Alembic

Note how we are always tethered!

We left Bermuda on Saturday evening, June 2, soon after saying tearful goodbyes to Lindsay, Anne, and Sarah. Most of our buddies in the harbor had left earlier this day and the day before. We would be out there with Antares, L’Aventura, Camomile, and Blue Yonder (all bound for Horta with the Açores Pursuit Rally), as well as Tigger (a large catamaran) and Calcutta (with our Russian friend Igor aboard). Even though we couldn’t see these boats, we found comfort knowing that they were close by.

I think Liz read 9 books!

Overall, the sailing was perfect. The trip was 13 and a half days, four of which we had to motor. The highest wind we recorded was only 30 knots, and that was in a brief squall. We had plenty of company for this trip, sailing beside Blue Yonder for many days and in company with others with whom we checked in with every day on the single side band radio.

Navigating and using the SSB radio

We never realized that squid jumped aboard too

Also keeping us company were hundreds of birds, whales who gave us a show of breaching one day and a parade of welcome as we entered Horta, jumping schools of large fish, and endless viewings of Portuguese Man-o-War. These Man-o-war are spectacular to watch. Displays of purple and pink iridescent membranes rise above the water as if sailing, while their tentacles stream up to 160 feet behind.

Liz just chillin

Our only gear failure was the roller furling bushing which fell out after two days at sea. Luckily, we found this on the deck before it washed overboard. The roller furling genoa still operates without this bushing, but we have no idea what type of damage we would have sustained if we carried on sailing without it. We dropped the genoa on deck and tried in vain to jam the bushings back into the drum while the boat pitched around in a large sea. We raised the sail again, rolled it in partially to lessen the load and carried on. When the seas lessened a few days later, Bill cut the bushings in half, dropped the genoa on deck again, and managed to wedge them into place. We decided to wait until we arrived in Horta to drop the genoa and the headstay to properly insert the spare bushings.

Liz had the vee berth, but found the main cabin more comfortable

Helen’s nest in the aft cabin

Calm enough to chop veggies again

Perhaps the best statistics of all were that no one got seasick on this passage! We can’t say the same for the trip to Bermuda. For our sailing friends who are always looking for the sailing statistics, here is a day by day journal synopsis:

Beautiful sunset

Saturday night was a strong downwind sail after a gorgeous sunset. Jib n jigger (Genoa and mizzen).
Sunday was excellent sailing downwind with reefed main and mizzen and the poled out genoa.

Quiz: What are the nautical names for all of these nine different lines?

Monday morning the winds died and we motored with our main and mizzen sails hanging limply.
Monday by noon the winds picked up and we were sailing again with genoa, main and mizzen.
Monday evening we found the bushings to our roller furling on deck. They had fallen out!
Tuesday winds and seas built and we were back to a reefed main and poled out genoa.

Raising our gennaker

Wednesday the winds lightened again, and we raised the gennaker. By evening, the wind was on the beam and we enjoyed an excellent sail.

I was the lucky one to get doused during the squall

Thursday we had a squall with lightening so we doused the genoa and put all electronics in the microwave. By noon the winds were excellent again for a nice beam reach. Fifth ship.

Dolphins!

Dolphins!

First Satellite call ever. Bill asks George to book a flight for me to Maine

Drying our foulies

Friday we motorsailed all day
Saturday we motorsailed till 4 pm then sailed with reefed main, mizzen and poled out genoa. Blue Yonder is 30 nm north.

Bill enjoys a peaceful turn on watch

Sunday we got as close as 2 nm to Blue Yonder, so we gybed the main, went wing and wing for a bit to give them more space. It’s getting cold! Gybed downwind to stay on course. Dead downwind is too hard on the gear with the rolly seas and banging sails.
Monday was an excellent speed day (168nm). We saw whales breaching, our 8th ship, and lots of birds.
Tuesday we had strong winds and excellent speed, but also more spray with the 30 knot gusts. Tenth ship
Wednesday winds were a little lighter but the seas didn’t abate. We saw fishing gear and almost a green flash.
Thursday winds were still lighter. We spotted dolphins, turtles, and many fish jumping (Tuna?)
Friday we motor sailed all day in light winds. Land Ho! Pico could be seen at 9pm 90nm away!

Liz is capturing the sunrise

Raising the Q flag

Saturday we came through the breakwater at 9am after being escorted by a parade of small whales.

Whale parade lead us in to Horta

Horta!

Peter’s Logo on the hill

Alembic is sailing in in very light air

Dwarfed by the cliffs

At the finish line two days early

Alembic rests in St George Harbor Bermuda

Finally, we are off! So many projects, charts, guidebooks, equipment, spares, and provisions. Bill and I have spent oodles of time planning and preparing for our transatlantic crossing; you might think we were traveling to the moon. But, as they say: “Better safe than sorry”. We felt ready.
Liz Riley joined us and felt ready too. This was her first offshore passage, and she arrived the previous day, so she may not have known what ready means! What a brave young lady to hop aboard a sailboat and commit to this adventure.

No wonder we held so well through all those strong winds!

First task was to raise the anchor. Simple. We’ve done this countless times before. So why was it so hard this time? Was someone trying to keep us here??? NO! Our anchor snagged a huge fisherman anchor and the windlass (winch for the anchor) struggled to bring up the weight of BOTH anchors. With our anchor aboard, and the fisherman back on the bottom, we maneuvered over to the nearby dock for final fuel, water, and food supplies.

A gorgeous sunset the first day out

We always carefully watch the weather and consult our weather expert, Chris Parker, before departing for any trip. The winds and seas were running strong lately and there was no sign of the tradewinds abating, so we headed off, knowing that the first few days would be a wild ride, with no storms in sight.

