A celebrity in BVI

En Español

Cindy's Birthday in Saba Rock

Joel and Cindy spent a week floating around Virgin Gorda, Peter Island, Norman Island and Cooper Island. They enjoyed more the tranquility of the boat, to read and sleep in the morning and to watch the scene. Those were good days of intense hard work, there was not a lack of the generosity from them, we were invited to eat out several times. Although I honestly prefer to cook. Finally we went to Biter End, in Virgin Gorda, where we spent two days. Partly because we had good internet connection and also because the Captain caught a terrible cold. There we celebrated Cindy 's birthday at Saba Rock and I baked a gluten free chocolate cake, coated with cocoa sauce and grated coconut, tout fait à la maison.

Birthday cake

During dinner, the restaurant manager came to our table and talked to us for a long time, about the tarpons they feed every afternoon to entertain tourists; and celebrities who have visited the Island and the yachts anchored in the bay. "Ah! Harrison Ford was here this afternoon. "He said proudly. Cindy and I opened our eyes. The funny thing is that that morning, in search of water and fuel for the boat, we took a tour around the bay, watching the yachts and writing down the names to look it up online. Among them, there was one with an inflatable slide at least 40 feet tall. Our host told us that was nothing more and nothing less than the HF yacht.

Next morning, before leaving for Trellis Bay, on the island of Tortola; the Captain gave us another tour around the harbor, Cindy wanted to see the “slide” closer. It was 10:00 am. “What is the chance that HF is awake?”. We all said. I sat on the deck, if there was any chance, I would be in the first seat. We passed about 50 feet from the yacht, we saw a waitress carrying a tray in her hands with a cup of steaming coffee, I could almost smell it. In the back of the boat there was a beautiful table with flowers where a family gathered around. They were enjoying breakfast peacefully until we arrived. We didn't want to interrupt, so we just kept on going. Then we recognized him, his gray hair and features are unmistakable. Everyone at the table looked up to stare at the intruders. I said goodbye with my hand from the deck, as usual salute at sea. Harrison was the only one who waved back. You can not imagine what this this Creole girl, big fan of Indiana John did: I started jumping up and down of joy. Really, what is the chance one has to find a celebrity and that he returns the greeting.

After the great experience our captain provided; I got behind the wheel, he went on deck, "Bow to the wind! Raise the sails!" And Salty Shores began his journey to the canal between the coral Cactus reef and Colquhoun reef. That morning we had the first north swell of the season. The fact is that the waves seemed like a wall, at least 10 to 12 feet high. Joel was in heaven, longed for a brisk sail, and he got it. Cindy got seasick, but the rain helped cool the nausea and when the storm stopped we were at the entrance of Trellis Bay.

After lunch, we said goodbye and Jim took them to the dock. Their trip in Salty Shares ended, but a new adventure was awaiting for them in Tortola, where they had booked a hotel. To us, however, the big clean up was expecting us, change of linens and prepare a dinner for our next guests; who were arriving at 4:00pm.

AnechyNotes

Una celebridad en BVI

In English

El cumpleaños de Cindy en Saba Rock

Joel y Cindy pasaron de una semana flotando alrededor de Virgen Gorda, Isla de Peter, Isla de Norman e Isla de Cooper. Ellos disfrutaron más la tranquilidad del bote, leer y dormir la mañana y observar el panorama. Fueron unos días bien intensos de mucho trabajo, no faltó la generosidad por parte de ellos, que nos invitaron a comer afuera varias veces. Aunque yo, honestamente, prefiero cocinar. Por último fuimos a Biter End, en Virgen Gorda, donde pasamos dos días. En parte porque teníamos buen Internet y también porque el Capitán agarró una gripe terrible. Allí celebramos el cumpleaños de Cindy con una cena en Saba Rock y un cake de chocolate sin gluten, revestido con salsa de cacao y coco rallado, tout fait à la maison.

Cake de Cumple

Durante la cena, el gerente del restaurante vino a nuestra mesa. Y conversamos por largo rato sobre los sábalos que alimentan todo los días para entretener a los turistas; de las celebridades que han visitado la Isla y de los Yates anclados en la Bahía. “¡Ah! Harrison Ford estuvo aquí esta tarde.” Nos dijo con orgullo. Cindy y yo abrimos los ojos. Lo curioso es que esa mañana en busca de agua y petroleo para el bote, hicimos un tour, mirando los yates y anotamos los nombres para luego buscarlos en Internet. Entre ellos había uno con una canal inflable de al menos 40 pies de altura. Nuestro anfitrión nos contaba que ese era, nada más y nada menos que el yate de HF.

