Go While the Going is Good

I will have to add pictures to this blog once I have internet.

The weather continued to keep us harbour bound. Our trips into Steve’s family restaurant became a daily event. The internet was free, the pool table was free. (I beat the boys). However the 100 peso meals added up along with the cervasas or vino. However it became a life line to talk to family and friends and helped me keep my spirits up.

The weather has not been in our favour until this Thursday morning. !0 boats escaped Luperon. It kept the navy busy and filled their wallets for at least one day.

The rules for entering and exiting harbours in the Dominican Republic are very interesting. You must go to the Comadancia (Navy), Harbour Authority and to wherever else they decide to send you. They generally will not let you leave a harbour before 0900 hr in the morning. This does not work for getting the best sea conditions. Therefore if you go in and pay a little towards their slush funds they give you the dispachio needed to get out of dodge. That’s the first pay off.  The DR has a problem with people trafficking;  Cubans trying to get to Puerto Rico and Haitians trying to get anywhere.  The navy must come to your boat when you arrive to inspect for human cargo and must come when you want to leave. This nominally would not pose a problem but the navy has no boats. Sometimes they get a fisherman to bring them out or they expect you to go get them then bring them back. This of course comes with a “Do you have something special for me?”  They don’t mean pops, more pesos in the form of American Dollars. Well it makes for blog info, so there you have it.

We departed Luperon at 0630 on Mar. 24^th and motored to Mayaguana, Bahamas past the Turks and Caicos. We stopped for lunch and to check fluid levels and continued on to Clarence Town, Bahamas where I sit and write this quickly. The water has been very pleasant.  It is the first time since leaving Grenada.  So, as the saying goes, “get going while the going is good.” You don’t have to tell me twice.

 We will fuel up have dinner then at 1900 hr Mar. 26 will continue on again overnight to the Cave Cays. This will bring us into the Exumas on the west side of the reefs allowing us to travel in any type of weather. We will no longer be in the Atlantic Ocean for awhile. We will have only 4 boating days after that, however we know what weather can do to a boater.

The water is beautiful colours and we are a little apprehensive about traveling in 6 – 12’ of water but that is what travelling the banks is all about.

Kenny finally landed a Dorado and a few other fish so he is one happy boy. I figure now that we are getting closer we will start catching fish because we will not be able to keep them to eat.

I am not sure what the plans are once we get to the Exumas tomorrow but I think we will slow down do some swimming, snorkelling and the boys want to try and catch lobsters with a handmade devise they have put together. Lets hope it works. A lobster dinner that doesn’t cost a fortune would be nice.

As many of you can tell I am itching to get to Port Everglades so that I do not have to worry about making it in time but I know it is important also to stop and smell the roses or fish or whatever I am to smell.

Luperon Dominican Republic

Typical Housing. Wooden homes with just bedrooms.  Motorcycles are the typical transportaion.

Wheres Waldo? Wheres the Iguana? Our Gecko has reappeared on the boat so I guess he didn't bail in Grenada. Poor guy must be freezing now.

A typical DR beach on the North Shore.

We all know that life has its bumps and potholes in the road but sometimes they feel more like craters and ditches.  What we worry about frequently never happens and if it is going to happen it just makes us unfit to deal with the problem at hand. Ken was the non worrier between us bringing me down to reality telling me not to worry. When he did worry he sure didn’t show me. Example the pirates.

This week I must thank many of you that have given me encouragement. As strong as you think I am I have a lot of moments when I am worried possible scarred.  I am not scarred of the sea more the time will pass and we do not make it to Florida in time. As one good friend said if you don’t make it in time it is just money. We can help you get it on the next boat. Immediately it reminded me of my grandfather saying the same thing. If money can fix the problem it is really not a problem.  I seem to have a lot of time these days to think of things in my past I have been shown and told.

So I find myself trying to realize if when you want something, don’t let yourself think what could go wrong. Be positive and think about the good things that could and will happen. Your attitude makes all the difference in the world. If I was negative Ken would just scowl and tell me to think positive. So now here I am doing mind games.

