Martinique

Waterfall hike, Martinique.

We had a fantastic sail over to Martinique. It took about 12 hours, and was a little bumpy with the swell, but not too bad. We started off with a brown bird who kept circling our boat, diving occasionally for the flying fish. Eventually we had a few more join him and then as we sailed into the anchorage near Point Catherine, we had about 10 of these birds. They were quite comical, as they'd dive over and over again, attempting to catch a fish. They'd get lucky about every 50 dives or so. What a challenging way to catch a meal.

Point Catherine anchorage was lovely and calm. We enjoyed a nice paddle around. It has a long stretch of beach, perfect for stretching the legs after sailing. The following morning, we navigated all the fishing buoys (they are just about everywhere, including the channels, so be on the lookout) and entered the Cul-de-sac-Marin. It is extremely crowded in here! We anchored off of Queen's island, away from the hordes of boats, and dinghied over to Le Marin Marina to toss the garbage and check into the country. Checking in at the marina office was fast. Just go into the computer room on the right (don't bother to wait in the line), fill out the one page form, submit, and wait for your name to be called. You'll be asked to sign the paper and pay 5 euro. That's it. They don't ask to see any boat docs or ask any questions. Super quick and easy!

How boat kids take out the garbage.

After checking in, we dinghied over to the Leader Price grocery store dock. This dock was donated generously by the property owner for cruisers to use. We had a walk around the town, scored a Digicel data card (Google Fi towers were down), hit up the bakery, and stocked up on some provisions. The Leader Price store has better prices, but make sure to go in the morning or everything is picked over by the afternoon. The Carrefour market is nearby but small and prices are double that of Leader Price. There is a larger Carrefour on the island, but you'll need a rental car.

We met up with some other sailing families who invited us for drinks and hangout at a place called People's Beach. So, we hauled anchor during a squall and dropped the hook in St. Anne's Bay. This is a huge bay and has plenty of space for many boats. We still felt a bit crowded though.

Hiking trail near St. Anne anchorage.

5pm found us tying up to the floating dinghy dock in front of Pirate's Beach Restaurant. To the left is a jungle path that leads to People's Beach Resort. At one time, this must have been a nice resort. It is still maintained, but not very busy (maybe it is still the low season). There are a couple of above ground pools, games for the kids, and nice drinks for the adults. They were not serving food yet.
The kids had a blast playing laser tag with the other boat kids, swimming, and hitting up the foosball table. We had a good chat with a few other families and didn't get back to the boat until late. It was a fun evening, as we always enjoy meeting new sailing families.
We hung around this spot for a couple of days, met up with some friends we met in the Med for drinks back at People's Beach (kids really enjoy the pools there), and then decided it was time to move on. The clock is ticking, as we need to get to Panama in April.

Anse D'Arlet town. This building reminded me of Greece.

We moved around the corner to Anse D'Arlet, and had a great time there. We spent the day snorkeling and saw more fish, sea turtles, and colorful coral than anywhere else! The bay is super calm and we loved it here. Early the next morning, we grabbed some bakery treats, and then set sail for Anse Noir. We had read there was great snorkeling here and the interesting thing about this spot is it has black sand, where as the bay next door, Anse Dufour has white sand. We dropped anchor at the back of the bay (being shallow draft cat, we can get away with that), and put out a stern anchor to keep us from swinging into the other boats ahead of us. It became quite crowded in there after a while and by sunset, we were packed in. We were very glad we had the stern anchor to keep us away, as the wind was light and fluky inside that bay.

St. Pierre ruins

We learned all about St. Pierre's tragic past as well as how the Caribbean islands were formed. Did you know there are two different aged groups of islands?

The next morning we checked out Fort de France and then sailed up to St. Pierre, where we enjoyed the next few days exploring the town, volcanic and science museums, and snorkeling the underwater statues. Sundowners with friends topped off the experience.

Next island: Dominica

Sailing to Dominica.

Pompeii, Rome, Corsica, and Baleric Islands (Folding Prop Install)

Amazed at how well preserved the frescoes are in Pompeii!

After watching the volcano erupt for one last time, we set sail for an overnight passage to Pompeii, near the Bay of Naples. We would have loved to been able to stop and explore Capri, but the conditions were not right. We pulled into the marina, with Mt. Vesuvius in the background, hooked up to a/c for Sunny (we hate leaving her behind, but dogs are not allowed in Pompeii), and caught a cab to the dig site.

