Grenada - Closed the Loop, Got the T- Shirt

 

Last night as we approached Grenada, with a 3/4 moon rising, we crossed our outbound path completing our circumnavigation. It was 8 years ago we were last in Grenada, about 37,000 nautical miles ago (42,500 land miles). Since we left the Puget Sound (Seattle, Pacific Northwest) 12 years ago we've covered about 57,000nm. We have visited in my count somewhere around 39 countries and crossed the equator four times. To add to these stats, Cape Town, South Africa, which we left in February is now 5,847nm in the rearview mirror.

It was pretty fitting that we closed the circumnavigation loop in Grenada. Grenada was the first island I ever arrived at on a sailboat. I got on an orange trimaran named 'Clockwork Orange' while in Tobago as crew in 1976. After an overnight sail we arrived in Prickly Bay, Grenada and I was hooked.

It's been a long, challenging and amazing trip. The most amazing part is that neither Chris or I murdered the other one. Although I have caught Chris humming the tune to the song What If I Threw the Captain Overboard far too many times.

I have also decided it is time to resign from the Flat Earth Society.  There have been a few times on this circumnavigation when I was pretty sure we were close to falling off the edge - mostly in places where the old chart gets fuzzy and has a note Thar Be Dragons. But in the end I'm going to have to go with conventional science,  drop the Q conspiracy and accept that it really is a round earth.

I'm going to have to give some thought to the circumnavigation highlights, and a little to the lowlights, for a separate blog.

Now off to clear Customs and Immigration, then we need to go setup a rigger to fix our boom and vang. Plus we need to organize a boat survey so we can update our insurance for arrival in the USA. 

Paul

Grenada

Arrived at the mooring field in St Georges, Grenada with a 3/4 yellow moon rising at around 10:30pm local time. Tomorrow I'm going to resign from the Flat Earth Society and pick up my T-shirts.

Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute Grenada Day 3

Day 3 noon-to-noon run was 191nm
WE passed the west end of Tobago about noon today. I really wanted to stop in Tobago. In 1976 I spent a winter hanging and surfing there, haven't been back since. Because of Covid season you have to check in in Trinidad and then you can go back to Tobago. Problem is that it isn't any easy clear in, and the trip back is straight into the Tradewinds and the current. No thanks.

Should make it to Grenade before midnight.
Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute Grenada - Day 2

Day 2 noon-to-noon run was 175nm.
We lost the push from our current for todays run. STill nice sailing till noon. THe winds got light afternoon and we moved along pretty slowly in 8-10kt easterly winds. Latter in the day the current started back in and after an early evening squall the winds have filled back in to 15kts.
Alls well onboard.

Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute Grenada - Day 1

Day 1 225nm noon-to-noon.
We left Illes de Salut on Sunday morning. It took about 20 minutes to get our anchor chain unstuck from something below. Had a really fast day and night sail with a 1.5kt current pushing us. Tonight on watch I can see the orange glow of the oil and gas exploration platforms about 15 mikes from our course. Dozens of support vessels, drill platforms, survey vessels, ROV, etc. A couple more days till Grenada.
Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Papillon

 

Prison Hospital with lighthouse in the background

We have now travelled 5,211 nautical miles since we left Cape Town in mid-February, crossing the South Atlantic Ocean, crossing the equator for the fourth time and are now in the North Atlantic Ocean. We decided on a brief stop to catch up on some sleep and do a little boat work. Given the number of miles under the keel recently, I think we and Georgia earned it. So we stopped at Illes de Salut islands in French Guiana for two nights.

 

The islands are better known as Devils Island from the 1973 Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman classic movie Papillon.

Or better yet from the 1969 book written by the Papillon himself, the Frenchman Henri Charriere.

When we get back to the states Chris wants to get a house with a living room that is sized to fit this Elephant Ear house plant along side the trail to the prison..

Georgia anchored off Ille Royal

The prison church. Front rows for administration and guards, back rows for the convicts. There is a grave yard on the island for the administration staff. The story has it that when convicts died they were wrapped in cloth and had a stone tied to them. They would be taken out in a skiff in the cut between Ille Royal and Saint Joseph islands. The church bell would be rung, which alerted the sharks and the corpse would be slid off the boat into the water -- all to quickly vanish a splash of wild shark feeding.

I swear this peacock was hitting on Chris.

The barracks

We managed to snap a boom vang tang  -- I know it sounds like a K-pop band -- while on passage. I used some dyneema lashing to back it up temporarily.  We've decided to change our plans and not head directly for Antigua in the Caribbean, but take the shorter route to Grenada. We can get the vang and boom repair work done there.

We weren't sure if we were going to be able to come ashore here, as we have not officially cleared into the country. Something you have to go another 100 miles up the coast to do. Being a French controlled country they are pretty laid back when it comes to cruisers entering and leaving. The island has a few gendarmes stationed here -- probably as security for the near by European Space Launch complex. When we took the dinghy into the dock, there were two young gendarmes (police) chatting away with locals. We smiled and walked past. There is also a small hotel that uses some of the old prison building that has a restaurant on the island (they take credit cards).

Anchor location 05*17.033N 052*35.428W in about 15 feet of water.

Nice break and we are off on Sunday morning.

