20 March 2008

Hitch-Hiking in Saba

The way to get around in most of the islands is by hitching a ride. Sometimes it feels a little bit hairy, like this ride we got on a Daihatsu flatbed truck going up and down the "road that couldn't be built" in Saba. If you were to go over the edge, you would have several seconds to contemplate the meaning of life and your imminent departure from it as you tumble down 2000 feet of sheer rock face to the ocean.

In Antigua waiting for weather

March 20, 2008

How funny that we find ourselves yet again waiting for weather, this time to go to St. Martin, 80 miles to the northwest! The tradewinds almost always blows from the east, but for the past few days we've had winds from the north, and a huge swell from the north as well, making it an unattractive option to head out for St. Martin. Just our luck that we find ourselves with the wind on the nose yet again after slogging hard to windward in a southeasterly direction to get to Antigua. I suppose all sailors know that the wind always comes from the direction you want to go.



Nice spot in the North Sound of Antigua



Bugs... the big one is a Caribbean Spiny Lobster, while the smaller one is a Spotted lobster... the spotted ones never seem to get very big, but they are much tastier.




Another nice spot in the North Sound.





Kristen with her first loaf of bread from the bbq. It was wonderful!



Thomas from a Norwegian flagged boat anchored next door puts a lobster in a pot of boiling water. Thomas are traveling with his wife Rakel and their baby son Nicolai as well as their friend Per.


In any event, we can't complain too loudly. We've been hanging out in the North Sound of Antigua, which is spectacular with beautiful light blue water, lots of coral heads for snorkeling and lobstering, and almost no other boats.

Our plan right now is to wait for the seas to lie down some and then we'll set off to St. Martin, probably on Sunday/Monday night.