Liz chillin on her watch

Alembic can handle much more than the three of us. Twenty-five knots of wind, with gusts into the thirties, and the ten foot seas to match, were typical tradewinds, allowing us to sail at top speeds, but we chose to run with only a tiny headsail and double reefed main to keep the spray and boat motion to a minimum. These conditions continued for three days, making it hard to cook, eat, sleep, or even maneuver about the boat. We all managed in our own ways and remained optimistic about our excellent progress toward Bermuda.

Bill is checking the water intake. Some seaweed must have gotten in there

Finally, the conditions lightened as we exited the trade wind belt, granting us more comfort. By the fifth night, the wind fell to below ten knots and we switched on the iron jib (motor).

Passing Igor a chart

At dawn the next morning, while still motoring, we heard “Sailboat, me sailboat too” on the VHF. Sure enough, the rising sun revealed a sailboat nearby. We motored over to the boat and met Igor, a Russian sailor who claimed he had no charts or functioning motor. Being eighty miles to the harbor, we knew we couldn’t tow Igor, but we could offer charts. He had three sails up and was moving along nicely, albeit slowly. I tore a page out of our new book, which gave details of the depths and buoys to enter St George’s Harbor, and passed this over to our new friend. We promised to alert the Bermuda locals, and assist him when he made it to the entrance.
Our arrival was simple, even though it was well past sundown. Usually we don’t enter harbors at night, but we had been here in November and remembered the easy access to the customs dock. Clearing customs was quick, so we were on to our anchorage within twenty minutes for a quick toast to our arrival, and then immediately to bed for a blissful night of sleep.

Staffan!

Seeing Staffan the next day was a highlight of our arrival. We had sailed with him and his lovely wife Kikki for many months two years ago. Kikki had flown home to Sweden, so we didn’t get to see her, unfortunately.

We arrived a day before Bermuda Day. Parades meandered all over downtown

Bermuda Races

A lovely day at Hannah and Capt Paddy’s home on Trunk Island

Finally, the girls arrive!

Lindsay (our daughter), Sarah (our niece), and Anne (Bill’s sister) flew in a few days later for a few days of hilarious entertainment. I think Anne’s incentive was to be the last human to see her brother alive, knowing he would soon be sailing much further east, but was pleasantly surprised to witness the preparedness of both the crew and the boat. With her fears alleviated, we proceeded to frolic around Bermuda.

Just after we all jumped off the cliff

In the 4 short days of togetherness, we managed to sail, ride buses, jump off cliffs, dine outdoors, and visit a few beaches.

Annie has learned that Alembic is a seaworthy vessel

Bill sharing the outline of the novel he is writing!

Taking a seat

Enjoying a fancy lunch

Rum Punches at the beach

Sharing our landfalls with family is definitely the most special aspect of our travels. I look forward to having more family visits in foreign lands. Tears were shed when we parted ways, the ladies off to the airport, and Alembic off to sea. Açores, this time.

After a fabulous trip to Puerto Rico, we focused on our last preparations for the Big Trip. Every sailor should prep for such a trip, just to get their boat in order. For that matter, every person living should prep for a big move, or other such event, to tie up loose ends and finish lingering projects. There’s a satisfying feeling to knocking things off the To Do list.

Post Parade ladies

I never sent Bill to this Day Care

So, we mixed up fun with tasks for the next week. The St Thomas Carnival at night was a treat. Although we missed the parade, we enjoyed meeting this wild lady who was still in costume.

Boat mess

One of the chainplates

Alembic was torn apart in order to inspect the chain plates. Each shroud is attached to the hull with these oversized plates which can corrode or crack over the years. Luckily ours looked fine and we only saw the need to remove and reseal two. We also remounted the whisker pole, varnished the cockpit, fixed two leaky stanchions (water makes its way down the bolt holes), sewed main cabin sheets and a cover for the aft companionway, and rebuilt the instrument enclosure. Whew! The list is getting shorter!

Necker Belle

Charlotte Amalie, the largest harbor on St Thomas and in the USVI, was full of action. Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Belle was one of the many famous yachts sharing the harbor with us. This boat was used to ferry supplies to some of the hardest hit areas after the hurricanes Irma and Maria. Planet Waves was also here, actually beside us in the anchorage, and we “took care of Johnny” while Shelley flew back to Miami for a few days. Then we enjoyed both of them when she returned. We surely will miss them when we part ways again. They plan to sail north to New York when we sail east. Luckily, we never say Goodbye, just “See you next time!” as there will certainly be a “next time”!

Petroglyphs

Sugar mill plantation

Next, we sailed to Christmas Cove again, and briefly met Jody, a former Whitby 42 owner. We also fit in a fabulous snorkel at Honeymoon Beach. Moving the next day to St John, we took a Safari (a very small bus) to the mountains and hiked to see the Petroglyphs, a private beach, and a sugar plantation.

Another very sad situation at Water Lemon Cay

Annaberg Sugar Mill

Very impressive inside

The following day, we hiked along the shore to the Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins and snorkeled Water Lemon Cay. We wished we had our camera here, as we saw a huge barracuda, lots of lobster, a snake eel, an elusive Drum, stingrays, and a huge turtle who small along with us, staying only six feet away!

WWS Captains and First Mates

Our final excursion was to Road Town Tortola to join a Women Who Sail group. They were beginning a one week charter with 8 boats and 43 women! Bill was the only guy at this lively first night dinner in town, but he seemed to enjoy being surrounded by women, and grateful to get back to Alembic that night, where he only had to deal with me!!

Broken boats are carried away on a barge

One of the gorgeous boats still unattended

The harbor was filthy, and filled with so many wrecked boats; I was grateful that this bunch of women had arrived to bring a shine to the island!

