• Saint Lucian Christmas

    28 grudnia 2025, Saint Lucia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We left Dominica on Saturday, December 20th weren't sure if we would stop in St Pierre (Martinique) for a day or so as Brian has been reading alot about the origins of the Caribbean and it was prominent in the early days, known as “the Paris of the Caribbean,” until Mount Pelée erupted in 1902, killing all but 2 residents.
    The winds were good for sailing from Portsmouth to Rousseau and then died off. Between Dominica and Martinique we hit a squall and we lost our GPS and autopilot forcing us to handsteer by compass. At that point, and knowing the sea state had higher swells then we suspected, I opted to continue to Saint Lucia. We would have gotten to Saint Pierre at dusk or dark and it was another 50nm to Saint Lucia so we pressed on, motoring, but then later in the evening put the main up again and had a great run untill close to Rodney Bay, when we were hit by another squall.
    We anchored in the dark around 1:30am, wind blowing to 25knots, and went to bed. On Sunday we did lots of boat chores, went for a swim, lowered the dinghy and went in to the marina for dinner with friend, and fellow Canadians, Mark and Kris Richards.
    They are farm owners from Drysden, Ontario and we met then in Antigua and spent lots of time with them in Saint Lucia last year. They are heading north and us South... So we are overlapping for a week during Christmas 🎄. The boat, now that we are in one spot, is decorated with lights up the mast in a triangle (tree), lights along the boom and in the helm, lite bulbs in the salon and forward head (bathroom), and a small Christmas Tree in the salon with a mermaid & crab decoration (from Oxford, MD) and the boat treetopper (Mystic, CT).... And my meditating Santa (Moncton).
    On Monday we were supposed to have a reservation at the marina, but they were full and F2 wasnt available. At the end if the day (Mark and Kris had already gone in), we were given the option of G23 (smaller dock), or I dock (concrete with the super yachts). Brian wasnt happy with either, so we stayed in the harbour and swam, for that night. Mark and Kris send pictures of G dock and told Brian he could make it.... So he decided to try early in the morning.
    Tuesday, with the help of lots of hands, and Mark pushing the bow with his dinghy, we got in by 9am... It wasnt pretty but we made it unscathed. We checked in, lowered the dinghy, and then I went with Kris to Ojas Spa for a pedicure and massage. Afterwards we walked to the grocery and Mark was supposed to pick us up in the dinghy, but it wouldnt start, so we had to walk back... Laddled with our groceries. Kris has a bad hip so I tried to carry most. Gaza saw us and came over, close to the Marina, and helped carry the rest of the way. I had seen him the day before. He had done varnishing work for us the year before and we had great conversations and stayed in touch via WhatsApp.
    We have eaten out at Sea Salt (w Paul & Deb... Kris cousins), Razmataz (Christmas Eve), Ritual Sushi, Market Place Sushi (at Harbour Hotel and it was terrible), and La Mesa. Of course the ice cream shop was also frequented, and the grocery store (Masseys). On Christmas Day, we had a potluck with Kris, Mark and their friend Thomas Perkins who has a boat in Grenada called Halcyon. We had ham, scolloped potatoes, sweet potato casserole and salad. I also made brownies with walnuts and cranberries, and an appetizer - a combo of avaibale items in the fridge (base was cottage chesse, yogurt, oatmilk and spices), cranberry sauce in top and then roasted pecans. Fun evening!
    Thomas was an interesting guy, a navy seal diver, a Bronze Star recipient (for removing mines underwater in Iraq, so that Aid boats could get in and rescuing people in a russian submarine). He has a daughter who is paraplegic and has a book coming out in March called “A Life Not Worth Living.”
    On Christmas Eve we meant Clint and Dani... another interesting pair on a Gulf Star 80. Dani was in finance and corporate in Brazil (Chinese decent) and tossed it in to sail... She met Clint a year ago. He left the world of bike gangs, and owned one of the largest Harley Shops in Texas (and did custom choppers). By 38 he had the dream business, dream house, dream life but wasnt happy, so at his moms suggestion he put the business for sale at 3x its worth and there was a bidding war. He walk away and started a new life, crewing on boats and is now the captain on the Gulf Star after chartering and getting his license in Hawaii.
    Brian and I havent left the compound much. In fact, Brian has only been outside the gates via taxi when we all went to a resturant. We did take the dingy to Pidgeon Beach and along that left side of the Bay on Christmas Eve, we also went to the right side to take a nice long walk on the beach two days ago, via the dinghy. We met a man name Phillipe (s/v Better Times) on a Trimaran.... He was from Luxembourg and had lived in the Bay for 4 years. He has a dog (french bulldog) who LOVED the water and would find big waves coming to shore and “fly” over them... Jumping high with her paw stretched in either direction, a joy to watch.
    The rest of the time here at IGY Rodney Bay Marina was long conversations with family and friends and boat work: replaced the gypsy, tightened the stern gland, scraped, sanded and spot primed the port and starboard toe rail and pilothouse, then light sanded (220) those ENTIRE areas and put two coats of gloss on them. We are now working on the rub rails and have finished scrapping, sanding and priming the starboard side.... Today the port and then some sanding and gloss for both. Trying to get it all done before we leave for Bequia (Saint Vincent & Grenadines) tomorrow.
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  • Dominica