Tufted Capuchin monkey on the trail

An Agouti cruising by

Paul 

Ille Royale, French Guiana

Anchored off the Illes de Salut islands in French Guiana about an hour after dark. Fast ride in and nice to be in some calm waters. Time for a shower.

Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute French Guiana - Day5, 6 & 7

Day 5 noon-to-noon run 187nn, day 6 209nm, day 7 213nm.
Yesterday we had winds of 23 to 28kts on the beam all day, with matching seas. None of the crew and passengers were enjoying themselves. Sometime after midnight the winds came a little more from astern and the seas started to lay down, leaving a pretty decent ride - comparatively speaking. Today has been lighter winds, downwind sailing with sunny skies. We also did two back to back days over 200 miles per day, which is pretty respectable. What's not to like except for some sleep deprivation. Looks like we will arrive at Illes de Salut around midnight and should be able to anchor under a full moon.
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute French Guiana Day 5 & ^

Too bouncy to write much tonightr. Alls well onboard. Should arrive Saturday morning.
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute French Guinana Day 3 & 4

Day 3 160nm noon-to-noon, day 4 157nm.
Yesterday was a mostly motoring day with the occasional squalls. Today was nice sailing and little rain. We have about 600 miles to go to get to Illes de Salut islands in French Guiana. We will cross the equator for the fourth time on this trip sometime tonight. Neptune will get his rum due.
Less commercial shipping now that we are closer to the Amazon River delta (that's the actual jungle river, not the Prime delivery service). We have only seen one local fishing boat, surprisingly.

Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute French Guina Day 1 & 2

We did about 160nm on each day. Lots of squalls, making it uncomfortable and difficult to sail. We would sail easily in light winds and small seas for a few hours. Then a squall would show up and we'd have winds typically blowing around 25 kts with dumping rain. Then the rain would let up, the winds would die and we'd motor for a bit. Rinse and repeat. On Chris' watch she did manage to have a squall hit with about 5 minutes of continuous 37kts - not really fun.
We have made it close enough to the Brazilian coast to pickup the north going current. It is currently pushing us at around 1.5 to 2kts north while we motor in 2-4kts of wind.

Along with some missing rivets on our boom to gooseneck fitting, the tang that holds the boom vang to the boom has broken. I have it held on with some dyneema lashing for now. Hopefully when we get to Devil's Island in French Guiana we can do a bit more of a temporary fix.
950 miles to go.

Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Enroute French Guina - Day 0

We left Fernando de Noronha about 10:30am this morning. The plan was to leave early in the day, but there were some black looking storms around, plus no one got a good nights sleep because of the swell rolling through the anchorage. Once we left and put up some sail it started raining. From that point on it was rain interrupted by squalls for hours. Then a really large squall line came through and sucked up all the wind, leaving us motoring for the last 6 hours.

We are headed to Antigua in the Caribbean. To break up the trip we may (probably) stop in French Guiana in about a week.

Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com

Leaving Fenando de Noronha

 

Didn't get many pictures of Fernando de Noronha. Guess I'm getting lazy in my old age. Or maybe it's being back in the tropical heat...  Georgia is a tiny dot anchored outside the breakwater in this picture. Speaking of old age. We celebrated my birthday while here. You know how anniversaries have special names, like the Silver or Gold anniversary for some special number of years married. This my WTF birthday. Who would've thunk it? 

 The island is major tourist destination for the mainland Brazilians. Nice beaches, warm water. The Brazilian women do not wear a lot while at the beach. Each one trying to out do the next with who can use the narrowest floss to hold up their bathing suite.  Even someone as old as I am couldn't help but to take notice.

Interesting way to load and unload propane canisters from the delivery truck.

I should show you the cool pictures of the Spinner Dolphins that swim through the anchorage every day. But this anchorage has a pretty continuous swell rolling through it, making the boat roll from rail to rail. Not conducive to action photography, or sleeping. Most of the island and its waters is a nature reserve and the dolphins have the right-of-way. When you take the dinghy in toward shore you have have to stop the dinghy a half dozen times to allow the dolphins to continue on their way. Big fines if you don't. BTW, when the swell really picks up, this is a world class surf break. 

Its off the Antigua tomorrow morning, about 2200 miles away, with a possible stop on the way along the Brazil or Guinea coasts for another break.

Paul

Cruisers notes

We anchored 03*50.02S 032*24.59W clear of the mooring filed. Pretty rolly, even the Cats were complaining.

The Port Captain is very helpful and coordinates all clearance. Federal Police (Immigration) and Customs are also friendly. At this time you must be Covid vaccinated to land on the island, no exceptions. No testing required. Daily anchoring and environmental fees are expensive. At the current exchange rate (Brazilian Real is strong) we paid near usd$300 for two people for four days.

Arrived Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Early morning view from our anchorage (update)

 

We anchored in Noronha after a 12 day passage from St Helena across the South Atlantic Ocean at about 4:30pm local time on Sunday. It was a good and fairly easy passage. Now time to get some serious skeep, More latter.

Paul

Enroute Brazil Day 9 and 10

Day 9 noon-to-noon run was 151nm, day 10 was also 151nm. No squalls tonight, like last night. No Noddies pooping on the boat yet either. The sailing has been good the last two days -- large genoa on the pole port side, and the full main on starboard. We have about 275nm to go. At this rate we would make it in a dark on Sunday. We'll see.
Paul
--short

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com