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Practically Sails Itself

~ Kirsten & Mike's Adventures on Gaia

Practically Sails Itself

Monthly Archives: January 2016

Black sand beaches, Mars, & hiking the Valley of Desolation. Dominica-style

27 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Favorite Posts, Windwards - Dominica

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It’s ridiculous how much time it takes just to maintain and clean your boat just so you can sit down at the end of the day and say ‘ah, now that’s a home’ …. as you sip your own rum punch. After an ‘excursion day’, a ‘clean Gaia day’ always seems to follow except for the days we went to the NorthEast of Dominica and the very full day we hiked to the boiling lake.

We took a bus to Calibishie, which is wildly lush and untouched. The roads twist and wind around hairpin turns and the mountain ravines create a severely steep wilderness that’s jawdropping. So, good luck holding onto your lunch. We walked through town to the red rocks which just happened to be next to the chocolate factory! Score! As we walked along the street, there were wooden pegs with a red or blue flag. These are leftover “votes” from the recent election.

Unsure if we were anywhere near the red rocks, the red rocks ranger appeared out of the garden ready to help us, as if he had sensed our confusion. He talked and walked with us, pointing out several trees and the medicinal uses along the way. He even showed us a tree which grew thousands of carefully placed needle-like spikes. He told us this was the only tree we couldn’t climb… :) He then showed us the red rocks which were so beautiful! We leisurely made our way to the black sand beach which was my favorite part of our day. We finished the tour with smelling fragrant plants and munching on coffee beans then seeing where the chocolate was made.

Took the bus to Calibishie
Took the bus to Calibishie
meandered the main street
meandered the main street
saw some beautiful restaurants
saw some beautiful restaurants

and some very simple bars
and some very simple bars
interesting details in the local homes
interesting details in the local homes
the loo
the loo

we met with the red rocks ranger who showed us around
we met with the red rocks ranger who showed us around
amazing vistas where he meditated
amazing vistas where he meditated
the soil is rich with iron
the soil is rich with iron

the seabreeze was unrelenting and amazing
the seabreeze was unrelenting and amazing
a teacher carved out this little cave to meditate
a teacher carved out this little cave to meditate
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and we were allowed to wander the premise to explore the unknown
and we were allowed to wander the premise to explore the unknown
Lisa found this part particularly fun
Lisa found this part particularly fun

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making our way to the black sand beach
making our way to the black sand beach
you had to walk barefoot to feel the vibration of the sand against the souls of your feet
you had to walk barefoot to feel the vibration of the sand against the souls of your feet
the black sand was very heavy and sank immediately as opposed to white granular sand
the black sand was very heavy and sank immediately as opposed to white granular sand

volcanic projectile rocks that went kerplop
volcanic projectile rocks that went kerplop
spotted a green fern. The underside was a brilliant yellow which made for a fun tattoo.
spotted a green fern. The underside was a brilliant yellow which made for a fun tattoo.
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and like all good things we ended with a chocolate and a tour of the process
and like all good things we ended with a chocolate and a tour of the process
and as we waited for another bus to come by we enjoyed the beach and a drink
and as we waited for another bus to come by we enjoyed the beach and a drink

 

The following day Mike, Lisa, and I met our guide, Martin, at 6:30 AM ! Poor poor Mike, he doesn’t fair well in the mornings (but he did well that day….). Martin drove us an hour South near Rosseau. We started the hike on a well maintained path, though, still an arduous climb up. All four of us were breathing hard as we climbed right into the clouds.DSC_0543 Extreme drop offs were on either side of us and when there was a break in the trees and brush, jets of wind funneled over the cliffside. The force of which, nearly knocked your body back. I looked back several times unsure if Lisa would fly away. We suddenly found ourselves on the summit about 3,000 feet up but with zero view due to the clouds. I took a picture but it didn’t come out 😉 (sorry, that was Kirsten humor…) We then, began to decline over a ridge into what opened up to be the first of the two calderas! It was fantastically green and the rocks held so much iron. These calderas are thought to have been created 40,000 and 35,000 years ago.

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We cautiously climbed over narrow muddy footholds that descended into the valley of desolation. This was super neat! As in, when I looked up to see the valley of desolation, I had truly NEVER seen anything like it in my life. I saw pictures online but it didn’t do it justice. The gaseous ground, did, reminded me of a scene in the cat/dog movie of Milo & Otis (kudos to anyone who remembers that childrens movie. I watched that movie on my Dads lap in 17 Rising Lane Long Island NY when I was a kid).DSC_0564  The smell of sulfur was so strong you could taste it and when the wind changed and the steam rolled into your face you could feel and taste it. Joy… Mike and I wore our chaos sandals so our feet could feel the heat of the earth beneath us… which I found a little…. intimidating. The earth was cakey and almost sponge-like in some areas. In the stream some people have been known to cook a raw egg…. I didn’t see the appeal in that.