    20 grudnia 2025, Dominika ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We toyed with the idea of stopping in Grand Burg, Marie Gallant, but decided against it and left Monday morning. We had great wind and a quick 20nn sail to Portsmouth, Dominica. It was a beautiful day and an easy sail….unlike the squalls we are currently facing as we cross from Dominica to Martinique… as I write.
    We were meant by Nigel (a.k.a Action Pack) who guided us to a mooring ball. Once we got settled, sails put away and Sail Clear completed, he came back and took us to town. There is a group called PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Security) which Nigels is with…. We were in their mooring and had them do our check-in, dropping off our passports. We could pick up the clearence at noon on Tuesday. The 5 days of mooring, plus the check-in & out, was 265ec ($98 USD).... A good deal! We walkd through the town and back to the boat, arriving just as “Action Pack” was leaving for the day, so he took us back to the boat.... For super, Christmas shopping online, and sleep.
    I rented an Airbnb.... A treehouse in the rain forest, https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/4332955?viralityEnt…, for three nights. On Tuesday, we had our coffee, read, wrote, had breakfast and then packed our stuff and headed to PAYS to pick up our clearence (Felica was the girl at the desk and she stated that her brother & cousin had been shot and killed on the weekend 😞). Our car was waiting, and Davo, the owner of the small company, drove us to the Hideway at Tibay Heights. He and Crispin (& Jenn -- Airbnb owners) are bothers and he built the cottages.
    We arrived early and were so relaxed, we decided to just stay.... Read, write, Brian played guitar (Christmas tunes) and relax to the sounds of birds and rain. We took a short and scary trip into Picard to the grocery store (as that is usually our favorite outing). The road to the Hideway was dirt, uneven, washed out, steep and about 1.5 miles long. The driving is also left hand side. We bought some yogurt and fruit and I wanted to make our way back before dark.
    On Wednesday I taught a class and it went well (I was worried about the bad wifi signal).... And then we relaxed all morning, engaging with nature as the birds were always in the same space with us. Unfortunately, the bats were too at night.
    We went to Syndicate Falls.... And as we were going down the long awful road, a heavy lorrie was coming up.... I needed to back up the narrow hill (with drop offs)... Intimidating! The road to the Falls was the same... Steep, narrow and only built for one way (so you backed up or pulled over when you met another car). At the top was the Zen Cafe...lol... I wasnt feeling to zen.
    A quick hike to the Falls and we decided to take the plunge. There were kids from Germany on a classroom at sea (Thor Heyerdahl boat), who took some pictures for us. We wanted to do the nature trail, but it was another 20 min... UP, and it was getting late. I was fed up with driving so Brian took over and we headed to Portsmouth beach for a long walk and another swim before heading back to the cottage.
    We toyed with the idea of climbing a mountain or boiling lake on Thursday.... However it rained hard throughthe night and much of the day. I was grateful as hemmroids were afflicting me (TMI 😏) pretty seriously! We lounged all day (except a trip to the pharmacy), and then went to the Steakhouse for super and had ribeye. It was good and the sunset was beautiful. Back to the cottage for the final night! Brian was doing great -- I thought he would want to check on Lorena, especially given all the rain we had, but he declined.
    The cottage is two story, above the tree tops and open air. Its like you are witnessing nature from the inside verses an outsider looking in. The rain on the metal roof was melodic and the sound of the birds so peaceful!
    Friday I taught a plank class, but it didnt go well as the connection was bad. Then we made lunch (as Jenn gave us a late checkout), had a tour of the other cottage (we stayed at FouFou, and the other is called Máde). Since Davo was on the land working on cottage #3, Jenn drive us back to the boat.
    I think Lorena was in better shape then both of us expected, dry and Rod (the lithium problem child battery) was at 64%. We had turned off one of the fridgesbefore leaving --- but I forgot to empy the tiny freezer that had broccoli in it, which now smell peutrid!
    After washing the fridge and putting away our belongings, we decided to go for a swim.... Over to the Canadian boat, Danu II, that had come in. We donned out “teletubby” snorkel gear and got some excersize. We were met by Zach, Jayda and 7 month old Owen (Emberson) who lived aboard and were from Barry, Ontario. We showered and reposed before supper, and were greeted by a “hello” from the Canadians who we invited aboard for a few hours.
    A late super, some dancing and then to sleep for aday of travel... Unsure whether we will stop in Martinique or go all the way to Saint Lucia.
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  • Marie Gallant

    14 grudnia 2025, Gwadelupa ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    Well we have been on Marie Gallant for four nights and have not gone ashore or seen anyone. Tomorrow we leave for Dominica and will get off the boat for a couple of days next week.
    We arrived in Anse Canot on Wednesday and stayed untill after my fitness class on Friday morning. It was a beautiful anchorage, with about 10 other boats. However, we just admired it from Lorena, as we did t even drop the dinghy. It was rolly as all the anchorage in Guadeloupe have been so far.
    On Friday we moved to a remote anchorage, near Pointe de Maréchal (between Saint Louis and Grand Burg). The sail over was only motoring as we dodged traps for 5nm… not fun! We were going to only stay for a day or two and then move to Grand Burg but decided against it.
    Instead, we swam, wrote, read relaxed, sanded, and varnished. We also took the dinghy and walked on the beach & I put on the registration numbers and T/T Lorena on it. I also decided to try washing clothes by hand the way the Montreal sailors (Chris and Denis) had suggested. However, on opening I inhaled it and it burnt my nose and lungs and made me sick. We had to call poison control.... Who advised that if I started getting more symptoms (ammonia inhalation) to head back -- hmmm.... It would take us 2-3 weeks to sail back to the USA, I guess she didnt understand geography when we said we were in Guadeloupe.
    Today was sluggish.... I wrote, read, finished Christmas shopping online for family, did some sanding and napped. We also went for aswim and made water-- it is so clear here!
    Both yesterday and today, I got to go virtual shopping with Ashlynn and Robyn for wedding dresses. Although, In person would have been nice, this was also awesome!! 💕
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  • Anse Canot

