Trying to catch up, boat comes first.

I know I have been absent now for a while, I have been busy with my new-to-me boat. There have been several projects mainly revolving around the house batteries and insurance coverage that have take priority over the blog. I will fill in the blanks soon enough but right now I have to take care of my new home. 

Another Computer Day, Day 31

Today much like yesterday was not at all exciting but it was still productive. I spent the bulk of my day reading up on things for the boat I am trying to purchase. Things like new dinghy, davit arches, solar panels, maintenance items etc. While it was productive for me it was not so interesting or exciting. I also went to the grocery store and found that there was practically no fresh meat and that the veggies were all but cleared out. I guess there must have been a run on the store earlier in the day which cleared out much of the stock. I have heard of this happening down here in the Caribbean but this was the first time I witnessed it. I did manage to find some potatoes and a couple good squashes that went well with the Kangaroo meat I found in the frozen section. I fried up some onions and squash in my pan then put them to the side and fried up one of the 2 Kangaroo steaks I bought. The result was vey tasty Garlic Butter Kangaroo. I shared a couple pieces of my steak with a cute little kitten who was hungry for attention and food. She stuck around with me for the rest of the evening enjoying the attention and I enjoyed her company too. I finished the evening up with some Mango Passionfruit sorbet and youtube before calling it a night. 

Run to Fort-de-France, Day 30

Today was not that exciting, I had to run up to Fort-de-France to do some shopping. I needed a cooking pan since the one at my airbnb was junk, all the coating had been scoured off. I took the long way through the mountains and was rewarded with beautiful views along the way. The drive took a while longer than the highway but I felt it was worth it. I found a guy cooking some delicious smelling bbq chicken on the side of the road and stopped for lunch. I got a half chicken with his home made bbq sauce for 5-Euro and it was amazingly tender and juicy. Then I continued my journey to Hyper U and found the pan I wanted and a few other things of course. I then headed back to St. Anne where my airbnb is and spend the rest of my afternoon relaxing before cooking some dinner with my new pan. After supper I watched some youtube videos and the went to bed. Like I said, not exciting but i got done what I needed to. 

St. Lucia and a Survey, Days 27, 28, 29

Today I am heading to St. Lucia to get the boat I have under contract surveyed and the sea trail will be carried out on the way there and back since it's 25-miles each way. We began the day at 0930 when I met the the current owner at the dinghy dock. When we got to the boat he showed me how he hauls the motor and dinghy aboard to ready for sailing. Since there are no davits and it is too dangerous to tow the dinghy this must be done. Once we got the dinghy situated went through the checklist before pulling up the anchor and getting under way. We motored out of the harbor and put the sails up when we got clear of all the fish traps (which kill the reef and foul props). We had a nice 4-hour sail down to St. Lucia with the wind mainly on or aft of the beam and a medium sea state (1.5-2m). The sail took about 4-hrs but it went by pretty quickly. I found the boat to have a comfortable motion even with the waves nearly quartering which normally makes for an uncomfortable motion.

We arrived in St. Lucia around 3pm and dropped anchor in Rodney Bay near the cut into the harbor. We got the dinghy in the water and the motor mounted then headed in to the customs office to clear in. Once we got the customs paperwork done we went back to the dinghy to head back to the boat. After the motor was started it made a grinding noise when put into gear, the shear-pin had broken on the way in just as we got to the dock. We paddled the dinghy to the Suzuki dealer in the harbor and luckily the gentleman there confirmed that it was the shear-pin not the lower unit. Then it was noted that the tilt bolt was also rusted through, damn. The gentleman made an offer to trade the old motor plus some cash for a new 4-stroke 4hp model (the olde one was a 2.5hp 4-stroke). The current owner told him he needed to think it over for the night and that he would be in touch. We began the long paddle back out to the boat when I spotted someone in a bigger dinghy coming in and flagged them down. They were nice and gave us a tow back to the boat. We hauled up the dinghy and the anchor since we were now going to head to the marina for the two nights we were planning on being in St. Lucia. We got into our slip just before sunset and cracked a beer while we relaxed and talked about dinner plans. We ended up going to a terrific Indian restaurant that was just a short cab ride away that the owner and his wife had been to many times before. We had a lovely dinner before returning to the boat and calling it a night.

