Finally! Fixes Complete!

It’s been a while since our last blog because we’ve been busy, busy, BUSY getting the good ship A2C all spiffed up and ready to head off again. We’ve been in St. Martin for the past few months doing lots of boat chores, some major, and we are so pleased with the results.

We arrived into Sint Maarteen, the Dutch side of this lovely island, after coming from St. Kitts’ summer storage. Anchoring just before Thanksgiving, we settled into the lagoon lifestyle and the close proximity to all the nautical shops surrounding the waterfront. We found the lagoon to be relatively secure with calm waters and plenty of friendly folks about. It wasn’t long before we decided that this would be the best pace to do some things we had been talking about and that we discovered need to be addressed. We took a good inventory of the boat’s systems and decided that we would need a shipping address to receive some things from the states into this duty-free island. The duty free part was a big contributor to our decision to stay here to complete the upgrades we decided on. We found a local place called the Business Point that, for a small fee would provide a local address, which could be used by their reshipper in Miami. We only had to have our parts shipped to the Miami address and they would reship our stuff on to St, Martin. It all sounded so easy. So we made some purchasing decisions and ordered our parts. And waited for their arrival. And we waited. Then we waited some more. One of the upgrades we decided on was to improve our navigation electronics. That included a new chart plotter and new radar system. The chart plotter is really the brains for all things electronic at our nav station. It displays all the charts (maps) which show us where we are and allows us to set a course for wherever we wish to go. Kind of like a GPS in one’s car. The radar system is just that. It sends radar beams out and displays the reflections on the screen so you can see what’s out there, all around you, whether it be other boats or current weather patterns. It is in real time, much like when the weatherman shows the storm patterns on the TV with the sweeping, rotating, on screen display arm. It can be very handy when sailing at night (or even in the day) during a period with periodic squalls around. It allows us to see where they seem to be developing and where to steer to best avoid running into one. Hopefully.

We found a marine electronics dealer in St. Martin who promised to match any price we found, on the Internet or otherwise, so we felt we got our new equipment at a fair price. He suggested we put our deposit down and order quickly as we might be able to receive the goods prior to Christmas. We did so and anxiously waited. And waited. And waited some more. Evidently this is not uncommon for goods to be way laid down here. Our first order came up completely missing from the shipper’s manifest. So the dealer reordered two additional units. When those took a ridiculously long time to appear, and with our insistence, he ordered another unit to be delivered through a fast courier-type transit. Finally the stuff appeared. Since the installation is pretty complicated, and with Rick’s somewhat limited electronics knowledge, we decided to hire a professional to do the installation. This also provided us with a secure warranty should there be any future problem with the equipment. We scheduled the install and Rick was able to assist with that work, greatly reducing the time needed. It still took over 16 hours to get both systems installed and tested. This included lots of “fishing” the wiring through the tight spaces inside the boat and the support tubes holding up the canopy over the cockpit. Very complicated stuff, and Rick was happy it was being done by a pro. But boy, are the GREAT! We are so happy we made the decision, even though the cost was higher than we hoped, it came out beautifully.

Additionally, our main engine panels (think gauges, sensors and ignition switches) from our original install (14 years ago) were not functioning all that well any longer. They looked dog-eared and worn out from years of sun exposure. Basically, they worked, but just barely. Plus, they looked terrible. From our Manta owner’s forum, we had read about a company that others had used to replace their panels so we checked them out. After review we ordered two new custom display panels to replace our non-functional ones. We ordered them, using our temporary St. Martin address just before Christmas, paying for expedited shipping to ensure their quick delivery. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. Concurrently, we realized that our boom vang was in horrible disrepair. Basically, it was necessary to repair it or risk the strong possibility of having the boom collapse onto the salon roof causing significant damage and possibly injury. The boom vang is the device that supports the entire weight of our boom and mainsail via an angular attachment from the foot of the mast. Internally, there are heavy springs, which absorb the weight and compress under the load of weight shift, much like a shock absorber on a land vehicle. Our vang had rusted a hole in the side of the shaft that holds the springs. Because of this, the internal springs had rusted into shambles and they also needed replacing. We ordered the new parts to complete this repair, hoping for a quick delivery allowing us to move forward with our sailing season. So, we waited and waited for that delivery along with the other parts and pieces we were waiting for. Can you see a theme here, yet?

Unbeknownst to us, the Business Point decided to move their location and closed their offices right before Christmas until January 8th. So, as we had expedited out deliveries to attempt to get them faster, our final delivery point on the island had decided to be closed until after the holidays! After all of our waiting, and a delayed reopening of the Business Point on January 12th, our goods finally arrived and by mid January we set about installing everything. In the meantime, Rick had decided to refinish the cockpit table with a new laminate and refinished teak trim. It turned out lovely and makes our cockpit look so much newer and cleaner. Also, due to the need to adjust the console for the larger chart plotter, we had some left over material which Rick made into additional shelving for the interior so we have more space to store even more stuff.

Probably our favorite upgrade came early upon our arrival in St. Martin. Suz had never enjoyed driving the dinghy due to it being steered by the tiller handle on the engine. It was “backwards” to her way of thinking and she was uncomfortable driving it and therefore, didn’t. We decided to check out installing a console with steering wheel mechanism into our year old dinghy and priced the parts only to be disappointed that everything we needed was available except the console itself. So we decided that we could likely do without it as it had worked fine with Rick doing the driving. Then, at the first flea market after our arrival, we spotted a used console and backseat set up that was recently removed from another dinghy which was for sale. We negotiated with the seller and bought it on the cheap since he had no further use for it. We made arrangements with Budget Marine to get the other parts and to have their tech department do the install. After a couple of weeks of back and forth, the dinghy was completed and it is a joy to have Suz drive it, with me as the passenger for a change.

