Nereids Rally
We were really excited to be sailing to part of South America as part of a Rally. It is somewhere we would not have ventured to on our own. We couldn't wait to be 'off the beaten track'. Our first scheduled stop was to be Guyana, known for its pristine rain forests, magnificent rivers, spectacular waterfalls, and vast Savannah lands. It is the only English speaking country in South America and covers an area of 83,000 square miles. The name Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning 'Land of Many Waters'. Guyana is often referred to as the bridge between South America and the Caribbean, bordering Brazil to its south, Venezuela to its west, Suriname to its east and the Atlantic Ocean to its north. It is a multi-ethnic country with its people originating from India, Africa, China, Europe, Madeira and the native Amerindian. The climate is equatorial and the average national rainfall is 2,300mm.
The Essequibo River, which we were to sail up, is the third largest in South America, next to Brazil's Amazon and Venezuela's Orinoco. It has approximately 365 islands, with Hogg Island (so named due to it being inhabited by a large number of wild hogs), being 3/4 the size of Barbados. The river is about 22 miles wide at the mouth, and has a tidal rise and fall of approximately 8 feet.
Our NereidsRally was named after a tale in Greek mythology... "The Nereids are sea nymphs, the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris, sister to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon, the god of the sea and carry his trident. They can be friendly and helpful to sailors."
The passage to the Essequibo River was to be against both the prevailing easterly winds, and the current. The advice given was to round the bottom of Tobago and head as far east as possible, before making a course to Guyana. We set off at about 2pm and did just that, motoring well into the night to make as much 'easting' as possible. In the early hours of the morning we turned towards Guyana and found ourselves tacking along our rhumb line for the next 24 hours. Sadly, because of the tight angle to the wind, we were making very little headway, and so we put the engine on and motor sailed for much of the remainder of the journey. Over the 4 day passage, we were greeted with some of the most amazing squalls. This meant hours and hours of 'spaghetti' rain, and the most spectacular lightening storms we have ever seen. It is quite unnerving when you can see lightening all around you in a 180 degree arc. Fortunately, the storms were never nearer then a mile, minimising the risk of a lightening strike.
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| Lynne off watch |
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| Lynne and Peter enjoying rare sunshine |
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| Sails furled away as yet another squall approaches |
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| Wet, dry, wet, dry, wet |
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| Nice sunset |
We also had a close encounter with a merchant ship. We had spotted it on our AIS about 40 minutes away, but the closest point of approach (CPA) was down to just feet. We called up the bridge on the radio, and they confirmed that they had seen us. After monitoring the chartplotter for a while, it was clear that although they had seen us on their radar, they were making no attempt to change course! We called again, and they confirmed they would alter course. The ship finally passed us about 170 metres to our port. Not great.
When we finally arrived near the entrance to the river, it was obvious we had missed the tide to get us over the sand bar. We had no choice but to anchor off over night. It was an almost surreal experience to anchor in the Atlantic in just 8 metres of water, 10 miles from shore.
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| Preparing to anchor in the Atlantic with Fenicia |
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| Screenshot to prove we anchored in the Atlantic Ocean |
We spent the night taking it in turns to do an anchor watch with Fenicia who anchored alongside us. We were worried about commercial traffic getting too close to us in the night, but all was well and we upped anchor at first light the next day.
Although it was a little overcast that morning, we had no idea what was in store for us...
As we approached the bar the heavens opened, complete with thunder, lightning and rain of biblical proportions. We popped our nav lights on and Fenicia did the same. Visibility had become very poor and we took the decision not to proceed until conditions improved. Our main concern was unmarked fishing pots.
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| Wet again |
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| Approaching the sand bar |
By the time conditions had improved nearly two hours had passed! We kept a close eye on the depth, and tried to take in our surroundings.
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| Approaching the Essequibo River. Note the brown water. |
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| Looking back at the squall at the river entrance. |
We already knew that we would not have enough tide to take us all the way up to the port of entry at Bartica, so we studied the charts and headed for a possible anchorage about 20nm miles up, picking up Nautilus along the way.
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| Nautilus takes point followed by Fenicia |
We enjoyed a very peaceful time at anchor next to the beautiful Akuraikuru Island and left the next morning to catch the tide, following waypoints from the Doyles guide we had already put in the chartplotter.
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| Our tranquil first night anchorage in the Essequibo |
It was very interesting to say the least. At times our track was shown as being over the ground, as the navigation software was not correct. On the way we passed a splendid residence, and later found out that it belonged to the Guyanan singer Eddie Grant.
