~ view pictures ~ contact us ~ return to home page ~

2004-09-26

I believe we had an example of the maxim to 'be careful what you wish for.' We left the Caribbean wanting and looking forward to cooler weather. We got weather that was cold! After arriving at Matinicus in rain and fog and cold, we had about two weeks of mostly rainy days and very cold -- in the 40's at night and the 50's by day. The cabin heater was running almost non-stop. You know it is bad when 60 feels warm! Memorial Day weekend was sunny -- but it was still cold with Northerly winds. Now (6/17) almost a month after our arrival, it finally feels like at least spring with warm sunny days and cool nights. But we are still sleeping under 2 warm blankets.

During Memorial Day weekend we had a visit from Daniel and Juliet. It was wonderful to see them and catch up a bit. The next weekend we rented a cargo van and drove to the Boston area to collect the remaining stuff we had on loan to friends. Linda's brother wanted our stuff gone because they are renovating their house. So we thought it best to collect everything so we only needed to rent a truck once. We collected our CD's, a clock and lots of etc and had a delightful overnight visit with Frank and Brenda. After a stop at Antique Time Machines to collect another clock, we went to Framingham where old friends had stored yet another clock and all our hi-fi equipment, including 2 large Klipschorn speakers.

Phil then returned to Maine, but Linda continued on to New Haven for two nights with Miriam and the world's best Grandsons. What a treat!! Miriam has bought a house in New Haven, and Mom got to see it. She is doing some work on it and will be able to move in by July sometime.

The house we are building in Deer Isle has made great progress. When we arrived in May, the foundation was done and some of the floor beams for the first floor were in place. Now (8/6) they are putting up the last of the wall panels for the second floor and installing the last 4 roof support beams. About half the house has the cedar decking which is the first layer of roofing installed. Linda has been very occupied with getting the windows polyurethaned before they get installed. Since the house is non-stop windows, there are a LOT to do! But it is a worthwhile investment of time. There are about 15 left to do, and a few of those are small ones so they should get done just about when the contractor is ready to install them. Phil has been very busy cleaning up the bittersweet vine that has been devouring the land and cutting and splitting wood for use next winter. And I guess we have also started to reacquire 'stuff' -- we went into Ellsworth and bought appliances and mattresses for the 3 bedrooms. We are delighted with how the house is turning out, and it is VERY exciting to see it happening.

In June we had a dock and 2 moorings put in -- one mooring for us and one for guests. The dock makes getting ashore and back much, much more convenient than it was with the dinghy haulout. No more hauling a seaweed covered line in and out, no more wading in and out through the cold water, and no more trying to get off the beach when the wind is up and waves are rolling in from the Southwest -- it is wonderful!! And if you are ever up this way by boat, please come use our guest mooring. We have had about 4 visitors so far and are expecting more -- great fun!

We sailed over to Rockland one weekend when Miriam and the boys were visiting Daniel and Juliet. On Sunday we took everyone for a sail -- it was terrific to have the 2 little boys on board. They were very excited to see 'Gramma's boat!' We went back to Rockland the next weekend for a gathering of the Ocean Cruising Club. It was the first OCC event we had ever done, and it was most pleasant. Very nice people and a warm friendly welcome for us. This weekend (8/7) we are in Islesboro for a gathering of Seven Seas Cruising Association. The same family has hosted this SSCA 'gam' for 14 years it is always very pleasant. This relatively small harbor filled with 50 or so cruising sailboats is a lovely sight indeed!

It is now September 21! How did that happen? The house continues to progress well. Linda finally finished polyurethaning all the windows -- very glad to have that done!! Phil is now putting polyurethane on the trim for the 9 skylights. About half the roof is completely done -- insulation, sheathing and shingles. The rough plumbing is in and some of the electric. The chimney is about 3 feet above the first floor and headed for the roof. We need to soon pick out electric fixtures, tile and flooring. The house is more wonderful than we had envisioned and we are thrilled to see it as it moves towards completion. We will send some photos off with this Web update.

Our guest mooring continued to bring us several welcome visitors through the summer -- it was really fun to have it. Linda had the treat of spending time in New Haven with Miriam and the boys and being at their house warming party. Then the next weekend was Daniel and Juliet's house warming in Rockland. It was very special to see them all so happily settled into their own homes.

The weather so far this month has been sunny and lovely, but we know it will soon be getting much cooler. We have been very fortunate to be offered a housesitting job for the month of November. After that we plan to 'camp out' in part of the house. There is an 'ell' with the pantry/mud room/laundry as well as a study for Phil. Harrison, our contractor, has agreed to finish that part so we can start using it after Thanksgiving. We will have heat, a room for our bed, a refrigerator, freezer, washer/drier, and a sink. The plumber says he will also get us a working toilet. We can add a microwave, a toaster oven, a grill outside and a small camp stove. Sounds like survival will be possible!

We apologize for this update taking so long -- this land life is just way too busy! But we will try to do better in the future. I am sending pictures of the house with this update -- not the blue Caribbean but very exciting! Please let us hear from you too!!

All the best -- Linda and Phil -- S/V Antara -- Deer Isle, Maine

2004-05-24

It is a good thing we were not in any rush to get off from Bermuda because we didn't get away until about 1:30 p.m. ADT, Friday, 5-14. We left under power with no wind and no seas. We had the Genoa out a few times, and then back in, and then out, but there was really no useful wind until about 8 a.m. EDT on Sunday, 5/16. Now, 11:20 a.m. EDT (Sunday), we are sailing with the Genoa and full main, doing 4.5-5.5 knots in about 10 knots of very nice wind from the Southwest. It is a great pleasure to have the motor off! We have done about 220 miles from Bermuda and have about 500+ to go.

We did have one fun thing to do while under way. A Bermuda friend had found a bottle with a note in it on a beach in Bermuda. The bottle had been put into the water by a high school science class in Tampa, Florida. He asked us to put it back in the water when we were clear of Bermuda. He had written a note to go in it, and we added a note with the time and place that we put it back in the sea. What fun it will be if something is heard from whatever is its next stop.

For wildlife so far we have mostly seen lots of Portuguese Man of War jellyfish. Their purplish 'sails' sticking up look like plastic bottles, but they are definitely not trash. We have no idea why we are seeing so many -- we have never seen them before. We realized that the odd looking purple thing we had arrive in the cockpit on our way to Bermuda was a baby Portuguese Man of War. It was only 2-3" long and about half as wide. Although it had no long tentacles, it is probably a good thing that we used a fork to lift it out of the cockpit! We also had a small bird on board for part of Saturday night. It landed on top of the dodger and sat there for several hours, then moved to the lifelines and then left. Hope it made it someplace safely. It was not light enough to see it clearly enough to be identified.

The wind has mostly continued. It has varied widely in both strength and direction, but we have mostly been sailing. At times the wind has been so light that we have motored, but not for any protracted time. However, until today (Wed., 5/19) the wind has been consistently light -- 10 knots or less -- so we have been sailing slowly. Yesterday we slowed ourselves down deliberately to allow a front to pass before we got tangled up with it.

We entered the Gulf Stream on Monday night, and it was a very tranquil crossing. We knew we were in the Stream because of the push from the current -- about 2.5-3 knots NE -- but we just continued sailing with light winds from the East and then Southeast. Near the middle of the Stream the seas were a bit confused but nothing bad, and towards the Northern edge the wind died and we powered for a while. We left the Stream about Noon on Tuesday. It was very obvious that we weren't South of the Gulf Stream any more. The water is no longer the beautiful, intense blue we have become accustomed to, and it is COLD!! We put on Polar Fleece and blue jeans and hat and wool gloves.

As a byproduct of the front we dodged, the winds last night picked up to 15-20 knots. They were from the Southwest so somewhat behind us and very comfortable sailing. Right now, Noon on Wednesday, 5/19, we are at 39 degrees 55' N, 68 degrees 24'W. We have traveled 522 miles and have about 225 miles to go. We are hoping that by Friday night we will be someplace where we can get a night of uninterrupted sleep! If it isn't Deer Isle, it will be someplace in Maine no more than a day sail from Deer Isle. Wherever it is, the sleep will be wonderful.

Last night we had one unfortunate visitor. We discovered this morning a dead Wilson's Storm Petrel on the stern. From the feathers and debris scattered around, we think it may have collided with our windmill blades. Poor thing! On Sunday we saw what Phil identified as a skua -- a bird we had not ever seen before.

Today, Thursday, 5/20, at Noon we were at 41 degrees 19'N, 68 degrees 57'W. We have gone 616 miles and have about 150 to go. We are definitely not in the Caribbean anymore! Yesterday we had rain and fog and cold, and the air had that delicious salty ocean smell to it that is missing from the Caribbean. This morning we turned on the cabin heat and were delighted to have it! We have continued to have off and on wind which means off and on powering. But right now we are sailing along at about 5 knots in 10-15 knots of wind. We think we can get into Matinicus Island by late tomorrow. We sure hope so as we have both had enough of the sleep deprivation routine for a while. From Matinicus, Deer Isle is only about a 30 mile day sail.

Late Thursday night -- or perhaps early Friday morning -- we had one bit of adventure just to remind us that things are not always tranquil out on the ocean. There was a front that Herb thought would not affect us, but... We were sailing happily along when suddenly the wind was blowing 25-30 and changing directions as if searching for the worst possible direction to give us! At one point we were doing 7.5 knots, but it was in the totally wrong direction! Phil was rousted out of sleep, and we got the main down in 30 knots and eventually got the boat settled down on a useful course. After a while when everything was calmer. we even could get below into the heat and thaw ourselves out.

Friday, 5/21, we had pleasant sailing, at least until the wind died again. But by then we were close to Matinicus and knew we would be able to sleep that night. At about 6:30 p.m. we went into Matinicus Harbor, picked up a mooring and happily shut the engine down. Bliss!!

The passage was 769 miles in 175 hours -- 7 days, 7 hours -- for an average of 4.4 knots. We motored for about 75 hours -- not bad since we started out knowing we would need to motor for the first day and a half.

On Saturday, after 12 hours of sleep, we had a leisurely breakfast with pancakes and a real pot of tea. About 11:30 we decided the weather was too grim for exploring on very lovely Matinicus so we headed for Deer Isle even though it was raining and foggy and cold. We had a fine trip motoring and then motor sailing -- which had us doing 7+ knots -- and arrived in the Bow Cat (our cove in Deer Isle) about 5 p.m. What a treat to actually be home! We celebrated with a lovely dinner of rack of lamb and a nice bottle of wine -- followed by another almost 12 hours of sleep.

Sunday we phoned family to check in and check up and then went ashore to view our developing house -- most exciting! We both got showers at a neighbor's house, which produced a vast improvement to the ambiance of the whole area. And we look forward to another good night's sleep!

The coming days will be filled with house plans and decisions, collecting some of our stuff from its temporary homes and reacquainting ourselves with Deer Isle and our neighbors and friends here. We are very happy to be stopped and rooted for a while. We are told that summer weather will even arrive eventually. We hope all of you will have a pleasant and enjoyable summer. Do let us hear from you --

Our best to all -- Linda and Phil -- S/V Antara

The Bow Cat, Deer Isle, Maine -- 44 degrees 16' N, 68 degrees 41' W

2004-05-14

We did very little for the first three days in Bermuda. We mostly slept, wandered about in a semi-foggy state and then slept some more. But after 3 days with at least 12 hours of sleep each night we were functional again -- or at least as functional as cruisers ever get. We did manage to send off some e-mails letting family know we had arrived, we got hot showers, greeted various Bermuda friends and just enjoyed life on a non- moving, stable platform. It has certainly been lovely to not have a long list of repairs to attend to!

I (Linda) spent a day taking the bus in to Hamilton to see the Bacardi Biennial exhibit of Bermuda art at the National Gallery -- a marvelous show. We went one day with Don and Irene to St. David's to go to the new market over there. It is a most wonderful market with almost anything one could wish for available. Of course, it is all at Bermuda prices so not exactly cheap, but at least it is very pleasant surroundings in which to spend all that money!

Wednesday night, 5/5, in St. George's was 'Market Days'. In the evening the town square was occupied by vendors of various crafts and foods plus entertainment by Gombey Dancers, a Bermuda dance troupe with obvious roots in Africa via the Caribbean. The dancers are in very bright costumes and dance with great energy accompanied by drums. On Thursday there was a ' Beat the Retreat' ceremony. For this we made a reservation at Freddie's, one of our favorite restaurants here. We reserved the table on the corner of the balcony overlooking the town square so we had the best view possible. The Retreat is an 'end of the day' ceremony for band and bagpipes. It was performed by the Bermuda Regiment and it was wonderful to watch. I (Linda) have a particularly soft spot for bagpipe music so it was a special treat for me! But the pageantry of it all was great fun -- and very British! And in addition we had a most delicious dinner.

On Friday, 5/7, we both went to the Crystal Caves and the Perfumery. The Crystal Caves are two large caves with abundant stalactites, stalagmites and other complicated limestone formations over clear, blue water. Fascinating to see. The Perfumery used to make perfume from locally grown flowers. Now they import the oils and then make perfume. But the gardens are still there, if not so prolific, and it was a treat to see them. These were both 'tourist' things we had never done in Bermuda. We then had lunch at the Swizzle Inn, another Bermuda tourist institution and the origin of the Bermuda rum swizzle.

But now after almost two weeks of enjoying Bermuda while doing not much of anything classified as work, we are eager to head for Maine. There is a high pressure -- the 'Bermuda High' -- parked over Bermuda. This brings calm winds and seas to Bermuda -- and warm weather to the U.S. East coast. It would be nice to have enough wind to sail so we have been waiting. However, the weather after we get away from Bermuda is very favorable for a passage to Maine. So, after consulting with Herb the weather guru, we have decided to leave. We will have to power for about a day but then we should have favorable 10-15 knot winds. So Thursday was spent doing laundry, provisioning, showers and other assorted pre- departure chores. We then had a good dinner and a nice visit with Don and Irene. So this morning we need to get fuel and water and we will be off bound for Maine. It is sad to be leaving Bermuda but we are excited about the house in Deer Isle and eager to be there.

I hope our next installment will again be a report of a tranquil passage. Do let us hear from you -- Our best to all --

Linda and Phil -- S/V Antara -- St. George's, Bermuda

2004-04-30

I suppose I should never end one of these sagas with firm statements about what we will do in the coming days. On the way into Cruz Bay, St. John to check in we stopped to fill up with fuel and water. Phil banged his foot stepping from the boat to the dock, and it was quite painful. But we went on down to Francis Bay, quieter and less rolly than Caneel. Our Sunday date to take Guy and Rick sailing also didn't happen because Guy wasn't feeling well and Rick developed a conflict. On Monday, 4/19, Phil took the safari bus into Cruz Bay and took his hurting foot up to the hospital. An x-ray did not show anything broken, 'just' a bone bruise. So he came back with a new bottle of painkillers and a lighter wallet -- $143, we must be back in the U.S. Finally on Tuesday we checked in with Herb for a weather window to Bermuda. He said we should wait 24 hours while a trough moved to the East of us. We are happy to avoid a lot of squalls with 25 to 30 knots of wind!

Wednesday the trough was moving but not gone. Herb advised that when the skies were clear, we should leave. Thursday we awoke to skies that were still cloudy but obviously clearing. So we set about doing all the 'get ready for sea' chores. We got the dinghy up on deck and lashed down, took the anchor off the bow and stowed it in the aft cabin (aka the garage), tied down or stowed below anything on deck, transformed our rigging hung wind generator to a water-towed generator and tucked away all the bits of stuff that were on various surfaces in the main cabin, Finally at about 2:30, the skies were clear blue so we dropped the mooring and were off. By the time we were out of Francis Bay we had sail up and engine off. After we were clear of Jost Van Dyke we set up Lizzie (the Monitor steering vane) and she has been steering ever since.

In the past, whenever I have written anything in this saga about good conditions while on passage, everything has rapidly deteriorated. So I won't tell you about our passage. However, we have heard that there is a couple on a Passport 40 who left St. John on Thursday afternoon bound for Bermuda. They have been having a most lovely sail for almost 48 hours now. They have had mostly winds of 10-15 knots, sometimes less than 10, from the East to East Northeast. So they have been doing 5 knots or so on a close reach, intentionally staying just a bit East of their rhumb line to Bermuda. Especially after getting clear of the choppy seas near the islands, it has been a very pleasant and comfortable sail.

As of Noon on Saturday, 4/24, we are at 22 degrees 7'N, 64 degrees 21'W. We have come about 228 miles from St. John and have 615 miles to go to Bermuda. With yesterday's light winds we only did 111 miles noon to noon, but we have averaged 5 knots over the 45.5 hours of the trip. The skies are clear and sunny and the sea an amazing 'South of the Gulf Stream' blue. At night the sky is filled with stars and there is enough bioluminescence to make one think there are stars under the water too! Our first night out from St. John we had not just one but TWO green flashes -- one at the bottom of the wave and one at the top! Pretty astounding note on which to leave the Caribbean! (A green flash is a brief flash of green light just as the sun crosses a clear horizon over water.)

At about 9:30 this morning, Monday, 4/26, we passed the halfway point at 25 degrees 22'N, 64 degrees 54'W -- 420 miles done, 420 to go. We celebrated with our only remaining Kosher salami and a bag of Fritos at lunch. Nothing like junk food in the middle of the ocean!

That couple I wrote about on the Passport 40 have continued to have a lovely sail. The winds have been quite light -- 5-8 knots -- so they have not been going very fast (even by boat standards), but they have been going and always under sail. (Although when the engine needs to run for the refrigeration, they do use it to drive the boat too.) As predicted by Herb, a weak low pressure trough has been passed through and the winds have now picked up to 10 and the boat speed has gone to 5-5.5 instead of 3.5- 4. The seas are still quite flat so the motion is very comfortable. The sun is shining and there is now even some moon at night. Lucky them!!

Last night, Tuesday, 4/27, we had a real treat. The day had been quiet, sailing slowly with light winds. After dinner the sky on the horizon seemed clear enough for a green flash. (A few days ago Phil saw a double green flash at sunrise! Yes, they happen at sunrise as well as sunset.) So we were watching. Just as the sun set we saw first a very nice green flash and almost simultaneously the dorsal fins of two dolphins! We had several around the boat, and we went up to the bow to watch them. They swam in the bow wave, played tag with the boat (the boat was 'it') and cavorted around for quite a while. We saw 4 at one time so there were at least that many and maybe more. They were clearly having a good time -- as were we just watching them. They are a beautiful sight and a real treat to see swimming free in the ocean.

Into each passage some doldrums must fall. Today, 4/28, those folks in the Passport 40 are having a less than ideal day. The wind is very light and has clocked so it is from the stern. As the boat rolls in the swells, the wind, such as it is, dumps out of the sails, and the sails flap and flog and crash around. Noisy and unpleasant. The batteries are way down anyhow, so those folks took down the sails, put up the iron genoa (aka the engine) and are powering. Not awful, but not ideal.

These conditions are actually ideal for a gennaker, a large balloon shaped head sail. We have one, but it is in Maine. Winds in the Caribbean are usually either too strong or the wrong direction (or both) for the gennaker so we opted not to take up the fairly large space it needs to stow it. I think this is only the second time we would have used it since leaving Maine. But Phil and I realized that this is what gives people '5 foot-itis', a common disease which is cured only by buying a boat 5 feet longer than what you have now. If we had a boat 5 feet longer, it would have a big sail locker for the gennaker, etc., etc., etc. But we have no intention of contracting this disease!!

Today, 4/28, at Noon we were at 29 degrees 19' North, 64 degrees 6' West. We have come 670 miles from St. John and have 185 miles to go to Bermuda. We expect to arrive late Thursday or early Friday morning. Tomorrow we will both have a shower so that Bermuda will not deem us to be garbage and refuse us entry!

As Herb predicted, the doldrums have ended. We passed through a front last night and found wind on the other side. At first it was from the Northwest and would allow us to sail in any number of directions, none of which were at all useful to us. So we motored for a bit more and the wind rather quickly started to clock. By 1:30 a.m. we were sailing again in about 15 knots of wind. Although Herb also predicted the wind would moderate this morning, so far it has moderated from 15 to 20!

We had a very weird creature deposited in the cockpit this morning by a wave -- a dark blue jelly fish. It was about the size and shape of a piece of Gefilte Fish (or after having been so recently in France should I say a Quenelle?). But it was a deep blue with a lighter ridge along its back (front?). Very strange. I (Linda) had seen large blobs of luminescence in the water last night -- could this jelly fish also glow? Phil was actually stung by a jelly fish yesterday when he was pulling some caught debris off the spinner for the water towed generator. The unusual dangers of the cruising life!

At Noon today, 4/29. we are at 30 degrees 56' North, 64 degrees 13' West. We are 755 miles from St. John (though we have sailed 771 miles to get there) and 89 miles from Bermuda. We expect we will arrive sometime Friday morning. Whenever it is we arrive, it will be just the right time for a nap!