Getting wifi

Winch maintenance

A quick downwind dash back to Charlotte Amalie for last minute tasks was energizing. Final emails at our favorite wifi spot, and a few more projects (do they ever end??) occupied our last hours. Going online connects us to all that we have left behind, which brings me to tears often, while it also allows me to feel more free to carry on with our travels. Ironic. Missing our kids and our families tops the list of heart wrenching realities. Luckily, we have super supportive families; our own children, as well as our siblings and my parents. While I try to be involved in my parents’ moves and other big events, my sister and brothers do a fabulous job taking care of them always.

Brothers helping Mom move

Here are four of them, Dan, Al, Charlie, and Paul, helping Mom move. And they keep me up to date on the important events that I miss, like my Dad’s 82nd birthday.

Mom and Dad celebrating another birthday!

Sometimes I wonder how my heart can conjure up so much joy, while also trying to keep in check the sad longings for more time with those I’ve left behind. For certain, I am always grateful for all that I experience with Bill, Alembic, our families, and all the dear friends we have made along our lives’ journeys.

Bill with his brother Ben and sister Anne

Missing our kids: Kenny, Erica, Jenna (Kenny’s wife), and Lindsay

Helen, Steve, Jayanne, and Bill together again, Finally!

Knowing we had a month to ourselves before we embarked on our trip to Bermuda, the Azores, and beyond, we focused our attention on boat projects and visiting Jayanne and Steve McLaughlin in Puerto Rico. Some of our most fond memories of our cruising days back in 1988 and 1989 were with this wonderful couple. Bill and I were sailing on our beloved Wings, a Westsail, and Jayanne and Steve were sailing on Tashtego, his father’s Tartan. Together, we sailed, snorkeled, feasted on the fish the guys speared, and learned a lot about the priorities of life. Eventually, we all sailed back to New England, babies came along, and our lives became too busy to cross the miles for visits.

Hassel Island

A gorgeous sailboat getting a lift

Scuba gear?

Bill plays horseshoes with the locals

Before setting off for Puerto Rico, we had a few more days of enjoying St Thomas. Hikes were always in the schedule, while visiting with other boaters and locals ashore was part of our evening routine. Being April, with the summer and threat of hurricanes coming, many folks were making plans to move their boats to safer cruising areas. For those heading to Europe, some chose to ship their boats rather than sail there.
Sailing to Puerto Rico was a breeze, literally! It was a downwind ride with plenty of wind and large rolling seas. We knew that heading back to St Thomas in a month would be much more challenging as those same winds and seas would be on the nose, and make for a slow and very wet ride. Alembic is always up for a good romp and so were we! But first, we wanted to make a quick stop in Culebra to see this lovely little island that we visited almost thirty years ago.
It was nice to see that the hurricanes didn’t devastate this area nearly as much as nearby islands.

Jardin

Christopher Robin is getting fixed

We found the people to be welcoming and creative, as seen in the garden signs. And finding Christopher Robin was a treat! Our dear friends, Angie and Peter, had owned this Westsail and sailed it from Maine, across the Atlantic as far as Turkey, and back through the Caribbean. They sold it to a Canadian couple who owned it for the last thirty years, putting huge amounts of love and care into it. Unfortunately, it dragged during the hurricane, suffered damage that they felt was beyond their abilities to fix, and was sold to a local friend. We met this young man and his lady, who were fixing it up for more years of adventures! Sail on, Christopher Robin!

Motor mounts were in need of replacement

Bill is finishing the rerigging of the mizzen mast

Arrival in Puerto Rico was delightful. Helpful marina workers and sailors were always ready to lend a hand with the tricky dock landing and our list of projects.

One of the many pets Jayanne and Steve lovingly care for

But the grand delight was seeing Jayanne and Steve!! Many years have passed with so many experiences shaping our way of life and our paths, but there’s something about good friends…hearts sing when reunited. We spent nearly every evening for a week with these two, catching up on all we have missed. They have two fabulous adult daughters, many gorgeous homes, and more boats than I could keep track of. When their girls were very young, they built a business, East Island Excursions, which has huge boats of all types to take folks out for day tours or longer. Jayanne has continued to work for them even after they sold the business. Hopefully, they will soon untie the lines and head off for more cruising!

Some of the gardens in which Lindsay worked a few years ago

This is the waterfall, a short walk from the home, where Lindsay bathed daily

After many complicated projects were completed, and we had a chance to visit the lovely spot where Lindsay had stayed, we made plans to sail east again. We were so sad to depart from Jayanne and Steve and this island. Goodbyes are very hard for me.
Kenny’s lifelong friend, PJ Saltzman, had lived in Vieques for a few years, and we were curious about his connections there. So we sailed to Vieques to explore before heading further east. PJ was back in the States, visiting his parents, when Hurricane Maria struck and devastated so much of this quiet island. The owners, Dan and Maria, of Al’s Mar Azul, remembered PJ fondly but were seriously struggling from the aftermaths of the storm. They have since sold the restaurant after many years of ownership.

Isabel II was our second anchorage in Vieques

A bit rugged on the edges

This man was enjoying his ride!

Maria and Dan remembered PJ well

One more quick stop in Culebra, the north harbor this time, broke up the sail to windward, back to St Thomas. Here, we relaxed in the tranquil harbor and hiked up to the ancient lighthouse. The island might be small, but the caterpillars are huge!!

The quiet harbor on the north side of Culebra

Yes, the caterpillars were huge!

Coming back to St Thomas was bittersweet. Goodbyes to all of the Caribbean, especially to the dear people we met and reunited with, left me with a heavy heart. But the excitement of crossing the Atlantic was enough to keep my mind engaged on grand plans and high hopes.

