We were up early on Sunday and prepared the boat to exit the lagoon.  This meant moving some fenders to the port side, just in case.  Staff don’t work on Sundays but we had friends who helped us leave the dock.  This dock was challenging because the wind was blowing us onto it.  The day before we asked staff to help move boats back so that we would have some wiggle room getting out and that worked perfectly.  We were a little nervous because the day before a catamaran behind us tried to pull out and wasn’t able to get off of the dock.  Steve was able to keep control of the boat and we didn’t hit anything, which was wonderful. 

Next, we had to get out of the lagoon.  15 minutes prior to the bridge opening, Steve called the bridge pilot to let them know that we were planning to go through the bridge.  Then we headed to the opening and got in line to exit.  Like before, boats were jockeying for position while trying not to hit anyone else.  We were behind a superyacht and its tender.  After waiting for about 10 minutes, the bridge finally opened and we were off.  We put the sails up and headed to Statia.  One other boat was ahead of us and seemed to be heading in the same direction.

The crossing was quite pleasant.  We were able to sail for approximately a third of the crossing and motor-sailed for the rest.  The swells were 2 to 4 feet with an occasional 6-8 footer showing up every once in a while.  The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day.  On the way to Statia, we were able to see St. Martin, St. Barths, Saba, and Statia all at the same time.  Saba looked beautifully clear with the sun shining on it.  It was hard being so close to that island and not returning to it.  I look forward to going back there.

There were probably 1000 boats or more in the the Simpson Bay Lagoon on Sint Maartin. And, we think there were at least 100 super yachts secured to docks. This is definitely a central gathering place for yachts.

I love pulling into a marina after a crossing.  It gives us a chance to clean up our boat again so that it is comfortably livable.  I started boat washing the top deck.  Steve took a nap, as he had done the majority of the sailing.  We went to bed early and slept comfortably through the night.  It was exactly what we needed after the long sail.

On 1/23/24 we headed to the restaurant/bar to watch the boats come through the bridge.  I took pictures of the nervous crews as they made their way into the lagoon. Then we returned to doing boat chores. Every once in a while, we would get some strong wind gusts.  Our friends said that one of the gusts was 49 knots so we were glad that we were secured to the dock.

On 1/24/24 we went to Lagoonies for dinner. We were part of a group of four couples who walked to the restaurant.  It is always nice to meet new people.  The three other couples were Canadian and very nice.  They were all tied up to the dock at the Blue Pearl Marina where we were so it was nice to be able to carry on conversations after dinner.  Two days later we ended up back at Lagoonies with our friends, Pam and Mark, for dinner.  This time it was just us four so we were able to talk in depth about a variety of topics.

We spent the rest of our time in the marina doing typical marina boat chores.  I finished cleaning the boat as much as I could and Steve worked on fixing things that magically broke while also doing some routine engine and water maker maintenance.  The Blue Pearl Marina was quite convenient.  Two chandleries, a laundry service, Lagoonies, and supermarkets were within easy walking distance.  It was also possible to walk to Ace Hardware, which was more like a department store with hardware items on the first floor and home goods on the second floor.  And, we walked to a pharmacy.  So, the location was quite convenient.

The docks on the marina were in good repair and the staff were very attentive.  We were able to hook up to water and electricity, making our stay in the marina quite comfortable.  We would return to this marina because of the convenience and service.  We ended up extending our stay in the marina until Sunday because the winds were still blowing, we hadn’t finished cleaning, and we were having fun with our friends. 

We cleared out of Sint Maartin on 1/27/24 and were planning to leave when the bridge opened on Sunday around 8:30a.  We busily finished prepping the boat for the crossing and said our good-byes.  We really enjoyed our stay in the marina, especially because we knew so many people there.

The next challenge facing us was going through the drawbridge and tying up to the dock in the lagoon at the Blue Pearl Marina.  We thought we would only have three feet on either side of us when going through the bridge.  We had our fenders off of both sides of the boat and I had one in my hand for an emergency.  The other challenge was that the wind was gusting and blowing boats around. 

Around 10:15a we called the bridge pilot and let them know that we wanted to enter the bridge.  Then, we pulled up our anchor and got in line.  There were super yachts in front and in back of us.  Other boats were trying to cut into the line from the sides.  The wind was blowing and the boat captains were trying to maintain control of their boats in the tight quarters.  We were in line for approximately 20 minutes and then the bridge finally opened.  The first boat started going ahead and everyone followed, closer than we felt comfortable.  In fact, Steve said that a superyacht immediately behind us was so close that he could have easily thrown them a rope. 

