Yachts sail into Parika
Stabroek News
March 13, 2004
The flotilla of yachts anchored at Parika shortly after their arrival on Friday. They are from left Mood Indigo, Mystic Adventure, Wind Rose and Janus. (Jules Gibson photo)
Amid high winds and heavy currents, four pleasure yachts arrived at Parika yesterday, the first stop in a tour of the Essequibo River and the interior.
A welcoming party consisting of two cabin cruisers went out to meet the yachts that came in from Trinidad and Tobago at 9.20 am.
The four yachts dropped anchor some 70 feet from a private wharf so as to avoid being left high and dry at low tide.
The boats are Mood Indigo, a 38-foot sloop; Mystic Adventure, a 49-ft cutter; Janus, a 42-ft ketch and Wind Rose a 44-ft sloop.
David and Joyce Davis and Tony Gregory, Jack and Joann Cooley, William and Judy Speary and the Suttons are the seafarers. David and Joyce Davis co-ordinated the trip along with communications consultant Kit Nascimento.
Getting their land legs: Crewmembers chat with "sail guide" Eric Vieira (cap in hand) shortly before refuelling to begin their sail up the Essequibo. Standing from left to right are Gem Madhoo-Nascimento, Mr Sutton, Judy Speary, Abdul Ba of Baganara Resor
The Coast Guard vessel, the Barracuda escorted the vessels into port and Customs and Immigration officials came out to meet the travellers.
Most of the crewmembers are retired and free to sail around the world and see in what ways they can give back something after successful careers.
The Davis' musical exploits began when David put a trumpet on the boat and she added a microphone since they both are passionate about jazz. She noted that their boat, Mood Indigo, was named after a composition by jazz great Miles Davis.
Davis added that they had gathered some knowledge about sailing to Guyana through Eric Vieira who occasionally sailed from Guyana to Trinidad but recently sold his boat in Trinidad and shared with them his charts and other information.
She said that the trip presented them with several challenges including having to sail against the wind and a north-westerly current. "The wind was right on our noses and we had to end up doing a tap which would take twice as long," said Joyce Davis.
The customs also posed some challenge to their arrival. A lot of the questions on the documents did not pertain to pleasure yachts.
She reminded members of the media that they will be participating in a traditional American jazz concert for March 19 at Castellani House organised by Gem Madhoo-Nascimento.