3/2/26 Columbier Bay, St Barts
Calm in the early morning with a full moon setting behind
us. Then a squall came through, rain and 30 knot wind ruining my namaste. It
only lasted a few minutes and settled back down with blue skies appearing. The
weather is so unpredictable here and goes from one extreme to another. The afternoons seem to settle a little bit. We
took the dinghy for the one mile wet and wild ride to town to check out in
preparation for leaving the next day for Sint Maarten.
The check out was just as easy as the check-in. A quick stop
at the American Gourmet Grocer. And of course we had to poke our heads into a
few boutiques. The dinghy ride back was a bit better with wind and sea behind
us. The bay was filling up with day boats and beach goers despite the wind. In
the evening two big cats pulled in for the night and parked on top of us. As we
drifted closer together, I called out to the crew suggesting we were a bit
close. They responded with “it will be OK”. They eventually did move to the
outer edge of the bay. The wind blew hard all night, but we were well secured
and the other cat was clearing us on the swing.
3/3/2026 Columbier Bay, St Barts
Today was predicted to be slightly calmer and we were
seizing the opportunity to move. We readied the boat for heavy seas, everything
locked down and put away. We departed about 1100 with the wind at our back and
a very confused 4-7’ sea, but generally on our stern quarter. The distance was
only 15 miles to Simpson Bay, the admiral said “no sails we are motoring”. I
seized the opportunity to run the engine up past 2600 RPMs and blow out the
turbo that rarely gets used. We were surfing the waves and hitting 11 knots
plus SOG. Once we were in the lee of Sint Maarten Island it settled down and we
could see lots of big black sails ahead of us, race boats! Then I remembered it
is the Heineken Regatta this weekend and they were out practicing.
We rounded into Simpson Bay and spent about an hour exploring our options for anchoring. We dropped the hook in a couple places before finding our favored spot. We dropped the anchor in 14’ of water just north of the entrance into Simpson Lagoon. It will be a little rollie but very convenient to everything. We settled the boat dinghied into the customs office. I filled out 3 pages of information and paid $40, easy in and out.
It was comfortable on the boat, and the Admiral was much
more relaxed having survived the big seas and wind. We had our BWCC board
meeting at 2200 and then off to bed to catch up on some much needed Sleep.
3/4/2026 Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
Up with the sun and light winds. It was a good day for
catching up on the laundry with sun and a breeze for quickly drying everything.
Our anchor location is perfect for watching the parade of boats as they leave
Simpson Lagoon. They all come at one time as the bridge opens only a few times
each day. After lunch we dinghied into the lagoon to find the Garden Market
Supermarket. This turned out to be a great market located just inside the
Lagoon from us. Not a big shopping trip, mostly essentials for the next few
days. We toured the Lagoon to check out the huge yachts that were on hand for
the races.
The afternoon was spent rearranging our flights to be home for SYC and BWCC events. This was an Arduous process to cancel three separate flights and rebooking three flights. American Airline’s web site is not very helpful in that you have to call reservations to get the travel credits toward your new flights. We now plan to be home on 3/18 and return to the Caribbean 4/11. We are hoping that the weather will be better when we return.
3/5/2026 Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
A sunny breezy morning with a cloud full of rain passing
over. We watched the growing parade of boats with today being the first real
race day. Tinkering on board in the morning. Always something to fix or
improve. I finally finished the solid bimini infill, no sun or rain in the
cockpit.
In the afternoon we ventured back into the lagoon to check
out the chandlery and, as always, picked up some groceries. Admittedly today it
was mostly alcohol. We found a shop that had our favorite Amaro from Italy, but
only one bottle!
In the evening it was sundried tomatoes, grilled eggplant and shallots over pasta with a spicy pasta sauce. The butane bottle ran out mid cooking, but it was quickly changed out for a fresh bottle. That bottle lasted a long time! We sampled a bottle of our latest wine purchase; we are still looking for a great one to stock the boat with.
It was a very windy night, but we slept with confidence as
the anchor has held well here.
