4/26/09 ● Not Enough of Martinique

As the season progresses, cruisers are beginning to move on. Some (like us) will stay on their boats through the summer and we may meet them farther on down island. Others are having their boats hauled out and will return to their homes in North America or Europe. Before we proceed south, we decided on one more visit to Martinique. Having met the tax deadline in Rodney Bay, we weighed anchor and sailed to Cul-de-Sac du Marin. This is another popular cruising destination for boaters because of its sheltered anchorages and the many, many boat services available here. Rather than anchor near Marin among hundreds of other boats, we chose a spot Bill remembered from his earlier trip here. It was tricky getting into but once there, very rewarding. Surrounded by mangroves and fairly isolated, we had the anchorage virtually to ourselves and enjoyed peaceful days, skinny dipping and quiet starlit nights. We also enjoyed the company, once again, of Heiner and Marleyne on La Buena Vida, anchored near Marin. At their instigation, we rented a car and had a wonderful day touring all of Martinique.

Before our return to Rodney Bay we wanted to visit Ste. Anne. With Pam in the rigging to guide us through the shoals, we carefully maneuvered out of our secret lagoon and spent to lovely days exploring Ste. Anne. One enjoyable night we dined on a beach front terrace, watching the sun set over Diamond Rock and the rugged southern coastline of Martinique.

Photos: On the way up to Mt. Pelee; Songbird & Cows in the lagoon; Rest spot on way up Mt. Pelee; Mt. Pelee in the clouds; l'Aieron, at the base of Mt. Pelee; the folks on S/V La Buena Vida - Heiner & Marleyne; Depaz rum distillery; Pam & Bill in front of 100-year-old rubber tree (too big to capture w/our camera; Songbird in her private lagoon anchorage.

4/13/09 ● St. Lucia

We hoisted sail and made the passage to St. Lucia on 23 March arriving in Rodney Bay and, after attempting three locations, settled into an anchorage off Pigeon Island. There, we were delighted to find Cat Tales, Dawn and Laurie, a Canadian couple we’d last seen in Bermuda. On 26 March, Bill ventured ashore and hired a mini-bus for trip to the airport at the south of the island to meet Alex and Faith. Right on schedule, they popped out of the departure lounge, all joy and smiles. What a welcome site. They found the bus ride back up the island fascinating, especially the winding road through the rain forests in St. Lucia’s mountainous interior. By 6pm, they were installed in their small, luxurious hotel – a stones-throw from Rodney Bay beach. They had four nights there and enjoyed sun, the hotel’s pool and the beach so much that they stayed an extra night. We hung out with them and enjoyed it too, frequently dining at the nearby restaurants. One of the highlights of the stay here was the climb to the top of Pigeon Island, exploring the ruins of the fort and the gun batteries.

By March 31st, it was time for the four of us to sail south to Soufriere. I rained almost the whole way down, becoming heaviest as we picked up a mooring in front of the bat cave (a deep crevice in a high rock wall that is home to thousands of bats – cool!). Alex and Bill immediately dinghied ashore to fine a cure for Alex’s raging ear infection. The pharmacy being closed, they were directed to the local hospital. There they found an emergency room solely occupied by a doctor and two nurses. Alex received immediate attention – including a large shot of penicillin to his backside – for a total charge of $19 and was given a prescription for a week’s supply of antibiotics.

The next morning we left the bats to moor at a quieter part of the bay near local fishing boats. There, we were frequently entertained by the pigs kept by the locals on the beach.

The most spectacular aspect of Soufriere is its proximity to the Pitons, rising to three thousand feet from the edge of the bay. One night we taxied up to a restaurant with breath-taking views of both Petit and Grand Pitons and the harbor shinning below. As we sat at our dinning table, it made for a memorable sunset. With sadness, we said goodbye to Alex and Faith on April 2nd as they boarded their taxi bound for the airport at Vieux Fort. We sure hope their visit was as much fun for them as it was for us.
We returned to Rodney Bay and spent ten, or so, days hanging out with fellow cruisers, many of whom for some reason, were Canadians. Pigeon Island, near our anchorage, happens to be home to a cool little restaurant, Jambe des Bois. We enjoyed going there, especially on the weekends when they have live music. One Sunday night, there was a great little jazz combo playing that somehow found out that Pam sings. She was asked to sit in and, (Bill says) was a huge success. As we left, they followed us out and made us promise that she would return, and next time, do a larger set (!).

