"There and Back Again"(our way)

San Pedro Carnival

 A Rendezvous aboard SV Rendezvous

Yay! We're Here!!

Feb 4th, 2017, three years and two days between our departure from Placencia, Belize and our return. Three years of new places and new faces. Now memories to be treasured knowing all the challenges were faced up to and conquered. So many great times and super people. Cruising friends who will warm our hearts forever. Our adventure in the Antilles is over.

But now we’re back and feeling like Belize is our best Christmas and Birthday all rolled into one. All those cayes to visit, the atolls which we hardly touched in the other times we were here, the inland beauty of Mayan temples and rain forest just out there waiting for us. Strange to be so excited about a place we’ve been to so often. Belize is made for exploring, so many nooks and crannies! We are once again avidly reading and plotting our way thru Captain Freya Rauscher’s Pilot Book. Old as it is (3rd edition is from 2007, last printing in 2013) it’s still the best and only guidebook available. A great feeling is knowing there’s no time limit - it all stretches out for as long as we stay interested!

There’s even icing on that cake because we also get to look forward to being back in Guatemala, where we’ll spend hurricane season on the Rio Dulce with trips inland. Plus there will be time in the Bay Islands of Honduras which we’ve never visited. 

El Milagro - the miracle on Isla Mujeres

On Jan 24th we arrived on Isla Mujeres after an easy passage across the Yucatan Channel. Found a berth at El Milagro Marina, and were happy to use their agent service to get cleared in. Mexico easily wins the “who has the most convoluted clearance procedures” award. Certainly the amount of paperwork generated is inches higher than anywhere else. So it was wonderful to have each agency meet with us and our agent under the palapa at a tile covered table in El Milagro’s courtyard hearing the sound of a trickling fountain rather than running ourselves silly. Someone said it took them 3 days. Luckily our cruising permit is still good or that would have involved a trop to Cancun also.

El Milagro is a wonderful marina and small resort on Isla Mujere’s West coast. It was where we arrived for our first visit back in 2012 and it has only grown more beautiful and convenient since then. But the “miracle” was meeting Joe and Maribeth on La Peregrina. They were waiting for us to come in having heard me on the SSB with Chris Parker discussing our crossing; then heard us on the VHF arranging a berth. La Peregrina’s crew have been blog followers for years!! We’re an inspiration they say, WOW!!! Originally from Nashville they lived in New Orleans for awhile and ran into Capt Andy Galliano who first introduced them to our blog when this all first started. How’s that for serendipity. Several days and nights of drinks and laughter ensued.

Cheryl & JD, our friends from Lafitte

We left Isla Mujeres with a backward smile and sailed to Cozumel in time to meet up with Cheryl and JD Dempster, long time and dear friends from Lafitte. They were enjoying a Carnival cruise and it worked out perfectly for a little get together. The next morning, Feb 1 we started the trek along the Mexican coast that eventually would bring us to Belize. This is among our longest passages at 185 NM and never a good sail. Each time we make this passage, and this is our fifth, there's been problems. No matter how hard we try to pick the perfect weather window something occurs. The trades and seas coupled with the Yucatan current make this passage uncomfortable. This time, despite the forecast, wind and seas were raging as we approached Belize and the reef opening into San Pedro. 8 ft E waves were crashing across the opening and 25kt NE winds made it so rough that Roy hand steered as Otto, our auto pilot, kept giving up in despair. it was obvious we needed to sail on. 42NM later ( a total of 227 NM if you’re counting and believe me we were) we came through the reef at English Cay and used the wide ship channel to safely get behind Belize’s Barrier Reef. We breathed a heavy sigh of relief as we dropped the hook behind Middle Long Cay. Our intention of spending a couple of weeks in San Pedro would happen another time. Tomorrow it’s on to surprise friends waiting on us in Placencia and finally get to Yoli's, the Best Cruiser Bar in the Caribbean. We know. I think we've been to them all!

