FULL HOUSE (BOAT)

The injector pump FINALLY arrived! After having to wait for the pump for three weeks, which as a result caused Janneman and Robyn to cancel their flights and wait for us in New York. It was a mad rush to reinstall the pump, have them buy new tickets and make our way up to the BVI's, where we were picking them up. After loads of planning, delays, flights and some sailing it was an awesome moment when we arrived in Road Town, Tortola and could see Janneman and Robyn waving to us from the ferry across the bay. Finally picking them up and signing them onto Melody was surreal.

We spent that night anchored in Road Town and celebrated the long awaited reunion with a braai, some coco-pine cocktails, loads of laughter, a twinkling shore and the sound of live reggae music drifting our way. The following day we ventured across to Peter Island and spent the evening in a beautifully remote bay where we enjoyed a delicious curry made by Melody's new crew.
The following day we headed back to Tortola and anchored at Smugglers Cove, a bay on the Island's Northern shore. With crystal clear waters, long white beaches lined with coconut palms and ice cold beers in the shade, we couldn't have asked for more.
Next it was on to White Bay in Josh Van Dyke, home to the famous Soggy Dollar beach bar. We spent three days here enjoying the fun-filled atmosphere, plenty of excellent pain killers, aiming a tiny ring at a hook on a palm tree and basically having a great time. If you're up for a good party this is definitely the place to be.

After having spent almost a week in the BVI's it was time to head South. Wishing we could put off the dreaded journey down to St Maarten, we had to get going as the Hurricane season approaches. Wilhelm and I knew it would be a horrible beat but with strong winds and big swell it was probably the worst and toughest sail we have done while aboard Melody. We arrived in SXM after 30 awful hours and couldn't have been more relieved. We anchored outside the lagoon and with the interior of Melody looking like a rubbish dump we headed to land for a well deserved hot shower and dinner at the yacht club. It was a terrible first journey for Janneman and Robyn and we are incredibly proud and impressed at how well they handled the trip. Hopefully we won't have any more like that.

We spent two days in St Maarten. Wilhelm and I spent the first day doing some admin while Janneman and Robyn went on to explore Phillipsburg. The following day we all made a great team effort and hit a few things on the to-do-list that needed to be sorted out on old Melodious. To celebrate our good work we went to Sunset beach bar at the airport to have a look at the planes landing. The season has slowed down somewhat and unfortunately we missed the big planes but we did witness a DHL plane make a fantastic landing in a thunderstorm.
On Saturday we left St Maarten and after having been there on and off for the last three months and forming a love-hate relationship with the place, it was a little sad saying goodbye to our somewhat Caribbean home. On our way to Ile Fourchue, a small uninhabited island off St Barths, Wil and I hit the 7000nm mark, the distance we've travelled together aboard Melody since leaving South Africa. It was awesome being able to share this accomplishment with friends and we had a mini celebration while underway to the Island.

Up next...Gustavia, St Barths.

STUCK IN PARADISE...

Above: The "Marietje Andrea" carrying the new swing bridge for the lagoon through the Simpson Bay bridge. Yep, the bridge going through the bridge...

Bloody Mary

Celebrating with Clement and Severine

Chilling at Karakter beach bar with Liesbeth and Joan

Karakter - Sunday fun

Dinner on Bachatelle

Liesbeth

mmm...Liesbeths amazing Risotto

Having a laugh

Fireface

Braai on Melody with Liesbeth and Joan

Jammin

Sunset at Lagoonies

Chinese poker night on Bachatelle

Sundowners with Liesbeth, Joan and Gabriel

On the day we were meant to pick Janneman and Robyn up in the British Virgin Islands, we received news that our overhauled injector pump will take another week to arrive in Saint Maarten. As a result, Janneman and Robyn decided to stay on with family in New York until we have a running engine again.

As cruising life goes, we luckily have enough other things to fix/maintain on the boat to keep us occupied for a week....if not longer.

After a very easy couple of weeks, we decided to pull our act together and have had a few very productive days in the last while. In cruising terms, a productive day is classified as a day in which you manage to take on and complete more than one task(s).  

After sending away the injector pump I took on the long delayed task of cleaning the heat exchanger tube bundle on the engine and installing a temperature gauge for the engine cooling water. We further managed to install a new shower sump with an integrated pump and float switch; two new engine starting batteries (the old ones were shot); new cigarette lighter sockets in the cabins and saloon area; new furler line on the genoa and manufactured a stainless steel linkage to replace the plastic one on the windvane self steering unit.    

Between all the hard work.....we have also been able to socialize a bit. It was lovely meeting up with Clement and Severine, who we met a few months ago down in Tobago. Together we celebrated the amazing news that they are expecting their first baby later in the year.

We have had loads of awesome times with Liesbeth and Joan from the Swan 57 "Bachatelle". They were our neighbours during the Les Voiles de Saint Barths regatta a few weeks ago. It was sad saying good bye to them this afternoon as they departed for Europe.    

