Not Blue in Curaçao

Why did we listen to other cruisers? Some who were in Curaçao before us described it as a utilitarian place to shop and get boat parts. They also said the anchorage was not very pretty and there were few attractions. They were dead wrong! Curaçao is charming, and the people welcoming. Yes, the provisioning is […]

A (Not Final) Farewell

That dreaded time for cruising sailors was fast approaching – haulout time. A necessary evil of the cruising life is that you periodically must have your home lifted out of the water and placed on stilts. While in this unnatural state for a boat, all types of bottom maintenance can be performed, and ¡Pura Vida! […]

Island on Fire

The juxtaposition of verdant mountains against the remnants of deadly, barren pyroclastic flows is striking when you tour Montserrat by land or see it from the air. As a visitor, it’s impossible to talk about this beautiful island without discussing the devastation and ongoing threat caused by the Soufrière Hills volcano. Montserrat is an active […]

Going Dutch (and French)

The unusually smooth sail across the infamous Anegada Passage belied the chaos we encountered upon arriving in Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten. We were tired from a sleepless, all-night sail, and just wanted to drop the anchor and rest, but it was the final regatta day, and hundreds of boats, both competitors and spectators, were crisscrossing […]

Reuniting with Friends and Virgins

After a spectacular two night, three day passage from Guadeloupe in near-perfect sailing conditions, we dropped anchor behind Long Reef off the coast of Christiansted, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. We were home! Our arrival excitement was magnified by knowing we were about to reunite with several friends we had not seen in quite some […]

The Joy of Rediscovery

Arriving in Îles des Saintes, Guadeloupe, was like a homecoming.  We visited here last year and fell in love with the quaint French town of Terre-de-Haut, the outstanding diving and snorkeling, and the panoramic view of small, lush, mountainous islands capped with centuries-old fortresses. This is one of those special places that we can visit […]