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Caribbean

July - October 2022
FOB is on the next leg of her adventure! Read more
  • 13footprints
  • 3countries
  • 98days
  • 79photos
  • 10videos
  • 15.6kkilometers
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  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    Day 2

    The southern most island country

    July 14, 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    We’re moored in Trinidad, which is nearly as hot and humid as Suriname, but the shore power is working so we have aircon! Yippee! There’s a very large yachting community here and lots of socialising. Looking forward to exploring!Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    Day 3

    Feeling unstable

    July 15, 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    Two things. Firstly, there was an M5.4 earthquake in Guiria, Venezuela, which is just over the bay. Luckily no damage reported, but a bit too close for my liking. Secondly, I stuck my finger into the microwave plug socket and got a huge shock. I didn’t actually stick it in, but I touched the plug prong before it was out of the socket, which resulted in a strangulated scream. Anyway, it was a good excuse for losing at cards that evening. 😂
    Shake, shake, shock, shock. 💥    Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    Day 9

    Birdy num-num

    July 21, 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We started at 4.45am (out of my comfort zone 😂) and travelled from the north to the south of Trinidad, looking for birds. And boy did we find them! We saw over 50 different birds, from the striking macaws to the common mockingbirds. We had a wonderful guide, Roger Neckles, who is a passionate birder and photographer, and there were often cars jamming up behind us because we suddenly had to STOP to see a new species. (The drivers were always very patient and there was never any hooting or swearing. 😊) Craig was in his element, and we also had some street food along the way, so I was in mine too! 😋. Roger’s camera lens was ⬅️this➡️ long and mine wasn’t, so all of these bird pictures were taken by him on this trip. Interesting fact: Maccaws have short necks and cannot bend their heads far enough to clean their own butts, so they help each other out! 🤣 (See the last pic!)Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    2
    Day 15

    Mites and tites

    July 27, 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Our ferryman, Spider, sped us across the bay at a rapid rate of knots 😳 to Gaspar Grande Island, where we went to visit the Gasparee Caves. A short hike up a steep hill and we were at the entrance to the limestone caves. In the distance we could see a shadow of Venezuela, but it’s best to keep your eyes on the ground, as all around are huge sinkholes that you really don’t want to become too familiar with. But once in the caves, they allow rays of light to filter through and highlight the beautiful stalagmites and stalactites, and the translucent ‘Blue Grotto’ pool. We descended about 100 feet, clinging onto the rails of the metal stairway, with the odd fruit bat flying around. But it was all worth it when we saw the fascinating structures that have formed over thousands of years. Quite awesome. (In fact, we were advised that when we looked up in awe, we should keep our mouths closed in case some bat doodoo made its way in! 🤣)Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    2
    Day 22

    A taste of Trini

    August 3, 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    Well, it wasn’t a taste, it was 57 tastes! We travelled for 12 hours around the island, sampling street food from every other vendor. My idea of heaven! 😆 Trinidadian food is influenced by African, Indian Chinese, Creole and European cuisines, so you have everything from rotis to stews to salt fish and curries. The most unusual dish we tasted was cow heel soup - which is exactly what it says. 😱 (Can’t say it was my favourite. 😬 My favourite is still Saheena, made from a type of spinach leaf with a crunchy split pea crumb.) We also cracked open cocoa pods and Brazil nut pods, ate some unusual fruits (chennets and rambutan - both reminded me of litchis), various pastries - many of which involved coconut, and we ended with home-made ice cream. And, of course, a shot of the local rum! We was stuffed! 🐷😆 We got to see a lot more of the island, including many off-the-beaten track areas, and our guide, Jesse James (not the outlaw 😄), was so entertaining and a wealth of knowledge. Now does anyone know how to fix a bathroom scale?😔Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    2
    Day 24

