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Brig’s First Sail

For the first seven weeks of Brig’s life we had a constant stream of visiting Grandparents. My mom arrived the day after he was born and stayed for just over a month.  Then my dad and stepmom arrived, then Peter’s dad and his aunt were here. We got a little bit of overlap in each visit and it was so much fun.

It was such a special time for us so we decided to take Brig for his first sail! He had already been in the dinghy a few times but he was ready to actually go sailing. Since we had moved our boat to the dock and secured her for the remainder of hurricane season it was much easier to take Aristocat instead. There were no charters scheduled that day so it worked out perfect. Jen and Mike from Three Sheets came with us and brought their friend Shakti. Mike has been running Aristocat since Brig was born so he and Peter took care of all the sailing. It was nice for me to be back on board but it was even nicer that all I had to do was take care of Brig ;)

This was the first time Dad and Stacy could see what we had been up to for nearly two years aboard Aristocat. The last time they had visited us in the islands was before we started working so this was pretty exciting for them. They had heard so much about what we did everyday and they finally got to experience it first hand!

Mom couldn’t be happier. We were headed to her favorite place in the entire world. AND, she was taking her grandson there! She was glowing the whole way!

We sailed over to White Bay, Jost Van Dyke for the day. Brig is still too young to wear sunscreen so I kept him in the shade with me on the boat while everyone else swam to shore and had fun on the beach.

We even took an afternoon nap on the boat while everyone else was having fun on shore. I think Brig, Betsy and Peter got more sleep than I did but I did manage to doze a tiny bit.

Jen, Shakti, dad, Mike, and mom… Stacy was behind the camera. They were clearly enjoying a few Painkillers at the Soggy Dollar Bar!

I think the most memorable part of the whole day was sharing Brig’s first sail experience with both my mom and my dad. I can’t even remember when I was last around them both at the same time. Babies have a way of bringing everyone together! Brig sure is loved by a lot of people <3

 

Goodbye Grenada, Hello Virgin Islands

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I know, I know, I’m terribly behind in sharing with you all what we’ve been up to the last six months. I’ve been a bit more active on Facebook but it’s time I catch up here on the blog. Lets step back in time a bit…

It was the end of November when we decided to pack up and leave our cozy little anchorage as we waved ‘Goodbye Grenada’. Our friend Steve on Lunacy was aiming for the same weather window we were to head North before the Christmas Winds arrived, though he took off a few days before us (pictured above). He knew it would be a little rough but preferred to have enough wind to sail the entire way and not have to motor as long as he could help it. We, on the other hand, preferred to wait for slightly calmer waters.

Instead of island hopping up the chain, we plotted a course straight to USVI from Grenada. The first day offshore was a bit uncomfortable, but we had been through worse. Eventually the wind and waves subsided and we motor-sailed the rest of the way in the light and variable winds. Could we have handled the rougher conditions that Steve experienced and used less fuel? Sure. Did we want to put the stress on our boat and on ourselves? No. Because we have dogs on board, rough conditions make it very challenging to take the dogs potty on deck and to simply make sure they’re safe. Gunner is getting older and we agreed it would be better for all of us if we took it easy.

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I’d say Gunner was comfortable, wouldn’t you? :)

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It was just us and the ocean. All alone. We were maybe 100nm away at most from any land though it felt as if we were in the middle of nowhere. After living in Grenada for a solid 4 months it was really strange to be on a passage again. Only this time, we felt at home. It was a new experience in the sense that it was our longest offshore passage to date, though we knew what to expect and we were prepared in a way that we hadn’t been before. A little bit of experience goes a long way.

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I had made a few ziplocks full of popcorn to snack on and the dogs sure were happy to share. It’s been Gunner’s favorite treat since he was a puppy so he was pretty excited when Peter kept tossing him some as we leisurely cruised along.

We saw gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, each with new palettes of colors painting the entire sky.

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We saw The Green Flash and even captured it on camera a few times… Can you see it? Look close.

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Before we knew it, three and a half days had passed by and we were sailing into the US Virgin Islands. We passed by St. Croix and headed for Great St. James Island. Little did we know, Christmas Cove would be our home for the next six months.

 

We are currently STILL sitting in Christmas Cove and preparing to had back down island for Hurricane Season. Stay tuned for photos of all the friends and family that came down to visit and kept us busy during the last six months!

