February 5-10 Norman Island and Road Harbour, Tortola

On February 5th we headed out for Norman Island. Internet has been a bit dicey but at last email S/V Rum Runner might be in the bight at Norman Island. It is a bit far for VHF transmission but it is a great spot and worth a shot. Midway through our sail, we hail them on the VHF and they respond that they are at Cooper Island. Fortunately Cooper Island is right off our port beam so we tack and pull into the anchorage. It is very crowded but we enjoy a great night of catching up with Jay and Jenn aboard Rum Runner.
The next morning we all decide to go to Norman Island to take advantage of the many dive sites that are within a dinghy ride of the anchorage. In addition to the Willy T, there is also a dive shop in the bight that can refill scuba tanks for us. We actually anchored in Benure’s Bay, two harbours around the corner from the bight. It is much more secluded and quiet. The anchorage is also very deep so we try a new anchoring technique of pulling in very close to the shore and tying the stern to a tree. This worked out very well to secure the boat and to keep her from rolling and dancing around the anchor chain.
We spent the next couple of days diving, eating and drinking with Jay and Jenn. They had done their homework (thank you!!) and studied the dive sites so we all could go to the best ones. We snorkeled The Indians the afternoon of our arrival and then did two tanks the next day with an interim stop at the Willy T for lunch. The following day we opted for one midmorning dive. We took the tanks back to the dive shop for a refill and stopped again at the Willy T, this time for lunch and margaritas. Zeus, the world famous bartender was on duty, dispensing libations and ramping up the crowd with party music. It was apparently a little early in the afternoon for his body shots on the bar but he was merrily applying lick-on temporary tattoos, applied with great gusto and flourish to anyone who will dare to bare. The answer to your question is: not this trip. It was a fabulous and relaxing few days.

Some shots from Leverick Bay and traveling to Norman Island:

Stern-tied in Benure's Bay. Jenn and Kona from S/V Rum Runner in for a swim:

The Willy T

Dancing on the lower deck and jumping from the top deck. Even though now officially outlawed, jumping still occurs and sometimes involves no clothes. We were sitting on the stern rail. I saw some bathing suits fly by, looked up and almost got my eye poked out by a body part....

Very frosty margaritas, just the right things to quench a sea-salty mouth after a dive:

Today, February 10th, we came over to Road Harbour to see about getting our autopilot repaired. We have dropped it off at the Ray Marine dealer and are hoping the techs can repair it. We then stopped off at the metal works shop to hire a fabricator to make a mounting bracket. He is available tomorrow (great news given busy season) but requires us to be in a marina as he gets seasick. We have made a reservation and will pull in tomorrow. They have a pool. Sweet.

February 4 Leaving St Martin

By February 3rd the fronts have finally passed through and weather reports indicate that the seas are settling down. We continue with a few chores and make preparations for travel to the British Virgin Islands the following evening. We went to the French grocery store. Although provisioning by pictures and guesswork can be challenging, it is a great store and we have fun sampling the wares…the usual provisioning, plus fresh oranges that are like manna from heaven and dilled smoked salmon.
On the 4th, we topped off the fuel tank and headed out through the bridge in the early afternoon so that we could be ready to go directly from the bay for the anticipated 12 hour run to Virgin Gorda. We pulled the hook at 5:30 and are quickly on our way. The seas are essentially flat and the winds are only 6 knots, hardly enough to keep Hakuna Matata moving through the water. We find ourselves wishing we had left the day prior when things were a bit livelier and settle in with the iron jib humming along. Off shore, five hours into our passage, the autopilot goes out. I take the wheel and Craig goes to investigate. The news is not good. The wooden bracket that holds the motor has failed (epoxied 2x4s have split completely in half) and the drive arm has fallen out. Buggers!! Craig takes out the pieces so as not to get caught in the rudder post. He returns to the cockpit and we settle in for a long night of hand-steering. Hand-steering may not seem that big a deal, but it can get mentally and physically tiring after a couple of hours of the wheel having someone’s hand on it at all times. The only people allowed to not have sympathy for us are our friends on S/V Rum Runner who have had their own battle with an autopilot.
What to do? We contemplate turning around to St Martin, the Caribbean mecca of boat parts. After thoughtful consideration, we decide to proceed to the BVIs. We hope against hope to not have to buy a new autopilot ($1499, plus install, plus the mount, plus the marina). The multiple charter boat companies based in the BVIs have certainly had issues with autopilots, and we saw a huge RayMarine distributor in Tortola. Hopefully, there is a king’s man there who can put Humpty Dumpty back together again and also fabricate a new aluminum mounting bracket. The wood lasted 6 years, but still.
Other than that, it was a great passage. I love the phosphorescence as the boat moves through the water and the stars put on quite a show out on the pitch black sea. One can indeed see the Southern Cross at this latitude at this time of year in wee morning hours, low on the horizon, so that was a treat too. We made it to Virgin Gorda around 830am. We had a post-passage cocktail and ran into shore to check in. After that, we motored around the corner to Leverick Bay. We hope to catch up with Rum Runner and scout some new anchorages in the BVIs but now have to work this repair into the mix.

Super yachts hang out on the Dutch side because the bridge opening is bigger and the water is deeper. Here they are, lined up like so many chevrolets....













We can't get over this evil looking beastie:

Sunset, leaving Marigot Bay. This cruise ship wanted to race. She won.

Leverick Bay, BVI

We never get tired of the water here....