Liz

Prepping for sailing across the Atlantic seemed daunting. Was Alembic ready? Were we ready? You can have adverse weather or boat problems in any harbor or sea, but we wanted to be ready to be completely self sufficient for a month, even though the longest passage, Bermuda to Açores would probably only take fifteen days. One concern was that we may need a third person if either Bill or I were to become fatigued, injured, or seasick.
After many emails and Skype visits, we decided that Liz seemed the best fit. We invited her to sail with us for a week to try it out. She would fly into St Martin and depart from St Thomas, giving her a chance to experience Alembic at sea as well as in harbors.
When Liz arrived, we barely gave her a chance to get to know us or Alembic before leaving the calm lagoon and sailing two hours to Anguilla. Here we anchored in a very rolly anchorage for ten hours and tried to sleep before a 3am departure for the Virgin Islands. Knowing that the trip would take about 14 hours, we left early enough to ensure a daylight arrival. This was quite a test for Liz. The wind was perfect but we had a huge swell coming from storms well to our north. Even though this was a rough ride, Liz remained eager to continue. First test: Passed!

Sweet Bonnie came for dinner too

Johnny always has words of wisdom

Coming around Virgin Gorda was a sweet ending to our tiring day. Here we found calm water and Planet Waves! A few minutes after anchoring, we invited Johnny and Shelley to join us on Alembic for a dinner. Of course, Bonnie was invited as well.

Helen climbing at the Baths

Marina Cay under reconstruction

Mt Abram Love at Foxy’s

More New England visitors at Foxy’s

A church needing mending

Soper’s Hole

Pusser’s is about to reopen

The famous Willy T

The rest of Liz’s week was much calmer as we sailed around the BVI’s, visiting places we all had enjoyed previously with our families. First we sailed to Spanish Town to clear into customs, then on to the Baths, Marina Cay, Scrub Cay, Jost Van Dyke, Soper’s Hole, Nanny Cay, Cow Bay, Normans, Maho, Caneel, and Red Hook. Saddened by the constant evidence of devastation from Hurricane Irma, we managed to have a lot of fun and were grateful to these communities who are working hard to rebuild. Patronizing the shops and restaurants is what they need most right now, so we did just that!

Liz enjoys the snorkeling at Normans

The sunsets are still as gorgeous as ever

Cruz Bay with Liz

Another fun outing with Johnny and Shelley of Planet Waves

Liz headed for the airport eager to return in a month for a much bigger adventure!

We had a few days between Cay and George’s departure and Liz’s arrival. While we at times felt overwhelmed with the projects we wanted to do on Alembic, surveying our neighbors’ vessels put everything into perspective. We were doing preventative maintenance and boat improvements, while so many other folks were facing far larger tasks.

We removed the wedges, off to the right, and poured Spar Tite to keep the mast steady

Rudder Post looks great

Spreader Boots on the Mizzen Mast

Bill and I had heavy hearts when we dinghied around the lagoon and witnessed the devastation of so many boats and land structures. People had thought this landlocked lagoon would provide protection from the storms, but Hurricane Irma could not to be tamed by mountains or seawalls. Winds of almost 200 miles per hour slammed the island and in the next two weeks Hurricanes Jose and Maria dumped heavy rains on all the damage. Many people are still waiting to see what insurance is available. Huge amounts of debris, on land and in the lagoon, still sits untouched.

Mud and barnacle encrusted boat

Ironic names: Silent Dream and Wild Woman

Half Gone

Schooner pile up

More sad situations

Mega Yachts are not immune to tragedy

All roofs and masts are gone

Lost Dreams

Hearing the stories of the locals was moving. Everyone was affected. Neighbors were helping neighbors, schools had resumed, businesses were being rebuilt. But some folks were simply giving up. Those with money could walk away and start again here or elsewhere, leaving their ruined properties where they lay.
One woman, Leandra, lost her family restaurant and found out that the insurance didn’t exist after all. With her husband, two year old, and baby on the way, she made the best of it and started a wonderful business selling food and drinks on the beach! Leandra was full of positivity and hope for her beloved island.

Leandra is starting over on the beach

Alembic sits among the destruction and we are so very grateful for all we have.

Alembic sits in the lagoon, ready for anything.

Cay and George

March 1 was our turn around day. Time to leave our beloved Dominica and begin our slow march northwest. Cay and George were due to arrive in Antigua within a week, and we wanted to make a few stops before arriving there. Besides, the winds were picking up, which would make this anchorage untenable.

Iles Des Saintes, a group of islands at the southern end of Guadeloupe, just 20 miles north, was a special place for us and our first planned stop. Our arrival port from the US, a magnificently beautiful harbor, delicious French food, and a relaxed community all called us to stop one more time. Unfortunately, other sailors also love this port, and they had managed to pick up every mooring available in all of the Saintes. Anchoring was an option, but trying to dinghy to shore in the wild winds from the remote designated anchoring areas would be crazy, so we sailed on by, sadly.

At sundown and twenty miles further north, we found a sweet cove, Petite Anse, to drop the anchor for the night. The next morning, we sailed the remaining five miles to Pigeon Island. Here, we tried to clear customs, into Guadeloupe, but there was no office to do so. Searching for the customs office, we found a great grocery store, Carrefour, and loaded up with 6 bags of French delights. With our pantries full, we dinghied over to the Nature Reserve which is always teeming with fish, to fill our hearts with one last excellent snorkel experience.

