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Cathy Manuel
Cathy Manuel

Cathy Manuel

s’est rendu dans 20 pays. En savoir plus
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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Bequia

    3 mars 2024, Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We were up before 5am as the rolling was bad in the Bay. We let go of the mooring and I had a spotlight that I used for the next hour on the bow to make sure we didn’t hit any fishing traps. The light attracted the flying fish who put on a show.
    We arrived at the Pitons at dawn, unfortunately there was very little wind but the view was incredible. We then turned the engine on and motor sailed to Port Elizabeth, a 65mile stretch. I tried to work on the phone and computer but was struggling not to get sick as there was lots of rolling motion, which I don’t normally mind, but can’t seem to handle when I am on a device.
    Brian beckoned me to come forward, thinking he saw a marlen but there was a school of dolphins all playing around the bow of the boat for 5 minutes or so…. Using the bow to rub their head and belly, jumping in the air and making this sailor very excited 🤩🐬
    We got in around 3:30pm, anchored with ease and settled into the new area (for me), Admiralty Bay.
    We grabbed snorkel gear and decided to check out the reef, it wasn’t close to Anse Cochon but nice to get off the boat. We then showered on the stern and relaxed for awhile. A boat from Daffodils came by with information. We got supper ready and grilled MahiMahi or Dorado as locals call it.
    Sadly, while eating Brian got a text from his credit card company that spoke of fraud which set off a series of unpleasant calls. He went to bed early and I stayed up to do some work things.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Anse cochon

    2 mars 2024, Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Up and had our coffee this morning. Last day on the dock. I chatted with Kim Wanless early in the morning and then headed to the showers on land, and a pit stop at Cafe Ole for some gf banana bread and coffee before heading to the boat to make sure Elvis was doing ok with the bright work (scraping the varnish off the rub rail). I wrote, did some boat chores like getting water out of the kitchen locker, wiping mildew off the pilot house ceiling and fixing the bulkhead in the aft cabin.
    By noon Elvis was quiting, even though half of the bottom of the rail was not stripped. We got everything on the boat battened down. We had help getting out of a tight spot (F1) and then we headed to the gas dock. It was a bit of a clusterfuck…. But so it is with two people trying to dock a 60ft boat in tight space. We managed! Unfortunately they wouldn’t sell gas untill we gave immigration papers, so Brian had to run back (bribe the agent on lunch break) and sign out (even though we did it on SailClear). I moved Lorena up the dock with the fuel guy (Michael) and Fred from Isola Nadia, then we moved their boat. Brian returned and we got a total of about 140 gallons of diesel (unfortunately it overflowed on both sides).
    We headed out the narrow channel and into the anchorage, but decided to continue— we put up the main and had a 2.5kt current with us.
    Brian suggested Marigot but when I looked at the chart and navionics, there was a place 3 mile south of Marigot that seemed good, so we checked it out. This was my first experience with “boat boys” who do not have a good reputation in St Lucia. Andrew can by and wanted us to moor. He wanted 50EC…. I worked him down to 20EC.
    It was only 3:30 so we decided to go snorkeling. The reefs and all the different fish were beautiful, as is the resort on the hill. We took a shower on the stern and then lounged for awhile, putting away the sail and chatting.
    The anchorage is rolly so it will be a long night. We had a beet salad first and then cooked Turkey dogs (in a gf wrap) on the BBQ while I chatted with Dad. And finished with an ice cream bar… we always eat so well on (and off) the boat!
    It will be an early morning with a 10-12hr sail tomorrow so off the bed early.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Maple Leaf flag

    1 mars 2024, Saint Lucia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    Great sleeps at the dock! It is a quiet place and we are usually the early birds up at 6am and a walk down the dock to the washroom. This morning I did yoga with Susan (proceeds to Amy’s Place). Nikki was there and I did a time lapse video and then we talked medical insurance after (as she and Barry are from Canada).
    Back on the boat to do some writing a boat chores… one being the raising of the Canadian flag. I brought one to the boat but felt it was strange for me to put it up. Brian was the one who got it out (it is a Canadian boat after all), so I proudly hoisted it.
    We had breakfast after yoga, and Elvis was working away at stripping the varnish. Then we headed to Derm Med Rx to see Dr Joseph. Brian had been before to just get checked for skin cancer and I thought it would be prudent to do the same. All was good for both of us, and it only cost me $130Cnd. The medicine on the other hand, basically mole/ spot removers, was going to cost me $200 so I declined and will us some of Brian’s (who got the same).
    Afterwards we got groceries (almost $350usd) and carried it back to the boat (I got cat treats for all the strays). Then went to hardware store to grab paint stripper and to the pharmacy.
    We paid Elvis before we left and I calculated it wrong (in EC not USD), so we walked back to straighten it out. Once we got back we had supper (salmon and salad and ocra) and went to a street party in Gros Ilets and just walk through. Lots of miles on the pedometer today! Stopped for an ice cream on the way back and then to bed as we were both tired!    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Sadie Hawkins Day