The next morning (Thanksgiving) it was survey day. Both the sellers broker and my surveyor met up at the marina and we began the survey in the slip. After a bit it was time to move to the local yard for the haul-out and out of water portion of the survey. We took a break while waiting for the lift operators to return from their lunch and got ourselves lunch at a cafe just down from the boatyard. Then we had to wait for the manager to get back since there were a couple questions only he could answer and some things we needed him to see. After that was taken care of the boat was put back in her natural element and we went back to the marina. Additionally while the survey was being conducted the current owner got in touch with the gentleman from the Suzuki dealer and got the new motor sorted out for the dinghy. When we got back to the marina the survey continued with the thorough inspection of all interior areas including the water tank under the cabin bilge. We ran out of time to get up the rig but my surveyor offered to come back first thing the next morning. We decided on one of the restaurants in the area of the marina called Seasalt for supper. After a good and filling dinner we returned to the boat fo the night.

We woke up on Friday and had a bit of breakfast and coffee before the surveyor returned to do the aloft rig inspection. He arrived around 0930 and we got to work. Luckily he brought a big cordless Milwaukee right-angle drill with a winch bit in it. This combo saved a ton of winch grinding to get him up the main and mizzen masts. After he completed his work we made the boat ready for departure (I know, don't leave on Friday, but I didn't have a choice since it was not yet my boat). He helped us cast off the lines and we were on our way back to Martinique. The trip back was very uneventful with little to no wind but calm seas. We motored the whole way there at about 6.5kts so it was a relatively quick trip. When we got back to Martinique the boat was moored in the marina (as per the contract) and we hung out in the cockpit and chatted for a little while. Then I packed up the few things I had brought with me and headed back to my airbnb.
 

Boat Contract Day!, Day 26

Today is the day, I made an offer on the boat I looked at yesterday. I met with the current owners and their broker this morning. I made an offer that was a bit below their asking price and they weren't receptive so I came up a bit to the middle ground. They Deliberated for a bit while the broker and I went to a nearby shop for a coffee to give them privacy. After about an hour they called the broker and we went back to the boat to continue the discussion. We came to agreement on the amount and then set a time to meet and do the paperwork to get the boat under contract. After the meeting and getting the contract hammered out I went back to my airbnb and had some leftovers for dinner (pizza and some fish) then tried to get some sleep. The next day we would be taking the boat to St. Lucia to get the survey done, no availability on Martinique, and conduct the sea trial on the way there and back. I had a restless night as I was anxious and also very happy about getting the boat under contract.       

Looking at a Boat and Trying to Buy a Boat Overseas , Day 25

Today I went to look at a boat, it is an Amel Maramu 46. I have been hunting for one of these boat for the better part of 5-years now. I have looked at at least 4 different specimens previously  and for different reasons they have not worked out. The one I went to look at today is a 1988 model and from the listing appears well equipped. I met up with the sellers broker and we went down the dock to the boat. The sellers were there too which I am not accustomed to but it worked out well in the end. They were able to show me around their boat and point out many things. We spent about 2 hours on the boat checking out various things and looking in just about every locker (there are many). After the initial viewing I went back to the brokers office and we talked for a bit. I decided I wanted to make an offer on the boat and we scheduled a meeting with the owners for tomorrow.

I went back to my airbnb and started researching what would have to be done in order to register the boat in the USA since it is currently registered in France. Apparently  there is quite a bit that must happen but I found out it is the responsibility  of the current owners and their broker to take care of all of the paperwork surrounding that. I was greatly relieved at this realization but I was still anxious about making an offer on the boat. I at some dinner and then went to bed dreaming about sailing on my own vessel soon.

