There are apparently several varieties of whales in these waters but they travel mostly in the winter months and on the windward side of the island. We cross passages between each island where we are exposed to the Atlantic so may have a chance to spot them there. The rest of our passage is on the leeward side, where the islands are mostly developed.

We know we are at greater risk traveling these islands in the summer during hurricane season and we are keenly aware of watching weather for any signs of needing to take shelter. There has been a continuous onslaught of tropical waves that create high winds and waves and we time our passages to avoid them. However, we still experience the weather in the anchorage and try to be attached to a mooring ball for greater security. The advantages to traveling these islands in the offseason so far has outweighed the concerns. As we get to the Windward islands there are more hurricane holes to hide out in. We're checking them out in Chris Doyle's "Cruising Guide to the Windward Islands". His guides are excellent and we use them constantly.

We listen to Chris Parker, the weatherman, every morning at 7 a.m. on our SSB. He gives the Caribbean weather daily and specific advice to sponsoring vessels. He is very accurate in his reporting and an excellent resource.

As we hiked down from Fort Napolean we spotted a waterspout traveling over the ocean and churning it up as it drew water from it. We watched for several minutes hoping there were no boats in its path. Pretty amazing sights we see so we try to keep our camera ready to capture them.

I would love to capture a photo of flying fish. They really do have wings and skirt over the water like a skipping rock. Sometimes there are whole schools of them flying at once. Unfortunately we have no warning so a photo would be rather difficult. We have found a few flying fish that landed on our boat, unfortunately meeting their demise. They really got some air to land that high out of the water. Apparently flying fish are good eating.

We explore a lot of forts and this was the first time we'd seen a draw bridge over a moat. It is unlikely the moat carried water but it would be another obstacle from reaching the fort. This fort actually had two draw bridges.

Many of these forts were built by slaves from plantations. The islands have very colorful and violent histories with Britain, France and Spain attempting to capture them. Often they changed hands a few times before succumbing to control.

Wanted to try and capture this non-stinging giant bee on this lovely yellow flower. We had one of these in our boat recently and it's huge. Fortunately it found its way out. Another awesome thing about Guadeloupe and the Saintes is the absence of sand flies.

We get the 360 degree view, the sounds and smells and sea breezes on our face. This really is an amazing life and we feel so blessed to be able to live it.

Fort Napoleon was built in 1867, is well restored and has commanding and picturesque views of the harbour. There is a garden of cactuses and succulents labeled so you can identify them. It is supposed to be a common place to see iguanas but they must have been sleeping when we were there. There was a tour going through the fort with a guide but it was all in French. Our friends from Preferred Stock picked the same time to visit the fort as we did.

This view is from the road leading to Fort Napoleon. It is about a 40-minute hike but on a paved road. The fort is only open mornings and is a popular tourist destination.

Bill called this Toy Town because it felt like it was out of a fairytale with its gingerbread houses.

Ferries arrive throughout the day from the mainland of Guadeloupe, bringing daytrippers and tourists wanting to experience this unique island. The shops and restaurants cater to the tourists and everything is very expensive. Scooters are lined up waiting for the onslaught and they are a popular way to explore the island. Some of the streets are pedestrian only which makes for enjoyable strolls.

We met a wonderful family who own a high-end clothing store on the main street who invited us to experience Shabbat. It gave us incredible insight into the age-old Jewish ceremony and custom. A fabulous meal was served with delectable flavours. We returned the following night for the closing ceremony. In response we invited this family back to our boat for a Kosher dinner. Finding ingredients in this little town was a challenge, but we pulled it off. We grilled tuna steaks on the barbecue which turned out perfectly. We made some special new friends.

The uniqueness of each island, its geography, people, affluence, even its currency, is interesting. Some drive on the right, others on the left. I didn't even know there was such a thing as Eastern Caribbean currency but many islands operate on it. The exchange is $2.67 for every $1 U.S.

Every stop is a new challenge to find Customs, grocery stores, laundry, local buses, so this is really a life of exploration. Agility is a necessity so it helps to be fit. The accessibility of water, fuel and propane is critical so when we find a harbour that has everything we top up. Our large propane tank lasts about 3 months but we have a small spare tank when we run out.

We found the water around 30 feet very deep, even close to shore, so we tucked in as close as possible. There were a few mooring balls around but we didn't think they were for outsiders, so we dropped an anchor. This was the most picturesque area to be anchored in and we could watch families on the beach. Day-trippers on power boats came and went, attaching themselves to the mooring balls.

On our second day a sailboat, Preferred Stock, that had been anchored next to us in Saint Maarten arrived. We had spoken to them in Saint Maarten on a few occasions but left shortly thereafter. We recognized each other and suddenly felt connected. They chose to anchor further away where it was a little shallower, but less scenic.

