22/2/11 Tuesday
We headed out early as it is about 80 miles to St. Martin and we wanted to arrive during daylight. With our trusty fishing lure dragging behind us we soon caught a nice little tuna that will be the main ingredient in Dan’s famous fish cakes, one of the few fish dishes Em will eat. We barely got him in the fridge when we spotted a fisherman’s dream, a school of tuna feeding on a bait ball. There were 8 to 10 of them leaping out of the water at any one time. We altered course and dragged the lure right through the middle of the feeding frenzy. Within moments we had hooked a nice one that looked to be about 5 lbs. I reeled him to the boat with the reel mounted on the stern rail, Dan’s birthday gift from Em, and we were imagining the feast we would be having. Now we usually bring fish onboard through the gate in the lifelines, but we got the little one on over the stern rail so we tried it with this bigger one. I had it about halfway up when he gave a good wiggle and spit the hook. Immediately we headed back to the action for another go, and once again got a bite, this one even larger than the last. Em suggested that we bring it to the gate to board it, but Dan and I being men were not having any of taking advice no matter how good it was. I got this one right up to the top rail when he gave a good shake and was back in the sea as our hearts sank. Now I usually give Dan and Em photo mugs as Christmas gifts; a collage mug with photos from the previous season and one with the best shot of the two of them also from the year before. Next Christmas, no mugs, they are getting a good fishing gaff. Anyways we decided that the fishing Gods were against us and we had just had a delicious fish dinner and we were anticipating Kims specialty dish planned for that evening (can you tell I am still trying to convince myself it wasn’t too bad of a loss); our only consolation is that in many fishing tournaments “leader in hand” counts as a catch, even though there is no fish in pan. Onwards we ventured leaving the fish for another day, we looked to see if any local fishermen were about so we could point the bonanza out to them, but none were to be seen. The winds were very strong and the seas the roughest we have encountered yet, it wasn’t long before prudent seamanship required us to put a second reef in the main. We plowed along at over 8 knots average speed past the islands of Estatia and Saba, we spotted what may have been a couple of the leaders in the Caribbean 600, that was already underway. With St. Barths off our starboard and St. Martin looming closer it was still early in the afternoon so the decision was made to go to Anguilla and anchor in Road Bay for the night and spend the day ashore. When we arrived in the anchorage the swells were really rolling in, it would have been a horrendous, if not dangerous, night at anchor so back to St. Martin it was. We sailed into the anchorage on the French side just after sunset and put the hook down in the mild swell. Dinner that night was sausage cacciatore over spaghetti, garden salad, and homemade garlic bread along with a bottle of red wine Dan bought in Isle des Saintes. It was a little rolly and I had to trade places with Kim so I could wedge myself up against the hull to keep from rolling around or over her. She was having no problem staying in one place and couldn’t understand why I was rolling back and forth while she wasn’t until I pointed out to her that since I am shaped like a barrel I tend to roll around easier than most.
23/2/11 Wednesday
We moved the boat closer to the town dock while Kim and Deb took their morning showers, it was a lot smoother and a shorter dingy ride so a good thing all around. We headed over to what used to be my favorite breakfast spot on SXM, a small café next to the post office the free wifi sign a lure to internet starved sailors. It wasn’t until after we had ordered our coffee and pastries that we found out they no longer have wifi. Since everyone had business to take care of, not having internet yesterday; we went to a place Dan knew of, La Sucriere. The pastries on display were a lot nicer than the other place and the wifi signal very strong. I had a ham and cheese croissant and a cup of coffee, Kim had a bottle of raspberry juice. Kim had been to St. Maarten in 2008 during the regatta, but she was working at the time and could only get off the resort for dinner two nights; the only area outside the resort she had seen was from Pineapple Petes to the bridge. We window shopped around Marigot and looked at the stalls in the market, lunch was at Enoch’s Place on the waterfront. I had goat curry, Dan whole roasted snapper, Kim and Em ribs and Deb tuna salad. The service was quick and the food tasty and reasonably priced; I will be going back for the snapper and also the bull foot soup when we return next week. Dan and Em had boat maintenance duties to take care of so Kim and I grabbed the bus to Philipsburg to check out our digs for regatta week. Now anyone who has been following along probably realizes I am a cheap….er… I mean frugal SOB, and when booking our week I almost went with the St. Martin Surprise Special on Cheap Caribbean .com which was $82 a night at a 3 star resort to be determined just prior to the stay; but I decided to go all out since it would be our last week and didn’t want to end up not on the water or somewhere that wasn’t convenient to the bus routes. Long story short I booked a week at the Pelican Marina Residences, well we all know how that turned out. As the Pelican fiasco was unfolding Dan and Em offered to let us stay on Skyelark. Now they left South Hampton UK in late October for the Canaries and then onto St. Lucia with the ARC. Dan skippered Skyelark and Em was hired to skipper Great Escape. They have had guest onboard since arriving in St. Lucia and really haven’t had a lot of quality time to themselves; so we thanked them for their kind offer but opted to stay shoreside. I was almost going to get a room at the Sapphire, but I had inquired once on the SXM forum and it seems the buses don’t go that way regularly. We will be staying at the Horizon View Hotel in Philipsburg, which I knew would be at least 2 stars below the others, and more than the PMR was to cost. We have friends who will also be on island for the regatta and they were booked there, plus you can’t beat the location for convenience beach out the back door and bus stop out the front bars and restaurants steps away and with Friday nights party on the boardwalk it takes a little of the sting out of it. For us all we really need from a hotel room is a place to store our luggage, take a shower and sleep; added bonus Kim won’t get spoiled staying at fancy hotels. We went to my favorite beach bar, Sint Rose, where I had a frozen mojitos and Kim a strawberry daiquiri. After strolling the boardwalk for a while we picked up a bottle of Barcelo Gran Anejo rum for our trip to Anguilla. We took another bus to Simpson Bay and stopped by Sharons to check on a phone for regatta week. We met up with the rest of the gang at the yacht club just in time for the bridge openings, Kim was impressed with my knowledge of SXM, her awe somewhat diminishing when she realized it was more just a knowledge of various bars and restaurants. After the last yacht came through we took the bus back to Marigot and went back to Skyelark for showers. Dinner was pizza and sangria at a French restaurant along the marina, sorry I forgot the name, but the bill with drinks, tax and tip was $24 US each.
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