February 21, 2011 A Shiptease! I cannot not sail.
A long day of travel was rewarded by our arrival in beautiful St. Martin. Our instructor and crew are comprised of Mike Rice (Puget Sound Sailing Institute), Gabe, Tony, Jo, Jen, Mark, Vicki, Mike H. and myself. I linked up with Gabe and Mike R. upon departing SEA. The 3 of us polished off about half of the delicious chocolate chip cookies Jessica lovingly baked for me just hours before my departure. When we touched down at SXM, our final destination, Gabe wasn’t shy in asking for another fresh cookie. We were so hungry – no food on the flights – so the container of cookies was a big help and kept putting smiles on our faces. 
Customs couldn’t have gone smoother, and we then caught a cab to take us to our chartering outfit, Dream Yacht Charters on Simpson Bay Lagoon in Marigot. During the cab ride our driver pointed out a mega yacht anchored just outside of the harbor. In excess of 500’ long, 2 helipads, 2 swimming pools and a submarine. He told us it was one of the largest megayachts in the world. Her name: Eclipse. Price tag: Around $1.2B. Requires 70 crew to be operational and costs over $250K just to fuel up. Pretty interesting, but no swim ladder on it – mega points off!
One of the best things to happen today was when we were given our catamaran: The 43’ Catana we originally were to charter had not returned, so we got stuck with this 2007 47’ Catana instead! This boat is just amazing. A few highlights: 4 master cabins each with its own head, 2 more additional sleeping berths in the forward portion of each hull, a refrigerator and freezer, a freshwater maker, air conditioning, and the dinghy is a hard bottom inflatable with its own davit system off the stern. Oh yeah, and just for me, a microwave. The trampoline just forward of the cabin up to the bow is a great area and I hope to sleep many nights out on it.
Our boat, Madrid, is moored in the northeastern-most part of Simpson Bay Lagoon, right in Marigot which is the capitol city of the French Half of St. Martin. All around our mooring are restaurants, mostly French. Makes sense, technically we're in France right now. We walked about 3-minutes to a French restaurant with amazing cuisine and very affordable. I enjoyed a few Carib's and ordered alfredo aux gambas (pasta w/shrimp). It was very delicious -- the French can cook. At that point it was about 10pm so we returned to the boat. Tomorrow morning we must be underway by 8am to catch 1 of only 2 bridge openings allowing passage out of Simpson Bay Lagoon and into open water. Everyone else is already off to bed so I'll follow suit and am really looking forward to some sailing and swimming tomorrow! ~Bon Soir (I think) :)February 22, 2011 This northerly swell keels me!
We were advised of a large northerly swell: a wind/wave action that occurs during winter months from time to time. Immediately after getting through the bridge we experienced 5' seas! Lots of fun! Because our refrigerator wasn't working properly, we tied up to a pier outside of the bay/bridge crossing and to the east. The swells were so great they were crashing up and over the breakwater of our pier! I took a couple photos of this, it was exciting to see happen. Additionally and also from the swell, our boat started to move around quite a bit despite it originally being secured snugly with 2 spring lines, a bow and stern line, and an additional stern line from our hull on the opposing side of the pier. Surprisingly, we snapped one of the large docking lines due to our boat being agitated from the large swells. With that we cast off and rescheduled our repairs for later in the day at our destination: Grand Case (pronounced 'cahs). Located on the northeast of St. Martin (still on the French side), Grand Case is labeled the gastronomic center of the Caribbean with so many restaurants! We enjoyed sailing several hours to get there, and learned many things under Mike R.'s instruction about sailing a large catamaran in big water. Mike is very excited that we're on a Catana! He's sailed 
Due to the northerly swell, the water is all stirred up and there is no visibility = no snorkeling today. It is supposed to go away tomorrow so we expect to soon be snorkeling. Visibility aside, after setting anchor in Grand Case we all got in the water. It felt wonderful and refreshing. Gabe and I swam about 300-yards to shore. We tucked our credit cards in our swim shorts so we could buy some chips at the grocery store just about 2 blocks down the road off the beach. We then swam with them back out to the boat. Mike R. made us some excellent drinks back aboard the Madrid, and we then loaded into the dinghy to go ashore for dinner.
Every Tuesday night there is carnival here in Grand Case --this being Tuesday we took in the sights! Tons of people and vendors filled the streets which were all closed off. It seemed more and more surges of crowds kept coming through. Gabe found us (Vicki, Mike H., Mike R. and myself) an excellent place to grab a bite. The other couples ventured out on their own to explore. The place we ate at was half street vendor (open BBQ on the street) and half inside serving ice cream, beer and soda. This is a place I'd usually pass by, but Gabe encouraged us the food may be incredible (how did he know?!?) -- it was! And, dirt cheap. The name of this fine establishment: G's Snack (pronounced G's Shnack). Funny! They put a little table right on the side of the street for us, and we had some entertaining live music too! We stayed there and hung out for about 2.5-3 hours. More crowds came parading through, including a group of Brazilian dancers with drums and whistles. It's 11pm now and the music in on shore is still bumping. Everyone onboard has just retired to their cabins -- the wind, sun, travel and weather has us all a bit tired, but I think this is great as tonight's sleep will really help set our internal clocks and adjust to the +4 hour time difference. I'm going to go sleep outside on the trampoline tonight -- it is so comfortable and the night sky down here is incredibly clear and bright with stars. I'm hoping Gabe will join me but I think he's out already in our cabin. Not sure where we're off to tomorrow, but I know the plan is to be underway by 9/9:30am. I also know my designated job duty tomorrow is Bar Tender, Party Captain and Designated Dinghy Driver. Can't wait for another exciting day!
February 23, 2011 Unfathomable.
We awoke this morning to discover our port side fresh water tank was empty, and our freshwater maker was not working to refill it. I felt so guilty for taking my 20-minute showers... Kidding -- with all the swimming yesterday and rinsing off I had yet to take a shower. Also apparent was Dream Yacht did not fill our tanks prior to departure. With a few phone calls and some tinkering around, Mike R. fixed it! It produces closed to 1gal/min so we'll soon be topped off again. After resolving that issue we pulled anchor and set sail. The water already appears much clearer than yesterday, and the northerly swell has largely subsided. We sailed several hours, practiced some navigation skills and made our way to Ile Tintamarre.
A big change from yesterday is the smoothness with which we operate as a crew. When the captain calls, "Ready about!" We are quick to man our stations the sailmaster has assigned us to work the sheets. Ile Tintamarre was awesome! The visibility was near 50' (a huge improvement from yesterday), and a beautiful white coral sand beach in a sheltered bay provided excellent snorkeling conditions. The island looks to be less than 2-miles long and perhaps 1/2-mile wide. We set anchor around 2pm and just as soon as our anchor was set we all put on our fins, masks, snorkels and jumped in! Our plan was to make it to Orient Bay for our final destination today (approximately 3-4 miles away, back on St. Martin), but in order to do so we must make passage into the bay while the sun is still high in the sky so we can spot the narrow channel and avoid the rocks and reef. I heard more boats run aground there than anywhere else in the Caribbean -- already 3 this year and it's just February! If the sun is low in the sky it makes for too much glare off the water to spot anything underneath. So given the time parameters we did "power snorkeling" as Mike R. called it. This is -- in rapid succession -- drop the dinghy, load into it, motor over to the premium/choicest snorkeling spot, toss out the dinghy anchor, don fins, snorkels, masks and hop into the water. We fit in about 45-minutes of incredible snorkeling: lots of coral, fish and we even spotted 2 sea turtles right off our stern! Vicki and Mike H. had stayed behind on the boat and fixed us some lunch, but we would have to wait until we made anchor in Orient Bay to eat due to time constraints.
