There are 3 main islands in the country of Grenada: Carriacou (where we hauled out), Petit Martinique a small resort island just north of Carriacou, and the main island of Grenada which is just south of Carriacou. As we had some time before hauling out we decided to pop down to Grenada and catch up with a few friends who plan to spend hurricane season down this way. There are a number of south facing bays on the southern end of the island that are popular bolt holes for cruisers and some insurers prefer boats to be south of 12o for the hurricane season. There are several boatyards for haul out but a lot of people stay on board in the water, at anchor or on a mooring.
We left Carriacou in the morning and had a great sail with one reef in the main and full genoa. It was a bit choppy between the islands, as we have come to expect. We steer clear of the submerged volcano called “Kick-em Jenny” as it looks kinda scary, and pull into Grenada just north of St George (the capital) at a place called Grand Mal. Here there is an underwater sculpture park and we pick up a bouy and go to investigate. There are 60 something different sculptures and despite the average visibility we managed to find quite a few. Some are quite substantial and most are visible for snorkelling. We drop the buoy and anchor close by for the night and it is the calmest night we have had for a long time.
The next day we continue south, and around the corner to Prickly Bay, one of the south facing bays which has a popular boatyard and marina. There are already quite a few people dug in here for the “season”. We head ashore and check out a couple of supermarkets and of course the chandlery. With so many cruisers around there are a lot of activities organised, including the all-important shopping bus. I join Andy from Cushla in the excitement of visiting an IGA! There are plenty of opportunities to socialise as well and we catch up for Sunday lunch Whisper Cove with Cheryl and Richie from Serenity Now. We last saw them in Antigua and they are heading to Trinidad to haul out. After a few days here we head back to Carriacou again, but we return to St George after hauling out and spend a couple of days there before flying out to Miami, and home.
St George has a grungy kind of charm. The small, horse-shoe shaped harbour is enclosed by steep hills lined with some colourful houses. Fort George sits on the SW corner of “The Careenage”- its not much of a fort, just a few canons and ruined buildings but a great view of the surrounds and clearly well placed to protect the harbour entrance back in the day. Colourful wooden fishing boats line the harbour as well and in the eastern bay is the Port Louis Marina Resort. We pop in for a coffee. All too soon it is our last night before flying out and we treat ourselves to dinner at BBs Crab-back restaurant on the harbour. We visited St George again on our return and enjoyed a couple of days recovery from the long journey, including a walk along the lovely Grand Anse beach before catching the ferry back to finally see Carriacou to see ITIKI.
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ITIKI's Experience Applying CopperCoat
We thought we were clever buying 10 litres of Micron 350 ablative antifoul in Martinique, knowing it was not easy to get in Grenada where we would be hauling out. Since then though, the decision to use CopperCoat was made so the quest began to get the materials to Grenada (well Carriacou to be precise) as they are not available locally.
What is CopperCoat?
Well basically it is a hard, non-ablative anti-foul paint. It consists of a 2-part resin which is mixed with a fine copper powder and applied in layers to the hull. It chemically cures over a period of a few days and then needs to be sanded to expose the copper that acts as the anti-foul. It starts off brown in colour but will go green over time as it develops, as all copper eventually does. Unlike a regular ablative anti-foul, it doesn’t rub off every time you clean the hull. Although we had applied a good quality anti-foul in Leros (Greece) only 12 months ago, a good deal of it was gone thanks to regular hull cleaning as well as the sargassum weed which has been haunting us through the Caribbean. CopperCoat can last 10 years and maybe longer, which is good as it is not cheap! Also as it doesn’t come off into the water it is far more environmentally friendly. Not something you would consider for a race yacht but perfect for cruising.
Applying CopperCoat is quite a process. You need to calculate the amount of material you need, adding a little for wastage. It then needs to be applied in a single session with ideally around 6-7 coats, although as coat thickness may vary you just use up all that you have. Rain is not your friend during the application time so applying it at the end of the rainy season in the tropics can be challenging!
