Fergus Quinlan & Kay Cronin




Pylades Millennium Cruise Part Five - Caribbean



16 December 1999
Barbados
In the Immigration office the singer with the steel band was dreaming of a white Christmas. We presented our papers and clearance forms from Cape Verde, paid our money, visited the health clearance section, back to customs, "welcome to Barbados, have a few beers, relax and Happy Christmas".

We dropped anchor in Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown. Swam in the clear, turquoise, warm water , curious turtles popped their heads up. The excitement was palpable we were thrilled with Pylades and ourselves. Christmas lay ahead, stories to be told of voyages and acquaintances remade. Phone calls made home to tell of our arrival.

The grassed roof bar on the beach, reached after paddling the dinghy through the surf was the watering hole and confessional for many nights. We tasted the rum punch, maybe too many, we hugged, talked, laughed, danced and sang to the beat of reggae, and a ..little bit of Jessica... until we were turfed into the surf and brought back to the boat by a sober crewmember. We sought out and enjoyed the very colourful Bridgetown.

Vera knocked on the hull next morning after spotting us from a bus and swimming out from the shore. She and Peter had flown out from Ireland to join us for Christmas, Fergus was delighted to have his girls on board fulfilling his wildest dreams.

The 6 of us sailed on for Tobago, some 120 miles SW of Barbados. Our journey was rough with cross-seas. The sky filled in, all hatches shut, those in the cockpit were harnessed. The heavens opened with rain and squalls and the heat was oppressive. We ran off through the night in a wild quartering sea.

23rd December
At dawn we arrived in Scarborough, capital of Tobago. The boat could breath again, all hatches open, we anchored in the bay. Once again presented ourselves at immigration and customs, as nearly always the atmosphere in these offices was one of great humour with lots of backslapping and document stamping. Red tape is big business in the Caribbean. Every form has a person employed to see it gets from it's A to its B. Tobago with its pristine beaches and beautiful greenery is where we spent Christmas and New Year.

Scarborough, a colourful shantytown. Timber buildings of great colour, fruit sellers along the roadside with multi coloured stalls. The people dressed in brilliant colours, the ladies believe in hats and there's always a ready smile or handshake or fist to say respect mon. It's a busy business town with lots of banks and a super outdoor vegetable and clothes market. We shopped here on Christmas Eve in an atmosphere never to be forgotten, spice smells, lots of colour and easy time.

The Dock Workers Bar looked very colourful, the inhabitants rough, the sound high, we took a peep inside, "This is a private christmas party, come in welcome" We tried to buy beers through the small opening in the steel bars which enclosed the counter, "They are on the house mon" so was the next round and the plate of very strong tasting meat. The lighting dim, the reggae pulsating and very very loud. The place jammed with three black females, a hundred black males and us. We are all dancing, the atmosphere electric, one of the clientele hassled a bit, a very large black arm, removes him from the floor and calm is very firmly restored. Time passed, more black women arrived ,they moved so gracefully, we danced like stick insects, their dance is a pure celebration of sex, ours reflects Roman oppression. Sarah and Kay get proposals of marriage. We get an escort out of the club. We thank our hosts profusely, for this major cultural experience.

27th December 1999
Anchor at Charlottesville at the edge of the rain forest, snorkelling over the reefs in warm water a brilliant array of reef fish, so many species so many colours. Kay and Ferg go walkabout in the rain forest, parrots screech overhead, a giant spider sits in giant web, termites bite Kay. The rain comes and we know why its called the rain forest, firehose squalls bring the sound of crashing branches and trees all round .We lose our path and follow a river bed down. Many trees were climbed for direction finding, Fergus dived into the sea and swam around for the dingy, travel by sea is much easier than through virgin forest. That night returning from a drink in the local we were besotted by fireflies. Looking back at the land from our water borne abode we saw every inch of the darkness permeated by the darting lights of these fireflies, the night had a thousand eyes.

31st December 1999
New Years eve night back in Scarborough, we dined in a very small restaurant/bar, the owner told us he was educated by the Irish nuns, he talked of Sr. Stan from the Order of Cluny. Emotionally, he told us that all his family owed much to the Irish nuns that they taught them motivation and respect. Later, further north on the island of St. Vincent we are once again told about Sr. Stan. The respect for her and the Irish nuns who came this way is very high.

For midnight on New Years eve the younger uns go off to a major outdoor concert organised by the BBC. Kay and Ferg welcome the new millennium with Pylades. We watch the fireworks climb into the sky at midnight and remember and toast absent friends and muse on our future. The adjacent coastguard fire distress flares for the craic.

