The Leeward Islands, with Photos!
The Leeward Islands of the Caribbean are delightful—gorgeous beaches, perfect blue water, easy to access harbors and a quaint European look and feel. Per my last update, we scooted quickly through the British Virgin Islands. But not without an overnight at Cooper Island to dive the wreck of the Rhone, British mail ship that sank in a hurricane off of Salt Island in the in 1867, and to stop at Virgin Gorda.
We spent two nights in Gorda Sound off Virgin Gorda. Stormy weather kept us on the boat for a day. Still we made it over to Saba Rock, a small rock island about an acre in size, that is home to a hotel, restaurant and gift shop. Only way to get there is on a boat. We took the dinghy over and enjoyed a meal at the Saba Rock Restaurant. The Kilbride family lived on the Rock and ran a SCUBA dive shop from there for many, many years. They sold the Rock to a restaurateur who developed it into the resort it is today. Ken has more info regarding the Kilbride family and Saba Rock on his "On the watery road again" blog of April 26th.
From the BVI we sailed the 80-mile passage overnight to Sint Maarten/St Martin, an island that is home to two different nations, France and The Netherlands. We left at 4:30 p.m. expecting to arrive at about 6:30 a.m. the next morning. However, the wind was more favorable than forcasted and we sailed (without the help of the motor) at 7 plus knots! We had to slow down so as not to get to the anchorage before sunrise!
Our friends Dave and Kathy joined us in St Maarten. We toured the island and took in the highlights. Maho Beach lies just across the fence from the international airport runway. Jets land, just clearing the fence at the end of the runway. Jets takeoff at the end of the runway and the force of the air flow coming out of the jet engines is so strong it blows sand across the beach, pushes people down and makes the tropical beach look like a desert during a sand storm.
Oriental Beach is home to the Naturist Resort on Saint Martin where one can enjoy "fine dining, water sports, sunbathing and sailing cruises au naturel." We walked the non-resort section of Oriental Beach. It was packed with brightly colored umbrellas, red, yellow, turquoise and green, shading rows and rows of lounge chairs filled with sunbathers. Each colored section was serviced by a different beach bar/grill. Like all beaches on St Martin, topless sunbathing is customary. Unlike many of the beaches, it was crowded. People watching was a kick. At one of the open-air restaurants, we ate lunch, listened to live music and watched folks stroll along the water's edge. The music was loud enough to be heard by beach strollers. We could see them as the sound of the music hit their consciousness and they were drawn into the island rhythm and began to dance. An older couple, who had walked over from the Naturist Resort in only their matching thongs, began dancing to the music. Other sunbathers joined in the fun. Soon there was a group of barely clad folks spontaneously dancing and enjoying themselves as they walked along the water's edge. In the restaurant, another senior couple (fully clothed) got up and danced the merengue. A toddler joined the dancing. A joy-filled afternoon.
St Maarten's carnival was going on while were we there, and so we got to see a third carnival parade. This one was my favorite. The costumes were over-the-top and the young women beautiful. Unlike the Dominican Republic Carnival, St Maarten's event was a parade. The crowd stood along the sidewalk behind a rope and watched. No beating the devil out of folks at this one. Each Carnival parade has its own flavor. It has been interesting to attend Carnival parades on three different islands.
From St Maarten we sailed to Anguilla, a low lying island north of St. Maarten. Not much there. We only stayed two nights and one day. From Anguilla, we sailed to Saba.
I had never heard of Saba. What an interesting place. The island is the top of a volcanic mountain. The sides drop steeply into the ocean. There are no beaches on Saba. For hundreds of years the only way to get onto the island was via a steep stairway made up of over 800 steps cut into the rock. Today there is a small harbor and a road that one can take from the harbor up to Bottom one of the two main villages on Saba. The other is Windwardside. The inhabitants of Saba are confident and industrious people of Irish, Dutch, Scottish and African decent. In the 1950's they asked the Dutch government to have engineers evaluate their island for a road. The result of this evaluation was that a road could not be built on Saba. The islanders did not accept this answer. Josephus Hassel took a correspondence course in road building and designed the road that goes from Bottom to Windwardside. The islanders worked together to build the road. It took them 20 years, but today one can drive around Saba on "the road that couldn't be built." The other road on Saba, that goes down to Wells Bay on the same side of the island at the 800 stone steps, is know by some taxi drivers as "the road that shouldn't have been built" as it is very steep.
Saba was the cleanest island I've seen. No litter, lovely white buildings with red roofs and green shutters. Flowers everywhere. The Sabans are a proud people who take care of their island. There is a medical school on Saba with a student body of 300. The medical school, along with tourism and a gravel quarry are the main industries of the island.
From Saba, we sailed to St Barts where we stayed in the harbor at Gustavia for two days and in Anse De Colombier for a night. Visiting St Barts was like a trip to France – everyone spoke French, many people drove tiny cars and the bakery where we had breakfast could have been lifted from a street in France. The French presidential run-off election took place during our visit. The results were announced while we eating lunch at a local restaurant. The folks at the tables around us started clapping. I felt like I was in Europe and not the Caribbean.