So now we have completed our appointed fixes including but not mentioned our watermaker and generator and all systems are “go” once again. Now, it is our turn to make our systems “go”. We have grown to really enjoy this island. The French side and the Dutch side are very different with different amenities, both quite enjoyable. We have made new friends here since we’ve been here for such an extended time but now we need to move on. Daughter Nancy and her husband Eric will arrive into Antigua on the 23rd of February for a week of sun and fun so we need to begin heading that direction soon. Likely, we will make a stopover in St. Barths before making the longer trip to Antigua. Then on March 11th, daughter Ellie, her husband Eric, and the grand kids Liv and AJ arrive into the USVIs for a weeklong visit. The gals visited us last year in Antigua and we hope this visit will be more relaxing for them as the weather last year was very windy. We will then begin heading north to the Bahamas and eventually, on into Florida waters. We’ll try to be more regular posters but as you can imagine, it’s very busy out here. For everyone who always asks, “what do you DO all day?!?!?” I hope this has been a bit of an explanation. Plus we always have to have time to relax!

Stay tuned!

Back on the Water Again!

We are so happy to be back on our boat again and out on the briny blue. We arrived back in St. Kitts at the boatyard on November 9th and quickly visited our boat to assess the condition after she was strapped down on the land all summer. This is where s/v Allergic to Cities spent her long, hot, dusty “summer vacation” dodging hurricanes and patiently awaiting our return. We spent the first few days staying in an AirBnB just up the road from the boatyard. It was a nice apartment with plenty of ocean breezes that we loved at night as the weather, overall, was very hot and humid. During the days, we were busy at the boatyard, preparing our boat for a launch date of “ASAP”. Before we could splash the boat, however, we needed to get some chores done which would make her happy all winter long and hopefully beyond. Likely, the most important job to be completed while still on land was to apply a couple of fresh coats of bottom paint. This biocide paint is VERY expensive ($250/gallon) and took several gallons of both primer and topcoat to cover both hulls up to the waterline. Because the old paint was deteriorated beyond usefulness, we had to sand all of it off prior to application of the primer coat. What a messy dirty job that was! Since we could only apply one coat a day, it took three days after the bottom was prepped and taped off for roller application of the paints. We hired the man of the house from our AirBnB to assist and his help was greatly appreciated.

While Rick was busy doing the bottom job, Suz spent her time cleaning, cleaning, and doing more cleaning of the inside the boat to get rid of the accumulated dirt and dust from the summer’s winds. Did I mention how HOT it was? Each night when we returned to our apartment, we each took our showers and sat exhausted but grateful for another successful day of moving closer to getting off the land and back in the water. While the boat was high and dry, we also took this opportunity to apply fresh stripping to the sides of the boat. Our sister-in-law, Donna Bear, has a very successful Etsy business that does a lot of vinyl cutting for custom signs so I asked her to make new “Manta” logo graphics as well for each side of the boat. They turned out terrific and now with a fresh bottom paint and new boat stripes and logo work, she looks great!