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Again others painted their face with the warm grey mud. It smelled awful but was rich

DSC_0589in nutrients and is said to slow the aging process and cleanse the skin. I dashed a bit on my hand and found it just dried out my skin. I was also really glad I didn’t paste it on my face because within minutes of continuing the hike I was breathing deeply and sweating.

 

IMG_0810   This is a fumarole, a crack, which gas escapes. Since the last major eruption was 800 AD… I’m not terribly concerned.

Anyway. Another great sight was the fact we saw a black stream… a lot of them in fact. Created out of basalt. The other streams of green, grey, and white… I’m less sure of but hot dang! they sure are cool looking.

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DSC_0621We passed a few hot springs which were very inviting and yet still maintained that lingering sulfur smell.
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and now for what you’ve all been waiting for… the second largest boiling lake in the world…. I give you…. Boiling Lake.

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Yes, it boils, yes, you should not fall into it and no, it’s not always full. Apparently this decade it’s higher than usual (in 1988 it stopped boiling and dropped by 29 feet). I find it interesting to say “usual” because the scientists don’t actually know how deep the lake is. There are steep walls packed by loose rock. The edge of the lake is a mixture of pumice and clay. It’s said to be about 200 degrees F. and it only gets hotter towards that grey blue middle, bubbling like a witches cauldron. We ate lunch here then said our farewells to the boiling lake. Our return hike was far clearer and provided us with beautiful surrounding vistas. We also passed  other hikers on our return. We were the first to arrive and enjoyed the lake all to ourselves.

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back up the caldera
back up the caldera

glistening mountains
glistening mountains
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The Armada of Four in Dominica

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Windwards - Dominica

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I give you the Armada of Four:

Acedia – a Freedom 38 captained by Melissa friggin Kalicin of Boston,  Aggressive – a C&C 38 captained by Nils and Lisa from Maine,  Alpha Crucis – captained by Megs and Tom from Wisconsin,  and good ole Gaia – a Pearson 42 by yours truly and Mike

Most of the boats we see in port are French, Canadian, and some Scandanavians…. But in this port there’s a good contingency of us Americans holed up together. A few of us have been leap frogging each other from port to port so it’s about time we adventure together.

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We called a taxi driver named Martin the day prior to drive us to a few of the sites. Everyone seemed to know Martin …. EVERYONE… it’s a small community on Dominica… or wonderfully serendipitous…

For example: On our first day Mike & I explored part of Dominica and grabbed lunch near university campus, while figuring out which vendor to grab a local meal from, a couple from Canada voiced their opinion to us, encouraging us to try the fish in one vendor. We curiously wandered over to them and began talking about the local university, what they liked about Dominica, how long they’ve been studying here, etc. We ended up with a few recommended hikes and a taxi/guide we had to use, his name is Martin. A few days later, Aggressive and Alpha Crucis happened to meet the same pair of Canadian medical students and they, again, advised to use Martin as a guide…. And as Alpha Crucis and Aggressive strolled out to the street they asked the first taxi driver if they knew who Martin was…. Sure enough…. The man said he sure did he was Martin. Now this may be some very complex tourist ploy but…. they were Canadian and you can always trust Canadians…  Martin ended up being about $80-100 USD less expensive than if we had hired a guide from our anchorage area.

We started the day with a hike to Middleham Falls. The hike was a thousand shades of green, held together with a thick jungle canopy and made strong by enormous tree root systems; it was as the Canadians described: ‘national geographic’. The world around was wild and diverse; the trail on the other hand, was neat and tame. As an avid hiker, Mike & I were floored by how well the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division maintained the trail. It was completely manicured the entire way! What do I mean by manicured…. When mother nature didn’t create an easy to hike/hop trail, steps were made in the dirt/mud and held in place by notched logs which even had supports to keep them from sliding. Unfortunately this made it very accessible to foreign cruise ship visitors which came in droves of other tourists. I’m all for people getting outside and appreciating nature… just not in droves while I’m visiting… After the Middleham hike we visited Freshwater Lake and TiTou Gorge which was particularly amazing. We swam through a slot canyon that lead to waterfalls…. Mike and I attempted climbing the sides multiple times. Lastly we visited Trafalgar Falls, which was pretty neat. It’s actually two beautiful cascading falls, called mama and papa falls. Hundreds of giant boulders turned in every direction made for a fun river bed to climb over into the pools below the falls. We all enjoyed a nice quick dip before heading home exhausted and hungry.