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| Eddie Grant's house |
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| Wash day for this family |
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| Typical river taxi |
We heard some chatter over the radio from fellow Rally participants, and discovered that we should not proceed directly to Bartica (the official port of entry) after all, but go to the Hurakabra River Resort instead. We decided to follow a barge some of the way, which we took for being in a deep water channel. When it eventually turned off, we once again picked up our way points. On the approach to the resort we had to cross another bar. The depth sounder display went down to just 0.1metre as we braced for a possible grounding. Fortunately, all was well and we anchored near to the resort. It turned out that customs and immigration formalities would be dealt with early the following week when all of the Rally yachts had arrived.
We nipped ashore and met some of the staff, Michael and Ryan, who gave us a tremendous welcome, and informed us the owners, Kit and Gem Nascimento would be arriving later in the day.
We were a little low on provisions, so decided to catch the resort river taxi into Bartica. It was fine on the way to town, but a very wet ride on the way back. At least we managed to get some supplies from the market.
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| Poster of the vision for the future |
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| The reality |
Bartica is the Amerindian word meaning 'red earth', found abundantly in the area. This mining town is considered the gateway to the interior and is located at the estuary of three great rivers - Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni. Gold Miners often frequent the town to spend their gains after weeks in the mining camps. These freelance Guyanese prospectors are known as 'Pork Knockers'. The name 'pork-knockers' refers to their regular diet of pickled pork of wild pig that is often eaten at the end of the day.
Whilst at the dock in Bartica, we noticed a Prison Boat. The Mazaruni Prison is not far from Bartica and first offenders are brought to the dock daily to carry out work. This mostly involves loading and unloading goods from the many supply boats, under the scrutiny of armed guards.
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| The Prison Boat |
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| The Mazaruni Prison |
Over the next few days the rest of the Rally yachts arrived, including Davide, the organiser, on his very pretty Yarmouth 23 Eileen of Avoca, somewhat of a contrast to Atla, the largest yacht on the rally at 64 feet.
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| Eileen of Avoca with the coastguard in the background |
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| Atla, at 64 feet, the largest yacht on the Rally |
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| The fleet at anchor just off the resort |
Our first full day saw us taking a jungle walk behind the Hurakabra lodge. Our guides, Michael and Ryan who work at the resort, came prepared with a machete and rifle... The area is known to have Jaguars and poisonous snakes. Luckily, we didn't come across either!
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| Stick behind the man with the gun! |
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| Nice to stretch the legs, and not be eaten by a Jaguar |
As the sun was setting, we took a trip by boat to Parrot Island to see parrots come to roost for the night. Unfortunately, as it was getting dark, we were unable to get any decent photos.
The first Rally event was a welcome party at the Hurakabra Resort, organised by the Guyana Tourism Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Business and Hurakabra Resort. Our visit to Guyana was very important to them as they are trying to promote the country as a great place to visit for yachties. Russ, from yacht Enterprise made a speech on behalf of the Rally boats. There were TV crews and reporters at the event, and the following day we appeared in many of the local newspapers.
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| 'Captain' Kit delivering the dignitaries |
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| Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin chatting with the yachties |
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| A great speech by Russ from Enterprise representing us yachties |
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| And a few words from the Rally organiser Davide Matelicani |
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| We made the papers! |
The highlight for the men amongst the Rally participants, was the arrival of the finalists in the Miss Guyana pageant.
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| The art of the selfie is never far away |
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| A Happy Steve! |
We couldn't come all the way to Guyana without taking a trip to visit the mighty Kaieteur Falls and the Orinduik Falls. An early start saw us being picked up at an airfield at the Baganara Resort just north of Bartica, for a 45 minute flight to the Kaieteur National Park. The group were flown in two 12 seater aircraft. Steve was lucky enough to sit in the Co-pilot's seat and loved every minute.
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| Steve enjoying the view from the Co-Pilot's seat |
It was an amazing sight, flying over miles and miles of nothing but trees. From the air, the tops of the trees looked a little bit like heads of broccoli. Words cannot describe how beautiful it was. 'Pristine', 'untouched' and 'undisturbed' are just a few of the words used to describe Guyana's rain forest, and we could see why it is home to over 800 species of birds, 6500 species of plants, 700 species of fish, and 200 species of mammals.
Kaiteuer National Park occupies a prominent position in the centre of the Guiana Shield, which is roughly two billion years old and is considered the earth's oldest surface. The park encompasses 627 square kilometres of pristine jungle, creeks and rivers teeming with biodiversity. The Kaieteur Falls is one of the world's natural wonders, cascading 741 feet in a sheer drop.
The Kaieteur National Park is home to a myriad of rare and endangered species, including the rare Golden Poison Dart Frog, whose entire life cycle plays out in the water that collects in the giant Tank Bromeliads (a type of lily).