Wilhelm

ART WORKS

Wil and I are back in St Maarten and after much brain racking, with regards to our faulty engine, we decided to finally remove our injector pump and have a mechanic look at it. It turned out that no one does this type of work on the Island which meant we had to send it to the States to be fixed. In turn they told us that it was completely shot and the pump would require a few new parts which, to our dismay, have to be sent from the UK.

We hope that it will arrive within a week so that we can install it and then quickly head to the BVI's to pick up Janneman and Robyn!!! We are super excited about seeing our awesome friends who are visiting us all the way from South Africa - Happy days!

With all our engine problems and the obvious financial implications I've decided to try and sell some of my art works in digital format, either for printing or for use in graphical projects. Check out the ART tab at the top of the page if you're interested in making a purchase.

LES VOILES DE ST. BARTH

above: Gustavia

above: The ledgendary Lipbone Redding

above: Shell Beach party

above: Nikki Beach!

above: Another 1st for S/Y Music 

Anchoring in crystal clear turquoise water with tropical fishies and turtles welcoming our arrival made the bumpy ride from St. Maarten worth the trip. Les Voiles Regatta was held in the beautifully quaint town of Gustavia in St. Barths with cobble stone roads, perfectly manicured gardens and high-end boutiques on a picturesque landscape that collides into the sea - St Barths is definitely worth a visit.

The week was  loads of fun,  filled with great racing around the Island with Music coming 2nd the first day, 3rd the second day and taking the cake in our class by winning the last three races. I was even promoted to spinnaker packer and ''button presser'' for Mike while he trimmed the kites - I'm moving up in the world :)  On the lay day the team was treated to an amazing lunch at the famous Nikki Beach where we enjoyed some fantastic sushi, plenty of ice cold rosé and to the boys delight, a hot girl dancing on our table - Thank you James,  it was an absolute blast!

While we were in St. Barths we had the awesome chance to meet up with the peeps from Phaedo before they headed off  to Panama. It was great seeing Paul, Sandra and Dave and meeting Lloyd - thanks for the great time guys and happy sailing!

We finally had to say good bye to Music and the crew after a fantastic racing season in the Caribbean. It was an incredible experience to be a part of such a great (proudly South African) team and having the opportunity  to be involved in the regattas. Thank you to everyone in the crew, we are sure going to miss you all as we carry on with our own adventure.

Wil and I are back in St Maarten and will be hanging around here until early May, finding some work before Janneman and Robyn join us later in the month.

Viv

SXM ROAD TRIPPIN

above: View from our anchorage

above: Splicing

above: A mini version of Lions Head and Signal Hill - weird

above: One of our many braais...mmm

above: Our new outdoor lantern

above: Day trip to Phillipsburg

above: ROAD TRIPPING!!!

above: Wil checking it out

above: Mike 

above: Wil

above: Matt

above: French Cafe

above: Planes landing just above the beach (Photo source: Mike Robb)

We decided to stay in St Maarten until we needed to go down to St Barths for the Voiles Regatta with the Muisc crew. Wilhelm managed to find some great day work on Phaedo, a 65 ft South African built Gunboat cat.  While I spent some time sorting  a few things out on Melody and our blog. The Music crew joined us here after having spent an extra week in the BVI's. Some of the boys went down to St Barths, by ferry, to participate in the Bucket Regatta while Matt and Mike stayed and took it easy with us. The four of us took advantage of the Easter weekend (HAPPY EASTER!) and hired a car to explore the Island.  With our cheese and baguettes packed and  the mini boom box blasting we ventured to the French side of the island to check out the local surf spot. A 30min walk along a beautiful path lead us to a beautiful and deserted beach. The boys managed to get over the urchin invested rocks and spent hours enjoying the surf.  I took it easy in the sun getting rid of my horrific shorts tan, reading (The life of Pi) and taking loads of pictures. We began making our way  back to the Dutch side and stopped off at a beach cafe where we could take in the somewhat,  French culture. From there we stopped off at the Sunset beach bar on the famous beach alongside the airport - Seeing some crazy folks hanging off a fence while a Boeing takes off right in front of them is pretty entertaining. We had such an awesome day that we hired a car again a couple of days later and went back to the same spot to some spectacular waves. We're heading to St Barths this Saturday and should be there for about a week. 

Viv

EVERYBODY LOVES MUSIC

above: St Maarten Heineken Regatta

above: Heineken Regatta Prize giving with Dave, Daniel, Viv, Matt, Mike, Costa, Mike, Gerry, Taffy & James (Photo source: Debbie Blakemore)

above: Debbie, Captain Morgan!, Gerry, James, Kelly & Costa (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: The Commadores taking us back in time (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: Wilhelm/Wil/Daniel/Willem and I (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: On our way to The BVI's aboard Maui

