Finally!

Vessel Name: Katahdin
Vessel Make/Model: Cambria 44
Hailing Port: Cape Elizabeth, ME
Crew: Larry and Cathy Clough
About: We have been cruising Maine waters for 30 years on a Pearson 26, an Ericson 34, and now a Cambria 44
Extra: On our first journey south we left Maine in early September of 2011 to travel to the Caribbean and back over 9+months. Now we've begun our second trip, taking it at a bit more leisurely pace.
18 May 2016
25 March 2016
09 March 2016
21 February 2016
26 January 2016
05 January 2016
18 December 2015 | Jolly Harbor, Antigua
06 December 2015
21 November 2015
17 November 2015
13 November 2015
19 June 2012 | Portland Harbor
16 June 2012 | Provincetown, MA
12 June 2012 | Great Salt Pond, Block Island, RI
Recent Blog Posts
25 May 2016

Hashes, Hikes, and Hauling

Hashes, Hikes, and Hauling

18 May 2016

Grenada

At the end of March we sailed along the east coast of Grenada from Carriacou to the bays at its southern end. Since we were not sailing in the lee of the island we took a precautionary seasickness pill, Stugeron, which is not available in the US but which, as a non-prescriptive medication, can be purchased [...]

06 May 2016

Carriacou, Grenada's Grenadine Island

I'd like to fire myself as a blog writer. I have no excuse for waiting a month before writing about one of the most enjoyable islands we've been to. In my defense I'd say that to start writing about Grenada and its islands is to acknowledge that the incredible sailing adventure we've experienced would [...]

25 March 2016

The Grenadines

The Grenadines

09 March 2016

St. Lucia

St. Lucia

21 February 2016

Martinique Sud, and a Sample of our Daily Life aboard Katahdin

Today is February 21st. We left St. Pierre on the 8th and meandered our way down Martinique’s west coast to St. Anne at the southeast tip of the island. Along the way we overnighted in 3 anses (anse is a Creole word for bay), with decent snorkeling and hiking, 2 nights in the yachting center for [...]

Back to the US of A

22 February 2012 | Salt Pond Bay, St. John, USVI
Cathy/perfect weather
Salt Pond Bay, USVI - what a fantastic spot to unwind. This was one of our favorite stopovers in early December; it has everything a self-contained sailor would want - secluded cove, limited moorings, wonderful snorkeling, walks ashore, and no retail which means no day tourists. The beach at the head of the cove is gorgeous, and is used not only by the cruisers but also by locals and campers at the nearby Concordia Campground. Since this is a no-anchorage zone, being administered and governed by the Virgin Islands National Park, there are only 5 moorings at a $15 per night charge, and this limitation on cruiser usage dramatically cuts down on the potential rowdiness factor.

But, to backtrack a few days. We made quick time from St. Martin to the Virgin Islands, arriving at an anchorage off Prickly Pear Island, near the Bitter End, on Virgin Gorda. Then we took our time sailing with a light breeze downwind through the BVI, ending at Little Harbor on Peter Island, one island east of St. John. We wanted to arrive at Salt Pond Bay in mid-to late-morning in hopes of finding a mooring free, as we did. Outside of a few passages we should be in fairly protected waters from now on.

What did we think of our voyage down the island chain to Martinique and back? Some of our observations are:
• The crossings between the islands can be quite uncomfortable with large swells; we did take our OTC anti-nausea medicine, Stugeron, during these passages, which made a tremendous difference in our comfort level.
• The sailing down the leeward side of these large and mountainous islands is unpredictable, with the wind changing direction and strength based on the land topography.
• There is a world of difference between those islands which are part of France (Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Martin) and those which are not. For example, 70 % of Martinique's fiscal needs are provided by the mother country, and its infrastructure is comparable to that of any developed country. In contrast, on Dutch-affiliated Sint Maarten, where casinos and cruise ships abound, roads are in bad repair and are without sidewalks. Further down the level of infrastructure are the islands such as Dominica and Anguilla which must struggle to find their own revenue sources.
• Outside of the Virgin Islands, you don't see many boats sailing, but you do see a lot of boats either sitting at moorings or in marinas. There are few desirable anchorages down the protected side of these islands, and only the most intrepid sailors cruise on the Atlantic side. As a consequence, cruisers tend to stay put for a while once they've reached a pleasant destination. We were simply astounded at the large numbers of boats passing time in Le Marin, at the bottom of Martinique, and in Simpson Bay on St. Martin. We've met a large number of cruisers who settle in for months at a time in these locations.
• There are a phenomenal number of boats cruising the waters of the British Virgin Islands, which is why we are enjoying the US side right now. There are just too many charter companies operating out of Tortola and Virgin Gorda. As an example of the multitudes of sailing craft, when we departed mid-morning from the top of Virgin Gorda, we saw 20 boats making their way in very favorable conditions to the furthest out BVI, Anegada. At first we were wondering if we were seeing the start of a race, but not on a Monday.
• The trouble of going through customs to cruise from BVI waters to USVI waters is a very strong deterrent for many. As a consequence, St. John is not overrun with cruisers, and the National Park Service here has done wonders in protecting its resources by, in part, limited moorings.

