Author: Neill

When you enter Martinique you stroll across to a marina, ships handler or cafe and fill in a formula online and get it stamped by an employee. Leaving the country is just as simple.

When you enter or leave Antigua you fill out everything online then go to one office at the port of entry where they print the stuff out and you sign it.

When you enter Curaçao you can also fill everything out online. This doesn’t change the fact that you have to travel to the offices in Willenstad. The offices are right next to the dock but you aren’t allowed to enter the port so you anchor in Spanish Water and take a bus in to the town and then walk to the customs building. There you find a sign saying they have moved so cross a canal (this was a dutch colony) and look for the office down a side road, up some stairs and round a corner. There are of course no signs.

At customs you tell them that you filled everything out online so that they only ask you a few more questions, ask to see proof you left the previous country, check all your papers and then give you a clearance form. They then send you on to immigration in the blue building you can see from their window. Walk downriver, cross two more canals and the river (by ferry or swinging bridge) and then walk back up river to the blue building. Fail to find immigration so ask someone who points at the green building.

You can also tell Immigration that you have filled out everything online but they don’t care so you get lots of papers to fill out by hand. Do that. Give them all your papers and passports and receive more papers in return. Ask where the Harbour Masters office is and be directed upstairs in the blue building. Also be told that the harbour master closes from 11:30 until “twoish” for lunch so you just missed them.

Enjoy the unexpected long lunch break before returning at “twoish” to discover that the entire office has taken today (Friday) off as yesterday was a holiday but will be back on Monday.

By Monday we had decided to sail to Bonaire so we revisited customs and immigration again and went through the whole process again. Practice makes perfect.

A week later we were back in Curaçao so bus, customs and immigration again. Customs had us in their system so that was easy but immigration had never heard of us so we filled everything out again. Then off to the harbour masters office. This time they were open and only to happy to issue an anchor permit as long as we told the lady on exactly which day we intended to be in which anchorage (and in one case which part of the anchorage) and for how long and were willing to pay $10 per anchorage. Of course we could change our mind at any time as long as we personally took the bus back to her office and told her (and paid some more dollars).

I don’t think Curaçao is really trying to encourage cruisers.

When we left Germany, lots of people told us that they would be “popping out” to see us. Until now only Max had managed it but the last two weeks we enjoyed having Gertrud and Jon on board. They flew from Germany to Curacao and immediately began to melt in the heat. We collected them at the hotel pier, allowed them to move in to the “master suite” and then took them for a hike under the midday sun to do some shopping.

They told us that over half their luggage was made up of things that we had ordered in Europe and had sent to them. Luckily they managed to buy enough while they were here to ensure they had some luggage to take home.

We introduced them to the joys of clearing out with immigration and customs and then from Curacao we sailed three days against the wind to Bonaire. Gertrud is definitely not an upwind sailor so on the third day, after a stop over in Klein Curacao, we continued in the night so that she could sleep and wake up in the next port – just like a small cruise ship.

Bonaire calls itself “Divers Paradise” so Gertrud and Jon were in the water more than out of it. They scraped all the plant and animal life off our hull while diving and returned after each trip with a list of fish and corals they had seen.

Out of the water we visited the national park in the north of the island where Jon showed off his off-roading skills in a rental 4×4. We drove through a cactus forest, snorkeled among thousands of fish and enjoyed the unspoiled nature. It was a satisfying but tiring day and once again we ended up in the ice cream shop before we once again “forced them” to play cards and drink alcohol.

The Frenchies had sewed us a new wind catcher on which they painted our Yin-Yang logo. Jon gave the bikes a quick service and when we wanted to sail, they both had the boat prepared before we left. Probably they need a rest after this holiday – especially as everything happens in at least thirty degrees centigrade.

From Bonaire we sailed back to Curacao through the night and anchored in a lonely bay before berthing in a marina to clear in and then putting our two guests in an air conditioned taxi and sending them back to a cooler climate.

Jon was kind enough to write us a guest post.

We were two days out of Marigot on St. Martins, about two hundred miles from anywhere in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. It had been a good day with lots of sun and little wind. In the morning we had changed to our Parasailor and thus maintained our momentum despite the missing wind.

We had also modified our prototype deck cover to give us more headroom and more shelter – another project that is progressing well through fast prototyping with pegs, ropes and a bed sheet.

We now have a data logger keeping track of both system voltage and fridge temperature so another ongoing project is optimising the one without sacrificing the other. Who would have believed a tenth of a volt plus or minus ciuld be so interesting or that tracking the sun with the solar panels so rewarding.

In the evening we cooked dinner which we ate in the cockpit direct from the saucepan. The only other sign of life was a huge ship just visible over the horizon. Perfect timing allowed us to follow our meal with a glass of chilled wine as the sun set. As we ghosted along in the breeze a pod of dolphins joined us to play at the bow. With the wine finished, thoughts turned to Neill getting some sleep.

