In October 2015 Raymonde moved in to the boat and settled down with an amazing speed and ease.
It’s good to have a companion to share my adventures with.
Raymonde wrote down here first experience (prior to moving in) with the boat and I think it became a must to reed for all future live aborts.

Also have a look at our picture collection : https://picasaweb.google.com/107431176398252783466/2016RaymondeInTheCarib
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An amazing experience in a “nutshell”
It is not “once upon a time”, it is only one year ago when I set my first footsteps on s/v Pauwke. Since I did not know what to expect, I did not think too much before leaving from home… but then again maybe I should have, or maybe not.
Before packing, my skipper friend recommended to use a travel bag rather than a suitcase, given the limited storage space on board. He also recommended to limit the luggage to a minimum for a fortnight. Quite a “mission impossible” for a woman.
In Point A Pitre, the dingy (that looked like a nutshell to me) was waiting for us to take us to Pauwke. Once aboard, I realized where I was whilst doing my utmost to remain on my feet and ignoring the waves. I had a sleepless night due to jetlag, high temperature a bed moving with the waves.
After getting a little acquainted with the boat, comes the immersion in the local culture and the people. Coming from a city where racism and violence are daily news, it felt great to realize that no distinction is made between white and colored people, whatever the religion is. Never did I feel watched, threatened or insecure and I felt like a charm! When talking to local people, they open up like a waterfall and will tell everything you need to know and more.
A few days went by, matter of getting over the jetlag on one hand, and accustomed to Pauwke on the other hand. Learned that cutting off lights, using a minimum of water, showering outside, flushing the toilet (man oh man, what an experience this was and skills are needed to avoid overflow!), cooking with dimmed lights using as less gas as possible, is the unavoidable way of life aboard. Easier said than done when coming from a comfort zone so to speak. Also, the limitation in availability of local products, especially food, and the flexibility to switch and do with what’s offered for the day, taking into consideration the small cooling storage takes some time.
Eventually we went sailing, for a short trip of a couple of hours, to get a feeling of it and to find out whether I would be sea-sick or not. Short trip or not, preparation starts the day before and my host skipper put everything in place for a safe journey. I was thrilled! It very quickly occurred to me that trust and confidence are very important ingredients as well as, being a novice in sailing, knowing your place on the boat. We were lucky, I was not sick and e few days later we planned a trip of about 3 hours that took us nearly 12 hours in the end due to weather circumstances. We had waves of 4, 5 meters and heavy winds, but I lived bravely thru it. Sliding or bumping over the waves, I lost my heart right there; I was sold!
The complicity and friendship, though sometimes temporarily, amongst boaters is also impressive. They share travel information, spare parts, security advice etc. and also food and…drinks. A nice crowd in what feels like a small village.
One year later, regardless the restrictions and limitations so to speak, my skipper and I decided to share our lives on Pauwke. Our ambition is to sail for some 10 more years at least.
At this very right moment I am struggling hard to try to manage the dingy on my own and eventually I’ll get there, somehow…
Our great complicity and trust, the immense freedom of life, the beauty of the sites we visit, diving into different cultures etc makes this way of life priceless. I feel blessed.
The new crew member Raymonde.