The frog acquires it's poison from eating insects which have in turn eaten certain plants containing toxins. Indigenous people collected the slime that oozes from the frogs skin, and used this on the tips of darts, and arrows with deadly effect.
Amongst interesting flora and fauna was the Drosera Kaieteurensis. This distinctive (Red) looking plant is carnivorous! It attracts insects from which there is no escape. Happily for us mosquitoes like the plant, which it in turn digests.
After a lunch stop at the airfield at Kaieteur, we next flew to the Orinduik Falls, which lie on the Ireng River, on the border of Guyana and Brazil. The Falls are situated amid the rolling, grass-covered hills of the Pakaraima Mountains. The waterfall is approximately 25m tall and more than 150m wide.
Peter and Lynne decided to take a trip to Georgetown, the chief port and capital city of Guyana. It is situated on the right bank of the Demerara River (home of demerara sugar). Amongst the highlights, was a visit to the Stabroek Market, which covers an area of 76,728 square feet, making it possibly the largest public market in the Caribbean. The four-dialled clock towers 61 feet above the main entrance.
The tour guide assigned to take the yachties around Georgetown was an ex-policeman and he wouldn't let us stay there very long as it is apparently one of the more dangerous areas of the city, known for its pick pockets. We also visited the Parliament Building and St George's Cathedral, but could not go inside as a service was in progress.
Back at Hurakabra Resort, we were treated to a Reggae concert by local Guyanese artists. Reggae is one of Lynne's favourite music genres and so she spent the entire afternoon boogieing along to the rhythms.
The city of Bartica organised a river boat trip for the Rally participants to visit the Marshall Falls and rapids. We were taken in two high speed boats for an enjoyable day out. On our way, we passed several quarry sites, a police outpost and the Mazaruni Prison.
Our boat stopped just before the Marshall Rapids, and we then took a trek through the dense jungle to the Marshall Falls.
On the way, we were lucky enough to see the magnificent Blue Morpho butterfly. Sadly, it flew away before we were able to take a picture of it.
On return to the boats, we were given a picnic lunch before an exhilarating ride up the Marshall Rapids. The captain of the boat was very skilled in manoeuvring the boat over the rapids. During the very bumpy ride atop the rapids, you felt that the boat might capsize, but it didn't. The thrill was exhilarating!
The day before we left to start our two day trip back down the Essequibo River, the local dignitaries of Bartica arranged for a reception for the Rally Participants in Bartica. Due to the low tide, we all piled into three yachts with shallow keels who could make the journey there - Eileen of Avoca, Merlin and Coconut. We were greeted by the beautiful sound of a steel pan band and then formally welcomed by the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Chairman Gordon Bradford, and Nageshwari Kamal Persaud, the Deputy Mayoress. It seemed like the whole town of Bartica had come out to see the yachties, as not many sailors venture up the Essequibo River. We were treated like royalty and it was a truly humbling experience.
All three of us thoroughly enjoyed our time in Guyana and were glad we had chosen to join the Rally. Our favourite time of the day was at dawn and dusk, when you could hear the chorus of all the birds and animals in the trees ashore. One morning we heard the haunting cry of the Howler monkeys. At dusk one night, Ryan from the resort took us on a short walk to some bamboo trees in the grounds and we got to see a large group of Capuchin monkeys arriving back from a day out feeding, and making their beds for the night. They weren't concerned by our presence at all. Truly magical.
A friend of Lynne's, Nina, who is half Guyanese, hit the nail on the head when she described the country as 'raw, natural beauty'.
The next part of the Rally should have seen us sailing down to French Guiana and Suriname. Sadly though due to a technical issue with our yacht, we had to leave the Rally here, and reluctantly return to Trinidad via Tobago. More of this in our next update...
For now though, we will leave you with a couple of Guyanese proverbs we found in a guide book.
"Chicken gat feddah, but he can't do fowl wuk" Youth has its limitations. Experience teaches wisdom.
"Clath a easy fuh chutty, but hard fuh rub" Having achieved a goal it is difficult to retain it.
Next update sees us hauled out in Trinidad, and hurricane Matthew passes us by.
Kaiteuer National Park occupies a prominent position in the centre of the Guiana Shield, which is roughly two billion years old and is considered the earth's oldest surface. The park encompasses 627 square kilometres of pristine jungle, creeks and rivers teeming with biodiversity. The Kaieteur Falls is one of the world's natural wonders, cascading 741 feet in a sheer drop.