    11 grudnia 2025, Gwadelupa ⋅ 🌬 28 °C

    The anchorage in Le Gosier was also rough and rolly…. I had to teach online at 7am on Wednesday and that was a challenge! Even Starlink agreed as it kicked me out of zoom or froze several times. The plan was to leave for Marie Gallant after class, but we decided to head back to Bas du Fort (Pointe a Pitre) Marina and check out. We printed our clearance, headed to the bus and made quick business of clearing out of the country. We have 48hrs to leave — perhaps not enough to enjoy Marie Gallant 🤔.
    We were back to the boat by 11:30 and immediately lifted the anchor to head towards our final destination in Guadeloupe. A 20nm sail. The wind was firm and we were enjoying the sail when suddenly I started to smell something burning. I called to Brian who was inspecting the fishing rod, and praying to the sea that he would catch a fish. We searched for the smell, me insisting that there was an issue and Brian not smelling it strong and not worried.
    I went down below again, this time noticing water in the hallway aft (towards our bedroom). A strange place for it as it has cabinets on one side and the engine room on the other. I followed the water and found both the smell and source of water. In our rush to leave we had left the starboard portal open and water was spuming into the boat, soaking books and clothes and shorting out electrical circuits.
    It seems that burnt wires will also neutralize (or overpower) the smell of diesel. Ahhh the adventures of sailing! ⛵️
    I unplugged the Starlink and feared that it and the inverter were caput, but we had to wait untill we arrived to Marie Gallant to assess.
    We found a beautiful little anchorage, Anse Canot, to host our tired souls. Once we arrived we hoped in the clear water for a swim and then got to work on the electrical. We sprayed dialectic contact cleaner into the outlets, and my computer which had fallen onto the floor in a puddle.
    We tried sending power to one outlet which caused sparks and smoke. Then we made a quick decision to dismantle that outlet and route everything to the Starlink outlet we use. Once the connectors were on and crimped we tested it and voila… there was power. Amazing! Next test was plugging in the Starlink, and yet again it worked, as does my computer. Phew…
    We were very grateful as it could have been much worse… only wet clothes and books, and the loss of an outlet we never use (as it is under the portal).
    This morning was slow to wake up, drank coffee, wrote, read, had my Thursday chat with Ashlynn (and Vinnie), swam, relaxed and read more. I made a shepherds pie and we did a few boat chores and made water. Both of us exhausted and happy to be in this little paradise with only a handful of other boats. There are still swells, but the frequency is less and I should have no problem teaching my class.
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  • Sailing Guadeloupe

    9 grudnia 2025, Gwadelupa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We left early on Sunday morning, with enough light to ensure that we could remove a coral head if needed, as the last two times we anchored in Falmouth we needed assistance with the 200 pound dead coral we brought up. Luckily, it was a smooth departure and we were underway by 6:30am. We planned to sail all the way to Marie Gallant…..we made it here last night, after several plan changes.
    About 2hours into our 12hr sail I started to smell something. Eventually Brian did too. We realized it was diesel but didn’t know from where. It was strong and very unpleasant. We hypothesized the various scenarios that might have caused it. After about 7hrs of sailing… we made the tough decision to tack towards Saint Louis so we could get in at dusk and assess the situation. For most of the day we were close hauled (bow close to the wind) and the boat heeled. Now changing direction, the swells were still about 8ft, but we were on a beam reach, leveling the boat off, and allowing the auto pilot to do its job without complaining to much (we were hand steering a lot prior to the beam reach). We took this opportunity to go below, face down the diesel smell, lift the table to access the port tank — and it was the “fix” we had done on the sender that was causing all the problems. The new sender (to read the tank level) came with screws that were the wrong thread. Being a newbie, I didn’t know the difference and screwed them in, figuring I was righting the gasket, untill they wouldn’t go further. 🙄 Fortunately we saved the old screws and were able to reuse them to stop the leaking. However, we had lost about 8-10 gallons into the boat and the smell was horrendous.
    Once we got to Saint Louis, dropped anchor and had some hot dogs, I set about emptying the bridge into buckets as the bridge pumps weren’t working. Then using bilge soap, which Brian had been pouring down the bilges to neutralize the smell during the passage, and dawn to scrub the areas I could reach.
    Exhausted and slightly overwhelmed and over stimulated, I wanted to stay in Saint Louis and take a car, taxi or bus to Point a Pitre (where we wanted to shop for groceries, and go to the bookstore, and clothing store). Brian had a change of heart and wanted to sail again the next morning, as we still had a long way to go.
    I mustered some strength and we left at 6am Monday, still stinking like diesel. On the bow, navigating through lobster pots, coffee in hand, I was amazed at the beauty of the northern coast of Guadeloupe! The waves smashing against the beaches, the mist, the sun rising all around the mountains. Last year was equally spectacular (with rainbows). However, once we rounded the headland, we would be fighting the wind, and heading directly into squalls. We saw ALOT of them and the swells were even bigger, with some intense periods of wind (39.4knots) and rain. There is a cross at the southern point of this French West Indies island (called Pointes des colibris), once we rounded the point the wind would be behind us and we would need to drop sails and motor. Our destination was Le Goiser, but to play safe we went to Saint Anne which was 12nm closer, as it was again nearing dusk.
    Although the view was nice in Saint Anne and we could have caught a bus to town, the anchorage wasn’t protected and the swells were hitting the boat hard, causing us to pitch/ roll continuously. We ate and went to sleep… then up early on Tuesday to continue the journey. A nice sail to Le Goiser, that only took 2-3hrs. I spent lots of time on the bow watching for pots and marvelling at the beauty of the coast, watching the lighthouse (Phare de l’îlet du Gosier) come into view.
    Once anchored in Le Goiser, we mobilized quickly and took the dinghy to shore, and went to the bus stop (which we had used the year prior)…. We missed the first two buses — as we were in the shade for one and used the wrong port name for the other — wanting to go to Bas de Fort). After about 40min we caught a bus and got off one stop too early. However, a 20min walk had us at the bookstore. Then onto the Carrefour Express for some grub, before hitting the Love Store and the shop beside it to purchase clothing (as we have done so for the last three years). Brian found four shorts, swim trunks and a t-shirt, I bought four dresses. Then a pit stop at the capinerie (immigration) to see about checking out as our next stop was Marie Gallant — a small island— before Dominica. They advised we could call and get our exit clearance there. Not sure if I mentioned in an earlier post, but the USA denied my online exit request, but we were already off shore….. so who knows what issues I’ll face coming back into the USA.
    Onto the grocery store (Leclerc) to stock up on produce. Since we were on the bus, I had put groceries bags in my back pack.. at the checkout, Brian was unloading the cart and I was pulling out bags and then putting in our new clothes. The cashier thought I was stealing, so I had to empty the backpack… we did have food from earlier (2 clementines, nuts and rice cakes)… but luckily the packaged items were Carrefour brand. Back to the bus stop with our pelf, and onto a jam packed local bus, back to Le Gosier.
    Once back on the boat, we put the food away, went for a swim and cooked up some red snapper that we had purchased! It felt great to swim and shower… after being in a diesel den for the last few days. We are going through all the Sage incense quickly, although apparently burnt coffee beans are supposed to remove the smell of diesel….. [segue to the next adventure/ catastrophe].
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  • Adios Antigua