At Yoli's

Ya just never know who you'll meet again
that's Mary and Ralph from SV Restless Heart,
last seen in Dominica

After dropping the hook at Middle long Caye it was time for celebratory martinis and big, big grins! The next day we enjoyed a lovely sail with just our jib flying. We were doing about 6kts in 22 -25 kt NE wind with nothing but a light wind driven wrinkle on the water. That’s the difference the reef makes, same wind as yesterday but without the 6-8ft seas. We were heading for Garbutt Cay about 22 NM away. We plan to overnight there and get into Placencia the next day. At this point anything longer than 30NM feels too long to us.  

At Tackle Box Bar with the crew of Wanderlust & Rendezvous

PS: Its now been six weeks since our arrival and I guess we just couldn’t sit still for long. A couple of weeks enjoying Placencia and we were off with Rendezvous and Wanderlust to sail North to San Pedro. Off course there were stops along the way as none of us had a reason to hurry so Lagoon Caye, Garbutt Caye, Blue field Range and Caye Caulker had us for a night or two each with snorkeling and Happy Hours aboard each other’s boat. We sailed through Port-o-Stuck and eventually dropped anchor right in front of Ramon’s. Sipping Belikans at Hurricanes and Tackle Box. Had we ever left? 

Sailing Belize

Cruisers’ Notes

If you come in this way the anchorage at English Cay, while beautiful, offers very little protection. Instead Follow the Eastern ship channel in and turn left at the second green buoy after English Cay.

You can come across 12 Feet Bank in good depths to anchor in 15 ft of water with good holding behind Middle Long Cay, a mangrove cay.  Anchor near 17.16.240N 88.05.49W look for a sandy patch. Its suggested that you put a deck light on instead of your mast light. No use advertising.

Cuba 2017 - Confusing,Conflicted, Cumbersome but So Very Congenial

Hopefully not our last "green flash"

Had a Passenger

We left Montego Bay January 4th and took advantage of the mild trades resulting from a stalled cold front in the Gulf of Mexico. A good way to wash away the taste of the nasty trip in 2014 which brought us to Jamaica from Cuba in 15 ft seas and 40 kt winds. This time the 150NM trip was in light Easterlies & seas of less than 2-3'.

1st Bucanero - definitely in Cuba

As this was our 3rd time in Cuba we were mainly interested in getting as many miles under our keel as a dislike for nasty weather and overnight passages  allowed. Our plan was to stay in the Southern cayes (cayos) and enjoy swimming and snorkeling in Cuba’s clear waters. We arrived in the Jardine de la Reina on the SE coast at Cayo Anclitas. A quiet anchorage we’d used in 2014. Then a good rest and a weather check with Chris Parker that said our plans were trash!. We’d need to move quickly to a more secure location as a nasty cold front was about 30 hours away bringing gale force winds and lingering for a week. The front was approaching from the West and we were sailing West but our current condition of light winds and seas should continue for the next 24 hours. Off we went to continue our Westward movement to Cayo Largo Marina on Cayo Largo, another 150 NM away. 

Drug Inspector & His Handler

A near perfect downwind sail brought us to safety in 26 hours. We had just enough time to get Wahoo tied up before the front arrived. As usual we got to enjoy Cuba’s clearance procedures. Especially the springer spaniel that comes aboard to check for drugs. The doctor took our temperature, the Agricultural guys used a magnifying glass to check our fruits and vegetables for bugs or other infestations. Heads were shaken over our eggs, cheese and meats as you aren’t supposed to to bring in meat, dairy and produce any longer,  but considering there are no provisions at Cayo Largo a few presents and some cervesas cleared the way for us to keep everything.

Cayo Largo gift shop

Afternoon lull at the restaurant

Cayo Largo is not the Cuba of exquisite old Spanish architecture and classic American cars. Its bright white sand beaches and sparkling blue clear waters have been a resort for Europeans and Canadians for years. At least 3 sailing charter companies are based here plus innumerable day charters that service the high rise hotels nearby. The weather was driving all the charters and private cruising boats, like Wahoo, to find shelter either at the docks or among the safe anchorages nearby. There were French, Italians, Canadians, Austrians and even Russians. A polyglot of languages could be heard all around us. Among the crowd we found two couples who befriended us and were befriended by us. All three boats will meet up on the Rio Dulce for next hurricane season. Jill and Pete on Regina Oceani  are from the US, Pete is writing an article for Bluewater Sailing as well as doing research in collaboration with Nigel Calder, who wrote the bible for cruising Cuba in 1999. Vizu is owned by Mike and Vicki, hail from Montreal and have sailed around the world. Mike’s anchor design is now the very famous Rocna Anchor.

