Feb 1 - 12…
St. Maarten
We had a solar panel tech come out and look at our set up. After some trouble shooting, it was decided that we have a bad panel. A few phone calls, a new panel is being shipped to St. Maartin (under warranty). Jim was feeling crumby from a cold bug so Jan and I headed to shore to run errands and catch a wifi signal. Upon our return we see that Jim had welcomed a guest on board, Thomas and Sofia. Our German brainiac friend and his lovely furry, four legged companion. We met them in the USVI’s a while back. They were zipping by in their dinghy when Thomas recognized our boat. We caught up on gossip since our last encounter and shared dinner; bbq ribs, apple slaw and grilled zucchini. Dark had descended upon us and Thomas and Sophia headed for home, Sofia showing great interest in the doggie bag of bones from the ribs. We hope to meet up again if not before, then when we reach Grenada where Thomas will be living for an extended period of time.
St. Maartin - St. Barth / St. Barthelemy
Gustavia
After taking on water and fuel at Island Water World on St. Maartin we caught the 10:30 ‘out bridge’ and headed south to St. Barth 15 miles. The pole went in the water after many weeks in confinement and soon ‘fish on’ was called. Unfortunately it was so big it took the lure with one quick snap. A new hook on the line and ‘fish on’ was called again. This time brought aboard. IA barracuda. t’s mouth full of teeth ready to sample any flesh available. We decided a shot of rum to ‘calm him down’ was in order. Barracuda are known to have a disease that makes them untenable for eating in some locations. Jim was able to release it safely… We continued on sails up till we had to tack and drop the sails.
We cruised the inner harbor of St. Barth for a mooring ball and decided the quarters were too tight so we dropped the hook outside. There was a bit of a roll but gentle enough for sleeping and moving around. Jim went to shore and cleared us in to customs. With Jim still feeling a bit under the weather Jan and I headed to town to have a look see. The town of Gustavia is small and bustling with activity, mostly after dark. The streets are narrow. Really narrow. One smart car or a scooter wide. Restaurants and live music get going 8pm or latter. There are shops of all kinds, close together, selling mostly high end goods. St. Barths is a mecca for the rich and richer. Nearly everyone speaks French. Big and bigger yachts tied to shore, the biggest at anchor in the outer harbor. Because the harbor is so small boats drop anchor and back down to the harbor walls or tie to mooring both front and back to prevent any movement by current or wind. The surge is significant and the boats thrust and twist on their lines quite a bit. Having scoped things out bit, we returned aboard for dinner, nightcaps and some shuteye. 
The next morning, we packed a bag for shore and exploring. Water bottles, shower kits, and swimsuits. We headed up one of the remarkably steep hills to explore one of the forts at Gustavia. It has had a few different lives over the years, now a meteorological museum. Returning to sea level we walked around the very picturesque town, stopping to admire the yachts, shops and waterfront. One way traffic barely able to maneuver the narrow streets. We spent a couple of hours at Shell Beach, tops optional. An easy walk from the town center. There were plenty of very small shells on the rather small beach. We found a spot and did a quick change on the beach and took the plunge. The water was especially refreshing after having gotten sweaty from the hike to the fort. Shell Beach just might be the luckiest beach in the Caribbean. I have heard that finding beach glass brings good luck. After filling one hand to overflowing, I decided to be more particular about my choices and I still easily filled my other palm. Having had our fill of sun, sand and surf we walked back, headed home for a late lunch and a nap.
Refreshed, we took a last trip ashore late afternoon. Jim checked us out of the country in preparation for tomorrows trip to St. Kitts / Nevis. 50 miles. The guys then took the trek up to Fort Oscar, 137.8 feet above sea level. It is currently used as a police facility. Upon their return we walked around a bit before heading home. Homemade spaghetti sauce with pasta for dinner. The clouds allowed for a spectacular sunset. The rock outcroppings, Les Gros Islets, in the middle ground.