January 31 St Martin

On January 26th we decided to head north after the front had passed. We had a window of opportunity, knowing that another front was on the way. We raised anchor in St Kitts at first light, 630am and aimed for St Barts. The winds were 15knots and even though the seas were building, ultimately to 10 feet on this journey, we screamed along at 7.5 knots. We found ourselves in range of St Barts around noon and decided to press on to St Martin while the getting was good.
We rounded the southwestern coast and found ourselves headed right into the wind and swell, so it was rough and slow going the rest of the way into Marigot Bay, on the French side. Same island, but in addition to customs/immigration fees, the Dutch charge for anchoring and passing through the draw bridge into the sheltered lagoon of the bay. The French do not so it appears they do have a few redeeming qualities. Obviously, most cruisers enter and check in on the French side. We did not make it in time for the last bridge opening, so we anchored in Marigot Bay. The winds were very brisk but fortunately the anchorage was not rolly so we were able to rest.
Dinghy rides were proving to be wet and long so we entered the sheltered lagoon the following day to wait out the ever-building front before we proceed to the Virgin Islands. This proved a good decision since the winds have continued to build through the week, currently 20knots sustained with gusts to 28knots. Until today is has been cool and very rainy. I have been wearing long sleeves and even a jacket for dinghy rides. I contemplate socks…the horror. Weather reports indicate offshore winds 25-30knots and seas in excess of 12 feet. This thing is supposed to blow itself out in the next day or two, and we have to wait until it passes and the seas lay down before our next journey. It is a 75 mile run to Virgin Gorda.
This harbor is very protected, so although at times it feels as if we are sailing while at anchor, Hakuna Matata sits calmly and quietly in the water. We have been messing around with chores and light maintenance…laundry, proactively replacing lazy jack lines on the stack pack that holds our mainsail, refilling the extra deck fuel jugs, etc. We are also having a little fun. A surprise visit from Renatta and Jim of S/V Emerald Seas was a treat. We have not seen them since Grenada and as it turns out, they are anchored right behind us in the lagoon. Boat fever coupled with a cook’s night off took us into a bistro we had visited when Dave Damm was here. We went all-french and had escargot, French onion soup, French-style pizza and crème brulee. They may not anchor worth a hoot but they sure can cook and make good wine. We went into the Dutch side (duty-free) Budget Marine and scored a 44 pound Bruce-style anchor and set it up on the bow for immediate deployment should the primary fail. It serves as our new emergency secondary anchor and is also the style we will need in Texas. We previously had the Fortress up there but that wasn’t working out with the jib without a dual bow roller (item #2 on the upgrade list).

Leaving Basseterre, St Kitts.
Playing with camera settings while cruise ships pull out and dawn from the boat, overlooking St Kitts with Nevis in the background:











At anchor in the lagoon between St Martin and Sint Marteen.
This point is called Witches Tit...not making that up.

Jim of S/V Emerald Seas up his mast, winds still 20knots....

Internet is poor in the anchorage so we have ventured into town to a cafe (le bar de la mer ) for a Sunday afternoon of free wireless and cold Belgian beer.

All is well on Hakuna Matata as the winds howl through our rigging and we wait....

January 20-25 Nevis/St Christopher (St Kitts)

On January 20th we made the run over to Nevis/St Christopher(St Kitts). Being the very first colonies in the British and French empires, they are now independent countries that share dual authority. As such, cruising yachts can check into one and receive coastal cruising clearance for both. Sounds simple enough. NOT!! All I can say is that three hours later, after running around Nevis between customs, immigration and the port authority, dragging Brian and Taffy around with us to feel our pain, we have our 7 day coastal clearance in hand. And surprise. Nevis requires the use of mooring balls.
We head down the coast to Oaulie Bay and got settled on a mooring ball. At least these are high-town moorings with some serious hardware. We don’t mind paying for them when we don’t have to worry about Hakuna Matata breaking off one in the middle of the night. The following morning we went over to Tamarind Bay. There was excellent snorkeling here. Around the coastal rocks, there are thousands of bait fish, so thick that you cannot see through them. Even so, Craig found a lobster nest. They are just always just deep enough to be unattainable by free diving, so we return to the boat for scuba gear. Craig catches while I maintain surface support, monitoring his air tank and bagging the catch. These are a bit small, so we capture eight. I chopped up the tails and served them over vermicelli with a cream/jalepeno sauce. We also dinghied over to an adjacent beach and went to the Christobel club, owned by a Danish couple who gave us the inside scoop on Nevis/St Kitts.
We traveled over to Basseterre, St Kitts the next day. Expecting to pull into the new “world-class marina” so that we have a comfy spot to off-load guests and luggage to a dock, we are surprised to call them and find they are full. What to do? We consult the charts and head to Frigate Bay and Timothy Beach. There are a lot of clubs, restaurants and a dinghy dock. The only thing is that the wind has shifted to the west. The bays all face west, so we are in for a very rolly night. The cruising guides all refer to these anchorages as untenable when then winds are from the west and that is exactly what it was. Nobody slept, and coupled with the party music that did not stop until 0630 the following morning, it was a rough night for all of us.
On Sunday, we dropped off Brian and Taffy in the care of a taxi and took off for another anchorage. It was great having Brian and Taffy on board with us. Thanks for everything!!!
We went over to White House Bay which was very nice. Several other boats sought refuge in there while the front was passing through but there was plenty of room and despite several French-flagged boats, nobody did anything stupid. It was cool, cloudy and rainy at times with gusts to 25knots. We relaxed, snorkeled and fished, being rewarded one night with two giant mangrove snappers.

A coastal Nevis shack en route and Oualie Bay:

Tamarind Bay. OSHA does not appear on the scene of this construction site:

Frigate Bay:

Views from BasseTerre:

White House Bay: