Hope's and Howard's Sailing Adventures

Atlantic and Mediterranean Cruising on board Lady M

Carriacou, Canouen, Blue Lagoon, St Vincent and now Deshaies, Guadeloupe

Like others amongst you blog-followers, Bids and Nick knew we had arrived in Carriacou before we sent them a text; it’s tough for us to hide these days! We arranged to meet up the following morning (Monday) in Tyrell Bay, after we had a chance to check into Carriacou (which, together with Petit Martinique, is part of Grenada). The passage from Tobago Cays was short, only 15 miles, but necessitated.. Read More

Tobago Cays

As the wind was out of the north, it was a downwind passage from Mustique to the northern entrance to the Tobago Cays, leaving both the rock, Little Canouen, and the island of Canouen to port. We had thought of flying just the asymmetric spinnaker as the wind was 10 knots or less but decided against it because the legs were short and may involve a gybe. Instead we tried.. Read More

Mustique

It was only when we rounded Big Cay, the most westerly point of Bequia, that we began to appreciate how many Grenadine islands there are. We passed between Pigeon Island and Isle a Quatre on our way to Mustique but could see many others, both to the east and south of us. Thank goodness for GPS to assist us in identifying them! Several other boats were approaching Mustique with us.. Read More

Bequia

We both are agreed that the passage from Vieux Fort, St Lucia to Bequia was the most enjoyable we have had in a very long time. We started off by cautiously rolling out a reefed mainsail but it soon became clear that the wind was fairly steady at 15 knots or less and well aft of the beam so we soon shook out the reef and made good speed with.. Read More

St Lucia

The sail from Grand Anse D’Arlet, Martinique to Rodney Bay, St Lucia was only 28 nautical miles, so with 15 (+/- ~3) knots of wind out of the East (as usual), a course of about 170 degrees and a sea that became flatter as the passage progressed, we made quite a fast passage (average speed over ground was 8 knots), even with both mainsail and genoa reefed. Along the way,.. Read More

Martinique

The passage from Dominica to Martinique was the longest at 53 n. miles of those we did with Sonia onboard. However, it passed fairly quickly and Sonia seemed to enjoy it because she was able to catch a few rays along the way, despite her misgivings about being cooped up on a boat for most of the day (unable to go for her customary run, etc.). We started off motoring.. Read More

Dominica

While Les Saintes islands were magical small islands, very French in character, well-kept, colorful and with great opportunities for hiking over the hills where one discovers forts, more sandy beaches, cliffs, the wild Atlantic, pastures for cows, goats and sheep, etc., Dominica was an entirely different experience. Our 21 n. mile passage between the two saw us with a brisk sail in fairly lumpy seas so we were well reefed,.. Read More