Where to next?

Bonanza is back in the water and all is well. So far we've sailed around to a few anchorages on the south coast of the island while we make sure that everything is working properly. We were treated to this great sunset outside the lagoon at St. Georges the other night. Nice restored wooden boat takes you back in time. Today we are in Prickly Bay where we have easy access to marine shops and a few restaurants. We are anchored in front of Mystic Journey. Guess where they're from? Yup, Fort Macleod, AB.

Grenada "On the Hard"

We're back in Grenada after a whirlwind three month break. We found Bonanza right where we left her back at the beginning of hurricane season.

So far Grenada has breezed through with only a few rainy and windy squalls. It feels good to be back in our own home even though that means living up on stilts for a few more days.

See the yellow webbing straps that are attached to the back and front of the boat? These are hooked into concrete blocks that are embedded in the ground. So if a storm comes through this area, the boat is secured to the ground. The hope is that all the boats in the yard will stay put! We're glad that this system wasn't put to any major tests so far this year! Today the painters should finish up with the bottom paint and then Roy and I can start putting the canvas and sails back on. Working on the deck actually feels quite precarious. I never worry about falling off the topside when we're in the water, but staring down at the gravel six feet below really changes the scene.

Dealing with the ladder is another aspect of living "on the hard" that is well... hard. Most chores that involve water now have to be done off the boat either by the tap in the yard or in the washing/bathroom area. Imagine the trek to the bathroom after a few beers in the evening. Mornings are even more entertaining when I make a beeline to the shower and back before the truckfull of 15 to 20 workers arrive. Yes, it is their bathroom too!

Plans to go to Venezuela have been cancelled. We really enjoyed our time in Margarita, Los Roques, and Banquilla last time we sailed down that way. But, we've heard from many boats that the security situation is a real problem. Boats are being boarded, robbed and all manner of crimes happening. So, we'll just stay in this neck of the woods for now.

Summer Boat Break

This is the place to be during hurricane season.

Far away from possible storm surge and flooding.

Far away from tropical depressions taking on names like Katrina, and Ivan and Gustav.

Far away from riding out four foot waves in the anchorage.

Sure, a few thunder storms and cool Southern Alberta nights crop up. But I'll take 'um.

Haul Out in Grenada

Here we are at the beginning of this year's hurricane season safely in Grenada. Because of insurance coverage rules we have to keep Bonanza below 12 degrees latitude until November.

Getting a 40 foot boat out of the water and secured on land is a spectacle. It involves driving the boat into a slip where the Travelift can come along side. It wheels in the huge slings that slip under the hull. This set up allows the boat to be lifted out of the water and maneuvered into a parking space in the work yard.

Moving along the Windward Islands

We've been working our way down the Leeward and Windward Islands. The sailing is becoming much easier as the wind is now more on the beam, which makes for faster and smoother sailing. Since we've sailed in this area before both on charter and in the original Bonanza, we are feeling very comfortable visiting our favorite places and enjoying familar anchorages. We have lost track of most of the other boats that we saw all along the Bahamas and Puerto Rico and are meeting new people - many who are also heading south. Finally we caught up to our friends on Losloper. They are a family from Calgary who are enjoying a cruise on their new boat as well.

They were very happy to find that the flag/fruit man of Martinique had a South African flag in stock. SA is where they are orignally from. Too bad there were no Canadian flags for us to buy. Our very undersized example is blown almost to bits. Too many gales on the way down I guess.





After we enjoyed Rodney Bay in St. Lucia for a couple of days we headed down to the Pitons. This is a spectacular area where the mountains raise up right out of the water. Naturally beautiful with unbelieveably clear water. We had the chance to visit the waterfalls that flowed with heated water...not exactly what you need after hiking in the tropical afternoon sun, but a great muscle relaxer for sure.

Thar She Blows...Whales

Living onboard means you spend many hours looking at the water. Whether you are simply gazing at the never ending blue or keeping a sharp eye out for the plastic floats that mark the tangling lines of fish traps, you are always watching water. Suddenly something exceptional happens - WHALES. Roy spotted them first just off the port bow. Large, black backs just breaking the surface. I counted two, then three, then four of them. The largest one in the lead followed by two others and then what looks like a younger one. We can see them blow water. Then they disappear and reappear even closer to the boat. Then they dive and two slip directly under the boat. We see the disappearing white water patches they leave behind as they plunge beneath us. Next we spot them on the other side of the boat. They continue on and we wonder if they even really noticed us. Finally, we see the smallest one's tail flick out of the water as in swims after the others. Really cool

Look Out!!

Here's a sight that you definately don't want to see. Yikes! Luckily we were safetly anchored in St. Thomas when this cruise ship pulled out of port. The closest that we usually get to any vessel this size on the water is about a mile and sometimes even that feels awfully close.

We've put a lot of miles under the keel since I last updated this blog. From Samana we headed out across the Mona Passage for the trip over to Puerto Rico. This is a 24 hours undertaking and it all went pretty well. We arrived in Boqueron Harbour just as the sun set feeling a great sense of accomplishment. With the Mona behind us, we have the majority of the upwind parts of this journey behind us. Now, most islands are within sight of each other and can be reached in an easy day sail. After the many night sails along the Dominican Republic we are looking forward to being out and about in daylight. By the way, all the night sailing is due to a weather thing...of course. Winds drop significantly at night along the coastlines of large islands - making it much easier to make progress into them. Once we reached Puerto Rico we continued along the South coast in short hops...Cabo Rico to Ponce to Salinas. From there we got incredibly lucky with the weather and we were able to head straight for the Virgin Islands in one go. We stopped in St. Thomas for a night and then continued on to Soper's Hole, Tortola. Now we'll take the opportuntiy to visit a bunch of beautiful anchorages that we know well. Roy already bought the Pussers Rum Painkiller Kit and we are going to have a special toast to the BVI...