Sailing with the Treleavens

For the past two weeks with our mast removed we have motored south from Martinique to the Grenadine Islands and back again.

With our son Ian and Nicola on board, its time to forget our repairs, go and enjoy the islands. Day time trips between the islands is very pleasant and with plenty of wind from the NE it could have been wonderful sailing.

Back to St Lucia for a night in Marigot Bay and a wonderful dinner ashore set in the rainforest. Still in the rainy season we are like yoyos in the night shutting hatches as the rain passes quickly leaving us hot and stuffy.

Hearing about a couple on a cruising yacht being robbed and attacked by three men in a bay on St Vincent Island we buy for the first time a hand held flare pistol. By passing this island, it’s a long day motoring 52nms to get to the island of Bequia where we can clear customs for the ten Grenadine islands. It is becoming tiresome clearing in and out of each island, putting up different flags and dealing with customs especially as each island is so small.

Port Elizabeth on Bequia is a delightful natural Harbour and a steel band ashore for the night sees Ian and Nicola salsa dancing in the sand. Princess Margaret beach with its turquoise water, white sand beach lined with palm trees is a welcome anchorage and swim ashore.

Seven miles away is the peaceful billionaire’s island of Mustique, privately owned but can be still enjoyed by the public. Princess Margaret was the first to own a house here in 1968. Current owners are Mick Jagger, Tommy Hilfiger, Shania Twain and Bryan Adams who were all present during our stay plus Hugh Grant. Hiring a mule as they call an open jeep, we go ‘mansion’ hunting around the island. Beware of the land tortoises crossing the road, one has to stop and carry them out of the way. Mansions we do find and even get to see through Bryan Adams modern water front secluded home on a private beach.

Indulging ourselves at the famous Basil’s Bar, Cotton House Beach Café and Firefly Restaurant they are all stylish and memorable. Flying fish is on the menu and after them landing on the deck and smelling so bad we are tempted to try them, absolutely delicious.

Only 20nm south is Tobago Cays, uninhabited numerous small islands that on approach have to be the most impressive area we have visited. Set out in the crystal electric blue ocean, white sand, coconut palms swaying in the breeze and all protected by a moon shaped reef it doesn’t get any more perfect. With protected anchorages it’s possible to stay the night along with many other boats, this place is no secret. As soon as you arrive you can’t resist the temptation to go snorkeling and swim with the turtles.

For three days in water temperatures of 28 degrees young Ian and Nicola photographed coral out on the reef, swimming with turtles only metres from the boat and a huge iguana basking in the sun on a rocky outcrop. T- Shirts, fresh bread and crayfish are sold by the locals coming alongside in their open long boats.

Dragging ourselves away we move to yet another beautiful island of Mayreau and Salt Whistle Bay. Nothing commercial about this island where they have 7 cars, catch their own water and only got power in 2003.

Making our way back to Martinique we return to Bequia Harbour and there in front of us is a double ended yacht “Freya” Sydney. Convinced that it can’t be the three time winner of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race we are lucky to catch the owner John Corbett on board and made welcome. Yes it is the original “Freya” built by “Lars Halvorsen and Sons”. Still in its original state as he has owned her for 35 years. Here we are five months old and no mast and she is 44 years old and still going sailing. It was very much a privilege to have gone onboard this very famous yacht.

Catching a Dorado fish and punching into big seas we make good time to St Lucia. Anchoring beneath the two cone shaped Piton Mountains we enjoy sashimi, snorkel “the wall” and “flower coral garden” and drink cocktails in the resort ashore to watch the sun set. It’s the first time we have seen the green flash. The sky has to be very clear and just as the sun sets, don’t blink, you will see what some call “the passing over green light”.

We have come to enjoy the West coast of St Lucia, the boat boys coming along side selling delicious tropical fruit or walking tours and everyone has been very friendly. It’s a pity that on reaching Rodney Bay we hear of more tourists being attacked.

After a picture perfect backdrop of aquamarine colour’s I had difficulty choosing photos of our trip south. May it continue?

After our huge effort in the ARC and getting our damaged rig home safely without loosing it over the side we have been working hard to try and resolve the issues. This of course is not made easy by the Christmas and New Year holidays but at least we have found in Martinique both excellent repair services and an ideal place just to be able to motor around and enjoy the Caribbean way of beautiful bays, jazz evenings, swimming and people.