Upon returning to the Madrid from power snorkeling, we pulled anchor and got underway for Orient Bay. In order to accurately and effectively navigate this, we were constantly taking fixes on our position and monitoring the depth. At one point our depth rapidly went from 40' to 30', then 20'. We called it out and immediately adjusted course. No problem. We got down to about 11' of water before getting back into deeper water for our approach to the bay. The entire bay is rather shallow. From there on in everything went smoothly. We anchored about 3/4-mile off the shore of Orient Bay, and just a few hundred yards from perhaps the most choice piece of real estate in all the bay -- a very small island maybe 1/2-mile long and very narrow. The southeast side has a beautiful spit of a finger of sand. It's called Green Cay (pronounced 'key). We set anchor, grabbed a quick bite and some beers, then Mike R., Gabe, Jen, Mark, Vicki, Mike H. and I loaded into the dinghy and motored into the sandy spit. We pulled the boat right up on the beach and started snorkeling. We only had about 1-hour of daylight left before the sun set. We snorkeled until after the sun went down, and Mike R. pointed out 3 lobster! Had we more time I'd really like to fashion a spear and get some fresh lobster. We'll see how things look at future snorkeling spots!
After snorkeling we hopped back in the dinghy and returned to the Madrid. We enjoyed drinks and Mike R. made his famous BBQ'd salmon with fresh lemon and Caribbean Seasoning. Tony and Vicki made a great salad, rice and bread. Best meal we've had aboard yet! After dinner we went out on the trampoline and Mike R. gave us a little celestial lesson. Sirius, 7 Sisters, Polaris, Taurus, Canis Major and many others were very easy to see. The angle (degrees) off the horizon of Polaris is the same as your position in degrees Latitude. Here, Polaris is approximately 18° in the sky, and back home it rests at approximately 47°. At this point it was about 11pm and we were all pretty beat from the long day so we went to bed. Tomorrow we set sail for St. Bart's, a destination popular for spotting stars and celebrities, and also being very French. We'll have to clear customs upon arrival, then decide where we want to stay. Hopefully more great snorkeling!
A big change from yesterday is the smoothness with which we operate as a crew. When the captain calls, "Ready about!" We are quick to man our stations the sailmaster has assigned us to work the sheets. Ile Tintamarre was awesome! The visibility was near 50' (a huge improvement from yesterday), and a beautiful white coral sand beach in a sheltered bay provided excellent snorkeling conditions. The island looks to be less than 2-miles long and perhaps 1/2-mile wide. We set anchor around 2pm and just as soon as our anchor was set we all put on our fins, masks, snorkels and jumped in! Our plan was to make it to Orient Bay for our final destination today (approximately 3-4 miles away, back on St. Martin), but in order to do so we must make passage into the bay while the sun is still high in the sky so we can spot the narrow channel and avoid the rocks and reef. I heard more boats run aground there than anywhere else in the Caribbean -- already 3 this year and it's just February! If the sun is low in the sky it makes for too much glare off the water to spot anything underneath. So given the time parameters we did "power snorkeling" as Mike R. called it. This is -- in rapid succession -- drop the dinghy, load into it, motor over to the premium/choicest snorkeling spot, toss out the dinghy anchor, don fins, snorkels, masks and hop into the water. We fit in about 45-minutes of incredible snorkeling: lots of coral, fish and we even spotted 2 sea turtles right off our stern! Vicki and Mike H. had stayed behind on the boat and fixed us some lunch, but we would have to wait until we made anchor in Orient Bay to eat due to time constraints. 
After snorkeling we hopped back in the dinghy and returned to the Madrid. We enjoyed drinks and Mike R. made his famous BBQ'd salmon with fresh lemon and Caribbean Seasoning. Tony and Vicki made a great salad, rice and bread. Best meal we've had aboard yet! After dinner we went out on the trampoline and Mike R. gave us a little celestial lesson. Sirius, 7 Sisters, Polaris, Taurus, Canis Major and many others were very easy to see. The angle (degrees) off the horizon of Polaris is the same as your position in degrees Latitude. Here, Polaris is approximately 18° in the sky, and back home it rests at approximately 47°. At this point it was about 11pm and we were all pretty beat from the long day so we went to bed. Tomorrow we set sail for St. Bart's, a destination popular for spotting stars and celebrities, and also being very French. We'll have to clear customs upon arrival, then decide where we want to stay. Hopefully more great snorkeling!
February 24, 2011 Starboard you #$@%! :)
It gets even better! Today was marked with amazing sailing in tremendous conditions, the best snorkeling yet, and a little lobster hunting!
We slept in a bit this morning and got underway around 9:30am. After shooting out of Orient Bay we covered a great distance, crossing the Saint Barthélemy Channel on a southeasterly course. We spotted 2 large whales about half-way across in the middle of the channel. Couldn't figure out what species, but it was fascinating! The weather was excellent, with winds stronger than we experienced on the first day and a swell even larger as well. We sailed under full jib and 1 reef in the main. En route to Gustavia, we navigated closely to the bay at Ile Fourchue to see if it would be a place we want to checkout. We also did a flyby of Anse de Colombier, a beautiful beach we'd like to explore depending on how long we choose to stay at St. Bart's.
Beyond Colombier we entered the showy bay of Gustavia's marina. Yacht after yacht lined the channel entering it, and even more after entering the actual marina. Most say they are from Georgetown, Grand Cayman. After we set anchor, we went in by dinghy to clear customs.
St. Bart's is 100% owned by France. We walked around town for about 30-minutes then went back to the boat. I bought a phone card and tried 5 different pay phones with Gabe -- all broken! Very frustrating. Gabe, however, was able to bum the WiFi signal off one of the docked megayachts! We decided to stay moored in this bay for the night and have dinner in town this evening.
