X FILES

Well, by popular demand (and having met the requests of the STAR corporate attorneys), the pictures are now back on. Keenan Grant is now $2000 richer because of his entrepreneurial spirit. He came home and sold the photo rights to Star magazine (I didn't know there even was such a newsrag). Way to go, Keenan. Now let's have a talk about the Captain's cut. Whatever happened to the Pirate's Code? Kids these days.



The band this night at Basil's Bar in Mustique was right on, really jammin'. Good enough to bring the Celebs out, and even get K&K out on the floor.

(Original photo of David and Tea dancing was temporarily removed due to certain business enterprises (See pages 46-47 of the April 27, 2009 publication of Star Magazine). This photo is of David and Tea in line for the buffet dinner.)

We were eating dinner the evening of March 25th at the famous weekly "Jump-Up" at Basil's Bar in Mustique and who was sitting next to us? David Duchovny and Tea Leoni. Notice the tatooed rings on their hands...we think they are newly back together. We danced literally two feet from them and stood behind them in the buffet line ! This picture was taken slyly (as slyly as a flash photo can be) by Keenan while taking pictures of Keith and I (and Joan and Peter) dancing.

This is Keith and Kathy dancing with David and Tea to our right.

Kathy's Favorite fruit is now Cheramoya (also called soursop on many islands). It is the green fruit in the middle, in front of the yellow cocoa pod. Inside of the soursop you will find white fruit with black seeds. It tastes sweet with some tartness and the flavor is hard to explain, but the locals claim it is a sex enhancer. Have some more Kathy.

This was at the restaurant Les Auberge des Grenadine on the island of Bequia. Keith is with the waitress. The Grants took us out on the town for a great lobster meal. This was where Kyle had his first bite of lobster!

This was an interesting building on the island of Becquia. It says something about the Jews...I guess we never quite understood what they were trying to get across.

This was supposed to be a good place to eat according to our cruising guide. The chairs and bar were actually carved out of real whale bones. This island is one of the last places that actually whale hunt the old traditional way. Local whalers can take up to 4 whales a year.

Behind us was a great place for buying gingerbread cookies! I have never tasted such great cookies! These islands sure know their spices! (Notice the garbage in Kyle's hand. We always had garbage to unload everytime we got off the boat.)

Nothing beats smooth sailing so we could be out on the boat's trampoline...ahh this is the life!

If we lived in the ancient Mayan days we probably would have been sun worshippers.

Peter Grant at the helm! We loved having the Grant's help and company!

This was our last view of the Pitons before leaving St. Lucia.

Great sunset from our boat as we anchored in the Piton Bay overnight.

(Weston really looks like he wanted to try a "Peter" by putting a rope around his waist and swimming behind a moving boat.)

Another view of the Pitons (and Keenan). The mountains were so large that they blocked the sun rising until mid-morning. There were lots of small stinging jellyfish in the water here when we first arrived. Our swimming was cut short.

Who says that Peter doesn't know how to cook? Here he is putting together a papaya/mango salad (no, the diet coke did not go in the salad).

And here we are trying to cook for a crew of 8. This galley was a one-woman galley, but Joan and I managed somehow. It was a good thing we were both small and careful with knives!

Posted by Kathy and Keith

Martinique and St Lucia

ST LUCIA, MARCH 18-PRESENT

Today was another fun day. We are still docked in Marigot Bay Marina, a really lovely place. We have no complaints about being here except the mosquitoes. Also maybe the minor meddling of every passer-by walking down the marina dock. We are stern-to, wedged in between an 80 foot super yacht on one side, Diamond Girl, and a 120 foot absolutely beautiful mega yacht, Amnesia, on the other, and every person walking by knows exactly what we are eating, reading, or cleaning. I have been asked at least 10 times today how I got a boat from Edmonton, Canada to St Lucia. (You drive I-25 south to Albuquerque and turn left).

Anyway, we awoke at our usual 8 AM, slowly roused and prepped for the day, and after getting the marina repairmen going on many repair projects on the boat, took off again in our trusty Daihatsu for more fun in the sun, this time going north to Castries and Rodney Bay. The passengers seemed somewhat less apprehensive today about the driver (me) and driving on the left, though we are all getting tired of turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal. Everything except the foot pedals are mirror-image backwards on this vehicle.

