TRADITIONAL LAUNCHINg - Caribbean Compass

SUSAN PAYETTA 

C A R I B B E A N 

COMPASS 

DECEMBER 2008 NO. 159 The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore 

Traditional Launching 

in Carriacou See story on page 20 

On-line

DECEMBER 2008 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 2


DECEMBER 2008 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 4 

The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore 

DECEMBER 2008 • NUMBER 159 

Fast Women! 

Women’s Keelboat Champs ... 12 

Mmmm, Margarita 

A CLOD’s-eye view ................ 24 

Wanna Iguana? 

Our island wildlife ................ 27 

Business Briefs ....................... 8 

Regatta News........................ 15 

Destinations ........................... 22 

Cruising Crossword ............... 36 

Word Search Puzzle .............. 36 

Island Poets ........................... 37 

Sailors’ Horoscope ................ 37 

Cartoons ................................ 37 

Cruising Kids’ Corner ............ 38 

Caribbean Compass is published monthly by 

Compass Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 175 BQ, 

Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 

Tel: (784) 457-3409, Fax: (784) 457-3410 

compass@vincysurf.com 

www.caribbeancompass.com 

Editor...........................................Sally Erdle 

sally@caribbeancompass.com 

Assistant Editor...................Elaine Ollivierre 

jsprat@vincysurf.com 

Advertising & Distribution........Tom Hopman 

tom@caribbeancompass.com 

Art, Design & Production......Wilfred Dederer 

wide@caribbeancompass.com 

Accounting.................................Debra Davis 

debra@caribbeancompass.com 

Compass Agents by Island: 

Antigua: Ad Sales & Distribution - Lucy Tulloch 

Tel (268) 720-6868 

lucy@thelucy.com 

Barbados: Distribution - Doyle Sails 

Tel/Fax: (246) 423-4600 

Curaçao: Distribution - Cees de Jong 

Tel: (5999) 767-9042, Fax: (5999) 767-9003, 

stbarba@attglobal.net 

Dominica: Distribution - Hubert J. Winston 

Dominica Marine Center, Tel: (767) 448-2705, 

info@dominicamarinecenter.com 


DEPARTMENTS 

Smile Power 

The cruiser’s secret weapon .. 30 

Maritime History 

Preserving Caribbean heritage ... 32 

Stocking Stuff 

Last-minute gifts for sailors .. 40 

Dolly’s Deep Secrets ............ 38 

Compass Fiction ................... 39 

Meridian Passage ................. 39 

Book Reviews ........................ 42 

Cooking with Cruisers .......... 44 

Readers’ Forum ..................... 46 

Caribbean Marketplace...... 52 

Classified Ads ....................... 54 

Advertisers’ Index ................. 54 

Grenada/Carriacou/Petite Martinique: 

Ad Sales & Distribution - Alan Hooper 

Tel: (473) 409-9451, sark@spiceisle.com 

Martinique: Ad Sales & Distribution - Isabelle Prado 

Tel: (0596) 596 68 69 71, Mob: + 596 (0) 696 93 26 38 

isabelle.prado@wanadoo.fr 

St. Lucia: Distribution - Lisa Kessell 

Tel: (758) 484-0555, 

kessellc@candw.lc 

St. Maarten/St. Barths/Guadeloupe: 

Distribution - Eric Bendahan 

Tel: (599) 553 3850, cirexpress@gmail.com 

Ad Sales & Distribution 

Stéphane Legendre 

Mob: + 590 (0) 6 90 49 45 90 

steflegendre@wanadoo.fr 

St. Thomas/USVI: Distribution - Bryan Lezama 

Tel: (340) 774 7931, blezama1@earthlink.net 

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Ad Sales - Debra Davis, 

Tel: (784) 457-3527, debra@caribbeancompass.com 

Tortola/BVI: Distribution - Gladys Jones 

Tel: (284) 494-2830, Fax: (284) 494-1584 

Trinidad: Ad Sales & Distribution - Jack Dausend 

Tel: 868) 634-2622 Mob: (868) 620-0978 

jackd@boatersenterprise.com 

Venezuela: Ad Sales & Distribution - Patty Tomasik 

Tel: (58-281) 265-3844 Tel/Fax: (58-281) 265-2448, 

xanadumarine@cantv.net 

Caribbean Compass welcomes submissions of short articles, news items, photos and drawings. 

See Writers’ Guidelines at www.caribbeancompass.com. Send submissions to sally@caribbeancompass.com. 

We support free speech! But the content of advertisements, columns, articles and letters to the editor are the 

sole responsibility of the advertiser, writer or correspondent, and Compass Publishing Ltd. accepts no 

responsibility for any statements made therein. Letters and submissions may be edited for length and clarity. 

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©2008 Compass Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication, 

except short excerpts for review purposes, may be made without written permission of Compass Publishing Ltd. 

TERI JONES 

SCHOONER CARMELA 

CALENDAR 

DECEMBER 2008 

1 Independence Day. Public holiday in Barbados 

3 Saba Day. Public holiday in Saba 

4 - 9 47th Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting. www.antiguayachtshow.com 

5 - 6 Gustav Wilmerding 18th Annual Memorial Challenge, BVI. West End 

Yacht Club (WEYC), Tortola, BVI, tel (284) 495-1002, fax (284) 495-4184, 

mvh@surfbvi.com, www.weyc.net 

5 – 7 JHR Caribbean Regatta, Jolly Harbour, Antigua. 

www.jhycantigua.com/regattas.html 

5 – 7 Carlos Aguilar Memorial Match Race, St. Thomas. St. Thomas Yacht Club 

(STYC), tel (340) 775-6320, manager@styc.net www.styc.net 

6 St. John Christmas Music Festival, USVI. stevesimonlive@yahoo.com 

6 - 9 St. Maarten Charter Yacht Exhibition. www.mybacaribbeanshow.com 

7 Start of J/24 and Big Boats Series, St. Lucia. St. Lucia Yacht Club (SLYC), 

tel (758) 452-8350, secretary@stluciayachtclub.com, 

www.stluciayachtclub.com 

9 – 12 The Superyacht Cup Antigua. www.thesuperyachtcup.com 

12 FULL MOON 

13 National Day. Public holiday in St. Lucia. Boat races. 

13 - 14 Quantum Sails IC24 International Regatta, BVI 

14 St. Lucia Yacht Club ARC Fun Day. SLYC 

19 Separation Day. Public holiday in Anguilla 

19 - 21 Carriacou Parang Festival. collinswallace@hotmail.com 

20 Commodore’s Cup Race, BVI. Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club 

(RBVIYC), tel (284) 494-3286, rbviyc@rbviyc.com, www.rbviyc.net 

21 Winter Solstice 

21 - 28 Hightide Series, Antigua. Antigua Yacht Club (AYC), 

tel/fax (268) 460-1799, yachtclub@candw.ag, 

www.antiguayachtclub.com 

21 - 29 Chanukah (sunset to sunset) 

25 Christmas Day. Public holiday in many places 

26 Boxing Day. Public holiday in many places 

31 Nelson’s Pursuit Race, Antigua. AYC 

31 St. Barts New Year’s Eve Regatta 

JANUARY 2009 

1 New Year’s Day. Public holiday or “recovery day” in many places. 

Also St. Kitts Carnival 

2 Victory of Armed Forces Day. Public holiday in Cuba 

2 – 3 St. Croix Christmas Festival Parades. www.stxfestival.com 

6 Three Kings Day. Public holiday in many places 

8 – 22 St. Barts Music Festival. www.stbartsmusicfestival.org 

10 FULL MOON 

12 Eugenio María de Hostos Day. Public holiday in Puerto Rico 

12 – 18 Barbados Jazz Festival. www.barbadosjazzfestival.com 

14 – 18 Carriacou Sailing Series. www.ttsailing.org 

16 – 18 7th Caribbean Laser Midwinter Regatta, Cabarete, Dominican Republic. 

www.caribwind.com/ltc 

19 Martin Luther King Day. Public holiday in Puerto Rico and USVI 

20 – 21 Spanish Water Lagoon Regatta, Curaçao. www.cyc2009.org 

20 – 23 40th Annual Spice Island Billfish Tournament, Grenada. 

www.sibtgrenada.com 

21 Errol Barrow Day. Public holiday in Barbados 

21 – 4 Feb. 14th Annual Mustique Blues Festival. www.basilsbar.com 

22 – 24 Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, Montego Bay. 

www.airjamaicajazzandblues.com 

22 – 25 St. Maarten-St. Martin Classic Yacht Regatta. www.ClassicRegatta.com 

22 – 25 Bequia Music Fest. See ad on page 6 

24 – 25 Round Antigua Race. AYC 

30 – 3 Feb. Port Louis Grenada Sailing Festival. www.grenadasailingfestival.com 

All information was correct to the best of our knowledge 

at the time this issue of Compass went to press — but plans change, 

so please contact event organizers directly for confirmation. 

If you would like a nautical or tourism event listed FREE 

in our monthly calendar, please send the name and date(s) of the event 

and the name and contact information of the organizing body to 

sally@caribbeancompass.com. 

ATTENTION EVENT ORGANIZERS! 

The Compass annual calendar of events for 2009 is now being compiled. Send 

information for your FREE listing to sally@caribbeancompass.com. 

Cover photo: Susan Payetta, Traditional Boat Launching in Carriacou

Info 

& Updates 

Tap into the Coconut Net! 

Rose Hansmeyer and Tom McMaster on S/V Sojourn report: The Coconut Telegraph 

Cruisers Net is on SSB 4060 USB at 0800 local (Atlantic) time (1200 UTC). This net tends 

to include cruisers communicating within the Eastern Caribbean from the Dominican 

Republic to Venezuela. The purpose of this net is to keep cruisers connected and 

share marine security/general information. 

Mustique Mooring Fees Rise 

New mooring fees are in effect as of December 1st in Mustique’s sole yacht harbor, 

Britannia Bay 

CHRIS DOYLE 

At the island of Mustique, in the Grenadines, yachts are only allowed to stay in 

Britannia Bay. All the waters surrounding the island have been declared a marine 

protected area. 

With effect from December 1st, the Mustique Company has increased the mooring 

fee to EC$200 (approximately US$75) for boats up to 70 feet; EC$300 (approximately 

US$112) for boats 71 to 85 feet; EC$400 (approximately US$150) for boats 86 to 100 

feet; and EC$500 (approximately US$187) for boats over 100 feet. Note: This charge 

is for one night with two free consecutive nights. 

The use of moorings is mandatory. Visiting vessels will be met by the harbour master, 

who will collect fees and issue receipts. If no moorings are available or your 

yacht is over 50 feet long, contact Mustique Moorings on VHF 16/68 and anchor 

under the direction of the harbour master. Yachts at anchor pay a conservation fee 

equal to the mooring fee. 

For more information contact mustique@mustique.vc or tel. (784) 457-1531. 

Help Find the Sea Lions and Seals 

The Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Network reports: Seven pinnipeds, including four 

South American sea lions and three endangered South American fur seals, escaped 

from a marine park in St. Kitts during Hurricane Omar in October. The US National 

Marine Fisheries Service is working with authorities in the region to organize their 

recovery. As of this writing in late November, one sea lion has been retrieved from 

Antigua and two others have been reported near St. Thomas, but the location of 

the remaining animals is not known. 

If you see or hear of a sighting or interaction with anything resembling a seal or sea 

lion please call Blair Mase at 786-382-9585 or e-mail blair.mase@noaa.gov. 

Dominican Republic Cruising Guide 

Now there’s yet another reason to join the international Seven Seas Cruising 

Association (SSCA). SSCA member Frank Virgintino has written a new guide for cruising 

the Dominican Republic. The entire 147-page guidebook is available free to 

SSCA members as a download from the SSCA website (under Additional 

Publications). Frank’s excellent guide is available in English, Spanish and French. 

For information on how to join the SSCA visit www.ssca.org. 

Sea Program Student Rescued from St. Lucia Mountain Fall 

Seamester reports: Seamester is a Florida-based semester at sea program for college 

students that has been running educational programs aboard sailing vessels in 

the Lesser Antilles since 1998. 

At 6:00AM on October 23rd, a team of 11 Seamester students, three Seamester staff 

members and two local guides departed to climb the Petit Piton, the smaller of two 

mountains overlooking Soufrière Bay on the southwest coast of St. Lucia. 

After a successful climb to the top, one of the students, Mac, slipped and fell down 

the slope, landing on a ledge within voice range but out of sight of his companions. 

He communicated that he was okay but could not climb up, and there was no way 

to hike down to his position. 

A base of operations was established at the headquarters of the nearby Soufrière 

Marine Management Area (SMMA) and the General Manager, Kai Wulf, assumed 

the role of Chief Rescue Coordinator. 

—Continued on next page 



— Continued from previous page 

An island helicopter flew to the scene and located Mac on the side of the mountain, 

sitting on a tree on a ledge. The pilot, Alex Groutchy, suggested that an air rescue 

was the only way to extract Mac. A French Coast Guard rescue helicopter, stationed 

on the nearby island of Martinique, was deemed to be the closest and best 

option. Mac was located and two Mountain Rescue Specialists were dropped from 

the helicopter to his location. The helicopter returned to Castries to refuel while the 

Seamester 

student Mac 

was interviewed 

for St. Lucia 

television after 

his unexpected 

adventure 

three moved to a better location for pick-up. Mac and the Rescue Crew were 

extracted from the mountain at approximately 9:40PM. 

Seamester would like to express sincere gratitude to Kai Wulf and the entire staff at 

the SMMA, the crew of the French Coast Guard helicopter, Alex Groutchy and Saint 

Lucia Helicopters, Dawn French of the Saint Lucia National Emergency Organization 

Agency; Amanda Hicks and the staff at the US embassy in Barbados; Capt. Daniel 

Wurzbacher and the Seamester operational staff; the Soufrière hiking guides; the St. 

Lucia Police and Fire & Rescue Department; and John Cornelius with Antigua & 

Barbuda Search and Rescue. 

6 TH 

The Bequia Tourism Association presents: 

SINGLE TICKET EC$60 

(Fri or Sat, EC$70 at the door) 

2-NIGHT TICKET EC$99 

(Friday & Saturday, 

De Reef, Lower Bay) 

SUNDAY TICKET EC$20 

(De Reef, EC$25 door) 

Tickets available at: 

Bequia Tourism Office 

Phone: (784) 458 3286 

Quik-Print, St. Vincent 

Phone: (784) 456 2217 

MAC’S 

PIZZERIA 

Hurricane Paloma, Last of the 2008 Season 

Hurricane Paloma, the last of the 2008 season, passed through the Cayman Islands 

on November 8th as a Category Four storm with winds approaching 140 mph (122 

knots) and heavy rain. According to a report in the Caymanian Compass newspaper, 

a yacht carrying a crew of seven men washed ashore and beached on the 

north side of Little Cayman during the hurricane. The crew reportedly included five 

Cuban–Americans and two Mexicans. 

“I understand they were on a yacht and were heading to another Caribbean 

island when they got caught in the storm,” the report quoted Chief Immigration 

Officer Franz Manderson as saying. “The police in Little Cayman are interviewing the 

men who washed ashore to determine exactly what happened and to find out 

what their true intentions were.” 

The storm continued onward to make landfall as a Category Three hurricane on 

Cuba’s southeast coast the next day, after which it weakened to a Tropical Storm. 

No fatalities were reported. 

Hotspots 

AUGUST, CUMBERLAND BAY, ST. VINCENT 

We have recently received a report from the skipper that on August 30th, the 

French cruising yacht Akela was boarded at Cumberland Bay, St. Vincent, by three 

men armed with machetes and a speargun. The four people aboard were robbed 

of cash, a watch and a camera. The robbers left in a pirogue with a large engine. 


The yacht Akela, which was boarded in August in Cumberland Bay, St. Vincent, 

then had an uneventful cruise here to Venezuela 

BEQUIA MUSIC FEST 

OUTHOUSE 

GRAPHICS INC 

CantRememberTheName 

THE 

SALTY DOG 

L’Auberge des 

Grenadines 

Gingerbread 

Hotel 

Keegan’s 

Beach Resort 

SOUFRIERE MARINE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 

January 22 - January 25, 2009 

Thurs 22nd January - Frangipani Hotel from 8.30pm 

From St. Vincent - STEEL PAN CELEBRATION - world-famous 13-piece ELITE Steel Pan Orchestra 

Fri 23rd January - De Reef, Lower Bay at 8.30pm 

Blues Night with artistes from the MUSTIQUE BLUES FESTIVAL 

DANA GILLESPIE AND THE LONDON BLUES BAND: 

Alain Baudry, Enrico Morena, Mike Paice, Jeff Walker, Jake Zeitz 

Featuring: Joe Louis Walker, Ian Siegal, Ronnie Jones, Julien Brunetaud, 

The Two Timers with Sarah James and Gordon Russell 

Sat 24th January - De Reef, Lower Bay at 8.30pm 

From Bequia: KINGS OF STRINGS 

COUNTRY RELATIVES - Country & Western 

KYRON BAPTISTE 

AMANDA GOODING - Singer & Songwriter 

COLIN PETERS & FRIENDS - Reggae, Calypso & more 

From Barbados: TOBY ARMSTRONG & BLUES EXPLOSION 

Plus “All-Star” Band - Blues & Jazz pianist DAVID MAXWELL & guest artistes 

Sun 25th January - De Reef, Lower Bay from noon 

Blues & Jazz Jam Session - “All Star” Band & guest performers! 

Plus Bequia’s own - HONKY TONICS & FRIENDS 

From Barbados - Mount Gay Rum - BIG SURPRISE PARTY and Finale Performance 

For more info on events see our last-minute flyer! 

Phone: (784) 458 3286 musicfest@begos.com 

www.bequiatourism.com/bequiamusicfest 

ADMIRALTY TRANSPORT 

Publishing Ltd. 

Basil’s Bar 

Mustique 

DE REEF 

Bequia 

DAWN'S BEACH CAFE


Akela’s skipper says, “The next morning, Mr. Bruno from the restaurant ashore 

called the coast guard for us, who came immediately and took our statements. We 

have since heard that the police arrested two suspects. We are glad that nobody 

was hurt and would like to remind the cruising community that in such circumstances 

to avoid violent confrontation at any cost. Stay calm and avoid drama.” 

A November 17th report on local television stated that law-enforcement patrols on 

the leeward coast of St. Vincent would be increased. 

NOVEMBER, ISLA BORRACHA, VENEZUELA 

On Saturday 8 November, the US-flagged yachts S/V Chill and S/V I’Lean were 

anchored for the night at Isla Borracha, an offshore island near Puerto La Cruz. 

Cruisers Ken and Cathy Peters and Steve and Gloria Davis had gathered aboard 

I’Lean to discuss their plans for the following day. 

At about sunset, they saw three men in a pirogue approach Chill and shouted 

over that there was no one on board. The men then came to I’Lean and asked for 

water, which they were given. Guns came out on the pirogue, and 55-year-old Ken 

was shot twice, and apparently killed instantly. Steve was shot once and wounded 

in the thigh. Gloria retrieved a gun from below which Steve fired at the pirogue and 

the three attackers sped off. Gloria then called a MAYDAY on the VHF and, since 

they were only a few miles from the marinas in Puerto La Cruz, the incident received 

immediate attention. 

The Coast Guard arrived about an hour later, put a soldier on I’Lean to assist Cathy 

and Gloria to take the boat to Bahia Redonda marina. Steve was able to move 

Chill to the marina on his own. Steve was taken to hospital upon arrival and Ken’s 

body was removed from I’Lean, which tied alongside at the Coast Guard dock. All 

have been questioned by the police and reports submitted. The American Embassy 

had a representative on site within a couple of hours. 

Thanks to Melodye Pompa and others for information in this report. 

For information on reported crimes against yachts in the Caribbean 

visit www.safetyandsecuritynet.com. 

Cruisers’ Site-ings 

The Renaissance Marina in Aruba has redesigned its website, making it a source of 

information not only for guests of the marina but also for visiting yachts in general. In 

addition to information about the marina, there is also information on the clearing 

procedures for Aruba, which are a bit different than most other places. There are 

charts and aerial pictures, provided by the Aruba Port Authorities, to assist visitors in 

visualizing the entry to the harbor of their choice. Customs and Immigration forms 

can be printed out and filled in before arrival, making the clearing procedure faster. 

For users with a slow internet connection, the website has the option of being downloaded 

in low bandwidth. Check it out at www.renaissancemarina.com. 

The website for Grenada’s unique underwater sculpture gallery has been updated 

with new images documenting some of the amazing marine life that has colonized 

the works over the past year. Take a look at www.underwatersculpture.com/pages/ 

gallery/underwater-gallery/index.htm. 

Available in five languages, NauticExpo — www.NauticExpo.com — is one of the 

most visited nautical exhibitions online. Every month, a million marine amateurs and 

professionals source from over 2,400 manufacturers and 15,000 products. Essentially 

a “virtual boat show”, NauticExpo exposes brands and products to new markets 

worldwide in a comprehensive and simple-to-use site. 

Ringing in the New Year in Bequia 

The fireworks crew reports: If you are wondering where to drop your anchor on 

New Year’s Eve, Admiralty Bay in Bequia is an excellent place to be. The popular 

anchorage teems with yachts over the holiday period, building up to the climax on 

“Old Year’s Night” when the whole island is in full party mode. The climax comes on 

the stroke of midnight with a spectacular 15-minute firework display that bursts over 

the harbour. Don’t miss it! 

Your Extras Can Assist Carriacou Students 

The CCEF reports: Help the Carriacou Children’s Education Fund (CCEF) exceed 

EC$100,000 in nine years of fundraising. The CCEF provides deserving students on this 

Grenadine isle with school uniforms, supplies, lunches, and scholarships to TA 

Marryshow Community College. Leave your unneeded boat gear, household 

goods, clean gently-used clothing for children and adults, school supplies and cash 

with Trevor Stanislaus at the Carriacou Yacht Club at Tyrrel Bay. Major fundraising 

activities — including an auction of all that donated “boat stuff” — will take place 

from July 28th through 31st, 2009, directly preceding the annual Carriacou Regatta 

Festival. 

For more information contact boatmillie@aol.com. 

Welcome Aboard! 

In this issue of Compass we welcome new advertisers Caribbean Marine Electrical 

of Trinidad; LED Lights, Caribbean-wide; Old Fort Estates of Bequia; Psychic Readings 

by Diana of Antigua; and www.catamaran.at, Caribbean-wide; all in the 

Caribbean Compass Market Place on pages 52 to 54. Good to have you with us! 

WILFRED DEDERER 



BUSINESS 

BRIEFS 

Budget Marine Launches 2009 Catalogue 

The official launch party for Budget Marine’s 2009 

catalogue took place back in October, at the Budget 

Marine premises on St. Maarten. A highlight of the 

Budget Marine’s 2009 catalogue launching party 

included staff modeling nautical fashions 

evening was the Nautique Collection fashion show 

where spunky Budget Marine staff showed off the 

clothing line that was added to the St. Maarten flagship 

store in 2007. 

The new year’s 528-page catalogue promises to be 

better than ever, with enhancements to the design, 

layout and content. Look out for improved technical 

information, greater organization and better images 

than in previous years. Also new for 2009 are special 

features such as the Unit Conversion tool, Fatty Tips, 

Info Boxes and Bud Tips that advise on the company’s 

wide range of top marine brands. 

The Budget Marine catalogue is available free of 

charge in each of their nine locations in Antigua, 

Bonaire, Curaçao (Parera and Caracasbaaiweg), 

Grenada, St. Maarten, St. Martin, USVI and Trinidad, 

along with a CD-Rom catalogue. A PDF version of the 

catalogue can also be downloaded 

from www.budgetmarine.com. 

For more information see ad on page 2. 

Grenada’s First Gift Shop Turns 50! 

Tikal, the oldest tourist shop in Grenada, is celebrating 

50 years in business, having opened way back in 

1959 when Grenada’s tourism industry was really in its 

infancy. Located right across the street from Art Fabrik 

on Young Street in historic St. George’s, Tikal stocks a 

large and varied selection of local and worldwide arts 

and crafts, including basketry, dolls, jewelry, accessories, 

clothing, books, music and souvenirs, as well as 

paintings and sculptures from Grenada and 

Latin America. 

Pop in and say “Happy Birthday” while in Grenada 

for the holiday season! You’ll be sure to pick up a gift 

or two, some unique stocking stuffers, and something 

special for yourself. (Note for boaters: Their wooden 

wares are great for cruising — if they fall overboard, 

they float!) 


Intellian and FLIR Pick Electropics as Caribbean Dealer 

Citing the need for quality installation and technical 

support, Intellian Technologies has chosen Electropics 

Now you see it. Thermal imaging technology 

is available from Electropics in Trinidad 

Marine Services Ltd. as their dealer for TV and communications 

antennas in Trinidad and the nearby 

islands. “Electropics has maintained and grown their 

reputation in a competitive business. Although we simplify 

our stabilized antenna control systems, we still 

need the help from people like Rainer and Andreas, 

who will look after the details for us,” said John 

Minetola, Intellian’s Sales Director for the Americas. 

Intellian’s antenna systems are compatible with a 

wide range of satellite television service providers and 

utilize Intellian’s proprietary Wide Range Search (WRS) 

algorithm, which enables rapid identification and 

acquisition of satellite signals. A patented filtering 

method allows smaller satellite dishes to track as well 

as larger products from other manufacturers, which is 

of particular value in the Caribbean. 

“I look forward to showing these new systems to our 

customers as they arrive this season,” said Rainer. “Like 

anything new, electronic designs get better all the 

time, and this time the prices are getting better, too!” 

Electropics has also recently been appointed the 

authorized Caribbbean Dealer for FLIR Thermal 

Imagers — a new way for boat owners to dramatically 

improve safety and security. Featuring FLIR’s powerful 

thermal imaging technology, operators can see heat 

signatures of people and objects, making them ideal 

for navigation, search and rescue, and security. Using 

the same high-tech imagery as the US military, navigators 

can see debris, channel markers, and vessels over 

500 meters away, and in complete darkness as well as 

through smoke and light fog. 

For more information visit www.iltelliantech.com or 

www.flir.com/maritime, and see Electropics ad 

on page 33. 

Errol Flynn Marina Shows Its Stuff 

Jamaica’s Errol Flynn Marina and Boatyard will be 

represented at the 47th Annual Antigua Charter Yacht 

Meeting at English Harbour, December 4th through 

9th, and at the Port de Plaisance, Simpson Bay, St. 

Maarten, December 6th through 9th for the 

Mediterranean Yacht Broker’s Association Caribbean 

Charter Show. At both shows the thriving new marina 

at Port Antonio, Jamaica, will be promoting its high 

level of services available to all yachts ranging in size 

from 37 to 600 feet and up to 32-foot draft, in a 

secure, high-tech, service-orientated environment. 


—Continued on next page


Grenada-Based Turbulence Spreads Green Power 

Long familiar with solar and wind generating systems 

for yachts, Turbulence Ltd. of Grenada recently 

‘Dirt dwellers’ can harness wind power, too — 

ask Turbulence in Grenada how 

installed its first residential hybrid alternative energy 

system on Bequia. The system consists of one 1-kilowatt 

wind turbine and six solar panels, which feed into 

batteries. It allows you to switch back to your local 

power company instantly, any time the elements let 

you down. The basic hybrid packages with a 3000W 

Outback inverter start at US$15,000 for an average 

house. If you landlubbers are fed up with monthly 

power bills, and want to go green and utilize wind 

and solar energy like the yachting community does — 

your chance is now here! 

For more information see ad in the Market Place 

pages 52 to 54 

Petit St. Vincent Resort Finalist in Top Travel Awards 

The readers of Condé Nast Traveler have named 

Petit St. Vincent Resort, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, 

a finalist in the magazine’s 21st Annual Readers’ 

Choice Awards. The awards are derived from the 

Condé Nast Traveler Choice Survey, the largest independent 

poll of consumers’ preferences. Over 32,000 

readers voted this year. Petit St. Vincent Resort, a privately 

owned island, lies 40 miles south of St. Vincent 

in the Grenadines. 

“My staff and I would like to thank the readers of 

Condé Nast Traveler for their support and Condé Nast 

Traveler for their efforts in creating this Readers’ 

Choice Award survey,” said Managing Director and 

owner Lynn Richardson. “We are thrilled to receive this 

prestigious award. Having only 22 cottages on our 

own private 113-acre island allows us to pay special 

attention to all of our guests. We will continue to work 

towards our goal of ensuring that every one of our 

guests has a spectacular holiday at 

Petit St. Vincent Resort” 

“These awards celebrate the destinations, lodgings, 

and modes of transportation that manage to exceed 

our expectations,” said Condé Nast Traveler Editor in 

Chief Klara Glowczewska. “The Readers’ Choice 

Awards are a credit to the worldly expertise of our 

readers — passionate travelers for whom no island is 

too remote, no city too challenging, and no hotel 

too untested.” 

The resort sponsors the Compass’s monthly marine 

educational column, “Dolly’s Deep Secrets”, page 38. 

Bequia’s L’Auberge des Grenadines 

has New Location 

L’Auberge des Grenadines, the popular French 

restaurant with Bequia’s first-ever live lobster pool, has 

re-located to the fishing village of Hamilton on the 

north shore of Admiralty Bay. The stylish, aqua blue 

and white-painted new premises are on the site of the 

former Schooner’s restaurant. The bar and restaurant 

are situated on the airy upper deck with a spectacular 

180-degree view over Admiralty Bay and down 

towards West Cay. Courtyard dining is also available 

at sea level. 

Hosts Jacques and Eileen have put together a creative 

and delicious new French/Caribbean menu that 

includes an unbeatable range of lobster dishes, all 

Bequia’s long-established French restaurant, 

L’Auberge des Grenadines, has relocated 

to the north shore of Admiralty Bay 

prepared fresh from their on-site live lobster pool. 

If you are approaching from the water, look out for 

the bright yellow-and-green roof sign “L’Auberge 

Restaurant”. Open seven days a week for lunch and 

dinner, from 9:00AM to 9:30PM, Jacques, Eileen and 

their friendly staff look forward to welcoming you. 


Hot off the Press: Spanish for Cruisers Second Edition 

It’s time to replace your dog-eared copies of the 

first edition of Spanish for Cruisers! The much-expanded 

second edition of this popular language guide is 

now available and covers all the language and 

vocabulary necessary to cruise the Spanish-speaking 

countries of the Caribbean, Central and South 

America and Europe. 

The new edition still contains all the “Boat 

Maintenance and Repair” vocabulary that made the 

first edition so popular, but now also includes ten additional 

topics requested by cruisers, including: Customs 

and Immigration, Food Shopping, Restaurants, 

Medical Care, Fishing, Diving, Banking, Phone, 

Internet, Shipping and Laundry. 





Also new is indexing in both English and Spanish, 

and a Table of Contents in Spanish so that your 

Spanish-speaking friends can use the book to communicate 

with you as well. With even more illustrations of 

boat parts and systems, and easy-to-use pronunciation 

for every word, Spanish for Cruisers will be your 

essential companion throughout your stay in Spanishspeaking 

countries. Don’t forget there’s also French 

for Cruisers, too! 

Both books are available at local chandleries or 

through www.forcruisers.com. For more information 

contact kathy@forcruisers.com. 

Ponton du Bakoua, Martinique, Demolished by Omar 

A popular yachting facility in Anse Mitan, 

Martinique, was swept away in October by swells generated 

by Hurricane Omar. Offering dockage, water, 

Surf’s up, Ponton’s down. October’s Hurricane Omar 

sent swells that swept away this venerable 

Martinique marina 

electricity, fuel, Customs clearance and communication 

services, this 20-berth marina also had a lively 

open-air bar and restaurant offering French and 

Creole specialties, tropical salads and barbecue. 

Owner Philippe says he intends to rebuild the marina 

as soon as circumstances permit. Meanwhile, you can 

enjoy equally delicious cuisine prepared by the 

Ponton crew at his new Kaf-kons’ restaurant, located 

at the golf course in nearby Trois Ilets. 

For reservations phone (696) 34 15 66. 

