Sailing with the Treleavens

by Andrea and Ian Treleaven on 16 Apr 2008 Andrea and Ian Treleaven continue their tales of sailing through the Caribbean:

While we shelter under Ilet a Cabrit waiting for the big seas and winds to abate, Liz and Heinz sail back to Pointe a Pitre in atrocious conditions to return the yacht to the charter base before flying back to France.

Sailing from the Islands of The Saintes to the coastal western wing of Guadeloupe is fast and lumpy but as soon as we are behind the mountains it's flat calm with no wind.

Halfway up the coast is Pigeon Island and the recently renamed Jacque Cousteau Underwater Park. Perfect diving in 12 metres; this is nature at its best with clear, deep, blue water. We snorkel over interesting rock formations, moray eels, coloured fish and octopus and even though it’s deep, it is perfectly clear.

Actually, the moray eel sent my flippers flapping very quickly back to the boat.

A year ago a statue to Jacque Cousteau was mounted here under the water and after some persistence we find it. Set on a white sand patch, looking at a coral encrusted cliff teaming with fish, it is in

very deep water. Cousteau considered this to be one of the finest dive sites in the world.

Deshaies Harbour on the north western tip of Basse Terre is home for a few days while we explore the Rainforest Mountains of Basse Terre and the Botanical Garden. High above the pretty fishing village of Deshaies is Jardin Botanique and after a bit of exercise for the day, it turns out to be one of the best maintained gardens we have seen to date.

There are tropical flowers and plants everywhere; lots of pink pelicans and native birds too. I can

only dream of my new camera but in the meantime Ian’s waterproof “sardine can” camera will suffice.

We loved Guadeloupe’s diversity - from the flat dry land, white sand and shallow turquoise seas on one side to the lush green towering rain forests and deep seas on the other.

Crossing 42 miles to Antigua couldn’t be better and it only takes us five hours in the north easterly trade winds. Into the protected English Harbour, super yachts are everywhere and with English spoken we will settle in here for a few weeks very nicely.

The first major event is the 21st ‘Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta’ starting on 17th April and then the regatta. We have entered the 41st ‘Antigua Sailing Week’ starting on 27th April.

Our first surprise on arriving was that we had to have the yacht rated to enter the regatta. For 40 years they have had a Caribbean rating system similar to IRC but without weighing the yachts. It has worked well and minimises the little white lies yacht owners tend to use.

The Classic regatta will be a new experience for us and some wonderful famous craft from

the bye gone era are gathering. Ian is drooling over yachts such as ‘Ticonderoga’, the maxi to beat in her day, still looking immaculate, the J Class ‘Ranger’, at 136ft, and the wonderful gaff rigged schooners ‘Eleonora’, a Herreshoff 120ft, and ‘Altair’, a Fife 108ft. There will be over 50 classics from 30-140ft racing.

Of interest also arriving for our sailing week are the old round-the-world racing ketches from New Zealand - “Steinlager” and “Fisher and Paykel” and of particular interest to Ian is “Charisma” a 55 footer which was a member of the 1973 USA

Admirals cup team of when he was crew on “Salty Goose”

English Harbour is an amazingly sheltered anchorage. It was the home of the English fleet in the 1700s & 1800s with “Nelson’s Dockyard” having been wonderfully restored. Nelson actually only served here when at the age of 25 he was in command of a Frigate with a complement of 250 on board.

5000 military personnel were based here during the Napoleonic wars but like all the other forts on the various islands, Fort Berkeley never saw action.

You may remember one of my ARC reports about the yacht ‘Barbary Duck’ which was abandoned mid Atlantic and left to float at the beginning of December off the Cape Verde islands.

Three months and 2000nms later it turned up here off the coast of Antigua and today Ian and I saw her in a boat yard. It is quite unbelievable seeing her from the out side, looking very sea worthy, that this very strong yacht, a ‘Westerly Corsair 38’, was even abandoned in the first place.

Her mast had broken at the lower spreader but

she was not dismasted when found. The reason for abandonment was cracking around the chain plates and the owners believed the mast was in danger. Leaving her created a very dangerous hazard all that time for other yachts crossing the Atlantic.

You would have to wonder what was on their minds to abandon the yacht for their life raft when it was still floating and sailing well.

Sunday night is ‘Jump Up’ at Shirley Heights overlooking English & Falmouth Harbour. With the sun going down, steel band and reggae music, it

makes it one big BBQ party. From 44 gallon drums, 3 steel drums and various local musical instruments they beat out anything from the ‘Beatles Let it be’ to a Mozart concerto. Absolutely amazing!

Unfortunately we missed the previous Sunday when famous West Indian cricketers Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson performed with their band ‘Dread and the Bald One’. The island is cricketing mad with Sir Viv Richards, a former captain, the local hero. Being an Australian helps and it is a pity we are going to miss the Aussie one day tour here next month.

Getting the bus is another musical experience. One day we rock along with loud reggae music and a Rastafarian driver steering to the music and the next day a sing along gospel service. We're loving the good nature of the locals and while the West Indies are winning the cricket everyone is happy.

The island and population are small (72,000) but although it’s a slightly scruffy place, the locals are the nicest and happiest we have come across; especially the children. Maybe it’s the milk shakes, check out the menu in the pic.

Joining us for the regatta are Anne and Baney Richardson from Sydney and Ann and Phil Smith from New York. If the wind keeps blowing it will be an exciting race week.

Always to get a reaction: an Ian quote. 'Hi, I’m from Australia, the home of cricket!!!'