3/6/2026 Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
The wind finally died down and the sun was up. A busy day to
day prepping the guest cabin and provisioning. We had guests Bill and Owen
arriving the next day. In the afternoon we hit six different supply houses in
the industrial zone, Electec for an RJ12 cable, Nappa for a grabber tool, Ace
for a gas valve, Prime (Dutch Costco) for a giant bag of baking soda for
cleaning, Beautyliscious for a nailfile and the pharmacy for an eyeglass repair
kit. Not to mention 3 more stores that did not have what we wanted. It was a
lot of walking but worth the effort.
We were back on the boat in time for sundowners and a
relaxing evening. Though overnight the wind was fierce, probably the strongest
we have seen.
3/7/2026 Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
The wind continued to howl into the otherwise sunny morning.
Last minute prep for guests and off to the Garden Market for the big haul of
groceries. Back on the boat it was time for stowing and some last-minute
polishing.
We had a great view of the windward mark on the racecourse
and watched the racers fighting to round the mark. I took the dinghy to pick up
Bill and Owen at the immigration dock, which was very convenient for both of
us.
Bill and Owen stowed their gear while Suzette made up an afternoon snack. The sun was out and the breeze was up, so we enjoyed catching up with each other gathered in the cockpit. We spread out the chart and did some trip planning and orientation with our guests. We have about 150 miles to cover in the next few days, once we have a suitable weather window. We were happy to have crew for the long passages.
After a great Mexicali dinner, we played Train game and
enjoyed cocktails into the wee hours. The wind picked up as usual making for a
noisy night.
3/8/2026 Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
It was a beautiful sunny morning but still very windy. We
watched the parade of racing boats and spectator yachts make their 0830 exodus
from the lagoon to the racecourse. We were going to go out and watch the races,
but we already had the best seat in town. We were able to get a good view of
most of the different classes of boats.
Owen managed to catch a cold, probably on the airplane. In
the afternoon we headed to the pharmacy for some drugs and the grocery store
for a few items.
After dropping off drugs to Owen convalescing on the boat the rest of us headed to the racing village across the lagoon. There was a great jazz band playing and the bar was open. We checked the sponsors tents for regalia and had a couple cocktails. The sky was getting gray and we thought we would beat the rain by heading back to the boat. We picked up a hitch hiker, one of the race winners, and gave him a ride to his hotel. No sooner were we all in the boat than the sky opened up. By the time we got to the boat we were prewashed, no shower necessary. It cleared quickly and turned into a nice evening for a sunset and way less wind overnight.
3/9/2026 Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
Early morning rain and gray skies greeted the day. The
anchorage was getting a bit of a swell, so we relocated to Pelikan Key across
the entrance channel. With the races over, there was more room in the anchorage,
and we found a choice spot close to the beach and well protected.
After lunch we took the dinghy over to the French side of
the Lagoon. Suzette wanted to buy more peanut brittle in the little store in
Marigot. We walked around the town that was now very familiar to us. We stopped
at the patisserie to buy bread and stayed for coffee and a sandwich. On the way
back to Sint Maarten, we stopped for a little gas as we had been doing a fair
amount of running around. Back in Sint Maarten we stopped at Island Water World
because the two Bills love a good chandlery. Ironically, I did not need
anything.
Our timing to return to the boat was again terrible, another
downpour on the way back to the boat. Suzette made us a great pasta dinner as
we dried out. Overnight was gusty and the anchor chain was making a lot of
noise. We were on deck around 0130 adjusting the snubber to quiet the anchor
chain.
3/10/2026 Pelikan Kay, Sint Maarten
Up with the rain, it was a gray day but less wind gusts. We
did a load of laundry to get everyone caught up with clean undies and some
clothes. We made another dinghy run to Marigot and enjoyed lunch at Alize on
the lagoon. This is a place I had wanted to go to for Valentines Day, but no
reservation. The food was fabulous and we lingered over lunch as light rain
passed through. We wandered the streets and checked out a few shops including a
grocery stop.
Back at the boat to deposit our passengers and provisions. I
headed to the immigration dock to check out, but they were just closing. Having
had a big meal for lunch we grazed on cheese, baguette and other nuts and
fruit. It was a fairly quiet night as the wind seemed to be subsiding.
3/11/2026 Pelikan Key, Sint Maarten
Up with the rain and gray skies. We went back to immigration,
but they were not there yet so we returned to the boat…island time. We readied
the boat for departure then headed back to immigration where we finally checked
out. We departed about 1100 in 15-20 knot winds on our nose and a 4 to 6’
swell, also on our nose. We arrived back at Columbier Bay and anchored at the
western edge of the bay. It was rainy so we only snorkeled to check the anchor.
