Kelcey Chandler-Yates and Jim Yates present...

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May 18, 2001 - from Nicholas
Dush, dush, dush, dush, dush, tushhhhhhhh.  I was awakened by the storming sound of the generator/dive compressor.  Therefore, I hoped up out of bed, brushed my teeth and went to the bathroom.  Then I went out to the salon and said, "thanks dad" (sarcastic tone), dad replied, "You want to dive today?"  I knew he was just backing himself up, but I was too tired to pursue it, so instead I said to Chris (who was cooking eggs) "what smells so good" "my egg", he replied.  "In that case, I'll cook my own breakfast", I snapped.  Soon after, I opened a can of pears.

When I was done eating, dad was out front doing something.  Mom said to go do my schoolwork so I did.  I'd been working quietly for a half hour and dad yelled, "Get suited up, were going diving".  I said "just you and me?"  Dad replied "just you and me!"  So I got my stuff on.  When we got out to the site, it was an incredible sight to see.  There was Fort Charles magnificently standing a few hundred feet above us and below us was the crystal-clear blue water that we love so very much.

As we descended, I noticed many tiny fish.  We set the anchor and navigated through a field of dark volcanic sand, and then the reef started to come into sight.  We swam through a beautiful reef of fish and corals, but I knew the best was yet to come.  Dad led me through the canyons, for he knew the site best.  Then at fifty-two feet I see him go straight over a ledge and, of course, I follow.  As I come over the ledge, I see wire corals ten feet long poking out everywhere. They had these jelly things about a half-inch long all over them, from experience I know that they hurt, a lot.  At the bottom (at a hundred and ten feet) there were beautiful plate corals. What a great dive!!!

May 20th 2001 - back to Kelcey
After leaving Guadeloupe proper, we sailed to Isles des Saints.  A group of small islands 12 miles south of the main island of Guadeloupe and 19 miles north of Dominica. Sailing in between the islands was a beautiful experience as they are totally void of human habitation except for a few small fishing villages nestled along the coastline of the crystal clear deep waters and who's fishing vessels are boldly painted in combinations of primary colors.  The main village on Terre-de-Haut is lined with beautifully built two-story buildings which house the locals who have transformed the lower stories into businesses including sophisticated eating establishments, artesian outlets and local "hangs" or as we know them-- bars. The food and beer is inexpensive and delicious. The artists are talented and charge well for there crafts. The diving was less than good we believe due to over fishing.

Tomorrow we leave for Dominica. We will be joining friends we have met during our journey. It seems we are well known in the cruising community Must be the extreme rake of our mast which makes us faster and very noticeable-couldn't be the fact that we are the crazy couple in their forties who sold everything and live with their two children on that little boat and are constantly seen putting on or taking off their dive gear!!?? Well what ever it is, we finally met several of the other cruisers and are enjoying some very interesting conversation. Most are older than we are with their children well grown. Some have been cruising up and down the islands for years and have given us insight no book could begin to. All love the children and are impressed with their good behavior.  Guess we are doing something right! -Where is that wooden spoon!!!!

May 21, 2001
Well I must say the sail over here was less than fun.  Nine foot waves and up to 30 knots of wind-Ughhhhh. It was our lack of preparation, which made it a pain.  We began with full sail up and the dinghy on a lower part of the davit.  Once rounding the island we saw our faults! In goes the reef in the main, (pulling it down some so not so much sail is being pushed or pulled by the wind).  In and of it's self this is no problem but when the waves are 9 foot and slamming it's not the most pleasant place to be on the front deck with waves crashing over you and the boat jumping like a frog in spring!  After about an hour the seas calmed down and allowed us to head up into the wind enough to reach the anchorage with out much of a tack.  We were met by a "boat boy" who informed us where our friends were anchored and secured a dolphin fish (mahi-mahi) for us. Barbecued on the grill it was scrumptious! Nothing like fresh fish!