3 January 2000
Reluctantly, we left Tobago and with Trinidad to port made our way through choppy seas and fresh winds to Greneda. We were now entering what are known as the Windward Islands so called by the British because to sail from one to the other one must beat to windward. But before the British got around to imparting this name, these islands were colonised by Arawak Indians, a peaceful people known to be great navigators, artists and sportsmen. However, their peaceful lives meant they were ill prepared when attacked and overtaken by the warlike Caribs who had migrated from South America and who resided in these islands at the time Christopher Columbus sailed in. The Caribs resented these Europeans who wished them as slaves to Spain and in time Great Britain and France, they fought back, probably why they got the name warlike !!! It must be said that the Caribs were no pushover, in fact they were a real threat to life and limb as they customarily smoked the arms and legs of their victims to preserve the meat for later consumption.

Alas, European might proved far more ruthless and under the spectre of the cross and the sword the Caribs were hunted down in every island and with bountys on their heads were virtually wiped out, many committing suicide than succumb to slavery. Following this, Africans were brought to the Caribbean in their thousands and forced to work as slaves on the sugar plantations, the fruits of their labour making their European owners very rich.

Relative to the appalling history of the islands the intermingling of the many races has produced an interesting blend of people who appear to live in harmony. The main languages are English and French with many local dialects.

4th January
We carefully entered Greneda at 2am not being fearful of the Caribs but of the many reefs which abound, we hoved-to outside Prickly Bay and awaited daylight. Four days were spent here tied up in the small marina, washing the boat and everyone and everything on it. Socialising in the excellent surroundings and saying goodbye with a sadness to our Atlantic crew, Sarah and Jay.

8th January 2000
Greneda was invaded by the Americans in 1979 and on Saturday afternoon as we sailed into the magnificent harbour of St. George, capital of Greneda, we witnessed another American invasion. This time in the form of three large cruise ships. It was an unsettling site to see thousands of pale faces of all shapes, size and manner of walking hell bent on the souvenir shops. They marched in lines, some five deep, clearing everything in their path only to be halted by a stall selling hideous ships made of shells and bamboo, tee-shorts with I saw Elvis in Greneda, an elderly gentlemen enquired as to where we were coming from, were there shops back where your walking from, we answered no, but there was a lovely walk, he looked at us and said hell no, no walk we're looking for shops, we got be back on board by 1700, we're doing the Orinoco tomorrow. Further on a local man was offering to climb a coconut tree, looking back we saw hundreds of cameras and videos following him up the tree and a big cheer when he reached the top.

12th January 2000
Carriacou. Part of Greneda. An enchanted island where the people and time move nice and slow. We anchored in Tyrell Bay. Spent a week here and felt we could stay a lifetime. Swam, snorkelled, walked and saw the damage done to the island by Hurricane Lenny in November 1999. This late hurricane brought much havoc to the islands, as we would see on our trip up the Caribbean.

Simon visited our boat everyday offering us wine at very good prices and we were good customers. Evening time brought us to some of the local bars. We met again Karma and Lazy Jack. Visited Sandy Island, a perfect palm island, two palm trees, a sandy beach and idyllic snorkelling, . Vera erected the hammock between the two trees, all that was missing was the bottle of Malibu and the Bounty Bar. Alas, the girl from Ipanema and Peter left Pylades at this island to head back home. We waved adieu to Carriacou and sailed north towards a set of islands collectively called the Grenedines. These islands are the geographic centre of the windward islands and are a top favourite because of their fame for snorkelling and beaches.

19th January
Union Island was our first stop. Protected by reefs it has wonderful patterns and colours in its surrounding waters. Here we met Rossa, who lives on a tiny islet beside Union Island and he told us of his days in Bantry Bay on the oil tankers. His island was a place of magic for swimming and snorkelling.

Tobago Cays, which lie behind one of the most extensive and beautiful coral reefs in the Caribbean. Fish abound, snout long trumpet, flashy blue head wrasse, seductive anglel's, busy tomtates, damsels of all descriptions, and supporting a cast of thousands.

Mayreau, a small island with no electricity, few cars, one road. A normal Caribbean day on Pylades consists of rise about 07.30 to a blue sky with about 15% cloud cover, air temp 30deg water temp 24deg,10 minutes of exercises in the cockpit, dive into water and swim around the boat a few times, or go snorkelling, breakfast, boat maintenance and running repairs, a walk ashore, shopping, back to boat, swim, lunch, siesta, swim, meet other travellers and gossip, sundowner drink, dinner, chat and read, check anchor, sleep.

Canouan, we met Aileen and Ken from Kerry and spent a most enjoyable night on their boat drinking whiskey and swapping stories.

30th January
By-passed Mustique, privately owned island developed for the more wealthy clientele. Met many sailors who went in to see who they could see... species like, Michael Jagger and Gerry Hall (together!!) were spotted having coffee, !!!! James Bond alias Pierce Brosnan was seen posing, and an Irish nurse from Tipperary said she saw Declan Nerney or was fairly sure it was him.

