Hanging out in the islands

We are online so can bring everyone up to date of our journeys. We left Martinique and moved up to Dominica and have been here for just over a week. This island or as I should say country, is sort of the old type of Caribbean island with very friendly people and a slow way of life that is very attractive. We arrived up in at the north end of the island in Portsmouth bay and met with the original owners of Kilkea II Dave and Chis. We had three days hanging out with them and had a great time with so many stories of past times as they helped us out by staying for three weeks and giving us our only sailing instructions which seem to have worked out pretty good. We even had a couple of old 2003 wines that we had bought in Florida in 2006 and opened them up and found to our surprise that they were still very good. So those bottles have traveled sixty thousand miles and have gone around the world shaken and bounced and are still good. Amazing! It was good to see them and their new boat called Platina II which they are now getting organized to do a circumnavigation with. We wish we were just starting out again as it was just so much fun.

We did some tours around the island and today did a seven mile backtrack to a little bay with a resort called the Sunset Bay Club which is noted for its lobsters. Well we had lunch which went on for most of the afternoon and when the sun set there was no way we could eat any dinner. It was a great meal and anyone coming this way should stop by. I think a couple of pounds of lobster is more than enough.

Tomorrow we will head north again and as we here the islands called the Saints off the south end of Guadeloupe is really crowded with charter boats, We will move up the west coast and spend a night then move on the next day for Antigua where we think some of the boats we have met around the world may be hanging out.

On the boat sale front nothing other than a few inquiries but we will leave that to the sales team. We would be surprised if anything happens as this is the end of the sailing season for the Caribbean and will not start to get going again until the end of October so maybe then?

Decisions decisions,

Since last I wrote we have been up to Bequia which was very nice and we had a lobster dinner out with Stuart and Shelia. We did some walks around the island and enjoyed our time here.

Next we sailed up the western side of St Vincent to St Lucia and anchored between the Pitons which are two mountainous peaks which are very beautiful especially in the morning with the sun rising on them. The water was crystal clear and it was great to just dive in. The water temperature here is much cooler than in the southeast Asia and much more refreshing. We just spent the one night and then moved up to Marigot bay and tied up with Imagine on one mooring ball in the lagoon. Cleared Customs and Immigration which was very easy and went for a walk up the hill. Very calm and pretty spot where we spent two nights and finally enjoyed a great Indian dinner where the owner came over and did all the ordering of the foods. Good time with good company. We spent two nights and played bocchi ball where the girls beat Stu and myself.

We then moved up the coast maybe six miles or so to Rodney Bay. This is where we landed first after crossing the Atlantic from the Canaries back in 2008. We spent the weekend anchored out and did some clean up on Kilkea II as well as some walks and dinners out. On Monday Imagine had some new guests and we sailed in tandem twenty five miles to Martinique where again we cleared in and this time stern tied to the Amel dock in Le Marin. Today is Thursday and we have organized Amel to do some small jobs for us on the boat to make it 100% right. The reason for all this is today we have listed our home of the last ten years for sale. We really don't know if this is the right move but just hanging out in the Caribbean in the winter does not have the challenge that we are used to. Now, in a year we may think differently and if we do we can always buy a new Amel and go again but for now some time at home with our family and friends seems the right move. Mind you we were shown a new 55 Amel today by the company and it sure is a nice boat and we would love to buy one and are contemplating it depending what kind of deal Amel is offering. Who knows we both love boats!! We will be here for another week as everyone is very busy then we will move north and hope to catch up with some more friends in the next month or so. We really do not expect to have any offers on the boat right away so will keep on cruising.