This year for Tyler’s curriculum, he is going to thoroughly learn the systems of the Sail Pending and make videos explaining how to do various operations, such as docking and picking up mooring balls.
Below is a link to his first video.
We’ll be posting a link to all of his videos here (on the tab below) or on the pull down menu section across the top of our home page.
We hope you enjoy them.
When we started this journey last year we originally said we were going to cruise the Eastern Caribbean and then see where the winds take us. Here is our original plan. As you can see our map has expanded!!!
The time has come where we have to decide where to go next…. and we can’t decide what to do.
We are entertaining several options:
1.) Continue to cruise the Eastern Caribbean. For many reasons, this was what we originally thought we would do when we started out: Cruising the Eastern Carribean is easy. We are always in touch with the outside world. Weather is pretty predictable. Navigation is easy. But, for all the above reasons we are now bored. We’ve already explored every habited island, (except for Saba and LaDesirade) between Puerto Rico and Grenada, so there would not be the excitement of exploring new places. We absolutely love every island, and would be very comfortable cruising the chain, but we would not be challenged.
2.) Sail back up the Eastern Carribean island chain and then head West past Puerto Rico and hit Dominician Republic and Cuba. Big question here would be where would we spend 2017 hurricane season? Would we sail back to Grenada or go somewhere else? We’ve been in Grenada for several weeks and we’ve had enough. It’s like a “suburb” of cruisers here with every imaginable activity going on. We are ready to leave, so we don’t really want to have to come back next year.
3.) Sail back up the Eastern Chain and Sail through the Bahamas. But where would we go next? We would have to beat into the weather to get back to the Caribbean or sail across the Atlantic to Europe. But, with the current Schengen policy, we can only stay in Europe for a maximum of 90 days every 6 months, so going to Europe is out for now and beating into wind and waves sucks!!!
4.) Head West through the Panana Canal. This is a big step!! Once you cross through the canal and sail to the Galapogos Islands there is no coming back, because of the trades winds and currents. To come back to the Caribbean (and our comfort zone) we would have to keep going around. There is an entire world ahead of us to explore, and the thought of sailing through Marquesas, Bora Bora, Tahiti and Fiji is definitely intriguing! But, this would be a 2-3 year plan or more depending on how long we would stay in Australia. Are we ready to make a 25+ day crossing across the worlds largest ocean?
Hmmmmmmm, decisions decisions. Stay tuned!!!
The day started early! We were up at 3am and started with Quiche and Rum Coffee! 
Then we walked out to the street and waited for the parade. 
Cheers!!! A morning beer at 4am.
The locals were very friendly and happy to cover us in paint and oil.
Check out the size of these speakers!!! … and YES, they were loud!!
When we got back to the marina we were scrubbed by a couple of strangers!
What a fun morning! Can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything like this or think I ever will again.
The forecast was calling for the wind to blow hard the next couple of days, so we needed to find a protected anchorage on the Leeside of an island, so after we left Petit Tabac we headed for Union Island. We read that Ashton, Union Island was good for provisioning so Saltair 3 and Sail Pending headed to the anchorage behind Frigate Island, which is also a easy dingy ride into Ashton.
When we arrive the anchorage was nice and calm but as the night went on it got rollier and roller…. The next morning we made a run into Ashton to pick up some supply’s. Ashton was a very cute town and everyone was really friendly. Here are some pictures from our walk around.
I just saw Rich and Tyler get into a small boat with two strangers smoking Ganga…. I hope they come back alive!!!
After searching several stores and having the guys get us conch, this is what I ended up finding for our pot luck dinner!!!
7 Pounds of Conch, 2 cans of Evaporated milk, 2 packets of coconut powder, I can’t believe it is not Butter, and a package of wheat crackers…. Plan is to make Coconut Curry Conch over rice and a Key Lime pie, using the Crackers as the crust. 
When the guys got back we motored around the corner to Chatham Bay, where it will be calmer to ride out the winds. “Escape Claws” was already there and told us the bay was really calm. The bay was super calm and NOT windy at all so we decided to raft up with “Saltair 3”, and create the ultimate party boat!! “Escape Claws” decided to stay far away from the kid’s boats. Which was probably smart.
Tyler and Cole had a great time playing and setting up a boat swing between our masts.
Then our friends on “Sandy Feet” come around the corner.
Whats better than a 2 boat raft up? A 3 boat raft up, right?
What could possibly go wrong?