GRPro-Clean Opens Second Caribbean Location 

GRPro-Clean Antilles is proud to announce the 

opening of its second location in the Caribbean, 

in Guadeloupe. 

Let your boat shine. Now GRPro-Clean’s services are 

also available in Guadeloupe 

Since 2004, GRpro-Clean has been serving the 

Caribbean market, providing high-quality services for 

cleaning and refurbishing GRP (fiberglass) boats. 

Based in Martinique, GRPro-Clean Antilles has developed 

a professional reputation using a dedicated 

non-abrasive process. 

Starting this month, Olivier Preteseille will provide the 

same valuable services to yachties in every 

Guadeloupean marina. You are welcome to contact 

him and get a free estimate to deep clean and protect 

your boat! 

For more information contact guadeloupe@grproclean-antilles.com. 

Antiguan Achieves Top Certification 

through OnDeck 

Ahead of the imminent opening of their new training 

centre in Falmouth Harbour, OnDeck welcomed 

back their newly qualified RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, 

Logan Knight, who will be their new Chief Instructor 

in Antigua. 

Following a gruelling month at the company’s UK 

base, Logan, who has been an RYA Yachtmaster for 

Sail and Power Boats for five years, passed one of the 

highest qualifications achievable in the yachting 

industry: RYA Yachtmaster Instructor. This certificate 

Logan Knight is Antigua’s newest Royal Yachting 

Association-certified Yachtmaster Instructor 

makes Logan one of the most qualified yachtsmen in 

the Caribbean. 

The opening of the OnDeck Training School in 

Antigua will enable locals and visitors alike to gain sailing 

qualifications in a professional and friendly environment. 

With OnDeck in a position to certify both professional 

and leisure sailors, opportunities will be opened 

for many to pursue careers in the marine industry. 



Logan will run the training school for yachts and 

powerboats from OnDeck’s base in Falmouth Harbour. 

Principal of OnDeck’s worldwide training operations, 

Ian Jinks said, “We have a very positive approach to 

employing and developing local staff within our sailing 

operations. Logan will be a key asset to our school, 

and we are delighted to have him onboard.” 

For more information visit www.ondeck.co.uk. 

Blue Flag Award for Cape Eleuthera Marina 

According to The Bahamas Weekly, the new US$85 

million Cape Eleuthera Resort & Yacht Club in The 

Bahamas was awarded the prestigious Blue Flag certification 

for its marina by the non-profit Foundation for 

Environmental Education (FEE) based in Denmark. The 

marina achieved this certification for exceeding standards 

relevant to sustainable development and environment 

responsibility, and for appreciating the value 

of the marine ecosystem and how it affects the future 

social and economic development of the islands. 

“We are honored to achieve this internationally recognized 

certification, especially as Cape Eleuthera is 

the third to receive the Blue Flag out of 64 total marinas 

in The Bahamas,” Cape Eleuthera’s General 

Manager, Stephen Kappeler, said. “The Bahamas now 

hosts more accredited marinas than any other country 

in the Caribbean.” 

Earlston McPhee, Director of Sustainable Tourism 

Planning with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said, 

“We are collaborating with a number of agencies to 

ensure that all marinas operating in The Bahamas 

operate to standards which protect the marine ecosystems 

that are so important to the economic sustainability 

of these islands. I congratulate the management 

of Cape Eleuthera Resort for achieving this 

prestigious certification which is in the best interest of 

the resort, its customers and the islands of 

The Bahamas.” 

New Chandlery Opens Marigot Bay, St. Lucia 

Michael Marine Supplies opened its doors in August 

in Marigot Bay, St. Lucia. This was a landmark accomplishment 

for brothers Joel and Michael Ambrose and 

an important addition to the amenities available to 

visiting yachts. Yachts in the marina can now source 

parts and marine merchandise for their vessels right 

there in the bay. 

“We embraced the opportunity to capitalize on the 

need to provide yachters with marine merchandise, a 

service that had not been previously available in 

Marigot Bay. Our mission is to be the leading supplier 

of marine parts and supplies in St. Lucia. In keeping 

with our motto, ‘We’ll get you underway’, our vision is 

to increase market share by expanding our reach 

In Marigot Bay, St Lucia, brothers Michael and Joel 

Ambrose have opened a new chandlery 

across the Caribbean,” said Joel. 

The chandlery is currently stocked with small marine 

supplies. The focus, however, is on spare-part ordering 

and delivery within 72 to 96 hours, a service that is supported 

through partnerships with Amerijet and 

American Airlines. 

“The opening of Michael Marine Supplies in Marigot 

Bay continues to demonstrate the commitment of The 

Marina at Marigot Bay to provide the amenities necessary 

to support the yachting industry in St. Lucia,” 

added marina manager Bob Hathaway. 

For more information visit 

www.michaelmarinesupply.com. 

Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, on Schedule for ARC 

The multi-million dollar reconstruction of the Rodney 

Bay Marina in St. Lucia is nearing completion and on 

schedule for opening this month, in time for arrival of 

the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). Upon completion, 

Rodney Bay Marina will feature 248 fully reconstructed 

slips and a refurbished upland component with retail 

and restaurant facilities. 

The redevelopment also introduces a new megayacht 

pier offering 32 berths for yachts up to 250 feet in 

length. The mega-yacht dock will feature wide docks, 

on-site Customs and Immigration, multi-phase power, 

WiFi, crew facilities, concierge and guest relations. 

For more information visit www.igy-rodneybay.com. 

New England Air Charter Co. Expands Service 

to Caribbean 

Nantucket Island’s premier private air charter service, 

Ocean Wings, has expanded its charter flight 

service throughout the Caribbean just as the holiday 

vacation travel season begins. Ocean Wings’ private 

group and corporate charters now serve Tortola, St. 

Maarten, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Virgin Gorda, 

Anguilla, Nevis, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, the 

Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Ocean Wings 

offers flexible flight routes throughout the islands of the 

Caribbean, which makes it the first choice for many 

business and vacation travelers. 

As company owner Herb Cabral explains: “Ocean 

Wings’ Caribbean air charter service expansion allows 

us to bring flexible private charter service to business 

and vacation travelers throughout the region. Our 

passengers bypass lines and delays and are able to 

arrive at Caribbean resorts, yacht departure ports or 

marinas relaxed and ready to work or play.” 

Ocean Wings’ fleet includes: Piper Seneca four-passenger 

aircraft, Cessna 402 eight-passenger aircraft, 

Cessna 414A seven-passenger aircraft, and 

Beechcraft King Air 100 nine-passenger aircraft. 

Ocean Wings has a proud, twenty-year excellent 

record of safety. 

For more information visit www.flyoceanwings.com. 

Falmouth Harbour Marina 

• Excellent dockage for Super-yachts 

up to 350’ LOA, 21’ Draft 

• 30 stern-to berths, 30 alongside berths 

with full marina facilities 

• Electricity (110, 220 & 380 3-phase), 

water, fuel, telephone & internet, 

cable TV, 24hr security, 

garbage disposal & washroom 

• Drive-down dock 

providing easy access for large 

shipments & marine services 

www.antigua-marina.com falmar@candw.ag Tel: +1 268 460 6054 Fax: +1 268 460 6055 



The 

�� 

WOMEN'S CARIBBEAN ONE-DESIGN KEELBOAT CHAMPIONSHIPS 

7th annual Budget Marine 

Women’s Caribbean One- 

Design Keelboat Championships 

took place November 1st and 

2nd, with many teams enthusiastically agreeing that 

this was one of the best-run women’s regattas they 

have attended. 

The racing was based out of St. Maarten Yacht Club. 

Windward/leeward courses with an offset windward 

mark and a leeward gate were set up in Simpson Bay 

Lagoon. A total of 14 races were sailed on a rotational 

basis on a fleet of seven Lagoon Sailboat Rentals 

Sunfast 20s, each team sailing eight races. Teams 

rotated boats after each race, which gave those sitting 

out an opportunity to watch the racing. Aqua Mania 

provided a “change boat” that offered the waiting 

teams shade, good views of the racing, and a place for 

serious strategy talks. 

The Race Committee set a starting sequence of three 

minutes and race duration of 20 minutes, which 

meant clean-air starts were vital for the short, sharp 

races in very shifty conditions. 

An exiting weekend for the 12 participating teams 

culminated in victory for host island St. Maarten. Kim 

Frye and her Scuba Shop team took the gold for a 

second year in a row, firmly breaking the prior fouryear 

winning streak of teams from overseas. This is 

the third time a local team has won the title. 

Frye and her team had consistent results, finishing 

first or second in most of the races. They had some 

close competition from one of the favorites, past winner 

Karen Portch and her Antigua Yacht Club team, 

T&T’s Women’s Youth Team is a force to watch out 

for. From left to right: Megan Chan Chow, Rushell 

Rousseau, Ella Bayne, Alexandra Amon and 

Nephema Callender 

who grabbed four firsts. However, coming in third in 

the last two races, the AYC ladies lost the top position 

overall by just two points. 

Emma Paull, from the BVI, was happy to have placed 

in the top three, although in the past she, too, had 

returned home with the first prize. Her team also sailed 

very steadily, finishing in the top three in every race. 

Even though they managed to stay in the top three 

in most races, Penny McIntyre and her team from 

Barbados missed taking third place overall by only two 

St. Maarten Team Takes 

’08 Title in Tight Fight 

The Antigua Yacht Club Team, skippered by Karen 

Portch, on their way to a close second place in the 

Women’s Keelboat Championships 

points, proving how close the competition was. 

Janneke Brouwer’s Amstel Bright Babes team from 

St. Maarten showed that practice pays off as she and 

her team were awarded Most Improved, even finishing 

first in one of the races. For Sunday’s last two races, 

one boat was put out of commission due to a collision 

between the Amstel Bright Babes and Kim Stuart’s 

Voodoo Dolls team from California, resulting in a broken 

mast. No one was hurt. 

The Trinidad & Tobago’s Women’s Youth Sailing 

Team, consisting of 18-year-old skipper Megan Chan 

Chow and crewmembers Alexandra Amon (17 years), 

Nephema Callender (15 years), Ella Bayne (15 years) 

and Rushell Rousseau (14 years), was by far the 

youngest team competing at the 7th Caribbean 

Women’s One-Design Keelboat Championships. The 

team, sponsored by Budget Marine Trinidad, started 

off impressively by winning their first race. Although 

they couldn’t quite stay up in the rankings this time, 

they improved on their last year’s performance and it 

is felt that they will be back next year as serious condtenders 

for a top spot. 

Sailing is a great sport to level the playing field 

between the sexes, as it doesn’t rely just on brute 

strength but also on strategy and tactics. Women’s 

Kim Frye’s Scuba Shop team from St. Maarten as they 

nail the 2008 title 

regattas spotlight the best female crews and captains, 

who might sometimes take a back seat to their male 

counterparts in other regattas. This regatta, organized 

by the St. Maarten Yacht Club (www.smyc.com), is a 

laudable effort towards the expansion of women’s sailing 

in the Caribbean. Budget Marine is proud to support 

one of the few women’s championships in the 

region, and Chris Marshall, manager of Budget Marine 

St. Maarten, mentioned in his closing speech that the 

Yacht Club can expect Budget Marine to be a part of 

this event in the future.

Marina Bas du Fort at Gosier, Guadeloupe, and the waters around Gosier Islet, 

just off the capital city of Pointe-à-Pitre, offered participants and spectators an 

intense sailing competition and a very festive weekend, November 8th through 10th, 

at the 8th edition of the Triskell Cup Regatta. 

The well-practiced Triskell organization, its 40 volunteers and their main partners 

— Région Guadeloupe, Marina Bas du Fort and internet operator Mediaserv — did 

things well in order to reach the level of excellence everyone was expecting. 

More than 600 crewmembers and friends gathered on the water to race by day and 

ashore to party at night. On the Saturday, a huge barbecue at the marina fed everybody 

with grilled goat, paella, couscous and other local specialties. On the Sunday 

a finger-food cocktail party sponsored by Cap Créole, a local seafood manufacturer, 

offered hungry sailors a chance to taste its products. 

Sixty boats in five classes — Coastal, Beach Cats, Multihulls, Spinnaker 1 and 

Spinnaker 2 — competed under ideal conditions of between ten to 13 knots of wind 

under blue skies during three days of very competitive sailing. Martinique and Antigua 

together represented more than a quarter of the fleet with a combined total exceeding 

15 boats. The Coastal Class increased from six to 19 boats since last year. 

There was a lot of pressure in Spinnaker 1 Class, where 22 boats had great fights 

on the water, especially during the starts, which were spectacular for the fans 

ashore. Well-trained crews aboard beautifully prepared boats including A40s, 

J/122s, J/120s, JODs, Melges and Swans gave everyone sailing lessons on starts, 

tactics and maneuvering. 

Spinnaker 2 was also an interesting class, where great skills were displayed by the 

youngsters who manned the First Class 8 and the Surprise. (Unfortunately, many 

younger members of the Surprise crew from Martinique could not make it due to their 

school schedule.) We can undoubtedly say that our future champions were there. 

In conclusion, there is no doubt in the mind of anyone who was there that both on 

water and on land, this was an excellent nautical event, full of fun, fair play, and 

superb racing, to launch the 2008-2009 Caribbean sailing calendar. 

See you all in 2009 for the 9th Triskell Cup from October 31st to November 2nd. 

For more information and full results visit www.triskellcup.com. 

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Class Winners 

Coastal 

1) Mac Village, Muscadet, Eric Michel, Guadeloupe 

2) Ecole de Navigation Luc Coquelin, J/24, Luc Coquelin, Guadeloupe 

3) Mangareva, First 27, Pascal Poisson, Guadeloupe 

Beach Cats 

1) Dell – Snicker Quicksilver, Hobie Tiger, Marchais/Maurin, Guadeloupe 

2) (no name), Hobie Tiger, Birgit Krahe/Christian Roux, Guadeloupe 

3) (no name), Hobie Cat, Lois Silvy/ Anthony Pioche, Guadeloupe 

Multihulls 

1) Super U, CDK 28, Vincent De Maynard, Guadeloupe 

2) LOL, Jean Luc Boisseux, Guadeloupe 

3) Cocokafe, Alexandre Bonvoisin, Guadeloupe 

Spinnaker 1 

1) Sailing Style Caraïbes, A40, Arnaud De Meillac, Martinique 

2) Lost Horizon 2, J/122, James Dobbs, Antigua 

3) Caccia Alla Volpe, One Off, Carlo Falcone, Antigua 

Spinnaker 2 

1) WIND 971, First Class 8, Belleut Mael, Guadeloupe 

2) Digilife, Surprise, Vianney Saintenoy, Martinque 

3) Idem Interim, J/80, Eric Mary, Guadeloupe 

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Regatta Organizers 

Say ‘CSA Rule Rules!’ 

The Caribbean Sailing Association’s fifth annual Caribbean Regatta Organizers’ 

Conference took place at Divi Little Bay Resort, St. Maarten, on October 25th 

and 26th. Twenty-six people representing 11 Caribbean sailing regattas willingly 

shared their hard-won knowledge and experience in order to improve their 

individual events and Caribbean racing as a whole. Two days of intense discussion 

gave participants new and innovative ideas to help them organize regattas 

held in a range of venues extending from Puerto Rico to Bonaire. 

Among those present were Stuart Knaggs of Captain Oliver’s Regatta, Herve 

Dorvil of the Course de l’Alliance, Bob and Linda Phillips and Judy Petz of the 

BVI Spring Regatta, Julie and Joe San Martin of the St. Croix International 

Regatta, Angel Ayala of the Culebra Heineken International Regatta, Neil 

Forrester of Stanford Antigua Sailing Week, Byron Tromp of the Bonaire 

Regatta, Laurie Gumbs and Donal Curtis of the Anguilla Sailing Festival, Niki 

Borde and Peter Baillie of the Tobago Carnival Regatta, Steve Sleight of Cowes 

on Line, Jean Michel Marziou and Michel Corbel of the Triskell Cup Regatta and 

Elizabeth Brooks of OnDeck Racing. A five-strong contingent from the St. 

Maarten Heineken Regatta included Robbie Ferron, Heather Tackling, Rien 

Korteknie, Gerty Vaftenhout and Michele Korteweg. 

Organized by CSA president Cary Byerley, and assisted by the CSA secretariat’s 

Petra Gilders, the annual conference’s aim is to bring together Caribbean 

regatta organizers in a central location to share information and to facilitate 

Regional regatta organizers recently put their heads together, to the benefit of 

each event and Caribbean yacht racing as a whole 

networking with others in their industry. The conference is held at a different 

venue each year to encourage participation from throughout the island chain. 

Cooperation between the islands is key to maintaining a level high of competition 

with the rest of the world’s regattas, as well as maintaining the strength of 

the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA). 

According to Heather Tackling, “It is great to meet with other regatta organizers 

and compare notes. We are all working on the same things but are able to 

help each other out with tips, ideas and contacts. Year after year, I continue to 

walk away with new ideas and concepts and I am able to implement them in our 

event. It is an invaluable resource for information, no matter what size your 

event is.” 

Topics covered in this most recent conference included rescue and disaster 

management, scoring, registration and marketing. 

One of the liveliest discussions dealt with the CSA’s handicapping system and 

why the CSA rule works so well in the Caribbean. Paul Miller, Director of 

Caribdata, led this session, as he is qualified with a vast amount of experience 

with CSA as well as a number of other handicapping systems. For the past 

seven years Paul has been working closely with CSA, helping move to a paperless 

system and analyzing race results for fairness. 

While a number of other handicapping systems have enjoyed short-term 

popularity in the region, the CSA Rule has been in continuous use for more 

than 40 years. Here, as explained by Paul, are the reasons why: 

Boats perform differently as conditions change and boats that perform well in 

20 knots of wind are unlikely to perform well in five knots, or vice-versa. The 

small geographic area of the Eastern Caribbean is blessed with fairly consistent 

conditions and a one-number rule works well in our narrow wind range, which 

is why the CSA Rule is still in use, making it the oldest continuously used sailboat 

measurement handicapping system. Administrators in the area are able to 

react quickly to changes in boat design and equipment to ensure as level a playing 

field as possible for both visiting and local boats. 

Paul has had the opportunity to closely analyze the results of a number of 

regattas using the CSA Rule, and has found that it consistently produces 

tight results for the top competitors: with few exceptions, corrected times are 

normally within two percent of each other. When “rule beater” boats do 

appear, problems are relatively quickly sorted out. The CSA measurers, led by 

Chief Measurer Jeffery Chen, meet yearly to discuss how the rule may need 

to be fine-tuned. 

The ratings of every CSA-measured boat are easily accessed on-line at http:// 

csa.cdl.vg, and although the formulae from which the handicaps are produced 

are secret, the handicaps and measurements are available to the public. 

Linda Phillips says, “We in the Caribbean take a great deal of pride in the CSA 

rule. It works well here because it was designed for Caribbean conditions and it 

is constantly being evaluated and tweaked to ensure fairness. Although the rating 

rule which enjoys the short-term popular status of ‘flavor of the month’ may 

seem attractive to some, the CSA handicapping system rules in the Caribbean 

because it works in the Caribbean.” 

Thanks to Linda Phillips and Cary Byerley for information in this report. For 

more information on Caribbean regattas visit www.caribbeanracing.com. For 

more information on the CSA visit www.caribbean-sailing.com.

REGATTA 

NEWS 

Sea Brat of Nevis Tops Montserrat Tourney 

Ishwar Persad reports: The 14th Annual Montserrat 

Fishing Tournament, held on October 25th at Little Bay, 

saw 15 fishermen on 14 boats, with seven boats coming 

from the neighbouring islands of Antigua, Nevis, St. 

Wahoo! Capt. Julian Rigby shows off the 40-pound 

fish that helped his Sea Brat become Montserrat’s 

Champion Boat 

Kitts, and St. Maarten. A crowd at Moose’s Place 

witnessed the weigh-in and prizegiving, where Sea 

Brat from Nevis was crowned Champion Boat and 

received a cheque for EC$2,500, sponsored by the 

Montserrat Tourist Board. Sea Brat also secured three 

other wins: the largest wahoo, caught by Capt. Julian 

Rigby and weighing 40 pounds; the largest fish caught 

by a lady; and the vessel catching the most fish. The 

prize for the largest tuna went to Thomas Sheill of Lady 

Desnee from Montserrat. Emarie Estwick on the boat 

Bruce B from Montserrat won the prize for the largest 

fish caught by a youth. 

The Montserrat Fisheries Co-op and the Montserrat 

Tourist Board thank all participants as well as the sponsors 

and volunteers who contributed to the success of 

this year’s event. 

For more information visit www.visitmontserrat.com. 

Workboats Celebrate Grenada’s Thanksgiving 

Under Sail 

The Grenada Sailing Association reports: Grenada’s 

October 25th and 26th Thanksgiving weekend was 

well spent at Clarke’s Court Bay, Woburn, with a great 

mix of competitive sailing and “tuning-up” as boats 

and crews prepped for the Grenada Sailing Festival 

Digicel Work Boat Regatta (January 30 through 

February 1, 2009). The annual Thanksgiving Regatta, 

organized by the Island View Sports Bar and Island 

Breeze Restaurant, was bigger than past years, as a 

Youth Laser Dinghy Regatta was added to the traditional 

workboat racing. And for the first time, thanks to 

sponsorship support from Four Seasons/Cinnamon88, 

boats from the villages of Gouyave and Grand Mal 

came to Woburn, adding a second class of indigenous 

sailing craft to the Woburn event. 

Five young sailors from the Grenada Yacht Club 

Youth Sailing Programme competed in the Laser fleet. 

The first day’s racing, sponsored by Budget Marine, 

provided frustrations, as winds were very light. The top 

honors went to John Gill, with Michael McQueen 

coming second and Vaughn Bruno third. The second 

day, sponsored by Spice Island Marine Services, provided 

better conditions and enabled the fleet to 

complete more races. Vaughn and Michael again 

featured in third and second places, but Kevin 

Banfield, a sailing instructor at the Grenada Yacht 

Club, overcame technical problems to take first 

place. After the two days of racing, Michael 

McQueen took the prize as overall winner of the Laser 

Dinghy Regatta. 

Saturday’s light winds also affected the workboat 

fleet, and the Race Officer shortened some courses in 

order to complete all four sponsored races. 

Day One results were: Woburn Class: first place, Unity, 

with guest skipper Alex Good from the UK on board; 

joint second place went to Lionheart (skipper “Jerry”) 

Above: Swift lived up to her name by winning 

Grenada’s Thanksgiving ‘All In’ Race 

Below: Thanksgiving Laser Dinghy Regatta winner 

Michael McQueen, at left, receiving a prize from 

organizer Cletus Pascal 

and Top Ranking (skipper Michael Charles). Gouyave/ 

Grand Mal Sloops: first place, Classic, skippered by 

Gouyave’s Ted Richards; Passage, skippered by 

Camilo Griffith took second; and skipper Martin 

Alexander brought Swift into third place. 

Day Two results are as follows: Woburn Class: first, 

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Unity; second, Top Ranking; third, Lionheart. 

Gouyave/Grand Mal Sloops: first, Swift; second, 

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The second day’s racing ended with a fun ‘All In’ 

Race sponsored by Budget Marine, where all boats 

sailed as one class and the crews swapped boats. 

Swift proved to be the boat to beat, as even with a 

different crew sailing her, she came first in the ‘All 

In’ Race. 

Prizes were given for overall winners in each class. In 

Woburn Class, Unity, unbeaten, took first place, with 

Top Ranking second and Lionheart third. The Race 

Committee had some hard calculations to compute 

in the Gouyave/Grand Mal Class, as three boats finished 

with the same number of points. The final results 

were: Swift in first place, Classic second, and 

Passage third. 

There were food and drinks from Island View Sports 

Bar and Island Breeze Restaurant, and a great DJ from 

Splendid Sounds. The After Race Party kicked off with 

a Happy Hour sponsored by Bryden & Minors, plus live 

music from local band Caress. The organisers thank all 

sponsors and supporters who helped this popular 

event grow: Four Seasons/Cinnamon88, Bryden & 

Minors, Le Phare Bleu, Budget Marine, Spice Island 

Marine Services, Independence Agencies, Boats & 

Harbours at Prickly Bay Waterside, Island Dreams 

Yacht Services, Clarke’s Court Bay Marina, Bulk Buy 

Frozen Foods, D Sugar Daddy Bakery, Grenada Yacht 

Club, Grenada Sailing Association, True Blue Bay 

Resort, Glenelg Natural Spring Water, Horizon Yacht 

Charters, Palm Tree Marine, ValMart, Turbulence 

Grenada, Carib Sushi, Grenada Canvas, Di Vino Wine 

Bar, Bananas Sports Bar, Fish & Chick and SubZero. 

For information about next year’s regatta 

tel (473) 443-2645 or 407-4722. 

Route du Rhum Yacht Found on Eleuthera Two Years 

After Capsizing 

A UK yachtsman has reportedly found the wreckage 

of his vessel two years after it capsized during a transatlantic 

race. Ross Hobson was taking part in the solo 

2006 Route du Rhum race from France to the 

Caribbean on his trimaran, Ideal Stelrad, when it capsized 

1,760 miles from the Guadeloupe finish line. He 

was rescued and apparently thought the boat had 

sunk. Ideal Stelrad was recently discovered some 

2,000 miles from where it capsized, washed up on a 

beach on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. 

The sailor told the British press, “The hull, although 

superficially in good condition, is unfortunately irreparable. 

I have asked for a few things to be removed 

from her before she breaks up completely and is buried 

by the shifting sands of the Bahamas, which are 

likely to claim her very soon.” 

First Heineken Regatta Curaçao 

‘Beyond All Expectations’ 

Karin Wooning reports: One-and-a-half years ago, 

the Curaçao Sailing Festival started with an idea, and 

from November 7th through 9th, it became a reality. 

No one expected our first regatta to be so great, with 

Anna Bay, in the center of historic Willemstad, the 

centre of lots of activities both on the water and 

on land. 

In 2007, Gijs Boer, along with other enthusiasts, founded 

the Curaçao Sailing Festival (CSF) foundation. We 

contacted Heineken, well known for supporting regattas, 

and the local manager was thrilled with the sponsorship 

opportunity. We contacted other sailing organizations, 

sponsors and volunteers. The harbor authority 

gave full cooperation and we even had the 

Maritime Museum as our Regatta Home. 


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The regatta was officially opened by our Minister of 

Tourism, Eugene Ruggenaath. Hundreds of people 

showed up for the opening party, and enjoyed great 

music and a very positive atmosphere. 

All weekend the boats raced: two classes of racing 

yachts, racing/cruising yachts, cruising yachts, openclass 

yachts, beach cats, Optimists, windsurfers, 

Sunfish team racing, Centaur match racing, 

Microboat sailing, Seascouts rowing. Demonstrations 

were given of seadoos and wakeboards, and 

between all the activities a helicopter even dropped 

a few divers into the bay. We chose the slogan ‘Real 

Different’ for the regatta, and that it was! 

On land there were bars, food stands, and music, 

and the public had a perfect view of all the on-thewater 

activities. At night, performers like DJ Tico, winner 

of the Caribbean Green Synergy DJ competition, 

the Aruban band Basic One, and the undisputed 

queen of Soca, Alison Hinds, were on stage giving 

their best. We can’t wait to start organizing next year’s 

Heineken Regatta Curaçao! 

For more information and results visit www.heinekenregattacuracao.com. 

Local Talent Wins St Lucia J/24 Open 

The St. Lucia Yacht Club reports: The SLYC held its 

J/24 St. Lucia Open on November 8th and 9th, with 

J/24s — the legendary match-racing machines — 

at the invitational in St. Lucia last month 

two Barbados teams joining four local teams for the 

regatta. The event was raced on the island’s six J/24 

one-design boats, with a series of 12 races over the 

weekend. Light and shifty winds made for some very 

Since 1984 

close racing, with exciting gains and losses. Boats 

were changed after each session of races with no 

owners sailing their own boats, making it fairer to the 

visitors and fun for owners to see how their boats performed 

with different crews on board. 

The local team of Michael Green, Gerard Bergasse, 

Duncan Ince and Chris Pilgrim took charge of the 

event after the first day with seven firsts and one second, 

and finished the regatta with nine firsts and four 

seconds. There was a tight race between the Bajan 

team “Fade Away” and a local team skippered by 

Nick Fosberg. In the end, the Barbados team took 

second with Nick and his crew third. 

Mike Green said, “The visiting teams really enjoyed 

the event and have agreed to run a similar event in 

Barbados, inviting the St. Lucia crews to participate. 

Next year our event is planned to get bigger, with invitations 

going out to all the other Caribbean islands, 

and the event is to be sponsored by BMW Prestige 

Motors, who are keenly on-board to ensure it 

becomes a premier Caribbean sailing event.” 

For more information and full results visit 

www.stluciayachtclub.com. 

Keen Kids: St. Maarten Opti Open Champs 2008 

Ruargh Findlay reports: Young sailors from nearby 

islands traveled with their boats to Simpson Bay 

Winners of the St. Maarten Optimist Open 

Championship’s Silver Fleet. Left to right, Julian 

Delguidice (St. Barths), second place; Alec Scarabelli (St. 

Maarten), first place; Brin Herve (St. Barths), third place 

Lagoon, St. Maarten, to compete in this Optimist 

Championship on November 8th and 9th. 

On the Saturday morning, boats that had transported 

competitors from Anguilla and St. Barths tied up at 

the Sint Maarten Yacht Club jetty, and the wind promised 

an excellent day of competition. Many of the 

children had never participated in an international 

regatta, thus creating the nine-strong Silver Fleet, 

many of whom were seven and eight years old. The 

15 more experienced children, racing in the Gold 

Fleet, were more calm and collected; many were old 

friends, having competed against each other on 

other islands. 

This was the largest inter-island Optimist regatta that 

the SMYC has ever organized. Entries were limited by 

the availability of boats, but 24 were available for the 

regatta, thanks to recent sponsorship adding six new 

boats to the club’s fleet. 

In the Gold Fleet, Rhône Findlay put a tremendous 

amount of training to good use and crossed the finish 

line first in every race but one, even with a recall in 

the first race. Rhône is no stranger to international 

regattas, having won the Anguilla Inter-Island Optimist 

Regatta in February, represented St. Maarten and the 

Netherlands Antilles in St. Thomas at the Caribbean 

Optimist Championships in June, and raced in the 

Volvo Musto British Open Championships in Wales in 

July and the Volvo Swiss Open Championships on 

Lake Geneva in August this year. However, Rhône 

says, “I really had to work hard; I was worried about 

Jolyon, Saskia and Steven, who often beat me, as well 

Gold Fleet winner Rhône Findlay sails AHO 59 back 

up the course, having rounded the leeward buoy well 

ahead of the competition 

as Louis Ollo from St Barths, who is very good. So I just 

watched the water and watched the sail and, more 

than ever, I watched the wind. I did not stop concentrating 

once.” Louis Ollo came in second, and Jolyon 

Ferron of St. Maarten came third by only one point. 

The Silver Fleet sailed shorter courses, but competition 

was just as intense. The top places were very well 

contested, with congratulations to Alec Scarabelli on 

a spectacular first-place performance. Second and 

third places went to two St. Barths youths: Julian 

Delguidice and Brin Herve respectively. 

Prizegiving at the SMYC was well attended. The MC, 

Sir Robbie Ferron, thanked the main sponsor SOL NV 

and all those who contributed so much to make the 

event such a success. All participants were awarded 

a prize for their placing. Roll on, Sint Maarten Optimist 

Open Championships 2009! 

For more information and full results 

visit www.smyc.com. 

England-to-Grenada Spice Race Postponed 

Originally scheduled for November 15th, 2008, the 

start of the 4,321-mile race from the Solent, England, 

to St. George’s, Grenada, has been delayed until 

November 2009. After meeting with the sailors in the 

UK and France, the Royal Southampton Yacht Club 

and Spice Race promoter Tony Lawson have agreed 

to postpone the race, which is to be raced on Class 

40 sailboats. 