Today (Friday,4/30) at 7:30 a.m. we rounded SPIT buoy and sailed (not motored) into St. George's Harbour. We were 7 days and 17 hours from St. John. The point to point distance is 840 miles and we sailed 860 miles, averaging about 4.7 knots in very light winds. But of the 185 hours we only motored for 17 hours. It was about the best passage we have ever had, a bit slow but very comfortable. And besides all that, we arrived with nothing -- yes, I said nothing -- broken. We are tied up at Somer's Wharf (free space) which means we do not need to put the anchor back on or launch the dinghy. We were greeted at Customs by our friend Don Coram - - it is always nice to get a welcoming hug. It is wonderful to be here after a lovely trip. We will catch up on sleep and then enjoy Bermuda before we even think about heading to Maine.

Now that my little subterfuge of talking about those folks on the Passport 40 has worked, I will confess -- just in case you hadn't figured it out -- that those folks are us! But if I had openly talked about what a great passage it was, something would have gone awry! I realized a couple of days ago that nothing had broken, but I didn't say it out loud until we were safely tied up here in St. George's. One can never be too careful!

We would really like to hear from you. This shouldn't be a soliloquy! Our best to all -- Linda and Phil -- S/V Antara -- St. George's, Bermuda

2004-04-17

On Monday, 3/5, we went to the fuel dock at Crown Bay Marina in the Northwest end of the Charlotte Amalie harbor where we dropped off laundry, got water (our watermaker is having a problem) and collected Jennis, the cushion maker who made a template for our our new v-berth cushions. After lunch Gerhard went off to the airport for his flight home. Crown Bay was out of fuel so we stayed anchored near there over night and went again to the fuel dock on Tuesday morning, this time for fuel. We then went to the Northeast end of the harbor which is closer to stores. Tuesday night we had a most pleasant dinner with Linda's nephew Guy. It was delightful to see Guy again, and he picked a restaurant that had both delicious food and a spectacular view -- often the two attributes seem incompatible. By Wednesday afternoon we had done our provisioning and went back to Crown Bay to collect our new cushions. Jennis' shop is accessible by dinghy, and it was an interesting dinghy adventure to collect cushions almost 7 feet long in an 8 foot dinghy with 2 people on board, one of whom is rowing. But we made it without even getting the new cushions wet!

Thursday, 3/8, we were finally free to leave busy, noisy Charlotte Amalie and return to St. John -- what a pleasure! Friday night we had dinner with some cruising friends whom we had met in Bermuda. It was a treat to spend an evening with them. On Easter Sunday we went with Guy to the home of his friend Rick. Rick lives in a very wonderful, very islandy house on a hillside above Coral Bay, St. John with a dynamite view of the sea and the nearby islands. It was a most delightful afternoon and evening among good people.

Monday morning started with the arrival in Caneel Bay of our friends Cathy and Jack on their boat. Cathy is an old and dear friend of Linda's from Cambridge days. It was, in fact, Cathy who introduced Linda to the Pelagic Sailing Club which in turn introduced Linda to Phil!! Cathy and Jack are on their way South to leave their boat in Grenada for the summer. We haven't seen them since summer, 2002 so it was wonderful to have a reunion over morning tea, continued over lunch and finally dinner on board their boat -- and then a bonus of Tuesday morning tea before they left.

Since we had received the necessary parts on Monday, Tuesday was devoted to working on the watermaker (and moving to a less rolly Francis Bay.). Unfortunately, the parts did not fix the problem -- very frustrating!! We may just have to wait until we are back in the U.S. for a repair. We have enough tankage for our passages, but we are spoiled -- the bought water tastes awful! On Wednesday we went to the BVI, checked in and made an appointment to see a doctor in Road Town, Tortola for a skin check, something we haven't done for 2 years. We are anchored tonight (4/14) in Benures Bay on Norman Island. Linda had a brief time as Gunga Din, the Water Boy. Because the watermaker is not working, we need to 'pickle' it to protect the membrane. To do this, we need 5 gallons of watermaker water. When we came into Benures, a Hallberg-Rassy 62 (an expensive European sailboat) was anchored here. This is a big enough boat that it would surely have a water maker. So I (Linda) rowed over to beg some water. The woman was more than happy to give us some water, but when she checked with her husband, she discovered that their watermaker wasn't working either!! So I continued down the anchorage to a large power boat. They gave me 5 gallons of water. I gave them a bottle of wine. The owner said that wasn't necessary, but I said he should take it so he could always say he had changed water into wine! The world of cruising!

Our skin doctor check was fine. Phil got a total pass, but Linda has some 'spots' to be removed. But they can wait, so they will. We also finished up our pre-Bermuda provisioning in Road Town. Tomorrow, Sat., 4/17, we will return to St. John (where I will send off this Web update.) On Sunday we will take Guy and Rick sailing and then on Monday we will check in with Herb the weather guru for a departure to Bermuda. I hope the next installment will be filled with a very boring account of a benign passage to Bermuda.

Do let us hear from you. Our best to all -- Linda and Phil Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I

2004-04-04

In a discussion with some other cruisers while we were in Bequia the question was raised of where one can go in the Caribbean and find uncrowded harbors. The answer is the Southeast coast of Guadeloupe! Sainte Francois was the biggest and busiest town along this coast, mostly because it has 2 large resort hotels, a golf course and a marina. However, the marina appears to be mostly local boats and is invisible from the anchorage. The anchorage is behind the reef and we were one of about 6 or fewer boats -- plus lots of windsurfers flitting around. From Sainte Francois we moved West a few miles to Sainte Anne another small town. Here we found a collection of tourist-oriented shops as well as several quite good restaurants to choose among. Sainte Anne has a lovely beach and a large anchorage protected by an extensive reef. We were one of 2 or 3 boats anchored there. Moving a bit further West we went to Petite Havre. The anchorage here is behind the reef and is about 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile. There is no town, but if you get desperate to spend money there is a beach shack for lunch or snacks. We didn't get desperate. We were the only boat anchored in Petite Havre. It was so lovely and peaceful we stayed 2 nights and skipped Gosier, which is described as a main tourist center for Guadeloupe. Then on Thurs., Mar 11 we went on to Pointe-a- Pitre, the capital and largest city of Guadeloupe, and went into the marina. We wanted to defrost the freezer and it is easier to have shore power when it is time to re-freeze.

Our first 'city' chore was that I (Linda) went off to see a French doctor. For several days my ears had been blocked and I felt as if my head were in a barrel. My most frequent communication with Phil was, 'What?' I could have diagnosed a sinus infection, but I couldn't treat it so off I went. The doctor, whose office was just a short walk from the marina, was very nice and between his English and my French we did OK. I left with 4 prescriptions for nose clearing stuff and antibiotics. The total cost for the doctor and the drugs was about $75. Makes one realize how crazy the costs of American medicine are! I also cannot complain since this was the first illness I have had since moving on board that was not preceded by a visit with my grandsons!

While in the marina, Phil installed two more fans, replacing noisy ones with quiet ones that also use less electricity, and rebedded a hatch in the head, after varnishing the coaming around it. After completing these chores as well as the defrosting of both freezer and refrigerator, we took a day off to go into Pointe-a-Pitre. The main attraction in P-a-P is the markets. There is a large fruit and vegetable market overflowing with piles of luscious fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, some familiar and some quite exotic. The 'old' market is now primarily crafts and spices. The aromas as one walks through are quite wonderful! The market ladies also have many varieties of rum flavored with local fruits and spices. After being given samples of several, we felt as if we had been to an afternoon cocktail party! Our only other excursion from the Marina was to go to the Aquarium. It was small but nicely done and it was fun to see some of the creatures we have seen while snorkeling -- as well as many we haven't seen!

Finally on Thurs., 3/18 we were ready to leave the marina. Our plan was to leave Guadeloupe via the Riviere Salee. This is not really a river at all. It is a mangrove swamp that separates the two islands that comprise the butterfly-shaped Guadeloupe. The tricky part of doing this is that here are two bridges which only open for boats once a day -- at about 5:00 a.m. So we were leaving in the late afternoon to pick up one of the available mooring just south of the first bridge and sleep until 4:30 a.m. We were all ready to leave, the marina person is hovering off our stern to help us maneuver out of our spot -- and the engine won't start. The starter motor was completely dead! However, after Linda had gotten the starter motor wet while trying to sink the boat while in Martinique in March, 2002, we had bought when in the U.S. a spare starter motor. So Phil took off the old one, put on the new one and about 45 minutes later we were off. We even managed to get up to the moorings before running out of daylight.

The next morning we were up at 4:30 and ready and waiting for the 5:00 a.m. opening. (If you aren't ready, the bridge tender goes home for more sleep and you wait until the next day!) We went through the two bridges and then picked up one of the moorings on the North side, lit an anti- mosquito coil and went to sleep until daylight. After we woke up and had some breakfast, we motored up the Riviere Salee. It is a lovely, uninhabited (except for the adjacent international airport) swamp area with lush vegetation and many inviting creeks. It eventually opens into a large bay that looks like wonderful cruising grounds but is actually quite shallow. But there is a well-marked channel out the length of the bay that avoids the reefs and the shoals. At the end of this bay we went East to the town of Port Louis, a small fishing village but one that has a customs office. Due to some obscure holiday, we had not been able to check out with the government officials when leaving the marina. We would have been OK without checking out but felt better being totally legal.

About 3:30 p.m. we left Guadeloupe bound for St, John, USVI. We had a fine 226 mile, 39.5 hour sail. The wind was from the East and we were going Northwest so it was easy sailing. We averaged a bit over 5.8 knots for the first 36 hours, but then we had to slow the boat down so we didn't come into St. John in the dark. By about 7:00 a.m. on Sunday 3/21, we were on a mooring in Caneel Bay where we slept until Noon. After we woke up, we got the dinghy in the water and went into Cruz Bay to check into the U.S. An early night gave us a good night's sleep and we felt reasonably recovered.

On Monday, we motored over to Red Hook on St. Thomas. As were coming in we encountered some good friends who were going into the marina there with an engine starting problem of unknown but apparently electrical origin. We went into the Marina and after we all enjoyed a reunion over lunch, Phil diagnosed and repaired Jack's problem (a bad cable to the battery). They were thrilled as they were anticipating having to buy a new starter motor. Phil and Linda then took a 'Safari Bus' (an open van that goes along a fixed route for $1 per person) to Home Depot -- what a culture shock experience!! But we found a faucet for the galley sink. They displayed the exact faucet that had been installed previously -- but it was out of stock. However, we found one that would cover all the holes in the counter and work fine. So Tuesday, Phil had the joy of spending a day of plumbing -- he installed the new faucet as well as some Home Depot obtained fittings on the watermaker pump being used for the refrigeration. Not much fun but a great success!

On Wed., 3/24 a friend arrived from the U.S. for a visit. Gerhard also has a Passport 40 but has never been to the Caribbean so we will have the fun of showing him some of the attractive spots. From Red Hook we went to Soper's Hole on the West end of Tortola and checked into the British Virgin Islands. From there we went to Benures Bay on Norman Island. Benures is a lovely, peaceful anchorage with none of the loud music and night life of The Bight, just around the corner. The next day we took Gerhard snorkeling -- his first time ever, The reef is rich with brightly colored fish and he was delighted with this new adventure. On Saturday, 3/27 we sailed to Cooper Island where we had a lovely dinner at Cooper Island Beach Club and the next morning snorkeled on a large rock at the head of the anchorage. From Cooper we sailed to Trellis Bay, a sort of funky little beach town on the North coast of Tortola. It is about 2 blocks long and has several artist's studios, a boardsailing shop, a small market and an Internet cafe -- all the essentials of life. In the late afternoon we dinghied across to Marina Cay to go to their bar at the top of the island. Phil and I had been there the first year we were down here. We had looked out at the spectacular view across the water and the islands and marveled that we were actually doing this. However, you can't go home again -- the vegetation had grown up so much that it obscured the view. It is still pleasant but not at all what we remembered. From Trellis Bay we sailed to Jost Van Dyke to see for ourselves the famous Foxy's. Foxy's is a very laid back bar and restaurant right on the beach. However, Foxy himself was off in his own boat so we missed most of the local color. But it was fun to see the place that is the highlight of so many people's trip to the Virgin Islands.

Jost Van Dyke also has a Customs Office so we checked out of the BVI and on Tuesday, 3/30 we powered (in 2 knots of wind) to Cruz Bay, St. John where we checked in to the U.S.V.I. From there we powered around to Great Lameshur Bay on the South Coast of St. John. Phil and I had never been in there before, and it is very lovely. It is in the National Park that comprises 80% of St. John, and we picked up one of the Park Service moorings, obligatory especially on the South coast where no anchoring is allowed. As proof that the cruising community really is very small, there were 6 boats in Great Lameshur -- and we knew 3 of them! (Admittedly one of them was an old friend of Linda's whom we had arranged to meet here.) David came to Antara for a pizza and salad dinner -- pizza with lots of French cheese. It was delightful to have a reunion with him and catch up. On Wednesday, we did some more snorkeling (nice but not as rich as where we had gone in the BVI). That evening a catamaran with folks (who are circumnavigators and SSCA Commodores) we had met in Grenada last year invited us whom they knew and David (whom they didn't know but who also flies an SSCA Commodore's burgee) for drinks. It gave Gerhard a glimpse of the cruising community in action and he also got to see a catamaran for the first time.

From Lameshur we went on Thursday, 4/1, to Coral Bay. Coral Bay is a very funky community that attracts a number of artists as well as liveaboard sailors. It is also the home of Skinny Legs, a very mellow bar and restaurant with sensational hamburgers, the best we have had in many months! We then went to Leinster Bay on the North coast of St. John for some more snorkeling, a hike up to see the view from the top of the hill, site of the old Annaberg plantation house and a tour of the Annaberg sugar mill, built in the 18th century and 'stabilized' by the National Park Service.

Today, 3/4, we powered in no wind (well, 2 knots of wind) to Charlotte Amalie, the big city of the USVI, on St. Thomas. From here Gerhard can easily get to the airport. We will get new cushions made for the v-berth (our bed), reprovison for the trip North and visit with Linda's nephew Guy. After a trip to the BVI for a skin doctor check up we will be ready to start awaiting a weather window for Bermuda. Sounds like a big step northward to me! Hope Spring has arrived up there.

But I think I will take advantage of good Internet cafes here and get this sent off.

Please let us hear from you -- Our best to all -- Linda and Phil

S/V Antara -- Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI

2004-03-05

Well, we were ready to leave Bequia, but the winds were not ready for us to do so.  We would have had 25-35 on the nose the whole way to Martinique so we waited, somewhat patiently, for a better forecast. Being in Bequia an extra week is no hardship! One night we went to a movie at one of the local restaurants -- our first movie in 3 years. We saw 'The Usual Suspects' with the price of a beer the only admission fee. The movie was quite good and certainly worth the price. We also were able to collect from the pottery 8 of the 12 decorative tiles we commissioned.

Finally on Friday the 13th we left bound for Martinique. We got off early, had a fine sail and covered about 50 miles, picking up a mooring between the Pitons in St. Lucia before dark. After another early start on Saturday, the regular winds filled in just fine, but we had a band of squalls until we were well clear of the North end of St. Lucia so we were back into 25-30 on the nose. But we made it into Ste. Anne, Martinique with daylight to spare. We were looking forward to a quiet Sunday in Ste. Anne after 2 days of very early mornings and vigorous sailing. But it IS a boat.

Shortly after arriving, we realized the refrigerator was not cooling.  The pump that circulates the cooling water has previously lost its prime when we have been heeled over to port in rough seas. We have learned that we can re-prime it by closing one galley sink drain and using a plumber's helper plunger on the other. But we were tired and just let everything sit until morning. So the next morning Phil set to work with the plunger, but he quickly realized that there was an air leak someplace. Because the sound seemed to be coming from the cockpit locker, we emptied the locker and one person listened while the other pumped. When we found nothing in the locker, we looked under the galley sink. We discovered that the stainless pipes forming the drain lines for both sinks had corroded through -- a quarter sized hole is definitely an air leak! We disconnected the galley sink lines and used a conical wooden plug to seal off the remaining drain hose. (Such plugs are carried as a means of sealing off the opening if a through-hull fitting should fail.) Next Phil climbed into the cockpit locker and disconnected the hoses from the pump. This releases the air and allows the pump to prime itself because it is below the waterline. We then could start the refrigeration. However, it did not operate for very long. The problem was actually not an unprimed pump but a failed motor in the pump. Now what? We used our database of 'What is Where' and discovered we had a spare feed pump for the Spectra Watermaker. This would serve quite adequately for the refrigeration so Phil installed it, even finding all the necessary fittings in a bag of extra fittings left from all the  watermaker and refrigeration work he had done before we left in July, 2000. So we designated a bucket to be the galley sink, celebrated with a delicious steak dinner and went to bed expecting to go into Le Marin in the morning, check in to France and talk to the welder about fabricating new galley sink drain hardware. But you haven't forgotten that it IS a boat? Later in the evening, Linda used the head (aka the toilet) and found a handle with no resistance at all and doing nothing when pumped. We have previously been able to screw this handle back in without dismantling everything, but not this time. So Monday, Phil removed the head, took it apart and rebuilt it. He had to epoxy the piston back to the shaft because of its stripped threads, but it is working, and we sure hope it will hold OK.

Finally on Tuesday we went from Ste. Anne around the corner into Le Marin. We gave two other newly arrived here yachty couples (new in Ste. Anne, but folks we know from Maine) a ride in, towing their dinghies and saving them the wet upwind dinghy ride. We also towed in a French sailboat that could not start their engine -- just call us Towboat Martinique! We checked in to France and then dinghied to the boatyard. The welder will have a new piece for us on Thursday. (We could have gone to Mr. Bricollage, the Martinique equivalent of Home Depot, but all would have been metric, and we would have had to rent a car to get there.) We then enjoyed our first French meal and managed to drop a couple hundred dollars in a large French supermarket. Just in case you think this is the end of our tribulations, we know we have a leak somewhere in the pressure water system, but we haven't found it yet. The saga will continue.

One pleasant bit was that on Sunday while in Ste. Anne, there were Yole races going on. Yoles are traditional Martinique double-ended 18-20' fishing boats now fitted with lug sails and steered by a stern oar. (A lug sail is square with a spar running diagonally up from the corner near the bottom of the mast.) The sails are very large for the boat and the crew comprises many men, each with a pole rigged out to windward so they can climb out to the end of the pole to balance the boat. With so much sail, most of them end up very wet, many of the spend a lot of time bailing the boat, and the chase boats tow more that one back to shore after it capsizes. It is exciting to watch. Many of the cruisers in Ste. Anne were perched up on their decks enjoying the sun and the beer during the races of first the big Yoles -- 2 sails -- and then the baby Yoles-- 1 sail -- and holding their breath as the fast moving Yoles made for the finish line through the anchored fleet -- sometimes coming extremely close. We poked our heads up occasionally while we worked on our various repairs, but it was still fun to see these colorful and physically demanding boats strutting their stuff.

Miracle of miracles! Today, Wed., 2/18, after doing a few errands ashore we returned to Antara and decided to track down the leak. We had already looked under both sinks and checked both showers. The next most likely place was the hot water heater. So we took the cover off the compartment where the heater hides, emptied out the stuff stored there and watched when the pressure water was turned on. Also exposed by this excavation was the pump for the pressure water and there it was! On the side of the pump there is a switch to turn it off when the appropriate pressure is reached and water was bubbling out of this switch. We had long ago bypassed this switch as the operative, controlling switch, but it is still on the pump. Phil had saved the same switch from an older, rusted out water pump. The saved switch was sitting readily available and less than 5 minutes later had been used to replace the leaking one. (If we hadn't had that one saved, anything to plug the opening where it connected would have done fine.)  We didn't even have to unmount the pump to do the repair. I can only feel sorry for whatever boat it was that Mr. Murphy was paying attention to, but I am glad it wasn't us -- for a change!

Thursday we did a few errands ashore and then went to a most excellent restaurant in Le Marin for a birthday lunch for Linda -- very delicious! Our galley sink drain line piece that was supposed to be ready Thursday afternoon was actually ready Friday morning -- close enough. We collected it and went back out to Ste. Anne, a much nicer place to be than Le Marin. During the afternoon, Phil installed the new piece and declared himself out of the plumbing business. Although he is getting very tired of doing repairs in general, Phil is capable of fixing just about anything on the boat, but what he really hates doing is plumbing. All the problems we have had since arriving in Martinique have been plumbing! Doesn't seem fair somehow! But we hope the plumbing will at least take some time off now!

Ste. Anne normally has a busy social life available for cruisers, and we have the two boats of friends from Maine in here as well. Friday afternoon we went to the pot luck Happy Hour on the beach and met or re-met several cruisers. On Sunday Linda walked with our Maine friends to Anse de Salines. This is a beach at the southernmost tip of Martinique that is often described as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean -- and justifiably so. The walk is about 3 miles through an area that is all park. The trail goes along the shore, beside fields and through woods. The walk itself is very pleasant, but the gorgeous beach at the end makes it even more delightful.  After a very welcome, cooling swim in the crystal clear Caribbean, we had a fine lunch of grilled chicken, salad and ice cold beer at one of the open air eateries. We did the walk back on one of the alternative paths so we even had slightly different scenery. A most worthwhile day's trip.

