Dolce Vita: May 2012

My last blog was short on substance because of shitty Wi-Fi connections for the past month. As such, I quickly uploaded some photos that I thought you might enjoy with little or no background. It is time to correct that failure and put together some text that relates to some of the photos and adventures Maggie and I have had for the past 3 months.

We pulled out of Marathon, Florida on February 15^th and pointed the sails to cross the great Gulf Stream toward the Bahaman Islands. The sail was comfortable and we arrived a day later to check-into the Bahaman islands at Cat Cay. After a one day stop over there we were off to Chub Cay in the Biminis island chain. We pulled anchor at 5:30am and headed across the Great Bahamas banks. We sailed across the bank for more than 10 hours with the depth of water never exceeding more than 12 feet deep. My boat is 5.5 feet deep so we had 4.5 feet or less water under the keel. We would never consider sailing in waters as shallow as this in the Pacific but you better get used to it if you are going sailing in the Caribbean. You also need to get used to going aground. I have set a new personal record for going aground. Fortunately, it is sand so you can back out if you don’t want to wait for higher tide.

Chub Cay was an expensive marina with very few services other than a pleasant white sandy beach. From there we sailed east and anchored off a small island were we found Flo’s café. The food was excellent if you didn’t mind eating by candle light. They did have a generator but the man that operates it was not on site and the women were never shown how to start it so I took it on myself and with their blessings I was able to start it and we had light but no propane so off I go to help them pull the tank up from the dock and replace the empty tank. Now where else have any of us worked so hard to get a dinner and beer that you still had to pay for?

Next stop was Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. We had to stay there for about 8 days as we waited for a weather window but made the best of it by exploring the city and its foods. From there we were off to visit several more islands, each one different but one thing they had in common was their personal beauty. Everyone was friendly, smiling and laughing with welcoming arms to their island. Good luck it finding this spirit as we walk around our own cities and streets.

Next country was the Turks and Cacaos islands. Here we met up with another couple we had met in the Bahamas. The four of us explored Cacaos in a rented car which I refused to drive since they drive on the wrong side of the road. We left Paul and Dianna behind as we sailed to an isolated island in the Turks, with a long beautiful white sand beach to walk on and swim off of. Maggie found a live conch shell so I was able to test my conch hammer and moments later we enjoyed some conch fritters.

The next day we arrived in Dominican Republic having one personal goal; buy a box of Dominican cigars, but while waited for good weather we did find time to do other things. We went on a tour in the hills outside of the marina. The tour’s highlight was sliding down a series of water falls. Now being told this, we assumed we would walk up BESIDE the water falls on a groomed trail and enter the top of the falls to begin our slide down. NO! We had to enter the falls at the bottom and crawl UP through the falls as water cascaded over you. Had there been a lawyer there, he/she would be passing their business cards out with an invitation to call them when you became injured. Fortunately they only had to carry one person off with a sprained ankle.

Next stop was Puerto Rico. I must admit that my expectations were exceeded. We had a great time there in Ponce and Old San Juan while also touring the mountains while driving back to Ponce from San Juan. We also stayed in a five star resort marina which surprisingly was comparatively inexpensive as we sailed toward the Spanish Virgin Islands.

We stopped at Cuebra Island in the Spanish Virgin islands and then onto the American Virgin Islands for two days before arriving in BVI at Jost Van Dyke Island which is a major milestone for me. I know have my own Foxy’s tee shirt. Anybody and everybody who has sailed in the eastern Caribbean, knows about Foxy’s bar and cafe.

What are my plans from here? I hope to be in Granada by the first week in July were I will base myself during this years hurricane season. Between now and then we will be exploring many new islands and countries within the leeward and windward island chain of the Caribbean Islands.

In the mean time I want each of you to not worry, be happy, because everything is going to be alright.