Could be a marina anywhere - But it's in Cuba

Before moving on I’ll bring you up to date on changes we saw since President Obama relaxed regulations. You can’t just come to Cuba. US Citizens need to present proof that they are going for one of the 12 approved reasons. There is a whole series of hoops you must jump through. You still must bring in whatever money you will spend as credit cards and banking services are not set up for US citizens. We brought in EUROs to avoid the 15% tax on US dollars. About 1 Euro = 1CUC.

It was CHILLY

Clearance was more relaxed and we were not required to buy the $3/day health insurance that US citizens had to buy in the past. But it’s possible that just got missed in the hectic mess of the approaching storm and many boats to clear. Customs is now $75 US per person instead of $50 (payable only in CUCs). Plus there's another fee for the boat total for us was $215. But the marina rate had gone down by .10 per foot. it was a net savings for us. Communications has eased a little. AT&T, in Oct of 2016 , announced you could “roam” in Cuba though prices are exorbitant. Cuba is not part of AT&Ts International plan. You must pay full roaming fees but it allowed us to get by without a Sat phone and that’s a big savings. Though it would also mean that we could only communicate when there’s phone service. Once we left Cayo Largo it was nil until we got to the mainland. However, internet access is now 2CUCs per hour instead of $10 (where you can get it) and in Cayo Largo it was wifi which meant we didn’t have to go into a hotel and use their old clunky PC. 

Not having anything to do with the US is the water issue. Potable water is not available on Cayo Largo, or possibly anywhere else we will visit. As Wahoo doesn’t have a water maker it means that the 180 gals of water we carry must maintain us for our entire stay. (we actually have our water use down to about 3 gals for each of us per day - careful, careful, careful!!)0. Fruits and vegetables are mostly out of season and aren’t available in the Cayos anyway so again what we carry must keep us from getting scurvy until we get to Mexico. 

Eventually the weather got back to its more usual diurnal pattern. But since all the winds are still high we were seeing E-ENE winds in the high teens into low 20s early morning with increases to mid-20s gusting 30 afternoons and nights. Seas outside the reefs were running 5-7 ft from the E-SE.

Concrete Fishing boat = Gov owned, crew on 10 day rotation

On Wednesday, Jan 11th, we left the dock to anchor nearby. Its a cumbersome system. We had to be at the fuel dock for 7:30am but couldn’t get a Despacho to leave until we had bought the fuel. Also couldn’t pay for the marina and the fuel until we were ready to sail away. Finally done with payment and paperwork we set sail on Jan 12th. for the 30NM sail to Canal Rosario. The downwind sail saw us in 30 kt winds and 6-7 ft following seas under a cloudy drizzling sky. We were happy to set the hook in the calm waters of Canal Rosario where we could anchor for a couple of nights. Canal Rosario is one of the few reef passes through the 3 archipelagos that separate the Caribbean Sea from Cuba’s various Southern “Golfo’s”.  

We anchored near S/V Regina Oceani, one of the boats we’d met in Cayo Largo, had fun trading with local fisherman for lobster and a couple of Coral Crabs. On our 2nd night the 4 of us had a crab and lobster feast. A good trade, pint bottles of rum, a long unused bottle of bourbon plus my “presents” of simple medical supplies, deodorant, fishing hooks and candy along with some toothpaste filled the freezer with 18 lobster tails plus the crabs.

Lunch!

Two days later on the 14th we were on our way to Cayo Campos, one of our favorite stops in 2014. We sailed along with Regina Oceani for one more anchorage together before we would separate as they were hurrying to Mexico so they could fly home for the birth of their first grandchild. Our plan was to continue island hopping our way through Cuba.