Our launch date came on Thursday, just under one week since arrival. We were both anxious to get our girl back in the water and were pleased at how much we had accomplished since our arrival. She dropped back into the water with ease from the giant Travel Lift and seemed happy to have the cool water on the new bottom paint. Everything was done with the exception of adding the new sacrificial zincs to each saildrive and propeller shaft. The ones we had ordered were not correct so we unfortunately had to wait until later to do that part of our seasonal preparation. After checking out with customs and immigration officials, we immediately left the territorial waters of St. Kitts and headed north to St. Eustatius known locally as Statia. Upon our arrival, we anchored and were enjoying the cool breezes when a dinghy came up to our boat telling us that the local authorities were trying to hail us on the VHF. We usually turn our VHF (short wave radio) off when we arrive somewhere since it usually just provides a noisy irritant as background noise. We turned our radio back on and hailed the port authorities to see what they wanted. Upon our arrival we dutifully had hoisted our yellow “Q” flag to indicate that we had not yet cleared customs. Our understanding was that a vessel had 24 hours to clear in with customs upon entering that island’s territorial waters. The first stop onshore must be to the customs office but since we intended upon leaving at first light the next morning to continue on to St. Martin, we had no intention of going ashore at all, nor clearing with customs. We had anchored in what we thought was the proper area, but were told we were likely in an area where a freighter would arrive later that night and would need our space to turn around. Additonally, they wondered when we were coming ashore to check in. We told them our early departure intentions and explained we did not intend to check in since we were not leaving our vessel. They said we were wrong, in that we had entered their territorial waters and MUST check in with their customs officers. Begrudgingly, Rick went in and hurriedly completed the check-in procedures, gave them their $35 in fees, and literally ran back to the boat to prepare to re-anchor prior to sunset. It is always a difficult and potentially dangerous procedure to anchor in darkness, so we were under the gun to get the hook back down out of the turn around zone. The whole situation left us with a less than savory taste in our mouths for the island. Likely will not return again. The following morning we were anxious to get underway for St. Martin and left around 8AM. We had to motor the entire distance to St. Martin as the winds were not favorable for sailing there but we arrived in good shape around 3PM. Since we knew we would be on St. Martin for a few weeks, to complete some boat upgrades, we proceeded into Simpson Bay, through a drawbridge, into the protected lagoon for a calm respite from the wavy outer waters where we had stayed in previous years. After finding a good anchoring spot, we returned to the customs office, checked in, then returned to the boat to enjoy some sundowners and prepare our evening meal. Our new sailing season finally felt underway. We have been on St. Martin, on the Dutch side, for three weeks so far and have had time to complete several upgrades and minor fixes to the boat. She is preforming well and we are happy to get these things completed. One of the things we had hoped to complete was to upgrade our tiller-steered dinghy into one with a center steering console. Suz has never been comfortable driving the dinghy with the tiller steering since it is counter intuitive to steer. (Push to the right to go left, and so forth.) We priced a system at the local chandlery and were all set to complete the sale but the set up was missing the most important ingredient, the fiberglass center steering console. To this piece, all of the other pieces of steering equipment are attached. Without the console, one cannot have a steering wheel, throttle controller, running lights, etc. Disappointed, we decided to forgo this upgrade. Then, a few days later, we went to a once-a-month flea market and lo and behold, found a used center console with an available backseat as well. Back in action! We purchased the console for much less than the chandlery wanted for a new one and Rick installed it. Today we dropped it off at the chandlery to have the other pieces installed and tonight we will pick it up ready for Suz to drive us back to the boat! We are both so excited to have this upgrade and know that now Suz will feel comfortable taking the dinghy anytime she wishes to go somewhere without having to ask Rick to her there. Additionally, our watermaker was run for the first time since re-launch and was underperforming by a long way. We decided that this piece of equipment was essential. We befriended another couple in the boatyard in St. Kitts who are now anchored behind us in Simpson Bay. Because he is very knowledgeable about watermakers, among other boat things, he helped me diagnose the problem to a certain part of the watermaker called the Clark pump. I removed that part, took it into a servicing facility last week and they found the problem, are finishing up a rebuild and we should be able to reinstall it tomorrow. One more system ready to go! Slowly our boat is getting back into proper running condition and we will be ready to leave this service friendly island. But where to go next. Our initial intent was to head back across the Anagada Passage to the Virgin Islands. Now, we are somewhat considering heading back south to a few of the closer islands including our beloved Antigua. We spent so much time there last year with our guests and know we enjoy the island immensely. However, we also thoroughly enjoy the Virgins. So the quandary is which way to go next. We will make that decision and head out within a week or two and will keep you posted. In the meanwhile, enjoy the holiday season and the loved ones in your lives. Having recently lost my 97 year old Mom, I wish to remind everyone to let your loved ones know how much they mean to you because when they pass over the rainbow to the other side, you will no longer have that chance.

Panama!

Well, we’ve been in Panama for almost two months now and it has been quite an experience. We are house sitting in a beautiful place owned by an American guy originally from Boulder, Colorado. Small world. Now it is time for us to prepare for our return to the US. Next Wednesday we’ll fly from Panama City to San Francisco to drive up to stay with brother Dave and check in on Mom, 97 years young and still full of piss and vinegar. Then, we’ll fly to Denver for a visit with the kids and grandkids before driving up to Steamboat Springs to assemble our stuff for the summer sit in Cape Cod (our 3rd summer there!). But first, a bit about Panama…

We arrived into Panama City from St. Kitts on April 5th after putting the boat on land and prepping her for hurricane season. Crossing our fingers early this year for her safe summer! We stayed in Panama City the first night to catch our breath, then gathered our stuff together and took an Uber to the central bus terminal to get a local bus ride up the mountains to our next sit in el Valle, Panama. It cost us $22 for the Uber ride (45 minutes) and $7.50 for the bus ride (one hour). Panama City traffic is some of the most congested I’ve ever seen so we were pleased to not have a rental car. Lots of aggressive driving and not for the faint of heart at all. We were both surprised at the skyline of Panama City. We were not prepared for the modern aspects of the city. Lots of tall skyscrapers with very modern architecture. It was quite an impressive cityscape, actually. Once we arrived at the central bus station we had to lug our bags to a window for the bus that goes to the city of our destination. We finally found the correct ticket window, purchased our tickets, and boarded the bus awaiting our departure. The bus was semi-modern, not the typical “chicken bus” we expected. The bus left the station and we soon discovered we would be stopping often to pick up/drop off passengers so the 35-mile trip up the mountains took over an hour. Not a problem for us as we enjoyed observing the countryside and the people.

We arrived in el Valle around 3 in the afternoon and were dropped off in the wrong spot, even though we had shown the driver’s helper a map with our expected drop point. Once we realized we were not where we were supposed to be, we flagged down one of the local taxis (abundant!) and showed him the map and asked him, in our broken Spanish, to take us there. He understood and delivered us to the house sit location. The property is surrounded by a 7-foot high security wall and secured by a steel double car gate with an adjacent steel man door. Everything was locked and there was no way to contact the occupants, since our phones were not set to work in Panama. We banged on the man door and finally, Rick backed up a bit and hollered for the owner. Soon, the door opened and the owner’s girlfriend welcomed us to the property, telling us that the owner would return soon from gathering some plantings from a neighbor’s garden. We were shown our room and we happily dumped our overweight luggage in the room. After a while, Zach, the owner, came back and gave us a quick tour and explained a few things he wanted to be sure we were aware of, regarding the property. Soon, it was dinnertime, and they announced they would be heading off to dinner and would drop us off at a local restaurant so we could catch a bite as well. We had a mediocre meal at the Italian place he’d chosen and they came back near the end of our meal to pick us up and return us to the property. Everyone was ready for an early bedtime, especially us, after a log day of travelling.