Kathy, Dave, Ken and I rented scooters for a day and drove all over the island, which is only 5 miles square. Unlike Saba, St Barts has some amazing beaches.
From St Barts we sailed back to St Maarten so Dave and Kathy could catch their flight. We'll be staying for a few days in St Maarten to work on the boat. As always, things are in need of repair. The aft head switch got drenched in salt water and the toilet no longer works. Electronics and salt water don't mix. This means the aft head does not flush. No fun! The generator needs attention. Ken will be looking at it tomorrow. I have some sewing projects that need tending to and the stainless on the boat is in want of polishing, again. Dave and Kathy got to see all sides of cruising, the amazing places one gets to visit, the outdoor life of the sailor and the never-ending boat repairs that are part of the lifestyle.
I'm not sure which island we'll visit next. Once we address the boat issues, we'll decide. We plan to be in Trinidad by the mid July.
Maryann
Here are pictures from our past three weeks. Dave took many of these photos.
Jets landing over Maho Beach on St. Maarten.
Beach sand and the adventurous being blown by the force of jet engines. Maho Beach, St Maarten. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Maryann watching the jets land. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Oriental Beach, St Martin. Beach bars/restaurants and lounge chairs abound!
Philipsburg, home of St Maarten's Carnival. A look at the harbor from town.
Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Another shot of the harbor at Philipsburg. (Potential Heineken ad?) Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Carnival in St Maarten.
Carnival in St Maarten. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Carnival in St Maarten. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Carnival in St Maarten.
On Anguilla, we landed the dinghy on the beach. Kathy, Maryann and Ken. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
The steps are hard to see, but this is a picture of the stone stairs on Saba. There are over 800 steps up the cliff from the bay. Until the 1940's, the only way to get supplies onto the island was to carry them up these steps. It is said that at different times both a piano and a bishop were carried up these steps. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Sunset, Ladder Bay, Saba. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Ken in the cockpit. Sunset, Ladder Bay, Saba. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Gustavia Harbor, St Barts. Aurora is the boat with the blue hull, furthest away in the second row of boats in the harbor. No, not the mega yacht!
Street in Gustivia, St Barts. Charming. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
We toured St Barts on Scooters. Fun day! Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
We spent two nights in Gorda Sound off Virgin Gorda. Stormy weather kept us on the boat for a day. Still we made it over to Saba Rock, a small rock island about an acre in size, that is home to a hotel, restaurant and gift shop. Only way to get there is on a boat. We took the dinghy over and enjoyed a meal at the Saba Rock Restaurant. The Kilbride family lived on the Rock and ran a SCUBA dive shop from there for many, many years. They sold the Rock to a restaurateur who developed it into the resort it is today. Ken has more info regarding the Kilbride family and Saba Rock on his "On the watery road again" blog of April 26th.
From the BVI we sailed the 80-mile passage overnight to Sint Maarten/St Martin, an island that is home to two different nations, France and The Netherlands. We left at 4:30 p.m. expecting to arrive at about 6:30 a.m. the next morning. However, the wind was more favorable than forcasted and we sailed (without the help of the motor) at 7 plus knots! We had to slow down so as not to get to the anchorage before sunrise!
Our friends Dave and Kathy joined us in St Maarten. We toured the island and took in the highlights. Maho Beach lies just across the fence from the international airport runway. Jets land, just clearing the fence at the end of the runway. Jets takeoff at the end of the runway and the force of the air flow coming out of the jet engines is so strong it blows sand across the beach, pushes people down and makes the tropical beach look like a desert during a sand storm.
Oriental Beach is home to the Naturist Resort on Saint Martin where one can enjoy "fine dining, water sports, sunbathing and sailing cruises au naturel." We walked the non-resort section of Oriental Beach. It was packed with brightly colored umbrellas, red, yellow, turquoise and green, shading rows and rows of lounge chairs filled with sunbathers. Each colored section was serviced by a different beach bar/grill. Like all beaches on St Martin, topless sunbathing is customary. Unlike many of the beaches, it was crowded. People watching was a kick. At one of the open-air restaurants, we ate lunch, listened to live music and watched folks stroll along the water's edge. The music was loud enough to be heard by beach strollers. We could see them as the sound of the music hit their consciousness and they were drawn into the island rhythm and began to dance. An older couple, who had walked over from the Naturist Resort in only their matching thongs, began dancing to the music. Other sunbathers joined in the fun. Soon there was a group of barely clad folks spontaneously dancing and enjoying themselves as they walked along the water's edge. In the restaurant, another senior couple (fully clothed) got up and danced the merengue. A toddler joined the dancing. A joy-filled afternoon.