    29 février 2024, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Did some chores this morning… we recieved word that the water would be shut off for the weekend, so we washed the boat down and filled the water tanks. I missed Ashlynn’s call but got her irritated text after she tried to call a few times and I didn’t answer. It is always great to talk to her and even better when I get to see her. They are leaving for BC for 4-5weeks next Wednesday and she had a great girls weekend getaway last weekend.
    Brian returned with a strange looking fruit, apparently called Soursop. It is always fun to try new fruits and foods.
    In the afternoon we walked back to the beach and had a dip in the water and actually swam a ways out and then back to shore. We dried off on loungers and eventually I stripped off and put dry clothes back on. We headed back to Rodney Bay town (we had walked through before exploring sushi and the gallery) and decided on Spices of India. Unfortunately, it was the last place Brian had a meal with his wife before she left. The food and service was amazing …. And since it was Sadie Hawkins Day I wanted to pay. Later I looked it up and said the day was in November….. but either way I remember it from teen camp when the girl asked the boy to a special dinner.
    We had a fantastic “extra day” and headed back to the boat, but stopped first at the grocery store to by vinegar and a few other items before the big stock tomorrow. We had an ice cream on our way back and then decided to watch the Hollywood version of Romeo and Juliet. Of course we only got half way through before heading to bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Horseback Riding

    28 février 2024, Saint Lucia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today I went to “yoga” again and Nikki joined me. I made our normal breakfast of yogurt, granola and fruit in the morning.
    I was able to wrap up work early and we decided to go for a walk to Gros Islet. We walked through the streets, looking for places to do art. It was great to be in a neighborhood with locals. We went to the waterfront beach and we were hot so opted to strip down to underwear and go for a swim, as one of the local kids were doing next to a wharf. We swam and then sat to dry off. In the distance I noticed a guy had a horse and was running it, and the horse was rolling in the sand. I said to Brian I would get to see it. I waved as he went by but the jockey didn’t stop. Next time he brought her out to the water for a swim and I went out too. Eventually we started to chat and he races this 11 year old Arabian, that is only 12 hands high. He offer to let me ride (bareback, in my thongs and bra), so I said sure! What a thrill to walk and trot with this horse, bareback, in the water.
    Later, on the walk back, we met a guy who was French (earlier we were trying to learn some Pigeon/ Creole language …. How are you: Sac-a-fait; I am great: March bien) so Brian enjoyed chatting with him.
    Back to the boat after a long walk home through various neighborhoods. Time for a shower and then supper and bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Work Days

    27 février 2024, Saint Lucia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Up and had coffee and then off to yoga with Susan in the morning. It was a combo of Qigong and yoga. Interesting poses and movements, but since she wasn’t a yoga teacher the queuing was not great. Afterwards I went and grabbed a coffee as I had lots of work ahead of me. Brian hollered at me from upstairs as he was getting his delivered batten and panel… we carried both back to the boat. The batten was wound tight and hurt both myself and more so the boats we tried to gently open the coil.
    I set up in the pilothouse and worked for about 10-12 hour to try and finish off stuff for SJTC but time eluded me, and at 10pm Brian convinced me to go to bed and awake early to finish, which I did.
    I took some mini breaks during the day secure the spare batten in the boom and help mount the solar panel. Also took an ice cream break — lemon and chocolate sorbet. So good under the full moon!
    Tuesday was much the same. I delivered to SJTC and had a presentation to LexisNexis for FTHS.
    Since I have worked most of the time in Saint Lucia and we were supposed to leave tomorrow I asked Brian if we could stay longer. Mid afternoon we went to the Marina office and extended our stay to Saturday, which I was super grateful!
    While I was working, Brian did a pastel, chatted with locals, bought fruit, TDS the pilothouse window and wrote. He was so supportive!
    In the evening we had to buy Mid Summers again so we could finish it….. I definitely prefer this version and after reading it and seeing two movies I kinda understand it …lol    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Saint Lucia

    25 février 2024, Saint Lucia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    A great sleep with air conditioning running all night. Brian, still shaken by the murder of Ralph and Kathy, locks everything down even though we are on a dock with security.
    Laundry was gathered and picked up at the dockside (by Pat on golf carts that go zooming by). Garbage is also collected right at the slip and people continue to stream by. One couple came and recalled Brian’s carnage last year (hand in cast and wife left), wondering who I was in the mix. A bit awkward but I tell them we are a new couple.
    I work for a bit and then we make our way to the town of Rodney Bay, and then beyond to Reduit Beach (by the Starfish Hotel).
    We walk the beach and then decide to go for a little swim. It is fun to play in the water beside Brian! He didn’t do any art, but it poured rain and I was worried his pad would get soaked, so covered it up. While waiting the rain out, under a big tree, we snapped a few selfies, which Brian later posted to Facebook (inflaming his “soon to be ex” as he calls Karen, and exposing our new found love to the world).
    On our way back from the beach we stop at the grocery store and pick up a few things, including Quality Street candy in the form of a chocolate bar. In the evening we went for drinks with a number of the Salty Dawgs that were at the marina as well. It was nice to socialize, but it was loud and we didn’t stay for to long. (Cathy, Brian, Phill (Dragonfly), Fred (Isola), Barry (Momentum), Ted (Raven), Bob (Pandora), Nikki, Heather, Barbara, Bill & Maureen (Kalunamoo), Muna, Anne.
    Back to the boat to watch more Mid Summers Night Dream and to bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Full Sails to next country

