Chasing Elegua

[Zonker]

In a harbour in Bali couldn't get a good set. Pulled up the anchor and entire scoop part of it had about a 6" / 150mm layer of plastic shopping bags. The anchorage was downstream of a landfill about a mile away. How many shopping bags have to be on the bottom so that a drop in one random spot brings up that many?

In BC we brought up a small log once (yes old logging area). Probably about 40' long or more and about 8-12" in diameter. I think the other end was still on the bottom. Took a lot of straining on the windlass.

 

[Elegua]

Went back to Ilet a Foujou. Much harder bash to windward with 22 sustained and gusts up to 27 or so.

Brought some friends with me this time and hoped they felt the effort was worth it. All my cruising buddies have big cats. They are able to entertain the “tribe” in one spot and they supply me with water. I supply cheep unskilled labor and bad jokes.

The Catana 47 was beating me upwind so you can’t say cats don’t go upwind. He’s a former professional sailor, so the nut at the wheel knows what he is doing.

 

[Elegua]

Wife's coming back next week, so I had to bring the boat around to the South side from the North. Went across the windward side sailing in company with a friend's boat. Cant see it in the pictures but the surf breaking on the shore and blowing thick spray out of the blow-holes was impressive. I was surprised how far offshore the waves bouncing off the shore went. Made for a bumpy ride. Also got to see some of the Caribbean 600 going the other way.

Lots of people skip the north side, which is a shame since it has lots of mangroves and quiet anchorages. Other parts felt like the Bahamas.

 

[Elegua]

I’m one of those people that believes if you live life deliberately, you tend to end up where you need to be at any given juncture.

I’ve read this, but never experienced it until now is that one of the great joys of cruising is meeting people you really enjoy spending time with. One of the sorrows is watching them sail out of the anchorage and you’re not sure if and when you will ever meet again.

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

I’m one of those people that believes if you live life deliberately, you tend to end up where you need to be at any given juncture.

I’ve read this, but never experienced it until now is that one of the great joys of cruising is meeting people you really enjoy spending time with. One of the sorrows is watching them sail out of the anchorage and you’re not sure if and when you will meet again.

Nicely said. The sweetness of those moments in an all too brief life. Makes you appreciate them all the more.

 

[Fah Kiew Tu]

I’m one of those people that believes if you live life deliberately, you tend to end up where you need to be at any given juncture.

I’ve read this, but never experienced it until now is that one of the great joys of cruising is meeting people you really enjoy spending time with. One of the sorrows is watching them sail out of the anchorage and you’re not sure if and when you will ever meet again.

Yeah but others will come along. Friends of ours are finishing up a 2 year refit on their boat and will be gone by July. We'll miss them but that's life. Bunch of others who've been here and then sailed off.

I've got shipmates all over the planet from my days on research vessels. Some of us keep in touch & visit when we can.

FKT

 

[Elegua]

Welp, the wife comes back tomorrow. We're happy she's coming back. The recruiters were after her. A good excuse to do a major cleaning and organizing of the boat.

A good friend took this photo of me going around the north end of Guadeloupe to pick up my wife. Probably less of this kind of sailing for a spell.

 

[Diarmuid]

Welp, the wife comes back tomorrow. We're happy she's coming back. The recruiters were after her. A good excuse to do a major cleaning and organizing of the boat.

A good friend took this photo of me going around the north end of Guadeloupe to pick up my wife. Probably less of this kind of sailing for a spell.

View attachment 577355

Pretty nice headsail shape for that much reefing! It's drawing nicely & your cars seem perfectly positioned.

 

[Elegua]

Pretty nice headsail shape for that much reefing! It's drawing nicely & your cars seem perfectly positioned.

Yeah, those jib cars make a yuge difference. (edited fur schpelling)

 

[slug zitski]

Yeah, those job cars make a yuge difference.