So we drove through small villages, arriving in Castries in about 15 minutes. This is the nation's capitol. We drove past two large cruise ships docked there, and the international airport at Vigie, and then drove on to Rodney Bay. This place has a very interesting history. St Lucia has changed hands 14 times between the French and English in its history since discovery by the Spanish who never really had any interest in the island. Admiral Rodney defeated the French naval forces on Martinique in 1780 or so. There is an old resored British fort on Pidgeon Island in Rodney Bay, now administered by the National Park system. Pidgeon is not even an island anymore, having been connected to the mainland by a man-made causeway in 1971. Anyway, we ate in an old English style pub in the restored fort ( even had real live Brits whooping it up at the bar). Had bangers and mash, real good. Then with full stomachs we spent two hours on the beach soaking up the sunshine and watching the sights. Many boats in the harbor, jet skis, para-sails, etc. Sandals has a very large complex right next door. Then we went on a self-guided tour of the old fort, kitchen, mess, barracks, officers latrine, musket redoubt, gun batteries, etc. This site was also used by USA as signal station in WW2. USA also built a naval air station here for long range recon of approaches to Panama Canal during the war. All very cool.

Me and Kath in front of magazine on top of Fort Rodney overlooking Rodney Bay.


Peter sitting on old water cistern.


OK, I just found my new range toy.


These guys are everywhere. Sometimes quite scary. We are sitting by ourselves on the beach. He walks up talking loudly to himself, and flashing this very big knife. Obviously high (not on life). He sits down right in my shadow (close), and starts whittling and weaving a palm basket, all the while still talking very loudly in an apparent monologue. ME: "What's your name?". HIM: "Bob Marley. Call me Righteous Bob". ME: "OK, Righteous Bob, who are you talking to?" RB: "I am talking to God, talking to Bob Marley". ME: "What does God tell you, Righteous Bob?" RB: " He tells me not to drink rum". ME: "When is the last time you drank, RB?" RB: "Today, Righteous Keith. He tells me to smoke ganja". Anyway, you get the picture. How can I argue with God? You go right ahead and smoke, Righteous Bob. And while you are at it, put away your honking big knife and sell me that exquisite basket, will you RB? All this was basically a highly refined extortion act to get $5 for a personally engraved, authentic, St Lucian palm frond basket which will be brown in a few days and undoubtedly will not make it past US Customs anyway.


Looking north from Pidegon Island toward Martinique 21 miles away.

On the Beach (this story has a happy ending)

We got home last night to find that the 120 footer next to us had set up for a live band on their foredeck. Turns out it was someone's birthday party on the boat, and they hired this band ( pretty good really) to play privately to the four of them, sitting in barca-loungers on the top deck drinking champagne, the 3 chicks rocking out, and the one guy trying to look not too eager). So this is how a birthday party should really be celebrated. I have really been missing the boat, haven't I.

Friday we drove south down the island to Soufriere and Pitons. We rented a Chevy 4 seater from the Marina office, but after about 5 miles of ear-splitting grinding emanating from the right side of the car whenever I applied the brakes, and seeing the 20-30 degree pitch of the roads, we turned around back to the rental office for the old switcharoo. We got upgraded for free to a 5 seater SUV Daihatsu Terios and off we went again.

Along the way we stopped for fresh green coconut milk and discovered the guy had a boa constrictor. After avoiding the hard sell on his touristy coconut trinkets, we continued on thru some very small villages to the town of Soufriere and then up into the mountains to a hotel called Ladera, listed by Conde Naste as the #1 hotel in the world. We finaggled our way in past security and ate a late lunch at Dascheen, their wonderful restaurant. I had a local dish, banana fishcakes with creole sauce. Very good. Kath and Pete had chicken roti again. Also very tasty. This hotel sits at 1100 feet nestled right up between the Pitons, these amazing rock formations on the coast. We experienced a wonderfull sudden rain burst while there. Was really magical. They give you squirt guns at the tables in the open air restaurant to shoot the birds that try and pester you.

Returning to the car, we drove a few more miles south and ended up quite off the beaten path on the coast below Gros Piton. While meandering we raced some local school boys on their way home from school, and came across a local man, Nicholas Ishmael, who asked for a ride. We had a very difficult time understanding him due to language barrier (I think he just spoke Creole). Along the way he showed us the local cocoa plantation. Brought some cocoa pods into the car for us. How alien! This bright yellow leathery pods, fairly soft shells, which when broken open reveal these slimy, sweet white seed pods. They are sweet but a bit astringent, covering a somewhat bitter seed, which if chewed, and then spit out, produces a very bright purple pulp...apparently chocolate, though did not taste like any Hersheys I have ever had. We saw and smelled them roasting these pods, and they smelled really yeasty, organic, almost like roasted barley.

Nicholas then took us to a friend's house, where we got some wonderful pictures of Piton Bay. We met the woman owner of the house with 4 of her 5 children, youngest 19. Saw more fighting cocks being raised, a turtle, suckling piglets, etc. Then drove down the steepest concrete road I have ever experienced, steep concrete gutters both sides to Jalousie Beach. We will moor here in a few days. I can't wait. This place is seriously stunningly beautiful.

On the drive back we turned off for a swimming detour to Anse Chastenet above Soufriere. No fishing of any kind allowed here, and the single best reef I have seen during the entire 2 month sail. Many fish, big and small, large beautiful coral formations, sea fans, and sea caves. It was just sunset and we were the only ones there. Really enchanting.