    7 grudnia 2025, Antigua i Barbuda ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    It’s been a week since I last wrote and tomorrow we leave to sail the South Side of Guadeloupe, along the windward coast (which no one ever takes as there are squalls and no where to “tuck in” if something goes wrong). However, this is our second trip around (last year the same).
    Last week was centered on finishing up some boat chores, including sending Brian up the mast, sadly we learned that our code zero arm is again bent. We also received our new butterfly cover, made by A&F Sails.
    Beyond boat chores, we enjoyed time with our friends in Lana, the grey 60ft Outremer. We went to a Thai restaurant called Lemongrass. We also met up with a Canadian family (Denis, Chris and Yannik) from Montreal on S Ripple (a monohull) and had Aperos at Le Vie en Rose (a French cafe run by Eric and Isabelle, and their son Jean-Marie). They have a pink theme and wear shirts that say Kindness Crew. I bartered and now have a shirt too… I’ll always think of their kindness when I wear it! I also go a shirt from A& F Sails which will bring back fond memories or Antigua.
    I taught yoga on Tuesday and that was my last Antigua class. Happy to have had the opportunity to teach in person! We invited on of the regulars (Heidy) back to the boat with her husband Chris. They had sailed the western Caribbean and even to Cuba last year — I wanted to hear all about it!
    The two big events that happened this week was … Ashlynn’s engagement. She and Hugo have been together for nearly 10 years. I am very happy for them!! I also read Ashlynn’s second or third installment of Monthly Makes, a newsletter/ blog about all the things she creates. It is an amusing read, even if you are not into crafts.
    Sheila Cameron (and Jamie Gibson) came to the boat on Friday and we got to spend the day together! We met at You and Me Cafe, and enjoyed the view and the swing, then dinghy to Lorena. We relaxed, swam and enjoyed their company, untill it was time for them to go. We made a pit stop for a smoothie and some sneaky Christmas tree photos before having to bid goodbye. Sheila brought out the book I wrote, along with a few other goodies 🙏🏻
    On Saturday we went to Cat Marina and got a tour of a 75ft Henley (Northern Lights, with Ella, it’s 25 year old paid skipper), then we stopped and had coffee with Lana (and wished Robin an Happy Birthday day). Next we provisioned, and there was a little kitty outside, who caught my attention with her beautiful face and tiny meows… so I went back into the store and bought a can of cat food. I also now have a small bag of kitty treats that I’ll also share with pups along my path. We checked out of Antigua (always a process to check in and out of each country we visit), and went for Sushi to celebrate our final day in Antigua.
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  • Falmouth Harbour

    30 listopada 2025, Antigua i Barbuda ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    We continue to be anchored in Falmouth and finally made it to Pigeon Beach twice now for a swim. Once we walked over with Beth and Peter (Lasada) and once via dinghy.
    I taught yoga on Tuesday and Thursday at the Antigua Yacht Club and online for RWW on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I have posted a few pieces on an Instagram page (nautical.namaste) to combine sailing and yoga.
    We have accomplished a few more boat chores in the last week…. Replacing the sender on the port tank, installing the rinse timer on the watermaker, and swapping the portals (putting the leaking forward one in the engine room). I also polished all the floors and walls in the boat, scrubbed the copper sink so it was shining and throughly clean out the deep freeze…. Dosed it with Clorox and dried it…. Now it is a dry storage for potatoes and root vegetables.
    We have gotten off the boat to swim around nearly every day, and we have gone to Roti Sue’s, and You and Me Cafe. We also had a Dutch couple, Robin and Leike, over for Burritos and salad. They are anchored on a 60ft Catamaran in front of us. On Friday evening Leike, Kerry and I went to Energie Yoga studio for a yin class. It was so nice but the mosquitos were vicious.
    Today I worked on a FTHS campaign for Giving Tuesday and sent lots of emails (almost a full work day). Hopefully some of my effort will pay off and we will get some funds from the campaign and the book. Sheila is going to bring a copy next week and I am excited to see it… before I start promoting it.
    Since it’s Sunday…. I made pancakes and it reminds me of my friend Kirsten. I have started to write Christmas cards to people in hopes that I’ll be able to send them back with Sheila. Talking with Ashlynn and seeing her Christmas tree, which even Vinnie enjoys…. Brings me JOY. I got to chat with her a few times this week 💍.
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  • Lucky Lorena

