Barbuda and Beyond

Well, what have we been up to in our silence? We left Freeman’s Bay and made a short hope up to Green Island to anchor within a barrier reef lagoon. Lovely.

Then on to Barbuda. Lovely white sand beaches, but we had to be very careful of the coral shoals that spotted the entire coastline. This was a quiet anchoarge, not many boats around, though a few superyachts stopped by. We made a couple trips to the beach to swim among the breakers and into Coderington village for some fresh food, more palitable drinking water and to check out the frigate bird colony. The locals were friendly and helpful and we enjoyed our time. The day we were to go on a tour of the northern part of the island the breakers wwere to big so we didn't go ashore. We decided we would head out the following day.

We made a short hop up to Gustavia, St. Barth’s, home to the rich and famous. which was a lovely place but really not a great anchorage and the St. Barth’s dining and shopping scene wasn't really what we were looking for. However, we did have a visitor, a remoray came for breafast.

So we made another very short but intense hop to Anse de Colombier, St. Bart's. It was an intense 3 nautical miles to our next anchorage because a squall came through and we were being blasted with 30+ Knots of wind and lots of rain. We had the engine on and we slowly and carefully made out into the anchorage. John and I were very happy to pick up the mooring buoy, but just when we thought we could relax, our mooring line snapped and we had to get back on the helm and pick up the mooring buoy again. Thankfully the engine was still on, otherwise we could have gotten even closer to the rocky shoreline. Anyway, we passed a couple of nights here amongst other sailors and sea turtles. We celebrated Adam's 1st birthday here with a great short walk from the beach in Anse de Colombier to the next bay. You are well sheltered from the wind here and we shared the path with a couple of tortoises too, very cool. 

The "Mighty Atom" pose

After Anse de Columbier we headed to Ile Forchue and I think this is our favourite anchorage on this side of the Atlantic thus far. The island is completely deserted. It once was covered in trees, but many years of grazing goats destroyed all the vegetation. In the end the goats ate themselves out of house and home and now the island is goat free and slowly the trees seem to be returning. 

We made a journey ashore and climbed one of the “mountains.” 

You know you are a cruising family when your children go for a hike in their swim suits. 

Adam making friends with a lizard.

At the top.

Looking down on the anchorage.

We also spent quite a bit of time splashing on the rocky beach and looking at the coral reefs in the bay.

Perhaps it was the desolation of the place that reminded John and I of the Western Isle of Scotland which made us feel more at home.

Unfortunately the need to get a new anchor, and some fresh food meant we had to leave Ile Forchue and head to St. Maarten’s. And here we are still. Simpson’s Bay Lagoon. We have been here nearly two weeks and our anchor should arrive imminently. We had a few other jobs done too. Our shade tent has been altered and our steering looked at, it had been making a clunking sound. But most importantly we have been around other kid boats. Gone Walk About and Safari were both here when we arrived, so the girls have been able to catch up with them. We have also met Sasquatch and Osler. We have not really done much here other than get jobs done and play with other kids, but it has been really nice.  Hopefully we will be leaving shortly for Saba.