Apr 21
As forecast, the wind picked up overnight and today it is blowing like stink. It's ironic that we are in the protected waters of Simpson Bay Lagoon, but between the wind and the wakes from the constant power boat traffic all day, the water is very choppy. And dinghy ride usually ends up with wet people. We went to shore, downwind, about 11:00. Our first stop was lunch at a Mexican place that has been built out of a couple of old delivery trucks. There are two old, old delivery trucks that house the kitchen, an old container for storage, and a seating area that has been patched together over the years from corrugated steel roofing material and palm fronds. It really is a pretty cool place, despite the description, and we had been told it was very good Mexican food. Barb ordered two beef tacos and I ordered a shrimp burrito. We each got a beer and waited for our food. We were the first customers of the day, so it didn't take too long. The food was excellent, and just enough to fill us without stuffing us.
After lunch, we fetched our second round of laundry from the cleaners. The lady there needs a little lesson in customer service. Nothing extravagant, but maybe a smile and a thank you. We went across the street to the Gourmet Marche and picked up a few essentials. Like rum, Coke, beer, and orange juice. We noticed that the large freezer section had signs on each glass door telling us to not buy any frozen food since the freezers were down. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, there was no frost to be seen on anything in the freezer. Bummer. Not that we wanted anything, but it was a shame to see all that stuff go to waste. I mean, there was ice cream in there for God's sake.
On the way back to the boat we both got soaked. We were both standing up, in an effort to stay dry, but we were going straight into the wind. One particular wave hit the front of the dinghy and splashed way up, and the wind blew it back on both of us and all our stuff. Fortunately, the laundry puts boaters laundry in plastic bags, so that wasn't a problem. And also fortunately, none of the stuff we got at the grocery was particularly bothered by getting wet. But, we were soaked.
I needed to do some serious internet stuff today. Barb didn't want to go anywhere, so I decided to go while I was wet, expecting to get wet again on the way to Jimbo's. It sounds crazy to go out with one's computer when the chances of getting wet are high, but that's why the computer lives in a $100+ Pelican case when it leaves the boat. Pelican cases are waterproof and buoyant to 35 pounds. I have never seriously tested that by dropping it in the water, but it has been splashed a lot with no damage. I got to Jimbo's without any more significant splashing and set up shop. I was there for several hours, doing things like reserving us a car for when we get to NY in May, downloading a new version of Quicken since they make each version quit working after a few years, updating Windows and my anti-virus software, and resolving an issue that was keeping me from getting e-mail though the sat phone.
Barb made us jambalaya for dinner. We both commented that while it tasted great, for some reason the rice didn't seem to have cooked all they way through and was a little crunchy. But the baguette we picked up at the Gourmet Marche was soft and especially tasty with the garlic butter spread we found in Antigua.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 22
We have a four-cup Mr. Coffee aboard for making coffee. I have stopped drinking coffee since I don't care for a hot drink when it is hot outside. So, one day, Barb makes a pot of coffee and drinks one mug, which is half the pot. The next day, she warms the remaining coffee on the stove. Today was a stove day. Barb went to light the stove and it wouldn't light. We were apparently out of propane. Which explains the crunchy rice last night. Apparently we ran out while the jambalaya was simmering and Barb didn't notice when she came back and turned off the burner, that it had already been off. Since I was not dressed yet, Barb used the microwave to warm her coffee and I'll switch the propane tanks later.
We met Mike & Lynn, and Don & Devin at the marina dinghy dock about noon. We walked from there to a restaurant down the street called Lee's. Lee's specializes in seafood, and the specific reason we came here was because Mike & Lynn have had their Wahoo before and loved it. I was mentally ready for seafood until we walked past the grill on the way in and I saw the burgers the guy was cooking. They were big and obviously hand made, not frozen patties. Mike & Lynn had the Wahoo and liked it. Don, Devin and I had burgers, and mine was great. Barb had a nice grilled snapper sandwich that she liked as well.
After lunch, we walked back to the marina complex. I went to Business Point, which is a place to use the internet, send faxes, ship things, get mail delivered to, make plane reservations, etc. One of the services they offer is to arrange for rental cars. I reserved a car for tomorrow so we can drive around for a day. We then went to Jimbo's, where Mike & Lynn needed to do some internet stuff. We had one drink with them and then we headed back to the boat. We have to take a short break before our next bar.
Being Wednesday, tonight is the cruiser's happy hour at the Turtle Pier. We left the boat about 16:50, hoping to be there at 17:00 when happy hour starts, and be able to park our dinghy before there is no more room at the dinghy dock. When we got there, we found the dinghy dock packed already. Fortunately, Mike & Lynn were already there, so we tied our dinghy to theirs and climbed through theirs to the dock. There was a large crowd, but Mike & Lynn had already secured us a table. We enjoyed a couple of hours there visiting with friends. Turtle Pier is literally across the street from the airport terminal. When I walked from the waterside bar towards the street to find the restroom, I noticed a large plane parked across the street where the private jets park. But this was no regular private jet. It was a Boeing 767. I knew Boeing made a 737 model for private/corporate use, but hadn't heard of a private 767. The tail number was P4-MES. A quick Google search revealed that it belongs to Roman Abramovich, who is one of the worlds richest men. He also owns a yacht called Ecstasea which is the 24th largest in the world at 282 feet. We haven't seen that boat here, but maybe he is coming and the plane is waiting to take him away.