We had the shock of learning on arriving at the riggers in Marin Martinique to fit replacement spreaders, that our rig had a serious kink and would also need replacing. At least with the new spreaders fitted we were able to move and just chill out.

Our stay in Rodney Bay St Lucia was very enjoyable catching up with all our fellow Australian Competitors and other friends we had made in Las Palmas. ARC organisation was again fun and along with Steel bands and drinking plenty of rum punch. This is the rainy month and it sure can rain but it does pass and out comes the sun again. What strikes you first on arrival is the lush green and conical landscape.

As our crew slowly returned home the remaining few rented a wagon and drove around St Lucia, climbed the ‘Gros Piton’ a conical 799m mountain which along with its conical neighbour is the symbol of St Lucia. Most of them made the climb to the top but Ian and I aren’t as young as we where when we climbed Mt Gower on Lord Howe, but it was a magnificent steep climb and view.

The island is struggling economically since her independence and the only legacy the English left was Bureaucracy. Customs formalities in and out are archaic and very time consuming. If you are Australian you have to get a visa each time you come in at US$50 each. Suddenly our New Zealand passports came in very handy. Mind you this is not entirely the fault of St Lucia. Australia is one of the few countries left that insists on visitors obtaining visas to Aus so it is all tit for tat. Maybe Kevin Rudd will look at this issue and help the tourist industry.

Nick and Michelle joined us for a night in Marigot Bay, a very sheltered “Hurricane Hole” on the east of St Lucia where movies including “Dr Doolittle” and “Pirates” were filmed before we motored the 20nms across the straight to Marin at the southern end of Martinique.

This was another reminisce time for Ian as we anchored off Club Med at Les Boucaniers, Sainte Anne. He worked as a GO here in 1972 for 6 months teaching sailing and other things by the look of the glaze in his eyes. A few days later we visited the palm grove set along a beautiful beach and after a lot of negotiation we where given the guided tour.

Entering the Harbour you are quickly reminded of coral reefs as either side of the channel markers are yachts washed up high and dry. Martinique is a French Department and as such benefits from all of the perks of mainland France. All French goods are available and the currency is still the Euro. Customs was very easy and straight forward.

Anchoring in Marin we rented a car and toured the island visiting rum distilleries and the ruins of the then capital Saint-Pierre which was totally destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Pele in 1902 killing all 26,000 inhabitants bar one prisoner who was saved by his very enclosed stone cell. What comes as a surprise is that, it wasn’t lava but hot gas and ash that destroyed the town.

Rum production like wine in France is very controlled by the “Appellation d’Origine Controlee’. AOC is a French government standard that certifies the origin and production methods of French rum. The French of course are the only ones who do it correctly.

Their rum is sugar cane or spirits, coming from the fermentation and distillation of pure cane juice. All other rums from around the Caribbean according to them are produced from what they call the sugar production leftovers being the molasses. Their rums certainly have a distinctive flavour and when drunk as their signature mixture known as Ti Punch, has an explosive effect. Ti Punch is 5 measures of white rum (50% proof) 1 measure of sugar syrup, 1 squeeze of fresh lime, all serviced on ice.

Fish and lobster are plentiful on the island and from the road side in Saint-Pierre local fisherman were selling on the side of the road the tuna they had just caught. Using a machete they chopped off 2 large steaks for only 10Euro. The sashimi shared with John and Sue off ‘Storyteller’ that night was delicious as where the lightly seared steaks on the BBQ the next evening, as was the lobster on our BBQ to die for.

On our own again as Nick and Michelle leave us after 5 weeks, then our son Ian and Nicola join us early in the New Year.

Christmas Eve is celebrated with John and Sue Gilder on “Story Teller”, John and Irene Hunt, daughter and friend on “Southern Princess” we all took our yachts to the beautiful bay of Grande Anse and celebrated dinner at ‘Ti Sable’. Lots of French families including Santa Claus arriving by dinghy showering all the children with fake snow and handing out wonderful presents, it certainly was a delightful night.

We stayed on in this beautiful bay as the rest moved on but we weren’t alone long before we joined up with more ARC Australians Hans and Susanne Pettersson and daughters Johanna and Josephine on their new Hanse 540. Cocktails by candlelight, they call it their New York apartment and they certainly have her well set up.

We are now alternating between Marin Harbour, the Beach of Sainte Anne and Club Med enjoying relaxing with plenty of reading, swimming and rum as we wait for the Europeans to get back to work on the 3rd January so that we can keep things rolling with our replacement mast.