    24 listopada 2025, Antigua i Barbuda ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We have been in Antigua now for one week. I have taught 5 yoga classes, we have gone to 4 Salty Dawg events, meant up with Brian’s friend from work (FTI), rented a car and we both had medical appointments (annual), bloodwork and dental appointments (cleaning). Driving in Antigua (the opposite side of the road) is always a challenge!
    Swapping stories with other boats, we realize that we were very fortunate this passage, and had very little damage. Other boats lost there alternators, generators, auto pilot, snapped the boom, blew out sails, and a few rouge waves that cracked a transom and smashed out portals/ windows and broke brackets. Many boats stopped in Bermuda for fuel and repairs!
    For the past week we have caught up on sleep, did laundry, moved from Nelson’s Dockyard to the anchorage in Falmouth (Freeman’s Bay), made lists, replaced the stern gland (stuffing box) that was constantly leaking (I managed to get the flax out, with the help of crew member Michael (who broke a tool inside), while water was coming in — Brian left to find a replacement tool, but I McGyvered it, using a fishing hook and a screw.
    Slowly we are putting lines and fishing gear away, and transferring things back to the crew cabins. The floor boards are swollen, so we need to pull them up and dry them out. We removed the foot board that I made for the passage (to keep the headboard from falling on us) and washed the boat down with fresh water and polished he. I also worked on removing g the grime and dirt from the windshield/ salon windows….. using various solutions as they are polycarbonate and tough to clean without scratching. Eventually it went like this: soap, water and vinegar wash, fresh water, soap & water, fresh H2O, baking soda paste, fresh water, soapy water, fresh rinse and a 210 spray. This finally made the windows clearer… x 3
    Andy left on Tuesday and Michael left the island on Saturday, although he left the boat on Thursday. He generously took us out to Indian Summer before leaving. Michael and I did the middle ground hike to Pidgeon Beach and had drinks and a nice chat at Catherine’s Cafe.
    Last night we went to Shirley Heights with Brian’s friends and then to Antigua Yacht Club for steak night. As I write this, I am sitting at La Vie en Rose by La Brasserie. They are a French pastery shop run by Isabelle and Eric… wonderful people. I cannot have most of the pastries, but we went for Tapas on Saturday night with fellow sailors Dan (Shanemere) and Robin and Leeka (Lana). This morning I made sure the No Foreign Land app info was updated with their contact info and pictures. They sell pastries via a dinghy in the morning and they actually bought me gluten free cookies and delivered it to the boat (free) this morning! So sweet!
    As I write, Brian is on the boat with A& F Sails, getting the butterfly hatch measured, for a new cover.
    Yesterday I had a Freeing the Human Spirit Board meeting and we talked about how we could use the book that Brian and I completed as a fundraiser (every $50 donation delivers 1 book to inmates). This morning I met with Michaela and excited that we are now in a Quebec prison. Lots of work to do both for FTHS, and on the boat for the next 10 days. However, we have decided to stay in Antigua untill December 6th, so we can spend the day with my friends Sheila and Jamie from Moncton (who will be here via a cruise ship).
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  • Made it to Antigua

    18 listopada 2025, Antigua i Barbuda ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Yesterday morning around 9:45 we arrived at the fuel dock. A scary few moments of docking as reverse took awhile to activate. We added 188 gallons of diesel. Then, we waited…. For about 2 hours before Nelson’s Dock Yard was able to help us med moor.
    As expected, it was a circus. Lorena doesn’t reverse well and Sherman had to just on our boat to assist us. We had let out all the chain and the line was getting stuck on the gypsy. We had to remove it and finally, after about an hour of bow thrusting (which died) and reverse, we were finally secured at dock.
    We immediately went to immigration and check in, then Brian went to check into the boat yard, while I showed the crew around. Back on the boat we had things to put away, the gypsy to fix and wanted to get water in the tanks.
    We walked over to ABSAR hoping to have Brian’s finger looked at, but they were closed for the day. We then went to Isabelle (and Eric’s) store, La Brassarie. Had a juice and a coffee, and chatted with Michelle and Nick (who I had meant a couple of times, recently in Hampton and before that in Atlantic Highlands). They are from the UK and have been living aboard for 3-4 years, but last year Michelle had a brain tumor removed. She looks great and even attended yoga class this morning.
    We had dinner at Antigua Yacht Club. While there the sky opened and it poured for a couple hours…. It was tough as I knew our aft cabin portals were open and I just wanted a good night sleep in fresh sheets. Instead, it was on top of soaking wet sheets.
    Brian passed out shortly after we got back. I noticed the battery was at 11% and ran the generator. I stayed up for 1.5 hours, chatting with the guys as Andy packed. Eventually they went off to take a shower and I went to the wet bed.
    Andy was leaving at 6:30am, but at 5:20 he woke us saying that the boat batteries had died. Brian tried to start the generator, but it wouldn’t go. However, there was a surge in batteries and he was able to start it. We chatted with the guys, said goodbye to Andy and Michael went off for a run. We had coffee and breakfast, and then I went to teach yoga on the lawn… thinking a handful of people would show up, but there were actually 9 people.
    After we went back to ABSAR for a Dr appt. She sent us to Belmont Clinic for X-rays and it turns out that Brian’s finger is ok, but he has a Jones fracture on his 5th metatarsal that is not joining. Donald, the taxi driver took us to St Johns and wait while we got the X-rays, then we returned.
    We bought some fruit (vegetables) from Maynard, and went to see Blossom across the street at the juice stand (and Nevel at the Dive shop). Then a pit stop at Covent Garden (grocery) to pick up more produce.
    Back in the boy we looked at the stern gland and the option of replacing the flax. Doing it while in the water makes me nervous! The rain rolled in and we cut the job short… perhaps we will hire someone to do it.
    I had the Hawaiian Beef Casserole for super and then we went to the Mexican spot for drinks, with Michael and the Salty Dawgs. We sat at the table with Steve and Jen on Second Chance (from Colorado). They were 40-50 miles ahead of us the whole trip and are our neighbours on the dock.
    Back to the boat and time for bed 🛏️. We all need sleep!!
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  • Last night watch

