An overdue update

When I first felt inspired to start up a blog about Patrick and my journey as sailors, the intention was to bring the stories of our travels to you, our family and friends, in a format that is more interesting and vibrant than simply e-mailing updates. Yet, almost 7 months into our trip, I have not even been able to complete the first leg of our journey from South Africa to the USA. “I must write a post; update the blog; add photos” are words that I have made way too much use of, and which have not been carried out. It seems as though there were always more pressing tasks at hand; little or no internet connection; and technical problems, which could have been easily overcome had I simply investigated a little further.

So, being fed up with myself in making unnecessary excuses for not writing on the blog, I am happy to report that I have finally uploaded an offline blog writer (for now I'm using Blog Jet), allowing us to get our thoughts and photos down onto a publishing format, so that, when we do have time on the internet, we can just press “publish”.

Right, no more excuses, distractions or other obligations. Here is a recap of how our adventure has progressed over the last few months. More detailed posts will follow for each of our various endeavours. For now, I hope that you enjoy this small taster from each part of our trip so far:

Starting where I left off last; we proceeded to enter the Caribbean waters a few short days after our Equator crossing. Our first taste of the Caribbean was introduced to us by way of tuning in to the local radio station of Barbados, the nearest island. The jivey tunes of steel drums and other instruments filling up the space of our small boat put a smile on all of our faces! Our first stop was in St Lucia where we spent a few nights in Marigot Bay at The Moorings Base (The sister company to Tui Marine, for whom we were doing the delivery).

            

Marigot Bay 

Sailing with Mt Piton in the distance

It was to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean that I have seen. Probably because it was my first taste of the Caribbean “flavour” ~ the language, food, people and island lifestyle all combined into, well….., island life. In a slow-paced environment we traversed around the mangrove enclosed bay with a dinghy (provided by Moorings); trying out every establishment after days spent snorkeling, hiking, chillaxing and soaking up the Caribbean sun. 

Having checked the weather forecasts for the hurricane's routes in the region, and seeing that fair weather prevailed, we proceeded to sail towards Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. This island has thee biggest Moorings base in the Caribbean with over 1000 charter boats (mostly “Leopard” catamaran's and Benetto's which are mono-hulled sailing yachts) operating from Road Town. We intended to spend only one night, but ended up staying for 5 days as we couldn't head to Fort Lauderdale with hurricanes building up one after the other in our intended path. Awesome!

We met a group of “Saffas” who showed us their local way of life by working hard during the charter season for Moorings, and partying even harder in the waterfront bars. The time spent in Tortola gave us a vague idea of what Pat and I would be getting ourselves into i.t.o. the yachting industry and its various demands on the people working in it. Yet, looking back now, we really had no idea!

View from Tortola over the British Virgin Islands

  

An isolated beach we hiked to

Seeing a break in the tropical storms, we made a dash towards our final stop, Fort Lauderdale, USA. I don't want to get into too many details, without actually relaying the whole experience, as I would not do the final leg of our journey any justice. 

We were all glad that a 57 day trip from Cape Town, South Africa in a 46 ft Sailing cat was coming to an end; purely because it was time for what we had set out to do to be realised. We'd made it ~ 7000 nautical miles later, we were in the States.

                     

Entering Ft Lauderdale 

Phew! There is so much to say about all of our experiences from that point on; first we stayed at the Lauderdale Marine Center (LMC – the Marina where we handed over The Temptress –  A13091 – to Moorings) for 3 nights til we found accommodation at a crew house whilst working at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) on board the M/Y Nirvana; a 76 ft Horizon (M/Y = Motor Yacht; S/Y = Sailing Yacht). One week later we'd secured a position on the M/Y Galilee a 106 ft Westship. It was tied up to the Yacht Haven Park and Marina where Pat and I were responsible for maintaining, cleaning and generally managing her for the owner. We were the only two on board and this was to be our next huge learning curve in the yachting industry.

