by a local soprano sax player by the name of Algy .Short for Algenon I think but nothing short about this guy!Anyway he runs the gig at the city museum and with various locals taking part always gets a "kickass" afternoon going.

Algy and myself always 'connected' so I was always welcome to sit in for the afternoon.Started to feel like a muso again!
Another band I'd sit in with did the barbeque (BBQ ...a word from the Carib Indian language) at Clarks Court Bay.
No photos from there except the night that the singer dragged Gail up on the dance floor for an impromptu 'show'

Ahem........See below

Anyway apart from more photos of beaches,palm trees,boats and cruisers sittin' round drinkin' t,that's pretty much Grenada...............

..Except for the cricket match...nearly forgot.So we took a bunch of American cricket virgins to  a one dayer at St Georges between India A and West Indies A.That's Bob down the front although he considers himself nearly an authority.Up the back in the blue shirt is Jack.He was asleep by the 3rd over but rallied later to enjoy the day out.Over to the left ,in front of Gail,is Lee.He was reasonably intrigued and as soon as the match was over ,ran on the field and grabbed a bat off some kids who were playing and hit a ball ( bowled by an 8 yr old )for 6.Came back to the stands thinking he could play for Australia if the offer came through.The rest enjoyed making a connection with a West Indies religion that hadn't been mentioned in the guide books. Under 'religion 'that is.

Grenada

We stayed here a little while as it's a popular hang out for cruisers avoiding hurricanes in the summer.Everything is pretty spaced out so the local guys with minibuses have lots of tours going and there's always something going on.One thing is Friday night fish fry or something like that at a place called Gouyave ,a fishing village on the west coast..Basically ,all sorts of food on offer in a street fair sortathing..Lucky for us,the night we went a local Rockstar was filming a video so the place was jumping . Gonna try uploading a short vid.
Other cool stuff was watching Leather back turtles digging "nests" in the beach and laying their eggs and also hatchlings making their dash to the surf before most of them get eaten by various hatchling gobblers.
How about a 'dinghy concert'? We all tie our dinghys up together and listen to a concert......and drink.That's below.

Things are moving around .......not exactly where I intended but I respect the decisions that my friend makes. After all, he/she is on my side.
We a team man.

 
That'll do ....uh oh I've gone yellow again...better move on.

 

Here We Go Again

I would imagine that everyone has given up on us by now....but wait....our old mate Russ from England was looking for us the other day and during our .....what!....9 months absence.....a few friends have tried to convince me that computers (those funny old things that everyone had before 'smart ' phones and Ipads etc ) are actually our friends. ......er....OK 'friend ' lets go.
We got back to Oriental on the 30th June after a 3 day and 3 hr ride up the Gulf Stream from Lake Worth Florida . As usual Oriental is "home base" which means lots of work on our lovely little home and lots of drinking with all our friends which helps them appreciate our constant playing/jamming etc. while they are trying to talk ....etc.

Looking back I see that my last posting was Christmas day 2012 where I said we were off to the 'Froggy' isles.We had just left a 'Froggy' isle ie: Martinique so I'm a little confused but I'm guessing that I thought St Lucia was French. It's all a bit strange down the Eastern Caribbean .These islands have been squabbled over by so many European nations over the years that  you'd expect the Caribs would be a little confused.  But not to worry......our glorious euro-ancestors just killed them or moved 'em somewhere else and then imported a bunch of African slaves to do all the hard work until they weren't allowed to do that anymore and now we have a string of islands that are 'owned' by the French and Poms and Yanks (sorry southerners ) and Dutch who have all put their little national stamp on it but none of them enough to extinguish the predominant African cultures.You know.....  music ,laughter,dancing,drinking and colourful clothes and houses and stuff.

Where was I.

Ah yes. So from St Lucia down past St Vincent to Bequia  then Canouan and on to Union Island and the cool little town of Clifton .Highlight , a visit to Happy Island on the reef surrounding Clifton.

This island was built by Jonti , over a period of ten years ,out of conch shells.Every island has tons of them lying around somewhere but Jonti decided to pile 'em up on the reef and build a bar on 'em.

 

Here's Happy Island and my "friend" has decided to write in blue which will come out in yellow on the blog..hmm

Oh ....and that's Jonti and my "friend " has decided to use black ink again .None of us remember leaving Happy Isle not even our unscheduled swims whilst trying to get in the dinghys.

What a mess

Anyway....gotta keep this brieferer!

Next,back up 5 miles to Tobago Keys.Just what yerd expect .Clear water ,turtles swimming around..more bloody palm trees...games of bolle on the beach...Bob hiking in his speedos .

 

Hope you ain't bored yet .....we gotta get to Grenada.

Right then....quick trip to Carriacou and into trouble with customs cos we anchored in the wrong bay ...but never fear...Bob is very quick to start talking cricket at which point I take over (cos he doesn't really know that the 'pitcher' is actually called the 'bowler')and before ya know it the customs frown has turned upside down and we talkin' cricket mon and int dat what lifes all about ?!

So we go on sout' to Grenada mon.

More rainforests and waterfalls and rock pools .

And different hats.

Not going as quick as planned but you can always turn off as my 'friend' and I are about to do.

Thanks for the nudge Russ and Grenada to Panama is next.