Pompeii was not the only city to be demolished by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD. While Pompeii is the most famous, there are several other exhibits of town also wiped out by the clouds of ash and gas.

Math in the sand: calculating how many years have passed since the eruption.

The site of Pompeii is quite large and one really needs an entire day to devote to exploring it all. An estimated 20,000 people resided here in this prosperous city.

Wandering the streets of Pompeii. The water from the baths on the hill would flow down into the city streets, washing away all of the refuse. The large stepping stones allowed residents to cross without getting wet.

View over part of the city, beautiful artwork, artifacts awaiting categorization.

Food found around the site.

One of the games they played.

The archeologists are still uncovering many parts of the city still  buried under centuries of soil. As we walked around, we happened upon a live dig where they had just uncovered a tomb. They took photos and then turned to show us through the fence. They told the kids 'you are the first people to see this newly discovered artifact'!

Observing the archeologists at work. We were the first to view the photos of the newly discovered tomb!

Viewing the photos just after they were taken!

We spent the entire day exploring and did not get to see everything. We had to leave to pick up a guest in Rome, so after a quick stop for provisions, we left for an overnight passage to Porto Romano, just up the Tiber river.

The artwork is amazing. I look at these tiny tiles and think about how much work it must have been!

That passage was awful. No matter which way we turned the boat, we got hit with swell. It was severely confused seas and not much wind, but we motored through and were very thankful when we entered the Tiber river and escaped the swell. We topped up on fuel and settled in to our dock, which happened to be right next to the swimming pool.

Michelle getting introduced to boat life. 

The next day, we picked up Michelle, who was very much a part of our family when the kids were little. She was their nanny and we sure did miss her when she went off to college! We loved getting to spend some time with her and show her the sailing life.

We had only a single day to spend in Rome and made the most of it. We got an early start and explored a lot of the area, including the massive colosseum! The guided tour was enlightening and our guide was kind enough to point out some of his own local favorite spots, such as an ice cream shop with over 150 flavors!

Boca de Veritas (mouth of truth). Put your hand in and answer someone's question or make a statement. Tell a lie and you might just lose your hand! 

Gladiator training area.

Taking in the size of the colosseum. 

Another view of the colosseum and Trevi fountain on the right. 

There are fountains with fresh water all over the place!

With another good night's rest, we set off early the next morning for Corsica. We met up with our friends on Abaco in a calm anchorage, where Jared ended up installing our new folding props. Thanks Abaco, for letting us borrow your dive gear!

Corsica sea caves

The folding props were pretty easy to install, thanks to using dive gear! 

Parts ready to be installed. We kept them in separate bags and when Jared asked for a part, I could easily find it.

Cadence shows Michelle how its done! #boatlife #boatkids #Corsica

With the clock ticking and more friends to meet, we left Corsica and sailed on to Menorca. We are pretty even matched with Abaco and sailed together the entire way, dropping the hook in Mahon bay around 1am.

Roundabout at anchor in Mahon bay.

We woke up to our friends on No Plans Just Options waving hello. The kids were happy to play in the water and run around on the beach. Later on that afternoon, we explored the old fort and nice museum.

Walking into the fort.

Isn't this like a scene from Indiana Jones?

The following day we dinghied up the bay into the town of Mahon. This town is beautiful with lush gardens, cobblestone walkways, and shops galore. We were most charmed by the handmade shoes on display in just about every window.

Seriously, there is one in every color, even glitter and animal prints!

We love it when dolphins come to visit!

Boats in the bay at Calla de Porter. Photo credit: Amber Utting.

Our next anchorage was around the corner at Cala en Porter, between two steep cliffs in bright blue water. There was a festival de los caballos (festival of horses) in full swing, so after a quick swim, cave explorations, and dinner, we dinghied over to the town. This was quite the experience. Horses with their riders were decked out in full gear and they danced to special music.

The tradition is to surround the horse and rider and then inside that circle, a group of adults and children run at and chase the horse around, patting its rump. The horses seemed used to this, although our kids did not think it was right. I asked one of the audience members to tell us the story behind this ritual. They explained that back in times of war, they wanted to desensitize the horses and so this was how it was done. This contradicts my internet search which mentions Saint Joan and how it was about the brotherhood between humans and horses. Only the children of the farming community were allowed to be inside the circle with the horses. The true version? Maybe it's both, more to research...