Cayo Campos is a Biological preserve because of the monkeys that were brought here for medical experiments. The experiments are long over but the government still maintains rangers who oversee their care and feeding. This time as beautiful as the water was it was still too chilly for swimming and snorkeling. Once again we were invited ashore to help feed the monkeys and do a little trading. Our visit ended with a meal for us, Pete & Jill of grilled lobster and fish with rice and beans cooked by the rangers. Our tummies are full and our freezer is overflowing, we’re up to 28 lobster tails.

Cayo Campos Ranger Station

We’re resigned to the fact that our choosing to make this trip in January, when every week brings a cold front, showed poor planning on our part. Long sleeves and sleeping under a blanket is more the norm than bathing suits and snorkel gear. In 2014 we were two months later and it was soooo different. Even though we were sailing into the trades the diurnal wind pattern held lighter winds and the temperatures were higher. 

Two days only at Cayo Campos and then we needed to leave for Pasa de Quitasol which took us through the reefs North of Isla Juventud. We had spent a week in Neuva Gerona, the capital of Isla Juventud, and celebrated Roy’s 70th birthday here in 2014. This time we only stayed overnight in remote Estero Simon on the NE cost of the island. While at anchor Roy started trying to trace a leak we’ve discovered with all of this downwind sailing.  The following seas seem to be pushing water in through the rudder post.

Guarda in La Coloma

Due to windy, chilly weather we decided to exchange our reef visits and snorkeling plans for an inland exclusion. So we sailed 50NM Northwest to La Coloma, a fishing port on the main island. Our pilot books said a visit to Pinar del Rio, the tobacco growing part of Cuba, can be arranged at La Coloma.  When we arrived confusion was definitely the order of the moment. Various instructions were given to us, Anchor there, No Anchor over there, Come dockside… Roy just motored in a tight circle until eventually a Guarda motorboat with a failing engine and some officials came alongside. Our Despacho was looked at rightway, wrongway and upside down. There was much shaking of heads, smiles of appolgy and talking over a scratchy hand held VHF. The upshot was that they were very sorry but we couldn’t stay. Certainly couldn’t go ashore. It was 5pm and we’d already had a long day but they told us we’d be fine in Maria La Gorda, 65 NM away. Definitely another overnight passage was the in order. 

So off we went and endured one of the worst passages in a long while. E winds in the low to mid 20s were not so bad as we were on a downwind run going West but the 4-5 ft seas were short, steep and on our beam. Plus we were bucking a 1 knot current. No sleep for either of us that night.

We’d been to Maria La Gorda in 2014. It’s the normal first stop after clearing customs at Los Morros on Cuba’s Western side. This is a dive resort with some of the most spectacular coral in the Caribbean. It’s also the only place with a possibility of potable water. 

We arrived in Maria La Gorda by dawn and knew from our last visit about the mooring balls. So we picked one up and tried to get a little sleep before presenting our Despacho to the Guarda. Around 1pm we stumbled to the dinghy very tired and bleary eyed but ready to go ashore.  We were thinking Pinar del Rio is only 50 miles away perhaps the resort could arrange a taxi of us.

Before we could even land we were told we had to leave! “So sorry” but transient boats are no longer allowed at Maria La Gorda - New rule!! Since last week!! Obviously no one has told Cayo Largo or La Coloma!! We had to move on to Los Morros. The Porto Captain was very apologetic. He even made an exception and let us stay until 4pm! He also took Roy ashore to buy an internet card. Possibly we could pick up Maria La Gorda’s wifi on Wahoo, if not it would be good at Los Morros, only 10CUCs for 5 hours. 

