Antigua holds a special place in the pantheon of Caribbean islands. I always have wanted to see it. So when we looked for flights for the kids to visit us for Christmas, Antigua was the preferred fly-to airport and became the destination of our trip. That makes it a special moment for us as we…
A very special moment
Instead of staying another day in the bay of Rousseau, we decide to head up a little further north along the coast of Dominica to Portsmouth. With only a light breeze, we motor all the way. Without any waves it is a pleasant three hour trip before we make a turn into Prince Rupert Bay….
Almost on schedule
It has been three weeks since we arrived on Grenada and we are still slowly making our way north towards our destination – Antigua. Our kids will arrive there on December 23rd. So far we are two days behind our “schedule”, but we have a few days to spare, so we will be fine. Still,…
The Highs and the Lows
Cruising life appears to have two faces. And it seems true in so many aspects. Andy told you about our emotional ups and downs in his last blog post. But in addition to that, there are the extreme weather patterns for example. The sun gives way to an extreme downpour and minutes later you find…
Making our way up north
It’s been two weeks since we arrived in the Caribbean. It does not feel that long. More and more we settle into a routine and get into cruising mode. Our mood is a bit up and down; there are moments of bliss and happiness and being able to visit these islands feels like such a…
Getting into cruising mode
We are so happy we finally are casting off our lines. It’s a nervous moment when you leave port after such a long time. Did we think of everything? Will the boat work? Do we still know how to sail? The harbor master and his crew help us with the undocking maneuver and then skipper…
Close Call
Now this is really scary. It’s Sunday morning, June 30th, and I’m sitting in my apartment in Munich when I catch wind of a hurricane brewing near the southern Windward Islands. At first, it’s just background noise, but then I dig into the details—checking NOAA’s hurricane center, tracking the storm’s path—and that creeping feeling of…
JACE signing off – for now
I will keep this last post brief. Hard to believe the time has come to truly wrap up this trip and say goodbye to JACE and Grenada. The past days have been very busy – and hot. It is the dry season now but even by those standards hotter and dryer. So sweating and frequent…
The final leg to Grenada
I still have a few days before I need to be back in Grenada. So I stay longer on my favorite, Union Island, and head to the wonderful anchorage at Clifton Harbor. This is the anchorage protected by a big reef that is also a popular kitesurfing spot and where I took lessons back in…
My favorite island
After a day’s rest and with the autopilot repaired I push on south. I make one more stop in St. Lucia, back down at the two Pitons. With the wind being a bit more southerly than usual, the anchorage here is a somewhat rolly. But it is so nice here that I decide to stay…