Lawson said, “The decision to delay the race was a 

mutual one. Both the RSYC and I were committed to 

providing nothing less than a first class event. Whereas 

we had enough boats for an inaugural race, we did 

not think there were sufficient entries to support the 

associated social, educational and charity programmes 

we had wanted. It is a disappointment, but 

our efforts to date have given us a great deal of information 

and we will build on this for next year.” RSYC 

Commodore Colin Lewis added, “While the club is disappointed, 

we totally endorse the decision to postpone 

the race and look forward to continuing our 

association with this exciting project in the run-up to 

next year.” 


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Asked why the expected number of ten to 15 boats 

had not entered, Lawson commented, “The race was 

originally a response to a gap in the Class 40 calendar, 

and the wish for several of us owners to do something 

with our boats this winter rather than lay them 

up. Unfortunately, the deteriorating economic situation 

made it difficult for some of the early supporters 

to fully commit to the race in terms of time and 

money. Some of the yachts proposed shipping back 

to meet other commitments here in Europe, but the 

cost of freight from the West Indies escalated. Sadly, 

the general consensus among owners was that we 

had better stick close to home and keep an eye on 

next year’s summer programme and hope for more 

settled times.” 

Asked about the future of the race, Lawson said, “The 

emphasis will change. The event will still be open to all 

Class 40 racers and IRC yachts, but there will be a 

focus on fully crewed National Women’s Teams. We 

hope to have teams from the UK, France, Holland, 

America, Norway and Germany, all of whom are currently 

represented in the Class 40 fleet. We believe this 

will be the first event of its type — an offshore race of 

classic proportions with women’s teams. With a more 

generous lead time and showcasing women’s offshore 

sailing, we feel that there is a better chance of sponsorship, 

as well as providing women with the offshore 

experience they seek. We have already been 

approached by companies wanting to get involved. 

Meanwhile, the Government of Grenada has changed 

and some of its key members are keen sailors. We 

hope to cement our relationship there. Camper & 

Nicholson’s new marina will be further advanced with 

nearly all 350 berths completed. We will continue to 

work with them and our other existing partners.” 

For more information visit www.spicerace.com. 

Flotilla in St. Lucia Heralds Start of ARC 2008 

As this issue of Compass goes to press, the Atlantic 

Rally for Cruisers 2008 from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria 

to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia is scheduled to start on 

November 23rd. To celebrate the occasion on the 

same day, the Marine Industries Association of St. 

Lucia and the St. Lucia Yacht Club, in co-operation 

with the St. Lucia Tourist Board and IGY Marinas, has 

organized an ARC Flotilla in St. Lucia, to start from 

Castries Harbour at 10:00AM and finish at Rodney Bay 

Marina, with a reception for all participants immediately 

following the sail. 

The mid-December arrival of 200 or more international 

yachts in the transatlantic ARC is an annual highlight 

in St. Lucia. Now in its 23rd year, the ARC will 

bring 220 yachts to Rodney Bay this month, carrying 

some 1,100 crewmembers of 25 nationalities. The largest 

yacht in this year’s fleet is the US-registered Oyster 

82, Sundowner, at 24.99 metres (82 feet). The smallest 

is Madonna, a Norwegian-registered Bénéteau First 

31, at 9.95 metres (31 feet). The ARC distinguishes itself 

by successfully combining racing and cruising yachts 

with a mix of older and younger participants, all of 

whom thoroughly enjoy the varied entertainment that 

is on offer for all ages at both the start and finish ports. 

We’ll have a full report on ARC 2008 in an upcoming 

issue of Compass! 

For more information visit www.worldcruising.com/arc. 

1st Annual Carlos Aguilar Memorial Match Race 

Carol Bareuther reports: Six of the world’s top female 

match racers and eight of the best male sailors in the 

Caribbean will put their sailing skills to the test in 

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, at the first Annual Carlos 

Aguilar Memorial Match Race Championship, 

December 5th through 7th. 

Anna Tunnicliffe, 2008 Olympic Gold medal winner in 

the Laser Radial Class; Liz Baylis, ranked fourth in the 

world’s women’s match racing rankings; and Sandy 

Hayes, 2008 Rolex Women’s Match winner, will be 

headlining the talent in the Invitational 

Women’s Division. 

In the Men’s Open Division, skippers will be St. 

Thomas’ Taylor Canfield, St. Croix’s Peter Stanton, the 

British Virgin Islands’ Alec Anderson, Puerto Rico’s 

Efrain ‘Fraito’ Lugo, St. Maarten’s Frits Bus, St. Lucia’s 

Historic Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, will be the 

backdrop for this month’s inaugural Carlos Aguilar 

Memorial Yacht Race 

Mike Green, Trinidad’s Paul Amon, and St. Thomas’ 

Chris Curreri helming a team of sailors from El 

Salvador, Aguilar’s native country. 

“We’re committed to leading match racing in the 

Caribbean,” says regatta organizer and host St. 

Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) manager, Bill Canfield, of 

this Caribbean Sailing Association-sanctioned event. 

“We intend to make this event an annual affair, make 

it more international and model it after US Sailing’s 

Bermuda Gold Cup.” 

St. Thomas’ own Henry Menin was instrumental in 

getting the ISAF (International Sailing Federation) to 

accept match racing. The event’s namesake, Carlos 

Aguilar, who was killed in 2007, was an avid match 

racer himself and used every opportunity to encourage 

others, especially young sailors, to follow in the 

sport. Match racing has come so far since, that in 

2012 Women’s Match Racing will be included for the 

first time as an Olympic sailing event. “Hopefully in 

years to come,” says Canfield, “we’ll have plenty of 

representation from the Caribbean in international 

match racing events around the globe.” 

DEAN BARNES 

The event will be sailed in IC24s. The IC24 (Inter-Club 

24) was conceived by two STYC members, and is a 

converted J/24 equipped with a Melges 24-style deck 

mold that is wider than the original design and has no 

traveler. America’s Cup sailor, Olympic silver medallist, 

former number-one ranked match racer, and US 

Virgin Islands’ native son, Peter Holmberg, will run clinics 

prior to the event. 

The event’s Notice of Race is available at www.styc. 

net. For more information about attending, contact 

Bill Canfield at styc@vipowernet.net or (340) 775-6320. 

JHYC to Host JHR Caribbean Annual Regatta 

Brian Turton reports: Jolly Harbour Yacht Club of 

Antigua is proud to host the JHR Caribbean Annual 

Regatta to be held December 5th through 7th. JHR 

Caribbean, a premier real estate company in the 

Caribbean, is particularly keen to continue sponsorship 

of this popular regatta as the main beneficiary will be 

the JHYC Youth Development Program, which aims to 

provide free dinghy sail-training to Antigua youths, with 

a view to future employment in the marine industry. 

JHYC is also grateful to their secondary sponsors: 

Carib Beer, English Harbour 5 Year Old Rum and LIAT 

Airlines, for their very generous donations of product 

for use in the raising of funds for the JHYC YDP. 

Two days of racing are scheduled off Jolly Harbour 

and Five Islands Harbour, with four races on the 

Saturday and three on the Sunday. The Skippers’ 

Registration and Briefing will be on the Friday evening 

at the Dogwatch Tavern from 1600 to 1800 hours, followed 

by Happy Hour and the Skipper-Crew 

Barbecue at the Foredeck Bar. 

There will be a Regatta Party on the Saturday at 

Castaways from 1930, with food and dancing till midnight 

to the band Triple Feature + One. The Regatta 

Party is open to all — tickets in advance are EC$75. 

For more information and online entry form visit www. 

jhycantigua.com or call (268) 770-6172. 

Superyacht Cup Antigua Joins ‘Bucket’ Rating System 

Organisers of The Superyacht Cup regattas in 

Antigua and Palma have joined forces with the 

organisers of the St. Barths and Newport Bucket 

Regattas to adopt the “Bucket Rating” system. The 

next Superyacht Cup Antigua, December 9th through 

12th, will use the Bucket Rating for all classes. 

The system was developed by Jim Teeters, Associate 

Offshore Director at US Sailing, and has been refined 

over the last six years, creating an accurate and 

transparent system for rating superyachts of all designs 

and sizes. Hank Halsted, Bucket Race Committee 

Chairman, has welcomed the move: “It is a great 

opportunity to bring the four regattas together on the 

same standard for pursuit racing, streamlining the 

application process and bringing parity to the regatta 

results. With nearly a hundred superyachts in the system, 

the Bucket Rule has truly hit its stride.” 

The goal of the Bucket Rating system is to provide 

starting times for each yacht that result in the entire 

fleet converging on the finish line at the same time, 

doing this for a variety of courses in any wind speed. 

Modified over the years, the system proved itself with 

the results of the 2008 St. Barths Bucket where the first 

ten of 26 boats finished within 150 seconds in a twohour 

race, many of them overlapping. 

For more information on The Superyacht Cup 

Antigua visit www.thesuperyachtcup.com. 

‘Welcome ARC’ SLYC Fun Day 2008 

Danielle of the St. Lucia Yacht Club reports: The SLYC’s 

“Welcome ARC” Fun Day 2008 will be held on December 

14th at our clubhouse on Reduit Beach, together with a 

Pig-in-the-Bun at Spinnakers restaurant next door. 





There will be water- and beach-based games and sailing 

with the Optimists and Lasers as well! All ARC participants 

— children and adults — are welcome to come 

meet SLYC club members and join us for a day of fun. 

Participants receive a free T-shirt at the registration. 

For more information visit www.stluciayachtclub.com 

or call (758) 452-8350. 

Regional Indigenous Boats Challenged! 

Regatta Promoters Ltd. is challenging regional island 

teams to take on the local Tobago Bum Boats (traditional 

work boats) at the Tobago Carnival Regatta 

Bum Boat race, to be held at Pigeon Point, Tobago 

from February 10th through 14th, 2009. Local sailing 

boats — called bum boats, double-enders, heritage 

boats, open boats or workboats depending on the 

island — can vie for bragging rights as the best in the 

Southern Caribbean. 

The competition could start, as a feature of the new 

Caribbean Sailing Circuit, from January 14th through 

18th at the Carriacou Sailing Series. Those winners 

could take on teams from Grenada in the second 

regatta on the circuit — the Port Louis Grenada Sailing 

Festival, January 30th to February 3rd — with the top 

team from Grenada winning a trip to the Tobago 

competition. The grand finale will take place at the 

Tobago Carnival Regatta, February 10th to 14th. 

The Tobago House of Assembly and the Tourism 

Company of Trinidad & Tobago have a keen interest 

in seeing sailing develop further among the local population 

and are supporting Regatta Promoters Ltd. in 

this effort. As one local proudly pointed out, the final 

race for Caribbean sailing craft could be one of the 

biggest draws of the Carnival Regatta: “We go show 

dem how we does do it down here. Is Carnival time, 

yuh know? So ah hope dem island boys ready for dat! 

Is real tempo!” 

For more information visit www.sailweek.com. 

St. Maarten-St. Martin Classic to Include Tall Ships 

West Indies Events (WIE) and the St. Maarten-St. 

Martin Classic Yacht Regatta Foundation have 

announced the regatta program for the Invitational 

St. Maarten-St. Martin Classic Yacht Regatta 2009, 

January 22nd through 25th. It is the first classic regatta 

of the Caribbean season, with the Grenada Classic 

Yacht Regatta second in February, and Antigua 

Classic Yacht Regatta the third in April. WIE is also in 

the process of establishing classic regattas in Curaçao 

and Cuba. 

The January regatta and all related social events will 

be moved from Simpson Bay to Great Bay, as organizers 

had received questions from several worried classic 

yacht owners and captains about the high bridge 

and lagoon fees that participants would have to pay. 

By relocating to Great Bay, yachts will not have to 

enter the lagoon. The participants can come to the 

Bobby’s Marina docks or go on anchor right after the 

races. Classic and Vintage Yachts, Schooners and 

Spirit of Tradition yachts will be accommodated for 

free on the Bobby’s Marina docks (subject to availability) 

and will also receive complimentary docking 

on the Friday afternoon and overnight at Fort Louis 

Marina in Marigot. Organizers are very happy with the 

Greenhouse Bar and Restaurant accommodation 

where the skippers’ briefing and opening party on the 

22nd, as well as the final prize giving and closing buffet 

on the 25th will be held. 

The race on the Friday goes from Great Bay to Marigot 

in Saint Martin. Free drinks will be supplied for all captains 

and crew upon arrival at the Fort Louis Marina. 

The Saturday race goes back to Great Bay. This is 

also the Tall Ships Race Day. Tall Ships will start after 

the other yachts and sail to Great Bay, where they will 

anchor or dock at the Cruise Ship Pier. A free beach 

buffet at Great Bay Beach in front of Passangrahan 

Hotel will be offered to all captains, crew, VIPs and 

press, and there’s a regatta party with live band for 

the general public at Taloula Mango’s from 7:00PM. 

The VIP lounge above Taloula Mango’s will be open 

for VIPs, captains, crew and press from 9:00PM. 

On the Sunday, the Tall Ships will be open to the 

general public from 9:00 to 11:00AM. The race for all 

other yachts starts at 10:00AM out of Great Bay, going 

towards Anguilla and back to Great Bay. 

For more information visit www.ClassicRegatta.com. 

Both yachts (above) and workboats (below) will show 

their prowess at the Port Louis Grenada Sailing 

Festival, starting January 30th 

Scotiabank Joins Grenada Sailing Festival Sponsors 

Organisers of the Port Louis Grenada Sailing Festival, 

to be staged from January 30th through February 3rd, 

have announced that the Bank of Nova Scotia will be 

joining the 2009 event as a new Captain’s Club 

Member sponsor. Festival Chairman Jimmy Bristol commented: 

“We are extremely pleased to welcome 

Scotiabank. The company has a long history of sponsorship 

support for sport and community activities in 

Grenada and will be a strong partner for the Festival 

and the Digicel Work Boat Regatta.” 

The event, now in its 16th year, has an impressive list of 

long-standing sponsors, including True Blue Bay Resort, 

British Airways, Colombian Emeralds, Mount Gay Rum, 

Heineken, North South Wines with Moet & Chandon, 

United Insurance, and TSL Grenada. The organisers also 

wish to thank Budget Marine, Boval, Island Dreams 

Yacht Services, 809 Design and COT Caribbean 

Graphics for their support for the 2009 Festival. 

As always, there will be four days of challenging 

international yacht racing off the island’s southern 

coast, and the crowd-pulling traditional Digicel 

Workboat Regatta will make for a fantastic weekend 

of sailing, music and fun on Grand Anse Beach. 

Once the racing is over, skippers and crews will be 

treated to new events and themed parties, adding to 

the Mount Gay Red Cap Party. There will be a different 

mix of locations to enjoy, including the new 

Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina and Le Phare 

Bleu Marina, as well as the ever-popular Dodgy Dock 

at True Blue Bay Resort & Marina. 

For more information see ads on pages 20 and 21. 

Super-Maxis to do Battle in RORC Caribbean 600 

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s inaugural RORC 

Caribbean 600 looks set to stage the first battle 

between the two 100-foot super-maxis Leopard and 

Speedboat. Chris Sherlock, boat captain of Mike 

Slade’s Leopard, announced recently, “It is likely that 

we will be racing against each other for the first time 

in the RORC Caribbean 600 which starts in Antigua on 

February 23rd.” 



Interest in the race has been growing since the 

announcement was made earlier this year by the 

RORC and Antigua Yacht Club that they would hold 

the first-ever offshore race to circumnavigate several 

of the Caribbean islands. George David’s maxi, 

Rambler, which won the 2007 Rolex Middle Sea Race, 

is joining the battle with Leopard and Speedboat. 

Peter Harrison’s 115-foot super yacht, Sojana, is another 

entry and classic yachts such as the 155-foot 

schooner Windrose and J Class Velsheda also intend 

to join the race scheduled to fit snugly between other 

major regattas in the busy Caribbean racing calendar. 

Eddie Warden Owen, the Chief Executive of RORC, 

says, “The quality of the boats interested in joining the 

race is very good. For these big boats, the number of 

islands to round will make it a very tough race for the 

crew, as all the sails in the inventory are likely to be 

used at some time during the race, which will be run 

under IRC and CSA.” The 605-nautical-mile non-stop 

race comprises 13 legs around the Leeward Islands. It 

will also be hotly contested amongst the smaller classes, 

with expressions of interest received from a number 

of yachts including the Corby 45 Incisor of Wight, 

Bernie Evan-Wong’s Mumm 36 High Tension, the 

Stimson 42, GYR-P42 Caspian Services and Markus 

Seebich’s Class 40. 

For more information visit www.caribbean600.rorc.org. 

Big Event Sponsors Little Sailor 

The 2008 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta was not only 

a success with regards to record-breaking entries and 

huge crowds on shore, but it was also a success for 

one local child. On the 2008 online entry form, participants 

were able to make a donation to the youth sailing 

program of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, which 

enabled the club to sponsor one local child to have 

sailing lessons for an entire year. Donations were 

made by participants from countries all over the 

world, including France, St. Maarten, England, Holland 

and the USA. 

Eight-year-old Zack Sabaroche was the chosen candidate, 

and according to Zach’s mother, “He is so 

excited about sailing on the Optis that he comes 

home after each lesson and tells his father what he 

should be doing.” Zach’s father works for a local marina 

running a tender service. “He even talks about it at 

school, so much that his teacher called home to learn 

more about the program because so many fellow students 

were excited about it after hearing Zach talk”. 

The success of this program is extremely important to 

the SMYC, whose goal is to increase sailing on the 

island of St. Maarten. 

For the 2009 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, March 

5th through 8th, entrants will again have the opportunity 

to check the donation box and make a change 

in the life of a local child. 

For more information visit www.heinekenregatta.com. 

The First ‘Clean Regatta’ of the Caribbean 

Organizers of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, one 

of the Caribbean’s longest running regattas, have 

teamed up with the Sailors for the Sea, a non-profit 

organization dedicated to preserving the world’s 

oceans, to help make the 2009 event a Clean 

Regatta. The 2009 regatta, March 5th through 8th, will 

see many simple changes aimed at making the sailing 

event more environmentally friendly. These changes 

include re-usable bow numbers, educating all participants 

about the rules that exist in the Natural Reserve 

on the French side of the island, and encouraging the 

island’s youth to create boat models with recycled 

materials. Over the years, the regatta organizers have 

teamed up with Heineken St Maarten, the event title 

SERVICES 

Mechanics and Electricity 

Boat Maintenance 

Engine diagnosis 

Breakdown service 24/7 

Haulout and hull sand blasting 

Equipment for rent 

Technical shop 

sponsor, selling bracelets to raise money to protect 

the natural environment of both the French and 

Dutch marine parks on the island. During the last three 

St. Maarten Heineken Regattas almost US$8,000 was 

raised for the Nature Foundation of St. Maarten and 

the Marine Reserve of St Martin. 

For the 2009 regatta, the organizers aim to implement 

a nearly paper-free registration system, which 

Above: Happy Zack Sabaroche, ready to hit the water 

with his sailing instructor 

Below: Thanks to St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2008 

racers, Zack is part of the yacht club’s 

Optimist program 

will significantly reduce the total paper use. They will 

also follow the rules to obtain a Bronze level “Clean 

Regatta” certification from Sailors for the Sea. Chris 

Mancini, Program Manager at Sailors for the Sea said, 

“Clean Regattas is a great program for regattas and 

FRED MARINE Guadeloupe F.W.I. 

MARINE MECHANICS (ALL MAKES) - HAUL OUT 

24h BREAKDOWN SERVICE • SALES • REPAIRS • MAINTENANCE 

Marina Pointe-à-Pitre 97110 

Phone: +590 590 907 137 Fax: +590 590 908 651 

E-mail: fredmarine@wanadoo.fr 

GOODS 

Genuine parts Yanmar & Tohatsu 

Basic spare parts (filters, impellers, belts) 

Filtration FLEETGUARD 

Anodes,Shaft bearings 

Electric parts, batteries 

Primers and Antifouling International 

Various lubricants 

yacht clubs that need guidance in reaching higher 

environmental standards. It also serves to help publicize 

the ongoing efforts of other clubs and events, 

and lets them lead by example. Our goal is to have 

every regatta, club and program be a ‘clean regatta’ 

whether they are certified by Sailors for the Sea 

or not.” 

Some of the Clean Regattas requirements include: 

No discharge of untreated sewage or blackwater in 

harbor areas or no-discharge zones (NDZs); no overboard 

discharge of trash or littering at shore facilities; 

and including a list of “green” cleaning products in 

skipper’s packet. A volunteer will be assigned as a liaison 

between the two organizations to ensure all steps 

are taken and a regatta report is filed. 

Clean Regattas is a third-party certification program 

that helps regattas, yacht clubs and sailing programs 

voluntarily achieve higher environmental standards. 

Participants have the option of choosing a Bronze, 

Silver or Gold level of engagement, and work to fulfill 

each of the requirements necessary to be certified at 

that level. Sailors for the Sea provides support and 

materials and grades the club or event for its Clean 

Regatta certification. 

For more information on Sailors for the Sea visit www. 

sailorsforthesea.org. 

For more information on the regatta 

visit www.heinekenregatta.com. 

Virgin Islands Raceweek — A Natural Combination 

A combination of the St. Thomas International Rolex 

Regatta, the BVI Sailing Festival and the BVI Spring 

Regatta is back by popular demand. Given that the 

three events are back to back, March 27th through 

April 5th, 2009, and happen within 12 miles of each 

other, VI Raceweek is a natural. The prize for winning 

the IRC division is a week’s holiday on St. Thomas at 

the Frenchman’s Cove Resort, and the CSA division 

prize is an all-inclusive week’s stay at the Bitter End 

Yacht Club in the BVI. 

The 2009 Raceweek kicks off with the 36th St. Thomas 

International Rolex Regatta, with racing scheduled for 

Friday, March 27th through Sunday, March 29th, mixing 

long course sailing with windward/leeward formats. 

While it is part of the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series, 

the event also hosts classes for CSA racing as well as 

one-designs, beach cats and large multihulls. 

On the Monday, the fleet moves 12 miles east from 

Cowpet Bay in St. Thomas to Nanny Cay Marina in the 

BVI for the BVI Sailing Festival. This event is designed to 

be very relaxed, creating a laid-back filler between 

two power-hitter regattas. This low-pressure precursor 

to the BVI Spring Regatta starts in Nanny Cay with 

boats racing to Bitter End for the Bitter End Cup. Once 

there, guests are entertained with cocktail parties and 

layday activities. The Sailing Festival wraps up on the 

Thursday with the Nanny Cay Cup, which moves the 

fleet from Bitter End back to Nanny Cay. 

On April 3rd, competition heats up again when BVI 

Spring Regatta kicks off. Organizers of the BVI Spring 

Regatta understand that not all sailors want the same 

type of racing, so choices abound. Drake Channel will 

be the venue for three race areas. Closest to the 

beach is the One Design area, hosting the IC24s, 

Lasers and Beach Cats. To the southeast is the Cooper 

race area, where traditional keelboat racers will see 

both round the island racing as well as windward/leeward 

courses. And to the west, for those who would 

rather race around islands than buoys and want to 

carry a kite, there is the Norman race area. 

Registration for VI Raceweek is simple, as boats registered 

in the Rolex Regatta and/or the Spring Regatta 

and Sailing Festival are automatically entered. 

For more information 

visit http://caribbeanracing.com/VIRW. 

FOR RENT 

High pressure cleaners 150/250bars 

Electrical tools 

Diverse hand tools 

Vacuum cleaner for water 

Scaffolding 

TOHATSU 

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WHEN 

Frank Pearce, Vice Commodore of the 

Antigua Yacht Club, sailed into Carriacou 

last June aboard his very sleek and modern 

50-foot schooner Samadhi, he could 

not have imagined he would be the proud new owner of an old Carriacou sloop in 

less than six months time. 

Originally built in 1982 as a work boat, Tradition carried cargo from the Leeward 

Islands of St. Barts and St. Maarten down island to Carriacou in the same fashion 

her big sister Yankee Girl plied the route from Trinidad to St. Lucia in the Seventies. 

Frank spotted Tradition lying at Windward, where Norman Roberts was working on 

her, adding a new wheelhouse and replacing the planking on the hull and deck. 

Frank thought how lovely it would be if someone were to restore the wooden sloop 

to her original splendour and, to Frank’s surprise, Norman agreed to sell her. 

With the help of a team of local shipwrights, Frank started by removing the wheelhouse, 

a shame given that it was brand new and meticulously made with care, but 

Norman or one of his colleagues will likely find another vessel in need before long. 

They replaced the gaping hole with new planking and added a bowsprit to carry a jib 

and staysail, giving her a pretty new profile and an extra ten feet overall. 

A Traditional 

Re-Launching for a 

Restored Tradition 

by Susan Payetta 

Above: Typical of many Carriacou-built vessels, Tradition shows straight sides, long 

overhangs, a wide counter stern and a smart red-and-white paint job 

Below: The cutting-down is a solemn and synchronized process 

Looking resplendent in her fresh coat of paint, Tradition was re-launched on 

Sunday November 2nd, at Windward, Carriacou, on the same beach she was built 

on by Norman’s father, Urban Roberts. 

There are modern and possibly more efficient ways to launch a vessel of this size, 

but in the interest of keeping the island tradition alive, Frank opted to fund the fête 

and asked Norman Roberts to organize the proceedings. 

While the priest blessed the vessel, ladies sang psalms. Rum, water and the blood 

of a fowl were spilled to appease whatever gods are meant to be appeased, a mix of 

Christianity and superstition. The cutting-down ceremony was a beautiful sight, the 

honour shared by the boatbuilders who worked together on the job. They hacked 

down the supports with axes in quiet unison, dropping the vessel abruptly onto her 

port side. 

Hauling lines were “knitted” to the hull and anchors set in the bay as preparations 

began in earnest. Old rum barrels were set aflame for the fête. Huge cast iron cauldrons, 

each supported by three large stones, were used to cook up the coo-coo and 

rice, pigeon peas and stew meat, to eventually feed the hungry workers. 

Carriacou historian Edward Kent recalls the story of Island Star, a locally built 

schooner that took 13 days to launch. “We sang chanties and pulled, slowly gaining 

a few inches at a time, no more than a couple of feet each day. 



She finally reached the water long after the owner’s funds had dried up and all the 

rum was gone, when there were no animals left to slaughter to feed the crowd.” 

An eager group of volunteers begin pulling the line running out to an anchor, 

brought back and wrapped around a coconut tree, or pushing on the bow of 

Tradition. Without the customary aid of a string band to coordinate the team’s 

rhythm, progress is slow. 

Above: The blood of a sacrificed fowl sprinkles the foredeck 

Below: Assisted by Norman Robert’s locally built motor vessel Resolution, 

Tradition is welcomed back to the sea 

Inset: The deck beams partly in 

FRANK PEARCE 

To ease the rollers under the keel, a few strong men pull down aggressively on the 

bowsprit. A distinct “crack” sounds a warning, but it is only Tradition’s planking 

voicing her opinion. “E gone break,” is the consensus from the group of men gathered 

around the coconut tree, but the young son of one of the many shipwrights who 

worked on the restoration contends, “Nah b’y, I use one big piece ah wood inside ah 

dere, she ent gone break. She flexible, she could bend right dung an’ touch de 

grung.” 

With only a few inches left between the bow and the shoreline, only the men too 

old to push or too young to pull are sidelined, but they have strong opinions and 

weigh in on the subject of why the boat still isn’t in the water. “De boat too beeg, dey 

shoulda make ‘e smallah!” a little boy exclaims, while an exhausted Ras Vaughn tells 

Frank, “Dat dead fowl bad luck b’y. It jumbie.” Without hesitation Frank reaches up 

and removes the offering from her open grave on deck. 

Following this revelation it isn’t long before the bow is liberated from the shore. 

Assisted by Resolution, Norman Robert’s locally-built motor vessel, a half dozen 

brave men who don’t mind getting wet give a final push on the stern while Frank 

scuttles up onto the bow in time to grab the tiller as she floats free. Tradition is back 

in the sea, ready to start a new career that is yet to be determined. 

SUSAN PAYETTA SUSAN PAYETTA 



The 

DESTINATIONS 

Exumas are a group of islands in the Bahamas and my personal 

favorite. They were settled in 1783 by American Loyalists who 

wished to retain their allegiance to the British king following the 

American Revolution. 

Allan’s Cay is famous for its iguanas, so we took the dinghy ashore to see them. 

Before we even got to shore, they heard the motor and started down the beach. They 

came right up to us, to see if we had anything to feed them. Then we went over to 

the south cay. That beach was empty when we arrived, but before we were out of the 

boat, one iguana came out of the reeds. Then another, 

then another.... When we took the dinghy in to 

the smaller beach on Leaf Cay, we came prepared 

and fed the iguanas there some leftovers — potatoes, 

The 

Extraordinary 

Exumas 

lettuce and spinach. 

Continuing south, we came to Norman’s Cay. Most 

of Norman’s Cay was bought by the German- 

Colombian drug lord, Carlos Lehder, in the 1970s. 

He built an airstrip there to bring in illegal drugs. 

The government apparently turned a blind eye to his 

activities until an NBC television documentary in 

1983 raised public awareness. We went ashore, 

crossing to the outer beach and exploring the ruins. 

The wreckage of a DC-3 drug-running plane that 

missed the runway now rests in shallow water. 

There are also the remains of a boat that capsized, 

overloaded with Haitian refugees. We found the old 

airstrip, apparently still in use by a small, private 

plane. We also found the old beach bar, MacDuff’s, 

which sadly is no longer open. 

Compass Cay Marina is set in a delightful little 

cove at, you guessed it, Compass Cay. The marina has “pet” nurse sharks — all their 

names are on a sign on the dock. Some of the cruisers swam with them. I know 

nurse sharks don’t bother people, but I didn’t want to do that! 

We walked several of the well-marked trails on Compass Cay. Painted driftwood 

signs humorously point the way to Low Tide Landing Strip, Land Crab Watering 

Hole, etcetera. On the eastern side of the island is Crescent Beach, one of the most 

captivatingly beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen, and totally deserted. We saw footprints 

but didn’t encounter a single other person. 

We made our way to Black Point on Great Guana Cay (not the same one that is in 

the Abacos). It’s a small, very friendly community with a couple of stores, a couple 

of restaurants, a laundromat, a post office, several people making straw products, 

and not much else. 

Underway from Great Guana Cay to Little Farmer’s Cay we put out the fishing line 

and trolled and caught a mackerel — dinner! We took a mooring on the Great Guana 

Cay side of Little Farmer’s Cay, then dinghied over to the town dock and took a walk. 

It’s another tiny community with a friendly dog, Little Bit, who follows everyone 

around. We visited the wood carver’s shop and met a driftwood artist. The wood used 

by Jacquie Milman 

for carving is tamarind; we had also seen items made from this wood in Nassau, too, 

at the straw market. It has a dark core and a light ring on the outside, so when 

carved, it is two-toned — very pretty. 

The charts showed an anchorage on the Great Bahama Bank side of the island so we 

walked over there to have a look. We found a lovely beach and several boats there; it was 

a calm anchorage in the easterly winds. When the mail boat came in through the cut, half 

the island came to the dock — to get mail or merchandise, or just to socialize. A small 

twin-engine charter plane landed and took off at the little airport by the yacht club. 

HART & STONE 

We stopped at a little store just to see what they had. A heavyset, elderly lady was 

sitting on a stool and told us we were welcome to look. She only had one shelf with 

anything on it; she said she had just returned from Nassau (where she had gone for 

medical reasons) and was trying to get the store started again. She chatted for the 

longest time, and told me her name was Eugenia Nixon Percentie. “I’m a Nixon but 

I married a Percentie. The Nixons and the Browns own this island.” She was sad for 

us being so far from Guam, our home, and not going back. I explained that our family 

is scattered and none are there, so we weren’t sad. She said she wasn’t sure she 

could bear to be separated from her family like that. 

At the settlement dock, a man was butchering a goat (they call goat “mutton” here, 

and sheep, “lamb”) for the restaurant up the hill. We went to the restaurant, Ocean 

Cabin, checked the dinner menu and decided to dine. The diners were all seated at one 

long table (actually three tables pushed together), family style. There was good food and 

conversation, lots of laughing — a fun evening. Dessert (ice cream) was included in the 

price of the meal. When asked what flavors, Terry, the owner, said, “Any flavor you 

want.” Whatever you asked for, he had it, but it all came to the table as vanilla. 