Anse Chastenet

Rainbow over Soufriere

Nicholas Ishmael, our trusty hitchhiker friend and guide

Eat it, I dare you

Photo of Piton Bay looking north toward Petit Piton. I had never heard of the Pitons before coming to St Lucia, I am embarrassed to say. But it is truly one of the most spectacular locations I have ever been. We will moor here in very deep water in a few days. Maybe scuba a wall or two here.

The restaurant at Ladera. This poor picture does not do it justice.

On Thursday Pete and I took the dinghy (finally got a dinghy anchor) out to the mouth of Marigot Bay to some fine rock and coral formations for an hour. Not many fish, but found a sea cave and had fun with the camera. Pete likes free diving. I am a traditional guy...give me snorkel mask anyday.

We had a very calm and leisurely sail south from Fort de France on Wednesday. Awoke early at 6 AM, wayed anchor, and off we went. Everyone else went back to bed, and I sailed the 26 miles to Marigot Bay. Saw Pidgeon Island in the north of Rodney Bay, passed some large cruise ships in Castries Harbor, and sailed past the very big Hess oil depot in Baie Cul de Sac. The entry to Marigot Bay is almost hidden from view unless you know it is there or are hugging the coast. It is a hurricane hole, safe for vessels in a major storm. But it is a truly beautiful, small bay, steep-to sides and shoals in places, the inner harbor lined entirely by beautiful mangroves, a small beach, some older and some newer up-scale hotel developments, and a fine new Marina. The new hotel is called Discovery. Kathy and I walked thru it. Would be a great destination hotel for a week on St Lucia. The other place I would consider staying on a return trip here would be Ladera or Jalousie Resorts down south. Maybe a mix of 2 spots. Anyway this is a lovely spot. We are also mollified that they have a Moorings base here with many qualified and conscientious workers and techs to fix all of the inumerable flaws and breaks in the boat systems. Already they have completely flushed, cleaned, replaced the head gaskets, disharge lines, holding tanks, and all the head smells are gone, and we do not need to discharge directly into the harbor thru the overflow lines. They are also working on repairing/replacing many windows, repairing the jib sail, sorting out the inverter issues, fixing the starboard bilge pump (it was getting no power), deep cleaning the fiberglass, getting anchor rode ( it only had 150 feet of chain), replacing many absent/ fractured hinge pins, repairing faulty masthead fly wind indicator and anchor light, etc.

MARTINIQUE, MARCH 14-17, 2009

We ended up staying 2 nights anchored in the lee of the sea wall of Fort St Louis in Fort de France. It was a pleasant anchorage, sheltered but close to town with a wonderful dinghy dock. We actually wayed anchor the second day and motored across the bay to Anse Mitan, but the dock and fuel dock were destroyed and the anchorage full, and the town not very inviting-looking, so we turned around and went back. On the way we stopped for fuel on the north side and Pete did a spectacular job of backing us onto the pontoon fuel dock. After filling up with diesel and water we returned back to our original anchor site. Kathy and I spent the afternoon exploring the town. Pete wanted to stay on the boat and swam to shore for some exercise. We just walked thru the town, explored, and took pictures, and did a little more provisioning. After returning to the boat and after dinner, Kathy spent a few hours under the deck light hand-stitching about 7 feet of loose jib sail seam. She did a very nice job, and we tested her workmanship the very next day on our sail down to St Lucia. This job was especially hard on her already arthritic fingers.

It appears that the local school kids take some of their school P.E. training at the beach...go figure, an island kid having to learn how to swim. They are all in PFD's and an instructor is close by in a power skiff.

Peter tying up at the dinghy dock in Fort de France.

The interior of this fantastic library in the city. Looks like something out of a library from a 100+ years ago, which it is. I did not expect to find a library of this stature in a tropical place like this. Just many walls of old and some newer books, classics and paperbacks. Rousseau next to Steven King. All in French. Beautiful tiled floors. In some disrepair, broken windows. Hate to see it not maintained fully.

The Schoelcher Library in Fort de France. Byzantine style decor. Completely out of context in this place but beautiful and surprising.

Some street scenes follow.

Carnival remnants on the street lights.

The Betsy Ross of Jibs. Oh, and another stunning sunset.

Martinique, St Pierre and Fort de France

We are at a French internet cafe in Fort de France, and we are struggling to use a French keyboard.



It was a sad day for all when Stacy, Chris and Malinda departed from us on Wednesday March 11. Stacy had a very early morning flight out of Marigot, so required a 4:30 AM dinghy ride. Chris and Mal needed the same at a saner hour, and we took them over at 10:30 AM. We had such a wonderful time with all of our guests, and they added so much to our fun and enjoyment and provided so many memories for us. The time on board really flew by.


