De Blog is Done! Long Live de Blog!

So here it is, April 2023.  We survived COVID!  We kept Pratique in the water through Autumn 22/Winter23, cruising the Low Country that is Savannah GA to Charleston SC.  In February we hauled Pratique in Charleston, and in the late Spring we will re-launch, get her back to New England, and sail with the Salty Dawg Sailing Association's Maritime Rally to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.  After that, who knows???? We moved from Providence RI to Wakefield, so maybe future sailing out of Pt Judith Pond for us.  A bit of skiing here and there, gardening and landscaping, and maybe a dog?  Hang with friends and family?  Start to go out to dinner now that the "Viral Load" is low??

There won't be anymore posts on "Outbound on Pratique" after this one.  I heard of an app called "Insta-something" and people say that is the way to go.  Maybe I will try it!😂😂😂

We're Sailing Again!

 Well sort of!  First we splashed Pratique in May.  New standing rigging and new electric flush toilet!  Then set off for the Azores!  Except not on Pratique.  I joined sister ship Zephyr as crew to help get her most of the way across the Atlantic.  An epic trip to the Azores from Newport in 9 1/2 days.  Some pics:

Sturt, left.  Captain Robert at the helm

Marina in Horta, with Mt. Pico in background

Peter Cafe Sport

I tour the island by motorcycle

Capelinhos Lava Field

Beautiful island of Faial

Amazing food!

A sincere thanks to Bob Mann who made this trip happen! Zephyr is now in Ireland, but for me the Newport to Azores passage will be remembered as one of the best!  

UPDATE APRIL, 2021

UPDATE APRIL, 2021: OUR BLOG IS STILL ON INDEFINITE NEGLECT.  THE SKILIFTS AT KILLINGTON  CLOSED ON MARCH 15,2020,  AROUND THE TIME THAT LIFE CHANGED FOR US ALL. WE DID A BIT OF SAFE SAILING DURING THE SUMMER OF 2020. THAT IS MY 2020 BLOG STORY, IN ITS ENTIRETY. 

IT'S NOW APRIL 11, 2021 AND IN THREE DAYS OUR VACCINES WILL BE IN OUR SYSTEMS FOR 2 FULL WEEKS!  PERHAPS THERE IS HOPE!

Eleven Months in Two Minutes

Since last post:

January, 2019:  Launched Pratique in Grenada.  Sailed with Cousin Hank from Grenada to Antigua with stops in Union Island, Bequia, and Les Saintes.

February-April:  Susan and I to USVI's via Antigua, Nevis and St. Kitts, SXM and BVI's.

  

May, 2019:  Spring Salty Dawg Rally back to Hampton, VA then on to Wickford, RI.  Crew: Andy, Steve, Dave.

Summer 2019:  Cruised southern Maine:  Muskongus Bay, Matinicus Island, and Casco Bay. 

Autumn, 2019:  Delivered Pratique to Hampton VA, then hauled in Norfolk, VA for the winter.  Good place to get some winter work done, then splash in April, 2020 and spend the month cruising back north up the Chesapeake.

So that leaves Winter, 2019.  I re-upped my "Ambassador" status at Killington, and Susan and I will hit the Vermont deep powder again.  Happy Winter!!!

2018 Highlights Part II

The island of Grenada was the most southerly island we visited in 2018.  We were not disappointed!  Grenada is another jewel in the Windward Island chain.  A few of the many highlights:

Beautiful St. George's:

St. George's Harbour

Walking alongside the fishing boats tied to the seawall

One way (we think???) Sendall Tunnel

Josh and Tiff visited us for a great week of touring Grenada:

Lunch at the Belmont Estate

Our guide, Jason

Cocoa Beans!!!

"She got feet, and she knows how to use them . . . "

Highlight alert:  A day hiking and touring with the legendary Telfour Bedeau:

Hiking with Telfour, 

The weather is not always perfect!

Back at Hog Island, we watched the preparation of local sea urchin:

"Beach to Table"

 Another amazing experience was traveling all the way up to the north tip of the island to watch the Leatherback seaturtles lay their eggs.  Because of the fragility of the whole situation, this is a very strictly managed site.  We took one of Shade Man's shuttles up to Levara Beach, then checked in for a guided walk along the beach at midnight.  (Coincidentally, once again our guide was Jason!).  Red headlamps only, and stay quiet!  Each small group is assigned one nesting turtle, and both the guides and the sea-turtle scientists explain the entire ritual. 

Susan gets to comfort the sea turtle!

Turtle Trance!

Success!!!!

Speaking of rituals, there is one more of them worth experiencing:  The Hash.  I had no idea this existed, but like a lot of the cruising experiences you get quickly submerged into local events by listening to the local VHF Cruisers Net. Every week the organizers of the Hash choose a location anywhere on the island, and a couple of hundred folks travel there to participate in the Hash.  So what is it?? See for yourself, here!

Run or walk the Hash!

When you're done with the walk/run, great local food, drink and company.

So that's the end of a great winter season!  We hauled Pratique at Clarke's Court and returned, boatless, to Providence for the summer.   Sure, we missed Pratique.  But there's always friends boats to be on.  And when there aren't friends boats, you make it work anyway you can:

Roger Williams Park Pond

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?