March 31st, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of trading 25 million in gold for what is priceless! St Thomas, St Croix, and St John lay between the Spanish Virgins and British Virgins and each island, like all islands, has it’s own colorful history.

Cool Facts:

Founding Father:

Alexander Hamilton, one of our founding fathers was born on Nevis, a nearby Caribbean Island, and in 1767, when he was 8, his parents moved to St Croix. His dad left, his mother died, and as an illegitimate orphan he became a clerk. Locals saw his potential and sponsored him to go to school in the states. Imagine this… he was shot in a duel by the Vice President of the United States.  I hate guns. A punch in the nose might have been sufficient in getting the point across.

Artist:

Camille Pissarro was born in 1830 on St. Thomas to Jewish immigrants. There is a good read called A Marriage of Opposites that tells his story.

Athletes:
Many professional boxers and baseball players were born here. Two famous sailors were born on St Thomas. Peter Holmberg won a silver medal in the 1984 Olympic Finn class, was on top of the world in match racing and continues to drive or do tactics on super yachts, and the new hero here is Taylor Canfield. Taylor has been the #1 ranked match racer In The World for the past 5 years and has his sights on the America’s Cup for future endeavors. Go Taylor!

Rich and Famous:
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group (records and airlines, etc) owns 2 islands in the BVI’s close to Virgn Gorda. He hosts friends and celebrities alike. Recently he had a contest with Obama.
“We decided to set up a friendly challenge: Could Barack learn to kitesurf before I learned to foilboard? We agreed to have a final day battle to see who could stay up the longest,” Branson wrote in a post on Virgin.com.

“We were neck and neck until the last run on the last day, when I got up on the foilboard and screamed along for over 50 metres, three feet above the water,” Branson wrote. “I was feeling very pleased with myself, only to look over and see Barack go 100 metres on his kiteboard! I had to doff my cap to him and celebrate his victory.”

Golf or kitesurfing. Both are good sports but I prefer a president who is athletic and brave enough to fly with the wind! You can’t beat that smile either. Nuff said.

Actors:
Kelsey Grammar who is best know for his role as Frasier on Cheers, was born in Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas.

Religion:
When you die, if you were a really good woman in your lifetime you will be given your own island full of male virgins. Agh! I think I’ll stay badass.

Having never gone to the USA/New Orleans traditional Mardi Gras, we made sure we saw one down here in the Caribbean!

Wikipedia says Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday, reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. In Martinique this tradition is a biggy. It may be about food but that certainly wasn’t the focus! Everyone dresses up and if you can imagine Halloween being practiced for 4 days you are close. Except that the music is loud with a rhythmic pounding and it’s mostly adults and the costumes on certain days have a color theme.  Red, Black, White and Gold, and Rastafarian were popular.

 

Paula and Janet Heineken arrived in the midst so we all dressed up and took part one night. On our way back to the boat we noticed a circle of locals with music and chanting going on in the park. On further inspection we saw two not very young women doing a form of martial arts that was part of their heritage. Since none of us speak French we could not ask but clearly it was observed with quiet respect while the drummer and chanter made the noise. During every dance/fight, the fighters would pay homage to the drummer, almost as if they were getting power from the drum beat. We felt it too.

 

A solid week of fun with the Heinekens while coincidently the Heineken regatta was going on in St Martin. We visited Dominica and finished in Martinique before sending them back home to San Fran.

Eric and I waited out the blustery week and then sailed north to Jacques Cousteau’s nature conservancy where turtles were abundant. From there we headed up to Deshais  (pronounced Day Ay) for one last yummy French meal, and then a 200 mile sail to St Croix under full moon and mostly clear skies. We visited Seamus Huolihan who owns a  new Gun Boat 55 named Thirst, met his brother John who lives high on the hill, and then sailed back to St Thomas.

St Thomas feels like our home away from home. Friends and a yacht club that is warm and welcoming, plus a sweet cove to swim and hang out in while we do our normal and sometimes not so normal maintenance.

As for El Raton, after 2 years of enjoying him, we knew at his ripe old age of 17 we should look at replacing him. We think we found him a good home and are excited about not having to pump up the tubes everyday. Funny thing happened today tho. When Eric tried to sneak off the back of the boat without waking me so he could work on the new Raton at the beach, he let go of El Gato and drifted back. That’s one of my only rules. Never let go of the boat or dock without having the engine on first. The ONE time you do it won’t start. And that’s exactly what happened. We think the engine was afraid we were selling it too. But turns out it just needed some new spark plugs. And yes, Eric made it back to the boat no problem. The wind was not up yet.

Internet is ALWAYS a challenge!
I wanted to add my iPhone photos of Raton and Thirst but alas, no can do.

