CREW VACANCIES!
email: crew@tradewindscruiseclub.com TradeWinds Cruise Club operate a fleet of catamarans across six destinations in the Caribbean. We are the fastest growing charter company, operating TERM CHARTERS, all inclusive, 7 days.
We are looking for crew, mainly teams in the form of a Captain and a Chef/Hostess. We prefer couples that are married OR have been living together for at least a year. The nature of the job is such that the better the understanding and teamwork between Captain and Chef the more successful your charters will be. Requirements: Captain with a Skipper’s licence. Chef/Hostess with a basic understanding of cooking. Dive master/ instructor for either the Captain and/or Chef is a plus. We offer full training onsite in the Caribbean. This is a FUN job with great earning potential. If you are willing to work hard and have a positive disposition to life this could be your DREAM job. Anyone with an interest is welcome to apply. If you would like more information about this job or send your CV to us, please use this email address:
crew@tradewindscruiseclub.com or by mail to: Bequia Marina, P.O.Box 194BQ, Port Elizabeth, Bequia, St Vincent & the Grenadines Tel. St Vincent +784 457 3407 Tel. St Maarten +599 5510550
WHAT’S ON MY MIND
MY
wife and I are not lifetime sailors. This madness of 24/7/365 on a 38-foot sailboat only infected us as we realized our corporate-culture-driven, morning traffic jam, subdivisiondwelling careers were coming to an end. Somehow, cruising became the “What’s next?” in our lives. Our cruising life is a rich tapestry of experiences and emotions that has far exceeded any expectation we had when we began. Sailing is a major facet of our cruising life. I plead guilty to an addiction to the open sea. Nothing else I’ve ever done has provided the feeling of complete freedom or provided such a clear perspective of our true place in the pecking order of the universe as has being out of sight of land on the open sea with no safety net save our own meager skills and the strength of the craft we are sailing. But the depth of the cruising experience comes from the communities and cultures we visit and the people we meet, islanders and cruisers alike. Each place we go, we wander the byways and explore. We eat the local food and make some friends along the way. We try to drink in the unique beauty and culture each new place has to offer. This exploration takes time and diverts our attention from our journey, from our next port of call. Our preoccupation with each new place creates a sort of inertia that must be overcome to get us moving again. That, in turn, impacts our approach to sailing, depending upon circumstances. Perhaps a recent example would be helpful. In our more than six years of cruising the Eastern Caribbean, we have seldom spent time in Dominica and never in the capital, Roseau. We are island hopping northward to meet our daughter who will be taking a land-based vacation in St. Kitts. We have the time to make the journey without any overnight sails, with a bit of time to spare. As occasionally happens, the weather on our leg from St. Pierre,
CRUISERS’ INERTIA
JUNE 2012
CARIBBEAN COMPASS
PAGE 40
by John Rowland
AMEL 54 2005
110 HP Volvo New! Genset - Water Maker Air Cond - Davits Full options French Flag EC Vat Paid 499 000 € Amel 54 2009 Amel Super Maramu 1994 Beneteau Oceanis 510 - 1991 Hunter Marine 49 - 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 473 - 2002 Gib Sea 472 - 1992 Jeanneau SUN ODYSSEY 45.2 - 2000 DUFOUR 385 - 2005 Jeanneau SUN ODYSSEY 35 - 2005 Lagoon 500 - 2011 3 Cabins Lagoon 470 - 2002 3 Cabins Dean 441 - 2008 4 cabins Lagoon 410 S2 - 2006 - 4 Cabins Lavezzi 40 - 2004 - 4 Cabins
Privilege 465 - 2002
Private boat never been chartered Genset - Water Maker - Solar Panels Elec winches - Perfect condition Ready to go - French Flag EC VAT PAID - 349 000 €
MONOHULLS
Full options (Amel 1 Year warranty) 1650 Hrs only Owner version Private boat full options Owner Version 56 Hp Yanmar ATTRACTIVE PRICE Owner boat
CATAMARANS
Like New New Engines
Martinique to Dominica was not as forecast, making for a slower and far lumpier ride than anticipated. We approached Roseau in mid-afternoon with questionable prospects of making Portsmouth in daylight so Roseau became the port of the day. Our schedule allowing a day or two, we decided to explore. Our first contact was with a gregarious boatman named Pancho. He greeted us warmly and helped us with many things: a mooring, checking in, an island tour, laundry. The next day we went on a tour with Mr. Jones. He showed us some of the rugged beauty of Dominica. Like all the Dominicans we met, Mr. Jones appreciates the treasure the island is and works to protect and cherish that treasure. This was clear in every word he said. The Dominicans are very proud of their island and are happy to share it with visitors. The twin waterfalls at Trafalgar were spectacular; the views of the rugged mountains and valleys were breathtaking; the stands of bamboo and giant ferns in the rainforest seemed timeless; and we hardly scratched the surface.
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The city of Roseau is delightful. Cobblestone streets lined with gingerbread buildings freshly painted and standing proud. We spent hours wandering and exploring. Everywhere we went the people were helpful and welcoming. So, a couple of days turned into a week. Inertia. As I write this we are “fixing to think about” slipping the mooring and moving on to Deshaies, Guadeloupe, the next leg of our trip. But we have been seduced by another island. We are reluctant to leave our new friends so quickly and leave such beauty unexplored, but the promise to a daughter will overcome the inertia in this case and we will move on in the morning, with a schedule that is now a bit tighter. Before we make St. Kitts, we’ll be in “passage making” mode if we don’t get going. In our cruising life, there are four kinds of sailing: 1) Passage Making: This is “point A to point B, stay on the rhumb line and don’t spare the diesel” mentality. Sometimes we simply need to be somewhere at an appointed time and date. 2) Day Hopping: With islands and bays close enough together in the Eastern Caribbean, many changes of scenery are available sailing in daylight hours. A very pleasant way to get around. 3) Sailing with Guests: We have frequently had the pleasure of taking folks out who are not sailors and are unfamiliar with the sensations of the open water. It’s fun to take trips like this, destination being completely secondary. 4) Sailing Just to Sail: There are those perfect days when it just feels great to head out to sea and give the boat her head. What the devil, we’ll end up somewhere, right? We have high regard for Don Street and those of his caliber who have laid the groundwork for our cruising experience. We appreciate those who create the cruising guides that point the way for us. But for us, there are islands to visit, cultures to explore, friendships to nurture and rainbows to chase. If you see us go by with sails in tight and engine engaged, understand that our life calendars have a finite number of pages to be turned until this cruising life becomes a treasured pile of memories.