After returning to the Madrid, Mike R., Mark, Jen, Gabe and I wanted to do some snorkeling. Since we spotted those lobster yesterday I wanted to be prepared this time. I took a large double pronged fork, like you'd use on a BBQ grill, and using an ace bandage from the first aid kid and 2 zip-ties I secured it to the end of our emergency manual bilge rod. This would serve as an effective spear. We then piled into the dinghy and made way for a group of rocks with a reef, just about 1/4mi from our boat off our stern. Once there we anchored the dinghy and entered the water -- I always love rolling backwards off the sponsons of the dinghy -- never gets old! After about a half-hour of awesome snorkeling -- visibility about 50-75' and lots of sea life -- we couldn't find a single lobster! We looked and looked... Then about 25' down I spotted a little one. I dove down to assess the situation where I might best spear him from (you think I'm going to return to the boat empty handed?). I returned to the surface for a deep, long fresh breath to be effective in my hunt. I stabbed him through his upper carapace, close to his eyes, and started making for the surface. About half way to the surface he came off my spear and, still having some life left in him, started to swim away. Mike and Gabe were on the surface watching as it happened. I thrust my spear into him again, and with that he stopped moving so much. They were pretty excited about the catch, and like me thought there must be more lobster in that area. So we swam all the way back to the dinghy, dropped off the lobster, and grabbed a mesh dive bag to go catch more. After spending over a half-hour thoroughly searching that entire area, we didn't find any! How disappointing. The sun was then starting to set, so we got in the dinghy and headed back. Before we went into town for dinner, I boiled the lobster tail in sea water and used some Caribbean Seasoning. I cut it into 9 pieces and warmed some butter. Everyone got to try some, and all agreed it was just excellent! Tony and Jo wanted to stay on the boat to relax, and the rest of us piled into the dinghy and made for shore.
Once back in the marina, we secured the dinghy and found a great little french restaurant called Le Bistro, Café, Restaurant, and Bar à Vins. I had salade césar aux gambas (cesar salad with shrimp) and Coquillettes Jambon et Truffle (pasta shells with ham and truffles). The salad was -- I think -- the best I've ever enjoyed, and the main course was unique and extremely good as well with lots of truffles piled atop my pasta. I'm placing a copy of the menu in this journal. Prices are in euro. We enjoyed our meals and talked for hours -- we returned to the dinghy around 11pm. After returning to the Madrid we all hung out and talked and laughed about things. It's 12:20am now and everyone went to bed a short while ago. Time I do likewise. Tomorrow I think we're getting up early and heading over to Colombier, then possibly continuing on up to Anguilla. We're not sure why celebreities like St. Bart's so much... There are tons of expensive shops where 100 euro doesn't get you in the front door, and lots of megayachts and helicopters, but it seems there are better locations than this in the area. When we told one store clerk we are headed to Anguilla next, her eyes lit up and she expressed how we're so lucky to do that (in a way that suggested it bests St. Bart's). Time will soon tell... And now, it's time for bed. Out on the trampoline it gets very windy around 2am and I always end up coming back in. Last night at 1:30am I woke and moved to the cockpit, which was really nice -- fresh air, no wind. I'll try sleeping out there tonight and hope it goes well.
We slept in a bit this morning and got underway around 9:30am. After shooting out of Orient Bay we covered a great distance, crossing the Saint Barthélemy Channel on a southeasterly course. We spotted 2 large whales about half-way across in the middle of the channel. Couldn't figure out what species, but it was fascinating! The weather was excellent, with winds stronger than we experienced on the first day and a swell even larger as well. We sailed under full jib and 1 reef in the main. En route to Gustavia, we navigated closely to the bay at Ile Fourchue to see if it would be a place we want to checkout. We also did a flyby of Anse de Colombier, a beautiful beach we'd like to explore depending on how long we choose to stay at St. Bart's.
Beyond Colombier we entered the showy bay of Gustavia's marina. Yacht after yacht lined the channel entering it, and even more after entering the actual marina. Most say they are from Georgetown, Grand Cayman. After we set anchor, we went in by dinghy to clear customs.
St. Bart's is 100% owned by France. We walked around town for about 30-minutes then went back to the boat. I bought a phone card and tried 5 different pay phones with Gabe -- all broken! Very frustrating. Gabe, however, was able to bum the WiFi signal off one of the docked megayachts! We decided to stay moored in this bay for the night and have dinner in town this evening.
After returning to the Madrid, Mike R., Mark, Jen, Gabe and I wanted to do some snorkeling. Since we spotted those lobster yesterday I wanted to be prepared this time. I took a large double pronged fork, like you'd use on a BBQ grill, and using an ace bandage from the first aid kid and 2 zip-ties I secured it to the end of our emergency manual bilge rod. This would serve as an effective spear. We then piled into the dinghy and made way for a group of rocks with a reef, just about 1/4mi from our boat off our stern. Once there we anchored the dinghy and entered the water -- I always love rolling backwards off the sponsons of the dinghy -- never gets old! After about a half-hour of awesome snorkeling -- visibility about 50-75' and lots of sea life -- we couldn't find a single lobster! We looked and looked... Then about 25' down I spotted a little one. I dove down to assess the situation where I might best spear him from (you think I'm going to return to the boat empty handed?). I returned to the surface for a deep, long fresh breath to be effective in my hunt. I stabbed him through his upper carapace, close to his eyes, and started making for the surface. About half way to the surface he came off my spear and, still having some life left in him, started to swim away. Mike and Gabe were on the surface watching as it happened. I thrust my spear into him again, and with that he stopped moving so much. They were pretty excited about the catch, and like me thought there must be more lobster in that area. So we swam all the way back to the dinghy, dropped off the lobster, and grabbed a mesh dive bag to go catch more. After spending over a half-hour thoroughly searching that entire area, we didn't find any! How disappointing. The sun was then starting to set, so we got in the dinghy and headed back. Before we went into town for dinner, I boiled the lobster tail in sea water and used some Caribbean Seasoning. I cut it into 9 pieces and warmed some butter. Everyone got to try some, and all agreed it was just excellent! Tony and Jo wanted to stay on the boat to relax, and the rest of us piled into the dinghy and made for shore.
Once back in the marina, we secured the dinghy and found a great little french restaurant called Le Bistro, Café, Restaurant, and Bar à Vins. I had salade césar aux gambas (cesar salad with shrimp) and Coquillettes Jambon et Truffle (pasta shells with ham and truffles). The salad was -- I think -- the best I've ever enjoyed, and the main course was unique and extremely good as well with lots of truffles piled atop my pasta. I'm placing a copy of the menu in this journal. Prices are in euro. We enjoyed our meals and talked for hours -- we returned to the dinghy around 11pm. After returning to the Madrid we all hung out and talked and laughed about things. It's 12:20am now and everyone went to bed a short while ago. Time I do likewise. Tomorrow I think we're getting up early and heading over to Colombier, then possibly continuing on up to Anguilla. We're not sure why celebreities like St. Bart's so much... There are tons of expensive shops where 100 euro doesn't get you in the front door, and lots of megayachts and helicopters, but it seems there are better locations than this in the area. When we told one store clerk we are headed to Anguilla next, her eyes lit up and she expressed how we're so lucky to do that (in a way that suggested it bests St. Bart's). Time will soon tell... And now, it's time for bed. Out on the trampoline it gets very windy around 2am and I always end up coming back in. Last night at 1:30am I woke and moved to the cockpit, which was really nice -- fresh air, no wind. I'll try sleeping out there tonight and hope it goes well.
February 25, 2011 In a puff, spring a luff; In a lull, keep em full.
