AN ADVENTURE TO THE CARIBBEAN

FOR FOUR ELDERLY GENTLEMEN IN STYLE AND COMFORT

Robin Sellwood

The Algarve and Eastwards

Newcomers to the OCC, flying a smart new blue and yellow burgee, we hasten to introduce ourselves via Flying Fish. I am one of four partners in a Salar called Golden Chance. The others are Philipp von Schoeller, Mike Edgington and David Chamberlain. Most yachtsmen would not dream of sharing their boat. Mike and I have experience of sharing. The challenge of seeing if you can make a partnership work might be just as interesting, thought I, as the challenge of crossing an ocean. Those who are interested in partnerships might read the article by JO Thomas in the Little Ship Journal; the RYA also has useful documents relating to starting and ending syndicates. So far our partnership has survived twelve months in harmony.

In September I had the boat to myself for three weeks in the Algarve so family and friends came to join. There were seven of us and I had some misgivings about so many in a 39ft boat. But we didn't feel desperately overcrowded and the only territorial disputes were good tempered -- being mainly about who should sit down next to the galley at mealtimes.

We started at Vilamoura as it is close by the busy airport at Faro, one of the cheaper destinations from the UK. If flying to Faro, the opportunity should not be missed to squint out of the aeroplane window at the flat coast to the east, particularly at the shallow entrance to the Rio Guadiana which separates Spain and Portugal, and at the dredged entrances to Tavira and Faro protected by long moles. These lagoons afford safe anchorages where you can be quiet and alone, or head off in the dinghy to the markets, the beaches or the nightlife of Vilamoura.

To the west the coast is very different, with high cliffs and fascinating rocky grottoes enclosing sandy beaches. There are plenty of them and it's not difficult to find your own private strip of sand to anchor off for a swim before lunch. Indeed, despite considerable tourist development along this coast there's plenty of space for everyone to anchor. You will not be spending all day in the water, however, for it is relatively cold at 12øC. No warm Gulf Stream here.

The first night we sailed eastwards to Ilha Culatra. Care must be taken entering these lagoons as the tides run swiftly through the entrances and out over the bars. We anchored off Ponte Cais, a curious little community in the sand. We found here, as elsewhere, that the local fishermen and others were extremely helpful and welcoming.

We had heard good reports of the Rio Guadiana, so we went there. The Atlantic Spain and Portugal pilot warns the navigator to beware this entrance, particularly on the ebb with an onshore swell, a fact re-emphasised locally. The ebb before springs was running at a good 5 knots and the shifting sand bar half a mile outside commands respect. The river runs up under a bridge. It's always such fun going under a bridge when you know neither the height of your own mast nor that of the bridge. My guess is that this one is at least sixty feet. Motoring up about twenty miles between small villages and farms brought us to Alcoutim with its twin town of Sanlucar on the Spanish side. We enjoyed ourselves so much there that we visited it twice. The current all the way up the river is swift. Do not be deceived into thinking that you can row an inflatable dinghy across the river except at slack water (2« hours after Vilamoura). The water is brown but we swam in it with enjoyment and gastrointestinal impunity. Berthing pontoons are available on both sides of the river, the Spanish one just completed. These towns have become favourite places to rest before the onward passage to the Canaries. There is no difficulty about formalities when moving between the two towns but the Brigada Fiscal did visit us at 0030 at our remote anchorage further down the river. Incidentally, the formalities at the marinas at Vilamoura and Lagos are rather time consuming.

Westerly winds discouraged us from going further east during our first week -- in fact we had little wind, aside from the afternoon sea breeze, in the ensuing two weeks of September.

So next stop was Tavira. Here we made good use of our bicycles along the one and a half mile causeway road between the anchorage and the town. The road runs between salt pans, and it's interesting to see how the salt for our dining tables is gathered. It looked like rather hard work to me. There's a good mercado at Tavira and we bought splendid fish. Is there anywhere in the world where the fish is tastier than on this Atlantic coast? It's delicious (colloq : stupendo).

Lastly I must mention Alvor. The entrance to this lagoon and the channels within have recently been dredged and new moles built*. The channels are not yet marked and our local chart was out of date. From the western aspect of the entrance go north until within 200 metres of the western end of a long low wall bounding the back of the lagoon. Follow the wall along, getting closer to it and keeping the red cliff promontory to port. From this point go straight to the anchorage off the town where you will be rewarded by excellent fish restaurants and wine. What more could a man want? Stupendo!

The Canaries and Westwards

A month later I rejoined my three partners in the Canaries. They had asked me to lug out four large tins of antifouling and I was relieved to discover that aeroplanes will not carry paint lest the lids blow off when the pressure reduces. We lifted Golden Chance out at Santiago de Gomera, where the Cofradia de Pescadores yard has good facilities. Unfortunately when we relaunched there was a slop in the hoist bay which damaged the topsides. The far harbour wall facing the entrance is the best place to be if there is a swell in this harbour.

Puerto de Mogan on Gran Canaria was our chosen port of departure for the Atlantic crossing. This is a well sheltered marina with good facilities, lots of chic restaurants but little local life, where it would have been difficult without a hire car. We discovered a co-operative vegetable market about two miles north of the town and were greatly helped with victualling by one Tito. He let us in behind the counter where, in the early morning, we found fresh unbruised fruit and vegetables which lasted us all the way across. (I found netting strung across the fo'c'sle, cardboard boxes and newspaper made for adequate stowage.) Twenty-five kilos of potatoes were not welcomed by our Austrian partner!