Middleham hike
Middleham hike
nice trail maintenance
nice trail maintenance
Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division maintains the trails
Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division maintains the trails

symbiotic relations
symbiotic relations
the crew
the crew
so much green, about 10% of sunlight hits the forrest floor
so much green, about 10% of sunlight hits the forrest floor

Middleham Falls, the tallest in Dominica at 275 ft
Middleham Falls, the tallest in Dominica at 275 ft
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birds of paradise
birds of paradise

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Ti Tou Gorge
Ti Tou Gorge
Ti Tou Gorge for a swim
Ti Tou Gorge for a swim

Trafalgar Falls - mama falls
Trafalgar Falls – mama falls
Trafalgar Falls - papa falls
Trafalgar Falls – papa falls
rock hopping
rock hopping

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end of a busy day
end of a busy day

“You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust him. Trust me.”

22 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Windwards - Dominica

≈ 5 Comments

When you first anchor in Portsmouth, there is a system/company of boats and one comes out to greet you and make their touring services available to you. Being new to the harbor I was weary of this boat guy coming out to welcome us. But now I know….

About 10 or so years ago this harbor was unsafe until a group of men made it safe. They patrol the waters at night and keep a general look out during the day. If any issues or questions arise you look for one of these guys. They’re referred to as P.A.Y.S. And they are phenomenally great. That said, Mike and I enjoy off the beaten track adventures, the kind that involves meandering and less so guides and fannypacks. Which is why it took about 3 days to finally agree to one of the PAYS guys to take us on a river tour. Our boat guy was Alexis.DSC_0137

We started the day with a tour down the Indian River. Our main man, Alexis, spoke Creole, English, French, German, and Spanish. Crazy impressive! We were with a French family so poor Alexis had to explain everything twice French and English, for all to understand.

DSC_0143 DSC_0149Our first stop was Calypso’s digs in the tropical rainforest. If it looks familiar, then I know you’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean II. That’s right, 10 years ago the amazing

DSC_0156cast including Johnny Depp Orlando Bloom Bill Nighy stayed in Dominica for some time going out to the local bars. (title of this post is a Jack Sparrow quote from P. of the C. II)

The water was far clearer than I thought it would be. I was anticipating swamp and algae. The brackish water supports fish, mainly mullet fish, which we saw plenty of. The only other boat we saw on the river were our friends on Aggressive and Alpha Crucis.DSC_0150

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DSC_0168We left our boats and went on a stroll where Alexis told us about the local vegetation. Coming from a farming background he was able to give us insight on how simple yet difficult life can be living off the land. He pointed out cinnamon trees to us and then THWAK! With his machete he took a piece of the tree and showed us how it smelled…. like a perfect Martha Stewart Christmas… but better. It was incredible, we strolled around this farmland with Alexis and his machete. He was slicing off passion fruit, star fruit, coconut, coffee beans, bananas…. for us to try. We ended our stroll at a brightly colored house where we had fresh passion fruit juice. And Mike and I standing at the bar, noticed bottles that looked like rum. We were correct and tasted the homemade rum. We bought a bottle that had coconut and cinnamon mixed in it. YUM! And sure enough, our friends from Aggressive and Alpha Crucis wandered in and we all enjoyed our rum drinks after a fresh snack of fruits. In the end, Mike & I enjoyed our tour immensely!

start of our stroll
start of our stroll
Taking a bite out of starfruit. A bit tart at the end but really tasty in the center like a peach.
Taking a bite out of starfruit. A bit tart at the end but really tasty in the center like a peach.
cocoa bean
cocoa bean

cocoa bean opened up
cocoa bean opened up
individual cocoa bean is purple! The things you learn!
individual cocoa bean is purple! The things you learn!
passion fruit. very tart on its own
passion fruit. very tart on its own

slicing a piece of bark of from the cinnamon tree
slicing a piece of bark of from the cinnamon tree
Captain Coconut. cute little french kid with a captains hat took a particularly fond liking to coconuts.
Captain Coconut. cute little french kid with a captains hat took a particularly fond liking to coconuts.
chilling out after drinks
chilling out after drinks

taking in the flowers
taking in the flowers
looking up
looking up

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Our day doesn’t end here (good grief… I know… the blog entry continues). Alexis dropped us off around 11 but we still had the rest of the day. Sitting on a tour boat didn’t tucker us out so we asked Acedia, Alpha Crucis, and Aggressive (alliteration not intentional, on occasion we do befriend boats that start with other letters of the alphabet). The 7 of us rallied and we found a lime green van to take us into the mountains to explore the Syndicate Rainforest.

