Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 70

on the water

Island Life - August/September 2010

Above: Stewart finally sees the keel. St Davids,
Grenada
Top right: Stewart and Tara pictured at Peter's
Sports Cafe, Horta, Azores. 24th Day at sea.
Beer tasted great!
Right: Tara pictured on a beautiful secluded
beach.

intact, they knew which parts they needed to
buy, and shortly after returning to their East
Cowes home they booked flights to begin
their major task.
So in January 2006 their project was off the
ground. One of the biggest problems was
trying to get the 14-metre two-section mast
to the Caribbean from Europe. It was due
to arrive inside a fortnight, but took more
than six weeks to turn up via Rotterdam and
Miami.
“While we were waiting for it to arrive, we
got on with other jobs. We would be up at
7am, work all morning, have lunch, and then
work all afternoon. It was rare to have a day
doing nothing,” said Tara. “A wind generator
provided enough power to listen to two CDs
a night, and give us light on the boat.”
It took many man hours to put the mast
together before 13 people and two other
boats combined to haul it into place. An
old set of sails were used, and within
three months of arriving in the Dominican
Republic, the boat was ready and the
adventure was about to begin.
The first leg, to Porto Rica, resulted in a
blown head gasket, and a two-day trip took
more than five days. The journey then took in
70

the Spanish Virgin Islands, including several
that were old military installations used by
the United States.
Tara and Stewart were told to listen to a
local radio station every morning to ensure
there were no bomb disposal operations
taking place. Tara continued: “The day
seemed trouble free, so we sailed into the
bay to be met by flashing lights on the shore.
Then an American officer informed us ‘the
people on the boat entering the bay are in
danger of their lives!’
“Bombs were being exploded to clear the
area, so we turned tail and found a safer
haven.”
The couple sailed where the breezes took
them, although they knew as their trip
continued the hurricane season was looming
on the horizon. The plan was to get to
Grenada to see out the hurricane season,
but as they progressed, strong currents took
them off course and they found themselves
60 miles away from where they intended.
But after finding land they spent several
weeks island hopping down the Caribbean
on legs ranging from 40 to 60 miles,
occasionally swimming with dolphins and
enjoying the crystal clear waters.
Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com