If it wasn’t so warm, I’d say I am back on the Baltic Sea where, as a teenager, I fell in love with sailing. The sky is gray and scary-looking, with low clouds and the line between dark sky and dark sea almost indistinguishable. Wind is howling and blowing spray off the tops of waves….
Dolphins and Dominica
Finally! Seeing dolphins for me is the ultimate marine life experience. When they come by the boat, swim with you, and play in the bow wave. We saw many in our travels years ago across the Mediterranean Sea. But here in the Caribbean they seem to be much more rare. I am not sure why…
Exploring St.Lucia with Anika
I wake up early to make up for yesterday’s oversight. I forgot to clear out of Martinique and then discovered that the local office is closed today and instead I need to travel to the next town, Le Marin. By 7:30 I am riding the dinghy to shore to catch the 7:50 bus for the…
The eagle has landed
Anika is here! So nice. I pick her up at the Martinique airport, a brand new and surprisingly large facility. There are no less than four or five daily nonstop flights from Paris. In general, Martinique is so much more developed, built up, much more western and feels much richer than the southern islands. I…
Made it to Martinique
I enjoy my day in Rodney Bay. I visit the giant Rodney Bay Marina where some six years ago I arrived after my Atlantic crossing. It is fun to walk around and be reminded how elated I felt when stepping on land after 26 days at sea. I also have a few chores to do…
Catching my breath in St.Lucia
I sleep deep and long after yesterday’s adventure and wake up to a grey rainy morning. Unlike the usual tropical hard but short downpours followed by immediate sunshine, today is a sustained rain shower out of a deep, dark cloud cover. Almost feels like Europe, just warmer. At some point as I roll over to…
Do engines get seasick?
I bet I have your attention now! The passage from St. Vincent to St. Lucia is not the longest, at some 30nm comparable to the legs of the last few days. But my sailing guide warns of this being much harder. The northern tip of St. Vincent is (apparently) known for boisterous conditions, really gusty…
An unoffical stop in St.Vincent
Each of the Caribbean islands, so it seems, is its own country. Clearing in and out of each is quite a hassle and wastes lots of time. On my trip north to Martinique I would have to clear in and out over five times. So I decide to take a little liberty and make an…
Departing for Martinique
After four days of prep and repairs I am itching to go sailing again. I am heading north, destination Martinique. Why Martinique? Because my dauter Anika will come to visit! So exciting. Anika’s semester break runs through the end of January. But she is in the middle of her Senior Project, her Bachelor’s Thesis. There…
The fridge saga
I arrived Sun and it is already Thursday night. Where did the past four days go? The answer (mostly): fixing the freezer and fridge! Monday is a bit of a dead day – it is Jan 1 and all stores are closed and all the tradespeople are off. No way to shop for food or…