We are anchored in our last Dominican Republic anchorage before heading out across the Atlantic to Turks and Caicos then the Bahamas. We are and will be here probably until Wed. as the weather window slammed shut on us and so it is a waiting game.  We will not take any chances. Our weather guy said we could take a run yesterday but the seas would have been 12’ on the beam and the winds are howling at times here in the lagoon. SOOOOOOOOOO We wait.

The towns name is Luperon. It is a very poor town compared to what we have seen of the DR so far. The roads are made of dirt no concrete here. There are sidewalks. Most homes are made from wood that barely is standing. The homes have maybe one or two rooms for sleeping. The cooking is done outside generally using gathered wood. The towns people are so friendly non aggressive not trying to get dinero from the foreigners. Nice. The kids come running up to you with their holla and shaking your hand.

Luperon though a small rural town boasts markets and hardware stores, discos (can’t have enough of them), hospital, police, dentist and all the other amenities a civilized place needs. This town has everything you would want, including a gringo bar/restaurant with a pool and showers and free internet.

The anchorage is chock a block full of boats with depths of no more than 20’. It is in the mangroves keeping the winds and the water quite still.

There are now more American boats than any others  with Canadian boats following close behind. The flags of the world are less noticeable.  A shame really. We started to see this trend after St. Maarten when we headed into US waters. I do not believe this is a reflection on the Americans,  St Maarten  tends to be where boats leave from to head  to Europe.

The boating is changing as now talk is about heading home for so many of these boats. Most must be north of Hurricane Alley by Jun 1. So in a few weeks (2 – 3) one will see a real exodus from the Caribbean Islands. There are those that stick around going from Huricane hole to Huricane hole. Not unlike us in Mexico. 

We pass our time reading, playing Mexican Train and card games. The boys are doing a good job (most of the time) at keeping my mind occupied. Last night we had movie night on the Genesis which I think could have been the first since we started this trip. We may have had a movie one other night but it is not a common occurrence.

Ernie and I have just spent time going through charts to figure the route to Florida. It should be 8 more stops we think. That makes it seem much more manageable. Realistically doable.

Waiting for weather windows is always difficult but when you need to be somewhere by a certain time it naws at you a little.

We are taking walks surrounded by many butterflies to remind me to look at the beauty. I am sure once this trip is over I will have more time to reflect on the adventure we are having. Again thanks for all the encouragement.

The Catch Everyone Up to Speed.

Ernie, Me and Kenny with the Limon Falls Behind

The Anchorage in St. Maarten

The 3 of us on our very skinny horses going to the falls.

The last blog I wrote about Dominica and Guadeloupe. We were told by our weather router Herb that we should head to Antigua as this would give us a better angle for much of the rest of the trip. So off to Antigua we went. The seas were not kind again putting much tension on Genesis and her crew.

We however found a couple of nice anchorages, recovered and the following day headed on to St. Maarten/Martin.

FINALLY nice seas. I think we were all ready to abandon ship.

St Maarten/St Martin is a very unique island. It is all but 7 square miles. Half  being Dutch (I would say American) and the other side French. The French side very much retains it identity.

The whole island is a tax free haven thus to see mega yachts both power and sail is common. I would have to say there were at least 4000 boats in the small area. To add to this madness the Heinikien Regatta was on at the time. 1000's of drunken sailors having lots of fun. It was fun to watch.

We had a great meal on the french side then left in the early hours to continue on to the BVI's. Another wonderful calm crossing. Thankfully.

We stayed at an anchorage called The Bight on Norman Island. There were many other boats and now with the US flag.

We motored out of the anchorage at 0600 hr bypassing the US Virgin Islands and continuing on to Puerto Rico. We have traveled through many countries and now the joke begins.

The USA Border Security requires that you phone in as soon as you are in US waters. Unless you are American one tends not to have a US cell phone that works.