Stay tuned!

 

Which would you prefer?

When there is an anchorage you can tell which are cats and which are not, especially at night when the weather and seas are not dead calm. The mast head lights that stay put are cats.
Those that gyrate wildly belong to the monohulls. Just watching them makes me want to puke.

Take a look at our list of 20 differences between cats and monococks (I swear that’s what they call them in France but they spell it differently LOL).

1) Speed. Especially off the wind when you can roll out or throw up the big sails like reachers and kites! Speed equates to getting there sooner, or dodging weather more easily.
2) Privacy between cabins. Because they are separated by more than a wall and often by 10-18’ you can’t hear others snore.
3) More space. Everywhere.
Cabin fever takes longer to acquire.
4) When you leave a drink on a table it stays there in almost all conditions. Not that you should drink in all conditions, but you can. Water. Drink lots of water and limeade for staving off scurvy.
5) When the cruising guide warns this harbor might be a bit rolly you can almost always ignore it and anchor as you please.
6) There’s more room up front for watching dolphins swim off you bow(s) and the filming platform is much more stable.
7) Making love on the trampoline is pretty cool with sound of water rushing below you. A remote control auto pilot comes in handy in these cases. This is not recommended in or near harbors, but spices up longer passages without guests onboard. The motion of the ocean doesn’t hurt either.
8) You can climb up a level for a better view without losing balance or going up the mast. Land ho!
9) Entertaining is comfortable – no squeezing in around a cockpit table where once you sit down you are stuck in place, afraid to move lest you make others pull knees up, step on their feet, etc. The cockpit tables are so big on some cats you wish they were smaller! Ours is just right.
10) No need to go up and down stairs to get something. That eliminates all kinds of hassles like slipping, using one hand for climbing while trying to balance the food or drink or whatever, passing things up which then requires someone else to come and get it, etc.
11) It’s easy to climb back on board if you go for a swim. Anything that enables swimming is a big plus.
12) You can anchor closer to shore because you draw less, especially if you have daggerboards.
13) Galley up is common. This means it’s not down in the hulls, it’s in the middle of the boat and on the same level as the outside so the chef can cook, entertain and still see and talk to everyone. Just pass the food and drinks this way please.
14) You can rig a windsurfer sail and lay it across the trampoline, then throw your board over and your buddy can pass you the sail. Some people can do this without even getting wet!
15) You can stow boards and other toys on the trampoline so they are not creating windage on the sides. It’s a cleaner look too.
16) The beds are bigger – we have 2 kings and a queen! “Weaner king?” Translates to do you want to sleep on the queen or king? Inside joke!
17) Storage is dangerously huge. Fold up bikes, spinnakers, Costco amounts of paper towels and TP, industrial sewing machine, art supplies, filters, spares of anything, tools, waterskis, kitesurfing gear, SUP’s, wine cellar, ice maker, library, fishing tackle, you name it, we bring it on if it adds to fun, speed, convenience, and productivity.
18) Having a pet onboard is easier for the pet too. We don’t, and won’t, but meet folks that do and we see the difference. Happy pets, happy owners.
19) If you have back issues or prone to seasickness monocock is much more of a challenge. Healing over, pitching, rolling, trying to keep your balance in rough or even moderate seas could irritate pinched nerves, bad discs, etc. If your inner ears make you seasick, a cat can prevent this. You can still get sick, but it takes a lot more to take you down. Buy a cat if you or a loved one have these issues.
20) The bottom line is yes, the same length of cat vs mono will usually cost more, but it’s worth it!

“Wa Gwarn” “cool cool cool” “Wa Gwarn” “Me CF (safe)”
This is how the locals greet in Antigua and beyond. I feel like the first non local to use it as the response is tremendous and always with a huge smile and a bit of bewilderment that a white woman as speaking the tongue. LOL As we travel I like to learn about the local customs, foods and such and on night #1 our waiter gave me a small list of words to try out. A little shy the first time, yes me shy, it was answered so delightfully that now I can’t stop. Need a break from the fear and hate that is spreading like wildfire in the USA? Come to Antigua and say “wa gwarn” to a local and you will let that shit go. It’s one world after all. Just can’t see it sometimes when you are smothered with fearful news.

If you ask us this month which is our favorite island in the Caribbean it would be Antigua. Why?
Plentiful harbors, beautiful beaches of all sizes, decent stores, good restaurants, and the most important reason is the people. Everyone is friendly and greets you with a genuine smile. I asked the taxi driver today why it is so and he replied they are content with what they have. If they don’t have it, someone shares. Sounds like a good plan for happiness to me!

