Cuba to Jamaica

Happy New Year to all.

Anchored up in fab lagoon all alone. Not a great sunset but we are into Spooks series 10 now and watched the last instalments. Great series but Mr G is still worried that the Americans haven’t retaken Harry for killing their CIA man. Details!

The wind has been gusting up to 30 knots and its not dinghy weather to go and look at the coral reef and the beach. Typical! So we hang around all day doing jobs - one of mine to finish the December log. However, so many photos in it the file size is too big and it has locked the whole thing up – will have to retype it all.

Finally, wind eases off enough to venture ashore in the dinghy up a canal through the mangroves. Forgot to wear shoes so smelly mangrove mud to wade through at the end, followed by 100 yards on tiny needle sharp pinecones, is not the best adventure. But the beach the other side of the island is worth it. There is no one else on the island and very little evidence that there ever has been. This is the first time since we got to the Caribbean 3 years ago that we’ve felt, finally, to have found somewhere unspoilt. This is how I expected the Caribbean to be. We have loved Cuba and most things Cuban – can’t wait to come back to this beautiful country.

Pic: Mike on the North shore

Pics: Mangrove dinghy approach to North shore and lagoon all to ourselves

Pics: Right Turn’s personal lagoon on Algodon Grande, Cuba

The original plan was to go to another anchorage at the end of the Queen’s Gardens but the wind continued to blow strong so we decided to go on to Jamaica. Of course, once a couple of miles past the allotted anchorage the wind dies away completely, so the motor is on as we continue the 120 odd miles to Montego Bay! Running low on ideas for meals, as all the fresh stuff has gone.

Pics: Crossing the reef in the Queens gardens and isolated mangrove in the middle of nowhere!

Wind came back blowing “old boots” during the night so had to wake Mike to reef the headsail for me. Of course, he then offers to finish the night watch. Hurrah – my hero! Anchored in Montego Bay and were tidying up when lad called Lanky arrived in his dinghy to take me ashore to clear in. “You just pay Lanky little bit!” Got cleared through quarantine but Customs and Immigration want to see Mike as well. I start form filling (only 6 forms this time) while they send Lanky to fetch Mike. Sweet Immigration lady made us laugh by managing to get the phone number of a cute French skipper who we had both admired, by saying she may need contact number for his yacht while he was here! Customs and Immigration then decide they want to see the boat, but once acquainted with our dinghy they, for some reason, decided it wasn’t necessary. Can’t think why! We went ashore for a greatly overdue Internet session, sorting a month's emails and finances, and a much-deserved dinner in the evening at the lovely Mobay Yacht Club. I had Ackee (local veg) with smoked Marlin and bammy sticks (kind of potato chips) and a stew of prawns and jerk sausage in tomato and wine sauce. Delish local food – loved it.

Trying to get our heads round where the decimal point goes in converting Jamaican dollars to £s, so getting confused between 100s and 1000s! Supermarket has everything we could possibly need, so we stock up.

Have been putting zips in the spray hood front “windscreen” so we can get some ventilation when we are at anchor. Whilst ploughing along under very heavy spray hood and plastic windows making me very hot, we hear a lot of shouting. Have been ignoring it for a while, as it seems that’s how they manoeuvre boats in the marina. But hear a very loud, close shout and rush upstairs as “Red Max” thumps in to the side of us. He apparently has lost his gears. Bends one of the stanchions and makes a dent in the toerail with his anchor. Don’t know why they tried to move a big boat in 20kts of wind! We had only just reanchored, jostling for a place nearer the dock! The owner agrees to pay for the damage although, as yet, no apology.