    24 février 2024, Saint Lucia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Up early and had coffee, writing, nice breakfast and then dealt with gathering the stern anchor. While we were out with the dinghy Daniel flagged us. He was having trouble with his dinghy engine and wanted a ride to La Morin (a considerable distance via dinghy). Brian suggested he might sail there, but Daniel asked if we would see if any other boats would take him…. As we were leaving in the opposite direction. We spoke to a Catamaran in the bay and they were also from Brittany — we explained Daniels situation and the guy said he would go help. As we were leaving and hoisting the anchor he headed over. We lamented to leave our newfound friend but we were moving to Saint Lucia, some 35miles away.
    Sails up and we had a wonderful crossing to Rodney Bay. As we entered the harbour we saw Kalunamoo coming in as well. The plan was to go to the marina and Brian hailed them on VHF and they offered F1, but he wasn’t sure where it was so we said we would get back to them, but couldn’t reach. Brian called them on the phone but continued to proceed to the Marina, looking for F1. We were going to the very end on the main dock. I had to yell at the water taxi guy to move his boat so we could back in. Always a little unnerving but Brian did a great job.
    We went to check in and it went smoothly…. Also stopped to buy fruit from the stands and local fruit boat.
    This is the exact same location Brian was in early last February when his marriage dissolved and his wife left, to never return to the boat except to gather her things in Maine. I suspect it will be difficult memories for him (and Karen and he speaks to her often).
    He was at the marina for 5 week last time, so he knows ALOT of the workers and people at the dock. We went for a walk of the docks, and visited a boat called Aquarella that he remember from last year (Evelyn and Terry). She does watercolours and invited us aboard to see some of them.
    It was nice to be at dock and have access to showers and toilets and restaurants although we both had sea legs for awhile.
    We went to eat at the sushi restaurant in the evening before returning to Lorena. We are hooked up to shore power which means not having to run the generator or worry about power for a few days. We decided to watch another version of Mid Summer Nights Dream ~ director, Julie Taymore. As I am not a TV person we only got through part of it before retiring to bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Pte Catherine

    23 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After breakfast I had some emails to respond to, so Brian went out with the dingy again and did another pastel. He is always happier when he is doing art.
    We watch an older boat (and solo sailor) come in an anchor under sail. Impressive! As we were leaving to go explore, we stopped by his boat and chatted. He was French and invited us over for a brief drink at 6pm. We accepted and then headed off for the day. We walked over to the next cove (the nude beach) and then to the Plage de Saline. Fun to chat and people watch but it was really hot! We found a nice private spot before the beach to go for a swim and we hit it on our way back too.
    Then I showed Brian my little yoga spot, played peekaboo with Lorena and walked to Pte Catherine where we could be the bay well! The photo of the white and blue box was a contraption to catch land crabs. They put the box over the large holes with some bait at the end which triggers it to shut.
    Back to the boat on our own water taxi in the bushes. We showered and prepared some chesse and crackers to take to Daniel. He was an interesting and eclectic guy and sweet to me. He was about 80+ and had always dreamed of having a boat to spend a winter in the Caribbean. This season he bought a boat in La Morin (spending most of his money) and his wife and family didn’t want to crew with him, so he has had other crew or done it alone. However, he has encountered many many problems and was really fed up with this journey, so he was leaving his boat in La Morin and going back to Brittany, France. It was a lovely evening and he was taken with how smart Brian was about France, French politics and speaking French…. I understood lots but added very little to the conversation. Eventually I need to up my language game.
    Back to Lorena for a late super and bed as I barely slept the night before (and moved to the v-berth). The rolling swells isn’t great for an anchorage but the spot itself is beautiful!
    Tomorrow we leave.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Petites Anses Des Salines

    22 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We read and wrote as usual and then I did some work while Brian took the dinghy and did a pastel.
    Later in the day, we hoped on the dingy and went for a walk and swim on the beach that Brian did a pastel. We anchored the dinghy , swam around and walked too. It is a beautiful area that is somewhat secluded (clothing optional beaches).
    Word about the disappearance of a Salty Dawg couple (the association that Brian is part of), has really disturbing Brian. It would seem the couple were boarded by escape prisoners and killed and thrown overboard, and the boat was taken to Saint Vincent by the prisoners, found by other sailors and the guys captured. Such a sad story!
    Then I was serenaded with a Shakespeare sonnet about the Fall of life 💕    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Anse Meunier

    21 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Up and had our coffee and writing before deciding to move. Mid morning we hoisted anchor and the boat in front of us had to move. We sailed (motored) around the corner to a bay but didn’t like how shallow it was, so we turned around and went to Anse Moustique.
    We went for a swim and then I had work to do, and Brian was hoping to do a pastel from the boat, but decided otherwise.
    We took the dinghy to shore and went for a walk to the other beach in the cove we tried to anchor in.
    Brian did a pastel and I went a little ways further and did yoga in my Canadian Underwear for an hour. My face in the sun on a little patch of sand and Lorena lurking in the distance … bliss!
    The roll was significant, so we got the stern anchor out and kedged a couple times when we got back, which settled it somewhat.
    Beautiful sunset and an okay sleep as the boat was being tossed about more than usual.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    La Dunette