Photo source: Kelly Blakemore

above: Kelly and Costa

above: Giant Jenga! (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: Debbie and Taffy having a laugh (Photo source: Debbie Blakemore)

above: Good times at Foxy's (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: Time out in the BVI's

above: Daniel at the Helm of Maui

above: In the galley! (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: Daniel and Matt flying off Maui (Photo source: Kelly and Debbie Blakemore)

above: The boys having breakfast - flapjacks with Dave, Taffy, Mike, Matt, Gerry & Gareth

above: Costa Smeralda Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda, BVI's (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: Ready for the Oil Nut Bay party Caribbean style with Kelly, Costa, Jean & Gareth (Photo source: Debbie Blakemore)

above: Costa Smeralda Yacht Club (Photo source: Debbie Blakemore)

Photo source: Debbie Blakemore

above: Yet another packed tender ride 

above: Music in the Caribbean Rolex Swan Cup (Photo source: Carlo Borlenghi)

above: Matt's killer cocktail (Photo source: Kelly Blakemore)

above: Happy Birthday James! (Photo source: Debbie Blakemore)

above: The Baths in Virgin Gorda, BVI's

above: A fines date with Taffy

above: Home time - back to St Maarten

The last few weeks have been a busy time for the two of us. We arrived in Sint Maarten on the 18th of February and joined the Music crew a couple of days later. Gerry organised us  an amazing opportunity to run a support boat for SY Music, a 53ft Swan, while the crew participated in the St Maarten Heienken Regatta and then onto the Rolex Swan Cup in Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. The support boat 'Maui' was a 50ft Catana Cat and played home to James and his family as well as a place to off load all the extra weight from Music.

We had been taking it pretty easy after our efforts in Trinidad. Joining the Music crew threw us right back into it. Cooking for over 12, (a new experience for me), cleaning, shopping,  sandwich making, laundry, making water, good nights out as well as having the incredible chance to be part of the regattas aboard Music definitely shook things up.

St Maarten was a blast -  it felt like being back at Uni with early mornings, late nights and fully packed days. The Heineken Regatta was loads of fun with routes around the Island and about 200 boats taking part. Having never been involved in a regatta of this magnitude with a (mostly) professional team was an experience I am so happy to have been a part of.  Finishing top in our class just made it that much better.  

With the Heineken in the bag we ventured up towards the BVI's for a week of R&R before taking on the next regatta. Our first stop was Nanny Cay where we had a great crew dinner followed by some amusing rounds of Giant Jenga at the local beach bar. Visiting Jost Van Dyke home to the Soggy Dollar and Foxy's made for an eventful and spontaneous night of Karaoke, painkillers and (more likely than not) bad dancing - SPRING BREAK!!! YEAH!!!

Peter Island was the perfect place to recuperate and spend the day fishing and swimming in the Bay's pristine waters. The boys did an impressive job of catching a couple of fish for an awesome and overdue braai aboard Maui. The following day we headed for Virgin Gorda and the Bitter End Yacht Club (yes, we all bought the T-shirt) where we all tucked into The English Pub's ridiculously good bacon burger.

The Rolex Swan Cup was held at the prestigious Costa Smeralda Yacht Club where they hosted a magnificent event. Sailing around the Island with its breath taking beauty and leading for the first three days of the Regatta made this a special one. The unfortunate drop in breeze in the final two days allowed the smaller and lighter boats to sweep past us and inevitably put us into second place.

The Regatta was filled with good sailing and lovely evenings. The festivities began with the welcoming at the yacht club and was followed by a night at Oil Nut Bay where we were spoilt to a fantastic spread of food and live music. A cocktail competition was held along the quay where Matt tried his luck as well as ensuring that there was plenty of the yummy concoction left for his team mates, he didn't win but we did (or actually in the end maybe we didn't). The Regatta prize giving fell on James' Birthday and unfortunately we couldn't give him a Rolex but we manage to nap the Globetrotter award for travelling from the bottom of the world to sail aboard Music.

On our way back to Tortola, to drop off the Cat, we stopped at the Baths, a beautiful bay which looks surprisingly like home. We spent the morning swimming and met aboard Maui for lunch and a fines date with Taffy. The court proceedings brought to the table all the 'wrong doings' of certain individuals during the tour. Matt with his slick hair-do, Dave had way too many to count, Costa and his Greek ways, Mike and his beard (we're still convinced that our 2nd place had something to do with you & your beard)   -  It was a fun and laughter filled afternoon and the tour wouldn't have been the same without Taffy, his humour and spirit.

The last few weeks have been filled with laughter, spectacular places, great sailing, dancing, good food (usually not mine), awesome people and way too many pain killers. Thank you to everyone in the crew and especially to James and Debbie for bringing us together and giving us a life time of memories. And a huge thank you to Gerry for getting us involved.

Until St Barths...

