Well, our planning (you know that other blog entry that is under construction) has included staying in Grenada for Carnival. Apparently it is not as big as Trinidad or Rio but not that far behind. I had read about Mas Camps (read Masquerade Camps) in the local tourist guide (see attached pdf – reproduced without permission but if someone from Grenada Tourism wishes me to remove it I will) and thought it would be interesting to go and visit one on the lead up to Carnival (6-11 August).

Mas Camp Article

Then Suzie from Spirited Lady made an announcement that she was visiting one today if anyone wanted to join her so we jumped at the opportunity, grabbed Trish from Bristol Rose and off we went to St Georges.
Arriving in St Georges we rang the number and with directions in hand we headed on up the hill to Green St. Suzie, being ever so careful, stopped everyone she could in the street and in their houses to confirm our directions. (Okay, Suzie does appear neither typically British nor frightfully careful).

We got to the top of the hill and Ricardo (yes the very same one from the article, but I didn’t realise this until we got back to the boat) was at his steps to greet us. His house (the house in which he was born) was built in 1930, seemed so familiar to our own colonial architecture, and had a great view of the cargenage.

From Richardo's Mas Camp

Well Suzie stepped into the fray, being the only confirmed Masquerader  in our midst. She tried on each of the available colours (Richardo’s theme was colours in the clouds and each section of the band wears a colour over white) and some such as purple which were not available. Suzie loved it as Ricardo helped with the hats!

From Richardo's Mas Camp

As Suzie tried on the costumes, I started to realise, that we were in the house of a local celebrity – the Canada / Grenada awards, the prizes for his books, and the framed invitation to dinner aboard HMY Brittania from the Prince and Princess of Wales!


Next Ricardo went to work on the shy Aussie girls –Trish as our official photography held firm on observing the bands, so Richardo turned his

From Richardo's Mas Camp

attention to Karen and I think the results show that Karen is indeed a green girl!

From Richardo's Mas Camp

From Richardo's Mas Camp

All this time the workers were continuing to pump out the costumes!

From Richardo's Mas Camp

After a while we were told of Richardo’s background – an actor, author and by the looks of the photos on his wall a dancer and once owner of a damn fine afro that would have had him mistaken for one of the Jackson 5!

From Richardo's Mas Camp

He bought out copies of his books – one of which has been published in Australia.

We left Mas Camp in two minds – would we or would we not Masquerade?
By the time we arrived at home, I had decided I would party! Karen, always cautious as you know was not so sure but at the time of writing she has agreed to Party Grenada style so I am getting on line and confirming our positions with Ricardo and beefing up  the Green team with Suzie.

So Carnival for us now sounds like Juvee with the Woburn Band (3am Monday morning) followed by two days of Mas partying with Ricardo’s Mas Band and maybe a day or so prior to that at Mas Camp helping with the costumes!

        

Thursday morning rolled around and our last minute calls to Cutty to arrange an island tour yesterday worked out as we met Trish and Robert (Bristol Rose) and Diana and Gerald (Whiskers) at the marina where Cutty was waiting with taxi for our first ever island tour. Already on board were Kerry and Mal (Hasta La Vista). This made the tour a complete Southern Hemisphere tour with 6 Aussies and 2 token S.Africans. << MORE >>

Today, I think spells out what cruising life is about. First, I had success this morning getting the SSB weather reports for the first time since crossing the Atlantic (12 hours after purchasing a new wifi antenna and getting 24hr access to all weather stations). Then I sat and contemplated the key projects for summer: ...<< MORE >>

Well people are wonderig what we are thinking of doing - what do you think about this for a 6 month plan we can blow away? << MORE >>

Well now by overwelming demand (at least two emails from interested parties - thanks Silke and Ashley) and the purchase of a new internet antennae, I am back blogging. There is so much to say and so much to show that it is now a major task to get people up to date but let me start with where we are: Clarke's Court Bay, Grenada, just down river from the rum distillery (go figure how I ended up here....)<< MORE >>

A Google Map of where we have been so far<< MORE >>

Well I gather that you all realise that we have made it. My last blog I think puts us somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic with a crazy German guy called Bernie and since I have not seen any news of anyone searching for us or our boat, I guess you all know we made it and are safe in the West Indies (That is until I get round to updating the blog).
We are now on St Lucia WI, our second Island in the Windward Islands enjoying the Rodney Bay Marina. But perhaps I should go back to ...<< MORE >>

14deg 28'.55N 51deg 23'.12W

It´s 0530 on Monday morning with a slight drizzle outside after what has been a most comfortable night of watches. It has only rained on my shift for some reason....

The last couple of days we have seen the Atlantic in good form with Saturday night being a night of true tropical squall and high seas - reliable estimates of the wave size were 5-6m, unreliable one out them at 30m plus and winds were gusting up to 40knots - so gale force. Karen decided that she really didn´t like this part of the sailing where ...<< MORE >>

16Deg 07.959N 41Deg 24.310W

There ain´t no blue skies around here. Since we arrived in the tropics (23.5N) we have seen no blue skies, no sun, no dolphins, no palm trees and no rum shop! I think it is a big hoax! Fortunately for Karen and I we have our full winter wardrobe but Bernie only has a couple of pairs of shorts, a windcheater and the wet weather jacket he bought in Las Palmas which he is very grateful for.

On the bright side we are pumping along quite nicely. Today we will average close to 7knots (about 12km ...<< MORE >>

07deg 21.690N 38deg 53.634W

1563 Nautical Miles from Nowhere (Las Palmas to be exact).

Just a quick one while I am trying to get weather down. The passage is starting to speed up now as winds move their way to 26 knots and more squall activity is apparent with gust nudging 30knots and waves up to about 3 meters. << MORE >>