On a rocky peninsula that used to have no road and no pier or even safe boat landing beach there was a strange community of rugged self sufficient idealists all beavering away building dream houses and carrying their building materials up the ladders
SPOT THE LADDERS?
one load at a time. Solar panels, roofs that collect water and cisterns are the way to go here.
Now there is a road and visitors renting these houses arrive at the Moonhole gates by taxi, and from there reach the house via a network of stone paths that connect the community. Porters and maids carry up baggage and all supplies for the house.
DRAGGING ONES ANCHOR
One of the acts of faith inherent in the cruising lifestyle where you spend the majority of your time “on the hook” as I do is the belief that a few lbs of anchor will hold tons of sailboat when it blows 40 knots.
If your anchor is well buried and you have enough chain to keep it there then it almost always does, but not always as this French single hander found out as she drudged sideways down wind through the anchorage on the drag. A couple of toots on the horn from a threatened boat bought her up from down below and she was a busy body for 20 minutes starting the engine, goosing her boat into wind, retrieving the anchor and finding a better spot to drop the hook. One of the penalties of being a single hander in such a situation is you really need someone on the throttle and helm to hold the boat stationary as you operated the anchor winch. She was busier than a one armed paper hanger as she shuttled back and forwards between helm and bow.
Methinks I need to add an up anchor control at the helm to Elephants Child.
SNORKELING THE CAYS
I had read that hurricane Lennie had generated huge swells through the Tobago Cays and that the reefs had taken a pounding but they were much as I remembered them with good coral and plenty of colourful fish about.
It is also clear that no one hunts the reefs with spearguns as the larger fish are willing to hang around and eye you right back rather than hightail it off to some hideaway anytime a snorkeler appears with or without spear.
Those houses don't look finished or inhabitable - are those the ones you are speaking of?
ReplyDeleteThe one on the right is rented out for a high [but negotiable?] amount.
ReplyDeleteThere are supposed to be 14 inhabitable structures of which about half are available for rent.
No a/c so no need for windows or even doors! I have only been in one and that was at least 17 years ago. It was a beachcombers delight of objects trouve and lots of sun bleached woodwork - restful though!