As we proceeded through the bridge, we found approximately 10 feet of water on either side.  So, we were nervous about this part for no reason, luckily.  As soon as we went through, we saw a lot of people to our right having drinks and waving.  The bridge opening is entertainment and this restaurant/bar had a prime location to watch everything.  We will feel much calmer when it is time for us to depart the lagoon.

I scurried around the boat moving our fenders to the starboard side so that we were ready to tie up to the dock.  While I was doing that, Steve was winding through the channel through the lagoon.  We passed probably 100 superyachts and I don’t know how many other smaller boats.  We are guessing that there are 1000 boats in this part of the lagoon alone.  The Blue Pearl marina is at the back end of the lagoon, which was fine by us.  We were hoping that it would be calm during the high winds.  We found our way to the marina and staff were there waving to us to let us know where to go.  They helped us tie up and we were finally able to relax.  We hooked our boat up to the electricity and water, and like magic our boat is a floating apartment. 

On 1/20/22 we sailed back to Spanish Town in Virgin Gorda to clear out of the country.  It was about a week earlier than we would have liked.  However, we’ve sailed between the BVIs and St. Martin before and knew that if we found a good weather window, we should take it.  We have to go into the wind to get to St. Maartin which means that the crossing is rough and we will need to use the motors most, if not all, of the way.  It took us about an hour to get through customs and then we hopped into our dinghy and headed back to Spring Tradition.  We then motored back to Benures Bay on Norman Island for our last night in the BVIs. 

We were planning on a 20-hour crossing from the BVIs to Sint Maartin.  Steve planned the trip with us leaving at noon so that we would arrive around 8a on the 22^nd, in the light.  It can be difficult to pull into an anchorage without having good visibility.  The last day and during the sail were picture-perfect Caribbean days.  It was sunny and in the low to mid 80’s.  The wind was rather calm, under 15 knots. 

We let go of our mooring ball at about 11:40 and were on our way.  We motor sailed for the first four hours or so and headed east.  Then, as the winds started shifting to the north, we took the sails down and headed southeast towards Sint Maartin.  The wind was between 6 and 15 knots and the swells were between 2 and 4 feet.  This was the calmest crossing that we have ever had.  I took some seasickness medicine and was fine the entire way. 

Sailing at night is an adventure.  Our AIS wasn’t working so, while we could see other boats, they couldn’t see us.  We sailed with our lights on throughout the night to help boats spot us.  Steve did most of the sailing but I gave him breaks during the afternoon.  Then, around 11p I took over the helm until about 3:30a.  It was a clear night and the stars were a vibrant white.  Just as I took over the helm, I spotted a falling star that went into the ocean.  The moon was about ¾ full so we were able to see the sea as we motored.  Steve saw two cruise ships crossing and I dodged two freighters as well as a 45-foot sailboat.  There was one sailboat about an hour behind us on radar and we could just make out their lights on the horizon.  Otherwise, we couldn’t see anyone around us.  Around 4a the stars somehow seemed brighter, bigger, and lower to the horizon.  They were beautiful. 

As we got about 15 miles off shore, we started looking for fish pots.  We will see markers floating in the water and have to maneuver around them so that the lines don’t get wrapped around our props.  By this time there was salt caked onto the plastic sheeting around the navigation station so it was difficult to see.  We were also heading towards the rising sun, which made it challenging to see.  However, just as Steve planned, we arrived around 8a and dropped our anchor in Simpson Bay without any mishaps.  As soon as we could, we dropped the dinghy in the water and headed toward shore and the customs building.  It took us about 45 minutes to fill out our paperwork and clear into Sint Maartin.  We were tired, but happy to be there.

We pulled into White Bay around 3:30p, which is late for picking up a mooring ball.  There are only a half a dozen balls in the anchorage.  So, we were planning to anchor out a way from shore.  However, as we were pulling in, a yacht left and we were able to grab their ball.  It was perfect timing. 

1/18/24 White Bay is absolutely stunning with clear azure water and a long white sand beach to look at.  The island is private but we are able to go onto shore to walk the beach.  We were very glad to have picked up a mooring ball, as our boat floated all around.  Those who anchored were quite concerned about loosing their holding.  We spent the day doing boat chores and snorkeling.  It was a terrific day.

Every day a local motors to boats that are connected to mooring balls to collect the usage fee. Today this gentleman happened to visit us just as a double-rainbow was visible over Guana Island in the BVIs.