When we got back to the boat, I swapped our propane tanks, so Barb could warm up the left over jambalaya. After it had slowly reheated, that crunchy rice was much softer and with the rest of yesterday's baguette it was very good again.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 23
After the nets this morning, we headed to Simpson Bay Marina to pick up our car. The Business Point arranged it for us, and I assumed that we would pick the car up there. Bad assumption. The rental company sends a driver to pick up the customers and take them back to their lot where the cars are. Our pick-up was supposed to be at 09:00, but he didn't get there until 09:30. He took us to the rental place, where we dealt with a typical island scene. I walked into the office, where there was nobody present. After several minutes, a lady who had been in the parking lot having a conversation with somebody came in. She was the clerk, but she was not concerned about the new customer waiting for her. The first thing she asked was do we have a reservation. I said I had arranged for the car yesterday through Business Point. She asked to see my reservation paperwork. I didn't have any paperwork. So, she asked me the rate they quoted. I said it was $25 for the rental, and $12 for insurance. She gave me a look and said they didn't rent anything for $25/day. I was politely insistent and said that was not only what we were quoted, but what was being advertised on the morning radio net. After making me say $25 three times, she started to fill out paperwork and wrote $25 on it. While she was filling out the paperwork, in her best island-time speed, "the boss" came in. He looked to me and said "Mr. Mooney?". I acknowledged that and he blew through and into his office. He came right back out with a printout of our reservation, which he gave to the girl behind the desk. She looked at me and said "See, you did have a reservation". As if I knew this paper had been printed out in their office. I did my best to keep smiling and waiting as the tedious process of completing the paperwork took it's course. Eventually, we were all done, except we still didn't have the car. As if it were an afterthought, the girl picked up a small plastic bucket of keys and we all went out to the parking lot. She said to wait at the front door while she got a car. She drove up in a Hyundai Getz. Getz means if you see something larger than a motorcycle coming at you, you better getz your butt out of the way. We quickly documented all the scratches and dings already on the car, as if they could possibly notice if we added a couple. And then we were on our way.
We don't really have a plan for the day, other than get out and about. We headed for Philipsburg, with a first stop at the Grand Marche. Mike & Lynn needed a couple of things, and we got some more rum. We continued into Philipsburg, where we made a stop at Rima, a large beachwear, and souvenir store. Mike & I stayed in the car since we parked blocking a driveway, while the ladies went inside. They came back empty handed and we moved on.
We drove north past Oyster Pond towards Quarter D'Orleans. We stopped at Oyster Pond long enough to take a picture. The condos in the picture are where my brother owns a few timeshares. Since I was last here two years ago, they have torn down a couple of the oldest buildings and built a new tower. Between Oyster Pond and Quarter D'Orleans it started to rain. We could see the squall coming across the water before it hit us and laughed about being glad we weren't on one of the sailboats we could see out on the water. The wind was howling, and the rain was coming down in sheets. We were almost in Quarter D'Orleans, approaching a bend in the road to the right, when a car came flying around the turn in the middle of the road. I instinctively slammed on the brakes, but as soon as I did our front wheels locked (I guess anti-lock brakes are too much to ask for on a Hyundai Getz) and we went straight instead of turning away from the oncoming car. Somehow, also instinctively, I took my foot off the brakes so I would get steering back. I'm pretty sure you couldn't have passed a piece of paper between the two cars, but we didn't touch. It was one of those deals where as soon as it was over, the blood drains from your body and your legs become rubber. We laughed afterwards about being real glad we spent the extra $12 for the insurance. We continued on to Grand Case where we thought we might stop for a beer. We turned off the main road and onto a small street that brings you into the middle of Grand Case. A couple of blocks up this street, there is a Y in the road. We were following an SUV who appeared to be taking the left option when we came to the Y. As we were about to take the right option, the SUV slammed on it's brakes. I did a quick dodge to the right, where I was going anywhere, and remarked about how we dodged two bullets within five minutes of each other. I don't know if the SUV stopped because of the pedestrian he was about to run down, or that he decided he should have gone the other way, but in either case, I missed him.