In the Caribbean the average wind speed is +15 knots

i never use the big Genoa, too powerful… only a 100 percent headsail

much nicer to sail,handle and plenty fast

if you have a pile of cash looking for a home buy a high cut 100 percent headsail …

 

[estarzinger]

Pretty nice headsail shape for that much reefing! It's drawing nicely & your cars seem perfectly positioned.

ok, dont feed his ego anymore - he is already living the life in the Caribbean - tell him there are ugly wrinkles or too much twist so he can keep his head on straight and focused

 

[Jim in Halifax]

(edited fur schpelling)

And while we're at it...
Nevermind...

 

[Elegua]

ok, dont feed his ego anymore - he is already living the life in the Caribbean - tell him there are ugly wrinkles or too much twist so he can keep his head on straight and focused

No worries. I do at least one really stupid thing a day and yesterday I got hit by a drunk donut.

 

[Elegua]

Our time in Guadeloupe is coming to an end. We got here in January.

I highly recommend Guadeloupe. The food is good, the shopping reasonable, the people polite. It has picturesque mountains and beaches, good snorkeling and diving. It has everything from very empty parks to crowded vacationing hotspots that have a definite Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot vibe. Where there are beaches or harbors, everyone is out playing in the water - wing foiling, windsurfing, kite surfing, sailing..etc...It seems more middle-class; there are few super-yachts and chamois pushers. The Capitaineries in each port have been very helpful; the park rangers polite and professional.

St Francois, crowded but nice. Shallow, calm and active.

A cold swimming hole in the rainforest.

The outfalls to the geothermal plant in Bouilliant makes for an interesting salt-water hot spring. The fresh water floats on the surface and the eddies creat cold/hot spots. It is illuminated at night. Stay here a while and your boat bottom grows weird things.

Many ti-punch bars have an attached BBQ for a cuisse de poulet for about 2EUR with sauce chien (dog sauce). Maybe there's a coco sorbet for dessert.

Do you like Rhum Agricole? Maybe not as famous as Martinique, but quite good.

The Saints are beautiful.

La Desirade

Lots of sailing... IMOCA, Class 40, old racing cats..

It wasn't perfect. We got hit by drunk tourists in a floating donut. Luckily we caught the deed on film and it looks like the Donut rental company insurance will pay. Strange to talk to an insurance guy who could quote Melville and knew a fair and transparent estimate when he got one.

We had a wonderful time here; much better than Antigua. I wonder how much was because we are more settled in to cruiser life now versus when we were in Antigua? That's not to say we are settled, just more so. We're "100hr wonders" - we know just enough to get in trouble. The water was clear and shallow enough so that I could see that, yet again, I have hooked some debris on the bottom. In this case it was a full "ghost" anchor rode and chain, so I put on my snorkeling gear and spent the am untangling it and cleaning the bottom.

Off to Dominica and the PAYS experience next Monday, weather permitting. Stocked up on goodies at Carrefour and Super-U. This time we're the ones sailing away.

 

[Kris Cringle]

Well-chosen photographs (with level horizons!), thoughtful, descriptive words nicely edited and tucked between the storytelling images.

Your real account of what it feels like to have made a mental transition into a traveler's world, and now about to 'move on', brings back old memories for me.

I see no evidence that you have diminished your experience by taking the time to give us a glimpse into your adventure, so thanks for taking the time.

This is a good story. I don't know the ending.

 

[slug zitski]

Our time in Guadeloupe is coming to an end. We got here in January.

View attachment 579294

I highly recommend Guadeloupe. The food is good, the shopping reasonable, the people polite. It has picturesque mountains and beaches, good snorkeling and diving. It has everything from very empty parks to crowded vacationing hotspots that have a definite Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot vibe. Where there are beaches or harbors, everyone is out playing in the water - wing foiling, windsurfing, kite surfing, sailing..etc...It seems more middle-class; there are few super-yachts and chamois pushers. The Capitaineries in each port have been very helpful; the park rangers polite and professional.

