St. Kitts, West Indies

Saturday morning, June 14, we had to load the dinghy back aboard, as we had taken it down from the flybridge deck to try to mitigate the rolling action of the boat the night before. (Didn’t help much!) This was a hairy thing; dropping it down on the hoist and then reloading it, swinging in the winds and rolling with the waves. So, we got a later start than usual, hoisting the anchor about 10:00am, for the 51 mile trip to St. Kitts, West Indies. We tied up at Port Zante Marina in the town of Basseterre, about 6:00pm, just as dusk was falling. Two weeks later, we are still here, due to an unusually long period of higher winds and waves to the south and east of us - directly in our path. We’ve taken the opportunity during our layover here to finally get our computers working again. We are back online, and can use the free internet access, as well as Skype, to communicate with our family again.

Approaching St. Kitts - The top of the mountain is almost always cloud-hidden.














We arrived here on Saturday night, and cleared customs that evening. Sunday, we went ashore and roamed the town a bit, finding virtually everything closed! The streets were deserted! The locals seem to party hardy here Friday night and all day Saturday, so I suppose they really do need to take a break on Sunday. The quiet Sunday morning was broken only by very loud and robust preachin’ coming out of the open front doors of many churches.















Fortunately, we have met some wonderful people here! For example, the couple living aboard their sailboat in the adjoining slip, have been great neighbors, offering introductions to technical folks, rides to the grocery store, as well as sharing meals, cocktails, scrabble, and various University and local characters with us. They are Mike and Beth Smith, aboard “Justin’s Odyssey II”, a 38’ Morgan sailboat. Mike is adjunct professor of histology at the new medical school here in St. Kitts. Beth is a retired R.N. who was integral to the opening of the Nursing College also located here. They are about our age, and like us don’t act it, friendly and full of fun. Mike is a Kenny Rogers wanna-be, and does a mean Karaoke thing. They still have a home ashore, in northern Colorado, and alternate between there and cruising their boat in the Caribbean. Mike enjoys his gigs teaching here, and they enjoy a wonderful semi-retired lifestyle.

Beth and Mike Smith













On Tuesday, the 17th, Susan and I engaged a tour guide, Mr. Seamoss, to show us the local sights around the island. He was a wealth of information, and lots of fun as well. “Connected” doesn’t begin to describe him, I think he’s related or knows everyone on the island, even the local DJ on the Rock station…(while we were cruising around he subtly turned up the volume on the radio, and the 5 of us passengers were all welcomed to the island, and advised to stay out of trouble with Seamoss, which was almost impossible since he knows all the fun spots.) We were also on the tour with three young (20-somethings) people who were crewing the “Frangines”, a 54’ Catamaran charter sailboat. Captain Dustin, Mate Courtney, and their pal Mike were very good company and lots of laughs. We exchanged life stories, boating experiences, and at the end of our day, visited each other’s boats, making for a long day and waaay too much fun.

Susan and Green Velvet Monkey child














Susan's new baby - note the diaper!













Town Center Roundabout - Bassaterre. Modelled after Picadilly in London














Bassaterre's Cathedral













Walls of the original fortifications - made of lava rock, mortared with limestone mortar














We visited the high and low points of the island, including the original fort built high on the mountains, old cane plantations, rain forest, and a local batik craft guild that is now housed in one of the old plantation homes.

Look closely - in the center is a wild Green Velvet Monkey













Susan and Walt in the Bell tower - Romney Plantation



















Ruins of old sugar cane processing buildings















Local Charter Captain (left) and owner of Reggae (right) - lady on the captain's left is creating a sailing school for local children













At one high elevation point you can see both the Atlantic and Caribbean separated by a little strip of St. Kitts with sister island Nevis off in the distance. The island is now home to the Green Velvet Monkey, and hordes of wild goats and cattle, which all just roam around wherever they want.

The salt pan in the center is to be dredged to create a brand-new marina -













We saw lots of new development, too, including the 5-star Marriott hotel. A second new marina/resort and golf course is planned for the southern end of the island. This side of the island is more arid, the homes are new and quite impressive and most of the owners are only part time residents.