Bank Run and Some Exploring, Day 24

Today I had to do some running around. I needed some Euro since none of the shops here seem to take USD. The only bank on Martinique that I can use without fee is BNP Paribas and there are only 3 branches on the island. Thankfully I have a rental car and I downloaded the map for Martinique on my phone (thanks Google Maps). I easily found my way to the nearest branch, 35min away, and got some cash. I did manage to forget to stop at Carrefour (kinda like Walmart) to get a frying pan, bug spray and a spatula but I can get those tomorrow morning. After the bank I drove around the town of Francois a bit and looked around for a bbq stand for lunch. I found one on my way out of town and stopped in for some grilled chicken. I got 2-thighs and some white rice and a beer for 8 Euro which isn't too bad. I went back to a town dock that I had seen while driving around and sat down in the shade and enjoyed my lunch.

Then I set about heading back to St. Anne, the drive is quite pretty as you go through hills and valleys some of which are lined with Banana and Sugar Cane fields. I always thought the Banana trees on a plantation would be rather tall but they are surprisingly short. About half way through I saw some motorcycle cops coming with their lights on, they motioned for us (cars) to slow down and move over. They were escorting a very large group of people on motorcycles and atvs in what I can only guess was some kind of rally or poker run. I though it was pretty cool to see and interesting that the cops would do such a thing, talk about public service.

After I got back and dropped off my stuff at the airbnb I went back out to locate the office of the boat broker I am meeting with tomorrow morning.  I found her office pretty easily as it is in a really neat commercial development that is geared at cruisers. The property has offices for brokers, repair shops of all kinds, stores, bars and more. I decided to walk down the dock and just look at the boats that were there. As I walked down the dock I noticed a boat that looked familiar, it was the boat I am going to look at in the morning. I took a few photos and then walked away as casually as I could being that I didn't want to show my hand so to speak.

Then I headed back towards the airbnb and made a quick stop in town to see if any restaurants were open and of course most were closed. The exception was the hotel restaurant on the beach which is rather expensive. I then headed back to my airbnb and then walked down to the beach bar on the property for a sunset beer.

I then went back to my place and went about warming up some leftovers for yesterday for supper. After I finished my supper I did some reading on Amel Maramu's since that is what I am going to look at tomorrow morning and then called it a night.

Off to Martinique, Day 23

Today I had a fun and interesting day. I got a flight to Martinique to go look at a boat and experience a different island for a while. My day started off quite early, I woke up around 0430 and couldn't get back to sleep. I decided to just go ahead and get my stuff in order and packed. I had been planning on getting up at 0540 so while I wasn't happy about being up so early it was no big deal. After I got my stuff packed up I went out to the veranda and enjoyed the sunrise with a bottle of water, I was out of coffee. Mike had been nice enough to agree to give me a ride to the airport after his morning radio net was finished. I got my bags loaded into the car and then we put Bonny the dog in the back seat, she always joins for car rides. The the three of us headed for the Grand Case Airport. I had been worried about getting there early enough for my flight (I am used to big airports). Those fears were put to rest when I walked into the airport and saw that there were only 2 families at the check in counter. I got in line, checked my bags and then got in the que to wait for the security checkpoint to open.

Once through the checkpoint I entered the smallest departure lounge I have ever been in. I would guess that it was about 60'x80' give or take. I had been a little anxious about finding my gate but there were only 3 "gates" which were doors to the tarmac. While I was waiting in the departure lounge I decided to call my mom and see how her day was going. Then I just sat there and organized pics on my phone and watched as our plane arrived. I hadn't been on one of these inter-island flights before and so I was quite excited to be able to see the other island as we flew over them. I managed to get a window seat up in the front of the cabin. I did get a good view of the other island as we passed by, I also got some photos too. The flight had a stop in Guadeloupe to let some folks off and others on. I joined the others who were continuing in the departure lounge while we waited. Then it was back to the plane, this time I managed to get an exit row seat in the very front of the cabin. This gave me two windows and I had looked at google maps to sort out which side of the plane might have the best view. The second part of the flight was only about 30-min so that was nice, I also got some decent phots on this half of the flight.