Viv

HEADING NORTH

FINALLY we were ready to leave Trinidad! With Wil's Dutch Visa acquired we got our things together and headed for Grenada the following day. The sail up was exhausting as usual and when we arrived in Prickly Bay in the morning we passed out for the day. It was great to meet up with Ricardo, Maite, Rodrigo and Deigo and spending the day together at the beach, on Soba for an awesome lunch and then onto the marina for some yummy pizzas. On our way to the have pizza we spotted an old wind vane (a self steering mechanism that uses the wind) lying around behind the Marina office and managed to pick it for a measly $100! Being blue it even matched old Melodious  -  Luck was definitely on our side.  Ecstatic, we began fitting it on immediately with only a couple of minor issues and extending our departure by a day. Excited to see if our new crew member (the wind vane which we called 'Rufus') actually worked, we said good bye to our friends from Soba and headed North.  The wind was right on our nose and to our delight 'Rufus' (the wind vane) did a spectacular job at steering the boat all the way to Montserrat  -  We weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves since we didn't have to touch the helm for 3 days! Sailing old Melodious just became a whole lot more fun - happy days!

In Montserrat we found a beautiful anchorage with visibility to the bottom and only two other boats around us,  a rarity in the Caribbean. We promptly organised to go on a tour in the south of the island, home to the Soufriere Hills volcano and the Exclusion Zone that is closed to the general public. The volcano has been active since 1995 and in 1997 Plymouth, the old capital, was abandoned. Seeing the devastation that has been caused by the many eruptions was an eerie experience and yet another glimpse into natures  power. We spent our remaining time snorkelling in the incredible reef in the bay and managed to catch a couple of fish for dinner. Having spent a few days taking it easy on the peaceful island we packed up and took on the final stretch North.

We knew we had arrived in St Maarten when we were suddenly surrounded by numerous super yachts while we waited our turn to go through the Simpson Bay bridge. It was a great feeling finally going through and being cheered on by the patrons of the yacht club. Settling in on our anchorage in the lagoon we celebrated our arrival with a couple of beers and a steak braai...mmm...meat. We spent the rest of the week investigating the various Marinas for possible slips for the two boats we would be working on, inspecting the super markets in the area and enjoying the last couple of days of relaxing. What a hard life.

Viv 

LAS CUEVAS

above: Ricardo getting ready for the beach!

above: The two of us with Maite & Rodrigo

above: Ricardo

above: Wil

above: Rodrigo

above: Locals

While in Tobago we met up with a wonderful Brazilian family,  Ricardo and Maite and their two boys Diego and Rodrigo from Niteroi in Rio de Janeiro. When we arrived in Trinidad we were fortunate enough to have them, on their yacht Soba, as neighbours. It is always a blast spending time with this fun loving family and a couple of weeks ago they were kind enough to invite us to the beach. The drive to the north of the Island was spectacular and spending the day on Las Cuevas beach was a special treat.  We had an awesome time swimming, surfing and taking it easy in the sun, I even tried to surf and managed to stand up a couple of times. Thanks guys for a wonderful day and we'll hopefully be seeing you in Grenada tomorrow.

Viv

ADVENTURE TOUR

above: The Port of Spain

above: Traditional buildings in the Port Of Spain

above: Lord Hanuman 

above: A Hindu Temple

above: Sewdas Sadhu Mandir - The Temple in the Sea

above: Trinidad's Industrial Estate

above: Exodus pan band in practise

above: The Amazon Lodge

above: Doubles and Big Red...mmm

While in João Pessoa we were fortunate enough to meet a lovely and lively couple, Peter and Louise.  An Englishman turned Trinidadian, Peter has lived in Trinidad for over 30 years and is the countries number one fan. Louise a fun loving South African zoologist is quickly becoming Trinidad's second biggest fan. A couple of weeks ago they were kind enough to invite us on a tour around the Island and to their lovely home, 'The Amazon Lodge' for an evening.

The adventure tour began with a drive through the Port of Spain with Peter as the knowledgeable tour guide. We then ventured to an elaborate Hindu Temple with a statue of Lord Hanuman towering meters into the sky, dressed in a rainbow of colours and adored with detail. Having enjoyed that so much we went to the Sewdas Sadhu Mandir known as the Temple in The Sea. The Temple was  built by Sewdas, an Indian immigrant, who after having survived a voyage to Trinidad during the Second World War, promised his Gods a temple in the sea in thanksgiving. It took him twenty two years to build. Sadly after his passing the temple was neglected and eventually destroyed by the sea. Twenty years later when the temple was barely a ruin,  is was rebuilt by the local community and government. It was a beautiful experience to walk around the Temple and the built up land and being able to appreciate the strength of one man's faith and determination.

Our spiritual journey took an unexpected turn as the tour went on a  ''different'' route that show cased the country's successful oil and gas industry. We took an interesting drive though Trinidad's impressive Industrial Estate which had brought Peter to Trinidad as a young civil engineer. On our way to dinner we stopped off at a local Rum shop (bar) to have a beer with the locals while we waited for the traffic to subside. Hungry, were treated to a mouth watering Chinese dinner followed by a visit to one of Trinidad's best pan bands, Exodus, in practise. It was incredible to see the bands passion and energy and their ability to make an oil drum band sound like an orchestra. I can only imagine what the Carnival will be like.