Lanky had said he would be here at 8am to collect the stanchion and water pump that need fixing, but in the end, Mike has to go ashore to find him. He says he will get both repaired and bring them back tonight. Of course, by 5pm he hasn’t turned up, Mike goes to find him but when he gets to the workshop, it’s closed for the day! We spent the day doing the final modifications to the spray hood, so we now have a zipped front “windscreen” It’s great. New windlass cover – pretty fine bit of tailoring if I say so myself!  Skype session with Master Henry – haven’t seen him for over a month and he’s grown so much and acquired a massive amount of vocab. It seems he hasn’t forgotten how to say “Grandma”, but, as he says it so often, I think maybe he thinks its another word for Hello, or tomorrow, or possibly, odd sweaty long-haired lady inside the monitor! Tried to give me a “cuggle”, by holding his arms out towards the screen! Can’t wait to see him on Saturday when I go back to UK for elbow surgery.

Lanky has returned the repaired stanchion which is almost straight but the water pump isn’t fixed, as they don’t have the right size seal. The 2 bolts we asked for, for the engine coupling, are almost the right size. We  recoup some money from red Max who finally apologised. Stanchion and lines back – almost in line again and aft cabin wardrobe replaced after doing up the stanchion bolts. Hard work in very confined space. In addition, the loo chose today to play up so a shitty hour or two spent by Mike in there!

We have finished all our chores (apart for some non-crucial sewing) so time to go see Montego bay sights. However, first light brings not one, but 2, cruise boats in – disgorging approx 2000 other tourists. There hasn’t been any in since we arrived. Despite that, we venture into town for a look at the “Hip Strip” of Gloucester Avenue, the craft market, fruit market and the fish market. After all that needed ice-cream pudding at the club with a beer to raise energy levels. Bought the obligatory T-shirt for Hen, walking stick and bracelet for me, some fish for supper and, for the first time since the States, we found a red pepper.

Pics: one of today’s cruise ships and our next-door neighbour going ashore- loving the beard!

Pics: Margaritaville on Mobay, Mobay power and comms wires, Mike leaning and a fab Tourist policeman

Pics: Mobay craft market where they be jammin’

Pics: Mobay fruit market

Pics: Above right – Jamaican apples. Below- Jackfruit and the national dish, Ackee, usually served with smoked fish.

Mike’s day started with taking the loo completely apart again. After a gruelling 5 hours its re-assembled and working again. Understandably, Mr Grumpy wasn’t in the best of moods. We managed a Skype with Charlotte though, which doesn’t happen often enough. We are still trying to be awake the same time as Phil and Fee are, so we can get to meet grandson Elliot before he’s so grown-up he’s off to uni! So final packing for Kate, and ashore to the yacht club for dinner.

Mike clears out of Customs en route for Kingston to meet Gerry, then takes over the writing of this blog, so I apologise!

Good sail down to Bloody Bay  - so called because of the activities of whalers now long gone. Today this lovely sandy crescent bay is lined with holiday complexes – some unfinished and abandoned. Visited by the police launch again.

Moved on to Bluefields, caught a yellow fin tuna on the way. Found the BBC world service on the FM radio. (Exciting life!)

Last night’s anchorage was not a quiet one, come sunset the wind howled off the hill side and come sunrise I was quick to get out of there. Very pleasant sail down to Black River Bay

Alligator reef is a crescent a couple of miles off the Jamaican coast, literally miles from anywhere. This has to up there with the top couple of weird places we’ve anchored in. It is mostly just submerged with a couple of small dry areas, however it does provide a barrier to the swell and as the winds are light at present a safe place to break the journey.

Of course, it gives very little shelter if the wind goes into the north, which it duly does during the night. Time to move on to Big Half Moon Cay, which will hopefully give us shelter from both the SE swell and the northerly winds. I have the place to myself, just like Cuba and so unlike the rest of the Carib and Bahamas which are over crowded with boats.

Got a little choppy during the night so I’ve decided to move up to Kingston. Big day for Kate getting her new elbow fitted. Checked in with Customs and checked out the yacht club. Pity the NHS didn’t check out their spare parts before cutting open Kate’s elbow, bunch of tossers! Wednesday and Kate gets cut open again and her elbow fixed.

Went to airport to collect Gerry, our new crew, want to get out of Kingston asap!