My sister-in-law, Sue, used to make a slaw that was the first cold slaw I ever tasted that I liked. I remember asking her for the recipe, but she was likely already in early stages of Alzheimer’s at the time and she couldn’t tell me what was in it. So over the years I’ve looked for recipes that came close to matching it and finally found one that came close and I’ve been tweaking it ever since. Here’s what I came up with so I’ve named it after Sue.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups green cabbage, chopped (approx. 1/4 of a medium cabbage)
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
2-3 carrots, julienned and chopped
1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped into 1 inch thin sticks (peel if desired)
1/4-1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2-3 TBSP Veganaise (or mayo of choice), to taste
1 lemon, juiced
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, mix well, adding additional mayo to taste. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve.
It’s been busy here in the BVI since we arrived back. Spending time with our fellow Salty Dawg Rallyers we’ve had pizza parties, treasure hunts, swims, hikes, dinners at Fat Virgin and the Bitter End Clubhouse. The highlight of the week was the TV crew from the travel channel who filmed parts of the Michael Beans show at Leverick Bay which we were part of. We even had to sign releases so our faces could be shown on TV when the show airs. If I find out when it airs, I’ll let you know.
It was fun to reconnect with people we’d met on the rally down, and as usual we made some new friends. Charlie enjoyed his times at the beach playing with his girlfriend Zoe from Sapphire. He also enjoyed his walks along the paths a Bitter End.
As I write this we are sitting in Little Harbour, Peter Island. Yesterday P and I snorkeled and saw a flounder that while swimming is purple and when it lands on a rock or sand it turns the color of the object it’s on. A very cool sight indeed, but where is the camera when you need it.
About half the rally boats departed today for the US or Bermuda, a day earlier than planned. We are in the other half that plan to depart tomorrow. Paul has completed the oil and filter changes on one engine and has the other one to complete. I have deflated our kayaks and need to finish stowing away a few more things.
Meanwhile, Charlie has his head on my arm and is begging for a trip ashore. He likes to remind me that we are still in paradise and we need to embrace it before we go. So with that I’ll get myself ready to paddle him ashore on the paddleboard for a bit of a walk and throwing of his ball in the water to give him a swim. Then I may even take a swim/snorkel again myself.
We had a perfectly delightful downwind sail from Antigua to BVI departing on the morning 28th of April and arriving on the afternoon of the 29th. Winds ranged from 12-16 knots for majority of it making it a perfect opportunity to break out the Parasailor. These are the times we are thankful we have one as it allows us to get up to 8 or 9 knots of speed in light winds.
Antigua to BVI under Parasailor
The wind did die off enough during the night that P was able to take it down on his own and we had to motor for about 6 hours. It was during these shifts that we delighted in seeing the bioluminescence again in the water. Some were the little ones that looked like fireflies in the water and others were like big blobs of up to a foot round which I believe must the jellyfish type. Along with the clear skies to see the stars made for a wonderful night passage.
We grabbed a mooring near the ferry terminal and cleared everyone in at customs and immigration. Once that was done we motored around the cruise ship dock and discovered a slew of new moorings in the place where we used to anchor. Oh well, we knew we wanted to get propane in the morning so we took one for the night. The bonus for us was we were the only ones there for the night and at around 10pm we saw a fireworks display put on by the locals to celebrate their new cruise ship dock, along with much music and partying. What a treat! (P – the only downside was the amount of ash we found on the boat in the morning – consequence of having a front row seat downwind.).
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
The following morning we all went ashore. Paul and Charlie took on the task of refilling two of our propane tanks while I went to the big Rite Way grocery store and bought fresh produce and a few other necessities. Once done we had a quick sail over to North Sound, Virgin Gorda.
Happy to be back I quickly got the kayak down and took Charlie ashore for a walk along Bitter End. I had hooped to use their pool for a quick dip, but was told ‘no dogs allowed near the pool, restaurants, or beaches’. Okay, no big deal, I returned to the boat and swam off the back.
May 1st we get free use of the mooring balls at Bitter End as part of being a member of the Salty Dawg Rally, one of the many perks. We also watched several other Dawgs start to arrive here to begin to prep for the return rally back to the U.S. We joined again this year for the return. So we are here in North Sound until the 12th of May, then will make our way over to Tortola prior to the 15th of May. On the 16th, weather permitting, we’ll be making passage back north.
Lastly, in follow up to my previous post, Paul’s mother recovered from her virus during her children’s visit. We hope she stays well so we can visit her again in late June.
As we were preparing to leave Green Island and Antigua, we received an email from friends Judy and Ed on sv Judith Arlene. They had just arrived back to Jolly Harbour from Guadeloupe and wondered if we were still around as they were hoping to return to Nonsuch Bay. We contacted them and arranged to meet up in Jolly Harbour for a few days. This would give us another chance to get some fresh vegies on board and see our friends. Paul could play some guitar with Ed, and Charlie could get together with Nigel, their schnauzer.
As we sailed around we decided we’d see if we could extend our stay in Antigua in order to hang out with Judy and Ed. This was easily done with a quick visit to the Port Authority and $25 US. So now we have another month to enjoy this beautiful place.
