TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) SXM Trip Reports and Photos trip report- part one- moorings charter

Unfortunately it appears that I exceeded the file limit when attempting to post my trip report in whole, so I've broken it into three parts.

This is part one of a first time sail through the eyes of a landlubber. And what an adventure it was!

What: Moorings 4000 with captain only. Four cabin catamaran with two bathrooms.

Link for virtual tour if interested.
http://emails.moorings.com/uploads/NewVirtualTours/M4000/TourWeaver_Moorings4000vt_0610.html

When: One fine week in February '12.

Where: Departed from Oyster Pond in St.Martin and went wherever the wind would take us. We chose St.Barths, St.Kitts & Nevis as our destinations. We opted out of the short sails around the island as suggested on basic itineraries.

Who: A group of young professionals, 3 couples in total, who I will refer to as M1&C, G&M2, P&L (that's me). C is pregnant and braved it out.

Why: G&M2 have done this before. They suggested the trip to us newbies. Why not!

Other background info: I'm very organized, detail-oriented, and usually know what to expect. Not this time and let me tell you not easy for me. Ultimately it was a pleasure to sit back and relax and see it all come together. G&M2 were the main organizers from A to Z. Prior to the sail, in preparation phase, we had our friends over to discuss provisioning. We poured the wine too earlyand it kept flowing throughout the night. This resulted in provisioning an abundant supply of wine, but collectively agreeing on food proved problematic. G&M2 kindly sorted that out later so we would not starve during our sail. M2 and I were the chefs on board and ensured everyone was well fed throughout the trip.

Day one, Saturday, 2/18
The big day finally arrived and I am feeling anxious. VERY anxious. I decided the night before that I was heading over to Le Grand Marche in Cole Bay for last minute items before the briefing, which was to take place about ninish. In speaking with Captain Bob and wife Lyn just a few days prior, paper plates or eco friendly plates was suggested, so that was on my short list as G&M2 and I hopped into the car. There was only one other person standing there when we arrived and thanks to her complaining they opened the gate at 8am sharp. G waited in the car since they had brought some luggage along in the trunk. Not my first time in St.Martin, so I advised him to wait while we shopped. Couldn't find the eco friendly plates, but picked up paper plates and other various items. Although Le Grand Marche has not followed the trend of reusable bags, I always carry them with me. Off to Oyster Pond to find out exactly what time the briefing was and see if we could drop off some luggage. Weren't able to drop off the luggage yet and were informed briefing wasn't necessary. Maybe because we had a captain? In any event, I was happy for the extra time, since half the gang was back in the apartment and none of us were fully packed. Quick stop at L'epicurie for coffee and baguette to go and then back to the apartment for breakfast on the patio. M2 whipped up a nice spread of scrambled eggs, sliced tomatoes with balsamic and olive oil, charcuterie, and sliced baguette. Now well fed and energized, we finished up with packing and loaded up the car. Plan A was make one trip if possible. Plan B was make two trips if needed, since it was ashort drive. Plan A was a success. Six adults with a week's worth of luggage packed into the Corolla and off we went.


Oyster Pond as seen from the hillside.

Arrived about 11am as instructed. We met our skipper, Isabelle, and dropped off our luggage on the boat. Provisions hadn't been delivered yet, so we had some time to kill. C and I walked to the scuba shop since I forgot my hat and also to say hello to Peter, who wasn't in yet. The lady at the counter gave me a nice discount as a friend of the owner. That was nice and unexpected. Back to the boat to unpack our belongings.


Our honeymoon suite for the week.

There were some small compartments just as you entered the cabin. The shelf on the wall as seen in the picture served as our dresser for the week. Since we were in a forward cabin, we also had room to store provisions. It's amazing how much can fit in the limited space. Unpacked just in time for the delivery of our provisions. We went through to make sure that all was there and intact. All was good. Time to sit down with Isabelle to go over formalities: paperwork and discuss a plan. Apparently as newbies they suggest short sails. Makes sense, but we had zero desire to circumnavigate around St.Martin. We suggested St.Barths, St.Kitts & Nevis, and possibly another island if time permitted. No problem. Our trip felt official as we departed Oyster Pond and the guys raised the sail. Time was just past 1pm when we made our way to St.Barths.



