1/27/2026 Huntington Beach, CA
We spent the day in final preparation for leaving the house
for 2 months. The Uber was scheduled and we would be on a red eye out of LAX.
Except that at about 1700 the flight was canceled due to weather on the east
coast. You know, the Polar Vortex etc. I had hoped that with a flight from LAX
to Miami we would be safe from the weather but no luck.
American Airlines provided a number to call to rebook the
flight. Surprisingly a very helpful lady answered the phone quickly and we were
rebooked on a red eye leaving 1/31. They had earlier flights but they did not
look like they would arrive in Tortola in time to catch the last ferry to
Virgin Gorda. Suzette was already making a list of chores to do over the next
couple days. We had given away all our fresh food, we would need to get
creative.
1/28-1/30 Huntington Beach, CA
It turned out to be a good opportunity to do some of the
small projects that we let fall off the very full platter. The time passed
quickly and we got a lot accomplished.
1/31/2026 Huntington Beach, CA
Feeling more ready to leave the house this time. The uber
picked us up at 2000 and we were on our way. Somehow, we managed to fill two
suitcases, virtually no clothes, just lots of parts and fabric. The ride to LAX
was fast, our driver was a bit reckless, but we made it with time to spare. LAX
was crowded but not Holiday crowded. We checked our bags and slipped through
TSA Pre very quickly. When we reached the gate, we discovered that the arrival
of our plane was delayed. Our 2330 flight became a 0030 flight but American did
a great job making the turn around.
2/1/2026 Miami Beach, FL
The pilot did a great job making up time and we managed some
sleep on the way. We were thwarted at the airport, no gate open for us. We had
a tight connection from Miami to Tortola, but we did not make it. They put us
on an 1820 flight, the one that may not make it in time for the ferry. Then
they put us on standby for the 0900 and 1100 flights. We waited with bated
breath but not luck on either. So now we kill 10 hours in Miami International,
isn’t travel fun?
The 1820 left on time and we landed on Tortola early, in
time for the 2315 ferry. Best of all our luggage arrived as well! We met a woman
at the Ferry Terminal, and she was a wealth of information as she is a
resident. When we arrived in Virgin Gorda, she offered to drop us off at our
boat, perfect as there were no taxis. The boat was in great shape, and we had a
little energy to burn so we did a little unpacking before hitting the sheets.
Another 24-hour odyssey.
2/2/2022 Virgin Gorda, BVIs
Up about 0700 with a start as it was already bright out.
Lots to do today in preparation for tomorrow’s early morning departure. First
stop was the grocery store for a wagon full of provisions. On the way back to
the boat, we stopped at a roadside vegetable stand for some fabulous home grown
fruits and vegetables. These may be the largest mangos I ever saw! We offloaded
and stowed our bounty on board and moved on to the next task. We walked to the
customs office at the ferry terminal and checked out of the BVIs. 20 minutes
with very nice agents and $8.00, we were good to go.
Back on the boat we readied for departure and unhooked the
umbilical cords. Last stop was at the Marina office to pay our fees. They could
not find our paperwork, so we had to recreate our power and water usage. Fortunately,
we had pictures of the meter readings. We agreed to settle up when we return
for fuel at the fuel dock.
We departed our slip at about 1300 with a strong cross
breeze, glad the beautiful Hinkley next to us was out of their slip. We stopped
at the fuel dock and topped up the tanks, 53 gallons of diesel at European
prices, $6.03/gal! We motored out to St Thomas anchorage just outside the harbor
and anchored in about 20 feet of water.
The one chore that needed to be completed prior to our
departure was to repair the water maker. We have been limping along on a single
tube. A combination of user errors and conflicting instructions from the
manufacture caused our filter to go bad. What we learned is that freshwater
rinse is ok, just not under pressure. The removal of the filters was more
difficult this go around but thanks to Suzette’s ingenuity we succeeded in
extracting the filters. Reassembly was smooth and easy. Testing the system, we had
great output, tasty water and no leaks. On to the next issue.
The bilge pump had been acting up due to two influences; the check valve was not working properly allowing water to run back into the bilge and the temporary water maker bypass was dumping water in the bilge, making the pump work excessively. I had purchased the identical pump and check valve; replacement was easy and successful. A few last minute preparations and the boat was ready for tomorrow’s 100-mile crossing to Anguilla. In order to arrive during daylight, we planned to depart by 0300. Dinner and early bedtime.
We awoke at 0130 to a clear sky and a full moon. The wind
was light as predicted. The Admiral does not like night crossings, so I was
surprised when she said, “let’s get underway”. Being at anchor makes this a
quick and easy process. We were underway by 0145. As we made our way around the
south end of Virgin Gorda the seas picked up quickly to about 4-5’ off the port
bow as expected. A long period made them very tolerable. Surprisingly the
current was running about 3 plus knots as we crabbed across to our destination.
