Cruising in St. Maartin

Feb. 12 - 18

Cruising : fixing your boat in exotic locations….

La Goonies... we spent a lot of time hanging out here

We have been back in St. Maarten for over a week since our excursion to some of the nearby islands.  We are waiting on our solar panel shipment from the states.  Good news: the old ones are under warranty and the company is sending new panels, no hassle.  Bad news.  we are on an island, in the middle of the Caribbean.  Mail gets here… when it gets here.  So, we have had plenty of time to do lots of other things while we wait.  Thank goodness the trade winds have been blasting through here, the wind generator earning her keep…. but, every ride to shore you are assured a good to moderate case of dinghy butt…. salty water splashing over the sides and onto your derriere and other exposed parts.  

We have given the boat a thorough cleaning below.  With no guests scheduled for a while, we have reclaimed the shower, YES!  and moved the spinnaker to the guest / aft cabin.  I inventoried our provisions to make shopping more efficient and cost effective.  

We cleaned the cabin pretty thoroughly.  Floors and ceiling.  Polished the brass.  Oiled the wood….   we have a LOT of wood below.  It’s one of the few times I wish we had a smaller boat.

trying my hand at flavored rum...
orange and coffee beans
it's quite tasty

Laundry.  There is no where we have found to do your own.  So, we washed our own in buckets the first week here…. several hours involved (which we can spare) scrubbing in buckets and wringing by hand.  We have no way to spin the clothes to rid them of excess water so drying them on the lifelines took a  long time.  We luckily didn't lose any items overboard to neptune while they whipped in the wind.  It took so much water, which we have to buy, that it might be cheaper in the long run to pay someone.  At  $1.25 a pound, 34 pounds … yikes.  

We are amazed how many things we have had to replace / fix.  Why?… We live on a boat.  Most people say that’s enough reason to Bring Out Another Thousand (boat acronym) …but in a saltwater environment is is accentuated.  Salt is far more cursive than we ever imagined.  Every piece of metal top side shows signs of rust.  Jim polishes it every week and coats it with a sealant to keep most of it in check.  

We have to lubricate every piece of standing and working metal at least once a month or it freezes up or breaks. Hinges stop hinging… Pulleys stop pulling.  Moving parts quit moving.  Sink drains rusting away.  Carabiners dissolve in our hands.

Yin and Yang… If it doesn't seize up, it works it’s way apart.  Bolts out of their joints, nuts lost forever.  Not tied down?, gone overboard.  

Down below, we have quit using the saltwater pumps entirely.  All my cookware and knives were rusting.  The salt slowly creeping into pours and divots.  Over time the pumps would probably seize up as well, needing replacement ($$).  A while back a slow, salting leak under the sink caused several cans to rust through creating a smelly mess.  They now have new drier homes.  

homemade naan

The critters living down under the hull have started a community and seem to enjoy traveling as well.  Jim has scraped barnacles and scrubbed scum monthly.  Nothing big enough to harvest for dinner.  

Electronics have failed for reasons unknown to us.  Battery charger.  Inverter.  Computer charging units.  Windlass wash down pump.  *Solar panels.  

Hands on head… Charlie Brown face….  Aaaaah !

But, we are NOT shoveling snow.  

And, we are in the Caribbean!  

Daily life.  Get up (when we want).  Dress, if we want to.  Listen to the weather report (Chris Parker).  Listen to the cruisers net hosted by Shrimpy from Marigot Bay (the local news / info station).  Eat.  Do projects before it’s too hot; 11am - 3pm are scorching in the sun.  The trade winds blow most of the time, in the shade it it very comfortable … unless you have to exert yourself.  

Then…  Read.  Walk around and explore.  Get provisions for meals.  Check the mail (e and postal).   Meet up with a fellow cruiser.  Nap.   Decided what to do for happy hour; aboard or somewhere on shore.  Eat… sleep.  repeat.

red snapper for dinner

We have removed all the screens from the ports to allow more air to flow.  Our companionway is open if we are onboard even throughput the night.  Closed and locked while away.  We lock the dinghy to the boat at night and while ashore, just in case. There are no bugs to worry about.  In fact, nearly every restaurant or bar in the Caribbean has open air seating.  Roof, trellis or canvas overhead.  Walls and doors used for heads and kitchens or to separate businesses.  Shutters and gates signify closed for business.

There is a local fresh fish market very close to our anchorage.  Caught fresh every day (night), open at 4:30 am.  Tuna, red snapper, parrot fish, trigger fish, … and many others.  We choose a red snapper.  $6.50 a lb. another buck to fillet it.  Broiled with a thin layer of mayo, grated parmesan and bread crumbs.  A lovely dinner followed up with fried ripe plantains!  

the Dinghy Dock happy hour... pour your own !

We spent some time at The Dinghy Dock for happy hour a few days ago. They are not officially open but… happy to serve a drink to two.  Their happy hour commemorates the former business in which the owner was known to imbibe a bit too much too often and fall asleep so the patrons would pour their own drinks and leave the money on the till.  The new version, with a sober barkeep, they put the bottle on the bar, you pour your own… heavy or week, same price.  The bottle returns to the shelf for next order.  Kind of fun.  