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Mystery Mobile in action

Our driver, Alan, was kind enough to show us where to start our hike
Our driver, Alan, was kind enough to show us where to start our hike
As we sealed the details for our pickup time with Alan, M wanders for the view
As we sealed the details for our pickup time with Alan, M wanders for the view
Lush vegetation
Lush vegetation

DID IT! Found a vine to swing from. Mike was the eager first volunteer. (unfortunately M sprained her ankle from this)
DID IT! Found a vine to swing from. Mike was the eager first volunteer. (unfortunately M sprained her ankle from this)
Milton Falls in the Syndicate Forest
Milton Falls in the Syndicate Forest
love the tree roots on the left side
love the tree roots on the left side

the Boston crew
the Boston crew
we found grapefruit trees. Mike poked at the fruit and knocked a few down for a mid afternoon snack.
we found grapefruit trees. Mike poked at the fruit and knocked a few down for a mid afternoon snack.
we also found papaya. Food is everywhere here
we also found papaya. Food is everywhere here

Once we made it back from the waterfalls our walk continued, 30 minutes (according to Alan) down a very hilly road to the rainforest and parrot reserve… About an hour later we were still making our way down this road. Thank goodness we had the enjoyable company of Nills, Lisa, Megs, Tom and Melissa to keep us preoccupied from  the temperately humid nonending march to nowhere. And just as the farmland began to disappear and more open and wild vegetation grew we spotted two vibrantly green parrots fly overhead. And that’s when good -ole- Alan appeared. We hopped in the van and he drove us the last 1/4 of a mile to the rainforest reserve center. He was kind enough to let us stroll around for another 15 minutes.

Nills and Lisa with giant trees
Nills and Lisa with giant trees
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hiking down neatly manicured paths
hiking down neatly manicured paths

enjoying the sights
enjoying the sights
and surreal jungle
and surreal jungle
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this tree is 2.5 sailor women arm lengths  wide (aka 2.5 s.w.a.ls).
this tree is 2.5 sailor women arm lengths wide (aka 2.5 s.w.a.ls).
great ending to a great day. Car ride back to the boats.
great ending to a great day. Car ride back to the boats.

We made it back just in time for Lisa and I to watch for our green flash we, so badly, yearn to see. No go this time… maybe next.

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Venturing to Dominica to meet Lulu

21 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Windwards - Dominica

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DSC_0110  We left the Saintes to go a little further South to Dominica. This will be furthest South we go on our trip.

 

 

 

DSC_0112Dominica, the land untouched and unspoiled (….by McDonalds). But really it’s lush and rich with vibrant plants and flowers. It’s the youngest of the Caribbean islands so it’s mountainous and the only island to have multiple volcanoes. Christopher Columbus  spotted the island on a Sunday of 1493…. and named it after that day of the week. I suppose he had ran out of saints to name.

What was really great about this landfall was the fact that we were beginning to see familiar boats and knew two of the boats rather well at this point, one being Melissa on Acedia. Again, it’s pretty cool to come into a new country and see a few friends just chilling in the anchorage.

Our first day we checked into customs and forged onward to a university area where we found Lulu or rather Lulu found us. Lulu is an amazing cook. After strolling halfway through 10 stalls selling all forms of delicious juices, lunches, and cookies; Lulu called to us. She was the 10th and last stand in the group. Cornered in the shade with a picnic table we followed her and devoured Lulu’s homemade rice, beans, chicken, and fried plantains. With a full and happy tummy we wished Lulu thanks and bid her farewell…. but not for long. We’d be back…

The second day we actually saw more of the island and went on a hike to the E & W Cabrits. Two mountains on the Northwestern side of Dominica.
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Still watching for my green flash.

All the baguettes & French wine I need – The Saintes

13 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Favorite Posts, Leewards

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We continued our snorkeling and hiking streak. And we’ve taken great strides to  assimilating ourselves to island time. We’ve completed small projects onboard with screens and perfecting our internet wiring to capture as many internets as possible. We also tried the local drink T- Punch. It’s a deadly 100 proof rum with a lime and a touch of sugar (ice optional but I think you’d have to be a viking to withstand it/enjoy it without ice). Made properly, (i.e. made with our friends Nills and Lisa) the drink can be enjoyable and festive instead of a heavyweight knockout.