St Maarten's carnival was going on while were we there, and so we got to see a third carnival parade. This one was my favorite. The costumes were over-the-top and the young women beautiful. Unlike the Dominican Republic Carnival, St Maarten's event was a parade. The crowd stood along the sidewalk behind a rope and watched. No beating the devil out of folks at this one. Each Carnival parade has its own flavor. It has been interesting to attend Carnival parades on three different islands.
From St Maarten we sailed to Anguilla, a low lying island north of St. Maarten. Not much there. We only stayed two nights and one day. From Anguilla, we sailed to Saba.
I had never heard of Saba. What an interesting place. The island is the top of a volcanic mountain. The sides drop steeply into the ocean. There are no beaches on Saba. For hundreds of years the only way to get onto the island was via a steep stairway made up of over 800 steps cut into the rock. Today there is a small harbor and a road that one can take from the harbor up to Bottom one of the two main villages on Saba. The other is Windwardside. The inhabitants of Saba are confident and industrious people of Irish, Dutch, Scottish and African decent. In the 1950's they asked the Dutch government to have engineers evaluate their island for a road. The result of this evaluation was that a road could not be built on Saba. The islanders did not accept this answer. Josephus Hassel took a correspondence course in road building and designed the road that goes from Bottom to Windwardside. The islanders worked together to build the road. It took them 20 years, but today one can drive around Saba on "the road that couldn't be built." The other road on Saba, that goes down to Wells Bay on the same side of the island at the 800 stone steps, is know by some taxi drivers as "the road that shouldn't have been built" as it is very steep.
Saba was the cleanest island I've seen. No litter, lovely white buildings with red roofs and green shutters. Flowers everywhere. The Sabans are a proud people who take care of their island. There is a medical school on Saba with a student body of 300. The medical school, along with tourism and a gravel quarry are the main industries of the island.
From Saba, we sailed to St Barts where we stayed in the harbor at Gustavia for two days and in Anse De Colombier for a night. Visiting St Barts was like a trip to France – everyone spoke French, many people drove tiny cars and the bakery where we had breakfast could have been lifted from a street in France. The French presidential run-off election took place during our visit. The results were announced while we eating lunch at a local restaurant. The folks at the tables around us started clapping. I felt like I was in Europe and not the Caribbean.
Kathy, Dave, Ken and I rented scooters for a day and drove all over the island, which is only 5 miles square. Unlike Saba, St Barts has some amazing beaches.
From St Barts we sailed back to St Maarten so Dave and Kathy could catch their flight. We'll be staying for a few days in St Maarten to work on the boat. As always, things are in need of repair. The aft head switch got drenched in salt water and the toilet no longer works. Electronics and salt water don't mix. This means the aft head does not flush. No fun! The generator needs attention. Ken will be looking at it tomorrow. I have some sewing projects that need tending to and the stainless on the boat is in want of polishing, again. Dave and Kathy got to see all sides of cruising, the amazing places one gets to visit, the outdoor life of the sailor and the never-ending boat repairs that are part of the lifestyle.
I'm not sure which island we'll visit next. Once we address the boat issues, we'll decide. We plan to be in Trinidad by the mid July.
Maryann
Here are pictures from our past three weeks. Dave took many of these photos.
Jets landing over Maho Beach on St. Maarten.
Beach sand and the adventurous being blown by the force of jet engines. Maho Beach, St Maarten. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Maryann watching the jets land. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Oriental Beach, St Martin. Beach bars/restaurants and lounge chairs abound!
Philipsburg, home of St Maarten's Carnival. A look at the harbor from town.
Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Another shot of the harbor at Philipsburg. (Potential Heineken ad?) Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Carnival in St Maarten.
Carnival in St Maarten. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Carnival in St Maarten. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Carnival in St Maarten.
On Anguilla, we landed the dinghy on the beach. Kathy, Maryann and Ken. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
The steps are hard to see, but this is a picture of the stone stairs on Saba. There are over 800 steps up the cliff from the bay. Until the 1940's, the only way to get supplies onto the island was to carry them up these steps. It is said that at different times both a piano and a bishop were carried up these steps. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Sunset, Ladder Bay, Saba. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Ken in the cockpit. Sunset, Ladder Bay, Saba. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
Gustavia Harbor, St Barts. Aurora is the boat with the blue hull, furthest away in the second row of boats in the harbor. No, not the mega yacht!
Street in Gustivia, St Barts. Charming. Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
We toured St Barts on Scooters. Fun day! Photo taken by Dave Cornelius.
posted by Maryann at
9:01 AM |
2 Comments:
How beautiful! The weather looks to be spectacular for all your guests. Did you climb the steps on Saba? Is the town above the steps? I only saw vegetation.
- Julia
No, Ken and I didn't climb the steps, but Dave and Kathy did! I took them over in the dinghy. No secure place to leave the dinghy at the base of the steps. Ken and I took the dinghy over to the harbor and caught a taxi into town.
Yes the town, Bottom, is above the steps and an easy walk once you've reached the top of the steps.
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