Deltaville

We motor sailed all the way to Deltaville with the wind on the nose most of the time. I felt quite sad that we weren't able to just have the sails out for the last leg of our journey, without the noise of the donk!

US warships

We were about 3 - 4 nm out of Deltaville when storm clouds started gathering ahead of us. We watched, praying that it would pass by us but no, it came at us full force. 

It was the most terrifying experience I have been through. We had lightening strike the water on both sides of the boat at least three times with the clap of thunder booming at the same time. At one stage it felt like it was all around us, both sides and above us. How we were not struck, I do not know. Angels watching over us!

The rain pelted down, cleaning the boat but also getting in to all the places Andrew had tried to fix, with a vengeance! 

We put all our devices into the oven. I am not sure if that actually works but I would rather try and save them than not. 

We couldn’t see where we were going so we slowed down a bit. We didn’t want to arrive in the rain and thunder. After a while it blew over us and continued south. The rain abated and we entered the bay at Deltaville. We had to follow a course carefully as there is shoaling on either side. 

As luck would have it, the chart plotter decided to stop working and tried to turn us around the way we came. We couldn't reset it. Andrew used the track on his iPad to get us in. The bay looked quite small, with a few boats already anchored there, so we dropped anchor at the entrance. 

This is the last stop! We haul out here and go home for a bit. It feels very strange knowing that we don’t have another destination planned or don’t have to dash off early in the morning.

Andrew has been saying that he is travel fatigued. I don’t know if that is actually a thing, but I can imagine that he is very tired. We all feel like we have been on the go, non-stop, since leaving Trinidad in October last year. Andrew has been amazing checking all the places we wanted to stop at along the way, doing all the navigation and steering the boat, helped along by George, our trusty autopilot. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip through the Intracoastal Waterway. It was lovely to see other parts of America that we wouldn't necessarily see.

On Monday morning, Andrew phoned the CBP office praying that we wouldn't have to go in to the office to check in. Thank goodness they were helpful and friendly and said Andrew could check in online. After doing that we went ashore to check out the place where our boat will be for the rest of hurricane season.

On hurricanes.... while we were battling the thunder and lightning storm, the southern Caribbean were preparing themselves for Hurricane Beryl. She hit the islands on Monday, creating havoc in her wake. So many of the islands that we have visited have been destroyed. In Prickly Bay, Grenada, where we spent hurricane season in 2022, fourteen boats were separated from their moorings, whether it was a ball or anchor, and ended up on the beach and reef. Carriacou has been totally destroyed. Paradise Beach Club was a heap of wood. It is just devastating to see the footage of all those beautiful places. 

Deltaville is a small town with not much to it, but friendly people!. I have started running again, something I wasn’t happy to do on my own in other places. I am so unfit, it is disgusting! Brandon would be horrified. But I am hoping to get my fitness back to what it was.

At a small cost, the marina offers the use of their showers, laundry, a place to have parcels delivered and a car. The car has been the biggest plus. The supermarket is just too far to walk to and Andrew has had to buy parts and paint etc from the hardware store. It just makes life a little easier. 

View from the laundry

Resident cat

Woodwork painted - beautiful

We had said goodbye to Bev and Andre not expecting to see them again, but a few days after our arrival they arrived in the bay, dropped anchor next to us and popped over for a drink.

I have had so many birthday in exotic places. This one was a little different but it was still a good one. I found what I wanted on Amazon and sneakily put it in the basket. Andrew saw it in time, had it wrapped, and it was here when we arrived. 

Recipe book I can write in

Andrew spent the afternoon watching rugby while I watched Wimbledon. I have not really had an opportunity to keep up with all the tennis, but I do think that it has been good this year. There are some fantastic new youngsters climbing their way through the ranks. 

There is a South African couple here who sell boats. Jim and Claire’s boat, Bully, which is still here on the hard, was sold by them. We popped into their office to say hello. They weren’t there but a few days later we were invited to a braai at their home. Andre and Bev were also going so they gave us a lift in their new car! We spent a lovely Sunday evening chatting to other cruisers and getting to know Jonathan and Anne. 

I remember when we left SA I was so worried about having to meet new people. I am not great at small talk! Andrew is so much better, shooting the breeze with strangers. But it no longer feels strange walking into the house of people you have not met, to spend an evening conversing with total strangers. I guess we all have something in common so it makes it easier.

The Lune

We have now spent almost two weeks in Deltaville. We have spent the majority of our time doing necessary boat work. As we are going to be leaving the boat during winter, Andrew needs to winterize the boat. We have not done this before but I think it means we have to remove all water from the tanks and a few other things. 😁 Thank goodness Andrew has it all under control!

Clean anchor locker

Deck prep

Companionway hatch

aka the front door

Sails are off

The other day we needed to go to the shop and the car was not there, so we took the bicycles! It was such fun. We asked the chap at the marina office if we needed to lock the bikes at the shop. He looked at me like I was loopy. No, he says, there are only old people in Deltaville, they won't take the bikes. When we got to the shop, we propped the bikes up outside and they were still there when we came out. 

Andrew left his spectacles in the bathroom one evening after his shower. The following day he went back on the off chance they might still be there. Bearing in mind they are store bought readers, anyone could use them. Well, there they were, sitting on the counter! Amazing. 

I haven't taken many photos of the town which is lovely. I may find time between all the bilge cleaning, vinegar wash downs and packing to walk through the area of Deltaville and then bombard you with photos.