Below are our meanderings around Terre de Haut. Quaint beautiful island with old french zeal and class. Terre de Haut has a great community. Again, I could stay in Guadeloupe indefinitely. I love trying to learn the language and the beauty here.

Today we relocate to Marigot Bay for more snorkeling and free diving on a shipwreck!

Can't get enough of Guadeloupe countryside
Can’t get enough of Guadeloupe countryside
Volcano Soufrier Mikes new obsession
Volcano Soufrier Mikes new obsession
The Saintes main port Terre de Haut
The Saintes main port Terre de Haut

cute side streets
cute side streets
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old Terre de Haut
old Terre de Haut

Parrot Fish tonight on the grill!
Parrot Fish tonight on the grill!
our anchorage in Pain de Sucre
our anchorage in Pain de Sucre
Chilling at the nearby bar looking at Gaia
Chilling at the nearby bar looking at Gaia

Hike to the tallest point Chameau
Hike to the tallest point Chameau
Chameau - oldest tower
Chameau – oldest tower
exploring where we shouldn't
exploring where we shouldn’t

Fancy French dinner in the West Indies outside on the side of stone street
Fancy French dinner in the West Indies outside on the side of stone street
Pain de Sucre. cool rock formation
Pain de Sucre. cool rock formation
Terre de Haut bay
Terre de Haut bay

Adorable energetic baby goat
Adorable energetic baby goat
walk along the beach with brightly colored boats
walk along the beach with brightly colored boats
beautiful local flowers
beautiful local flowers

Fort Napoleon
Fort Napoleon
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On top of Fort Napoleon The Saintes
On top of Fort Napoleon The Saintes

great views
great views
Fort turned into a cactus garden
Fort turned into a cactus garden
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T-Punch without ice at the local bar
T-Punch without ice at the local bar
Our friend or alarm clock....
Our friend or alarm clock….

 

Marigot Bay, not many people around.
Marigot Bay, not many people around.
Beautiful clear water great for a snorkel. I jumped in the second the anchor was set.
Beautiful clear water great for a snorkel. I jumped in the second the anchor was set.
Found some beaches on the West side
Found some beaches on the West side

Mike bought a machete and went to town opening the coconut
Mike bought a machete and went to town opening the coconut
Love Terre de Haut. They have the classy side
Love Terre de Haut. They have the classy side
great streets to stroll all afternoon
great streets to stroll all afternoon

Recycling disposals in every neighborhood
Recycling disposals in every neighborhood
and the local 'no name' bars for the riffraff like us to enjoy
and the local ‘no name’ bars for the riffraff like us to enjoy

Jacques Cousteau’s favorite dive spot

12 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Favorite Posts, Leewards

≈ 1 Comment

Where is Jacques Cousteau’s favorite dive spot? Pigeon Island Guadeloupe.

CousteauA man as cool as he is legendary, Mike & I had to stop over and check it out; the Jacques Cousteau National Underwater Park. We blared our soundtrack to Life Aquatic and made anchor just a few miles South of Deshaies in Pigeon Bay.Steve-Zissou

 

 

 

 

Mr. Cousteau is an accomplished man; famed for underwater exploration and research, he is also a  renown oceanographer, naval officer, and filmmaker. As a kid growing up next to the Atlantic, I loved the water. You could barely pull me out of it for lunch. In his films and books, I, like so many others, was influenced by Jacques Cousteau and his amazing work to introduce the Ocean to the masses. Another great facilitator to my love of the ocean is my mom. She checked out the coolest library book in all of NY; which held detailed pictures identified hundreds of corals and fishes (*inside family joke*).

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DSC_0587 Upon entering the boundaries  of the Underwater Park we were still in 200 feet of water. We spotted the largest turtle I’ve ever seen floating on the surface 30 feet starboard of us. It had a dark brown shell and couldn’t have been smaller than 3.5 feet long (head to tail). We didn’t see the head but I think it may have been the Loggerhead (status: Threatened and known to grow quit large) or the Hawksbill (status: endangered). We  anchored and jumped into the clear water. We checked the anchor and Mike spotted a large turtle in front of us. We followed the turtle leisurely diving down to see there were two long thin white fish swimming directly under the shell of the turtle. DSC_0617It was surreal. We were chasing turtles in the Leeward Islands. As we sat and watched the sun dip down, I spotted turtle after turtle dipping its grumpy little head above the surface for only a moment of air before diving back down.