They play the ring game there, which we had also seen in Bimini. A ring is attached 

to a string and you swing it and try to loop it over a hook on the wall, or a tree, or 

whatever. A little girl showed us how to do it — she was good and got “ringers” four 

times out of ten. Terry’s ten-year-old daughter challenged one of the guests to the 

game. He countered with a new twist — standing by the wall with your back to it and 

throwing the ring out away from the wall, trying to hook the nail as it swings back. He 

actually did it a few times and she wasn’t able to beat him, so she dismissed him and 

challenged another. They were more evenly matched — neither of them could do it! 

Big Major Spot’s draw is its famous swimming pigs. The undomesticated pigs swim 

out to your dinghy for carrots (or whatever you bring). We fed them a bag of carrots 

Just 300 miles southeast of Miami, 

the anchorages of the Exumas are 

another world 

and d some apples. l Th They whined hi d and d bbegged d and d pushed h d each h other th tto bbe fi first: t it was 

We had planned to go to Club Thunderball for dinner — it was 

barbecue night — but they were closed due to a death in the family, 

so we made reservations for the Yacht Club. Here you make 

your selection l ti ffrom 

the menu by 5:00PM and seating is at 7:30. I like that method: you 

funny. Along the shore are several caves where goats live. You can hear them bleat- get your meal without a long wait. We went early and had cocktails at the bar first. 

ing and we spotted a few as it began to get dark. 

Dinner was excellent and we returned to the boat full and happy. 

From Big Major Spot, we took the dinghy over to the settlement on Staniel Cay. It’s At Warderick Wells is the Exuma Land and Sea Park. It is a very pretty spot and the 

quite small, not much there. We stepped inside at The Happy People Bar (the bar stools snorkeling is excellent. We took the dinghy in to one of the beaches in the park and 

have happy faces on them) to get something cold to drink. There was a pool table, so hiked the trail to Boo Boo Hill. There is quite a view from the top. There are other trails 

we played a game. Leaving the bar, we found The Pink Pearl grocery store and also as well and various snorkeling spots. Since the park is a protected area, fish, turtles, 

checked out the grocery “in the blue building at the top of the hill”, as the sign said. and lobsters show themselves with impunity, knowing humans cannot legally take 

Then, gathering our snorkeling gear, we dinghied over to Thunderball Grotto, where them. On one of the beaches is the reconstructed skeleton of a 52-foot sperm whale. 

the James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed. (We did our research the previous There are more islands and cays that we didn’t explore, but the most wondrous 

night by watching the video.) It is BEAUTIFUL and there were SO many fish! They are thing about the Exumas is the water. It is the most incredible array of aquas, tur- 

used to being fed and although we didn’t have anything for them, some people there quoises, greens and blues I have ever seen. If the Bahamas were farther south and 

did, and they would flock so thick you couldn’t see the person feeding them. 

didn’t get cool in the winter, we might never leave. 

A warm welcome awaits you and your yacht at Port Louis 

Port Louis, Grenada 

Nowhere extends a warmer welcome than Port Louis, Grenada. Visitors can expect 

powder-white beaches, rainforests, spice plantations and a calendar packed with 

regattas and festivals. Grenada is also the gateway to the Grenadines, one of the 

world’s most beautiful and unspoilt cruising areas. 

Now there’s another good reason to visit. There are 50 new fully serviced slips for yachts 

of all sizes up to 90m available right now for sale or rental. 

Sitting alongside the marina, the forthcoming Port Louis Maritime Village will include luxury 

hotels, villas, restaurants and bars, plus some of the finest boutiques and shops in the region. 

ITALY | MALTA | TURKEY | WEST INDIES 

Straw hats, friendly 

faces and time to 

chat are features of 

this lightly 

populated 

island group 

Limited availability 

Slips are available for sale or rental. For a private consultation to discuss 

the advantages of slip ownership, please contact our International Sales Manager, 

Anna Tabone, on +356 2248 0000 or email anna.tabone@cnmarinas.com 

To fully appreciate this rare opportunity, we highly recommend a visit. To arrange an 

on-site meeting please contact our Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator, Danny Donelan 

on +1(473) 435 7432 or email danny.donelan@cnportlouismarina.com 



postponed to 2009 

CRUISER TO CRUISER 

LIVING IVING ON DIRT IRT 

by Sandi Pomeroy 

When it came time for this cruiser to live on dirt again, Venezuela’s Isla Margarita 

proved irresistible. This is Playa el Agua 

When I first sailed to Margarita, in 1994, I was struck by the number of boats in 

the anchorage at Porlamar. In addition to the 150 or so sailboats there were dozens 

of smaller pirogues and larger fishing boats; bright white with yellow and red trim. 

It’s a beautiful curved bay with a marina full of small to mid-sized weekend powerboats. 

Along the shore were many family-run restaurants, where for less than the 

equivalent of US$3 one could eat calamari or the best fish soup, or a whole fish of 

your choice, all served with a salad of cabbage, tomato and onion, and an arepa. 

Arepas are a staple food in Venezuela. They are made from corn flour and water, 

formed into a hamburger-sized patty and dry-pan fried. Served with butter they are 

the starch equal to bread. Add to that a couple of small bottles (222ml or 7.5 ounces) 

of the local beer, Polar, and you’re full until suppertime. 

We soon discovered that we could walk to the east and reach a good-sized supermarket. 

Going west we found a laundromat where we could drop off clothes in the 

morning and by afternoon they’d be clean, hot, folded and packed in plastic ready to 

return to the boat. 


The laid-back town of Juangriego on the north side of the island can be visited by 

road from Porlamar or you can anchor in the bay


A few more blocks took us to Avenida Santiago Mariño, which crosses 4 de Mayo, 

the biggest street in Porlamar, where dozens of quality clothing stores abounded. 

Shoes were another item found in many stores. Because Margarita is a duty-free 

island, it is a shopping mecca for Europeans and South, Central and North 

Americans. Quality imported goods are found in profusion. 

Then there’s “Centro,” near the huge, domed cathedral that is a landmark in 

Porlamar. This area is where the locals shop. Many Middle-Easterners and Chinese 

operate businesses selling small appliances and household items. It is where you 

find the bargain clothes and shoes imported from the Middle East and China. There 

are three pedestrian streets crossed by one-way vehicular traffic. 

Everywhere are street vendors, selling fresh fruits and veggies, dessert cakes and 

flan, and stalls selling arepas filled with cheese or chicken or beans or fish. Also sold 

on the streets are empanadas. They too are made from corn flour and water, though 

these are flattened out like a tortilla. Then a dollop of cheese, fish, chicken or beans 

is placed in the center and the dough is folded over and the edges are sealed before 

they are dropped into hot grease (heated by a propane tank) and fried to a golden 

brown. Yummy! 

Another treat is called cachapa, which is made from fresh kernel corn, ground up, 

and mixed with milk and water. The batter is then ladled out onto a hot griddle and 

fried like a giant pancake, eight inches around and half an inch thick. When it is 

brown, a piece of soft cheese is laid on, and it is folded and secured in a napkin and 

off you go. One will fill most grown men! As we walked, young men with ice cooler 

chests would approach and offer quietly (as it was frowned upon by the police) a cold 

one saying, “Polar, Polar, Polar”. So for about 20 cents you could enjoy a cold cerveza 

on the street. (That was NOT frowned upon!) 

In Margarita, life below the water is as interesting as that on land. Sea turtles 

are frequent visitors 

We learned that buses ran all over the island and went though Centro. So explore 

we did, for about ten cents a ride! Most of the buses are old school buses painted by 

their owners, with the main areas and maybe a route number written on the windshield 

and the side windows in bold, white hand-done lettering. In an hour or so you 

could reach most destinations on the island. 

That’s how I discovered Juangriego, before we sailed there. It is a small tourist 

town, much more typical of a Caribbean island village with its souvenir shops. Up 

on the hill overlooking the anchorage is El Fortin de la Galera, a relic of an old fort 

that played an important role in Venezuela’s fight for independence from Spain in 

1815. The expansive view is gorgeous. (Most visitors don’t realize it also overlooks 

the settling ponds of the local wastewater facility.) And of course there are souvenirs 

to be had in Juangriego. 

At the street level, on the beach, is one of my favorite restaurants, El Viejo Muelle 

(The Old Wharf). Peñeros, small fishing boats, are tethered to palm trees on shore 

near a blue-and-white replica lighthouse (about 20 inches tall). As we waited for 

lunch I strolled along the beach and found a few small collectable shells. Then we 

were served our fish soup and the requisite “Polarcitas” (little Polar beers). Young 

girls came by our table selling homemade (maybe by mom or auntie) pearl rings and 

hematite bracelets and necklaces — my kind of jewelry. I still have some of my favorites 

from that day! 

On another day we went to the state capital. Within the country of Venezuela, 

Margarita is a state unto itself, Nueva Esparta, and its capital is La Asunción. La 

Asunción is located up in the mountains where the temperature drops at least ten 

degrees as you leave sea level. The government offices and the courthouse are busy during 

the week. There are art museums and La Casa de la Cultura (the House of Culture), 

where symphonies are performed by the local orchestras. Music is highly esteemed in 

Venezuela and children in elementary schools are offered free lessons. There is one such 

school in Porlamar that I now frequently walk past and hear them rehearsing. 

There is the usual Plaza Bolívar (virtually every Venezuelan town has one) in front 

of the church. On a Sunday when we visited, there were four generations of women 

all working on making one hammock. Watching them hand-tying one of these heirlooms 

is a picture to behold. And for only sixty dollars, I could have owned one of 

my own, but it was not meant to be. 

For those who visit by air, probably one of the top three reasons to come to 

Margarita is for the beaches. From Centro it is possible to get to the Playa el Agua 

region, where along miles of white sand beaches are dozens of businesses set up with 

lounges and umbrellas for rent. There are souvenir and surf shops, restaurants and 

local vendors plying their wares and fares. And with about 360 days of sunshine the 

beaches are usually full or PACKED! 

There are plenty of other things to do here. There is the Museo Marino, which has 

marine history exhibits and live tanks where there are sharks and turtles, big kingfish 

and a tank where you can touch starfish, sea cucumbers and conchs. There is 

an audio-visual show several times a day and the entry fee is only a few dollars. 


Grenada 




You can spend several hours learning about the history of the pearling industry on 

the island of Cubagua, off Margarita. In 1498 Columbus noticed pearls along the 

nearby Peninsula de Paria, and Nuevo Cadiz was founded on Cubagua, one of the 

first European settlements in the Americas. Until an earthquake in 1541 and the 

ensuing tidal wave, which destroyed the settlement, many hundreds of pounds of 

pearls were sent back to Spain. The ruins of Nuevo Cadiz can still be seen and there 

is now talk of resurrecting the village. 

The mangrove area on Margarita, called La Restinga, is where you can go out for 

an hour or so in a small boat with a guide who with a trained eye can spot wonders 

of this unique eco-system. Palm-sized octopus or wee orange starfish, exotic birds 

and interesting flora can entrance you as you motor slowly through arching branches 

where someone has placed a sign saying “tunnel of love”. 

Most cruisers live their lives by the sun, rising in the early dawn and bedding down 

as the stars come out. But for those who seek nightlife, Margarita has that, too. 

There are casinos and bingo halls, piano bars and karaoke bars. Though I quit cruising 

in 2000, I still find myself letting the daylight hours fill my life with sufficient 

adventure, so I leave the nightlife to others. 

I still have many cruising friends and one such, from St. Thomas, where I lived 

from 2000 to 2006, sold his boat and bought a condo here on Margarita. It overlooks 

the anchorage in Porlamar. In 2005 I visited friends on the mainland of Venezuela, 

near Puerto la Cruz. I couldn’t get so close to Margarita (only a two-and-a-half hour 

ferry ride away) and not go and see Marty. 

Sunset time at Porlamar. If CLODs need an even 

bigger yacht fix than this gathering place provides, Puerto La Cruz is only 

a ferry ride away 

I just went to Margarita to visit and do a bit of clothes- and shoe-shopping, but 

on the second day of my two-day visit he told me about an apartment for sale 

on the fifth floor of his building, overlooking the anchorage. I stayed for a third 

day and decided that my life would not be complete until I moved into my own 

little Venezuelan nest. It’s a one-bedroom condo that is just right for me and my 

two cats. 

I have been here for two years and am now a member of the “board” in my building. 

I cannot think of a nicer place to wake up! The weather suits my clothes and there 

are no hurricanes. I have swallowed the anchor and am now a real C.L.O.D. — still 

hooked on the Caribbean, but hooked on dirt! 

12 PARTS, NO ASSEMBLY 

REQUIRED! 

Give a lucky sailor a year’s subscription to the 

Compass. Details on page 34. 

www.caribbeancompass.com

THINK 

of wildlife on tropical 

islands and, right after 

brightly feathered and 

raucous birds, you’ll probably picture lizards. Scurrying 

up trees, gliding between twigs and leaves, or dashing 

through leaf litter, lizards are among the most abundant 

animals on most tropical islands. 

Unfortunately, not all lizards are as abundant as 

they once were. 

Visitors to the West Indies may be fortunate enough 

to observe the rare dragons of the Caribbean. These 

“dragon” lizards are actually nine species of rock iguanas 

and two species of common, or green, iguanas that 

inhabit the rugged terrains of Cuba, Hispaniola, 

Jamaica, the Puerto Rican Bank, the Caymans, the 

Bahamas, the Turks & Caicos, and the Lesser Antilles. 

Each species is unique to only one or a few islands — 

similar to the Galapagos tortoises — and are as distinctive 

as the islands themselves. 

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Left: The Lesser Antillean iguana used to be found on almost 

every island from Martinique to Anguilla. It is now restricted 

to a few islands, including Dominica. This iguana is endangered 

because of cats, dogs, mongoose, hunting, 

and development 

Below: The Cuban iguana has the largest of all 

West Indian iguana populations but is still in need 

of protection. This picture shows 

two males in combat 


GLENN GERBER 



GLENN GERBER 


Yet they originated from a single mainland stock 

that at different times was uprooted and scattered by 

tropical storms. Thanks to lizards’ scaly skin, which 

prevents water loss, and their ability to survive long 

periods without food, iguanas clinging to or entangled 

in floating mats of vegetation sooner or later had a 

chance of making landfall among the region’s many 

islands. These isolated colonists evolved into the 

diverse species we know today. 

The smallest West Indian iguanas are one-and-ahalf 

feet long and weigh half a pound, while the largest 

species can reach a length of four feet and strain 

a field biologist’s scales at 20 pounds. Color and pattern 

range from solid battleship gray to a kaleidoscope 

of green, orange, red, blue, yellow and pink. 

Most species are territorial and will defend a specific 

area or individual space. Territorial conflicts can 

be intense. Two males vying for the same space will 

face off with vigorous head bobs to intimidate each 

other. Head bobbing can escalate into circling as they 

puff out their sides and extend their dewlaps (the 

folds of skin below the chin). This posturing exaggerates 

body size in a bout of brinksmanship. If one 

doesn’t back down, the animals may charge, finally 

settling the dispute with a series of body shoves, head 

rams and bites. 

West Indian iguanas are vegetarians and, territoriality 

aside, they have been peaceably munching leaves 

and nibbling fruit for millennia. As the largest naturally 

occurring animals on the islands, adult iguanas 

have no natural predators, although young iguanas 

may fall prey to birds and snakes. This comfortable 

existence was disrupted when Amerindians such as 

Island Arawaks and Caribs canoed north from South 

America and began to colonize the islands roughly 

between one and two thousand years ago. These 

peoples hunted iguanas for food and may have transported 

them between islands. 

NN 

The real threat to the iguanas’ survival, however, 

came in the 16th century with the arrival of Europeans 

— and their cats, dogs, hogs, goats and even mongoose. 

Allowed to roam, and sometimes becoming 

feral, these introduced animals have competed with or 

preyed on the native iguanas. 

The second wave of human settlers also signaled the 

Above: The St. Lucia iguana is endangered, restricted to 

the northeast coast of St Lucia, and down to fewer than 

1,000 adults. It has been adopted recently by the St. 

Lucia Forestry Department as a flagship species for St. 

Lucia’s threatened dry tropical forests 

Left: The San Salvador iguana is found on the Bahamian 

island of San Salvador and other islands in the Crooked/ 

Acklins chain, as well as on a tiny cay off of Great 

Exuma. It, too, is endangered because of cats, dogs, 

and development 

beginning of an unprecedented, and often unsustainable, 

level of hunting. As human populations have 

continued to increase in these finite areas, iguana 

habitat has been destroyed or degraded. This group of 

iguanas now has the dubious distinction of being the 

most endangered lizards in the world. All are considered 

threatened, endangered, or critically endangered. 

Although the overall situation for iguanas remains 

tenuous in the West Indies, there are a few inspiring and 

remarkable stories of recovery. The Blue Iguana population 

of Grand Cayman was reduced to only 20 individuals 

in the wild, but thanks to an aggressive conservation 

breeding program on the island, over 200 introduced 

iguanas thrive in an established reserve today. 


YULE BE GLAD YOU DID! 

This Christmas, give your friends 

subscriptions to 

Caribbean Compass. 

Yule be glad you did – 

and so will they! Details 

on page 34. 

ELIZABETH CORRY


The Jamaican Iguana was thought to be extinct until a pig hunter 

encountered one in 1990. Efforts have been underway to bring this species 

back from the brink of extinction with a conservation breeding program 

and subsequent releases into the wild. 

These programs have been successful thanks to the extreme dedication 

of a few individuals and the contributions raised through charitable organizations 

such as the International Iguana Foundation (IIF). The IIF distributes 

donations from other organizations and from the general public in the 

form of grants to worthy iguana conservation projects. Please visit the 

International Iguana Foundation’s website at www.iguanafoundation.org 

for more information and to learn how you can help. 

During your travels in the Caribbean, you might be lucky enough to see 

one of these massive yet harmless lizards in a natural setting. Please 

remember, these lizards are protected by local and international laws. 

They are to be enjoyed from a distance and left undisturbed. West Indian 

iguanas are as integral to these tropical islands as the white sand beaches, 

lush palms and mangroves and colorful birds, and perhaps more than 

anything else, these iguanas embody the unique and exotic character of 

the islands they call home. 

Top right: The Anegada iguana is one of the 

most endangered iguanas in the world. It is 

found only on the British Virgin Island of 

Anegada and on other cays in the BVI where 

other small populations have been established 

Right: The Exuma island iguana is found on 

only a few cays in the Exuma island chain, 

Bahamas. It is endangered because of small 

population size, 

development, and harmful feeding by tourists 

YULE BE GLAD YOU DID! 

This Christmas, give your friends 

subscriptions to 

Caribbean Compass. 

Yule be glad you did – 

and so will they! Details 

on page 34. 

GLENN GERBER 

NN 

Left: The Turks & Caicos iguana is 

endangered because of many factors, 

including introduced cats 

and dogs as well as development 

NN 

CHARLES KNAPP 

GLENN GERBER 



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THIS CRUISING LIFE 

My Hate-Love Affair with Cumaná 

by Zipporah Gichumbi 

When Gordon, my husband, and I arrived in Marina Cumanagoto in Cumaná, 

Venezuela, I felt relieved. Since we started sailing together in December 2007, we were 

almost always anchored in lonely places like Scotland Bay, Trinidad, or Isla Coche or 

Puerto Real, Venezuela. At times ours would be the only boat anchored. We would 

spend the nights feeling jittery, wondering if anybody had any devious plans for our 

sailing yacht, Peacemaker. We did get ourselves a dog in Trinidad to alert us in case of 

intruders. We also got an electric alarm system. These did not do much to ease our 

fears, though, because according to the sailors’ grapevine, the police would take forever 

to render help — if they came at all. We had therefore learned to sleep on guard. 

So when we got to Marina Cumanagoto I was anticipating a long, peaceful, stress-free 

night and a relaxing stay. Little did I know what Cumaná had in store for me. 

We arrived in the marina on a Friday morning. After checking in at the office we were 

looking forward to exploring the city of Cumaná. As soon as we got into the Marina Plaza 

vicinity, I started noticing people staring at us. We are a striking couple — striking in a 

way of being a rare treat. Gordon is Caucasian (German) and yet to get suntanned. He 

is 6’4” tall. I am a black African from Kenya and a mere 5’2” tall, or should I say short. 

The age difference between us is another issue, as I am much younger than he is. 

Since we almost always walk holding hands, we are used to people staring at us and 

thinking of us as an oddity. We have thus developed tough skins and are able to overlook 

the stares. However, in Cumaná my sixth sense said things were different. I tried 

to convince myself that it was all in my imagination, but somehow I could not. We got 

a bus to take us into the city centre and the moment we got in I had my sixth sense 

confirmed. Things were definitely different. During the whole bus ride to Cumaná centre, 

all eyes in the bus were on me. Gordon and I were seated far apart, so this time I 

couldn’t blame the stares on the contrast between our appearances. 

It is funny how, whether you can understand a language or not, whenever people talk 

about you, you can sense it. I’ll bet my last penny that I was everybody’s topic of the 

day in that bus. They were all staring at me while talking and all I could hear was, 

“Negro blah blah negro blah negro blah blah”. I was ready to jump out of the window 

by the time we arrived at our destination. 


Once upon a time, the market at Cumaná, 

Venezuela, was a place I hated to visit 

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Gordon at first thought it was funny but one look at 

my face wiped the grin from his. I thought that walking 

among the crowds would help, but the crowds were 

parting for us so as to be able to escort us with their 

eyes. I hoped to see other black people but there were 

none to be seen. Because of the crowd, Gordon and I 

couldn’t walk side-by-side holding hands, but we were 

attracting enough attention as it was. I had to walk 

ahead of Gordon and, predictably, the bulk of attention 

was on me. Unlike in the bus, the people on the 

streets were not discreet — they openly stared and 

pointed at me as if I were an animal in the zoo. 

I come from Kenya, which is a great tourist destination. 

I know that Kenyans, especially in rural areas, 

get excited when they see white people. They stare at 

times, but discreetly, and every once in awhile there is 

one who touches the white man to really confirm that 

the skin is the same. If anyone had told me that one 

day I would receive the same kind of attention due to 

my skin colour I would have laughed them off as crazy. 

Yet, here I was, hearing the word “negro” like a chant 

on the streets and getting pointed at everywhere. After 

three miserable hours in the city I was as taut as a 

guitar string. Nothing I did could help me relax and I 

did not look forward to the market trip we had planned 

for the next day. 

I woke up with a sense of doom and I dragged myself 

behind Gordon, but he always insists I walk in front of 

him so he can make sure I am okay. “Is that male 

instinct talking or was he just enjoying my misery?” I 

wondered as I sullenly soldiered on. 

In the market, Gordon and I had to become a team 

as we conferred on what we needed. Soon all the merchants 

and buyers were looking at us and there was 

another chant, “blah blah gringo negro blah blah”. On 

and on it went. 

We had planned to stay in the marina for a week but 

we had had enough. No sooner had we returned to the 

boat than we were headed to the office to check out. 

After another fitful night I could hardly wake Gordon 

early enough on Sunday morning. By 4:00AM we were 

well on our way to the Gulf of Cariaco. We could 

hardly wait to get there. I couldn’t have appreciated 

the isolation more. 

For two months we alternated between Medregal, 

Guacarapo and Muelle de Cariaco. I couldn’t have been 

happier — the people in all the places were very friendly. 

I did receive a few curious glances but never a vibe 

of hostility. They seemed to like my skin colour and, if 

anything, I felt honoured to be representing Africans. 

One man was particularly fascinated by my skin colour 

to the point he kept on touching my hands. When he 

saw me admiring his mangoes he climbed up the tree 

and gave me a big basketful. Life was good. 

After two months we had to move on and, sad as I 

was to leave, I wanted to see new places. Talk about 

fate. Just as we were about to pass Cumaná — with 

me urging Gordon to keep a distance because my feelings 

were still sore — our Volvo Penta engine chose 

that very moment to give up. I almost cried. Gordon 

managed to fix it a bit while we drifted around on a 

totally windless day. We barely managed to get into a 

A view of Cumaná. My own view of the city 

suddenly changed… 

slot in Marina Cumanagoto without damaging anything. 

I avoided going into town during the three days 

it took Gordon to fix the problem. We planned to leave 

on the next day after some shopping and I braced 

myself for the ordeal. 

With fate being fate, that evening we got a call and 

matters of life and death required Gordon’s immediate 

attention in Germany. We couldn’t sail to any other 

place in time for Gordon to catch a flight, so I had to 

stay in Cumaná. After a hurried shopping trip during 

which I spent my time hiding behind Gordon, I could 

feel doom closing in on me. What was I supposed to do 

for 24 days here alone? 

We had become friends with Cathy and Ron aboard 

sailing yacht At Last and I was glad for their company 

when Gordon left, although they would only be in the 

marina for five more days. Once my food stock was 

finished, I was weak with relief when Cathy offered to 

go shopping with me and do all the talking. I was sad 

when they left but they had introduced me to Bill and 

Bev aboard sailing yacht El Shaddai. Being the parasite 

I had become, I was glad to have Bill and Bev go 

shopping with me the next time. 

I did try to stretch my food supply for as long as possible, 

but eventually I had to venture out on my own. 

I had the shopping trip all mapped out in my mind. I 

meekly asked the bus driver whether he was going to 

the landmark Gordon and I always used on our market 

trips: the Brasil Monument. When he said yes, I 

hopped in and sat as far back as I could with my eyes 

glued to the window. There was a lot of traffic so when 

the driver did not take the usual turn I thought he was 

using a detour to avoid the traffic. Normally the ride 

into the city took between 10 to 15 minutes but on this 

day 30 minutes after I got in the bus we were still 

going. I frantically looked for any familiar landmark. I 

decided to sit it out and hope that our final stop would 

be a terminal from where I could ask for transportation 

back to Marina Plaza. 

I called on God with a desperation borne of the situation, 

which, considering I spoke almost no Spanish, 

was pretty desperate. Then something inspired me to 

flash my million-dollar smile at everyone looking at 

me. There was the usual “negro blah blah” chant, but 

I replied with a very big smile. After a while, by which 

time my jaws hurt, the man next to me asked where I 

was going. I managed to say “Cumaná central” which 

had everybody in the bus laughing. 

After numerous attempts at communication I was 

able to tell him my nationality. The moment I said I 

was from Kenya in Africa, those were the magic words. 

He announced to everybody in the bus that I was from 

Kenya and suddenly the bus came alive with everybody 

trying to talk to me at once. Unfortunately, all I 

could reply was “no comprendo”. They tried to talk to 

me in various dialects but it was no good. After 45 

minutes in the bus, I gathered I was on my way to a 

place called Brasil. They told me not to worry, though, 

as they would help me. I also got to learn the new 

words muy exquisito, muy bello and muy splendido — 

and all referring to me. Need I say more? 

—Continued on page 51 



W 

hile in New York recently, I walked in 

splendid sunny September weather from 

the Staten Island ferry docks to the South 

Street Seaport Museum (SSSM). It is 

located on the East River shoreline on the southern tip 

of Manhattan. There, an ambitious educational and 

tourism attraction, at a disused commercial waterfront 

area, is one of the wonderful attractions of this 

remarkable American city. 

With its preserved old buildings, ongoing art and 

lifestyle exhibitions, fine restaurants and a selection of 

historic vessels, the SSSM was originally designed to 

transport the visitor back to the 1800s in what was 

part of the bustling commercial life of the country’s 

largest seaport. Notes the Museum’s website at www. 

southstreetmuseum.org: “(The Museum) preserves 

and interprets the history of New York City as a world 

port, a place where goods, labor and culture are 

exchanged through work, commerce and the interaction 

of diverse communities.” 

The idea behind the SSSM and its ongoing challenges 

are worth looking at in the context of maritime preservation 

work in some of the Caribbean island states. 

My first stop was aboard one of the preserved vessels, 

the square-rigged sailing ship Peking. What a 

sight to look up at the towering spars and imagine this 

once mighty vessel cutting a swath through the southern 

oceans off Cape Horn and bringing cargoes like 

wheat from Australia! The steel-hulled, four-masted 

ship was built in Germany in 1911, one of the last 

such vessels. The Peking was a sail-training vessel for 

youngsters in the UK until the SSSM acquired it in 

1974. Many thanks to volunteer guide Gerry Dalzall, 

who gave us an excellent tour of the ship. 

The Museum has exhibitions from time to time in 

several of the renovated buildings. This past summer, 

there was a video presentation on US whaling. I was 

intrigued by the similarities of the North American 

whaling culture with that in Bequia, a small island in 

the Grenadines, where the tradition of harpooning (and 

eating) humpback whales still continues. In the industry’s 

heyday, some of the islanders had signed as crewmembers 

on Yankee whaling ships in the Caribbean. 

The whaleboats, equipment, and hunting techniques in 

Bequia and the (now discontinued) North American 

whaling industry are virtually identical. 

In the Museum’s Art Gallery there are some fine oil 

paintings of square-riggers. There are other displays 

including cutaway drawings of some of the world’s 

renowned ocean liners of the 1950s and 1960s that 

called at the port, plus model boats and scrimshaw. It 

was all really fascinating and I enjoyed my visit. 

The Schermerhorn family bought the dockside area 

in the early 1700s and began its commercial development. 

They were shipmasters and chandlers. They 

leased out shops to merchants of associated trades. By 

the 1960s however, much of the area was abandoned 

and had dilapidated buildings. Real estate sharks were 

buying up property for speculation. The wreckers were 

due to tear down the old buildings. A group of concerned 

citizens who, while respecting the need for 

modern skyscrapers which efficiently utilized small 

spaces using modern building techniques, felt strongly 

that this part of the city’s cultural history should be 

preserved. Led by people such as Peter and Norma 

Stanford, they got sympathetic hearing from the communities 

and progressive and realistic-minded City 

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Preserving Our Caribbean 

Maritime Heritage 

by Norman Faria 

Seeing the Peking at the South Street Seaport Museum this past September inspired the author to wonder how the 

Caribbean can also sustainably preserve the remaining artifacts of its own rich maritime history 

Council people. In 1967 the SSSM was established. 

Over the years, there were challenges (as reported in 

the March 29th, 1998, New York Times article “Rough 

Sailing for South Street Seaport”). In 1977, the Rouse 

Corporation, which was involved in waterfront development 

in Boston and Baltimore, brought a “festival 

marketplace” approach. This was designed to be selffinancing, 

with more retail shops. 

The public nevertheless read about fiscal problems. 

Attendance dropped from 700,000 in the late 1990s to 

450,000 last year. The deficits became larger. Staff cutbacks 

included Norman Brouwer, the ship historian. 

The boatbuilding and metal working workshops were 

closed. The Peking, which costs US$750,000 annually 

to maintain, was put up for sale for $10 million. 


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Some diehard preservationists like Peter Stanford 

thought there was too much commercialism and the 

museum’s idea and implementation was losing its 

original focus. “The commercial development is all 

trash. It’s international airport style junk,” he said on 

his resignation as Museum President in 1971. 

To avoid overly irrelevant commercial glitz, maritime 

preservation projects need state assistance and guidance 

to complement community-based and privatesector 

involvement. As with people-centered projects 

such as national parks, mass transit systems, and 

general infrastructures, museums like SSSM with a 

developmental focus appear to be financially viable 

and sustainable only with taxpayers’ subsidies. New 

York leases the valuable real estate property to the 

Museum for “peppercorn” rent, for example. Sometimes 

the people’s representatives in government, and who 

oversee the public sector, have to look at the wider 

picture. In the people’s interests, they have to take a 

longer view. 

For what its worth, my view is that this will also have 

to happen in the Caribbean Basin countries. We have 

a rich maritime history, perhaps even more so than 

New York. Yet at regional museums in the Eastern 

Caribbean — and I have visited almost every one of 

them — the maritime exhibits are few and far between. 

Historic vessels and working watercraft have simply 

rotted away, though there are remarkable exceptions. 

