Sunday, May 6
We approach St. Maarten on Sunday morning with the rising
sun in our eyes. Behind us is the Anegada Passage (also known
as the "OmiGoda" Passage), the last major crossing
of the Thorny Path. It was thankfully uneventful. We drop
an anchor in Simpson Bay on the Dutch side of the island (the
French claim the northern side). Next to us is a bright yellow
catamaran flying a French flag. The French are known for many
things in the cruising community, including a propensity for
nudity. Certainly the cost of doing laundry in the islands
might lead one to embrace nudity as a lifestyle. While Nick
is dropping the anchor, a silver-haired fellow emerges from
the catamaran wearing nothing but his birthday suit. "Hey
look, a naked guy!" I alert Nick via our two-way headsets.
About that time, the fellow bends over to display a full moon.
I know Nick has been looking forward to seeing gorgeous French
women on the beach wearing nothing but a smile, but an old
guy in the buff doesn't impress him. Later, as we lounge in
the cockpit, the same fellow rows by in his matching bright
yellow kayak, still having not found a pair of trousers, reminding
me of a big banana paddling by.
We enter the lagoon on the 5:30 P.M. bridge opening with
about 20 other boats and anchor on the north side of the airport
runway near Bobby's Marina and Boatyard. Lindsay James, who
will be helping us with our chainplate replacement project,
has a shop on the premises. As we drop the hook, Lindsay dinghies
out and invites us to his shop where a group of folks, including
a Texan couple, are hanging out drinking a few cold ones.
Monday, May 7
Four of 18 chainplates (stainless steel bars that connect
the wire rigging to the boat) are removed and sent to a metal
fabrication shop. To access the chainplates, cabinets must
be emptied and disassembled, so the boat quickly becomes a
huge mess. Alan, one of Lindsay's employees, is helping Nick
with the project.
Tuesday, May 8
Today is Nick's 48th birthday. We recall how he spent his
last birthday, with the boat tied to a piling outside the
Industrial Canal Lock in New Orleans (see May
2006 log). In the afternoon, we visit St. Maarten's two
well-stocked chandleries and then meet Jim and Amanda at Jimbo's
for margaritas and gourmet Tex-Mex. Meanwhile, our chainplates
have been sent to a French welding shop. The Dutch welder
who was supposed to do the job was injured a few days ago
and has decided to close his shop until sometime next week.
Wednesday, May 9
"Holy @#$%!" I stammer, nearly spilling my coffee.
I've just tuned the SSB to Chris Parker's 7:00 A.M. weather
report, and he's announced Tropical Storm Andrea. Although
the storm is far away from us, it's a bit disconcerting to
have one form this early. Hurricane season doesn't officially
start until June 1st. Let's hope this early-comer is not indicative
of the season ahead.
Thursday - Monday, May 10-14
We can't replace any of the remaining chainplates until we
receive the first set back from the French welder, so no progress
is made for an entire week. Nick decides to use the downtime
to replumb the forward head and eliminate the stinky holding
tank that was pulled out to access one of the chainplates.
As is so often the case, boats are built around their inner
parts, making it extremely difficult if not impossible to
replace those parts later. Perseverance eventually wins out
and the nasty job is a success.
During this time, the U.S. Coast Guard launches a search
for Flying Colours, a Little Harbour 54, which was
in a St. Thomas marina next to Adventure Bound a few
weeks ago. Jim had talked to the two captains, men in their
30s, and their female companions before they departed to deliver
the boat to Washington DC. Earlier this week, when a storm
off the U.S. East Coast generated 60-knot winds and 40-50
foot seas, Flying Colours' EPIRB was activated and
continued transmitting for several hours. The Coast Guard's
search has failed to locate Flying Colours or its crew,
although they did rescue crews from several other boats during
the same storm.
Tuesday - Wednesday, May 15-16
We finally get six chainplates installed. The remainder of
the job is sent to the Dutch welder who is back in business.
Meanwhile, the French welder still has four left to finish.
Thursday - Friday, May 17-18
To occupy our time, Nick continues working on various boat
projects and I start a Spanish tutorial on CD. On Thursday,
Ascension Day, we dinghy over to the French side and find
most of the businesses closed for the public holiday. We enjoy
some French pastries (you'd quickly gain weight staying on
this side of the island) and then walk off the calories by
hiking up to Fort Louis overlooking Marigot Bay.
Saturday, May 19
"Hell will freeze over before my wife ever does that!"
