St. Vincent, Blue Lagoon Harbor, TMM docks
We slept in this morning until almost 8am, which is really late for our usual schedule down here since when living on the water you tend to go to bed early and be up with the sun (perhaps sailors live sort of like farmers). Recent boat duties left us both pretty tired and we’re not used to working in this heat yet the way these guys are (thank goodness it’s not August). So all things considered, even the sun shining in the hatches over our heads didn’t wake us right away.
It’s amazing how much exercise you get on a sailboat without even really trying – particularly a monohull. I’m not sure catamarans provide the same workout because they tend to sit more flat when ashore and underway there is no heel, and also you don’t run up and down companionway steps (like a 5-foot ladder) whenever you go from the deck to below areas. And I’ll bet we run up and down that ladder 50 or 60 times a day at least. Hmmmm, I guess you could say we have our own built-in “stairmaster” eh?
Even when at the dock, just living aboard seems to provide more exercise than living in a house, because getting on and off the boat requires climbing over lifelines and hoisting yourself up and down three feet or so (sort of like mounting and demounting a horse all day long). And even getting in and out of bed requires sort of flipping yourself around some way or other, since we typically climb into the berth and then flip around so our heads are in the more open spaces and our feet are in the tighter spots. For me the primary advantage to all this calorie-burning activity is that living aboard is the one place when I can eat without the usual worry about gaining weight (something I've always struggled with), because we just simply work off what we eat in regular daily activities. Of course we still eat as healthy as possible, and perhaps the sailing and active nature of the trip is part of that lifestyle – if you don’t eat healthy, it’s hard to run around on the boat and do all the things you need to do.
This morning I mostly stayed aboard while Tim went ashore to round up some needed items. We are off the dock now and hanging on a mooring which I much prefer because it’s cooler and more private since you don’t have people walking by your bedroom window at head level. While Tim was ashore I ran the engine to recharge the fridge which I had just cleaned to remove the musty smell after months without use. I have a healthy respect for the crew down here that clean the boats, because simply changing linens in the berths and cleaning the galley requires some acrobatics of its own. For example, the only way I could reach the bottom of our fridge (which sits down inside the counter port side in the galley), was to sort of hang over the top of it with the lid hooked open (everything on a sailboat has hooks), then use a trashcan to prop my foot on to push myself head first down into the bottom compartment – winding up with my feet sticking up in the air like someone doing a handstand. It wasn’t very comfortable but it got the job done.
Then after washing the dishes and leaving them to air dry in the drainer and otherwise tidying up below, I completed the daily ritual of applying a good dose of sunscreen and then settled in to write this log and check my email. I love that we can access to wireless Internet right from our boat in this harbor -- it’s Tim’s vision come true.
Tim is very creative and several years ago had already realized that active travelers would need Internet access in harbors and at campsites and such one of these days, and he even took a couple of years off from his fiber-optic career to investigate a startup business in that area. His idea captured the imagination and enthusiasm of two friends and previous co-workers, and the three of them together had varying skills so together they made a great team. The three of them made a great effort to launch a new company called Splash which would provide high speed Internet services in “underserved” areas (marinas, RV campgrounds, and other remote areas where standard cable or other options were not available). They did an awesome job of researching and developing the business plan, financials, and even delved into FCC regulations and such which of course would have been part of the requirements. It was really cool to watch them build something from the ground up, and I think Tim learned a MBA’s worth of knowledge during that two year period so it was definitely time well spent.
But as happens with many high-tech startups (especially during this time period which was during the most recent high-tech “crash” around 2003), in the end they were ahead of their time and the financing needed for the company’s infrastructure wasn’t forthcoming from angel investors, and they had made a decision to avoid venture capitalists because they wanted to retain control of operations. We weren’t really prepared to risk our financial future in order to wait it out, so in the end Tim went back to his earlier career, but with much more knowledge than before. I’m very proud of him for taking the time and effort to live that dream. Very few people actually do that. And I’m sure the wealth of knowledge and personal experience he gained from that experience will serve him well the next time he strikes out on his own again, because I’m pretty sure there will be a next time. Perhaps in a different area, but just as creative and inventive since that is a key part of who he is, and I admire that.