The moon was high and bright, almost like morning light. The visibility was
good as we could pick out a few boats on the horizon. The sea shifted to our
nose for a bit of bashing so we adjusted 10 degrees and the ride smoothed out. The
sun rose about 0645, the wind was south southeast about 5-10 knots, and the
current was up to 4 plus south. We sighted St Martin about 20 miles out;
Anguilla is low lying and was not visible until we were within 10 miles. As we
made our way we were checking weather and decided to divert and go the north
side of St Martin.
We arrived in the bay about 1300 and easily found a spot to anchor near the entrance to the Lagoon. We wanted to go into the Lagoon for protection against the predicted 5’ swell from the north but all indications were that it would be too shallow for us. We put the dinghy together and deployed it for the dinghy ride into customs. They require that you fill in an electronic form online prior to your arrival, it was easy and I quickly had my reference number.
We easily spotted a dinghy dock and found the customs office
at the ferry terminal. The customs agent was helpful and in about a half hour
we were checked in and paid our fees which included 7 euros a day to anchor in
the bay. The customs agent confirmed that our draft was too deep to enter the
lagoon from the north side, but we could access it from the south side, the Dutch
side. Afterward Suzette made a bee line for the nearby shopping mall, but it
was not very interesting. We were in the town of Marigot and ready to explore.
We stopped at a Patisserie and enjoyed a Gelato. The baguettes looked good, we
bought one, our first since leaving the Med. A quick stop at a small market by
the waterfront for some essentials and we were on our way back to the boat.
With the big swell predicted overnight we moved to the east
end of the bay and tucked in behind the point where we would hopefully be
protected. We were exhausted and ready for sleep. It was a very long day, but
successful and fun.
2/4/2026 Marigot Bay, St Martin
A long winters nap in reasonably calm wind and seas. There
was a slappy little wind wave on the bow that set in at about 0300, but I slept
through it. I woke feeling a cold coming on, It seems that I have become very susceptible
to catching something when we travel. I was bullet proof as a younger man.
Undeterred I plowed through the day. It was raining on and off all day making
it easy to stay inside, get the boat cleaned up and put things in their proper
places. Not to mention the fact that there is always something to fix on a
boat, not the least of which is my computer that is acting up. I cleaned out my
Raffaellesco book where I keep all my relevant papers for customs and marinas.
Out with the Med and in with the Caribbean. The Med papers will be stored for
now. Cleaned up my storeroom and fixed the broken towel bar in my head, it
should not be used as a handle in a rolling sea!
The rain let up in the afternoon allowing us to deploy the
fly I made for the forward part of the cabin. We worked out the attachment
points and test drove it in wind and rain as the day wore on. The idea is to
offer shade for the cabin and rain protection so the hatches can remain open.
The rain protection is good if there is not much wind otherwise the rain is
still blowing in the hatches. By the end of the day the wind had shifted east,
and the sea was coming in from the northeast. We pulled the anchor and moved
back to the west side of the bay where it was much more comfortable.
2/5/2026 Marigot Bay, St Martin
Up with the sun and feeling better, though my cold has
turned into laryngitis. The day started out rainy but cleared by 1100. We
deployed the second fly to cover the aft part of the cabin and work out the connection
points. This precipitated a chandlery list. Suzette had been doing a bunch of
reading about Marigot and concluded that we did not need to check in at the
ferry terminal, they were charging people to anchor and there should be no fee,
we will need to investigate this and determine what is correct. We loaded up
the dinghy with trash and shopping bags and headed to shore thinking the rain
was done for the day.
First stop was the chandlery, Island Water World, very well stocked and helpful. They provided us with lots of info on the check-in procedure as did one of the customers. It seems that the ferry terminal is a rip-off, legitimate but a rip off on cost. Leaving the chandlery, it was starting to rain so we dodged in and out of cover as we made our way to the Super U grocery store. On the way we stopped at a pharmacy to see about something for my laryngitis. The rain was really coming down so we stayed at the pharmacy for a while chatting with the pharmacist. We learned a little about the island. Not unlike the Med it has become expensive to live here, partly due to tourism and partly due to the impacts of extreme weather. The number of structures that are still uninhabitable from hurricane Irma is staggering.
The rain subsided and we continued on stopping on occasion in hopes that it would stop raining. The Super U was a great store, but the shelves were a bit bare in some areas, weather had delayed the shipment of stock. North and west of here the weather was severe from the bomb cyclone on the east coast. Cuba hit 32 degrees for the first time in recorded history! We picked up a few items for dinner, but this was mainly a recon mission with no wagon and no plan to buy much. The rain broke for a little bit, allowing us to get back to the waterfront but then it poured. We ducked into a waterfront bar and decided to have lunch, pizza, a local beer, SXW IPA and a glass of wine. Everything was delicious. The rain finally stopped and the sky began to clear. The dinghy had about 4 inches of water in it, bailing took a while.