Too windy to sleep out on the tramp last night, but because I do enjoy sleeping outside so much I decided to spend the night in the cockpit. With all the wind, I sat up until around 1am convinced that our anchor was slowly dragging, and after dozing off for about an hour I woke with a start at 2am and realized we really hadn't moved at all. It was just my eyes playing tricks on me in the dark and the wide swing of our boat in all the wind.
At 7am Mike R. went ashore by dinghy to check us out of customs. When he returned we pulled anchor and went just around the corner to Anse de Colombier, which we passed by yesterday on our way to Gustavia. Colombier is a beautiful little cove, only accessible by boat. There is, however, a small goat trail (Extremely rugged, rocky and narrow) that one can walk by foot from Gustavia to Colombier.
We set our anchor and stayed there for a couple hours. First we had some breakfast prepared by Mark and Jen. They made a very delicious and tasty egg dish with sauteed onions, tomatoes and seasonings. It was so good! After that Gabe and I were quick to don fins, mask, and snorkel and get in the water. This would be our best snorkeling adventure yet! As we made our way from the boat to shore, we saw a large sea turtle in just 20' of water. I took a breath and dove down right next to it, so close I could touch it! I took a photo and just thought it was so incredible to be alongside this very graceful animal. I've never swam with a sea turtle like that before -- what a treat! As we continued our swim in to shore we saw from a distance 3 forms underneath the hull of another anchored boat.
As we approached and visibility allowed them to come more into focus Gabe started shouting something excitedly through his snorkel. It's very hard to understand "snorkel talk" but I could tell he was saying, "Are those sharks?! Are those SHARKS!?!?" I was laughing so hard! He was too. I nudged him and he poked his head up. I told him yes they appeared to be 3 very small sharks we should be fine. How exciting! Personally I hate sharks probably more than anyone you know, but as with most things I try to embrace my fear. I waited until we reached the shore to ask Gabe where does he suppose their parents are? I had brought a small mesh bag with our sandals so we could do some exploring once on shore. We put on our sandals and stowed our snorkeling gear up on the rocks. We then hiked up and over the hillside, found the goat trail that leads to Gustavia, and also an expansive view spanning beyond 180-degrees exposing the huge channel of ocean we would be sailing into and across later today. Gabe and I hiked down the easterly side of the point. "X's" on the map sketch indicate where we traveled down the hillside to the water. To get down to the bottom of the hill we had to navigate through bushes and cactus on rugged rocky terrain - great thing we brought our sandals! Once down the hill, huge rocks lined the shore with big ocean rolling waves crashing up and over behind them. There were lots of tide pools with snails, crabs and fish. We would've liked to explore more, but time constraints required us to get back to the boat so we could get underway.
We sailed today like we've never sailed before -- winds of 30kts and the largest swells yet! We were literally surfing down most of these waves, it was thrilling! Our top speed on the knot-meter hit 14.0! Far faster than I've ever moved under sail before. We sailed for almost 6hrs across the St. Barthélemy Channel, up around St. Martin, and all the way up to Anguilla. We approached Anguilla on its east side, went by Phillipsburg, and anchored in Road Bay. We anchored at 3:50pm and customs closes at 4:00pm. So as soon as our anchor set, we launched the dinghy and Mike R., Gabe and I went ashore. While Mike was clearing customs, Gabe and I walked the beach. Anguilla has a lot of coconut palms naturally growing. While walking the beach with Gabe he told me he learned how to climb coconut palms in Jamaica. He showed me how to leverage your feet against the tree by bending your body and extending your arms straight out in order to climb. He made it clear to the top of the tree! I was very impressed. This was at the north-east part of the bay. Gabe told me how delicious fresh coconut water is, and about 50yds down the beach was "Elvis' Bar" They didn't have coconut water, but they did have excellent rum punch! Talking with a local at the bar, we're told Elvis' Bar is the most popular bar on all Anguilla. I'm not sure about that... I asked about celebrities and was told, yes, it's not uncommon to spot them here because the locals don't bother them. Mike finished at customs and came walking down the beach so I gladly got him a rum punch too.
Gabe and I walked the beach south to "Sand Bar" and the bartender gave us a freshly picked coconut from his tree. We're looking forward to cracking into that for some fresh coconut water! We then returned to the boat and prepared for dinner. It's Gabe, Mike R., and my turn to cook so the first order of business was firing up the BBQ. Steak, potatos, and salad are on the menu! It appears the match-light charcoal got wet while underway, and lighting them was very near impossible. We tried using some vegetable oil, but that didn't work. Then we used some rum (it pained us to do so!), but still the charcoal wouldn't take. Eventually I hopped in the dinghy, disconnected its gas tank (yes, you know where this is headed!) and dumped a liberal helping of gasoline on the pile of charcoal. One match strike later our BBQ was ablaze! I can only imagine how this fireball must've looked from the many other boats moored near us. After that there was no problem at all getting some red hot coals to cook on. Following dinner I became so tired from all the day's activities that I crashed around 10pm. Tomorrow we're off to Prickly Pear Island and Crocus Bay, Anguilla!
We set our anchor and stayed there for a couple hours. First we had some breakfast prepared by Mark and Jen. They made a very delicious and tasty egg dish with sauteed onions, tomatoes and seasonings. It was so good! After that Gabe and I were quick to don fins, mask, and snorkel and get in the water. This would be our best snorkeling adventure yet! As we made our way from the boat to shore, we saw a large sea turtle in just 20' of water. I took a breath and dove down right next to it, so close I could touch it! I took a photo and just thought it was so incredible to be alongside this very graceful animal. I've never swam with a sea turtle like that before -- what a treat! As we continued our swim in to shore we saw from a distance 3 forms underneath the hull of another anchored boat. As we approached and visibility allowed them to come more into focus Gabe started shouting something excitedly through his snorkel. It's very hard to understand "snorkel talk" but I could tell he was saying, "Are those sharks?! Are those SHARKS!?!?" I was laughing so hard! He was too. I nudged him and he poked his head up. I told him yes they appeared to be 3 very small sharks we should be fine. How exciting! Personally I hate sharks probably more than anyone you know, but as with most things I try to embrace my fear. I waited until we reached the shore to ask Gabe where does he suppose their parents are? I had brought a small mesh bag with our sandals so we could do some exploring once on shore. We put on our sandals and stowed our snorkeling gear up on the rocks. We then hiked up and over the hillside, found the goat trail that leads to Gustavia, and also an expansive view spanning beyond 180-degrees exposing the huge channel of ocean we would be sailing into and across later today. Gabe and I hiked down the easterly side of the point. "X's" on the map sketch indicate where we traveled down the hillside to the water. To get down to the bottom of the hill we had to navigate through bushes and cactus on rugged rocky terrain - great thing we brought our sandals! Once down the hill, huge rocks lined the shore with big ocean rolling waves crashing up and over behind them. There were lots of tide pools with snails, crabs and fish. We would've liked to explore more, but time constraints required us to get back to the boat so we could get underway.
