Impressions and flashbacks

When we were crossing the Caicos Bank, a single-hander went by in the opposite direction.  Don’t know how i knew he was alone.  But i knew.  I didn’t know that when i saw him in the distance, when it looked like we would pass starboard to starboard.  I went below to see if he showed up on my charts via the AIS.  Which he did not.  I came back on deck just as he crossed our bow a little too close for comfort.  Waved to him as he altered course and carried on.  As i watched him go by, a part of me felt i knew what he was doing.  How he felt.  Alone.  While it didn’t feel pathologic to me, it also didn’t feel healthy…over a long term.

At dinner with crew #3 and #4…Reed described how to achieve the perfect place on Akimbo’s deck as a member of the “bronzing team” (thank you Dave Nab for the term).  Reed IS several shades darker than he need be compared to when he got here.  His directions we so specific.   And this new crew, arriving from Seattle, seemed to be listening to him?  Over a week later i heard Kate’s quiet voice behind me.  “Reed is a genius.”  I turned to  see she had found that perfect perch.   

Rooftops appearing above the foliage…look like the tops of mushrooms. 

Crews #4 and #5, “passing the baton.”  Another successful rendezvous.  I gotta stop being surprised by this.    

A neighbor here in Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor, Paul, has been cruising here for 43 years.  He splits his time between here and the Boston area.  He very generously loaned us his car and gave us directions to Hog Heaven – a restaurant and bar with a stunning stunning view. Talk about spoiling my new crew!  I hope they don’t expect this kind of thing everyday.

Sending a post card i wrote “while my heart is with my community, my body is glad to be here.” 

So, Jim and Heather are off to a good start.  We made the overnight passage from Virgin Gorda to St. Maarten, the Dutch and southern side of the island.  The French claim the northern half.  We might have enjoyed the taste of Paris more than the main drag we saw.  Then again, would the French have allowed an iguana into the bar?  

But the next jump south was more direct from the Dutch side.  Once again or still, we got there beating under double reefed main and jib.  And left the same way. 

At first we tho’t to stop by a French Island included in the territory of St. Barts, but the wind would have had us beating again and made the day long.  So we eased off the wind and headed straight for Saba (pronounced as Say Bah).  There were lots of thunder storms around the horizon.  We managed to pick up a mooring buoy before we got dumped on.  Which was great for rinsing the salt off Akimbo.  After lunch and a nap and the rain stopped, we dinghied in to the beach below “the ladder.” 

This beach is where everything that built the current townships came ashore…whereupon all of it was carried up 485 steps (Jim counted them) to where the settlement was being built. 

As you can see from the photos, the coast is steep and dramatic.  And the snorkeling is very good.  Fun to swim with turtles.  We’re moored in 55’ of water and can see the bottom.   A young couple were snorkeling nearby and swam by.  They said they were going to school on Saba.  And when we answered their questions about our trip they said they were envious?  While we envied their life on Saba?  Human nature…gotta laugh.  They also said the turtles we were swimming with would let you hold on and would tow you.  

We got lucky.  There are so many islands to choose from, and Saba had not been “on my radar” at all.  Yet it turned out to be a favorite stop, we enjoyed our solitude and decided to stay an extra day.  I’d recommend it or be happy to return.  And could have so easily missed it.  So, we know there are lots like Saba that we are missing.  Can’t get to them all, and even if we could, there would be others (like in Polynesia and Indonesia) that we missed. 

That  night the 288’ Maltese Falcon arrived at our anchorage.  And she chose our anchorage?  Perhaps confirming our good taste in places to go.  As i checked in with customs and immigration here, i overheard that she was checking in with 16 crew and 2 passengers.  Imagine that.  We’re glad to have a new insight into what is possible.  Maybe not desirable (to some of us), but possible (for very few of us).  One tends to stare when she’s in port. 

So, we’ve worked hard to go east against the tradewinds.  And now that we’re ready to “turn the corner” and reach south…the wind is coming out of the south?  Bud called this ironic.    I could think of some other descriptions.  But we trust the tradewind pattern will return and we will get to reach straight for our destinations soon instead of tacking back and forth for them.

Beat our way south 40nm south to St. Kitts next...under full main and genoa, for a change.  Really quite a nice sailing day.  Stayed in their marina and checked in and out of their customs, port and immigration.  It’s a shame bureaucracies like these are so inefficient and subjective…and define as much of my experience as they do.  But then that’s my own fault.  Were i lingering in each place, they’d play a smaller role.  

On our way out, we anchored the next night at the south end of St. Kitts.  On our way, we sailed close to a local race.  We voted one boat the winner whether they crossed the finish line first or not. 

Later, we took our cue from a catamaran that anchored nearby:  we set a stern anchor to keep our bow aiming out into any incoming swell, and we slept much better for it. 

Our day to sail to Antigua was the first that we motored most of the day.  Lots of squalls were around and sucked up most of the wind.  We managed to scamper away from the dark clouds and sailed the last few hours into an anchorage just north of Jolly Harbor, to rendezvous with Jessica the next day.