    20 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Worked most of the day on the computer while Brian installed the heat shield over the exhaust riser. Also spent two hours on the phone to CRA trying to find out why the online portal was saying I owed nearly $20k, when I know I have paid everything up. In the end, after long conversations, turns out they owe me money! PHEW!
    We went for a little dip and talked to the boat in front of us, as it seems they may be overtop of our anchor and we plan on moving tomorrow. They agreed to move if we had trouble.
    We got cleaned up and then headed to Sainte Anne for supper. When we got to the dock, three people (Turkish) explained that there dinghy had been stolen and they needed a drive back to there boat, so Brian took them and all there groceries and I waited for him to return…. Taking some me time to meditate on the edge of the dock.
    We walked around and found La Dunette, where we had some water, coffee and a virgin drink as the restaurant didn’t start serving untill 7pm. We ordered (me Shrimp and Christopine and Brian Steak). We could see the dinghy dock the whole time and the sunset was beautiful. We had Panna Cotta for desert and then headed back to the boat. We found Lorena in the dark without much effort and retired shortly thereafter. Brian has been encouraging me to speak/ learn French so we have been reading Francis Ponge poetry in French ~ Pluie.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Hot spot

    19 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    This morning we decided to invite Kevin and Cindy over (as she was sick the day before), and then invited Bill and Maureen and a few from La Marin (that we didn’t expect to make the journey out ~ Joe and Edwin).
    Mid morning we headed back into La Marin but not without a hiccup. In the channel, we were going a little faster and the dinghy engine suddenly stopped again. We tried to restart without luck, but a sailboat was motoring past and flagged down another dinghy who offered to help. Turns out he was a Canadian from Quebec who towed us to the gas dock, where we refuelled, and gratefully the engine started again (perhaps water in the fuel tank from earlier rain).
    On land we wanted a heat shield (so we could utilize power from the alternator while underway), teak and wood to fix up the aft cabin and load up on groceries. We wanted to go to a bigger store, so we walked and walked to find it. Then we walked more to try and find the teak place that was closed (as most shops are for 2-3 hours in the afternoon). We walked back to get the dingy and brought it to the back of Price Leader. We had stopped in there to get some snacks and walked behind the building, to the dock, earlier to have a picnic of cheese, dates, ham, and pear. Upon our return, we went to the teak place (Caribe Menuiserie) but they do not sell teak veneer and suggested further south.
    We found Carrefore but food was more expensive and many shelves were still empty. There is nothing gluten free on the French islands… I am hoping to find some granola and hemp seeds in Saint Lucia as I’m nearly out. We went back to Price Leader to grab a few cheaper things (cheese) and filled the dinghy with 4 bags of groceries as well as a heat shield and large cable ties that we picked up earlier. The heat had gotten to me and I was simply exhausted (maybe heat stroke).
    We took it slow as we returned to the boat. I wanted a nap but Brian suggested a swim, so we did so. Then we decided to swim to Kalunamoo (Bill and Maureen) to see if they were coming over tonight. Maureen wasn’t feeling well, but Bill was coming (Kevin declined as well since Cindy wasn’t feeling good, as did the others).
    On the swim back I swallowed some water as I was so tired. We washed off and got ready for Bill.
    He is an interesting man, Brian gave him a tour of the boat and then he talked about his work in NYC, his love for sailing and journey to living aboard. Brian, sensing I was fading fast as was he, wrapped up the conversation and went below to take an imaginary call as I said goodbye to Bill.
    We grilled pork chops for supper, nice to have the grill working again, and then went to bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Sundowner

    18 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    More boat chores today, glossing the window frames, reassembling the BBQ and work, work of chatting with Lisa G about FTHS, and also a therapist appointment (Sébastien) on Zoom. The boat next to us, Kalunamoo, who was also beside us in Dominica, came by and invited us over for a sun downer at 5pm.
    We decided to head into Saint Anne and explore the area, but as it was Sunday, groceries were closed as were restaurants, but trinket/ tourist shops were open.
    We wandered around and walked a big loop around the town, after Brian made a purchase of a bongo drum and t-shirt.
    With cautions of theft we have been locking the dinghy and when we got back we didn’t see it, but it was stuck under the dock, with rising tide. With little effort we got it out, but scratched the top of the engine.
    Back to the boat, went for a swim and did another coat of varnish on the window trim. I made chesse, crackers, fig jam, etc… to bring to Kalunamoo and we headed over. Another couple (from the UK, on a Moody) were already there. We didn’t stay overly long… the discussion was a lot about the weather system that had passed through, the chaos it caused and how salty dawgs and (Chris Parker — weather guru) handled it.
    We left and headed back to Lorena to have supper and watch the final bit of Mid Summer Nights Dream.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Boat Chores and bathing