A la mañana siguiente, antes de partir hacia Tralis Bay, en la Isla de Tortola; el capitán nos dio otro paseo por el puerto, Cindy quería ver la “canal” desde cerca. Eran las 10:00 am. “¿Cual es el chance de que HF esté despierto?”. Dijimos nosotros. Yo me senté en la cubierta, de haber alguna casualidad, yo estaría cerca. Pasamos a unos 50 pies del yate, una camarera llevaba una bandeja en las manos con una taza de café humeante, casi podía olerlo. En la parte trasera del barco una bella mesa adornada con flores acogía a una familia. Todos desayunaban tranquilos hasta que llegamos nosotros. Que sin ánimos de interrumpir solo seguimos de largo. Entonces lo reconocimos, su pelo copioso entrecano y sus facciones son inconfundibles. Todos en la mesa alzaron la vista para mirar a los intrusos. Yo desde la cubierta dije adiós con la mano, como es de costumbre saludar en el mar. Harrison fue el único de devolvió el saludo. Ustedes no se imaginan que fue lo que hizo esta criolla, gran admiradora de Indiana John: dar saltos y más saltos de alegría. De veras, cuál es el chance que una tiene de encontrar a una celebridad y que además ésta, me devuelva el saludo.

Después de esa grata experiencia que nuestro capitán nos proporcionó; yo me puse detrás del timón, él fue a cubierta: “¡Proa hacia el viento! ¡Alcen las velas!” Y Salty Shores emprendió su travesía hacia el estrecho entre el arrecife de Cactus y Colquhoun. Esa mañana entraba el primer oleaje del norte de la temporada. El caso es que, en dicho estrecho las olas parecían un muro, al menos de 10 a 12 pies de alto. Joel estaba en cielo, el ansiaba tener una navegación energética, y la tuvo. Cindy en cambió se sentía mareada, pero el aguacero ayudó a enfriar las nauseas y cuando paró la tormenta ya estábamos en la entrada del puerto de Tralis Bay.

Después de almorzar, los despedimos y Jim los llevó hacia el muelle. Su viaje en Salty Shares terminaba, pero comenzaba una nueva aventura para ellos en la isla, donde tenían reservado un hotel. A nosotros, en cambio, nos esperaba limpiar el barco, cambiar sábanas y toallas y preparar una cena, para recibir a nuestros próximos huéspedes; que llegaban en el avión de las 4 de la tarde.

AnechyNotes

Sailing to St Martin and the BVIs

En Español

We finally shoved off on Thursday at 630 am. I put on my "I love Les Saintes" cap, and went to the bow of the boat to free us from the mooring. Marie-Laure and Christian were on the side of Tata Samba waiting for us to say good bye, this time for good. I breathed deeply and socked my tears in, because we had to go no matter what. We were picking up friend in two days in St Martin and we needed time to rest and get the boat clean, but, gosh, it is hard to leave paradise. I can understand Adam and Eve.

From Les Saintes to Guadeloupe

Ba moin un to bo.... doudou!

Base Terre from the boat

On the the open ocean

We had a good sail for most of the time. The seas were so calm I brought my ukulele on the cockpit and played “Ti bo doudou” until the captain was too annoyed by it. You'll see: doudou in French means dear, is a term of endearment, but for Americans means something not so nice. Ti bo doudou is a little kiss. Any way, good time on the ocean. By 2 o' clock in the morning, 18 hours onto the trip; the wind died down and we had to start the engine. The motto of this year's been that. Then Jim went all harnessed to the deck and put the preventer on the boom, to keep it from banging, the wind had shifted from southeast to south and it was pushing the main sail all over the place.

Half way

By 15 miles away from St Martin we were able to star sailing again, and at 930 am we dropped the main sail and anchored in Simpson Bay. All our plans worked out good.

Our friends Joel and Cindy came on Saturday 22, and we took off to the BVIs on Sunday afternoon. Now, that was an incredible passage. No wind, no waves. We did the entire trip with all the port lights and hatches opened. We had dinner, watched a movie, I played the ukulele and our friends danced. The ocean looked just like a swimming pool. A few boat on the way, but no close encounter. Our AIS system was working good, that made everything convenient.

We came into the Baths in Virgin Gorda at 630 am. Wonderful trip. Then we all swam and celebrated that nobody got sick.

On to a little adventure in St Martin

Sunset bar, St Martin

Ready to get sand blasted

"To Christian and Marie-Laure"

AnechyNotes

Rumbo a San Martín y el Bvis

In English

Finalmente partimos el jueves a las 630 am. Me puse mi gorra de "I love Les Saintes" , y fui a la proa del barco a soltar las amarras de la boya. Marie-Laure y Christian esperaban desde la cubierta de Tata Samba para decirnos adiós, esta vez de veras. Respiré profundamente, tragándome las lágrimas, porque teníamos que irnos, sin importar nada. En dos días recogeríamos a una pareja de amigos que volaban a San Martín para navegar con nosotros a las islas vírgenes y necesitábamos tiempo para descansar y limpiar el barco, pero, caramba, que difícil es dejar el paraíso. Ahora entiendo a Adán y Eva.

