We are now back in Barbados and have had time to reflect on the last 7 or 8 months.

 

We have had half a dozen holidays on charter boats in the Caribbean, the first one being our honeymoon 21 years ago in the British Virgin Islands and have long wanted to sail in the area in our own boat.  This was our first full season in the Caribbean, apart from the short period after we crossed the Atlantic last year, and we had been looking forward to it very much.  We had hoped to be in the BVI’s at the northern end of the island chain in time for our wedding anniversary in May.  This should have been relatively easy to do, allowing time to call in at most islands on the way and also allow enough time to dash back to the ‘hurricane safe’ islands in the south by July.  We try not to plan too much beyond this type of loose outline, knowing that the sailing gods will usually intervene.

 

We launched on 12 December which was later than intended, but had to wait until just before Christmas for some delayed but important post to be forwarded from Barbados by which time the ‘Christmas Winds’ had set in.  These were stronger and more prolonged than normal apparently, continuing, except for a pause for the odd day, until well into February.  Lin unfortunately got dengue fever at Christmas which left her weak and we didn’t get away from Grenada until 17 January only to return the same day with a torn sail and an engine stoppage due to poor fuel.  The subsequent repairs to this and other things meant we didn’t get going properly until 10 February, two months after launching.  This was not the start we had hoped for but we were so happy to get going at last.  We then found that the unusual strength and direction of the Christmas Winds and the associated sea state made sailing north to Carriacou, Union Island, Mayreau, Bequia, St Vincent and St Lucia really quite unpleasant and I have to say we became quite disillusioned.  By this time we had our engine noises and conflicting diagnoses and were waiting each day for the next thing to break.

 

When left Le Marin in Martinique in April after changing the engine we both commented on how nice the sailing was that day.  The weather had settled and the wind direction had become more favourable and we are glad to say that the season from then on has been lovely.  Yes, we still had some bad conditions and some tough passages but they weren’t continuous.

 

This has led us to decide two things; first that we would start earlier next season, perhaps before the end of November if possible and second, we will start from further north in the island chain – hence leaving the boat in Antigua which is 360 miles north of Grenada.  There is a risk associated with this as Antigua is further inside ‘hurricane alley’ than the islands in the south and we hope our insurance company’s endorsement of Bailey’s Boatyard as one of the better hurricane-prepared yards isn’t put to the test.

 

This is the last blog until we return to the boat in November.

 

We started the blog as a way of letting family and friends know how we were doing when we set off from Turkey to sail west and later to cross the Atlantic.  We have continued with it and tried to write as if it were a postcard from abroad.  I haven’t been very timely with the posts and also know it is not so relevant to people now.  The mailasail website does not tell us if there are still any readers so if you can find the time would you email me at bobgriffiths234(at)msn.com if would like it to continue it would be much appreciated.