Photos: Soufriere - pig resting after hard day's play; Soufriere fishing village; atop Pigeon Island - Alex, Bill, Faith & Pam; Alex & Faith at Hotel Ginger Lilly; view from Alex and Faith's hotel room; atop Pigeon Island; Faith takes on Pigeon Island; lunch time at a Soufriere beach pig farm.

3/22/09 ● Welcome to France

We arrived in Ste. Pierre, on the northern side of Martinique on 18 March. Although one must observe local laws regarding immigration and customs, it’s easy in Martinique. Check in at Ste. Pierre is done on a computer at the local internet café – no fees. Welcome to France!

St. Pierre is a small fishing village located at the base of Mt. Pelee, an extinct volcano almost a mile high that devastated the town in 1902, killing all of its inhabitants, save two, one of whom was a condemned prisoner. Today, it’s a nice place to anchor and reprovision (baguette, cheese and wine). This we did, as well as wash clothes at a Laundromat (something hard to find in the islands). Our efforts to reprovision, however, were still being frustrated by the general strike, even though it had been over for weeks.

Once chores were done, we endeavored to see some of the island’s interior, decided to mount a campaign to climb Pelee. For a modest fare, we hopped a local bus which was to take us to a trail leading to the mountain’s summit. Our plan was thwarted by weather. Mt. Pelee was covered in clouds and mist and we were told that the trail was closed during rain so we spent the afternoon in Morne Rouge, an almost alpine village, located on a ridge (or morne) with spectacular views of the sea and washed by refreshing misty breezes.
After three nights, we headed south, stopping at the lower corner of the island in picturesque Grand Anse D’Arlet. Owing to it’s proximity to the island’s major city, and its beauty, this is a popular recreation site for Martiniquans. We shared the anchorage with three 3-masted schooners and numerous cruisers. The water was quite clear with great snorkeling but, with the much anticipated visit nearing of Bill’s son and daughter-in-law, Alex and Faith, our stay in this spot was limited.

Photos: Relaxing at local cafe in St. Pierre; children's sailing training regatta; house with flowers; fishing boats on beach; beach at Anse D'Arlet; sunset view of Anse D'Arlet from our boat.

Dominica

Our first call to the wild mountainous island of Dominica was Portsmouth, a large (by Dominican standards) fishing town located in Prince Ruupert Bay. This wide bay of pristine water is surrounded by palm trees, beach bars and rusting wrecks washed up by numerous hurricanes. They stay there perhaps because the people of Dominica lack the resources to remove them. Dominica exceeds any of the islands we are likely to visit in unspoiled natural beauty. The government realizes that the country's econimic strength is eco-tourism, therefore this beauty is protected. More importantly, the locals appreciate it too.

Our first venture into the interior of Dominica was an hour long ride to the airport to pick up Bill's daughter, Jessica, and her fiance (breaking news!), also named Bill. They spent a week with us hiking through rain forests, swimming in a mountain stream, rowing up an unspoiled river and seeing the only remaining villages of the Carib people.

We love Dominica. The people are warm and justifiably proud of their beautiful home.

Photos: rain forest waterfall; rasta's roadside gift shop; Jessica on the Indian River; cottage in Portsmouth; 3 wrecks after last year's hurricane; Jessica, Bill W, Pam & Bill B; Bill & Pam atop Horseback Ridge; Roadside bar; rain forest swimming hole; Jessica and Bill during rain forest hike. Video: Rain forest waterefall - Bill takes the plung.

Iles des Saintes

Out trip to Guadelope was shortened by a general strike which all French Caribbean territories were experiencing. Nothing was opoen and there were no services, so we didn't go ashore until we got to beautiful Iles de Saintes. These are three small islands off the south coast of Guadelope. The snorkling was good, the village is very quaint and we were able to feed our new-found baguette addition. Although we only spent two nights here on our way down, we returned with our guests during their visit with us in Dominica.

Photos: Street in Iles de Saintes; Jessica and Bill.

2/20/09 ● Antigua

We’re anchored in beautiful English Harbour, deep inside a mangrove-lined cove called Ordinance Bay.