Early the next morning we set off to sail 50 miles north to Antigua. The wild winds had died, forcing us to motor the whole way. Alembic has proven to be an excellent motor sailor, I’m ashamed to admit. Arriving in Falmouth harbor felt so familiar, except it was filled with huge yachts at the dock. We anchored in the exact spot we had found the first time, too shallow for many boats, giving us a bit more privacy for swimming and bathing off the back deck.

Overhauling the head-just in case…

Snorkeling into another world

A few days of projects, hiking, and snorkeling the harbor entrance, went quickly and greeting Cay and George was a welcome sight. I had looked forward to exploring new places with these two adventure seekers! This was their third year of visiting us, and their time aboard Alembic always guaranteed continuous play and learning, rather than projects! Geologists by degree, both had high hopes for exploring the volcanic islands of Montserrat, Nevis, Saint Kitts, Eustatius, Saba, and St Barthelemy before finally arriving at St Martin for their return flights in two weeks.

Rowing in this across the Atlantic?

This seems too tiny

Cay and George getting heat exhaustion after leaving the cold Maine storms

Bill is used to this heat

Gorgeous cactus all over the cliffs

English Harbor Antigua

Bill’s birthday turned out to be an excellent start for our visit. Skat, a huge megayacht from Germany extended an invitation to the entire anchorage and town for a dance party on the dock. Free beer in kiddie pools of ice water, rum punch fountains cascading down ice sculptures, endless food, and a DJ encouraging dancing and ruckus all contributed to quite a wild venue. Regrettably, we were failures with costume, which was supposed to be Hippy 70’s, but the entertainment value of others’ efforts was high! Honestly though, I think I appreciated the beautiful cake Dave, a fellow cruiser, made for Bill, even more than the party!

Skat

We tried our best to dress up

Dave’s cake was delicious

After a brief overnight stop in Five Islands, Antigua, we set off for Monserrat with perfect wind conditions, hoping for a nice downwind sail. Ironically, the nor’easter that Cay and George ducked out of as they drove to the airport in Maine, chased them down here, and now the residual swell for us was huge. This was the fourth nor’easter from New England this month. Kenny, back in Maine, had been appreciating the surfing, and kept warning us: “watch out Mom and Dad, the swell is coming your way!”

Off we go

Cay, enjoying the breeze

Swells cause several problems for boaters: a roller coaster ride while sailing, seasickness, and rolly anchorages. We experienced all of these! Monserrat was crossed off the itinerary when we heard that even the large ferry from Antigua turned around, abandoning the landing due to steep swells. Our new destination was Nevis.

This rainforest is hot!

Roots provide stairs

An Iphone was accurrate at 2550 feet

At the top, 3300 feet!

Back at Charleston Nevis

The hike to the rainforest peak on Mt Nevis was challenging and lush. Luckily, the skies cooperated, moving the clinging clouds so we could experience a fabulous view. Looking for a less rolly anchorage, we tucked into Oualie Beach for the night, which proved to be slightly better than our night in Charlestown.

An adorable puppy

The puppy and the monkey frolicked endlessly

Hoping to anchor at St Kitts the next day didn’t pan out. The entire west side of the island was plagued with huge swells. Needing to clear customs, to leave Nevis/St Kitts before arriving into the next country, posed a problem that could only be solved by ducking into a working dock at the Marine Works. This involved steering through a narrow opening in a breakwater with giant swells threatening to toss Alembic on the rocks. Then a quick tie at a cement pier. Luckily, the customs office was right on site, open, and quick, all three of which are rare in our experience. How we managed to get in and out of there without damage still haunts me.

Trying to keep Alembic off the cement pier

Searching for a place to drop our anchor was challenging. Eustatius, which was 12 miles north? Carry on into the night to St Barts, which was 35 miles north? Eustatius won; I didn’t want to arrive anywhere new in the dark with these conditions. Oranji Baai, with its tiny breakwater, provided almost zero protection from the wind or swells, so we endured another loud and rolly night here. Too rough to launch the dinghy, we couldn’t come ashore to clear customs or to explore the Dutch National Park and the Quill volcano and deep crater.

Cay, hoping to climb those volcanic mountains

Sailing was nice

Eustatius was not exactly beautiful from this vantage point

With heavy hearts, missing so many excellent hikes on these ancient islands, we set off again, seeking a quiet anchorage. Gustavia, St Barts was a zoo when we arrived. The Bucket Races were about to begin, unbeknownst to us, filling the anchorage much over capacity! We picked up a mooring, illegally, in order to dinghy to shore to clear customs. Before Cay and I made it back to Alembic from Customs, Bill and George had left the mooring and were circling the inner harbor, waiting for us, also an illegal maneuver! Evaluating this crowded rolly anchorage, we dropped our anchor in a very tight spot and Bill dinghied back to customs to clear out! Thankfully, they allowed us to stay at St Barts for a few days in the remote anchorages, even after clearing out of the country.

Cay and Helen going in to clear customs

George and Cay with the very crowded anchorage behind

Tall sailing yachts for the Bucket Races

Handling sails on these raceboats takes many hands

Anse de Colombier, three miles north, was blissfully calm. Finally! A quiet night of sleep, a great snorkel spot, and access to a 4 mile hike to town. This anchorage, as well as Ile Fourchue, were perfect for watching the races and enjoying time together for a few days.

Hikiing to town

Overlooking our harbor

the closer harbor here was untenable

Enjoying a nice cold one

Goats were everywhere on our return hike

Cay the Geologist was enjoying the rocks

J Boat rounding the cliffs

Spectacular Spinnaker

Feeling we were overstaying our legal checkout grace period, we reluctantly sailed 12 miles west to St Martin. Another rolly anchorage in Simpson Baai!! This seemed to be the permanent option for us. So tired of being tired, we headed into the lagoon, to Nettle Cove on the French side of the island. Certain to have a quiet night at this spot, we put the dinghy in the water and explored the town. Next to Dominica, this was the worst we have seen of the destruction of hurricanes Irma and Maria. Resorts were closed, condos were mostly abandoned, cars were left everywhere with smashed windows, and debris littered every street. We finally found one restaurant open and went in to give them business. The few open places have almost no visitors in this ghost town. Somberly, we slalomed around the sunken boats to get back to Alembic for the night.

