Sunday, November 29

Day 10,

Friday was repairs day for the boat, and Saturday turned into R&R for the crew. We left Marigot, St. Martin, as the sun poked its head above the horizon and sailed south to Ile de Fourchue, a deserted mountainous island that�-s part of the St. Barts Marine Park.

We picked up one of several empty moorings and after a swim headed to shore for a hike. Dry grass and short bushes dominated the rocky landscape that seemed as it belonged more in Utah than the lush tropics. The walking, or more properly, the rock hopping was relatively easy and the view from the top was worth the climb, say those who made it all the way to the cliff-strewn summit. I stayed lower, trying to get photos of the anchorage and the surrounding hills, and to shoot the boys on top of the world.

The afternoon had us sailing to the spectacular beach at the northern end of St. Barts. Once owned by the Rockerfellers (who else?), Anse de Colombier is now part of the marine park and moorings are readily available, at least this early in the season.

We snorkeled to the rocks that line the left side of the cover, then swam to the beach for a walk. The area is accessible only to boaters or via a one-mile hike, so visitors are few, with only a few couples enjoying the surf.

Dinner was grilled steak in the cockpit, with our scraps delighting the spunky fish surrounding the boat. It must have been a good day, because by 2000, everyone was dog beat and ready to pack it in.

We�-ll spend this morning exploring Gustavia, the busy harbor on the west side of the island. Then, sometime late this afternoon or tonight, we�-ll get under way again for the 70-or-so mile sail to Barbuda. So the adventure continues, and brings us another day and a few miles closer to Antigua.

This post is made possible by Iridium and Global Marine Networks.