On the boat I was able to finish the test install on the
fly. Now the cabin is nearly covered from stem to stern in white, waterproof,
ripstop Nylon. We will see how it holds up. While working on the fly I saw a
red bag floating in the water and decided to retrieve it so no one would get it
caught up in their prop or intakes. Sadly, what I discovered was a puppy dog, headfirst
in the bag, drowned. My first thought was about who would do such a thing. I
shouted to Suzette with tears in my eyes. As I thought about it my guess
changed to the dog had gone in the bag after something, fell overboard and
could not extricate itself. We decided to comb the anchorage to see if anyone
had lost a dog and at least report it to them. The first boat we came to said
that someone did come by asking about a dog. We stopped at all the boats along
the way but no one else knew about a missing dog. Dejected, we returned to our
boat with a plan to listen in on the morning net for someone missing a dog. I
thought that the owners might find some solace in knowing what occurred.
The sun set was beautiful but a little bittersweet knowing someone had lost their pet.
2/6/2026 Marigot Bay, St Martin
Lazy day catching up on Laundry and cleaning as it was rainy
and overcast outside,
2/7/2026 Marigot Bay, St Martin
After coffee we loaded up the spare Delta anchor and headed
to the marine swap meet to see if we could off load it. We have only been
carrying it around for 4 years! To buy a new one here runs about $900, I am
asking $300, bargain! The swap meet was held at a boat yard, TOBY, just past
the Sandy Ground bridge. TOBY is a boat yard for repairs and storage and looks
a bit like Minny’s with old masts and gear stacked about. It was an interesting
mix of buyers and sellers. More sellers than buyers but some of them seemed to
be doing well. The family next to us were from Australia and had circled the
globe twice but were now selling their boat and gear. We had some interest in
our anchor but no sale. One fellow said that he wished the anchor had more rust
so he could offer us $100. Our new friends Pat and Frankie stopped by the swap
meet. We had a good discussion on how to check in and out of St Martin
electronically. They sent us the links online that made it easier for us old
people to do. We wrapped up at the swap meet at noon and schlepped our anchor
home once again.
After lunch we enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the shade of our new fly and a nice breeze out of the south. Today is the first day of carnival with lots of celebrations in town. Typical of the islands, no one really seem to know what time and where the festivities would occur. The latest intelligence said 1600 in the town center. We arrived at 1600 and found a full-on stage and sound setup, but only sound check occurring at the time. We stopped at a fabulous bottle shop, more for the air conditioning but ended up buying a bottle of locally made dark rum. What I really needed was a bottle of Hendricks Gin but they were sold out. We stopped at Arawak’s, a sea side bar, for a couple of Mojito Royals, Mojito with champagne. The waitress told us the parade would start around 1700 and gave us the route, then the party is in the town center.
We finished our drinks and headed to the parade route just
around the corner on Rue de Republic. The parade started not so promptly at
1730. Lots of fabulous dancers and a couple of amazing drum corps. This was the
cultural parade though I am not sure what cultures they represented. After the
parade we headed to the town center where everyone had gathered and enjoyed the
show well after dark. We headed back to the boat and it was very dark. We had a
tuff time finding our boat but eventually succeeded, we need to leave more
unique lights on.
2/8/2026 Marigot Bay, St Martin
An overcast day with rain on and off all day keeping us
inside but always occupied with projects. I spent most of the morning pouring
over numbers and spreadsheets thinking about finances and investments, it’s all
good but very unpredictable at the moment. The rain did stop by afternoon but
started back up about the time we were ready to head to shore for the kid’s
parade. It was another parade of dancers but this time the kids were
performing. I guess we will miss the parade and stay dry here on the boat.
Suzette made a fabulous mushroom risotto for dinner. Some
cards and an early bedtime.
2/9/2026 Marigot Bay, St Martin
The skies were only partly cloudy, but the wind was strong
at 15 plus and the swell was rolling through the anchorage at about 4’. With a
long period, it was not uncomfortable. We had a couple of errands to run before
departing for the south side of the island. The prediction was for winds up to
35 knots and swell up to 5 or 6 feet.
First stop was Ill Marine to print our electronic check out
papers, which they did for free. The next stop was Island World Marine (IWM).