Antigua was a British territory but is now independent and its sister island Barbuda is only 35 miles north.
They desalinate the water, and the outdoor markets are lovely. The ladies wear dresses and hats when they step out which warms my heart. Respect mon.

The only downside here is the reefs for snorkeling are not all that bountiful due to hurricane damage from the past, and often the water is quite silty so even though the color is gorgeous, you often can’t see your hand all that well.
That doesn’t stop the tourists from booking dive and snorkel trips. We see them going out daily and just guessing but when you only have a week to vacation you take what you can get. We haven’t visited all the sights but enough to know that it’s not as good as it gets. The rest however makes up for it!

We loved hiking up to Shirley Heights, a must see, and although I missed the big party on 4 consecutive Sundays, Eric, Tim, and Jen experienced the BBQ and steel bands in style and even danced in the pouring rain with our Brit friends Pauli and Nick!

Our first 2017 charter was with Jen and Tim Ray from Buffalo NY. Tim and I have worked together as coaches at the North U Race Week and it was their first long break from their 5 kids, the youngest of which are 4 year old twins! We did our best to let them relax, hang loose and sail.  Shirley Heights and Deep Bay were good stops to do just that!

Eric and I had a few days alone to relax and unwind from the hectic pace of going home for Christmas after sailing 1500 miles south from the NE of USA. We sailed to Barbuda, had dinner with Margie and Al Slater, folks we met in Maine on Sweet Dreams, and discovered the Frigate rookery which I posted about in the last blog.

Eric went home for a week to finish selling his house so I planned a “girls week” trip. Teri McKenna, Christy Radecic and Sarah Cavanah arrived a few days apart and Teri left early to return to her home in St Thomas.
We did our people transfers to the airport up at the Nonsuch Bay Resort and that’s where we just had to get in that lovely disappearing pool!

We windsurfed, snorkeled, and met another catamaran from California with mostly women who were skilled kiters. Inspiring to watch! When the wind was down and they were stuck on a beach I windsurfed and did freestyle. There were paddle board challenges and skiing sessions too.

From Nonsuch Bay, Sarah, Christy and I sailed around the top of Antigua to St Johns and then to Deep Bay for the night. I learned where to go with our charter so it felt easy to repeat and show the sights.

The next day we sailed to Barbuda and after a tour with the famous George Jeffrey to see the frigates we walked, then hitchhiked (it was 3 long miles in hot sun on a non paved road with wild horses and donkeys around) to the other side of the island to the caves. Cliffs have eroded to the point that you can walk up through them and have a great lookout from above. The folks that picked us in their 4 seater car had 4 people in it. We squeezed into the back and they shared beers, knew where to go, and even took us back to town.  They were from Antigua and again, a reminder that the people here are super nice!

The girls left on the 31st on the same plane Eric flew in on. We’re back in Antigua and enjoying some down time repairing, blogging, and hanging out watching super yachts race, and watching Harry Potter at night.

Several friends are here for the superyacht (AKA bubble) races and we windsurfed out to the starting line in 15-20 and nice size swells. It was zen time for me but my body is out of shape for doing long sails and I was SO SPENT afterwards! We obviously need to do that more often.

Most of our time has been in Jolly Harbor where we’ve reunited with boats/friends, some who we met in the Canaries, others from the Caribbean 1500, others from cruising clubs we’ve joined, and enjoy sharing dinners, stories and adventures. Of course we are also meeting new folks and sharing info, stories, and domino games. This world of cruising keeps getting smaller as we traverse the seas. And that feels good. When in the Med we knew not a soul, there were no American flags, and we didn’t speak the languages. It’s amazing we did as much as we did looking back. Eric keeps trying to figure out ways to get back there (translate go around the world). I’m not ready to make that commitment yet as the world keeps getting scarier. But then we meet people who have done it a few times and have the experience to share. Dinner tonight with a couple from Alaska who owned and operated dog sled and fishing camps in Alaska and Chile while home schooling kids. Adventurous souls abound!

For now I am as happy as I’ve ever been sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling and swimming in turquoise waters that don’t make me shiver. They say you go back to the things you loved as a child and this is my happy place. Growing up in Miami with parents who loved the water and took us cruising to the Bahamas and Keys, it doesn’t get much better for this southern girl.

Soon we will head south to the next island, Guadalupe, and then Dominica for a rendezvous with other cruisers. From there, down to Martinique for Carnival and another awesome charter!!! Last year Eric Christy and I dressed up and joined the parade. Who knows what could happen this year!