The plumbing demons did not stay quiet for long. Even before our other plumbing problems, the galley sink faucet had been dripping -- most annoying and a waste of water. So Linda decided to relieve Phil of yet another plumbing chore by fixing it herself. However, shortly after starting this task, Phil's help was needed to turn the piece that allows access to what needed tightening. It turned out that the whole faucet was so corroded from exposure to salt that by trying to fix it we managed to destroy it. So instead of a simple repair being done by Linda, it turned into a larger project for Phil. There are no shutoffs on the sink lines, but in order to have pressure water anywhere on board, the supply lines to the sink faucet needed to be closed off. So Phil detached the supply lines from the demolished faucet and soldered closed the copper tubing used to connect the water hoses to the faucet. These now closed bits of copper tubing were then reattached to the hoses and the sink pressure water was now shut off.  The galley sink has foot pumps for fresh and salt water so there is still a water supply there, and we have pressure water in the cockpit shower and in the head. When we get to the U.S. Virgin Islands we will go to a large hardware etc. store and buy a new faucet. The observant reader will note that this unfortunately means that another plumbing repair is lurking in the future.

In spite of the relaxed ease of Ste. Anne, it was time to move again. The winds had dropped to about 15 knots and had clocked to a bit south of East -- most pleasant conditions. So on Friday morning, 2/27, we weighed anchor and headed north along he West coast of Martinique. What a great day's sail it was! We had a down wind run to the Southwest corner of Martinique then a broad reach along the coast. The wind was abaft of abeam (that means it was coming from a bit astern of the middle of the boat) at about 15 knots, the sun was shining, the sky was a clear blue, the water was deep blue and almost no seas. It doesn't get much better! We had a lovely romp along the coast at 6-7 knots with just the genoa. Delightful! We are anchored tonight in St. Pierre and will leave in the morning for Marie Galante, a small island off Guadeloupe that Columbus named after his flagship on his second voyage.

I guess we can't expect to have two super days in a row. We left St. Pierre just after 4 a.m. since we had 70 miles to go to Marie Galante, an island about 15 miles off of (and part of) Guadeloupe. When the so-called wind came up after sunrise it was all of about 4-6 knots. So we motor sailed and motored to MG. But the seas were minimal and it was a fine trip except for it being under power. Large NW swells are predicted to arrive in the next few days and the normal yacht anchorage at Saint Louis on the West coast is very exposed. So we came into Grand Bourg on the Southwest side. The harbor was created by building large breakwaters and is behind a reef so should be OK from the swells. When we arrived we discovered that they have built 2 large docks. We tied up to one of them expecting someone to either kick us off or collect a fee. But neither has happened. We have now been here 4 nights with no one complaining or collecting -- very nice!

We rented a car for 2 days and toured around the island -- and around and around. Marie Galante is roughly circular with a diameter of about 9 miles. In the 18th century it had about 100 sugar mills mostly powered by windmills, later replaced by steam engines and now mostly ruins. (Today they have 2 windmill 'farms' which generate about a third of the island's electricity.) The island is off the beaten track for cruisers because it is upwind from almost everywhere. It is connected to Guadeloupe by ferries which disgorge a small daily dose of tourists, but there is little large scale tourism, only small hotels and 'Gites', a sort of French B&B. The island is still primarily agricultural with cows and sugar cane which is ground at one mill and then processed into rum at 3 distilleries. There is a large central plateau and some flat land along the coast that is surrounded by reefs.  In two days we were able to explore all the main roads and many of the back, unpaved roads as well. We stopped at several 'Points de Vue', all with wonderful vistas across the colors of the Caribbean to islands on the horizon. We went to Habitation Murat, now a museum but formerly one of the largest sugar plantations in Guadeloupe. The limestone block walls of the mill are still there, and they are working at restoring what must have been a very elegant main house. And because we are after all in France, one night we had a most excellent dinner at the local elegant restaurant – delicious!

Wednesday morning, 3/4, we wandered in Grand-Bourg a bit. Everything had been closed on our first day, Sunday. It is a small country town but has most of the necessities -- clothes, food, hardware -- and even a few places to appeal to the tourists. On Thursday morning we left for the 28 mile hop to Sainte Francois, a small town near the Southeastern end of Guadeloupe. It was a fine sail, upwind but not bad. By about 2:30 we were anchored in a small area inside the reef. Lots of wind to run the windmills but no seas.

It is alleged that the town of Sainte Francois has an Internet cafe so perhaps I can finally get this update sent off. A full report on the town will have to wait for the next installment. Do let us hear from you -- this shouldn't be only a one way communication. Our best to all --Linda and Phil -- S/V Antara Sainte Francois, Guadeloupe

2004-02-04

I guess the best that can be said is that we survived New Year's in Bequia. The 'music' that started at about 5 p.m. blaring from speakers big enough to shelter half of Cambridge's homeless ended at about 6 a.m. Meanwhile we had a very pleasant rack of lamb dinner on board Antara and turned in early. We must have slept some because the ship's horns and launched flares woke us at midnight. New Year's Day we had friends over for Eggs Benedict and Champagne -- a delightful way to start the New Year! And we followed it with a nap! Other cruising friends arrived from Martinique after New Year's. We used the bounty of our freezer to treat them (and us) to a meal of smoked Maine mussels, steak from Farmer Bob in Brooksville, Maine, salad fresh from the gardens of St. Vincent and a lovely red wine.

With friends here we have gone off on several excursions. Accompanied by cruising friends, we dinghied ashore at Lower Bay and walked up to Claude Victorine's studio to see her daughter's fabulous, phantasmagoric art works as well as Claude's painted silks -- like pieces of stained glass to scatter around.  We walked East to the pottery at Spring where Phil commissioned some small, short mugs for his nightly Scotch and Linda ordered some tiles to scatter around a bathroom in Deer Isle. And we went to the South coast of Bequia to visit the Whaling Museum and the studio of two local artists. The whaling museum is in the former home of Athneal Olivierre, the legendary head harpooner of Bequia until his death at 82 about 3 years ago. It has some artifacts, some sensational paintings by Sam McDowell, and a running verbal history by another elderly whaler/museum caretaker. It was a fascinating glimpse of the whaling that continues to make Bequia such a special place. (Bequia is allowed 4 whales per year by 'aboriginal methods', i.e., in small engineless boats with hand- held harpoons. They have actually taken about one whale in 4 years.) (Editor's note: We were fortunate to see the Whaling Museum as it was sold and closed about a week after we were there.) After leaving the museum we went to the studio of Sam McDowell and his wife Donna. Sam does wonderful paintings -- including some on whalebones -- which capture in intricate detail various facets of life and of whaling in Bequia. Sam also does very beautiful scrimshaw, now using mostly camel bone. Donna creates 'Sailor's Valentines', intricate, meticulously done exquisite designs done with shells. It was a very special treat to see their home in a spectacular setting looking South over the Grenadines and to see their very beautiful artwork. It was also a delight to see people who have made a lovely niche for themselves within which they can live well and earn a very comfortable living doing what they most love to do.

One day eight of us cruisers took the ferry to St. Vincent -- nice to have someone else do the driving, especially coming back up wind. We had a most pleasant day exploring. Kingstown does feel very much like the 'big city' after being in Bequia. The market is very lively and busy. It is difficult to know how so many people can make their living selling fruits and vegetables! We walked up to the Botanical Gardens -- the oldest in the New World, having been established in 1765 by a Dr. Young who started them to provide raw material for his herbal medicines and treatments. We had a very knowledgeable guide who took us around and provided a lot of information that we would never have known on our own about the origin and usage of plants.

  One afternoon some cruising friends introduced us to playing dominoes. This is a game widely played by people in the Caribbean -- not just cruisers -- but last year some friends told us we weren't really cruisers because we hadn't ever played dominoes! So we remedied that defect and enjoyed it thoroughly. We have even vowed to head for WalMart to buy our own set of dominoes when we return to the States. (They can be purchased down here, but we are told they have very small dots that are almost invisible to aging eyes!) A return engagement on Antara proved that our enjoyment of the game was not a fluke.

While here in Bequia we have had a new dodger made, the old one becoming increasingly ragged. (A dodger is a sort of quarter-sphere shaped structure just forward of the cockpit which shields people in the cockpit (dodges) from the worst of the wind and any other nasty weather coming over the bow. It is made of canvas-like material stretched over Stainless steel tubing supports and has plastic windows looking forward.) Alick, The young man who made it, learned his skills from his father. He has a Bequia boat that he built himself, and his 7 year old son has a smaller Bequia boat also built by Alick. It was a treat to talk with Alick and the final product is most excellent. Linda has taken on the less demanding task of making a cover for the forward hatch to shield it from rain. It frequently rains in short showers during the night. Each time it rains, it comes in the open hatch and awakens us so we reach up to close the hatch. Eventually, one of us will awaken again when the rain has stopped and open it. This game is often played several times a night. We are hoping that the new cover will keep the rain out so we can sleep peacefully through the showers and still have the cool breezes coming in.

Our various cruising friends have now (1/29) vanished to the North and South. We will soon head North too. We have collected Phil's mugs -- they're wonderful!! We have also commissioned some tiles for the Deer Isle house that will be brought to Maine by a woman who works here in the winter and in Maine in the summer. The walk out to the pottery is lovely -- especially once past the first hill --, and Linda walked out further to see again the Turtle Sanctuary. A man named "Brother" King collects baby turtles from the beaches, raises them to 3 years old then releases them at various local beaches. His work aimed at saving the turtles would be made easier if St. Vincent and Grenada would both outlaw the taking of turtles!

Last night (2/1) was Phil's birthday. His birthday present was one of Sam McDowell's beautiful knives and a delicious dinner -- Rack of Lamb, mashed potatoes and peas with Chocolate Mousse for dessert. All his favorite foods! It was a nice treat for both of us.

We are now getting ready to leave Bequia. We have completed various boat chores, and we have gotten all our tax data to the accountant. Linda is having a man here carve a walking stick for her. It was supposed to be ready by last Sunday, but now he says Friday. I guess he operates on Island Time but it's OK because we do too. We want to make another visit to Claude Victorine's studio and have one more lobster pizza at Mac's. Then we will head north. We will go to Martinique for a bit and then to Guadeloupe, an island we have barely sampled. Our long term R&R in Bequia has been very mellow and very pleasant, but it will be fun to explore new places again too.

All our best to everyone. Do let us hear from you -- Phil and Linda S/V Antara Admiralty Bay, Bequia

12-27-2003

After our arrival in Guadeloupe on Monday morning, 12/08, we were basically out of commission for the first two days in Deshaies. We slept, ate and slept some more. On the afternoon of the second day we did manage to put the dinghy in the water and go ashore. We actually found Customs in their office -- unusual in Deshaies --so we became legal. Although it was late in the day, we found one open restaurant -- delicious! -- and a boulangerie with baguettes cooked in a wood-fired oven -- YUM! In the ensuing days we got laundry done and finally managed to order a part for our watermaker to be sent to a friend's son -- he is coming to visit them for Christmas and can bring our part with him.  It wasn't straight forward (of course) as the fax number didn't work so we used the e-mail of a shop owner; but the e-mail never arrived so we bought a phone card; but the phone number had been changed; but we located the new phone number in some papers and eventually completed the transaction. Remember that between each of these steps there is a round trip in the dinghy too! (After all this, the package did not arrive in time for Jeff to bring it with him!)

Before leaving on Friday 12/12 Phil made one wonderful repair. We have had a persistent leak which has been annoying us for several years. It was clearly originating in the stern of the boat someplace. After seeing moisture in various places, we have had through-hull fittings rebedded and we have resealed the strut bolts -- all to no avail. Normally the water would run along the hull and into the bilge where it would be pumped overboard. But on the passage from Bermuda we were heeled over enough that it missed the bilge and ended up on the floor at the nav station in sufficient quantity that we were regularly bailing salt water out. But the advantage of it being this severe was that Phil could finally see where it was coming from -- the seal around the rudder shaft. He tightened the seal -- a job involving some contortionist's skills -- and it seems to have cured the leak. Hallelujah!! Finally we upped anchor and sailed down to Basse Terre at the south end of Guadeloupe. Our intent was to check out with customs so we could buy duty free fuel -- but Customs wasn't there.

So the next morning we set off for Les Saintes, a pretty group of small islands south of Guadeloupe. We've been told in the past that there is no need to check out and then in when going from Guadeloupe to Martinique -- - it is all France. We will test the truth of this by not checking out until we leave Martinique. We had one illegal night at anchor off Dominica but we won't tell Les Douanes that! From Dominica we had a fine sail to St. Pierre in northern Martinique. We went ashore there for bread. We also found an Internet cafe -- our first 'fix' since Bermuda -- and a delicious Quatre Fromage pizza. Tonight, Tuesday, 12/16, we are anchored in Trois Islets, Martinique after a rollicking good sail from St. Pierre. Tomorrow Linda will go into Fort de France and get some prescriptions filled -- a couple of years' worth. Prescription drugs here are 1/3 to 1/2 the U.S. cost -- do enough and it would finance a trip to France! (Also checked out while in Fort de France and not checking out of Guadeloupe and into Martinique was perfectly acceptable.)

With drugs in hand, we sailed off to St. Lucia on Thursday.  We spent one night in Marigot, bought our duty-free fuel in the morning and sailed to the southern end of St. Lucia, between the Pitons. It is a most awesome anchorage with two half-mile high conical peaks looming over the boat, one over the bow and one over the stern. On Saturday 12/20 at 5 a.m. we weighed anchor and headed for Bequia. We had a fine 12 hour sail down the East coast of St. Vincent, arriving in Bequia at about 5 p.m. What a pleasure to finally be here -- our destination when we left Deer Isle on September 27!

We went ashore to check in on Sunday. Customs was closed when we got there so we went first to Mac's Pizzeria for a lobster pizza -- delicious and we had been looking forward to it for days!! On Tuesday we went with some other cruisers to see Moonhole.  Moonhole is a complex of 'houses' built from and into the cliffs at the West end of the island. It is named for a natural rock arch through which, I assume, one sees the moon. The structures are very basic, built from the rocks which were found there and very organically related to their sites. There are many windows to take best advantage of spectacular views,  the ones on the windward side having glazing for protection from the elements. But when it rains, you get wet or at least damp. Anything electrical is powered by solar panels which charge batteries and water is all caught into cisterns. There are 19 homes there and they all grew quite haphazardly without a master plan, starting in the early 60's. As we made our way along paths and up and down steps, I (Linda) felt a bit as if I were exploring dwellings for Hobbits. It was fascinating to see.     

Monday was our day for finding things. We had lost the key used to wind up our ship's clock. Even though we have given up wearing watches regularly, it is nice to know the approximate time without turning on a computer. As part of the search, Phil was picking up all the settee cushions, and the key fell to the floor from one of them. He decided that he would put it on a large key chain fob to deter its ability to run away again. He found a suitable object but needed a ring to attach it. On a boat, there are many uses for split pins (cotter pins) and split rings to secure the ends of thick pins (clevis pins) with a hole drilled in the end and used to connect metal fittings. So he went into the under the floor storage for the bag marked 'Rings'. He found the required split ring -- he also found his wedding ring which has been missing for 3 years or so! Of course, it was in a bag marked 'Rings' -- why didn't we look there in the first place? Now where are the tops for the Absorber containers and the tiller extension stick for the outboard?

We had a lovely Christmas on Bequia. We started the day with 'Christmas Coffee Cake', a Christmas morning tradition for Linda and her family. Later we went up to the Old Fort restaurant for dinner. The Old Fort is actually an old plantation house atop the highest hill on Bequia. So with a spectacular view of the blue Caribbean speckled with the Grenadines off to the Southwest, we dined on delicious roast turkey and ham preceded by a lobster appetizer. A fine meal in a lovely setting. The owners had actually bought what they thought was empty land and then discovered the old buildings buried by the years. They excavated and renovated and created a fine small hotel and restaurant. The dynamite view needed no renovation work!

And now we look forward to New Year's Eve, or Old Year's Night locally. It will usher in a year which we know will bring changes for us -- as well as more sailing adventures. Some of our cruising friends are in Bequia, and we will enjoy our time with them. Although we will not be seeing most of our friends and family, we will be thinking of them and wishing the very best of times throughout the New Year for all.

Take care and please let us hear from you -- All the best -- Linda and Phil

December 8, 2003

After a recommendation from Herb to leave early on Monday, 12/01, we scurried around doing all the last-minute preparations. On Monday at 7:30 a.m. we gathered our dock lines and headed back to sea. I think the weather Gods have heard our requests for less than 30 knots of wind. However, we failed to simultaneously request more that 3 knots! So we have started the trip under power. The first day we powered then Tuesday we had a little wind so we could motor sail. Now, on Wednesday, the wind has come up and we are finally sailing happily with 15-20 knots of wind. We have at last seen tropicbirds -- it turns out that they don't get as far north as Bermuda until Spring.

The wind continued to increase beyond what we need or want. We were again in our Mass. to Bermuda conditions of 25 - 35 knots of wind and 10 - 15 foot seas. Although just as uncomfortable as it was a month ago, it was from behind us this time and seemed more tolerable because it was pushing us in the direction we wanted to go. And doing so at 7 knots.  We did just over 160 miles in a day -- probably our best day's run ever. But we were still happy when this evening (Thurs., 12/04) the wind moderated to 10-15 knots and the seas subsided accordingly -- much more comfortable.  We are now motor sailing again. We want to keep our speed up. Herb has advised us to get below 20 degrees by Saturday afternoon to avoid strong winds from the south -- yes, that would be right on the nose. We are now (4 a.m. 12/05) at about 23 degrees 20' so we should make it fine assuming we maintain about 6 knots, but not at the 4-5 we would do without the engine.

The lull in the wind did not last long. Within a couple of hours we were back to 25-35 knots of wind. Still from a fair direction which is good, but the boisterous motion does begin to make us aware of all our aging joints and muscles. But we did well, averaging 149 miles a day for the first 5 days. And we did get South of 20 degrees by Saturday although Tropical Storm Odette, which is well to the west of us, kept the winds from moderating. But early this morning, Sunday 12/7, they did finally moderate to 15-20 and now, Sunday afternoon, they are 10-15. Much more comfortable -- but then yesterdays run was only 139 miles so it all has a price.

Although we left Bermuda bound for Antigua, we are now planning to end up in Guadeloupe. Two years ago we left Bermuda bound for Antigua and ended up in St. Martin in order to get some extensive repairs. Now we are going to Guadeloupe in order to get Brie, baguettes and a fine meal. I think we've gotten our priorities right in the last two years! Actually, Antigua was just the closest of the Easternmost islands where we could stop for some rest before heading further south. If we go there today, we would arrive in darkness, not a good thing with a reef protected, sparsely marked island. So we will continue on another 50 miles and arrive in Guadeloupe in daylight. Just the right timing for the bakery in Deshaies that uses a wood fired oven!

This has been a passage almost devoid of wildlife. Perhaps it is in part because we have been below so much to stay out of the spray and rain. We have seen one tropicbird (aka longtails) and a few flying fish -- nothing more. But we have had a full moon at night, at least when it hasn't been hidden by clouds, and right now the sky is blue and the water is even bluer. And we hear New England is getting whacked with a big snow storm!

On Monday, 12/08 at 11:04 a.m. AST, we dropped anchor in Deshaies, Guadeloupe. Our passage was 1024.81 NM in 171.5 hours, an average of almost 6 knots. Considering that this includes the 20 minutes or so at each end getting out of and into harbor, that is MOST excellent time.  The price paid for the speed was comfort. We had winds of 20-30 with seas to match for most of the trip, but the wind and seas were also from almost behind us. So we bounced around quite a lot, but we were moving in the desired direction. We did forego the adventure of a night arrival in Antigua and continued on to Guadeloupe -- a good decision.  The last morning was a light wind and flat sea time. So we were able to have showers (that's like soap and water not like rain), wash the salty floor, clean the grungy toilet and other mundane chores. After arriving, we had a drink and some lunch and then -- sleep! What a pleasure it is just to be stopped!

Our best to all -- Please let us hear from you -- Linda and Phil S/V Antara Deshaies, Guadeloupe

November 29, 2003

I am writing this after having spent a month in Bermuda, but now we are getting ready to depart. We stayed a long time because of a wait for repairs to our windmills. We went back and forth by e-mail and telephone, and the folks at FourWinds said they could repair it cheaper than replacing the parts. So we shipped the pieces off to them, they did their thing and shipped it back. This all took about 3 weeks elapsed time. Meanwhile we also had some parts for the Hamilton Ferris windmill shipped. So we are now fully equipped in the windmill department. We took our sail to the sail loft here and they repaired the clew as well as several other 'worse-for- wear' places. We also received all the final papers to be signed for the mortgage for the Deer Isle house. These required a large number of signatures by us as well as 4 papers to be notarized. The notarizing was done by the Mayor of St. George's using a very large device to emboss a bright red stamp that he then affixed to the paper. We were only sorry it didn't have ribbons and sealing wax as well!

In the boat chore department, Linda managed to finally complete refinishing the exterior Cetol, except for a couple of handrails that are under the dinghy. (We have been tied to a wharf so no need for the dinghy.) We added some high-tech insulation at one of the seams in the freezer -- results not clear yet -- and then installed the rest of the insulating material over the ceiling in the main cabin to keep the tropical sun's heat out. Phil also repaired a 'pod' which holds wind and speed instruments next to the steering wheel and replaced a leaky drain fitting in the galley sink. We got the broken support for the nav station chair welded and, after a day and a half spent searching, found an acceptable if not perfect replacement for a roll pin in the roller furling. We have done lots of laundry and cleaned the boat from stem to stern.