Bequia, a favourite island for sailors. About two miles out, we were circled by a dingy in it the paparazzi, snapping pics of us (did they think we were Celebes lost out of Mustique ?? ), we donned the dark specs believing Hello Magazine or Ola had sent him. Not so, the very next morning at cockcrow Mr. Tim Wright, photographer, knocked on the boat with pics of Pylades, (Fergus and I were represented by two dots in the cockpit, couldn't see the dark glasses), he snaps yachts coming in and then sells the pics to the proud owners, framed if you wish at a cost of approx. IR50 a go. We declined to purchase not because we did not figure in the picture but because it was not a great one of Pylades and damage to our budget would be excessive.

A good flavour for the Caribbean can be had in Bequia. Great walking,lots of yachties, gossip and very friendly chatty locals. The Rastafarians run a open market here, well stocked but they are very aggressive in their selling tactics and we pointed out to them that they were losing business because people were afraid to go near them, their reaction was to roar after us that they were not afraid of nuclear power !! Later we found out that the Rasta's believe that the white races will wipe each other out in a nuclear war, leaving them to carry on.

Sailing conditions heading up this part of the chain were mostly north easterly winds, 20-25 knots, we were close-hauled and usually well reefed, reminding us of Ireland except the wind that screamed in our faces, the sea breaking over the decks and the rain were all warm.

9th February Ongoing, we said slan to Bequia and headed for the island of St.Vincent which together with the Grenedines, make up one country. We arrived one Sunday evening, anchored in Young Island Cut and were duly visited by Stanley on his surfboard which he drove with the aid of a cricket bat. He adopted us, arriving each morning and some nights, with coconuts and mangoes freshly picked from God's trees, he said. He showed us how to open a coconut, told us stories about St. Vincent, pointed out some of the Carib paintings on nearby rocks, which we found with fascination. But gave out to us for being in a such a hurry to move on.

The highlight of our visit to St. Vincent was our stay at Wallilabou, an anchorage in the west of the island . A delegation of at least five local boat men, most on surfboards, came out to meet Pylades but as we had the sense to call ahead on the VHF for a mooring were able to impart that someone was waiting for us and indeed a very distinguished man was waving from a small boat and indicating to come to him. Thanking the boat men for their help and concern, said goodbye, still they held on to the boat, all shouting at us, we kept saying thank you and go away, they smiled, kept shouting instructions and hung on, it was difficult to manoeuvre the boat with all the hangers on, they were shouting KOPTON, KOPTON, one guy was shouting DADDY DADDY, they were shouting MISTRESS MISTRESS at Kay who lost the cool and told them all to feck off

Eventually we reached our man, Leroy, he was about twenty and looked more like a professional young gent than a boatboy, it was the heavy rimmed glasses he wore. He calmly organised the mooring, the lads were still hanging on, Leroy spoke calmly to them, it didn't matter they kept shouting, all cool was now ebbing fast, we looked to Leroy for guidance and caught him side viewed, his glasses had no glass !!! the lunatics had taken over ... We calmed down, looked at them all and just smiled, a kind of simple smile, the KOPTON asked them all for peace and they went away in search of their next victim of which there were many. Leroy was our man, each day he wore a different pair of specs but he was very calming.

That evening three Irish boats were in the anchorage, Aldebaran, Hibernia and ourselves, much chat and banter.

For the last twenty-five years a climb of Lug na Coille in Wicklow has taken place on the second Saturday in February, this being considered the worst date weatherwise in the year. To coincide with that event we decided to climb the volcano of Soufriere on St. Vincent. All indications from the pilot and the tourist office were that it should not be attempted from the leeward side without a guide. It was resolved that the climb to attain any credibility must be done from that side and without a guide.

11th February
We woke at 6am, pitch dark, a boatboy was waiting, calling through the porthole for us to buy bananas, he scared the hell out of Kay. Tied up the dingy at the shore passed three growling dogs, declined an offer by a local man to be our guide, he noticed we were wearing climbing boots, hitched a lift from a disc jockey who warned us of dangers from cannabis growers on the mountain who might mistake us for spying on them. The forces of the USA arrive every so often and burn them out. They have an agreement with the governments of the Caribbean to act as watchdogs in the drug war. We took a bus and walked two miles to our ascent point mainly along a beach. While fording a river a man riding a donkey and carrying a very fine cutlass provided us with a detailed description of the ascent and radiated goodwill and positive vibes, now in great spirits we tore at the hill.