After a great charter in Antigua we headed north 30 miles to the sister island, Barbuda. Why not blog about Antigua? Because we have so much more to discover!
As for Barbuda, a seldom visited island surrounded by reefs, it has pink sand beaches and a Frigate rookery sanctuary that is larger than that of the Galapagos. Really.

Mating season is ON so the males were puffing up and hoping for some action. Frigates can have up to a 6’ wing span and don’t land on the water but scoop up their prey. We’ve chased them off our mast when they looked like they wanted a perch because the instruments up there could get damaged.

The beach here extends farther than any we’ve ever seen, 11 miles, with rarely a person in sight.
At the north end after a long dinghy ride, we found the pinkest sand imaginable.

Barbuda has about 1,700 people, and possibly as many donkeys running wild.

The land is owned communally and there are only a few developments for tourists. Rumor has it that Robert DeNiro has purchased land and plans to build near Cocoa Point.

In many aspects Barbuda reminds us of the lower, less populated Bahamas, especially since the highest point is only 125’, and it is surrounded by reef. Anegada is a close second, but the locals get more visitors and have learned how to make a buck off us as a result.

Our guide to the rookery was none other than George Jeffrey, who is on the Leeward Islands Cruising Guide cover. Great guy, easy to understand and very knowledgable, we enjoyed our time listening and learning about the culture of the birds and the island.

On our trip home we were greeted by the locals.

A few days ago Eric and I left the safe haven of the BVI’s to sail eastsoutheast to Antigua. It was blowing 20+ on the nose, waves up to 10′ also on the nose so not a comfortable sail, but we needed to go. Not only do we have plane tickets to go home for the holidays, but we had a small weather window before it got worse. After a long day we were blessed with a full moon and passed close to Saba, St Kitts and Nevis while reading about their histories, culture, and things to do in the cruising books. We will go back to them when the time is right.

As we got closer to Antigua, the first thing we noticed were the mountains and all the  beaches. Jolly Harbor, where we are staying, is quaint but not small. Many houses on the water with docks behind them reminds me of Florida. But not.  Neither of us can believe we’ve never been here before. The people are friendly, everyone here says it is safe, and we feel the beauty that surrounds us in the people who live here, those who visit, and the island itself. Yesterday a couple yachts came in after crossing the Atlantic. It’s nice to be in a place where everyone welcomes the traveler, and where likeminded sailors are plentiful. Cruisers are a different breed. We have wanderlust. We appreciate the simple things, and are not afraid of hard work for the moments of sheer bliss. We make friends easily, even if we know we may never see them again. We help each other out. This list could go on but should be saved for another blog.

The farther south we go the more we meet like minded cruisers.  The states were awesome. I call the USA the “land of plenty”. If you want or need anything it is one click away with free shipping.  The rest of the world does not have this luxury. Buts that’s OK. We learn to live without, to fix things instead of tossing and buying new, and cook from scratch.

As for Antigua, we will take a tour when we return, and then start harbor hopping. Barbuda becons us to come and kite and windsurf. Evidently it has beaches that are ridiculously long with not a soul in sight. Now that’s something we can wrap our wanderlust arms around! Look forward to some photos to share on that blog!

 

 

 

Last month started with a 1,500 NM rally from Hampton, VA, USA to one of our favorites – North Sound, Virgin Gorda, hosted by the Salty Dawgs.  Joining us were friends Gloria Borrego and Simon Garland and no sooner had they jumped on board than we were informed by weather guru Chris Parker to leave now or wait a week. We bolted. I was more than ready to swim again in blue clear waters!

We motored for 3 days, caught our breath, relaxed, got into the long distance passage rhythm with our new crew, and when the wind finally caught up to us had some glorious sailing. The last day was perfect – Tigger was hoisted as we saw the Virgins on the horizon. Once we entered the channel we dropped anchor and jumped in the clear blue warm refreshing sandy bottom water next to Prickly Pear Island! Trebuchet, a Switch 51 had been sailing alongside us for a few days and they joined in the celebration.

We stayed in the harbor for a week greeting fellow rally friends and before Thanksgiving sailed to Anegada, the Baths, Norman Island, and finally St Thomas where we left El Gato on a mooring at the St Thomas Yacht Club.
Good buddy and local cat sailor Teri McKenna was our babysitter and made sure we had energy to keep the food from spoiling while we continue to replace the faulty solar panels with stronger and better.

Flying home is always a treat even if only for 5 days. What we call home is confusing at times. The boat is our home while we’re on it and we were on 95% of the time this year, but if we talk of San Diego we call that home. Tongue in cheek we’ve decided to call SD our vacation home. And someday, when we finish all this world traveling on El Gato the plan is to take her with us to SD and keep her at the SDYC as our vacation home. No idea when that will be as we have so many places to still explore and discover!