 We anchored in Bahia Honda for approximately an hour when the US navy came to tell us we must move as it was an abandoned navy base. We continued on for another 2 hrs to a beautiful bay. We left the next morning to get to Ponce. This is where the shit show began. Ponce is the 2nd largest city on Puerto Rico. It is where we would go to Immigration, Homeland Security and Customs. This is where we began to make mistakes. We took our garbage to land and disposed of it in the garbage bin. We walked up to Customs.

The Immigration guy asked right away if I had phoned in. I said no I had just gotten here and we came straight in. Wrong answer. You must phone before you come in. That would be a $3000 fine. Next he asked if I had garbage. I said yes and that we had disposed of it in the garbage reciprocal. That would be a $1000 fine. I send Kenny back to put it back into our dinghy. Then the insensitivity began and hit him back in the face. He looked at my registration papers and asked why I and not my husband was filling out the paperwork. I informed him that my husband had died, Kenny and Ernie were helping me get the boat back to the Florida to be shipped home. He had tears in his eyes then appologized told me that he would get things done quickly for me and if I needed anything I was to call him. The fines were dismissed.

We continued on to Cabo Rojo and went inland to phone Homeland Security then left at midnight to continue on to Dominica Rebublic.

The Mona Passage is reknowned for its adverse currents and winds. Well back to the aweful weather again. We arrived in Punta Cana where we thought we would rest for several hours get the engine working right again (air lock) and continue around midnight. The Navy had a different idea. The DR also wants to know where you are. The boys came aboard checked out that we were not smugglling either people or drugs then told us to continue on and say we did not stop there. We continued all night luckily to great weather. We arrived in Samana at 0900 hr. 35 hrs of steady cruising. We had maybe 10 mins. before the navy was on its way to check our dispachio and registration. We then headed into shore to do Customs and Immigratrion. No problems but very expensive.

 Arriving on shore I felt like we must have a bullseye on our foreheads. Instantly the dock boys are dragging you around to where you need to go. (Could have easily been done ourselves) It all comes at a price.

The next day we headed out on a tour that seem to be reasonable in price. No mention off all the extra costs. Anyways we toured a little of this penninsila. We took horses up to the headlands of a waterfall then had to climb further. We were in company of at least 100 people. No skinny dipping for Kenny this time.

We climbed over the mountain range to the beach area. Yep typical tourist area. Had a lunch on the beach then went to Sanchess were we visited with the local fishermen. This is not a tourist area and we paid real prices for the camarones. I bought 4 pounds and that will give us 5 meals.

We continued back into Samana and toured a church and a marine museum. This was very interesting. Just around the corner several ships from the 1700's are being recovered. A river has been running over the ships and much of the artifacts are intact.

So far, of the islands we have visited I like the DR. It seems to have a lot to offer. Eco, suntanning and it is Spanish. I am enjoying speaking the language again and I am sure that when I get home I will try and immerse myself in the language and do the ESL somewhere.

I would like to thank all those that have email or skyped me. My friends are helping me get through this.

I am trying really hard to focus on not what I have lost but what I gained from Ken in my life. When I see a butterfly I remind myself to look at the beauty and he tells me to keep being strong. It is all going to be fine and we are making good progress. Unfortunately the weather is changing and we will have to stay for a few days but I believe there is a reason. Catch up on sleep and get ready for the next step. Until next time.

Sanchess where the camarones are from.

Dominica and on

I am sending this blog through SSB radio so I will not be able to attach the beautiful pictures that I took of these areas that I am going to talk about until I get internet and I am not sure how long that will be.

We are currently motoring in CALM waters towards the BVI’s. We will anchor overnight at Norman Island, the setting for the book Treasure Island. It is said that the caves here held the Spanish treasures that the pirates looted. We however will not be looking for the loot as we will fly our quarantine flag and not get off the boat. This allows us to transit through a country without going to immigration and customs. Not that boaters don’t get off the boat anyways!

We arrived in Dominica late Friday night (after customs was closed) and left early Monday morning (before customs was open). Sat we washed the boat and Sun. we took a tour of ½ the island 9 hrs. total.