The park Ranger was trolling around checking all the boats but did not visit
us. Maybe because I filled out their form online.
Suzette made a spectacular Paella for dinner. After dinner it was an intense game of Mexican Train. It was another gusty night.
3/12/2026 Columbier Bay, St Barts
In the morning, we all went into Gustavia to check out the
town and formally check in and out as we would be leaving the next day. The check-in
line was long, but they were efficient and we were in and out fairly quickly.
We went for lunch at Le Select for a Cheeseburger in Paradise and some rum drinks. Bill and Owen ran into some friends from California who were there on a cruise ship, small world. Back on the boat we had a great snorkel dropping in on to of a Spotted eagle Ray. There were many turtles and a huge ball of schooling fish. The evening brought wind and rain.
3/13/2026 Columbier Bay, St Barts
We departed about 0330 for Antigua, a long run of 80 miles.
Suzette and I pulled the first watch and motored directly into a half-moon that
lit the way and gave us good visibility across the water. The seas were
building as we passed the south end of St Barts and the protection it offered.
The wind was perfect 10-15 knots from the east as we made our way southeast.
Bill came on watch at 0600 and we unfurled the sails for a close reach nearly
on course. The seas were running about 5-7’ so we were slamming through them
making the whole boat shudder.
We could see the rain forming up to our southeast but did not react quickly enough when the wind piped up to 20 knots. Trying to manage the boat and give direction to furl the main we managed to break the furling line. At this point we fired up the engine and pointed into the wind to furl the jib. I was able to get the main furling started by hand on the fore deck and then finish the furling with the winch in the cockpit. Deep breath, no one hurt and we continued south under motor power.
We arrived in Jolly Harbor on Antigua at about 1530 and went
straight to the customs dock. We picked up a side tie at the super yacht dock
next to customs. I went directly to customs hoping to check in before they
closed at 1600. I was able to start the process but since Bill and Owen would
be leaving the boat here they wanted to see where Bill and Owen would be
staying and they wanted to see their plane tickets for departure. They said
come back in the morning with your information. We had hoped to depart early in
the morning for Gaudalupe, but that was not to be.
We headed back out of the beautiful lagoon and found a place to anchor in the well protected bay. This may have been the most peaceful night at anchor on this trip.
3/14/26 Jolly Harbor, Antigua
It is official that both Suzette and I have caught the cold that
Bill passed to Owen when they boarded the boat. At least it was a quiet restful
night. We motored back into customs and continued the process. They were not
satisfied that Owen had only two nights booked and they were staying four nights,
Owen had to find a place on her phone and book a reservation as she sat on a
bench at customs. It took us nearly two hours, but Owen and Bill were checked
into Antigua and Suzette, and I were checked in and out. We said our good byes
and headed to the fuel dock. In the interest of time, I only filled the Port
tank. We were on our way by 1030.
The weather was clear and calm with 10-15 knot wind from the east and a 3-4’ swell from the east. This would be a perfect broad reach but my main was disabled so we motored. The sea was rolling but at least we were not crashing off the waves. The engine started acting up, losing a regaining power so we lowered the RPMs and set about trying to determine the problem. It was not until the engine died completely that I realized the problem. We unfurled the jib so we could steady the boat and make some way. The problem was that I neglected to switch from the starboard fuel tank to the port tank and we starved the engine in the rolling sea. I switched tanks and blead the filters to get the engine started. Once underway we furled the jib and continued on our way.
We arrive Deshaies, Gaudalupe at 1700, plenty of time to
check in with customs. The anchorage is deep and crowded but we found a spot
and anchored up. I took the dinghy ashore while Suzette stayed on board to tend
the boat. I found the customs office, but no one was there. There was a notice
posted that we could check in online and it gave the web site, same system we
used in St Marten. I went back to the boat with the good news. There was still
enough daylight to move south to a better anchorage, we headed to Plage de
Petite Anse. There was one other boat in the beautiful cove. We anchored in
about 20’ of clear water and settled in for the night. We enjoyed a swim to
cool off and check the anchor, all good. Overnight we had a lot of rain to wash
the salt off of the boat but very little wind and a calm sea.