LAMENTATION ON POTATOES

Canarian farmers live in huts

Where they grow vast amounts of spuds,

Hence Robin carried on his back

A heavy, rather dirty, sack.

When crossing the Atlantic Ocean

The waves keep you in constant motion.

Therefore your body and your mood

Want nourishment of solid food.

Foreseeing this, said Robin proudly,

"Potatoes fill your stomach stoutly".

From sixteen western longitude

Spuds thus became the only food.

And he who, stricken by ill fate,

From morning had to cook till late

Seemed to like to boil the fruit

Or fry them, happily! Forsooth!

But I who always loathed the stuff

Feel this way treated somewhat rough.

And true is what was said about

The stomachs -- I became quite stout.

And also, what since long I felt,

Too tight and then too short my belt.

Then I served what I call `Spud shit'

No way! The others even finished it.

Now on the 49th meridian

Spuds still are left for the Caribbean.

Hopeless my grief and all my woes

I do ascribe to Potatoes.

Philipp Schoeller

We crossed in three weeks using two genoas. The windward one was poled out on the spinnaker pole and the port one on the boom. Some difficulty was experienced with the starboard sail which was set on a baby-stay, because the sail chafed as it bellied forward on the roller reefing gear. It might have been worth sewing an antichafe strip on this sail or trying to set the sail on the other side.

Our passage was peaceful enough -- in fact we could have done with more wind. The weather has been unusual this year. Bryan Rodwell and Diana Lambre of Fare Well, making their passage in January, reported gales all the way and there has been more rain than usual. In the Windward Islands there have regularly been winds of force 5-7, and going either north or south meant a reefed mainsail and closed hatches which made it hot and uncomfortable below.

I flew home for Christmas, but returned to St Lucia in February and March with family and friends while my partners went home. This is one of the benefits of sharing -- the plant doesn't lie idle gathering marina bills. However if I were changing crews at St Lucia again I would try to anchor at Vieux Fort, which is adjacent to the airport rather, than at Rodney Bay which is 1 ®MDSU¯1/®MDSD¯2 hours and US $150 taxi ride away.

My last Atlantic crossing was in 1963 and it was interesting to see how things have changed over the past thirty-three years. Regrettably administration has become more burdensome on both sides of the Atlantic, no doubt due to the increase in the number of pleasure craft and the drug smuggling problem which has developed over the years. In the Caribbean one now has to clear customs, immigration and sometimes police when entering and leaving islands of different nationality. Fines are exacted for failure to do so. Planning therefore has to take account of the opening hours of the customs offices, although twenty-four hours is allowed before and after clearing in or out. Chris Doyle's excellent pilot book gives details of these times. (I expect there will be a new edition this year).

I do not remember the boatboys who are now such a feature of anchorages, particularly in the poorer islands. A yacht approaching an anchorage may be surrounded by young men in all kinds of craft wanting to assist you tie up or offering other services. It takes a bit of getting used to. Chris Doyle's advice is excellent -- do a deal with one boatboy, which in practice will usually be the first to offer his services. Always negotiate in advance and make sure you are talking about East Caribbean dollars. The standard price for tying a line to the shore is EC $10, but take care you don't leave too much slack on the shore end of your warp or you may find it isn't as long as it was when you come to recover it. The boatboys are poor and to them we must seem very rich.

The people of St Lucia, despite the fact that the island was a British colony for 200 years, speak a kind of patois or broken French. The Traveller's Tree by Patrick Leigh Fermore is highly recommended and explains this.

Marigot Bay, well sheltered and surrounded by mangroves, is well worth a visit. Beware of anchoring in the easternmost corner of the bay, however, as large yachts bedecked with helicopters and seaplanes tend to come and lay their anchor chains across yours. We had to leave suddenly during breakfast. Shopping here is very expensive -- one of our company noticed that whereas in Rodney Bay the peanuts were more expensive than the rum, in Marigot the prices were not even marked on the items. We did note, however, that tax free fuel was available to those who have cleared out of customs. (EC $4.72 tax free, EC $6.30 with tax per, imperial gallon.)

The Windward Islands are wonderfully varied in their history, culture, development, geography and language. French and British colonial legacies are contrasted in St Lucia and Martinique; not, to my way of thinking, to our advantage. Martinique is more `advanced'. It has sheltered anchorages in Marin and Fort de France. My favourite was at Trois Islet. Petite Anse d'Arlet was lovely although we did spend one rather uncomfortable night rolling there.

Common to all the islands is the legacy bequeathed by the slaves. We see this in music and in sculpture. But this legacy is also varied as slaves came from all over Africa and often on arrival the poor wretch could not talk to his fellows but had to learn the language of his masters. I was conscious as a rich European while travelling in these islands of this part of our common history.

Finally a few words about Dominica. This is a relatively poor island keen to develop its tourist industry. Anchorages in Dominica can be difficult but the interior is fantastic. Our knowledgeable taxi driver Alex (Tel 82831), who charged US $120 per day for five people,took us to see all kinds of flora and fauna. Swimming in rock pools below waterfalls was particularly refreshing after the salt sea.

(Robin flew back to the UK in mid-March, his partners taking over to sail Golden Chance southwards through the islands with a view to her spending the hurricane season in either Trinidad or Venezuela. Then they plan a second winter exploring the West Indies, before bringing her home to the UK via the East Coast of the United States.)