Nick declares as he takes another bite of chicken curry. After
hitting happy hour at several beach bars, we're now dining
at a fabulous Indian restaurant with Jim and Amanda. We're
telling them about our plans to tour the island tomorrow by
rent car, and they're curious about what we may or may not
do.
Sunday, May 20
We're standing by the road outside Bobby's Marina by 8:30
A.M. waiting for the rent car company to pick us up. Several
taxis, buses, and individuals offer us a ride before the driver
of our bright red "Ideal" rent car arrives. The
tiny vehicle looks like a Yugo reborn, and the transmission
grinds with every shift. After shopping at the Ace Hardware
and the Gourmet Marche supermarket, we stop in Phillipsburg
on the southeast coast for lunch at The Greenhouse. After
an unsuccessful attempt to find boat sandals at the discount
clothing stores on Back Street, we continue north along the
east coast and cross into French territory.
At the end of a dirt road, we arrive at Orient Bay, home
of a naturist resort and "clothing optional" beach.
On the north side of the beach are bars and restaurants that
will rent you a chaise lounge for $5 each including a drink.
If you want to use the public restroom, that costs 50 cents.
At the Tex-Mex bar, we order two margaritas and assess the
crowd. Ninety-nine percent of the sunbathers are wearing swimsuits,
with just an occasional topless woman. Children are playing
on the beach.
With margaritas in hand and modestly attired in our swimsuits,
we walk down the beach toward the naturist resort. We step
over a pile of rocks that seem to draw a line in the sand
between the clothed and the unclothed. Across this line we
find 99 percent of the people are completely naked. If you're
wearing a swimsuit, you're obviously a sightseer and quite
conspicuous. Averting one's eyes is easy, if not preferable.
At least a hundred over-40, out-of-shape, totally naked people
are lounging, strolling and splashing in the water. Most of
them don't have tan lines, so they're obviously long-time
devotees to the naturist lifestyle.
The moment of truth arrives as we reach the end of the beach.
"Can you hear the sound of crackling ice?" I ask
my blushing husband. "Because hell is about to freeze
over!" We throw our swimsuits in the tote bag, suck in
our guts, and stroll self-consciously back down the beach.
Meanwhile, the naturists put on sunglasses to shield their
eyes from the glare reflected off our lilly-white hineys,
our tourist tan lines being a dead giveaway that we're impostors.
If only I'd had the foresight to apply self-tanning lotion!
After the nudey beach, we head back to the west side of the
island to Grand Case for their famous $4 rib plate. We return
to the marina before the gates are locked. It's been a fun
and memorable day.
Tuesday, May 22
Nick installs the last four chainplates produced by the French
welder. We're still waiting on the last eight from the Dutch
shop.
Wednesday, May 23
Today we purchase a 55-pound Delta anchor to replace the
45-pound CQR that has been our primary hook since the George
Town incident. The new anchor sets the first time, a reassuring
debut performance. We had wanted to purchase a longer chain
so we can anchor in deeper water, but the island is out of
the size we need.
Friday, May 25
"YooHoo!" Nick yells as he jumps up and raises
his arms in a victory stance. This uncharacteristically jubilant
behavior from my low-key husband leaves me momentarily speechless.
Nick has just finished installing the last of 18 chainplates.
Finally! "YooHoo!"
Saturday, May 26
Today is a busy day as we prepare to leave St. Maarten tomorrow.
Our guests are arriving in St. Lucia next Saturday and we
need to make the 2.5 day, 275 mile trip before the trade winds
pipe up mid-week. We're hoping that the path will finally
become less thorny and we can start sailing minus the engine
on this trip. What are the odds of that happening?
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Looking across Marigot Bay
View of Marigot from Fort Louis with Marigot
Bay in the foreground and
Simpson Bay Lagoon in the background.
The French built Fort Louis in 1789 to defend
settlers from British raiders.
In 1808 Fort Louis defended an attack by
British forces who were trying
to steal the fort's coffee supply. The British were repelled
and French
historians proudly record that not a single coffee bean was
lost.
At Maho Beach on the west end of the airport
runway, spectators can
enjoy the thrill of being blasted by sand and jet fuel as
planes land and
take off. Nick is still cleaning sand out of his private places.
This homemade boat is cruising the Caribbean.
It has just one sail, and
a few batteries sitting on the floor are its only ballast.
Grand Case is famous for it $4 rib plate.
Yum!
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