Sailing the Caribbees

Vessel Name: MERIDIAN
Vessel Make/Model: Concordia Custom Yachts/Chuck Paine 45
Hailing Port: Boston
26 April 2014 | Charleston, SC
31 March 2014 | Fajarda, Puerto Rico
27 March 2014 | Virgin Gorda
10 March 2014
01 March 2014
05 February 2014
27 January 2014 | St. Barth's
02 January 2014 | Anguilla
26 December 2013 | St. Barth's
19 December 2013 | Gustavia, St. Barths
15 December 2013 | St. Martin
08 December 2013 | Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda
Recent Blog Posts
25 May 2014

Bahamas and the rest...

May 3, 2014

26 April 2014 | Charleston, SC

on our way!!

Sorry for the lack of updates. We had a funtastic, if brief, stint in the Bahamas and I will be sure to post a write up of that time as soon as I can.

31 March 2014 | Fajarda, Puerto Rico

The Spanish Virgins

March 31, 2014

27 March 2014 | Virgin Gorda

The Bitter End

March 21, 2014

10 March 2014

Antigua

March 9, 2014

Happy New Year!

02 January 2014 | Anguilla
Jeff
1.1.2014

Happy New Year!! We are now in Anguilla cruising in company with the Smith's on REBECCA of Vineyard Haven, and the Zani's of FABULOSO. We arrived here yesterday around noontime from Marigot in St. Martin. Last night we celebrated the coming new year with friends of Jesse and Annice's from Jamestown who are renting a house in Mead's Bay. Great conversation, fantastic food, and impromptu plays put on by the 8+ children on hand made a very fun evening. We all made it back on the boat shortly before midnight and were able to join in the countdown from the numerous parties at the beach bars ashore and could see some of the fireworks from neighboring St. Martin to the south. We plan on spending the next two nights here in Road Bay in Anguilla before we have to head back over to St. Martin and get the boat ready to hand over to the owner, Steve Taylor, for about two weeks. We'll hop aboard REBECCA for that time and cruise with her down island most likely making stops in St. Barth's, St. Kitts/Nevis, maybe Montserrat, Iles des Saintes in Guadaloupe, Dominica, St. Lucia, and ending in Mustique in the Grenadines.

To recap a bit, we left St. Barth's on the 27th and had a great sail downwind with only the spinnaker pulling us the 26 or so miles to Saba. Saba, obscured by clouds for half the trip, emerged straight up out of the sea with houses perched precipitously up the incredibly steep slopes on the northeast side of the island - a village called Windwardside. After picking up one of the park moorings we dinghied the mile or so into the tiny harbor at the south tip of the island to clear customs and get a tour of the island. We found a taxi to take us up through the town of Bottom perched on a plateau halfway up the mountain and on to Windwardside. The "road that couldn't be built" wound its way up switchbacks and afforded spectacular views south and east along the way. Up until the 1950's the only way to get between villages was to walk along a steep mountain path. Engineers from Holland studied the terrain and concluded that a road could not be built there. A local took a correspondence course in road building and the road was built (by hand in less than 10 years)! The dutch houses and village streets were so neat and tidy - all white with orange roofs.
From the village of Windwardside we hiked a short way up Mount Scenery - the trail is a steep concrete and stone stairway installed in the 60's through lush forest - over 1000 steps climbing from about 1300' up to the peak at almost 3000'! Since we were in our flip-flops we only climbed about 400' vertical to a spectacular lookout perched over the village of Windwardside. The forest was incredibly lush filled with elephant ear ferns, palms, banana, and Mahogany trees. Next time we'll bring more sturdy shoes for the full 3-hour round trip hike up into the Elphin forest at the mountain's peak!
We were able to survive what is usually a very rolly anchorage by putting out a stern anchor keeping us facing into the swell and slept relatively comfortably. Meanwhile, both FABULOSO and REBECCA were bashing their way to windward from the Virgin Islands towards the St. Martin area. FABULOSO arrived in St. Martin around 11:30 that night and we heard from REBECCA on the VHF early in the morning as we were preparing to leave Saba for St. Martin. By the time we were halfway back on a close reach sail to St. Martin, we found out REBECCA was hot on our tail - 2 or 3 miles to leeward of us, exhausted but excited at nearing the end of an all-night sail from Tortola. We anchored in the bay of Marigot in St. Martin with REBECCA following shortly after.
We spent a couple of fun days reuniting with the Smith and Zani families showing them our favorite spots in Marigot and helping them get what they needed for various boat projects in yachting central Simpson Bay Lagoon and decided to cruise together to Anguilla for a few fun days to bring in the new year!

A brief fishing update: we got one hit on our sail from St. Barth's to Saba but it was short lived - whatever hit, shook the hook shortly after. On our way back to St. Martin we trolled again and this time hooked a big one...having forgotten to bring in the line as we neared the anchorage, a 42' inflatable "tender" hooked our line as it passed astern and the line screamed out until we all figured out what was happening! Thankfully the operator wasn't perturbed and even returned our mass of fishing line with our intact lure. After re-spooling with some new line, we caught a Barracuda on our way here to Anguilla, but let it go, fearing it's huge teeth and the danger of Ciguarterra poisoning. We will keep trying!!

Back to schoolwork and music practice this morning and on to some fun activity with the group this afternoon!

Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy new year!


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