PHOTO ALBUM click on link:  And on into September

It is just crazy how time has flown by since the kids left. They have been gone over 4 weeks now………..

The day after the kids left we did an exhausting Hash.

It was in the area known as Grand Anse. It started along Morne Rouge Bay and then went straight up hill. Literarily straight up hill, and it was one mean hill. The trail seemed to follow every hill in the area, up and down very steep slopes, there were many scenic view points. What was supposed to be a 4 miler turned out to be 7 odd miles. A very tough walk.

Aeeshah

was hauled August 26^th as planned at Grenada Marine.

It is located in St David’s Bay and is basically in de country. We had planned to stay in an apartment but never made it to the place. We found that it was easier to stay on the boat rather than walk the ½ mile to the main road to catch the bus for a 15-minute ride to get there. So we “roughed it” and stayed on the boat while it was on the hard. The main negative issue was the mosquitoes, which would visit, in there 100s after dusk had arrived. So we had to put up the screens and spend the remainder of the evening down below. Overall everything went exceptionally well. John sanded, prepared and painted the bottom. The canvas place “Turbulence” restiched our canvas as the stitching had become sun damaged and was breaking down thus coming apart. The Ray marine people upgraded all the electronics, replacing our wind instruments, which were still under warrantee but had not been working since Puerto Rico. It was found to be a manufacturing issue so we were given the new system. Plus I restitched and repaired the dingy cover. We cleaned and did many small necessary jobs all within 9 days. Plus we managed a daily swim at the nearby beaches and a lovely walk along the trails in the area. The scenery around the area is just spectacular. Tall cliffs, rugged shoreline and lovely palm lined beaches to be walked and explored. In the evenings we would have dinner at the marina restaurant and watch the sunset over the water in the bay. It was always a wonderful end to the day.

During our stay the Hash was held out of Grenada Marine. This proved to be the most mucky, muddy, wet hash ever. It started and finished along a “path” through the mangroves. Where you had to clamber over and under the vegetation with deep mud and at times through the water. It then progressed through an old limekiln where one had to climb down a drop, along beach area and up a cliff. It was at this stage that the rain started to fall. I must say the rain certainly cooled me down but it made the ground exceptionally slippery. We ended up being some of the first walkers to return, but this might be as we became “lost” towards the end in the mangroves and so simply made our way back. We haven’t done a Hash since as I’ve been suffering from knee problems since then. It must be due to 2 strenuous Hashes in a row.

From Grenada Marine we moved to Prickly Bay for a few days and then to St George for another week.  Upon leaving Prickly we discovered that our depth sounder wasn’t working. It was necessary to get the Ray Marine guy back to the boat. Unfortunately he discovered it was beyond repair – sealed unit.

So what do we do to pass the time in Prickly and St George?  Most people think of “cruisers” as dropouts that sit around all day drinking beer/rum and wasting time. Well, yes, there are several cruisers that I’m sure do fit into this category, but not us, at least we don’t think we fit in that category. We treat the boat as anyone would a home. There is constant maintenance, cleaning and projects to be seen to. We are up with the sun and usually like to get some exercise of some sort everyday then of course we have our evening in the cockpit to relax and read. It’s surprising how quickly a day goes past. There are hundreds of cruising boats in the Grenada area for the hurricane season. They represent people from all over the world, South Africa, Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand, and many different European countries. These cruisers are a real mix, there are the single handers, many couples, and families that live this life style and many of them have pets. The majority of them are professionals that have “retired” however some continue to work from their boats. The families home school, organize activities and hold summer camps for the children. At 7:30 every morning there is a cruisers’ net that takes place on the VHF. It starts with Priority Traffic that concerns security and safety issues. Then follows the weather for the area and the Atlantic region in general. New arrivals to the area are greeted and those leaving say their goodbyes. There is a section for cruiser activities, which includes such activities as “noodleing off of Hog Bay beach at 8:30” or “Yoga in the Tiki hut at Prickly Bay”. There follows info about grocery buses where and when they will be leaving and of course there is a parts and services section and an “any items from the bilge to trade or sell” John and I listen during breakfast it is our entertainment for the morning.  This group to which we belong is a large community that tends to be quite close and very supportive of each other. If ever any help is needed there are always many volunteers.

Ronde

We left St George after deciding that we would return for the new depth sounder once it arrived. Our destination was an anchorage at Ronde. There are a small group of islands just north of main island Grenada, next to the underwater volcano Kick En Jenny. Usually the anchorage is untenable but with a few days of less wind than normal forecast we decided to explore the area.  Our sail there was pleasant and we dropped anchor in

Corn Store Bay.

What a lovely anchorage, there were a few other boats there as well and the local fishermen were very active in the bay with their netting. However it is a large anchorage with plenty of room. Within our first hour there we were approached by John, a fisherman; otherwise known in his village as Footsie, because he was like a foot tall when he was a child. He sold us a couple of Red Snapper for dinner and we gave him a cold beer.

