Goodbye Grenada, Goodbye Carriacou

Leave Date: 19th September 2021

Current Location: 100 miles west of Carriacou, sailing west towards Curaçao.

Three weeks ago Grenada had no cases of Covid. Life went on in its happy way with few masks, plenty of hugs and spliff sharing in the local community. Now it has in excess of 2,000 cases. The hospitals are full and there are only 17 ventilators in the country. There are more deaths every day. Cases are growing exponentially. The Health Minister reckons that in two weeks time 50% of the population will be infected! And it will take two months to vaccinate just half the population at current rates.

For us it has meant another virtual shutdown. All social activities stopped, beaches only open from 5am to 10am and on Saturday and Sunday no movement allowed at all. Rumour had it that Alexis, the supermarket used by the cruising community, was going to close until further notice. It didn't, but it might have. We could see another total lockdown being announced which we were keen to avoid if we possibly could. So we looked for alternatives.

It's always difficult to break the links you have built up both with fellow cruisers and local people we have met when it is time to move on. Grenada is particularly hard to leave as it has been our home now for well over a year. There's always a reason to stay. We have taken shares in the local Keep Carriacou Green recycling project, planned to work on a Ram pump with Paul our Stroudian Grenadian friend and become firm friends with Jenny, she of the market garden in the hills. We've loved it here but weighing up all the pros and cons we've decided to move on again. Westwards, ever westwards. This time, we hope, to Curaçao one of the Dutch Antilles, the ABCs. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

A and B and C each have their own entry rules. We THINK that Curaçao will let us in without a leaving PCR test from Grenada but no one is absolutely sure. Anyway we can't get one because Carriacou has no testing facility and there is a moratorium on travel to Grenada the big Island. The Curaçao government websites are contradictory to say the least but Derek and his mate on Zenos did the trip successfully a couple of weeks ago and were granted entry. Since then though Grenada has gone from Green to Red in the WHO's list of risky Covid countries. Anyway we're giving it a go.

Goodbye Carriacou

We checked out on Friday along with Rosemary and Tony on Celtic Rose who we are buddy boating with and weighed anchor quietly early on Saturday morning for the 440 mile passage to Curaçao. And that's where we are now, motoring 85 miles off the Venezuelan coastal islands with 340 miles still to go.

Day 1: 2-5 knots of wind. Hard work. 80 miles covered.

Day 2: Much the same. Engines on as we hit a big NW going current which helps us along at 6.1 knots for the afternoon.

At Ease

Day 3 (Today): Quite eventful today. Celtic Rose started their starboard engine and it started smoking. Tony had a spare water pump and once fitted this was sorted. Meanwhile both rods screamed at the same time. Result? 1 x 4lb mahi mahi and a large floating branch??!!

Gutted and filleted we dropped half overboard in a bag beneath a fender for Celtic Rose to pick up. Fish supper tonight guys.

The wind filled in a bit - at least to 6-7 knots on the beam, blowing out of Venezuela. After a lot of messing around with Paul the wind steering we resorted to the autopilot as the batteries are fully charged from all the motoring. A perfect sail is the result. Swell, half a metre, classic trades sky, warm and soporific with Chris Rea playing in the cockpit (thanks Andy!). And just to put the icing on the cake a tern came and sat on the port davit. And then another one. Yes, Dick...."one good tern deserves another".

So we're now over half way. A slow technical crossing so far. We get weather updates from Jenny each day. CR provide the AIS information. We catch the fish. They keep us cheerful with their Geordie and N Irish accents across the radio on Ch68.

Mehalah at sea.

Gill talked to the captain of a very large ship last night who was headed fairly close to us both. "Good evening madam. Have a safe passage".

Lots of birds around. Terns, swallows which are also landing on the boats (in CR case even venturing inside with both of us recording a sad swallow death on deck), gannets and even a pelican who circled us a couple of times. No dolphins though and no whales either. That's a shame.

Day 4 (Today again): At last better wind as we gybe our way west roughly along latitude 12°20'. A few tricky gybes. Shaft Lock on Shaft Lock off. Try to keep close to Celtic Rose with our different boat characteristics. A bit of time to read or catch up with the blog. Make sure the preventers are tight. Have lunch. Plan for arrival! Which side of Bonaire to go? How fast? Sail or motor which parts of the last 100 miles? Try to arrive around midday then early or late it's still light. Discuss and agree with Tony and Rosemary. And on and on goes the ocean. Odd boats, a big crash as we hit something (tree trunk, no damage evident). Wait for the stronger winds again predicted by Jenny via the smart little InReach machine.