We sourced our CopperCoat from the UK as the cost, including freight, was much cheaper than getting it from the US. Application materials could be readily sourced locally. The hull needs to be well prepared in advance and taken right back to the gelcoat with absolutely all previous antifoul removed. The bulk of this was done whilst we were away and finished off once we got back. We masked up around earth plates and engine exhausts ourselves but left the rest to the experts. The Big Day
When the day came, the forecast looked good and the skies were clear. Edwin turned up around 9am and it all seemed a bit too casual, even for a Monday. Two other guys joined him and he masked up whilst they did a wipe down of the hulls with Iso-propyl alcohol, with painting starting in earnest around 10am. We weren’t really clear at first what we should do and initially kept out of the way, but as progress seemed slow, particularly with the small rollers, we got involved with mixing and cleaning up the trays etc. They got into a bit more of a rhythm after that and it seemed more efficient. At the end of the 5th coat we still had a full 4L left and although they were pretty reluctant to get the 6th coat on we negotiated some overtime, bought some cold beers and they continued on. Just as we were checking for any touch ups and we were contemplating another round of cold beers, we looked up to see a dirty black cloud. First drops of rain were soon felt and so followed a mad rush to get the plastic sheet deployed to cover the last coat. Tropical rain squalls are heavy but thankfully short lived. The transoms got a fair bit of water running down them, as they take the run-off from the decks. Also a few streaks elsewhere but not too bad. Apparently it was just the epoxy of the last coat or two which has washed away. We can sand it and touch it up tomorrow and Keith can do this. Also need to turn the rudders and get the spot that was underneath as well. Disappointing end to the day but they have done a good job.
Three days later Edwin returned to sand the hulls. This removes a layer of epoxy and exposes the Copper. This took the best part of the day to do with one person. Once ITIKI is in the lifting cradles we will pop a layer of regular anti-foul on the bottom of the keels, which she has been resting on. And so we are good to go! Now we watch for the hull to go green, but this time not due to algae growth!
Big thanks to Edwin and the folks at Tyrell Bay Marina for expert work in applying the CopperCoat as well as assistance in getting the materials into the country. Anyone want to buy some Micron 350?? TIPS & Lessons
There is plenty of information on the CopperCoat website, including videos. These are our lessons from the day.
Materials
Labour
Materials
Total: AU$7,163 ITIKI's Relaunch 2022
Well it was a tough one in the heat and humidity, dodging rain squalls and battling jetlag, but we are well practiced at this now and managed to get everything ready, including applying CopperCoat, in just under 10 days! It sure is good to be back on the water. Check out this short video of our relaunch. Thanks to all the staff at Tyrell Bay Marina for taking care of our baby!
The highs, lows and lessons from our year on the runWhen we left our beloved vessel ITIKI (FP Helia 44 catamaran) on the hardstand in Leros, Greece in October 2019, we had no idea it would be 20 months before we would set eyes on her again. We had planned to be away for just five months. Lives and plans were turned upside down by the events of 2020. Missing a season of cruising the Med was pretty minor in comparison to the hardships that many experienced, so we hunkered down in Sydney and made the most of it, biding our time trying to make ourselves useful and writing and re-writing plans. As we all remember, the Covid steamroller kept on rolling through Australia well into 2021, eating into our northern summertime cruising season. The urge to bring ITIKI “home” was growing stronger and a fortnight into the July 2021 Sydney lockdown (that ended up lasting until October!) we finally made our escape. My parting memory of leaving my home country (after being granted approval to do so) was being frog-marched through Melbourne Airport by serious looking men in Hazmat suits. I guess they needed to ensure we really did board our near empty 747 to Dubai, rather than slipping out into the suburban Melbourne streets. We felt like fugitives on the run and we have been “running” ever since. Between hitting the water in Leros, Greece in late July 2021 and hauling out in Carriacou, Grenada in late June 2022 we visited 17 countries, 64 islands (plus countless islets) and travelled a total of 7,990nm! It’s been an incredible journey, filled with many challenges and rewards and a few life-lessons. An amazing experience of course, and the first question everyone asked on our brief return was “What was the best bit?” Oh that is so hard to answer as there were so many best bits and for many different reasons. Exit stage west – leaving the MedWhile we had expected our eventual exit from the Med to be a little more leisurely than it was, we still had time to see some incredible sights. You could cruise the Med for years and not have to go back to the same place twice (unless you really wanted to of course), and we were determined to take a different path on the return journey, avoiding the more touristy destinations as usual. Our top picks for this part of our journey included:
