Letter from the Indies- Windward & Leeward Islands

by Andrea and Ian Treleaven on 21 Nov 2008 Ian and Andrea Treleaven continue their tales of cruising in the Caribbean in their yacht Cape Finisterre, at the moment accompanied by their daughter, Janey:

It’s amazing how long the arms of a hurricane can extend. The hurricane Omar that passed through the US Virgin Islands five weeks ago created a huge wave system, affecting the usually protected western coast of all the Windward Islands. The four metre high waves travelled 350nm affecting some bays very badly. We were very aware that we would come across destruction and boats washed ashore but I am shocked and awed at the change from last year.

Arriving in Martinique we are astounded to see so much carnage on the shores of Anse Mitan, an area where we spent a lot of time last year. Restaurant Le Ponton and the marina have gone! All that remains are the concrete piles and the shell of a restaurant. The beautiful beach is now covered in stones with several shipwrecks on the point. It will be a long time before the marina and customs office is replaced.

It is interesting to note that this hurricane did not necessarily come up in a local weather forecast. Some islands like Martinique got a three day warning whilst Dominica got no warning at all. In Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica, even more boats are now stranded ashore in addition to the rusting ships still here after a hurricane eight years ago. How would you feel if you woke to a ship in your backyard or a mast through your balcony? It’s amazing how the locals just take it in their stride, clean up, and life goes on.

Leaving the humidity and warm waters and with some relief from the trade winds' filling in, we continue to sail north. The Martinique Channel was exciting; I can’t believe I just said that… I was made to feel bad about the odd little squawk as the auto helm fought against a 35 knot gust round up. Waves that break under us and flick the stern don’t impress me but we had a fast run and nothing to worry about really.

One highlight for Janey has been seeing the contrast from island to island. From prestigious Mustique where rock and movie stars alike have holiday mansions & Basils Bar on the beach is all very perfectly peaceful and then a two hour sail to Bequia where we are back to being harassed by locals & competing bar music by night.

It’s a day sail to St Lucia and we take the eastern side of St Vincent to find some wind. A barracuda is caught, filleted and eaten in hours but the huge marlin that danced on the water was soon gone, lure and all!

In every anchorage we find interesting snorkelling. Peaked mountains run directly down creating a wall of interesting life below the sea. Taking some old bread stuffed in our swimmers we create our own aquarium of fish with the sea a beautiful transparent blue all around us.

In Marigot Bay, St Lucia, is our favourite Caribbean restaurant to date. The ‘Rainforest Hideaway’ is set in a green lit lagoon surrounded by mangroves and mosquitoes. The uninvited invisible mosquitoes have been a battle on most of the islands but thanks to mesh on all hatches we sleep wondering merely why these monsters ever evolved.

Rodney Bay Marina, where the ARC Rally finishes, has been almost rebuilt since we were here last year, and with the rally starting again from the Canary Islands in two weeks it should be finished just in time for the next 200 plus fleet of cruisers and racers.

Sitting high in a Dominica rainforest is ‘Indigo’, a Swiss Family Robertson style art gallery & single table restaurant built up in the trees. Drinking rum cocktails, we watch the sun set down the valley as birds flit in and out and the big green native parrot is heard. Marie, a French chef and artiste, is married to local Clem who made all the furniture out of dried branches. Janey, as have Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom before her, walked ‘up the garden path’ to visit the long drop toilet. The last ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ was filmed here and they visited this peaceful, bohemian, wooded paradise many times.

The islanders are a mixture of the many cultures that have inhabited the islands over the last 1,000 years. The original inhabitants, the Arawak Indians, lived here peacefully until the Caribs arrived and ate them. Then along came the Africans and East Indians, forced into slavery. Added to the mix are the British, French, Spanish and Dutch settlers who ruled the islands and provided the languages spoken from island to island today. Christopher Columbus was responsible for the island names still in use.

Creole food is also from an infusion of the different cultures so this too varies from island to island. Whilst I’ve found the local produce to be limiting at times, it is always interesting. At the moment we are in the season of avocadoes, bigger than you could ever imagine them to be and I’d like to share with you my version of Guacamole Creole style.

Guacamole - Creole Style:

Scoop ½ an avocado per person into a bowl. Per avocado, add the juice of 1 lime, chilli sauce to taste, a crushed clove of garlic, half a handful of chopped spring onion and half a teaspoon of Columbian curry or cumin. Blend together with a fork (do not mash).

Serve with a rum punch at dusk. I suggest 4 parts freshly squeezed pink grapefruit, 2 parts white rum and 1 part honey. Mix the honey and the rum to dissolve before adding the pink grapefruit.

Enjoy!