Dave and Derek talking boats.....

Gregory the Fruitman here in Rodney Bay. Every day, rain or shine, fresh papayas, mangoes, pineapples. He blows a conch horn to let you know he's at your boat.


Well, we're still here in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. Its been almost 3 weeks now - about 2 weeks too long, but we are stuck waiting for parts for our watermaker which quit the morning after we received the other boat bits we were waiting for! It all takes time in "de islands, Mon". Also, the weather is starting to deteriorate (currently rain squalls with gusts to 25 knots) and looks like it will get pretty nasty over the next week, with squalls to 50 knots and 13 ft. seas in the open waters. We'll likely stay put until it calms down toward the end of next week. Still, we don't expect much sympathy from our friends up North.

To keep ourselves amused, we've been to several Happy Hours at the various bars along the beach, hiked up to see the fort built by Admiral Rodney on Pigeon Island, rented a car to drive down to see the volcano at Soufriere, shopped in the market at Castries and swim everyday off the back of the boat. We are also doing boat chores and visiting with Lynn and Randy, who are also still here waiting for a good weather window. Had a very nice dinner the other night on their boat. We may rent a car with them and try heading to the rainforest and out to the East coast. Once the weather settles, we plan to scoot down to Bequia and the Tobago Keys, staying there as long as we can while keeping an eye out for any hurricane activity in the South Atlantic.

Gardening at 8 knots! A nice way to combine your hobbies....
En route from Martinique to St. Lucia.

“Life ain’t all beer and skittles…”. Installing new solar panel controllers (Blue Sky MPPT units that seem to be living up to the advertising and delivering about 15% more output from our 480 watts of solar panels). Doing anything, even at night (so there is no output from the panels), creates rivers of sweat. Cathy had to stand by to mop up so I didn’t drip into the circuitry.

A stop along the incredibly twisty road between Castries and Soufriere in St. Lucia. The Pitons behind us. Not sure I’ve ever driven such a long stretch of unrelentingly twisty (and steep) road. Too bad it was in a little Dihatsu that was so underpowered we had to shut off the a/c to keep over 20mph on the uphills. Would have been a lot more fun in the ol' Bimmer!

Our friends Lynn and Randy of the Canadian yacht “High States”. They are from Victoria too – Finlayson Arm in Saanich Inlet. Small world. We are anchored right next to them here in Rodney Bay (that's the bay in the background - we are at the top of Pigeon Island), and are enjoying their company as we both make our way “down island”.

Cathy at the Castries market buying a “heap” of mangoes. Apparently, a heap is 4, plus we got one more as a bonus - resulting in mango pancakes for Father's Day breakfast. Cathy keeps us well fed!

Mt. Pelee looking very benign (those are clouds – not smoke).

The St. Pierre market. We didn’t buy any fish – should have.

Anchored off the next beach South of Marigot in St. Lucia. Sailed down there from Rodney Bay where we met up with our friend Dave from Victoria who was putting his boat up on the hard for the hurricane season before heading home for 6 months. Had a great visit and some good sailing with him for a couple of days. (Seems I’ve lost a few pounds since getting out from behind a desk, in spite of the necessity of quaffing a few beers to combat the heat!).

Life is good! Cathy and I sailing along in about 15 knots of (warm) wind in flat water on the West side of St. Lucia. Boat is moving along nicely at 8+ knots. Our friend Dave took the picture, and then he gave us some sail trim advice and got us sailing closer to the wind and faster. Once a racer always a racer! Thanks Dave!

Life will be good again as soon as I finish cleaning out the almost inaccessible bow compartment!

The St. Pierre waterfront off which we anchored. The current houses and have been built on the ruins of those destroyed in the eruption of Mt. Pelee in 1902, in which all 30,000 inhabitants were killed, (save one prisoner who was in an underground cell).

St. Pierre fisherman hauling their net just in front of where we were anchored.

Cathy finishing her appertif before we head ashore for dinner in St. Pierre.

Idyll Island waiting in the evening light for our return.

Tristan and Cathy sitting down to breakfast at anchor off Vieques in Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques used to be a US Navy firing range. Tristan wanted to find some of the unexploded ordnance that the signs kept warning us about. We did find what looked like it might have been a shell partially buried in the shallows, but left it undisturbed – much to T’s frustration!