By now, I was ready for a beer. We found parking on the main street of Grand Case, which you only do when it's a dead time. We walked back a block to the Zen Bar, where we had been a couple of weeks ago. While we were in Grand Case, about twenty dinghies all single file came from the south. They were rentals driven by tourists and led by two larger boats. When they got to the bay, the larger boats anchored and the dinghies all rafted to them. Everybody then jumped in the water and snorkeled or came to the beach. Wait till those tourists find out how hard it is to climb back in a dinghy from the water. We had a couple of beers here and then went back to the car. Our next stop was Friar's Bay. We drove to the end of the dirt road and parked. There are two bar/restaurants here, but neither grabbed our fancy, especially since both had guys who came out to the water's edge where we were walking and tried to hustle us in for a couple of chairs and an umbrella. We walked the length of the small beach and back and decided to move on.
The next town was Marigot, where we made a quick stop at a grocery. Yes, we were just at a grocery a couple hours ago, but we wanted a French grocery. In Martinique, we bought French toilet paper. The brand name is DouDou. You can make all sorts of jokes about the name, but it was excellent toilet paper. Soft, strong, and perfectly perforated. You would have to experience some of the crap we have bought to appreciate how nice it is to find great toilet paper. Unfortunately, while just about every product in the store came from France, the did not carry DouDou. Alas, we got a couple of rolls of Scott's from the US. There were a lot more cool things in this store, which we may have to visit again before we head back to Antigua.
Our next stop was our planned lunch stop. Mike & Lynn had been to a place in Maho Bay called the Kissing Fish. It was inside a resort, but open to the public. We parked and walked in only to find that the bar and restaurant have obviously closed. The resort in general looked a little long in the tooth. Our next option for food, as it now was about 13:45, was Sunset Bar & Grill. We got there just in time. Today we were treated to two 747's and an A-340. We ordered lunch and for a change I didn't have a burger. I had the tuna sandwich like I did here two weeks ago. Lynn also ordered the tuna, and I think they mixed up my rare with her medium. It was still pretty good though. We decided to walk to the Driftwood Bar on the other side of the runway and have another drink before leaving. As we walked across the path of the planes, we saw the second 747 coming. Mike & I stood directly under it as it landed. Landings don't give you the life threatening blast that takeoffs do, so it was pretty cool. When a big plane lands here, it has to turn around at the end of the runway and taxi back up the runway to turn in to the terminal area. I got a picture of the KLM 747 taxiing west, as a US Airways 757 rolls to takeoff to the east. Not too unusual until you see the little six person island hopper zipping out between them to takeoff before the 757. While we were at the Driftwood Bar we saw the A-340 take off. I also got a good rum punch which was made from: Grenadine, Angostura Bitters, Brugal rum (Dominican Republic), Myers rum (Jamaica), Capt. Morgan rum (Puerto Rico), Malibu rum (Puerto Rico), Mount Gay rum (Barbados), pineapple juice, orange juice, and cranberry juice. Since each drink was made from scratch instead of a pre-mix, each one was a little different. I liked it.
As we walked back across the end of the runway to get the car, we saw the second 747 was going to leave. So, after we were out of the way, we waited and watched as it left. I will just never get tired of watching 747's take off and land, especially this close. They just defy the laws of physics for a regular guy. Once the flight left, we headed for the Yacht Club. We had been watching planes come and go and now it was time to watch boats. We got there before the 17:30 inbound opening, despite the heavy traffic. At 17:30 the bridge opened and we saw a few boats come in, including two big sailboats. We also ran into several other cruisers we know.
Our last stop for the day is Simpson Bay Marina. This is where we'll park the car overnight, and it's where we left our dinghies. We brought Barb's computer with us today as she needs to call AJ, her son, and do some updates on her computer. We had a couple of drinks and a couple of appetizers for dinner before heading back to the boat.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 24
Early this morning we were treated to a special bridge opening. Limitless, a large mega yacht that has been here since before we were left. Limitless is owned by Les Wexner who owns The Limited clothing stores and Victoria's Secret. Rumor has it that the widening of the channel and bridge into the lagoon ten years ago was paid for by Wexner so that Limitless could get in. Limitless started to leave her slip about 08:00, and the bridge opened. After a couple of minutes the captain called the bridge and told him to close and let the traffic clear because it was going to be ten minutes or more before they got their anchors up and were ready to go. The bridge closed, and then about ten minutes later they called and said they were ready to go. The bridge opened and they slid through. I would have liked to have been at the Yacht Club to watch that one. To get a private opening of the bridge requires twenty-four hours notice, and about $1000. I guess to a boat like Limitless, that's no big deal. Or maybe they get a discount if they really paid for the bridge.