Tackling the AtlanticAt a time when many Mediterranean cruisers were bedding down or packing up for the northern winter, we continued to push on into the Atlantic, stopping first at the Canary Islands. Cruising the Canaries was both challenging and rewarding. These dry and windswept volcanic islands each have their own character and highlights. The lunar landscapes gradually giving way to greener forests as we made our way south through the chain. November was a popular time to be there with the fully-subscribed Atlantic Rallies gathering for their final preparations - anchorages and marinas were packed, and hire cars few and far between. The islands are well known for their “acceleration zones” where the consistent NE winds compress around the southern corners of the islands. Popular with windsurfers and kite surfers alike, they certainly add a little zing to your sailing experience. Well protected anchorages are limited and often busy as a result though and we had a few rolly nights. Our Atlantic Crossing was (unintentionally) done in two stages, starting initially from Tenerife. A medical emergency saw us diverted from our destination of Barbados to Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands - a midnight arrival with no detailed charts, to meet a waiting ambulance. Fortunately all went well and after just over a week in Mindelo, and a quick change of crew, we made it across to Barbados just in time for Christmas. With the loss of our autopilot, spinnaker and starboard engine MDI along the way, the lights of Barbados were a welcome sight for our midnight arrival. The journey 2070nm from Mindelo to Barbados took us 11.5 days with an average speed of 7.5kts. Cruising the CaribbeanWe spent the next 6 months cruising the windward and leeward islands of the Caribbean, cruising north slowly at first until we got our Autopilot fixed in Martinique. The spinnaker stayed there for the rest of the season awaiting its turn for some attention. We island hopped as far north as the British Virgin Islands before turning south to spend some time in the very laid back St Vincent Grenadines. Finally we cruised to Grenada, where we hauled out in Carriacou for hurricane season. Each of the countries and islands we have visited have their own unique character and customs, although many of them share the common thread of history of European colonisation (French, English, Dutch, Spanish), sugar plantations and slavery before evolving into independent nations with a focus on tourism. The French islands (Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Martin and St Barts) remain very French, retaining the language, cuisine, (locally flavoured) French culture and using the Euro. Former British colonies seemed more independent although retaining English as the main language and paying homage to British bureaucracy. Although English is widely spoken, many retain a French based “Patois” from previous “occupation”. Highlights of the Caribbean for us
Life’s biggest lessonsEach year’s journey on ITIKI has become longer and longer, from 4 months in our first season to 11 in our most recent. Our next (and final??) will be a little longer still. It has been a steep but enjoyable learning curve. Last season our plans and contingencies were challenged and our skills and experience was put to the test. Here are some key take-aways from our year on the run
Whilst we have been back in Australia, shivering in the sub 20s temperatures, we have been planning the next leg of our journey. This will be a big one with many bucket-list locations featuring on our route. We all know that plans are made in pencil and anything can and does happen, so there are always adjustments to be made along the way. Check out our Video below to see an animation of our plans.
We will be returning to ITIKI early October and hope to hit the water within 10 days, with a freshly Copper-coated bottom. We still have a few weeks of hurricane season to go so we will cautiously pop down to Southern Grenada and then slowly make our way up north through the St Vincent Grenadines, with one eye on the weather, dropping into our favourite anchorages along the way. An important pit stop will be Martinique where we will collect and "road test" our repaired Parasailor, do a major provisioning and then start heading west. Our first stop will be the small Venezuelan archipelago of Los Roques, off the north coast of Venezuela. We won't be going to the Venezuelan mainland but we are allowed to transit here for up to 2 weeks. From there we head to the Dutch Antilles, also known as the ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). Apparently a great spot if you are into diving, but we are not so it will be quickly on to Santa Marta and Cartagena in Columbia, the latter will be hosting us for Christmas.
