March 2018 - Caribbean - Virgin Islands, Leeward Islands
Eastern Caribbean | USVI | St. John | Maho Bay
Feb 28 - Mar. 10, 2018
Great 11 days with Christopher Mary and kids. The weather was gorgeous sunny warm and great sailing. Lots of boat out this week with kids aboard so Maddie and Jack had playmates.
Al and Christopher got the 15hp engine up and running for the first time since 2008. So we had fast rides around the bays.
Eastern Caribbean | USVI | St. John | Maho Bay
Eastern Caribbean | USVI | St. John | Maho Bay
Eastern Caribbean | USVI | St. John | Maho Bay
Eastern Caribbean | USVI | St. John | Maho Bay | Artemis at anchor
We started at Maho Bay USVI snorkeling and ended there before they left. The kids were in the water more than out. The beaches are fabulous with beautiful sand and shells to be found. We could find internet at the beach bars so of course Happy Hour was enjoyed by all each day.
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Jost van Dyke | Customs and Imigration
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Jost van Dyke | Foxys Beach Bar
We stayed at Jost van Dyke Great Harbor, Prickly Pear Island North Sound Virgin Gorda, Marina Cay and Trellis Bay, Norman Bight, Cooper Island. We had great snorkeling at Prickly Pear, Indian Islands off Pelican Island, Norman Bight and caves, and Cooper Island.
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Beef Island | Trellis Bay
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Beef Island | Trellis Bay
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Beef Island | Trellis Bay
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Beef Island | Trellis Bay
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Beef Island | Trellis Bay
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Beef Island | Trellis Bay
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Virgin Gorda | The Baths
Eastern Caribbean| BVI | Norman Island | view sunset from Pirate's Bight beach
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Virgin Gorda | The Baths
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Virgin Gorda | The Baths
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Norman Island | Pirates Bight Bar Restaurant
Great fun snorkling with Maddie and Jack.
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Indian Rocks near Norman Island
Eastern Caribbean |BVI | Tortola | Road Town | Moorings Marina
We tried going to the Baths on Virgin Gorda again but the waves were shooting 10 feet into the air as they hit the rocks. The kids got a sun rash and Maddies was extreme. Her face began to swell so we cleared customs at Soper’s Hole and took her to the doctor in Red Hook. We spent our last night together at Maho Bay. Once again we ate lunch at the Fish Tail before seeing the kids off to the airport. We called Emma in Mn for her 8th birthday. So sad to see everyone go. Al and I are alone now until we come home in June.
Eastern Caribbean | USVI | St. John | Maho Bay
March 13, 2018
Al and I are resting up in Maho Bay after an Ocean Crossing and a month of family on board we are just chillin’. Sunday I was resting in cockpit and Al came out looking for something. Finally I realized he was trying to get my attention as he had shaved off his beard! I think I was beginning to get use to it but he looks younger without it! Yesterday we walked the beach and road over to Leinster Bay. It seemed strange to be on the beach just the two of us. We changed oil in the genset and gear lube in the dingy motors. I worked on the website offline. Strong winds this week form the east so we don’t anticipate leaving BVI for St. Martin (Dutch side) until the weekend. Today clean clean clean and fix fix fix. New friends Ken and Jen from Cornwall UK stopped over for visit and drinks. Back to BVI tomorrow.
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Norman Island | The Bight| Pirates Bight Bar/Restaurant
Eastern Caribbean | Norman Island | Pirates Bight dock | Zeus our 11.5 dingy
Eastern Caribbean | BVI | Tortola | Sopers Hole | Pussers Landing view sunset
March 17, 2018
We sailed to Sopers Hole on the 14 and stayed for couple of days catching up on internet and enjoying a few Caribs at Pussers. Yesterday we stopped into Nanny Cay for fuel then on to Road Town to clear customs. We picked up some provisions at Bobby’s and had a nice lunch near the quay. We sailed over to Norman Island our favorite haunt in the BVI this year. We plan to leave early morning to motor east to St. Martin.