Gabe and I walked the beach south to "Sand Bar" and the bartender gave us a freshly picked coconut from his tree. We're looking forward to cracking into that for some fresh coconut water! We then returned to the boat and prepared for dinner. It's Gabe, Mike R., and my turn to cook so the first order of business was firing up the BBQ. Steak, potatos, and salad are on the menu! It appears the match-light charcoal got wet while underway, and lighting them was very near impossible. We tried using some vegetable oil, but that didn't work. Then we used some rum (it pained us to do so!), but still the charcoal wouldn't take. Eventually I hopped in the dinghy, disconnected its gas tank (yes, you know where this is headed!) and dumped a liberal helping of gasoline on the pile of charcoal. One match strike later our BBQ was ablaze! I can only imagine how this fireball must've looked from the many other boats moored near us. After that there was no problem at all getting some red hot coals to cook on. Following dinner I became so tired from all the day's activities that I crashed around 10pm. Tomorrow we're off to Prickly Pear Island and Crocus Bay, Anguilla!
February 26, 2011 Aquaholics going a bit overboard.
We woke early this morning and sailed out of Road Bay approximately 6miles to Prickly Pear Cays. Prickly Pear was amazing, beautiful, beyond Corona commercial worthiness. We set anchor on the south side of Prickly Pear Cays around 9:30am. Breakfast was enjoyed and we then hopped in the dingy and shot through the gap between the cays around to the north side of the eastern island. Shooting through that gap was nothing short of surf passage back in the Navy -- rolling, cresting breakers, crashing right on top of us! Mark is excellent with the dingy and kept our bow pointed perfectly into the surf. We were all laughing and completely soaked which was fine because we were going snorkeling anyways.
This shows where we anchored, where we dinghy'd to, and also where we hiked across to swim back to the boat. Because of the rough surf, about 1/2 of our group swam back to the boat after hiking across the island. The other half took the dinghy back. We stayed on Prickly Pear for about 2 1/2 hours. It was just great, the sand was the whitest we've seen, and we had a clear day with blue skies. It wasn't crowded at all. I could probably count on my hands the total number of others there. A little bar and rum room also are on the island which they provision via boat on a daily basis. After enjoying everything Prickly Pear had to offer, we got back to the Madrid and tacked across the channel to Crocus Bay. We arrived around 4pm. This is a rarity -- we are the only boat moored in this bay! It's also worth mentioning I was Captain today and enjoyed controlling the boat. After having performed all the other positions, being Captain was more enjoyable and I felt a thorough and personal understanding of how things operate.
After anchoring in Crocus Bay, Mark, Jen, Vicki, Mike H. and I took the dinghy ashore to explore. The first thing we noticed is there's no dock anywhere. This means a beach landing, so it's critically important to jump out of the boat and haul it ashore the moment we hit the beach lest we get broadside and capsize. Our landing ashore went well. We took a small wave over our stern but no big deal at all. We dragged our dinghy up high on the sand and walked a short distance of 100yds to the only establishment on the beach -- da'Vida. This place was very nice, and the prices were reasonable. There was a lounge area for tapas, and a dining area set aside for dinner and full meals. This lounge had nice big wooden couches and chairs, and the dining area white linen tablecloths. It could comfortably seat about 75 to 100 people I would guess. We all had a seat in the lounge area and enjoyed a few drinks with some tapas. I had jerk pork with some lime dipping sauce. It was the best jerk seasoning I've tasted since my honeymoon in Jamaica! However, Jamaica still has this place beat on the jerk flavor.
By the time we finished hanging out it was around 8pm and Jen and Mark would be preparing dinner, so we paid our bills and prepared the dinghy to head back out. This was a bit more tricky. Not only had the surf kicked up a bit, but we all had a few drinks too! We dragged the dinghy to the water's edge and tried waiting until right after a big set of waves before we made our attempt. Once it appeared our window of opportunity had arrived, we went for it. It was easy to get the dinghy into knee/waist deep water, and then the tricky part was getting everyone aboard while keeping the bow pointed into the crashing waves. Mark and Jen hopped in the bow just fine, then Vicki was able to hop in behind them (I was holding our nose out all the while keeping the boat straight), then I hopped in about the same time Mike did. Mike planted a hand on the side of the dinghy, hopped in and fell completely backward into the surf! He quickly shot up out of the water and got back in the boat. I felt bad for him, and Vicki laughed really hard because, well, it was kind of funny. Mike was a superb sport about the whole thing, even though he was completely soaked. We pointed our nose into the waves, gave a solid push, hopped in dropped the motor down and fired it up! We made it back through the next set of waves and were home free.
Once back at the Madrid Mark and Jen prepared some truly excellent BBQ chicken and pan cooked fish. It was delicious and very satisfying after the long day! After dinner (9:45ish) I was pretty beat and decided to crash for the day so I can be rested up for SCUBA diving tomorrow morning. Mike R. and I are to be picked up around 9am for some wreck dives. Can't wait!
This shows where we anchored, where we dinghy'd to, and also where we hiked across to swim back to the boat. Because of the rough surf, about 1/2 of our group swam back to the boat after hiking across the island. The other half took the dinghy back. We stayed on Prickly Pear for about 2 1/2 hours. It was just great, the sand was the whitest we've seen, and we had a clear day with blue skies. It wasn't crowded at all. I could probably count on my hands the total number of others there. A little bar and rum room also are on the island which they provision via boat on a daily basis. After enjoying everything Prickly Pear had to offer, we got back to the Madrid and tacked across the channel to Crocus Bay. We arrived around 4pm. This is a rarity -- we are the only boat moored in this bay! It's also worth mentioning I was Captain today and enjoyed controlling the boat. After having performed all the other positions, being Captain was more enjoyable and I felt a thorough and personal understanding of how things operate. 
After anchoring in Crocus Bay, Mark, Jen, Vicki, Mike H. and I took the dinghy ashore to explore. The first thing we noticed is there's no dock anywhere. This means a beach landing, so it's critically important to jump out of the boat and haul it ashore the moment we hit the beach lest we get broadside and capsize. Our landing ashore went well. We took a small wave over our stern but no big deal at all. We dragged our dinghy up high on the sand and walked a short distance of 100yds to the only establishment on the beach -- da'Vida. This place was very nice, and the prices were reasonable. There was a lounge area for tapas, and a dining area set aside for dinner and full meals. This lounge had nice big wooden couches and chairs, and the dining area white linen tablecloths. It could comfortably seat about 75 to 100 people I would guess. We all had a seat in the lounge area and enjoyed a few drinks with some tapas. I had jerk pork with some lime dipping sauce. It was the best jerk seasoning I've tasted since my honeymoon in Jamaica! However, Jamaica still has this place beat on the jerk flavor. 
Once back at the Madrid Mark and Jen prepared some truly excellent BBQ chicken and pan cooked fish. It was delicious and very satisfying after the long day! After dinner (9:45ish) I was pretty beat and decided to crash for the day so I can be rested up for SCUBA diving tomorrow morning. Mike R. and I are to be picked up around 9am for some wreck dives. Can't wait!
February 27, 2011 If you drop this winch handle overboard, I expect to hear TWO splashes.