    17 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    We bought 24 eggs at the grocery store yesterday, so oueff’s for petite dejeuner was on the menu as we still had 6 left from Antigua.
    We wrote and sipped for a long while in the morning and I marvelled at my life, grateful to be on this adventure, in a beautiful place with a great mate.
    Then to boat chores. Unfortunately, I got sucked down a CRA rabbit hole where they claim on-line that I owe $14k….when I untangled it all, I realized I have already paid. Nothing like CRA to sour a mood and bring me to tears! Finally I let it go and got to work!
    Brian was sanding and glossing the window frames in the new windows, and I cleaned out the in-floor food locker in the galley that had beer and almond milk exploded throughout. I emptied the locked, washed it and let it dry out before reorganizing. I emptied the water from the adjacent floor locker, and then got to work at cleaning the BBQ (vinegar and baking soda work wonders) so we could reassemble…. It WORKED!
    The final chore (for today) was the AIS. We tried to factory reset the old one, but finally gave up and installed the new one. We now finally have a working AIS, which means that we can see all the boats around use, but also, they (or anyone who want to find us on this link: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/sh… ) can see where we are.
    We were supposed to watch the last bit of A Mid Summer Nights Dream before our rental time on Amazon ran out, but I striped down and slide into the water instead. Brian joined me briefly… first time in over 2 weeks that we went swimming. I stayed in the water and cleaned the white line along the haul and then scrubbed the dingy.
    A quick stern shower and then got ready for a gathering of the Salty Dawgs in La Marin. I actually got dressed up and wore a dress.
    As we headed back to the town we passed another traditional square sailboat with outriggers, and got some good shoots. We did a quick run to the grocery store again for some apple and pears, and then to Kokoorum for a meet up. At the table: Edwin & Karen, Joe & Mary, Laurie and Dan, Sheldon and Susan and Kevin & Cindy. Had a great chat with Karen, who has been in a relationship with Edwin for nearly 3 years and hasn’t given up her terrestrial life (New Jersey)… we talked a lot about values, it was great!
    All left except for Joe and Mary… we stayed and had super with them (I had a fish poke bowl). Interesting couple who have only been married for a year and a half, and cruising for the same (but together 10). We talked some of the challenges of being together 24/7 and how sailing pushes you to be the best version of yourself as challenges bring out the true colors. Joe profoundly stated that the key was to wake up each morning with a clean slate, Mary felt that open and honest communication was imperative, addressing things as they arose.
    Back to the boat, it was a 30-40min dingy ride, in the dark and shallows with a catamaran nearly Plowing us down. We forgot to turn in the anchor light so some detective work in the mooring field to find Lorena, but within 5min we found her. Back aboard it was cookie time and we resolved to watch the final 40min of A Mid Summer Night Dream. However, wifi wasn’t strong enough and the timer ran out…. So we went to bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Sainte Anne

    16 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Left Trois Ilets first thing in the morning and had coffee and breakfast in route to La Marin and Sainte Anne, where we hope to get the AIS fixed and finally check into the country. We sailed, well motored, as the wind was on our nose the whole time so we would have had to tack back and forth to get there. Unfortunately, in order to tack you need to furl the jib or stay sail and let it out on the opposite side, not conducive to efficiency, so we took the lazy way. We left at 6:45 and arrived around 11am. There were sections that had lots of pots so I got to sit at the bow and direct Brian through the maze, as we stayed close to shore for most of the trip.
    The anchorage is full, but we had no problem setting the anchor and are beside Kalunamoo (Bill and Maureen), former Salty Dawg who were also beside us in the south side of Portsmouth.
    We quickly lowered the dingy and attached the engine, something I’ve been doing since Brian hurt his hand. We made rounds to say Hi to a few boats and then headed into La Marin. It took us about 45min and we didn’t follow the red and green so got ourselves into some pretty shallow water, where we had to back track. On the way back to the boat the engine died, but we restarted, then it died again about 15ft from the boat, so we had to row and then Brian spent some time fixing it (water in the fuel).
    Earlier in the day we had a tiff as I was trying to clarify what Brian was asking me (about the water tank), he wasn’t understanding my words and then felt I got defensive when he went and showed me. Perhaps he was right. He is a very smart man and usually knows what the remaining of the sentence is, but often I am not looking to be right, just heard. This tension carried on throughout the day, getting shushed at immigration and ignored with regards to directions. When he is on a mission, my words seem to irritate. However, in the large scheme of things it is all minor and truly things that wouldn’t have bothered me before. I am either becoming more sensitive or I just care more about what Brian thinks of me, then others who have come before.
    All was resolved by evening. We found the Garmin AIS800! His finger is healing well but it is giving him pause for thought. We had been moving toward keeping the boat in Curacao and then Panama and heading across the canal at Christmas. Now, he is talking about going to the DR and having me fly to Curacao from there, and he will make his way north again, perhaps to Canada.
    Either way is fine with me.
    We did not find the BBQ piece and Brian put out a message on the Salty Dawgs WhatsApp group looking for a Ventura (part that we need). Later he remembered that he had saved pieces from the old BBQ, and sure enough, he had a spare.
    After super we watched another section of A Mid Summer Nights Dream in the pilot house (the Apple computer dropped but still seems ok)…and then off to bed. All in all, another beautiful day in the tropics ☀️🌴    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Virtual Yoga

