Highlights of The Rest of 2018

I cleverly refer to this post as "Highlights," but you as a seasoned blog-reader know that this is the part where I attempt to make up for over a year of no posts.  I'm sure you have sat by patiently, waiting for this day!  (Note to self:  You are not even fooling yourself, and also you do know you are the only one reading this, right?)

Anyway, here are highlights from late winter/early spring in the lower Grenadines, Carriacou, and Grenada.

Tobago Cays:

Anchored between Petit Rameau and Petit Bateau

Union Island:

Birds welcoming committee

Amazing kiteboarders of Clifton, Union Island

Pretty Sparrow's Beach

I make a friend!

Chatham Bay Lobster Dinner

Chatham Bay, Union Island

On Petite Martinique looking back north to Union Island

One more of Union Island, this time from Carriacou.  Sandy Island in the foreground.

Carriacou:

Anchored off Sandy Island, Carriacou.  Spectacular!!

Waiting for the Festival to start

Susan in Dance Mode!!

Last three from the Windward side of Carriacou

Next, final stop for winter/spring 2018--Grenada!

Learning to Kiteboard

The last time I had this kind of curiosity was 35 years ago.  I bought a "Crit 630" windsurf board and brought it out to Fire Island, NY where a bunch of friends and I rented a summer share house.  While the others were on the ocean beaches, my favorite spot was just off our house on the bay side.  It was there that I "honed" my sailboarding skills, first by just pulling the sail up and then falling over, and later on by hooking in to my harness and racing the ferry back to Bayshore. 

So it was no surprise that kiteboarding would now attract my curiosity.  Two years ago, Sam had brought his kite on to Pratique when he crewed for me.  Later on that season he told me he spent a few weeks on Cas en Bas beach in St. Lucia on the windward side, where he found Kitesurfing St. Lucia, run by a very cool lady named Beth.  It was time to try it!

Cas en Bas Beach is "chill."  (I have been dying to use that word in this blog!)  For no other reason, it is worth going there just to hang out at Marjorie's and watch the scene.  It has to be a lot less raw than in the earlier days, when Miss Marjorie set up her beach bar. Nothing but sand, wind and some interplanetary debris!

Nice day at Cas en Bas Beach for learning to kite!!

I wait for my lesson to begin.  Dog is unimpressed.

The first two lessons were mostly in the shallow water learning kite control and how to body drag with the kite.  

A very patient Beth showing me the ropes.

I think I can do this!!!!

But the dogs remain skeptical . . . .

Beth is thinking it may be time to try it with a board . . . 

. . . .but the 2 local guys are more interested in talking about giving the photographer a price for a fish!!

I did great, so I get to ride the jet ski back!

My third lesson in Cas en Bas was devoted to getting me up on the board.  It was really windy and a bit rougher than I would have liked that day.  I went out with one of Beth's local instructors who was great following me around on the jet ski, and picking me out of the water, running me back upwind, and trying the whole thing once again!

"You can do it!"

Cue the theme from "2001: A Space Odyssey" when the ape rises!!!

I AM UP!!!!!!!!!

By the way, all of these photos were taken by Susan who was great behind the zoom lens during these three days.  Great job, Susan, especially since one second after these two shots I was upside down in the water!  Susan also overheard my somewhat amused, somewhat concerned instructor telling Beth at the end of the lesson, "Ya, mon. Dat guy crashed a lot".

"Hey, am I a club member now???"

The new puppies on the beach were also impressed!

"Did you see that guy trying to kite?"

Later in the season I had two more lessons, one at Frigate Beach in Union Island where they decided I needed more practice learning to body drag and self-rescue (very important skills for independent kiting, but not for "just wanting to get up") and one "group lesson" at the Club Med in Martinique.  Neither of those two places were as fun, engaging and focused as the Cas en Bas experience!

Next time maybe one of these Union Island kiters will be me? 
 

Fast Forward in Reverse: November 2017 to Almost Now!

OK, I'm gonna try a new way to do this blog. I am not going to "retro-post" the last 6 months.  Instead I am going to tell you that it is March 17, 2018, and Susan and I are aboard Pratique, in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou, Grenada.  All is well.  OK, just one "retro-post." Here's how we got here:

1.  Down the LI Sound, out New York Harbor, down the NJ coast then up the Deleware Bay to Chesapeake City.  Thanks to our crew and future OB owner, Robert Mann.  Then down the Chesapeake with stops in Annapolis, Galesville, Solomons, Mill Creek, Reedville, Deltaville, Back River, and Hampton VA.

2.  Salty Dawg Rally Nov 2017:  Great crew of Carl D'Amato, Matt Johnson, and Jeff Sowell to Falmouth, Antigua!

Matt, Jeff and Carl

In Jolly Harbour!

3.  Exit Matt, Carl and Jeff.  Return Susan.  Sail Antigua (Five Islands, Nonsuch, Falmouth, Jolly), Guadeloupe (Deshaies, Ilet du Gosier, St. Francois, and Les Saintes), Martinique (St. Pierre, Fort de France, Trois Ilets, Grande Anse D'Arlet, Petite Anse D'Arlet, Le Marin and Ste. Anne), St. Lucia (Rodney Bay, and Marigot), Bequia, Union Island (Clifton, Frigate I.), then back to Bequia, St. Lucia and Martinique.

Christmas in Deshaies

and in Ste. Anne

Talya and Susan at New Years party in St. Lucia

Happy 2018!

Capella in Marigot Bay, St. Lucia

Marigot Bay

On the Oasis Marigot tram

4. Back in Martinique, our daughter visits us for a week in Martinique!  While we anchored and docked in Anse Mitan we enjoyed Carnival, the Jardin Balata, Anse Saline, Anse D'Arlet, and St. Anne/Marin.

Carnival in FDF

5.  Then on Feb 26 Susan and I sailed back to Bequia.  Highlight of that leg was catching a 52" Wahoo off St. Lucia!  And who can forget the "worst north swells in Admiralty Bay in 40 years."  Thank goodness for south facing Friendship Bay!

I catch a thazar!

Admiralty Bay, Bequia

6.  The Southern Grenadines!  We made it, and it was worth the wait. You'll have to wait for that, too, because the "I learn to Kiteboard" blog is next!

Summer 17

After the Bermuda trip we took it easy, staying at home in Providence and doing some local trips.

We visited our friends Steve and Elena at their summer home in Goshen. However, all we have is a shot of this baby cow:

Goshen CT Calf

Enough of the non-nautical theme.  We next went out to Block island and Eastern L.I.   A few classic B.I. shots:

Susan's mom Louise drove out to Greenport to spend some time with us.  Nice day sailing!

I'll end this blog with some more "non-nautical" photos.  First, we had a solar eclipse this summer, and we saw it two ways:  The first was through a welding shield courtesy of the guys at the marina.  No photos of that.  BUT, we also held up the pasta strainer against our seats, and got this:

Pasta strainer

Lotsa little pasta strainer eclipses!

Next on the highlight reel is my birthday (big round number).  Here are some dessert shots:

My dessert at Gracie's 

My cake at home party, courtesy of Tiffany!

And finally, to really celebrate, I had a partial knee replacement!!  Not easy finding new doctors in a new state. I really looked hard and long to find one, until one day I was picking up Chinese food at a local take out place and this bus passed me:

MAKOplasty!!!  That sounds like something I want!

So, I did it!!

Thanks, Dr. Marchand!

Kinda makes you want to go back to the calf shot, right!

Next:  We prep for another trip south!