The following day we were encourage to sleep in,  a luxury in the air-conditioned room we stayed in. Breakfast was enjoyed on the veranda with a fantastic view over the city and the tranquillity of Peter and Louise's beautiful garden. Spending the morning reading, drinking way too much coffee and admiring the vast variety of birds visiting the garden was a little reminder of Sunday mornings at home. For lunch we took a drive down town to buy some 'Doubles', an Indian treat which must, we were told, be accompanied by 'Big Red', a local soft drink. mmm...doubles.

We had a wonderful and relaxing time with Peter and Louise and cannot thank them enough for their generosity and the welcomed break from all the troubles at the yard. We came back feeling rejuvenated and ready for the final week out of the water. If  you are ever  in Trinidad and need a break from boatyard hassles or are just travelling through, be sure to contact Peter and Louise at the Amazon Lodge for a relaxing and hassle free stay. See their Facebook page for more info on prices and services offered.

Viv

HIGH AND DRY

above: Coming in through the "Bocca" - mouth of the Gulf of Paria

above: Arriving in Chaguaramas

above: Hauling out and being placed next to some awesome neighbour's - Soba from Brazil and Baltic Sun from SA. We had met both amazing families in Tobago over Christmas. 

above: Surprisingly happy bilge rats after taking on the awful task of cleaning our contaminated diesel tanks

above: Wil installing the new depth sounder - yay!

above: Boatyard cricket

above: Our neighbour Ricardo from SV Soba painting his boat and all the Brazilians giving their opinions on the quality of his work - haha funny stuff

above: Our new fold-up bicycle we got from our friend Joe - it's super awesome!

above: Painting anti-fouling with the help from our friend Gorm.

above: Painting the courtesy flag for Grenada

above: Wil doing some miracle work on our windlass

above: The regular braai's at the Roti hut at Power Boats

above: Happy us and happy Melody as she goes back into the water

We had a good and safe trip down to Chaguramas, Trinidad and after a week of taking it easy, it was back to work. Trinidad, we found, is a great place to sort things out on a yacht. The biggest task we had to conquer was cleaning out our diesel tanks. They had, to our horror, acquired a bacterial growth, known as the dreaded "diesel bug". This turns your diesel into a thick syrup which, as you can imagine, an engine doesn't appreciate. Cleaning the tanks was a pretty disgusting job and a sure way to test our commitment to this adventure but somehow we finished the task laughing. We now have clean tanks, good diesel and a much happier motor and team.

While on the hard we took the opportunity to give old Melodious a new coat of anti-fouling with the awesome help from our Danish friend, Gorm. We installed a new depth sounder and can now proudly read our depth while the motor is running (the old one would conk out when we started the engine). When filling up our water tanks we discovered, to our dismay, vast amounts of water in our bilge. As a result we removed the tanks, took the chance to chip and repaint the bilge and installed a new water bladder. A set back we hadn't counted on but rather it happen now then later.

Every morning  a "Cruisers Net" is presented on channel 68 over the VHF radio. This net is a wonderful source of valuable information for all the visiting cruisers in the area as well as a forum for people to trade and barter unwanted goods. We were lucky enough to snatch up a super CQR anchor, one of the best you can buy, for an awesome deal. With this great score Wilhelm decided to tackle our faulty windlass (the anchor winch). This required hours and hours of driving around some interesting areas on the Island to find all the bits and pieces we required for some true back yard engineering, which to our amazement actually worked!  In our happiness we bought some new chain and are now hoping for less eventful anchoring stories. Chaguramas, the area we are staying in, is a bit of a bubble bustling with foreigners and shops that are geared solely towards yachties.  Hiring a car and gallivanting around the island was a great way to see different places and meet some amazingly friendly and helpful locals.

Having to take your boat out of the water and keeping it on the hard is never fun, especially if you are living aboard during that time. This is the third time we've had Melody out on the hard and as usual it was hard work but somehow we have still had a great time. We set out on this adventure with a dream of travelling the world and seeing incredible places, and yes it has been life changing. What we have come to realise, over the last few months, is that it's not only about the places that you see but even more importantly, it's the people you meet and the relationships that you form while sailing that are making this adventure so inexplicably special. BBQs, celebrating birthdays, going on mystery tours, trying out local foods, beach days, drinks and the never ending chance encounters have made our time in Trinidad a memorable one.

We are now back in the water (yay!!!) and are getting things ready to start heading up to St Maarten.

 Viv

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

above: New Years Eve Party

above: Walking to Pigeon Point with the crew from Tout Est La

above: View of Man O' War Bay with Charlotteville behind the trees

above: My first (mini) catch!

above: Charlotteville

above: Our internet cafe

above: The view from the pass

 Wow,  I can't believe it's 2013! May it be a wonderful year for everyone as we hope for a great and exciting year of cruising. After our eventful Christmas, Melody finally settled on her anchorage and we were  free to relax and get some decent sleep. We've spent the week doing loads of snorkelling as the water became clear again after the heavy rains the previous week. The bay is littered with beautiful reefs that are home to an abundance of tropical fish. We were in our element and it gave us the opportunity to learn how to spear fish.  Even I managed to catch something! We've had two BBQ's on the beach with the other cruisers where we could enjoy a large variety of fish and compare their different flavours . One of the best braai's I've ever had was when we could enjoy 5 different types of fish seasoned with only a little lime juice and salt. mmm... I think this trip is going to ruin my ability to eat fish that is more than a few hours old.