Next it is on to the San Blas Islands, a vast archipelago of over 340 islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Looking forward to white sand beaches and tropical rainforest here. Then we head to the Panama Canal. We will be measured for the transit fees and then spend a few days a little further north spotting monkeys and crocs in the Chagres river, which also drains from Gatun Lake. We can then make our way through the Panama canal and across Gatun Lake and into the Pacific Ocean. Now what boatie hasn't dreamed of one day making that iconic journey!
We will make a quick stop at Las Perlas Islands to clean our coppery bottom before a challenging passage to the Galapagos Islands. Our expectations are high, for me this place is second only to Antarctica on my list of places on planet earth to visit. Some incredible and unique wildlife will be waiting for us! We have already made up transom nets to stop the seals coming aboard for a snooze!
It is from here we officially start what is known as the "Coconut Milk Run", a downwind stretch of around 3 weeks sailing to get to Hiva Oa in French Polynesia, part of the Marquesas. After that, well, our plans they get a little sketchy....
It seems the further south we go, the more relaxed the vibe. Maybe because the cruising season was winding down and everyone was heading south to their hurricane homes. Maybe its just always like this. As much as I enjoyed the beauty of the BVIs I think I have to say that this part of the Caribbean is by far my favourite. We are now at the very southern end of the St Vincent Grenadines. Further south lies the islands of Grenada and well beyond that Trinidad and Tobago, the latter not to be confused with... The wild, uninhabited islets and reefs of the fabled Tobago Cays are known among cruisers as some of the most spectacular in the Caribbean. Seasoned cruisers often list this idyllic anchorage as their most treasured, citing dreamy crowdless beaches, dazzling reefs and vivid aquamarine seas. OK dear reader, you probably realised those were not my words, however Tobago Cays is a really special place and is now on our list of Caribbean favourites. Located in the southern St Vincent Grenadine islands, the Tobago Cays are an archipelago comprised of five small uninhabited islands: Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tobac and Jamesby. Together, these islands are the main attraction at the Tobago Cays Marine Park, a national park and wildlife reserve. Much of the park consists of a massive 1,400-acre lagoon, surrounded by a horseshoe reef. Just imagine shallow, sand-bottomed, crystal clear lagoons teeming with green turtles and colourful fish, protected from the Atlantic Ocean by coral reefs and fringed with small, white-sand beaches (ok with a bit of sargassum). It’s quite a short distance from Canouan Island so we pull out a headsail for the sail across. As we reach the islands we motor through “the cut”, between Petit Rameau & Petit Bateau. There are mooring buoys here and it's possible to anchor as well, but we continue on into the lagoon. One “boat boy” comes to say hi and see if we want a buoy, but we choose to anchor in the south of the lagoon with everyone else. It is relatively shallow, sandy bottomed and well protected from the swell but we still get the full force of the Atlantic wind. There is a small National Parks fee of EC$10 (AU$5) per day and they come around to collect it at varying times of the day, to keep you on your toes. There are so many turtles it’s really amazing! I snorkelled just around the boat to check the anchor and chased after a few of them in different directions, they are totally oblivious to humans and just go about their business, munching on sea grass and ignoring you. There is also a funny puffer type fish blowing at the sand around our anchor, perhaps he is trying to dislodge it, or to see his reflection. We end up spending a week around Tobago Cays, snorkelling, swimming and checking out the small islands and the wildlife. Dinghied across to Baradal Island one afternoon and walked up to the top, which was really not that far, but a great view of the other islands in the Cay, out to the Atlantic and across to Mayreau Island. Saw a couple of pretty large iguanas hanging out in the trees, as well as some nesting birds. Keith got swooped by one being over protective. We also snorkelled off the south end of the island which was really special, not so much in the way of coral but lots of sea grass and turtles feeding that let you get pretty close. I followed a medium sized ray whilst thinking of Steve Irwin – definitely no sting in his tail though. The rainy season is living up to its name and dark clouds gather most days. We had some light rain one day it was full of Saharan dust so ITIKI is filthy again. The only good news about that is it means the risk of hurricane is low as the weather off the coast of Africa is a little cooler. Rather than wait for some clean rain we spent some time cleaning the windows and getting some of the dust off the boat. It is a never ending task! Went over to Petite Bateau in the dinghy and the motor cut out just as we reached the shallows – groan.... Fortunately it was only the fuel line that had come loose at the engine so we could quickly fix it. We walked up over the top of the island through the bushes and down to the beach on the other side. This is where the beach BBQs are as well as the popular, and more protected anchorage, called The Cut that we passed on the way in. Walked back around the much shorter and flatter end of the island. Bamboozle II has arrived so we dropped by to say hello to them. Andy and Brenda from Whispering Winds drop by as well, they are friends with Mark and Myra who came aboard on St Martin, having bought their Helia sight unseen. We have been told of a couple of great snorkelling spots but they are on the outside of the horseshoe reef. We tried to check it out one afternoon, you have to go through the “dinghy cut”, a small opening in the reef, but finding it is quite difficult. It is marked by small buoys but they are hard to see from low down. We finally spot them and make it through the cut, tying up to the outer most buoy, but it is really quite rough so we decide to come back another day. Instead we popped across to Jamesby Island and walked along one of the "crowdless beaches". Sadly it has quite a thick coating of Sargassum weed, that is not mentioned in the tourist brochures! I think they must just photoshop it out! One of the must do activities in Tobago Cays is the beach BBQ. There is a group of 10 of us and we join Romeo and his team for a great night! Sadly lobster season is over but we have a fantastic feast of Lambi (conch), freshly caught fish, pork ribs (I passed on those) plantains, veggies and salads. Coincidentally we met the new owners of a boat named Jace (Jeff and Lynne) - we knew the previous Aussie owners from Ragusa. It must have been a good night as I completely forgot to take any photos! The only downside is the trip back in the dinghy - its a dark night and we are motoring into the wind and waves, but we make it back and find our own boat without getting too wet. Outside of the lagoon, on the eastern side, there is a small island called Petit Tabac. Its possible to get over there in the dinghy if it is calm enough, but one morning we decide to head over there in ITIKI (to empty tanks on the way and make water as well). Switched the instruments on nothing happened, everything was blank. No lights, no action! Went through a bit of trouble shooting but no luck at all. Seems they are not getting power, which may have been related to them cutting out intermittently. I called Garmin but they just sent the trouble shooting guide that didn’t really help. Keith took off around the anchorage to ask for assistance from fellow cruisers. Jeff from Jace comes over to take a look and spends 3 hours running the multi-meter over the boat with a fine tooth comb. Finally he found a voltage drop which turns out to be due to a chafed wire that has been pulled through a roughly hacked hole during installation. It has probably been there since the beginning and possibly been responsible to our continued electrical problems. Jeff cut and re-crimped the wire and we had power back to the instruments. Wow! Thank goodness for helpful (and persistent) cruisers! We invited Jeff and Lynn over for dinner to say thank you and had a lovely evening chatting. The following day we realised it was quite calm and the wind was lighter than usual so we took the dinghy over to the cut and went snorkelling to the northern side, outside of the reef. It is quite a big reef but as with other Caribbean reefs, nothing special coral wise. Plenty of fish though and we saw a fairly large barracuda - fortunately he didn’t seem to recognise us… We are on the outside of the reef so the swell is rolling in and a couple of times it caught me and I got a little too close to the shallows. Went back to the boat and decided to head over to Petit Tabac. Jeff and Lynne and Brenda and Andrew have come over on the RIBs so we swim ashore to say hi. Bad move as it is coral and rock right up to the beach on the Western side. I try to swim around the end of the reef, which is nice enough but starting to get tired looking for a gap. Keith is ashore and directs me in. Andrew has a metal detector and they have found some coins which they think are props from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie which was filmed here. We decide to wash the boat and do a couple of loads of washing - housework in the most exotic of locations! Keith gets some fantastic drone shots though. After lunch we head back inside the reef as it is getting pretty rolly out here. We anchor in the shallow sand a little further south than where we were before. The sun comes out briefly and the drone goes up again. We are in very shallow water and it’s a rolly night. MAYREAUIn the morning we decide to