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Cathy Manuel

Cathy Manuel

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      Monday meetings

      18 marzo 2024, Saint Kitts e Nevis ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Still feeling the blues….. not the sky, not the sea but just me. I have three conference calls peppered throughout the day, so that we can travel again tomorrow. Between call 1 and 2 we took the opportunity to get in in the dinghy and head to customs to check out (same people served us…. Lovely Alica and the snarly women who seemed to hate the world). There we ran into Jeff and Melissa, Salty Dawgs on a large Catamaran (with a sweet puppy) and chatted for a few minutes before heading to Best Buy where we stocked up. I treated myself to some Welch’s fruit snacks — sometimes it is nice to see familiar food and brands, although we eat very well.
      Back to the boat and we were supposed to check out and leave by 2pm but decided that we would get to Saint Barth’s in the dark. I was able to secure my third meeting for this evening so we stayed and between call 2 and 3 we went for a long walk on the beach and unfortunately we swamped the dinghy as we did not haul it far enough up the beach. It was filled with water and sand… yikes! A few kind souls (two Canadian women from Brockville and a guy from NY) helped us to empty the water and sand (Brian removed the engine). Then put the engine back on and we used the defined swim line , to pull ourselves back towards Lorena, and by some miracle the outboard (Yamaha 9.9, 4 stoke) started. I had a call in 5 minutes from the time I got back onto the boat.
      The view here, the volcano in front of us is pretty, but it will be nice to move on tomorrow.      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      The Big Swim

      17 marzo 2024, Saint Kitts e Nevis ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Back in the routine of coffee and writing, but disrupted by the roving police boat that insisted we move to a morning ball immediately. Brian saw others getting ready and he wanted to get to a ball closeby first so we mobilized quickly and took the dinghy and some rope out to the mooring and then moved the boat to it. We then made a second pot of coffee and Brian was testing some alternator issues, running the engine to charge, to no avail. Tired, stress, to much coffee, to little patience or something else lent itself to frustration and hurt. Craving solitude I left the boat and swam quite a distance to shore, where I found a quiet spot away from humans to cradle my soul.
      I had a conference call at 2pm and Brian, helping our neighbors who were rowing came to shore, and fetched me at the same time. We had invited Innisfree (Mike and Glenda) over for dinner in the evening. After my call Brian we went for a swim and then left the boat so Brian could do a pastel, then into town for a walk around, visiting the statue of Hamilton (one of the founders of USA Coast Guard as well as legal matters), born in Nevis.
      Back on the boat we tidied and hosted Innisfree. They brought Salmon and beet salad and we had MahiMahi green beans and orca. Great meal and company….. interesting couple. She owned a yarn store in Vancouver (wet coast wool) and he was an engineer involved in Fusion.
      Anxious to find my pillow and sleep off the stress of the day!      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      Nevis

      16 marzo 2024, Saint Kitts e Nevis ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

      Tired, we near Nevis and realize that we need to be alert for all the fishing pots. The night went quick and with no real incidents, but our core will be sore as we were tossed about a lot, and I have lots of bruises from trying to stabilize while in the galley.
      We came into Charlestown, where customs is and tried to find a yellow quarantine mooring ball, but non existed so we anchored. The mooring is a new procedure for me so we had a few squabbles but figured it out.
      We needed to move fast as customs closed at 1pm and it was 11:30am when we arrived. We lowered the dinghy and headed to the wharf. On the way, people were rowing so we tried to help them by giving a tow. The wharf was high and I got our dinghy tied and was about to tie the other when the dinghy when under the wharf and I fell off, into the water. Unfortunately I had a backpack with all the passports, clearance documents and my phone. Brian was able to grab the backpack and get it off me quickly. And I was able to get back in the boat. On the wharf, soaking wet, we headed to customs and immigration. The officer, Alica, was so nice and brought tons of paper towel, and gave me a chair. She took my shoes to dry in the sun and Brian did the same with our documentation. We did sail clear but also had to fill in there country form online. I took my dripping shirt off and hung it on the balcony…. So there I sat in my shorts and sports bra filling out forms, tired and wet. I ended up putting my info first, and then added Brian but when it came time to choose relationship (and earlier I had put me single and he married ….. since divorce is in the works and no separate checkbox)….. my options was declare married, parent, sibling or caregiver, so I chose the later…lol
      After we final got done at customs and went for a little walk to buy some fruit and groceries (at Best Buy…. A nice store with decent prices and familiar brands). Then we headed back to the boat and went to anchor at Pinney Beach.
      We took the dingy for a little spin and visited the Canadian neighborhoods…. One was two couples… from Burlington and NFLD. The Nfld guy, Daniel, was a professor of naval architecture at MUN. Then we went to Innisfree as they were Salty Dawgs, and Canadian (Ottawa and Vancouver). They invited us on and we chatted for a little while, before heading back to Lorena.
      We had supper and were off to sleep really quick!      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      Triple Reef