We are finally ready to head to Trinidad where we will be doing a bit of work on old Melodious.  We spent yesterday getting things organized as we prepare for our first trip with the just the two of us. It is a little daunting with our watches needing to be a little longer to allow for a decent amount of sleep but the short distance is keeping my nerves at bay. The swell picked up in the night giving Wil an opportunity to have an awesome surf this morning while I took it easy on the boat. We'll be signing out of Tobago today and will start our short journey this evening to ensure we arrive in the morning light. Plenty of the other cruisers, that we have met during our stay, will also be heading to Chaguaramas so we'll have plenty of company down there.

Viv

MERRY CHRISTMAS

above: Rufus and Kate say good bye :(

above: Local's Christmas show

above: Christmas lunch

above: Charlotteville Village

above: Beach vibes in Pirate Bay

above: 26th bonfire in Pirate Bay

As Kate and Rufus were getting ready to leave, a big swell started arriving in the Bay, so we ended up moving the boat and anchoring a little further out. Having to say a sad goodbye to Kate and Rufus the day before Christmas made the separation of our special team all that much harder. Our first couple of days after Kate and Rufus left made for some eventful nights that ensured no sleep for three days. With boats anchoring too close to us, heavy swell and a strong squall hitting us in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve we ended up moving the boat to a more remote location. It was a challenging few days but proof to the two of us that we are going to have a great time taking on this adventure together. The deprivation of sleep made for some good laughs and brought me back to my study days of all nighters and the stressful moments showed us how well we work as a team.

The kindness and generosity of the other cruisers ensured that we had a eventful and happy Christmas. A South African couple,  John and Joe, invited us for a big celebration on their boat, Out of Africa, on Christmas eve. Dario and Sabine, from Top to Top, organized a fantastic Christmas lunch at one of the local restaurants where all the cruisers gathered for the day and the children even put on a play for us. We all ended up on the beach in Pirates Bay at the end of the afternoon where Wil had an awesome time skim boarding with the kids, while we watched the sun setting. On the 26th,  after finally having a good night's rest, we all had a bonfire on the beach, where we ended up staying until late into the evening sitting around the fire, Wil playing guitar and listening to the waves crashing in the back ground - What dreams are made of.

Viv

BITTERSWEET GOODBYE

This post is one we never thought we would write. Rufus and I had to say goodbye to our fellow Melodians today and it was not an easy thing to do. Many hugs were had and tears shed as this two year journey ended for the four of us together.

When Rufus and I did some ex-pat work in Zambia last year I consulted for an international steel company. I was fortunate enough to be part of an extraordinary team and for the first time in my life I couldn’t wait to go to work every single day. I know that is something that is very rare. When I was offered a permanent senior management position on two separate occasions to stay in Zambia, I obviously turned it down  to continue pursuing the sailing dream and I made peace with the fact that such a perfect opportunity would never again present itself.

Never say never though, because upon our arrival in Jacare, Brazil, I received an email from the company asking me to apply for same position. Rufus and I took a week on our own to think everything through and after serious consideration we decided that I should fight to get my dream job back.

Vivian and Wilhem were beyond supportive and I can never ever thank them enough for their understanding and positivity. After a series of interviews over SKYPE, and some serious competition from the other candidates, I once again received a phenomenal offer! Things have happened a lot faster then expected and it almost hasn’t sunk in that this is the end of one dream and the start of another.

I want to thank Rufus for being the most supportive, generous partner I could ever have wished for. Also, a BIG thank you to Vivian and Wilhelm for being awesome team mates and our for fantastic life changing journey together - it takes super special people to go through and do what we did together. I also want to thank our all our families: David & Marlis, Theunis & Lizette, Boris & Rynette and of course my parents, Sue and JC. You all thought we were crazy when we decided to do this but that didn’t stop any of you from loving, supporting and contributing to our dream.

To all our friends, we definitely could never have got this far without all of your help and generosity. Most of you also thought we were crazy and that we wouldn’t even get out of Gordon's Bay, never mind South Africa, but you still stayed amped for us and kept us going with your positive words and generous donations.

Just because Ruf and I are leaving does not mean that this is the end of the Melodian cruising adventure! Wil and Viv will continue to explore the Caribbean with old Melodius till the end of 2013 as planned, only now they have some extra space for more friends to visit ;) GOOI NAT julle, it's going to be AMAZING!!!!!

Thank you again for everyone's support. This has been the time of our lives!!!

Kate

BRASIL TO TOBAGO

captain Ruf at the helm

Viv & Kate's ash baptism

celebrating the Equator crossing with Wil's "Stormy Petrels"

Wil, the fish whisperer

Ruf making us laugh, as always

flapcakes with cinammon bananas and syrup

We finally completed our last long leg before the paradise of the Caribbean! This one was extra special because we crossed the Equator!! As per maritime tradition we had a Line Crossing Ceremony or more common nowadays, an Equator Party  to celebrate. Wilhelm served as Neptune, the king of the sea, to give the boat permission to cross and Rufus, our Captain, faced Neptune's interrogation in order to get his blessing. 