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| Wow! |
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| And looking back into the valley |
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| No barriers, fences, rip-off restaurants, or trinket shops |
The Kaieteur National Park is home to a myriad of rare and endangered species, including the rare Golden Poison Dart Frog, whose entire life cycle plays out in the water that collects in the giant Tank Bromeliads (a type of lily).
The frog acquires it's poison from eating insects which have in turn eaten certain plants containing toxins. Indigenous people collected the slime that oozes from the frogs skin, and used this on the tips of darts, and arrows with deadly effect.
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| If you see a cute yellow frog, do not touch it! |
Amongst interesting flora and fauna was the Drosera Kaieteurensis. This distinctive (Red) looking plant is carnivorous! It attracts insects from which there is no escape. Happily for us mosquitoes like the plant, which it in turn digests.
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| The Drosera Kaieteurnsis Plant |
After a lunch stop at the airfield at Kaieteur, we next flew to the Orinduik Falls, which lie on the Ireng River, on the border of Guyana and Brazil. The Falls are situated amid the rolling, grass-covered hills of the Pakaraima Mountains. The waterfall is approximately 25m tall and more than 150m wide.
Peter and Lynne decided to take a trip to Georgetown, the chief port and capital city of Guyana. It is situated on the right bank of the Demerara River (home of demerara sugar). Amongst the highlights, was a visit to the Stabroek Market, which covers an area of 76,728 square feet, making it possibly the largest public market in the Caribbean. The four-dialled clock towers 61 feet above the main entrance.
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| The very busy Stabroek Market |
The tour guide assigned to take the yachties around Georgetown was an ex-policeman and he wouldn't let us stay there very long as it is apparently one of the more dangerous areas of the city, known for its pick pockets. We also visited the Parliament Building and St George's Cathedral, but could not go inside as a service was in progress.
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| St.George's Cathedral |
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| Parliament building |
Back at Hurakabra Resort, we were treated to a Reggae concert by local Guyanese artists. Reggae is one of Lynne's favourite music genres and so she spent the entire afternoon boogieing along to the rhythms.
The city of Bartica organised a river boat trip for the Rally participants to visit the Marshall Falls and rapids. We were taken in two high speed boats for an enjoyable day out. On our way, we passed several quarry sites, a police outpost and the Mazaruni Prison.
Our boat stopped just before the Marshall Rapids, and we then took a trek through the dense jungle to the Marshall Falls.
 |
| The brave took a visit to the cave behind the fall |
On the way, we were lucky enough to see the magnificent Blue Morpho butterfly. Sadly, it flew away before we were able to take a picture of it.
On return to the boats, we were given a picnic lunch before an exhilarating ride up the Marshall Rapids. The captain of the boat was very skilled in manoeuvring the boat over the rapids. During the very bumpy ride atop the rapids, you felt that the boat might capsize, but it didn't. The thrill was exhilarating!
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| Hang on! |
The day before we left to start our two day trip back down the Essequibo River, the local dignitaries of Bartica arranged for a reception for the Rally Participants in Bartica. Due to the low tide, we all piled into three yachts with shallow keels who could make the journey there - Eileen of Avoca, Merlin and Coconut. We were greeted by the beautiful sound of a steel pan band and then formally welcomed by the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Chairman Gordon Bradford, and Nageshwari Kamal Persaud, the Deputy Mayoress. It seemed like the whole town of Bartica had come out to see the yachties, as not many sailors venture up the Essequibo River. We were treated like royalty and it was a truly humbling experience.
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| Just love a steel band |
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| Special VIP area for the towns senior citizens, a nice touch |
All three of us thoroughly enjoyed our time in Guyana and were glad we had chosen to join the Rally. Our favourite time of the day was at dawn and dusk, when you could hear the chorus of all the birds and animals in the trees ashore. One morning we heard the haunting cry of the Howler monkeys. At dusk one night, Ryan from the resort took us on a short walk to some bamboo trees in the grounds and we got to see a large group of Capuchin monkeys arriving back from a day out feeding, and making their beds for the night. They weren't concerned by our presence at all. Truly magical.
A friend of Lynne's, Nina, who is half Guyanese, hit the nail on the head when she described the country as 'raw, natural beauty'.
The next part of the Rally should have seen us sailing down to French Guiana and Suriname. Sadly though due to a technical issue with our yacht, we had to leave the Rally here, and reluctantly return to Trinidad via Tobago. More of this in our next update...
For now though, we will leave you with a couple of Guyanese proverbs we found in a guide book.
"Chicken gat feddah, but he can't do fowl wuk" Youth has its limitations. Experience teaches wisdom.
"Clath a easy fuh chutty, but hard fuh rub" Having achieved a goal it is difficult to retain it.
Next update sees us hauled out in Trinidad, and hurricane Matthew passes us by.
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