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 under the dinghy when you tried to stand. Susie came up with idea of using a cargo or climbing net made of nylon webbing. They're not expensive (Amazon, of course), so we tried one out yesterday. Although photos of the boarding process were prohibited from being posted by the Admiralty, it worked! Now we have increased freedom as to where we can snorkel. Hooray! (However, Susie's arms are tired today!)

After baguette French toast this morning, we headed south to Dominica. The forecast was for winds 14-18 knots and seas of 6 ft. Halfway there, the winds jumped to 25 knots gusting to 32 and seas rose to 10 feet. We shortened sail (relatively easy and quick), and we sped along albeit with bounces and splashes. We're now snug in Portsmouth, Dominica, looking forward to the Sunday night barbecue and a cessation of the intermittent showers.

To celebrate, Susie created a new cocktail, loosely based on one made by her friend Julia. It starts with Champagne, then gin and a ginger syrup from Martinique, garnished with a lime wedge and a piece of candied ginger. Tasty and refreshing!

(The photo is looking down from Fort Napoleon into the Ile de Saintes harbor from where we departed this morning. )

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 the cooling (water) pump in the refrigeration system to fail (kaput!!) right after we bought the voyage's last month of groceries (of course...). I was able to substitute a shower sump pump (with accommodation for different size tubing!) for 48 hours til the chandlery opened. All is running well now - phew!

We are now in the Ile de Saintes, just south of the main island of Guadeloupe. (Yes, the first thing i did on getting up at 6:20 this morning was to dinghy in to the patisserie to get croissants and a baguette. Love these French islands!)

The young English friends we've made have moved on to Nevis on their way home and posted photos of climbing the STEEP! mountain. This inspired us to adventure out, too: we rented a golf cart to explore Terre de Hauts today. (High and dry and NOT pulling ourselves up muddy vertical inclines! More power to them!) Currently sipping a pre-lunch mojito at a very nice resort at the end of the (only) road. Ah, the life of a septuagenerian. Dinner out tonight (French, mai oui!). On to Dominica Friday.

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 pool. Dinner tomorrow will be the best MIA has to offer... Looking forward to - briefly- seeing family and friends, doing taxes (not!), and then returning to the tropical isles!

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.

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!

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!