Los Morros dock

Two choices: chuck it all, go against International Law and leave without Clearance to sail 140 NM to Isla Mujeres, crossing the Yucatan Channel with its northward setting 3 knot current and all the shipping that traverses that channel into and out of the Gulf of Mexico. Difficult in any but calm winds. Our other choice, head to Los Morros, only 35 NM away but also a difficult passage if the weather isn’t calm. You go around 3 Puntas (points of land) with confused seas and the current very possibly against you. In addition approaching Los Morros at night is impossible as its surrounded by shallows and reefs. So we’d have to stretch 35 NM to fill 14 hours in order to get there in daylight (yep, yet another overnight sail). Our biggest issue besides being exhausted was weather - we had no idea. Would we see a continuation of the previous night which would make either choice a poor one or would the predicted mild winds and seas finally appear. The internet card wasn’t giving us a good enough connection. Our best source was the man himself, so we called Chris Parker. He carefully laid out both scenarios. Calm wind and seas approaching Los Morros, or higher  winds and seas but doable for a Channel crossing. Finally our deciding factor was how tired we were. We opted for a sloooooow 35 NM. 

It turned out to be a quiet and beautiful, starry night as we coasted with only a reefed jib trying to stay under 3 knots. Easily one of the most beautiful night sails we’ve every had. Plus there’s now potable water at Los Morros. You just never know!!

Arrived at a friendly Los Morros (our 3rd visit here) and slept most of the day and night away. No internet at all at Los Morros. We’ll just pass the card on to a Belgian boat that’s here. However,  we could trade rum and a few CUCs for fifteen 3 to 4 lb lobsters. Plus maybe we could use the last of our CUCs to buy Havana Club rum (if they open the tienda). Oh, the problems we have. 

Los Morros, with its N facing dock is no place to weather the NW and N 

winds that come with a cold front and one was coming fast. Criolla, the lobster boat we’ve been palling around with, will lead us to Cayo de la Lena. This is a cluster of mangrove cayos 4miles East. We were expecting to anchor but instead they quickly had us tied up to the fishing platform that’s there. These are dotted around the south coast manned by 4 guys who facilitate transferring the lobster caught nearby to the "collection boats" that take them to La Coloma for transporting to Havana and export to Europe. 

Fishing Platform & Criolla

The wind was blowing 30+Kts  but there was a birthday so I baked a cake. We found more booze to give away and soon a party was underway. This is quite the experience, not something the regular tourist will ever experience. The Cuban government frowns on fraternization (so I'm posting no pictures of the guys) between the local population and tourist but this whole Western edge of Cuba, Peninsula de Guanahacabibes, is so remote and, as my Lafitte friends know, fisherman tend to go there own way. It's not only our 3rd visit to Los Morros but the place we’ve spent the most time. The gifts flew back and forth as is the Cuban way. We arrived and they gave us lobsters, we baked a cake and they brought us fresh veggies and gave us lunch, I fried conch fritters and they fried plaintain chips. Next day I made lunch, they made supper... Mainly they offered camaraderie and help as they took care that Wahoo remained safe. Can’t say how many times they worked with us to relocate and retie us as the winds backed and blew. Spending two nights on a Cuban fishing platform is not something to ever forget.

We left our mark in Los Morros - NOYC burgie

Harbournating in Jamaica

Port Antonio

Jamaica is so beautiful! It's also a similar culture to Belize. Must be the British influence, more than in other islands the British seem to have left their stamp. There's so much paperwork!!! We even had to fill out forms to have laundry done.

Get me some Jerk Chicken and a Red Stripe Beer

It seems this year's cruise is about repairs to Wahoo. After the issues in the DR we left Haiti for Jamaica in a hurry because of the freezer; got that fixed and moved on to replacing the macerator pump (you don't want to know). We're continuing to work on steering issues and more freezer problems have surfaced, which means we had to once again order a part from the States and depend on John Edward and Fed Ex to get it to us (yes its here, we go to customs to pick it up tomorrow). We replaced the 24" iMac for a LED 32" Samsung TV and donated the (2007) iMac to Ile a Vache. Now we can watch the movies & TV shows we bring on hard drives in Hi Definition, which is nice, but the connection leaves much to be desired. We are hoping to get an HDMI to USB cable in Mexico as there are none in Jamaica.