Meanwhile, we made the decision to stay south in 2017 instead of making the big trek north. No America’s Cup, no cold or brown water, no easy access to internet, no 1st world! Instead of lobster traps and the land of plenty, we will be south of the hurricane path and practice our ABC’s – Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Cartagena among others.

Sailing to Charlotte Amalie to watch the Carlos Aguilar Regatta hosted by the Women’s International Match Racing Tour we found Nicole Breault, a good friend and coach for the Berkeley Sailing Team which son Eric has been captain of. It was too late to cheer her team on – we got there as her team (Sarah Lihan, Eliza Richartz, Local Sarah) was eliminated in the round robin series but they still finished in 5th out of 12 on this world tour event. After a brief stint of commentating her team and the hilariously fun Finnish team sailed back to STYC and swam at Christmas Cove on the way. The girls had a chance to forget about the racing and play. We heard more than once the sail on El Gato took the sting out of not winning. Their smiles and laughter said it all.

After too may work days (cruising is defined as spending too much money fixing your yacht in exotic places) we dashed over to St Croix. It was the perfect getaway! Only 35 miles out, a beam reach, and we caught a Dorado on the way!

After renting a car

and finding some fun local spots and teaching other American’s how to play dominos at the Domino Club,

we learned our application to go to the famous Buck Island Park was accepted.

From here we return to St Thomas, then wait for a weather window to head east to Antigua with a stop or 2 on the way. Saba? Nevis? The weather will dictate but if it’s possible Saba is high on the list!

Home for the holidays and back in January with all systems 100% ready to go!

First charter in 2017 is mid January off Antigua.

Happy holidays and Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Yesterday was a day that I’ll never forget.

Imagine this.

Look towards the sun which is low on the horizon so the light is reflecting and bouncing across the water towards you, closer the waves are breaking on a reef next to the tip of a tiny sandy island spit, a flamingo is a dark silhouette next to 3 palm trees, and white, white sand with shells scattered across the surface surround you. Your sail is bright yellow and your board is upside down.

You are in the quiet peacefulness of natures perfection with no one around except a beautiful flamingo.

 

BOFed, pronounced boffed.

Wonder what that means? You have to be a Boat Owner to understand what this feels like. Now you know what the first two letters stand for. Guess what F stands for?  We have been BOFed again.

While it poured outside and snowed in cities nearby here in Ct, we called a very reputable store to get 300′ of new anchor chain before driving 1.5 hours to pick it up. “Yes we have 800′ of that kind and you can buy it by the foot no problem.” Arrive and no, you can only buy this piece or that piece or 400′.  grrrrr This BOF wasn’t terrible’

Try getting your bottom paint removed, then re-painted and find out the kid they hired to sandblast didn’t take anyone’s advice to tape the Gelcoat on the hulls!  We called that an island BOF.  IBOF

Glad I got THAT off my chest!

 

 

 

 

Let’s face it. We’re all animals.

Like dogs, and dolphins most of us are naturally attracted to be with others (as long as they don’t bite!).

After giving our long southward journey some research and thought, we decided to join the Salty Dawg Rally and sail from Hampton, VA on November 2, weather permitting, to the BVI’s, home of “nature’s little secret”. Currently El Gato is in Connecticut getting some wonderful improvements (new freezer, oven, props, awnings, outside cushions, etc) and we need to sail to the Chesapeake in less than 2 weeks for the rally. Once we arrive, our good friends Gloria Borrego and Simon Garland will bring their expertise, experience, and animal instincts to our herd.

It always feels good to be with an adventurous group of sailors. And unlike the ARC+, which claimed it was not a race but had start times, finish lines and prizes, we will pull anchor when the weather window looks good anytime from November 2 onwards. Remember hurricanes don’t care if the season is officially over on November 1st so rest assured everyone will be studying the forecasts diligently. We’ll have our Iridium Go on and use Predict Wind Offshore for daily routing. And that means we can text and e-mail too! There is no organized ready set go time so once we all decide it looks good we’ll leave for warmer waters. The destination is North Sound, Virgin Gorda near the Bitter End Yacht Club. It’s one of our favorite playgrounds on the planet. Free moorings until December 19th? We’re IN!

We loved our experience crossing the Atlantic with a group of other animals. And although we only saw other boats on the first and last days, we had daily communication through e-mails and texting and thoroughly enjoyed sharing the experiences whether it was about fish, spinnakers, meals, or just joking around.

There will be tracking for the rally so once we have that sorted out we will let everyone know how to follow. Because even if there isn’t a start and finish line, you know what they say about 2 boats on the water at the same time … animal instinct!