Lest you think it was all work and no play, we have had many pleasant times as well. We took the ferry from St. George's to the Dockyard and revisited the most excellent museum there, We also had a walking tour of the buildings which was OK, though not as interesting as we had hoped. But it was certainly worth the cost -- it was free. We ended the day with high tea in one of the restaurants and then took the ferry and bus back to St. George's.  Linda went to the National Gallery in Hamilton to see their current exhibit -- quite nice but not as spectacular as some they have had there. Phil came in later and we went to the first of 2 lectures/films by Emory Kristov, a National Geographic photographer. The lectures were at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute and were about the exploration of creatures around deep underwater vents -- 'Volcanoes of the Deep'  -- and about his explorations of the Titanic -- he was one of the discoverers of the wreck. There was spectacular deep underwater (like 14,000 feet down) photography, both still and video. The second lecture was the next day, and we preceded that one by a trip to Immigration to extend our 3 weeks of permitted stay here. We went to a pot luck party for cruisers at the St. George's Dinghy Club and we have had several visits with our Bermuda friends Don and Irene.

Going on around us throughout our stay has been the constant activity of the community recovering from the effects of Hurricane Fabian which struck Bermuda on September 6. In addition to the wind and water damages, St. George's had 'extra' damage from several tornados that went right through the town. Many buildings lost all or part of their roofs and had extensive interior damage. The elementary school was virually destroyed. An apartment building had its top floor removed. The royal palms in Somers Garden were almost stripped of their fronds. Tall Norfolk pines were twisted like corkscrews and snapped. St. George's was isolated for several weeks after the storm because the causeway onto the island had washed out. But Bermudians are hardy folk, and they have repaired, rebuilt and moved on. And we have certainly had a first hand lesson in the techniques for constructing the characteristic Bermuda water-collecting roofs made from "slates" (actually limestone) cut from Bermuda limestone.

Yesterday we had a lovely Thanksgiving on board Antara. Scheduling this event gave the final push to the boat cleaning chores and Antara has seldom looked so clean -- usually she looks a bit more lived in! Don and Irene were here as well as 5 other cruisers. Everyone brought a contribution to the meal and it was a great feast. There was turkey, of course, and dressing, gravy, cranberry relish, scalloped potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, green salad and rolls. For dessert there was both apple and pumpkin pie with whipped cream and ice cream. Who says us yachties lead simple lives?! It was a delightful time with good food and good company.

But now with all these chores done, we are ready to finally head south. The weather at this point looks like a Monday or Tuesday departure behind a front passing through on Sunday will be good. That gives us time for some last minute provisioning and laundry. We think we will head for Antigua. Antigua is about as far East as we will need to go, and we can stop there briefly to get some sleep and then head for Bequia in a couple of hops. We want to be in Bequia for Christmas so we are not under any pressing deadlines. Maybe we will stop en route in one of the French islands to replenish our wine and cheese supplies -- as well as buy cheap prescription drugs!

We hope the next installment will have a report of a perfectly lovely passage south, but one never knows!

Our best to all -- Let us hear from you -- Linda and Phil

October 31, 2003

As I write this, we are en route to Bermuda after 3 weeks in Mattapoisett. The 3 weeks flew by! We reprovisioned Antara so thoroughly that we should need to purchase mainly fresh food in the islands -- I hope. Linda visited her grandchildren -- and their mother -- for several days. Both of us spent delightful time with old friends and family. We obtained various parts and spares and completed many boat chores. We spent a day with our person at Deck House to finalize changes to the plans, select railings and trim and generally become more familiar with the building process.

As the days went by, we also got colder and colder -- we knew it was time to head south. We slept with every available shred of blanket on our bed, and we were immensely grateful that we had installed a cabin heater when we bought Antara. There were two brief spells of bad weather -- a rocky and rolly uncomfortable night followed by a day on board with the harbor being a place one should not be in a dinghy. And finally we were ready to go.

We had been following weather information, and on Monday, October 20, Phil checked in with Herb, the weather consultant and guru. We waited for a low pressure system to pass then did our final last minute provisioning, had showers, checked e-mail and returned the car our friends the Klims had so generously loaned us. On Thursday, October 23 after attaching the multiple pieces that enclose our cockpit and stowing gear that will reside on our normal bed for the passage, we left Mattapoisett at a few minutes before 10 a.m.

The wind was about 25-30 knots or so but from the NW so it is behind us. It has been giving us a fast ride towards the Gulf Stream. Our first day we did about 155 miles -- an excellent day! In case you think this cruising stuff is all idyllic, there is also a lot of unpleasant sea and wave motion with this much wind, and it is quite cold. We are bundled up like kids in snowsuits with 4 or 5 layers of everything warm that we own. We are still using all the blankets, but now they are all on one person, not spread across two, since we sleep in shifts.   We are really looking forward to crossing the Gulf Stream into warmer water and weather!!

I am writing this at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, 10/25 -- what a difference 2 days makes!! We are now in the Gulf Stream, and we have left cold and winter behind us. The water temperature is 80 degrees F and the air is 64 - - and the sun isn't even up yet. I have taken off my warm fleece hat, and I am contemplating taking off either my jacket or one sweatshirt. We were even bold enough to turn the heat off! Even in the dim light of dawn the ocean is no longer the greenish gray it has been since we exited the Gulf Stream in North Carolina last Spring. Sunrise will bring out the intense blue of the Gulf Stream -- won't that be a treat. The only flaw in all this is that we have lost the wind. In my mind, the hard part of this trip is likely to be the Gulf Stream crossing. However, from Mattapoisett to about 20 miles from the Stream we had winds of 25-30 from the NW. We flew along at 7-8 knots with just the genoa up albeit being tossed about by the seas and scouring the (previously) dirty cockpit with lots of salt water. By the time we entered the Gulf Stream, we had wind of 3 knots and almost flat seas. We still have the sail up, but we also have the engine running. Herb has advised us to try to get south of 34 degrees by Sunday night to avoid high winds -- not sure exactly what he means by high, but we've had enough of 30 knots for a while. We are now at 37 degrees 14' N so we should make it OK.

Our wildlife adventure for the trip so far (besides a pod of 12 or so dolphins our first day out) was the arrival in the cockpit of an immature Myrtle Warbler. The poor little thing must have been blown offshore by the strong NW winds we had been having. He eventually found his way down below where it was warm and sheltered. We put out a bit of water and food, but he just huddled under the companionway steps, tucked his little head under his wing and went to sleep. This morning he hopped out into the galley area, hopped around a bit and then sat down and died. At least his end was more peaceful than if he had just collapsed exhausted into the ocean.

It is now Sunday, 10/26. We are gliding along over beautiful blue water with abundant blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds overhead and an air temperature of 78 degrees. Today was the day we changed to shorts and T-shirts! When Phil finishes doing an engine oil change, I will take on the task of stowing away all the sweatshirts, jackets, blankets, foul weather gear, wool socks, hats, gloves and sea boots that we will probably not need again until next Spring in Maine. It is a chore I am happy to do! At Noon today we were at 34 degrees 55'N, 69 degrees 16' W. (Bermuda  is at 32 degrees 20'N, 64 degrees 40'W). We have traveled 434 miles from Mattapoisett and Bermuda is 277 miles away, as the tropicbird flies. The only unhappy note is that we don't have quite enough wind. We are motor sailing, but Antara needs more than 6 knots of wind, assuming we want to get there this year! We saw a freighter and a cruise ship last night, but we are again struck by how empty the world is out here. We don't even have any birds although we should have Tropicbirds soon -- I hope.

I never should have complained about not having enough wind! It is now 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, and since late Sunday afternoon we have had 20- 25 knots of wind -- more than we need to sail and enough to make it uncomfortable, especially when combined with the seas produced by 25 knots. Sunday evening we turned East so we could get further East before the wind direction made it too difficult to do so. Tomorrow we will head more southerly towards Bermuda.

We have had a few minor boat adventures to deal with. Before the winds picked up, we were powering, and the engine died. Phil changed both fuel filters, but the problem persisted. He realized that air was getting into the fuel line via a loose fitting on the fuel filter vacuum gauge assembly. The fitting was tightened and all was well. The water pump for the refrigeration has been loosing its prime because we are heeled over so far. Normally we can use a plunger on the galley sink to reprime the pump, but this afternoon it wouldn't reprime. Fearing a leak somewhere, we emptied out the (abundant and bulky) contents of the cockpit locker.  Phil discovered a hose with an air lock in it. He disconnected the hose, reconnected it and all was OK, (Can anybody do this without a Phil on board?)  These tasks sound simple until you remember that we are heeled over far enough that one has to use one hand to hold on or else be wedged into a tight space. And the 25 knots of wind and 10-12' seas make it a quite bouncy ride. And you all envy us our idyllic life, right?

It is now 7:45 a.m. Thursday, 10/30. The past 24 hours or so are not the best time we have ever spent on passage. Instead of the predicted wind shift and drop, the wind increased and stayed out of the SE. All day yesterday we had about 30 knots of wind with higher gusts. The seas were 10-15'. It was extremely uncomfortable!  However, it was also very beautiful -- under a clear blue sky the deep 'South of the Gulf Stream' blue water was flecked with white where the crests of waves broke and dotted with glowing turquoise where those waves aerated the water. And we were still making progress towards Bermuda albeit slowly because of the seas. Then with a loud pop the clew pulled out of the genoa. (The clew is the loose corner to which the jib sheets are attached. The jib sheets control the angle of the jib. A genoa is a large jib.) Phil was able to get the jib rolled up, and we put up the staysail. (The staysail is a smaller head sail mounted aft of the jib and forward of the mast.) We also put up a double reefed main.  And we continued slowly and uncomfortably towards Bermuda. This morning we took the genoa down because it was flogging itself towards destruction -- we definitely don't want to buy a new jib! The v-berth is now filled with a mass of wet, white sail. The wind is down to 12- 18 knots, the seas are down and the motion is much more comfortable. But just to be sure we don't have it too easy, the skies have been providing repeated torrential downpours. And we are still a bit less than 100 miles from Bermuda so it ain't over yet.

Definitely not fun! But we are pleased that we have been able to keep the boat moving towards our destination, although we do feel every minute of our age as we do so. We are thinking that when we eventually do arrive in Bermuda we will go to a B&B for a night -- hot showers and a dry stationary bed have great appeal right now!

Finally! At 8:14a.m. on Friday, 10/31 we came through Town Cut into the millpond known as St. George's Harbour. By 8:37 we were tied up to the Customs dock and able to walk on solid, non-moving ground. Bernie Oatley, the Dock Master, greeted us with hugs, which seemed even more effective as a welcome than us merely kissing the ground! The winds on Thursday had continued in the 20-25 knot range but finally they became a bit North of East. We were going under the staysail and a double reefed main; we also ran the engine to give us extra drive through the waves and extra speed. The weather is supposed to get worse today so we were even more eager to be in. The trip was 890 miles in just an hour or so short of 8 days. We did a lot of to and fro to try to get the best angle on the wind, but every time we went to, the wind went fro so it always ended up right on our nose and almost always at 20-25 knots or more. But we are here safe and sound so that makes it a good passage. We need a sail repair, the FourWinds windmill needs a blade repair and we desperately need some sleep, but other than that, all is well. Neither of us is ready to do a passage like this one again soon, but it feels like an accomplishment to have done it -- but why can't we be 10 or 20 years younger?

So now, after some sleep, we will be able to bask in the warm sunshine and enjoy Bermuda. Sounds good to me!

Our best to all. Let us hear from you -- Phil and Linda

October 2, 2003

I know it has been a long time since our last installment dated June 27. It has been a busy time for us, but not a very exciting or interesting time for others to read about, so no reports. But now we are on the move again so it is time to catch up.

The warm sunny day of our arrival in Maine was just a tantalizing glimpse of what might be, but it was not reality. The following several weeks were cool, rainy and foggy with an occasional glimpse of the sun to remind us that it was actually summer. But we were happy to be in Maine and to see again our friends and neighbors at Deer Isle. In fact, the first 3 nights we were in the Bow Cat (the name of our cove on Deer Isle), we had dinner each night at the home of a different neighbor -- very spoiled we were! The main new addition to the Bow Cat is an eagle's nest on the South end of Carney Island that is the West side of the cove. The nest has two babies hatched in May and it is a real treat to watch them.

A few days after arriving in the Bow Cat we were visited by our friends Mark and Sarah whom we had stayed with in Takoma Park, Maryland at the time of Ezra's wedding. It was a pleasure to show them our land, share our first (for this year) Maine lobsters with them as well as mussels harvested from our beach, take them for a sail around the local islands and just enjoy their company during a relaxed, leisurely visit. We were efficient enough to start getting some of our chores/projects started right away. We arranged to have a dock and 2 moorings put in next Spring (by a man whose name we were given by some cruisers we met in Bequia!) We upgraded our on-board modem for SSB e-mail to a new, faster protocol -- so now we can probably actually get 2-3K bytes per minute instead of 1K or less. Linda started sorting through some of the lockers to see what we really have for provisions (not that our maintenance of the data base is less than perfect, of course!), and to see what we have on board that we don't need and can leave here in Deer Isle -- quite a bit it turns out. Phil installed the new, bigger primary winches we had ordered while in Mattapoisett -- much easier on our aging joints and muscles. By mid-July we had scrubbed the 'ICW smile' off Antara --  a brown stain along the water line made by dissolved cypress in the ICW -- which requires Zud, a cleanser with lots of oxalic acid, plus large amounts of elbow grease. We replaced the Lexan in one of the salon portlights. (This sounds simple, but it is a boat). There were multiple steps of removing the old, cleaning the opening, epoxying the edges, caulking, installing new Lexan and cleaning up afterwards. Because it was still rainy and wet, all of these steps were interspersed with using duct tape to re-install the old Lexan during rainy days.) We rebuilt the chair at the nav station and reupholstered it with the same fabric as the new slipcovers that were made last year. There were also various bits of engine maintenance and minor repairs and maintenance for Antara. In case you think it was all work, we did drive to Rockland for the Wooden Boat Show. It was wonderful to see the very beautiful wooden boats on display and, because it was in Rockland, we also were able to see Daniel and Juliet. Phil bought a kit from which to build a 17' wooden kayak, but that is next summer's project.

One major decision reached in July is that we realized that mortgage interest rates will never get lower and will only go higher, So we started the process of applying for financing to build the house on Deer Isle. This involves gathering and copying and sending a mountain of paper to, in this case, two different banks. And talking to both of them with their many questions and concerns. In the end, the local Deer Isle bank matched the better interest rate of the bigger bank recommended by Deck House, and we happily went with the smaller (i.e., less red tape and bureaucracy) and local bank. So we will actually build here next Spring. Very exciting but a bit daunting too.

The first weekend in August we went to Islesboro for a Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) gam. (Gam is the traditional term used to describe the socializing amongst the whaling or fishing boats when they met out at sea and so a social gathering of sailors.) SSCA is an organization of about 10,000 cruisers and cruiser wannabes. It was a treat to see and catch up with old friends and meet new ones. In mid-August we drove to Boston for doctor's appointments. We also visited with an aunt and cousin of Phil's and stopped in Salem for a visit with Linda's family -- Miriam and her 2 boys, Linda's brother Frank, sister-in-law Brenda, niece Michelle with her husband and 2 children including one-month-old Cam. A real delight to see everyone!! When we returned to Deer Isle, old friends of Linda's, Dick and Susan visited us. Dick has been Linda's friend since she was 16. He is now an architect and has been our consulting guru all along for our plans for a Deer Isle house. We had not met Susan before so that was a special pleasure, and we were happy to get Dick's input on our house plans, especially as we look towards actually building. Later in August we were visited by two batches of sailing friends. One group was two couples we met in the sailing club through which Phil and Linda met each other. Dick and Donna now live in North Carolina. Bernie and Libby are in Mattapoisett and are always so generous to us when we stop on the way north or south. It was a treat to see them all and to have them see our land. We also had some cruising friends who had spent the summer in Nova Scotia visit by boat. And our Mattapoisett friends who also have a Passport 40 sailed in for a most pleasant evening together.

Another ongoing chore this summer has been refrigeration repairs. We had discovered a problem last Spring while still in the Caribbean. The condenser for the refrigeration lives in a cockpit locker. Apparently, enough salt water had gotten in there to lead to corrosion of the condenser. It was still working, but leaking salt water into the bilge whenever it ran. We ordered the part from Glacier Bay to be shipped to Deer Isle. After the repair was made, we needed to run a vacuum pump for 12 hours and this required shore power.  (We also needed to use the refrigerator as an icebox until all was done.) So we went down to Billings Marine in Stonington for a night at the dock complete with shore power. (We enjoyed meeting and having drinks with some sailing folks from Brooklin, Maine while there.) All was fine except that after starting the system up, Phil discovered a second component that had also corroded and failed. So it was back to the Bow Cat, order the part and install it. This time we went to Buck's Harbor Marine (cheaper and closer) for our dose of shore power and another 12 hours of vacuum pump. (This time we had an excellent dinner at a local restaurant with some cruisers met in Bermuda and Bequia.) When the system was started, it seemed to have a refrigerant leak. So back to the Bow Cat and off to Bangor (by car) for a tank of nitrogen to test the system only to discover that the problem was a valve set in the wrong position. One more trip to Buck's Harbor and one more night of vacuum pump, and we were finally back in business as a refrigerated boat!!

Linda has had her share of chores too. She has been working on her future garden all summer. Whenever she was not loaded with things to carry from the shore to the garage, she took a bucket of seaweed to spread on the garden.  By the time we left Deer Isle, the whole area had been dosed with seaweed as well as some peat moss. A neighbor with a tractor will roto-till it so it can all decompose over the winter. By the time it actually becomes a garden, it might even be in good shape! About 2/3 of the toe rail got its maintenance coat of Cetol. The other 1/3 will get done in Mattapoisett.

But finally it was time for us to leave the Bow Cat. On Saturday, September 27 we went to Rockland, Maine. We had a very marvelous dinner and evening with Daniel, Juliet and Juliet's visiting cousin James. Sunday we slept late then 'hung out' with Daniel. We helped him take some of the braces down from the newly poured foundation for the shop with apartment over they are building on their land in Rockland. Monday, 9/29, we left Rockland and went as far as Allen Island at the Eastern edge of Muscongus Bay. Allen Island is very beautiful, and we had bought lobsters from a boat in Muscle Ridge Channel so we had a delicious lobster dinner in a very beautiful spot -- nice way to spend our last night in Maine! As I write this, we are powering across the Gulf of Maine towards Race Point Buoy, about 90 miles away at the tip of Cape Cod. (We can tell exactly where Race Point is because it is where the wind is coming from!)  It is clear, sunny and not too cold. We saw a large school of dolphins as well as a whale -- that was fun!

We motored and motor-sailed through the night.  Before dawn the engine started surging, and the newly installed vacuum gauge on the fuel filter indicated a clogged filter. We cut the engine RPM's down and motored on until it was light out. Then Phil changed the filter while we drifted. He started the engine, forgetting that he had closed the exhaust shut-off valve, and the pressure in the exhaust system blew out the anti-siphon vacuum break in the exhaust system. (You haven't forgotten that it IS a boat!) What a mess! But fortuitously, we had seen a bronze anti-siphon in a marine consignment shop last Spring so we had a spare, not a part we would normally carry. So Phil installed it, and off we went again. The engine still surged some so we stopped and drifted again while Phil changed the secondary fuel filter. No further major messes, and the engine has been running fine since. The two delays did combine to delay us just the right amount of time so we caught a favorable current through the Cape Cod Canal -- nice to go 7-8+ knots!

In about an hour we will pick up a mooring in Mattapoisett. We will tidy up the boat enough to clear off our bed and then go early to sleep! I think this all means that summer is really over -- but we will have new adventures to look forward to -- after we provision and prepare for our passage to Bermuda and beyond.

Do let us hear from you -- Our best to all  -- Linda and Phil

June 27, 2003

Being in Annapolis and in the Washington, D.C. area was indeed culture shock -- but we were too busy and occupied to be very upset by it. Friday morning, 5/30, we motored down to Crab Creek off the South River, waited for a departing boat to leave the dock and then tied Antara up. We got a ride back into Annapolis where we collected our borrowed car and drove to Takoma Park, MD, a Washington suburb where we stayed with friends. Saturday we did a few minor errands and then went to Falls Church for Ezra's wedding. It was a lovely day -- even the horrendous spring weather turned nice for the occasion! Sunday we visited a friend, a cousin of Phil's and then had a delightful dinner with our Deer Isle neighbors who live near Washington. Monday we went back for a quieter visit with Ezra then enjoyed dinner with our friends who have been providing us hospitality but whom we have hardly seen. Tuesday we finally and happily went home to Antara. That evening we enjoyed dinner with the friends who had loaned us a car. Wednesday we went to West Marine -- our first such excursion since September and we made a serious dent in their inventory! Then we had a delightful dinner with the broker through whom we bought Antara. Thursday Phil did a repair to the watermaker -- the necessary parts had been shipped to Takoma Park --while Linda did some provisioning. Friday we put our Fatty Knees dinghy on Ru'Ah, the boat we have been tied up next to, so they could see how it would fit on their deck; we got diesel and oil and finally at about2:45 we cast off the lines and headed off. Tonight, Friday, 6/6, we are anchored off the Magothy River about 6 miles north of Annapolis. So we didn't get very far but at least it is a start.