The various Ministries of Culture, or other appropriate 

government departments in the islands are probably 

keen on building on existing maritime exhibits, or 

encouraging dimensions of it in private sector ventures. 

Trinidad & Tobago administrations, for example, 

provided assistance in the preservation of the plywood 

Humming Bird II, the ketch sailed by Trinidadians 

Harold and Kwailan La Borde around the world (see 

article in the June 2000 issue of Compass). In addition 

to the Bequia Maritime Museum opened by Lawson 

Sargent in 2005, members of the Bequia Heritage 

Foundation have over the years collected artifacts from 

that island’s schooner and whaling activity with the 

aim of setting up a new nautical heritage museum. 

There is a maritime component in plans to develop a 

Right: The good 

ship Barima 

pulls into 

Georgetown, 

Guyana’s stelling 

docks on the 

Demerara River 

last year. Steelhulled 

vessels 

like this are also 

an integral part 

of Caribbean 

maritime history 

Left: Traditional 

Guyanese fishing 

boats off the north 

Better Hope seawall, 

just east of 

Georgetown. Will 

these craft 

be forgotten? 

systems generally, can benefit our people’s development, 

from an economic standpoint and other ways. In 

Bequia, there is an annual Easter Regatta featuring 

highly competitive races among the descendents of the 

traditional, sprit-rigged whaling boats. The Bahamas, 

Grenada, Carriacou, Tobago, Guadeloupe, Anguilla 

and Martinique, among others, also have regattas featuring 

traditional sailing craft, originally used as fishing 

boats, lighters and small cargo vessels. The worldfamous 

Antigua Sailing Week now features races for 

traditional wooden Carriacou cargo sloops. These 

events attract thousands of tourists who come specifically 

for these gatherings. 

Museums with a maritime focus have to be well 

thought out and have authentic exhibits in a realistic 

and appropriate setting rather than, for example, 

being part of a psuedo-seafront facade in a commercial 

enterprise. Trained personnel from national museums 

may be called upon to provide expertise, including 

evaluation of artwork influenced by maritime culture. 

Overseas assistance, perhaps from reputable museums 

in North America and Europe, may be available 

through funding from international agencies. Business 

plans have to be formulated to look at possible visitor 

figures. What is important is to take the first steps. Let 

us save what we can before everything, including 

wooden shipwright’s skills, rots away. 

As you walk away from the salty waterfront smells 

on New York’s East River area, the looming cliffs of 

convention centre/hotel /h t l around d th the screw ddock k and d steel-and-glass t l d gl skyscrapers k may seem a sign ig of f prog- g 

near the former Careenage Harbour in Barbados’ ress. But they are built on the past achievements of 

Carlisle Bay. I was happy to assist in identifying and the American people, including the port workers, sea- 

securing the last remaining examples of a Carlisle Bay men and marine businesspeople there. Those tall 

bateau and a “Moses” rowboat for the Barbados buildings remind you to give thanks for what you just 

Museum. Excited too, to take drawings of and do left. They remind you to offer gratitude for the good 

research about the traditional Guyanese wooden fish- things in his oasis of memory that is the South Street 

ing boats still being sailed from two anchorages near Seaport Museum. 

the capital, Georgetown. 

Can we look forward to similar ideas bearing fruit in 

Maritime preservation projects, as with museum the Caribbean? 



IN 

the St. Vincent Grenadines in recent years, 

as throughout much of the Caribbean, 

there has been extensive “development” 

— the construction of hotels and resorts, guesthouses, 

restaurants, schools and private homes, and the expansion 

of the jetport on Canouan. The movement of the 

required labour force and more visitors, as well as equipment 

and supplies, has created an increased need for 

both passenger and cargo services. Inter-island shipping 

is usually the most efficient and cost-effective method. 

One vessel that has helped mightily with the flow of 

passengers and cargo is the M/V Gemstar. The 

Gemstar leaves Kingstown, St. Vincent on Tuesdays 

and Fridays at 11:30AM, making port calls at Canouan, 

Mayreau and Union Island. She overnights at Union 

Island, departing the next morning (Wednesdays and 

Saturdays) at 7:45AM and stopping again at Mayreau 

and Canouan on her way back to Kingstown. The oneway 

fare from Kingstown to Union Island is EC$40 

(approximately US$15). Twice a month, the Gemstar 

calls at Carriacou in the Grenada Grenadines, and will 

also call at Bequia occasionally (this will be announced 

by the Bequia Tourism Association). To check schedules 

and fares, contact Inter-Island Trading Company 

(784) 457-1172, iitrading@vincysurf.com. 

Traveling by commercial vessel between the islands is 

an old tradition, and will always be interesting and fun. 

If you don’t have your own boat, embarking on the 

Gemstar is a unique way to experience the Grenadines. 

The white-and-black vessel was brought all the way 

from Norway, where many steel-hulled ships are built 

and employed as cargo boats and passenger ferries. 

Gemstar features two passenger saloons, one below 

the cargo deck and one below the wheelhouse. In the 

wheelhouse everything is operated electronically — not 

even a manual wheel is available. M/V Gemstar is 

powered by a single Caterpillar engine and can make 

a maximum speed of 12 knots. 

Interested in getting to know the people involved this 

enterprise, I caught up with the owner of M/V Gemstar, 

Gus Deroche. Let’s find out something about him and 

his business. 

Amal: Good day Mr. Deroche. Thanks for taking time 

to tell us about your business. 

Mr. Deroche: Well, it’s always nice to share, and the 

Compass is a very interesting paper. 

Amal: Thanks — it’s a seaman’s favourite. So, how 

did you come up with the name “Gemstar”? 

Mr. Deroche: Well, it came about by looking at our 

Grenadines as a jewel, which refers to the “gem”, and 

— at least back in the days of the sextant — the navigational 

stars created a guide to your destination. 

Amal: How long have you been in the ferry business? 

Mr. Deroche: It has been over eight years. 

Amal: What really motivated you to get into the 

ferry industry? 

Mr. Deroche: I could see the need of the people in the 

Grenadines. My father is from Canouan and, traveling 

through the islands, the need was seen very much. 

The people also wanted a ferry operation to make frequent 

passages through the Southern Grenadines. 

Being a seafaring person, I decided to take up the 

challenge to get into the business. 

Amal: A trip by sea through the Grenadines must be 

really interesting. 

Mr. Deroche: Yeah man, it’s an exciting journey and 

passengers do interact, especially visitors. 

PICK UP! 

Ahoy, Compass Readers! When in St. Lucia, pick up your free monthly copy of 

the Caribbean Compass at any of these locations (advertisers in this issue 

appear in bold): 

RODNEY BAY AREA 

Island Water World 

Johnson Hardware 

DSL Yacht Charters 

Regis Electronics 

The Sail Loft 

The Bread Basket 

Rodney Bay Marina Boatyard Office 

The Boatyard Pub 

St. Lucia Yacht Club 

MARIGOT BAY AREA 

Discovery at Marigot Bay 

Moorings in Marigot 

SOUFRIERE AREA 

SMMA office 

Meet the 

Gemstar, an 

Inter-Island 

Vessel 

by Amal Thomas 

Amal: What are a few good experiences you’ve had in 

the business? 

Mr. Deroche: Well, I must say it’s a challenge, 

because of commercial activities. But, by a lot of people’s 

perseverance to meet the demand of the ferry 

service through the Southern Grenadines, it just kept 

me pushing. And that experience is very exciting for 

me. I also implemented a shuttle into the island of 

Carriacou, which is being tried to develop twice-amonth 

service. Also, I recently invested in this modern 

vessel, which can carry 28 cars on deck and has the 

capacity for 350 to 400 passengers. 

Amal: Tell me about the challenges which occur in 

the business and at sea. 

Mr. Deroche: Well, my friend, it’s not easy. It cost me 

a bit to upgrade the new vessel. To be in operation in 

the ferry class, I’ve got to meet proper standards for 

operation at sea. I had to ensure keeping up to the 

ISPS code and the safety standards of the IMO, which 

are very important. But I am happy that my ship 

meets the demands of the Maritime Directorate. 

Amal: What is the feedback from people towards 

the business? 

Mr. Deroche: The feedback is good. We get credit for 

the twice-monthly route to Carriacou, and we also 

Keep up the good 

work at Caribbean 

Compass. I enjoy 

every issue. 

have charters to other islands for private transportation 

of cargo. Everyone fell in love with the saloons and 

the comfort they create. It makes me happy that I’ve 

made a business that is appreciated. As a businessman 

it’s hard at times, due to up-and-down fluctuations, 

but at the same time you know you are giving 

people a service. I try to maintain a standard for people 

in the Southern Grenadines. Other than those issues, 

I enjoy tow fishing, which is relaxation for me during the 

journey, or I engage in interaction with passengers. 

There are brochures on board for visitors to read and 

learn about the islands as they travel. My seven-member 

crew is always there to assist in any way, also. 

Amal: Really interesting. The facts on the matter of 

sea transport are fun but serious at the same time. 

Thanks for sharing your information on your business 

and seafaring life. 

Above: The Gemstar’s crew 

Below: Built in Scandinavia, the Gemstar now plies 

the warmer waters of the Grenadines 

Mr. Deroche: Hey man, it’s my pleasure. Keep up the 

good work. 

Amal: Okay then, many thanks, sir. 

With better inter-island ferry services, residents and 

visitors in the Grenadines will be able to enjoy passages 

more comfortably and efficiently. I wish to give 

my regards to Mr. Deroche, Captain Sherwin Hazell, 

and all the M/V Gemstar crew and passengers and 

wish them good voyages throughout the year as they 

travel through the gems of the Grenadines. 

Regards, 

Steve Black 

President and Founder 

Cruising Rally Association 

www.carib1500.com 

Join our growing list of on-line subscribers! 

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MELCHION QUAMMIE (2)

AS 

a cruising couple, you are only one major injury from becoming a singlehander 

— with the added duty of being a nurse. 

A few years back in Georgetown, Exuma, some younger kids were complaining 

about all the assigned tasks each one had to do while cruising on their parents’ boat. 

I quickly set them straight when I told them, “Hey, you got it easy. I single-hand; I 

have to do it all, every time!” 

I am always amused while hanging out at a sailor’s bar when some skipper tucks 

his thumbs in his belt and outs with something like, “I’ve been sailing for more than 

ten years now…” and then goes on to pontificate about what he knows to be carvedin-stone 

true. I sit back and listen and say nothing. Having learned to sail when I 

was ten years old, I now have 49 years of experience sailing and can safely say nothing 

is carved in stone. There is more to know than one person can remember and 

yes, you will make the same mistakes more than once. 

Single-Handing, 

Sometimes 

with Company 

by John St. John 

Running a private law practice in south Mississippi for 17 years, I spent every bit 

of time off I could get sailing the northern Gulf of Mexico. Being able to juggle my 

schedule to take off Thursday noon resulted in many single-handed trips. Not only 

did I get used to it, I got to like the self-reliance and confidence gained from it. 

Company would have been preferred, but its lack did not keep me ashore. 

After early retirement, I have single-handed to the Caribbean three times and back 

to south Mississippi twice, always taking the “thorny path” through the Bahamas, 

Turks and the Dominican Republic. It is not easy but at least you can get some 

secure, anchored sleep every few days. 

Autopilots with complete backups and knowledge of how to repair them are a 

must! I prefer the electronic kind, as no wind is necessary. Constant steering tires a 

solo sailor out quickly. 

Three days is just about anyone’s limit to stay awake without some real REM sleep. 

Never trusting electronics, I believe in taking a look around every 20 minutes. (It used 

to be 30, but a ship crossing my wake near Mayaguana helped me shorten my interval.) 

If you do see something, you will have to stay up longer to see where it is going 

so you cannot count on anything. These days, a ship can come over a clear horizon 

and be on top of you faster then you could ever believe. Take short naps and set timers 

and back-up timers. Stay down as much as possible so you are rested if a problem 

develops. If your little voice says take a look around, do it, even if you just looked. 

Energy-efficient radar with sleep cycles and perimeter alarms were not available 

when I started and I still do not trust them. If you do not yet believe that everything 

When your little voice tells you 

to do something, go do it 

on your boat will quit working (sooner or later) then you have not spent much time 

on a boat. After two days of short naps you will begin to hear voices and see lights 

at night that you know do not exist. Somewhere into the third day you will not be 

able to tell the difference. If nothing else, heave to, turn on all your lights, announce 

your position on VHF 16 and say that you are disabled, and then get three hours of 

sleep. Better yet, do not get in these situations. 

With modern weather and the ham “weather dogs”, it is almost impossible not to 

know what is coming. Pay attention and give yourself plenty of extra time to get to 

your next destination. 

Never put off anything. When your little voice tells you to do something, go do it! 

And if you can’t at the moment, then, write it down in big letters and hang it where 

it will haunt you till it gets done. 

Happiness is a warm engine, so start it frequently is case you have to use it. I have 

learned to run mine for 15 to 30 minutes after sunset, 15 to 30 minutes at midnight 

and 15 to 30 minutes before dawn. This way you cut down on your night-time power 

drain, have a hot battery the next morning, and a warm engine so you can run from 

ships passing too close in the night. Always start it before you douse your sails and 

wrap them up beyond the chance of a quick hoist. 

Chances are for idiots — you cannot afford the consequences. A smashed toe 

because you did something barefooted after conditions warranted wearing shoes 

makes everything else harder and sleep-inducing pain pills are not an option. 

Think ahead, plan out how you will get something done safely with the least expenditure 

of energy and the most control. 

As for couples, try to share all jobs so you can each be an instant single-hander 

when necessary. Having “pink her jobs” and “blue his jobs” is just plain silly. If “significant 

him” breaks an arm and “significant her” has never changed the fan belt or 

the water pump impeller (or even watched), things will quickly become discordant. 

It is a recipe for unpleasant disaster if: the guy always maneuvers the boat to fuel 

docks and moorings; she always handles the lines; she always cooks; he always 

repairs the autopilot. Learning and doing the other’s tasks goes along way with 

mutual respect and compatibility on a small boat. (Because most women want a bigger 

boat, most boats are “small”.) 

When things are going well, try to imagine how you would do something all by 

yourself. Give the significant other a day off and run the boat entirely by yourself. 

Try picking up a mooring or setting an anchor by yourself. We single-handers do it 

all the time. 

So take care of yourselves out there and try to learn how to do everything, it is 

confidence-building and could pay off big. 

GRENADINES 

SAILS & CANVAS 

BEQUIA 

Come in and see us for all your SAILS & CANVAS needs 

including CUSTOM-MADE stainless steel 

BIMINI & DODGER frames at competitive prices 

Located opposite G.Y.E. 

(northern side of Admiralty Bay) 

Tel (784) 457-3507 / 457-3527 (evenings) 

e-mail: gsails@vincysurf.com VHF Ch16/68 

REPRESENTATIVE 

B & C FUELS 

ENTERPRISE 

Welcomes you to 

Petite Martinique 

A stepping stone as you 

cruise through St. Vincent, Grenada and the Grenadines. 

Come alongside our splendid jetty and replenish your 

supplies of FUEL, OIL, WATER and ICE 

at the cheapest prices in the Grenadines. 

Call sign: “Golf Sierra” VHF channel 16 

For further information call Glenn Clement or 

Reynold Belmar. Tel/Fax: (473) 443-9110 

DOLLY’S ANSWERS 

1) angel sharks 

2) dogfish sharks 

3) saw sharks 

4) mackerel sharks 

5) ground sharks 

6) carpet sharks 

7) bullhead sharks 

8) frilled (or cow) sharks 



Compass Cruising Crossword Nautical Alphabet: ‘W’ 

© Caribbean Compass 2008 

Word Search Puzzle by Pauline Dolinski 

Ho, ho, ho! This word-search puzzle will give you lots of ideas about what 

to give your cruising buddies this year — or maybe some ideas for your own 

wish list! 

ACROSS 

1) Who all lives in a yellow submarine? 

2) With 15 Down, undecided 

6) Traditional shipbuilding material 

7) Ring bolt with two holes (2 words) 

8) Roll from side to side 

9) Break from a habit 

10) Projected parts of a ship’s wheelhouse 

12) Old Wife fish 

13) Metal line 

14) Compass point 

16) Abbreviation for West Indies 

17) Ship at anchor, heeling over from strong wind 

(2 words) 

19) Hatch device for ventilation 

20) Catfish (2 words) 

21) What’s left after 20 Down 

22) This is a cross_____ puzzle 

23) If not there, then ______? 

24) What a poorly built hull does in a seaway 

DOWN 

1) Man o’ ___ 

2) Yachts must complete the racecourse ______ 

the time limit 

3) Material for a warm watch cap 

4) Small casks stowed along hull in cargo hold 

5) “______ ships and iron men” 

6) Spider’s home 

7) Coldest time of the year 

8) Sound of wind in rigging 

11) Took first prize 

12) Weather side 

13) “Gone ____ the Wind” 

15) With 2 Across, undecided 

16) Moving air 

17) Large cetacean 

18) Menial engine-room job 

20) Destruction, as of a ship 

21) Sadness 

Crossword Solution on page 37 

Word Search Puzzle solution on page 49

DECEMBER 2008 

� ARIES (21 Mar - 20 Apr) 

Keep a firm hand on the tiller over the holidays. There 

will be so many wind shifts and currents in all directions 

it will be a challenge to keep on course. 

� TAURUS (21 Apr - 21 May) 

Here’s a gift: You may have some good news in your 

business around the third week. Don’t let problems with 

female crew or cruising pals distract you. 

� GEMINI (22 May - 21 Jun) 

Deck the halls or haul the decks?!? Business or financial 

frustrations may be complicated by difficulties getting 

your creative ideas across to shipmates. 

CANCER � (22 Jun - 23 Jul) 

Your creative course will seem in irons this month. Try 

to control your temper; there could be drastic after-effects 

if you don’t. Just say “Ho, ho, ho!” 

� LEO (24 Jul - 23 Aug) 

It’s run-a-tight-ship time! Female crew or cruising buddies 

will be a hassle this month. You could alienate them 

if you don’t exercise self-control. 

� VIRGO (24 Aug - 23 Sep) 

Romantic disagreements could cause problems in your 

business or finances in the first two weeks. After that the 

situation should clear up — just in time to broad-reach 

into the holidays. 

� LIBRA (24 Sep - 23 Oct) 

You may find difficulties in communications after the 

second week. Maybe ask Santa for a new radio? Things 

should improve in your love life, however. 

� SCORPIO (24 Oct - 22 Nov) 

Other than a few squalls with females in the crew, marina 

or anchorage, the month should sail along smoothly. 

� SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov - 21 Dec) 

You will be very creatively productive this month. Use it 

on board to clear the decks of those unfinished projects and 

don’t let a holiday romance be too much of a distraction. 

� CAPRICORN (22 Dec - 20 Jan) 

This month has all the aspects of love and good times. 

Throw a Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa party on the 

poop deck! 

� AQUARIUS (21 Jan - 19 Feb) 

December is full of opportunity to dream up new cruises 

or boat projects. Romance, however, is becalmed until 

after the 7th, when Venus, the goddess of love, enters your 

sign and stays there into the New Year. Overspending at 

mid-month could be costly. 

� PISCES (20 Feb - 20 Mar) 

Business is still giving you contrary winds and possible 

disagreements in your love life will not help. But the 

weather on the romantic front should clear up in the third 

week, so your Christmas will be merry after all! 

Crossword Solution 

ACROSS 

1) WE 

2) WASHY 

6) WOOD 

7) WRAIN BOLT 

8) WOBBLE 

9) WEAN 

10) WINGS 

12) WRASSE 

13) WIRE 

14) WNW 

16) WI 

17) WIND TAUT 

19) WINDSAIL 

20) WOLF FISH 

21) WRECKAGE 

22) WORD 

23) WHERE 

24) WORKS 

DOWN 

1) WAR 

2) WITHIN 

3) WOOL 

4) WINGERS 

5) WOODEN 

6) WEB 

7) WINTER 

8) WHINE 

11) WON 

12) WINDWARD 

13) WITH 

15) WISHY 

16) WIND 

17) WHALE 

18) WIPER 

20) WRECK 

21) WOE 

The Night 

Before Christmas 

’Twas the night before Christmas, I swung on the hook 

Flaked out on the settee, asleep with my book 

When up on the deck I heard footsteps and stuff 

“I’ve been boarded!” I thought, and I tried to be tough 

Then down the companionway hatch came a dude 

He was dressed like a nut and I thought, “I’m so screwed” 

But he laughed and he hummed as he surveyed my junk 

So I figured he must be the resident drunk 

His eyes were lit up like a junkie on speed 

But he gave me a whole bunch of stuff that I need 

Like rum and cigars and new charts and a dinghy 

And some kind of fancy electrical thingy 

I knew it was stolen but I wasn’t telling 

I hoped he was giving and wasn’t just selling 

And I poured him a grog which he downed with a wink 

Then I poured one for me (I sure needed a drink!) 

Then he staggered above to the dark tropic night 

As I peeked I beheld an incredible sight 

Eight tiny dolphins and a beautiful sleigh 

And the dude hopped aboard and prepared to make way 

The dolphins were ready to power the sled 

But the guy raised a genny and mains’l instead 

With a burp and a chuckle he gathered the breeze 

And called to the dolphins, now swimming with ease 

“On Fatty and Foxy and Old Barracuda! 

On Teva and Mountgay, Antigua, Barbuda! 

Or whatever your names are, you cute little fishes, 

Here’s to every last sailor, my best Christmas wishes!” 

As he sailed away leaving a wobbly wake 

I hoped he had not many stops left to make 

He got close to shore and he soon was aground 

But the dolphins proceeded to pull him around 

And I heard him exclaim as he sailed out of sight 

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!” 

bela-toon 

— Cruiser Claus 

Island Island 

Poets Poets 

ON LEAVING 

THE 

CAPE VERDES 

The winds were right, 

the sky was blue. 

We’d run out of jobs to do. 

Barbados lies across the waves 

in the Caribbean with beaches bright. 

The trade winds blow, 

the nights are warm, 

time to patch the sails torn. 

Where else is there to go? 

— Mike Dorsett 

parlumps marooned 

PARLUMPS@HOTMAIL.COM 



ELAINE OLLIVIERRE 2008 © 

Ever since that day when a group of human families 

and friends arrived in their small boats to celebrate 

Christmas Day in Cutie Cove on the northwest coast 

of St. Lucia, all the fish living in the bay, including the 

reef dwellers, the sand burrowers, the weed clingers 

and the free roamers, agreed that it all looked such fun 

that they decided to celebrate Christmas, too. So every 

Christmas Day all the fish and other creatures such as 

sea urchins, sea stars, crabs and anemones, decorated 

the reef and brought lots of food and drinks and 

partied until the sun set. 

But this year was to be different. This year everyone 

was invited to have Christmas fun with Merman Gem 

and Mermaid Merry at their new seamount home. You 

might remember that Gem was the son of Merman 

Marcus and Mother Mermaid and that Gem and Merry 

had fallen in love the first time they set eyes on each 

other. As you know, Mermen live in the calm deeps 

undisturbed by waves or storms, while mermaids 

must have sun and airy reefs. 

What were Gem and Merry to do once they married? 

Well, Gem had found the perfect solution; they 

would build their home on top of a small seamount 

that had risen like a pinnacle up from the sea floor. 

This seamount was only a hilltop really and it wasn’t 

way out in the deep sea where the true seamounts 

are, so when the invitations went out, the first thing 

the children asked their mothers was, “How will we 

get there?” 

“I’m sure that Gem and Merry will organize the whole 

thing, so don’t worry about it” was the smiling answer. 

And sure enough, Gem had organized the transport 

for everyone. As the seamount rose from just beyond 

the edge of the reef drop-off, Gem didn’t have too many 

problems. First he called upon the squadrons of fastswimming 

scads and got each one to carry a young or 

a small adult fish or sea creature upon its back. They 

CRUISING KIDS’ CORNER 

could make the trip in an hour or two. 

The larger fish and sea creatures were more of a 

problem. There was only one way out and that was to 

harness his friends the nurse sharks to pods or sleighs 

and designate certain residents to a suitable nurse 

shark carrier. All the eels would go together in one 

sleigh, the big sea stars in another, the giant anemones 

with their caretaker crabs and damsel fish in a 

more specialized pod, sea horses in their pods fitted 

out with perches for them to cling to. Fish like the 

large parrotfish, large angels, filefish and ocean surgeons 

would all have their comfortable conveyors. 

Christmas on 

the Seamount 

by Lee Kessell 

Last but not least, 

there were all the happy 

pledges made to share 

next Christmas together in 

Cutie Cove 

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PETIT ST. VINCENT RESORT 

Hello! My name is Dolly 

and my home is in the sea. 

DOLLY’S DEEP 

SECRETS 

by Elaine Ollivierre 

This month, let’s look at sharks. There are many different 

kinds of sharks from the tiny spined pygmy 

shark to the massive whale shark. How are they classified 

into orders? 

First we must look at their fins. Some sharks 

have an anal fin — that’s the one on the underside 

near the tail — and some don’t. So that’s the first 

division. Of the sharks without anal fins, some 

are flat-bodied and look like stingrays. These form 

the order of angel sharks or squatiniformes. The 

others do not look like rays and they are classified 

according to the size of their nose! Those with a 

long snout are saw sharks or pristiophoriformes. 

Those with a short snout are dogfish sharks 

or squaliformes. 

Now we have to back to the first division and look at 

the sharks which do not have anal fins. There are 

more of these so their classification is more complicated. 

Look at their gill slits first. If they have six or seven 

gill slits, they are the frilled or cow sharks of the order 

hexanchiformes. If they have five gill slits, you need 

to look at their dorsal fins — the ones on the sharks’ 

backs. Do they have spines? If they do, they are bullhead 

sharks or heterodontiformes. If they don’t, then 

look at the mouth. Is it behind the eyes or in front? 

Gem knew that there would be a lot of resistance to 

the idea of traveling with sharks, but this was the only 

way and he would just have to convince the other sea 

creatures that they were in no danger. For the fast 

swimmers like the bar jacks and the chubs, Gem 

would provide a guide to lead the way. The flying fish 

of course would take to the air in those wonderful fast 

dashes they are noted for and would be given easy-tofollow 

directions. 

Back at the seamount home, Mermaid Merry was in 

charge of the food, drinks and party games. Merry 

had lots of eager helpers and she allotted various 

tasks to everyone. 

Food was gathered from all over the seamount. 

Heaps of water lettuce, ripe sea grapes, Swiss cheese 

alga, seawater cress, sea oats and many other delicious 

plants were piled into heaps waiting to be spread 

out on tables for the feast. Naturally all party eats and 

drinks were strictly vegetarian because the residents 

of the seamount certainly didn’t eat each other! 

Many of the seamount mothers were clever at organizing 

party games for the children with Hide and Seek 

a great favourite with everyone. Merry herself had chosen 

to read stories when the little ones got tired. 

So Christmas Day arrived and it wasn’t long before 

all the guests started to arrive. The flying fish got there 

first, then the fast swimmers, next the scads and last, 

the nurse shark carriers. How did these get on? 

Everyone agreed it had been an exciting trip and 

declared that they would trust those nurse sharks to 

take them anywhere! 

Just before the feast began, Merman Marcus, King of 

the Seas, arrived hand in hand with his much-loved 

wife, Mother Mermaid. Gifts were handed out and a 

toast was made to Gem and Merry. Everyone cheered 

and wished each other a Happy Christmas and then 

the fun began in earnest, finishing with the usual 

carol singing. 

By the time the party ended there were lots of full 

bellies and drowsy children clinging to their mothers. 

Last but not least, there were all the happy pledges 

made to share next Christmas together in Cutie Cove. 

And so the last of the travelers returned home 

just as the sun was dipping into the indigo sea casting 

a golden glow over the bay. It had been a very 

special Christmas. 

THE END 

Sharks with spineless dorsal fins and mouths in front 

of their eyes are carpet sharks or orectolobiformes. 

What’s left? Well, sharks with spineless dorsal fins 

and mouths behind their eyes are divided into two 

orders depending on the kind of eyes they have. Do 

they have a nictitating membrane? This is a sort of 

transparent third eyelid which the shark can draw 

across its eye for protection. If they do have a nictitating 

membrane, they are ground sharks or carchariniformes. 

If they don’t have one, they are mackerel 

sharks or lamniformes. 

Let’s make all this clearer in a table. You fill in the 

last column. 

Answers on page 35 

CHARACTERISTICS Type of shark 

No anal fin Flat body like a ray 1 

Not like a ray Short snout 2 

Long snout 3 

Anal fin 5 gill slits 

4 

Spineless Mouth No nictitating 

dorsal 

fin 

behind eyes membrane 

Nictitating 

5 

membrane 

6 

Mouth in front of eyes 

7 

6 or 7 gill slits 

Dorsal fin with spines 

8

L 

CARIBBEAN COMPASS FICTION 

Christmas 

Fish Story 

by Billy Jno Hope 

ittle Anne bounces like a rubber ball in her room. She darts from one corner 

to the next till she is soaked in sweat and yet she never thinks to stop. She 

is too excited. Her mind is filled with the most vivid imaginings. She closes 

her eyes and the magic sweeps her away. A big fishing boat painted in blue 

and white falls from the sky landing directly in front of her. She climbs in and the 

boat slides freely across the Caribbean Sea. Her daddy steers them out to the fishing 

grounds. She sits up at the front, giddy with happiness. 

Soon the village is a speck in the distance. Anne barely notices. She is starry-eyed 

watching the water open up in front of her as the boat cuts through it. The water 

churns on the sides of the boat and splashes her face. She laughs and licks the salt. 

It is a mild morning so far. The sun seemed to have lessened just for her. And why 

not? She is the luckiest little girl in the entire world. Who else gets to fish with their 

daddy as a Christmas present? Only the most fortunate, she muses. He waves at her 

as another splash hits them both. They giggle together. 

The boat slows suddenly. The water is now a deep greenish blue. Mr. Michael turns 

off the motor and beckons to Anne to join him in the center of the boat where the 

fishing gear is stowed. 

“Be careful, Anne,” he calls to her as she stands up in the boat. She giggles. 

“I know, Daddy. I won’t fall.” She moves to the center without a hitch. He watches 

her and smiles. 

“Dad, can I take off the life jacket?” she jokes. He watches her with a twinkle in 

his eyes. 

Anne gets a small exquisite fishing lure. Her first Christmas gift. It glimmers in the 

sun that has brightened as if in anticipation of a generous fishing day. She holds it 

like a prize. Mr. Michael shows her how to throw the line. He takes his time and she 

listens like a ballet dancer. She loosens just an adequate amount of line into the 

water, which causes small fish to jump. 

“Daddy! Daddy! I see some fishes! I see some fishes!” she exclaims. 

“Yes Anne, the sea is a whole big yard of fish, just fish, my child.” 

“I want to catch some. I wish Mami was here with us.” 

“I know, babe, but you know Mami ’fraid the sea,” he replies. She shakes her 

head knowingly. 

“It’s okay, Anne — we will catch some big ones for her, all right?” 

“Thank you, Daddy.” 

Anne catches her first fish and loses it when she is reeling it in. She pouts. Daddy 

gives her the “don’t give up look.” She acknowledges it and swings out again with 

renewed vigor. Her daddy catches the big ones to sell later and for their home. Anne 

catches small ones that make her roll her eyes. 

Soon the boat is filled with all kinds of fish. Grouper, snapper, jacks and bonita 

flop around in the bottom of the boat. Anne is overjoyed. Just before lunch Anne 

feels an enormous tug on her line. She gasps. Her father catches her surprised look. 

He immediately comes over and takes hold of the line. 

“Give it to me, Anne. I will help you bring him in.” 

“No!” she screams, “I want to do it by myself.” 

He is surprised. His face grimaces but he lets go of the line with a strange look in 

his eye. She grips the line like a warrior and pulls with all her might. He watches her 

with worry but he does not intervene. With a grim determination that involves muscle 

strains and face contortions the deed is done. She is breathing hard but a small 

silver fish flops on deck. Another gasp and then they both burst out laughing. 

“It so small, Daddy,” she exclaims. 