We all had a really fun night. Sail Pending hosted a Pot Luck dinner and a mean game of adult Domino’s and the kids watched a movie on “Sandy Feet”. Here is all the food from the pot luck. We all ate really good this night. 
The next day Cole went up the mast to take some pictures.
Well….what went wrong with our 3 boat raft up was the 3 boats all swung around and did 2 complete 360 degree circles overnight and our anchor chains were all tied together in a big knot. Also, Sailair’s anchor was not longer holding in the sand, it somehow got wrapped around Sandy Feet’s bridle!!! Andy from “Sandy Feet” went in the water to negotiated the knot and told us which way to circle the boats to get the knot untied. Hopefully, you’ll see more about this procedure in an upcoming Trio Travel’s vlog.
There was a really cool looking resort/bar area at the South side of the bay that we checked out. Unfortunately, it was a closed resort. Here are a few pictures.
A little later on “So What” arrived and we all had a nice dinner at a restaurant on the beach. Here’s the entire crew getting ready for dinner. Whoever says that the cruising life is a lonely lifestyle is WRONG!!! There are soon many interesting families out here doing the same thing.
This blog will also be mostly pictures because, as you will see, the beauty of the Tobago Cays is indescribable.
The turquoise blue water was crystal clear. We got our anchor set and just sat on the bow and watched 5-6 sea turtles leisurely swimming around the boat.
The first day we were there we took it easy, caught up on school work and just took quick snorkels around the boat. The next morning Rich and Tyler went snorkeling and then in the afternoon we went to check out the beach.
Petit Tabac is the small island in the distance
The beach Did Not Suck!
Once again there were lots of kids.
So, That means lots of parents too…
We spent 4-5 nights anchored here and then went over to Petit Tabac for the day. I still have to pinch myself when we pull our home up to a uninhabited island paradise!! I keep thinking my life is only a dream that I am going to wake up from and be back in the real world. 
Petit Tabac is the island that was used in Pirates of the Caribbean scene where all the rum was burned.
People who visited this island before us built coral and stone sculptures
and we added to them.
Then we took a walk on the beach with the crew from Saltair 3.
The crews from Sandy Feet and So What dingied across from the anchorage we spent the last night and the kids built a shelter out of palms.
Here are some more pictures of this beautiful island.
View of the island as we are sailing away….
Next stop…. The anchorage being Frigate Island, near the town of Ashton, Union Island.
We were impressed with Salt Whistle Bay, Mayreau as soon as we dropped out anchor. This bay was definitely the most beautiful bay we have anchored since our voyage started. There was a kite boarding company taking photos of their kiters here.
After we got settled we took our dingy to the beach and had a cold celebratory crossing beer with Kevin and Barbara (s/v Escape Claws) and Kerstin and Jerry (s/v Saphire)
The beautiful beach was lined with Palm Trees and Beach Bars! Yes, We HAVE found paradise!!
We had so much fun at Black Boys and Debbie’s Beach Bar we made dinner reservations and returned after sunset for an amazing dinner. Here are a couple pictures from the amazing sunset that night. The sky was bright orange and then turned pink and purple before turning dark.
Our dinner of fresh conch and red snapper was cooked with love over an open grill. It was an amazing dinner and one of our favorite dinners and settings so far!!
The next day we woke up early and took a walk on the beach, as we always do.
We practically had the entire Bay to ourselves. It was nice to be able to walk on the protected Leeward side and then cross over a small sand bank and walk along the windy Windward side, as well. After our walk on the beach we decided it would be a good day to complete a boat job, so we brought the dingy to the beach and flip it over to clean the bottom. Boat jobs aren’t too bad when you’re in paradise with a beer in your hand, right?
All of the kid boats from Beaquia started showing up at Salt Whistle Bay too. Here come all the kids to the beach!!
A couple boat dads decided to make a zip line from a palm tree into the water. The kids had a blast!!!
Here is a video of Tyler doing the zip line.
It was another beautiful sunset. We enjoyed sundowners on the beach and called it an early night.
The next day was Cole’s (from Saltair 3) Birthday!!! All the kids got together and Cole’s parents planned a fun party with games and food. The first game was a coconut race. (pictured below)
The next game was a kayak and SUP board race to a treasure map which was attached to Sailor 3’s anchor chain and then a scavenger hunt to a buried treasure!!
Next, Cole opened his presents and received hand made cards, gifts, and souvenirs from the other kids journey’s.But his favorite seemed to be the roll of duct tape!! 
