Antigua

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

After a 30 hour sail, Opti has her senses focused on the beautiful beaches and mountains in Jolly Harbor, Antigua.

 Cleared in and explored this ex-pat community, doing laundry, grocery shopping and enjoying this community.  After 2 days it was time to move on and see the real Antigua...English Harbor.  Home of Admiral Nelson's Dockyard.

Explored the Dockyard then trekked up to Fort Berkley overlooking English Harbour.  followed by draft Wadalli, an Antiguan beer.  Afterwards, we dinghied across the harbor to let Opti swim while we bathed, snorkeled  and scrubbed the bottom of the dinghy.  Susan discovered that sand works pretty well on green sea slime.

Is it time to go back to the boat

Fort Berkley

Old tree in the dockyard

Jon enjoying his carbs.

We enjoyed the low key Dockyard Museum very much!

Busts Jon likes!

Boats Jon likes.

Saturday, August 9, we took the local bus to St. John's and back.  We were the only whites on it.  The guy behind let Jon open his dual row seat window all the way at the sacrifice of air on his part.  After bumping hands in thanks, thinking is all the cruise ship whites must take a private tour bus to English Harbour and other points of interest.  They miss so much humanity.  It seemed one continuous settlement(s) during the 30-40 min. ride from English Harbour to St. John's, Antigua's capital.  A diversity of churches seemingly every mile pointed to a religious island.

We walked the streets and enjoyed a thriving Saturday market but forgot to provision in the colorful veggie stands before returning.  To "rehydrate" we had a Caribe over ice (it works for us) and later, a great late lunch at C&C wine bar, including 4 samples of S. African vino with olives, bruschetta and Capri over eggplant, one of Susan's favorite variations on this theme.  Curious and somewhat in need, we even sprung for a couple of pieces of bamboo clothing.  3% cooler than cotton as if we could tell the difference.  Back early to Opti's delight for a welcomed pee ashore and finished off the evening with one of Susan's great makeshift pizzas and another episode of "24" (Susan bought the CDs last trip when visiting her dad).


Rented a vehicle to explore more of the island.  Went through a lush, tropical forest to a coastal road that we saw while sailing.  Discovered great beaches, local beach bars, forts and harbors; even met a guy who restores and maintains Land Rovers.  On a live ability scale, Antigua rates a 10,

Shirley Heights- a look out for English Harbor

The view of English Harbor from Shirley Heights.  We are tucked in
to the smallest finger, right in the middle of the picture.

Two of about 35 Land Rovers we discovered at a repair shop
near English Harbor,

Boys playing cricket near Carlyle Bay/

OJ's Beach Bar.  Enjoyed mussels and wings and a cold beverage.
Live jazz on weekends 

Fort overlooking St. John's Bay

Next day we picked up anchor and motored to Falmouth to re-fuel and water up.  Time to "explore, dream, discover". Casted away our dock lines and headed to Montserrat and Guadeloupe.

St. Barthelemy

St. Barthelemy, St. Bart's, or St. Barths-- many names for the same place.  We are here, currently waiting out Tropical Storm Bertha.  (Thanks, Andy, for the weather updates!!) We left Marigot late on the 28th after clearing out and fueling up.  After anchoring overnight at Anse Marcel where Ian and Maggy explored by dinghy and recommended, we motored 19 miles to Gustavia, the capital on July 29th.  Jon is happy to report that the newly rewelded motor mount brackets and alignment appear to be holding.  Although the seas were not calm but normal for trades, Jon was also able to rig and test a tiller autopilot directly connected to the emergency tiller for a couple of hours.  Surprisingly it maintained course within 5 degrees although time will tell what toll it took on the pilot motor.  The tiller pilot was bought with the idea to rig it to the Aires wind vane to guide the F40 but it didn't work that way.

After arriving we took a mooring in the outer harbor, only to be kicked off just before heading in to the port offices.  Released the moorings then started hunting for a place to anchor in the 20-30 feet of water.  Luckily, a nice gentleman in a catamaran spotted us and directed us to his friend's mooring. He would be out of town for a while and we were welcome to use it.  We gratefully accepted his offer and went to check in.  Nine Euros a night, which includes dinghy dock, showers, wifi, garbage and water.  The dinghy dock is across from the grocery store and the port offices have everything one would need.  Very friendly and worth it!.  We repaid our friend with a bottle of wine and a lot of 'Merci"s for making our stay here pleasant.