Saturday we got off to an early start -- in the rain. Some wind eventually arrived too so we could motor sail, and we actually made good progress. But it was miserable with heavy rain falling all day. We stopped for fuel in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. This 18-mile canal connects the top of Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River. The young man at the fuel dock said it was the 16th (13th?) consecutive weekend when it had rained for part or all of the weekend! Definitely a wet, lousy spring. Saturday night we anchored behind Reedy Island, in the Delaware River about 4 miles south of the canal. Sunday we got off by 7:30 a.m. so we could get as much time as possible with a favorable current in Delaware Bay -- definitely worthwhile as it was a 2 knot current much of the time. The day started foggy and overcast -- but NOT raining. And we got to hear fog horns for the first time in many months! With the nice boost from the current we did a bit over 50 miles and were anchored in Cape May, New Jersey by late afternoon.

Now it is Monday, 6/9. Of course because it is Monday and folks are back at work, school, etc, the sun is shining brightly. There also is no wind. So we are motoring towards Buzzard's Bay buoy. The large buildings in Atlantic City have finally receded from view, and we can feel like we are on the open ocean again. We actually won't be very far from land for this entire trip, but it sure is nice to be out of the ICW and not have to keep a constant eye on the depth! But with all this empty ocean, we just had to slow down to let a fishing boat cross in front of us without colliding -- even though we did have the right of way.

Our windless journey continued through the night. We planned to go to Cuttyhunk, the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands that separate Buzzard's Bay from Vineyard Sound, but we realized we could get into Block Island before dark and would get into Cuttyhunk at midnight or later. So into Block we went, dropped an anchor and had a welcome goodnight's sleep. The next morning we got an early start for Mattapoisett.

We still had no wind. But Buzzard's Bay has the reputation of always shaving wind. As we passed the Buzzard's Bay entrance buoy. The lovely wind of 10-15 knots from the Southwest appeared and we had a delightful!! SAIL!! for the 4 hours or so to go from there to Mattapoisett! (We left home to sail, right?) Shortly after arriving in Mattapoisett, we were soon met by our friends the Klims, who very kindly loaned us a car and the use of a house for showers, Internet and other amenities.

The next day, Thursday, 6/12, Linda rented a car to drive to New Haven to visit her daughter Miriam and 2 perfect grandsons. (What a wonderful time it was to be with them and catch up after so many months!!) Phil stayed behind and did myriad boat chores and errands, some visiting with friends and a dental visit -- much needed as a crown had come un-cemented. After Linda returned from New Haven, there was more visiting, more errands, etc. It is now Friday, June 20, and we will depart tomorrow morning for the final leg to Maine. It feels as if we have been a long time getting there so the end of this journey will be welcome. We also look forward to a reunion with Linda's son Daniel and his wonderful wife Juliet --- as well as various Deer Isle friends and neighbors.

We left Mattapoisett on Saturday at about 9 a.m., timed to catch the current in the Cape Cod Canal. The trip to Maine was, of course, almost entirely windless so again we powered. We had the Genoa up sometimes and sometimes it gave us a little boost but basically we powered with off and on rain through the night. Sunday was still cloudy but it was at least mostly not raining. We arrived in Rockland about 5 p.m., had a nice dinner on board and went to sleep -- the last overnight passage for awhile. At Noon we met Daniel and Juliet at the Rockland town dock. We had lunch and the afternoon and dinner with them, and it was delightful to catch up. We saw their land and their living set up for now while they figure out what they want to do for shelter. They are both well and busy, and it was a treat to see them.

On Tuesday we left for Deer Isle and we actually SAILED!! Astounding! We did motor the last 15 minutes or so when the wind finally died completely, but it was basically a sail -- finally!! We were greeted by2 sets of waving neighbors one of whom invited us for dinner. Wednesday we got our car started, explored our land which had some tree trimming done last fall after we left, put our dinghy tie out back in the water, examined the plants put in last summer and other chores to re-establish ourselves here. It does feel very much like coming home and that is nice.

On April 4 we left Grenada at 12 degrees North; on June 24 we arrived Deer Isle at 44 degrees 17' North. So we are a bit more than 1900 NM farther North, and we sailed about 3300 NM to get here. It is wonderful to be back in Maine. Today was warm, sunny and rain free so we are hoping that the weather has finally made it to summer!

We hope you all will have a good summer. Please stay in touch and if you are coming to Maine, come see us.

All the best --Linda and Phil

May 31, 2003

By the time we finished the last of the e-mails, phone calls and errands, it was early Thursday afternoon, 5/01, when we departed St.Thomas. We had a lovely 20-mile down wind sail to Isla Culebrita, a smaller island just off Culebra. We were not sure we had enough daylight to get past the reefs and happily into Culebra. Culebrita is entirely National Wildlife Refuge and there were only 2 other boats in the anchorage -- at least we had someone to share the mosquitoes with. What a delightful and welcome change from the bustle of St. Thomas!! On Friday morning, the other 2 boats left and we were alone -- until the weekend started! Culebrita is a popular weekend destination from Puerto Rico, about 15 miles West of here. Then on Saturday morning, the parade started and by Saturday evening there were about 15 power boats anchored stern to the beach, there were lots of kids playing in the water and lots of grown-ups (?) sitting in the water with drinks on floats beside them. Then on Sunday, the folks who had to work on Saturday arrived --about 15 more boats. But now it is 6:30 Sunday evening, and we are back to Antara and 2 other sailboats! But it was not so bad, considering how many people were here. We were on a mooring upwind from the boats anchored nearer the beach so couldn't hear all the generators (except for the one next to us on Friday night), there wasn't loud music late into the night and, looking out now, there is no trash left on the very beautiful beach.

I (Linda) now have positive proof that our visit to Charlotte Amalie was time spent in a crowded city -- I have a lousy cold. It is my first one in the almost 3 years since we moved on board -- except for a couple which were immediately preceded by a visit with my grandsons. Not much fun, but perhaps the warm sunshine will clear it up quickly.

Culebra is very quiet and peaceful. We strolled the town of Dewey – all 2 blocks of it. We had two pleasant lunches ashore. I am sure one could walk and explore more, but we are beginning to feel a bit pressured to depart. We need to be in the Annapolis area by May 30 for the May 31wedding of Phil's 90 year old father! We realized that starting from here and wanting to end up in the Chesapeake we were probably better off going directly to the Chesapeake rather than here to Bermuda to the Chesapeake. Tomorrow we will move around the corner to Dakity Harbor, another quiet, reef protected anchorage, and start checking on a weather window.

Dakity was lovely -- totally protected from the seas by the reef and not a house in sight. We picked up one of the four moorings and had the entire harbor to ourselves. We got the dinghy secured on deck, hanked on the staysail, ran jack lines (lines running the length of the deck to which a safety harness can be clipped), removed the anchor and did other miscellaneous chores to prepare us for sea. We headed off at about 10:30a.m. on Friday, 5/09, bound for the Chesapeake, 1250+ miles away. Friday and Saturday and into Sunday we have had perfectly lovely sailing -- abeam reach with 10-15 knots of wind. Friday Noon to Saturday Noon we did a bit over 150 miles! But Sunday we sailed into a high pressure area and the wind died. Right now, 4:30 a.m. Monday, we are motoring across calm seas with almost no wind. We did have 4 dolphins in our bow wave yesterday -- 2 Moms and 2 babies. Wonderful to see! Our only other wildlife has been various birds -- storm petrels, shearwaters and longtails (white tropic birds). The longtails frequently come and fly repeatedly around the boat looking as if they want to land but never actually doing so. This trip we saw two of them on the water -- we have only seen them flying before. They sat on the water with their long tail feathers held straight up in the air looking like a child's bathtub toy. They sure are more beautiful in flight!

We have continued to sail and motor and sail and motor. At least the seas have been as calm as the winds so it has been very comfortable. Herb, our weather guru, has advised us that there is a low pressure gale system moving off the Chesapeake later this week. Continuing on the rhumb line for the Chesapeake would put us in the midst of it right off Cape Hatteras. Hatteras -- the graveyard of the Atlantic -- is a treacherous and dangerous place with any kind of weather, and we don' tneed to volunteer for that. So we will go to Beaufort, North Carolina and go up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) to the Chesapeake. It will be powering the whole way, but no gale force winds off Hatteras! We expect to arrive Beaufort early Sunday morning if all continues to go well. We have been enjoying the deep blue water which will vanish as soon as we cross the Gulf Stream. It is an amazing and beautiful shade of blue although it is hard to imagine Maine's granite and evergreen forest shores with water this blue!

It is now 5:00 a.m., Saturday, 5/17, and we continue to slog along. We have had very light winds most of the time since last Sunday. Right now we are at 31 degrees 30' N, 75 degrees 26' W or East of Georgia and South of Wilmington, Delaware -- more or less. Unfortunately, Herb is predicting a series of 3 lows moving off the Chesapeake. He says he has looked at 7 weather models -- none of them agree with each other and none of them agree with reality. He also says that the weather patterns are all about a month behind normal, i.e., we are getting typical mid-April weather, not mid-May. So the bottom line is that we will try to move across the Gulf Stream before the wind turns Northeast – which would make the Gulf Stream nasty -- and then tuck into the closest port. It looks like that may be Cape Fear, N.C., near Wilmington. Then we can go up the ICW from there. Our main concern is that we do not have enough fuel to motor all the way to the coast so we definitely need some wind!

Our bits of excitement have been a good view of the lunar eclipse --sort of. We had a good view -- with no light pollution to obscure it --but just after it reached totality, thick clouds moved in and we could see nothing of the moon's reappearance. And we came through a squall on Friday morning with thunder and lightning and lots of heavy rain. It felt definitely non-tropical! Phil put on his foul weather jacket because he needed the warmth!! (His birthday suit didn't mind the rain.)

There are many signs to tell us we are much further North. It stays light until about 8:00 p.m. or so and sunset is preceded by a long twilight instead of dark coming instantly at 6:00 p.m. The air is much cooler -- I think today was the first day in months that we have not been drenched in sweat at some point during the day. The Big Dipper is high in the sky, not close to the horizon. And the Southern Cross has vanished.

The wind returned Saturday and by mid-afternoon we were sailing again --so no more worries about fuel. We crossed the Gulf Stream Saturday afternoon. The winds, although only 10-15 knots were against the current. The resultant waves were steep, short and confused so it was a bumpy ride. But the Stream was only about 25 miles wide so it didn't last long. We knew we had exited the Stream when the seas quickly became very much flatter and the water turned an abominable shade of green. I guess we will adjust to the color but it sure is ugly! We anticipate arriving in Cape Fear sometime Sunday afternoon. We will fill up with fuel, get a good night of uninterrupted sleep and then start up the ICW. The uninterrupted sleep will be especially welcome!

We arrived at Cape Fear about 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, 5/18 -- 1200+ miles and a most satisfactory passage. We went into Bald Head Island Marina just beyond the mouth of the Cape Fear River. (If you are wonderin gwhere this is, if you continue up the Cape Fear River you get to Wilmington, N.C.) We went to the fuel dock to fill up the tanks and decided that given the late hour and given that passage makers need are ward at the end, we would take a slip for the night. As we moved off the fuel dock and prepared to back into our assigned slip, the shifting cable broke! As we drifted slowly towards some very large powerboats in their slips, Phil used pliers to get the engine in gear, we pulled forward so we were upwind of the fuel dock and drifted back to the fuel dock where the marina staff tied us up for the night. I don't know where Mr. Murphy was that we could negotiate all that without bumping into anything!

We had dinner and then -- best of all -- long, hot showers. Showers where you can stand and let the water stream down on you as long as you want. I (Linda) washed my hair twice! I know it has not been this clean since my last shower at the Klim's in Mattapoisett!!

On Monday, Phil repaired the shifting cable (we had the part with us) and reattached the anchor while Linda did a load of laundry. Linda met a woman in the coffee shop who offered the use of her golf cart to explore a bit. (Bald Head Island has been very tastefully developed with many most pleasant houses, shops, restaurants, etc., but other than emergency or delivery/contractor vehicles the only motorized form of transportation on the island is electric golf carts.) We are sure that the island without any development would be a hauntingly beautiful place. But the development that has been done is very tasteful and environmentally sound. The island chapel is exquisitely beautiful and more importantly, all the people we met were kind, friendly, helpful and eager to be sure we were well taken care of. A most pleasant place!

But finally with the cable repaired, the laundry done, the anchor reinstalled and especially the arrival of the appropriate point in the tide timing, we left Bald Head Island to continue our journey north. We went first up the Cape Fear River towards Wilmington with large container or tanker ships passing us in both directions, but after about12 miles we branched off into the ICW -- back to the world of being in 7feet of water -- or less! We went through Snow's Cut across the tip of one of the barrier islands and anchored Monday night in Carolina Beach. We are happy to be out of the wind and even happier not to be fighting our way around Hatteras. Tomorrow we will continue working our way up through this very skinny water.

The ICW is a motoring place not, for the most part, a sailing place. One must always be watching the channel marks to be sure you stay in the channel don't miss a turn or otherwise put yourself in not enough water. So it not an easy relaxed journey. But it is quite beautiful and peaceful. The shores are mostly inhabited sparsely or not at all. Long stretches are Wildlife Refuge. But where there are houses, it is often an interesting survey of various architectures.

The stretch North of Carolina Beach has several low bridges, which open only on a fixed schedule so we used a fair amount of time either waiting or going very slowly to make an opening. We stopped at an inexpensive fuel place, and as we were leaving, we gained some local knowledge about where the bottom is. But it isn't possible to do the ICW without touching bottom. At least it is nice soft mud. Tuesday night we anchored in Mile Hammock Bay, a little anchorage created by the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, N.C. On Wednesday, 5/21, we arrived in Oriental, N.C. On Wednesday we moved into a local marina and that afternoon Mary and Bill Williams, old and very dear friends of Linda's, drove from nearby New Bern, N.C. to visit. We had a wonderful afternoon and evening talking and catching up with each other’s lives. It was a treat to see them!! We spent an additional day and night there hiding from a day of solid, heavy rain.

After Oriental, there are two ICW options. One is the Virginia Cut which is wider, deeper and faster -- as well as the route for all commercial traffic. The other is the Dismal Swamp Canal, which is shallow, even by ICW standards, and narrow but reputed to be quite beautiful. We decided to go via the Dismal Swamp (2 years ago we took the other route). So on Saturday, 5/24 we headed off again. Our Saturday adventure was encountering a small (15' maybe) power boat that was taking on water. We escorted them to Belhaven, N.C. giving them only a feeling of more comfort and security. We spent Saturday night anchored in the Alligator River after going through 20 miles of the Alligator-Pungo Canal -- 20miles of dead straight water through flat swamp land. Quite tedious by the end of it although wonderful to know there is so much empty land.

Late afternoon Sunday, 5/25, we arrived in Elizabeth City, N.C. on the Pasquotank River. Elizabeth City calls itself the 'Harbor of Hospitality' and it certainly is. The town provides 14 FREE slips for transients. Whenever there are more than 4 boats in the slips, a group called 'Rose Buddies' puts on a wine and cheese party for the cruisers. This group was started in 1983 by 2 men, one of whom is now deceased, and they, with some additional members, have been doing this ever since. We met several other cruisers and talked to The 'Rose Buddies' who were eager to be sure that we could find anything we wanted or needed. They were most kind and welcoming. If Monday had not been the Memorial Day holiday so everything was closed, we would have been very tempted to stay in Elizabeth City an extra day or so.

From Elizabeth City, the river narrows and twists (but is relatively deep) for 20 miles to a lock at South Mills, N.C. and the beginning of the Dismal Swamp Canal (DSC). We made the 11:30 a.m. opening of the lock. The lock keeper asked our draft (5'6") and assured us we would be fine -- just stay in the middle and go very slow. The DSC is the oldest continually operating canal in the U.S. It was first suggested in 1728 by Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia after he had made a survey of the Virginia-North Carolina border for the English Crown. Byrd is said to have found the area so repulsive that he dubbed it 'Dismal.' In 1784 at the suggestion of Virginia Governor Patrick Henry supported by George Washington, the Dismal Swamp Canal Company was formed. Digging by hired slave labor began in 1793 and the completed canal opened in 1805.

It is indeed very beautiful and it is also very skinny water, sometimes a bit less than 6' but mostly over 6'. We did not touch bottom and we had no problem with trees snagging the mast -- tree problems on the DSC are a persistent cruiser's legend, sort of like the alligators in the NY sewers. At about 4 p.m. we tied up at a free dock just before the Deep Creek lock, the end of the DSC. Jim Moore, a cruising friend who lives in Portsmouth, VA., and his girlfriend drove to Deep Creek. We all had dinner together on Antara, joined by another later arriving sailboat who tied up at the same dock. Jim spent the night on Antara and was our personal pilot as we arrived in the busyness and congestion of the Portsmouth/Norfolk Harbor area. He led us to a dock in Portsmouth where we could tie up. The rule is no overnight, but it is unenforced.

So there we were, on Tuesday, May 27 in the port we had set out from Culebra for on May 9. But we made it safe and sound and with some unanticipated but most pleasant adventures and visits along the way. We had a short tour of Portsmouth, a very old and most pleasant town. Then went off to do some errands, do laundry and showers at Jim's, buy Phil a blazer to wear to Ezra's wedding and spend all of that time catching up with Jim. Now, Wednesday, 5/28 we are heading up the Chesapeake bound for Annapolis. We have been motoring or motor sailing -- the wind is on our nose, and we are now bumping against the deadline of Ezra's wedding on Saturday.

By putting in two long days, we managed to get to Annapolis late Thursday afternoon. We spent Wednesday night in Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico, a favorite spot of Phil's in his days sailing out of a Chesapeake Bay base. It was perfectly quiet and peaceful -- very nice. In contrast, Annapolis is the busiest, most crowded harbor we have ever been in with Antara. But we found a spot to anchor in Back Creek, right off a marina where we have some friends. But we are not totally happy about leaving Antara here unattended so this morning we will go one river south and tie up to a dock belonging to some cruising friends while we go to Washington for the weekend and the wedding via a borrowed car. I am sure it will be a pleasant weekend, but I fear it will also be culture shock for us as we encounter busy highways, crowded stores and such -- the supermarket at Deep Creek was certainly culture shock in its abundance and variety. But it is time to send off this update, and we will probably have recovered from any re-entry problems by the next installment.

We write these to try to stay in touch so please let us hear from you!

Our best to all -- Phil and Linda -- Back Creek, Annapolis, MD, USA

April 30, 2003

We are now officially headed north. We left Grenada on Thursday, April 3 and spent the night in Hillsborough, Carriacou. In the morning we checked out of Grenada. This process clinched the title of 'producer of largest quantity of paper work' for this small island nation. Checking out involved another set of forms in multiple copies with all the same information which was on the 3 sets of forms completed at check in (one of which was handed back in at check out) as well as another 4 copies of a crew list. There was even another fee involved, albeit a very small amount. Leaving Carriacou we went across the 7 mile channel to Union to check in to St. Vincent and the Grenadines then continued on to Canouan. We anchored there in a very small, quite sheltered bay just north of the town and were the only boat there for the night. In the morning we left for Bequia, arriving early Saturday afternoon. The trip from Grenada was all done quite close to the wind but a very pleasant sail, even though we had to adjust to the wind and the sea being on the 'other' side of the boat now!

We visited with friends in Bequia as well as boat friends anchored there. On Monday we collected a batch of snail mail, did e-mail, collected our lamp base from the pottery, bought a few provisions and some fuel and checked out. Tuesday morning we left heading for Martinique. We picked up a mooring near Soufriere, St. Lucia for the evening and continued on to Martinique the next day. Both these days were strong winds and more sea than we needed. I (Linda) did have the thought that a large commercial laundry would probably have a washing machine they could run while we just sat in it for a while -- the effect would be about the same! But we made it into protected Marin, Martinique and enjoyed a reunion with two sets of friends here. Jack had arthroscopic surgery on his knee here, and the whole experience was a great success. Good to know in case my shoulder deteriorates further!

During this passage Phil discovered that a weld on the boom was failing. It is the weld that secures the gooseneck, a fitting that attaches the boom to the mast. Marin has abundant yacht repair facilities so we will get it fixed here in Martinique before going any further. Having the boom detach itself underway would not be fun!

Phil talked to the welder on Friday and on Monday we took the boom on the dinghy to the boat yard. They have promised the repair by Noon, Thursday. So we have had time for an excursion through a large Martiniquan supermarket -- enormous variety even though not one of the truly enormous 'hypermarches' and for a most excellent meal in a local restaurant. We have enjoyed the abundant Baguettes and Brie -- not exactly a hardship port to be waiting in!

