Off to White Bay 4-3

We have a busy morning getting ready to go. The laundry opens at 8, so Tracy and Katie head straight there. Luckily, because within a few minutes all machines are full and people are waiting. Tim and I stop at the hardware for a new dinghy lock and then continue on to the market to pick up our meat that we left in their freezer overnight. Of course while at the market we pick a few more items as well. Back at the boat, we fill the water tanks, finish laundry, gas up the dinghy, get ice, check out of the marina, make a couple of t-shirt runs, and one last trip to the market. I need a vacation.

We shove off by 10:30, and have a great sail over to JVD. The bay is completely full, busier then we had seen it during our last stop here. We manage to find a spot to drop anchor, but its not a great spot. I snorkeled over to look at the anchor and its not set well, just wedged on a rock. The wind is out of the west, which can’t last long, and when it swings back to the east there is a good chance it will come out of the rock. Katie and the kids swim to shore, while we watch for a better spot to open up. during the 3 days we were here earlier in the trip, we saw a huge turnover in the early afternoon, so we are confident that something will open up. But of course that didn’t factor in that it was a Saturday on a holiday weekend. So no balls open up, and we end up circling around and looking for a better spot in more sand. After being blown around a bit, we do find a better spot and set anchor well enough to confidently go into shore. On shore the kids swim while the birds dive bomb the minnows all around them, and we get to stop at the Soggy Dollar for a Painkiller.  By 5:00 all but one boat has cleared out of the west end of the bay, but we are comfortable with our spot t the east end, so we just decide to stay put. The wind is still from the west, so we know that things will change and we will still need to check our position after that happens.

Well after dark, we see a large power boat come in to the anchorage, and of course the magnet on our boat is working perfectly. He heads straight over between us and the next boat on a mooring. I holler out that there is no room there and for  a minute they move off. But then they are back and dropping anchor. This is a tight spot, and with the wind now out of the south, will get worse after the eventual shift to the east. The people on board are clearly trashed and could care less where they anchor. We see them leave in the dinghy and soon hear splashes and yelling as in the moonlight we can see 3 or 4 of them swimming onto the beach. The ‘Captain’ swings by in the dinghy to assure us that he knows what he’s doing. He’s been here 3000 times and has lived here for 20 years. The boat now has ‘serious’ engine trouble and he’s not able to move it.  He’s totally trashed and belligerent, but guarantees us that he will not hit us. We suggest that he put out some fenders for when he swings into the sloop on the mooring, but now he’s heard enough from us and heads off to his boat. Minutes later he is back in the dinghy pushing his boat away from the sloop. Now the worst part, he pulls his anchor chain and drags it over towards us to give himself more room with the sloop. Great, now instead of watching him hit the other boat we get to wait until he hits us. More drunken guarantees that this won’t happen, of course when we point out that’s what he said about the other boat, he gets mad, says we must be from Boston, and jumps in the water to swim in for more beer. Soon the wind shift occurs, and he is right behind us. His anchor chain is hitting our dinghy. We have no choice but to move forward. So in the dark we haul anchor and creep forward towards the next moored boat. more confident with the wind now blowing from the east that we won’t swing much. We don’t have enough room to let out a full scope, so we can’t really back down on it hard to set the anchor like we would normally do.  Hopefully it is set. We are still close to the drunk, but now have a bit of a cushion. Long night, with several trips on deck to make sure we are still ok.  In the morning the guy on the sloop looks over to us in disbelief of the moron on the power boat. Soon he is fending off, as the wind has dropped down, and the boats are all just drifting around, instead of being pushed in a similar direction from the wind. So much for the ‘Guarantee’.

American Yacht Harbor 4-2

The morning was a bit rainy, so we skipped the idea of running over to Cinnamon Bay to check it out. Instead, the kids did their school work in the morning while we cleaned up the boat. By 11, the boat traffic had picked back up and the waves rolling through were rocking us again. So we headed across the channel towards Red Hook on St. Johns. We have a dock reserved in the American Yacht Harbor to make it easier to pick up the See’s. We get in to the harbor at noon and hail the marina office to get our slip assignment. We are told its still full and we may have to wait until 2pm to pull in. We also need diesel, so decide to pull into the fuel dock and stall there, hoping that by the time we are done our slip will be open and we can just move over. The Fuel dock is full, so we have to circle a bit in the harbor. The twin engines amaze me again – so easy to maneuver.  Although, there were some very strong gusts blowing through that managed to shove us around a bit and make things interesting at times. On our last pass, I hear someone yell my name and look over to see Tim Mays on the dock. He had just finished a fishing charter and was leaving the marina. We have plans to meet up with him later in the afternoon. Once on the fuel dock, we put about 70 gallons of diesel in the two tanks. We must have hit the rush when we got there, because now things are calm and no one is coming in. We can sit there for a bit and wait for our slip to open.

Our slip requires stern-to docking, meaning we need to back in, securing the bow lines to pilings as we pull in. We don’t want the dinghy to get in the way during this process, so we try to drop it off at a dinghy dock where we can walk over and get it later. While getting ready to do this, a guy in a dinghy comes over to ask if we are leaving soon. I tell him what we are doing, and that we can leave when the fuel dock is needed. He has a cat coming in with one engine, and thinks he may need to tie up to the fuel dock, and then use lines to swing it around into his slip. He’s going back out to the boat now, so we can wait a bit longer. Tracy and Noah take the dinghy up to the dock, but as soon as they leave, I can see the guy in the other dinghy heading back. I yell for them to hurry, but as we should know by now, some things can’t be rushed. It turns out that the owner of the cat doesn’t need the fuel dock, and will just pull directly into the slip behind the fuel dock. As it comes in, I help grab the lines and pull the back end into the slip while the dinghy shoves the front end around. I notice its a ‘Fairwinds’ Sailing School boat, and it turns out the captain is Dave, the owner. We had met briefly in Annapolis at the boat show, and I took a Fairwinds boat from Norfolk to the Abacos back in November. Small world. We can still see a boat in our assigned slip, so Tracy walks down to ask what their schedule is. Turns out they intend to stay another night, so we need to call the office to get things straightened out.  Finally about 30 minutes later, they hail us on the radio to let us know that we will be moved to the ‘T’ slip at the end of the same dock. This is fine with us, as now we don’t have to back in and can have the boat facing the wind to catch the breeze in the cabins. They have another boat with one engine coming in, and need us to either wait or stay way down on one end of the T, giving enough room for the other cat to come in. Not knowing when the other cat will arrive, we go ahead and dock. Even with the twins, this still takes a couple of tries in the gusty conditions. There’s no dock help and we need to get close enough to catch a line on the cleats. On the second pass, Carl the dock guy finally ambles out and ties us off. We are just in when we see the dinghy from the second wounded cat come up to check things out. The cat is on its way in, not too happy that we are already docked and now he will have to maneuver around us. Oh well. Their dinghy driver is between the two hulls and shoves the boat around into the wind. From there it takes about 5 attempts to get the boat coming in at the right angle, but we finally grab a line and pull them in. Yes, it would have been easier if Seabbatical were not already parked there, but there was no way we were going to circle and wait in the harbor with no way of knowing when they would show up. Everything is tied and and secure now, so no problem. Its almost 2 now, so we head out in search of food and to check out the Laundromat. Unfortunately, the ‘Open 7 days’ laundry is closed – its Good Friday. We had lunch at Molly Malones, and Irish Pub right on the docks. Food is good, we have a great view of the marina, they have a ring game, and we spot several huge iguanas in the yard next door.

 

After lunch we walk around to find the market, to see if they are well stocked, or if we need to make other arrangements to find a bigger market. It turns out that the market is great – well stocked and good prices. So our plan to just check it out turns into a full shopping spree. They don’t have delivery service, but they don’t mind if we use the shopping carts to go across the street to the marina. So off we go with 2 full shopping carts trying to keep them from sliding sideways down the hills and bouncing over the cobblestone sidewalks and docks. We are just returning the carts when Tim Mays and his family and friends stop by. We have a great visit with them on the back of the boat. While there, Capt. Bob calls. He and his wife Sueno are here in the marina and we are going over to meet them. After a nice visit with them, we grab a pizza for the kids at the Island Time Pub, and go back to the boat to wait for the See’s. They arrive right on schedule at around 10 pm. Everyone is excited to tour the boat and check out the netting at the bow, so it takes a while to get everyone settled down and into bed.

Gustavia 3-31

This is our last day here on St. Barths, so we spend the morning getting the boat ready, then we head in to clear out. Clearing out goes smoothly, with no fees involved, and soon we are walking the harbor taking a last look at some of the super yachts docked here and getting our last couple of souvenir t-shirts and bracelets. We have lunch at one of the french cafe’s along the edge of the water. I should be immune by now, but I’m still shocked at Delaina’s $25 hamburger and fries. We need one final stop at the grocery and then make the final trip back across the harbor to the boat. I try to get a little nap in before leaving for the night, but that doesn’t go too well. By 3:00 we have a cluster of boats circling trying to drop anchor next to us and over our anchor. Either there is a sign on the boat that says “Anchor here” or people see us and think “if they can anchor here it must be ok”. We just seem to be a magnet for boats to anchor close. So by 3:30 we have the anchor up and start heading west.

The forecast has held, and we are hoping to be able to sail the whole way. We are off to a good start, with the main up and reefed (just in case) and the head sail rolled out. We sail past Ile Fourchue and then just south of the Groupers, sailing just off the rhumb line towards St. Johns with wind behind us and blowing about 8-9 knots. Going past the Dutch side of St. Maarten we can see 7 huge cruise ships docked/anchored at Phillipsburg. That place must have been a madhouse today. Delaina finally gets to see some flying fish before it gets too dark, of course it is like pulling teeth to get them to stay on deck and watch for them. Unfortunately the wind does not hold, and soon drops down to 5-6 knots and we are forced to start the engines to keep the pace. with 120 miles for the trip, we are already looking at 20 hours if we go 6 knots, anything less would make the trip way too long. As the sun is setting the cruise ships start pulling out of St. Maarten, most of them moving west past us, but a couple moving to the south. The night is very uneventful, and we only passed a couple of boats all night long. The moon is full and it has the sky and water brightly lit. Its completely different out on the water compared to our first crossing where there was no moon and complete darkness. We can’t see as many stars, but its still a nice contrast to the first trip. At dawn we are still about 30 miles south east of St. Johns and we put out the trolling lines. We see a hard strike on one line and start pulling in a fish. Noah and Delaina pull the other line in to keep it out of the way, and soon realize there is a fish on that one too.  The first fish is in the boat and we bring in the second one. While pulling it in, another fish decides to try to have it for lunch, judging from the large bites taken out of the back half of the fish.  They are both small black fin tuna. Should be great eating!

By the time the fish (and boat, and galley) are cleaned we are approaching the cut between St. Thomas and St. Johns. This is a high traffic area, with a lot of boats moving through in all directions. We sail past Cruz Bay, the port where we need to clear in to the US, and drop sail outside of Caneel Bay around noon. We are close enough that we can dinghy back to Cruz. On the way to the ball we see the biggest turtle we have ever encountered. This one must be 6 feet long.  While cleaning the deck, a couple pieces of fish get tossed in the water, and within a couple of minutes we have a big barracuda prowling around the back of the boat. (kids decide swimming will wait) After a quick grilled tuna snack, we head into Cruz Bay to check in. US requires all crew to come in with passports. There’s a long form to fill in, but we eventually manage to get all the info they need  and clear in. We stroll around Cruz Bay for a while, but its busy with lots of cabs picking up the tourists getting off the ferry from St. Thomas. We check out a few shops, but its hot and crowded and we are ready for a swim. Back at the boat, the traffic has increase and the waves are rolling in non-stop. There are more balls further up the coast bay that are tucked in closer to shore and look more protected from the traffic, so we move over there for a more comfortable night. Noah takes the kayak and we dinghy in to a small beach in front of the caneel bay resort. After a short stroll, the resort police come and politely tell us to leave. There are no dinghies allowed on the beach. So we move over a couple of beaches where the paying guests don’t have to be exposed to the riff raff. After a long night and day of sailing, we are all tired and make an early night of it.

Gustavia, St. Barths 3-30

Tracy and I go ashore for a much needed coffee from one of the cafes. Manage to get a working internet connection for the first time in several days. Weather reports are so-so for the return crossing. There are surf warnings and high north swells coming in from the Atlantic.  The wind should be around 15 knots, and sea’s 8’- 10’. Keep reminding ourselves that this is downwind, and we won’t be bashing into the waves, so it should be fine.

While on line, I do some checking on the fish we saw yesterday. I thought the thing on their heads looked familiar, so I did a search for remora pictures. Sure enough that’s what they were. So, not sharks, but they were still creepy the way they kept coming in closer and closer. There are photo’s of divers with the remora stuck to them. Noah is worried and wants to know how to get them off. He thinks he read a book where they poured rum on it to get it to let go. Seems believable, as rum is the solution to just about every problem here in the Caribbean.

No luck finding a good bakery, but we pick up a baguette from the small grocery – no, its not the same. After fixing breakfast for kids back on boat, we all go in to look around. High on the list is to find the fishing store we read about. There are lots of high end shops here, but not much for the ‘regular guy’ look. (obscure movie reference to the classic Rodney Dangerfield movie ‘Easy Money’).

For lunch we stop in to Le Select. This is the place where Jimmy Buffett wrote ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’. He still drops in from time to time to play. Andy, we didn’t see the CIC burgee at Bitter End, but we did find one here. There were a few names written on it, but the only one I could read was Holly in 2007.