After the nets this morning I went to return the car. I was almost out of gas in the dinghy, so I took it slow and got to the marina without running out. I got in the car and needed to get gas before returning it. I almost went to the Shell station near the anchorage, but it occurred to me that I might get stuck waiting when the bridge opens at 09:30, so I went the other way instead. I got the gas and took the car back to the rental place. The return process was as slow and painful as the pick up. First the lady couldn't find her copy of the paperwork. She slowly looked through the pile where it should have been twice. Then she went into an office and looked there. Back at the desk, she started to look through the pile of checked in cars. There she found it. Once she had the paper work, she seemed to just fumble it around for several minutes. Finally I was good to go, but the guy who drives the shuttle wasn't there. The lady tried to call him but he didn't answer. Lucky for me, he walked in a minute later. The lady was done with me, except she had not given me the signed blank credit card slip that had been for the deposit. When I asked her for it, she said "Oh no, we keep those". She showed me the stack of returned cars paperwork to back her claim up. I told her I wasn't comfortable with that, so she placated me by putting a big X through the form. Before leaving I told the lady that I wanted to reserve the car again Monday for four days. She gave me a blank look and said "Ok". She turned to the shuttle driver and said to take me back to the marina and pick me up Monday at 09:00. What are the odds? When the driver dropped me off, I reminded him again to pick me up Monday. What are the odds?
When I got back to the marina, I stopped at the fuel dock to get gas in the dinghy. While I was waiting for the attendant to get my change, a big catamaran was waiting to come to the dock. I quickly got out of his way as soon as the guy gave me my money. It rained off and on all morning, but I managed to stay dry on my trips to the marina.
Our next mega yacht/bridge story came at 11:00. Altitude is another mega yacht that has been here since we came in. They are in Palapa Marina directly behind where we are anchored. They started leaving their slip about 10:50. But the way these huge boats dock stern to the dock with two anchors dropped forty-five degrees each way off the bow. Raising the anchors takes time, and they had trouble getting one up. The bridge opened at 11:00 and one sailboat left. Altitude had not gotten the anchor up yet, and the bridge closed. About 11:10, Altitude was ready to go and called the bridge. We never heard an answer, but a few minutes later the bridge opened to let him out. I guess when you're a mega yacht you get special treatment. We have seen two "regular" boats be told they have to wait until the next opening. In one case, that was the next day.
About 13:00 I called the Simpson Bay Marina. We are going to stay there for a week while my brother is here. I asked if the fuel dock was open because I want to fill our fuel before we go to our slip. They said there was a boat leaving in a few minutes, so I told them we would weigh anchor and be there in ten or fifteen minutes. We had a bit of trouble getting our anchor up too, as it was well set after being here three weeks with the wind blowing hard. I have heard numerous stories of people having trouble anchoring in Simpson Bay, but that hasn't been our experience. We finally got the anchor free and headed for the fuel dock, passing the boat that just left. We tied up and filled our diesel tank. After filling up, the guy told me where we were going to dock. This was not the same slip that a different dockmaster had told me Wednesday when I made the reservation, but I like the new location better. We are going in the third slip from the land, bow first. We turned around and headed down the fairway. Barb had the lines ready, and we turned into what looked like a very narrow slip. The marina here does not have floating docks, but they do have short finger piers, so it beats Med mooring. We slid into the slip with no problem and two guys took our lines and had us secure. We were able to squeeze two fenders between the boat and the corner of the finger pier, and then two between us and the boat next to us. I've never been in slips this tight, but we fit. The boat next to us is a Catalina Morgan 45 named Island Way, which is basically the same as ours but stretched out. It's from Florida, but doesn't have anybody aboard.
We relaxed onboard for a couple hours before joining the gang at Jimbo's for happy hour. Don & Devin had been there a while using the internet, and Mike & Lynn came about 16:30 and tied up behind our boat instead of trying to squeeze into the full dinghy dock. Jimbo's happy hour is a two-for-one anything. Barb and I split a couple of margaritas to start, and then I watched the bartender make an interesting drink. I asked what it was and she said it was a Long Island Iced Tea. I had been told by a different bartender that they didn't do Long Island Iced Teas here. When I ordered my next drink, I switched. I watched as she made it, and it was not the regular ingredients. When I tasted it, it was quite good, and quite strong, but it didn't taste like iced tea at all. In hindsight, those two drinks were the two I didn't need.
For dinner, we went next door to Tutta Pasta. We had some lively political discussions (fortunately we were all more or less on the same side), some good wine, and some excellent food. I had a seafood pasta with an Alfredo sauce that was great, and there were no shells or tails to deal with. After dinner, Don &Devin went home and Mike & Lynn stopped by MoonSail for a nightcap. Like I needed that. A rain shower came through while they were there, and after a couple of drinks, they headed home between showers.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 25
I was moving a little slow this morning. Who over served me last night? The net was impossible to hear this morning. Good thing I wasn't hosting it.
One of the reasons for coming to the marina besides it being more convenient when my brother is here, was to equalize the batteries. Deep cycle batteries slowly loose their efficiency as they get cycled. To rejuvenate them, you "equalize" them which basically means you overcharge them for eight hours. The only way I can do that is to be plugged in to shore power. So, at 10:00 I pushed the buttons on the charger and started the process.
We just laid around the boat most of the morning until Don & Devin came to the marina. We joined them for lunch at Pineapple Pete's which is a short walk down the street from the marina. We stopped first at a place called Cappuccino's, but after sitting there for ten minutes with nobody acknowledging us, we moved on. Pineapple Pete's was very good.
