Greetings from Anguilla!

Volver arrived safely in the lovely harbour of Road Bay, Anguilla to find fine sandy beaches, many beach bars and restos, and squalls aplenty.  As usual.  Also as expected, one always motors more than they anticipate and eat out more than planned.  Our journey here was not bad:  2/3 of our 15 nm (nautical mile) trip was made with jib alone, the other 1/3 was motoring to windward.  We left our sail cover at the sail loft in St. Maarten, and we do not wish to lower our mainsail (raising it is not a problem!) without our lazy jacks, for it is a huge endeavour to contain a large, loose sail in high winds, and we expect it to interfere with docking or anchoring. 

 

Front Row Seat:  Just us and the fishing boats in Road Bay

So we have not cooked a single thing since here.  As is often the case, we are out and about and end up finding a place for a late lunch.  Then, despite our best intentions to cook a fabulous meal each day, we end up eating cheese and crackers for dinner (or if we are flush, in the cap'ns eye, we'll have crisps on board).  Today is no different.  Despite having a menu of thai green curry shrimp, we ended up going on a high speed boat to Sandy Island, a marine park, where we enjoyed the sun, and the surf, and less so, paying for the privilege of using a beach chair and eating overpriced food and drink.  Unfortunately, the winds and the surf were so high that snorkeling was prohibitive, I guess, unless you were tethered to your dinghy, which we did not bring! 

Sandy Island Lunch

Approach to Sandy Island, from the shuttle

There are great marine parks around.  There is only one where you are allowed to anchor at overnight and the winds are up again.  We saw a Canadian boat anchor outside of Sandy Island but the sailors did not leave their boat and come ashore, which must have been their plan.  They kept going up and checking on the anchor.  We don't blame them in this wind, which is why we paid for the shuttle.  We are a little disappointed in the lack of shelter for these marine parks.  The first mate really wants to snorkel from the dinghy and try out her new dinghy ladder, so she can hoist her hulk up without embarrassment.  We watched people from a megayacht trying to jump into the dinghy from the surf (someone just hoist her up by the bum, please!):  why don't they have a dinghy ladder, all that money? 

 

The Beach bars are fine.  There was live music all the time on the weekend and most nights of the week.  The food has been touted as exceptional but thus far not met expectations.  The best meals we have had on our whole trip have been made in the galley of  Volver.  Currently, enjoying the happy hour bevvies at Roy's and MUST make our way home and back to take advantage of the very large book exchange!  The first mate has ten books set aside to pick up!   There is a lot of waiting, sometimes for weather, sometimes for bridges, sometimes for happy hours.  We pity the sailor who does not read. 

 

Volver returns to France tomorrow, to Marigot Bay, SXM (the airport code for St. Maarten, which seems to permeate the island).  We have a reserve at the marina, first marina since dec. 23 when we didn't stay, and we hope to water, launder, and wash in hot water for a really long time, as well as use the free wifi.  Charging batteries in a quiet manner and buying groceries, as well as basking in the French seaside ambiance.  We have to pick up our boom shade from the sail loft, and hope to download some good TV shows we've been missing.  Love Ray Donovan, don't want to miss a second season.  As for the future, the winds are up again.  20-25 knots, 7-10 foot seas.  We may spend a bit more time in French St. Martin before heading off to St. Barths.