Miracles happen! You would never know that we were in the islands -- the boom was ready before Noon on Thursday! Amazing! The rest of the day -- after a nice French lunch -- was spent dinghying the boom back to Antara, feeding all the internal lines through the boom, reattaching the boom to the mainsail, resecuring the reefing lines and generally making us a functioning boat again. Friday morning, 4/18, we checked out with customs, did a last round of e-mail, bought a couple of final baguettes and a case of duty free beer and headed off. By the time we got all this done it was about 12:30 so all we did was go West from Le Marin and around the Southwest corner of Martinique to Petite Anse d'Arlet -- a bit less that 15 miles but a lovely down wind sail, and it is a start.

Our original plan to do an overnight to Montserrat vanished in a combination of a forecast for awful weather in the northern Leewards and a long Easter holiday weekend. If we arrived in Montserrat before Tuesday, we would not be able to do much except sit in a very rolly anchorage. So we have island hopped our way north. From Anse d'Arlet we got an early start and had a 65 mile sail to a harbor half way up the coast of Dominica -- a long day but nice sailing. From there we made a 30 mile hop to Les Saintes, small islands south of (and part of) Guadeloupe. On Easter Sunday night we heard the French celebrating the end of Lent. There were several tents with camping families on the shore. A local drummer of great stamina, various other percussion instruments and a quite good harmonica player kept everyone singing and dancing until the wee hours of the morning. But it was not amplified rock music so it was not unpleasant even if it went on a bit too long for Phil.

On Tuesday, April 22 we left Les Saintes and had a windless 30 mile motor along the coast of Guadeloupe to Deshaies -- sort of a horizontal tour of the West coast of the island. After an overnight there, we -- still without wind -- motored the 38 miles to Montserrat. (The recent weather has been very odd -- almost no wind and the very light 3-5 knot wind sometimes coming from the West. It has to do with a low pressure trough and an early Tropical Storm, but it is not pleasant. Besides it being hard to sail with such minimal wind, it is very hot.)

We motored along the East coast of Montserrat and had a terrific view of the Soufriere Hills volcano huffing and puffing away. We could see large clouds of steam and ash as well as house-size boulders being ejected and rolling down the flanks! At one point there was suddenly a large emission of smoke/ash/steam. (Phil got a good photo that we will post.) We could see where the flows had come down to the water, adding about 2/3 of an acre to the island. Very awesome to feel so close to nature in a very raw state!

We cleared in to Montserrat and arranged for an island tour on Thursday. George, our driver, collected us at 9:30 and we went off to see the sights. Where the island is green it is very lovely, but the most impressive sights are the devastation from the volcano. We went to one overlook where we could see the remains of the old airport and some buildings, all now buried under ash flows. From the Montserrat Volcano Observatory we looked out over Plymouth, formerly the capital city. The city itself is buried so deeply that only the peaks of 2 or 3 story roofs show. On the outskirts, the houses are still there, but they are all gray and all abandoned. The island's population is now about 4000, down from 12,000 before the volcanic activity started in 1995. We went to the Montserrat National Trust museum where we saw a video of the worst of the 'pyroclastic flows' and their aftermath -- fascinating stuff done by a man who had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. This was a very different and very interesting excursion for us -- well worth doing.

On Friday 4/25 we left very early -- still with no wind. We spent the first hour or so hosing down the boat, cleaning the cockpit and washing the floor, all of which were covered with a thin layer of very fine, gritty ash. We may still be cleaning ash off for months! While underway we had one heavy rain during which I (Linda) quickly wiped down as many surfaces as possible. A good soaking rain would help.

After an almost windless 173 miles, we arrived in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI at about 9:30 a.m. We first went to the Crown Bay marina where fuel is $.50/gallon cheaper and filled up our very low tanks. We then went into a slip at Yacht Haven marina where the dockage fees are more reasonable. Charlotte Amalie is a big, busy port with 2 or 3 cruise ships here each day -- not exactly our kind of place. But 3 sets of cruising friends we wanted to see were in here, as well as Linda's nephew.

So we have been having a very social time. Lunch with our old friend David on Saturday, drinks that night on board a friend's new (to them) boat, Sunday breakfast on Antara with another set of friends, lunch and a wonderful tour of the island on Monday with Linda's nephew, and Tuesday dinner on Antara with David. The days have been spent doing provisioning for our upcoming passages and taking advantage of the fact that 800 phone numbers work from here to tend to 'business'. Mail we sent for has arrived so today, 4/30, we will do a last bit of provisioning, do some laundry and get ready to depart tomorrow. We will first go to Culebra, a small island about midway between St. Thomas and Puerto Rico. It is reputed to be very quiet, unspoiled and lovely -- sounds good after this week's bustle! From there we will depart for Bermuda when weather permits.

Our best to all and do let us hear from you -- Phil and Linda

April 01, 2003

Union was indeed pleasant. The anchorage has lots of wind to make electrons but almost no seas as it is tucked in behind a large reef. In Clifton, the town, we resupplied with eggs, milk and bread and stocked up at the local outdoor produce market. On Thursday, March 6 we left for the big 7.5 mile trip to Hillsborough, Carriacou. But Carriacou is part of Grenada so it was trip to a new country. We had gotten off to a late-ish start because Phil was helping the Internet folks track down a virus that appeared on our floppy after we collected e-mails, but we still arrived in Carriacou in time to check into Grenada. As a thoroughly formerly British colony, Grenada has an astounding amount of paper work involved in this process. We went first to Customs, then upstairs to the cashier to pay our fee, then back downstairs to the Port Captain for a cruising permit and finally across the street to Immigration. All but the cashier involved filling out forms in multiple copies, all containing basically the same information about the boat and ourselves. One suspects that a major island industry is erecting buildings to house the files where all this paper is kept for decades!

We wandered around Hillsborough a bit, including a visit to a little two room museum displaying mostly Arawak Indian pottery found on Carriacou. We spent that night in Hillsborough. It was a bit rolly, but we had run out of daylight with which to go elsewhere. In the morning we motored a mile or so to Sandy Island. This is the quintessential Caribbean island that you have seen in commercials -- a sand strip with 3 palm trees in the center. We anchored there for a snorkel and lunch and then went around the corner to Tyrell Bay -- less rolly and more yachts anchored.

We explored Tyrell Bay one day -- it has one street so it didn't take long -- and loafed for a day. On Monday we took a communal taxi to Hillsborough and then another to Windward which is the center of traditional wooden boat building here. There were several Carriacou sloops hauled up and undergoing various repairs or adjustments, probably in anticipation of one of the periodic races held for them. These sloops were once used for all fishing and hauling but now are the source of much rivalry -- and probably lots of boasting as well. But it is enough to maintain a strong boat building tradition here. It was a nice excursion for us and provided a chance to see the island easily and cheaply -- about $8 US round trip for both of us. On the way back to the boat, we dinghied up into the mangrove swamp which runs along one side of the harbor. It is large enough to get lots of boats into it which is exactly what happens if a hurricane is forecast. But most of it is only 5 feet deep with the outermost part being 8 feet. Anchoring is not allowed except for a hurricane so for us it was very quiet and peaceful. We drifted for a while hearing only the surf on the beach outside, the wind and the birds -- lovely!

One highlight of our stay in Carriacou was the greenest, flashiest green flash at sunset that we have ever seen. It was very bright and lasted longer than most as well -- quite a treat! You know that one obligation of cruisers is to watch each night to be sure the sun goes down. If it doesn't, then it might not come up in the morning so sundown is an important event to be aware of!

On Wednesday, 3/12, we sailed from Carriacou to Grenada. We had a lovely sail of 38 miles in 6.5 hours all on a nice reach except for the last bit which was down wind. The South coast of Grenada has several very attractive and well protected anchorages. We are now anchored in Prickly Bay, and we look forward to exploring the island from here.

We spent 2 nights tied up at Spice Island Marina. We needed to defrost the freezer and wanted the shore power to re-cool it. Phil also made some long overdue adjustments which should make it run more efficiently. We took advantage of land based water to scrub the cockpit, wash down the boat and have some showers with forceful water. All very pleasant and a worthwhile investment of $65 US (including power and water) -- especially since it is our first marina stay since Martinique a year ago! One side benefit of our marina berth was that their restaurant had a steel pan band playing on Friday night and we had ringside seats -- from the comfort of home. It was terrific music! The band comprised about 20 or so kids in their late teens/early twenties. It was a treat to hear and see them. However, other (loud) music went on until 3 a.m. but now we are back at anchor which has the benefit that we sleep much better!

On Tuesday, 3/18, we took an island tour with another cruising couple. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Grenada and especially about agriculture here. Grenada is called the Spice Island, and it still produces a third of the world's nutmeg. It also produces cloves, cinnamon, mace, cocoa, ginger and turmeric. Our tour included a hike up to Concord Falls, a beautiful 200' waterfall high up in the rain forest. Along the trail were many small plots farmed by people growing carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, bananas and dasheen (a popular local root vegetable) as well as many nutmeg trees. The nutmeg fruit, used to make jam and syrup, looks like a peach. The pit is wrapped in a red webbing which is mace and the center of the pit is what we think of as whole nutmeg. Around the nutmeg itself there is actually a thin shell, used like gravel to cover walkways. As long as the nutmeg is inside this shell, it will keep for years. The fruit splits open and then drops from the trees so we could collect some for ourselves as we walked along the trail. Concord Falls at the end of the trail was a beautiful sight and well worth the hike, even including the bumps and bruises inflicted by a fall on wet, slippery rocks.

On Wednesday, after dealing with our U.S. income taxes, we moved east a couple of bays to a quieter and much less rolly anchorage called Hog Island near a town called Woburn. This puts us close to a carpenter who will repair some damage to our toe rail. A charter boat in the Tobago Cays, having been told by Moorings to always run the engine (to provide charging to the batteries) when using the windlass, started the engine during a 5 a.m. squall to let out more anchor chain. Unfortunately, the engine was in gear so his boat moved forward and hit our stern. He broke our flag staff and took a chunk out of the toe rail but managed to miss the Monitor self-steering. He came over in the morning and left us a bunch of traveler's checks to cover the damages. There is an excellent carpenter here so we are getting it repaired.

We had one brief excursion into St. George's, Grenada's big city. We took a 'bus', actually a mini van, that goes quite speedily into town and is an adventure all by itself. After 2 extra trips back to the boat -- one from the dock to get a dinghy anchor and one from town to collect our boat papers so we could buy duty free -- we bought a piece of wood for the toe rail, walked along the waterfront into town for a nice lunch, explored a shop we had heard about and then braved another exciting ride back to Woburn. The bus ride only costs about $.60 US so having it be an adventure as well as transportation is just an added bonus!

We have stayed anchored inside Hog Island while Owen (the ship's carpenter) has made several trips to the boat. We now have a replaced section of the toe rail, new shelves in the v-berth and two replaced pieces of teak in the cockpit floor -- and all very reasonably priced. We have twice been to the Friday night Barbecue in Woburn at $10 EC (about $4 US; "EC" is Eastern Caribbean Currency and is the local currency used in the previously British islands) each, once to the Sunday afternoon Barbecue on Hog Island at $15 EC each, and once to a lovely little 4 table restaurant on a hillside in Woburn for a most excellent meal at about $15 US each. We have done laundry at $2.50 US per load -- the cheapest since we left the house on Prentiss Street, and, best of all, we have met several most pleasant folks on other boats. We have also done some excursions by bus. On one we went to Bay Gardens, a botanical garden with trails through the plants which have identifying signs and accompanied by an informative guide as well. It was interesting to see the source of many of the fruits and vegetables that we see in the markets -- and on our plates in restaurants -- and to walk through a jungle of what we are used to thinking of as house plants and exotic flowers. We also went to Grenville on the East coast and Grenada's second largest city. We enjoyed seeing a busy, non-tourist oriented city as well as the en route countryside. The road goes up over the top of the island so it is through lush, cool, green land with lots of banana, breadfruit, mango, cocoa and nutmeg trees -- as well as other very tropical stuff. We returned from Grenville by going north and stopping at the Grenada Chocolate Factory. This is a recent enterprise -- first sales in 2001 -- using the locally grown cocoa beans to make chocolate. The 'factory' is in a house and employs 6 people. It uses all solar power because that was the only way to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply -- and the end product is delicious!!

The bus ride back took us up over the north end of the island and down the West coast -- very beautiful. But not the height of luxury as it was 'rush hour' so the mini van buses carried 19 people plus a few children on laps. We felt lucky to still be able to flex our knees by the time we returned to Woburn! We have learned two bits of Grenadan trivia -- one law states that no building can be higher than a (nearby) coconut tree, and another that it is illegal to import toilet paper with less than 300 sheets per roll. How's that for a government that protects its citizens!

On Tuesday, April 1, we will do a last bit of cheap laundry, send off this Web update and tidy the boat to go to sea again. On Wednesday, Linda has a final appointment with an orthopedist who is examining a chronic shoulder problem ($55 US for an office visit, lab tests and X-rays -- is there something wrong with the US medical system and its litigious patients?). Then we will turn around and head north. It will not be a direct trip. We will stop in Bequia to collect some pottery we ordered. We will visit some Mattapoisett friends either there or in Martinique. We want to go to Montserrat to see the volcano and to the Virgin Islands to visit friends, stock up on cheap Rum and Scotch, and provision for ocean passages. We will visit Culebra and go from there to Bermuda. How's that for having long range plans?!!

But it would seem like this is a good time to get another installment off for our Web page. We really would like for this to be two-way communication so let us hear from you. Hope all is well for all of you. We hear definite reports of Spring arriving in the US so life must be looking up!

Best to all --Linda and Phil Hog Island, Grenada

March 04, 2003

Bequia has not been a disappointment. It is a lovely place! Bequia is a small island so most of it is within walking distance of everywhere else. The people are courteous, pleasant, friendly and helpful. While not the least expensive place we have been, prices are quite reasonable. The climate is also more comfortable than elsewhere because it is less humid. We have actually done relatively little exploring beyond excursions into Port Elizabeth, the main town and port at Admiralty Bay. We did move (on 1/25) to Friendship Bay on the South facing coast to avoid the predicted 9+ foot swells from the Northwest -- the result of a storm system moving off the U.S. East Coast. Friendship was even quieter than Admiralty Bay with fewer than 10 sailboats anchored there as opposed to 100 or more in the larger Admiralty Bay. On our return trip (on 1/28) we stopped at Petit Nevis, a small islet once used as a place to process whales. The whales were fished from shore in quite small boats -- what brave and skillful fishermen they must have been! Petit Nevis now offers an easy walk up to a height with a spectacular view as well as nice snorkeling along the shore. All followed by an idyllic sail back to Admiralty Bay.

I (Linda) have spent quite a bit of time working on my project to make slip covers for the interior cushions on Antara. Because the weather is less humid and sticky, it is quite easy to be in the cabin at the sewing machine during the day. I have now done 5 out of seven 'pairs' -- each pair a back and a seat. They are a great improvement, not just in appearance, but in comfort as well. The old upholstery, besides being very worn and stained, was quite scratchy. The slip covers are a faux suede which is very soft and comfortable to sit on -- as well as being washable. It is nice to see the results -- and to regain the space in the aft cabin which was occupied by a large bag of pieces cut out in Maine last summer!

February 1 was Phil's birthday and we celebrated with a nice dinner on board -- rack of lamb, peas, risotto, salad and Key lime pie. Who says cruising is a Spartan sort of life. We were joined by a couple on another Passport 40 who are anchored just ahead of us here -- a most pleasant evening!

As of 2/07, the slip covers are done!! What a good feeling -- both the job being completed and the seats being more comfortable. Linda was ready to go ashore for a celebratory cook's night out dinner, but unfortunately, Phil contracted the local virus that seems to be working its way through both most of the cruising boats as well as the local school children. It seems to just totally debilitate the unfortunate recipient for several days. (Editor's note: By Monday afternoon, 2/10, the captain seems to be recovering.)

To celebrate not having my project weighing on me, I left Phil on his sick bed and went for a hike to the top of Mt. Pleasant, the highest point on Bequia, 760 feet. Even though there is no snow to worry about, the hill -- mountain? -- is steep enough for the road to switch back and forth across the face several times. Makes the walk longer but easier and the views keep changing too. Unlike the Piton that Phil climbed in St. Lucia where the top only brings the view and the trip down, when one gets to the top of Bequia, besides a lovely view, one is rewarded with a delightful bar and restaurant in an old fort-now-hotel for a pleasant lunch, cold drink and respite before trekking down.

On Wednesday, 2/12, with the captain now recovered and healthy, we walked over to the Atlantic coast and to the two settlements there -- they aren't really big enough to call towns -- Spring and Industry. At Spring we stopped at a delightful pottery/art gallery located in an old sugar mill that the artisans are restoring/renovating. The work displayed is lovely and we ended up buying a lamp base. The one we saw was sold, but they will make us one and we will pick it up on our way back north. We continued on down the road to Industry where we had a most pleasant lunch in a small seaside hotel. After lunch we went to to Oldhegg Turtle Sanctuary. A man named "Brother" King is trying to protect the Hawks bill turtles. He collects babies, raises them in pools until they are 3 years old and then releases them into the sea from beaches on various islands. The theory is that they will have a better chance of survival if released as 3 year olds and will eventually return to the beach where they were released to lay eggs. Unfortunately he is running this operation on a shoestring so its efficacy is not totally proven, but it certainly cannot hurt. Even if he just raises awareness so the local fishermen will release any turtles they catch, he is helping. We both had tired feet at the end of the day, but it was a delightful walk along the coast of a very beautiful island.

On another excursion we walked to Lower Bay, the beach at the West end of Admiralty Bay. We were actually anchored right off this beach, but landing there in the dinghy is a rough and probably wet undertaking. I (Linda) have been swimming ashore and walking the beach, but we wanted to visit an artist friend of Daniel's who lives just above the beach. Claude is a lovely, vital French woman who does beautiful paintings on silk. I had met her on one of my swim ashore trips, but I wanted Phil to meet her. I also wanted to purchase one of her silk pillow covers, and that was not something to swim back to Antara! On the way back we stopped to visit some folks who own a house in Bequia where they spend winters, and in the summers they live in Vinal Haven, Maine. They had seen Antara's Deer Isle, ME hailing port and had stopped by while out in their runabout. They also gave us some lovely photos of Daniel and Juliet whom they had met here in Bequia a couple of years ago -- what a small world it is sometimes!

But finally on Friday, 2/21 we left Bequia. Getting a boat that has been sedentary for several weeks moving again involved more time than we had thought it would so we got off to a somewhat late start. So we decided to go just to Canouan, another of the Grenadines south from Bequia. We decided to bypass Mustique, leaving it to Mick Jagger and the other rich and famous folks. We ended up spending 2 nights in Canouan. During our day there we walked around a bit and talked to a born-on-Canouan gentleman. He bemoaned the state of the island. There is no high school on the island so in order to get more than primary school education, one must have enough money to go to high school (and live) on St. Vincent. So most of the inhabitants are not educated enough to get more than the most menial of jobs. Exacerbating this is the absence of water on the island. They catch rain water, but that does not support year-round agriculture. The island economy is centered on tourism with 2 large hotels and a 3rd one being built -- but the one we saw sure did look quite empty. It is indeed a sorry state of affairs with no obvious solution. The island itself is quite attractive and the surrounding waters are spectacularly beautiful, but it is depressing to see knots of men sitting around doing nothing with their time.

Saturday night, 2/22, we had dinner on Antara with a couple on a boat we had met in Bermuda and who are friends of Daniel's and Juliet's from Maine. A most pleasant evening and certainly more small world. Then on Sunday we had a lovely 7 mile mostly down wind sail to the Tobago Cays, four small, uninhabited islands in the southern Grenadines. These little islands are reputed to be one of the most beautiful anchorages in the Caribbean, and that reputation is well deserved. If you have ever dreamed about going to the Caribbean, this is the place you dreamed about going! Lovely beaches, clear water with colors that are incredible, even by Caribbean standards. Lots of wind for our windmills, but no seas because of a protecting reef. The snorkeling is fine along the reef and even in the anchorage area I saw a ray, a turtle, an eel and many fish.

Our small world happenings have continued. A dinghy with 4 people in it stopped by. They said they stopped because one couple was from Deer Isle. It turned out they had previously lived in one of the houses on the Bow Cat. When they learned our names, they exclaimed, "We have your signs!" We had made a not-very-fancy sign with 'Glaser' on it which was at the entrance to our driveway along with one with 'Bennett', Daniel and Juliet's name. Evidently teenagers had made off with the signs and left them near these folks' house. So here in the Tobago Cays we have located our signs which we didn't even know were missing!