head across to Mayreau after more drone flying and a bit of hull scrubbing. It’s such a short distance so we are motoring, avoiding a few reefs as we come into the bay. We anchor in Saline Bay and go ashore for a walk. There is not much here at all, a very quiet island with a small population, a school and a couple of small resorts. Great views from the top of the hill and we can see down to Salt Whistle Bay anchorage which looks pretty crowded. Not much in the way of supplies available here, can't even find bananas! There are quite a few goats wandering around - haven't seen it on the menu though so not sure what they do with them. Some local kids from the sailing school have been around the anchorage in their dinghy looking for donations of equipment, lines, fibreglass, resin etc. We promise to take a look at what we have and would suit them. A couple of dudes come around in wooden boats touting for business for restaurants. It’s so quiet here now it must be tough with tourist numbers dwindling. The next morning we take the RIB to the next bay north and pop into the resort to see if they might have the football on (UEFA cup final). No good but it looks like a lovely spot. We continue on to Salt Whistle Bay and have a walk ashore here. It is a small, shallow bay with not much room so no real reason to bring ITIKI here. Back in town Keith finds that the D View cafe/bar/restaurant has a TV and apparently the football will be on. When we get there though they don’t seem to have the correct channel. We have a very ordinary lunch and the crew from Wild Thing 2 arrive and we manage to get the football on German TV on my computer - Liverpool lost so not a happy afternoon. There was a massive dump of rain whilst we were out and unfortunately we left the hatch above the table open so everything is wet! At least it is clean rain. ,After breakfast we head ashore to walk across to the windward side. There is some interesting signage along the way, installed by the beach bar on the other side. We feed the goats and untangle them from their tethers which are wrapped around trees and their own limbs. Not the brightest of creatures. The local power station here is a solar farm. On the southern end of the island is a large salt lagoon (without flamingos). We get great views across to Tobago Cays as we walk over the ridge to the windward side. When we get to the windward beach it is, well, windy. There is a fringing reef providing some protection but not really much of a swimming spot as there are lots of rocks and plenty of sargasso. The Beach Bar is not open yet. We walk along the beach and back and then head back to town. I decided to swim back to the boat. Later that evening we enjoyed sundowners on Mai Tai with Ollie, who is a keen ex professional fisherman and he gives us a few tips and lots of encouragement! Union IslandOllie (Mai Tai) came over for morning tea and to have a look at our tweakers (no that is not a euphemism!) We then head off for Union island and decide to go the long way around so we can make water. Inspired by Ollie, we put the fishing line out and after reeling it in half a dozen times to remove the seaweed it suddenly zings! I grab it but it goes slack. Dang! The one that got away. Reeled the line in and the €30 lure is completely gone. There are some serious teeth marks in the trace line, must have been a Wahoo. We passed the Chatham Bay and Frigate Island anchorages before arriving in Clifton Harbour and anchored between Bamboozle and Mai Tai, the latter obviously went the more direct route. We head ashore for provisioning, which is quite reasonable. There are plenty of stray dogs and a few stray people as well... The dinghy dock is quite special - it’s like a mini Venice as you have to go under a bridge into a little pond, but there is only room for a handful of boats. Head ashore in the morning and Keith goes in search of a hairdresser. He gets what is probably the best haircut since we left home! The simple pleasures of life on the run! I also manage to post a postcard (that’s the last one Pam!) Walked along the shoreline of the bay to the kite surfing beach which is inside the reef on the western end of the bay we are anchored in. Lovely location. Dropped by to say hi to some fellow cruisers on our way back to the boat before motoring down to Chatham Bay. It’s a lovely anchorage with a long beach and a couple of bars and we decide to stay a few days. We are greeted by Philip on his wooden boat to tell us about the beach bar/restaurant. Keith swims the anchor and sees a weird hand fish (Triglidae, Gurnards) aka Sea Robins under the boat. We spent 10 days at Chatham Bay, with a couple of trips out to empty tanks and provision. Some of the highlights include:
Daring Dinghy oddessy to Clifton & back |
AuthorAfter more than 5 years of (minus time off for Covid) and more than 27,000nm Lynda has finally got the hang of this cruising life Archives
January 2024
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