Trellis Bay full moon party

A typical Sunday morning today, if we were living in Belfast. Well not quite, but it had a few of the ‘typical’ things about it… woke up to a screaming cat telling me it was time to feed him at 5, 6 and 7am. Got into the kitchen and put the kettle on for some Suki tea (courtesy of Tom and Hazel). Opened up the Observer (courtesy of Willow) and spent the morning reading the review and sport sections cover to cover. Lovely.

We motor sailed up to Virgin Gorda Sound yesterday lunchtime to enjoy a few days of holiday before we up anchor and make the thankfully downwind passage back to Luperon. Last week we got an email from our friend Luc in Luperon with not one but two job offers for the pair of us. Amazing, we feel very blessed by Luc’s vision and trust in us, he’s a champ. I’m going spend some time working with him in his catamaran business and Kel is hopefully going to deliver a boat from Panama to New York for a friend of Luc. We’re both over the moon, both to have some income possibilities in the next few months, but also to be back with our friends on Ellida, Sarabande and Gaia. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of mischief to be had while we sit out the hurricane season and top up the kitty.

Aren't we hot? Maybe it's just the fire.

Our last few days with mum and dad were fun. Dad got a touch of sailing close to the wind with a beat from Sopers Hole up to Great Cane Bay. Reminded him of dinghy sailing, it was fun to heel Beannacht over and stretch the sails a little. Our last night was the monthly full moon party in Trellis Bay. A local artist’s studio lights huge fireballs in the water, and people dance, drink and shop by the beachfront. Trellis Bay seems to be nothing but a tourist trap, a Granville Island or Portstewart kind of place, but the party was a fun night out. Mullans senior didn’t get naked, at least not to my knowledge, but team Mullington managed a couple of skinny missions off the boat.

Came out of a can, but still tasted pretty fine! My first Guinness in quite a while.

The BVIs continue to be very relaxing, and very expensive. We had a plate of wings, a Guinness and a Caribe (local beer) for $26 last night in a marina bar on shore. Wowsa, way to kill the cruising budget. So we’ve enjoyed time on the boat, and swimming off it, and getting through the mountain of magazines that T&H left with us. In one week I’ve read two copies of Bike and a copy of Motorcycle News – heaven! We like guests. Especially those who arrive bearing wonderful gifts, as well as stories of how things are at home. Our good friend Andrew Iverson is also coming out this month, he’s flying to DR to meet us for a week or two which we’re very excited about.

Anzuelo had such a good time with Tom he wanted to fly home in his luggage!

I logged onto the web last night to get a catch-up on things in Belfast, given that today is the 12^th July, but it sounds like all was calm. Still owning a house in the Village does cause partial anxiety during the 12^th fortnight, not helped by the racist incidents that were happening in Belfast a couple of weeks ago. Sounds like Esther Ranson made some very helpful and insightful comments about the whole thing on TV though, those teeth alone should give us all cause to consider selective (compulsory) euthanasia.

Snorkelling in the BVIs has been incredible. It’s hatching season and schools of fish are everywhere. This morning our paper reading was interrupted by a feeding frenzy right underneath our boat. A school of juvenile jacks were dashing and darting through a cloud of literally thousands of young scamps that can’t have been a few weeks old. The prey became airbourne swarms for a moment before crashing back into the turbulent water. Gulls flocked to the scene swooping to gobble up unwitting fish that were too distracted by the threat below to notice the aerial assault.

This Friday is our 5^th wedding anniversary. It’s hard to take in actually; we’ve both been laughing about how time moves quickly, and how lucky we feel to be out here already after such a short time of ‘working’ life together. We might be in the middle of our crossing to DR on Friday, but we’re going to take ourselves out for some grub to celebrate at some stage during the week.

It’s time to get back in the water…tough life. We’ve been concentrating on scrubbing our bottom this week – just one bottom belonging to Beannacht, not three – in preparation for our departure, getting rid of all the nasty cling-ons that slow our progress.

