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Yes Dear in the Leewards

Posted on: March 1, 2010

We are currently 34 nm from Virgin Gorda, BVI, 14 knots of wind over the port quarter and motor-sailing at 9 -11 knots. It feels good to be heading home.
We’ve spent three weeks in the Leeward Islands and have completed two nine day charters. The first charter consisted of two French Canadians, Martin and Yulla. The second, a group of six Tennesseans, Greg & Summer, Cindy & Derrick and Tod & Cheryl.

Week #1
Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barths and Saba.

We learned quickly that Martin was interested in diving and Yulla was interested in sunbathing on the forward trampolines. Oh, and quiet anchorages, white wine and lots of music.

Highlights of the week included:

-A pod of at least 20 dolphins
-A trip to Anguilla’s private and serene Dog Island where Martin and I unsuccessfully tried to find (what is totted in the dive books as) the best dive in Anguilla. Instead we got a refresher course in underwater navigation, and myriad miniature healthy coral heads in 50 feet of sand.
-A trip to St. Barths under motor over lake-like waters which allowed us to stop and dive at two of St. Barth’s outlying islands – Big and Little Grouper. The conditions could not have been better for a dive on Little Grouper. Martin and I both agreed that it was a special and memorable dive. Minimal surge in a surge-prone area and brilliant lighting from a twelve o’clock sun, lots of color, several turtles, some resting nurse sharks and a spotted moray.
-The diving only got better after we convinced Martin and Yulla to weather the swells and winds of Saba (an easy task as both have done a lot of boating). Martin and I dove three times and the four of us enjoyed a sunset dinner at the recently revamped Willard’s (now Shearwater) of Saba. The best sunset views in the Caribbean? We’d say, yes.
-The dives on Saba included: Shark Shoal, Diamond Rock and Hole In The Corner. The swell was up when we arrived at Saba and subsequently visibility was a challenge. On the surface Diamond Rock was green and cloudy but at 80 feet things cleared up enough for us to follow a lobster around the pinnacle and to swim with three reef sharks and to sight, forty feet off, a hammerhead. Mike from Saba Deep led us on these dives and was happy afterwards to chat. He’s completed over 17,000 dives in over 40 years (He has a habit of waving at the reef fish, which makes sense I guess when he’s seen them almost everyday for 12 years). He explained to us how and why he dives to 130 feet without weights or bcd.
-One of us gaping out (day-dreaming/narcing?) and accidentally hitting 145 feet below sea level
-“Goat speak”

We dropped Yulla and Martin in Marigot at Marina Fort Louis after a slow easy sail from Saba. We shared champagne on the dock and reminisced.

Week #2

Anguilla, St. Martin, Sint Maarten, St. Barths, Statia, Nevis, St. Kitts.

We had 48 hours to prep for our next charter: six Americans from Tennessee.
We were to meet them at the marina gate at four o’clock, but they caught us off-guard at the boat at 3:50. Ten minutes sounds negligible, but ten minutes on a turnaround is a lot of time. We try to be ready at least a half an hour early on turnarounds so that we can sit, breathe and talk. Not this time. Because of a few complications with fresh produce delivery, laundry and a laptop repair we were a touch behind when Greg, Summer, Tod, Cheryl, Cindy and Derrick arrived. After an awkward welcome we all settled into the briefing, French cheese and eight French 75’s (brandied cherries, gin, champagne and lemon).
The first night of the charter was a sleep-aboard so we stayed in Marigot and our new guests/crew went to Le Vie En Rose for dinner.
At noon the next day the charter began and we left for St. Barth’s with an overnight stop in Phillipsburg.

Charter highlights:

-Navigating lobster and fish pots with Greg and Jody at four in the morning
-Early starts and sunrises
-Strange west and southwest winds
-A 60 mile run from Nevis to Tintamarre under screecher alone, averaging seven knots over nine hours (and a Sunday Morning Coming Down cover contest).
-A 25 lb mahi mahi that made a perfect ceviche
-Windsurfing lessons
-Anchoring just close enough to the Nevis airport to make the guests happy and the authorities unhappy
-A night snorkel in St Barths. Lobster, a spotted eagle ray, nurse shark and (I think) a bridled burrfish or a balloonfish?
-Private beach on Prickly Pear in Anguilla
-Day-long beach-crawl of St. Barths
-Tapas and rum-shack-crawl in Road Bay Anguilla. (We failed miserably at completing the pub crawl which consisted of only five rum shacks)
-Having the guests (Greg and Tod – perhaps the most helpful and competent guest ever to board Yes Dear) take the helm for the last three days of the trip so that I could be a bartender and sometime guest. They even anchored. I didn’t complain.
-Another group of excellent guests
-Champagne breakfasts

Jody says her watch is over and that we just hit 12.6 knots (motor-sailing). We’ve lucked into an increasing south wind. Still increasing. Time to ease and trim and pay attention. We should complete this 86 nm crossing in less than nine hours – that’s fast. If Greg, Tod or Martin were still here I could have some relief.

Almost home….

Ian