Shadow was our tour guide and was very informative.  Dominica is off the beaten tourist islands and for us it was a wonderful thing. It is as close as you will get in the Caribbean to what life should be; laid back, full of spirit, freedom and friendly.  Dominica is very mountainous with jungle covered foliage.  I couldn’t get over the tropical flowers that I paid big money for growing wild everywhere.

Dominica’s  original name was Kulbui meaning “Tall is her body “, for the mountains. The local grown beer carries this name. Columbas discovered Dominica on a Sunday in November 1493. Spanish for Sunday is Domingo hence the name Dominica.

The main source of income is in the banana crops. We learnt that a banana tree only produces 1 crop in its lifetime. It takes 9 mths to grow a tree and produce the bunch. Once the tree has been harvested they chop the tree down and let the seedlings continue to grow. This ensures there are bananas all year round. (This made the gift of bananas from our Panamanian family more special knowing they gave up a crop for Ken and I ).

Throughout the plantations you would see banana bunches with blue bags covering the bananas. This is to ensure that the insects and a special bird are not able to attack the fruit. The bananas in the blue bags go to Europe or the USA while ones without the blue bags traditionally stay on the island or boated to neighbouring islands. There are over 500 different species of bananas; sweet bananas and plantains (cooking bananas).

Dominica is the only island in the Caribbean that still has an indigenous presence. A reserve of 2000 hectares on the windward coast was set aside for the Caribs. There are still around 3000 surviving today however due to intermarriage with the import of slaves there are said to only be about 50 that are of pure breed. We could not see any difference between the indigenous and the non indigenous.

We continued to the town of Wesley where the population speaks its own language that is an African language and not Petois.

A highlight was hiking up to Spanny Falls. Deep in the rainforest water falls into an emerald pool that one can swim in. The other couple with us and Kenny decided to put on their birthday suits and take a dip. Since I am prudish (as Ken put it) I just took pictures and waded in the cool pool. Dominica has a total of 25 falls, many hot springs but its best nature wonder is the boiling Lake. The path takes you up through rain forest, then over a crest and down to the Trois Pitons River. You head further up the mountain then begin to descend into the Valley of Desolation. Steam comes out of the ground all around. You follow a hot river until you reach the boiling Lake. The total trip takes 9 hrs returned. SOOOOOOOOOOOO we didn’t go just heard about it. However I felt it worth mentioning in case someone wants to visit some day.

Continuing our voyage north our next destination was Deshaies Guadeloupe. The most northern anchorage in Guadelope .Deshaies is a picturesque fishing village. The only thing we saw being fished for was lobster. So far we have caught 1 fish. This anchorage is a deep, well protected bay, surrounded by hills and mountains.  I would like to say our journey was uneventful but I would have a nose a mile long. The seas again were 30-35 knots and confused. The right raw water again gave us grieve.  We were told to stay an extra day and head to Antigua instead of Montserrat. This would give us a more favourable angle for the rest of our trip with NE winds. So we took the advice and had but yet another horrid day in horrid conditions.

As there is a limit to the amount that can be sent through the SSB I will leave this blog at this point and will make a few entries this week unless I get internet and can update the whole week.

Stay tune.