 

After lunch we head towards the fishing store, but they have closed it down. Looks like we are on our own again. We bought a new lure at the marine store the day before (owned by the same family) but there were no fishing experts there to ask questions. By now its getting hot! Gustavia is built on the base of the  hill surrounding the bay, and it blocks all wind. This is the first real hot day we have had since arriving at St. Martin. So we cut our visit short, make a quick stop at the grocery and head back to the boat for a swim to cool off. We are anchored far enough out that we have a great breeze and its much more comfortable.

Kids work on school work and we start preparing the spare cabin for when the See’s arrive. They will be here in 3 days, and we are all excited to have our first guests. We’ve got lots of plans for where to take them in the BVI and are really looking forward to sharing our experiences. 

Dinner plans once again get scrapped, and we just stay out on the boat. We have a great sunset, and while sitting on the bow, watch the full moon rise up over mountains behind Gustavia. Before it comes into view, it looks like sunrise over the mountains. The entire sky is lit up. When it appears it is perfectly centered on top of one of the peaks, and looks like a giant ball sitting on top. Truly amazing.

Side note: While typing this entry I watch a roughly 60-70 foot sloop motor into the anchorage. It’s a very new looking, all white, boat called the ‘Black Pearl’. He’s moving along at about 4-5 knots and starts to turn – with his bow thrusters. I mean seriously, do people forget that they have a rudder?

Anse de Columbier, St. Barths 3-29

Another perfect anchorage, calm water and a nice breeze all night long. In the morning Tracy makes crepes for breakfast, that turn out surprisingly well. After breakfast we break another immigration rule and dinghy in to shore to explore. The beach is great, long white sand and clear water. There are a number of rocky areas to check out, and we find a great natural whirlpool, that surges with every wave that comes in.

 
There are old stone stairs carved in the rock to climb to the top of the hill (Noah of course prefers to climb the rocks), giving a great view of the bay. Paths lead over to the East side of the island where its exposed to the ocean, and the waves are pounding in.



Once back at the boat, we need a swim and snorkel to cool down. There have been a lot of turtles swimming around, and we are all hoping to see one while snorkeling. The water here is the clearest we have been in. Over 20 feet deep, and as soon as you stick your head in, you can see every detail on the bottom. Its a short swim over to the reef, that is full of colorful coral and lots of reef fish. We spot 3 squid swimming around as well. This is one of the best sites we have found. Maybe not as many fish as we saw at Monkey Point, but the clear water and great coral make up for it. We swim slowly back to the boat, hoping to spot a turtle in the sea grass. No luck, but just as we get to the boat we see what looks like 2 small sharks swimming down at the sea floor under the boat. We watch them for a few minutes, believing they are nurse sharks, which are harmless and more like suckers than sharks. Soon a couple more show up. While watching the nurse sharks, I spot a small turtle zoom by. The kids are getting out, but I’m still paddling around the boat watching the sharks and looking for more turtles.  Patience pays off, and there is a very large turtle swimming towards us. He rests on the bottom and starts eating grass. The kids and Tracy get back in to see the turtle. Meanwhile, there are now even more of the sharks swimming around under the boat and they are getting more and more curious of us. 2 swim right under the kids to check them out. While we are watching, a second large turtle swims up and starts eating grass next to the first one. Soon they both surface, only about 10 feet away from us, take a few breaths and go right back down to the sea grass. This if very cool to watch, and the closest we have ever been to a turtle. Meanwhile these sharks are continuing to get more curious and bolder, swimming right up to us several times. We have the underwater camera, and I have shot several pictures of the turtles and the sharks. As they get closer, I can see a weird looking thing on the top of their heads, and I’m beginning to think they are not nurse sharks, but I’m not sure. Either way, with them coming closer and closer its time to get out. This  has been one of the best snorkel trips ever! Once on the boat, we look up the picture of the nurse shark on our fish card, and they did not match, so at this point I’m not sure what they were.
By now its afternoon, and we need to head the rest of the way to Gustavia, the main port of St. Barths to clear in. Its just a short motor around the point into the busy anchorage. We find a spot near the north end of the bay at Corossol, and set the anchor. There are a couple of cruise ships out front, and some amazing megayachts anchored all over the place. One of the largest has a floating patio that extends off the back.

We have quick lunch, then all head in to shore to clear in.  Its a relatively simple process to clear in, the hardest part is figuring out the names of countries in French as we fill out the form on the computer. We stroll around to check things out, and get a couple of shirts for the kids. On the way back to the dinghy the kids find a large tortoise in a small grassy area. We take the dinghy further into the harbor, intending to walk around a little more, but the kids are now too tired to move, and we settle for a quick sushi snack and beer.