“Yup, I thought you had caught a whale,” he laughs. 

“Me too, Daddy. I am sorry I got vex.” 

“It’s okay, baby, you did good.” 

They hug and laugh till the fish asks them why they are laughing at it. 

They both jump and Anne almost falls off the boat. Her father grabs her just 

in time. 

“Oh, baby!” he screams. “What the hell!” She jumps up on him. He holds her tight 

and they back away from the fish. The fish sits up and watches them. 

“So you gonna eat my family and you think it is funny?” 

They are speechless. Mr. Michael slowly reaches for the knife in his pocket. Anne 

trembles against her father. 

“Well, you can eat them for your Christmas but I don’t taste good in broth, okay? 

I was not born for your pot, if you don’t mind.” The fish suddenly sprouts wings and 

dives back into the water. They both scream out. 

“Wake up, Anne! Wake up, darling!” Mrs. Michael shakes Anne who is slumped on 

the floor. 

“Mami, Mami, the fish coming! The fish coming!” Anne screams and flies into her 

mother’s arms. 

“You were just dreaming, honey. The fish is in the sea.” 

“Oh Mami, the fish was coming for me,” she sobs. 

“It’s okay now baby, you safe. I will not cook fish today, okay?” 

Mr. Michael enters the room. “Anne and I going out to catch some big ones for the 

Christmas dinner,” he exclaims. “You ready, honey?” 

She does not answer. 

“What’s the matter, Anne?” her father asks. Her mom signals him to stop but he 

continues. “Daddy bought a nice fishing line for you.” 

“I don’t want it, Daddy, the fish will get me,” she exclaims sobbing. 

“No they won’t, honey.” 

“What happen?” he whispers to his wife. 

She whispers back. “She was dreaming.” He smiles. 

“Okay honey, come here. Let me tell you about the first time that my father brought 

me fishing and the fish that tried to dance on the boat.” Anne starts to laugh, a 

giggle at first and then huge torrents of joy. It infects them all as they head to the 

kitchen to prepare lunch, fish broth actually. 

MERIDIAN PASSAGE 

OF THE MOON 

DECEMBER & JANUARY 2008/9 

Crossing the channels between Caribbean islands with a favorable tide will make 

your passage faster and more comfortable. The table below, courtesy Don Street, 

author of Street’s Guides and compiler of Imray-Iolaire charts, which shows the time 

of the meridian passage (or zenith) of the moon for this and next month, will help you 

calculate the tides. 

Water, Don explains, generally tries to run toward the moon. The tide starts running 

to the east soon after moonrise, continues to run east until about an hour after the 

moon reaches its zenith (see TIME below) and then runs westward. From just after the 

moon’s setting to just after its nadir, the tide runs eastward; and from just after its 

nadir to soon after its rising, the tide runs westward. Times given are local. 

Note: the maximum tide is 3 or 4 days after the new and full moons. 

For more information, see “Tides and Currents” on the back of all Imray Iolaire 

charts. Fair tides! 

December 2008 

DATE TIME 

1 1454 

2 1540 

3 1625 

4 1708 

5 1751 

6 1834 

7 1920 

8 2008 

9 2102 

10 2201 

11 2306 

12 0000 (full) 

13 0013 

14 0120 

15 0223 

16 0320 

17 0412 

18 0459 

19 0544 

20 0628 

WALLILABOU 

ANCHORAGE 

WALLILABOU BAY HOTEL 

VHF Ch 16 & 68 

(range limited by the hills)... 

P.O. Box 851, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, 

West Indies. 

Tel: (784) 458-7270 Fax: (784) 457-9917 

E-mail: wallanch@vincysurf.com 

21 0711 

22 0756 

23 0842 

24 0930 

25 1020 

26 1111 

27 1201 (new) 

28 1250 

29 1338 

30 1423 

31 506 

January 2009 

DATE TIME 

1 1549 

2 1631 

3 1714 

4 1800 

5 1849 

6 1943 

7 2034 

8 2148 

9 2255 

PORT OF ENTRY 

MOORING FACILITIES 

WATER, ICE, SHOWERS 

CARIBEE BATIK - BOUTIQUE 

BAR AND RESTAURANT 

TOURS ARRANGED 

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 

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the frangipani 

hotel, bar & restaurant, bequia 

Warm & friendly atmosphere 

Spectacular views • Quality accommodation 

Fine dining • Excellent selection of wines 

Donʼt miss our Thursday BBQ & Jump up 

P.O. Box 1 BQ, Bequia, St.Vincent & the Grenadines, W.I. 

Tel: (784) 458-3255 • Fax: (784) 458-3824 

reservations@frangipanibequia.com • www.frangipanibequia.com 

10 2359 

11 0000 (full) 

12 0102 

13 0158 

14 0249 

15 0337 

16 0442 

17 0507 

18 0552 

19 0638 

20 0726 

21 0815 

22 0906 

23 0957 

24 1046 

25 1135 

26 1221 (new) 

27 1305 

28 1348 

29 1403 

30 1513 

31 1557 



STOCKING 

STUFFERS FOR 

SAILORS 

Aaaarrrggghhh!!!!!!! “Present Day” is almost present, and there are still a whole 

bunch of names on your list that you haven’t crossed off yet. You can’t give a set of 

dominoes to everybody. What to get your former neighbor who has bought a boat 

and plans to start cruising next year? Your buddy-boat’s resident foodie? The folks 

you met in the boatyard last summer who kept an eye on your boat while you were 

away? The gang who will be at the Christmas Eve potluck? A few little extras for your 

very own significant other shipmate? 

Here are a few small ideas, and a couple of larger ones. And don’t fret if you can’t 

get an item by the holidays — remember, you’re in mañana country. Make a gift 

certificate for now, and you’ll have another excuse for a get-together later. 

To Keep in Touch 

If you want to blow a couple hundred bucks on that special sailor who needs to be 

connected to work, the grandkids, or just cyberspace in general, here’s an item that 

will slide into a two-foot-long stocking. Shakespeare Electronic Products Group’s 

Galaxy Style 5248 Wi-Fi Antenna helps extend the range of laptops and other Wi-Fi 

enabled devices that can be connected to external antennas. The sturdy 61cm white 

antenna features an 8dB gain and operates on the 2.4 GHz bandwidth. It incorporates 

high-tech PCB copper elements and includes an N-type connector. The 5248 

Wi-Fi antenna’s unique 25.4 mm, 14-thread stainless steel sleeve-collar ferrule 

design accommodates larger diameter coaxial cables. Compatible with Shakespeare’s 

4187 and 5187 style mounts, this powerful little Wi-Fi antenna is DC-grounded, and 

carries a five-year limited warranty. 

Available at chandleries and at www.shakespeare-marine.com. 

A Pinch of Old Salt 

Don “I’ve been sailing in the Caribbean 

for 50 years” Street shares timeless cruising 

tips in his DVD “Street Wise, Part 1”. 

Back in the 1990s, Don contributed to a 

video magazine called Sailing Quarterly. 

This DVD, along with the soon-to-bereleased 

Part 2, is a collection of his 

favorite clips from that publication. He 

shares useful knowledge on a number of 

seamanship subjects, including coming 

alongside a dock short-handed; raising 

an anchor when the windlass gives up — 

without breaking your back; cruising 

with kids (using his then eight-year-old 

son Mark as an example); and sail repairs 

you can do yourself, whether to save 

money, linger longer in a remote anchorage 

or save the day at sea. Along the way, 

Street debunks the myth of the significance 

of giving or taking a tow-line in 

regard to a salvage claim, and demonstrates 

that ice really does sink in Jack 

THE CRUISING SAILOR`S CHANDLERY SINCE 1990 

AMERON ABC 3 TIN FREE SELF POLISHING ANTIFOULING PAINT 

CORNER: MIRANDA & GUARAGUAO, PUERTO LA CRUZ, VENEZUELA 

TEL: 58 (281) 265-3844 - E-MAIL : xanadumarine@cantv.net 

Iron rum. The knot-tying and whipping segment may seem a bit slow, but when you 

eventually need one of these skills in a pinch, you’ll be glad you paid attention. At 

about US$30, this would be a thoughtful gift for newbie cruisers or for your yacht 

club back home whose members are dreaming of heading out. 

Available from Armchair Sailor/Bluewater Books (www.bluewaterweb.com) in the 

US, Imray (www.imray.com) and Kelvin Hughes (www.kelvinhughes.com) in the UK; 

or direct from Don at streetiolaire@hotmail.com. 

A Boon for the Fumble-Fingered 

If your crew hasn’t watched Don Street’s DVDs and still can’t tie a proper clove 

hitch, a couple of these babies 

in his or her stocking will be 

appreciated a lot more than 

getting yelled at next time you 

dock or raft up. Using the 

convenient new 401-R Fender 

Hangers from Accon Marine, 

you simply attach the fender 

to a loop that snaps into a 

fixed base. An innovative 

quick release allows the loop 

to remain attached to the 

fender line when separated. 

By eliminating the need for 

repetitive tying and untying, 

these hangers provide effortless 

placement and removal of 

fenders. Crafted from 316 

stainless steel, the durable 

hangers can withstand even 

the most abrasive marine 

environment. Easy to install, 

the flush Fender Hangers are 

surface mounted and require 

no cut-outs. In the US$30 

price range, they are available with 1.25cm or 2.5cm loops to accommodate most 

fender line. 

Available at chandleries or at www.acconmarine.com. 

Make a Foodie Basket 

For the cuisine-minded cruiser or the sailor bound for a long ocean voyage facing 

a diet of canned food, little things in the galley mean a lot. In the Caribbean, you 

can pick up some small items that add big returns to a meal. Hot pepper sauce is 

produced in a variety of colors, flavors and velocities on almost every island. Give 

a bottle, and the recipient will think of you often! Spice baskets from the market or 

gift shops in Grenada also 

make a lovely little gift, 

and after the spices have 

been used the cute basket 

takes on a new life. (Don’t 

forget to get a tiny nutmeg 

grater for the rum punch 

and eggnog.) A couple of 

saltwater fishing lures will 

also be welcome. Hey, if 

the recipient doesn’t fancy 

using them to catch a 

meal, some of them would 

make zany Christmas 

tree ornaments…. 

Give any of these inexpensive 

items as individually 

wrapped prezzies, or gang 

them up in a flour-sack tote 

bag from the market. Throw 

in a Caribbean cookbook 

(see page 42 for two exam- 

ples) and the chef might be inspired to invite you aboard for a meal. 


JANE GIBB


Hold that Call! 

Keeping Your Friends Sweet 

In the tropics, people spend a 

lot of time in the sea — swimming, 

snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, 

bathing or just cooling 

off. But every dip wants a freshwater 

rinse or shower and fresh 

water is often at a premium on 

boats. For the girly-girl cruiser on 

your list, or perhaps that slightly 

sour-smelling single-hander pal, 

here’s a super new product: Savon 

de Mer shampoo and body gel. 

Savon de Mer lathers richly in 

salt water as well as fresh, is 

effective for shampooing and 

bathing, and contains special 

emollients to counteract the drying 

effect of salt and sun on your 

hair and skin. It is pH neutral, 

biodegradable and leaves no residue. 

Move over, Joy. 

Available at selected stores, boat 

shows and savondemer@gmail.com. 

LULLEY‘S 

TACKLE SHOP 

FISHING & DIVING GEAR 

Penn & Diawa 

Rods & Reels 

Mustad Hooks 

Anglers Lures 

You really don’t want to make a satellite call to 

locate the cell phone somebody misplaced on the 

boat, and your Admiral is tired of asking, “Where 

did you put the GPS this time?” Portable electronics 

require safe and convenient storage on 

board. Beckson Marine offers its Soft-Mate radio 

holders to keep handheld radios and cell phones 

in a handy spot. Easy to install and under 

US$20 each, they are available in two sizes. The 

larger HH-8 unit is ideal for large handheld 

radios, GPS devices and scanners. The HH-81 

mini unit is great for storing smaller handheld 

radios, cell phones, eyeglass cases, pens, pencils 

and calculators. Both models are available in 

black and white. If users don’t want to drill 

screw holes or just want a temporary mount, the 

HH-Series is available with a trustworthy suction 

cup mount. Beckson Marine’s Soft-Mate 

line also includes holders for knives, winch 

handles, books, binoculars, beverages and emergency 

equipment. The neat freak on board will 

thank you. 

Available at chandleries or www.beckson.com. 

FRONT STREET 

BEQUIA 

WEST INDIES 

SERVING FISHERMEN AND 

YACHTSPEOPLE 

SINCE 1950 

YOUR #1 CHOICE IN FISHING GEAR 

Rigged & Unrigged 

Leaders 

Fresh Bait 

Foul Weather Gear 

Wire, Floats, Nets, Twines, Ropes 

Worth 1,000 Words 

Antigua-based photographer 

Alexis Andrews has 

created something that’s a 

bit too big to fit in anything 

but a really big stocking. 

But for that certain sailor 

who loves traditional wooden 

boats, at US$65 this 

deluxe two-volume boxed 

set of photo books, Carriacou 

Sloops, might be the perfect 

Caribbean-themed gift. 

Available at bookshops 

and at www.indiancreekbooks.com. 

Snorkeling 

& Diving Gear 

Courtesy Flags 

Collectable Knives 

DUTY FREE 

TEL: (784) 458-3420 FAX: (784) 458-3797 

EMAIL: lulley@vincysurf.com 

Our stock, quality, price, know-how and fishing experience is unsurpassed 

Visit us for all your needs 

Everyone Will Love You 

Do you have some well-loved cruising buddies who are avoided by everyone else in 

the anchorage? Your gift to them this Christmas could change their lives — and 

everyone else’s. Give them a nice new set of wind generator blades by Spreco. The 

introductory price is 176 Euro. These can replace the blades on Air Marine wind 

generators and are reported by users to be “remarkably quiet”. The blades do not 

require any modification to the Air Marine unit and the installation is simple. The 

new blades are easily identified by their bright blue color. In addition to their quiet 

operation and no loss of output, the blades start turning at a lower wind speed, thus 

increasing the power generated. All together now, “Silent night…” 

Available at www.silentwindgenerator.com. 

DYI 

And last but not least are the gifts you make or do yourself. Give a massage, a 

haircut, or an hour of 

your time in a friend’s 

engine room. Bake a batch 

of cookies (see page 45) or 

crochet a home-made 

“croakie” for sunglasses. 

Frame a photo of a special 

moment or decoupage a 

box with a memorable 

paper chart. Suggest a 

fun day out together. Use 

your creativity to give a 

gift that will be long 

remembered. 

Icom VHF 

Garmin GPS 

Accessories 

Leatherman 

Penn Reels 

Penn Parts 

Penn Service 

and repair 

Some people call us the “mos “most mos mmos m os oss 

ti tin t ti tin t i in interesting tere er e sting g gsh gshop sh shop op in i iin 

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Electronics, Electron ron on onic ics ics, ic ics mar marin mar marine ine elec electronics, lec lectr tr tron tr t ics, 12 & 24 volts, inverters, li lights, 

sockets, sock ck et ets ets, et t navigation, 

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SS SSS ffasteners, 

aste ste te tene ne ner ners ne ner ne , rope, Spectra, pumps, hoses, complete divi diving, 

snorkeling and fishing gear. 

Phone: 784 458 3360 wallco@vincysurf.com 

Hablamos Español Nous parlons Français Wir sprechen Deutsch 

The ONLY Duty Free Chandlery in Bequia 

WE MOVED 

to former Salty Dog 

- next to Porthole 

GUY DEAN 



A Potpourri of 

Tropical Recipes 

The New Tropical Pot Pourri, House of Hope Society, Kingstown, St. Vincent. 

Soft cover, spiral bound, color photos, 214 pages. US$20. 

Thirty-odd years ago, Bishop Cuthbert Woodroffe and his congregation at St. 

George’s Cathedral in Kingstown, St. Vincent, were trying to raise funds for the 

celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 

Anglican Diocese of the Windward Islands. 

In response, a group of parishioners and 

their friends got together and produced a 

cookbook of local recipes, which sold well. 

The book was called Tropical Pot Pourri and 

is now available in an up-dated edition, this 

time to raise funds for the House of Hope 

Society and the cathedral’s organ fund. 

The House of Hope Society was formed 

after Archdeacon Charles Adams saw the 

problems encountered by AIDS patients 

who had no family to care for them while 

they were dying. A building to house a hospice 

for the terminally ill has now been purchased 

in Kingstown and funds are once 

again needed to sustain the project and 

provide on-going care for those whose own 

families are unable to meet their needs. 

The New Tropical Pot Pourri contains recipes 

using locally grown ingredients and 

locally caught animals. The recipes make 

interesting (and possibly cringe-making if 

you’re a vegetarian) reading. Where else can 

you find instructions on how to prepare and 

serve manicou (opossum), iguana or agouti, for example? 

All the usual culinary sections on different kinds of meals and snacks — appetizers, 

soups, main courses, pastries, desserts, etcetera — are there, with clear 

directions and lists of ingredients. My favourite section is “Miscellaneous” where 

literally everything that couldn’t fit in to any other section is found. In no apparent 

order, it covers meals for diabetics, tips for caring for your dog, wedding 

anniversaries, making tea for 50 guests, preparing for a cruise on a yacht (particularly 

useful for Compass readers!), freezing, frying, pressure-cooking and 

flowers, among other things. 

The book is on good quality paper with stiff card covers, and it is spiral-bound 

so can be opened out flat to make for easier use while cooking. Colourful photos 

introduce each section. The sponsors’ ads are a little distracting but we have to 

appreciate their contribution to the production of this excellent little book. It 

would make a worthwhile addition to any kitchen and, at EC$50 (US$20), it’s 

also priced just right for Christmas presents for those friends for whom you 

didn’t know what to get. 

Tropical Pot Pourri is currently available at the House of Hope Society office in 

Stoney Ground, Kingstown, St. Vincent, but arrangements are being made for it to 

also be sold from St. Mary’s Rectory office, next to the Anglican Church, in Port 

Elizabeth, Bequia. 

BOOK REVIEWS BY ELAINE OLLIVIERRE 

FROM BELMONT 

ESTATE TO YOU 

Great Caribbean Recipes, Island Recipes Unlimited, St. George’s, Grenada. 

Soft cover, spiral bound, color photos, 80 pages. ISBN 978-976-8212-6. 

Great Caribbean Recipes is the third cookbook produced by Island Recipes 

Unlimited. Its name is a little misleading as all the recipes in the book come 

from Grenada: from the restaurant of Belmont Estate in St. Patrick parish. But 

the ingredients are available throughout the Caribbean and a short introduction 

at the beginning of the book gives descriptions of some of the fruit and vegetables 

required in the recipes, in case they are known by different names in different 

territories. 

Grenada’s Belmont Estate is an 

agri-tourism plantation with a 

cocoa farm with processing facilities 

for organic chocolate, fruit 

orchards, goat dairy and other agricultural 

attractions. It has a museum 

which is run by the Belmont 

Estate Heritage Foundation, formed 

to preserve and promote a greater 

appreciation for Grenada’s heritage 

and culture, and it has a restaurant 

where all the tasty dishes in the 

book have been tried and tested. 

The cookbook contains a small 

but varied selection of recipes in 

eleven different sections. There’s a 

separate section on chocolate/ 

cocoa dishes, not surprising given 

the source of the recipes. 

Instructions are easy to read and 

clear enough for even a novice 

cook. The wipe-clean pages are a 

boon for cooks as messy as I am. 

The ringback format makes for 

easier use in the kitchen or galley, 

as the book can lie flat on the 

counter while you are cooking. 

There are not many photos but 

they are bright and colourful and 

guaranteed to make your mouth water. 

Sales of this cookbook will aid the charitable arm of the Foundation, Heart 

and Hands of Grenada, in the organization of community development programmes. 

Its size makes it another perfect stocking stuffer for Christmas. 

Available at book and gift shops in Grenada or from iru@spiceisle.com.

ADVENTURE’S WIFE 

Mary’s Voyage. by Mary Caldwell and Matthew M. 

Douglas. Sheridan House, © 2008, Paperback. 

ISBN: 978-1-57409-7. 

Mary Caldwell is the widow of adventurer John 

Caldwell who died in St. Vincent in 1998. Mary’s 

Voyage is less an autobiography, as the title suggests, 

than a memoir of her years with the sailor, author, and 

hotelier known in the Lesser Antilles as “Johnny 

Coconut.” And the book really is the story of John as 

recalled by Mary and told by a co-author who writes on 

her behalf. 

John Caldwell, who died at age 76, was a legend in 

his own time. How much of a legend he is today I don’t 

know. It seems probable he is remembered only by the 

old hands in the islands who knew him or knew of 

him, and there are fewer and fewer of them every year. 

But one thing will live a long time, as it already has, 

and that is his first book, Desperate Voyage. 

Published in the US in 1949, the book made him a 

sailor-celebrity. The narrative recounts an epic solo 

sail across the South Pacific in Pagan, a 27-foot wooden 

cutter. Caldwell had served in the US Merchant 

Marine in the early years of the Second World War, 

traveling through the Far East, but he knew nothing 

about sailing when he departed Panama, bound for 

Australia and his wife — Mary. They had met in 1944 

while serving in the Australian Air Force, and were 

married before the war ended. John, after rejoining the 

merchant marine, returned to the States to be discharged 

in 1946, while Mary remained in her homeland. 

So what there was structurally was a kind of 

modern Odysseus trying to get home to Penelope. 

Like Odysseus, Caldwell faced countless trials, 

which culminated in a storm that left Pagan dismasted. 

Caldwell drifted under a jury-rig and without water 

or food for 49 days, before the hull struck a reef and 

he was washed ashore hanging onto a spar. On 

Tuvutha, a remote island in the Fijis, he was nursed 

back to health. It is his account of his survival that 

makes the book one that has never been out of print 

and has been translated into a dozen languages. 

In time, the Caldwells settled in southern California 

and started a family. John returned to college and took 

a job as a social worker. But their dream was to sail 

away and so, not without the help of royalties from his 

book, they bought Tropic Seas, a 36-foot Tahiti ketch. 

Beginning in 1952, they sailed to Australia for two years, 

and along the way, in Tahiti, had their third son. 

Settling in Australia, they found jobs and after a 

time built the 46-foot ketch Outward Bound, a Francis 

Herreshoff design. In 1958, they continued their westward 

wandering. John had written a second book, 

Family at Sea (1956), about their Pacific crossing, and 

the proceeds from that helped finance the voyage that 

took them across the Indian and Atlantic oceans. 

Like countless others, on reaching the Lesser Antilles 

they ran out of money and got in the chartering game. 

For the next five years, working out of English Harbor, 

they chartered Outward Bound up and down the 

islands. Caldwell started to plant coconuts everywhere 

he went and, with the stern of the ketch looking with 

its seedlings something like the Bounty with breadfruit, 

this was how he first went ashore on a barren, 

mosquito-ridden swamp of an islet in the Grenadines 

called Prune. 

Caldwell, having had a kind of vision, talked the 

BOOK REVIEW BY RICHARD DEY 

government into letting him lease the islet for 99 years 

for one dollar. With no relevant experience and no 

money to speak of, he went to work. With Mary, his 

two sons, and workers from Union Island, he transformed 

the swamp into Palm Island, the beach club 

and residential community. If The Odyssey was the 

prototype for Desperate Voyage, Herman Wouk’s Don’t 

Stop the Carnival (1965) was a model for the Palm 

Island development. 

After opening for Christmas 1967, the resort had its 

ups and downs but it was successful, in part because 

readers of Desperate Voyage came from as far away 

as Russia just to meet the author. Upon John’s 

death, Mary sold out and Palm exists today under 

different ownership. 

We don’t learn much about John’s wife in Mary’s 

Voyage, really. She casts herself as a long-suffering 

but strong “seawife,” an anxious mother, an antiintellectual, 

and a full-time companion in John’s 

adventuring. Mary took her turns on watch even as 

she oversaw the boys’ schoolwork. She suffered chronic 

seasickness even as she cooked and cleaned. Later, 

in the charterboat phase, she did the bookkeeping, 

cooking, and other chores while John did the sailing 

and regaling. On Palm, she helped in every way, and 

designed the original beach club buildings. Through 

most of the account, this is what you get. John was 

the dominant personality, the indomitable spirit, and 

the voyage was his; she was along for the ride. She had 

been preceded by women like Gwen Tompkins and Exy 

Johnson, who brought up children at sea with their 

adventurous husbands. 

Left to her own devices, Mary’s Voyage would not 

likely exist. John’s first two books covered their early 

years, many others covered chartering in the 1960s, 

and plenty of press was given to Palm Island. However, 

there has been the idea of turning Desperate Voyage 

into a movie for decades. The problem was that the 

narrative of a single man’s survival at sea, no matter 

how astounding, was unpromising movie material. 

Matthew M. Douglas, the co-writer, is advertised on 

the book’s back cover as having written a screenplay 

based on Desperate Voyage. (He is, according to 

Google, the author of one book, The Lives of Butterflies, 

a natural-history book published by a university press 

in 1987.) Mary’s Voyage reads like a prose draft for a 

screenplay, for in Douglas’s telling, Desperate Voyage 

is alluded to all along the storyline until, toward the 

end, we are given the account of John’s epic voyage, 

enhanced not only by his final visit to the Fijis but by 

an account of his unhappy childhood — which, perhaps, 

explains it all. 

Well, it could work — a movie based on the long arc 

of the Caldwells’ journey, with Desperate Voyage presented 

as something recalled in dialogue and flashbacks. 

But Mary’s Voyage is, as a book, flawed. 

Chiefly, there is no character development or change, 

and no conflict among the characters. Late in the book 

we learn all was not well with the Caldwell family, nor 

with the larger Palm Island family, but by then the 

sentimental narrative has pretty much lulled you into 

reverie. The narrative itself is thick with cliché (“teeth 

of the storm”) and sudsy, formulaic dialogue. 

Copyediting errors jar both with fact (Douglas Terman, 

not Doug Therman, wrote thrillers not mystery tales) 

and nautical usage (“ Like all ketches, she sported two 

raked masts… The smaller sails on a ketch are easier 

to handle than the large sheets of a sloop.”) An important 

final chapter is called “Secrets of Desperate 

Voyage Revealed” (sic), but it turns out there are no 

secrets — the story is all in John’s own book. Further, 

certain important details of motivation and their personal 

lives are left out. And the underlying sensibility, 

surprisingly, is rooted less in Third World realities 

than in neo-colonial notions of “paradise.” 

John Caldwell was an unusual man, a contradictory 

man. He was the personification of the anti-establishment, 

independent spirit that went to sea to escape 

dull routine and seek adventure. He wanted that and 

he wanted a family too. And then he wanted his own 

island, his own “paradise.” A driven, goal-oriented 

man, he was a ferocious worker in an islandscape 

considered idyllic. He was also something of a socialist 

in an upscale capitalist environment. He was a man on 

the margins of the world when there were still margins 

— unspoiled coral reefs and pristine island beaches, 

all open and free for the taking; unpolluted seas, 

uncrowded anchorages, and peoples still unaffected by 

Western industrial society. The experiences of John 

and Mary Caldwell simply cannot be replicated today, 

and we are the richer for their remembrances. 

Available at bookstores or at www.sheridanhouse.com. 

Stock Up 

on the widest selection and the 

best prices in Grenada at our two 

conveniently located supermarkets. 

Whether it’s canned goods, dairy 

products, meat, fresh vegetables 

or fruits, toiletries, household goods, 

or a fine selection of liquor and wine, 

The Food Fair has it all and a lot more. 

Hubbard’s 

JONAS BROWNE & HUBBARD (G’da.) Ltd. 

The Carenage: 

Monday - Thursday 

8 am to 5:30 pm 

Friday until 8:45 pm 

Saturday until 

1:00 pm 

Tel: (473) 440-2588 

Grand Anse: 

Monday - Thursday 

9 am to 5:30 pm 

Friday & Saturday 

until 7:00 pm 

Tel: (473) 444-4573 

STREET’S GUIDES 

ARE MORE ECONOMICAL! 

Written by an author with 50 years of sailing 

experience in the Caribbean, the series’ four volumes 

cover the Eastern Caribbean from Puerto Rico 

down through the islands and 

the coast of Venezuela to the ABCs. 

REAL SAILORS 

BUY STREET’S GUIDES 

Real sailors use Street’s Guides for inter-island and harbor 

piloting directions, plus interesting anecdotes of people, 

places and history. Street’s Guides are the only ones that 

describe ALL the anchorages in the Eastern Caribbean. 

NEW! Street’s videos, first made in 1985, 

are now back as DVDs. 

• “Transatlantic with Street” documents a sailing passage 

from Ireland to Antigua via the Cape Verdes. 2 hours 

• “Antigua Week ’85” is the story of the engineless yawl Iolaire 

racing round the buoys to celebrate her 80th birthday. 1 hour 

• “Street on Knots” demonstrates the essential knots and 

line-handling skills every sailor should know. 1 hour 

All are available via Armchair Sailor and Bluewater Books. 

HURRICANE TIPS! Visit www.street-iolaire.com for a wealth of 

information on tracking and securing for a storm. 

Street’s Guides are available 

at bookshops and chandleries, or from 

www.iUniverse.com and www.seabooks.com 

☛ REMEMBER 

to tell our advertisers you 

saw their ad in Compass! 



THE SALTY DOG 

Restaurant & Bar, Bequia 

Open Monday - Saturday from 10am 

Sunday from 6pm 

Great Sandwich Menu, Burgers 

Flying Fish, Philly Steak, 

Snacks, Fajita & more 

Dinner Menu: Steaks and Seafood 

Dining Inside & Outside 

Great Harbour View 

Full Cable TV • Sportsbar 

Live Music on Weekends 

Bequia, Port Elizabeth, Admiralty Bay 

now located @ former Timberhouse 

Tel: (784) 457 3443 

e-mail: saltydog@vincysurf.com 

New location 

in Hamilton 

Restaurant & Bar 

Live Lobster Pool Vivier à Langoustes 

French/Caribbean Cuisine a la carte 

for the most memorable dinner in Bequia 

– where the staff serves you with a smile! 

Bequia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines 

Tel: (784) 457 3555 VHF Ch 68 

auberge@caribrestaurant.com 

www.caribrestaurant.com 

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Sometimes known as melongene in the islands, eggplant 

ranks among the world’s most popular vegetables. 

Eggplant is native to southeastern India and what is 

now Pakistan, where it was first domesticated over 

4,000 years ago. In its home region, the eggplant is 

used in many local dishes and carries a wide range of 

names. The eggplant’s species name, Melongena, is 

derived from an ancient name for eggplant in Sanskrit. 

Related to the tomato, potato and the pepper, eggplant 

is the only member of the nightshade family to 

originate in the Eastern Hemisphere. Just as tomatoes 

were once believed to be poisonous, eggplant was 

believed to cause mental illness, and became known 

as the “Mad Apple”. The Spanish explorers believed it 

to be a powerful aphrodisiac. When a variety with eggshaped 

white fruit was grown in Germany around 

1600, the English gave it the name “eggplant”. The 

Spanish introduced eggplant to Brazil before 1650. 

Eating eggplant is good for you. It can reduce high 

cholesterol. One cup of cooked eggplant has 27 calories, 

one gram of protein, six grams of carbohydrates, 

two grams of fiber (if eaten with the skin), plus some 

phosphorus and potassium. Eggplant has an agreeable 

texture and slightly bitter taste. Cooked eggplant 

soaks up a lot of oil, so to prevent this, slice, salt and 

press the air and water out before cooking. To peel or 

not to peel the eggplant depends on the recipe. 

Eggplant can be baked with onions and chopped 

tomatoes, or stuffed with minced meat. It can be sliced 

and grilled, pickled, steamed, sautéed or curried. It is 

versatile and works well with tomatoes, onions, garlic 

and cheese. Popular dishes include Eggplant Parmesan, 

ratatouille, and moussaka. For babaganoush, blend 

roasted eggplant, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil 

together and use as a dip or as a sandwich spread — 

great on sada roti. 

My puppy loves raw eggplant! 