After lunch we went back to the boat and made sure everything was ok with the batteries. They were happily cooking at just under sixteen volts. While we were on the boat, I heard a boat on the VHF hailing the marina. The name of the boat was Lady Sarah. Our friend Brian, who recently bought a boat like MoonSail, had told me to look out for Lady Sarah, as he had met him in the BVI a few weeks earlier and Lady Sarah was from Kemah. I learned from the radio conversation that Lady Sarah was coming to the marina. I walked down to the fuel dock where Lady Sarah was just docking with three guys aboard. I said, "Which one of you is Willy?" Willy, the owner, looked a little surprised as he identified himself. I introduced myself and told him that Brian had told me to look out for him. Later we chatted some. I learned that Willy single hands his boat usually, and the other two guys were guests. We plan to get together more sometime before we all leave.
We went to happy hour at the Yacht Club with the gang. There are fewer and fewer boats here, especially the big ones.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 26
Barb and I went to Zee Best Breakfast for breakfast this morning. Since we are in the marina, it's just too convenient to pass up. Later in the morning, Mike & Lynn and Don & Devin came to the marina. They tied their dinghies to the back of our boat since the dinghy dock gets so crowded. They all did some computing at Jimbo's for a couple of hours.
About 13:00, everybody stowed their computers on MoonSail, and we all walked across the road to the Buccaneer Bar on the outer bay beach. We never did go in the water, but we hung out there for a couple of hours and had some lunch. While we were at Buccaneer, we saw Limitless arrive in the outer harbor. At 1600, we walked over to the Yacht Club so we could see Limitless come through the bridge. At 1630 the bridge opened for outbound traffic and a few personal sailboats left. There was a bigger crowd than usual this evening, and other people seemed to be there because they knew Limitless was coming in. At 17:30, the bridge opened for the inbound traffic. Several sailboats came in, including a big one, but then the bridge closed. Limitless was still out there, although she was closer to the bridge than she had been. The bartender told us that Limitless never comes in or out during the regular opening. I guess they don't want to be distracted by the little boat traffic as they come through. Or they just want to put on a private show. Junior, the bartender, called the bridge operator and asked him when Limitless was coming in. He said 18:00. I think it was all a scam to get everybody to stay at the Yacht Club a half hour longer and buy more drinks. Exactly at 18:00, the bridge opened again and here came Limitless. They moved extremely slow as they passed through with about five feet to spare on either side. Several people applauded and someone yelled for a horn. Once through the bridge safely, the captain blew the very loud horns three times. This was answered by Tom, a Yacht Club employee, blowing the almost as loud horns on his Hummer in the parking lot three times. Once the show was over, we returned to the boat for an early night.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 27
It's Monday and my brother arrives today. In preparation for that, I went and picked up a rental car again. When I turned the car in last Thursday, I told them I wanted to get one today for the week. I never saw anything written down, and I would have bet $100 that I would have to call this morning and remind them. I was sitting on the curb in the parking lot at 09:00 waiting for the pickup. I had decided to give them until 09:30 before calling. At 09:20, Kenny from the rental company drove up. I laughed out loud when I saw him. Good thing I didn't make any bets. Kenny took me to the rental place, and with only slightly less pain than last time, Paulette filled out the paperwork and gave me a car. This time it's a Hyundai Atos. In English, Atos translates to shoebox.
Bob's plane is due in at noon, and according to Continental's website, it is a few minutes early. Barb stayed behind to clean up a little while I went to the airport. The plane was right on time and after the appropriate delay to gather bags and get through Customs & Immigration, Bob appeared at the exit. I haven't seen Bob in almost two years, and the last place I saw him was here in St. Maarten at his timeshare. We went back to the marina to unload his stuff and get Barb. We found Lynn at the boat. Mike and a mechanic were working on the engine of Seabbatical, so Mike had taken Lynn to shore. She had walked to the marina and visited to stay out of the way. Just after we got there, Mike called on the radio and said he was coming to pick Lynn up. When Mike got there, we visited a bit and then went to lunch at Pineapple Pete's. Lunch wasn't quite as good as the other day.
We spent the afternoon visiting with Bob and then went to Jimbo's for happy hour. Don & Devin from Liquid Courage, and Chris from Verna Breeze were there using the internet. We were sitting in the bar area for happy hour, and were being "entertained" by three people who were way ahead of us on the alcohol consumption scale. There was a guy my age or older and two women who were a lot younger. They were quite loud and thought they could sing. For the most part we ignored them as we enjoyed a few drinks. Just before we were going to leave, Don & Devin quit their internet surfing and came over and joined us. As we left, along with Mike & Lynn, the drunk group decided to join us. We scrammed and Don, Devin, and Chris were left to deal with them. The evening turned into a loud party of shots, many apparently consumed from the belly button of one of the women.