The navigation lights of Celtic Rose behind us all night.

Day 4 (2.40am): Running down the eastern side of Bonaire, the B of the ABCs. During my previous watch conditions were wonderful and it was a joy to finally be sailing slight off dead downwind with all that entails.

Early morning.

It's another bright, light night as full moon was yesterday but conditions feel different today. The air is fresher and and there are strong currents and overfalls here. Even though the ABCs lie in the Caribbean Sea it feels as though we have reached the area influenced more by South America. Another significant step, albeit maybe a psychological one.

The ABCs are known as the Dutch Antilles being former Dutch colonies. I had assumed therefore that the currency would be euros. We think though that Europe haven't reached here. Guilders then? Probably not. Tony thinks the currency is florins. Needless to say we don't have a big store of florins stached away.

[You may be able to tell I am writing this part of the blog primarily to stay awake].

So what lies ahead for the next few days? Well, we should approach Spaanse Water around lunchtime today.

*** Ah, there's the lighthouse of Boca Spelonk flashing. The first land for five days. ***

***Oh, and now my phone has pinged. I'm back in the world of mass communication ***

We rounded the southern tip of Bonaire and caught the west going current. Amazingly we were able to set our course for Curaçao as the wind swung round, for once in our favour. 25 miles surfing down the waves towards our destination. Under one reef as we only just dodged a thunderstorm on the way. A lovely sail, that we thought we would have to motor, to set us up for the entrance to Spaanse Water.

Here is a taste of the arrival info sent to us by Derek on Zenos. Zenos was anchored behind us in Tyrell Bay and made this same trip a couple of weeks ago. Carriacou Cruisers Facebook page told us they had arrived so we contacted them and they provided us with this really useful information. Beers for them once we are out of quarantine.

When we arrive in a new country we have to fly a yellow 'quatantine' flag until we are cleared to enter when we can, and should, drop the yellow and hoist the country courtesy flag. When I was back on the UK I had printed two big sheets of flags. One of the Caribbean countries, one of S America. At the price of just two made up flags we can go anywhere just by cutting and sewing these new courtesy flags.

First impressions as we approach? This is not one of your beautiful green, colourful houses, typical Caribbean islands. In the distance it reminds us more of the harsh Canary Islands. Oh, and it looks as though they use guilders not florins after all. We don't have any of those either!

......The entrance to Spaanse Water, a large multi lobed anchorage, is along a narrow and shallow cut. After calling the Coastguard we were allowed into the quarantine part of the anchorage. Our depth finder chose this exact time to stop working so we crept in behind Celtic Rose, turned left and found the anchorage. Within an hour the very smart coastguard boat, together with masked doctor appeared. A quick PCR test, more forms to fill in and looks like we can stay. Yay!! They took our passports and boat registration document so we can't nip off during the night. Tomorrow they will bring out results back in a little bag which they will pass to us. Then we need to go into Willemstad the capital to sort out immigration, customs, SIM card, anchoring permit etc etc.

PCR test. Coastguard doctor comes to Celtic Rose.

2 Days Later: We are in! Negative PCR results confirmed via VHF radio and we were off in to Willemstad for all the arrival admin. Immigration was shut. Then it opened. Wrong immigration. Need to be other side of river where liners check in. Taxi there. HMS Tamar docked there. White ensign, jolly British. Immigration done. Harbour Master next. Pay for anchorage. Back across the river to Customs. All very polite and friendly. Amused to hear Gill was the 'Master'. And that was that. We have three months stay confirmed in Curaçao (pronounce cure-a-sow). Then it was SIM cards, vital veggie shopping and back to the boat. A busy, busy day but very successful.

Willemstad, and Curaçao, are nothing like the Eastern Caribbean. Spanish, Dutch, American, Venezuelan? I'm not sure. But the middle of the city is a fabulous mix of cultures. It feels much more western than Grenada, and things do seem to work better too. We'll be happy here for a while.

Eating together in Willemstad. It's a while since weve been able to do that.

And then our friends James and Shelley (who sold us the kayak back in Grenada) turned up.

An emotional welcome to Carina.

Well, it was very different sailing in company or 'buddy sailing' as it is called. It feels less adventurous, as if you have a bit of a comfort blanket should anything go wrong. That's both good and bad. I would probably do it again on a shortish passage like this. But for me there are too many compromises on both sides to want to do the same over a longer passage. But it was great to be able to chat on VHF to Rosemary and Tony and after all we were transitting a known pirate area. Perhaps we shouldn't have kept our AIS switched on?!

I've just reread this and realised you might not even know where Curacao is! Here's a map.