IZZY IN THE ISLANDS

It feels like yesterday that our friend Izzy was here on the boat with us…

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Peter and I had been chatting with Izzy over emails for quite some time. He found us while searching for cruising blogs with dogs and had a-million-and-one  questions about how we went from zero sailing experience to being liveaboards in the Caribbean. He had questions about having a dog on board, safety in foreign countries, how we have access to the internet, what we do for food, and all kinds of other questions about the cruising lifestyle. He seemed genuinely interested in the whole experience and was very appreciative of the time we spent talking with him. We knew there was something special about this guy, so we kept writing back.

You see, Izzy has the same dream we once did to sell everything, buy a boat and sail away with his furry four-legged best friend. He desperately wants to leave the rat-race behind and go explore the world. He shares our passion for the sea, for the tropical sun and for the feeling of freedom you get when you hoist those beautiful white sails and turn off the engine.

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We invited Izzy down to come sailing with us and see what this lifestyle is all about. He arrived in Grenada toward the beginning of November just after our haul out. We took him grocery shopping in Grenada and showed him how to get around. Then we showed him our whole routine. Docking the boat for fuel, cleaning the bottom of the boat, securing the outboard motor before a passage, navigating through channels, trolling fishing lines under way, and many other operational tasks. He learned about watermakers, engine maintenance, marine plumbing, and all kinds of other bits of knowledge we’ve acquired over the last year and a half.

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We left Grenada and sailed up to Sandy Island just North of Carriacou. Peter and I had been there before and wanted to show Izzy the pretty beach and great snorkeling.

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Peter showed him how he dives the anchor to make sure it’s dug into the sand well. We even had him watch underwater as I backed the boat down in reverse so he could actually see the anchor dig in.

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It’s a good thing we took extra care making sure our ground tackle was secure because later that night Izzy experienced his very first squall. We had gone over to visit our friends Mike and Jennifer on Three Sheets for sundowners and dinner when a 30-knot squall barreled through. It was pitch-black and we had anchored in the back of the pack just in front of a reef. It was more stormy than we cared to venture out in by dinghy to go check on the boat so we sat tight on Three Sheets and waited out the storm. Our Delta anchor held solid, though my stomach was in knots the entire time.

That night we laughed so hard we all got an ab workout and Izzy was super stoked to experience first hand just how amazing the cruising community really is. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to meet such kind people that all share a similar passion. We’re pretty sure he was already hooked but this night really sealed the deal :)

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To put the icing on the cake, we took Izzy to the Grenadines and made our way over to the Tobago Cays. Our first trip there a month before was amazing but seeing it again was just unreal. The view is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and I’m pretty sure Izzy felt like he was in a dream too.

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We swam with turtles and dove along the drop-off at Petit Tabac. Izzy got the full Caribbean experience in our favorite place of all time.

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We visited with our friends Dustin and Courtney on Captiva over an incredible gourmet lobster dinner and Izzy heard even more amazing cruising stories.

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I’m short and all… but Peter was standing up hill from me, I swear :)

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We hope Izzy had a good time, we know we sure did! He is back in LA now tying up some loose ends and selling many of his belongings. When he finds the perfect cruising boat he plans on moving aboard with his dog, Kova, and then he’ll prepare the boat to meet up with us (we hope!) down island.

Izzy is a fantastic writer and an INCREDIBLY GIFTED artist, illustrator, designer and instructor. If you’re interested in learning more about Izzy and why he is choosing this amazing life at sea, click >>here<<. If you’d like to follow his progress be sure to check out his website: www.artaboard.com 

We’re currently in the US Virgin Islands looking for work now that Peter has completed all the coursework for his 100-ton Masters Captain’s license!  Do you know anyone that’s hiring?

Welcome to Carriacou: A Wild Ride

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The morning of July 18th Peter and I had almost made it to Carriacou, one of the three main islands that make up the Country of Grenada. It was a gorgeous sail and our night passage had gone smoothly. We approached the Northern coast of Carriacou just as a dark and ominous group of clouds were quickly building over the center of the island.

Within minutes we could see a wall of rain cover the island pushing West toward the entrance to our charted anchorage, Tyrell Bay. This was our first time entering this anchorage and the comments on Active Captain already had our nerves on edge about the exact course to take when entering to avoid the reefs. We were prepared for careful navigation around the hazards described on the charts but we were not prepared for what happened next…

We were already approaching the coast and our course was plotted to go between The Sisters rocks and Carriacou for a left turn into Tyrell Bay. We had a gap of about 1 nautical mile to safely cross through.

With heavy rains approaching like a Tsunami, Peter and I raced to get the big 135% Genoa furled in. We didn’t have time to close up the isinglass surrounding our cockpit AND get both sails down. Our Mizzen sail was just going to remain up. It’s all we could do.