We led the kids back to playing on the beach and ate from the food stalls set up along the pathway. There was a special local drink (for adults) which tasted sort of like limoncello. Lots of energy surrounded us as we shouted over the music and chatter from all of those around us. After the kids came to us one by one with tired faces, we finally retired to our boats for some sleep. It didn't last too long though, as the swell had clocked around and was coming into the tiny narrow bay. We heard NPJO haul anchor around 1am and head out for Mallorca. After 30 minutes of being rolled around and not sleeping anyway, we also left the anchorage for Mallorca. Abaco followed suit an hour later.

Not one is the same...

Around midnight on the following night, we dropped the hook in the large bay of Palma and finally had a good night's sleep. 9am the next morning found us moving to a different spot over by Cala Major, as the spot we were in had sea grass, which you are not allowed to anchor in (let alone have any part of your anchor or chain touching it). We settled into a lovely anchorage with a nice sandy beach near Calla Major. We spent most of the day swimming in the lovely blue water, enjoying more aquatic life than we'd seen in a long time. There were also quite a few of those funky fried-egg jellies floating about.

We enjoyed some time exploring the town, dinner, and sangrias (oh, the sangrias were soooo good), and tried three times to check the boat in with customs. Finally, on the third day, we found the correct official who knew what he was doing. Basically, since our boat is our residence, we don't need to stamp in. If we decided to stay on land, that would be different.

We moved over closer to Puerto de Palma for the big boat kid combination birthday bash. Met some new sailing families and had a blast! The kids slept hard that night after such a long day partying. We had a bit of trouble with our anchor windlass motor (we've had issues with it, ---as you can read about by clicking that link---even after Jared serviced it and installed new brushes), which finally gave up the ghost.

Palma Cathedral in the background.

In 20 knot winds, Jared pulled up anchor by hand and we moved back over to Cala Major (the coast guard would not allow us to remain at anchor near the big port).

Installing the new anchor windlass motor.

On the way, our rudder sensor also died. Fortunately, while walking around the town, I was able to purchase a new rudder sensor off the shelf and ordered the new windlass motor for delivery the following day. With both of these installed, we were back in business!

After a 'see you in the Caribbean' send off dinner, Michelle was back on an airplane returning to land life. We also said 'see you later' to Abaco. They were hanging around there for family to visit and we needed to move on. We left Cala Major for the island of Formentera (near Ibiza). It was another motor-sail. We rode out the big wind storm on Mallorca and there just wasn't much wind left to send us west. Definitely looking forward to the better sailing in the Caribbean!

Formentera anchorage. Look at that water!!

Formentera is gorgeous! Stunning turquoise water and white soft sandy beaches! Our kids dived right in and enjoyed lots of beach time. We stayed the day and ended up leaving around 8pm for Cartagena. We needed to continue on, as we had our new sail and lazy-bag to pick up in Gibraltar.

We Encounter a Couple of Greek Monsters and an Erupting Volcano

Roundabout crew in front of an erupting volcano!

We left Greece around noon and set our course for the Messina Strait. We had a nice sail over except for about 2 hours south of the Strait. The swell picked up and we needed a rest after the constant rolling about. I felt like we were riding a galloping horse!

We decided to anchor off the Italian coast, near Spropolo around 2am. As we approached the anchorage, we heard engine noise (we were sailing, so ours were off). Nothing came up on our radar (we had our guard zone alarm on) and we could not see any other boats around. All of a sudden, we get spotlighted. They started on our starboard side and went around the stern and to port. After a minute the light flicked off and the boat zoomed away. It was painted black and we assume it was the coast guard searching for illegal boats.

We hauled anchor around 6am and set off for the Messina Strait. It was flat calm until the entrance, when all turned choppy and the wind picked up (it funnels through that area). We set out for the port of Reggio di Calabria to check into the country. Upon entering the strait, we hailed VTS to inform them of our intentions. As we were a small craft, they said we were fine and to stick to the coastal transit zone, out of the way of the larger traffic.

We hailed the marina and received our slip assignment. Jared went up the mast to check on our navigation lights, as we noticed the steaming light wasn't working too well on our last night passage. Sand paper and some anti-corrosion spray set us back in business. While he worked on that, Cadence and set off to the customs office to check in to the country and get our 'constituto di arrivo' document. Being a Sunday, turns out everything was closed. We informed the marina attendant that we were departing and asked what we owed for the hour we had stayed there. He told us nothing, and so we tipped him for helping us with our lines earlier.