Our last night out with the folks at 'De Loose Mongoose' in Trellis Bay

Tom:

Who would have thought that Haze and I would be sitting on a yacht in the Caribbean swimming, learning to snorkle and sailing from one mooring to another, expertly piloted by Keli and Stu, who are extremely competent at handling the Beneteau. The temperature is in the high twenties and the breeze helps to cool us down. Swimming is a delight and certainly beats the breathtaking experiences of swimming at home.

Hazel and I have coped well on the boat and Keli and Stu have worked hard to accommodate our needs and make the whole experience really enjoyable. I think Hazel has better sea legs and more explicitly a better sea stomach than me, but I have coped ok and it hasn’t put me off my food. Stu has impressed me by his culinary talents, with chowder and corn bread and Keli’s salads are a delight. The pre dinner sessions have been populated by a variety of aperitifs including an Apocalypso, gin and tonic (big Bob Mullan might even make a visit) and rum and coke.

Days come and go and it is amazing how the days go in doing almost nothing, but tomorrow begins the next stage of our holiday when we say Farewell to Stu and Keli and fly with LIAT airlines to Barbados. We had an interesting and very frustrating journey with LIAT on the way here and discovered the locals say LIAT stands for ‘leave the island any time’. We arrived on Monday instead of Sunday.

Thanks to Stu and Keli for giving us a nautical introduction to the British Virgin Islands. This turned out to be a much better place to sail than Tobago. We wish them well as we move on and they will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers. May the Lord protect and watch over their going out and their coming in.

Best Wishes

Ould Tom or T Unit

Three Queen Helmet shells that were right under our boat today!

Hazel:

And a last word from Hazel (some would say what’s new!) This has been such an amazing experience – just a joy to see Stu and Keli again, and to have time to relax and share their life on Beannacht. We have all adapted pretty well to sharing what are quite small living quarters for 4 people, and holidays on the caravan have definitely helped there. In other ways it has been more physical than I expected – learning to bend and fit into quite small places between the various ropes and metal bars as you move around the boat. So bruises are now a way of life, and indeed a badge of honour, as all sailors have them! But I haven’t fallen off, and my balance is definitely better than when I started.

We have had some hysterical moments, especially when I am snorkelling and they attach fins to my feet. My brain then disengages, and the legs wander off in all directions, leaving me completely helpless. But eventually I have got to grips with basic snorkelling ie how to breathe under water without drowning, and it was so worth it. The fish and coral are so beautiful, and I’ve seen colours I would never have believed existed under the sea. But then I have to climb back onto the dinghy! What a sight that must have been! But with a hoick from Tom and a shove to the derriere from Stu, they finally got the bosom over the edge and hurray, I’m back on board!!

So come on you land lubbers! Who is next for the big adventure?? Some helpful hints for you if you are thinking about the packing:

Bring some motion sickness tablets – you may need then, and although Stu and Keli can offer suppositories, you may not feel that is the way to go! We certainly didn’t.

Either grow your hair long enough to tie back, or get it cut short. I didn’t, you can’t buy clips in the Caribbean, and I have spent my last 9 days with my hair scraped back in a band, and tucked into a hat. Another new experience, and not necessarily pretty!

Don’t bring anything yellow with you if they are toilet training a new cat. Enough said!

For similar reasons, do not put your foot in the cat litter tray when you fall over. Not saying anything more about that either. (But actually, Anzuelo is a great kitten, and I really hope he survives his probationary period. He spent some of last night on my bed and didn’t piddle on me once! That’s because the sheets were green ones)

Lastly bring really strong insect repellent for some really strong insects at the marinas! My legs look like I have had the plague and survived, but with permanent scarring.

This has been the most amazing time, and I have discovered that if you aren’t being sick in a bucket, sailing is great fun, especially if the wind is behind you, and the sun is shining! And there are always cocktails to be had to help you recover. This is the life!

Much love and thanks to Stu and Keli, the most amazing hosts! We are so proud of you both. Will start saving for a family trip to the Med?

Hazel.