Just then, a crazy gust ripped off the hills of Carriacou and barreled at us in what was now a very angry squall. We watched with frightened eyes as the wind gauge clocked 45+ knots of sustained wind and practically knocked us down on the starboard side. Our rail was in the water and I was hanging on from a vertical perch on the port side while keeping a watchful eye on the confused dogs. It was a moment I felt very grateful for a fully enclosed cockpit!

Still a little shaken up from the last nightmare squall and ferry incident in St. Kitts, it was instinct to immediately turn the engine on and restart the chartplotter as quickly as possible. We flipped through the touchscreen dialog and raced to get the radar turned on. Unfortunately the rain was so heavy it blocked all radar signatures of land even with the gain set to minimum. We could only rely on the GPS readings on the chartplotter to guide ourselves away from The Sisters.

The Mizzen sail immediately wanted to point us up wind toward Carriacou but the rain was so heavy we could only see less than two boat lengths in all directions. The wind and currents were not providing safe conditions to allow the boat to point to wind or heave-to since we were exactly between The Sisters rocks and Carriacou by then. We were SOO close from our destination, yet it felt so far away.

With the rudder pinned hard right and the wind trying to turn us back left, we were pushed a total of 4 miles off shore GOING SIDEWAYS at a whopping 7 knots!! The bad news was that we were being carried nearly as fast as the squall was moving so it really wasn’t passing over us. The good news was that as long as we were clear of The Sisters, it was okay that we were headed out to sea; a much safer place than near invisible land masses and treacherous rock formations.

A least an hour passed before it wasn’t ‘too dangerous’ for Peter to go out on deck and drop the Mizzen so we could motor back on course. Weakened from the adrenaline rush, we motored straight for Tyrell Bay and dropped the hook in the back of the anchorage, made sure it was set well, took the dogs potty on deck and then got some much needed rest.

“WELCOME TO CARRIACOU!!”

Later in the afternoon Peter went to shore to check us in before we treated ourselves to some snorkeling at the nearby Saline Island with our friends Susan and LA on Genesis. (Thanks Susan for the photos!!)

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We saw a nurse shark hiding under the coral…

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And lobster and fishies…

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We got back just in time to see a spectacular sunset. The next several days were spent relaxing and feeling accomplished that we had actually made it ALL THE WAY down to Grenada!

The fun wasn’t over, however. On both the second AND third day after our terrifying arrival, we were hit by two more 45+ knot squalls while at anchor. Our holding was excellent so we just watched intently to make sure no one in front of us was dragging, and rode out the storms. We later found out that boats down on the South side of Grenada were clocking 65 knots! I guess we’d rather take 45 than 65.

How’s that for a warm and fuzzy ‘WELCOME TO CARRIACOU’!!

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Nevis to Guadeloupe: Spinner Dolphins and Rainbows

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It was such a short hop over to Nevis once we left St. Kitts. The hillsides and black sand beaches were breathtaking at Pinney’s Beach.

We took the dinghy around the point for a little snorkeling near the rocky points. The water wasn’t very clear that day so we headed back toward where we were anchored and snorkeled off the beach near some scattered coral heads. Peter got a little too close and accidentally poked himself on an urchin. NO FUN!

Our diving adventures were cut short, but we still enjoyed the scenery.

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Unfortunately we left our credit card at Salt Plage back on St. Kitts so we had to turn back and get it the next day. The management was incredibly helpful and even bought us a drink for our inconveniences. It’s not so easy to just cancel a credit card and have a new one mailed out when we live on a boat with no mailing address. Oh well. It was an easy sail and it only set us back one day.

As we set out for Guadeloupe, a small pod of spinner dolphins came out to play as we passed by Nevis around dinnertime….

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We left St. Kitts at 5:45pm on July 7th. Our night passage started off terribly uncomfortable when we made the mistake of not getting far enough off shore. The shoals south of Nevis stirred up the sea in a violent way and had us considering turning around to wait for settled weather.  Our friends Dustin and Courtney were planning to leave Nevis not long after us and we later heard they took a wave on the flybridge of Captiva, a 75′ Catamaran, on that very same passage! We persevered, wearily arriving at Deshaies, Guadeloupe at 10:15 am just in time to see a beautiful rainbow above our sistership, Lunacy.

We were finally a good distance down the island chain!

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We’re currently in Grenada wrapping up Hurricane Season and preparing to sail back north to the Virgin Islands… stay tuned for more adventures!