We were guided into the lagoon by a gentleman holding a green circle!

Wrecks

Land and sea damage

One lovely restaurant was fixed up and reopened

Determined to find a place to play more, we headed out of the lagoon early the next morning, into Marigot Bay. Here we anchored, again in swells, but left Alembic immediately to clear customs, and buy a few groceries. Back on the boat, we sailed ten miles around the north end of the island to a sweet spot, Ilet Pinel. George’s references assured us of excellent snorkeling and we were not disappointed. Here, three restaurants were destroyed in Irma and two were given permission to rebuild. One was recently reopened with the second not far behind. Progress was evident and beautiful here. A quick sail over to Ile Tintamarre the next morning offered us one more glorious snorkel and beach hike before returning into the Lagoon.

Spotted Eagle Ray

Our last day was an exploration of the island by car. Here, we discovered a hike ending at a natural jacuzzi, a beach bar making a comeback after Irma, and a wilderness restaurant with tree houses, ziplines, lounge chairs by the pool, and upbeat locals.

George didn’t like the cliff’s edge hike

The hike was well worth it at the end!

Leaving the pool, reluctantly

They are running a restaurant on the beach even though their building, electricity, and water is gone

Treehouses

Two weeks with Cay and George was packed with every emotion: catching up with dear friends’ busy lives, sharing our love and challenges of cruising, witnessing the destruction of hurricanes, and the pure joy of experiencing Caribbean offerings. We are once again grateful for each day aboard Alembic, especially when we share this experience with others.

The PAYS office

Nothing prepared Bill or me for the devastation we would witness on Dominica. And nothing could have prepared us for the love and tenacity we would see bubble out of the community members on this beautiful tropical paradise.

Leveled homes and businesses were everywhere

December 5 was the arrival date in Dominica set up by Bill Balme on Toodle-oo! for the Salty Dawg members to begin their post hurricane relief efforts. Bill had arranged many meetings before we departed Norfolk VA and I expected a large group of boats to arrive. Arriving a day early, when the winds were slightly calmer, we found only two other boats in the huge harbor of Portsmouth. True to the Dominican reputation, we were greeted by a friendly PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) man in a colorful wooden skiff. Anthony guided us in to a perfect anchoring spot just off the PAYS dock. He offered one of the few moorings, but we assured him that our anchor was reliable and that we would save those moorings for the many boats arriving soon.

Evidence that USAID had visited

One of the other boats at anchor was a local blue steel sailboat that seemed like it could go no further, and the second was a small sailboat named Gandalf. The young French captain of Gandalf dinghied to Alembic asking for help getting his load of fifty cases of beans and noodles, donated by a food supply business in Martinique, ashore. Bill, not understanding any French, caught on to my end of the conversation and quickly jumped in our dinghy to assist Seb and Anthony with the substantial task of transporting this huge load ashore. Between Gandalf and Alembic’s dinghies and Anthony’s larger skiff, the food arrived safely on the beach to be transported by van into the hurricane ravaged mountainous regions.

This was in the center of town. Loved the women reference

Soon after our arrival, Cranstackie and Toodle-oo! arrived to anchor near us, and Northern Star arrived the next day. We had met Alastair, of Cranstackie, a few days prior, in Martinique. He and his wife were eager to assist Dominica and had already stocked up on many useful items to donate. Our group of four boats seemed small, but we managed to accomplish a long list of tasks in the next few days.

Boi and Bill getting the wall started

Bill Balme had concluded that if we help PAYS get their moorings, dock, and pavilion in shape, more boats would arrive, and more dollars would flood into this struggling community. From their emails, Jeffrey Frank, the President of PAYS, was ready for our visit and had lined up workers and materials to add to our offerings.

Small but very busy dock. Fixed.

Simultaneously, work began with snorkeling missions to assess the existing blocks, repairing the dock, and building a concrete bar in the pavilion. Locals with very specific skill sets merged seamlessly with the boaters; you would have thought we were a well organized team, trained by a skilled leader.

Jeffrey had a generator, pallets of cement blocks, bags of cement, piles of random pieces of wood and rebar, shovels, buckets, and a wheelbarrow. We brought a circular saw, hand saws, boxes of nails, levels, string, trowels, and hammers.

Monty making us lunch

Lunch: Jeffrey, Anthony, Bill, Alvin, Eddison, Roosevelt, Boi, Monty

The guys take a break while I do light work of leveling with the trowel

Carl and Ardys of Northern Star making old boards useable again

Leaders sprung up for every task. Daniel was the cement mixer, Boi was the mason, Roosevelt was the carpenter, Monty was the chef, and Anthony was the strong guy who was willing to do anything. This work crew supported the pavilion work, while Eddison organized van excursions, Paul was our driver, and Alvin was our tour guide up the river, along with his famous father, Albert. Other locals hung around too, offering to help with the many details. Sharing a meal with them made it all feel like family.