On Sunday, 3/2, we left the Tobago Cays and went to Mayreau -- a nice sail but only 4 miles. Mayreau has a population of 280, has one road and got electricity 3 weeks ago. On Monday we walked up to the top of the island and were rewarded by a magnificent view across to the Tobago Cays. The water was a kaleidoscope of green, gold, blue, brown, aqua and turquoise. It is the Caribbean you see on travel posters and

advertisements -- except it is even more spectacular than the pictures. In the other direction were the jagged hills of Union Island. (We are sending off some photos to be included on the Web page -- but they don't do it justice.) On the way down we even had an excellent meal at a restaurant -- all most pleasant.Tomorrow we will go the few miles to Union Island, virtually a major urban center compared to where we have been for the last 10 days. Union is so urban that it has Internet cafes and we can send off this update to our travel saga. We write these so we can stay in touch with friends, but that means you need to write to us too! Let us hear from you --

Our best to all -- Linda and Phil

January 17, 2003

We did connect with friends in Marin, and we -- and we believe they -- were glad to do so. But we soon moved out to Ste. Anne where there is cleaner water and more wind -- which means we can run the watermaker and make more electrons with the windmills. Our Christmas dinner was a cruiser's pot luck on the beach -- good company and good food -- as well as a session of communal Christmas carols accompanied by a saxophone, a keyboard and a guitar. We then set about doing some of our boat chores. A week later, we have rebedded 3 ports including one large fixed port in the salon. We have also bought a year's supply of prescription medicines -- at about 1/4 of U.S. prices -- made almost daily runs for baguettes, enjoyed several French restaurant meals, snacked shamelessly on French cheeses and, best of all, enjoyed the company of some most excellent cruising folks. On the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's the town of Ste. Anne put on a fireworks show from the town dock, We had been on another boat for 'happy hour' to be finished by fireworks, but the hour got late so we came home although eventually they did happen. On New year's Eve, we were both asleep by about 9:30 -- isn't getting old wonderful?! -- but were awakened with a literal bang when Club Med started their fireworks with a loud boom right at midnight. We popped our heads out of the forehatch for a front row view and were back asleep by 12:30! No traffic jams post fireworks or any such impedimentia! The music and dancing on the beach did go on until the wee hours of the morning, but not for us. However, it was clear why January 2 is also a holiday in Martinique -- it is called Recovery Day!

Today (01/03) we spent the day cleaning up from all our chores. When the workshop is also one's living room/dining room/den, the mess can be reasonably intrusive! After a delightful, leisurely French lunch, we have decided to spend tomorrow doing basically nothing! On Sunday we will go back into Marin to see friends again, get on the Internet, and take a bus to Fort de France, not necessarily all in one day.

On Sunday, 01/05, in Marin there was a parade! It was part of the Fete Patronale of Marin. St. Etienne is their patron saint, but I have no idea what his particular claim to fame is. His actual 'day' is December 26, but they didn't want the Fete Patronale to interfere with the Fetes de Noel! In fact, St. Etienne is St. Stephen so it is his feast that good King Wenceslas looked out on. The parade had a group of young baton twirlers, 2 local bands, some very exotic -- and very scantily clad -- carnival dancers, various sports clubs and many people in traditional dress. It was great fun to see -- very colorful and some very beautiful young women.

Monday we took a Taxi Communale into Fort de France. This is a quite common form of island transportation. It is usually a van of some sort which travels a fixed route but will stop almost anyplace along that route and will carry as many as it can hold. They have different names in different islands, but the principal is the same. In Fort de France we went to two museums -- one of Martiniquan history from white settlement in about 1635 until the early 20th century. The other a Museum of Archeology and Anthropology which was focused on the indigenous Indians who had been here since about 4000 B.C. There was quite a bit of pottery and some very good exhibits about life as it probably was in Martinique before arrival of Europeans. Both museums were interesting and well done.

Tuesday we did e-mail, grocery shopping and checked out with customs. Grocery shopping was important so we could leave with lots of French cheese, baguettes and fruit. The fruit in Martinique is locally grown and delicious. The island gets enough rain to sustain agriculture and we reap the benefits -- luscious, ripe tomatoes; small, crunchy cucumbers; sweet, juicy pineapples; succulent, sugary muskmelons; wonderful little finger bananas and incredibly sweet red bananas; rich avocados; and mangoes just coming into season.

Wednesday, 01/08, we had a lovely 5 hour sail to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. It was almost but not quite up wind and it was delightful. We also caught our first ever fish! (On passages, we tow a spinner for one of our generators and don't fish, in fear of having fish, line, spinner , etc all in one big Gordian knot.) Phil put the line over and had, I think, totally forgotten about it when the reel started humming. It was a big rod and reel with 80 pound test line on it; according to our fish book, what we caught was about a two pound 'little tunny'. This is closely related to but different from a tuna. We quickly killed him with a bit of rum poured into the gills. After we had cleared customs and gone to anchor, Phil cleaned him and we just finished a most delicious dinner! What a day!

After a couple of days relaxing in the shadow of the 18th century British fort atop Pigeon Island, employing the book swap and enjoying a meal of flying fish at Jambe de Bois, we sailed off for the southern end of St. Lucia, to an area known as the Pitons. The Pitons are two large (one 2460 feet and the other 2619 feet) volcanic formations shaped like inverted ice cream cones. They are quite spectacular and very beautiful. The whole area is a marine park so we picked up a park mooring -- all of $20US for a week. We will spend a few days exploring St. Lucia by land and doing some snorkeling.

We realized that we ought to include here an amusing story from our stay in St. John. One of the best bits of entertainment in the Caribbean is to relax in the late afternoon and watch the charter boats anchor. Many of them put on a most entertaining show of it! One evening in Francis Bay, St. John, a charter boat with a couple on board came in to pick up one of the Park Service moorings. She was on the bow, and just from the way she was handling the boat hook, it was clear that she really didn't know what she was doing. He drove the boat up to the mooring at about 80 miles an hour, she waved the boat hook in the general direction of the mooring, but no one could have picked it up at that speed. So he went around and came back for another try, but still much too fast. So she missed again. By now he has realized that by the time the boat has slowed enough to make a pick up even possible, the mooring is about amidships. So he moves her off the bow and positions her half way down the boat, circles around and tries again. He is slower this time but still too fast so around they go again. This time when the mooring pick-up is amidships and she has missed it -- he jumps overboard!! He took a line with him and somehow manages to get the line on the mooring and himself back on the boat -- thank goodness since it is clear she would not have known what to do with the boat. They secure the mooring line to the bow and the boat swings into the wind so we can see her stern and read the name of the boat -- 'Perfect Landing'!

Anyway, back in St. Lucia: we did a bit of a land tour with a local taxi. We went to a jungle waterfall at the end of a short walk through a lovely garden. We also went to what St. Lucia describes as the world's only drive-in volcano. You do drive right in to an area of boiling mud, steaming sulfurous vents and all looking very much like a very different and very hostile world, Quite awesome! We ended the tour with a dip in a warm waterfall- fed pool -- warm from volcanic venting. It was a most pleasant to see some of the interior country -- very green, lush and jungly. Phil was unable to resist the challenge of the Pitons. Yesterday, 01/14, he, accompanied by a local guide as well as Bruce and Suzanne, a couple from another cruising boat, climbed Petit Piton. The climb was exceedingly rigorous -- the trail goes just about straight up. The view from the top is spectacular, but coming down was probably more difficult than the ascent. Suzanne said that this climb made the 8 hour Boiling Lakes hike in Dominica look like a Sunday picnic and that this was the hardest thing she had ever done! But all three seem to have survived fine. Although Phil this morning says his body feels very thoroughly used, he also says it was worth doing -- once. (You may note that there is no inclusion of sensible Linda among the climbers!)The snorkeling here has been wonderful. I (Linda) have gone along the coast from one Piton to the other. The colors of both fish and reef are delightful and the sheer quantity of fish is astounding. There are schools of hundreds of fish where before I have seen tens. the reef is dotted with spots of bright yellow, purple and even a magenta pink. I saw 2 turtles too!

We moved to a mooring in an area called the Bat Cave which is closer to the town of Soufriere where there is a customs office. On Thursday, 1/16, we checked out and left early Friday morning -- 5 a.m. -- for Bequia. It is about a 60 miles sail and we wanted to allow plenty of time to get in before dark. What a lovely sail we had! Sailing on a not-too-close reach, we went down the East coast of St, Vincent which was interesting. The East coasts of these islands face the Atlantic -- next land is the Canary Islands or Africa -- and are the windward, drier side. They are, in general, much less accommodating to people or boats, often with steep cliffs and pounding surf. St. Vincent was no exception, although it seemed to be quite lush and green. It was surprising how many towns there were though none were as big as those on the leeward side. After clearing the southern end of St. Vincent. we had a leisurely down wind sail to Admiralty Bay, Bequia. If we had gone down the West coast of St. Vincent, we would have had to beat into the wind to get into the Bequia anchorage. So our (somewhat unconventional) East coast trip was a fine thing to do.

We did not stop in St. Vincent because it is rife with theft and annoying boat boys. We have also heard that some of the boat boys are carrying guns, supposedly just to protect themselves from other boat boys! We decided a skip was the best thing to do. Boat boys are a phenomenon of the formerly British islands from Dominica south. They are young men who come out in small wooden pirogues with rather large outboards, looking to provide services or supplies to yachts for a fee. Sometimes that can be a good thing -- as it was when we arranged for tours of Dominica. Or when a boat boy took a stern line ashore for us in St. Lucia. But sometimes it can be quite annoying when they are overly persistent. But I suppose it is an entrepreneurial endeavor on their part which should be applauded. In St. Lucia, the boat boys ventured quite far out to greet arriving yachts and then accompanied them in like Remoras attached to a shark.

So now we are officially entered into Bequia. The trip was actually 54.8 miles and took 10 1/2 hours, anchor to anchor. It looks very pleasant but we have not explored at all. We have heard a lot about Bequia from Linda's son Daniel; his boat was built here and he has spent quite a bit of time here. So we are anticipating enjoying it immensely.

Do let us hear from you -- Our best to all - Linda and Phil

December 23, 2002

After a day spent checking in with US Customs & Immigration, doing e-mail and making a grocery run, we moved to Francis Bay towards the Northwest end of St. John where it is much more quiet and peaceful than Cruz Bay and less rolly than Caneel Bay where we had been moored. We caught up on sleep, cleaned up the boat, relaxed and adjusted to the heat and humidity (sorry all you U.S. East Coast winter people). Phil took the shuttle into Cruz Bay to collect a package sent by a friend -- a replacement for a defunct Mac G-3. We took an interesting early morning bird walk with one of the National Park rangers. Linda's nephew Guy joined us on Saturday for a sail. I think he had not been sailing since the last time we took him, and had not been out on a boat for 6 months so he was very happy, and it was delightful to have a leisurely visit with him. We enjoyed the sailing too -- it was a beautiful day and a lovely sail. We concluded it with super hamburgers at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay. (Guy had a car!)

We were hoping our friend David would return from his Thanksgiving in St. Croix so we could reunion with him also. We decided to spend a few days of the waiting in the British Virgin Islands. Partly we wanted to see some of the Gorda Sound anchorages we had missed because of our broken strut problems in the spring of 2001 and partly we wanted to stock up on Phil's Scotch which is cheaper in the BVI than anyplace down islands. So we headed for Road Town, Tortola. The first time we tried this, the wind was so strong that we just tucked into Waterlemon Bay on St. John rather than punish ourselves. We had a lovely snorkel around Waterlemon Cay and a quiet evening. The next day we did finally make it all the way to Road Town. Linda went to the market while Phil dealt with Customs and Immigration. Unfortunately, it got late enough that we had to spend the night anchored in Road Harbour -- very, very rolly! But the next day we had a most pleasant sail to Virgin Gorda and into Gorda Sound. We anchored in Drake's Anchorage just off a now closed resort and in Robin's Bay -- so protected we had mosquitos and no charging from the windmills. On Tuesday, 12/17, we anchored off 'The Baths' at Virgin Gorda, an obligatory tourist site. The Baths are a collection of large granite boulders which form shallow pools and cave- like spaces. They look sort of like a giant had been playing some kind of game and just left all the pieces strewn around. The snorkeling there was also quite nice. From there we sailed to Cooper Island, another of the little islands south of Tortola, the largest of the BVI's. Wednesday we sailed to the West End of Tortola, had a nice lunch at Pusser's, checked out with Customs and returned to Francis Bay on St. John.

The weather had become most unusual -- there was almost NO wind. Well, maybe 1-2 knots, gusting to 4. Most unusual for the trade wind area. But the forecast was for a front to move off the U.S. East Coast and bring the winds back and from the Northeast by Friday. Our intention was to go to Martinique which means going Southeast. The tradewinds are normally out of the Southeast so anything North of East would be a good time for us to go. David was heading for St. John so we arranged to meet him in Hurricane Hole on the Southeast corner of St. John. It is one of our -- and his -- favorite spots and would be the best point of departure for Martinique. So after a stop in Cruz Bay to collect a package, check e-mail and go to the market we powered around to Water Creek in Hurricane Hole. We had a delightful visit with David with the 3 of us having a steak dinner on Antara -- having a freezer is a wonderful thing!

Friday morning there was wind and it was, as predicted, a bit North of East so by 8 a.m. we were headed for Martinique. The winds increased during the day and into the night, and we had a fairly bumpy ride from a sea cluttered with wind waves, the rough sailing exacerbated during the night by not having taken a reef in the main. But now, about 3 p.m. on Saturday, the wind has both clocked around to the more usual Southeast and has diminished again. I guess the effects of that front from the U.S. just haven't made it this far south. So we are powering, but we are over half way there and it certainly is a flatter more comfortable ride.

The wind eventually returned and miraculously was again North of East. And then it died and then returned, etc., etc., etc. So we sailed and powered and sailed and powered. Late Sunday we fired up the engine and just turned towards Martinique, now visible in the distance but also straight up wind. But we were tired and wanted to be out of the wind and waves. The sea was very bumpy and confused. The Atlantic waves seem much more regular than in the Caribbean, Phil thinks it is because the Caribbean has Atlantic swells being funneled between islands then interfering with each other as they spread out, plus wind waves doing something else. At any rate, when going into it, it is quite uncomfortable.

At just after 10 p.m. we dropped anchor in Grande Anse d'Arlet, Martinique. We knew this harbour to be open and without reefs so coming in at night was not unthinkable. We did 324 miles in 62 hours for an average of just over 5 knots -- not too bad considering that we were going into the wind and the sea. We are about 20 miles from Marin, our final destination, but we have had showers, a good night's sleep and a good hot breakfast. We look forward to heading to Marin later this morning to check in to France, do laundry, shed trash, do e-mail and visit friends.It is hard to believe sitting here in the warm sun and gentle breeze that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We hope that all of you have a peaceful and happy holiday with your family and friends. I am sure we will find friends to share the day with as well. Do be in touch and let us hear from you --

All the best -- Linda and Phil

December 02, 2002

Once again the weather determined our plans. Yet another front came rolling off the U.S. East Coast, pinned us down in Bermuda and chased us over to St. David's for shelter. But we have checked in with Herb who tells us that Sunday, 11/24, should give us a good departure window. We are all ready to leave so we hope so! The winds are predicted to be out of the Northwest after the front passes so that would be a lovely start for our voyage off to the South.

We checked out of Bermuda Saturday afternoon, in spite of a reluctant Customs lady. Bermuda considers flare pistols (used to launch a signal flare if one is in distress) to be weapons. They are taken upon arrival and held in bond by Customs. She said that she could not give us our flare pistol back unless we were leaving the island immediately. We finally convinced her that we were going directly to the boat and would not return to land so she relented. Sunday morning (11/24) at 8 a.m. we were underway, bound for St. John, USVI. We had the proverbial fair winds and following seas -- almost. The seas were actually our old nemesis quartering seas so we hand steered for a while, but the seas diminished and Otto (our Autohelm) took over. The winds gradually diminished too so now (2:30 a.m. on Monday) we are motoring with virtually no wind. Herb has predicted a light wind passage for us, but this is lighter than we need! At least enough wind to sail would be delightful!

Our night of motoring finally ended a bit before Noon on Monday. And the winds continued to pick up during the afternoon -- we really did have fair winds and a following sea! On Monday we ended up having done 128 miles Noon to Noon -- not bad considering the light winds. And now (1:30 a.m., Tuesday, 11/26) we are romping down the rhumb line at 7-8 knots +/-, the wind is 12-18 knots on our beam, the moon and stars are bright and all is well. (The rhumb line is the straight line course to where you want to go.) We had one longtail visit us today, doing its usual trick of circling round and round the mast looking as if it would land, but never doing so. But we have seen no other birds, no flying fish and no dolphins or whales. Guess all the wildlife has already made its way to the Caribbean. But perhaps we shouldn't wish for dolphins -- a cruising friend in Bermuda said that every time they have a visit from dolphins, they get bad weather within 24 hours!

I hardly dare proclaim what a lovely day we have had for fear that the gods of wind and seas will hear and spoil it all. But we have had a lovely day. We have sailed happily down the rhumb line with 15 knots +/- of wind doing 6-7 knots for most of the day. Now (2:00 a.m. Wednesday, 11/27) we are at 26 degrees 5' N, 64 degrees 33' W -- 376 miles from Bermuda and 466 miles from St. John. (St. John is at 18 degrees 20'N, 64 degrees 46' W.) We should pass the halfway point sometime tomorrow. The wind has dropped a bit -- but the seas are down too -- but we are still doing about 6 knots. The forecast is for the wind to decrease even further so perhaps this won't last, but it sure is nice while we have it.

We think our rebedding of the port has cured our worst leak. The places where most of the water appeared are dry. We haven't had as much water on deck as we did going to Bermuda, but there has been enough that we are feeling we can declare victory. Now to do all the remaining ports! (Editor's note -- we do still have a small amount of leakage, but we think it is from an undone port.)

We are now past the halfway point -- 444 miles from Bermuda, 400 miles to St. John (in a straight line) at about 1 a.m. Thursday. And we still have wind! It is not from a perfect direction so we are going Southeast instead of South, but it is supposed to come from the Southeast when we are closer to St. John so we can go West then. We will celebrate Thanksgiving today with turkey sandwiches in the sunshine -- Happy Thanksgiving to all!Tillie, the tiller pilot that connects to the vane of Lizzie the Monitor, has been doing a fine job of steering while using minimal power, unlike Otto the electron eating Autohelm. We have decided that such a useful and faithful crew member needs a more formal, dignified name than just Tillie. So her full name has been officially made Matilda Elizabeth -- sounds much more impressive, doesn't it?

We had a fine Thanksgiving feast -- turkey with cornbread stuffing, apple pie and a recent vintage of 'bateau de-sal'. You might have looked at the plates and thought turkey sandwich, Fritos, an apple and desalinated seawater, but that would just show your lack of imagination!

We continue to sail happily along, albeit not exactly in the direction we want. But the wind is supposed to go to the Southeast tomorrow and we will be able to head South or Southwest which is what we need now. We are now ( 1:00 a.m., Friday, 11/29) at 23 degrees 10'N, 62 degrees 35'W. We have sailed 621 miles and are 315 miles from St. John. The wind and the sea are down some, but that is OK as it is a more comfortable ride -- one doesn't feel like a mountain climber when moving about the boat. And we are still sailing, and a lovely sail it is too.

The wind and sea being down 'some' has progressed to being flat! Unfortunately, we are now under power with no wind. But we cannot really complain after 5 straight days of fine sailing! And the wind is predicted to come back in the morning and even from a direction that should get us where we want to go. We are now (12:30 a.m., Saturday, 11/30) at 21 degrees 49' N, 62 degrees 53' W, about 235 miles from St. John. We expect to arrive sometime Sunday -- being stopped and stationary will be delightful!

We were visited today by some birds that we think were petrels of some sort. They were about robin sized and flew around the boat, apparently playing in the turbulence off the sails. We would happily have given them a ride, but they had no interest in landing -- or in eating the Fritos we threw as an offering. Today, Saturday, 11/30, is probably our last full day on this passage. If Linda's brother were with us, he would be saying, "It doesn't get any better than this!" And he would be right! The day started with a short rainfall at about 7:30 -- just enough to rinse the salt off the dodger windows and to provide a very large, partly double rainbow. Then the sun returned and with it the wind. By about 9:00 a.m. we were sailing happily along in 15 knots of Southeast wind doing 6.5-7.5 knots under a clear blue sky with a few puffy clouds, on a sea with 2-4' swells and the deep intense blue only seen on this side of the Gulf Stream. The flying fish were skimming just above the surface, and an Audubon's Shearwater gave us a brief fly-by visit. Other than a night of uninterrupted sleep, we couldn't ask for anything more.

Stationary! Wow -- does this ever feel nice! At 5:00 p.m. we picked up a mooring in Francis Bay on the Northeast corner of St. John. We willcheck in tomorrow -- it is Sunday, after all. We have done a very modest amount of tidying, had a swim/shower, enjoyed a drink accompanied by crackers and cheese, and are about to revel in a night of uninterrupted sleep. Wonderful!

The passage was perfectly lovely. We sailed all but two nights which were dead calm, plus this afternoon when the batteries were even lower than the wind. We sailed 974 miles in 177 hours (7 days, 9 hours) for an average speed of 5.5 knots. (That 974 miles is the distance we sailed, not the straight line distance from Bermuda to St. John.) Our only damages were that Phil lost a button off his shorts -- but we DO have the button. Phil did do a few repairs en route -- he re-primed the refrigeration pump, twice unstuck Tillie's arm, changed a light bulb and changed the engine oil. We feel most fortunate and blessed to have had such an easy passage -- all the way from Massachusetts as the Mass-Bermuda leg was fine also. Herb gave us great weather advice and the sea gods were very kind to us. We may not have had a very traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, but we certainly have much to be thankful for.Our love and best wishes to all of you --

Please let us hear from you -- Linda and Phil -- S/V Antara

November 19, 2002

Our first few days in Bermuda have been reasonably productive and quite social. We were welcomed to Bermuda by Bernie Oatley, a friend, familiar face and St. George's dockmaster. After checking in on Sunday, 10/27, with Customs and Immigration, we went out to anchor, tidied up only as much as absolutely necessary and went to sleep -- delicious! Monday we went ashore. We greeted some Bermuda friends, introduced ourselves to the crew of Aeolus III, a boat we had been in radio contact with all the way from Massachusetts, downloaded e-mail and (Linda) did 4 loads of laundry. We were invited for dinner on board Aeolus III -- a very pleasant evening. On Tuesday Linda restored order to the interior of the boat -- notice there is nothing in that statement about cleaning! And Phil dinghied around the harbor inviting folks to an Aeolus III sponsored pot luck for Tuesday night and asking whether anyone wanted to join in getting a truck load of duty- free fuel. (Having it be duty-free reduces the cost by about 50% but a large quantity is required to justify a truck-load!) He discovered that a 100' sailboat had already arranged for 500 gallons so the rest of us could just add on to their quantity and tag along with them. Tuesday evening's pot luck was a most pleasant get-together of about 10 boats plus Alabama, the St. George's town drunk -- a local institution. Then Wednesday was devoted to actually getting our duty-free fuel, and napping after our two consecutive very social evenings. A front is passing North of Bermuda so we are now just hanging out on board and being lazy while it blows itself out. Maybe I will even get around to cleaning!The winds and occasional rain have continued as various fronts roll off the U.S. East Coast and go North of Bermuda, but at east they are now from the Northwest, a much more comfortable direction for St. George's Harbor. Being pinned down by weather did give me ample time to clean the boat -- finally! It has only needed it since before we left Maine. But now it is clean and shiny -- even cleaned the oven!

We are now the happy owners of a cruising guide to Bermuda. The guide was first written in the late 1970's. A second edition omitted much of the most useful information, but now both of them are out of print and almost impossible to find. The owner of a bookstore here has been searching for copies for several years without success. But our friend Don has just sold his boat and offered us his copy. We accepted gladly and traded by giving him some paper for his newly acquired barograph. On Saturday, 11/2, we went up to Bermuda Harbour Radio for a tour of their facility. They are located in Fort George, the first fort built in Bermuda, on top of the highest hill in the area. They are, as one cruiser described them, like Air Traffic Control for Bermuda's harbours and all the surrounding waters. All boats entering or leaving Bermuda check with them as do most boats passing by without stopping. They coordinate Search and Rescue and broadcast the weather and navigational warnings. They are also the nicest, most polite people one could imagine. We have heard them pass on telephone messages, call for taxis to meet people at the customs dock, give incoming boats their course to the next buoy and direct them to customs after they enter the harbour and on and on. The facility has large displays for the 2 radars which scan the surrounding waters, multiple VHF and SSB radios, lots of weather instrumentation, a large number of PC's each devoted to a single purpose and, of course, a 360 degree view that goes forever. The facility is normally staffed by one person with others added if it is particularly busy. It was most interesting to see it after having talked to them so many times, and Danny Little, our guide, had lots of interesting anecdotes too.

We had a few days to get a few chores done. We took down the genoa and repaired what we had thought was a rip in the sun protection edging, but turned out to be just an opened up seam. But we were very responsible people and at 7:00 a.m. when it was dead calm, we rousted ourselves out of bed to get the sail down in zero wind! Phil even got the repairs done quickly enough that it was still light wind when we put it back up. He also did some repairs to the cockpit enclosure. And since the sewing machine was already out, Linda got inspired to start on the cushion slip covers project. Notice that is just start -- not complete yet.

Today, 11/6, the forecast is for winds to get to 35-40 knots from the Southwest during the night. So we have moved over to St. David's which provides much more protection. We anchored in St. David's a year ago when Hurricane Michelle was going south of Bermuda. At least this time we knew how to get ourselves in here -- last year a friend led us around reefs, islands and other assorted obstacles. So we sit here with the wind howling but happy not to be in more exposed St. George's where there would also be much more sea.

Hiding in St. David's was a very good move. We were told that there were 3 foot seas in St. George's Harbour -- must not have been very pleasant. But now the wind is down and from a better direction so we are comfortable being back in St. George's.

Yesterday, 11/10, we took an excursion to Gibb's Hill Lighthouse. The lighthouse is 117' tall and is on a 245' high hill on the south coast. Even small boats can see it from 25 or more miles away. Gibb's Hill has been used as a location for signals since the 18th century. Initially there was opposition to erecting a lighthouse because they did not want to provide the French with easy access to the islands. But the continuing loss of ships on the reefs around Bermuda finally persuaded the government of the necessity of a light. The structure is one of the few cast iron lighthouses and was constructed in England, shipped over and erected at Gibb's Hill. It was put into service on May 1, 1846. Its operation is now automated, but originally the keepers were responsible for both tending the flame, which burned first whale oil then later kerosene, and for winding (every half hour!) the grandfather clock-like mechanism which revolved the lens. The present lens is a large Fresnel lens installed in 1904, replacing one which was a series of mirrors.

The reward for climbing the 185 steps to the top is an up close and personal view of the lens and the original turning mechanism as well as, of course, a dynamite view of the islands. (We will tryo to send a photo of the lens with this installment. After surviving the climb up and down, we went down the road to The Reefs, a fancy tourist hotel where they were providing a full English tea -- for free. One hotel is designated to do this each Sunday during the winter. It was interesting to see the 'tourist hotel' side of Bermuda and certainly worth the price we paid!

We finally investigated one of the starboard portholes as a possible source of our persistent leak when on passage. Although there were no external signs of a leak, it was in the right place to account for the water coming in. When we took the port out, the surounding sidewalls were VERY wet! Maybe we found it! Any non-boat people have to understand that this short desciption does not do justice to the effort involved. After taking all the screws out and working the fixture free, there then follows a couple of days worth of time scraping off the old caulking and getting everything back to a clean surface. Caulking is designed to stay where it is put, and even when it is no longer totally doing its job, it still wants to stay where it is put! Just when all the scraping was done, another front was coming through so we went back to St. David's to hide again. Less wind this time, but still good to be there. Weather-wise, we could leave tomorrow, 11/15 (except that any superstitious sailors would say it is bad luck to start a passage on a Friday.) But going off on a 8-900 mile passage with a missing porthole does not seem like a smart move! So we won't leave until next week.

However, staying has given us an additional benefit. Our friends Jack and Laurie who visited us in Deer Isle last summer arrived in Bermuda today, 11/14, from North Carolina. It was their first real passage; they had some very rough weather and came in with a shredded jib -- but they came in safe and sound. It was a pleasure to be on the dock for them, take their lines and welcome them to Bermuda. After they were checked in and had anchored, they came over for a drink which also included dinner. Laurie was ecstatic when I told her I had dinner too -- cooking was not something she was looking forward to right then! The last time we four were togther was at 44 degrees 16' North and now we are all at 32 degrees 22' North -- a long way for all of us in small boats!

We spent some time showing Jack and Laurie where things are in St. George's as well as completing the drying out, epoxying, caulking and cleaning up of the port we removed. If this solves our leak, we will be delighted, but it will also mean that we probably should remove and re-bed the 6 undone ones! On Saturday, 11/16, another front was going to come through bringing high winds from the Southwest so back we went to St. David's. Besides giving shelter, this also gave us a chance to show Jack and Laurie how to get over there without acquiring local knowledge of where the reefs and rocks are. They will be here for a while awaiting a new sail so may need the better shelter again sometime.

Today, 11/19, we will go back to St. George's and prepare to leave sometime in the next couple of days. We will re-provision, mostly with fresh fruit and vegetables, do e-mail, perhaps some laundry, look at the 4 day weather charts posted at Customs and talk to Herb tonight. So our next account should include the tale of what we hope will be a relatively easy passage. But one never knows! We hope all of you are well. We assume you are looking forward to Thanksgiving with family and friends -- we will probably spend the holiday approaching the Virgin Islands!

Our best to all -- let us hear from you -- Linda and Phil S/V Antara

October 28, 2002

Well, the best laid plans of sailors are often messed up by the weather. Saturday or Sunday for a departure? Didn't happen! We were on board and ready to go, but the weather rolling off the East Coast would have given us gale conditions in the Gulfstream -- not something to volunteer for! So we wait. Locally the weather is lovely, if distinctly autumnal. Yesterday it was blowing a gale (a gale is defined as sustained winds of 35 knots), but today (Sun., 10/20) was delightful with wind from the Northwest. That meant we could move down Buzzard's Bay without the prevailing Southwest wind right on our nose. So after one last trip ashore for Phil to download some software, we had a lovely 6-7 knot romp down Buzzard's Bay to Cuttyhunk, the southwestern-most of the Elizabeth Islands which trail off of Massachusetts from Wood's Hole and form the boundary between Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound. It is a very special place and a great favorite of ours so not a hardship to be here. Friends on another Passport are anchored right next to us and will come for breakfast tomorrow. Herb has advised us that waiting until Tuesday morning to leave will diminish greatly the Northeast winds when we are in the Gulfstream -- worth waiting for. So we anticipate a lovely fall day on Cuttyhunk -- life could be a lot worse!!At about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 10/22 we finally headed off to Bermuda. It was a lovely, clear, sunny day -- but with almost no wind. So we powered. But the wind is supposed to pick up tomorrow and be reasonable all the way to Bermuda. Tonight Phil had to change course to avoid a supertanker. He estimated it was about 1400 feet long, and it only took 25 minutes to move from horizon to horizon. Makes one aware of the need for keeping a good watch.

It is now almost midnight, Wednesday, 10/23, and we just entered the Gulf Stream -- hooray! All day today we had about 2 knots of current against us -- a real bummer! We were powering until about 5p.m. when finally the wind came up -- and came up nice and strong. We were sailing at 7 knots or more through the water -- but the adverse current meant we were only doing 5 or so over the ground. But now that we are in the Gulf Stream, we get a helpful current. We are in a 'meander' which is a bulge that goes south and then loops back north. So we pick up the south going part and get a boost of 1-2 knots. We will accept it happily!

Thursday, 10/24 at noon we had gone 280 miles -- about 350 to go. We are pushing hard to try to arrive in Bermuda before a storm forecast for Sunday night -- ah, the North Atlantic in autumn is a wondrous place! We have wind, but not much so we are motor sailing at the moment. That keeps our speed up, but it also keeps the noise level up. Last night the combination of strong winds right on our stern and large, confused seas on our quarter (the corner where the side of the boat meets the stern) meant that the Autohelm had real trouble holding the boat on course and preventing the main from jibing. So we were hand steering -- yuck! Sailing down wind is difficult for the helmsperson so we each did just an hour at a time. We made it OK, but it sure didn't give either of us much sleep. Wind and seas settled down in the morning so "Otto" the Autohelm has taken over and Phil and I have been alternating naps throughout the day.

We had a lovely encounter with a big freighter today. We were in the Gulf Stream and had just changed course. Otto was adjusting into the new course and 'learning' the sea state. This means that we were doing a somewhat erratic, less than straight line course for a few minutes. A large freighter changed course to come closer to us and blasted his horn a couple of times. We called him on the radio; he had been concerned and came over to be sure we were on board and OK. He steamed off after being assured that we were fine -- and thanked vigorously for his concern. Too bad it was Phil on the radio and not me -- I could have just explained that the boat had the proverbial 'woman driver.'

It is now Saturday, 2:30 a.m., and we have gone about 550 miles. We are at 33 degrees 58' North, 66 degrees 4' West. (Bermuda is 32 degrees 23' North, 64 degrees 39' West.) We have about 120 miles to go so should arrive sometime tomorrow night. Earlier today we were motor sailing, but the winds have picked up so we have been sailing -- no motor -- since late this afternoon -- much quieter and more pleasant. This afternoon we were visited by 2 white tropicbirds, known in Bermuda as longtails. They nest in the cliffs on the south coast of Bermuda and are a symbol of the islands. We have noticed before that they fly around and around the boat, looking like they are going to land on the masthead, but they never do so. Maybe they think the sail is a cliff in which to nest? We have also seen shearwaters and one unfortunate flying fish landed on deck, but no other wildlife. We need some dolphins so we know it is a real passage!

This has been a very gray passage -- a lot of cloud cover and not much blue sky and sunshine. It is much warmer now that we are South of the stream but not sunny. We are hoping tomorrow will be sunnier and even warmer as we both need a shower before arriving!

Saturday was not the fun part of this sailing game! By early Saturday morning we were approaching a low pressure trough which stretched from near Bermuda to Newport, RI. We spent the day in winds of 25-30 knots and seas of 8-12 feet. Just to make it as uncomfortable as possible, the wind was on our nose so we were beating into it and the seas were confused, not nice even swells. The intermittent rain wasn't a problem because we have the cockpit covered. But there was plenty of water in places where we didn't want it, and the day was generally pretty miserable! But, as accurately predicted by Herb, we reached the frontal boundary by about 7 p.m. The winds moderated and clocked around to the Southwest -- wow! Was that ever a welcome change! Now (11 p.m. Saturday, 10/26) we are at 32 degrees 33' North, 66 degrees 4' West or about 60 miles from the Southwest end of Bermuda. The wind is 15-20 knots and just aft of abeam. The moon and stars are out and earlier this evening Phil saw what he says is the most spectacular meteor he has ever seen -- bright enough to have cast a shadow had the moon not been shining brightly. Phil also had a visit from a shearwater who happily ate 3 Triscuits tossed to him by an obliging captain.

We have on this passage a new crew member -- or maybe it is a new toy -- "Tillie" the Tiller pilot. Phil had the tiller pilot on Colleen, his previous boat. A tiller pilot is an electronic device to steer a boat which uses a tiller as opposed to a wheel. Antara is steered by a wheel. However, we had read about using a tiller pilot to push on a stub paddle in the Monitor windvane self-steering. The major advantage of doing that rather than just using Otto the Autohelm is power consumption. Because the Monitor, which uses no power, is providing the force to steer the boat, Tillie uses power measured in milliamps whereas Otto uses as much as 12 amps. And using Tillie rather than just using the wind vane paddles in the Monitor gives a much steadier course in many conditions. Phil has not yet fully configured Tillie to connect to the GPS and steer for a waypoint as Otto will do, but that can and will be done. Now if just one of these would steer in large quartering seas!

All that stuff about how terrific conditions were was a bit premature! As we continued on we encountered another front -- this time a cold front. From peaceful conditions one moment, I (Linda) was suddenly at the wheel with gusts to 35 and a wind shift from Southwest to Northwest! But this could still carry us Southeast which was what we needed, so when things settled down, we were still headed for Bermuda. At about 8 a.m., Linda the helmsperson shouted 'Land Ho!' as Bermuda revealed itself on the horizon! (Yes, 'Land Ho' exists outside of 18th and 19th century seafaring novels.) We continued on along the south coast of Bermuda -- with Linda having a MUCH needed shower along the way. We arrived in St. George's at about 1 p.m. Sunday. We sailed about 700 miles in about 125 hours for an average speed of about 5.6 knots. Not exactly expressway speed but we are happy with it. We have cleaned up -- minimally -- had a snack and a drink and are about to go to sleep, waking up whenever. The air is warm and soft here and the kiskadees were chattering as we came through Town Cut. It is all very much OK with us!

Our best to all. Do let us hear from you -- Phil and Linda

S/V Antara

October 18, 2002

We did have a trip up to Marshfield by U-Haul truck. At least this truck was smaller and easier to drive than the one for collecting our stuff from the storage warehouse. We spent a night up there and during the 2 days we were there we edited everything left in the attic and barn, moving what was to be saved back to the garage in Deer Isle. We also had the realtor arrange to have someone come in to haul off all the remaining stuff so the house is now empty. We arranged for a few repairs to be done and Phil agreed to sell all 17 acres of land with the house so perhaps all those things will make it more attractive to a buyer. Linda went to Bangor a couple of times searching for and finally buying fabric for slipcovers for our salon cushions. The pieces all got cut out using the space and the quilting accessories of our neighbor Anita. The actual sewing will be done during quiet Caribbean times.

We had two delightful excursions by power boat with our neighbor Bill Haviland who has a small 'lobster boat.' If you have ever seen Maine lobster boats, you can picture the looks of the boat quite easily. One day he took us on a circumnavigation of Deer Isle so we could look at docks to see what we liked and what might work for us. It was a treat to see Deer Isle from the water -- as well as lots of docks. Bill also took us on his annual inspection of Great Spruce Head Island on behalf of the Nature Conservancy. It is a large-ish and very lovely island and we circum-walked it on a beautiful, sun filled day -- lots of views across the water, through the trees and over rocks and beaches.

As the summer rolled into September and the nights started getting cooler, we began to prepare to head South again. We took some things off the boat to store in the garage, finished re-Cetoling the toe rail and rub rail, completed repairs on the Bow Cat Yacht Club and got the car prepared to be stored in the garage for the winter. Late in the afternoon of September 13 we were ready to go. Since we had a few hours of daylight remaining, we weighed anchor and took off, acknowledged by much horn tooting and arm waving from the Havilands. We anchored at Butter Island for the night and then went on down to Boothbay. After collecting our new cockpit cushions and fitted sheets for the v-berth, we headed for Massachusetts on September 16. We had absolutely NO wind and ended up powering for 25 hours -- yuck! But we made it and were safely riding on a mooring in Mattapoisett by early afternoon on the 17th. On September 19th both of us started on a busy schedule of every sort of doctor appointment one can imagine. We now have new glasses, clean teeth and generally acceptable reports on our health. We had Antara hauled in Mattapoisett both for a survey required for insurance purposes and to repair some damage done when we got 'up close and personal' with a Maine rock. While Antara was hauled, Linda spent a week in New Haven being Grandma! What a treat! Miriam is doing well and both boys are terrific. Her life is not easy, but she is healthier and happier all the time and is clearly headed in the right direction. Linda had a wonderful time being with Yaakov and Rafi! I had them for a whole day while Miriam took care of some legal business in NY State. We went to the Natural History Museum, stopped at the Fire House and had pizza for lunch. I even got them both settled down for a nap in their own beds -- much to the amazement and delight of Miriam. I guess those mothering skills don't totally evaporate! I returned having happily missed living on the boat on the hard, but unhappily carrying a nasty cold for both of us as a present from my grandchildren. Phil flew to Washington for a weekend to visit his father. Ezra is doing well and seems to benefit greatly from having 24 hour live-in care.

Linda started doing a major provisioning. All you land-livers think that just means going to the grocery store. However, that is only the first step. It is first the grocery store, then get everything from car to launch, then taken out to the boat and on board, then mark all the cans with contents and date, then stow it all. It is a very long process! But it did finally get done.

We have had some awful weather here -- bad enough that we stayed on land for 3 nights with friends who live here in Mattapoisett. But the weather systems seem to have passed now. We are back on board and tidying up. Friday (10/18) we will get the last minute fresh things, bring our frozen meat on board and be ready to leave either Saturday or Sunday. At least that is the plan at the moment. It seems firm enough that I will get this sent off.

So we are off on another ocean voyage. We are looking forward to Bermuda, to warm air and sunshine. We will send an update after we arrive.

Do let us hear from you --Linda and Phil

August 25, 2002

Let's start with a correction to an earlier report, and an apology. In our May 20 report, we related that we had visited the Lawaetz Family Museum on St. Croix, USVI (correct), the house having been owned by the family since the 1700s (wrong!). We heard from Mr. Roy Lawaetz, who noted that his family has owned the estate since the 1890s. The importance of this is that while the earlier owners may have owned slaves, the Lawaetz family never owned slaves as it was illegal by the time they became owners of this estate. Our sincere apologies to Mr. Lawaetz and his family!

And while we are amending the record, we omitted a description of an incredible sunset en route from Bermuda. The sky was pink and magenta all around us -- 360 degrees of brilliant color! We got no pictures of it as both Phil and I feared we would miss it if we dashed for the camera. We have never seen a sunset more glorious -- or more all-encompassing.With the boost of a good night of sleep after the passage from Bermuda, we embarked on two hectic weeks in Mattapoisett. Linda went to visit her most wonderful grandchildren -- and their mother -- in New Haven, CT for a few days and Phil visited with former colleagues and his brother. When we were both back in Mattapoisett, we started working on a long list of errands -- mostly finding various things needed for life on Antara. Naturally we had near record breaking heat in which to roam around the New Bedford and Fair Haven area. We had one day when we both headed towards Boston. First we both had a visit with our former tenant who is now the master (slave?) of our former cats -- and we got to visit the cats too! Linda visited her former colleagues at Harvard -- a reminder of how lovely it is to not be working but also of what delightful people I was fortunate enough to work with. While in Mattapoisett we had two separate visitors from Phil's former life whom we took sailing. One day we went to Hadley's Harbor and the other to Cuttyhunk. Both are lovely places which were favorite anchorages when we were sailing the Buzzard's Bay area so it was a special treat to see them again -- as well as providing a leisurely visit with friends.

On Sunday morning, 7/7, we left Mattapoisett bound for Maine. We sailed to the Cape Cod Canal and motored through it. But the prediction for Cape Cod Bay of 10 knot winds was off by a factor of 10 -- they were more like 1 knot. So we motored through the day and finally got some wind at about 8 p.m. just beyond Race Point, the end of Cape Cod. So we sailed, albeit slowly, through the ni