      15 marzo 2024, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

      The fishing pole was out and we nearly caught one on the voyage but it got away! Brian had gone to lay down in the aft cabin when the rod went off.
      The day today was more spicy, maybe because we were tired or perhaps due to the increasing winds.….. I tried to get some sleep in the aft cabin midday but the auto helm has a high pitched noise that made it difficult.
      Early in the evening we put a triple reef in the main and at one point tried the stay sail but the vibration was to much so we switched back to a furled Jenny. We have been casual about the watches, both sleeping in the helm and have the alarms on (but no radar deflector). When wind drops or one of us moves, the other wakes. It seems more relaxed and less stressful then last night. Unfortunately the wind meter has failed us, and gusts are supposed to happen up to 37knots… we resigned ourselves to the current condition and should be in Nevis by mid morning tomorrow.      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      300 nautical miles

      14 marzo 2024, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Up and started preparing for the passage. I made food that we could easily accessed without cooking as the winds were going to be significant. We got the dinghy hoisted and we were off the hook by 9:45. We headed west as I misunderstood Chris Parker’s forecast numbers to be the bearing, not the wind angle…. But Brian corrected course.
      We cut the engine around 10:30 and were under sail all day. The water is beautiful, the winds are strong, the conversations delightful…. And my sailing gear - a tank top and underwear.
      We had gnocchi for supper and afterwards, around 7pm Brian announced he was going to sleep. He dozed on and off while I wrote and thought. It is hard to read as the sea state has picked up to 4-6ft swells, the wind in 17-20knots but forecasted to pick up during the night, and our speed is 6.5-7knots, on a heading of nearly due North (005).
      A boat / cargo ship passed us and came within 2nm during the night on my shift. It set off the alarm, and made me nervous. I didn’t catch much sleep and was happy when daylight arrived!      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      Check out

      13 marzo 2024, Saint Vincent e Grenadine ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      We messaged Seckie (from the Doyle guide book) last night and he responded early this morning. He said that he could take us to Clifton to check out if we could be at the top of the hill in an hour. We agreed and quickly eat some food and packed our bags.
      We took the dinghy to shore and started to hike up to the top of the hill for 8:30am. He picked us up and we drove into town (definitely not walkable) on narrow roads with no guard rail. It reminded me of the drives in Croatia.
      We got to town and Brian went to customs and I headed to buy fruit. I found a good section, along with some GF Granola and Johnsonville breakfast sausages in various little stores. There isn’t very much in Clifton, but we did also find an ATM.
      We were returning to Chatham Bay via boat with Seckie and Vanessa. It was an amazing ride and fun to see the turquoise waters and kite surfing area. When we arrived back we saw Shuti (Mo and Ole) so we stopped to say Hi and decided we would have a meal together on shore this evening.
      Back on the boat, I had work to do and Brian went off to do a pastel. Then we got another/ final coat of gloss in the rails before heading to Shuti for sundowners. We brought our water and some cashews…. They had sour worm (chewy candy…. I was excited) and peanuts. We toured the catamaran and it was comfy.
      We then decided to head ashore… all in one dinghy and I face planted getting it. My yoga is clearing calling me to do more so I keep my balance.
      We went to Sunset Cove and had lobster for super. It was good, but not as good as our boiled version. The fruit juice smoothies were amazing.
      Once we said goodbye to our friends and headed back to the boat, we reviewed the forecast from Chris Parker for our passage to Nevis, and started to prepare the boat. Then off to get a good nights sleep as we would be sleep deprived for the next few days.      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      Chat with homies

      12 marzo 2024, Saint Vincent e Grenadine ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

      Again, trying to work on the boat and h get all the layers of gloss on the rub rail. When it dries then I work. While the wifi was on I got a message that Menuka had lost her ID card so I tried to contact her and then called Chandana and chatted with him for awhile.
      Also got to talk to Kim, Kirsten and Dad today. It feels good to spend time with friends, even when I can’t be near them.
      We headed to another spot on the Bay today and anchored the tender so Brian could do a pastel. I stayed in the boat and read. Then we had trouble getting the anchor up, so Brian had to dive in to retrieve it.
      Some mega yachts and ships have come into the harbour… it is quite a sight and the sunsets are beautiful.      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      Sanding and Sketching