The next day was spent reviewing a lot of details of the property so we could be aware of how the electronics, security systems, gardening, kitchen, etc. all worked. Zach is a self-proclaimed geek so much of the systems were pretty elaborate. The house itself is very nice and modern with high ceilings and lots of cross ventilation to keep it nice and cool inside without having to rely on air conditioning. He built the house about 10 years ago when Panama was just starting to come onto the “cool places to retire” radar. He is still working but he felt this would be his perfect retirement place and built the home. We quickly became part of the ex-pat community in el Valle as it is very active. There is a Friday night get together/happy hour alternating between two local bar/restaurants. These places understand the value of catering to this group and offer discounted drinks and dinners for the crowd. Suz has become involved with the Green Team (ladies who go out picking up trash once a week all around town). She also has established friends who go walking twice a week early in the morning before the heat of the day starts to rise. Rick has been battling back pain issues and has found himself more dormant than he wishes since excessive walking seems to aggravate his back issues. We have determined that the problem appears to be sciatica and he’s looking forward to his VA appointment when he returns to Denver to hopefully supply him with some direction for additional relief. He’s been doing a lot of stretching and hot and cold pads, even visited the local chiropractor but it seems to need something more serious. Hopefully not surgery! The town of el Valle is a primarily a resort community that caters to wealthy Panamanians for the city, affording them a nice higher altitude get-away to escape the big city heat. The town, itself, is located in an extinct volcano creator, surrounded by steep, high, pointy mountains. The main town is at 2000’ above sea level so the temperature remains fairly mild throughout the day and it cools off nicely at night providing great sleeping temps. Many of the residences here are second homes for wealthy Panamanians and are quite nice. As you might imagine, the landscaping here includes loads of beautiful palms, tropical plants, exotic flowers, orchids, and water features including swimming pools. The extreme opposite to these homes is the local residents whom live in quite simple huts and homes without window or screen, roofs that appear to be ready to collapse and very rough yards. Many of the locals get around on bicycles, yet older nearly toasted vehicles also are in abundance.

We have a gardener who comes twice a week and works like a man possessed for the outlandish sum of $20 US a day. He only speaks Spanish so our communications include ample hand gestures and sign language. However, our Spanish skills are slowly improving so once in a while, in our broken “Spanglish” we can get our messages understood.

We have taken a few trips to a nearby town, Coronado, where we can do a pretty good job of provisioning with a good selection of foods we recognize and desire. Much of the local beef cuts, however, remains a mystery, as they are nothing we can identify and so we have been resigned to frozen, pre-packaged imported steaks when we get the urge for red meat. We have been successful with the local chicken cuts yet also have found frozen breast filets and enjoy those. The fresh fish here is abundant, as one would imagine, being so close to the Pacific, and a guy comes around in a pickup truck daily with a big cooler in the back selling the daily catch. We have enjoyed a few fish dinners and Rick had found some terrific prices on large shrimp for cocktail, all fresh!

Being in Panama, we knew we couldn’t leave without visiting the Panama canal zone, so we took a couple of days and drove to Panama City to take in the big city sights. However, it wasn’t long before our Allergic to Cities symptoms arose and we felt the urge to get back to the mountains. We did enjoy seeing the canal, although there were no boats transiting when we visited. It was much smaller in width than I imagined, wide enough for a container ship to pass through, but just by inches in some cases. They have actually built a second set of locks to accommodate the newer, bigger ships that opened recently.

We stayed in Panama City at a pretty nice hotel in downtown. It was in the safe area to wander around so we did that each evening on our way to and from a dinner spot. One night we found a Brazilian restaurant that served meat from swords right to your table. It was really a neat deal as the waiters were all dressed like South American gauchos (Spanish cowboys) with high boots and fancy sashes around their waist. It was great food but too many options. It just kept coming until you said “uncle” and threw in the proverbial towel. It was hard for Rick to finally call it quits but he eventually had his fill. Our stay here has been quite pleasant and it has provided us a look at another spot we had always heard was worth a visit. It certainly was worth the visit. Neither of us would currently consider moving here but we both understand the draw to many. Lower cost of living, certainly, but also a pretty relaxed and laid-back lifestyle. Another notch in our traveling belt.

Now, we’re preparing to depart for the good ol’ US of A. It will be good to be back in familiar country again after our 7-month travel. Cape Cod will be a welcoming summer destination again with the lobster, oysters, and great seafood, and it always is terrific to get with our kids and grandkids again and see how everyone has grown in our absence. Then it’ll be back to the boat for next winters sailing fun. Until then, stay tuned.

A2C goes to Bed for the Summer

Our final week in the islands provided us with a lot of wrap-up chores and anxiety regarding putting our boat away “on the hard” for the next 7 months. Earlier, we made arrangements with the boatyard to secure a spot for us so that our insurance would remain in force through the upcoming hurricane season. So, we expected a pretty seamless transition from the water to the land when the time came. Unfortunately, that sense of seamlessness was over anticipated as we found one hurdle after another until we finally got he boat hauled two days before our flight time to Panama.