March 18, 2018
We had an uneventful passage from Norman to St. Martin. We left about 0130 and arrived about 1830. We had changed our clocks only Caribbean doesn’t do Daylight Savings Time. Oh well we arrived at Marigot Bay, French St. Martin in daylight so happily set anchor before dark. Big dophins huge group arrived early afternoon. Usually see smaller dolphins.
Eastern Caribbean | French St. Martin| Marigot Bay | La Terrasse Restaurant
Eastern Caribbean | French St. Martin | Marigot Bay | sunset
March 19, 2018
Customs since the hurricane is in Galisbay so we hiked over there to clear into St. Martin. It was a bit more of a hike than we had anticipated on a hot day. Fortunately the Customs Officer gave us a ride back to Marigot Bay. We found a pleasant lunch spot over looking the bay The Terrace and had great fish. Al had Mahi and I had perfect sesame crusted tuna.
Eastern Caribbean | Dutch St. Martin| Budget Marine | Dingy repairs
Eastern Caribbean | French St. Martin | Galisbay
Eastern Caribbean | French St. Martin | Marigot Bay | Dingy dock by ferry
March 23, 2018
Yay finally got the 11.5 dingy back after repairs at Budget Marine. The 2 day job took 4 days and cost twice as much as estimated! It was a pain going back to the little dingy our Praire Chicken as every ride was a wet one. We found the part we needed for the toilet so finally it doesn’t leak! The Lagoon in St. Martin is shared by French and Dutch. We found many more submerged and beached boats from Hurricane Irma on the French side but both sides had lots of damage and many shops and business still not up and running. Still think Tortola looked worse. We provisioned and hiked down to Galisbay again to clear customs. Only this time we stopped for lunch at a Take-a-Way spot set up on the street. Great Creole chicken and ribs with all the fixin’s. But then we arrived late for Customs so had to wait for an hour for their return from lunch. Got the dingy on deck preparing for departure tomorrow for Guadeloupe.
Eastern Caribbean| Saba Island
Eastern Caribbean | St. Eustatius
March 25, 2018
Yesterday we left about 0630 for Guadeloupe about 130nm. Fortunately we had great sailing conditions as we had up to 2kts of current against us at times. Beautiful day passing by Saba, St. Eustache, St. Kitts and Nevis. The passage along Montserrat turned enough into the wind that we had to motor/sail the last 30nm into 3-4ft seas. We arrived at Deshaies about 1100 this morning. Once we were settled we had lunch and took much needed nap. Oops now the day is gone.
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies |Deshaies River Walk
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Deshaies River Walk
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Deshaies River Walk
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Deshaies River Walk
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Deshaies River Walk
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Deshaies River Walk
March 26, 2018
We launched the dingy and went ashore to explore Deshaires, Guadeloupe and clear customs. Customs was easy. Do it yourself on a computer and pay the $4. We walked about and picked up some fresh produce. Back at the boat we packed a picnic lunch and went ashore to hike the Deshaires River. The guide book suggested this first section was a 1-2 hour hike with some dirt paths and rock to rock scrambling ending at a carpark. That section took us 3 hours with a short stop for lunch. It was mostly climbing over rocks, around boulders, and rock hopping back and forth across the river. Hard work but beautiful vegetation, small waterfalls and pools of water. The next section was a “20 min” hike to a larger waterfall. After slipping a couple of times and wet shoes I took a bigger fall. Fortunately I wasn’t hurt but I called it quits. We turned back to the car park. The “15 min” walk along the road back to town took over 45min. Mostly straight down a steep road. We never realized how high we were climbing along the riverbed. I’ve decided I’m not as agile as I was 10 years ago hiking the Turkish mountain trails.