    15 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Boat chores and work consumed the morning, alone with testing the video feed for tonight’s yoga session at Irishtown Community Centre. We also finished A Mid Summer Nights Dream.
    We then made our way into town…. And I drove the dingy. First time, and it went ok. It’s been awhile since I have used a tiller, and I wasn’t able to start it…. But with more practice I’ll get comfortable.
    We walked around Trois Ilets looking for a good place to do a pastel, wandered down a private lane, and found a mangrove that overlooked the water, in the area of the sinking sailboat. Brian did a picture in hast as a bugs were bad. We then got back to the boat 15 minutes before I had to log on to teach. Unfortunately, my phone wasn’t charged so I delayed getting on Zoom. My set up worked well, I couldn’t really hear (or see) others, but was able to teach between the gallery and salon. I gave everyone a quick tour while the Brian sat in the pilothouse during my class.
    After class we had a BIG salad, gluten free buns and burgers on the skillet. Then queued up the Michelle Phifer movie of Mod Summer Nights Dream and started watching it. We got 30-40 min in and I needed to go to bed.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Bungs and Bees

    14 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️
    I sent out all my Valentines and gave a nice card to Brian in the morning. We had our usual coffee and writing and then lounged about, responding to friends messages in the morning.
    I did some work on the computer for a few hours and also sanded down the bung holes on 4 of the 8 window frames, to prep them for stain, sealer and gloss.
    Brian made calls, trying to reach Garmin about the AIS and get replacement parts for the BBQ. He also did some sketching of the boat beside us.
    We decided to go explore Trois Ilets and find a spot where Brian could do a pastel. He usually likes to do it from the dingy, but couldn’t find a suitable place so we went to shore and walked around untill a scene caught his eye. He perched on a inconspicuous veranda and worked his magic while I sat on the curb and read. Carnival is still happening and today was black and while day, with lots of people and noise buzzing about. After he finished we walked further, stopped at a bakery and had a treat (I had macarons and he an almond croissant).
    We climbed back down to the dingy, amidst the people in line for the ferry, heading to Carnival, and started back towards Lorena. Brian encouraged me to drive the tender, so I did so…. It’s been awhile since I used a tiller.
    Rod Morris (#4 & 26) are the names of the batteries on the boat that are check often, and are usually around 20-40%. They don’t seem to charge when the engine runs, so the generator has to be running to charge them. We usually run it in the morning, and then while preparing supper. Tonight was Salmon (on the stovetop as BBQ is outta commission), Okra and French cheese.
    I returned to work for a couple hours while Brian continued sketching, talked to his son Ian (about his wedding, his AI paper and life as a lawyer), and his former nanny (who lived in his parents home till they died), Anita. It is always fun to listen to him chat with Anita in Spanish. They typically talk every Sunday but he called to wish her Happy Valentines Day.
    After I shut down the computer, I needed to get some air, as the rain had started earlier and we closed the hatches, so the cabin was getting stuffy. I went to the bow to admire the night view. As I sat down I felt a sharp pain growing in my foot and couldn’t understand why. Brian was coming to join me and said I had been stung, and helped me inside to a bright light. He got the tweezers and pulled out the stinger. We rinsed the area and put a cold compress on. Shortly after we headed to bed and read some more Shakespeare, trying to finish this play ….. saucy and audacious eloquence.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Carnivale

    13 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Up early to a loud party noise around 5:30am that continued for an hour or more. We realized it must be Carnival but didn’t know what part of it. We spent some time working and tidying up from the sail, washing salt off the windows and then we needed to head to the ferry dock and make our way to immigration. It was around 11:30am when we arrived and the ferry just came in. There was much of a line, but confusing over how to get tickets. We had to redo it at the kiosk, 7 euro round trip to Fort-de-France, the ferry waited and we headed over. Fun to take the ferry… last time I had a ride like that was 15 or more years ago in Bermuda. When we got in, it was clearly the start of Carnival and everything seemed to be shut down. We looked for immigration but was told they were closed and would not reopen untill Thursday or Friday. We decided to eat at Suzette’s crepes and had a great meal… with Brian encouraging me to order or speak in French. Then we explored around the town but pretty much everything was closed. We had fun weaving in and out, up and down around the streets, Brian talked to a biker gang/guys, who invited him to have a shot.
    We were going to head back to the boat but heard that the Carnival was goi g to start at 4pm (Caribbean time…lol). It wasn’t very organized, but we stayed and watched in the Center median for awhile… lots of people, particularly little kids, covered in molasses. It was Brides day…. The day in waiting… and lots of men dressed as women.
    We eventually bumped into people that Brian knew, Salty Dawgs, Barbara and Ted on a Catamaran. We talked about Brian’s finger and they invited us back to their boat for drinks and antibiotics. Back on the Cat we had water, and got some newer Neosporin to apply. We had chesse, dates, hummus and veggies and great conversation. They took us back to the dingy dock and we grabbed the ferry back to our very quiet anchorage of Trois Ilets.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur
    1

