News 23

Georgetown to St. Georges

Bahamas to Grenada

Beach

One of the countless Bahamian Anchorages

Fueldock Mayaguana

Mostly Wind and Sun

Originally we wanted to sail directly from the Bahamas to the US Virgin Islands. But, like so many times before, the gods of the wind decided otherwise. Constant southeasterly winds, sometimes at gale strength, forced us to take a break in Mayaguana, outislands Bahamas. Out of the way, desolate, scarcely populated it gave us 2 days of peace and quiet at a delapidated concrete pier normally used for the mail and fuel boat. If it hadn't been for the moskitoes... The next stage took us to Luperon, Dominican Republic, mainly because we were running out of diesel and beer. The local stuff "Presidente" is just so good and cheap.

Anchorage Luperon

Rainbow over the Bay

One more sail through a tropical night and we were in Boqueron, Puerto Rico. Short stop and on we went to Ponce on the south coast. Those 50 miles were really tough, 25 kts of wind on the nose meant we had to tack all the way, took us 24 hours. What a trip. A few days later we made the short hop to Salinas, which we really liked three years ago. Waited for a decent window and we were on our feet again to St. Croix, US Virgins. Here we could have spent months. A really nice piece of America in the tropics. The looming hurricane season pressed us on.

Puertorican Coast

Sunset over Mangroves in Salinas

Fort Christiansvaern, St.Croix

Boardwalk, Christiansted, St.Croix

The plan had been to move south along the island chain in short overnight trips with as many stops as posssible. But again, we had no luck. The wind turned SE, then ESE and little AEOLA doesn't like going to windward. So after a challenging week we finally arrived in St. Georges, Grenada. The local Yacht Club made us feel very welcome and we enjoyed the hospitality of a well stocked bar, good showers, a laundromat and delicious cheap local food. The damage left by hurricane Ivan last year is still visible everywhere and the people suffered a lot. But nonetheless there is this Caribbean way of life: vitality and joy of life seemed unbroken. Now, soon after we left, they were hit again by hurricane Emily and we wonder how people are coping with yet another desaster...

Hotel

The Steeple Building, Christiansted, St.Croix

Lagoon, St.Georges, Grenada

Gouyave River

House, Gouyave, Grenada