Well the next morning the bay was again full of the fishermen and their boats. Around 7:00am we were approached by a boat of

5 fishermen who wanted to sell us several Barracuda that had been caught in the nets. “No thanks” I promptly replied. They then politely asked if they too could have a beer each. John explained he didn’t have any cold ones, having devoured them the evening before, but gave them a warm beer each, which they were very happy to get. Then later when we set out to go snorkeling there were still fishing boats dealing with their nets and their catch.

These 10 fishermen called us over. This time they again asked if we wanted to buy some of the small fish they had netted, small grunt and such. “No thanks” we replied to which they asked, “have you anything to drink in that boat?” I said, “sure here, I have some water,” and promptly pulled out my water bottles. Well most of them looked at me as if I had 2 heads and said, “No Lady beer” Anyway after a few minutes we agreed we could afford 5 more beers from the boat for the 10 of them to share. Hey and none of these fellows were the same ones as before, the word had just been passed around that we would supply beer. No problem though as they are good guys and we can afford them a beer each. One of them told me that they fish everyday of the year, rising at 4:00am. At present they were netting for sprat, which they kept in a fish well/trap. The big fishing boats and long liners would then come and purchase the bait that they wanted. Later in the morning we saw the bigger boats in the bay getting their bait supply.

We spent many hours snorkeling, which was excellent at the bay entrances. We explored in the dingy and walked the shoreline and beaches. The water was very clear and the fish life abundant especially where there was a current flowing. The coral was very healthy with huge sea whips and other soft corals. The currents there can be quite strong, up to 2 knots between the islands where the deep water floods through.  It is a place to return to, as there is still much area for us to cover.

From Ronde we headed to Carriacau

to await the Hash on the 28th. On our first afternoon in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou we went for a walk and discovered a lovely trail through farmland and along the shore of Carriacou. It was beautiful and we never saw another person. Life in Tyrell Bay is very quiet.

The next few days we managed to complete the necessary projects that we had hoped to accomplish and go for some delightful walks. We headed over the hills and to the other side where we found the coastline to be totally different. It was almost volcanic in its appearance with large bolders strewn about. The roadside along which we walked was was past cottages and homes. Each place had its own vegetable garden, goats tethered, lovely flowers blooming and were manicured. The children were playing, neighbours chatting and hardly a car passed.

Another great walk was to the peninsular opposite the anchorage. We had hoped to reach the point but the track came to an end before we had reached the point. Again the scenery was lovely, the people so friendly and welcoming.

 

 

 

After several days at Tyrell Bay, which involved a practice hike each day through the wonderful countryside in the area, we moved around to

Hillsborough

where the Hash was being held. Arriving on the Friday morning we bought our fresh fruit and veg and relaxed. Later in the afternoon we took a walk and somehow missed the Friday Hash – the hair of the rabbit. We did get ashore after our swim in time to enjoy a few drinks with so fellow Hash friends.

The Saturday hash

started at 2:30 as the “buses” took us to the far northern end of Carriacou. (Carriacou is a Carib(Indian) language and it means, “island surrounded by reefs). To an area was called Tibeau where we found an old graveyard, which was being reclaimed, by the sea. Tibeau, apparently was the site of the oldest cemetery on Carriacou and sand mining has caused the severe beach erosion that has led to a loss of nearly 2/3 of the historic tombstones.  When we arrived there we were all given sacks to pick up the garbage while we waited for the other busses and the start of the Hash. Everyone did an excellent job and within a while the trash was bagged. The hash started with the usual new shoe ceremony – the person wearing the newest shoes is picked to drink or wear a beer from their shoe – apparently this is traditional. Then we were off…down the beach hunting for the trailhead, which was promptly found by the speedy ones and followed by us the rest. We travelled steadily uphill for a good 45 minutes through some lovely wooded countryside. The trails were shaded and the gradient not too steep so we made good time. At the top the trail snaked along the ridges of the hills and then descended steeply down towards Hillsborough. The finish took us along the shore where the path was very narrow with a nasty drop on to rocks on one side and into Prickly Pear Cactus on the other. Yes, I managed to get pricked right at the very end when I thought I was safe. The evening was a fun one with a beautiful sunset, a funny virgin ceremony and a great local string group performing for us. The food was excellent: curry goat or barbequed chicken.

The Sunday hash which is called the Hair of the Dog, started just after 9:00am. The commissioner set the trail, which had 10 false trails in it. This was a fun one which sent everyone in every direction looking for the clues and the correct trails. The runners would be up and down the streets finding the way by the time the walkers arrived the way would be found.

Sunday afternoon we explored Sandy Island, which is just lovely and just relaxed

  “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”                                                           Bill Bryson