    Pre Valentines

    13 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Up and about this morning and saw Ashlynn’s photos of her getting ready to deliver the cherry berries on a cloud to all her friends. A few days ago I mentioned to Brian that I was missing all my friends and it was the downside to boat life. Inspired by Ashlynn I took the morning to sit in the V-berth and write a Valentines Day Card to Brian ~ Had fun coming up with names to describe him on the envelop. Also pre wrote notes to a bunch of friends that I will send out early tomorrow to convey how special they are to me, even when I am not around or in contact. It is amazing how gratitude, or even thinking about people I love, puts me in such good spirits. I was happy all day, although Brian was not feeling the same… still worried about his finger and frustrated with his art and the boat work.
    I dabbled some with work and then switched course and grabbed the chisel and hammer and started to remove all the bungs on the window frames. They came out easy, and I got better at doing it, although some had a lot of epoxy so it took ok big chunks of wood and varnish.
    There was a Salty Dawgs gathering at the dingy dock in Fort-de-France, so we decided to be social and join. It is red day at the Carnivale but I had none. We headed to Trois Ilet to catch the ferry over. We didn’t think we would get on as the line was SO long, but we made it, and off we went on this high powered fast boat, across the bay. We arrived slightly early and while waiting and looking for the Dawgs, a really intoxicated man covered in molasses was trying to engage with use. Finally we saw Bab’s and Tim — and met their friends Danata and Neil. Neil is an Emerg Doc so he took a quick look at Brian’s hand and said it was healing fine…. A relief as it still looks mangled.
    We chatted with Nikki and Barry, Tim, Sandy and Todd, Kathy and a few others before wandering off to glimpse at Carnivale and the loud music and noise. We didn’t stay long and headed back to the ferry line. It was really long and we waited 60-90min to catch the ferry back. It was a nice ride and actually a nice time standing in line and chatting. Brian is so knowledgeable about art and literature and has read thousands of books, so he always has a story to tell. On the ferry ride to FDF he was talking about trying to get the depth correct on his s etch of the boat and women beside us, and how to create more fore- shortening.
    We were exhausted from all the noise so had a quick bite to eat and I actually fell asleep in the chair.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    St Pierre, Martinique

    12 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Up at dawn after a good night sleep, even though I was nervous to sleep in our anchorage. We had a 10 -12hr sail today. At some points we were going 7-8knots and we made good time going on the westward side of Dominica 🇩🇲. The landscape was rugged and beautiful, passing some waterfalls and tiny villages. We crossed the straight to Martinique and were welcomed by windmills, rainbows and gorgeous green hills. We got to St Pierre at dusk and anchored outside of the town. We had tuna ready to grill after a long voyage… unfortunately, the propane and a vital part of the BBQ fell into the sea creating one frustrated captain. We through it on the skillet and it was just as good!
    The pitch and swells in the Bay is more than we anticipated. Should be an interesting night! It still has left over casualty from the storm as a sailboat is on the rock about 250ft from us. Hopefully it will calm as the town sounds great. It is at the base of a once active volcano, My Pelee.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Trois Islet

    11 février 2024, Martinique ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Rough night sleep, went to cabin crew and then to V-Berth to try and sleep as we rolled a lot. We were going to explore St Pierre area and hopefully do a pastel, but the anchorage was not great and the boat that had washed ashore and was crashing against the rocks, was disconcerting. Brian decided that he wanted to leave and go to Trois Ilets, so we hoisted anchor and went headed out. We motor sailed most of the way, and put our jib up as we entered the Fort-de-France harbour area. There was a race happening, so we skirted it and headed to the anchorage. Brian wanted to anchor close to town so he could do a pastel from the boat…. The charts said we had 16ft below so we dropped the anchor. It was about 60ft out when we went aground 😮. Luckily the anchor was able to pull us off the ground and get us free. We moved to a new anchorage that was quiet and set the anchor right away.
    Once we put everything away, we decided to look at AIS again as Brian wanted to get it fixed. We hooked it up to my computer and ran a diagnostic and update and it seemed to disable it completely. Initially we just were not transmitting… now we have no receiving.
    Lots of interesting boats around us that look derelict but have people in them.
    We had a nice evening in a quiet bay and went to bed early as both of us slept poorly last night.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Marie Galante

    9 février 2024, Guadeloupe ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We stayed put during the storm and had a leisurely morning. We heard lots of reports of other boats not doing so well and crashing into shores in Dominica and Martinique. We were happy with our decision to co to a “gunk hole” an anchorage protected on all 4 sides… even though it was very close to shipping channels.
    We had to go into the Marina and check out of the country and pick up laundry. Typically it is $8-10US but it ended up being $65 and the clothes were not even clean (the sheets still had blood stains, that I spray shout on, from Brian’s finger). Katia was running late so we went to a shop and bought some shorts for Brian, looked for a heat shield for the alternator and a few things from Carrefour Express grocery.
    Back to Lorena and hoisted the anchor to set off south again. We deliberated with sailing all night to Martinique, but decided to stop at Marie Gallant at dusk. We stayed about 3 miles NW of Grand Bourg and basically dropped anchor in the sea (not in a bay as per usual)… the depth was 25ft and it was a designated anchorage.
    We had a nice 25 mile sail but the wind was cool and I actually had a long sleeve shirt and a sweater on the journey.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Pointe-à-Pitre

