Union to BVI

Marie and I planned on three days to the BVI, but we ended up averaging almost seven knots on a nice beam reach, and arrived just before midnight. Approach in the dark was a bit stressful, but I know the area well enough to do it. We finally found an open mooring at The Bight, and caught it just before midnight, then celebrated with a bottle of wine! The best part of the trip was when dolphins played in our bow wake as we were sailing on the second day:

 

Free at Last!

After being the peg-leg pirate, it is time to remove my cast... I have a lot of healing left to do, but it feels good to walk again (very gingerly), and it feels GREAT to swim again!

Gross!

 

 

Pirate Night

Aargh!

 

 

 

Getting Injured on a Remote Island...

I ushered in the new year on a bad note - on the morning of December 31st, I had a kiting accident which resulted in an injury. I won't bore you with the details, but I made a series of mistakes while launching my kite and got lifted off the ground and thrown into a the trunk of a palm tree. I fended off with my legs, and it was immediately apparent that I had injured my left foot or ankle quite severely. So - immobilization, ice, elevation, anti-inflamitories...and, of course, figure out how to get to a facility that can take x-rays. I caught the first available flight to Grenada, which was five days later. I chose Grenada for a few reasons - it is possible to find good medical care there, my dear friend Sherri offered to house me and help me get around to doctors, and if it turned out that I had to fly to the US for surgery, Grenada is a very convenient place from which to do that. Thank you SO much Sherri!!!

After some difficulties getting an x-ray which a specialist was able to read, I finally got treated by an Irish-Grenadian orthopedic surgeon - complete with brogue, picture of the Pope, and a rosary with green beads! He studied the x-rays and did not recommend surgery - phew! The diagnosis was a broken calcaneus (heel bone), and the treatment was a cast for seven weeks. This process took three days in Grenada. Now, to get back to my boat on Union Island - luckily for me, my girlfriend Marie was keeping a good eye on her for me! The planes (puddle jumpers) are all full for the next week, but twice a week a "mail boat" runs from Carriacou to Union Island, and the next trip is only one day away. So, first I take the Osprey (a proper ferry which runs every day) from Grenada to Carriacou, then clear out of the country in Carriacou and wait for the 'mail boat'. And wait, and wait...Is it normal for the crew to spend an hour and a half in the bilge with wrenches before leaving the dock? This is a small, old boat, with a plywood "wheelhouse". It only travels at about five knots, but it stops completely when one of the crew gets a fish on their hand line! But, eventually, we arrive in Union, Marie is there to meet me (and feed me), and I get back to my boat. So, four days after leaving, I am home, sweet home!

The prognosis is good, and hopefully I will be kiting and hiking again in less than three months!

The New Cast

 

My Little Buddy Tristan Signing It

 

I did take time to enjoy new and old friends while I was in Grenada!

 

Bribon II

There is a sailboat here in Clifton Harbor (or what's left of one). It washed up on a reef close to here on July 28th. The mast was broken off, there was plenty of other damage, and no one was aboard. The SVG Coast Guard towed it in, and here it sits:

 

 

So, a little bit of internet sleuthing by members of the cruising facebook group quickly turned up the fact that this boat had been abandoned in February, three days out from the Canary Islands, headed for the Carribean. They hit something and lost the rudder. They signaled for a rescue, and were evacuated by helicopter, as you can see in the link below. The boat took five months, but she made it here on her own, and arrived in Union. Since there were no major tropical storms in the area she traveled during that time period, I am assuming that the mast loss was due to an encounter with an outer reef before arriving on Union Island.

Three people lost their dream, and it sits here broken:


http://youtu.be/UBjJpfcN2sQ


 

Christmas

Marie and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Night on my boat in Frigate Harbor. It was very nice, very peaceful. The stars on Christmas Eve were amazing!

 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Dinner, prepared by my French chef - miam!

 

Papa Noël brought me a great present!

 

 

Living Aboard in Clifton Harbor

Well, for one thing, the natural beauty astounds...

Somewhere under the rainbow...

Believe it or not, this picture was taken just a few minuted later, looking in the opposite direction

 

My new second mate

I am so proud of Marie for making it up the Pinnacle, a jagged steep peak!