We said goodbye to our sailing friends in the lagoon in St. Martin via the daily cruisers’ radio network on 2/6. We were actually in Grand Case, a pretty beach town, and the gastronomic center of French St. Martin, having left the lagoon the previous morning. We spent 2 nights in Grand Case waiting for fair winds to blow us to St. Bart’s. The sail there was a short one and we arrived in Anse de Colombier late morning, the perfect time to pick up a free national park mooring. Colombier lives up to one’s idea of a perfect Caribbean anchorage, surrounded by undeveloped tropical bush, thanks to the Rockefeller family who bought and donated it to the St. Bart’s government with the condition that it be preserved. We spent two days there, sharing our anchorage with numerous sea turtles. Our only activities were snorkeling and a mountainous hike across a peninsula to the small village of Anse des Flamandes. Hiking is the only way to get there from our anchorage – no roads.

The sail to Antigua was an overnight passage, too far to conduct during daylight hours. We dropped anchor in English Harbour at 8:30am on Friday the 10th. Bill had been here before and remembered it as a safe, sheltered and quite beautiful anchorage. He was absolutely right. The dominant feature of English Harbour is English Harbour Dockyard, completed around 1745 and, at the time, was Britain’s main naval station in the Lesser Antilles. It is commonly called Nelson’s Dockyard because Horatio Nelson was stationed here in 1784, eventually taking over as naval commander.

We’ve been here for two weeks enjoying the park-like surroundings of the Dockyard, admiring numerous classic yachts, watching pelicans dive for fish and climbing and exploring the heights around the harbor. Many of the hilltops still have the ruins of the British fortifications.

Our new neighbors here include: Mario, the Slovenian who claims to live on board his 60-foot cutter with his wife (we’ve yet to see her); Alexis Walters, an amateur naval historian whose fine Grenadian-built sloop is a beautiful example of the native boat-building tradition he has documented; Jim, the single Irishman from Carrickfergus who is trying to assemble into one 50-foot ketch a boat he bought in pieces in Trinidad; and, Dylan whom we call Barkey (he provides security for the anchorage), a beautiful Border Colley who lives on a small, classic Aldin sloop with his master.

We had planned on leaving Antigua to visit Guadeloupe this Monday but a general strike has effectively shut down the island, so our plans may change. Awfully inconvenient for us – we’re running out of French cheese and wine.

Photos: English Harbour, where we're presently anchored; Sunning in St. Bart's; Hiking path to Anse des Flamandes; Atop Shirley Heights, overlooking English and Falmouth Harbours; Nelson's Dockyard; Barkey.

1/20/09 ● St. Martin/St. Maarten

Now we’re in the islands!!

Having had a gloriously uneventful 8-day sail south, we arrived in Marigot Bay, St. Martin on January 12. We are presently anchored in Simpson Lagoon, just off a prominent geographical feature called Witch’s Tit. Here, we are strategically situated between the abundant yacht services of the Dutch side of the island and the relaxed charm of the French side. Living is easy here, made so by the large cruising community and the fact that everything here is ‘duty free’. We can easily spend our days relaxing in the warm sun and steady trade wind breezes, enjoying fresh baked baguettes and pastries, affordable French wine and delicious cheeses; however, the opportunity to shop for the boat in order to make desired improvements has proven too tempting to spend all of our time just goofing off.

Nevertheless, we reserved today just for watching the inauguration. A water front sports bar, Ric’s, switched all 5 of their TV monitors to CNN to view the swearing in ceremonies of our new present, Barack Obama. The crowd was large and enthusiastic, frequently applauding during the telecast. By the way, we were surprised to find how positive and hopeful people from other countries are about the election of Obama. A Welch woman said that the whole world is looking to Obama for a way out of the crisis we all face. A very tall order – let’s hope he has some success.

We continue to make new cruising friends and have come across some old ones as well. We were happy to find Paul and Sandra Johnston on S/V Quarterdeck. They are a Canadian couple who we last saw in St. Lucia in 2006. They are real veterans as they have been cruising the world for 15 years. Their boat is a CSY 44 like ours, although they’ve made some extreme and wonderful improvements – it’s beautiful. Among the new acquaintances are Mark and Lee Maunder of S/V Manatee. Mark is actually an English Lord although the real estate over which he has dominion has long since sunk in the ocean off the coast of Kent.

It’s nice to feel like we’re part of a community, no matter where we go. We’ll probably be here to the end of the month before moving on south.

Photos: Pam at Grand Case Carnival; Grand Case Tuesday Night Carnival; Grand Case Beach, St Martin; Witch's Tit in the Lagoon, on the French side (where we're anchored); View of Marigot Bay from Fort Louis; Hiking trail; Pam, on the beach at Philipsburg (Capital on the Dutch side); Goofy photo of Bill attop Fort Louis.