Today the sun is shining and the wind and rain of Bertha are a thing of the past. Time to move on!

Customs boat, leaving the fuel dock in Marigot.  They boarded us earlier in the week;
apparently remembering Toi Et Moi, crew waved and smiled to us

                        Sunset at Anse Marcel.  Beautiful, secluded anchorage but quite rolly.

Approaching St. Barth

Overlooking the outer harbor of Gustovia from Ft. Gustave/Lighthouse.
Toi et Moi between Jon and the cannon!

Saw these before entering the beach.  Finally asked someone what it was.
If you are going to smoke, take a can for your butts

Salt pond, beach and rocks along the eastern coastline

Saline Beach

Discovered these in St. Martin:  Kenets.
They are sweet and you can grill the seed. 

In St. Barth we discovered the kenet tree.
If you look closely you can see the fruit.

Food is definitely different
here!  On the streets of St.
Martin they were selling
bunches of these berries
for $1.  Didn't really know
what they were until we got to St. Barth.

St. Martin / Sint Marteen: Two Countries, One Island

Anchored, Marigot Bay

With a little bit of sadness but a couple bottles of Pussers in the hold, we slipped our mooring in Virgin Gorda and, 23 hours later, on June 19th, found ourselves anchored on the French side of St. Martin with starfish under our keel.  St. Martin (Sint Marteen, Dutch side) is 37 square miles in area yet it is divided between two countries.  We had heard it was easier and cheaper to clear in on the French side and I think we heard right.  Dinghied over to the lagoon, went online, paid $7.25, and that was that.  A walk over to the ferry docks and our passports were stamped.  Voila, we are now legal!  Walked around the town enjoying a little bit of France in the Leeward Islands.

Simpson Bay Lagoon where we cleared Customs.

Sculpture, Marina Fort Luis

The next day we took a bus($2/pp) to Phillipsburg, on the Dutch side of the island.  Phillipsburg is a quaint cruise ship town with lots of restaurants, bars, and shops.  World Cup fever took over the town as the French beat the Swiss, 5-0.  We couldn't help being swept up in the event and enjoying a few cold ones at a beachside eatery.  Throughout our stay we have continued to be caught up in World Cup fever.

Watching France beat Switzerland in the World Cup, Dutch side

On the waterfront in Phillipsburg

In Phillipsburg- a good overview of the island

St. Martin offers safe harbors, good provisioning and excellent marine facilities as well as somewhat reasonable air fares back to the states.  I flew back for a week to visit my dad, check on the condo and shop for what wasn't available in St. Martin. I also got to visit with friends and was there to greet Ian and Maggy when they arrived.  Congratulations to Maggy having just graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy!  It was a short visit but we were anxious to move on.  Ian and Maggy decided to join us and flew to St. Martin the day after I did.  However, they were unable to crew on our next leg as we waited for engine mount brackets to be welded.  Jon felt unusual engine vibrations enroute here and discovered one had sheered completely through.

The view of Simpson Bay and the Lagoon from the air

Always good to see my father!

Ian  exploring underwater

Ian and Maggy at Pic Paradis- the highest point on the island
at 1,391 feet

So nice to have a new to us inflatable and a
reliable 9.8 outboard that can get us around!

Maggy trying out Snuba for the first time, long line & tank aboard

In the meantime we have been exploring by car what we thought we would be discovering by sea.  Ian enjoyed kiteboarding and Jon enjoyed the nude beach at Orient Bay.   Lunch at Grand Case and dinghy trips through the lagoon to Cole Bay and Simpson Bay.    Not to mention all the sights, sounds and tastes available from our Marigot Bay anchorage.  Jazz nights at Aux Vins.  Conch at Chez Coco. On board, Ian and Maggy cleaned the F40's bottom, removed the servo rudder and shared sorely needed professionalism with essential cruising tasks.

Lunch and a view at Grand Case

Ian preparing to kite at Orient Bay

Trek up to Pic Paradis

Oyster Pond;  Half French/Half Dutch

Anchored nearby: the world's 7th largest sailboat! 

On July 14 we celebrated Bastille Day with locals.
  View from Toi Et Moi

Bastille Day also included a local regatta!

Cheering on one of the local boats

A bar, library in a boatyard at Geminga's in Marigot
3 shipping containers and open air roof

"Witch's Tit"-- a popular lagoon anchorage

Ian on a big ship (wreck)

The ruins of Fort Louis watch over Marigot Bay