The Mullans and Mullingtons out for dinner in Roadtown

Amazingly tomorrow is the last day of Tom and Hazel’s visit, the week flew by, and so far it’s been a fair success. Boats are small places, or at least ours is, so we were both keen to make it feel as spacious as is possible, utilising the cockpit and decks, and our own personal playground the sea. Lots of snorkelling, BBQs in the cockpit and a few walks onshore. The BVIs have proven to be the perfect sailing location for visitors, an abundance of beautiful protected anchorages short sailing distances apart, making each day a simple 1-3 hour passage that ends just in time for lunch or evening drinks depending on our departure time.

Tom and Hazel swimming off the boat

It’s been great to get back to some sailing, and introduce the rents to our life afloat. Old Tomo slotted in on the helm like 40 years had never passed since Granda Bob built him his first wooden dinghy (he wished). Mum settled in to life aboard with a small deposit in a bucket on our first passage, before getting her sea legs and taking to life in the cockpit rather well. Nothing like a pill once a day to toughen their constitution when you’re stuck, they narrowly missed having to resort to our suppositories, their stash ran out today.

Hazel at the helm

It’s a challenge to fit a year’s worth of parental spoiling into one week, but we’ve had a good crack at it with some great meals out and trips to the chandlers and supermarket!

There have of course been some comedy moments in keeping with the Mullan tradition. Tomo did an excellent impression of one much less gifted in entering a dinghy from the water, and Hazel’s legs developed Turrets at the moment her feet were adorned with flippers. Not sure we’ve quite hooked them on snorkelling just yet, but gallant efforts have been made.

Tom on the helm

Anzuelo has definitely been the one who’s gone out of his way to extend a good old Mullington welcome. On day one he shat on dad’s swimming shorts, and he’s managed to piss on mum’s bed three times since their arrival. The common denominator is the colour yellow, so we’re hopeful that a life of magnolia will cure his ails. He’s by no means a permanent member of crew just yet, more like one misplaced function away from inclusion in the next load of laundry.

Tomorrow they head to for Barbados for a week of resort relaxation and we get down to thinking about our next move. At this stage it’s likely to be Luperon, but we’re talking to people here to see if there’s any work around. It would certainly be nice to be free to take breaks in these anchorages with ease during the hurricane season, weather permitting.

Beannacht at anchor in Savannah Bay

Kel and dad winched me up the mast yesterday to take down our radar reflector which had broken loose en route to San Juan. It had been flapping overhead attached by two of its four strings for a while causing considerable anxiety. Kel and I both looked up at it during passages and pondered the likelihood of decapitation should it have come off entirely. We also managed to get the alternator fixed in Roadtown last week and dad gifted us some cabling to finish installing the new battery bank. It’s been quite the luxury to have a working fridge again, we even had ice cream yesterday!

This little sucker just jumped on my hook!Â

Before leaving San Juan we spent over an hour diving on the hull to scrub sea life off the bottom, in particular the rudder and propeller. We estimate having lost over a knot of boat speed on the way to San Juan due to growth while anchored in Luperon. The shear volume of shit in the bay makes for very fertile growing conditions. On Saturday evening we spent another hour diving to finish the job, and our hull is back to her shiny blue self. There was over an inch of growth on the bottom of the keel, and patches of thick barnacles everywhere else. The final instalment is some mild scrubbing to expose a new layer of antifouling paint to delay re-growth.

Mum looks out to sea on the windward side. A little more lumpy than our cruising ground so far.

Torrential rain on Sunday afternoon made for perfect deck cleaning conditions. We threw boat soap over the deck and then spent a while scrubbing some of the rust stains and general grime from the gelcoat. Erno and Freda, a Dutch couple we met in San Juan, tipped us off on the power of muratic acid to remove rust stains on deck so I’m going to mix up a little squirt bottle and work my way round our stanchions, life lines and rigging removing the nasty stuff.

Always endearing. I shit on your shorts, piss on your bed, chew your sandal. Who's your daddy?

The rugby unfortunately wasn’t broadcast anywhere in Roadtown on Saturday and the marina wifi was so slow we couldn’t watch it online. Instead we were reduced to Matt Dawson’s commentary on Five Live, including expansive coverage of all the day’s top performers – Worsley, Shaw, Monye… it was apparently just the English lads who turned up?