Easiest Eggplant 

Two eggplants 

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 

Jerk, geera or curry spice 

Hot pepper to taste 

1/2 Cup grated cheese 

Wash and slice the eggplant into rounds, leaving the 

skin on. Put in a baking pan and coat with oil. Then 

sprinkle with the spice of your choice. Bake for 20 to 

30 minutes, turning once with a spatula. Sprinkle 

with cheese and turn oven off. Keep in oven ten more 

minutes, until cheese melts. Serves four. 

Eggplant Casserole 

One large eggplant 

1 teaspoon grated onion 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

4 Tablespoons butter 

4 Tablespoons flour 

1 1/4 Cups milk 

1 green pepper, chopped 

3/4 Cup grated cheese 

2 eggs, separated 


Cook peeled and cubed eggplant in boiling water 

with onion, salt and pepper until tender. Drain. Melt 

butter and blend in flour. Add milk gradually, stirring 

constantly. Add chopped pepper, cheese and slightly 

beaten egg yolks, hot pepper and eggplant. Fold in 

stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in greased oven dish 40 

minutes at 350°F. Serves 6. 

Ratatouille 

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 large onion, finely chopped 

1 eggplant, cubed 

2 green peppers, chopped 

4 large tomatoes, chopped 

3 potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick 

1 teaspoon dried basil 

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 

2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or use two 

tablespoons Italian seasoning). 

In a 4-quart pot, heat oil. Add garlic and onions and 

cook until soft. Stir in eggplant until coated with oil, 

and then add peppers. Cover pot and cook over medium 

heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep 

SERVING AT SEA BY SHIRLEY HALL 

EGGPLANT OR 

MELONGENE 

the vegetables from sticking. Add tomatoes, potatoes, 

and herbs; mix well. Cover, and simmer about 15 to 20 

minutes. The eggplant should be tender, but not 

mushy. Serve hot or cold. Serves 4. 

Stuffed Eggplant Creole Style 

2 eggplants, about 1 pound each 

1/4 Cup olive oil 

3 Tablespoons butter 

1 small onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 Cup peeled and chopped ripe tomatoes 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 


1/2 pound cooked minced meat (ham or beef) 

2 Cups fresh breadcrumbs 

2 green chives, chopped 

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley 

Halve the eggplants lengthwise and make a 1/2-inch 

thick shell by spooning out the pulp. Chop pulp and set 

aside. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently 

cook the eggplant shells, cut side down, for 5 minutes. 

Put shells in a shallow baking dish. Add butter to frying 

pan, with any remaining oil, and sauté onions and garlic 

for 2 minutes. Add eggplant pulp, tomatoes, thyme 

and hot pepper and cook until most of the liquid has 

evaporated, leaving a thick mixture. Remove from heat 

and mix in meat, breadcrumbs, chives and parsley. Fill 

the eggplant shells and bake in a preheated 400°F oven 

for 15 minutes until slightly browned. 

Fried Parmesan Eggplant 

1 eggplant 

1 teaspoon salt 

3/4 Cup cornmeal 


2 cloves minced garlic, or garlic powder 

Vegetable oil 

1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Peel and cut eggplant into 3/4-inch strips; sprinkle 

with salt, and let stand 30 minutes. Pat dry. Combine 

cornmeal, pepper, and garlic or garlic powder. Dredge 

eggplant strips in cornmeal mixture, and fry in deep, 

hot oil (375°F) until golden brown, cooking only a few 

at a time. Sprinkle with cheese. 

For the Gardener 

Eggplant is grown in many shapes, sizes and colors. 

Anyone will become a true fan of eggplant that is 

selected, grown, and prepared properly. Two or three 

plants will yield enough for most families. Eggplant is 

best started from transplants spaced 18 to 24 inches 

apart. Eggplant prefers a well-drained, sunny location 

for the best results. Use starter fertilizer for transplanting 

and a high nitrogen fertilizer when the plants 

are half grown and again immediately after harvest of 

the first fruits. Water the plants regularly and add a 

potassium-rich fertilizer with each watering when the 

eggplant fruits begin to swell. 

To test if the fruit is ripe, hold it in your palm and 

gently press it with your thumb. If the flesh presses in 

but bounces back, it is ready. If the flesh is hard and 

does not give, the eggplant is too young. Eggplants 

bruise easily, so harvest gently and cut the eggplant 

with the cap and some of the stem attached.

Give of 

Yourself 

at 

Christmas 

by Ross Mavis 

There is no better gift than a gift from your galley to express sincere love and caring. 

A special box of cookies, fudge, candied nuts or chocolates makes a wonderful 

gift of love. 

I remember vividly my first Christmas away from home. As the days dwindled 

down to a precious few before the 25th of December I became extremely homesick. 

I was 20 years old, working as a banker for the Bank of Montreal in Whitehorse, 

Yukon. The temperature had fallen to 40°F below zero and I missed the Christmas 

comforts of my family thousands of miles away. 

Imagine my excitement at getting a parcel from home. Inside the large brown-paper 

wrapped box were several metal containers packed in shredded paper to cushion their 

trip of some 3,000 miles. Some were round tins and one was a large rectangular tin. 

Each had tightly fitting lids, carefully sealed with tape. To this very day, I remember 

gingerly removing the sticky tape and gently slipping off the lids to expose the interiors. 

The sight of Mum’s Christmas butter cookies, shortbreads, macaroons, dark fruitcake 

with almond paste and icing was overwhelming. In another tin, multi-colored, 

hard ribbon candy glistened like jewels in a treasure chest. Under this layer of gems 

was hidden a trove of peanut brittle. It was as if I had been transported back home 

for the holidays. My immediate pleasure was of the olfactory kind as I enjoyed the 

fragrance of butter, coconut, cinnamon, cloves and almond. The crunch of ribbon 

candy and the deep strawberry sweetness as it filled my senses was over-powering. 

I must admit that now, almost half a century later, I truly understand the love and 

caring that went into these gifts from home. 

Why not consider some holiday baking for gifts this year? Use a little imagination 

when it comes to containers for your home cooked gifts. Inexpensive glass or plastic 

jars with lids make classy candy containers when topped with a piece of fabric and 

a ribbon. Kids can make a great gift for Nana or Grampy by using new plastic flowerpots. 

Have your children suggest a type of candy or nuts to fill the pot and add a 

dried flower inserted into this unique “potting soil”. 

Baskets lined with foil or plastic wrap also afford an easy way to deliver cookies or 

baked treats to a neighboring yacht. Metal containers are best used if you plan on 

sending these gifts through the mail. 

You may find now is none too soon to plan your gift baking and to get it delivered. 

Cookies, candy or other confections are enjoyable at any time of the holidays. Here 

are some holiday food treats that stand up well for extended delivery periods. 

Peanut Brittle 

This candy forms part of my early childhood memories of my father. He enjoyed 

sweets and would munch large quantities of this brittle until Mum would remind 

him he’d had enough. I often marveled at how easily Mum could whip up a batch of 

this great crunchy treat. 

1 Cup light corn syrup 

1 1/2 Cups white sugar 

1/2 Cup water 

2 Cups shelled peanuts 

1/2 teaspoon salt (unless peanuts are salted) 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

In a saucepan with heavy bottom, combine corn syrup, sugar and water, mixing 

well over medium heat. Carefully boil mixture until it registers 234°F (112°C) 

or forms a soft thread when a small amount of the sugar syrup is dropped into 

ice water. 

At this point, add peanuts and salt if they are unsalted. Continue to cook briefly 

and don’t let the peanuts get too brown. Remove from heat, add baking soda and stir 

vigorously. Pour onto a greased baking tray. Cool. Break into pieces by striking with 

a table knife handle. Place in a waxed paper-lined tin. 

Frosted Butter Cookies 

Butter cookies are a holiday favorite that can be cut into many shapes using whatever 

cookie cutter you wish. Colored sugar crystals can be sprinkled on the cookies before 

baking, or bake them plain and eat them that way or add icing when they are cool. 

1 Cup butter, softened 

1 Cup granulated sugar 

1 egg, beaten 

1 Tablespoon lemon juice 

1 Tablespoon vanilla flavouring 

2 1/2 Cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. 

Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. When 

mixture is formed into dough, chill before using for easier handling. 

On waxed paper, roll out a portion of the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 

desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased baking trays and bake for 7 

to 8 minutes until lightly browned. 

Have a happy holiday season no matter where you may be moored. 

Basil’s Bar 

Mustique 

Visitors to Mustique are invited to: 

BASIL’S BAR AND RESTAURANT: Basil’s Bar in Mustique was named one of the 

World’s Ten Best Bars in 1987 by Newsweek magazine and today lives up to that tradition. 

Recently renovated the new face of Basil’s Bar in Mustique is all that and more 

offering the freshest seafood, steaks and pastas for dinner. Terrific lunches and breakfasts. 

Now equipped with WIFI you can enjoy sunset cocktails and catch up on the web. 

Basil’s Bar is home and originator of the Mustique Blues Festival, January 21 - February 

4, 2009. Breakfast service begins at 8:00 AM, Lunch is served 11:00 AM - 6 PM, 

Dinner at 7:30 until late. Come to Basil’s for Cocktails anytime and plan to attend the 

Wednesday night Jump up and BBQ. Call 784-488-8350 or VHF 68. 

BASIL’S BOUTIQUE Fabrics as bright as the sea and as light as air... perfect for island 

joy. Elegant island evening and playful day wear. For women, men and children, plus lots 

of T-shirts to take home. Basil’s Boutique also offers silver and gemstone jewelry. 

BASIL’S GREAT GENERAL STORE: There is nothing general about Basil’s 

Great General Store - stocked with fine French wines, cheeses from Europe, 

sauces and gourmet jams. Imported cigars. Fine foods in Paradise. Call 784-488-8407 

ACROSS FOREVER: Imagine, decorating your home with Antiques from Bali and 

India - contemporary pieces and fabulous lighting. Across Forever has 

a magnificent collection of furniture and home accessories from Asia. 

Shipping is easily and efficiently arranged. Call 784-488-8407 

Visitors to St Vincent are invited to: 

BASIL’S BAR: In St Vincent - near the port of Kingstown is an 18th century 

cobblestone building where you may find Basil’s Restaurant and Bar. Air conditioned, 

you will enjoy cocktails most delightful, the staff most welcoming and the meals, some 

of the best on the island. Call 784-457-2713 

Visit Basil’s in Mustique or St. Vincent 

www.basilsbar.com basils@vincysurf.com 

WE SHIP AROUND THE WORLD! 



rare exotic arts + crafts 

jewelry, wooden-ware 

hammocks + more 

unique gifts for your boat, 

home + friends 

young street st. george's grenada 

just steps from the carenage 

tel: (473) 440-2310 

fisher@caribsurf.com 

Marine 

Insurance 

The insurance business has changed. 

No longer can brokers talk of low rates. 

Rather, the honest broker can only say, 

“I’ll do my best to minimize your increase!” 

There is good insurance, there is cheap 

insurance, but there is no good cheap 

insurance. You never know how good 

your insurance is until you have a claim. 

Then, if the claim is denied 

or unsatisfactorily settled, 

it is too late. 

I have been in the insurance business 

40 years, 36 with Lloyds, and my claims 

settlement record cannot be beat. 

Fax DM Street 

Iolaire Enterprises (353) 28 - 33927 

or e-mail: streetiolaire@hotmail.com 

www.street-iolaire.com 

READERS' 

FORUM 

Dear Compass, 

We have been following the various letters and comments 

in recent issues of the Compass about issues 

with Customs and Immigration in some of the Eastern 

Caribbean countries, as well as the news about eSeaClear 

and, while we understand that eSeaClear is optional (as 

opposed to mandatory, like APIS) and easy to use, we 

don’t see any value to yachtsmen, especially when one 

considers the number of issues that need attention. 

[Editor’s note: eSeaClear is the pilot project for voluntary 

electronic yacht clearance, www.eSeaClear.com, 

recently introduced in St. Lucia and the British Virgin 

islands. APIS was an Advance Passenger Information 

System introduced in early 2007, which legally required 

all air and sea carriers, including yachts, to fill out a 

detailed form online and submit it to the next port of 

entry according to a strict timetable relevant to times of 

departure and/or arrival, with different advance times 

depending on whether the yacht was arriving in, 

departing from, or traveling within the CARICOM area. 

Basically unworkable, APIS has generally been abandoned 

in regard to yachts in the Caribbean.] 

Use of the online system to create vessel records and 

travel logs may be more convenient if the yacht has 

wireless internet access on board, but if one must visit 

an internet café (“…assumed that a significant number 

of yachtsmen are able to access the Internet from landbased 

computers”), that visit adds another step as well 

as additional time and cost to the clearance process. 

While one can enter departure and entry information 

during one visit to the website, the yachtsman must 

still make TWO visits to Customs and Immigration, one 

for departing and one for entering. The only exceptions 

to that process that we know of are St. Lucia if one 

wants to stay three days or less and Dominica, where 

one can clear in and out while staying two weeks. In 

addition, both St. Lucia and Grenada require stamping 

passports to clear out. AND, in Hillsborough (Carriacou), 

Soufriere (St. Lucia), Union Island (SVG), Portsmouth 

(Dominica) and Charlestown (Nevis), the offices are 

some distance apart, in two cases not very far, but in 

the other cases, a considerable walk or a taxi ride. 

We have never spent much time completing the paper 

forms but have waited as much as two hours, either in 

line or for an officer to arrive, to do the clearing in or 

clearing out. The suggestion that one call ahead on a 

cell phone to see if there are staff in the office during 

posted working hours begs the issue: there should be 

someone there during posted hours and asking that 

the yachtsman purchase a cell phone for each coverage 

area, as well as maintain a list of all the phone numbers 

for Customs, Immigration and Port Control for 

each port on each island, is an absurd suggestion. 

We can see the eSeaClear process actually taking 

longer than the current paper form: if a country 

requires information not required online, the officer 

must ask those questions and write the answers on 

each copy of the form; i.e., Grenada wants our cell 

phone number and the manufacturer and model of 

our main GPS. 

With respect to the required online check-in in Le 

Marin, the French have ALWAYS been less bureaucratic 

and their process faster, even with their new 

online requirement, not to mention there are no fees. 

So suggesting that Martinique convert to eSeaClear is 

arrogant, to say the least. 

If the data collected by eSeaClear will be used for 

marketing and analysis of the yachting tourism sector, 

we might be inclined to agree, although we object to 

doing the data entry for that purpose under the guise 

of its value to us. When Dick Stoute (past president 

and secretary of the Barbados Yachting Association) 

states that “this electronic clearance will encourage 

more people to sail through the region and spend more 

money” (Compass, October 2008), he is only stating 

his opinion but offers nothing to support his statement. 

If Mr. Stoute is suggesting that yachtsmen will 

choose their destinations because of the availability of 

eSeaClear, he is mistaken: eSeaClear provides no 

added value to the yachtsman and thus will not be a 

consideration or factor in trip planning. 

What WILL encourage more people to sail through 

the Caribbean and spend more money is the implementation 

of the many initiatives to enhance the 

yachting experience that the ECLAC studies of 2002 

identified. Keats Compton’s organization(s), the 

Caribbean Marine Association (CMA) and the Marine 

Industry Association of St. Lucia (MIASL), were created 

as a result of the ECLAC studies and were thusly mandated 

to implement the recommendations FOR THE 

FINANCIAL BENEFIT OF THE ISLANDS’ CITIZENS. 

On the other hand, if eSeaClear is the precursor to the 

OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) or 

CARICOM (Caribbean Economic Community) pass 

through all member states for yachts (as has been 

promised various times in the past several years), we are 

heartily in favor of it, but tell us that’s the purpose: don’t 

try to fool us with lofty words about inherent value. 

This is a process issue, not a forms or data issue, as 

CMA claims. Computers should be used to streamline 

the process, not just because they’re there. The issues 

and concerns with Customs and Immigration described 

by yachtsmen in the past several years of the Compass 

all have to do with the process, not the length of time 

required to complete the paper forms, or even the 

forms themselves. The regulations seem to change, 

sometimes from day to day, from port to port, and even 

from official to official, within a given country. 

Yachtsmen are hard-pressed to understand what is 

required, as often times, an official will bypass or 

ignore a regulation, and that news travels as the current 

and correct way in that particular country. 

While each country has the right to its laws and regulations 

concerning Customs and Immigration, and the 

process for clearing in and out for the visiting yacht, 

there is no single source, even within each country, 

where we can obtain the correct information: not even 

a sign on the office doors as to hours open and what to 

do if one arrives after hours. In addition, there seems to 

be room for exceptions: we listened to a conversation on 

the high frequency radio a couple of weeks ago with a 

yacht leaving Trinidad for Grenada in the face of the 

incoming Hurricane Omar’s heavy seas, as his time in 

Trinidad was up and Immigration insisted he leave. 

The Caribbean Marine Association and the various 

marine trades groups on the islands would better 

spend their time acting as advocates for their yachting 

customers in relationship with Customs and 

Immigration, rather than jumping on the bandwagon 

of slick Internet applications that do not address the 

issues. eSeaClear is another example of the lack of 

understanding of the concerns of yachtsmen and demonstrates, 

once more, the need for the marine trades 

groups and the tourism officials to talk with their customers, 

not relying on a select few individuals, prior to 

implementing across-the-board changes. 

John and Melodye Pompa 

S/V Second Millennium 


Dear Messers Huybs, Johnston and any other sailors 

who have problems with Customs and Immigration 

and written letters about them in the October and 

other recent issues of Caribbean Compass: BEFORE 

you write to the Compass (and bore your fellow sailors 

at happy hour with your tales of woe), write your letter 

and send one copy to the Prime Minister of the country 

in question, one copy to the Minister of Tourism and 

one to the Head of the Tourist Department/Board. 

Once you have done this, wait a week or ten days, and 

then send your letter along with the replies (or nonreplies) 

from the above people to the Compass. 

Possibly if the ridiculous stands sometimes (but not 

always) taken by Customs and Immigration are 

brought to the attention of the above-listed individuals, 

changes might happen. Letters to the editor of the 

Compass do little good unless the case is brought to 

the attention of the above-listed people as well. 

On another matter, regattas in Grenada, the 

Carriacou Sailing Series has the best dates; Port Louis 

Grenada Sailing Festival has bad timing. 

Immediately after the first Sunday in January, bookings 

for hotels, crewed charter boats and bareboats 

traditionally go dead flat. They stay that way until the 

beginning of the third week in January, when bookings 

again begin to climb. By the end of January, 

hotels, crewed yachts and bareboats are usually 

almost fully booked. 

The Carriacou Sailing Series, being in the low 

January period, means that the competitors, visiting 

spectators and international journalists can find 

accommodations with no problem. In fact, they may be 

able to obtain accommodations at a reduced rate. 

In contrast, the Port Louis regatta is at the end of the 

month when the hotels, crewed yachts and bareboats 

tend to be fully booked at the high-season rate. This 

makes it difficult and expensive for boats to find 

accommodations ashore for their crew; ditto for spectators 

and visiting journalists. 

That the Grenada Sailing Festival is scheduled as it 

is, is not fully the fault of Port St Louis as they inherited 

a regatta that from its inception has been run at 

the wrong time. 



I can well remember the late Ron Smith asking me to 

meet him at the Grenada Yacht Club for a conference 

on the establishment of a Grenada Regatta. I pointed 

out that in the early days the Round Grenada race was 

successful as it was held on the first Sunday in 

January, when charter boats were either not booked 

and their crew thus available to race, or just ending a 

charter with a good chance of talking the guests into 

racing. I suggested that the regatta be held in the second 

or third week in January, when the hotels could 

be talked into reduced accommodations for competitors 

and visiting journalists, and giving two days’ bed 

and breakfast for two people as prizes, the most 

important prize winners staying at the best hotels. 

Since many bareboats would be sitting at the docks 

unused, the bareboat companies could be talked into 

reduced rates. 

If all the above was done, and the info on reduced 

rates on hotels, crewed yachts and bareboats, and the 

fact that airfares were also reduced for that period, 

was passed on to yacht clubs in the States, Canada 

and Europe, the regatta would fly. However, the powers 

to be that organized the Grenada regatta evidently 

threw Ron’s report in the scrap basket. 

The regatta continued, but never really grew to its full 

potential, and never will until the dates are switched so 

it is immediately after the Carriacou Sailing Series. The 

Carriacou Sailing Series 2009 is scheduled to run from 

the 14th to the 18th of January; the Grenada Sailing 

Festival, January 30th to February 3rd. 

Hopefully the above advice will not fall on deaf ears 

and the powers that be at Port Louis will move the 

regatta in 2010 to the low period in January. If this 

write-up persuades Port Louis to move the Grenada 

Sailing Festival dates I will have really contributed 

something to the island of Grenada, which I still look 

at as home. 

Speaking of Port Louis marina, having watched the 

yachting industry in Grenada from its earliest beginnings 

to the present (see my two-part series, “The 

History of Yachting in Grenada”, in the October and 

November 2008 issues of the Compass) I am 100 percent 

behind the Port St Louis development. 

For 40 years I have said that the economic position 

of Grenada is heavily influenced by the state of 

Grenada Yacht Services. As GYS slowly went down hill 

and finally died, the whole island was affected. Note in 

my article in the October issue the amount of employment 

and money produced by the yachting industry as 

compared to the hotel industry in the late Sixties. 

I realize that, at times, Port Louis may have run 

roughshod over certain people. Anchoring in St. 

George’s Lagoon is now out. Dredging out the shelf 

that protected the lagoon means that a northwest 

ground swell at times will enter the lagoon. At these 

times boats may have to move off the docks and 

anchor outside the lagoon. But when one considers 

how much employment will be generated by the yachts 

that are attracted to Grenada by Port Louis marina, I 

and many others feel that, overall, the whole operation 

is a plus for the entire island. 

I note in the October Compass’s Business Briefs that 

Port Louis marina is in the process of installing pumpout 

facilities for yachts. However, once pumped out of 

the yachts, where does the sewage go? Through a purification 

facility built by Port Louis marina? Into the 

city of St. Georges’ sewage system (which is then 

pumped into the sea)? Or trucked over to the south 

coast and dumped into the sewage system there (that 

also goes into the sea)? 

When all is said and done, the pump-out system 

may be an expensive installation that achieves nothing, 

as the lagoon has been polluted from shoreside 

sources for the entire time I have known Grenada, 

starting in 1962. 

Grenada should enact the same law that the British 

Virgin Islands have enacted: no discharge of holding 

tanks within 1,000 yards of shore. 

I realize all this will ruffle a few feathers, but that is 

what makes life interesting to a WPOF (well preserved 

old fart). 

D.M. Street, Jr. 

Yacht Iolaire 


Regarding the article in last month’s issue which 

mentioned damage done to yachts in Christiansted 

Harbor, St. Croix, by Hurricane Omar: 

From what I hear, the storm came up suddenly, 

going from a Tropical Depression to Tropical Storm in 

the middle of the Caribbean just north of Curaçao, 

becoming a Category 3 hurricane near St. Croix. In 

such a short period of time, people did not have adequate 

time to take it seriously, let alone to prepare 

properly for five hours of winds over a hundred miles 

per hour. 

The first US National Hurricane Center advisory 

came at 11:00AM on October 13th when a TD was at 

14.8°N, 69.6°W, or 175 miles north-northwest of 

Curaçao, moving northwest, with winds of 35 mph. By 

1:00AM on the 15th, it was just barely a Cat 1, located 

at 14.4°N, 68.0°W, packing 75 mph wind. At 7:00PM 

that day, it was Cat 3, with 105 mph wind, at 16.6°N, 

65.2°W. Five hours later (12:00AM on the 16th) it was 

blowing 120 mph at 17.9°N, 64.2°W. The good news is 

that the storm did not linger over St. Croix any longer 

than that. (For reference, The Buccaneer Hotel is at 

17°45’17’’N, 64°40’54’’W on the East End.) 

I understand that there are approximately 400 boats 

registered on the island, but most of those are small, 

trailerable vessels that can be parked on land. Many of 

the larger vessels were hauled out already. Several 

sportfishing boats were still at the Silver Bay Dock and 

sank in their slips, after destroying the dock. The 

majority of boats harbored at Green Cay and Salt River 

marinas had only slight damage, if any. 

Fair winds, 

Ellen Sanpere 

Cayenne III 

Dear Compass Crew, 

We are Pat and Pieter Stoeken of Independence, St. 

Thomas-based, long-time Caribbean residents. We 

spent a lot of time in the St. Vincent area in the early 

Seventies, chartered our old schooner, Evoe, for daysails 

to Bequia and Mustique, and have some good 

friends there. 

There are lots of wonderful places in the Caribbean 

and all have their loyal followers. I am writing this 

because I am tired of hearing the negatives of St. 

Vincent. I know there is crime; I’d just like to point out 

that it is not peculiar to St. Vincent. Second Millennium 

is right: “lock it or lose it” and take proper safety precautions 

wherever you choose to sail! 

That said, St. Vincent is wonderful. Independence 

spent two months at the boatyard at Ottley Hall. Our 

plan was to fly in on a Thursday and launch on Friday 

and we knew (Pieter ran Independent Boat Yard in St. 

Thomas for many years, so we know) that the chances of 

all our projects being finished to our satisfaction and on 

time were pretty slim. Well, guess what? It was all done, 

done well and on budget, too. We had a new boot stripe 

done by the Awlgrip guy; he also had the hull compound- 

In our experience, St. Vincent is wonderful… and 

everything grows 

ed and polished, the bottom was sanded and painted, 

dinghy too, and the zincs replaced on the shaft. 

We did have some help: Joe Brown is a local marine 

surveyor and good friend, so he kept an eye on things, 

and our old mate on Evoe, Lorraine Ross, was between 

skipper jobs so he did the bottom painting and a ton 

of varnishing for us. I know that they are friends and 

that definitely helps, but the yard manager is Paul 

Cyrus and he is very professional and takes the initiative 

to protect his customers (even moving boats in the 

middle of the night to protect them from surge during 

Hurricane Omar!). We count him a friend now and we 

will definitely bring our boat back. 

We had a refrigeration problem and with the hard 

work and commitment of Rondale Dowers, Sunsail’s 

outboard and refrigeration man, and his friend Carlos 

DeNobriga, the system was completely rebuilt. They 

are young men, recently qualified at the Technical 

School in St. Vincent. When they couldn’t solve the 

last puzzle they went to their instructor, Gary Peters; 

he came to our boat on Sunday night to help his students 

and by 9:00PM we had refrigeration. (Thanks, 

guys — it still works great!) They were professional, 

neat and so pleasant to work with. 

Sparrow is the man at Young Island anchorage. We 

were on a borrowed mooring but he still came by to say 

“hi” and help us tie up. He helped with garbage disposal 

and finding ice but we had to wave him over or 

call; no one ever came and harassed us. 

We had the Decoran crew come to polish the galley 

counters that they had installed five years ago. 

Another pleasant experience; Pedro is pleasant and 

professional. I did finally get all the dust cleaned up 

and everything is as good as new. They don’t take 

credit cards but trusted us to come with cash the next 

day; again, pleasant staff and no surprise charges. 

When Pieter flew to St. Thomas to close up our 

house for Hurricane Omar, I stayed with the boat on 

the dock in the Blue Lagoon. The staff at Sunsail kept 

an eye on me and offered to help when the swells were 

forecast. Thankfully we were okay, but it was very 

comforting to know that they were there if needed. 


BATES 

KP MARINELTD Y AMAHA MAR INE DISTRIBUTOR 

ENGINES 

(DUTY FREE PRICES) 

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SERVICE 

MARINE 

EQUIPMENT 

Located CALLIAQUA, St. Vincent 

opposite Howard’s Marine 

TEL: (784) 457 1806 FAX: (784) 456 1364 

E-mail: kpmarine@caribsurf.com 

P.O. Box 17, Kingstown 

McIntyre Bros. Ltd. 

TRUE BLUE, ST. GEORGE’S, 

GRENADA W.I. 

YAMAHA 

Parts - Repairs - Service 

Outboard Engines 2HP-250HP 

Duty-Free Engines for Yachts 

TOURS & CRUISES - CAR & JEEP RENTAL 

PHONE: (473) 444 3944/1555 

FAX: (473) 444 2899 

email: macford@caribsurf.com 




The island of St. Vincent is beautiful; everything 

grows and we pigged out on mangos and avocados, 

which are very expensive here in St. Thomas. I love 

waterfalls, also in short supply up here, but you have 

lots of choices in St. Vincent. 

We loved the barbecue at Sunset Shores hotel (and 

they have a computer for e-mail) and Sue Demmans’ new 

place for (not just) pizza, and we had a great lunch at 

Beachcombers. We even made it by car to Wallilabou Bay 

to check out the remains of the Pirates of the Caribbean 

movie set and the great little restaurant there. 

We are extolling the virtues of St. Vincent not to put 

down anywhere else. We spent time in the Grenadines 

and several fabulous days in Dominica — we loved 

them all and will be back as often as possible. We just 

think St. Vincent is pretty terrific, too! 

Thanks to everyone who made our summer so wonderful 

and thank you, Compass, for a great publication. 

Pat and Pieter Stoeken 

Yacht Independence 

Red Hook, St. Thomas 


I totally agree with Frederic Dalle’s comments about 

the installation of yacht moorings in the Tobago Cays 

in last month’s Compass. 

The Tobago Cays is, without doubt, an area of outstanding 

natural beauty — “leave nothing but footprints” 

we are constantly reminded. Yet in one move 

the TCMP has destroyed that unique and untouched 

image and these plastic, manmade visual eyesores 

now greet our arrival. 

If, as the Tobago Cays Marine Park’s Education 

Officer, Lesroy Noel, states, the moorings are optional 

then surely there was little point in going to the considerable 

expense of installing them in the first place! 

A better way to ensure that boats don’t anchor too 

close to the reef or near coral heads is simply through 

the vigilance of park rangers who need to be on visible 

duty throughout the day and are available to advise on 

fragile anchoring areas. 

I’m afraid I also have to agree with Frederic regarding 

the lack of patrolling carried out by the rangers. 

Yes, they are indeed polite and pleasant but once 

they’ve collected the money, they’re gone! As a charter 

boat based in the Grenadines we visit the Cays at least 

15 to 20 times a year with guests and I can honestly 

say this has been the case on each occasion. 

They certainly weren’t around last season when one 

of our guests was hit on the head by a local boat while 

snorkeling, or when a jet ski was deployed off a large 

yacht [note: jet skis are illegal in all St. Vincent & the 

Grenadines’ waters], or when some idiot managed to 

grab a turtle and hold it aloft for all to see — and we 

all know that dozens of turtles were netted last year in 

the absence of round-the-clock protection. 

I love the Tobago Cays with a passion but I strongly 

believe that there has to be a vigilant presence 

maintained by park rangers both day and night in 

order to protect them and this is where funds 

should be directed — not frittered away on “optional, 

user-friendly” eyesores. 

One further point. It concerns me that in the August 

Compass in Info and Updates, in an article about the 

moorings, Lesroy Noel stated, “In an effort to further 

develop the Tobago Cays…” The Tobago Cays is not a 

theme park: it doesn’t need developing, it simply 

needs protecting. 

On a different environmental matter, the annoying 

but occasional fuel spillages in Admiralty Bay, Bequia 

(mainly from ferries pumping out their bilges at night), 

have recently escalated to an unprecedented and 

unacceptable number as a result of the daily deliveries 

of cheap diesel by Venezuelan fishing boats to local 

ferries and any other interested parties. 

For whatever reason — faulty hose connections, lack 

of care or whatever — boats lying at anchor or on 

moorings in the bay are now subjected to an almost 

daily covering of diesel along their topsides as spillages 

float past and on out to open sea. The stench is disgusting 

and can last for hours. 

This is obviously not only detrimental and damaging 

for the marine environment but surely cannot be 

allowed to continue as we approach the upcoming holiday 

season when the bay is full of tourists expecting a 

safe and clean environment in which to swim and sail. 

Complaints by a number of concerned people to the 

Tourist Board, Customs and Coastguard do not seem 

to have made any difference. 

This is a real problem and needs addressing urgently. 

Comments anyone please? 