This morning we were working on boat chores and saw a beautiful clipper ship sail past. Tortola is in the background.

On 1/15/24 we decided to take the dinghy into the 07 restaurant in Great Harbour.  Even though it is on Peter Island, it is open to yachters.  In fact, we can’t find a road to the restaurant so we think that it exists only for the patronage of the yachters.  The dinghy dock was in great shape, which was truly appreciated.  The restaurant wasn’t crowded, but we were there around 4:30p for sundowners, before dinnertime.  The other reason we went into the restaurant was that we wanted to pay for our mooring ball with a credit card.  Otherwise, a gentleman will call on the boats around 6p to collect the fee in cash.  Finding ATMs on the islands is often difficult so we try to charge items to our credit cards as much as possible.

Today, 1/15/24, the wind changed direction and the swells grew to two feet with strong wind gusts.  So, we pulled up the anchor and headed to Great Harbour on the other side of Peter Island.  We again had issues with our bridle.  This time, the bridle pin was completely gone and the bridle was wrapped around the chain.  I have no idea how that could have happened, as we were fairly consistently faced directly into the wind.  The count is now two lost bridle pins. 

Steve decided to pick up a mooring ball in Great Harbour.  It is very calm and protected in this anchorage.  Right now, anyways, it is quiet in the bay.  There are two industrial-looking boats anchored in the bay and one large ship that we saw in Benures’s Bay one day.  There is one superyacht tucked in this bay and a handful of boats our size.  We are a little nervous about the monohull right next to us.  The mooring balls are positioned closer that we feel comfortable with and if we spin around the ball, we will most likely bump into this boat.  However, Steve thinks that the reason the balls are positioned so closely together is that the wind is funneling through a low part of the surrounding mountains and will hopefully keep our boats positioned in relatively the same direction.  We’ve been tied up to the mooring ball for about an hour now and so far, so good.

Unfortunately, we are not able to walk around this part of Peter Island. It is a private island so we are only able to walk on the beach, which isn’t very large.

Early in the morning two boats bumped into each other because the wind spun them around their anchors and they were parked to close to each other. It isn’t good when yachts bump into each other like that.

Today, 1/13/24, we picked up our anchor to move a couple of bays down to Key Bay, still on Peter Island.  Because our boat swung around the anchor so much, it bent the pin in our bridle.  This meant that I had a difficult time disconnecting it from the anchor chain.  Steve had to come forward to pry it off with tools.  Luckily Steve had the foresight to purchase several pins, so we have spares. 

Key Bay is a quiet bay with only a couple of boats in it.  We are anchored on a sandy bottom and the water is clear.  There is one other boat in the anchorage.  The anchorage itself is like a horseshoe and we are tucked in the corner of one side.  The water here is very clear and we can see to the bottom in about 15 feet of water.  Steve went snorkeling off of the boat to check the anchor’s holding and swam to shore.  He saw a variety of fish and found a well-preserved conch shell. 

On 1/14/24 we took the dinghy out and motored all along the shore.  There were some coral heads in the water as well as some rocks.  The beaches are mostly shells and rocks and are very rugged.  We managed to pull the dinghy up on two different sides of the beach and walked around.  We were the only ones exploring, which was amazing.  We saw lots of different coral and shells washed up on shore.  I picked up a sea shell that had a lot of orange on it.  The shell itself isn’t great but I hadn’t seen one that color before.  We also picked up a well-preserved, round, white tire-like sea urchin shell with five sets of bumps on it. 

On one beach there was a small opening in the rocks where water bashed up against the sides.  Luckily, this barrier protected us in the anchorage.  Again, Steve went snorkeling off of the boat and saw many different schools of fish, including Blue Tangs, which have such a vibrant color.

On 1/12/24, we decided to go across the channel to Peter Island’s White Bay.  Peter Island is a private island so we are not able to explore the island.  We can, however, walk on the beach if we desire.  This anchorage is a little troubling, as the wind spins the boats all around.  Many superyachts anchor here because the water is deep enough for them.  There are also a couple of boats our size in the anchorage. It is a little disconcerting when the boat swings 180 degrees from the way the anchor is dug into the sea floor.  Steve swam over the anchor twice to check on it and set his anchor alarm, which tells us if the anchor is moving.  While the alarm went off a couple of times, we were still securely anchored throughout the evening.  It is quite calm here this morning.  So far, at least, no superyachts have set up a party on the beach (which they did yesterday for a private party).