We are anchored in North Sound, Virgin Gorda, BVIs. One of our favourite spots. Just taking a pause to tighten the trampoline nets before we head across the Anegada Passage that night to St. Maartens. The tighter they are the less chance that the fastenings will break when the nets are submerged as the boat pounds through waves going to windward. And the bows do completely submerge at times!

Thought maybe we should change the name of Idyll Island. A tanker heading in to the oil transhipment facility on St. Eustatia (‘Statia). Having left St. Maartens that morning, we had planned to spend the night in the anchorage, but when we realized it was right under the oil facility we changed our minds and kept going to St. Kitts, where we arrived after dark in Ballast Bay and slept soundly after a great meal that Cathy had prepared as we approached.

Sunset after the squall. Between Statia and St. Kitts. Not bad – winds to 25. Single reef and we scooted along at 9 knots.

Approaching St. Pierre on Martinique. Have had a good day’s sailing from Isles des Saintes in Guadeloupe, which we really enjoyed. Isles des Saintes was only place where we took an extra day on our sail down from St. Maartens to St. Lucia to meet our friend Dave. St. Pierre is a great little town where we spent a delightful evening and had a good meal ashore. People were friendly and accommodated our very rusty attempts “a parle francais”.

Idyll Thoughts #3

Ya Mon,

We’ve been here just over a month and are adapting very well, though more so the secluded beaches and bays than to the ‘in port’ life. I don’t have access right now to Derek’s last message so sorry for any repetitions.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mums! I spoke to Tristan last night, but it is definitely not the same as having him here for a big hug. We had a wonderful time during Tristan’s visit, putting aside all (almost all) the boat prep to hang out in some of the most beautiful bays and lagoons in the Caribbean. Most of our time was spent in the very quaint and lightly populated Spanish Virgin Islands. Culebrita is a bird refuge with fabulous beaches and a curl on the outer reef that T. was dieing to surf. It was also the site of Tristan’s first SCUBA experience 11 years ago and the only dive we did with him this visit. The waters of the Spanish Virgins are quite shallow and sandy and not conducive to great diving. Culebra has a small and delightful town called Dewey with a dinghy channel right through the middle of it where we could sit alongside under the cooling tropical vegetation at Mamacita’s and sip even cooler, icy Margaritas, eat fine fare and be entertained by the iguanas. A short dinghy ride away and we were anchored in quiet solitude in Bahia Linda where the turquoise water is so crystalline that you see the coral heads clearly 40 feet down - wonderful snorkelling and exquisitely beautiful. Sting rays and eagle rays are commonplace and we saw turtles every day (everywhere). Some of our favourite underwater characters are: the triangular trunk fish enclosed in their hard outer layer of fused scales, with only the translucent fins protruding to scurry them along, they are spotted and change colours very quickly to match their background; the many types of parrot fish, of a multitude of turquoise, green, red and yellow colours, comical with their enhanced lips nibbling on the reefs and then scooting away passing a trail of undigested ‘sand’ drifting through the water; the yellow-tail snappers, sleek and silvery with a yellow line down the side widening into the tail; and the long, narrow coronet fish which hide by hanging vertically against any rock or mingled within the gently waving fans and tubes of soft corals and sponges.

We spent about a week cruising Vieques, which was new territory for us but what a spectacular island. We spent lots of time spent strolling the beaches which have few other inhabitants, and swimming and snorkelling, eating and drinking and just being lazy on the boat. Tristan was thrilled to discover an unexploded shell left from the days when the US used the island for bombing practice! It required firm convincing to prevent him from digging it out. I am thrilled by the variety of plant life we see along the dry beaches and in the lusher areas. Many are flowering just now and quite fantastic. I believe that Derek already mentioned the incredible, magical phosphorescent bay we visited one night.

Before dropping off Tristan at the airport, we visited the ‘old town’ in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A hot day but what a fabulous, really old but still very busy place. Much of it dates back to the 1600’s with the narrow cobbled streets, overhanging plant filled balconies and little squares scattered about where one can enjoy freshly blended tropical fruit and rum concoctions to easy the heat. Tristan has moved up a notch or ten sartorially as we found, rather incongruously, a Polo shop with bargin prices – really only picked up a couple of shirts. World Heritage site, El Moro fort, a massive, multilayered stone structure from the 1500 and 1600s is built into the headland of San Juan harbour. It is fascinating to imagine the construction of it and confrontations which took place as the Spaniards repelled the English, French and Dutch during the heyday of looting, pirating and sugar plantations and exporting by the European countries in the Caribbean.