Town Church

Looking out into the anchorage

Kenny Skinny Dipping

Hurry Up to Wait

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

                            Martinique

                              St. Lucia

Well with 2 new oil coolers finally delivered we headed out. The coolers were not quite right but they would make due. OR SO WE THOUGHT. Well the best laid plans .........................
We headed out of Mayreau, the Grenadines and headed towards St Vincent where we would spend the night. The goal was to get to the most northern anchorage so we could get an early start crossing over to St Lucia. Genesis had other ideas.  The temperature gauges on the starboard engine started to rise so I slowed down the engine and told Ernie to turn off the engine. On the Port engine we cruised into Bequia where we found a very torn up impeller. Easy fix. Put in a new impeller and off we went. Within 10 mins. the gauges were reading hot again and the same process was regimented.
We decided to take the southern anchorage of St Vincent at Young Island cut and determine what was happening. Young Island cut is lined with restaurants and bars so there was lots of traffic.
The new impeller was intact and the hoses were gone through. A piece of the old impeller was found in the system so it was determined this must be the problem.
The next day we headed to the north anchorage on St Vincent. Chateaublair harbour. Chateaubelair lies at the southern foot of Soufriere. The volcano. Unfortunately there was too much cloud coverage and the cone could not be seen.
Finally we were headed towards another country in our count down to get to Florida. The passage between St. Vincent and St. Lucia as written in the guides say to expect a very turbulent crossing. I am very happy to report the guide was wrong and we had a nice voyage except now the starboard transmission was heating up. Not a good sign. We traveled on 1 engine until we could anchor and re-examine. We arrived at Rodney Bay on the Northern Coast.  Rodney Bay is a mile long with lots of protection from sea conditions. We were so far behind we did not visit St. Lucia as we wanted to continue while we had favourable weather. Some day maybe I will return as it appears to be quite beautiful from the sea. It was determined that the cooler was not large enough to cool the transmission properly. The starboard transmission actually pulls more due to the gear ratio than the port so it was decided to swap coolers until we could get to Martinique and possibly buy a new, bigger cooler. It worked. The transmission was no longer heating up. However we were back to the raw water intake and exhaust problem. By this time I am doing what all girls would do CRY. I figure that I have been tested enough and where were the angels not to mention the Big Guy. No one should have to endure this. However on the bright side I was given Ernie and Kenny to help me do this voyage and together they found a couple more pieces of impeller and figured out that an air lock had caused the problem.
Onward to Martinique where we would tour in the same manor as Ken and I usually did. LOOKING FOR PARTS! We went to several chandleries without success. Finally we rented a taxi and headed to Marin, where a wonderful lady had a bigger than our original oil cooler. She said" I see by your smile you are happy". Yes indeed except it was metric and my fittings are standard. We figured it wouldn't be hard to get the proper fittings. Yeah right. We went to several different places until our taxi driver got upset and decided to head back. We had to tell him to drop us off where we were because to go back would not achieve what we needed.
Martinique is French and not a single french word could come to me. My brain didn't even think English it was determine to continue in the Spanish form. I am telling this man in espanol to stop, let us out, etc. I could only think gracious not merci.
Well the piece had to be machined and we picked it up the following day keeping us in Martinique an extra day.
You can get almost anything done in Martinique. It is part of France and to some degree it feels like it. It is very prosperous with a thriving economy. Fort de France is the capital and is walkable. It is the largest and most liveliest city in the Windwards. Fort St Louis watches over the water front. A catholic cathedral adorns the city square and park. A library that was built in France taken apart then reassembled is a masterpiece in design.
We choose to anchor in a very picturesque town across from Fort de France.  Trois Ilets. We could take a foot passenger ferry over to Fort de France at a very inexpensive charge.  Trois Ilets is a charming town not yet over run by tourist. It is in the mangroves and the water wasn't something we wanted to swim in but it was quiet.
We had left over tickets for the ferry and gave them away only to be rewarded with big smiles and gratitude. With the exception of the taxi driver we found the people here very friendly and more than helpful. Something that is not expected out of the French. An example of the best in people. We were looking at a map to figure out where to find a fitting. A gentleman stopped asked where we wanted to go and took us to the spot then continued to take us to the bus stop and explain in broken FFrench/English how to get back to Fort de France. Another perfect example of what we have encountered while boating. The best of humanity.
We left Trois Ilets and travelled 1 1/2  hours up the island to get a good jumping off point for Dominica.
Well I didn't cry but we were tested again.
Genesis and the crew were in 30 - 35 knot winds when the starboard engine cooling system went but again. So on one engine we motored in 8-10 ' confused seas subsiding to 6-8' seas . Between Ernie and I we steered and just kept thinking it had to stop. When we got in the lee of the island still blowing 20 to gust of 30 at least we didn't have the confused seas. Once in calm water Ernie and Kenny got the engine running again and we made it to the north of the island where we currently sit. Portsmouth is the name of the town. We will be here for several days as the weather is going to be bad for 3 -4 days. Well we hired a guy and we will tour the country and enjoy. We deserve it.
During this trip I am having to learn a lot about engines and my boat however the biggest learning curve is to trust my own decisions. Ken and I were a team and therefore we bounced ideas between each other. I ask Kenny and Ernie their opinions as they keep the boat going but my judgement calls are now important and I am more than determined to get us and Genesis back to Florida so she can get home. It is Ernie and Kenny that have been sent to me to make sure it happens and for that I am grateful and can never repay the gesture. And to their wives I am more than grateful. And thankyou big time.