St Francois, crowded but nice. Shallow, calm and active.
View attachment 579308
A cold swimming hole in the rainforest.
View attachment 579295

The outfalls to the geothermal plant in Bouilliant makes for an interesting salt-water hot spring. The fresh water floats on the surface and the eddies creat cold/hot spots. It is illuminated at night. Stay here a while and your boat bottom grows weird things.
View attachment 579296

Many ti-punch bars have an attached BBQ for a cuisse de poulet for about 2EUR with sauce chien (dog sauce). Maybe there's a coco sorbet for dessert.
View attachment 579297

Do you like Rhum Agricole? Maybe not as famous as Martinique, but quite good.
View attachment 579306
The Saints are beautiful.
View attachment 579298
La Desirade
View attachment 579299

Lots of sailing... IMOCA, Class 40, old racing cats..
View attachment 579305

It wasn't perfect. We got hit by drunk tourists in a floating donut. Luckily we caught the deed on film and it looks like the Donut rental company insurance will pay. Strange to talk to an insurance guy who could quote Melville and knew a fair and transparent estimate when he got one.
View attachment 579310

We had a wonderful time here; much better than Antigua. I wonder how much was because we are more settled in to cruiser life now versus when we were in Antigua? That's not to say we are settled, just more so. We're "100hr wonders" - we know just enough to get in trouble. The water was clear and shallow enough so that I could see that, yet again, I have hooked some debris on the bottom. In this case it was a full "ghost" anchor rode and chain, so I put on my snorkeling gear and spent the am untangling it and cleaning the bottom.

Off to Dominica and the PAYS experience next Monday, weather permitting. Stocked up on goodies at Carrefour and Super-U. This time we're the ones sailing away.

Pictures tell a story

Better than YouTube videos

A picture of the dinner receipt, from the place you liked, is very valuable to others and a priceless reference 10 years from now

 

[Elegua]

Well-chosen photographs (with level horizons!), thoughtful, descriptive words nicely edited and tucked between the storytelling images.

Your real account of what it feels like to have made a mental transition into a traveler's world, and now about to 'move on', brings back old memories for me.

I see no evidence that you have diminished your experience by taking the time to give us a glimpse into your adventure, so thanks for taking the time.

This is a good story. I don't know the ending.

Thanks for the kind words. I’m not a great photographer, so most photos involve some horizon straightening.

When I was young and off adventuring, I was too lazy to keep a journal; something I regret now as I’m sure I’m missing a lot of memories. I also had to be judicious with my medium format film. Getting things developed was also hard. I lost a roll of film with me working on the royals of a square rigger I was sailing transatlantic.

Today iPhones make it possible to take an extraordinary number photos and short movie clips anywhere, almost effortlessly with all the meta-data you want (and back them up!) It’s amazing how badly I remember things. Dates, times, locations. I take the photos in lieu of a journal to preserve the memories, though the photos themselves distort the memories because they are just a moment in time. Movie clips capture more of the experience.

One of the well known YouTubers told me how many hours a week they spend editing and I almost fell over. Just having the camera on and thinking about what might be good viewing exhausted me. I get why they do it but it’s precious close to a full time job to me.

I don’t know how the story ends either. I’m hoping for the storybook ending.

 

[Zonker]

40-50 hrs for a 1/2 hr youtube video?

 

[TheDragon]

Lots of good thoughts there, and thanks for the Guadeloupe assessment, I hope to get there one day. I kept up a daily blog post on my trip across the Pacific last year. There were a few times it felt like a bit of a chore, but now I really appreciate it. Something to do each evening before hitting the sack, and as a solo sailor I had little else to do in the evenings. I already look back at details I can't keep straight by memory. And backing up pics and videos is crucial, in the excitement of my first day in the Marquesas I forgot to do that before going ashore, got my phone wet in the beach break, fried it and lost everything from the passage from Panama. On the other hand, as long as you are not trying to produce really slick YouTube videos in hopes of monetizing them, I found it easy to use iMovie to put my video clips, some photos, and some narration together and hence could easily share that summary of my trip with friends and family I can't easily show them in person, and one day, assuming YouTube survives, they will also bring back good memories.

 

[Elegua]

Getting closer and closer to CG maximum capacity.