    17 listopada 2025, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    It’s 2:30am, I can see the lights of Antigua’s skyline in the distance, only 28nm to the eastern side and another 10-12 to reach the docks. It has been rough weather for the shift, wind picked up to 34knots and the swells have sent things flying in the galley. Thankfully the engine is still on and only the stay sail is up…. Pulling us to 6.5 or 7knots, allowing Lorena to go further on a tank of fuel.
    We have done 11 fuel transfers from the port tank (with no reading) into the day tank. We will need to do one more transfer, to make it to the fuel dock. I suspect we will be there around 10am.
    Other than finishing two books (Out of Africa - paperback and Hidden Potential- audio), and making a big salad for the crew at lunch and a turkey and sweet potato meal at supper, I did very little. Although I struggled to nap when I tried as the bed is damp and the swells have made the sleep conditions unfavourable.
    I am looking forward to clean bedding, a flushable toilet, a shower and a full nights sleep. It has been a long journey, over 13 days at sea.
    ***We are now 12nm away…. And can see land , 8am local time!!
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  • Day 12

    16 listopada 2025, Sargasso Sea ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    It is dawn, 5am EST, and the sun has risen and the moon is still in the sky. We are starting to see more birds now.
    I have another hour in my shift, my coffee is almost gone and I just finished a tough Sudoko game. Two chapters left in Out of Africa and hope to complete the book in the next 24 hours, just prior to the completion of this journey.
    The engine is still on, the winds are still light and when they do blow it is from the South (so we are pointing directly into them). We should be seeing East Trade Winds but they have gone on vacation. Our sender (fuel gauge level) despite finally being able to pull it out, still doesn’t work and we are going on a hope and prayer, rough calculation, recording each fuel transfer.
    If the engine is still going, and we don’t hit bad weather, we should arrive midday tomorrow. Another 148nm to go!
    Yesterday felt like a long day! I made breakfast for everyone (breakfast burrito on corn tortillas), and had to take things from Freezer 2 which isn’t working well…. So I heated split pea soup for lunch. It was good! We lost some shrimp, which I despised of over board, and enjoyed sitting on the transom, until I got sick of the fumes. I did some yoga and went for a nap in the afternoon before on shift from 3-6pm. Michael heated his Shrimp and rice while I did the dishes. Andy, our susceptible to sea sick crew still doesn’t volunteer to do much below.
    Yesterday Brian caught his finger in the wind turbine and cut it up pretty bad. He imagines it might be broken, but it doesn’t look so to me, although likely very painful. He has chosen the open air, dip the deep wind in sea water method, rather than keeping it moist. I am hoping it heals fine and he will be able to play guitar soon.
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  • Fish and Freezer space

    13 listopada 2025, Sargasso Sea ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    At my new writing post, the he, trying to ignore the sheet lighting around me as it isn’t showing up on the radar, and I can’t outrun or maneuver around something I cannot see. I am sure there is a life lesson tucked into that last sentence but I’m too tired to peel it apart.
    Yesterday, Brian was taking a bucket shower off the transom and the crew was asleep when I heard the fishing reel go off. It was the lighter one, that is squished under the wind generator (and always scary removing it). I tightened the drag, but the feisty bit was dancing atop the sea and I was doing my best to not loss tension and slowly reel it in. As it flew out of the water, it was apparent it was a Mahi. I reel it all the way in, Brian had the gaff ready on the transom, but it was a fighter. I had the fishing line wrapped around my hand trying to keep tension while Brian tried to find and opening through the gills but ended up puncturing its side. We pulled it up to the deck, & poured rum in its gills to kill it.
    We noticed that Brian had the swelling of two golf balls on his small calf. The fish must have hit him hard are it gave its final fight before being poked. We iced his leg and I set about skinning and filleting the big guy (46 inches and 15-20lbs). It took along time, and was painful for Brian to watch… but I managed to do a good job and get lots of meat. We trimmed and bagged it before again working on the sender for the port fuel tank.
    Having been up since 2:30am and now, after making a big egg, spinach and salmon breakfast, catching a fish, & doing boat chores I was exhausted. I went to the aft cabin to try and get some sleep but it eluded me.
    We had fish, quinoa and salad for supper. I made the salad, and heated the quinoa and our sea sick crew volunteered to try and cook the fish. He was below for 3/4 of the cooking before coming up. It was delicious!
    I went directly to bed, taking an Aleve and melatonin (a combo that seems to work) and got some sleep before my midnight to 3am shift.
    Today the morning was started with the engine off and tried sailing… but with barely any wind or forward momentum it was havoc for the sails and rigging. It wasn’t long before the roar of the iron sails pushed Lorena forward….. unfortunately she coughed and sputtered black smoke before finding her rhythm. The long continuous wear on the engine has taken its toll on the batteries and the freezers. The lithium isn’t changing well and the voltage in dropping below 13v. The freezers are not freezing. It was one of the many things keeping me awake when I tried to nap the previous day. I wished I had taken action then… half the Costco meat was thawed as well as the fish. We removed everything from Freezer 1 that wasn’t essential and moved it to freezer 2…. Putting all our meat in the coldest. Sadly it is still reading pretty high, although I haven’t checked it yet.
    The big event of the day was bathing. It is finally warm enough for bikini, so I tied myself and my bucket to the transom of the boat, and sat there with handfuls of conditioner trying to de tangle my hair. Eventually, when my fingers could run smoothly through the wet curls, I applied some shampoo. Yes the opposite of how you usually do it…. But conserves water and doesn’t create more knots. The rest of the day I read, we removed the icing glass, tried again to figure out the port tank sender and finally switched over to said tank. We are tracking in the log book, as well as a bread crumb trail of waypoints on the Garmin, each time we fill the day tank. First tank (about 7 gallons) we got 40nm.
    Filet Mingon was on the menu tonight, with baby potatoes and salad. The sea state had calmed down and although there was a lot of cloud cover and occasional showers, it was easy to grill the meat and be in the galley. Once done, I did the dish and went to bed before my shift. We are still on EST and it is dark by 4:30pm. In another few hours, we will be at Day 11 and less than 400nm to Antigua.
    We have already travelled 1300 miles…. And would love to arrive in Antigua for a party on Sunday night, but it will likely be Monday before we arrive.
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  • Day 9