What Do You Do When You Are Stuck in Paradise?

Ernie heading to the beach

Why we boat!

Landscape on Union Island

It is really hard to become a person on island time. We as Canadians are not geared that way. As boaters we learn to adapt, chill out and take it as it comes. This week is proving to be a test in control, patience, and utter tolerance.
Genesis needs a part. The part was ordered in St. Maarten and should be able to be delivered by plane in 1 day. It was a Saturday so I was giving it until Tues. Just a little extra time because. On Monday they were telling me 7 business days. Sat. does not count. I was saying no direct here. They say ok. I say great.  Tues. the courier company does not pick up the package from the marine store because their van is broken down. The marine store doesn't think to phone to see what the delay is. I get an email that it hasn't gone but they will take it to the airport early Wed. morning. They take it for 0800 hr and it sits until 1745 hr in St Maarten then flies to St Vincent. Customs in St Vincent now has it and on Thurs still does not make it on the plane to Union. Now Friday morning still not on the flight. Start to cry and get results. Customs is asked to get it on the 1030 flight as it is an emergency. 1100 I pick up the part. It is not exact but it will work with McGivering (as the guys call it). I am now happy.
Now on the plus side of being stuck in paradise. We walked the island twice, each time took us about 2 1/2 hrs. It was interesting to see the different bays and foliage that exists. We were surprised to see that there is pretty much nothing for birds. There are land turtles, iguanas  and lots of butterflies. I have been surrounded by butterflies which is a good thing for me as it makes me think Ken is near when I see butterflies.The locals have lots of goats for milk, meat and lawnmowers. There was the odd cow but not many. Very few had vegetable gardens and there didn't seem to be much in the way of tropical fruit. We found out later that the island has a water shortage near the end of the dry season. Some people have cisterns but the majority do not. This means that everything is brought in by ferry making it very expensive for the locals.
We decided to go have a few drinks and dinner as the boat part issue had gotten to all of us. We had an interesting conversation with the waitress. She works at the lawyers office during the day and the bar at night. We asked questions about politics, schooling, health care.  The answers were very interesting and informative. Their politics is much like ours being a British parliament system. They have 3 parties NDP,UNP, PPP (green party), The UNP is currently in government. They have free education (paid with taxes) Kindergarten - grade 11. At that point they pay for post secondary education. Their health care is non existent. They try to save some money so that if someone is sick they can pay to get a plane off the island. If it is serious the coastguard will come. There is one Doctor on the island and he spreads himself thin. There are clinics in the 2 main towns Clifton and Ashton. Nurses live above the clinic so they are there for emergencies.
The churches surprised me. The Catholic church was started in the 1970's. The first one. There didn't seem to be an Anglican church. The largest church was an Evangelist church. The Jehovah Witness make a presence but not the Mormons yet. Graveyards have always been something that intrigued me. A lot of history is told in grave yards. Unfortunately at this time I cannot get myself to go near them. Maybe in time I can explore them again but not at this time.