Gathering the donations from all the boats

Behan donated these gorgeous art supplies

Dancing with the school kids

Alastair and Alita at the hospital

Rough Shape

One day, while Bill continued with construction, Alastair from Cranstackie, Ardys from Northern Star, and I visited a local school and a hospital to bring some of the supplies we had collected. Here we learned about more of the challenges of the community. Neither had any internet yet, two and a half months after hurricane Maria, and both still had not repaired structural and equipment damages. Dr Jeffrey, head of the hospital reiterated that they have received many offerings of small items: water, bandages, meds, and sheets, but no one is helping them replace some bigger ticket items. Thinking that maybe we could procure some items when we return to the US, I asked what they needed. An EKG machine and nebulizers were tops on her list. Dubious of any substantial help from a traveling sailor, Dr. Jeffrey gave us that common gracious thank you that so many suffering souls offer. You could hear her saying “we appreciate anything, yet expect nothing”.

Northern Star, Toodle-oo!, and Alembic enjoy a River tour with Albert and Alvin.

Note the fisherman’s prosthetic on the dock. Albert just lost his lower leg too.

A Circus Man built a home many years ago…

Leaving Dominica was difficult. Locals had welcomed us, shared their stories of trauma and their joys of rebuilding. Kindhearted folks filled our days on this beautiful island. But it was time to head north; we had a flight to catch from Antigua to the US in less than a week.

Two months in the States was a whirlwind. Visiting my brother Rick in DC, driving with Mom from DC to Connecticut, enjoying Christmas at our ski camp with our three kids and their significant others as well as Marie, our French daughter, working at Sunday River, and heading to Connecticut many times to visit my parents, all filled our hearts with home, friends, and family.

A wonderful organization serving the world

Surprisingly, we did manage to acquire those hospital items Dr Jeffries had requested. Marie Keller, of Partners for World Health in Portland Maine, helped us to procure an EKG machine, four nebulizers, and all the tubing, leads, paper, and connections to keep them going for a long time. Friends lent us rolling suitcases to protect these items on the trip south, and with the help of many others, we managed to get everything aboard Alembic when we returned to Antigua on February 21.

Our old truck filled with our friends’ wheelie bags of medical supplies

Bill’s seat has been to Saudi Arabia with Lisa Wendler!

Thank you Peter and Angie!

After a lovely four day visit with Peter and Angie Arndt, who took good care of Alembic during the two months we were back home in the states, we sailed off for an overnight sail to Dominica. Coming out to Alembic as we entered the harbor, Alvin greeted us with a very warm welcome. It felt like coming home.

Except there were so many boats!!! What a feast for the eyes to see: the harbor was full of about 75 sailboats. Yachtie Appreciation Week was just finishing, and clearly, word got out that this was a welcoming harbor!

Making sure the equipment survived the plane rides and inspections

The French Nurses join us for the delivery

Dr Jeffrey and her staff were thrilled!

After clearing in through customs, we were eager to deliver our goods. Two nurses, cruising on a sailboat from France, joined us on our delivery to the hospital. Dr Jeffrey and her staff were certainly surprised to see the items she had asked for. Hopefully they will serve the community well.

Daniel helped make a few things for Alembic and gave us the donated goods

Donated items for Trafalgar Falls

A full range of ages at Trafalgar Falls School

Our next delivery, much lower in dollar value, but just as important for us to complete, was six bags of random items given to us by Daniel in Antigua. He had received these items from a passing yacht, and was looking for another yacht to take them to Dominica. Since Daniel was from Trafalgar Falls, Dominica, we were determined to deliver the items there. So we sought the help of Eddison again, and had Paul drive us up there. The family on Solan, with children Hans (14) and Anna (9) joined us for this tour into the rainforest.

The family on Solan joined us for the hike

These falls were much bigger than this picture conveys!!

Paul found a school in Trafalgar Falls for us to deliver the treasures to. Once again, the community gleefully welcomed us into their space and were exceptionally grateful for the offerings. Paul then proceeded to drive us up into the glorious Trafalgar Falls, where we enjoyed a hike and a swim in the sparkling falls. Returning back to our boats, Paul drove us through many towns with varying amounts of hurricane damage. Some were so broken, with no sign of power or other services, but full of locals who were determined to stay in their homes, no matter how broken. As we entered Portsmouth at last, the sun was setting and Paul stopped the van just in time to see the Green Flash. This really made me realize that life marches on beautifully. And this island will recover. Dominica is full of riches that are immeasurable.

Fort Shirley

Amazing old stonework

Moroccan Resort ceased construction years ago

The lush greenery is coming back

With our chores done, our deliveries made, Bill and I took some time to explore the hikes surrounding the harbor. From up on the hill, where Fort Shirley was built, starting in 1765, you could see down into the bay on the north side of the peninsula, as well as down to Portsmouth harbor on the south side, where Alembic sat quietly. It was interesting to note that one mega resort was in full swing construction on the north side, while another, in the south, had ceased construction well before the hurricane, and the glamorous hopeful billboards surrounding the resort were a testament to the impermanence of promises and plans.

Coming to Dominica opened my eyes to poor communities. From a quick glance, I saw the destruction from storms, projects deserted soon after starting, untenable homes, and people living on the streets or under tarps. I thought their food was probably unsafe for me to eat, their skills not substantial enough for organizing construction projects, and their hopes dashed. All of my observations were replaced within a week of arriving. Albert explained how the island has been struck by many hurricanes and the downed trees allow sunlight to penetrate the lower levels, helping many new plants and animals to thrive. Foreign contractors waltz in to build their dreams, and often leave unfinished, but these dreams were never the locals’ wishes. Homes do get rebuilt, and families unite while helping each other. Their food is excellent, and delicious!! Their skills are endless as they grow up realizing that if something needs to get done, you need to do it. And lastly, their hopes remain high. Forever grateful for each day, for each meal, for each new child born, they carry on living and loving on this beautiful island that many rich Americans only dream about.