We had never visited the boatyard prior to arriving there on the Sunday prior to our scheduled haul day of Tuesday. So as we approached the inlet to bring the boat into the marina for dock time prior to hauling, we found it extremely primitive and wholly unusable for us to do any comfortable prepping on their docks. We therefore decided to return to anchor back at the other end of the island at a snug spot we had spotted earlier in the week but had yet to enjoy. Preparing one’s boat for land storage means a lot of different things to different people. Our insurance underwriter had approved our storage plan which allowed us to keep our sails hung on the boat but wrapped securely with lots of line to assist in keeping any extra wind from unfurling the canvas and causing related damages. So we started of our prep with lots of line going around and around the sails, closing up any space where a bird might like to crawl into and make a messy nest. We then had to remove all cushions and bags that could fly away o a storm and place everything indoors. We also removed the acrylic side windscreens and stashed everything inside.

We also decided to change the oil in each engine so they wouldn’t feel neglected as they sat unused for the next seven months. Doing small mechanical things like that make one feel like they are preparing the boat for the next season as well. As per our owner’s manual, we then drained all the water out of our holding tank and topped off the fuel tank. Suz kept busy cleaning like a crazy woman to help reduce the likelihood of bugs wanting to make home sites inside our boat. After finalizing the prep work we headed back up to the marina to get hauled and placed on land and strapped down for the off-season. We arrived at our assigned time of 10:00 AM and as we were waiting on the dock for the travel lift to haul us out and transport us to the land, we noticed a large day tour catamaran circling the outer harbor looking like they wanted to come in to the dock. As is a rather small marina, there was only one space on the dock for any vessels. Before long, the dockmaster came to our boat and asked if we wouldn’t mind untying from the dock and leaving the harbor for a half an hour or so to allow the tour boat to unload their passengers who had appointments with a slew of tour busses awaiting their arrival. Reluctantly, we moved out of the harbor and waited for them to do their thing and then reentered and tied back up, still waiting for the travel lift guys to come for our boat.

At 1PM the travel lift guy came to the boat and told us they were heading to lunch and that we would be the first boat lifted after they returned in an hour or so. You guessed it; it was nearly 4PM when they hooked up the cables and lifted us clear of the sea and onto the land for our summer storage. As they drove the bog lift with us hanging below to the spot they had picked for our storage, they measured the spaces needed to dig into the earth to allow our keels, propeller shafts and rudders a place to be out of the dirt. After they finished digging, they placed large truck tires around the perimeter of the boat and lowered A2C onto the tires to rest out the storms. By now, we were bushed and headed back to town to spend our first night ashore in our rented AirBnB unit. It felt wonderful to have the luxury of LONG hot showers again and we took full advantage of that opportunity.

The next day we returned to the boat to complete our prep chores and were all done by around 2 PM. During that last day, they came by and finished up they tie down of the boat and we made the necessary arrangements for the off-season care and maintenance for our boat. We headed back to our apartment and enjoyed a swim and hot shower before completing our packing for the trip onward to Panama. Now we can only hope mother nature and the good Lord above (or whomever is in charge these days) that our boat will be safe and sound when we return next November to splash her and continue our sailing adventure. In the meantime, we have arrived in Panama to begin our 6-week sit in the mountain area north east of Panama City. The home we will be staying in is quite lovely and very modern. It is owned by a fellow who grew up in Greeley, Colorado, has a tech company based in Boulder and works remotely from his homes in Florida and Panama. We are anxious to see what Panama has to offer us and already are finding it very pretty and not as hot as we’d expected. We will continue the blog through our Panama sit for those wanting to see what we find of this place. So, stay tuned, and cross your fingers for the good ship A2C for the upcoming hurricane season.

Getting Ready for Summer Storage

After spending over 6 weeks on the beautiful island of Antigua, we left yesterday for the 8 hour sail across to St. Kitts where we will be busy getting A2C ready for her summer landfall and hopefully safe destination for the upcoming hurricane season. Antigua has been and continues to be one of our favorite places in the entire Windward Antilles chain. It is English-speaking, with very pleasant welcoming locals, and various boater-related facilities where one can repair or get things repaired or replaced without much hassle. The prices are generally a bit higher than other islands but not so much that we feel “gouged”. As the saying goes: “you get what you pay for” and in Antigua, you get high-grade service and products not second level replacement alternatives. After arriving here with our friend Jeannie Berger in early March in a very blustery weather pattern, we endured more than our share of in climate weather (for the Caribbean, at least!). Bad weather here mostly means higher than expected winds and the occasional squally rainstorm. This pattern continued through most of our visit with our daughter Ellie and grandkids AJ and Liv, who arrived on the heals of Jeannie’s departure. We were able to find plenty to keep everyone happy (mostly, I think) even during the off weather days but we have regretted that for both visits we weren’t able to show off the usual glorious days and nights so common to this part of the world. I don’t think either of them really felt slighted, however, as both sets of guests we coming from the much cold climates of Colorado. The weather past weeks have been perfect. Daily clear skies with easy sailing winds and soft sleeping breezes each night. We took good advantage of this weather and spent much of the past few weeks exploring the further reaches of this terrific island paradise. Our intentions were to sail completely around the island doing what boaters refer to as “gunkholing”. That means, you take you boat into the islands many hidden coves and bays and see what lay within. We began by heading counterclockwise from Jolly Harbor (on the Western side). After settling in Falmouth Harbor for a few days and rekindling our love affair with that spot, we continued on around, revisiting English Harbor. It is always a pleasure to stay in such an historic place as English Harbor, although the anchor holding can be sometimes challenging. From English we continued to a new spot for us, Mamora Bay. It was a very quiet bay, which is home to the prestigious St. James Club Resort. Anchoring just off the resort’s shore felt like high rollers without having to pay the high price. We did spend a day wandering about their grounds and enjoying their beaches, however. From Mamora Bay, we continued around to Green Island in Nonsuch Bay. We had visited here years ago on our first trip to the islands and recalled how beautiful it was then and still remains. After checking the charts we discovered that leaving Nonsuch bay and continuing around the island in the counterclockwise way, we would need someone with “local knowledge” to lead us out through the heavily reefed inner harbor to open waters to continue our circumnavigation. Therefore, we decided to backtrack around the opposite direction and come back around the southern and western sides of the island to get to the northern shore.

