POGO12.50 in Caribbeans 2023 : Impressions.

Our trip in Caribbean Islands on POGO12.50 is over. And that was cool!

Here is small report, how it went and what did we do during the trip :-)

First of all, this is report about [Exotic sailing] Sailing POGO12.50 in Caribbean sea, so you can read and have picture fr yourself, how it looks like on breathtaking Caribbean sea. And of course JOIN!

First of all - a coconut

"As always, every vacation to the Caribbean islands begins with a refreshing coconut! And that's exactly how our vacation started!"
Important task - our wellbeing and food!

Before setting sail, the skipper must check the yacht thoroughly to ensure that all systems are functioning properly. Meanwhile, the crew must make provisions shopping, ensuring that all necessary items are purchased. Of course, beer and wine should not be forgotten, as they are essential for a successful sailing adventure!
Our beauty - sportic goat

Of course, the POGO 12.50 racing cruiser is a sight to behold. This well-equipped fast sailing yacht has all the elements of sailing pleasure: Main, Staysail, Solent, and Code 0. However, an asymmetric spinnaker in the Caribbean is of little use as most courses are half-wind.
Starting slowly till fun begins

Leaving Le Marin set us on a running course. We allowed the foresail to pull us forward until we rounded the corner and Diamond Rock came into view. Then the fun began! Gusty winds, ranging from 0 to 30 knots, made my job difficult and gave me plenty of headaches until we arrived in the Bay of Fort-de-France. From there, we sailed on to St. Pierre.
Best swim - is a swim with a beer!

We arrived at St. Pierre with excitement, eagerly jumping into the water for a refreshing swim. For the evening, we made a delicious dinner with a bottle of wine, sharing stories about life, hopes, and expectations with laughter and joy. As we lay under the millions of stars, we discussed our plans for tomorrow with optimism and anticipation.
Riding to Dominica

Riding to Dominica with the fresh breeze was surprisingly swift! We had a slight delay at the start behind Martinique until we got the trades, but the journey between the islands was fast and comfortable. In Roseau, we were welcomed by the friendly local, Markus, who helped us with mooring, taxi, and all other things. Customs was a breeze - no problems at all!
Welcoming Dominica

Dominica welcomed us with its unique charm, cozy restaurants, and charming streets. In the evening we happily strolled through the streets, savored the local atmosphere, and finished off the evening in a restaurant with scrumptious local food!
Hiking day

The next day we decided to check out the main attractions of Dominica: Boiling Lake and Gorge Titou. Unfortunately, we didn't pay close attention to the hiking time and the distance to Boiling Lake, so we started our daily routine a little late, and we didn't have time to reach it and return safely out of the jungle by daylight. We didn't want to take any risks, so we decided to turn back. But we were still able to reach the Geysir Valley, which was an amazing experience! Despite the disappointment of not reaching Boiling Lake, we were rewarded with the refreshing waters in Gorge Titou and the magnificent waterfall! We spent a couple of hours admiring the beauty of nature. It was truly paradise on Earth!
Party hard after float hard?

The next day we decided to move to the north, to Portsmouth, and check out the Salisbury reef on the way. It took us a while to find it, but it was totally worth it! First of all, there were no tourists - the whole beach and reef were ours alone. The corals were sadly bleached, but the reef was full of fish. We spent an hour or so just floating above them and admiring their diversity. Later on, we had a small lunch and proceeded to Portsmouth, where we were met by Markus's friend, Titus. He helped us with the anchoring place and declared himself to be our taxi for the stay time! For the evening, we went to the city and learned from locals that every Wednesday there is a Reggae Party Night. So, next time I'll plan my visit to Portsmouth on a Wednesday - it'll be sure to be a great time!
Do you know Jack Sparrow, Captain Jack Sparrow?!

In Portsmouth, there is a local hidden gem - the Indian River. But it's not so hidden, as it is the main attraction! Known from the movie Pirates Of Caribbeans, the scene where they went up the river into the woods. The Indian River was actually explored by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century, and we explored it too! With the help of Titus, his guide told us a lot of interesting stories and showed us all the hummingbirds and other hiding animals on the way. At the end of the river, awaits a bar with refreshing drinks where one could hide from the heat and try to dive into the times of Pirates and imagine oneself in the place of Captain Jack Sparrow! It was so much fun and truly an adventure to remember!
"Too old to be healthy"

But it is not always sunshine in the miracle land. So we had some problems too! On anchorage in Portsmouth, our anchor didn't hold - we slipped towards another boat. Once I could see the mole on the nose of another captain I decided that it is time to re-anchor :-) And exactly at this moment, we found out that our anchor winch is dead. Manual labor is now on agenda! Good to have good friends. So we re-anchored as in good ol' times - manually. This time I made sure we won't slip. Anchor held tight! Later on, we found out the reason - totally rusted controller cable was broken in multiple places. Our trying to fix it didn't really help. So there was a great reason to go to Guadeloupe - to fix the anchor... among all other exciting activities. And to explore a little bit of this Caribbean gem. What an adventure!
Ride to Guadeloupe

The run to the Guadelope was as often it is longer than expected.... but despite this, we had a blast! With gusts to 30kts, we had to choose proper sails, balance them, make fast maneuvers, and of course, nighttime approach through the myriads of navigation lights. I love nighttime approaches! It has something magical. We arrived at 2200 and Gwada met us with 'no free berth' - but that didn't stop us from having a great day. We parked at the petrol station, had a beer, some went to the restaurant. In the morning we were hunted away in the morning before the dock master placed us. The Winch cable was replaced pretty quickly and the water pump was tuned so we could have a restful harbor day. Some went for a walk - we went to explore Reserve Cousteau - a snorkeling paradise! So many fishes and turtles! What a great day!
Long way home

One day in Guadeloupe allowed us to achieve a lot, but it was definitely too short! Although we were a bit sad to be leaving, we set off early on our journey back to the base in Martinique, 120 nautical miles away. As always happens when sailing, our plans got thrown off course by nature - as we prepared to hoist our sails, we encountered a problem with our swing keel, which was stuck in the middle position! Oh, the stress! After multiple calls, manual readings, and almost a whole disassembly, we eventually discovered that our power cable had fallen on the switcher and switched it off! What a relief! We quickly hoisted our sails and set off on our journey, using all of our sails to get us there as quickly as possible. When the wind was in our favor, we even had the Code 0 up, pushing us forward! We eventually arrived at 2am in the night, with most of the crew already asleep, but a few stayed up to admire the stars in the night sky. What a magical sight!
Final drop into the water and cold beer

Arriving in Martinique was a delightful reward, especially when we reached the beautiful St. Anna beach! We jumped into the refreshing water to wash away all the fatigue of the long leg and short night. After a dip in the sea, a cold beer was the perfect way to cap off the day - it was the perfect end to an amazing trip!