Jamaica

January 30, 2005, we departed from the southern end of the Bahama chain, sailing 3 days to Port Antonio, Jamaica, in conditions of 20-27k with 6-8' seas. Onboard were our sons, and Will Kuehne, our sons' cruising buddy.

The Windward Passage is an interesting pasage, being in the shipping lanes. With the frequent arrival of ships, it was intersting to chat up the crew to learn of their destination, what they were carrying and up-to-date weather reports. Many captains enjoyed hearing of our lifestyle spent in boats cruising the globe, as they often had children at home and missed their company. Some Captains had their wives onboard.

Sealife was prolific. Everyday, the boys hauled in a good catch, most often in the mornings. Wahoo, Spanish mackeral and mahi-mahi were our favorites. Pilot whales and bottle-nosed dolphins frolicked across our bows, bringing all the crew from below for the show.

While underway, Warren and Will strummed guitar after High School homeschooling lessons were completed.

On Passage: Bahamas to Jamaica

Jamaica offer the weary sailor on passage, a unique respite, when en route through the Windward Passage. A state-of-the-art marina, pretty waters, stunning beaches and a protected lagoon deep inside Port Antonio, draw the curious sailor, but there’s more: river rafting down the Rio Grande and hikes into the mysterious Blue Mountains.

Despite Jamaica lying smack center in the Caribbean Sea, it possesses a different spirit than its neighbors. A unique African charm wafts through the villages. Afterall, jerk seasoning was introduced here by the Maroons, runaway slaves who hit out in the hills of the Blue Mountains.

Best Anchorage

The reason for travel is to learn. The Jamaicans are happy, proud and positive people, even though a lot of them live in poor conditions. Most follow the Rastafarian teachings, first begun at St Ann’s Bay’s with Marcus Garvey, who founded the back-to-Africa movement of the 1910s and ’20s. Rastafarianism took up the call a decade later, and reggae furnished the beat in the 1960s and ’70s.

A very important holiday for Rastafarians is the anniversary of the coronation of Haile Selassie, a former emperor of Ethiopia. Haile Selassie, is considered by Rastafarians to be the Messiah. The man’s original name was Tafari, and Ras means duke. If you happen to be on island, the Rastafarians dedicate their babies to Rastafari, by recitations and singing.

Bob Marley first became known as one of the leaders of reggae music in the late 1960s. By the time of his death in 1981, Marley had established himself as the most outstanding representative of the reggae genre and had become a popular musician in both the United States and Europe. Heard here early in his career, Marley performs with his group, then known as the Wailing Wailers, in a style known as rock steady.

The parish town is untarnished by the honeymoon tourism, like along the north shore of Jamaica. The narrow potholed streets of the Titchfield Peninsula were fringed in vibrant-colored buildings, beckoning us out to at night to sample the local cuisine. The town square, quayside and farmer’s market made for interesting morning strolls, and I made sure to always fill my basket of fresh greens, when given the chance. Returning to the boat, we often found ourselves led by a friendly, wayward dog or a herd of goats! In the afternoons, Rastafarians hung in the shade, hawking their wares. We’d wander into to roam around the quaint colonial town, people watching and on the hunt for a cup of tea. The people were friendly, always happy. In their simplicity, it was a message for me to not worry about tomorrow, simple live for today.

The unruffled bay of the Titchfield Peninsula backs into the sleepy Rio Grande Valley, a picturesque setting. As soon as we picked up one of the free moorings in the anchorage, located off Errol Flynn Marina, Jamaican officials soon arrived by a small boat to clear us in, a very mild and easy procedure that was sure comfort!

The Western Harbor is enclosed and guarded. Entry into town is through the marina gates, where a dinghy tie-up is provided. We were thrilled not to have to worry about our outboard and dinghy, as the dock was well-lit with glitzy megayachts in temporary resident, awaiting passage to Panama or in storage until owners were free from life’s dramas and traumas back home.

Port Antonio

Rasta Beat

Dreadlocked Grandpa

Rasta Musician

Forest Home

Vegetarian Rasta Cafe

Blue Lagoon

Bob Marley

On
Passage

Jamaican
Anchorage

Port
Antonio

Blue
Lagoon

Rasta
Beat

The boys took to the large parking lot in the evenings to skateboard across speed bumps, bringing the security guard to chuckles, whenever one of them crashed onto the pavement. I only learned about it, when we went to check out!

Errol Flynn Marina

The Blue Lagoon- is a mineral pool of deep azure water that changes color throughout the day. A fascinating Jamaican flora overlooks the mystifying lagoon from the surrounding hills. According to the locals, the lagoon is bottomless, but it is actually 180 feet deep.

Rio Grande

Another unique and special outing is rafting the Rio Grande, the best water excursion on the island. It is a 2-hour trip on a bamboo raft, which were originally built to transport bananas. This was one of our favorite tours, which Pete and I did together before the children were born. Word has it, Errol Flynn had raft races between his film stars back during his days on the island.

Rafting started on the river as a means of transporting bananas from plantations to waiting freighters. The rafts, some 10m (33ft.) long and only 2m (6 ft.) wide, are propelled by stout bamboo poles. There's a raised double seat about two-thirds of the way back. The Raft take you along the lively river, about 13km (8 miles) between steep hills covered with coconut plams, banana plantations, and flowers, through limestone cliffs pitted with caves.

Highlights

Titchfield Peninsula