May 25, 2001
After a few days in Dominica, we are pooped!  Between hiking and hiking and hiking, up to waterfalls, down from waterfalls, and through the rainforest, it is time for a rest!  Not to mention beautiful pristine reef and great French food and even better fresh fruit.  In the forest were acres of bananas, which is the main export for Dominica.  They pick the bunches and wash them by hand in small bins, making sure there is not a speck of dirt on the bunch.  I have never tasted better bananas! Moreover, we appreciate them a lot more now too.  The river tour was a reminder of Disney world-no hippos or elephants but the scenery was so lush and seemingly untouched.  Parrots flying overhead in flocks while crabs careened along the riverbank splashed with primary colors.  Then there were the grapefruit trees.  The fruit was so sweet we ate them like huge oranges.  The passion fruit was sweet and tart at the same time and the coconut was like candy-not like that dry garbage in the cellophane bags.  We also saw the last Carib Indian village in the Caribbean. They are the ones who would catch and eat anyone who landed on their turf in Columbus's days!  They make beautiful intricate baskets of which we had to have one.

Today it was time to sail to Martinique.  Again, it was rough but not as bad as the last crossing.  Four to five foot swells for part of the time and only twenty two to twenty five knots of wind.  We were prepared this time and even saw two whales right off out starboard side!  Now we sit in St Pierre bay which was once know as the Paris of the Caribbean until Mt. Pelee erupted in 1902 killing almost 30,000 people!  It is just now being rebuilt as the crater in the side of the mountain looms overhead! You can count me out on that real estate transaction!  Off to Fort De France tomorrow to provision and hopefully peddle some of my earrings. It is off-season right now so we have been taking lots of orders but not selling a great deal.

June 5th 2001
WOW have we been having fun-I had a pizza party when we were in Guadeloupe and invited several other boats to join by bringing toppings.  Well it has become a ritual and Martinique was no exception.  We have met so many wonderful people from all walks of life.  Tonight we were out to dinner here on St Lucia and we had a fire fighter, a nurse, a plastic manufacturer, an inventory specialist, a merchant marine and cattle ranchers! Add in two Chiropractors and what a mix!

I will back up a bit to cover the ports of call I have not written about due to having way too much fun!

Fort De France was uneventful. We actually anchored in Anse Mitan and my newfound friend Dianne and I went gift shop shopping for the heck of it.  We did not find much but had a great time talking to the shop owners not to mention yapping up a storm between the two of us.  She is a mom and grand mom and alias former hippie child who from my understanding spent years teaching the how-tos of hobbies and wind surfing.  She had great stories and we really connected from the heart. She also taught Chris how to wind surf!  Her husband Don is a wonderfully intelligent man who taught us so much about the history and economics of the Caribbean.  What an education!  I really hope we can meet up with them again but they have been staying in the Caribbean for the past 6 years and we will soon be scooting to the Pacific.  The saying so long is the hardest part of cruising! -Off to St Anne's.  This is cruising central!!  French to the hilt but very tolerant of English. We had a great time chatting with the locals in part French and part English!  Great pastries and bread not to mention roti chicken-their version of great plump chicken on the spit!!  Good as grandma's!! With over a 100 boats in the anchorage we had beach parties and played bocce ball along with great cocktail parties! -not a whole lot of education for the boys but it was a great time for all as they met many children! Lots of sand fights on the beach!!

Well that's all for now-I will be coming back to the states for 5 weeks so you may not have an update for awhile-I will be leaving from St. Lucia and arriving back into Grenada-----Nick will be with me and Jim and Chris will be sailing the boat.

Soon---Kelcey

June 14th
Chris and I have been in Bequia after a great sail down from St. Lucia last weekend. Been busy diving every day and fixing things that can be done now and not on the hard in Grenada in a week.  I spent most of today sanding and varnishing.  Diving has been quite rewarding with numerous 6 to 8 foot green Morey eels on almost every dive.

More later -- Jim and Chris