Viv and myself were the only two crew who had not yet crossed the equator and so we had to endure a mini initiation of ash baptism by the captain. After our ceremony was done we each took a turn to swim over the equator line (and wash off all the ashes) and then enjoyed a feast of beef lasagne and chocolate mousse for desert.

Wilhelm created a special drink called a "Stormy Petrel" which combines one part cachaca (a bit of Brazil) and two parts Amarula (a bit of Africa - thank you Sara for the awesome gift!). Rufus also treated us to some of his "flapcakes" (thick flapjacks) and fried sugar cinnamon bananas, DELICIOUS!

After about 13 days at sea with little wind we are happy to be at anchor in Pirate's Bay, off of Tobago. We're loving the island life!

Kate

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today is a extra spacial day. We are celebrating three birthdays - Wilhelm, Rufus and Melody! The big one though is Wilhelm's birthday, the big THREE-ZERO!

We started the day off with a special "rainbow vanilla custard suprise" cake and an extra special bottle of champaigne from Margie & Jean-Louis (big thank you to the Freys!).

We plan to end the day with a lobster braai/bonfire on the beach - paradise!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYS!

Kate

PIPA

Somehow we managed to stay in Joao Pessoa for over three weeks. A glimpse into how easily it is to get stuck while travelling by boat. We decided it was time to move on. After a wonderful time on the peaceful river we got the boat ready for the next leg.

The first stop was Pipa, a small beachside town just south of Natal. We spent the time relaxing on the beach drinking ice cold coconuts and beers while the boys did plenty of surfing. Pipa became a popular local surf spot in the  70's with its pristine beaches and numerous breaks. Although it has grown somewhat since then, with its bustling tourism and crowded beach bars,  it is still spilling with charm. Pipa is well worth a visit if you ever happen to find yourself in the North East of Brazil and is only a two hour bus ride from Natal. Visit Pipa On Line for more info.

The relatively unprotected bay made for some more than bumpy anchoring and adventurous tender rides . So after two awesome days of taking it easy  the rolling around become enough and it was time to set sail. We arrived in Fortaleza yesterday morning and we will be staying for about two days. This will be our last Brazilian stop so we'll be stocking up for a lengthy 2 week sail to Trinidad. Bring on the Caribbean!!!

Viv

RIO

above: A cxloudy Ipanema beach

above: Trying to take a family photo with all the cousins, haha good times!

above: The message written on the nighty my mom gave me :)

above: Checking out the cool Havaianas store in Ipanema

above: Meeting up with Clara, my cousin

above: Lunch at the Garota de Ipanema...can you as MEAT!!!

above: Fresh goods market in Ipanema

above: Dried meat section in the supermarket..mmm hehe

above: The sitio, my grandfathers farm

above: Phil´s (my brother) tree...impressive stuff!!!

Our grandparents planted each grandchild a tree when we were born.

above: Spectacular spring flowers

above: One of the most beautiful butterflies, it is bright blue on the inside

above: Cocoa, where chocolate comes from

above: Elephant ears, a natural umbrella

above: Taking it easy on the veranda

above: My grandfathers palm tree symphony

above: Cows on the way to the farm

above: Family time :)

We arrived to a cool and rainy Rio, with the wet season finally beginning the day we landed. It was a little disappointing not being able to spend the week on the beach but after a squelching time in Joao Pessoa we were relieved by the cool weather. It was great to be back in Rio after a three year absence. Our visit was enjoyed by catching up with my lovely parents and family while eating way too much good food. It was surreal to tell everyone about our adventures of the last two months and somehow the reality of it still hasn't fully set in.

It was flabbergasting to see how much has happened in Rio since our last visit, as they prepare for the Soccer World cup and the Olympics. Most of the works being in an effort to make the horrific traffic a little more bearable, we spent two hours standing in a crowded bus just to travel 20kms! It was a welcomed relief to spend the remaining days on my grandfathers farm, just outside Rio, after a chaotic but lovely time in one of the world's most beautiful cities. The lush greenery and spectacular spring flowers made our stay on the farm particularly special. The days were spent lazing in the hammocks overlooking the garden, spending time with my 89 year old grandfather and having a good laugh with all my visiting relatives. Thank you to Claire and Mom & Dad for helping us get there, we had an amazing week and definitely arrived back in Joao Pessoa a few kilo's heavier.

Viv

OLINDA

above: Ricardo's shots of some of the more colourful buildings in the area

above: spot the bum...

above: every Catholic church needs a Catholic cat :)

above: Olinda is also know as an artist's community and there are many markets and shops dedicated to the local crafts and hand made goods

above: MEAT! this is a typical example of a "prato feito" or fixed plate of food - inexpensive and delicious

above: DIY caips next to the pool at our poussada

The second leg of our road trip took us to Olinda, a short bus ride north from Recife. This town is also along the coast but its draw card is not its praias (beaches) but instead its architecture. The historic downtown area is a World Heritage Site and well worth a visit.