We made a point of visiting each other and even had dinner together one night. We sat for hours sharing traveling tales and developed a friendship. They had been traveling with a Canadian boat, Meridian Chaser, who didn't arrive for another few days just before we left for Dominica.

It does get lonely out here and cruisers tend to befriend each other readily. It makes for interesting travel because everyone's experiences are unique with many similarities. Cruisers are also very helpful when needed as we realize how vulnerable we all are and reliant on each other.

We were anxious to visit the Saintes, a beautiful group of islands with idyllic Gallic charm. There is only one small town, Bourg des Saintes, on the largest island, Terre D'en Haut. It all belongs to Guadeloupe. The town is very clean and picturesque. There are other, more secluded anchorages, on the other anchorages but depending on what direction the wind is blowing, makes some more attractive than others.

We were finally able to check into the country here, after almost a week of being in Guadeloupe. The French don't get excited about that and boaters are free to explore the islands without being officially checked in. Other countries are very strict and only allow the captain ashore until they are checked in. We left our paperwork in the Customs office, they faxed it to the mainland, and within 40 minutes we returned and everything was complete. There was no charge for checking in.

Basse Terre is the capital of Guadeloupe and located near the south end of the west coast. We anchored just south of town beside a popular black sand beach at Riviere Sens. It was a good ride to town by dinghy but it appeared to be the only anchorage and the view was great. This parking lot to this beach was half full by 7 a.m. one day and the locals have a terrific time swimming and playing. We could hear their laughter from our boat. What great sounds to wake up to.

There were more clothing stores in this town than I have seen anywhere so I went shopping for a new dress. I've discovered dresses are far more practical and cool for cruising (and feminine) so I'm building an inventory.

This picturesque fishing village had a quaint charm to it and many of the businesses seem to be there solely to cater to the cruisers. With it being offseason most of them were closed. However, we did manage to find baguettes (an acquired way to eat bread as they have hard crusts and go stale overnight) and a grocery store for some basic staples. Fresh fish for boaters to purchase is a rare commodity but a common item on restaurant menus. We haven't had much success catching our own but haven't tried that often either.

There were things of interest for young and old at the Botanical Gardens. At the end of our tour we thought we'd have a snack at the snack bar. I noticed they served crepes so placed my order. What I didn't realize was it was noon and crepes were not available until 3 p.m. This took some explaining by the staff as at first I thought it took 30 minutes to prepare and I was being warned. Challenges with the French language...

The French islands are subsidized by France and it is very obvious. We were in Guadeloupe for a week before we checked into the country. The offices were always closed. In Deshaies the shops closed for a siesta around noon so if we didn't get to town for our supplies (groceries mainly) before noon we were out of luck.

Offseason no doubt had an impact as well because most of the restaurants were closed. We don't spend much time in restaurants so it wasn't an issue for us. The pros of traveling these islands in the offseason far outweigh the cons.

It's difficult to share the beauty we see because it's part of the whole experience. Anchorages and harbours capture little of what the islands have to offer. When we talk to cruisers who don't get off their boats much to explore, they are missing a lot.

Our guidebooks are invaluable. We use Chris Doyle's Cruising Guide to the Leeward Islands and Lonely Planet's book on the Eastern Caribbean. Many of the locals have met Chris Doyle and have developed a friendship with him. He doesn't flower the facts and when he sees something that is poor he'll put it in the guide.

No this parrot was not in the wild but free to fly in the Botanical garden, along with numerous others. They all have their own colorful homes. We tried to chat with them, expecting the odd French word, but heard nothing. Maybe "bonjour" isn't as easy as "hello" for parrots.

We heard no other tourists speaking English at the gardens. Bill noticed there are two flights a day between Guadeloupe to Paris. This is obviously a popular destination for the French.

We had a comfortable sail to Guadeloupe, were heeled over pretty good but managed to stay on one tack. Guadeloupe is shaped like a butterfly. The mountaineous, rugged half is called Basse-Terre (meaning lowland) and the low one is called Grande Terre (meaning large land). Strange.

Deshaies is a picturesque little fishing village and the first anchorage from Montserrat. We find that often our most pleasurable experiences have been in the more secluded areas rather than the main cities. Deshaies was no exception.

We went on a strenuous hike up a long, steep hill from town in search of the Botanical Gardens, claimed to be sensational. It did not disappoint us. Despite it being summer, there was so much variety in the gardens, it had much to offer. Based on the number of tourists who had come with their families, it was obviously a popular spot.

These koy have just been fed and there is a bit of a frenzy among them.