Along the way back around, we stopped again at Falmouth for a few days, enjoying their beautiful sandy beaches and welcoming “village”. After a few days here we set out for a quick stop at Jolly Harbor, to pick up some supplies at the Budget Marine store for our upcoming summer layup. We needed to buy supplies for a new bottom paint job and they had the correct paint we sought. For anyone cringing at the price of paint for redecorating your home, STOP whining! The paint we needed for the bottom coatings for our boat came to $350USD/gallon (we need 4 gallons to do 2 coats) plus two gallons of primer which came to $125USD/gallon. The reason it is so expensive is that it special biocide paint formulated to help keep marine growth from attaching itself to the bottom (and the fact that it is for a BOAT!). YIKES! After leaving Jolly Harbor, we headed further up the west side to a new place for us called Deep Bay. It was very pretty and secluded and well protected from swells. This bay is just before the big harbor of St. John’s which is the country’s capital city. The next day, we passed St. John’s Harbor to starboard and kept on to the north end of the island to Jumby Bay on a small island called Long Island. It is a beautiful spot with VERY exclusive properties including the vacation home of Orphan Winfrey. We weren’t sure which home was hers but any of them appeared worthy of the billionairess. We stayed there only a night and, because of difficult reefs to pass through if we continued around, decided to return back counterclockwise from which we came. The trip “around” the island was well worth our time and backtracking, we felt. We discovered some new, fun, beautiful spots on Antigua where we know we will return for another visit. We actually almost got all the way around with the exception of the extreme northeastern corner. But we didn’t feel like we had missed something we needed to see up there. Once back in Falmouth, for our final days on Antigua, we spent our afternoons at our favorite beach, reading and swimming when the heat got to be too much. Then we decided it was time to get prepared to haul for the season and get our boat headed across to St. Kitts to make those final preparations. Once we made the arrangements to keep the boat on St. Kitts, we discovered that several days surrounding our arrival and departure dates are considered island holidays. We discovered years ago, that the islanders LOVE their holidays and take every opportunity to claim one as a day off from work. For example, Easter is on Sunday but most places will be taking Good Friday off as well. Additionally, many will close at one on (not as good-) Thursday. Then, of course, since you’ve enjoyed a good long four-day weekend for Easter, why not just add Monday on for good measure! This is considered “island time”.

We will haul the boat on Tuesday, April 3 but will arrive at the marina on Sunday to do the final boat prep of removing cushions and all other wind age (things that could go flying away in a storm) and generally getting the boat super clean inside. When the boatyard reopens on Tuesday, they will take some measurements of our hull and dig an appropriately sized hole into which they will lover the boat, keels first. It will then come to rest on used car tires and be strapped down to concrete blocks for additional protection. From there, we leave her, cross our fingers and head off for the summer. We will hopefully have our prep chores completed and get the final day (Wednesday) on St. Kitts where we hope to be able to enjoy Rick’s 71st birthday doing something fun ashore. We have rented a small AirBnB on the island from Sunday night until we fly out on Thursday and are looking forward to that experience. This will allow us to travel, via our rental car, back to the marina during the day and back at night. I will post an additional blog entry after the boat has been tied up and then continue with entries during our upcoming house sit trip to Panama as many have asked us to comment on what we find there. That means you’re not done hearing us blab on about our gypsy lifestyles. Hopefully some if it will inspire some of you to “throw off those dock lines and sail into the unknown” s we have enjoyed doing. Stay tuned…

It sure is QUIET!

It’s been about 10 days since our last guests left. Our youngest daughter Ellie and grand daughters AJ and Liv wore us out, so after a few days to rest up, we made plans to rest up some more. Our style of resting means getting the sails up and moving to someplace new. We headed south from Jolly Harbor, Antigua, toward Falmouth Harbor and anchored in a lovely close-in spot which afforded us the luxury of short dinghy rides to the marina ashore as well as settled waters for good sleeping conditions. We spend about 3 days there and enjoyed the quiet of the boat setting as well as the shore visits to resupply our pantry and beginning to plan for our storing the boat in about a month for the summer season on the hard. While lounging at Falmouth Harbor we decided to make the final arrangements for our summer hurricane storage location before heading off for some well deserved rest from our visitors.