M/Y Galilee

M/Y Galilee

                                  

Ft



Lauderdale is situated in Florida, about 30 km north of Miami, along the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) and the New River, which has many channels, creating a Venice-like feel; except, as in all things American, much bigger! As the center of the yachting industry in the USA – even the Caribbean and S America – Ft Lauderdale is entirely geared towards motor yachts in particular. From crew houses (mostly apartments/houses where individual rooms are rented to people who work on yachts), crew agencies (work placement firms that place “the right” crew member with a boat whose captain/owner is looking to hire), marine stores, yacht suppliers, yachty bars, clothing stores, networking events, to a whole range of other supporting industries; all have emerged from the need to cater to the luxurious indulgence of super yachts.

Pat and I had now progressed to the yachty status; two among hundreds of white shirt – and khaki pant/skirt wearing, (mostly young) adults, seeking to find the next perfect job aboard a well-funded, traveling sailing yacht. Even though we were already with a boat, our job search never ceased as we were hired with the intention of being temporary crew, while the owner searched for a permanent captain and chef/stewardess to replace us. One would think that finding work in Ft Lauderdale, yacht mecca, would be a breeze; yet it is an all-consuming task to stand out amongst all the other yachties looking for the same job; many of them with more qualifications and experience than us. (More detail on this later).

As the weeks wore on, work on the “Galilee” progressed with all kinds of projects to keep us busy. We settled in and became quite accustomed to Ft L and all it's quirks –  massive gas-guzzling cars with drivers that don't use their indicators (ever), turn right at intersections at a red light (which is legal), zero tolerance for cyclists on and off the road (we'd bought two bikes for a great deal and got around everywhere with them), and no cyclist or biker wears a helmet –  presumably because you can't possibly look good and show off your hair with one on! A large majority of people are highly image conscious, which is greatly due to the yachting world and it's requirement for good-looking people to be crew on the super-shiny yachts. Ft Lauderdale has a high turnaround in temporary residents, making it harder to connect with people, thereby amplifying the superficial feel of the place. Also, the thousands of boats lining each and every waterway is a little bizarre.

                                                                    

   

Yet, we did make some good friends with whom we still keep in touch. On the first night that we arrived in Ft Lauderdale, we went to a little pizza bar and had thee hugest pizza I have ever seen (21 inches/53.5cm)! While all four of us were gorging ourselves, a man introduced himself as Raj. We started chatting and he suggested we all go to Miami with him for the rest of the evening to walk along South Beach; the famous beach strip. At first I was extremely apprehensive; what were his intentions? But it turned out to be a great night and introduction to the USA. We have since met up a few times and he likes to think of us as the young South Africans needing taking care of. Then, at the LMC and the FLIBS we met Henk, Damon, Richard and Amanda, and Valerie; fellow boaters who have given us excellent advice and even better memories over drinks and dinners. When we all happen to be in Ft L at the same time, we meet up for good laughs and company.

Amanda, Richard, Henk, Valarie, me, and Pat

                                                  

Chinese night 

Our time in Ft Lauderdale consisted of working on the Galilee every workday, and weekends if there was a showing. Being the only two on board and not knowing any of the people living in Yacht Haven, made it pretty isolated. So, when the workday was done, we'd relax by taking a sundowner cruise on the little speedboat down the New River, watch movies, make pretty awesome dinners, or just read the night away. It became rather homely; yet the fact that we were living on a yacht that was entirely our responsibility, was always present in my mind. On weekends we'd go cycling, job hunting or try finish some necessary project on the yacht; the work to be done on a boat is endless and it can become all-consuming if you don't tell yourself (or get told) to take a break.