    8 février 2024, Guadeloupe ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Up early and impressed that we hadn’t moved much as we checked the anchor alarm. We chatted about letting out more chain given the impending storm and the fact that the winds were going to clock. 15 minutes later, I was in the aft cabin and Brian started yelling. Our anchor had come loose and dragged to within 5 feet of another boat. His quick response of starting the engine and me, getting the snubber off and lifting up the anchor, we bid sorry to our neighbors for the scare and tried to find another spot. We went around the corner to anchor but were not holding and worried we would hit the rocks by the muse sun. Then we headed across the fairway to Banc de couillon anchorage. Once settled, we headed back to the Marina to drop off laundry and then to take the dingy around the corner to Pointe a Pitre. We went for a walk and saw a sign for a museum of a poet that Brian was familiar with. We walked to the town square that was a big market and bought lots of fruit and vegetables. We then found the the Saint-John Perse museum and toured it, and then to the bookstore to buy his poetry and several other works French works that interested Brian. I got a nice gel pen.
    We walked around a bit more and then headed back to the boat. We zipped around to other boats beside us: Sara and Jay from Alberta on an Amel 56, Francis and Laura on a Jeunneau 38 from Boston, and a boat flying a Swiss flag and a guy named Rex that had 8 people on it. Come to Lorena for a Sundowner at 6pm.
    We got back to the boat and I had to work, and had a conference call at 5pm. During my call the winds started to really pick up (the storm we were waiting for) and I had to turn on the cabin light.
    By 6pm it had started raining and the winds howling so no one came and we ate charcuterie for supper. The anchorage felt safe and there was no swell, but the wind was howling so it was a bit scary to go to sleep in such.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Storms Coming

    7 février 2024, Guadeloupe ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We had hoped to go to Trafalgar Falls but Brian has been nervous about the storm and sent out several email last night, on to weather guru Chris Parker. In the morning he woke to a message saying to be out of Dominica by today at Sundown.
    With that info, we made haste in leaving the anchorage in the early morning hours, around 7am, and headed 45 miles North to Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe. We anchored outside of the Bas du Fort Marina and got chased away by Stephane on the catamaran, and found a spot in a crowded area, close to the museum…. So many derelict boats around! We went to check in and hopefully get laundry. Issue with the Dingy dock and check in lead to lots of tension between Brian and I…. After a long walk, I cooled down and all was fine again. We went to get water and then decided to see if we could find a Doctor for his finger. Luckily we did and he got to use his French with people in the waiting room and the Doc. The finger looks ok and he suggested it was too covered up and gave a prescription for some antiseptic wash and special bandaids.
    After the Doctor we went to a restaurant and had lamb and duck in the waterfront. The same one that we bought water… and meant Steve (Aussie) and Anne (France) travelling on there Catamaran with plans to go around the world (with there dog) or at least the Straights of Timor.
    Off to the all to small dingy dock to travel back to Lorena. We are close to the slave museum which we may go to tomorrow.    En savoir plus

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  • Cathy ManuelCaribbean is Calling (2024)Voyageur

    Indian River

    5 février 2024, Dominique ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    NO sleep… I tried melatonin, the bed, the chairs, and the forward bunks. Too rolly with swells 2-3ft high and estimated to increase during the week.
    As we were writing in the morning (and drinking coffee) a green boat with the word “Blessed” on it dropped by. The guys name was Danny and he was selling fruit. We bought the remainder of his passion fruit and asked him to come back at 9am to take us to shore as Brian needed to head back to the hospital to have the dressing changed. At 9:20 he had not yet arrived, so we called PAYS and they sent Alexis. Both arrived at the same time and got into a dispute over who would take us. Brian asked me to decide, so I went with Alexis who arrived quickly and promised to buy more fruit from Danny when we returned.
    We walked to the hospital Clinic and waited our turn to get the dressing changed. The finger looked white, but better then I expected.
    We left the hospital in search of Wifi… no luck, so back to PAYS to get wifi and check into immigration. On the way, Brian was in a rush, but I found a tire swing on the beach and enjoyed a moment of my childhood! At PAYS I did a video call and some work, Brian left our passports with them to check us in and got some tour info. He wanted to explore and then leave the anchorage as it was bad (violently rolling the boat). We went to Fort Shirley in Cabrits and did a beautiful hike. On our return we saw Alexis who recommended that Calvin take us on a tour to Indian River, so we went back to PAYS and set it up. While there I bought tickets for the LionFish BBQ for the Salty Dawgs that evening.
    The Indian River tour, through all the mangroves was beautiful.
    We had Calvin drop us back to the boat after the tour and we hoisted the anchor and moved to the south side of the bay with no issue.
    We brought a lot fruit from Danny and got ready to leave, and locked boat up. Lots of other boats (Swiss and German) anchored nearby …. it was a packed bay by the time we left.
    We went for a lion fish dinner with the Salty Dawgs (it got pushed to 7pm) and had to be taken into the Indian River dock as the other docks were inaccessible due to the swells. Nice meal (lots of chatting with fellow Canadians Nikki and Barry) and back to a calm anchorage for a good night sleep!    En savoir plus

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