It was a splendid constant ascent through spectacular rain forest, bursts of unidentified coloured birds like parrots, many humming birds. Trees of inordinate height with 25ft girts, a tiny trail climbing ever higher, and the temperature dropping constantly, finally with about 1000ft to go we broke out of the forest canopy, now in much clearer Irish type hill country. With our legs screaming at us suddenly we were at the rim. In awe, we attempted to take in the magnitude of the sight before us, 1000ft shear drop and inside the perfect crater the cooling magma mound, sections of ash and fissures of the rock centre smoking. We think of our friends who might be making for the Lug this year of Mikolos who will not and how we miss the pints and chat in the Harbour bar in Bray after.

With not a solitary person to be seen we began our decent. Swimming in a cold river at the base we note two men watching, moving closer they offer us smoking stuff. In good humour we decline and push on, a small bar beckons, two of the most welcome cold drinks ever are consumed.

Then we met Ordan, Beryl and Rosemary. They were wholesaling goods to widely spaced shops and bars. They dropped us back to the boat via many stop offs, Orden proved to be a passionate advocate of his island and its people.We learned so much of its real politics, economics and religion in short order. Fergus in the front of the truck with Ordan and Rosemary singing and chatting, Kay in the back having great craic with Beryl. We celebrate our great day by beers and food in the local restaurant. The day and the island just gets better and better.

12th February
Goodbye to St. Vincent and a very rough passage to St.Lucia with wind and swell dead on the nose. We start the engine to push us to our destination, it fails, first time ever. The tank was only third full and the rough sea had stirred up dirt, blocked the filters, which we changed but to no good. Tacking towards the moorings under the Pitons, the wind grows very fickle, eventually, boat boys tow us in the last hundred yards. Next day Fergus tackles the dirty fuel and Kay heads into the charming old Creole town of Sourfriere to declare our presence to the local police, security is taken seriously in St. Lucia but she is astonished at the machinations of the customs officials who get EC$25 for a one nights permit and tried for another US$120 to drive her for proper clearance. No thanks we sail! With clean tanks and very filtered diesel and lots of black smoke the trusty Nanni diesel clears her injectors and runs again. We drive ourselves to the lovely compact Marigot Bay to clear in with customs.

18th February
Rodney Bay in St. Lucia looks like Malahide built around a lagoon, hundreds of yachts. We met Enda and Susanna O Coinin and their lovely daughters, great chats and drinks. With Carl an Austrian airline pilot we went on a major tear and attended the "jump up" at Gros Islet , the streets are closed off, the music vigorous, all the bars jammed, you sit out at a table on the street and watch life go by as you eat BBQ chicken and Creole food, police slide through the crowd everywhere to maintain order.

We paid a visit to the old fort and ruins at Pigeon Island and in the museum read about the many battles, which took place in the vicinity between the French and English imperial power. The Caribbean has been host in battle to many famous sailors., i.e. Nelson, Drake, Rodney to name but a few. Little or no mention is made anywhere of the freedom fighters of St.Lucia the "Brigands" runaway slaves who organised and defeated the British in many battles and held large sections of the island until the collapse of the slave system and their eventual freedom.

22nd February
Time to say goodbye to St. Lucia and a very fresh beat to the French island of Martinique. We land in Marin. This is in every way France. Much higher levels of education, economics, dress, etc. They are leagues away from the islands left by the English. Marin is crowded with yachts, the music is classical, the men play boules, couples sit at cafes drinking coffee and smoking gitanes. Every engine part and spare we require we get. We meet more cruising couples and do more socialising in the Caribbean that one would ever do at home.

25th February
Trois Islets, a small town and birthplace of the Empress Josephine Bonaparte, we visit her ancestral home, the Pagerie Plantation, us and about 50 American tourists off the cruise ships. On to Fort de France, capital of Martinique, busy town, which caters each day for at least two cruise ships. Here we played the box for the French, its easier than trying to talk across the language barriers. We climbed the volcano Pele , 4800 ft., now dormant, which dominates the north part of the island. A hard slog to the top and down. It took us three days to recover. This volcano blew in1902 and annihilated the town of St. Pierre, known then as the Paris of the Caribbean and of its 30,000 inhabitants, 1 survived. The devastation took 3 minutes. The town of St. Pierre is again,but with a much-reduced population who are trying with success to recreate a stylish town.

In St. Pierre we met Tramp, a UK boat, 20 foot who had just crossed the Atlantic from Cape Verde, a happy young couple, in this tiny boat with no engine, life raft or many of the mod cons.

Pylades had now completed its voyaging in the Windward Islands, the next stop was Dominica belonging to the group of islands known as the Leewards. More reports anon.

WE ARE PRESENTLY POSITIONED IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, ABOUT TO TAKE ON STORES AND HEAD NORTH FOR THE USA. HOWEVER THE FORECAST IS NOT FAVOURABLE FOR THE NEXT WEEK, DELAYS ARE EXPECTED. Anne Korff has joined the boat for a few weeks.

Best wishes and love to all, Kay, Fergus, Pylades


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