Christmas Eve

Our travels have been along the North coast of Jamaica which means a close watch on the weather as it's winter and cold fronts are making their way South. In general the Trade Winds blow from the ENE during the winter months and the ESE during the summer. A cold front in the Caribbean means high winds and clouds, maybe even some rain. The lowest we've seen the temperature is 77F at night. During the passage of a cold front the ENE winds will roar as they back to N then NNE before settling back down. Often as the front passes the winds clock to ESE and produce a period of light and variable wind. The other possibility is a cold front that stalls North of the Caribbean causing the trades to nearly collapse for a few days. We are using one such stalled front to make our 150NM passage to Cuba.

The view from Firefly, Noel Coward's house. All those movie stars lived nearby.

As we traveled from the first Jamaican landfall, Port Antonia, in the NE corner of Jamaica, along the North coast to Montego Bay we had to be careful as all the harbors on this coast naturally face North and only a few offer protection from the North winds and seas. After re-acquainting ourselves with all the things we loved about Port Antonio we moved on to spend Christmas in Oracasessa Bay. Goldeneye, overlooking the Bay, was home to Ian Fleming. He wrote nearly all of the James Bond books from here. It is now a superb resort. Condi Nast names it among the top 10 in the world! 

got a new scarf for Christmas

Golden Cove off of Oracabessa Bay is a very well protected harbor and you can see how calm it was on Christmas Eve from the photo. The rest of the coast was receiving punishing winds and seas from a strong cold front but we hardly felt a roll. It was fun to be able to use this very high end resort. Once we made reservations for Christmas Eve dinner and got "vetted" we were able to bring the dinghy in for drinks and to explore all 52 acres of this lovely spot. We stayed a week but once the front passed our destination was 40 miles West to Discovery Bay for a very different experience. Our one overnight in this safe harbor found us ashore at a locals' beach bar filled with lots of fun and laughter. We found common ground with a Jamaican family on their last day together as half of the family lives in New York. Lots of fun and we ate jerked Conch, a first for us. The next morning was the last good day to travel so we headed West another 40 miles to reach Montego Bay, or MoBay as its more commonly called. We followed the channel in and anchored near the Yacht Club. New Year's Eve found us aboard eating our own lobster and drinking our own wine as we watched the fireworks from the All Inclusive Resorts which surround this town. Not much exploring in Montego Bay as even the taxi drivers want to herd you and keep you "safe". Definitely a cruise ship mentality here - no one can even imagine that you feel comfortable walking on your own. Roy and I raised lots of eyebrows when we walked the mile or so to check out getting that new TV.

So different from seeing the iMac there

We find the the Eastern areas around Port Antonio and on to Discovery Bay a better fit for us. MoBay and Negril to the West are  the tourist part of the island. The All Inclusive Resorts have convinced everyone that the local Jamaicans are a danger. Personally I preferred being hustled by a street Rastafarian than a taxicab driver.  In Port Antonio no one blinks if you go to the market, or get jerk chicken at one of the street vendors. Here just stepping out of the yacht club into a very posh neighborhood takes everyone by surprise.

"mango, banana, coconut, ganja" he calls
I refuse to find Clive intimidating!

Wednesday, Jan 4 we head to Cuba. Our first landfall is Cayo Anclitas in the Jardins de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen). Basically a reef strewn archipelago that is totally uninhabited. We will sail through this area without clearing in as no Guarda Frontera patrol this area. Cuba has very few ports of entry so we plan to clear in at Cayo Largo, the only spot that is not on the main island. It will be a little over 569 NM at 6 knots before we reach the Western port of Los Morros and can cross the Yucatan Channel once again to find landfall in Isla Mujeres. We figure about a month. So until then friends, Hasta La Vista!

The blue dotted line is our Cuban route. We'll stay in the islands of the South Coast. Other waypoints are from other years

When Your Country Hands you Limes...

Add a little rum.

Beautiful Ile A Vache at Port Morgan

It should be no surprise to anyone who knows Roy & I  that we where dismayed at the election results and even more so with all that has followed.

