Caribbean Compass Sailing Magazine

LOOK OUT FOR…
Devil Nettle – The Name Says It All!
by Lynn Kaak
As you travel through the Caribbean, every month there’s something special to look out for.
While this may be paradise for many cruisers, there are
still botanical “snakes” to be found in this Garden of Eden
for the unlucky wanderer. These are definitely plants to
“Look Out For”!
One of these plants is the Devil Nettle, also known as callalloo
chaude, pica-pica, burn bush, bull nettle and a few
other descriptive names. This can be a very irritating plant
should you inadvertently brush up against it.
With a height from 30cm to 150cm (about one to five feet),
it can catch uncovered skin quite easily. The leaves have a
shape reminiscent of a maple leaf, and the stalks have little
hairs or bristles, about 1cm long, ready to sting unsuspecting
passers-by. During the rainy season, the plant has small
white trumpet-shaped flowers. This plant starts out more
herb-like, and the stalks become woody with time.
Devil Nettle is generally found in elevations less than 300
metres (about 980 feet), growing in sandy soil where there is
moderate to low rainfall. It also loves to live on and around
wide trails and in open pastures, as it likes the sun (but can
tolerate some shade). The hiking trails around Carriacou are
a prime example of its habitat, but it can be also found
throughout the Caribbean and Southern United States.
The bristles on the plant are perfectly designed to ensure
that one does not knowingly go back for a repeat encounter
with the burn bush. The tips of the hairs are slightly enlarged
for maximum effect. The rest of the hair is designed to inject
the toxin, like a hypodermic syringe. For most people of
European descent, it will give a stinging, irritating sensation
for up to 45 minutes, but for many people of African descent,
it can create welts and sores that can last for several days.
The white sap is also not conducive to a happy hike, as it is
quite corrosive. If one were tempted to eat it, it might cause
swelling, vomiting and even unconsciousness.
The scientific name Cnidoscolus Urens is derived from the
Greek knide – nettle and skolos – thorn; urens means burning.
That name is well chosen, don’t you agree?
MERIDIAN PASSAGE
OF THE MOON
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014
Crossing the channels between Caribbean islands with a favorable tide will
make your passage faster and more comfortable. The table below, courtesy Don
Street, author of Street’s Guides and compiler of Imray-Iolaire charts, which
shows the time of the meridian passage (or zenith) of the moon for this AND next
month, will help you calculate the tides.
Water, Don explains, generally tries to run toward the moon. The tide starts
running to the east soon after moonrise, continues to run east until about an
hour after the moon reaches its zenith (see TIME below) and then runs westward.
From just after the moon’s setting to just after its nadir, the tide runs eastward;
and from just after its nadir to soon after its rising, the tide runs westward; i.e.
the tide floods from west to east. Times given are local.
Note: the maximum tide is 3 or 4 days after the new and full moons.
For more information, see “Tides and Currents” on the back of all Imray Iolaire
charts. Fair tides!
November 2014
DATE TIME
1 1925
2 2018
3 2110
4 2203
5 2256
6 2349
7 0000 (full moon)
8 0043
9 0137
10 0230
11 0320
12 0409
13 0456
14 0541
15 0624
16 0707
17 0750
18 0833
19 0918
20 1005
21 1055
22 1148
23 1243
24 1339
25 1436
26 1533
27 1628
28 1722
29 1814
30 1906
December 2014
1 1957
2 2048
3 2140
4 2232
5 2325
6 0000 (full moon)
7 0018
8 0110
9 0200
10 0248
11 0335
12 0419
13 0502
14 0544
15 0627
16 0710
17 0756
18 0843
19 0934
20 1028
21 1125
22 1224
23 1323
24 1421
25 1557
26 1611
27 1703
28 1754
29 1845
30 1936
31 2027
YOUR USED SAILS WANTED!
Designed to benefit fishermen in Haiti,
SECOND LIFE SAILS is a Clean Wake Project
of the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA)
in a joint venture with Free Cruising Guides.
Donations of used sails and fishing equipment can be
sent to either Minneford Marina at 150 City Island
Ave., Bronx, NY 10464 (www.minnefordmarina.com)
or to Marina ZarPar in Boca Chica, Dominican
Republic (www.marinazarpar.com). School and first-aid
supplies are also welcome. A receipt for your donation
will be given upon request.
Frank Virgintino, developer of Free Cruising Guides,
will take all donated items to Haiti during February
2015 and distribute them to fishermen in a number
of communities.
For more information contact Frank Virgintino
at fvirgintino@gmail.com or SSCA board member
Catherine Hebson at cmvhebson@gmail.com.
NOVEMBER 2014 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 35