Cruising through the Leeward Islands aboard Maraluna

Our Caribbean Adventure in The Leeward Islands
Jan 19, 2017- Feb 6, 2017

We were asked by friends, Suzanne and Hugo, to help them take their boat, a 46 foot Beneteau named Maraluna, from the British Virgin Islands to Guadeloupe. Our answer was YES!

Jan 19-  Travel day
We flew to St Thomas and took a ferry to Sopers Hole on Tortola, BVI, and met our friends aboard Maraluna. Then we provisioned the boat and discussed our general plans for the trip.

Maraluna 

Suzanne and Hugo

Jan 20  BVI

It had been very windy for a few weeks before we arrived and a weather window opened the very first day we were there, so we sailed from West End, Tortola, up to Virgin Gorda. We lunched at The Fat Virgin on fish sandwiches and anchored off Necker Island in preparation for our first and longest leg of the trip.

Captain Hugo

Suzanne whipping up a gourmet meal in the galley

Jan 21  BVI to St Martin

We left BVI at 3am for the 75 mile trip to St Martin. Winds were light and the seas were calm with gentle rolling waves. Beautiful! Carol saw a shooting star and we all enjoyed the sunrise. Sunrises and sunsets at sea are such a privilege and spiritual experience.

Safety was very important out at sea! Lifejackets were a must for the ocean crossings. We always wore them.  We also had a Delorme In Reach which is a GPS tracking device and can also send an SOS. The boat also had a liferaft for emergency use.

Arrived in Marigot Bay, French St Martin about 12 hours later. 

Bathing was done off the transom with a special soap that lathers in salt water. Then a quick rinse with fresh water to conserve our onboard supply.  Water was harder to come by in the islands than expected.

Sunrise on the Caribbean Sea

Underway in calm conditions

Jan 22 St Martin to Sint Maartin

Walked around Marigot Bay. We had our first taste of French pastries, pain au chocolate and croissants. Yum! Then motored over to the Dutch side of Sint Maarten. We got a slip in the IGY Marina in Simpson Bay.  This was located in a large protected lagoon and entered through a drawbridge.  Many megayatchs use Simpson Bay as a base in the Leewards.  There were countless very LARGE yachts (>200ft) including Steve Jobs fancy boat that looked somewhat like an IPad. Every island requires customs and immigration stops. In and out, in and out became a theme for the next few weeks.

Bob at the helm

St Martin and Sint Maarten are bustling islands. Even have casinos 

Jan 23  Sint Maarten

We cleared customs and dinghied to some chandleries for boat supplies.  Then we hung out at the Yacht Club pool.  There were a number of young yachties here waiting for delivery assignments. 

IGY Yacht Club

Jan 24 Sint Maarten

Took the bus to the capital, Phillipsburg.  Several big cruise ships in port with the usual crowded cruise shipper streets.  Back at Simpson Bay we got to go to the beach right off the airport runway and we had a wonderful lunch of wahoo at Skipjacks on the waterfront.

Beach with promenade

Jan 25  Sint Maarten- St Barts

We sailed about 25 miles to St. Barts. Home of more megayachts!  And the rich and famous!  We snorkeled in beautiful Anse du Columbier.  Lots of parrotfish and butterfly fish. 

At sunset, we were treated to the "green flash". This is a phenomenon that occurs as the sun disappears over the horizon and the last vestige of the sun turns bright green. It is rare to see it and we were very excited. 

Megayachts

Limitless anchored by us. Its owner is the CEO of The Limited and Victorias Secret.  318 feet long, $100 million.

Jan 26  St Barts

Motored over to the town of Gustavia to check- in and anchored in the harbor. Gustavia is where the rich and famous hang out.  It is a first class town with many upscale shops. We had lunch at Gustav Burger and bought pearl bracelets at Kalinas and Tainos. Then back to a mooring at Anse du Columbier for a swim and walk on the beach.

Overlook

St Barts streets

Jan 27  St Barts

Returned to Gustavia. We discovered a lovely beach from the vantage point of a fort.  Had lunch at the fancy Shellona Restaurant on Shell Beach. Back again to our mooring ball and snorkeled with turtles feeding in the seagrass!