Atlantic to your left - Caribbean to your right













Dustin, Courtney, and Mike - Crew of S/V "Frangines"













Mr. Seamoss, Walt and Susan













We wound up the afternoon at “Reggae”, the island’s premiere Tiki Bar, for hamburgers and cold Carib beer. Carib is brewed here on the island, is cheaper than water or soda pop, and quite an acceptable brew, too!

Reggae's Motto - "Island Time - Rush Slowly"













The beach at Reggae













At Reggae, not only did we meet Wilburt, a huge docile wild pig, but the captains and crew of the local day charter catamarans, and a wonderful woman that has set up a sailing school for the local children.

Wilbert, the Reggae Pig!













Mike and his new friend Wilbert













Mr. Seamoss and Mike at Reggae

This weekend, Thursday thru Sunday, the island has hosted a Caribbean Music Festival, held in the open air a few blocks from the marina. We haven’t needed to buy tickets, since we could easily hear the music from the boat! I can’t imagine standing anywhere near the bandstand, as permanent hearing damage would surely be the result. The Grateful Dead or the Rolling Stones got nothing on these people!

The culture here is laid back, as one might expect. The people are friendly, helpful and polite. It is always customary to greet people on the street with a formal “good morning” or “good afternoon” sir or madam. The impression one gets is of a relatively high literacy rate, and a conservative demeanor.

The government has recently shut down the sugar cane industry, as it is no longer profitable here for anyone. Displaced sugar workers have largely been retrained for tourism-based work. Some have been provided with subsidized housing - (quite nice, I might add, 15 year rent to own with ocean views!) Others have taken advantage of low-cost government loans to buy taxicabs, or open small businesses. We have been impressed at the general industriousness and entrepreneurial spirit of these people. There seems to be jobs enough for everyone to find work. Marriott is the largest single employer on the island at present. But there are a number of large projects underway, employing lots of construction workers.

Of the 5 Universities here there is a highly successful Veterinary School, a School of Nursing, and a new Medical School on the island. If I were going to be a Vet, Nurse, or Doctor, I can think of few places nicer to get my education. All three schools are located so as to have spectacular views of the ocean from their campus windows. Hmmm, maybe that would be a distraction…

We are planning to leave St. Kitts on Tuesday, July 1st, providing the weather forecast holds true. Winds and waves are forecasted to abate from the high of about 14 ft. Our destination will be the island of Montserrat. And yes, that is where the active volcano still rumbles daily. Hopefully, for several reasons we will not be on the side of the prevailing winds. We only expect to be at anchor there overnight, on our way to Guadaloupe.

We look forward to returning to St. Kitts, especially once the new marina is completed.

St. Martin - Sint Maarten

On Wednesday, June 11, we hoisted the anchor very early (6:00am), for the long run to Anguilla. As the day progressed, we found conditions so good that we elected to push a few miles onwards to St. Martin, West Indies, a total of about 80 miles for the day.

We were tired after nearly 12 hours of travel, so we dropped the hook in Marigot Bay, St. Martin at 5:30pm. Marigot Bay is on the northern (French) side of St. Martin, and there were quite a number of boats in the harbour here. We considered going into the marina here, but elected to simply stay the night at anchor, and move to the Dutch side of the island the next morning. We didn’t go ashore on the French side of the island at all. Marigot Bay was comfortable overnight, since it is protected from the prevailing easterly winds, and from the southeastern swell.

We called ahead to Bobby’s Marina and Boatyard for space. Next morning, Thursday June 12, we motored the 12 miles around the island to Bobby’s Marina.

Bobby's Marina and Boatyard














Bobby’s is located in Phillipsburg Bay, on the southern (Dutch) side of the island, which is officially called Sint Maarten, Nederlands Antilles. We spent two days here, having their diesel mechanic and electrician check out our fuel and electrical fuel systems. They did a great job at reasonable prices.