Currently, our short-term goals are to pick up a boat part in Cruz Bay, on the west coast of St. John, then visit our friends Barb and Stew on La Luna in Charlotte Amalie. Then, we'll go on to Culebra and Vieques before we arrive at Puerto Rico. But we are in no rush - did I mention that we love it here?
Comments
Katahdin's Photos - Main
We spent most of the last month of our cruise in Mt. Hartman Bay on the southern coast of Grenada. There is a wonderful community of cruisers in this and nearby bays, and we found plenty to do and new friends to make. What we particularly enjoyed were the hashes and hikes we did each week. Do ready the blog of the same name if you want to discover what a hash is.
19 Photos
Created 25 May 2016
Grenada is, if not our favorite, at least in the top three. It is a large island, the people are fantastic, and there is so much to see and do that we were too busy to consider posting a blog. But, now that we're back in Maine, we have no more excuses.
11 Photos
Created 6 May 2016
Petite St. Vincent (PSV) is part of its namesake, while Petite Martinique belongs to Grenada. They are both considered part of the Grenadine archipelago and are separated by perhaps 1/2 a mile. In fact, they are so far off the normal route that a boat can travel from one to another without having to clear customs on another island.
9 Photos
Created 6 May 2016
Carriacou is one of the Grenadine islands; St. Vincent owns most of them but not this one or Petite Martinique. It is an interesting island, hilly with a shipbuilding heritage. We especially liked it because of the large number of cruisers who anchor for a while in Tyrell bay on the southwestern coast.
9 Photos
Created 6 May 2016
The Grenadines are a group of tiny to small islands just south of St Vincent and just north of Grenada. With a few exceptions they are wonderfully welcoming and quite beautiful, though, because there has been a consistent drought throughout the past 10 or so months, there's not much greenery.
17 Photos
Created 25 March 2016
From Rodney Bay to the Pitons, and nothing in between.
9 Photos
Created 9 March 2016
On the way to our current anchorage at St. Anne at the bottom of Martinique we visited 3 other delightful bays along the way. We've been doing our usual hiking and swimming activities, but this blog also reveals what a "typical" day for us is like.
15 Photos
Created 21 February 2016
During our first visit to St. Pierre we didn't go far afield. This time we did and have a new appreciation for this area.
13 Photos
Created 21 February 2016
We had a fabulous time on this island, one of the poorest in the Caribbean. It has been blessed with fantastic beauty and we did our best to take it all in.
21 Photos
Created 7 February 2016
After visiting the Pigeon islands and La Soufriere we were looking for places not so popular, and we found them.
21 Photos
Created 26 January 2016
The photos are from two distinctive and well-known locations on this island. First, from the Jacques Cousteau underwater preserve at Isles des Pigeons on the west coast, and then from the hike up to the tallest mountain on the island, La Soufriere, a still semi-active volcano at almost a mile height.
16 Photos
Created 16 January 2016
The photos are from two distinctive and well-known locations on this island. First, from the Jacques Cousteau underwater preserve at Isles des Pigeons on the west coast, and then from the hike up to the tallest mountain on the island, La Soufriere, a still semi-active volcano at almost a mile height.
6 Photos
Created 16 January 2016
We spent most of the past few weeks in English Harbor which was an idyllic spot to celebrate the holidays with our family
20 Photos
Created 5 January 2016
These were our last stops in the Virgin Islands where we spent a whole month. It's a great place, and lots of people know that as there are lots of other sailors such as ourselves.
13 Photos
Created 18 December 2015
We're spending a few weeks lazily navigating around the numerous islands here, looking for great snorkeling and sunsets.
12 Photos
Created 6 December 2015
7 Photos
Created 21 November 2015
Katahdin ended up here after being a "passenger" on a freighter. We joined her on 11/15/15.
5 Photos
Created 17 November 2015
Katahdin makes her way south to St. Thomas, piggy-backing atop a freighter.
2 Photos
Created 13 November 2015
We arrived in Fernandina Beach on 4/11, and hope to be back in Maine sometime in the latter part of June.
1 Photo | 9 Sub-Albums
Created 12 April 2012
We expect to meander slowly northward through the Bahamas before we cross the Gulf Stream again.
1 Photo | 13 Sub-Albums
Created 17 March 2012
We overnighted to Luperon from Gilligan's Island in Puerto Rico, and spent a wonderful 5 days, having adventures out of the town.
26 Photos
Created 17 March 2012
We took our time in the Spanish Virgin Islands, but sped along the southern coast of Puerto Rico
1 Photo | 1 Sub-Album
Created 1 March 2012
We took our time traveling from Portland into the Chesapeake, enjoying some beautiful stops along the way
1 Photo | 8 Sub-Albums
Created 8 February 2012
Martinique is quite beautiful, and we've enjoyed our stay here. However, we will start heading back north in the next day or so.
20 Photos
Created 7 February 2012
These include Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barts, down to Guadaloupe and Dominica.
1 Photo | 12 Sub-Albums
Created 18 December 2011
We arrived in Nanny Cay in the BVI on November 21, and will travel around the BVI and the US VI over the next month.
1 Photo | 7 Sub-Albums
Created 21 November 2011
The rudder leakage issue shadowed our first two weeks in Virginia; after the repairs, even the sunsets were more spectacular.
1 Photo | 2 Sub-Albums
Created 8 November 2011
An album of many of the places we visited through Chesapeake Bay on our way to Virginia
1 Photo | 7 Sub-Albums
Created 18 October 2011