St Barts- Gustavia Harbor

Shell Beach

Shellona Restaurant

Suzanne and Hugo

Carol and Bob

Jan 28  St Barts to St Kitts

Up for a 6am departure to St Kitts, about 60 miles away. This was a rough passage with 20-30 knot winds. Bob caught a tuna with his new handline fishing gear! We were tired from white knuckle sailing and pulled into Zante Marina in Basseterre.

Bob so ecstatic to finally catch a fish! This provided 2 dinners.

Jan 29  St Kitts

St Kitts was very different. Loud music all night! A very lush island with great open air markets to buy fruits and vegetables but not much more. We rode the St Kitts Scenic Railway to learn about the history of sugar plantations.

Verdant island

Black volcanic sand beach

St Kitts Scenic Railway

Jan 30  St Kitts to Nevis

Headed for Nevis, St Kitts sister island, just 2 hours away. We picked up a mooring at Pinney Beach, just off from The Four Seasons Hotel.  Took a swim and we again saw the green flash at sunset!

Nevis- an island that touches the sky.  Apparently Columbus thought it was snowcapped.

mooring/anchorage on Nevis at sunset

Jan 31  Nevis

Cleared customs in Charlestown, Nevis.  We took a tour with John in his taxi and had lunch at The Golden Rock Inn. Lots of churches dating from the 17th century here. And a plantation from 1670, The Heritage House.  This was a sugar plantation for rum making. Sugar cane can be seen everywhere.

There are wild monkeys on both these islands and are considered a major pest! 

The Heritage House- cistern on left

Lunch at The Golden Rock Inn

Sugar mill processing area with chimney

Feb 1  Nevis

Since it was very windy, we spent an extra day here . We walked around The Four Seasons (cheapest room $700/night) and had a delicious lobster lunch at Sunshines, a restaurant/bar on Pinney Beach.

Four Seasons Hotel Nevis

Sunshines Beach Bar and Restaurant

Feb 2  Nevis

Still too windy, so we snorkeled the breakwater at The Four Seasons- turtle, lion fish, drum, trumpet, puffers, and squid! Returned to Charlestown for supplies and WIFI. Wonderful tomatoes at the farm markets.

Feb 3  Nevis to Montserrat

Travelled 35 miles, 8 hours from Nevis- Montserrat.  It was much windier and bigger waves than  forecasted.  Cleared customs in Little Bay and took a tour of the island with George.  There is an active volcano here, which last erupted in 2010. The capital city, Plymouth, was destroyed during the 1997 eruption. There are still sulfur smelling gases emitted from this volcano.

Maraluna in Little Bay Harbor

Looking over path of destruction from 1997 eruption

Clouds and fumes from volcano

Feb 4  Montserrat to Guadeloupe

We motorsailed to Guadeloupe, another 35 mile, 8 hour day in 20-25 knots, roughest day yet. Arrived in Deshaies, a cute waterfront beach town.  Guadeloupe is popular with Canadian and European tourists and only French is spoken here. More French pastries and baguettes! Our hosts prepared duck confi and champagne for dinner to celebrate our arrival in Guadeloupe.  They plan to spend a month here exploring the large island and out islands.

Looking out to anchorage from L'Amer restaurant

Deshaies harbor

Deshaies town street

Excited to complete the voyage!

Feb 5  Guadeloupe

Time to return home!  Found a WIFI site and made flight plans.  Norwegian Airlines had a nonstop flight to Baltimore reasonably priced, so we booked.  Did some final snorkeling our last afternoon.

Feb 6  Guadeloupe

Suzanne and Hugo rented a car and drove us to Point A Pitre. We checked into a hotel in preparation for our early morning flight. Got one last chance for some sun at the hotel pool.

Saying goodbye on the dock

Feb 7  Guadeloupe 

We flew home! What a wonderful trip! Challenging winds, great company, gourmet cooking onboard Maraluna, great snorkeling and sunsets.

C'est bon!