Our insurance company through us a slight curveball when we advised them of our plan to return our boat to Puerto Rico for hurricane season. Because of the devastating hurricanes, Irma, Jose, and Maria last season, many of the insurers have rewritten their rules for where one can put a boat and still maintain their insurance coverage. We had survived all three hurricanes in PR without damage or claims and yet they insisted on our being hauled out and strapped down to the earth for this coming season. It seemed that the location of the storage yard was not the issue as much as our need to be out of the water. Since we didn’t wish to go the hurricane season without insurance, we found ourselves changing our plans at the proverbial eleventh hour. Searching for an alternate location for summer storage proved somewhat difficult as we discovered that many of the other cruising yacht were also finding their insurers rules similar and they had already made reservations at some of the more popular yards to place their boats. Since we were near the middle of the Caribbean chain of islands we began by soliciting estimates and availabilities for yards nearest our current location as well as competitive quotes from as far away as east coast PR, Trinidad, Grenada, and Aruba. Close by, we checked into St. Maarten, Antigua, and St. Kitts. Prices varied greatly from location to location and we found that Grenada, where we had kept our boat two time prior, was near the highest price on the list. They also we nearly booked up already by the time we checked in with them in February. After talking with St. Kitts Boatyard, we decided that it would be the chosen place to keep A2C for the coming months. There price was good, their location was nearby and the insurance company agreed that they would be acceptable as an insured location. So now that we have secured our location and have made plans to head to St. Kitts in time to prepare the boat for hauling out of the water, we decided to spend some time gunkholing Antigua’s beautiful bay-ridden coastline. From Falmouth harbor, we sailed east toward the Atlantic and stopped off at beautiful Mamora Bay, just east of English harbor. This bay is quiet and not often visited by cruising yachts so we felt we really had the harbor to ourselves. The bay is also home to the exclusive St. James Club Resort. This posh resort is one of the nicest we’ve seen in our Caribbean travels and, as imagined, we’ve been fortunate to have seen some really luxurious resort spots. Upon arrival, we decided to go ashore, since our (4- year old) cruising guide mentioned a small grocery where one could get nice produce and meats. We dinghied ashore only searching for a dinghy dock but found none. There was a larger dock for the resort’s cruise sightseeing boats, so we tied up to that and wandered ashore looking for the market. We soon realized that no one seemed to care that we were there, thinking we must be guest of the resort as sell as the other several hundred folks enjoying the lounge chairs and beautiful white sand beaches.

We located a nice spot on the beach and plopped down in a couple of chaise lounge chairs and relaxed for an hour or so, slightly napping, but mostly just enjoying the views and comfortable setting. Near noon, we decided that we would return to our boat for lunch, then return with our books and swimwear in case we decided to get into the water. That afternoon, we spent a most delightful several hours reading and relaxing on the beach. Suz looked up the resorts rates and found that the cheapest rooms started at just over $700 a night. We felt pretty satisfied that we had not spent a dime there, yet enjoyed ourselves as if we had been the high rollers who had booked their holiday there. Another benefit of the cruising life.

When we sailed into the bay earlier, we had noticed that we were coming in directly below the Antiguan estate owned by Eric Clapton, the famous rock/blues musician. Here we were, floating on the bay right below his house expecting him to come out of his giant house and wave to us but no luck.

We enjoyed that anchorage for another night before pulling anchor and sailing further around to the east to the gorgeous area known as Nonsuch Bay. We had visited here in 2008 with our sailing friends and were excited to return and see if it was still as lovely. After finding a suitable anchorage, we found the bay to be just a beautiful so we dropped the dinghy and took a quick drive around to have a look-see at the environs. The water inside the protective reef where we were anchored was kind of choppy by now so we had a pretty bumpy and wet tour. We found that it seemed a bit more windy than we liked so we decided that one day/night was enough for this spot. The next noon, we weighed anchor and set out to return back around the southern end of the island for our favorite anchoring spot in Falmouth Harbor. For the past 10 days or so, we’ve mostly been Admiral and Captain Slug but have felt refreshed and ready to take on the task of getting the boat over to St. Kitts and prepared for her time ashore for the next 7 months. We will likely stop on Nevis, St. Kitts sister island, on the way over to do some exploring but once we get to St. Kitts it will be all work securing everything in preparation for a hopefully quiet hurricane season. Lots to do before we head off to Panama for our 2 month sit there but we are getting anxious for that adventure as well.

And Then There Were Two (again)

Whew! It has been an eventful past few weeks! Since our good friend Jeannie left to return to Colorado, we have been entertaining our youngest daughter Ellie and her two delightful daughters, AJ (7) and Liv (4). We thoroughly enjoyed their visit albeit a brisk and busy time.

We had arranged to have our usual taxi driver take us to the airport to pick them up but somehow he got wires crossed and we were left to find another driver while waiting at the curb for the first guy. Not to worry, a friendly marina employee called his friend Rodwell, another taxi guy taking a day off, and he came to pick us up straightaway. We arrived at the airport with time to spare as it seemed to take forever to get everyone through customs and immigration. But before long, Ellie and our beautiful “grands” came bounding through the exit lobby, spied us, and ran straight into our arms with huge grins and hugs. A good start to the trip, for sure.

Ellie had hoped to show the kids some “not so American” scenes while visiting us on this trip and our drive back to the boatyard provided just that. We drove through small villages with less than idyllic schoolyards, neighborhoods that needed some paint and maintenance, and various roadside vendors selling all sorts of strange fruits and vegetables. The kids took it all in and perhaps appreciated their home living situations a bit more.