It is a very different life we have now. Up with the sun (and the roosters) and while in port, a busy, and I admit, often frustrating time. Still lots of wild things to see right from the boat. Schools of fish leaping frequently through the day and flocks of laughing gulls and turns diving after them. A pelican trying to sieve its meal with a gull slipping around on its head determined to scarf some of it. Tarpon seem to be tamed by the clients of seaside restaurants feeding them bits and it is still amazing to see these huge brilliantly shiny, stainless steel fish trolling and rolling around the docks snapping up the meaty pieces. They are very discerning about leaving the white bread - no doubt well trained by their mamas. There are always runners and bar jacks ready to visit us when Derek puts the bbq light on at night – beautiful, fast fish. Of course there is much more to see above and below water when at anchor in some gorgeous little bay with a stretch of white sandy beach to wander, and snorkling and swimming at one’s leisure.

We have been back in Tortola at Soper’s Hole, also more romantically called Frenchman’s Cay, for several days. Derek is buried in a manuals and books for the inverter which decided to stop this AM - so for the moment, no microwave or other AC devices. Yesterday he spent in the engine compartments changing oil and filters and soldering the alternator back into place. He has been amazing at understanding and fixing and maintaining the many systems aboard. We finally got the only Canadian approved measurer in the Caribbean here to do what is needed to complete the last form for registering ‘Idyll Island’ as a Canadian vessel. A big and rather expensive hassle but we do want to fly the Canadian flag and show our home port as Victoria. The people at Voyage Yacht Charters have been wonderful in assisting us in so many ways to get prepared for our adventures down the Leeward and Windward Islands and points beyond.

We are anxious now to move on, so we leave at 4 AM tomorrow for an 80 mile (128km) sail. Next stop is Sint Maarten/ St. Martin – an island which is half Dutch and half French. Should be good, some nice beaches and french wines and cheeses – aaand more chandlers. Amazing the number of hard to find, spare parts that are needed for a boat. As we head down the Island chain to Grenada and on to Venezuela, there will be relatively few places to provision.

Must complete preparations for tomorrow, but just wanted to let you know that each day after our last swim, while enjoying our sundowners we think of our family and friends at home.


Cathy and Derek
S/V Idyll Island

Cruisin' in the Virgin Islands

Its been a while but we've been busy! Yes, life in paradise can be hectic at times - but still great. Completed the transaction on the boat. She is now ours and has been renamed Idyll Island, registered in Victoria. Lot's of people went out of their way to help us make this transition to our new cruising life. Thanks to all! Especially, our cousins in Victoria, Christine and Neil; Cathy's brother, John; Joanne at Canada Ships Registry; Lorrie at BC Yacht Insurance; Arjan, Kevin and the crew at BVI Yacht Charters and Robin, Nigel, Kimo and all the crew at Voyage Charters in the BVI.

The boat is a Voyage 440 catamaran, owner's version, built in December 2004. She is very well equipped (we'll do an equipment review at a later date) and we love the way she sails and the comfort and stability at anchor. After getting the boat organized in Tortola, we picked up our son, Tristan (after he had a nightmare 3 day trip flying all over North America and camping in Miami airport), and headed for the USVI. A few days shopping for boat stuff and dive gear, and food etc, then we headed for the Spanish Virgin Islands of Puerto Rico. Culebrita, Culebra, Vieques. Fantastic beaches, friendly, laid-back people, warm/clear water. Saw lots of turtles, rays, bats, birds, unexploded ordnance (probably just a empty casing - on Vieques - an ex-firing range for the US Navy - Tristan thought was very cool and wanted to dig it up). Had an amazing time at Bahia Mosquito on Vieques (not part of the range). One of the most bio-luminescent places on the planet. Amazing going into the lagoon by dinghy and then watching the fiery/glowing fish, jelly-fish and squid lighting up the water off the back of the boat, while an incredible lightening storm lit up the sky (sheet lightening so not much concern about a strike).

We've now dropped Tristan off for his flight back to Victoria and work and school. Sad to say goodbye - we had a great time with him. We're very proud of how he has got his life going at the age of 18. We are now looking at a week or so of getting the boat provisioned and organised before heading down the island chain.