We exited the port and began making our way up through the strait, dodging ferries, tankers, and the occasional whirlpool. We planned the transit based on the tides and it paid off. We sped up to 11.8 knots with the supporting currents. About halfway through the strait is an actual roundabout for traffic to change directions. We kept hearing 'roundabout' on the vhf and wondered if it was the traffic change or us they were talking about.

Eruptions occur on the western side of Stromboli. This is a view from the eastern side.

We can totally see how sailors of old came up with the ancient myths and legends about this mysterious area. Upon entering the strait, the weather changed from sunny and a calm and sunny day, to bubbling water, strange currents that sweep you in various directions, whirlpools, and there's also a feel of 'something' present.  The legends of Scylla and Charybdis are well known and the superstitious or even just the cautious sailors still give them a wide berth. These two sea monsters are situated on opposite sides of the strait. Scylla, the multi-headed monster who feeds upon sailors as she plucks them off their vessels exists to the north (Italian side) on a cliff and Charybdis, a massive whirlpool with razor-sharp teeth to the south (Sicily side). Both are at opposite ends of the western end of the strait, although one can feel their effects well before arriving there. According to Homer, Odysseus was forced to choose which monster to face, as it is impossible to get out of reach of one, unless you transit close to the other. Odysseus opted to face Scylla and risk losing a few sailors, rather than lose his entire vessel to Charybdis.

Beach time on Stromboli.

We exited the strait with some excitement from all the strange phenomenons and then set our course for Stromboli. We arrived around midnight and decided to go check out the erupting volcano while it was nice and clear. We sailed around to the western side of the volcano where you can see the eruptions. What a sight! The night was clear and crisp with bright stars and bioluminescence in the sea. The neon reddish glow from the lava was brilliant against the black of night. We cu the engines and slowly drifted along watching mother nature's show; listening to the snap, crackle, popping noise of the lava as it flowed down the slope, only to be met in protest with a violent hissing noise as it met the sea. A few hours later, we anchored off the eastern side of the island in black sand and fell asleep.

It looks silver in the sunlight, but it was a deep, inky black underneath.

Later on, we spent the daylight hours doing school, chores, and swimming around the boat. We explored shore a bit and then resumed swimming and enjoying the sunshine. Jared spotted a sea snake taking refuge in the shade of the hulls. We enjoyed a pizza at a local restaurant that evening, and the kids played hide-n-go-seek around the beach and boats stored ashore. Jared and I scored some coffee beans from the only coffee shop on island and after collecting our kids, we motored back around to the western side for another spectacular show of the erupting volcano. The kids took their pillows and blankets out to the trampoline and spent the next couple of hours there watching the eruptions, shooting stars, and glowing ocean. After sending the kids to bed, we engaged the engines and set our course towards Pompeii.

Jared got better photos off the Cannon (still need to download those). 

I sure hope these memories last a lifetime for our kiddos. I know Jared and I surely wont forget this experience. After all, how often can you fall asleep watching a volcano erupt?!

Farewell Stromboli! 

Santorini: the Island of Vampires and Volcanoes

Looking out over the caldera.

When you think of Greece, you probably think of Santorini. It is by far the most photographed island in the Cyclades and has millions of visitors each year. Away from the colorful villages, the landscape is rocky with scattered farms nestled in. The volcanic soil is very rich and the island boasts lots of wonderful produce, tomatoes and wine grapes being the most famous. There is an old tomato museum next to the Vlichada marina, which would be worth a visit (it was closed when we went by).

Santorini, or Thira, has quite the history. About 3,500 years ago, an immense explosion ripped the island apart, leaving behind the main island of Thira, and the smaller islands; Thirasia, Nea Kameni, and Palea Kameni. There are two hot springs off of these smaller two islets (we loved swimming in them!), as part of the volcanic activity underneath.  Another claim to faim? Plato's theory was this was home to the lost city of Atlantis.

The ancient city of Akrotiri (near Red Beach) has been partially excavated and is open for tours (we highly recommend going). Unlike Pompeii, no bodies have been found, indicating the residents had warning. There are very well preserved frescos and pottery, still with their vibrant colors.

Walking towards the entrance of the Akrotiri museum and archeological site.

Legend also claims Santorini is home to vampires. During ancient times, people who were thought to be vampires were brought to Santorini for the vampire slayers to deal with. We didn't find much in terms of this history while visiting, but it sure does peak ones curiosity.