Wire for streetlights - It's da Caribbean

loading up Wahoo

SO, we decided to do some good and try to spread a little cheer in the world we actually live in. Our plan to sail back to the Western Caribbean takes us on the Southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola before we get to Jamaica and Cuba. These are the islands of the Greater Antilles as opposed to the Lessor Antilles, where we've spent the last two years. A look at your map will remind you that Hispaniola is composed of two nations, Dominican Republic and Haiti. A search of the part of your brain that remembers hurricanes will remind you that Haiti was just visited by another major disaster when Mathew came ashore as a Cat 4 storm this year. The part of the island that suffered the most was the SW coast where the small island of Ile a Vache is located. Ile a Vache, like the NW Haitian island of Tortuga was once the lair of pirates of the Caribbean. Captain Henry Morgan used it as a base to attack ships throughout the Caribbean. He also managed to blow up two of his ships right in the harbor. One, in 1669, while celebrating a successful pirating jaunt and the other when he stopped here in 1675-6 on his way to be governor of Jamaica. (What a varied life he had).

 Today the island is home to two villages and cruisers regularly use the harbor at Port Morgan as a safe refuge on the edge of the Windward Passage (the passage into or out of the Caribbean that lies between Cuba and Haiti). Wahoo spent a few days here in our Spring 2014 trip from Belize to the Virgins. We brought supplies to the orphanage run by Sister Flora, a Franciscan nun from Canada, in the village of Mdm Bernard. We ate at the French Hotel that overlooks Port Morgan and were appalled by the poverty of the villagers in Kakoch and Mdm Bernard. But we couldn't help being amazed at the beauty of the area. Ile a Vache is considered one of the most beautiful spots in the Caribbean.

Looks Idyllic! Sailing fishing boats at anchor in Kakock But life is hard - NOYC has sent a pallet of used sails.

Being from New Orleans we are deeply aware of what a hurricane and tidal surge can do, so we knew what had happened on Ile a Vache. Being an online supporter of "Friends of Ile a Vache" we eventually saw the photos and knew that no International Aid had reached the island though some aid had gone into the main island. The main island town of Les Cayes,  6.5 miles N of Ile a Vache received a lot of news coverage.

Local boys come by to ask for boat work, sometimes to sell fish, sometimes for a handout and sometimes just to talk but all are in their leaky Mango tree pirogues - word soon went round that we were handing out brownies!

The fish farm. Cleaned up & waiting for the trees to grow.

Luckily no lives where lost on IAV but subsistence gardens were all washed away and the soil salted from the surge. The lower wells were also useless as they too had sustained damage which allowed saltwater to infiltrate. Houses, roofs, boats and trees, including mango, pawpaw & coconut trees were seriously damaged. All the trees that shaded the fish farm were blown down or so damaged that the fish died. Only one well in the center of the island still has potable water and food supplies as well as housing are in short supply. On Ile de Permatois, an even smaller island near Ile a Vache, things are even more desperate.



The only help was coming from "Friends of Ile a Vache". Two boats sailed in as soon as possible with water makers and used them to make water to fill jugs and cisterns. But the boats couldn't stay long because it was hurricane season and both were risking their own welfare. Money from donations went to pay local villagers $12/day to clean the beaches and paths as well as to start the recovery of the fish farm and put roofs back on homes.

Haitian houses along the waterfront - some repaired some not. Much work still to be done.

In thinking of what to do we decided to get there with supplies as soon as possible. We got in touch with Wagner Tanis, local agent and one of the creators of FOIAV, who directed us to get in touch with three other boats who were headed that way. SV Tandemeer, a 56ft International Aid boat was coming in with a large water maker and much needed tools as well as food and medical supplies. The 50ft catamaran, Bamba Maru, was coming from Luperon, DR with $4,500 worth of tools and supplies that they had raised through a Go-Fund-Me account which reached into their homelands of Germany and Switzerland. One other boat had to change plans and gave their supplies to Bamba Maru to bring in. What we did was appeal to our friends through a blog email and also a Facebook request. Together with our own donation we ended with nearly $1,400. Let me tell all of you who donated how much what you gave helped and with what appreciation it was received.