Ba moin un ti bo..... doudou!!!

Base Terre desde el bote

Tuvimos un buen viaje la mayor parte del tiempo. El mar estaba tan tranquilo que saqué mi ukelele en la cabina del piloto y toqué "Ti bo doudou" hasta que el capitán estaba muy molesto por ello. Verás: doudou en francés significa queridos, es una expresión de cariño, pero para los estadounidenses significa algo no tan agradable. Ti bo doudou es un pequeño beso. Para las 2 de la madrugada, a 18 horas de nuestra partida, el viento se calmó y tuvimos que arrancar el motor. El lema de este año ha sido de ese. Jim tuvo que ir a cubierta a poner el preventor en el auge del mástil, para evitar que la vela siguiera moviéndose de un lado para otro, el viento había cambiado de sureste a sur.

A mar abierto

A mitad de camino

A 15 kilómetros de distancia de San Martín pudimos apagar el motor y terminar el viaje a toda vela. A las 930 AM, bajamos la vela principal y anclados en Simpson Bay.

Todos nuestros planes salieron como esperabamos. Nuestros amigos de Joel y Cindy llegaron el sábado 22. Y el Domingo 23 salimos para las Islas Virgenes Britanicas (BVIs).

Ahora, ese fue un pasaje increíble. No había viento, ni olas. Hicimos todo el viaje con todas los portillos y escotillas abiertas. Cenamos, vimos una película, yo toqué el ukelele y nuestros amigos bailaron. El océano parecía una piscina. El trafico esa noche era abundante, pero ningún encuentro cercano. Nuestro sistema AIS estaba funcionando bien, lo que hizo todo más conveniente.

Entramos en “The Baths”, Virgen Gorda a 630 am. Viaje exitoso. Luego todos fuimos a nadar y celebramos que nadie se enfermó.

Cindy, antes de una pequeña escursión en St Martin

Desde el Bar Sunset

En preparación de despeque

"Para Christian y Marie-Laure"

AnechyNotes

Una semana de despedida / A week saying good-bye

After having lunch with Luois and Charlotte we met with Christian and Marie-Laure in town to play music.

Ukulele on the water front

 The sunset was incredible, right at that moment we decided we were staying one more day. It is not going hurt, right?

Music and sunset

Our friends invited us to Ti kaz la, our favorite restaurant in town for lunch.

Philippe, owner of Ti kaz la saying hello after lunch 

During lunch a fisherman came to the beach with a little plastic dinghy full of fish, his catch of the day. I was sent in mission to buy one. 

Me fishing with the wallet

 We split up the fish and the cost, but everybody took turns to have his picture done with the beautiful Mahi-mahi.

Music and fish what a good combo

Ti bo doudou

Christian holding our catch

Marie-Laure and Mahi

Jim attracted a lot of pelicans and tourist with cameras by cleaning the fish on the beach, it was a hard task. Not very comfortable place, but less mess than cleaning it on the boat.

Cleaning fish on the beach

Another night on the park playing music with Cocotier, a popular character in town, a cruiser and Christian, little by little the place filled up with people listening to the improvised band. I was very shy, but at the end I joined them just to loosen a little bit.

The band on the park

Me joining the group or trying

Iz version of Over the rainbow for our audience

Marie-Laure and the musicians

We were definitely leaving that morning, but we woke up counting the hours and calculating how much longer we could stay and still make it in time to St. Martin. Unfortunately our friends were waiting since early to say good bye. We just got in the dinghy, offered a serenade and invited them over for pancakes.

Ukulele to anounce that we were staying one more day

Then we went to town to visit Louis and Charlotte, but we couldn't resist to buy some bbq chicken from Pollo, and some fresh fish from the fish market.

Buying bbq chicken from Pollo in the park, across from the church

Louis loves to entertain Jim, hi showed him his work on the roof and then, they got very involved into making sugar cane juice.

Jim and Louis cleaning sugar cane

Louis making sugar cane juice on his mill

Jim's turn

Straining the juice

Diane et Moi

More papayas 

Lime and sugar cane juice, what a good mix

Charlotte and I cooking a creole dish

Diane when we got to the house

Diane when we were leaving

Louis on the front of his beautiful property

It took us a week to finally go. It felt like it was time, but we had such a good time. This place has it all, the people, the water, the music, the food. It is a magic place, everybody says that about it.

AnechyNotes