3/15/2026 Plage de Petite Anse, Guadalupe
Up with rain and gray skies, light wind and calm sea! We had
planned to head to the marina where we had a month-long slip reservation, but
the Cousteau Marine Reserve was calling and we wanted to have a little fun. We
cast caution for the weather aside and headed to the reserve. The anchorage was
very full and deep. We found a spot, but the wind was picking up, and I felt
that we were too close to the other boats, so we relocated. Our new spot was
good, 25’ of water and plenty of room, until a cat park next to me. There was
already too much wind to feel comfortable snorkeling, we buckled in for the
windiest night yet. I stayed in the cockpit all night on anchor watch. The wind
topped 37 knots and the gusts had us swinging though 100 degrees. We would
occasionally get close to the cat but then the wind would move him away. The
wind finally moderated at 0500 and I went down for a 30 minute nap.
3/16/ 2026 Malandure Centre, Guadalupe
We were up at 0530 and on our way to the marina. The winds
were predicted to be gusting to 30 by 0900, and we were hoping to be in our
slip by then. The wind was building and a swell from the south was building. By
the time we arrived at the marina we were getting 25 knot gusts over 15 knots
of wind. The marina was set up for med mooring but with a mooring ball at your
bow instead of sand lines and dead man. Fortunately, the wind was on our starboard
quarter as we back into the slip. The dockhand on the dock was very helpful and
a second dock hand was in a boat to quickly attach our bow to the mooring ball.
We were happy to be tethered to land as the gusts built to thirty. Once the
boat was settled and the utilities connected, we took a well-deserved 1-hour
nap.
We would be leaving the boat here for three weeks, we had
some work to do. We started with general cleaning, stowing the dinghy and
motor. It rained on and off, but we made good progress. A second 1-hour nap in
the afternoon kept us going into the evening. Pizza for dinner, a good bottle
of wine and I was ready for bed. This was a long winters nap, having only slept
about 2.5 hours in the last 36 hours.
3/17/2026 Marina Riviere Sen, Guadalupe
Up from a much-needed sleep and feeling refreshed. This is
the first time I have slept all night in a long time, always wind or rain
waking me up.
We spent the day dodging rain drops and putting the boat
away for its 3 weeks of rest in the marina
In the afternoon we went for a walk to check out the
neighborhood. There is a black sand beach and beach club to the south of the
marina. In the little town we checked out the food stores where we found a great
vegetable market and a good grocery store. In the little chandlery they had
what I needed, new furling line, dyneme for making soft shackles and fuel
additive. A very knowledgeable clerk helped us a lot.
It is always a challenge when leaving the boat to finish off all the perishable food. So diiner was eclectic but delicious, frittata, a slice of left over pizza and a side of cabbage salad. Much better than mustard sandwiches. We were in pretty good shape for tomorrow’s departure. Just a few more chores before bed.
3/18/2026 Marina Riviere Sens, Gaudalupe
Up early to rain and a gray sky that cleared by about 0900.
We finished putting the boat away in plenty of time to catch our Taxi at 1115.
It was a 1-hour ride through the interior of the island to the airport. The
driver spoke English well and answered lots of questions about the island.
There principal crops are sugar cane and bananas, both get shipped to France.
They make very good rum here which gets exported to various places. And of
course, tourism is important. They have their issues with gangs as this is a
stopping point for drugs and guns coming out of Venezuela and Columbia, we did
not ask too many questions here. The young people tend to leave the island like
we have seen in so many places.
The airport was a huge modern terminal by island standards. It was a bit confusing to navigate but we did manage to check in and depart on time. Well, almost, at the last minute they decided that they needed more fuel. I was asleep before they took off.
We arrived on time in Miami and the airport was not crowded.
We passed through immigrations and customs quickly with time to spare for our
next flight. A little dinner at the sushi bar and we were ready to go. It was a
long flight to LA, but we arrived on time and were happy to be home. The air
was balmy and the uber ride home was quick. This was one of our better trips
home. It was about 0200 and time for sleep in my own bed.
(As a side note I will apologize for being so far behind on
this blog. We have been busy and my computer is not behaving, making this an
arduous chore. Time for a new one?)
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