Supermoon while crossing the Mona Passage

We had a "little trouble" getting there as our auto-pilot broke as we crossed the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It was so frustrating to have to wait 3 weeks for the part to reach us and even then it would never have happened without our dear son, John Edward. He facilitated a (nearly) overnight delivery from Houston to the DR after the part finally arrived first in Florida from Europe, where it is manufactured. The Florida facility couldn't ship directly to us so we had it delivered to John Edward. He then went to FedEX and used their Expedited International Service to get it to us. It was a perfect example of the definition of cruising: "fixing your boat in exotic locations at exorbitant costs".

While waiting at Marina ZarPar in Boca Chica, DR Thanksgiving came and went without much thought as there was still a lot of work that needed doing aboard Wahoo. But our 42nd anniversary needed a little celebrating so we found a delightful waterfront restaurant for our only wonderful meal in the DR.  We've visited so many Caribbean countries and only the Dominican Republic gave us that yuk factor. Hard to put a finger on why but surely something about the fact that you feel ripped off by just about everything there. Customs is especially ridiculous at Marina ZarPar, interestingly not so much in Barrahona where we cleared out.

Finally we were able to set our sights on Haiti. An easy sailing 124NM, about 20 hours, saw our arrival in Port Morgan. We were delighted to meet the folks on Tandemeer and Bamba Maru and also the locals who created and work with the Friends of Ile a Vache. Captain Sequoia Sun of Tandemeer had the whole crew over for dinner our first night there.

Wagner

Wagner, who runs the local arm of the organization, was an exceptional source of help and information. We were delighted to find a friend from our first visit, Jean Villem, helping him. Samuel, works with the community center in the village of KaKoch at the waterfront and is indeed a man of great compassion who takes the troubles of his community to heart. These are all young men but we saw eons of warmth and understanding as they explained about the villagers and the hurricane. We saw the respect from the villagers as Samuel took us on a tour and showed us what was being done with the fish farm and the village repairs. After a discussion between Wagner and Samuel it was agreed that some of what we brought would go to the even smaller and more devastated island of Ile de Permatois near Ile a Vache. Here the 12 or so families live in coconut frond huts and literally have lost everything. Photos of the distribution are on Facebook

A video of Wagner showing the island of Ile de Permatois is here:

Time to get those supplies ashore.

Off of Wahoo

No dock

Here they come! 

Kids are hoping for a treat 

Samuel and his 2 year old daughter

After loading some things into Wagner's boat for Ile de Permatois everything else went into the Community Center for distribution.
Samuel arranged for Felix and I, to hand out the bags of candy I had made up for the children. As we stood on the verandah of the community center, with all the hands reaching up, I felt like it was Mardi Gras. Lots of smiles and laughter. But we know it was the fresh vegetables, dried rice & beans, fishing line & hooks and other supplies that the adults were most interested in. We also brought in lots of school supplies. They needed things as basic as notebooks, pens and pencils but we added coloring books, crayons and colored pencils as well as construction paper, glitter and glue for art projects. After all we want to keep Haitians making wonderful Haitian art. The soccer balls will go to a school in each village. The set up and way the distribution works is to give to the most needy but also to make the families do community work for their supples. That way everyone benefits because the community benefits.

A gallery of vibrant Haitian Art right on the waterfront

We are so glad to have come, so sorry to leave. Certainly a life affirming time spent with people who make you ache inside from the smiles, warmth and appreciation for the littlest of help. We felt we were offering a small drop in a deep ocean. In watching what's happening both in Washington and on Ile a Vache I have to quote Roy; "Both cream and scum rise to the top".

I hope each of you who helped can see how much your support was appreciated. We thank you for your generosity from the bottom of our hearts!!

                 If you want to donate to Friends of Ile a Vache, every dollar is used for the villagers, Here     is the link to their website. http://www.friendsofileavachehaiti.com

                If you want to see Friends of Ile a Vache on Facebook where there are photos and videos of the ongoing projects.  https://www.facebook.com/friendsofileavachehaiti/?pnref=story