What to do when your friends leave!

It had been a few days since Dave & Sara left us in Dominica with only memories and rainbows to show for it and we were missing them terribly! Fortunately, one of our favorite islands was only 20 miles north, so we waited for a good weather day and on Feb 26th, we left for Isles Des Saintes (the French islands that are part of Guadeloupe).

After a few hours of pleasant sailing between the islands, we anchored off the main town of Bourges des Saintes, a pretty Mediterranean-looking fishing village turned tourist destination, that is dotted by pretty white buildings with red roofs and loaded with great restaurants and bakeries for enjoying the French culinary talents. I also love the opportunity to try out my growing understanding (and slightly slower developing speaking) of the language that is definitely more prevalent here than English. 

Our second night in Les Saintes, I tried my French skills by making reservations at one of our favorite restaurants in town. We arrived early at Au Bonne Vivre, a casually fancy place just across from the dinghy dock and next to Maogany (otherwise known as ‘the blue dress shop’), so we had time to take a picture of me modeling my purchase from when we first came here in 2019.

At the restaurant, they couldn’t find our reservation… something got lost in translation; but they graciously took us to our favorite table on the back patio. The place is under new ownership and doesn’t offer the five course chef’s choice, which we often ordered, but to our surprise, they did start with an amuse bouche. The two bite crepe creation was so good that we ate it before I could get a picture. Because presentation is one of the special things about this restaurant, I made a point to get a picture of the ravioli and fish dishes that followed. They did not disappoint!

Since we were in a foodie town, one of our next missions was to find the best accras (or conch fritters) on the island. We found the winner at La Case aux Epice, a small place away from the hustle & bustle of town, which we found only because the first few places where we stopped to eat lunch were full! 

P.S. We have since found a new winner in Antigua but more on that later.

A lot of pretty boats show up in the harbor and we spent much of our time watching the world go by. Here are a few of the beauties that paid a visit.

We made some other food discoveries including  La saladerie, on the north end of the bay, where they have their own dinghy dock and we saw a fisherman swim in with his octopus catch for the restaurant. They have nice salads and a pretty view of the harbor.

Another new find was Le Perchoir, a roof top bar-restaurant with a view of the southern side of the bay, that serves delicious sushi and poke bowls and the unavoidable banana crepe sundae, which we shared.

While we ate our way around the island, we were waiting for a long enough weather window for the 40 mile trip north to Deshaies (in Guadeloupe) and then on to Antigua. After a lovely evening watching the stars, we got our opportunity on March 3rd to continue our journey north.

We started the day with 15-20 knots of steady wind, a full main and full jib, averaging 8 knots much of the way. When the wind started to drop out, we put out our staysail (for the first time this year) and cranked out 10.2 knots at one point, 8.5 on average for the 40 mile trip between islands to Antigua. It was the best sailing day of the season so far!

We arrived in Falmouth Bay around noon and immediately saw four sailing buddies; Bob, a former Salty Dawg president on s/v Pandora, Rob, a solo sailor we met in Trinidad on s/v Miclo, Jeff, a friend from home on s/v Agility and Carl, another Salty Dawger on s/v Valianna. We anchored between the later two boats near the Catamaran Club. Rob popped over to say hello and a skiff from Norn, one of the large ships at the dock, came by with an invite to a dock party. We made plans to meet Rob, Jeff & Carl for a giant platter of sushi at The Yacht Club the next evening and could tell we were in for more fun, food and friends!

One day we went to lunch at the Cloggy’s (on Rob’s recommendation for the BBQ shrimp & salmon salad, which was great) and strolled the docks afterward to see no fewer than a dozen fancy boats from Newport, RI! Someone must have figured out the tax loophole and spread the word because they filled almost half the slips at this small marina!!

The next evening was the dock party on Norn. This boat is a 395 foot super yacht, built in Germany, owned by the visionary behind Microsoft Office and costs $20 million a year to operate! Walking on the docks that night, we were blown away by the boats up close. One of Andrew’s favorites was, Eos, a 305 foot yacht owned by Diane Von Furstenberg (the fashion designer) and her wealthy husband, Barry Diller. The entire boat literally glistened under the evening stars, it was so clean & polished!!

The party was fun! There were a lot of young people (crew from other boats), locals (working on the big, fancy boats) and old salts like us in attendance. We ran into Bob (on Pandora) and his crew, Bob, as well as Rob & Jeff. Norn provided blow up swimming pools full of ice cold cans of beer, delicious roasted lamb or pork sandwiches and Jell-O shots for dessert!! We left when we saw Bob & Bob rowing in the wrong direction of their boat, in need of rescue from a non-working dinghy motor.

The following day, Andrew and I helped Carl bend the sails back on his boat. Besides some confusion that the sails might have been mis-marked and having to cut new battens since only two of the ones on board fit, we manage to get both sails on by lunchtime and were rewarded with water & tuna sandwiches.