View of the beach from Bobby's docks













Once our work was completed, Bobby's docks were full, so we spent the night of June 13 at anchor in the bay. Unfortunately for us, the bay was open to the incoming swell from the southeast, and the wind was directly out of the east/northeast, which left us broadside to the incoming waves. The combination of wind direction and wave direction resulted in our rolling from side to side all night long. While neither of us became seasick, we had to lie absolutely flat on our backs to avoid rolling off our bed! It was the most miserable night we have had to date!

View of the beach at Phillipsburg from our boat, at anchor in the bay













Phillipsburg itself is a nice little resort town, with many restaurants and small hotels along the beachfront. We had an excellent meal ashore the second night in this port, overlooking the bay. As we had to be aboard the boat while the workmen were aboard, we didn’t get to do much in the way of exploring the rest of the island.

There is a company here that has built replicas of several of the America's Cup racing sailboats. They take groups of tourists aboard, teach them the rudiments of sailing, and then conduct actual races with the boats competing against each other. This is a very popular shore activity among the visitors arriving on the numerous cruise ships that arrive here each week.

America's Cup replica boats














View of the harbour



















St. Martin has a somewhat unique feature. There is an inland lagoon, accessible via canals from both the French (north) and Dutch (south) sides of the island. The only problem is that boats can only enter or depart the lagoon at specific bridge-opening times. We were unsure if the bridges would open when we wanted to leave, so we elected not to enter the lagoon on this trip. When we come back to St. Martin, we will definitely anchor in the lagoon, which is totally protected from the effects of wind and wave. Much more comfortable!

Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda, BVI

We arrived in Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda Island, BVI, about noon on Tuesday, June 10th. It is a well protected deep water harbour, surrounded on all sides with hills and mountains. This is the location of the famous “Bitter End Resort”, which can only be reached by boat. This is the southeasternmost harbour in the BVI. After dropping our hook, we splashed the dinghy, and motored ashore to hire a taxi to take us to Customs and Immigration at Spanish Town. The drive was utterly spectacular, winding about 10 miles over the mountain roads. We were sorry not to have taken our camera along with us on that drive.

Villas at Bitter End Resort














We dined that evening at a really unique restaurant, “Saba Rock”, which is located on an island of its own, within Gorda Sound. The only way to reach it is by water, which is also true for the Bitter End Resort.
Saba Rock Restaurant


















The swimming beach at Bitter End Resort and Yacht Club













Sailing yachts at anchor - many of these are for hire as charters - bareboat or crewed.














The resort offers every kind of watersport known to man - snorkeling, scuba diving, ocean kyaking, jet ski and sailboat rentals, sailboarding, etc. etc.














Beachside cabanas, with sun worshippers aplenty...














The main lobby of the Bitter End Resort and Yacht Club














After clearing customs, and returning to the boat, we went swimming in some of the clearest water we have seen so far. The bay abounds with huge tarpon fish, some up to 5’ long. They are shaped something like barracuda, but without the scary teeth!














Susan swims with the Tarpon













Ya know those cartoons where there's this guy marooned on a desert island with three palm trees? This is it!















This small sand spit is just off the end of Virgin Gorda, and evokes in me a feeling of intense peace, along with a sense of isolation that is incredible. How small we really are in this vast universe!
















This is the Atlantic side off the southern end of Virgin Gorda, with cabanas overlooking the sea.














In the center of this picture is the small island where Saba Rock Restaurant is located. Seen from the Atlantic side.














Virgin Sound, with its lovely bay, world class resort, and incredible water has our wholehearted endorsement for anyone looking to get away for a week’s vacation. We would love to have stayed longer, but must keep moving south in order to get below the hurricane belt before August.

British Virgin Islands

We hoisted our anchor at Brenner Bay, USVI, at 6:45am, June 10th, headed for the British West Indies. Our goal was Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda. This passage was through the most beautiful group of islands we have seen so far. There are many, many coves, protected deep water anchorages, with lovely beaches and spectacular mountainous terrain all around. Here we saw more cruising yachts than in any other place since we left the Bahamas. The BVI’s are reknowned worldwide as a cruisers’ paradise, and we think it is well-justified. Our only regret was that we had no time to explore them. Ah well, we will be back there next winter, for sure, or the winter after…

Culebra, Puerto Rico to Brenner Bay, St. Thomas, USVI

We have been unable to update our blog for the last three weeks. Partly because we were out of range of internet access, and then because both our computers crashed! Once we arrived in St. Kitts, West Indies, we were able to have them repaired. So now we begin our updates since we left off in Isla de Culebra, Puerto Rico.