Probably the most photographed church on Santorini.

For a sailboat, it isn’t the easiest island to visit. There is only one marina for visiting yachts, but not much space (definitely call ahead) and it is super shallow. Only a catamaran can fit inside, or a monohull with an extremely small draft. There are some mooring buoys inside the caldera, but they are mostly for fishing boats or the day charter boats. A couple of anchorages exist on the south side of the island, however, not tenable in south winds.

Sailing along the south-western coast of Thira towards Vlichada. Do you see why they named it Red Beach?

 Another option for a sailing crew is to consider leaving your boat at a neighboring island and ferrying over; but you then accrue extra costs of the ferry, hotel, and food. With five of us, it can add up quickly. We also couldn’t leave Sunny.

We decided to try our luck and headed over to Vlichada Marina, on the south side of the island. A friend of ours, who is a summer captain on Santorini, helped connect us with the harbormaster, Antonis. We called ahead to ask about staying there for a few days and he replied that there was plenty of space and depth.

Navigating the reefs off Folegandros.

We left Kythnos around 5:30 am and arrived to Vlichada (also spelled Vlikada) around 5pm. We wanted to make sure we arrived with plenty of light left, as the pilot book said the buoys marking the shallow reef areas may not always be present. With Jared at the helm, the kids and I kept watch at the bow. Fortunately, there was not a single problem entering the marina and the charts were pretty spot on. One note for those considering going: in the pilot book it says look for the blue hotel—it is now painted yellow. There is a conspicuous blue taverna nearby, though.

Our draft is 1.3 and the shallowest we saw was 1.4, near the entrance. Initially, we were placed on the outer dock right near the entrance. That was ok at first,  but with the constant coming and going of vessels, it got a bit uncomfortable. Some people really speed in and out of there! We asked to be moved further inside and liked that spot much better (it was all the way up and in the corner). It paid off, as we had one day of high SE winds, so we had much better protection.

Beautiful black sand beach with lots of pumice stone.

There isn't much in the vicinity of the marina, save for a very small market (snack foods, mostly) and a taverna. Further up the road are a few more tavernas and the bus stop. We really liked utilizing the bus, as it cost 1.80 euro per person (kids under 6 are free) and they came about every 30 minutes.

They were nice and clean charter buses, perfect for getting around the island. We used a taxi a couple of times for provisioning and when we were outside of the bus route. That was 25 euro one way! There is a nice black sand beach nearby though, so we took advantage and had a few beach excursions.

The kids loved riding the bus!

Thira is the main town and has lots to offer. We had to go there for the port authority stamp in our transit log anyway, so we wandered around the rest of the day. Once you get to the pathway next to the cliff, the views are simply out of this world! It is worth a visit, just to look down at the caldera and see the expanse of the explosion. The sailboats and cruise ships look like toys!

Isn't this bookstore amazing?! Books are one of our weaknesses...

Another cool shop to explore. Everything is hand-made by the artists in residence. We were given our Greek names here. =)

Like many other places over the world, people place locks to pledge their love. Here, is another pathway we took along the rim of the caldera.

Lots of churches with those famous blue roofs.

The following day, we went to Oia. Everyone we spoke to said to come here for the sunset.
It is very similar to Thira, but has more of those views you see in photos online. The multi-colored villas, sweeping views, and ancient castle ruins are just incredible.

The stairways were all different sizes and the villas changed colors with each step. It's like being Alice in Wonderland.

Whitewashing seems to be a never-ending process.  Octopus drying in the sun at Amouldi, Oia.

Food is part of the adventure! 

Still reading their books from the Atlatntis! Akrotiri, near Red Beach.

On our last day there, we sailed from Vlichada into the caldera. What an experience! One feels quite small while staring up in awe at the towering cliffs above. We picked up a mooring near one of the two hot springs and went for a little swim. The highest temp we saw near the boat was 73 degrees. We took the dinghy further into the hot springs, through a narrow channel and guessed the temperature increased into the 80s. Ash floated in the water and made it look eery.

Then, we moved over to Thirassia Bay and took a friend's mooring buoy (he skippers for a day charter company) and spent a lovely night. The views were just beautiful, especially at night. It looked as if the island's rim was on fire, or wore a sparkling jeweled crown.

For tons more photos, check out our facebook page.

We are working on editing our video for this post and will update as soon as it is ready! =)