Meanwhile we had a quiet evening merely fifty feet away on the boat. Dinner was just some crackers and cheese since we had a big lunch. Bimmy was quite entertaining as he kept sniffing at Bob and his stuff. We wondered if he smelled Bob's dog on the bags and if he remembered the smell from last time he was there.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 28
This morning after the radio nets, which I can barely hear in the marina, Bob and I headed to Grand Case on the French side of the island. We are looking for Caribbean Industrial Gasses, which will refill the CO2 tanks for our soda machine. The guy who runs this place made an adapter which allows him to fill these small CO2 bottles. This is great for cruisers since the only other option is to ship the bottles back to the States to be replaced by the Soda Club. You can't ship compressed gas by airplane, so the shipping would have to be by ship which isn't feasible for a small shipment like that. We knew that the place was near the Grand Case airport, and figured we would get close and ask. But, as we approached the airport, there was a big sign on the road pointing us to where we needed to go. We met Tony and showed him our four bottles. Friends of ours recently had a bottle with a different valve and he couldn't fill that one. It turns out that three of ours are the kind he can fill, and one is the apparently newer kind. He said he would give it a try anyway and that we could pick them up in the morning.
We drove back to the marina and picked Barb up. We then drove to Philipsburg to look around and have lunch. We ate at Tallulah Mango right on the waterfront. The food was good, and there was an entertainer singing right across the boardwalk from us that was good also. From Philipsburg, we drove to Oyster Bay where Bob's timeshares are. They have been doing a major construction project there that he hasn't seen since last summer, so he was interested in seeing the progress. We took some pictures of the construction and then walked through the bar to ask if anybody had heard from Casper, the bartender who used to take care of them but left last year to open his own place in Amsterdam. The bartender on duty told us that we had just missed Casper by a few minutes. He had been here for a vacation and just left for the airport to go home. Bob was bummed that he missed him.
From Oyster Bay we drove up to Orient Beach. We went in the first bar we came to for a drink. They had their specialty drink menu on the wall, and I saw that they made painkillers. Painkillers are the national drink of the British Virgin Islands, but you don't see them much elsewhere. After ten minutes, we had nobody attempt to serve us, so we walked down the beach a couple hundred feet to another place. Since I had painkillers on my mind, I asked if he could make one. He looked at his recipe book to see. That should have been my clue. Barb safely ordered beer, and Bob ordered a mudslide, which is very common here. I stuck with my painkiller order even though he obviously was not familiar with it. I shouldn't have. I couldn't see what he put in it, and it wasn't undrinkable, but it was nowhere near a BVI painkiller. It was bad enough that I wasn't tempted to have a second one.
We continued around the island through Grand Case and Marigot, back to the Dutch Side past Cupecoy and Mullet beaches and Maho Bay. As we approached the traffic circle that would take us to Sunset Bar & Grill or back to Simpson Bay, we saw the Air France A340 taxiing to depart. We turned down towards Sunset Bar and turned around in their driveway. Bob got out and took some pictures as the A340 took off. Perfect timing. We went on around to the Yacht Club for happy hour, hoping to show Bob a big boat coming or going. We got there just at 16:00 and I called Mike & Lynn on the VHF behind the bar to see if they wanted to join us. They did and we spent about an hour there. No big boats came or went though. We ran into an old acquaintance there though. Phil is on a boat named Beothuck. He was in Grenada for a year when we first got there, and then we saw him again in Bequia. His boat is still in Bequia, but he is here crewing on a boat bound for Bermuda. He introduced us to another cruiser crewing with him, and the owner who normally singlehands. After happy hour, Mike & Lynn dinghied around to our marina and we drove. We met them at Tutta Pasta in the marina complex for dinner. I had the same thing I had last time. The sauce either wasn't quite as creamy as my first time, or I had so much to drink that first time that I don't remember it correctly. Barb found a small piece of plastic in her salad. Fortunately, it didn't cut her when she felt it in her mouth. The owner stopped by the table to see if everything was alright, and I told him about it. He took the piece back to the kitchen to see what it was. He came back later and apologized profusely. When the check came he had cut the price of her dinner in half.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 29
This morning after the nets, Bob and I drove up to Grand Case to retrieve the CO2 bottles. This weekend is Carnival, the Queen's birthday, and Mayday, all wrapped into one big time. Jouvert, one of the big Carnival events is in Philipsburg and started about 04:00 this morning. We are supposed to pick up the bottles at 10:00, and the place will be closing for the holiday once we have done that, so I don't want to be late. Because of this, we went the reverse of how we went yesterday. That makes it a little longer, but I don't want to risk getting stuck in traffic near Philipsburg. We got to the gas place at 09:45 and met Tony in the driveway as he was leaving. He told us he was able to fill all four bottles, although the one with the newer valve gave him trouble. He told me he was leaving because their power had just gone off, but that his worker was waiting for us. We got the bottles and now will be good for a couple more years of making our own soda when we return. We returned via Philipsburg and didn't have any problem. We could hear music on the far side of Salt Pond, but we took the road on the far side from town, so we missed the mess. We could see lots of evidence that the party had been where we were now though. There was a lot of confetti on the ground along with more other trash than you usually see here.