Judy and Ed had never been to Deep Bay so we encouraged them to join us over there for a few days. We did the usual hike up to Fort Barrington and snorkelled the wreck that is sunken in the bay. There were a few rains while here, but it never lasts long and we simply enjoyed ourselves. We had a music night on board Blue Sky with Rob and Barb (Riff Raff), and Judy and Ed (Judith Arlene). Barb knew the words to every song by heart. Amazing singer too. Such and enjoyable evening.
Nigel is Judy and Ed’s dog. Charlie is a bit of a snarly guy when he’s around other dogs, but Nigel is one of the calmest dogs I’ve ever met. During our time together Charlie slowly came around and the two became doggie friends. This is good for Charlie. More time with Nigel, we hoped, would help Charlie get over his dog aggression. So the plan was to head back to Nonsuch Bay along with Judy and Ed.
So on April 4th (where does the time go), we headed back to Nonsuch Bay. The bay was very busy with boats it being Easter weekend. The locals had tents on Green Island and nearly every mooring ball was taken. We managed to get two moorings nearest the reef where there is nothing but Atlantic ocean beyond until Africa. Judy absolutely loves this side of Green Island in Nonsuch Bay, but we kept our eyes on the other side, dinghying or paddling over every day after Easter to see if a mooring was free.
Two days after Easter Monday we lucked out and got a mooring on the south west side of Green Island. Judy and Ed followed later in the day when the second mooring became free. There was a little excitement when they came over. Their engine quit while in the narrow cut that comes around Green Island. We were hanging on the mooring for them with the paddleboard and kayak when we saw their jib go out. We figured something was wrong. They disappeared back to where they came from, then showed up again. Meanwhile, I went to Blue Sky and radioed them. They needed our dinghy in the water to help guide them to the mooring as they had no engine. Paul went immediately while I held onto the ball with the paddleboard. I figured I could help with the lines when they got close. The adrenaline was running high when they arrived and rightly so.
Somewhere in here P got an email from his sister encouraging him to come visit his mom. She had a virus during the winter and was not recovering as well as usual. Decision was made that he would go visit now and I would stay on the boat in this safe harbour with Judy and Ed hanging in with me in case I needed anything while he was away. That’s what friends are for, and we are ever so grateful for them.
Meanwhile, I gave Judy, Ed, and Nigel some lessons on the SUP. Judy and I got into doing yoga together on the deck of Blue Sky. We’d walk the dogs together a few times each day and we spent many evenings together with Paul and Ed strumming their guitars while we all sang. We also did the usual snorkelling and swimming together a few times. I even tried out Judy and Ed’s Solaris chairs.
The day P departed for his visit to Burlington, we all rented a car together so the rest of us could get a few groceries and Judy and Ed could extend their stay at customs. It was a long day for the dogs to stay on their boats while we were away until dusk. They managed, but we heard from Q Queenie (a motor Lagoon anchored behind Blue Sky) that Charlie was very noisy and they were worried about him. He just doesn’t like to be left on the boat alone.
So here I am while Paul is away for a few more days. I’m keeping myself busy doing boat cleaning chores. Not a bad place to hang out awhile longer. SUP with Charlie and NigelRelaxing on the beachSwimming CharlieBlue Sky & Judith Arlene
So after hanging out in Barbuda for 10 days it was time to head back to Antigua and get some provisions. I wasn’t ready to leave Antigua yet, so I suggested we sail back over to Nonsuch Bay after an overnight in Jolly Harbour. It didn’t take long for Paul to agree to that one. We had a lovely 5 hour sail.
While heading into Nonsuch Bay we noticed that both mooring balls on the south west side of Green Island were available. We always look longingly at these as they are always occupied, but as luck would have it, we could have one. We immediately took the one nearest the beach and were greeted by 2 sea turtles. What luck.
This particular bay has two beaches. One which Charlie loves to walk on and the other he likes to swim at. The water is crystal clear and there are reefs all around. As our time here progressed we had daily sightings of the turtles, as many as 5 of them at once. Paul got good at spotting them while snorkeling.
We got ourselves into a bit of a routine while here taking Charlie ashore twice a day. Most days a tour boat or two show up for some snorkeling of one of the reefs. They stick around from 11-1 and depart after everyone is fed lunch. It’s entertainment for us to see them on a daily basis. One of them had guests on board who started cheering “Go Canucks Go” for us as they departed. What fun. The rest of the time we share the bay with one or two other boats.
We also managed a few projects while enjoying this serene place. I pulled out the sewing machine and made a suncover for the dodger and repaired the cushion cover on our salon settee. Some hand sewing was also in order with repairs to the strapping on the sail cover. I also cleaned up the stainless and removed rust from the fiberglass. Paul repaired the stanchion on the bow and tightened up the lifelines and did his usual scraping barnacles off the hull.
Often in the evenings we’d head to the bow to watch the stars. On one of these nights we noticed what looked like fireflies in the ocean. They were lighting up for about an hour and then stopped. We looked it up and discovered it is a type of bioluminescence. We saw it again a few nights later, deciding that it seemed to occur with the incoming tide.
It was easy to spend 10 days here. The days went by like a flash in this little piece of paradise. It fast became my absolute favorite place to be in Antigua and I’ve already put it on my wish list as a place to return to as often as possible.