Almost two months passed with first-time special events such as Thanksgiving (spent with family 5 hrs North of us), my Birthday and Christmas away from home. A week before Christmas the new captain and his girlfriend, stewardess/chef, were hired to be the permanent crew on board. They moved in and we began a feverish week of getting the boat ready for a trip with the owner and his 7 friends and family to the Bahamas (We were asked to stay on for this trip). It was a hectic week of cleaning, organising, learning, and provisioning food and supplies for 11 people for 2 weeks. We managed though and on the 24^th  of December we headed out to sea for a 20 hr trip to Nassau, Bahamas. It was sad that Pat and I couldn't celebrate X-Mas; but it felt good to be at sea again and see how the yacht that, had been stationary for almost 2 months, performed underway. We arrived on the 25^th  and by nightfall had finished preparing the yacht for the owner's arrival the following day. A little X-Mas dinner was enjoyed with prezzies which was well deserved.

               

Underway on Christmas Eve 

With the owners and guests on board, 10 days of intense cooking, cleaning and entertaining ensued, as we made our way along the Exhumas Island Chain, which was an exhausting experience which presented the best learning curve yet. We had fun, stress, laughs and beautiful sights, which when it came to an end, felt surreal. Patrick and I flew back to the States, instead of helping to take the boat back, for various VISA reasons –  Blegh. Back in Ft Lauderdale, staying 2 nights at a crew house gave us some time to get online and in touch with the job search once more. We had one week on board the Galilee, from when it returned, to find another position as our time there had come to an end. After only 3 days of intense dock walking, interviews, and online applications, we had a possible position on the S/Y Altair – a 96 ft Sparkman & Steven's Sloop.

http://ardellyachtbrokerage.com/sailing-yacht-forsale-sparkman-stephens-altair.html

Patrick worked on her for 2 days as an interview phase with the captain, which Patrick thoroughly enjoyed. We were both in line to be hired for a 2.5 month trip from Ft L to the Bahamas and further South making our way through the Caribbean islands. Exciting! Yet, first we had to get our US Visas sorted out by doing a Visa run to the Dominican Republic. What a random place; an island in the Caribbean which is shared with Haiti, is Spanish speaking and never even featured on my “places to go” list. However, we'd been informed that it had the nearest US consulate (outside the US) that could issue the Visa the most efficiently and effectively. After much advice, guidance and warnings from Richard and Amanda, we completed the application procedure (worth an entire post in itself), booked the ticket and accommodation. We flew to Santo Domingo, DR, with no clue of what to expect or even if we would be able to get our Visas hassle-free and in time for our flight out.

We did not expect what happened next: to thoroughly enjoy our time there! Turns out that Santo Domingo is the first capital that the Spaniards built in the New World, after Christopher Columbus made his first landfall there in search of gold in the lands beyond. It was beautiful, relaxing, historic, and to boot, we got our Visas printed into our passports within a day of physically applying for them. What a pleasure!

Random abandoned cave/stage in city center

      

  

Effects of a commercial harbour & bad waste management 

Elated that our Visa troubles would now be over; having had our first real relaxing break since we completed our delivery, and having discovered an unexpectedly beautiful, yet poor city, we returned to Ft L. It was nail-biting to wait for the captain to make the final decision on whether we were hired or not. Only two days passed, but we wanted this position so badly that it felt like time couldn't move quickly enough! Saturday, the 22^nd  January, we skyped with the owner (in Seattle, Washington) so that he could see us and make the final decision; we liked each other and we were all smiles! We started working on the S/Y Altair the next morning. Patrick was hired as the mate and I as the stewardess/cook. The next five days were a blur as we prepared the yacht for the big trip, starting Friday. Patrick and I had to still find our way around, learning which corner of the boat contained what, and in which quantities. I found myself in uncharted waters, having to plan menus for each meal of the day; dinners had to be four course meals with five star service. I would have been lost without Amanda's steady guidance and advice ~ she helped me realise how simple it can be to prepare simple, fabulous meals that will impress. Thank you.

