Tuesday, April 9, 2013

St. Martin…….St. Martin


            We have been in St. Martin since the 10th of March.  We had to get here in time for our visit with Jim Fagan.  This will be his third visit during his spring break from school teaching.  He has been twice to George Town, Great Exuma – now for something different!  We always have a great time when he is here. 
            This visit with Jim was a lot of fun.  We sailed around the northern portion of the island and snorkeled in several spots.  We went to Grand Case for the Tuesday night closing of the streets for a party.  Had fun!  No ribs, though – the waitress FORGOT us!!!!  GRRRRR.  A little shopping and visiting with the Blue Moon crew.  Blue Moon is a boat that is heading to Australia in a short time with one of Jim’s family friends on board.  They have had trouble getting all the pieces sorted out with the purchase of the boat and documentation to get underway.  Jim, come back any time – we really enjoy your visits!  WHO KNOWS where we will be next year at your spring break!?!?!
            The lagoon at St. Martin must have tentacles like an octopus because once we get in here, we can’t leave!  Really, it is the convenience of being able to dinghy over to the French OR the Dutch side any time you like.  We went to a local shop and rented a modem while we are here to get our income taxes filed in a secure fashion.  Those were done on the same day and we have a whole week of unlimited internet – woo hoo!!
            Anyway, we are trying to wait on our friends on Celtic Rover to come over from the BVI’s so we can travel south with them.  We have been travelling with them for the past year – after we met in Turks and Caicos Islands last March.  They assure us they are waiting and will come with the next weather window.  If they don’t hurry, we will have to stop and apply varnish.  We vowed to stop in six months no matter where we are and put two more coats of varnish on the entire boat – the time period is up on the 15th. 
            This summer’s project is to make all new canvas bimini and dodger for the boat.  It is hard to believe that the current canvas is almost four years old!  In the meantime, we pick up occasional sewing and/or repairing jobs for folks and that helps put $$ back into the sailing kitty.  We are also looking at the possibility of installing a water maker sometime in the future. 
            It is interesting here in the Caribbean.  Many of the boats here in Simpson Bay Lagoon are among the same ones that we met while we were in Grenada.  Some, we have met, are here only for the winter months and put the boat “on the hard” and go back somewhere for the summer months.  It is fun reuniting with old friends and making new acquaintances
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            Well gang, we have to turn the modem in tomorrow so contact is back to intermittent.  I tried to buy SKYPE minutes to call my dad but I don’t trust the websites to get the payment done so no luck.  Unfortunately, my dad doesn’t use the internet so I have to call him – and he is deaf as thunder so I have to be somewhere so I can yell into the phone so he can hear me.  Perhaps I will have to call him on my cell phone before we leave cell phone coverage.  Once we get to Grenada, I have a sim card for a cheap phone we bought and a calling card.  
Maltese Falcon - computer trimmed sailing

Panorama of Marigot, (French side) St. Martin