inspiration38

We've got Daystar ready for living aboard. Now it's time to spend time with those we love.... read more

Geo: 18.0404, -63.1042 We made it to Sint Maartin a few days before the start of the Heineken Regatta. We had signed on last year and had so much fun as Water Taxi volunteers that we decided to factor this year's regatta into our cruising plans. It works out quite well, as the Heineken Regatta falls on the first weekend in March, which is just past the middle of our season, this becomes our northern-most point. From here, we head south again. The route we take is a funny one. Like many cruisers, we want to be around the 12 degree line (Grenada) for hurricane season. So we leave Grenada and head north from December to March/April while the winds tend to blow from the north. We turn around and head south again, just in time ... read more

Geo: 17.1224, -61.842As promised, we got Rob to Antigua in time to meet his wife, Vicki, at the airport. He moved ashore, and they enjoyed a week's vacation in a rental unit right in Jolly Harbour, just a short dinghy ride from where Inspiration was anchored. With them so close by, we spent an awful lot of time on shore, as it was a week of birthday celebrations. Both Vicki and Tony had birthdays that week. Together we all enjoyed a few of the beaches of Antigua, several restaurants, markets, side of the road roti shacks, goat, donkey and cat watching, and simply relaxing and spending time with good friends on their deck overlooking the water. One day, while Rob and Vicki had fun touring the island, Tony and I spent the day at their rental ... read more

Geo: 45.5663, 1.29066After leaving Les Saintes with Rob on board, we stopped twice along the coast of Guadeloupe. Once at Pigeon Island, and then again in Deshaies. We left Deshaies, Guadeloupe, and sailed to Jolly Harbour, Antigua in one tack. Both sails up. Both reefed. Nice. Not much work. We let Rob take the helm. This was, after all, the experience he was looking for. After a number of "S" curves, Rob was starting to get the hang of steering. Until the wind picked up under a few clouds. When the wind picks up, it tries to suck you up into it. Tony and I were both sitting under the dodger, facing backwards, pointing every few moments to the leeward side of the boat to get Rob back on course. Rob was fascinated that we could ... read more

Geo: 15.3, -61.39We knew that our dear EYC friends, Andy and Elva, were going to be in Dominica, and through email we had tried to pinpoint a time and place to find them. We didn't know it was going to be as easy as bumping into them when we went into downtown Roseau to check in! I was sitting at an outdoor cafe waiting for Tony to finish at Customs and Immigration, and spotted Andy walking into the cafe! What a fabulous coincidence! We didn't stay in Dominica for very long on this visit, but we did enjoy three days in Roseau, and then a few days in Portsmouth before we jumped up to Les Saintes to pick up our next guest. ... read more