Our last entry indicated that we would be going to St. Martin the next day. It should have said we were headed to St. Thomas! Lots of saints around here, and I sometimes mix them up...

Anyway, we hoisted the anchor at 7:00am on Monday, June 9th, and made a short 28 mile run to Brenner Bay, St. Thomas, USVI. We dropped anchor around 10:30am, after a very smooth passage. The reason for the short run, was that I wanted to obtain 15 gallons of motor oil to replace that which I had used in changing the oil in our engines June 5th. At the same time, we needed to offload the used oil for proper disposal. We were able to accomplish this, and spent an easy night anchored out in Brenner Bay.

The next day, we started for the British Virgin Islands.

Boqueron, Puerto Rico to Isla de Culebra, Puerto Rico

Hi, All -
We raised our hook in Boqueron Bay at 8:00am, Sunday, June 1st, headed for Salinas Bay, on the Southwest coast of Puerto Rico. As we got underway, our starboard engine died, a sure sign of a clogged fuel filter. I switched over to the other starboard filter, and the engine ran fine (there are two filtration systems for each engine).

As we passed around the Southwestern tip of Puerto Rico, we spied this great lighthouse!















We pulled into Salinas Bay around 5:00pm and and everyone we passed by waved to us in the most friendly reception we have received to date...
This is a photo of the entrance channel to Salinas bay, bounded on both sides by mangrove forest. It is a really protected anchorage.














Boats anchored in Salinas Bay, looking toward the entrance.














Salinas Bay, looking northward toward the marina.














While we were at Salinas Bay, I decided to change the fuel filters that were so obviously clogged up. So the early next morning (Monday, June 2nd), I set to work, since our planned run for the day was only 22 miles. I figured it would not take long, and we could easily make it to Vieques before sunset.
WRONG! I didn't do the filter change properly, and allowed air to enter the fuel lines. Diesel engines do not like this! I worked the rest of the day to clear them, without success, despite consulting every maintenance manual aboard. The damned engines would not start. I finally called our friend Stan in Boqueron for a referral to a mechanic. He gave us the name of a guy (English Steve), and told us how to contact him in Salinas.
Steve was away, but Tuesday about noon, we found our man. He happened to be an associate of Steve's named Paul (also English). Paul had been trained in Diesel mechanics by the British Army! He came aboard immediately, showed me how to clear the air from the fuel lines, and within two hours our engines were purring like big pussycats! Best of all he showed me what I had done wrong to begin with, and how to clear them if I ever encounter the same problem. Not only that, but he was a great guy, friendly, open and humourous. Thank you God, Thank you Paul!!!

Salinas Bay harbour, and some of the boats at anchor.














So the next morning, Wednesday, June 4th, we made the short run to Isla de Vieques, anchoring off the beach near the Northwestern tip of the island. As you can see, it was lovely.

The beach at Isla de Vieques











































We spent the night here, and while the anchorage was scenic, it was not well protected, and we spent a "rolly" night. Not really that uncomfortable, but we were so exhausted, we went to bed at 8:00pm, and slept peacefully in our "rocking cradle".
Next morning, Thursday, June 5th, we pulled up our anchor at 6:30am, and made way for Isla de Culebra, Puerto Rico, a short run of about 21 miles Northeast. We dropped anchor about 10:00am, and had Brunch aboard. Since this is a very well-protected harbour, we decided to do our cleanup and maintenance chores. Susan washed down the decks, cleaned the galley and salon areas, while I changed the oil and filters in both main engines and the big generator. Susan also caught up with our laundry.

Since we were able to get internet access again, I thought it a good idea to post this Blog update.
We hope you enjoy....
Tomorrow - Off to St. Martin, USVI -

Love,
Walt and Susan