We have some very sad news; our little black and white kitten went rapidly downhill and got very poorly. The day after the twin’s birthday she died of kidney failure, we had been half expecting it as she has never thrived since we got her, poor little mite. Our other Kitten, Bosun, is doing very well indeed and just grows and grows and will be a tiger soon!!
Despite our ill kitten the twins enjoyed their birthday, we all went out for pizza and they got birthday money from us and my Mum which they used to buy a camera each. They both have grown up a lot in the last few months and have taken on a more responsible attitude.
The weather in the first two weeks of February turned very wet with strong winds. We moved the boat from Grenada to Carriacou and then on to Union Island, but couldn’t find any shelter from the strong North Easterly winds. All our passages were rough with the boat heading straight into the wind most of the time. Our last anchorage was so exposed we decided we shouldn’t attempt to go ashore. We now know that February can be a bit windy here but local people say it hasn’t been this bad for years, perhaps more signs of global warming??
In the end we decided to make a bigger jump then planned and headed straight to Bequia, where have now been anchored for a week. We are only 50 metres from a beautiful sandy beach and we are very sheltered from the wind. The mono-hulls anchored around us roll a lot in the swell, but we don’t feel a thing. The children are hardly out of the water, they swim to the beach at every opportunity; they are now body-board experts and have leant to dive under all the big rollers to save themselves being washed up on the beach!
We have now met up with lots of liveaboards with children, some going north (our way), and other sailing south. Our boat has become the best stop-off and drop-off point, as we are anchored so close to the beach. This means we are a good boat to tie a dingy up to and swim ashore.
We have made friends with a nice couple and their daughter, Amber, who have been on their boat for over six years. They plan to sail back to the UK this year and to settle in Brighton. We all got together with two American families and had a beach barbeque and bonfire. The children toasted marshmallow in the fire and had sparklers as it got dark.
We will stay here for a few more days, and then we will sail to Martinique. This will take us twenty-four hours so it will be an over night passage. We have heard that crime is so bad in St Vincent now and have decided it is not worth the risk of stopping. St Lucia is also reported to be getting worse, so we are missing out both islands. We are hoping Chris’ Mum will be able to join us in Martinique. We are also having an upgrade to the diesel electric propulsion system on Octopus while we are there. Lagoon, the boat-builders promise that this upgrade will improve the performance when motoring.
Despite our ill kitten the twins enjoyed their birthday, we all went out for pizza and they got birthday money from us and my Mum which they used to buy a camera each. They both have grown up a lot in the last few months and have taken on a more responsible attitude.
The weather in the first two weeks of February turned very wet with strong winds. We moved the boat from Grenada to Carriacou and then on to Union Island, but couldn’t find any shelter from the strong North Easterly winds. All our passages were rough with the boat heading straight into the wind most of the time. Our last anchorage was so exposed we decided we shouldn’t attempt to go ashore. We now know that February can be a bit windy here but local people say it hasn’t been this bad for years, perhaps more signs of global warming??
In the end we decided to make a bigger jump then planned and headed straight to Bequia, where have now been anchored for a week. We are only 50 metres from a beautiful sandy beach and we are very sheltered from the wind. The mono-hulls anchored around us roll a lot in the swell, but we don’t feel a thing. The children are hardly out of the water, they swim to the beach at every opportunity; they are now body-board experts and have leant to dive under all the big rollers to save themselves being washed up on the beach!
We have now met up with lots of liveaboards with children, some going north (our way), and other sailing south. Our boat has become the best stop-off and drop-off point, as we are anchored so close to the beach. This means we are a good boat to tie a dingy up to and swim ashore.
We have made friends with a nice couple and their daughter, Amber, who have been on their boat for over six years. They plan to sail back to the UK this year and to settle in Brighton. We all got together with two American families and had a beach barbeque and bonfire. The children toasted marshmallow in the fire and had sparklers as it got dark.
We will stay here for a few more days, and then we will sail to Martinique. This will take us twenty-four hours so it will be an over night passage. We have heard that crime is so bad in St Vincent now and have decided it is not worth the risk of stopping. St Lucia is also reported to be getting worse, so we are missing out both islands. We are hoping Chris’ Mum will be able to join us in Martinique. We are also having an upgrade to the diesel electric propulsion system on Octopus while we are there. Lagoon, the boat-builders promise that this upgrade will improve the performance when motoring.