And then …

The wind came back. Suddenly the boat was healing and being dragged upwind by a fifteen knot wind in the Parasailor. Luckily we are an experienced team so lifejackets on, boat turned downwind and Parasailor snuffed. At which point the AIS alarm started trilling to let us know the huge bulk carrier was no longer over the horizon but heading our way. Ships seem to be magnetically drawn to us. They have millions of square miles of ocean but always seem to want to pass close by to look at the “little boat”. Or maybe we are just paranoid.

With the Parasailor stowed, the “normal sails” set and after ducking behind the ship we were off again at over five knots. After half an hour of tidying up ropes and dish washing, it was time for a second try at an evening drink – this time a shared can of beer.

And then it was time to switch on the navigation lights and see what the night watches had waiting.

After being at St. Martins for over a week, it was finally time to get the bikes on to land and do some exploring. As always it was a bit of a logistical jigsaw puzzle with bikes, dinghy, rucsacs, outboard motor, locks, pontoons and tools but well worth the effort.

The first day we cycled anticlockwise round a huge lagoon and in the course of a few hours left the Republic of France, entered the Kingdom of the Netherlands and then returned to France. On the way we stopped off to buy ice cream in the Netherlands, a rope in France, a USB charger in the Netherlands and then some beer in France. The language changed, the currency changed but it remained very hot and the drivers very considerate everywhere.

We were really lucky that Mr Bhirwani allowed us to leave our bikes in his shop overnight so on the second day we just needed to get ourselves on land and pick them up. Pure luxury!

After the flat, seaside tour yesterday we decided to do our traditional “ride to the top of the island” tour today. We found a great MTB route but it started on the other side of the hills so we started by cycling up a very steep road to Pic Pleasant which is the highest point and offered great views. That meant that we had three hundred meters of climbing to “get warm” – which is a joke when the temperature is 27°C in the shade.

Once we had made the obligatory pictures, we followed a single trail down through the woods to the far side of the island. Heidi was chasing an Iguana at one point but we didn’t find the native monkeys. The trail was difficult but mostly “bikeable”. Once at the bottom we turned in to the first cafe to refuel with water and juice.

The route back up the mountain was “interesting”. Once we passed the “Passage Interdit” sign and climbed over the barbed wire fences the path became less steep but rocky. A little later it was full of rock steps. A really great workout pushing our bikes uphill through the sun drenched, windless “jungle”. Adventure pure!

And then it was just a quick roll back downhill in to town where we treated ourselves to beer and baguette burger.

Last week we arrived at St. Martin. Another tiny Caribbean island – this one is only 90km² and strangely it is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Netherlands. We are currently anchored in “France” so cheap wine, cheap cheese and cheap bread. This is the way France should be – everyone speaks English, it is always warm and there is no tax.

This is the island where we have finally accepted that what we are really doing is completely refitting our boat and just finding nice places to do it. In the last week we have been working on the boat every day.

We removed the hundred kilograms of rust that used to be our anchor chain and replaced it with a shiny new 50 meter long version. We also added some nice little colored markers to show how much chain is out. The chain is no longer dirty, no longer jams and you can see the markers. Anchoring is suddenly much more fun.

We also rewired the battery box. The perfect combination for such a job is an electrician and a nurse. The electrician curls up so he can get at the bits and the nurse hands him the tools as required. After the third crimp, she knows the process as well as he does and the right tools appear magically uncalled for.

We also managed to finally dig the corroded plastic out of the towed generator that should allow us to now convert it to a wind generator. That was fun as we did it in a “metal container workshop” under the Caribbean sun. We used to pay to use the sauna in Allgäu – now we just work on the boat.

Our fridge is Swedish and strange. It sort of did what we wanted sometimes but we never understood it. The only manual we had was in Swedish and for a different model. Luckily we met a dutch guy who sailed round the world as a young man and met a Swedish girl who took him home with her. He had a manual in English but still for another fridge. But he had similar problems so suggested we change the wires that feed the fridge. We did that and it is now less strange.

And today? Today is Sunday so we planned on doing nothing and sleeping all morning. Great plan. Unfortunately the Swiss neighbor was leaving to cross the Atlantic at sunrise and realized he was missing the “vital part” so swam across to our boat – his dinghy was stowed in the locker – and knocked us up to help him find it.

But this afternoon we finally managed an afternoon of “being tourists”. Visit fort, wander streets, drink beer, video chat with friends, read and sleep.

It is now over three weeks since we arrived in the country of Antigua & Barbuda and we didn’t leave until yesterday. Some countries only get three days so Antigua must have something going for it. We sailed once round the island of Antigua with a short diversion to Barbuda.

The anchorages are definitely beautiful. In English Harbour you anchor off a restored georgian boat yard where you expect to see Nelson coming round the next corner. It is very scenic but at the same time a working yard with sail makers and chandlers. We were there for the start of Antigua week so also experienced it as an outdoor disco with unbelievably loud music. Even in bed on board we could “feel that bass” until four thirty in the morning.