St Martin is a duty free island, I am not sure why they are duty free, but that
makes it a good place to buy the high dollar things. We decided to spend the
money and replace our 120’ of rusty 7/16th inch galvanized chain
with 200’ of 12mm stainless steel chain. I have to blame my friend Ray Wilson
for this extravagance. Ever since Suzette saw Ray’s 20 year old stainless steel
chain still gleaming she has wanted it. The second big ticket item for this morning’s
splurge is a 9.9 hp Yamaha 4 stroke for the dinghy. We knew that when we came
to the Caribbean that we would want a more robust longer range dinghy
arrangement. Anchored in Marigot Bay proved this to be true. Our 3 hp electric
has served us well but it is not so practical here. We have never run out of juice,
but it is very slow making explorations limited and this is a huge bay. The
Yamaha is the most prevalent and well supported outboard here in the Caribbean
and this is the first place that has had one in stock…only one. We will pick up
the engine on Friday. They will commission it this week. I am not a big fan of
gasoline on a boat, but I will have to get over it. At home we have a propane
outboard that is perfect for what we do there. We will keep the electric for use
on some occasions.
You may be wondering why we are spending so much to upgrade
Raffaellesco when we had planned to sell her in 2028. Well, we have decided to
take her to California and sell Rascal instead! We have waivered on this
decision for a while now and hope we are making a good decision. I like having
a plan and working to the plan. Needless to say, we have a lot invested in
Raffaellesco and we want to continue to enjoy her.
With my wallet now much lighter we headed back to the boat
and departed for Great Bay, Sint Maarteen on the south side of the Island. We
will be well protected there for the next few days and we will get to take in
the Dutch side of the island. The Swell was easily 8-10’ as we passed around
the west end, but the long period made them gentle and reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean that we sail in all of the time. There were 6 or 8 yachts
anchored in the bay when we arrived but there was plenty of room for us. We
anchored easily in about 12’ of water on sand. The bay was surrounded by beautiful
white sand beaches.
The rain had not set in yet, so we quickly made our way to
the dinghy dock in the marina and walked about 15 minutes to the immigrations
and customs office outside of the commercial port. It was a bit tricky to find
but we managed to find it. There was one couple finishing their check-in and
another ahead of us. The couple ahead of us lived in Paris and kept a boat here
in the Caribbean, not unlike ourselves. They completed their check-in quickly
and we were in and out even faster and at no cost. With all the confusing
guidance for checking in it is a relief when we succeed.
On the way back to the boat, we stopped at the local grocery
to check it out, it was a great store and, of course, we picked up a few
things. A short ride back to the boat where we could relax and read for a
while. My one chore was to change the rigging on my crane for the outboard. It
was a 1 to 1 hoist, but I never used it. I changed it to a 4 to 1 with larger
line so we could more easily lift the new 92 lb outboard.
Dinner is always what
needs to be eaten so tonight was frittata and toast with guacamole, chili salsa
and mango chutney, which means I was cooking. We are enjoying the French Bordeaux
wine while we are here in the French territories.
2/10/2026 Great Bay, Sint Marteen
We woke to a very calm gray day, but the weather is coming. Overnight there was some rain and some gusts but nothing strong like they
predicted. We headed to shore about 0930 to explore the town, The architecture
has a Dutch vibe but everything else seems to have a French influence. This is
a huge cruise ship stop, 4 yesterday, 3 today. As you can imagine lots of jewelry
shops, souvenir shops, restaurants and duty-free shops. The waterfront was
colorful and it was fun to walk and people watch. One street back from the
beach were the higher end stores where we found a Blanc du nil. This is a store
we found in Europe and liked their clothes, cotton and linen, mostly white with
some tropical patterns on some of the clothes. Suzette bought a dress and I
bought a shirt, shorts and a belt. There were lots of high-end liquor stores
where we finally found our favorite gin, Hendricks, and the rye we like,
Bullet. Let’s just say we stocked up duty free. The last stop was at a cheese
shop where we found various ages and types of Guoda to taste and of course buy.
For lunch we stopped at the Blue Bitch Bar. I liked their pitch, “A fun place to chill when you are in heat”. We grabbed a table on the sand and enjoyed great food and cocktails. We met an interesting group of people from Massachusetts who were regulars here on the island. They had lots of suggestions for places to go and see. We may see them again as it is a small island.
On the way back to the boat we engaged a fisherman who was
working on his boat. We asked if it was ok to beach our dinghy here and walk to
the Carrefour Market. He said it would be fine and that his house was right
there and we could tie the dinghy to the palm tree, but it was a long walk to
the store. He explained how and where to catch the bus but suggested a better,
less expensive and closer market. The people here have been incredibly helpful
and friendly.
Back on the boat we were low on water, so I decided to run
the generator and make some water and electricity. Uh oh, no raw water flow to
the generator. At least it is smart enough to know and shutdown. There is a lot
of sea grass in the water, and we had a strainer full a few days ago. Checked
the strainer and it was dry and clean. Checking the sea cock it was giving just
a trickle. Guess I will be diving to clean the through hull and valve tomorrow.
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