Unfortunately or fortunately there are now social safety nets. However you see the people out there hustling to get a pay cheque or money somehow. No one looks down and out.
Swimming off the boat was doable in this bay as the water flushed out very well and we were able to make nice clean water with the watermaker. The water temperature is 82 which is cool compared to what we have been swimming in.
We are now (finally) underway and hopefully it will be smooth sailing from now on as I think I have been tested enough.
The weather looks like it is going to hold for about 5 - 7 days. Any weather report beyond 3 days however cannot be guaranteed on. Everyone keep your fingers crossed and hope we make up the time we lost.

Departing Grenada and Entering New Countries

Tyrell Anchorage

Union Island

Located some 20 miles north of Grenada, of which it is a dependency is Carriacou. It has retained considerable cultural autonomy, especially with regard to its religious practices. There are even thought to be voodoo rites of Haitian origin. The island has aprox. 7000 residence. It is not as mountainous as Grenada and seems to have more agricultural land. This island has more rum factories than anywhere for the size of the land mass. It is said that the islanders do quite nicely from the trade in alcohol.
The Grenadines consists of islands both Grenadan dependencies and St Vincent dependencies. The history of these islands is tied to the Anglo-French struggle over the islands. The islands are definitely British however there are many French speaking people still living amongst the islands. Sounds Canadian eh!
We anchored in Tyrell Bay which is one of the best sheltered anchorages in the Grenada- Grenadines which is a good thing as the winds howled the whole night. Being the Captain has its disadvantages as I now must listen to all the strange noises and make sure all is ok. I am not getting as much sleep as when Ken was with me as he was the one to jump up in the night generally. Tyrell Bay has mangroves that act as a hurricane hole should the need arise. It was interesting to see how large it was. This area is closed unless there is a hurricane as it contains mangrove oysters. This would be the final Grenadian outpost and it was here that we had to exit with immigration and customs. All went smoothly.
A new flag was raised up the mast. It is the St Vincent Grenadine flag. The southern most port of entry for this country is on Union Island. We anchored in Clifton and some passing fishermen picked us up and took us to the dock. Union Island is off the beaten track with relaxed and friendly individuals. It is such a pleasure to deal with government agencies that have a relaxed attitude. I bet these people don't get high blood pressure. This area is sometimes referred to as the Tahiti of the Caribbean. It is very easy to see why.
We visited the Tobago Cays. It has a South Pacific feel with the white sand beaches, reefs and the aqua blue water. I would rank it up there with the San Blas other than there are LOTS of boats. On the chart the Tobago Cays look like five small islands surrounded by mass amounts of coral. There are many passes one could use to get in but it is best to stay in the well charted areas without being totally sure of what you are doing. The Cays are protected by a large barrier reef called Horseshoe Reef and another called World's End Reef.
We were ready to carry on further North and started with our rituals of checking fluids and stowing things away in case it gets rough. It was at this point we noticed a problem with the oil cooler to the transmission. We were getting sea water. Not a good thing as if mixed in the transmission we would be buying a transmission and since this one is brand new I was not impressed, Now they say that God will only give you what you can handle. Luckily we could limp back on one engine to Union where the guides say there is a diesel mechanic. As Ken would say to me "Quit believing in the guides, they are just guidelines" Yep he was right again. Ernie and Kenny were able to get the transmission fluid out and new in. We had checked everything just prior to going to the Cays and everything was fine so we are hoping it just happened as we were getting there as there was no transmission problems or signs of any kind. Everyone keep your fingers crossed. We have ordered up 2 new oil coolants out of St Martin and they could be here in 4 days or 11 days.Lets hope 4. Union is not a bad place to be held up in it just means that we will have to do a lot of traveling missing things we may have seen otherwise to make it to Florida  in time.
Through all this I am reading about confidence and learning as much as I can absorbed. Some days better than others. I do know that confidence allows us to face life with boldness, openness and honesty. It enables us to live without worry and to feel safe. It enables us to live authentically. I am trying my hardest to have as much confidence as I can so that this journey will be a powerful learning experience. One I can be proud of at the end. For those sending their encouragement thanks it helps a lot.
Hopefully next week we will be further north if not we plan on doing as much as we can around here.