 

We dinghy-ed over to Pigeon Island and tied off to a mooring ball used for small dive boats & dinghies. We rolled over the side  and plunged into the warm crystal clear water. The Underwater Park is famous for being untouched by fisheries and holding hundreds of species of coral and fishes. The entire time I kept giggling with happiness.  We had drinks with a couple we met in Deshaies, Nills & Lisa  on a C&C 36. Nills was once a dive master in Puerto Rico. We had seen him dive down in Deshaies and he moved effortlessly and stayed down what seemed like an eternity. It was really impressive. So, with me being barely able to free dive down to 17 feet, I asked for some tips. He was very encouraging to practice little by little and gave me the most helpful advice. People overwork themselves. Once you jackknife down into 5 feet, you don’t need your arms and you don’t need to work until you jackknife back up. I tried it. And wow. He’s right. If I don’t use my arms and legs while I’m below I can hold my breathe so much longer. You really need to calm your body and not exert yourself. Over those 3 days I went from diving 17 feet and gasping for air at the surface to about 28 feet (and gasping for air).cousteau-status On the SouthEast side of Pigeon Island is the commemorating statue of Jacques Cousteau giving the okay diving sign. Unfortunately he’s missing his “OK” arm, must have been sacrificed to the sea god. Mike dove down the 38 feet and touched the beanie of Cousteau. I got about as close as Mike’s fin to touching the statue before I said nope, that’s all the air I got for this and surfaced. I was creeped out when my mask for a third time suctioned tighter onto my face. I had never felt that much pressure on my mask and didn’t want to push my limits too quickly. On our snorkeling trips and free dives we saw the most amazing corals brain, staghorn, elkhorn. We saw countless butterfly, angel, and parrot fish all gorgeous in their own way. And my big take-away was watching a barracuda about 2 feet long pass right past me (mind you, everything looks distorted and larger underwater… so this thing appeared to be about 3 feet long!).

What I think is in front of me….barracuda3

Finding-nemo-barracuda

 

Aaaaand what’s actually in front of me….

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I was torn between floating perfectly still and frantically swimming over to Mike to get his attention and warn him of the predator in our vicinity. I ended up waving my hands frantically trying to get Mike’s attention only to notice my gold wedding ring. Barracudas are notoriously attracted to shiny objects and me being me decided that was just too much shiny to be waving around in front of said barracuda. So I stuck my left hand above water and swam just behind the barracuda for a moment.  There were also 3 black fish (shaped like an angle fish but rounder) swimming behind the barracuda like a posse. So that was cool, I swam with the barracuda posse.

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In the end. I fell in love with the clear water perfect for novice or expert scuba divers novice or expert snorkelers. The amount of life and color which drenched the ocean floor was overwhelming. It also opened my eyes to how much we need to do to protect this environment. We’re not all accomplished oceanographers and marine explorers but we can change our daily lives bit by bit so we consume and waste less. We can find programs that aim to preserve and clean the ocean. DSC_0648

Deshaies Guadeloupe

09 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Leewards

≈ 1 Comment

In all of our travels, Mike & I have never geared up for a destination, traveled there, then left; all the while never completely knowing the correct way to pronounce the town we were visiting. Before we left two people who have been there pronounced it differently, while we were there the transients mumbled different ways to say Deshaies, and even as we left… other cruisers just shrugged their shoulders. We have confirmed pronunciation now….

DSC_0389From Falmouth Harbor Antigua to Deshaies Guadeloupe, it’s about 40 nm. We left early and caught great wind, a bit gusty from the land at times but overall beautiful. In our sail we got a bit cocky, in which, the Ocean responded very clearly with a rogue wave dousing me (at the helm), the wind completely dying then changing direction, then taking one of our winch handles (we then performed a winch overboard drill – yes OUR Titan winch handles by Lewmar DO float…. they look “dinkey” but by George, they float… Plus, we’re not down a winch handle ! woot). We learned a lot how wind moves and fluctuates as you near land.

Deshaies is a small sleepy town on the NW side of Basse Terre. It has beautiful mountainous terrain and steep slopping harbor to go with it. We found most people anchored in 30-40 feet of water. The mountains can create high winds that funnel into the harbor so anchoring can be a bit dicey. If you’re lucky you grab a free mooring ball. When we arrived it was crowded and one mooring ball was available but it had markings on it that was different from the surrounding balls. Unsure if it was public we left it alone and anchored near shore snuggly between a steel-hulled French boat and a black boat from Nantucket.