So thanks to creative and free-thinking people just like Tim, I’m able to sit in this harbor and access the Internet to pay our bills at home, transfer money in our bank accounts, send and receive messages, and even write and post this blog. How cool is that? Today I’m writing from the forward cabin from our berth, with the breeze blowing in from the forward hatch and from each side porthole. It’s already very sunny and warm (probably mid-high 70’s) and we’ve got a good breeze blowing. I can hear the squeaking of the mooring line as it rubs against the toe rail which runs along the deck above when she swings on mooring from side to side. The breeze and the gentle rocking make a pretty comfortable workspace if you like working “inside yet outside” at the same time. Perhaps it’s not luxurious accommodations, but it sure works for me. Later this morning I hope to catch one of the local mini-buses into town (Kingstown) and complete our provisioning for food and beverages and other supplies. We also need to round up another fire extinguisher for the boat since one of ours is no longer active. Just like with a house, it seems the “to do” list is also ever-growing.
Adventures in provisioning (Kingstown - SVG capital)
Speaking of rounding up provisions, that’s one of the few things we really can’t use our “car” (dinghy) to do, since the town where you find the bigger grocery stores would be a long and treacherous ride up the western shore of the island. Of course there are taxis running to and from town (Kingstown) about 20 minutes away, but that can get rather expensive over time. Plus I tend to prefer to “do as the locals do” anyway whenever I can, and on an earlier trip I discovered these “minibuses” (like a small van) which accomplish the same transportation objective, but at a mere fraction of the cost. I get some surprised looks when I ask people at the base about this, because I gather most visitors don’t use this way of getting around; but to me it’s all part of the adventure.
The reluctance most likely stems from the fact that these small vans, designed to hold about 6-7 people maximum, are frequently crammed full with 15-18 or more people along the way (no exaggeration), especially if some are children and can sit on someone’s lap. But that’s the way it works here, so there you go – it’s all a choice of which method of transport you prefer. Tim and I climbed to the top of the really steep hill that is the TMM/Sunsail driveway (about 200 yards long), and sure enough there was a little bench there by the road which serves as the bus stop. There is no set schedule for arrival and departure of the minibuses, you just catch the next one that comes by with room. We waited about 10 minutes and saw one going in the direction we needed, so we waved to flag them down and climbed in and off we sped along the concrete road toward town.
Typically there are 2 people who operate the minibus: one to drive and another to help everyone find a seat and collect money as they exit. The 20-minute drive into Kingstown took about 30 minutes today because it was near lunchtime and there were many people just like us waiting alongside the road for a pickup, so we stopped to let people on and off several times before arriving in Kingstown. As usual Tim and I were the only non-natives on the bus, but they didn’t seem to mind so we felt welcome anyway.
As expected, eventually the van was filled to overflowing, and at one point Tim and I were seated on a bench seat designed for 2 along with two other people as well, and behind us there were probably 8 or 9 other people similarly squeezed into seats built for half that many. It may be crowded, but being the thrifty individual that I am (okay, I’m just plain cheap), I’d choose a few minutes of crowded transportation and pay 3EC (Eastern Caribbean dollar, about $1.25 US) for both of us each way, rather than the comfort of a private taxi for more like $40 EC (about $15 US) each way. Then we can use the extra money we saved to put toward groceries or a dinner out or something fun later; it’s all in our choices eh? Of course we also want to support the local economy too, so we did take a taxi back, especially since our large bags of provisions would take up too much room in the minibuses needed for passengers.
That first trip to the grocery store is always rather expensive and time-consuming and really takes at least two people to do it well. To compare, imagine that you’ve just moved into your first apartment or home, and now you’re ready to stock the fridge and pantry – not only do you need to buy the normal groceries for daily menus, but also those starter staples like flour, sugar, cleaning supplies, aluminum foil or ziploc bags and so forth. And on top of that, once you’ve bought it you need to lug the bags or boxes to the taxi (fortunately they tend to hang out near the markets for just this purpose), and then when you arrive at your "neighborhood" (marina) you need to cart it down to the dock, or in our case, dinghy it out to the boat in the harbor and then transfer the bags from the dinghy to the boat. Not a trivial job, and I have done it alone before when Tim’s been tied up with something else, but it’s always good to have help.