We sailed anticlockwise visiting the bays reefs and islands on the way. There are an awful lot of reefs so we were very proud on the days when we sailed from or on to anchor navigating round them We visited Great Bird Island which is home to the rarest snake in the world. We didn’t see the snakes but snorkelled on the absolutely stunning coral reefs and swam in clear warm water with the turtles.

After returning from Barbuda we stopped off to visit Jolly Harbour and then completed the circumnavigation just in time for the new motor’s fifty hour service in Falmouth Harbour.

We saw a lot of places but it was the people who made Antigua fun. We met cruisers we already knew from elsewhere and met new fun people. We learned not to drink rum with Australians and barbequed with British and Dutch.

Cycling uphill past a market stall, we sang along with the reggae music and the stall keeper joined in – “… cos every little t’ings gonna be alright.” Customs and immigration were friendly and efficient and the customs ladies enjoyed Neill “strutting” to the same song.

Raglan and Roxann designed and printed us T-shirts, explained the islands culture and gave us beer. Pierre serviced the motor and Alison chased Yanmar for us. All the local SIM card sellers were super friendly and all fell for the “I’m old. Can you set it up?” trick.

Neill told the kids on the dock he wasn’t afraid of sharks because they don’t like the taste of white people. Pistol quick came the reply “you better be careful. You’re brown not white!”.

Today we explored the Barbuda beyond the stunning beaches and found an unhappy island with smiling people.

We paddled across to the sand bar and walked the fifty meters from the ocean to the lagoon where George Jeffrey collected us in his boat and ferried us the two miles against the wind in to town. George was born on the island and seems to have done every job here.

We landed in Codrington, the only settlement on the island and named after the English family who used to own this island. We knew that Barbuda had been hit by Hurricane Irma in autumn 2017 but were still shocked by the damage. Every building had been damaged and maybe only a quarter have been rebuilt or repaired. We were overcome by a feeling of helplessness as we walked through the devastation. Even today on Easter Sunday people were rebuilding various buildings but it still reminded us of an ex war zone we cycled through in Croatia.

We walked the twelve kilometers to the highest point on the island (38 meters above sea level) and the ruins of Highland House where the Codringtons lived during the slave times. The whole way we saw no signs of agriculture, just the bush. We learned that root crops used to grow well but no one plants them now. On the way back two Italian holiday makers offered us a lift and were surprised that we preferred to walk. Once we explained that we live on a small boat they were understanding.

Back in town we found the bank which is still closed except for an ATM, the closed post office and a supermarket. The restaurants are mostly closed and the bike shop no longer exists. It is a very depressing place and it is not hard to believe the local theory that the inertia is designed to get the people off the island so that the land can be used for luxury hotels. But the people still smile and wave as they do where ever we go.

George took us out to visit the Frigate Bird colony. He has a small light boat and a 60hp outboard motor. We flew across the lagoon, looked at a container in the mangroves that “flew” five kilometers in the storm and at thousands and thousands of Frigate Birds. From George we learned not just about the wildlife but about the history of Barbuda and his life on this abandoned island.

A graveyard for boats of all sizes! Surrounded by coral reefs and coral heads! Be sure to go round the shoals. Only approach during daylight! All charts are out of date since Hurricane Irma last year. The pilot books want to keep you away from Barbuda but we went there. And why?

We were floating off Great Bird Island in Antigua, enjoying the sun and exploring the coral reefs when Heidi mentioned that she would enjoy trying a lobster. The Internet said that Uncle Roddy on Barbuda did the best lobster so we knew where to sail to. The pilot books really list a lot of great reaons not to go near the island but also say that it is great when (if) you get there.

We sailed the twenty five miles carefully avoiding Horseshoe Reef, Diamond Shoals, Codrington Shoals and Palaster Reef. A few tacks saw us anchored off Cocoa Beach which is “Wow!” The sand is white, the sky is blue and the sea is unbelievable. No color can describe the transluscent water we were foating on. And the beach is empty. Off to the right a few guests enjoy their luxury tents and get flown in and out by seaplane but the rest of the beach was just for us. At sundown some wild horses galloped past just to add movement.

We asked a local about Uncle Roddy’s but it didn’t survive Hurricane Irma. There are other restaurants in town but that is 12km away and no way can we land our bikes on this steep beach. So we tried Plan B.

Next day we sailed round the island avoiding all the reefs and shoals and anchored off the huge sand bar that blocks access to the town. Irma ripped a huge hole in it so the plan was to take the dinghy through that. Once we were in the dinghy and saw the swell and waves thrashing at the break we returned to the boat and worked out Plan C.

Sails up again and round to “Boat Harbour” where the ferry docks. The pilot book did mention that there is a lot of coral but the reality was frightening. Coral heads ahead and to the left with a reef to the right on the first attempt and a reef behind us when we finally found a place to anchor. We checked the anchor and the surrounding coral and then we took the dinghy to the beach and towards the music. Today is Easter Saturday so there was a party on the beach with extremely loud music, ice cold beer and …

… lobster. Absolutely amazing, tasty, mouth watering lobster. Great food at local prices served by smiling ladies.

Mission acomplished.