The title of a Calvin & Hobbes I read as a kid said it best: "The Days are Just Packed!" At 7:30am we were all up and went through engine checks with Mike R. CHOBS: Coolant, Hoses, Oil, Belts, Strainers...and other checks and inspections. Then after a quick breakfast our dive boat from Shoal Bay SCUBA showed up. There was the driver, Pete; the guide, Metro; and another diver named Josh who was vacationing from New York. Turns out he grew up in Issaquah! Small world. After Mike R. and I hopped in the dive boat which pulled up alongside us, we shot straight out several miles to a red buoy in the middle of nowhere.
Our first dive would be in approx 90' of water, with a bottom time of around 25mins and a short 3min decompression stop at 15-20'. They brought me a shorty 3mm wetsuit, and I forgot how nice it was to go with a dive outfit -- they take care of everything. Oh-! I forgot: Just prior to the dive boat picking us up, I moved the Madrid east about 2 miles to Little Bay. This would allow for prime snorkeling while Mike and I were diving. So back to the dive! These guys were great, they rig up your tank, BCD, and even put it on for you. They give you your own dive computer and flashlight, and help you enter the water if you want. After each dive they have fresh oranges waiting for you too! In the Navy I always kept oranges in my dive locker for after each dive -- really helps get that salty/parched feeling out of your mouth. So after donning our dive gear we entered the water, swam over to the buoy, and when our guide instructed -- we descended. Visibility today was only about 50'. So after descending for about a minute, the wreck slowly came into focus. Pretty eerie and exciting! The wreck's name is Commerce, and we saw lots of lobster, coral and schools and schools of fish. The wreck was pretty old, but we could still identify most everything. Mike even found the decaying remains of a vehicle, with 4 rubber tires, onboard the Commerce. Perhaps they were transporting a car somewhere. After a while it was time to return to the surface, and after handing our gear up to Pete and getting back onboard we enjoyed some fresh oranges. Pete shot us over to the shelter of Little Bay while we hung out and off-gassed/decompressed between dives. The ocean was windy (20-30kts) with lots of white caps everywhere. Little Bay was significantly calmer. We spotted our crew snorkeling in there too. Looked like they were having a great time!
After about a half hour we got underway to our 2nd wreck dive. A bit shallower, at 65', we'd be able to stay down slightly longer than the first dive. Things got quite exciting and a bit suspenseful on this dive. The first thing we noticed were HUGE lobster. These guys were larger than any lobster I've ever seen -- even on t.v. You won't believe me, but Mike saw them too: The largest one's diameter alone exceeded 1', and his length was perhaps 4-5'! Mike said while diving the wreck of the Rhone in the BVI off Salt Island he saw a very large lobster they called "Lobzilla," but he said the lobster we saw on this dive by far exceeded the size of Lobzilla. Everywhere you thought a lobster might be, there one was! Every little hidden nook and ledge.
When we came around the stern and worked our way along the wreck we came to the giant portion of the bow. It had literally ripped or torn off the other center and aft part of the ship, and sat at an angle with the bow pointed towards the surface. In the shadow underneath the opening I saw a large barracuda circling/stalking almost predator-like in the dark shadow. Personally, these fish are right up there and slightly beneath sharks on fish I'd rather not swim with. They have big teeth and are attracted to flashy things like a watch, ring or other jewelry. This large barracuda kept circling and disappearing into the dark of the shadows of the inner hull -- very dark in there. Then I watched as our guide followed right into that area as well. He disappeared in the darkness. His dive buddy, Josh, then went in, and I saw my dive buddy, Mike, go in too. I reluctantly followed, and just as I was eclipsed by the darkness of the shadow I saw that barracuda come shooting out with incredible speed! He took off, and I was happy. I turned my flashlight on and could see our guide up ahead making his way towards the more forward part of the bow. He then went up through a little hole in the inner hull, about 30" or so in diameter. We each followed, but it was a very dark tight fit and you had to twist and slightly turn to fit through with your tank on. Once up and inside the bow, we explored with our flashlights. The only way out was back down through that little hole. After a few minutes, with 4 divers in that space, things silted up quite a bit. The only light coming in naturally was from a few portholes, but once the silt kicked up it became even more dark. We slowly swam and felt our way back to the hole we came in through, and each one of us then inverted our bodies to go back down through it head first. Risky going up in there, but it certainly was exciting! Metro must've had a lot of confidence in us as divers.
A little while later and after touring the outside of the hull again, we started our ascent back to the surface. One thing to mention: After spending all that time inside the wreck, our bubbles had accumulated enough such that the old steam pipes and exhaust stacks trailed a long stream of fine bubbles after we exited that space. It looked eerie and cool at the same time, having those bubbles pouring out of that wreck. Once on the surface we had some more oranges and returned to the Madrid. Pete pulled right alongside and dropped us off. About that time the others who had gone snorkeling in Little Bay had returned so we quickly made ready for sail.
The weather was incredible again today with
winds up to 30kts. Gabe was Captain today and did an impressive job of keeping us wing-on-wing without any problems at all. Then we practiced some man overboard drills, and while it's a little more tricky to swing the bow around, for example from a beam reach across the wind to a broad reach, with a little practice and crew members manning each of the lines we were able to dial in the maneuver. For me, this kind of thing is a lot of fun! I enjoy tacking and maneuvering the boat skillfully. Mike R.'s instruction is great and he always seems to have a very experienced handle on the situation at all times, even if things don't go as planned. After finishing up our M.O.B. drills we made a straight shot into Marigot Bay and set anchor as the sun was setting. We had dinner onboad of delicious orange roughy and mahi-mahi. After a long, packed-full day, we all went to bed shortly after dinner. The 8:15am bridge opening tomorrow will have us up at 7am and underway by 7:30am. The bridge opening is a small window of time, and the boat needs to be returned by 11am so we can't miss it. The narrow channel of the bridge gets the nerves pumping as our beam will only have a few feet on either side to get through. We had a pilot from the charter company take us out through it, but looks like we'll be taking it in ourselves tomorrow morning. Time to rest up.
Our first dive would be in approx 90' of water, with a bottom time of around 25mins and a short 3min decompression stop at 15-20'. They brought me a shorty 3mm wetsuit, and I forgot how nice it was to go with a dive outfit -- they take care of everything. Oh-! I forgot: Just prior to the dive boat picking us up, I moved the Madrid east about 2 miles to Little Bay. This would allow for prime snorkeling while Mike and I were diving. So back to the dive! These guys were great, they rig up your tank, BCD, and even put it on for you. They give you your own dive computer and flashlight, and help you enter the water if you want. After each dive they have fresh oranges waiting for you too! In the Navy I always kept oranges in my dive locker for after each dive -- really helps get that salty/parched feeling out of your mouth. So after donning our dive gear we entered the water, swam over to the buoy, and when our guide instructed -- we descended. Visibility today was only about 50'. So after descending for about a minute, the wreck slowly came into focus. Pretty eerie and exciting! The wreck's name is Commerce, and we saw lots of lobster, coral and schools and schools of fish. The wreck was pretty old, but we could still identify most everything. Mike even found the decaying remains of a vehicle, with 4 rubber tires, onboard the Commerce. Perhaps they were transporting a car somewhere. After a while it was time to return to the surface, and after handing our gear up to Pete and getting back onboard we enjoyed some fresh oranges. Pete shot us over to the shelter of Little Bay while we hung out and off-gassed/decompressed between dives. The ocean was windy (20-30kts) with lots of white caps everywhere. Little Bay was significantly calmer. We spotted our crew snorkeling in there too. Looked like they were having a great time!