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies |Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens walk-in aviary
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies |Botantical Gardens| view Artemis at anchor
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies|Botantical Gardens Macaws
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies | Botantical Gardens
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies | Botantical Gardens
March 27, 2018
Today we decided to hike 1 mile “uphill” to the Deshaies Botanical Gardens. Yikes! Talk about steep, curvy, no shoulders, busy road…fortunately a worker from the gardens stopped and offered us a ride. Oh Thank you Thank you! As he drove up the hill we realized this was way more than the 1 mile hike we had anticipated. The Botanical Gardens are gorgeous and we spent 3 hours enjoying a thousand species of plants, flowers, trees. They built a 50’ artificial waterfall, rivers and pools that wind their way along paved paths through the site. We especially enjoyed the walk-in aviary where colorful parrots came and sat on Al’s hand. We caught a free shuttle back to town. Our phone internet from St. Martin doesn’t work fast enough here to work on downloads and taxes. So we spent some time at a pub internet. Shortly after returning to Artemis Alan s/y Far Fetched pulled up in his dingy with his daughter Amy. What a surprise. We first met him, wife Kate and our friend Claire in 2012 along Atlantic French coast and later met up again in their home town in Guernsey. Most recently we did a shared meal aboard Artemis in Tenerife before Far Fetched left for their Atlantic crossing. Once again we prepared a potluck meal, drinks and fun conversations. You never know when paths will cross again one of the fun surprises of cruising.
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies
East Caribbean | Guadeloupe | Deshaies
March 28, 2018
Quiet, beautiful morning we motored 10nm down to Malendure Bay anchorage and Pigeon Islands. The islands are part of the Cousteau Underwater National Park. Once settled we took the dingy over to the island to snorkel. So many dive boats, kayaks people snorkeling. Another dingy leaving suggested we come back 0800 tomorrow before the others arrive. So we went ashore instead and walked to Carrefour supermarket for fresh produce. We had lunch at the bakery next door. Great quiche and chicken drummies. Heard a shout from the boat behind us “Hey Artemis do you recognize this boat?” It was a Mason 44 and they invited us for cocktails. S/V Stealin’ Time wasn’t just any Mason 44 it was the 1999 Mason 44 formally called Sisquit from Pikes Bay Marina in Bayfield WI. We had fun talking Masons and cruising. They are sailing to Europe 2019 so lots of information to share.
Eastern Caribbean| Guadeloupe | Basse-Terre | Marina Sud Ancarage
Eastern Caribbean| Guadeloupe | Basse-Terre | boardwalk from Marina Sud Ancarage
Eastern Caribbean| Guadeloupe | Basse-Terre | Hotel de Ville (Town Hall)
Eastern Caribbean| Guadeloupe | Basse-Terre | Notre Dame du Mont Carmel
Eastern Caribbean| Guadeloupe | Basse-Terre | Marina Sud Ancarage sunst
Eastern Caribbean| Guadeloupe | Basse-Terre | Marina Sud Ancarage moonrise
March 30, 2018
Yesterday We got an early start today and had Pigeon Island underwater park all to ourselves. Great reef fish, rock formations, sponges aneld some colorful coral. 2 hours went by quickly We left just as the first tour boat and kayaks were arriving. Today we left early from Malendure Bay and had a great 1 hour sail with reefed jib to Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, The next hour was no wind so motoring to the anchorage outside of Marina Sud Ancrage. We had a nice one mile walk into Basse-Terre on a boardwalk along the sea. We were in time to go to Good Friday Services at Notre Dame du Mont Carmel. Beautiful sunset. Gorgeous Moonrise
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March 31, 2018
Happy Birthday to our granddaughter Josie. Eleven years ago we became grandparents for the first time. After a rolly night at anchor we decided to clear customs and head for Iles des Saintes about 10nm away and still part of Guadeloupe so we didn’t need to clear customs. We anchored in about 12m off Tete Rouge and fishing harbor on Terre d’en Haut the largest island and only one with a small town. Lots of mooring but all full. Bourg des Saintes is a cute, clean picturesque seaside town. Lots of shops and restaurants as several ferry boats arrive and depart every hour. We wandered the village and stopped for a beer at Café de la Marine near the dingy dock with nice view of the bay. Busy but fun place with some of the old style Caribbean buildings with balconies and gingerbread brightly painted. Quite refreshing after some of the towns visited in Guadeloupe.
