We're here!





Sunset in Jolly Harbour, Antigua, the night before we left

We're in our favorite winter anchorage on the French side of Simpson Bay Lagoon in St. Martin.  The 90-odd mile sail from Antigua on Wednesday was delightful.  We averaged a little over six knots in winds of about 10 knots, with calm seas.  It just doesn't get much better.  We spent a night anchored outside the lagoon, waiting for the 9:30 a.m. drawbridge on the Dutch side, and made our way to our usual spot, just over the French border.  The anchor's down, the awning is up, and our high-speed Internet service is reactivated.  We're here! 

We spent a hectic day Thursday, clearing in with customs, getting the Internet service turned back on, and buying and installing a new shower in the head.  Our old one has been leaking and making a mess for several months, but we replaced it with a new showerhead and faucet.  Typically, we had to do a little modification to the fixture.  Nothing is easy on a 30-year-old boat.  Friday has been a rainy day, and we postponed all of our planned shore-side activities.  Rest seemed more attractive than a wet trip to drop off our laundry and go shopping, so we've had time to catch up on email and update the blog. 

We have had fine sailing all the way up from Grenada this year, in spite of the strange weather.  We didn’t have any pressing schedule commitments, so we were able to pick our sailing days.  That does make a difference.  For the past few years, we have always had some compelling need to get to St. Martin quickly.  Last year, it was to order and install the new engine.  This year, we don't have any major projects, so our plan is to catch up on routine maintenance, and Bud will get busy writing Bluewater Vengeance soon.