For the second time we found ourselves pressed to get it all (small word that describes so much) ready for when the owner's guests arrived on Friday night. The boat looked great, inside and out, a cheese platter and champagne was awaiting the guests upon their arrival, the owner took over the entertaining, and we went to bed, knowing that this was just the beginning. We were in full service mode from Saturday til Monday morning, when the guests departed. I was almost a nervous wreck by 5pm every day as the dinner service came into full swing. I hadn't ever cooked in that galley, and it was all so overwhelming –  not knowing if they would like what I made, if it would look good on the plate, and still be hot by the time the owner and guests took a bite of it. It seems so trivial now, but then, I hadn't felt confident in my own abilities as a professional cook. What abilities!? I had never received any training or been in charge of planning and executing menus and meals to that standard of service before. Patrick and the captain stepped in to make the process flow smoothly, from prepping, to cooking, to waiting on the table; they calmed me down and it went off without a hitch actually.

The owner and guests were loving it all – the stunning, azure waters of the Bahamas, a pic-nic on the beach, sailing from island to island and yes, the food and our service. I don't recall much of the Bahamas as I was responsible for keeping the interior clean, tidy and fresh, in between preparing food for three meals a day, and cleaning up after every one. It was exhausting only because I didn't know how to take a break without causing the service to falter. I have learnt since then. It's easy to forget that you're on a beautiful, 32 m sailing yacht, cruising through tropical islands, when you are working on a boat of this nature. It's important to tell yourself to stop whatever you're doing at the moment, step on deck, take a breath of crisp salty air, and actually look at where you are. What a feeling!

                                      

The owner's biggest fan - Zack 

The Owner reeling in a big one!

The next leg of our trip was pretty relaxed. We departed the Bahamas and headed to Puerto Rico for a 5 day delivery. The captain had called in an old friend to act as delivery mate for this trip; the captain hadn't yet seen Patrick and my abilities as sailors on the open ocean, taking watches and caring for the boat whilst underway. The owner acted as part of the crew and said he would take care of his own bed and head while underway (Super rare amongst yacht owners). I made simple hearty food for us, as it was too roley and rough to make any kind of fancy food. Patrick set up fishing lines, we all had books to read, and we motor-sailed onwards. The captain taught us a lot about the stars and celestial navigation, upon which he told us the meaning behind the name “Altair”. Altair is a star in the Ursa Major constellation (the third largest constellation), and is one of three stars forming the Summer Triangle, visible only in the Northern Hemisphere.

Underway to Puerto Rico 

A night out in San Juan - capital of PR

Arriving in Fajardo,  Puerto Rico was exciting, as we all knew that we would get some time off before getting ready for the next leg of the trip with more guests. Puerto Rico is an American Territory, therefore some of America's laws extend there along with a mixture of local laws; the locals are Spanish speaking. The owner was quite happy to stay on the boat by himself and have us go out once the day's work was done. It's a beautiful island and my highlight was taking a day off to go kayaking with Patrick in Bio Bay. A natural inland lake connected to the ocean via a small river, all of which is surrounded by a mangrove forest. The lake's special attraction is the high concentration of bioluminescent algae which, when disturbed in the darkness of night, emanates a fluorescent glow (I'll save the details for another post :D) 

           

The next leg of our trip (9 days) had an exciting line-up of stop-overs. We departed from Fajardo with the owner and his 3 guests to Vieques, anchored out two nights, one guest flew back to the States. We continued on to St John's in the US Virgin Islands; anchored at different bays over two nights; headed to the British Virgin Islands for one night; then to Gustavia and Anse de Colombier in St Barthelemy (St Barts); and finally to Simpson Bay in St Maarten.

All guests and the owner flew out the next day. A great time was had by all: the guests and owner enjoyed the fare weather, secluded island bays, snorkeling, kayaking, dining, and generally soaking up the Caribbean sun. As crew, we took time off here and there to escort the various water activities; I was loving the creative freedom I had in preparing all the meals in a steady routine throughout the trip; and Pat had the washdowns, anchoring, setting a fabulous table, etc. down to a T.

We have been in St Maarten since then, though, for fun, we went back to St Barts for three days. It has been a good change of pace, not having the owner on board, and we are thoroughly enjoying taking days off when we feel like it and there is nothing pressing to be done. For now, I have settled my unease at not having brought this update to you sooner. I'm looking forward to keeping them coming….

A Windstar Cruising Ship - St Barths