Rufus and I spent our time mainly in the histotic area, just wondering through the streets admiring the beautiful buildings. Coming from South Africa, and having the crime rate we do, we are all too familiar with burglar bars and security fences. Olinda’s historic buildings have the same only, theirs is so ornate and exquisite, you can spend hours admiring the design and workmanship.

Unfortunately I did not pack in the charger for our camera and so I was not able to get any good shots of the architecture (I probably wouldn’t have done it justice anyway). Luckily during my online wonderings I came across Ricardo Bevilaqua’s flickr stream and his colourful shots of the town. He kindly allowed me to use some of his pictures to give you an idea of the areas beauty.

Kate                                                                                                                                                                            

PORTO DE GALINHAS

above: i cant take credit for this shot. click on the pic for the source

above: there are chickens made from palm tree trunks everywhere

above: prawns served fresh on the beach

above: doing our best "Tom Haverford" (we are addicted to Parks & Rec)

Just after we arrived in Joao Pessoa, Rufus and I left the boat to do a mini road trip along the coast. Our first stop was Porto de Galinhas, or “Port of Chickens”. We stayed for about 4 nights, which happened to be over a holiday weekend so, the place was packed with visitors from all over Brazil and, the atmosphere was incredible.

Porto de Galinhas is located in the Pernambuco state, about 60km south of Recife and has been voted “Best Brazilian Beach” for the 8^th time in a row by the readers of Voyage & Tourism Brazilian magazine.

The beaches really are A.MA.ZING. and the holiday vibe is so infectious. Everything comes alive at night – the shops, restaurants, markets and of course the people. You never need to wear more than your bikini, day or night (and a lot of people don’t), and "stupidly" cold beer is never far away, no matter where you are.

There are endless activities for visitors. Ruf and I snorkelled on the reef, spent a lot of time in the sun exploring the beaches, did some window shopping and of course ate a lot of good food. The area is safe so you can relax and enjoy your holiday without having to worry about your belongings.

This was the best way to start our mini holiday and I would definitely go back for another visit.

Kate

St Helena Island

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map of the island and our anchor spot

first sight of the island after 2 weeks

my (badly) stitched shots of the valley town

our first meal at Anne's place with her flag decor

some of the Naval ruins & views along the coast

sunset behind the RMS St. Helena

on our way to Napoleon's tomb

some of the sights on our Napoleonic tour

Wil made a friend when we went to visit Jonathan, the 178yr old tortoise

view of the flax fields in the centre of the island

Wil pulling "Tarzan" manoeuvres while waiting for the ferry back to Melody

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Viv & Wil conquering Jacob's Ladder

finally at the top of the 699 steps!

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Half way across the Atlantic, between South Africa and Brazil, is a little island called St. Helena. It’s a popular stop fo

r yachts doing a crossing (it is only accessible by boat). After 14 days at sea we could almost taste the beers and burgers waiting for us on land. We were beyond excited (and relieved) to arrive at our first international port.

Rufus was the only one who had visited the island 10 years before so the rest of us didn’t quite know what to expect. From the sea it definitely doesn’t look like your typical “island getaway”. There is an almost constant cap of cloud over the dull rock face that surrounds it and the (only) anchorage in James Bay is notorious for mooring issues and anchor trouble.

The first thing we did was take a FRESH WATER SHOWER!! After two weeks of only being able to wash in freezing salt water the shower (even though it was also cold – solar heating doesn’t work so well when there is so much cloud cover…) was heaven sent! Next stop was Anne’s place for a beer and a burger.

Anne’s Place is well known amongst yachties and the locals, especially around the time of the Governor’s Cup. It’s in a great spot and the décor is festive but if you are looking for good food, reasonable prices and friendly efficient service The Consulate Hotel/La Concorde deli is the place to go. This place became a regular haunt for us. Hazel, the owner and a fellow South African, was one of the kindest, friendliest and most generous people we met on the island.

We spent a week in St. Helena and we used the time to tour  the Napoleonic sites, visited the oldest living tortoise on earth, learned about the island’s history at the local museum, explored the coastline’s Naval defence ruins and, of course climbed the 699 steps of Jacobs Ladder - a must for everyone who visits the island.

The locals are very friendly and the island is so safe that you can leave your shopping in one grocery store while you go about the rest of your business around town and then collect it again afterwards. The town itself is very quiet during the week and the “Saints”, as the locals call themselves, only really venture out on weekends, to socialise and dance the nights away at local bars & pubs, or when the RMS St. Helena visits the island with supplies from South Africa and tourists from the UK & S.A.

St. Helena was a great experience. We are all glad we got the chance to visit this extraordinary community, rich in history and hospitality. The friendly relaxed pace of this island's life was just what we needed to rest up after a taxing two weeks at sea. We can’t wait to see how the business & tourism develops once the airport is completed in 2016.

Kate