This adventure really begins in 2005 when after selling our current boat, Carl announces he feels a catamaran should be our next boat. So with three other mono-hull sailing couples we chartered a SunSail catamaran in the BVI to see what it really was like. We all liked the roominess and the sailing platform. Armed with this knowledge we went to the Newport Boat Show to look at catamarans. We stopped by the Sun Sail booth to thank them for a great charter and they convinced us to talk to their owner/charter representative. We had looked into this concept many times but felt it was not for us as you usually finished your charter contract still owing considerable amount on the boat and we wanted to be debt free. They had an unusual plan that allowed us to co-share the boat with Sun Sail for the 5 year contract and then own the boat free and clear, no debt. We went home to think about this and a month later we called the representative to see if any of the boats under this offer were still available. A 380S Lagoon was left and that was the boat we wanted so we committed to the process. We have had 6 years of wonderful chartering on either our boat or a sister ship in other locals. We tried to see Frolic at least every other year and fell in love with St. Vincent and the people that live here. They are for the most part friendly and very helpful. It is also extremely easy to get around as the bus/vans run constantly and for 2EC equivalent in US 55cents to get just about anywhere. We take them to town to market and especially when looking for that part that will take us 3 hours to find. Being in an island country is like being in a big thrift shop. If you see something you think you might need, buy it as it won’t be there next time you go looking for it and it will be on order, 3 or 4 weeks to reach.
The dreaded moment for Carl was now upon us. We were going to transition the boat to our total ownership, what shape would she be in? We arrived in St. Vincent in July 2011 after selling our home and belongings to start the process. She had been surveyed in Grenada by a recommended surveyor and the list was sent to us and base manager Simon. It was a pleasure to work with the base in the phase out process, Simon and Sylvain and the staff could not have been more accommodating in putting the boat into great shape. We left the boat in the care of RossMike in Aug. and came back to the states to quit our jobs, take care of family obligations, and visit our sons and their families before returning to take off sailing.
Jan 4, 2012 found us dragging 200lbs of luggage thru 3 airports to finally making St. Vincent at 9:00 at night. Since St. Vincent does not have an international airport the trip is more challenging. You can fly to San Juan from the US and then take Liat through many islands until you arrive at St. Vincent or you can fly to Barbados, St. Lucia, or Grenada more directly from the US and then take Liat over to St. Vincent. The boat was at the dock waiting for us. Keys handed to us by security. Most of our luggage was boat equipment as we had brought a Ray Marine Chart Plotter and a 2000 watt inverter as well as additional stuff for the alternators that Carl had installed in the summer. I have never been more weight conscious in my life. Clothing was optional. There were still some jobs to be completed on the boat, esp. the Bimini which we soon learned the material had not been ordered…… The first weekend after arriving the Marina was crazy so we worked on our projects, install the inverter, install the chart plotter, check sails and lines, etcetera, but Sun Sail’s projects had to be deferred till the next week. Friday we went to the local Yamaha dealer to pick up our 15 hp 2 stoke outboard. We had ordered it in July to be picked up in Jan. We found the price very competitive to US prices and we did not have to pay shipping!!! The guys came on board Tues.-Thurs and completed all the projects left. The bimini material arrived Mon. night and I did a happy dance down the dock. Unfortunately it is a week later and we still do not have a bimini. While we have been busy doing our projects we have also met fellow cruisers getting valuable information. One couple shared popcorn made in a Whirlypop popcorn maker and it was delicious, a must on our wish list now. Do not miss the market in Kingstown, see picture, every imaginable fruit is available as well as many vegetables, this island is truly a garden of Eden and the prices are very reasonable.
Eseaclear.com now makes it easy to go on line and fill out all your clearance and departure information so when checking in and out of a country the process is more streamlined. Just remember to take your clearance # with you that they give you on the site. Another good thing is you can get your US Customs decal on line for $27.50 at the customs site a .gov site. Currency in St. Vincent is the EC which currently is exchanged at 2.68. The island of St. Vincent has a lot to offer. We have hiked the volcano with a guide, been to the botanical gardens, and climbed both Ft. Duvernette and Ft. Charlotte which guarded Kingston Harbor. We have been to Falls of Baleine and Dark View Falls and of course Wallilabou Bay where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. Thurs. the 12th of Jan. I had an allergic reaction to something and my throat swelled up. We went to Casualty at the hospital and I was well taken care of. Emergency health care on St. Vincent is free. I now am carrying an epi-pin just in case. In our many trips down here we have spent time in the Grenadines and Grenada. This time we will head north to St. Lucia.
In the picture above you can see Baliceaux and Pillories, both uninhabited islands, far out you can glimpse a bit of Mustique, and close up on the right Bequia. At the left the pointed hill is Fort Duvernette, an actual fort used to guard the harbor. Can’t even imagine how they got the big cannons up to the top. They are still there. It is an interesting climb. In the picture below is a picture of Young Island taken from the porch of the French Veranda restaurant next to where we had gone to church.
The last picture is Carl trying to get into the Jimmy Buffet mode, feet in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, cold beer in my hand. Life is good today.