Colorful fishing boats

Our first adventure away from the large community of Salty Dawgs was to Guadeloupe. Six hours of sailing, and arriving in Deshaies at 5 as the sun began to set, was delightful. Finding a free mooring in the wildly windy harbor was challenging. Where did all this wind come from? Outside the harbor was a perfect bluebird breezy day and now, in this amphitheater of cliffs, the wind howled in irregular bursts of fury. As we circled the harbor, we found all of the moorings occupied. Like a dog looking for a place to lie down, we whirled about looking for the largest space to drop our anchor that wasn’t too deep. With only 150 feet of anchor chain, we prefer to stay in less than 25 feet of water, so we don’t have to let out all that chain and rely on the connecting nylon rode. Finally we chose a spot far out in the harbor; a long dinghy ride, but no bumper boats for the night.

Cemetery on the hill

Clearing customs was a snap. The tiny retail clothing shop had a small computer set up in the corner where you typed in your info, hit print, and went to the cashier and gave her about 4 Euro. Why is it that some countries require so many formalities, others require hundreds of dollars, and here is so cheap and simple?

Honoring young and old

Another positive aspect of Guadeloupe was obvious from the harbor. Families here honor their loved ones after death. A huge cemetery, seen from the harbor and town, is full of dramatic as well as simple memorials. I’m not sure what they do when they start running out of space for more family members. Church also is a central part of the community. Many locals lingered after the service was finished. A teenager, wanting to practice her English with us, told us about her upcoming trip to New York with a school group. She, and her very shy friend, were selling fresh baked goods to raise money for the trip. What a common worldwide experience: selling baked goods to fund an adventure. Of course we enjoyed the treats we purchased!

A First Communion?

Service Flowers

A dinner party on Alembic, the second night in the harbor, was interesting. I wish we had taken photos. One couple was Canadian, and the other was Swedish. The Canadians had been cruising for many years in their old Whitby, a sister ship to Alembic, and the Swedes were on a gorgeous new Halberg Rassey. The Canadians were “getting out of the Caribbean as soon as possible” because they felt it was unsafe. They lock their boat up tightly at night, so the “intruders” can’t come in. It was so sad to hear them talk of locals so negatively, when our experience, and the experiences of all the other cruisers we have met, find the exact opposite. And the Swedes were leaving soon too, for a different reason. Marie simply misses home terribly, so she will be flying home this May, while Mats will sail their boat back with crew aboard. Usually our dinner parties are more uplifting, as most cruisers we meet are exceptionally grateful for this opportunity and are working on continuing the lifestyle indefinitely!

Another beautiful sunset

Greedy Koi

Patient Parrots

Bizarre Roots

Theatrical Flamingoes

Each banana plant grows one flower and one bunch.  Then they cut it down.

Ginger

A new day dawned the next morning and we took in the spectacular Botanical Gardens, just a mile walk up a very steep hill from the dinghy dock. Lush is a word that describes this beautiful island of Guadeloupe. With plentiful sunshine as well as rain, the gardens were exploding with color. The Koi must be used to tourists feeding them; they greedily climbed over each other with gaping open mouths. The parrots also flew to your hand, expecting you to have a shot glass of smoothie. They were kinder than the koi, taking turns sharing the offered beverage. Indulging on breathtaking colors, we tried to capture the sights of this amazing venue. Bizarre trees, pink flamingos, banana plants, and ginger flowers were just a tiny portion of the vast selection of offerings.

Magnificent Organ

30 foot murals were everywhere

Slave Museum

A four dollar bus ride into Point a Pitre the following day was a huge culture shift. The big city was dirty, crowded, and bustling. You could find whatever you wanted here, if you had the patience to practice your French, climb through stinky muddy streets, and make a lot of wrong turns. With no purchasing needs, we meandered through the city, taking in the vibe. A simple lunch and the slave museum were our only diversions. I highly recommend the slave museum; I learned about the history of these beautiful caribbean islands and the people who have been coming here throughout the past few centuries.

Another party on Planet Waves

After a 24 hour sail, we arrived at the south end of Martinique, another French island. We dropped our anchor right behind dear friends Shelley and John on Planet Waves. Who needs sleep? As quick as we could drop the dinghy in the water, we scooted over to their boat for a scrumptious meal of BBQ chicken (ok, so, distracted, he cooked it a bit too long…) and baked beets with plenty of other treats as well. Our entertainment aboard Planet Waves was watching a pair of rickety boats, rafted together, drag down onto a round-the-world cruiser from South Africa who was anchored right next to Planet Waves. Much swearing and finagling ensued and finally one of the old battered boats managed to rev up enough horsepower to limp away and drop anchor out of reach of us. We invited the South African man to join us on Planet Waves and he shared many stories of his travels. Then it was off to town to enjoy live music from liveaboard cruisers as well as dancers who are part of a traveling circus. Never a dull moment!

The French love to sing in St Anne

A few more quick anchorage stops in St Anne and St Pierre before we headed back north again were noteworthy. In St Anne, we met Alastair on Cranstackie who would later join us in Dominica for hurricane relief work, and the Giffords on Totem who has sailed around the world with their three children. Behan and Jamie Gifford have an online business answering questions about how to make cruising work for families. I was honored to answer some of her questions online a few months ago regarding cruising in the Western Caribbean.

A rolly but tranquil anchorage

St Pierre was a rolly anchorage beside an ancient city. Arriving on a Sunday meant we missed all of the weekday activities of retail and restaurant bustle. Instead, we enjoyed a quiet walk through a sleepy village, trying to imagine the stories created here. Leaving at dawn the next morning, we never saw this town wake up.

Time to head to Dominica. Bill Balme, on Toodle-oo! had arranged for the Salty Dawgs to arrive in this hurricane stricken island and begin helping them. Off we went to join this group!