      11 marzo 2024, Saint Vincent e Grenadine ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      I am far behind on my details of my travels so will try and catch up as best I can, these last two weeks (as today is actually the first day of Spring).
      While in Chatham Bay I didn’t sleep great as responsibilities felt heavy and worry grinding at my soul. I have turned to yoga in the mornings which has helped calm the spirit!
      We sanded and varnished/ glossed the Starboard rub rail. Most of our day was spent on boat chores, some work duties and pastels.
      I went with Brian to the other side of the Bay. He anchored the dinghy and I went to shore with my book to read and relax. On our way back to the boat we stopped by and said Hi to a few folks with Canadian Flags 🇨🇦.      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)

      Rub Rail

      10 marzo 2024, Saint Vincent e Grenadine ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      Sunday is Pancake Day…. Missing my friend Kirsten, my second home during Covid.
      After a feast we headed out to work on the run rail of the boat. We had to sand down the bottom side and a small piece of the top side with 60 grit and then go over it with 100 grit, and then apply two coats of primer. It looks nice! Now we have 8-10 coats of varnish to do over the next few days. The sun was hot so sun-shirts have proven to be useful the past few days (again, thanks Kirsten).
      We were done and watching the tourists head to shore, when another schooner came in, rumbling loudly. Brian got excited as he knew the man from Mystic, CI where he had kept the boat for two seasons (Geoff Jones). We popped into the dinghy and went for a quick visit to say HI. Upon getting back to the boat, we decided to go snorkelling where the fish and coral were plentiful. After we got back to the boat and washed off we decided to head to the beach and hear the steel drums. We thought it would be more then a one person thing, but nonetheless, had a nice walk, smoothed at Sunset Cove and a chance to talk to Phillip.
      Once back to the boat we got the hammock out, something I have been wanting for months. We set it up at the stern and enjoyed the view and chatted about how to get to DR and when to start heading there. While making super I chatted with Kim for a bit and then we chowed down on sausages wrapped in GF tortillas and a huge salad, finished with some chocolate ice cream.
      We were going to start planning the trip but Brian decided he would rather play the guitar and draw before we turned in to sleep, sore from our weekend of stripping, sanding and varnishing.      Leggi altro

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    • Cathy ManuelViaggiatoreCaribbean is Calling (2024)
      2

      Caught a Fish!

      9 marzo 2024, Saint Vincent e Grenadine ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

      Woke up and decided early that Brian would do a pastel. We lowered the dinghy from the davit, put the engine on, and then I attempted to start it. There was a kerfuffle as I had a learning style different then Brian’s teaching. But we worked it out quickly and he allowed me to start and drive the dinghy. I could have stayed in the boat and worked but decided to go with him and read. It is his first art attempt in awhile as he wasn’t inspired by anything he saw in Bequia.
      When we returned to Lorena, we decided to apply the stripper to the rub rail followed by lots of sanding. Finally we gave up after we bought another lobster from a local fisherman who stopped by the boat - they also gave us two conch. Brian decided to make some water (run the generator and put up with load noise), and I tenderized the conch and figured out how to cook it gluten free style. We cooked the lobster immediately as it was fatigued. I read that the conch parts are good bait for fishing, so I took a rod and tried to figure out how to us it. I started on the transom and worked my way to the bow, where I caught a Jack Fish. We could have kept and ate it, but since we already had a feast waiting, we released it.
      The water maker was giving pressure problems, so Brian was nervous, but when it finished we decided to go snorkelling. The water was clear and beautiful along the point and we saw lots of coral, lion fish, Chinese trumpet fish and more. Back on the boat we cleaned us at the stern shower and lounged (and took a spin around the Bay on the dinghy). We came back to Lorena and grabbed some attire before leaving again to check out the shore. We went for a long walk on the beach (and I climbed the bolder, that reminded me of the Rocks in NB). We stopped at Sunet Cove and had a virgin Pina Colada and watched the sun decent before heading back to the boat to feast on lobster, quinoa salad and conch. I decided to fry the conch in oil, with chickpea flour, egg wash and crushed gf crackers. It was very good! We usually listen to music during meal prep and eating…. And sometimes there is dancing involved afterwards 😆.      Leggi altro

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