We went back to the boat and got Barb. We headed up to Sunset Bar for lunch. Bob has been here before, but it was before Hurricane Omar's west swell wiped it out last year. He was impressed with the way they rebuilt it, and said it looked bigger and better than before. I had never been here before this year, so I can't compare. After lunch we went for a ride. We went along the road that circles the north side of the lagoon. We passed Maho Bay, Mullet Bay, and Cupecoy Beach. Bob was amazed at all the construction near Cupecoy. There are several large high-rise projects underway. Yet, between Maho and Mullet there is a shell of an old resort that was destroyed in 1995's Hurricane Louis that has never been cleaned up. It's quite an island dichotomy. We took a left turn down a road we had never traveled before. This road goes through what is supposed to be a gated community, but the gate was up and there was no guard present at either end of the road. Most of the drive only allowed you to see the walls and gates into each property. Many properties didn't appear to be built on yet, although the front privacy walls and gates were all there. When we got to the western-most end of the peninsula we were on, we found parking and a path for public access to the beach. This beach is called Plum Bay on the English maps, or Baie des Prunes on the French ones. We walked to the beach and saw a few families enjoying it.
Our journey continued to Marigot. Here, we drove up to Fort Louis which overlooks the town and bay. It was a short walk to the top of the fort. Most of the signs that used to explain what you are looking at are gone, but the views were great. There was a guy at the top who worked there I think, but he just kind of followed us around at a distance and didn't offer any explanations. After our hike, we needed some refreshment, so we drove back into the heart of Marigot and parked. We went to a little bar right by the market and got drinks. Bob didn't want anymore beer and asked the guy to make something up with rum and pineapple. The guy took several chunks of fresh pineapple, cut off the rind and threw them in a blender. To this he added a little orange juice, some sugar, and some rum. He blended that with ice and made a nice refreshing drink. The quantity he made was more than the 16 oz plastic cup he filled, so after Bob took a big drink of it, he refilled the cup rather than throw it out.
We drove back to the boat and got there a little before 16:00. We relaxed for an hour and then headed to our next engagement. The weekly cruiser's happy hour at Turtle Pier starts at 17:00. Since it has been so windy and rough on the water lately, it was nice to ride up there in a car instead. Bob got to see the large Macaws they have there as well as the monkeys. He also go to see the private 767 across the street, as it is still here. We visited with lots of cruiser friends and introduced them to Bob.
About 18:45, we left Turtle Pier and went to Lady C for all you can eat ribs. Bob loves ribs, so I was saving this treat for his last night here. Barb passed on the ribs, but Bob and I both ate three plates of them. A short rain shower came through while we were eating, forcing people to scramble and rearrange tables since the place is only partially covered. We were in a pretty good place and didn't have to move much. Shortly before we left, Don, Devin, and Chris from Verna Breeze showed up. Apparently they came last week but were too late for the rib deal. Chris was really looking forward to the ribs. We teased, in front of the waitress, that they were almost out of ribs. Later she brought out two plates and put them in front of Don & Devin. Then she told Chris they ran out. With no hesitation he snatched the plate from in front of Devin. He was going to have ribs. We all got a good laugh and the waitress brought the other plate out.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.
Apr 30
Bob and Bimmy will be leaving today. Since he won't get much to eat all day, we thought we would go out to breakfast. We planned to go to Zee Best Breakfast, but Barb overheard a conversation on the VHF between Vive la Vie, a mega yacht, and one of the marinas. Vive la Vie said they would be coming in the 09:30 bridge opening. So instead of going to Zee Best Breakfast, we went to the Yacht Club, where they also serve breakfast. Tom, the guy we have gotten to know there took care of us. Bob and I had nice omelets and Barb had Eggs Benedict. They were all good. At the 09:00 outbound opening, we waved goodbye to friends Bob & Laurie on Tranquilla. At the 09:30 opening, we had about a half dozen personal sail boats come in before Vive la Vie. Finally Bob got to see a big boat come through.