Now, it was time to eat. Everyone got to enjoy cinnamon rolls and birthday cake.
This birthday party was just like any other children’s birthday party at home, but the only difference was it was on a beach. Also, there was no garbage from plastic decorations, wrapping paper or single serve containers. All the decorations that were used will be reused again and the presents were wrapped in reusable bags, non colored paper or from things in nature, like palm leaves. (Notice the Christmas Tree gift bag) All the food was home, well “boat” made and brought in containers that needed to be taken back to the boat and washed.
The day ended with a cruiser pot luck dinner on the beach. After dinner we fed the left overs to the very friendly stray dogs that have become our pets over the past few days.
The next morning we were up early again for a relaxing walk on the beach. Now the dogs follow us everywhere.
It was very hard to Leave Salt Whistle Bay, but we wanted to check out Saline Bay around the corner. It was also a beautiful palm tree lined beach, but it did not have any services that were open on shore. So, we stayed one night and moved on to the Tobago Cays the next day.
Our second stop in the Grenadine’s was the island of Bequia.
We anchored off of Tony Gibbons Beach (also known as Princess Margret Beach), our anchor usually sets pretty easily but this time it took us 5 times to get is set properly. The bottom was a thick clay and the anchor did not dig in right away.
There was a nice walkway from our anchorage into town. It was built out of wood and a little rickety and scary, so we only took the walkway once…. The rest of the time we took the dingy into town.
The next morning we woke up to a beautiful Rainbow,
the #1 Bread Man selling baguettes,
and a laundry boat who picked up your dirty laundry and returned it cleaned and folded, the same day for about $6.00 USD a load.
…. and I thought, ” I AM REALLY GOING TO LIKE THIS ISLAND!!! “
The town of Port Elizabeth is a charming fishing village along the water.
We took a walk around town and here are some pictures of the gingerbread style buildings that this island is famous for.
We stayed in Bequia longer than we initially planned, but that was a really good thing because over the next few days several kids boat descended upon the anchorage.
The music was VERY loud!! Check out the speakers on the truck above. Below, Rich and Tyler are Buying cheap drinks (beer and soda) out of a van. Something seems very wrong about this.
After a few drinks, some local food and deafening music we all decided to go back and build a bonfire on the beach.
One of our favorite things about this anchorage was being able to walk along a beautiful beach every morning. Here are some pictures from our walks.
There was a small cave to walk through (above)
The view from the cave to our anchorage (below)
The view from the other side of the cave. It came out to a calm tidal pool.
This little guy wanted his picture taken. He stood and posed for us.
We had an amazing time in Bequia and met up with some great people.
Onto the island on Myreau next.
The private island of Mustique is a playground for the ultra-rich and famous. Even though the island is private visiting yachts may spend a few nights if they follow the strict rules set by the island.
Mustique was a exhilarating 15 mile reach from Blue Lagoon Marina on the main island of St. Vincent. The guide book warned us that the sea around the North side of Bequia can be very rough, and it was right!!! We had 8-9′ crossing seas and were rocking sideways for 2 hours!! Good thing we had plenty of wind and made really good time. We strapped everything down and hung on until we were in the lee of the island of Musique.
The main reason we came to Mustique was for Basil’s world famous Jump Up, but as we were getting the mooring ball the government official told us Basil’s was closed for renovations. Since mooring balls are pretty expensive here, at $25 USD a night (minimum 3 night stay) we almost left, but we decided to pay the $75 USD and stay for 3 days. We are glad that we did.
Below is the view from the dingy dock. 
The Main Street street in Mustique is lined with unique charm. Here is a picture of the outside of Basil’s which is being remodeled.
The street is lined with cute buildings
and fresh food markets.
I thought this sign was really funny!
More views from around the fishing village.
Since Basil’s was the only restaurant on the beach and not open we had to ask around and find somewhere else have our celebratory “crossing drink”. We found a place called “D View” and it lived up to it’s name!! A taxi driver named Boom Boom took us up to D View.
He dropped us off and we asked him for a phone number so we could call him to pick us up in an hour or two and he said, “De walk down is easy mon, just follow de steps” and he pointed to a set of steps next to the restaurant.
He was right, the walk down the steps was very short easy walk. We even passed a peacock in a cage.
We enjoyed a nice dinner on the boat with a beautiful sunset each night.