Feb 4
The Islands that brush the clouds. The Leeward Islands. 5 of them: Saba, St. Kitts (St. Christopher), Nevis, Stacia (St. Eustatius) and Montserraat. * they all have unprotected harbors, anchorages are usually very roll'y and uncomfortable for cruising boats.
South to St. Kitts. about 40 miles. We set the sails for a nice long passage downwind. The pole in the water and soon a fish was on…. then off. Took the lure of course. Another lure on and we soon had another fish on. This time a keeper! A huge mahimahi. We couldn't slow the boat to less than 5 knots because of the preventer lines Jim had rigged. The gaff was out and ready, the fish was 10 feet from the boat. Jim had it in the pan and savoring it’s delicate flesh… when it took a leap and … it was gone. It managed to cut the line. Jan was especially frustrated (W.T.F. !) after having fought it so long. A bit of a rest, the line went back in the water. This time we landed another barracuda. Catch and release. After that there were no takers for our bait. This fishing thing is getting expensive. We have lost no less than 6 lures to fish that got away… 
We anchored in the harbor of Basseterre, St. Kitts. St. Kitts and Nevis are one country, two islands. We walked around the harbor / town area. It’s center called the Circus. The buildings are old colonial style. Brick built with wooden facades and porches. The streets narrow. St. Kitts is a very fertile island having a lot of usable land that is relatively flat. The center of the island is home to Mt. Liamuiga, an inactive volcano at 3,792 ft. Lots of tropical fruits and produce are grown here.
We stayed one night in the rolling harbor then moved to White House Bay, 5 miles south. A bit more protected. We hired a driver, Kevin, to take us on a tour. He was well versed in the local history and knew many interesting places to take tourists. The highlights included the partially restored ruins of on old sugar mill in the rainforest. (A sugar train use to run the perimeter of the island, a portion has been turned into a luxury tourist ride).
The island is home to THOUSANDs of green vervet monkeys brought over from Africa as pets. They are found in all parts of the island and are opportunists when it comes to peoples belongings, crops etc. Many of the locals supplement their incomes from the tourist trade by having trained monkeys to pose with visitors… for a tip. We visited Fort Charles atop Brimstone Hill which is at the base of a volcano crater. There are lots of old churches and countless sugar mill ruins.
At the north end of the island is Black Rocks. Leftover black volcanic protrusions jutting skyward from the crashing surf. Jim learned how to play (lose at) ‘who goes last, losses’…. a coin game. 3 rows of coins are set out, 3, 5 and 7 per row. Taking turns, the players remove as many / few coins in a single row as desired. The loser, as the name states, is the one that gets the last coin. The winner collects all the coins…
The final stop was an overlook called Timothy Hill. A panoramic view of the south end of the island, including Robert Redfords Villas, Sundance Ridge.
Heading out tomorrow.
St. Eustatius known locally as Stacia.
Stacia is a bit out of the way, there’s no harbor protection for boats and it has a very steep climb to get to the town proper. Jim has been looking forward to seeing this island for weeks. The shore is lined with the ruins of the former town. A few businesses catering mainly to tourists remain on the shore level but most are at the top of the cliff.
Stacia is home to Quill, an extinct volcano. A hiking trail leads to the crater rim, and for those with enough hootsba’ can even hike a portion of the rim at your own risk… a guide is HIGHLY recommended. The 1.5 hour hike took me over 2 hours… Jim and Jan being very patient and encouraging sherpas. Most of the trail and the crater rim are shrouded in dense vegetation. The clouds do indeed brush the tops of the island.
Why did the chicken cross the road?… I can’t say, but I know why the roster climbed to the crater rim of Quill…. to get tidbits from the hikers… We met the resident Rim Rooster that happily greets the hikers and cleans the area of any crumbs left from snacking or lunches. The trip down was much fast, gravity helping with every step.
We took showers at the National Park Office. 2 bucks. Rustic, cool and refreshing. Dinner at the Kings Well. Laura the owner and hostess. She and her husband (he was ill and we didn't get to meet him) have called this home for over 60 years. They turned a small building into a once thriving bed and breakfast, restaurant and bar. They truly love this small, quaint island. Their business has suffered some over the last number of years. In their 80’s now, it is a lot to manage. The restaurant is now closed to locals due to the taxes and restrictions the Dutch have imposed on businesses. They do however offer lovely meals for visiting yachties, if you join their ‘club’ (a loop hole). They themselves were sailors in their younger years and have an affinity for those of us out there cruising. She directs her bed and breakfast customers to a friends business up the road but is happy to prepare dinner for cruisers with a days notice. She offered us a variety of choices for meals, the guys had herb buttered grouper, I choose chicken cordon blue. We all thoroughly enjoined our dinners. Laura had us come early for sunset, free internet and the ‘honor bar’… write down what you take from the fridge or pour from the open bar. She’ll tally it all up after dinner, pay in cash. It wasn't the cheapest place in town but it was the most interesting. 
While sitting and enjoying our beverages from The Kings Well veranda we had front row seats to tonights Harbor Cinema. A charter boat was boarded by the coast guard. We had had an ‘encounter’ with the boat earlier in the day. It had anchored right next to us in the mooring field which is also a marine park, off limits to anchoring… we choose to say nothing and hope of the best. After several hours of rolling about they decided to up anchor and ????. The wind had shifted a bit and their anchor was precariously close to our starboard side. Jim jumped to the controls and started the engine to try to keep us from hitting. Nothing was said to / by either boat but it was a very tense few minutes… they managed to get the anchor up and took a mooring ball at the back of the bay. Whew… BTW, there were plenty of available moorings all day. They had not reported to customs /immigration, which must have prompted the sunset visit by the coast guard…
Laura offered us jobs: help run the bushiness, take over the former charter business (they have a catamaran), start up an affordable “women’s sailing school…” among the possible positions. If any of my readers want / need employment while living in a tropical environment… we’ll forward your info to her. Completely and fully placated, we said our good buys to Laura, her 2 ginormous great danes, several cats and her african macaws. It was a very pleasant evening with a passionate and eccentric octogenarian.
Back to St. Maarten… Feb 9 - 12
A beam reach, sailing all the way. 20 knots of wind pushing us along at 7+ knots. Our expected arrival time moving up with every surfing wave and we made the 3 pm bridge and had the anchor set by 3:30. No rolling. No waves to contend with. The only trouble was a squall that hit moments before the bride opened. Jim got a good rinsing along with he boat while making our way through the bridge and setting the anchor.
We are home… we were all glad to have the boat not rocking and rolling. The last 2 nights especially disruptive to sleeping. We put things back in order more or less from several days of being dropped and left for calmer conditions.
With Jan’s departure looming on the horizon, we hit a few happy hours, ate out a few times and rented a car for a day so Jan could see the island. We spent some time in Phillipsburg where the cruise ships dock. There were 4 in port. We wandered around the made for tourists shops and found a few things to purchase before continuing on. Even with a map we often found ourselves turning around and retreating to the main road, the beach of landmark not quite where the sign points to. Le Galion beach was an interesting stop, the French side. A nice protected harbor, somewhat shallow for swimmers. Cross over a small crest of land and the open Atlantic comes tumbling in. The volcanic rock shoreline surface was riddled with bubble holes and course rock structures. Not for the bare footed beach goers. We took brief stops at several other beaches along the way before shopping for lunch at a French grocery; croissants, cheese, salami. We drove on the Grand Case and found a mostly dry spot on the beach to eat. We strolled the narrow streets and found a few more trinkets to bring home. The afternoon was waning so we continued on till we had circumnavigated the island.
A few trips to the beach at Simpsons Bay for Jan to perfect his tan and Friday, D day, was upon us. A cockpit shower, jeans and shoes and he was off to the airport in the local taxi. Jan’s visit brought decent wind for sailing which seems to be his passion. We enjoyed his company as always and who knows…. maybe we’ll see him the summer in Germany while we wait out hurricane season…
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