We sat at the bow, taking it in with Carib in hand. My Carib tasted off and a quick look down all seemed fine. It wasn't until the last swig did it hit my lips and I realized that I had just downed a moldy beer! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sick.gif" alt="" /> All the swigs must've stirred it up. From that moment on I looked at the bottom of the bottle, not the top. Lesson learned. A little more than an hour later, we arrived at Ile Fourchue, where we anchored for the night and had a few hours to spend before sunset. We all did our own thing. P and I snorkelled. Saw tropical fish and sting ray. I am not sure if Moorings typically supply snorkel equipment, but I noted there was none on board and I was thankful that we all brought our own gear. Hunger set in after our water activities and M2 worked on a fruit salad, while I prepped a cheese plate. Our fine cheese selection from L'epicurie De Marie in Marigot got the stamp of approval from Isabelle (french). About this time is when I began feeling ill. It's hard to say if it was sea sickness, the funky beer, or combination. I was the first to give in and applied the Scopolamine, a prescription transdermal patch for sea sickness. Four hours to take effect. In the meantime, M2 began dinner preparation as I rendered myself useless. Fortunately it was a no fuss meal of pizza and salad. The challenge was the oven. Heat source is in the back and made for uneven, inefficient cooking. When all was done, I tried to suck it up and join dinner, but one bite and I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep it down. Back to bed I went. By the time everyone headed to their cabins for the night, I was wide awake with nothing to do but gaze up at the stars. It was so peaceful.

Day two, Sunday, 2/19
Woke up feeling like a brand new woman. The day started off early at 7am with Isabelle knocking on the door to wake up G, who was across from our cabin. This was how the mornings started, since G volunteered to give a hand so that we could set out early each day. According to Isabelle, breakfast before sail prevents seasickness, so we heeded her advice and had leftover fruit salad. C used the percolator to brew us all coffee. Then we set sail to Gustavia, arriving 45 minutes later.


Gustavia as seen from the hillside.

We anchored and took the dinghy into port. Our presence was not required for clearing customs. We provided the passports and fees and Isabelle took care of it for us. This was the case throughout our trip, allowing more fun time for us. Being Sunday, we were aware that most shops would be closed and were fine with that. We were more interested in renting scooters to explore the island. P and I have been to St.Barths before, as well as G&M2, but this was a first time for M1&C. We arrived to Beranger Car Rental just after 9am and were told to come back when they open at 10am. We strolled over to Boulangerie Choisy for croissants and espresso to pass the time. There was a line out the door. Glad I checked my change, as it was short nearly 30 euros! Honest mistake, I think. Croissant was delicious by the way. Back to Beranger, where we rented one scooter and two atvs. Word of advice was not to rent a scooter for the first time and learn in St.Barths. Roads are hilly and lots of sharp curves. A quick rundown of how to operate the vehicles and we were off to explore.


Featured as one of the most extreme airports on the History Channel. Here is a captured landing.

We continued on and stopped at four beaches: Petit Cul De Sac, Saline, Gouverneur, and Nikki. Petit Cul De Sac was my least favorite, very rocky and rugged. Gouverneur was probably my favorite. Pristine. We could see Abramovich's massive compound on the drive down to the beach. No luck with scoring some champagne and caviar with our friend Roman, so we ventured off in search of lunch. We ended up at Eden Rock.



We weren't planning on many meals on land, so we figured we would splurge. That we did. We ordered tomato salad, grilled mahi mahi with french fries, local fish tartar, a bleu cheese/apple/walnut/grilled chicken salad, local fish burger with french fries, cucumber and lemongrass gazpacho, grilled dover sole with side of mashed potatoes. All magnifique.



One thing that struck me as odd was the woman walking around the restaurant and modeling clothing. Strange concept to shop while you dine.

All full with our fancy lunches, we headed back to Beranger to drop the keys in the drop box as instructed and went to port to meet Isabelle with dinghy at 3pm as planned. While we were exploring, she saw that the fresh water shower on board was fixed. It malfunctioned the day before. She also stopped by the boulangerie to pick up baguette for us, since we knew it'd be closed by the time we made it back to Gustavia. All back on board, we set sail to Anse de Colombier, a gem not easily accessible by land. G volunteered to be skipper, with Isabelle on standby, and got us there safely in about 30 minutes. We anchored and had a couple of hours to play before sun down. P and I snorkelled. Saw lots of star fish, sting ray, squid, tropical fish, and conch. We swam to the beach and found some random steps leading up the hillside. We hiked up to see where it would lead us and got a nice view of the other side of the island. Back to the boat to put on dry clothes and watch the sunset. The sky was very clear and Isabelle told us to keep an eye out for the elusive green flash. It's not easy staring towards the sun, but it proved to be worthwhile for some of us. G&M2 didn't see it, but P and I got lucky. It was really amazing.


pre-green flash

Pre-dinner snacking consisted of chips and salsa and olives. I made up for the night before and made pasta with homemade sauce. M2 made a refreshing cucumber salad for the side. Baguette and the meal was complete. Dessert was a choice of caramel or vanilla flavor pudding. It doesn't sound very exciting, but the pudding was surprisingly good. I forgot to note the brand, but I think it was french. In preparation for the long sail to St.Kitts the next day, M2 and I prepped lunch. I had packed hardboiled eggs, so it didn't take long to make egg salad. M2 made more fruit salad. The gang congregated in the cockpit over wine and wrapped up a good day.

{PLEASE SEE PART 2 FOR MORE OF THE SAIL}