We met a group of long time cruisers at The Dinghy Dock and joined them for dinner at Curry in a Hurry.  Indian fare.  They were all full of advice and wisdom.  They all spend hurricane season (summer) in Trinidad.  We have been considering Granada but they highly recommend Trinidad…. 

with so much time on our hands… we are running out of things to do.  I made another attempt at flat bread… naan.  It turned our pretty good.  Using the oven makes the cabin pretty warm so I have been experimenting with a make shift stovetop oven; cast iron skillet / dutch oven.  Results are getting better with each experiment.  

Jim changed the engine oil and discover the water intake pump was leaking.  Another project.  He called on the net and found a Perkins dealer close by.  Off he went.  They will rebuild it today!  Next to the Mail Box, named for their business…. mail and packages sent and delivered.  Our solar panels arrived 7 days after shipping from Miami… whoo who…. !  

We will be able to have them up and running within two days.  For the original installation Jim glued them to semi ridged corrugated plastic sheets.  The sheets have velcro sewn to them which attaches to the velcro sewn onto the bimini.   A very sharp knife, an equally determined muscle man and the old panels were removed and awaiting their new tenants.  After installation and curing time of 24 hours… we can be on our way south again. 

Harbor Cinema…. Sitting in the cockpit.  The sun is starting it’s decent.  The late afternoon planes are taking tourists off island when … a huge stingray flew out of the water.  Wing fins flapping.  Tail flipping.  What a treat and complete surprise.   

Feb 21   

it’s 3 am.   i can’t sleep.  we got a call noonish yesterday.  my mom (Helen) fell in the wee hours of the night, broke her hip.  it took an hour for her to scoot to the phone to call for help.  an ambulance ride.  meds for pain.  X-rays.  surgery.  doctors say the break and subsequent repair all went well.  mom is pretty tough.  always has been.  worked hard.  raised a large family.  and still lives independent at 91+….  

She’ll need some rehab.  she’ll have plenty of family and professional help to get her back up and going again.  not being there with her is a terrible feeling.  

X O 

I give my mom credit for my love of travel / adventure.  summer vacations, she took my sisters and me on great journeys across the U.S. throughout our childhood and into our teen years… until we girls got to cool to hang with mom and dad.  my dad couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to leave home, but he soon was afflicted with the travel bug and happily drove us in our pickup camper, mom reading the map and telling dad where to go… pun intended.

we spent a lot of time in the U.P. (Michigan’s upper peninsula) and Ontario, Canada, mostly fishing in very remote fishin’ holes, swimming with leaches… not the most fun for nearly teenage girls but not the worst thing to happen to them either.  we went out west several times and crossed mountains and plains.  we went up and through the Smokey and Blue Ridge mountains to the ocean.  later, after we girls were ‘too old’ to go with; mom and dad kept on going …  out west. down south.  florida.  the southwest… 

mom is also responsible for my cooking addiction.   i can’t seem to get enough of playing in the kitchen.  a creative outlet.  i experiment with a new recipes constantly, stealing ideas from friends, restaurants and the internet.  thank goodness Jim likes to try new dishes as often as i crank them out.   my mom loves to cook and is great at it.  she still makes huge meals and if you are lucky enough to share one with her, you will be sent home with tomorrows lunch too. 

Xo mom 

thanks for so much inspiration 

you are in my thoughts 

Follow up.  I talked to mom today.  Very groggy and tired but she is on the road to recovery.  

We have met quite a few other cruisers while we finish up our repairs and installations.  

Hank and Carol

We were finally able to connect with Hank and Carol, S/v Kismet (a Passport 40). They have been cruising for nearly 6 years in the Caribbean.  We met them nearly a month ago while passing by them at anchor.  They have been doing a major refit of electronics having taken a lighting hit a couple months back.  With our boats nearly identical it was fun to compare boats.  We discussed places of interest they had been and we hope to go.  We shared similar values; political and ecological.  The conversation always relaxed and easy.  They are headed off to St. Thomas, BVI to spend time with their son, a chef on the island.  

Jim and Michelle have been traveling since 2004, now aboard there C&C S/v Wind Machine… they left from South Haven, MI… very near our home port.  We had a very nice chat with them.  They have traveled the Caribbean extensively. Crossed oceans.  Did the med.  Logged lots of miles and experiences.  On one passage from Guatemala to St. Marten they hit a submerged container in the middle of the night!  No hull breach.  They had the boat hauled here in St. Maartin and discovered delimitation in the hull due to the collision… Repairs made, insurance covered.  While on the hard getting repairs, they met another couple who’s boat sank after hitting, possibly the container… Jim and were especially interesting to talk to, not impressing upon us where we had to go… just sharing information about what they liked or disliked about different places.  

Jim, Pattie, Tim and Michelle

Tim and Pattie.  S/v Tevai, home port Cleveland Ohio.  They have cruised on and off for several years.  They too shared stories and ports of call we might have interests in.  Rainforests, volcanos, wildlife including turtle hatching and  bird watching.  

Our last night in St. Martin, we hosted happy hour for Jim, Michelle, Tim and Pattie.  I’m not too sure what the guys talked about but we girls had a nice gam.  We all enjoy cooking and travel.  Finding new and interesting places to eat and explore.  meeting the locals and finding treasures to commemorate our adventures.  

Feb. 22

Phillipsburg harbor

Fuel: diesel and gas.  Water.  8:30 bridge.  

Nevis here we come!

Mom update… She is doing quite well.  They have transferred her to a rehab facility and she has already started physical therapy.   If all goes well, 2 weeks then home.  

Grand Case / french side 

sailing to Nevis.... SABA in the distance