A few days later, some more Salty Dawg friends, Polly & Bryan on s/v Joli, arrived in the harbor and we made plans to go out for drinks and dinner. On the appointed day, we brought along Carl, Polly & Bryan brought Rob and introduced us to their friends, Tim & Irina on s/v Logos. The happy crowd walked from the Catamaran dinghy dock to 2six8 Brewery for drinks and then enjoyed Famous Mauro’s pizza, further down the road.

On Sunday, March 9th, not much was open so when I saw some race boats sail by the mouth of the harbor, I decided to walk to the Fort at English Harbor for a better view. Upon arrival, I learned that the last of the SuperYacht Challenge race boats had gone past the headland (where I couldn’t see them) and wouldn’t be back for an hour, so I waited. After about 30 minutes, the first couple boats appeared in the distance and eventually I got to see them finish right in front of me. Not quite as exhilarating as a Newport- Bermuda start but a beautiful way to spend the afternooon.

Monday was laundry day and an opportunity to try a new (to us) Thai restaurant. That evening as we approached the establishment,  it looked like the sign said “ Myla’s, the name of one of our granddaughters. That would be easy to remember but it turns out, the name of the restaurant is “Lemongrass”, (and the sign is in sandscript, I suppose)! Anyway, it’s a cute place with multiple balconies decorated by colorful umbrellas hanging from the ceiling and, most importantly, the food is to die for… I think the best I’ve ever had (and I eat a lot of Thai food)!!

The next day, Jeff Bezos’ boat, Koru, a three masted, 417 foot vessel; the largest sailing yacht in the world and worth $500 million, arrived at the dock. I thought it came because, I had just ordered something from Amazon but alas, no!

Rob, Polly, Bryan and I went for a hike on Tuesday. We took the Middleground Trail out of Pigeon Beach and hiked up to where we could see English and Falmouth Harbors at the same time. The views were quite spectacular and the hills provided great exercise, particularly the rocky bits supported by a climbing rope.

Two days ago, it was March 12th. We decided to move the boat from Falmouth Harbor  to Carlisle Bay, just around the corner, so we could pump out in the open ocean and make water in a quiet bay. Shortly after arriving, we learned that our son and his 9 months pregnant wife were headed to the hospital. At 6:45pm, our 4th grandchild (1st grandson) was born, healthy & beautiful. We were blissed out in a beautiful bay, on a beautiful island, simply being grateful for the wonderful family and fantastic opportunities we have been so blessed to receive!❤️🙏🏻

Martinique to Dominica with Dave & Sara

Our friends, Dave & Sara (from St. Michaels) arrived at their hotel in Trois Ilet, Martinique, on Thursday, Feb 13th, in the late afternoon. We met up that evening in Le Marin for dinner at Zanzibar, a fancy restaurant, known for good food and a pleasant & breezy upstairs balcony overlooking the water. The place was empty (other than one couple eating in the corner) when Andrew and I arrived from our dinghy at 18:50. By 19:00, Dave and Sara arrived, the lady that was eating in the corner now merrily played French favorites on her saxophone and the place was packed!

The next day, Valentine’s Day, we do some provisioning in Le Marin and Dave & Sara join us on board. We motor 2 miles away to the large bay off St. Anne, drop anchor next to our friends on Kalunamoo and dinghy to town for a walkabout. We visit the trinket shops, the bakery and check the restaurant menus… all things that make St. Anne a pleasant little French beach town. We celebrated Valentine’s Day at La Lunette for lunch and toasted the upcoming voyages. That evening, Bill & Maureen (on Kalunamoo) dinghied over between rain showers and spent an enjoyable hour (or two) sharing sundowners and sea stories!!

Dressed in their official t-shirts, on 2/15 the Billy Ruff’n crew set off for Grand Anse, a mostly refreshing 3 hour sail up the western coast of Martinique. Upon our arrival, it started raining on and off, so we spent the rest of the afternoon ducking in and out of restaurants and shops just to stay dry. That evening, we introduced Dave & Sara to fish cooked in vanilla sauce, a dish that Andrew and I discovered in St. Pierre a few years ago. 

The next day, we had a brisk sail a few hours further north to St. Pierre and anchored in the shadow of Mt. Pelee volcano. We went to town for Lorraine’s (our new favorite beer) and discovered our new favorite chicken dish! At La Vage, a waterfront restaurant next to the Customs House, Dave and I ordered the Chicken Colombo; drumsticks prepared in a spicy mixture of coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, fennel, pepper, turmeric and allspice. It was deliciuex and Dave, our other culinary genius on board, vowed to try to replicate it for dinner one night.

The next day, Dave, Sara and I walked the volcano ruins; including the theatre and the prison cell, where the lone survivor of the volcano in 1902, was found. Meanwhile, Andrew stayed on the boat to perform some regular maintenance activities (ie. change oil, etc. but mostly nap)! That evening, David masterfully replicated the chicken Colombo, which we lustfully ate on board!!