    Up to the north

    August 5, 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We hired a car for a few days and drove up to the north of Trinidad to Grande Riviere, hoping to see some turtle hatchlings. It’s the tail end of the leatherback laying season, but now the hatchlings are emerging. And we got lucky. We went for a walk along the beach in the late afternoon and came across a local who had gathered about 70 hatchlings. He kept them safely away from the exposed shoreline because the frigate birds and black vultures circle around, and they love a little hatchling snack. He apparently does this every day out of the kindness of his heart. We saw a couple more babies emerge and, once it was a bit darker, the little darlings were released. The hatchlings raced frantically (some quite clumsily) towards the surf and were swallowed up by the waves. It takes your breath away.Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    111
    Day 28

    Sahiena

    August 9, 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Stephanie and I agreed that sahiena was our favourite local dish, so she suggested that we try to make some. Our biggest hurdle was finding some dasheen leaves, but one of the locals, Sobers (pronounced Soobers) was very enthusiastic about this idea and pointed us in the right direction. He also helped me find some tamarind sauce to go with it. We found the rest of the ingredients (split peas, turmeric, garlic etc), poured the G&T’s, and we were off. Jim and Craig were the (unfocused 😄) photographers, and Sobers even made a surprise visit to see how we were doing. He had earlier given us a tub of geera neck to try (which was so kind of him), but he wasn’t quite sure about my green split peas - they should have been the yellow ones, but never mind. We blitzed and mixed and spread the paste over the dasheen leaves, rolled and cut them, and then Stephanie brought her A-game along with the frying. So they weren’t exactly like the ones we had tasted on the side of the road, but they were recognisable as sahiena, and a lot of fun was had in the making. Sobers arrived the next day for his share, and gave us his verdict. Basically a thumbs up for the novices! 😁Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    Day 37

    Getting to Grenada

    August 18, 2022, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We left Trinidad on Wednesday afternoon, after spending over a month there. We had a great time, saw some amazing things and met some wonderful people. Leaving the mooring was a bit stressful, but I was happy to say goodbye to the plank I had to walk across every day to get ashore! 🙈 The sail to Scotland Bay around the corner was fine, and apart from an early-evening party boat, we basically had it to ourselves. We anchored there overnight and left at 3am because the trip to Grenada is about 15 hours long and we wanted to arrive before dark. There was a very strong current pushing us west and we were told to keep east of the oil rig so that we weren’t catapulted past Grenada, but this meant that we spent a lot of the trip with our nose into the swells. Not pleasant! It was our first sail without crew and I’ve got to say I was a bit anxious. 😬 Luckily it went smoothly, and when we arrived in Grenada, Tony was there to show us where to anchor. We are now in Prickly Bay and ready for the next leg. By the way, you must say Gra-nay-da, because Gra-nah-da is in Spain! Ok? 😁Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    2
    Day 41

    Intro to Grenada

    August 22, 2022 in Grenada ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We needed to check in at customs and immigration and Tony said he had the use of a car for a week and kindly offered to take us into St George’s. Well, did we have a ride! It turned out to be a very mini Mini Minor - the cutest thing ever - and four of us piled in. I’m still not sure how we did it. 😁 Everyone we drove past either looked, smiled, hooted, waved, aah’ed, pointed, or asked if they could buy it. The boys still think that the pretty girls were smiling at them. Shame. Anyway, after checking in, we went shopping near the Carenage Harbour and this involved walking through the Sendall Tunnel. Large trucks hurtle through here and you have to plaster yourself against the wall and pull your tummy in - some of us more than others! The chances of being wiped out by a side mirror were quite high. 🙈 On the way back we stopped at the West Indies Beer Company so that we could cool down, if you know what I mean. The most economic way to drink beer here is to order a bucket of six beers, so the boys had to do that. Faye and I were a little more abstemious. 😜 In the evening, there was a braai on the beach (95% South African) and it was good to meet some new yachties - a very social bunch! 😊Read more

  • SailingFOBCaribbean
    Day 53

    Foblet failure

    September 3, 2022 in Grenada ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Claire, Mary and Steve have arrived in Grenada and it’s just wonderful to have them here. 😊 🥳 We stopped at Ronde Island on our way to Carriacou. It’s about a four and a half hour sail north of Grenada. There are two big rocks close by called The Sisters (so appropriate under the circumstances 😁) and they are good for snorkelling. So they all set off in Foblet (the dinghy), but there was a hitch… 🙈Read more

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