ONE YEAR UNDER SAILS!

Today we celebrate the anniversary of our Sail for Science expedition – exactly one year ago we sailed from Ottawa and during this time we traveled a long way to the Caribbean Windward Islands. Much has been achieved, but much remains to be done – our family crew of two retired Oceanologists has survived two post-hurricane storms, engine breakdowns and overcame many other challenges associated with the invaluable experience of cruising and life on a sailboat. Carrying out CTD measurements along the route of our voyage was the main priority of the expedition – if there is no data, then there is nothing to talk about; we were able to make more than 165 CTD profilings at depths of down to 120 m. There is still a lot of work to be done to prepare data for transfer to the Ocean Databases, to work out methodological issues of quality control and calibration.

We also consider one of our main achievements to be the launch of the Argo Float in the Caribbean Sea – an assignment that we received at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, Canada. Now this float helps scientists collect oceanographic data in the area of ​​possible hurricane passages and better predict these natural disasters. This is especially felt, being now at the epicenter of Hurricane Beryl’s passage in the Grenadines. Our thoughts and good wishes for a speedy recovery to the residents of the affected islands.

A huge thank you to our sponsors and supporters, especially Frank Johnson and Steve Brindamour, who made our dream come true!

Is it carnival time? Yes, it’s time for the Vincy Mas Carnival!

After waiting out Hurricane Beryl in St. Lucia, where it impacted us only as a tropical storm, we continued our journey south to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, heading into the very heart of the hurricane’s path. The news showed how devastating the hurricane was for many of the Grenadine islands, where more than 98% of houses were destroyed. Having seen the aftermath of the tropical storm in Soufriere, St. Lucia, we were bracing ourselves for scenes of destruction—broken trees, torn-off roofs, beached boats. What we didn’t expect was to stumble into CARNIVAL!

Yes, today we arrived in Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and found ourselves at the Vincy Mas Carnival. We landed just in time for the Parade of Bands, the grand finale of the two-week celebration, which this year coincided with the hurricane and its aftermath.

Hurricane Beryl set records for its early timing and unusually southern track for this time of year. But why is the Vincy Mas Carnival held in the middle of summer instead of before Lent? Until 1977, it was, but now it’s likely timed for early July as a last hurrah before the hurricane season begins—a way to ward off dark forces with fun, song, and dance.

These dark forces, we know, are exacerbated by humanity’s reckless consumption of natural resources and following climate change. The Caribbean Islands bear the brunt of these mistakes of humanity, yet they face it all with optimism and resilience. Filming the colorful carnival parade, I was moved by this invincible spirit. Even though some participants might have been worried about their homes, the sheer joy and determination of everyone—from the young to the elderly, enduring the 30-degree heat—was inspiring. In the photographs you can see the parade participants holding azure cups – the slogan was: no plastic water bottles! Perfectly organized “watering holes” on mobile platforms made it possible to constantly refill these cups. You can also see small fans in your hands to cool your face. But I still admire their endurance!

I believe they will rebuild their homes, restore their embankments, build new boats, plant new trees, and start anew. Let this post-hurricane carnival be a catalyst for future changes—how wonderful that it was so carnival-like!

Love to the Caribbean!