Every morning Rich and I woke up early and took a long walk on the beach. This beach has been one of the most beautiful and private beaches we have come across so far. We walked for hours, along this palm tree lined beach, each morning and never saw another person.
When you couldn’t walk along a sandy beach any longer the island built steps and stone walkways so you could continue along the perimeter of the island.
We found a huge pile of conch shells that have been discarded by fishermen
As I mentioned in the beginning, Mustique is a playground for the Ultra-Wealthy Celebrity’s of the world. This is a place they can come and get away from paparazzi and crazed fans. There are only 100 private homes on this island. Here are a few of the homes we saw.
The island has one of the nicest airports we’ve seen in the islands. The Billionaires have to get their planes in here!!!
There is even the islands version of a Home Depot.
Here are a couple of statues on the island
Some of the signs around the island.
There were ton of seagulls around too. Here are a few shots I got of them flying around our boat.
Mustique will be on our list of islands to return to when we head North. Hopefully, Basil’s will be open when we come back.
We raised our anchor at first light and the rising sun gave us a beautiful view of The Piton’s as we departed St. Lucia. We have a 65 mile sail to our destination, Blue Lagoon Marina, on the Southern coast of St. Vincent.
As we sailed across the St.Vincent channel we were greeted by two whales.
The sail was lovely!! We had nice winds and the seas were very calm. It’s very rare that we get to sit out on the trampoline while under way. In the picture below the main Island of St. Vincent is on the left and the island of Bequia, (The Grenadines) is in the distance straight ahead.
Here are a pictures of us rounding the Southern point of St. Vincent.
We have spent the past 234 days on the hook (our anchor) or a mooring ball, so we were really looking forward to all the amenities and conveniences of a marina. We kept talking about the unlimited free wifi, unlimited power usage, Air Conditioning, the long showers with warm water, the fresh water swimming pool, and how we could finally sit at a restaurant and eat without dingy butt!!! (For those of you that don’t know what dingy butt is, it is a wet butt from riding in a dingy from the big boat to the dock.)
Desmond met us at the dock with Rum Punch and Welcomed us to Blue Lagoon Marina!!!
Sail Pending tied up at the dock….. Oh, wait there is no power here. We have to move to a different spot. Kristie goes to find Custom’s and Immigration to get us checked in before they close while the boys move the boat.
We got all checked in and raise the courtesy flag.
Sail Pending is in her new parking spot and this spot doesn’t have any power either.
After more observation and other boats moving in and trying to hook up, we discover that there is no power to any of the outlets. So, that means we won’t get any extra power to run the A/C. Bummer!!! We will only have A/C if the generator is running, just like at anchor, BUT…. AT anchor our boat will swing in the wind and we always have a nice breeze going through the boat. When you’re on a dock at a marina there is not breeze and the boat is not always pointed into the wind. CRAP!!!!
NEXT STOP…. A very long, warm shower. YEA!!!
But….I get into the shower and it is infested with mosquitos. AGH!!! I end up taking a quicker shower on land than I would have on the boat to keep from being eaten alive. I didn’t even wait for the water to warm up. AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
The, I get back to the boat and the boat is also infested with mosquitos!! When we are anchored a couple hundred yards from shore we never have any mosquitos on the boat. YUCK!! So, We have to close everything up AND run the generator constantly. (OK, I wasn’t counting on this.)
We went out to dinner at the Marina restaurant and enjoy a very nice dinner with a dry butt, for the first time in over 7 months. When we got back to Sail Pending, Rich and I went up to the trampoline to watch the stars, as we always do, but because the marina was lit up so bright we could only see a couple. I think I prefer the dingy butt, to the bright marina.
As I said above, boats sway on their anchors/mooring and gently rock with the waves. When a boat is tied to a dock it is constantly banging and jerking up against the dock. Tonight, we were not gently rocked to sleep as we are use to, but were woken up all night, as the boat banged against the dock. Big YAWN!!!
Luckily, we had nothing to do all day, except wait for our package to arrive. So, we head to the fresh water swimming pool!!! YEA!!! After swimming our skin and hair was so dried out from the choline that we were itchy and very uncomfortable. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! I just want to be able to jump off the back of the boat into a crystal clear infinity salt water sea.
OK, Maybe I am rethinking how great staying in a marina will be. So far, I am not enjoying this land based boat life and want to get back on the hook, as soon as possible!!!
Our package arrived a day early and we got out of the marina as quick as we could!!!
Next stop, the exclusive private island of Mustique.
Sail on Sail Pending 