That afternoon Keith hired Albert to take him fishing. Purchased some baleyhoo and took a marginal rod/reel from the boat as well as a hand line, and headed off. Spent 50 EC dollars, 2-3 hours and a gallon of gas trolling, but nothing. Kathy was not at all surprised, and had a nice dinner prepared for us.


The next morning we sailed 2.5 hours south to Roseau, where we took a mooring ball just south of Fort Young. We were there two nights, having made arrangements to get our heads pumped and declogged. However after 6 hours of frustration, were unsuccessful. The Dominicans, though kind and well-intentioned, just did not have the where-with-all to take care of things. We tried blowing it out with compressed air from our scuba tank, a plumbers snake ( not enough AC power to run it) both below and above the deck, etc. Keith made about 10 dinghy runs getting people, plumbers, supplies, manual pumps, etc, but nothing worked. Paid them all 100 EC dollars just for their time, but really got nothing done except the port holding tank pumped, which did smell better. (Funny, Keith's berth is on the port side; what a coincidence).


Spent a day exploring Roseau. Has some very old and interesting architecture. We just walked the streets, visited the Catholic and Methodist churches, went in and listened to Vespers and choir practice, and ate dinner at the same cafe as a few days earlier. We must have walked into six other cafes, but none were serving. This time we watched "Cash Cab" instead of cricket matches. Curry goat was very good.


Below is a big cruise ship that came into Roseau the morning we sailed out to Martinique.

March 14th we sailed into Saint Pierre, Martinique on a single broad reach! It was a rough sail, 6 foot sea swells/waves and 20+ k winds. Peter got beat up pretty good by whipping jib sheets on the foredeck when he went up to reef the main. It remained really very windy right up until the last 400 meters till shore, and there were only 4-5 other boats, including one that was recently destroyed after washing up on the beach. We nearly pushed on to Fort de France, but decided to give it a try anyway. We are so glad we stayed. St Pierre was one of our favorite towns of the entire voyage.

When we arrived most everything was closed due to the strike. We checked in at the local internet cafe/Customs office...it's all on computer and do-it-yourself. And free!

Here's a view of St. Pierre. We sure could have used Stacy's French here!

This is where we anchored. The wind was really funky and we ended up rotating 360° in the night...thankfully no anchor issues.

No this is not our boat and I was not at the helm! Every boater that came in to port worried when they saw this beached Cat. Apparently this happened a week prior when a potent storm from the north hit... that was the night when our anchor slipped in Isle de Saints and Stacy saved us from a collision. The owner of this cat had not listened to the weather and went fishing the night of the accident. Expensive fishing trip.

We walked all around town and discovered a place where people were betting on cock fights. They asked if we wanted to stay, but after seeing the Gendarmerie we decided to leave. Saw some dead roosters, and a lot of money changing hands. Sort of creepy, actually.

A local river that runs thru town.

St Pierre has a very interesting history. Was the capital of Martinique and the Paris of the Caribbean, very cosmopolitan, sustained by extensive plantations. Mt Pele exploded in 1902, and despite days/weeks of warnings all 30,000 inhabitants were killed in a massive eruption, including sinking 12 ships anchored in the harbor. Only two survivors reputedly, including one Cyparis, a murderer housed in a local jail.

This was part of the fortification in the city.

What a parent won't do to get a good photo. And so natural. Isn't this what you do in your windows?


We think this was the home of Victor Hugo when he lived in St. Pierre.
This is on the grounds of the theatre/prison, virtually destroyed in the eruption. The theater sat over 800 people. This partial restoration reminds me of the Spanish Steps in Rome.

This is like Stacy, protesting when she had to leave the boat. Wierd statue, sort of Pompeii-esque.

The next morning Keith and I got up early and hiked up a hill to a lighted statue of The Virgin of Mariners, designed to guide all incoming ships. In the town is the Catholic Church that was a favorite of pirates, and they donated their booty to its support. The church has some beautiful carillon bells, and we heard them call the faithful several times a day in the harbor. Really quaint and beautiful.

Kathy ( or is this The Virgin). Mount Pelee is in the background of this picture.

As usual, I found a great bakery after the hike. We ate more calories than we walked off! Ate a chocolate eclair, pain du chocolate, and raisin cinnamon bun.

Kids are so cute. Always shy.

Our anchorage in St Pierre.

We have yet to see the "green flash", but we've seen many great sunsets.

Monday we sailed 3 hours south to Fort de France, Martinique. It is the largest city in Windwards. It looks like L.A., California!

Here is Fort St Louis, which is still in active use by the French Navy and closed to sight-seers. We anchored at the bottom of the sea wall in the lee.

This was quite the chore trying to type on a weird keyboard. It's a good thing I am typing for my mom. This is a Petter typage.

-KATHY!