Anguilla-Dog Island & Crocus Bay

Now we are really sailing!  We sail out of Road Town to Dog Island for the joy of it. Wait, four guys plus I’m taking the photos, whose driving the Gilmith?  Don’t worry, we have autopilot.  Cheating?🤫

Road Bay to Dog Island was all down wind with a 20 naughts per hour wind and we were making about 5 or 6 knots.  Smooth sailing for about 10 miles. 

Cap’n Steve keeps a keen eye on the horizon and our autopilot as we close in on desolate Dog Island. 

We came about into the east wind just before Dog Island and began a 10 mile tack to Sandy Island for an early dinner.  We took Gilmith off of auto pilot and man-handled her mostly on a port tack in strong and steady winds.  

Cap’n, Bill and Dan lounging on the low side. 

On Sandy Island, a little spit of sand about 400 meters in diameter, we find our dinner at the only place on Sandy Island, Sandy’s Island restaurant, as the only guests. Very nice.  

The four of us had the Mahi special, excellent!!

3 miles further East of Sandy Island and a little motor sailing into the wind we drop the hook for the night at Crocus Bay and enjoy the setting sun, moon and Venus with cocktails, beer, and lies about our past conquests.  Wash, rinse and repeat….

Hard to Start, Fun’s Begun-Anguilla

Breakfast with Bill, bagel cream cheese and pour over black coffee.  No wonder he’s smiling.  It was a calm night at the Anse de Marcel for sleeping and we were raring to start sailing!

Cap’n Steve at the chart briefing at 8:30. Lots of Frenchies including the lady skipper who led the briefing. 

But, but, but we’re ready to sail around 11 except the depth-finder won’t depth-find.  Kinda need that when your keel drops 2 meters below the water.  

And this is what a working depth-finder looks like.  It turns out our sensor was fine.  After 2+ hours of trouble shooting the tech gets on YouTube and finds out it’s not communicating  to the main console because someone de-selected it. 😢. Not us!!

John did 30 minutes of hamstring stretching while he filled the #2 water tank.  The #1 tank showed completely empty and then they told us that it has never worked.  Les Francois? Go figure!

Almost time to go, a quick shot of the Pirates on our transom.  The Gilmith, she’s is a broad hipped boat she is, lots of cockpit room that includes the galley. We’ll soon find out how she sails. 

Good bye Anse Marcel as we get piloted out of a very, very tight bay. 

Finally we motor-sail downwind with our jib as we were running out of time from our boat repair check-out issues to clear customs in Anguilla by 4.  The Anguilla flag flies high above the pirate flag we’ve used since our first trip in 2010. 

But, but, but we’re not done yet.  Bill returns from Road Bay Town with Nurse Richardson who has to administer 15 minute COVID tests before we can come ashore. 

Nurse Richardson carefully and deeply examines our sinuses before he chooses his penetration target.  😬

After watching the sun set we dinghy to the beach at Road Bay for dinner.  It was lively scene with most of the natives enjoying the ocean, beach and very large speakers blaring reggae/rap music. 

Another great dinner, this time Caribbean-Mexican themed just feet off of the beach.  Tomorrow more sailing!

Where Did 2021 Go?

So I have been feeling guilty that my last post was New Years Eve 2020 but it’s been a weird year.  But now, as I look to the month of December I am turning the page and embracing 2022 by celebrating my sailing trip to St. Martin with my good ‘ol GE buddies by treating myself to a nice dinner at Elways at the Denver airport before I board my red-eye  flight to St. Martin. 

At the Elways bar I had the good fortune to sit next to wonderful and interesting Elia who was on her way to a cousins wedding in Minneapolis.  We had a lot in common except our ages and she was great company while I waited the 4 hours to my flight.  The gentleman to the right happenses to be my neighbor and co-board member for our HOA Scott Cochrane who was returning from a trip to Seattle. Small world, eh?  Speaking of eh, Elia’s dad was a Newfoundland born professional Canadian hockey player now living near his three daughters in Denver.  We had a few drinks and a nice conversation before we traveled our separate paths. 

Sunrise over Manhattan while I wait to board my plane to St. Martin. 

Sunset at Grand Case Resort in the leeward side of St. Martin where we gather and reconnect the night before we get our boat. 

Pre-sailing hydration at the pool!

I couldn’t choose just one sunset photo tonight….

After lounging the afternoon away by the pool the  Pirates; Dan, Bill, John, Steve and myself savor a slow and very tasty dinner of French cuisine at the Sunset Cafe next to our hotel.  The Pirates were all tired out from our red-eye flights and copious talk of our medical procedures, medications and health insurance so we tottered off to our rooms to sleep and perchance dream of the booties we would start plundering tomorrow!!