MsChievous

Susie solved a problem that had been perplexing us since we got to the Caribbean: if we were to swim off the dinghy, how would we get back in?? (The tubes are big, and the freeboard is over a foot.) We considered a variety of steps/stairs, but nothing fit. A common problem was your legs disappearing [...]

10 April 2024 | Anse Joli, Ile de Saintes, Guadeloupe

On the seas again! (Sorry, Willie)

We had a great two weeks home for Summit's 7th (!!) birthday, seeing family and friends and enduring two dumpings, the second of which caused us to scramble and change our return flights - but we made it back to Antigua . There were, of course, lots of boat projects in our bags, but I wasn't expecting [...]

20 March 2024 | Jolly Harbour, Antigua

Italian tonight!

Last night in the islands before we head home for a few days. Susie does great Italian dinners, but we're eating out tonight. (Last night, too - great Mexican wraps aka burritos and margaritas that took us down for the count!) Finished up our pre-departure projects today and had a refreshing dip in the [...]

18 March 2024 | Deep Bay, Antigua

Antigua

We've been having such a good time on Antigua that I forgot to keep posting! The clearance was tortuous (2 hours and most of the forms filled out online - and printed - were ignored!) but things got better quickly. English Harbour and Falmouth were filled with megayachts, and we got to see some behomoth beauties sailing. We went to a community BBQ (with reggae and steel drum band) atop a beautiful vantage point (Shirley Heighrs) with two other Hylas owners and ran into other friends we had made several islands ago. They are a delightful young British couple who sailed across the pond earlier this year, and we shared the wild beauty of Antigua's (shallow, reef-strewn) North Sound a few days later. We're now heading to the marina where we'll leave MsChievous for 10 days while we head home for a "vacation" and Summit's birthday.

08 March 2024 | Deshaies, Guadeloupe

Another old friend

We've returned to Deshaies (day-hay) in northwestern Guadeloupe - our first landfall south of the Virgins two years ago. We had a delightful three days in the Ile de Saintes and spent one of them on a ferry/rental car adventure to the big city of Pointe-a-Pitre (Clown Point -!!) to their spice market. Got a lot of nice stuff. Had a great dinner at a restaurant on the island we've visited before, and it didn't disappoint our memories. Today was a 12-mile sail to get to the leeward side of Guadeloupe, then a 20-mile motor in flat seas to our destination. This town is far smaller than Terre de Haut but equally charming - and with another spectacular restaurant we'll visit Sunday before heading to Antigua. Saturday, we plan on visiting the lively botanical garden - more fun with old friends!

05 March 2024 | Terre de Haut, Ile des Saintes, Guadeloupe

Retour a France

Ah...after a mid-morning stop at a cafe for filled muffins, lunch was in a delightful garden. Can't get too much foie gras, Susie says, especially when combined with live jazz. (Are we in t h e Caribbean or Paris?) We're in the Ile des Saintes, 15 miles south of the main island of Guadeloupe. It was a beautiful sail from Dominica yesterday (after the rain quit midday) but all the moorings and reasonable anchorage spots were taken by the time we arrived. We retreated to a nearby island (Terre de Bas) for a reasonably comfortable evening. A friend from Dominica was leaving the mooring they had at 0630, so we got up early and are now moored close to town. After an enjoyable stroll, a sit in the park and our repasts, we are returning to the boat for afternoon snoozes. Tomorrow we hope to take the ferry to the mainland big town (Point-a-Pitre) to visit the markets - if we can figure out the ferry schedule!

Plans C, D and E...

17 March 2020 | Moskito Island (14 24.041N 82 48.324W)

Jim AuBuchon

Well, we're still having fun, but in different places! We had intended to next call at Aruba on leaving the Panama Canal, but the weather was not conducive for that easterly slog. We then chose Jamaica, 570 miles northward - and still to windward and with reasonable likelihood of getting home for Summit's birthday party. However, after the first 150 miles turned into 300 (with tacking) and tiring of the unending tilt, Susie declared she had reached the end of her windward passages. (Not that I could blame her.) "Isn't there another way we could do this?" We committed to a clockwise Caribbean circumnavigation with a potential homeward trip from Key West. After 4 days out, she was ready for a break - but Providencia (Colombia) refused to let us even anchor in a a secluded cove for a restful break, fearing we would bring coronavirus! (It doesn't travel on the wind, guys! - and we don't have it. Sailing alone at the moment is not a bad idea!!) So we continued on to a group of reefs and tiny islands off Nicaragua, where we have a peaceful anchorage and were treated to a half dozen native sailing fishing boats turning circles around us going after their catch. We then will have only a few overnight passages as we stop briefly in Honduras, Belize, and the Cozumel area before leave attempting to re-enter the US. We are concerned with all the viral craziness that if we leave the boat in a foreign port, we may not be able to get back to it. So we may just keep sailing to the Bahamas, the VI and then on down the chain - stay tuned!

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