{Kirsten’s Little Glory Story: In the process of anchoring Gaia drifted a little too close for comfort to the Nantucket boat. I was at the helm (Mike on anchor duty) and the other captain tended to his own bow. I threw over a fender and calmly maneuvered the boat as best I could waiting to make the turn so our davits didn’t hit his boat. The captain on the Nantucket boat seemed impressed that I didn’t crack under pressure and asked us over for drinks.}

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We had drinks with these salty seasoned sailors and serendipitously found out one of the men lived but only a few blocks away from Anne, Mike’s moms home on the Cape! Thousands of miles away in Guadeloupe, on this night, in this anchorage we happened to sit next to a “neighbor”!  Talk about ‘Of all the gin joints in the world’… WOW. So we enjoyed our tropical drinks with, OF COURSE, nutmeg freshly ground on top. :) Then a dinghy with two ladies came up to the boat. They handed over a  package of beautiful tuna steaks. Mike & I quizzically looked over as to …. what was going on… You could place your orders with these ladies and they would deliver food to you, really good food. I heard “croissant almond” in all the French conversations and knew I needed to get in on this. Without hesitations I threw up my hand waving frantically saying ‘ Bonjour! Je voudrais du croissant. silt tu plait.’ And that was that. Like placing a trade on my stock portfolio I had just engaged in a kind of futures contract. Tomorrow would be the delivery. They soon left and we continued our drinking.

{Anchoring Woes Story: Around 5 AM the wind and current caused the boats to “dance” around their anchors in an odd manner. I heard an odd noise. Opened my eyes and saw a beam of light in our boat. We were hitting the French boat behind us! We jumped up turned the engine on pulled up the anchor and politely left the anchorage area. The odd looking mooring ball was still available so we grabbed that. At 6:45 AM we awoke again to grab a more “legit” looking morning ball as soon as someone left. And by 7:30 AM the croissant women arrived with my breakfast. Best Croissant Ever. And we all lived happily ever after.}

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This is the Dehsaies Customs and Immigration office. A computer in a tourist shop.

 

 

 

 

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Snorkeled by this cliff twice. You can see Mt. Montserrat in the background. We spotted an octopus and lion fish; saw so many colorful schools of fish and coral.

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Happiness

The botanical garden is about a mile hike up from the harbor
The botanical garden is about a mile hike up from the harbor
Botanical Gardens is a must see
Botanical Gardens is a must see
I love orchids
I love orchids

Becoming friends with the colorful birds.
Becoming friends with the colorful birds.
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No filter. Plants are that colorful
No filter. Plants are that colorful

Mike posing with one of the parrots.
Mike posing with one of the parrots.
Great pose
Great pose
Not sure what these are but we think they're edible
Not sure what these are but we think they’re edible

Crazy cool plants from around the world
Crazy cool plants from around the world
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Hiked along the Deshaies River
Hiked along the Deshaies River
Good thing we love rock hopping. Reminded us of the lodge.
Good thing we love rock hopping. Reminded us of the lodge.

BTW (ByTheWay) Deshaies is pronounced “Dayz-Uh”

Bonjour Guadeloupe

06 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Leewards

≈ 2 Comments

Guadeloupe Je sui desole (sorry)! For all these years, I’ve been pretty ignorant in Caribbean geography. If you’re like me, you know the Caribbean as turquoise waters SE of FL, right? Let me shed some light on these amazing islands. Let’s give Guadeloupe a “face”.

Firstly Guadeloupe is located in the West Indies and to be more precise the Lesser westind
Antilles, and to zoom in a bit more The Leeward island chain. This elementary map
spells it out fairly clearly. Guadeloupe is a French territory so ‘parlez la Francais’ is a good-to-have in your bag of tricks when traveling here but honestly  you can get by with limited French. I know enough to be polite and attempt a conversation but the conversation always backfires after they respond. I must say, attempting to speak basic verbs or grasp at whatever French you do know reflects very well and is much appreciated. Don’t worry ‘Merica, we’re making you look good (sort of). Like Bermuda, everyone says Good Day /Good Afternoon (Bonjour/Bonsoir). And I’ve noticed when placing a request or order, even with a long line of patrons behind you, you don’t start with: ‘Je voudrais….’ ( I would like…). You start with ‘Bonjour/Bonsoir, Cava bien’ (Hi how are you).  People seemed fairly ‘put-off’ whenever we just say “I want” then point.

Christopher Colombus was no stranger to these parts and named the land after a Spanish monastery around 1493. Inhabited by the Carib people, Guadeloupe was previously known as Karukera which means Island of Beautiful Waters. The Carib people fought off invading Europeans for quite a while until the 17th century when the French took over. In the 18th and 19th century there were several British occupations and even one brief Swedish takeover.

