The flip side of paradise

Dear friends,

Before we continue posting about our travels, this post is about something else. We don't want to create the false impression that we are just bumming around, holiday 24/7, and not a worry on our minds...Boat maintenance, repairs, and things that were working absolutely perfect yesterday, but crashed today.... All of that and more, also make part of the livingaboard experience, and we just deal with it, the moment those kind of issues appear. 
Truth must be told: fixing things on a boat is still better in the tropics then in higher latitudes...
Here a current to do list:
* checking battery bank, and organizing shorepower hook up
* solving fresh watertank puzzle ( seems we cant use the starboard tank for some mysterious reason)
* DVD repair
* verifying solarpanel electrical production
* changing oil and fuel filters ( on of my favourites)
* fixing the washdown pressure pump
* fixing the ice box compartement of the fridge
* fixing the dinghy... It is leaking(slowly), and now everytime before using I have to pump it up...


You guys get the picture.... In the meantime it doesn't stop us from going to new places, checking different cultures, food and meeting people.

Battery bank, still ok?

Flat dinghy

A great week to all.

Best regards
Pieter

Nieuwe Expeditie… Nieuwe Ontdekkingen…. Beleef je droom..

Lieve vrienden,

Ja, dit is nieuw en het kan… gewoon even verder lezen:

De “zomer” in Nederland even helemaal zat?
Je wilt er even helemaal uit..?

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Expedição Nova… Descobrimentos Novos… Vive seu Sonho..

Caros Amigos,
Sim, é verdade.. continua lendo….

PRECISANDO DE FÉRIAS ?
QUE TAL VELEJAR e MERGULHAR PELOS MELHORES PONTOS DO CARIBE?

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New Expedition, New Discoveries… Live your Dream

Dear Friends,
Yes, it is true…. please read the following carefully..
You need a break?
How about to come and join us to sail, snorkel and dive in one of Caribbean's best locations?

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Bequia, a Paradise…(not for Humpback Whales though..)

 

Dear friends,

Yesterday, arriving in the port of Bequia, it felt comfortable, protected and welcoming… This morning used the services of of Daffodil Marine Services (on VHF channel 67) to supply me with some fresh water (yes, the Water Maker on board suffered a glitch, and in a couple of days it will be serviced) what a great service they provide..

 

Then I started reading somewhat more (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bequia) and all of a sudden some red lights flashing… Bequia is allowed to catch 4 humpback whales per year??? What is that all about. As I feel it as my duty, will try to investigate this… and so I did…sort of…

Not many people know this, but indeed Bequia has an official/legal (?)quota of max. 4 whales (humpbacks) per year. The animals are caught say the old fashioned way… wooden boats, brave men, real Capt Ahabs (Moby Dick) and so on… I did ask around but the specialist regarding this issue was not found. I did find some YouTube short movies (here is one.. )http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L63Qow7WKHA

The people  I talked to were saying that it is an old tradition, and that the technique(?) had to be handed down to younger generations, otherwise the skill would die out etc etc..Now, with all due respect, to me this doesn't hold. On the island I was born (Ameland, the Netherlands) back in the good old days, a lot of families survived by catching whales…needless to say, that they don't do that anymore… so yes, that skill is lost, as so many other skills and trades (blacksmith, operating windmills, harvesting agricultural produce by hand etc). And to me that is ok, things change, circumstances change.  And here in Bequia, do the people really need to kill 4 whales a year? I mean are they hungry and needy.. No, not really. Bequia major income comes from the tourism industry, and to me it seems that this whale killing thing is something from the past..Heroic stories, but not to been done in the 21 century. If you compare this whale hunting the old fashioned way, with what countries like Japan do every year…. no comments… However,  I do like sashimi.. Does this make me a hypocrite? 

 

Tomorrow morning, set sail to Grenada, where I pretend to arrive in the afternoon…

All the best and keep it real..

Pieter

Grenada, Union Island and Tobago Cays, Martinique and St Maarten.(March 2013)

Dear friends,
Herewith a photo impression of a fantastic journey from Trinidad, visiting Grenada, Union Island and Tobago Cays, Martinique, to St Maarten. Roughly 450 nm.. My very special friend Dora from Brazil was brave enough to undertake this adventure on board the Onda Boa.


The sailing was great, most of the times… After all the work done

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