When we came around the stern and worked our way along the wreck we came to the giant portion of the bow. It had literally ripped or torn off the other center and aft part of the ship, and sat at an angle with the bow pointed towards the surface. In the shadow underneath the opening I saw a large barracuda circling/stalking almost predator-like in the dark shadow. Personally, these fish are right up there and slightly beneath sharks on fish I'd rather not swim with. They have big teeth and are attracted to flashy things like a watch, ring or other jewelry. This large barracuda kept circling and disappearing into the dark of the shadows of the inner hull -- very dark in there. Then I watched as our guide followed right into that area as well. He disappeared in the darkness. His dive buddy, Josh, then went in, and I saw my dive buddy, Mike, go in too. I reluctantly followed, and just as I was eclipsed by the darkness of the shadow I saw that barracuda come shooting out with incredible speed! He took off, and I was happy. I turned my flashlight on and could see our guide up ahead making his way towards the more forward part of the bow. He then went up through a little hole in the inner hull, about 30" or so in diameter. We each followed, but it was a very dark tight fit and you had to twist and slightly turn to fit through with your tank on. Once up and inside the bow, we explored with our flashlights. The only way out was back down through that little hole. After a few minutes, with 4 divers in that space, things silted up quite a bit. The only light coming in naturally was from a few portholes, but once the silt kicked up it became even more dark. We slowly swam and felt our way back to the hole we came in through, and each one of us then inverted our bodies to go back down through it head first. Risky going up in there, but it certainly was exciting! Metro must've had a lot of confidence in us as divers.
A little while later and after touring the outside of the hull again, we started our ascent back to the surface. One thing to mention: After spending all that time inside the wreck, our bubbles had accumulated enough such that the old steam pipes and exhaust stacks trailed a long stream of fine bubbles after we exited that space. It looked eerie and cool at the same time, having those bubbles pouring out of that wreck. Once on the surface we had some more oranges and returned to the Madrid. Pete pulled right alongside and dropped us off. About that time the others who had gone snorkeling in Little Bay had returned so we quickly made ready for sail.
winds up to 30kts. Gabe was Captain today and did an impressive job of keeping us wing-on-wing without any problems at all. Then we practiced some man overboard drills, and while it's a little more tricky to swing the bow around, for example from a beam reach across the wind to a broad reach, with a little practice and crew members manning each of the lines we were able to dial in the maneuver. For me, this kind of thing is a lot of fun! I enjoy tacking and maneuvering the boat skillfully. Mike R.'s instruction is great and he always seems to have a very experienced handle on the situation at all times, even if things don't go as planned. After finishing up our M.O.B. drills we made a straight shot into Marigot Bay and set anchor as the sun was setting. We had dinner onboad of delicious orange roughy and mahi-mahi. After a long, packed-full day, we all went to bed shortly after dinner. The 8:15am bridge opening tomorrow will have us up at 7am and underway by 7:30am. The bridge opening is a small window of time, and the boat needs to be returned by 11am so we can't miss it. The narrow channel of the bridge gets the nerves pumping as our beam will only have a few feet on either side to get through. We had a pilot from the charter company take us out through it, but looks like we'll be taking it in ourselves tomorrow morning. Time to rest up. February 28, 2011 Arrr I know every rock and shoal on this coast...and there's one of them now!
By 7:30am we had pulled up our anchor and were holding our position outside the channel near the bridge to spot it opening. While we waited, we did some more knot tying practice. Today's new knots were the clove hitch and double sheet bend. These are both useful knots I learned to tie while commercial fishing in the Bering Sea back in college, and they came easily to me now. The others on our crew seemed to pick them up quickly as well. Knots in our arsenal now include: Bowline, Round Turn and 2 Half Hitches, Clove Hitch, Figure 8, Stopper Knot, Double Sheet Bend and Cleat Hitch (a proper cleat hitch!). At this point we can each now tie them with ease and little thought.
Once 8:20am rolled around the bridge wasn't open yet so Mike H. tried raising them on the VHF to inquire as to the status. They were unresponsive, but a few minutes later the bridge started to Raise! ~Island Time~ First we waited for several boats to exit from Simpson Bay Lagoon, and then we received the green light from the bridge operator. We were first in queue to approach the bridge from the sea, so after the exiting boats were clear we started on in under motor. Gabe was at the wheel, and I was port side lookout. Jen was starboard side lookout along with Mike R. The clearance on either side is perhaps collectively a meter at best -- so guiding correctly is paramount. Astern of us, around 100'-200' back, was a 50' monohull sailboat motoring in as well. As we came up to to the bridge it was important to have a bit of speed built up so as not to be affected by wind and current. As our bow passed the first section of bridge we were looking in great shape, and many tourists were congregating about the end/edge of the bridge to watch. It is not completely rare to watch someone misjudge their clearance and wreck or damage a million dollar boat here. We were told somewhat recently a boat of our size misjudged and ended up significantly damaging one of their hulls, and one of the shrouds caught the bridge, tearing down the mast.
As Gabe kept the wheel steady, we started drifting a bit to port. From my vantage point forward-most on the port sponson, it was apparent if we continued on this way we would definitely scrape, if not collide, with the bridge. At this point we were half-way through the bridge opening. I signaled to Gabe who quickly and smoothly altered our course slightly to starboard. Gabe is very, very good at the helm. He proved himself in 30kt winds yesterday, and after that today was a breeze.
At about that moment a dinghy shot out from near the boat astern of us and was rapidly approaching. It turns out this was one of the crew from our charter company and he was biting his nails (that's putting it lightly) we were doing the bridge passage on our own. On the radio the evening prior, they said we would take the boat into the bay and then they would meet us at the fuel dock. Well, that is not what they meant (French!). As their crew member approached our stern in his dinghy, we cleared the bridge and let out an applause and cheer! Then, once through, the dinghy made it to us and their crew member was visibly anxious about what had just happened. He was so relieved it went smoothly! He then took the wheel and brought us over to the fuel dock to fill up.
On our way through the channel en route to the dock we noticed a larger monohull (40-50') that had tried navigating a bit outside the channel buoys and just ran aground! That boat was being chartered by a group hoping to participate in the big Heineken Regatta kicking off on Weds (in 2 days). The french crew member of Dream Yacht who was now steering our boat joked, yet was serious, "I hope zey stay zair! You know zey weel rew-een my boat een zat race weese all zee bew-eeze to nav-ee-gate! Zey cannot even clear zeese chann-el!" We were laughing pretty hard, including him.