So that’s Guadeloupe in a nutshell.

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Traveling in a small space with one person over an extended time can be taxing, which is why we touch base and regroup on what we want to get out of our travels and what’s the least hair-pulling teeth-grinding way to go about it. Mike has asked me what my expectations are and which island I’m most excited for. Call it zen or taoist, but I honestly have no expectations. Weeellll, complete disclosure, the extent of my expectations are to see a turtle, drink some tropical drinks, snorkel and (realistically) work on the boat. I’m reading my guidebook, safety warnings, and sailing tips so I’m not completely ignorant. But I’ve learned from talking to other sailors along the way, everyone has their OWN opinion, their OWN comfort levels, and have traveled to different places. I tried listening to others advice but in the end take it with a grain of salt. Arriving with no expectations…. it’s allowed me to explore to it’s fullest. I had no idea it would be this beautiful. Accepting the jaw dropping lush mountainous scenery, the humid weather,  the culture change, it’s all a shift and in a few weeks, I’ll move on to something different. So live in the moment.

You’re on Island Time Now – Antigua

05 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Favorite Posts, Leewards

≈ 2 Comments

WOW! I’m in Antigua & Barbuda (pronounced An-Teeg-uh). If you would have told a 10 year old Kirsten living in the beautiful town of Norwalk, Connecticut that I’d travel & live in China, Singapore, and one day travel to Antigua on a sailboat…. I probably would have merely walked away with raised eyebrows. But here I stand/sit floating in the harbor of Antigua. When you’re working for your goals, it’s amazing the opportunities that present themselves. And life has that funny way of propelling you to your goal then throwing in road blocks just as you thought you were home free. And as you work and toil your way through the roadblocks… there comes a day. A day when you look up  and you come to the realization…. you’re no longer in the thick of the fight; that you’ve “made” it. And you’re thankful. In Antigua, I finally lifted my head up. And it’s not to say I wasn’t thankful the entire trip South, I’ve been thankful every day of my entire life.

After sailing 1,070 statute miles to Antigua we were tired. As we approached English harbor we took down the sails and turned the engine on. One catch to that sentence. The engine did not “turn” on. In fact, nothing made a sound aside for the howling wind. So the sails went back up and we turned back into the 4-6 foot swells. And Mike the amazing engineer went to town. We noticed there was no electrical pulse…. so our first thought was the electrical system may have gotten a dose of ocean spray from one of the many rogue waves. Mike worked his way back checking the voltage of the engine first. nadda. He surmised it had something to do with the alternator (which provides alternating current from the engine) and “unplugged” that. He took a look at the 200 amp fuse…. and that was blown aka shorted. By some miracle we had a spare on board …. crossed our fingers and tried again. POOF…. at 1.5 hours later the engine slowly came back to life. We spent the next two days doing laundry, fixing leaks, killing mildew and mold and putting the boat from ocean passage  to a more livable state. We learned quickly the island receives a scarce amount of rain and in the marina facilities laundry can cost $ 30 USD per load of laundry. We made the mistake of taking our laundry there exactly once. For the next 2 loads we ventured further into town to find a small path that lead to a cute pink home. A woman was on the phone as we entered. She lazily motioned we leave our laundry on the floor then turned away. We saw a sign with the cost per load of laundry but weren’t sure what else she needed or when to return. Seeing we were still standing there she shoo’ed us out the door  silently mouthing an innocuous “Later today.” Okay…… so that’s obviously settled. We’ll just come back for our 2 or 3 loads of laundry later today with cash… I suppose.

First sign you’re not from the islands….. you initially require and expect details/attention as soon as you arrive at some form of a service business. Still trying to slow down.

Antigua & Barbuda are two separate islands. In the 18th century Nelsons Dockyard English Harbor, Antigua served as the British Naval headquarters for the Leeward Island chain. Well chosen because it lies at the Eastern-most edge of the island chain. When the dominant wind roars from the East year round and everyone uses sail to travel from island to island, it’s “wicked smaht” to pick an island you can quickly deploy a fleet without worry of sailing against the wind and the current. Antigua

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Hike up to Mt. Shirley

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Hiked Mt Shirley and enjoyed a mango smoothie and view at the top.

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View of English and Falmouth Harbor

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Old Anchor left to wither in the ages of time. We snorkeled here. Saw some cool fishies and a shipwreck.

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Moved to Falmouth Harbor and saw turtles and beautiful water at our stern

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My Ma n Pa will appreciate this. The Royal Clipper. Cruising clipper ship; sails from port to port under nightfall.

 

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