Food in the cockpit, doesn't get much better.

So one more afternoon of lounging and one more meal out…it’s a cushy life. Oh and the small matter of the Trellis Bay full moon party tonight…I’m sure the firedancing will resume.

Monday 29 June

Home brewing on the boat - 52 pints for 12 buck and a 'borrowed' water bottle

We finally made it somewhere…on time! The last while has felt like we’ve been trying to push boulders up hills. Two weeks in Luperon and three in San Juan, waiting for weather, waiting for the opportunity to move east, waiting to meet mum and dad. Living the dream just hasn’t been living up to it’s marketing. You of course rightfully ask why is this whining bastard writing about his hard life when all it consists of is snorkelling, gin and tonics at sunset and reading books?

I’m not totally sure. But difficult it has been, and we’ve had to dig a little deeper in ourselves to stick with it. If money wasn’t in the picture I think we’d feel much more content at sea, but after mum and dad head home we’re going to stop and work somewhere for a few months to rejuvenate our bank accounts.

Miserable bastard moments aside, it is a real relief to get to the Virgin Islands. After the hammering we took crossing from D.R. to Puerto Rico neither of us were that excited about making more miles in an easterly direction. Thankfully as the deadline drew closer the weather also started to cooperate. We were finishing some jobs on the boat to our usual schedule – last minute – and being held back by 24 hours because we hadn’t finished actually worked out perfectly as we got a 36 hour window with light winds and calm seas.

We arrived in Trellis Bay at lunchtime yesterday, had a nap and got the boat ready for our guests. And it turns out they were late! Their flight had been delayed en route and they’d missed a connection. We skyped mum quickly from the boat and discovered they were well and in Antigua with an entire basketball team and would arrive this morning.

We’ve watched loads of the Lions tour as you would expect, and as I have mentioned earlier, and I’ve been struck by how many individuals are putting their hand up for donkey of the series. Vickery and Monye stoked my racist sentiments in the first match (against the English of course), and then our own O’Gara gave away a match losing penalty in the last minute of the second test, which I’m sad to say we missed because we were at sea. But this morning it’s South African coach Peter de Villers who takes the award with a series of ridiculous comments in reference to eye gouging and violence in the sport. Fabulous and well deserved, now please someone take him out the back and introduce him to Walter Wink. Brent he’s your countryman, it’s really your responsibility.

San Juan had a few high points that I forgot to mention in my wallowing. Firstly we met Judith, a Puerto Rican boat dweller who lives and works from her boat in the marina. We had loads of fun hanging out with her and meeting her folks, they treated us to a home-cooked Puerto Rican meal and hugged us like we were their long lost children! Judith also helped us buy some boat stuff at local prices and lent us her beautiful Suburu to do some messages (Keli still get’s a kick out of me calling shopping ‘messages’, just like my gran).

I also did my PADI Open Water scuba diving certification while we were there, my birthday present from Kel. I’ve never dived before so it was great to grab the opportunity while we had the time, and means that Kel and I can rent tanks and dive together if we ever fancy it in future.

An email from Fermanagh reminded me that in my drunkenness or through sunstroke I’d forgotten that cats are the gypsies of the animal kingdom. I’m sure that’s in no way a reference to the traveller population, but rather an affectionate nod to the desert fathers. Regardless, Anzuelo our little fish hook has become a permanent fixture on the boat, and what a little delight he is. In the first 48 hours he charmed us with his playful kitten personality, and so we took him to the vet for his shots. In the next 48 hours he proceeded to shit on the vacuum cleaner, piss on two beds and a settee, and hack chunks out of our ankles. I was for leaving him at the marina, but we persevered and he’s shaping up ok, although still struggling to conduct his affairs inside the box. No doubt dad will be delighted with him when he arrives!

I forgot to mention a few things in the last while that occurred aboard Beannacht. We brewed our own beer – 52 pints of the stuff – and it tastes pretty good. Only about 25 pints left. We demolished another television series that we loved, adding Fringe to the list that already included Weeds and Dexter.

That’s it for now… the rents arrived safely and we’ve some comedy to add in our next post, and some guest writing.