Because the tide only fluctuates less than a foot here (unlike the 15' swings in tide we get back home) I asked Mike R. how do you go about fixing a situation like that. Mike explained that first you can try to heel the boat away from the shallow side by either moving all your crew to that side of the boat or if the wind is favorable raise sails to push that way -- or both. If that doesn't work you can try reversing (by motor) out the way you came in. If that fails, you run a halyard from the top of the mast out to a powerboat and pull in the direction away from the shallows. The strain on the mast and rigging is very bad, however, if this last measure is employed and can ruin your rigging and mast.
After filling our tanks we motored over to Dream Yacht Charters to secure our boat. We then had some breakfast of fresh croissants Mark went out to get for us, scrambled eggs onboard, and pretty much whatever else was left in the galley. Mike R. did checkout with the French crew member, and then one by one we said our goodbyes. Vicki and Mike H. were headed off to the B.V.I's for a week, and Mark and Jen were staying another week in St. Marten at Grand Case. Mike R., Gabe and I had booked a hotel about a mile or so across the bridge from Marigot where we docked our boat.
The hotel was great -- far better than we expected, with a loud pool and a quiet pool, a couple bars and restaurants, and a pretty nice beach albeit on the inside of the lagoon. After checking into the hotel I made my first call home in over a week. That felt really good and was much needed. After that we caught a cab to Orient Bay and rendezvoused with Mark and Jen. This was around 3pm and the weather was excellent. It was pretty cool, yet bittersweet, to see Green Cay out there in Orient Bay where we had anchored less than a week ago and spotted our first lobster. Also, there's something weird about being asked to pay $6 for a chaise on the beach when a few hours ago, and the whole week prior, we cold go to any beach we wanted -- beaches everyone on shore can't touch -- and now that we're back on the crowded beaches a premium is demanded. We walked a ways down the beach and found a great spot to hang out. Before we had even laid out our towels, Mike was already swimming out through the surf! I quickly joined him and we enjoyed body surfing for about an hour, then we hung out on the beach with Gabe, Mark and Jen. Mark and Jen gave us a lift to Grand Case where they were staying, and a short while later we all went to dinner together -- phenomenal local cuisine!
After dinner we took a stroll down the street lining the water and dropped into a bona fide Italian restaurant, Il Nettuna, for a little dessert! Mark ordered a round of lemoncellos for all of us, and the desserts we ordered were sinful. We all shared a little of each other's. Each of the desserts set a very hard to reach bar for how amazing each one, respectfully, can be! Mike ordered the chocolate mousse. He said being out at sea usually gives him quite the chocolate craving. If his craving were a match aflame, this chocolate mousse would be like using a whole pail of water to extinguish it. He was served a beautifully decorated plate with a slab of perhaps 1lb of delicately cut mousse in the middle of a shallow pond of raspberry syrup or purée. Gabe's cheesecake had a presentation equally pleasing to the eye, and brought pure contentment to the palate. Mark ordered vanilla crème brûlèe, and whereas crème brûlèe commonly provides a substantial law of diminished returns as a function of each spoonful, he polished off the serving with the last bite as eagerly inviting as the first. Jen's lemon tart was the most perfect tart I have ever tried, and she kindly let me indulge in more than one spoonful. Tiramisu has long been one of my favorite desserts, and here I was in luck! They brought my generous cut of tiramisu on a large plate completely, yet tastefully, dusted with cinnamon. This dessert just melted in my mouth, bite after bite. It was markedly better than any I had ever enjoyed to date. We took our time enjoying dessert with our drinks, and then had the restaurant call a cab for Mike, Gabe and me. It was around 11pm, so we crashed once back at the hotel. I called home once more before calling it a night. We plan on sleeping in, catching the breakfast buffet, then just kicking back until departing at 2pm for the airport.
Once 8:20am rolled around the bridge wasn't open yet so Mike H. tried raising them on the VHF to inquire as to the status. They were unresponsive, but a few minutes later the bridge started to Raise! ~Island Time~ First we waited for several boats to exit from Simpson Bay Lagoon, and then we received the green light from the bridge operator. We were first in queue to approach the bridge from the sea, so after the exiting boats were clear we started on in under motor. Gabe was at the wheel, and I was port side lookout. Jen was starboard side lookout along with Mike R. The clearance on either side is perhaps collectively a meter at best -- so guiding correctly is paramount. Astern of us, around 100'-200' back, was a 50' monohull sailboat motoring in as well. As we came up to to the bridge it was important to have a bit of speed built up so as not to be affected by wind and current. As our bow passed the first section of bridge we were looking in great shape, and many tourists were congregating about the end/edge of the bridge to watch. It is not completely rare to watch someone misjudge their clearance and wreck or damage a million dollar boat here. We were told somewhat recently a boat of our size misjudged and ended up significantly damaging one of their hulls, and one of the shrouds caught the bridge, tearing down the mast. As Gabe kept the wheel steady, we started drifting a bit to port. From my vantage point forward-most on the port sponson, it was apparent if we continued on this way we would definitely scrape, if not collide, with the bridge. At this point we were half-way through the bridge opening. I signaled to Gabe who quickly and smoothly altered our course slightly to starboard. Gabe is very, very good at the helm. He proved himself in 30kt winds yesterday, and after that today was a breeze.
On our way through the channel en route to the dock we noticed a larger monohull (40-50') that had tried navigating a bit outside the channel buoys and just ran aground! That boat was being chartered by a group hoping to participate in the big Heineken Regatta kicking off on Weds (in 2 days). The french crew member of Dream Yacht who was now steering our boat joked, yet was serious, "I hope zey stay zair! You know zey weel rew-een my boat een zat race weese all zee bew-eeze to nav-ee-gate! Zey cannot even clear zeese chann-el!" We were laughing pretty hard, including him.
Because the tide only fluctuates less than a foot here (unlike the 15' swings in tide we get back home) I asked Mike R. how do you go about fixing a situation like that. Mike explained that first you can try to heel the boat away from the shallow side by either moving all your crew to that side of the boat or if the wind is favorable raise sails to push that way -- or both. If that doesn't work you can try reversing (by motor) out the way you came in. If that fails, you run a halyard from the top of the mast out to a powerboat and pull in the direction away from the shallows. The strain on the mast and rigging is very bad, however, if this last measure is employed and can ruin your rigging and mast.
March 1, 2011 Shift colors, the ship is in port.
I woke a bit earlier than Mike and Gabe, hitting up the breakfast buffet offered by our hotel around 8am. Everything was French, so while the attitudes can be sour the cuisine is always sweet! I enjoyed a few chocolate croissant, cappuccino, coffee, yogurts, and sausages -- yummm! After breakfast we loaded up Mike's cooler with Coronas and ice and went poolside. We hung out there until about 1pm, then returned to our room and prepared to head home. Our flight home departed SXM at 4:30pm, arriving in ATL at 8pm. After clearing customs we left ATL at 9:50pm and arrived back in SEA just after midnight. The flights were smooth and couldn't have gone better. About 12-hours of total travel. It's good to be back, and I look forward to returning. Made here were many great memories I will forever treasure.
A few short videos from the trip:
A few short videos from the trip:
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