Cruising

Some say that cruising is really defined as working on your boat in exotic locations.

Yes Craig, I have projects to keep me busy.

On our sail from Union Island to Canouan we had some of the sacrificial UV cover start to come off of our jib sail.  Here I am replacing / patching the cover.

As you can see the sail takes up a lot of room.  After about 4 1/2 hours Babs and I completed the repair and reinstalled the jib on our furling roller.

Canouan 3/16/2012

Our anchorage in Rameau Bay.

  The water is absolutely crystal clear and the snorkeling is excellent.

The airport here has been extended by almost 100% to approximately 5000 feet recently to accommodate private jets, saw a G IV.  There is a large exclusive development that has bought up the North end of the island and developing some very chic digs.

Stopped by this place to get a cold beer and noticed the two sailing models.
These little buggers are some serious competition racers.

Union Island 3/14/2012

School of sharks in a small pool at the entrance to a restaurant.  There were quite a few smaller fish swimming with the sharks who showed absolutely no fear of being in the vicinity of the sharks.

Coconut sprouting in flower bed at Happy Island. 

Happy Island has been built on a reef at Clifton out of conch shells.

Janti built Happy Island pretty much single handed using conch shells as a base for the island.  His island is completely off of the grid,  electricty is provided thru wind and solar, water is collected rain water.

He told me that this is the tenth year of construction as the island is a continuing project.

Barcardy Rum copied his island idea for a commercial they ran a while back.So much for the orginality of there advertising people.  

Kite surfing near Happy Island.

Some of these guys were getting some serious air and speed.

Petite Martinique 3/11/2012

Petite Martinique is the last outpost of Grenada and the smallest of the populated islands.

Playground equipment at a day care facility.

 Due to the tropical environment most of the home owners employ landscape contractors to keep there yard trim and neat, as can be seen in this photo.

Here is one of the landscape crews braving the heavy traffic to get to their next job.

A Short Walk on the Beach 3/08/2012

Just a little walk on the beach and a few of the sights.

Another beach bar this one a little bit more sophisticated than the one at Hog Island.

A little land crab, note that he is almost transparent,  they are hard to catch out in the open.

Sean this one is for you!!! 3/08/2012

The driver got quite a laugh out of your slogan " Got Poo Call LeDoo"

Carriacou Boat Building

Carriacou's boat building was introduced to the island by some early Scottish immigrants.  The tools and process has changed only slightly.  They use no written instructions or drawn plans.  The demintions  are pretty much by eye.

They do not use the technique of stream bending to craft the boat's ribs, instead they harvest large branches from a white cedar tree then mill planks which are the shape of the desired rib.

Some of the tools of the trade.  The chain saw is a more recent change or modernisation from the original craftsmen.

Tour of Carriacou Febuary 27,2012

Carriacou is the second largest island in the island nation of Grenada.  Only three of the islands are populated by any sizable group of people.

The group of Cruisers which went on the tour with us.

Old tree with orchids growing from it's limbs as parasites.

An old windmill used to crush sugar cane,  been out of use for just a few years, you think?

The town of Hillsborough, the largest on this island, from a vantage of the hospital on the hill named Belair.

The hospital was built there due to an epidemic outbreak of malaria ,Belair is french for good air.  The elevation at this point is 759 ft. although it is not the highest point on Carriacou the wind is always blowing due to the trade winds coming off of the Atlantic and that keeps the mosquitoes away.