ARC Arrives - Caribbean Compass

JANUARY 2008 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 6
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Many cruisers will remember Paco, who headed a sought-after team of yacht
spray-painters in Marina Amerigo Vespuccio in the 1980s. Paco went on to become
vice president of the Venezuelan television station Televisora de Oriente.
Venezuela Turns Back the Clock
On December 9th, clocks in Venezuela were turned back 30 minutes in a measure
intended to optimize use of daylight hours. The change occurred at 3:00AM, putting
Venezuela four and a half hours behind Greenwich Mean Time — a unique
time zone for the Americas.
St. Croix’s ‘Best’ Lighted Boat Parade
Ellen Sanpere reports: Originally scheduled for December 8th, the St. Croix Lighted
Light ’em up!
Each year the
lights get
brighter at
St. Croix’s
Annual Lighted
Boat Parade
Boat Parade 2007 was postponed for two weeks due to high winds and seas. On
December 22nd, the weather was perfect, the moon was nearly full and so was the
Christiansted boardwalk.
Festivities started around 4:00PM with Gentlemen of Jones caroling and a jazz
band playing. Santa and several helpers were sighted handing out candy canes.
The Hovensa oil refinery provided fireworks from Gallows Bay as the boats paraded
twice through Christiansted Harbor. Many spectators said this boat parade was the
best one yet!
Pirate Ship Discovered in Dominican Republic
Julia Bartlett reports: The announcement was made in early December that
Captain William Kidd’s last prize, the 500-tonne Quedagh Merchant, has been
found — amazingly lying in only ten feet of clear Caribbean water near Catalina
Island, off the south coast of the Dominican Republic. According to National
Geographic News, Charles Beeker, an archaeologist at Indiana University who
made the discovery, said he’s convinced the wreck is Kidd’s ship. But he said it will
take about two years of excavation to confirm the vessel’s identity. It seems that
the wreck has not been looted and so it is hoped that it will provide some fascinating
glimpses into Kidd’s story.
Kidd was born in Scotland in 1645. He was engaged by the British government as a
privateer to help combat piracy in 1696. He sailed from London as captain of the
Adventure Galley and took the Armenian ship, the Quedagh Merchant, in the waters
of the Indian Ocean after becoming famous as the Scourge of Madagascar.
In 1699 he was in the Caribbean when he heard that a blanket royal pardon had
been granted for all pirates — except for William Kidd. The story goes that he left his
prize in the care of his men and set off to clear his name. After he left, the men
looted and set fire to the ship.
He failed to clear his name, although now there’s some dispute about whether or
not he was guilty. He was hanged at Execution Dock in London on May 23, 1701 and
the British made an example of him by dipping his body in tar and leaving it to swing
for two years as a deterrent to any thinking to follow in his swashbuckling wake.
The Dominican Government have invited archaeologists from the University of
Indiana to research the site. The plan is to eventually turn the site into an underwater
reserve where amateurs can explore the wreck once researchers have finished.
So all ye yachties, keep ye wits about ye when snorkelling the vast and terrible waters
of the Caribees. Who knows what other treasures lie hidden just beneath its surface?
Two Yachts Robbed at Chateaubelair, St. Vincent
Two instances of armed robberies aboard yachts anchored at Chateaubelair on
the north leeward coast of St. Vincent were reported last month: one during the
night of Thursday, December 13th, and one exactly a week later on the night of the
20th. In both cases the intruders were reportedly armed with cutlasses (machetes)
and/or knives.
The incidents were reported to local law-enforcement authorities. The newspaper
Searchlight quoted Chairman of the North Leeward Tourism Association, Clem
Derrick, as saying, “This is a serious blow to an already fragile industry.” Area
Parliamentary Representative Jerrol Thompson told Searchlight that he is hoping to
have community meetings to sensitize residents about the importance of the yachting
industry. The victims of the first robbery were taken to lunch and dinner by
Derrick, and community members contributed money to help make up what was
stolen. Investigations are being carried out by the Serious Crimes Unit of St. Vincent
& the Grenadines.
Coconut Telegraph Net
Rose Hansmeyer and Tom McMaster report: The Coconut Telegraph Net has been active
for about a year and is intended to keep cruisers connected and to share information. It
meets every morning at 0800 hours on 4060 USB using 4030 as an alternate frequency.
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