    12 listopada 2025, Sargasso Sea ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    At the helm for my 3-6am shift again. Lucky for me, I was off the previous night after the 6-9pm shift, where I struggled to keep my eyes open. We had been sailing well the previous day, BUT, not towards our goal.
    We tacked and were still running parallel to the weather line we needed to cross by Tuesday Sunset. I argued hard that we needed to drop sails, point into the wind, and drop down a few degrees of longitude (south). Although the guys we have as crew are very knowledgeable, they also hesitate to assert there opinions so Brian and I tend to make the tactical decisions….and we usually have differing opinions. For 9 hours we motored (no sails) into the wind and although only making 3-4knm/hr we make southerly progress. The sea was churning and it was an unpleasant night. I did my shift from 6-9 and then tried to sleep. Brian was supposed to be on at 3am but was awakes at 1am as the autopilot stopped working and couldn’t handle motoring into the wind and waves. For awhile they hand steered, and then put up the storm sail and fell off a few degrees to where it was agreeable for the auto pilot to work.
    Phew…. I didn’t lose my writing. Suddenly the sails started to quiver and I realized the wind shifted. I popped on the radar and saw I was surrounded by squalls. I increased engine speed (as we are motor sailing … with three sails), and spent the last 40minutes weaving through them. We are close hauled, heading due south (178 degrees) and the squalls are moving west to east, and sucking all the wind out of the air.
    It is 5:10am and fully light out now… which made it easier to dodge the squalls as I could see them as the sun rose. We are still on EST but it is dark by 4:20pm and we are eating before 5pm. Soon we will need to shift our clocks to Antigua (Atlantic) time.
    Back to sipping coffee that Brian made for me at the end of my shift. Since we have been running the engine so much, and the water temperatures are warm, the freezers are struggling. We may need to cook up food and refrigerate it.
    From now (Wednesday) to Sunday there isn’t going to be much wind after the Cold Front (mainly 10-12 foot waves) passes. This means either motoring and hoping we have enough fuel (with the port gauge gone it’s hard to assess… although there was 7/8 when it conked). I am
    No opposed to having a few lull days (or at least 24hrs of slowly drifting South in order to preserve freezer food and fuel. Brian is worried that he made the wrong decision by not stopping in Bermuda. I think we’ll be fine.
    The only other excitement yesterday was a fish on the reel that got off as we couldn’t slow down in time. When Starlink was on, I got to chat via text with Andrew and that was so nice! I got the cutest video from my nephew as well ✨.
    My book is now published on Amazon (https://a.co/d/c2mfna0), but I want to figure out how to get a hard copy before I start to advertise it. Hopefully this helps FTHS and we can find sponsors who will purchase the books for inmates. Thrilled to have this project finally concluded!!
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  • Day 7

    10 listopada 2025, Sargasso Sea ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    At the helm again, the sailing is beautiful, although the wrong direction. The engine room is too hot to keep all our precious Costco meat and fresh caught fish frozen…. So we are giving it a break!
    There is a Cold Front coming tomorrow and we are racing our way towards a line, below which the storm won’t be so bad. The past few days have been fairly calm, although we did have one squall.
    Yesterday we ripped apart the boat trying to find the sender for the Port fuel tank, with no luck. I also manually pumped out the bilges and prepped and “froze” the Tuna and Mahi we caught yesterday. The guys were pretty happy with the fishing success! Last night we feasted!
    After a week we are all a little tired and trying to find the groove of sleep, solving problems, outrunning weather and bracing for the next unknown. Many boats, about 1/3 of the feet have diverted to Bermuda to wait for a better weather wind…. We persisted (but are now close to the back of the pack). There are 7 other boats within 25nm of us.
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  • Fifth Day at Sea

    8 listopada 2025, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    It’s 3:30am on Saturday morning. I am on shift. A sea sick crew member is sleeping in the helm, and Brian has gone to bed. My Veggie Straw snacks have been eaten and now I am trying to stay awake for the next 2.5 hours.
    We are heading close hauled, triple reefed (over reefed as weather is 18-20knots), and only making an average of 5knots. Bermuda is 184 from us (ENE), and we are slowly tracking to Antigua.
    The forward bilge pump stopped working as did the Port fuel gauge. Otherwise, the trip is fairly smooth. It’s frustrating having a sea sick crew as they are unable to assist with food prep or anything below. He does take his shifts, but he also sprawls in the helm, making it impossible for all 4 of us to sit above. I am sure it’s even more frustrating for him.
    In our crew rotation we each have a night off. Mine was yesterday and the sea was calm so I got some good Zzz’s and feel pretty good now. On day 2 I was feeling pretty rotten and also on the verge of sea sick. I’ve found the rhythm between sleep and helm.
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  • Third Day at sea