We went back to the boat and finished packing up Bob and Bimmy. Bob brought a large duffel bag down, with his regular bag inside it. His regular bag was only half full. Barb had already packed the duffel bag with clothes that we will be taking home. It was mostly our cold weather clothes which were sealed in vacuum bags since we never use them on the boat. After Bob had all his stuff packed, Barb filled the rest of his bag with more of our stuff. At 10:45, we stuffed Bimmy in his carrier. He had known something was up all morning, since we had taken his food away last night, and his water first thing this morning. He didn't complain much, only offering a few meows. We drove to the airport, and again, Bimmy was quiet. We parked the car and went inside to check the bags. The guy at the counter never made any reference to the cat, and he should have known from the reservation that he was there. Non-passengers can't even go upstairs where the security checkpoint is, so we said goodbye to Bimmy through the mesh of the carrier. He pushed his head against my fingers when I gave him a little scratch. Bob went upstairs and got in line for Passport Control, while we went to the other side of the second floor area and went up to the restaurant that is there. There is a glass wall separating Passport Control and Security from the restaurant, but we could see them. Passport Control was moving very slowly for some reason. When Bob was closest to us at one of the turns in the line, he set Bimmy down on the floor. It looked like he was looking at us through the glass wondering why his people were not with him. They finally got through passport control, and on to the regular security screening area. I have never traveled with an animal before, so I didn't know if the pet went through the x-ray or got carried through with the person. It was sort of both. Bob had to take him out of the carrier and hold him while he walked through the metal detector. The carrier went through the x-ray machine. This seems like a good idea from the point of not exposing the animal to the x-rays, but it seems pretty silly to risk having a freaked out pet getting free of it's owner and running around wildly. Bimmy behaved perfectly though and went back in his carrier with no fuss. Bob gave us a wave as he headed for the gate area.
We went back to the marina where we were met by Mike & Lynn. They wanted to have lunch, so we went to Jimbo's. They had full lunches and Barb and I split an appetizer since we had a big breakfast. Bob's flight leaves at 13:10, so at that time, I went outside to watch for the plane. I know Bob's seat is on the right side of the plane, so as they bank over the lagoon he may be able to see my bright tie-dye shirt. Right on time the plane took off. We waved as it passed over head in case he could see us.
While we were at the marina, Phil, the guy we know from Grenada and met at the Yacht Club a couple days ago, stopped by. He told us that we was not going to Bermuda after all. Apparently last night at the cruiser's happy hour, he and the boat owner got into a disagreement. Phil said he wanted off. He can't get a flight back to Bequia where his boat is until Saturday, so he needs a place to sleep for a couple of nights. He was very courteous about apologizing for putting us on the spot, but said he would sleep in the cockpit and be no trouble. We told him that would be fine for tonight but that we would be leaving the marina in the morning. He had two small bags with him that he put aboard and said he would be back this evening.
After lunch, we went to the beach with Mike & Lynn. We relaxed on the beach for a couple of hours, although most of it was not in the sun since a big cloud blocked the sun out shortly after we got there. When the big black cloud finally started to spit on us a little, we left. We stopped at Sunset Bar on the way back for a couple of drinks. As we were driving through the golf course before getting to the airport, I saw the KLM 747 climbing with it's landing gear retracting. This was odd because it was not to the airport yet. It apparently had aborted it's landing. This is good for us because we can get to Sunset before it circles around to try again. As soon as we got parked, I took the camera and walked down by the end of the runway. I stood right under the glide path and tried to take pictures using the feature of the camera that takes a series of shots of a fast moving object. I got the shots, but then screwed up in saving them and ended up deleting them instead. Guess we'll have to go back again sometime. After a round at Sunset Bar, we went down the street to Uncle Harry's. Uncle Harry's is a small bar and restaurant built over the water on the lagoon about halfway down the runway. There were only a few other customers there, but they had a 2-for-1 happy hour so we were good. They have a funny sign out front that says "Last Cold Beer Before Simpson Bay". This is true, but it's only about half a mile to Simpson Bay. The place is located in the middle of a couple of boat yards that work on big commercial boats and have big cranes and equipment around. You wouldn't expect to find a nice restaurant here, but supposedly they have great food. We had one round (two drinks each) here and enjoyed meeting the bartender and a couple locals who hang there.
We went back to the boat where once again we just had some cheese and crackers for dinner since we ate so much during the day. Phil showed up sometime after dark. I offered him a beer, but he declined and just said he was going to go to sleep. We were watching TV and watching the computer for an e-mail from Bob. Phil was out right away. I could tell because he snored some. At 20:30, I got the e-mail we had been waiting for. Bob and Bimmy had arrived home in Wallkill. Bob said Bimmy was fine the whole way. He didn't do anything messy, like puke or crap in the carrier, and he didn't make any noise. Apparently while in the airport waiting to board, some kids noticed him and talked to him through the carrier. The flight attendants checked several times to make sure he was ok while they were underway. When they got to Newark, Bob was in a long line for Customs. An agent was passing through the line glancing at forms to make sure they were filled out correctly. He saw that Bob had checked the box indicating he had an animal. The guy told him to go to the "Something To Declare" line, where there was nobody. The guy there asked him what the animal was. Bob held up the carrier and said it's Bimmy. The guy told him to have a nice day and off they went. Once they were in Bob's truck, Bob let Bimmy out of the carrier to see if he would drink any water or eat or use the litter box Bob had in the truck. He didn't want any of it, so Bob put him back in the carrier and they drove home to Wallkill. Bimmy is now in his room, with his food and water and box, and a towel that we sent that he always slept on. He's still pretty freaked out but ok.
GPS N 18-02.429 W 063-05.610 Nautical miles traveled today 0. Total miles 10023.