Susan Bruce 

S/Y Makayabella 


I recently spent a month cruising the Venezuelan 

islands of Las Tortugas and Los Roques. As always in 

this beautiful area we had a marvelous time. The only 

problem we encountered was in the Carenero anchorage 

of the Tortugas. For the second year running there have 

been swarms of mosquitoes. The little horrors love me 

so I had an uncomfortable few days until we moved. 

One thing we enjoy doing is snorkelling. Watching 

the life on a reef is a pleasure I certainly never get tired 

of. Sadly, the reefs in Las Tortugas and Los Roques are 

virtually empty of fish. 

It is not difficult to figure out why. Every year, what 

amounts to a fleet of French yachts meet in this area. 

They congregate in sociable groups anywhere from two 

to 15 yachts and spend many months anchored off the 

reefs. Every day these yachtspeople feed themselves by 

killing fish on the reef. Wet-suited figures with the 

ubiquitous spearguns spend hours combing every 

nook and cranny of the reefs and killing any creature 

that can be considered vaguely edible. 

The devastation the French yachting fraternity has 

caused with their obsession with speargunning for 

food has caused an unbelievable amount of harm to 

these fragile ecosystems. They observe no closed 

breeding season, killing the juvenile lobsters and the 

females with eggs. Although spearfishing is banned in 

Los Roques, they ignore the Park rules (as do the local 

Italians). To avoid the Park authorities they go to the 

reef to spearfish at dusk. 

I am not exaggerating when I say that over the years 

yachtsmen originating in the countries fringing the 

Mediterranean have virtually destroyed the life on reefs 

throughout the Eastern Caribbean. A total ban on the 

use of spearguns in the region is long overdue. In areas 

where a ban is rigidly enforced, such as Bonaire, the 

fish inhabit the reefs without the fear of some idiot 

with a speargun hunting them from dawn till dusk. 

Tim Sadler 

S/Y Nanou 


Although I’ve lived in the Caribbean since the late 

1960s, usually aboard boats, for many years I have 

spent my summers in Vermont, USA. So what to do 

when Don Stollmeyer, from Power Boats in Trinidad, 

a fellow sailor, comes visiting to see the fall colors? 

Hot air ballooning, a kind of sky sailing, seemed a bit 

like the local version of day sailing. Like sailing, you 

use the winds; unlike sailing, steering and stopping 

are different. 

Ballooning is something I had never done before, and 

my preliminary scouting left me wondering when I saw 

that I was signing on to fly several hundred feet in the 

air in a craft that bore an uncanny resemblance to a 

hospital laundry bin. 

Balloons take off most days from the nearby Post 

Mills airport, guided by Brian, for whom ballooning 

has been a passion for many years. He also owns the 

Nice docking! Caribbean sailor Donald Stollmeyer 

comes ashore after his first sky sailing experience 

airport, which, as Don was quick to notice, abuts a 

large graveyard. Even by Caribbean standards this is 

a quiet and laid back airport: just a grassy field containing 

a few gliders. 

It was a misty morning; the river fog had just started 

to lift. Our tiny craft lay on its side with three large gas 

cylinders attached, and the balloon, which is akin to a 

ballroom-sized spinnaker, lay stretched out on the 

ground. To fill the balloon, two people hold it open and 

blast the inside with a couple of big fans. It slowly 

starts filling, then writhing like some giant beast. Then 

it takes the shape of a balloon, and a blast of hot air 

lifts it and sets the basket upright. We climb in. 

There is no sensation as we take off. The little basket, 

which barely holds the three of us, is perfectly still. At the 

same time, the land is disappearing into the mist below. 

We climb about 300 feet to emerge in the sunshine on a 

vast sea of fog dotted with little islands. Brian has two 

controls to work with: the burners, which he can use to 

heat the air in the balloon, and a vent at the top of the 

balloon, which is attached to a cord he can pull, to let hot 

air out. Vermont is 80 percent forest and a treed balloon 

is a messy affair, so how do you navigate to land in a field 

when completely at the mercy of the wind? 



Don and I quickly notice something curious — as we 

ascend we drift in a northeasterly direction, when we 

descend we head east. It is these differences in wind 

direction that Brian uses to steer his craft. If he wanted 

to go to the north, he could drop down close to the 

river where the valley funnels any breeze up or down. 

We pass over one of the hilltops sticking up through 

the mist and start to drop down Lake Morey. 

The fall colors, subdued from a distance, become a 

blaze of red, gold, yellow and purple. Except for brief 

busts of the burners, there is no sound. It would be 

easy to hold a conversation with someone a couple of 

hundred feet below. Up in the air, wind is no problem: 

we would not even feel it. But takeoff and landing are 

a nightmare in a stiff breeze. I wonder about this as we 

come in low over a hedge at about 15 miles an hour. 

Brian, who has been talking to his two ground assistants 

throughout the trip, has them run out into the 

field as we approach. He throws down a long strand of 

webbing, they hang on with gloved hands and act like 

a human anchor, albeit one that is easily dragged 

across the turf. Brian tells us to hold on tight and 

spills air out of the balloon. The basket touches down, 

and gently capsizes, saving us the problem of clambering 

over the side. So that is how it is done! 

Don and I enjoyed our first sky sailing adventure. 

Sailing in two dimensions will never be quite the 

same. 

Chris Doyle 

Yacht Ti Kanot 

Dear Compass Readers, 

Greetings from a Compass fan and on-line subscriber. 

About two years ago, one of your readers sent in a 

letter discussing their positive experience with medical 

insurance for cruisers. I thought that I kept the article, 

but alas it’s nowhere to be found. 

We are now looking for international medical insurance 

as we live full time on our boat cruising the 

Caribbean. Can any other Compass readers recommend 

medical insurance? Any advice or leads you 

could give would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you, 

Susan Wales 

M/V Island Roamer 

Dear Compass Readers, 

We want to hear from YOU! 

Please include your name, boat name or shoreside 

address, and a way we can contact you (preferably by 

e-mail) if clarification is required. 

We do not publish individual consumer complaints or 

individual regatta results complaints. (Kudos are okay!) 

We do not publish anonymous letters; however, your 

name may be withheld from print at your request. 

Letters may be edited for length, clarity and fair play. 

Send your letters to: 

sally@caribbeancompass.com 

or 

Compass Publishing Ltd. 

Readers’ Forum 

Box 175BQ 

Bequia 

St. Vincent & the Grenadines 



Letter of 

the Month 

Hi there, Compass Crew! 

We would like to submit the following in answer to the What’s On My Mind article 

in the October issue: “Who’s Out There?” by Bruce Van Sant. 

You pose a very good question, Bruce. Who are today’s cruisers? Things HAVE 

changed, very noticeably so. They will change a lot more, too, if the trend for local 

governments to assume that every boatie is a millionaire doesn’t! But in answer to 

your question: 

My husband Mark and I left UK shores for a “two-year round-the-world cruise” on 

our catamaran, Manatee, in early 2003. On our way we met and got to know hundreds 

of cruisers and are still in touch with most of them. Some have gone onwards 

to South American and Pacific lands, some are “hangin’ in de Cribbian” and some 

have “swallowed the anchor” and returned home, wherever that was. One of the 

instant big benefits of becoming a cruiser is that you join a huge and welcoming 

family circle. Like most families we sometimes have our squabbles and differences, 

but there is usually someone around to help out in the case of difficulties and problems 

or to provide advice. 

Who are today’s 

cruisers? Lee and 

Mark enthusiastically 

say, ‘Count us in!’ 

One of the answers to your question that we have found is that there is now a new 

breed of cruiser, who is only happy while constantly moving on. When we were planning 

our trip we counted ourselves fortunate to be able to buy nearly all the charts 

we needed from a couple just returning from a two-year round-the-world trip. 

However, as we sat and listened to their stories over a few drinks, we realized that 

although they had been round the world, they had never stopped in any one place 

long enough to become familiar with it, much less meet any of the people living there 

and learn of their thoughts and beliefs, hopes and dreams. This insight changed our 

plans radically and we vowed that wherever we landed, we would stay long enough 

to explore, enjoy it and get to know some of the people living there. 

It took us two extremely enjoyable years just to journey along the coasts of France, 

Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands before crossing to the Caribbean. Of course 

there were many places we missed, but they are for next time. Since here, we have 

travelled the chain of islands from Trinidad up to the Dominican Republic. (Yes, know 

Luperon well — would YOU swim in that lagoon? Or disagree with the Commandant 

of the Navy?) We have worked charter boats round many of the islands and have 

delivered a boat here from Florida. We are willingly lost in our new lifestyle and it is 

looking likely now that there will never be a return to the UK, apart from brief visits 

to the family, though most family and friends are only too happy to come visit us. 

At present we are in St John, USVI — one of the loveliest places we have so far 

visited (two-thirds National Park, one town, one village, great people) and we have 

been here a while now. Far from being one of the “cluster” in “a bubble of back-home 

air”, we put ourselves up for adoption by the local community and have been 

absorbed into it. We join fund-raisers for the schools, collect trash, look after houses, 

children and pets, join the local regattas and races, support the local Yacht Club 

and children’s sail-training programs, provide willing hands for mast-raisings and 

boat repairs, look after boats for those cruisers suddenly called home for any reason, 

help out with pre- and post-hurricane activities, in general do anything that we 

would do if we lived here permanently. THAT is the way to get to know foreign life 

and foreign lands. 

We know we are not the only cruisers to be doing this — many of our yachtie friends 

have come to similar conclusions: they are extending their stays and throwing themselves 

into the local affairs in whichever location they sail to, finding that life is all 

the better for it! Perhaps we are all “escaping to” rather than “escaping from”. 

Lee Maunder 

Yacht Manatee 

Read in Next Month’s Compass: 

The Ultimate Caribbean Calendar of 2009 Events! 

Selected Shortwave Weather Reports 

Snorkeling with ‘Invaders’ 

and more!

— Continued from page 31 

Could a girl be happier? They said I was very beautiful and just about everybody 

wanted to touch me, especially the children. 

When we got to our final destination, or rather their final destination, the driver 

said the trip was on him and wouldn’t take my money. Three men, two of them with 

their families, stayed with me until I got another bus. They explained we were in a 

barrio and, using their hands to depict a gun, they told me we could get mobbed. 

They helped me get another bus and before departing they explained to the new 

driver that I am from Kenya in Africa. After getting many kisses blown at me and 

hugs from the women, I was off to Cumaná central. 

I smiled at everybody who entered the bus and the driver kept explaining to all the 

passengers that I was from Kenya, Africa, which meant I had to smile more. The pain 

Once I learned to use my million-dollar smile, Cumaná became a different place — 

and I loved it 

in my jaws at the end of the day did leave me wondering how toothpaste spokespeople 

manage to smile all the time. I got another free ride — the driver wouldn’t 

accept my money. 

Back in Cumaná central, I felt like a new person. I walked confidently and smiled 

at everybody looking at me. Talk about the power of a smile and being African. After 

telling the market vendors I was from Kenya and flashing my smile, I ended up with 

an extra of just about everything I bought. The best for a fruit fanatic like me was 

when I got two kilos of passion fruit free from a lovely lady. 

But leaving the market, I became lost. Armed with my new defense-breaking 

weapon known as a smile, I asked two ladies for the direction of Marina Plaza bus. 

In the process of explaining I could not comprehend their directions, I squeezed in 

the fact that I am a Kenyan from Africa. As usual they were fascinated and they took 

me all the way to the bus stop and waited with me until I was safely in the bus. I 

knew then I would never be the same again. 

I now smile much more often and my love for Mother Africa is back. I now have a 

dictionary and am learning a few more Spanish words. I venture into the city a lot 

more — and I love Cumaná. My jaws ache much less, now that they are used to all 

the smiling. I have even made a few new friends. Not that we can communicate well, 

but we try. 

Gordon is still yet to understand my transformation from hating to loving Cumaná. 

I tell him it’s the combination of the smile and the mystery that is Africa, but he won’t 

accept it. But then who knows, it could be because of my smile that he did his best 

to get me away from Kenya. And now here I am, explaining my love for Cumaná. 

ST. THOMAS YACHT SALES 

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36’ 1980 Albin Trawler 

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Tel: (340) 779-1660 

Fax: (340) 779-2779 

yachts@islands.vi 

46’ 1975 Durbeck D-46 

World Cruiser 

72HP Perkins, AP, Solar Panels 

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Sail 

37’ 1978 Tayana Cutter, Well built, canoe stern $79,000 

37’ 1978 Endeavour Sloop, well equipped, hauled $35,000 

41’ 1985 C & C Racer/Cruiser in excellent condition $119,000 

49’ 1975 Transpacific Ketch, bluewater cruiser, 3 strms $180,000 

Power 

27’ 2005 Bayliner 265, AC, Sleeps 4, low eng. hrs $56,000 

27’ 1989 Mako CC, 200HP Yamaha’s, T-Top $27,000 

39’ 1998 Mainship Trawler, Yanmar diesels, A/C, Genset $129,900 

42’ 1983 Present Sundeck, AP, Sundeck, Washer/dryer $99,500 

42’ 1992 Grand Banks Trwl, Classic, 3 strm, Ford Lehmans $160,000 

Call, fax or visit our website for a complete list of boats for sale 

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Islands Spirit 37 - US Flag 

2001 - Perfect Condition 

St Martin 204 000 US $ 

Monohulls 

Sealine S 48 - 2006 

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Guadeloupe 249 000 € 

MONOHULL 

Halberg Rassy 53 2004 Guadeloupe 700 000 € 

Amel 54 2007 Like New St Maarten 849 000 € 

Amel Mango 1979 Martinique 120 000 € 

Alubat Ovni 435 2006 Guadeloupe 269 000 € 

GibSea 43 2003 Martinique 105 000 € 

CATAMARANS 

Lagoon 440 2006 Martinique 390 000 € 

Lagoon 380 2004 St Martin 165 000 € 

Nautitech 395 1999 St Martin 169 000 € 

Athena 38 1996 Venezuela 140 000 US $ 



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Post Office Port Elizabeth, Bequia 

Phone: (784) 455 7631 

PORTHOLE RESTAURANT & BAR 

& Shoreline Mini-Market 

We serve breakfast, 

lunch and dinner 

VHF CH68 

Phone (784) 458-3458 

A friendly atmosphere where you can sit and meet people. 

Admiralty Bay, Bequia 

Noelina & Lennox Taylor welcome you! 

CARRIACOU REAL ESTATE 

Land and houses for sale 

For full details see our website: 

www.islandvillas.com 

or contact Carolyn Alexander at 

Down Island Ltd 

e-mail: islander@caribsurf.com 

Tel: (473) 443 8182 Fax: (473) 443 8290 

We also handle Villa Rentals & 

Property Management on Carriacou 

UNIQUE IN DOMINICA 

Roseau & Portsmouth 

Tel: 767-448-2705 Fax: 767-448-7701 

Dockmaster Tel: 767-275-2851 VHF: 16 

info@dominicamarinecenter.com 

www.dominicamarinecenter.com 

The Dominica Marine Center is the 

home of the Dominica Yacht Club 

and your center for: 

• Yacht Mooring Anchorage • Grocery Store & Provisioning 

• Bakery (Sukie’s Bread Company) • Water at dock • Fuel 

(Unleaded / Diesel) • Ice • Yacht Chandlery agents - Budget 

Marine /Sea Choice Products Mercury Marine / Yanmar Marine 

• LP Gas (propane) refills • Showers & Toilets (WC) • Garbage 

Disposal • Security • Telephone & Fax • Mobile Phone Rental / 

SIM Top Up • Laundry WiFi Internet • Beach Bar • Nearby 

Restaurants • Taxi & Tour Operators • Whale Watching & Sport 

Fishing • Light Engine and Boat Repair • Customs / Immigration 

Clearance Information • Visa / Master Card accepted 

TechNick Ltd. 

Engineering, fabrication and 

welding. Fabrication and repair of 

stainless steel and aluminium items. 

Nick Williams, Manager 

Tel: (473) 536-1560/435-7887 

S.I.M.S. Boatyard, True Blue, Grenada 

technick@spiceisle.com 

THIS COULD BE 

YOUR 

MARKET PLACE AD 

Book it now: 

tom@caribbeancompass.com 

or contact your local island agent 

continued on next page


Cruising Rally 

Shipchandler, Artimer 

Le Marin, Martinique 

TRANSCARAIBES 2009 

Guadeloupe to 

Haiti, Jamaica 

& Cuba 

e-mail: contact@transcaraibes.com 

www.transcaraibes.com 

Tel: + 590 (0) 690 494 590 

clippers-ship@wanadoo.fr 

Tel: (0) 596 71 41 61 Fax: (0) 596 71 77 

�� 

�� 

All the 

Supplies, 

Chandlery 

& Safety 

Equipment 

for your Boat 

Open 7/7 

MARTINIQUE 

Port de Plaisance 97290, Le Marin 

Tel: +596 74 87 55 Fax: +596 74 85 39 

email: le-ship-martinique@wanadoo.fr 

Voiles Assistance 

Didier and Maria 

LE MARIN/MARTINIQUE 

Sails & Canvas (repairs & fabrication) 

located at Carenantilles dockyard 

Open Monday to Friday 8-12am 2-6pm 

Saturday by appointment 

tel/fax: (596) 596 74 88 32 

e-mail: didier-et-maria@wanadoo.fr 

R I 

G 

G IN 

G 

LE MARIN, MARTINIQUE • GRENADA R 

www.caraibe-greement.fr cgmar@wanadoo.fr 

Phone: +(596) 596 74 8033 Cell: (596) 696 27 66 05 

CIRExpress 

COURIER SERVICES 

St. Maarten/ St. Martin, collect 

and deliver door to door 

Packages Pick – up call: 

+ (599) 553-3850 / + (590) 690-222473 

Int. 001-3057042314 

E-mail: ericb@megatropic.com 

Independent Boatyard, St. Thomas, VI 

340-774-3175 Office • 340-513-3147 Cell 

yachts@viaccess.net yachts@vipowernet.net 

www.maritimeyachtsales.com 

continued on next page 

S 

H IP 

C 

H 

A 

N 

D LE 




Marine Distributors 

www.IslandWaterWorld.com 

sales@IslandWaterWorld.com 

St Thomas, St Maarten, 

St Lucia, Grenada 

P: 599-544-5310 F: 599-544-3299

BOATS FOR SALE 

1986 Beneteau 51 Nice condition, 

plenty of new 

upgrades, ready to sail, 

located Palm Island, SVG. 

Info on www.artandsea.com. 

Tel: (784) 458-8829 E-mail: 

palmdoc@vincysurf.com 

FAMOUS POTATOES 2005 

Admiral 38 Catamaran. For 

Sale. You can follow 

her adventure now at 

web.mac.com/famouspotatoes2 

1975 GERMAN FRERS 39 FT, 

2 sets racing sails, US 61.000 

St.Lucia duty paid. Other 

boats for sale: 

1981 Cape Dory 30, 

US 39.000, St.Lucia duty paid, 

2002 Oceanis 36, 2 cabin, 

US 94.000, 

1975 German Frers 39ft, 2 

sets racing sails, US 61.000 

St.Lucia duty paid, 

2000 Dehler 41CR, 3 cabin, 

US 255.000, 

2001 Beneteau 50, 3 cabin, 

US 199.000, reduced 179,000 

2000 Catana 471, 4 cabin, 

460.000 Euros, 

Tel (758) 452-8531 

E-mail destsll@candw.lc 

BOATS FOR SALE IN TRINIDAD 

Tel (868) 739-6449 

www.crackajacksailing.net 

Heritage WI 46´ '77 

GPR Classic CC. Cutter. 

Great liveaboard. Lying in 

Grenada.US$ 75000:- or try an offer. 

E-mail: boc@hotelhenan.info 

S&S 34, Morning Tide - US$31,750. 

Excellent Condition – good 

inventory. Tel: (868) 704-1358 

Email: pmorris@caribinfo.com 

URGENT SALE - VENUS 46, 1984 

KETCH fiberglass, gc, new 

engine, very well equipped, 

excellent live aboard and 

cruiser. Price reduced from 

US$199,000 to US$169,000 ONO 

for a fast sale. Lying St Lucia. For 

more info and pictures please 

e-mail venus46@live.com or 

phone +596696907429. 

CSY 44 1979, major refit '99/00, 

rebuilt Perkins 60HP 1,000 hrs, 

new sails 2004, solar & wind 

generator, no osmosis, strong 

reliable boat, new AB 10' RIB, 

Yamaha 15, hauled St. Martin 

for season. $78,000 includes 

mooring in St. Barths.E-mail 

robin.shepherd@wanadoo.fr 

Tel +590 690 35 73 38. 

3 x RIB’s, TP 7.8 Meter 2005 

RIB. Twin Yamaha 200HP 4 

Stroke. $40K, AB VST 24’ RIB. 

Brand new, unused hull, 

centre console no engine. 

$22K, AB 19’ RIB 115HP 

Suzuki ( 100 hours ) $20K 

Lying BVI Tel (284) 494-4289 

2007 INTREPID 300 Open. 

Twin 250 HP Evinrude ETECS. 

Every available option 

including T-Top, custom 

center console with head, 

bow thruster, dive door, 

Northstar Color GPS, 

AutoPilot, Depthfinder, live 

bait well and much more. 

Boat and Engines are like 

new with less than 300 hrs. 

This boat has been captain 

maintained since new and is 

located on St. Thomas, USVI. 

If you want the best 30’ 

center console this is it. 

Owner has new Intrepid on 

order. $150,000. Tel (610) 

251-9135. 

Admiral Yacht Insurance UK 46 

A&C Yacht Brokers Martinique MP 

Anjo Insurance Antigua 20 

Art & Design Antigua MP 

Art Fabrik Grenada MP 

B & C Fuel Dock Petite Martinique 35 

Barefoot Yacht Charters St. Vincent 16 

Barrows Sails & Canvas Trinidad MP 

Basil’s Bar Mustique 45 

Bay Island Yachts Trinidad 51 

Bequia Music Fest Bequia 6 

Bichik Services Martinique MP 

Boat Shed Brokers Tortola 50 

Bogles Round House Carriacou 44 

Budget Marine Sint Maarten 2 

BVI Yacht Sales Tortola 51 

Camper & Nicholsons Grenada 23 

Caraibe Greement Martinique 12 

Caraibe Greement Martinique MP 

Caraibe Yachts Guadeloupe 51 

Carene Shop Martinique 32 

Caribbean Marine Electrical Trinidad MP 

Caribbean Propellers Ltd. Trinidad MP 

Caribbean Woods Bequia MP 

Carriacou Silver Diving Carriacou MP 

Catamarans Carib Wide MP 

CIRExpress St. Maarten MP 

Clipper Ship Martinique MP 

31' (9.35M) MURIA 1992 Bermuda 

sloop. Popular So. 

Africa design by Oswald 

Beckmeyer, built by Z-Craft 

in Durban, S.A. Yanmar 

2GM20, Zetus manual windlass, 

many extras for cruising. 

Berthed at Grenada 

Yacht Club. Contact Selwyn 

Tel (473) 435-4174 

CATALINA SLOOP with everything. 

Owner relocating. 

For inventory E mail 

s.v.curvaceous@gmail 

Patrick Tel (473) 406-8888 

OYSTER 45' 1996. BEQUIA 

Visit oysteryachtrainbowspirit.com 

to see details on this lovely 

yacht.Price US360,000 

Tel (784) 532 1690 

MISC. FOR SALE 

Selden mast with rigging for 

40footer, winches, engine parts, 

windlass, diesel stove, sails, and 

lots more - ask for complete list 


(758) 452 8531 

BRAND NEW 15 HP YAMAHA 

2 stroke outboard, ran 5 

hours. 1800 US$. Aries lift-up 

vane gear self steering 

device,1000 US$. HF transceiver 

IC-735+tuner, 500 US$ more 

info: E-mail: elliemaebyas@ 

hotmail.com Tel; (473) 

404-0274 or (784) 495-0826 

SELDEN RIG for VINDÖ 35, 

deck stepped, boom, 

spreaders, lights, winches 

(has been changed for 

upgrade) ask for details 

Tel (758) 452-8531 


36HP YANMAR DIESEL 

Trinidad Cell (868) 615-1914 

E-mail JanDutch@tstt.tt 

2x54’ FIBERGLASS 

CATAMARAN HULLS Cell: 

(868) 615-1914 E-mail 

JanDutch@tstt.tt 

SAILS AND CANVAS 

EXCEPTIONALLY SPECIAL 

DEALS at http://doylecaribbean.com/specials.htm 

CLASSIFIEDS 

PROPERTY FOR SALE 

BEQUIA PROPERTY FOR 

LEASE Waterfront house with 

dock Admiralty Bay. 1/2 

acre of land at Level. 6,000 

square feet in Hamilton. 

Tel (784) 458-3942 

E-mail: Daffodil_harris @ yahoo.com 

CARRIACOU, ONE ACRE LOTS 

and multi acre tracts. Great 

views overlooking Southern 

Grenadines and Tyrrel Bay 

www.caribtrace.com 

BELLEVUE, CARRIACOU, 

GRENADA.16 by 32 feet, solidly 

built with hardwood 

and baked enamel tin roof. 

Fence, plus gate, plus latrine 

and a 400-gallon water 

tank with gutter system in 

place. Southern panoramic 

view with a breeze, 5-10 

minutes walk to secluded 

black sand beach. Tel (902) 

648-0165 or go to http: 

//www.carriacou.net/ 

listings/WoodenHouseBelmont/ 

BEQUIA PROPERTIES A classic 

Belmont villa in 1 acre 

2,000,000US, The Village 

Apartments Business 

1,890,000US, Admiralty Bay 

900,000US, Spring Villa 

1,750,000US LowerBay 

1.600,000US, Friendship 

320,000US, Moonhole 

750,000US, relax & enjoy 

Bequia life. 

Tel (784) 455 0969 E-mail 

grenadinevillas@mac.com 

www.grenadinevillas.com 

BEQUIA, Lower Bay, Bells 

Point, House and Land. 

Serious buyers only. Sale by 

owner. Call (784) 456 4963 

after 6pm. E-mail 

lulleym@vincysurf.com 

ADVERTISERS INDEX 

ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# ADVERTISER LOCATION PG# 

RENTALS 

Sapphire Resort Marina- 

St. Thomas, Safe-Private- 

Convenient. Long & Short 

Term Rentals 65 ft Max. 

$1,200.00 monthly. Adjacent 

Apartments also available. 

E-mail: lvc99@aol.com 

Tel: 787-366-3536 

Sapphire Village St. Thomas 

Studios and 1 Bedroom 

Apartments. Short & Long 

Term Rates. Starting @ 

$1,100.00 month. Boat Slips 

also Available. See photos 

at www.vrbo.com #106617 

Tel: 787-366-3536 or 

Email:lvc99@aol.com 

Cooper Marine USA 50 John Cawsey Bequia MP 

Curaçao Marine Curaçao 30 Johnson Hardware St. Lucia 15 

Diesel Outfitters St. Maarten 35 Jones Maritime St. Croix 47 

Dockwise Yacht Transport Martinique 13 KNJ Mariner Trinidad MP 

Dockyard Trinidad MP KP Marine St. Vincent 47 

Dominica Marine Center Dominica MP L'Auberge des Grenadines Bequia 44 

Dopco Travel Grenada 25 Le Ship Martinique MP 

Down Island Real Estate Carriacou MP LEDLights Carib Wide MP 

Doyle Offshore Sails Tortola 3 LIAT Caribbean 49 

Doyle's Guides USA 42 Lulley's Tackle Bequia 41 

Echo Marine - Jotun Special Trinidad 26 Marc One Marine Trinidad MP 

Electropics Trinidad 33 Maritime Yacht Sales St. Thomas MP 

Electropics Trinidad MP McIntyre Bros. Ltd Grenada 47 

Errol Flynn Marina Jamaica 14 Mid Atlantic Yacht Services Azores MP 

Falmouth Harbour Marina Antigua 11 Navimca Venezuela 29 

Fernando's Hideaway Bequia MP Navtech Trinidad MP 

Food Fair Grenada 43 Northern Lights Generators Tortola 8 

Fortress Marine St. Kitts 17 Old Fort Estates Bequia MP 

Frangipani Hotel Bequia 39 Peake Yacht Brokerage Trinidad 48 

Fred Marine Guadeloupe 19 Perkins Engines Tortola 27 

Gourmet Foods St. Vincent 45 Petit St. Vincent PSV 38 

Grenada Marine Grenada 25 Porthole Restaurant Bequia MP 

Grenada Sailing Festival Grenada 20/21 Power Boats Trinidad MP 

Grenada Tourism Grenada 5 Prickly Bay Marina Grenada 21 

Grenadines Sails Bequia 35 Psychic Readings by Diana Antigua MP 

GRPro-Clean Martinique MP Renaissance Marina Aruba 22 

Iolaire Enterprises UK 43/46 Salty Dog Sports Bar Bequia 44 

Island Water World Sint Maarten 56 Santa Barbara Resorts Curaçao 31 

SERVICES 

BEQUIA - PROFESSIONAL 

UNISEX HAIR SERVICE 

JSM Beauty Salon, Villa and 

Yacht visits accepted. Contact 

Jill for an appointment. Tel 

(784) 457-3600 E-mail: 

jsm3beautysalon@yahoo.com 

PUERTO LA CRUZ, VENZ. 

INSURANCE SURVEYS, electrical 

problems and yacht 

deliveries. Tel Cris Robinson 

(58) 416-3824187 E-mail 

crobinson@telcel.net.ve 

BEQUIA HOMEMADE 

BREADS & Cakes made fresh 

every day! Wholewheat, multigrain, 

banana bread, herbs 

& flax, butter crescents. To 

place order Tel (784) 457- 

3527/433-3008 E-mail 

bequiasweetiepie@yahoo.com 

Orders are delivered FREE 

Scottie's Scooter Rentals 

St. Lucia 758-450-1404 

or 758-584-8722, 

E-mail carsonz@hotmail.com 

COMPLETE AFRICAN 

EXPERIENCE Kruger National 

Park, mountains, magnificent 

Vistas, solitude. 

www.hazeyview.com 

WANTED 

New BVI Publishing 

Company seeking a Graphic 

& Web Designer. Degree 

and experience in areas 

such as book layout, magazine 

design, web and video 

editing is required. Interest in 

water sports, travel, arts and 

crafts a plus. Email application 

and resume to: dreadeye@surfbvi.com 

or/and 

alex@surferspath.com. 

TORTOLA - ARAGORNS 

STUDIO looking for 2 employees.Welder/Workshopmanager 

and shop assistant 

required at our busy Art 

Studio in Trellis Bay, BVI.Ideal 

candidates are a couple 

with artistic inclination living 

on their own boat and looking 

for shore side employment 

in a US$ economy. Still 

interested to hear from a 

lone welder! Info contact 

Aragorn Tel (284) 495-1849 

E-mail dreadeye@surfbvi.com 

KEEP THE 

ISLANDS 

BEAUTIFUL… 

Dispose 

of your 

garbage properly! 

Merry Christmas & 

a Happy New Year 

to all our Readers 

and Advertisers 

Sea Services Martinique 18 

Ship's Carpenter Trinidad MP 

Soper's Hole Marina Tortola 21 

Soreidom Martinique 10 

Spice Island Marine Grenada 24 

St. Maarten Sails St. Maarten 26 

St. Thomas Yacht Sales St. Thomas 51 

Superwind Germany 33 

SVG Air St. Vincent 28 

SVG Tourism St. Vincent 7 

Technick Grenada MP 

Ti' Ponton Martinique 42 

Tikal Arts & Crafts Grenada 46 

Trade Winds Cruising Bequia 32 

Trans Caraibes Rallies Guadeloupe MP 

Turbulence Sails Grenada 24 

Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout Carriacou 20 

Vemasca Venezuela 40 

Voiles Assistance Martinique MP 

Volvo Martinique 9 

Wallace & Co Bequia 41 

Wallilabou Anchorage St. Vincent 39 

WIND Martinique MP 

WIND Martinique MP 

Xanadu Marine Venezuela 40 

MP Market Place pages 52 to 54 


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Published by Compass Publishing Limited, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and printed by Trinidad Publishing Company Limited

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