On Feb 18th, we woke up to a blow and prepared for a salty 5-6 hour sail to Dominica. Crossing over (as we call moving from one island to the next) is usually windier and wavier and this day was no exception! We watched as other boats buried their bows but Billy Ruff’n sailed well in an average of 20 knot winds, gusts to 28 and 6-8 foot seas, with a few 10 foot doozies. One of the larger waves hit us broadside, came over the hard top cabin and filled the cockpit with a good 6 inches of water! Even Sara, who was down below, got wet!! It was one of the saltier sails we’ve had on Billy Ruff’n but neither the boat, or fantastically our guests, were ruffled!! We arrived safely in Roseau, Dominica, just as the sun came out from behind the clouds that were driving the wind all day!!!

The next day, we had a relatively short motor sail to Portsmouth, Dominica, where we joined the Salty Dawg Farewell party for this year’s Rendevous, at Fort Shirley that evening. Surprisingly, we didn’t know anyone at the event except for the PAYS (Portsmouth Association for Yacht Services) guys, and it seemed a bit disorganized but once they found the beer bottle openers, the party started. Before dinner, Sara and I met a woman named Ama, who was offering Jenzu treatments, described as a “smooth and rhythmic journey into the water”, which we found intriguing enough to sign up for the following Sunday.

On Thursday, we hired Ken, who calls himself Mr. Nature, to take us on an island tour. Ken is a very tall, skinny, affable guy who made it fun from the very start. He drives (like they all do) like a bat out of he11, but safely took us to the Bush Bar at Red Rocks, the Red Rocks cliffs and the Chocolate Factory, along the way, pointing out the banana flowers “giving birth” to bananas and other marvels of nature.

We drove through the Kolinago Territory, where the Dominican government has provided land for 3,000 of the original Carib Indians to settle and preserve their culture. In some ways, it seems like they’ve been put on a reservation, but they don’t have to live there and it gives those who choose, a place to continue their way of life, undisturbed by the developing world. 

Afterward, Ken took us to his friend’s Roadside restaurant, where I had the best meal I’ve had in Dominica to date! While enjoying the balcony view of the Atlantic Ocean, we scarfed up plantain chips with a spicy mayo/mustard sauce, chicken & fish curries, followed by sugar cane, coconut and carrot cake desserts, all served on banana leaves!

On Feb 21, we enjoyed a ride up the peaceful and soothing Indian River with Ken. He points out the crabs & ibis as he rows past the guy selling coconut water and replica of the witches house (from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie), to the Bush Bar, where we sampled Dynamite Punch. It tastes like cough syrup at first, but then grows on you and tastes like a nice sangria. Andrew liked it so much, he bought a bottle! That evening, we saw a green flash, which some may argue had something to do with the punch!!

On Saturday, Feb 22, we tried the new sandwich shop at the PAYS building for breakfast and walked to town for market day. We bought tasty finger bananas, limes, tomatoes, spinach and some barracuda from the fish market. That afternoon, we went snorkeling with Kelvin, one of the PAYS guys, who motored us to two reefs in Douglas Bay and then to The Almond Bar in Toucari Bay. We spent more time at the bar than in the water (and we only had one beer)! Back on board, David got a shot of a beautiful rainbow that afternoon!

The next day was Sunday, the day Sara and I had signed up for a Jenzu experience. We had no idea what to expect but showed up at Ama’s place on the beach at 11am. After a short discussion about what was to transpire, I decided to go first and donned a wet suit. I walked with Ama to where the water was calm. We waded in slowly and she took my hand as she floated me on my back. For the next 30 minutes, she gently swished my limbs this way and that way, occasionally dunking my head under water but it was all very fluid and calming. I could feel my breath slowing and felt my heartbeat in my stomach. At one point I laughed and expelled a long sigh as she took me underwater for a longer spell than usual. When I emerged, I saw a bright (almost fluorescent) blue light envelop my face first and then my body, with this amazing warmth & peace. It did occur to me that this was what it’s like to die, but I felt calm. Slowly, she brought me out of this sensation to my knees. That’s actually when it got crazy! Initially, I felt nauseous and said I wanted to throw up but Ama calmed me and said everything was okay. Then, I cried out loud and started to sob uncontrollably, followed by hysterical laughter. As I opened my eyes, I told Ama, I felt like an alien emerging from another world. I felt like I was learning to walk and had just been on an extraterrestrial experience! I felt under the influence of some natural drug and it took me 15 minutes (and a hot shower) to feel normal again. I sat in the hammock at Ama’s shop and wrote about it and then went to the beach to observe the end of Sara’s session. It looked like nothing at all. Ama was swaying Sara this way and that, then brought her out slowly, etc. but Sara reported a similar feeling of lightness and space that felt other worldly! Certainly, more than a water massage for relaxation and meditation. Ama confirmed, it can be much more than that if you let go!!

That evening was barbecue night at PAYS. The rum was flowing and the music from the solo singer with his recorded backup band was entertaining but from experience, we know to get in the food line early. Sure enough, they ran out by the time the polite young people waiting patiently at our table, got up to eat. We were back on board by sailor’s midnight (9pm)!

The next day Sara and Dave were to leave. We had lunch on shore and then hugged goodbye before they got in their PAYS Taxi for the airport. We were sad to see them go but it took them two days and a few cancelled flights to get home. We thoroughly enjoyed having Dave & Sara on board and will have them back anytime! In fact, they’ve offered to come back already!!