The minibus dropped us off near the center of town, and from there we walked to complete our errands. The streets were very busy at this time of day, with people waiting at the bus stops and people walking everywhere, cars coming and going, ferries loading and unloading, and the usual activity in a harbor town. On our way we passed one of the few American chain restaurants I’ve seen down here – a KFC – the only one I’m aware of in the Grenadines. We skipped that of course, but as we wandered toward the grocery store we passed a window and our noses were drawn in by this wonderful smell of island cooking which wafted by, so we turned around to find the source. It turned out to be the “Eat Rite” restaurant, obviously a local place since everyone there seemed to be native to the islands – exactly the kind of place we seek out for “real” island cooking. The menu included only 4 or 5 dishes as is common for these places, typically similar dishes with fish, chicken, beef or pork choices. One item on the menu said palau which was unfamiliar to me, so I asked a lady in line who explained to me that it was like a chicken stew with vegetables and rice (sort of a one pot dish). Unfortunately it was “finished” (meaning they had run out), so both Tim and I ordered the salt fish, served with rice, cabbage, potatoes and plantains and pasta.
The tables were all full so we asked a lady eating alone if she minded if we share her table, and she graciously said yes. As it turned out her name was Annette and she was from Bequia, having traveled across the channel today on the ferry for some errands in town. She teaches kindergarten at the primary school in Bequia. We enjoyed a lovely chat as we ate our lunches and compared notes about who we knew in common, and we discovered that Annette just finished her bachelor’s degree here on St. Vincent, where she had made the trip across the channel from Bequia once/week to attend classes. She kindly invited us to visit her school next week,, and there is a photo below with more to come from that visit later.
After lunch we wandered the streets in the afternoon heat on our way to Greaves Supermarket, enjoying looking at the wares of the many vendors along the narrow streets: CD’s, clothes, toiletries, fruits and vegetables, you name it and you could buy it here. We also visited the local fresh market where the “market ladies” as they are called bring fresh fruits and vegetables to a common open air market (much like our farmer’s markets in the US). We found carrots, papayas, onions, garlic, bananas and plantains, and peppers for less than 20 EC (about $7 US).
After collecting the fresh produce at the market and the larger bulk provisions at Greaves Supermarket, we found a very nice cab driver who drove us back to TMM; and then we dinghied our purchases back to the boat to transfer them onboard in the rolling swells in the harbor. Unfortunately we had forgotten to buy ice at the marina and they were now closed, and we discovered that our SeaFrost was not working after all (must be more leaks). So not wanting to risk the dairy and other items we’d just bought, we climbed back in the dinghy just before dark and motored over to Calliaqua. Ice can be difficult to come by on these islands because few places have the capacity to store it and keep it frozen, but fortunately we found one small bar that did sell ice by the bag. We considered ourselves very fortunate, and he also had a few sodas which are often hard to locate down here so we were really in luck. Somehow these things just work out.
While in Calliaqua we also ran into Marlin again who kindly asked if we had found everything okay (he’s so very nice), and then we ran into Micheal who also works at TMM and other marinas cleaning the boat bottoms with his snorkel gear, and his appearance at just that time was serendipitous because they had closed the gates to the dock where we had left our dinghy, and he was able to show us how to get to a different gate which was still open. Once back at the fisherman’s dock and our dinghy, negotiating the transfer of our gear and ourselves into the dignhy was a bit of a challenge tonight because the swells coming in jostled the dinghy up and down about two feet, and the dock is just a concrete pier with tires hanging on the side which act as the only steps, so either way it’s sort of like trying to jump onto a moving target and if you miss you’re in the water in the dark. I’m not the best at the dinghy/dock transition anyway, although getting out is typically harder than getting in becuase you can just drop down to get in – so I waited out a few waves and then hopped in successfully. Tim is always much better at this than I am, and he simply stepped down onto the dinghy pontoon with his typical finesse, and as he started the engine I released the lines and we were off toward the adjacent harbor and our waiting boat.
Dark had fallen by now and we had not remembered to bring a flashlight, so we both were watching carefully for mooring balls or lines and other obstacles that dot the harbor. After climbing aboard we dumped the ice in the fridge and I placed the more critical items right on top of it to keep them as cool as possible during the night, and then we were glad to turn in from a very tiring day. Obviously we’d need to try again with the fridge repair tomorrow, but as Scarlet O'hara would say, tomorrow is another day.
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