After arriving back at our boat for the first night, we experienced a rather rough first night, weather-wise. My previous blogs explained the crazy weather patterns Jeannie had experienced with us and they continued for the first few days of the girls visit. (Read most recent blog entry to see what happened their first night aboard!) Prior to their arrival, during Jeannie’s visit, we had arranged to have a local mechanic come to the boat to do some minor work. On the designated day, a very nice looking young man named Jage arrived to provide his mechanical skills and we welcomed him aboard. We quickly noticed his thick Scottish accent and commented about it. He grinned and told us he hadn’t lived in Scotland since he was 18 and that France was his home when not aboard his catamaran which was currently anchored near ours in the bay outside of Jolly Harbor marina. We found out that he was currently living on his boat while his wife and kids (girl 10 and boy 15) remained back in France for the school year. We learned that the boy was an upcoming young freestyle skier and explained that Steamboat Springs was a big hub for Olympic competitors. We hit it off nicely and enjoyed getting to know each other. We invited him over for several “happy hours” and he seemed to enjoy having company, especially with the girls, as I suspect he was missing his family some.

After he completed the necessary boat work and were chatting with him, telling him of the upcoming visit of our family, he offered up some of his kids’ lifejackets and floating toys for their use while aboard our boat. We were delighted as Ellie had worried about finding lifejackets that would fit properly and that she would be most happy not to have to pack two lifejackets in their luggage. He said he also had a two person kayak which we could borrow if we wished. We took him up on it and Ellie and the girls spend several times paddling around each harbor in the kayak, learning to synchronize their strokes to avoid banging their paddles together.

Since the girls had been working hard on their swimming skills prior to arrival, they were most anxious to display their progress. They spent many hours afloat off the back of the boat, playing on the floating toys and noodles, while splashing and displaying their newfound and rapidly increasing swimming skills. Little Liv seemed especially proud that she could paddle about in her tiny life vest, without anyone guiding her, allthewhile exclaiming “don’t hold on to me, I can do this by myself!” I am certain they easily doubled their swimming prowess while with us.

Since the weather and wind were so intense for the first few days, we decided to get a dock berth so they could all ease into the boat’s undulations and not get too green from it’s rolling about. That proved to be a good decision as the proximity to the marina and the local supermarket helped all get accustomed to the local food offerings. Since the girls are on a strict Gluten free/dairy free diet, we were concerned that there would not be adequate options for them while visiting. However, we found several gluten-free choices offered and with what Ellie had packed to bring with her, they seemed to be well fed and happy the entire trip.

After a few nights on the dock, the weather had let up some so we headed around the corner to English Harbor, the historic harbor which was once the home base for the famous Admiral Horacio “Hornblower” Nelson, famed pirate hunter. We did some historical sightseeing and hiked up to the fort one morning, but they especially loved the harbor and the adjacent beaches. On their first Sunday night in English Harbor, we all went up to Shirley Heights for the weekly steel pan BBQ and party. They seemed enthralled by the 20 piece steel drum orchestra and loved the views from the elevated location. After a big day of swimming, hiking and music, they were all too ready to head back to the boat for bedtime, as were we all.

We were able to take the kids into St. John’s, Antigua’s capital city, on the local bus and we think they enjoyed seeing the local people and sights along the way and the farmer’s market in the city with all of the strange looking fruits and vegetables that were offered.

When we sailed back from English Harbor up to Jolly Harbor, AJ wanted to “drive” so Rick had her sit in the helmseat and she was able to do the course corrections on the autopilot as he told her how any degrees to enter. He even taught her that she needed to respond “Aye, Captain” when she received a correction directive. Then, and only then, would she be allowed to push the buttons to make the course change. She found it to be great fun. She also learned that the sides of the boat were not referred to as “left” and “right” but starboard (right) and port (left). Lots to learn, but an eager and attentive student. Much of the rest of the time the girls seemed to really enjoy the beach time and all the swimming off the boat. AJ showed some real mastery of her snorkel gear and swim fins and Liv practiced paddling around without our assistance.

We invited Jage over for supper one night and he brought the adults a nice bottle of Chilean wine and a couple of storybooks from his kids’ boat library to read to the girls. He read them with such sincerity and with his beautiful Scottich accent that he quickly won the girls hearts, we’re sure.

The 10 days went by much too fast for everyone and we were all surprised when the end of the visit arrived. As the weather had begun to stiffen again, we decided to move inside the harbor entry to a mooring ball for the last day to allow them some sense of calm while preparing their departure packing. Then out of nowhere, Jage appeared in his dinghy with a bag of assorted foreign coins for the kids and a magnifying glass for the girls to examine their “pirate’s booty”. The coins were from places all over the world which he had kept in his change box as he traveled around the globe. They were delighted to have this wonderful surprise and after big hugs all around, he was gone and we were off to the taxi stand to meet up with Rodwell, our driver, for their trip back to the airport.

Overall, it was a terrific visit, albeit exhausting for us. We loved seeing the girls grow their sea skills in front of our eyes and having Ellie with us for some great quality adult time together.

That night, as we sat in the cockpit having our boat drinks, we spied Liv’s swimming vest hanging outside to dry and became a bit misty thinking about what fun it had all been. The good news is that there is always another time…