    6 listopada 2025, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    This was a rough two days! I am sitting at the helm on my 6-9pm shift writing. Finally able to look at my phone as I was feeling sea sick yesterday. The weather has calmed although we are still around 22knots of wind.
    The gust got up to 39 knots yesterday and the swells were about 8-10feet. It was nasty! Today much better and I got a few hours sleep during the day.
    This Morning after doing a walk around, where lots had shifted due to the violent rolling of the boat all night, we decided to get rid of the Gudgeon, so I unceremoniously threw it overboard.
    Tonight we have 1 reef in the main and 80% jib. It will be a much calmer night, and after this shift, I have the night off! The auto helm noise is beside our head in the aft cabin, and very loud. Reminds me of trying to sleep in a hospital! However, I downloaded some music and use that and headphones to lull me to sleep.
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  • First Day at Sea

    4 listopada 2025, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    I am in my midnight to 3pm shift. Only an hour left 😊. We have been sailing for 22 hours and should hit the Gulf Stream in the next two hours. We won’t stay in it long, crossing it in six hours. There are about 50 boats within 10nm of us… however over the next 48hrs the pack will spread out more. The winds have been light and we have motored ALL day and night and will likely need to do so for a total of 5 days on this trip.
    The crew, Andy (from the UK, whose wife teaches Pilates) and Michael seem great and I don’t think we will have any problems. Brian and I were on the helm for the first 6-8 hours, then took a break in the afternoon. I was first in for meal prep (Shepherds Pie) and Brian did clean up. Brian was the 9-12 shift and Michael comes on at 3am. We rotate the shifts so that every 4th night you get a full nights sleep.
    I managed to do some yoga and a little exercise today, plus some journal writing. Hopefully I can keep that up every day. The calm seas are a nice way to start this journey! Due to the government shut down in the USA I cannot officially depart the country through ROAM (an app) so I don’t know how it will affect my re-entry. Happy to be heading to another country though…. As my allowable days in the USA was dwindling.
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  • The Docks at Downtown Hampton

    2 listopada 2025, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We have been at the Docks for a week now… getting the boat ready for passage to Antigua. Lots of boat chores and little socializing! Although I have been teaching a lot of classes for RWW and continuing to practice yoga once a day.
    The morning have been very cold (6 degrees today), but Melissa and the wind and rain have passed so at least there is sunshine ☀️.
    The crew bunks are ready, although a project today it to make sure the door to one of the bunks closes properly and to waterproof the hatches. Crew will join us tomorrow and we will leave at dawn on Tuesday.
    I have cooked 5 meals and want to get one or two more in the freezer so we are prepared for the 12-14 day passage… especially if there is rough weather.
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  • Apple Picking

    27 września 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Yesterday Ashlynn told me with excitement that she booked a car from noon till 6pm to go Apple Picking in Saint Jacque. We picked up Des and then headed out. Hugo drove and for some reason I felt very car sick on the way there. We had fun at the orchard, which was about 80minutes from there home.
    We then went to the cheap grocery store to pick up “Christmas Dinner” food. At home Ashlynn and Hugo BBQ sausages and tofu for dinner.
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  • Montreal

    27 września 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Brian had to get to grocery and hardware store, drop off the car and get to the marina and leave before noon. The marina was really tough to get into, and he was concerned about getting out solo.
    He dropped me off at Rise Bakery (gluten free), and I feasted on croissants, pumpkin spice cheesecake and a ham and cheese herb croissant to go, which I later had at the airport.
    I knew I needed shoes / sneakers for the trip after wearing flip flops in Washington all day and having sore shins. I went to a store, but didn’t fine anything, so I took an Uber share to the airport. It was an Afghanistan driver who didn’t speak English well and couldn’t seem to find his way to the girls boxing gym before dropping me to the airport.
    I headed to Toronto and then had a 5hour layover- yuck. Arrived in Montreal at 11:30 but it was after midnight when an Uber brought me to Ashlynn’s, where I crawl into bed … after shooing Vinny away, and had a short but solid sleep.
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  • Stores and more

    26 września 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I went for a walk with Ashlynn in the morning and then she went to her office and I had a meeting. We decided to head to a cafe to do some work, and on our way there, stopped at a few consignment stores. I bought two dresses and a jean jacket at XX even though I was just looking for footwear.
    In one of the stores, a plant poked me in the eye, and Ashlynn eventually went back (Bee ?) and bought a purse.
    We worked for 3-4 hours while I had a few calls and sipped some Scotch. Then she gave me a tour of her gym. I decided to book a massage on Sunday and then we could do the Nordic experience afterward.
    We continued on to another shoe place and Ashlynn found a beautiful pair of wine ankle boots.
    Then to another second hand store, where I finally found d a pair of men’s black Van’s for $6.00! Great find!
    Hugo met us and we walked back to the apartment to drop off bags and then we took bikes to a small restaurant, where we had a fabulous Asian meal (Basil Beef) and then walked home.
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  • Washington, DC

    26 września 2024, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After a push to get all the teak on in the aft cabin, leaving the boat and walking around Annapolis at midnight, and then settling into the V-berth and crew cabin to sleep, it was time to go to Washington. We got picked up my Enterprise outside of the South Annapolis Yacht Club entrance and taken to the store. We were upgraded, which often happens to Brian, to a big Jeep. We went to the UPS store first to mail back some parts (fridge handle) that didn’t fit. We then made our way to Downtown Washington, passing the Capitol Building, monument and Mall. We spent most of the afternoon at the National Gallery as Brian showed me all his favourite spots/ artworks… I found a few favourites too.
    We then went to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and among other things saw the Native American portraits.
    We made our way to the Airbnb, 35minutes to go 3.5miles. I was really tired and wanted to get something delivered to us, but Brian couldn’t find anything. He left and went to the nearby grocery store, then came back to me curled up in the comfy bean bag chair. He made the most amazing steak with blue chesse and spinach dinner. It tasted so very good!!
    The Airbnb was nice but the walls were thin and you could hear upstairs easily. Eventually we fell asleep, but I think the contact cement fumes were still agitating us…. And I was having lots of mixed emotions about leaving
    .
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