My spirit is soaring between the sweet anticipation of going home and the bittersweet enjoyment of an incredible experience coming to an end. We have been in the Caribbean since December 5th, 2019 – initially trapped by Covid, and subsequently waiting for a relatively safe time to fly home.
Our sailing has been constrained to Grenada for the past year when the travel between Caribbean islands became too restrictive and/or expensive to temp us. This change of events provided us with a previously rare experience to connect more fully with fellow sailors and Grenadians.
We experienced the changing seasons accompanied by the coming and going of birds, flowering plants, weather, seasonal fruit and vegetables and island traditions and holidays.
We watched a lovely gesture started by Allison at Paradise Beach Club in creating a row of signs depicting boat names for her dedicated customers during lockdown, expand subsequently into a decorative wall documenting the many boats passing through. Sailors are invited on Wednesdays for Allison’s trademark “Sip and Paint”. Allison supplies the wood and the paint.
We have hiked many of the well-worn trails and some less traveled by; the two below, detailed in earlier posts.
Hiking Carriacou – Paradise Beach Club Route
One of the best consequences of living here for more than a year has been our growing friendship with a French Canadian couple, Sophie and Richard. They introduced us to Train Dominoes and we play with them and many other devotees as much as possible. It combines the elements of chance and skill such that even a novice may sometimes do well.
We recently booked flights home May 7th. While counting the days until we can see our loved ones again, we are packing in as much fun as possible. We recently sailed from Carriacou to Grenada and have been bay-hopping between St. David’s, Prickly Bay, Woburn Bay (aka Clark’s Ct. Bay), and now Port Louis. Each bay/marina is distinctly different and, in each, it was fun reconnecting with friends who were likewise moving from time to time.
The sails between these bays are short hops and sometimes we make a day of it by sailing way out into the 1000+ feet deep water while fishing. Other than quite a few barracuda earlier in our stay, I haven’t been enjoying much luck. I never get completely discourage; One of my frequent statements is “You can’t catch a fish if you are not fishing”.
Fishing has been a challenge recently as the sargassum is getting prevalent. On our trip from St.David’s to Prickly Bay we sailed way out and spent a great deal,of time pulling in lines that had snagged huge burdens of weed. With the boat sailing at 7 knots and rolling over 6 foot waves, it is hard work to bring the lines in. I persevered and was rewarded.
While pulling in a line I suspected had weed on it, two large mahi jumped out of the water and landed 10 or more feet away, each in an arch from the opposite directions toward the middle of the stern. At the instant they re-entered the water, one hit the line i was bringing in. As we troll unmanned lines, this is an infrequent thrill. I reeled her in and she was a lively acrobat; jumping and diving in her attempts to throw the hook. We got her in and subdued with vodka and only then discovered we had a second mahi on our other line. Both were a nice size (~ 30 inches). It just doesn’t get any better than that!!
We are down to the last two fillets that we will enjoy blackened one evening with the blackening seasoning my brother Michael introduced us to. I already have my hopes set on our sail in the next couple of days to Carriacou. I am certain I’ll have luck on this 6 hour passage.
Go With The Floe 