We touched down on time in Martinique and filed into the terminal building. I approached the passport control desk and the gentleman took my passport and stamped it with hardly a word. I then collected my luggage and went to find the rental car counter. After I got the shuttle to the rental car depot I went in and got the keys and finished the paperwork. I learned a good lesson too, do not use rentalcars.com for anything other than research. They present an insurance option that appears to be through the rental car company but is third party. I got roped into this and then when I went to contact them yesterday and their phone was disconnected and the live chat was not functioning.

I got my car, a new Renault, and headed out across the island to Sainte Anne where my airbnb is. The drive was quite nice and enjoyable. I encountered a bit of traffic at first but then it cleared up pretty quick. I got a little turned around but I found the place not long after. The airbnb I got is in an old resort that has been repurposed into residential condos. They're nice and have a little kitchen and a veranda with a table and chairs too. I am really enjoying having all the birds singing and getting to see a bunch of butterflies in the garden outside my room.

I drove into town to check it out and look for some food since I hadn't had lunch yet. I was a bit surprised to find that most of the restaurants don't have food between 3-7, I guess this is a French thing. I walked around town for a little bit then went to the big Carrefour Market in Marin to get some groceries for the next few days. Food is definitely not cheap down here, eggs were $5/ dozen, so I had think carefully about what I bought. After my shopping expedition I went back to the airbnb and unloaded my groceries and charged my phone.

It was now about dinner time so I drove back into town. I went back to a Creole place I had seen earlier and got a table. Being that it was still before 7 I couldn't order food yet so I got a beer and perused the menu.  I ended up ordering a sampler platter because it had everything but was cheaper than some of the other options. The sampler had stuffed crab, Conch fritters, 2-kinds of grilled fish and some home made "puddings" (which I think were blood pudding but were great) plus a salad for 20 Euro. After dinner it was time to head back to the airbnb and get some rest after a long day.

Shopping and Happy Hour, Day 22

Today is not the most exciting day. I went over to Simpson bay to run some errands before my flight to Martinique tomorrow. Then I went to Happy Hour at Snoopys before catching the bus back to Marigot. Like I said not exciting but productive.

More Computer and a Steak, Day 21

Toady much like yesterday was primarily spent in front of the computer. I decided to go shopping in the morning before it got hot. I had been craving a steak for the last couple days and Mike at Shrimpy's has a grill he said I could use. I walked to "Super U" in Marigot and bought a couple onions, a green bell pepper and a nice looking little steak (cut unknown). I walked back to Shrimpy's and then took care of some of my computer stuff.

A gentleman then came by and needed help trying to figure out what was wrong with his inverter. I went out to the boat with him but after checking various points in the power system downstream from the inverter I could only determine that the inverter was the source of the problem. While I am sure this wasn't what he wanted to hear but it was all i could determine for sure. Also for some reason he didn't have the book for his inverter, take this as a lesson and have at least a copy on your computer/ tablet. After that he gave me a lift back to Shrimpy's. He offered me what I thought was a Euro note only to realize it was Croatian which is worthless here. I take it as a lesson to check any currency someone offers me more carefully. Needless to say I would not offer to help him again unless he makes an apology in word and gesture.

The rest of my day was spent catching up on blog entries then I went with Mike to take the dogs for a walk before I cooked dinner. Just before I was going to fire up the grill a big squall came through and dumped a bunch of rain on us. Mike kindly offered to let me use his stove and a skillet to cook my dinner since the likelihood of another squall was pretty high.  The steak came out good as did the pepper and onion. After dinner I chatted with Mike and sally and then called it a night.

Day of the Computer , Day 20

Today was a rather uninteresting day. I spent most of my day on the computer making arrangements to travel to Martinique to look at an Amel Maramu 46. I have been looking for one of these boats for almost 4-years. I have tried looking at other makes and models but they just don't give me the feeling I get when stepping onto the deck of an Amel. I love the layout below deck and the way that the engine room is completely separated from the cabin. The boat has a beautiful aft cabin with a large bed and a nice little desk with stool. The galley is nice and open but small enough to be good in seaway. There is tons of storage throughout the boat including the bilges. The bilges in the cabin are completely dry thanks to all the drains being plumbed into the engine room bilge. This is a huge plus since it allows you to store bulky items like paper towels in the bilge. Needless to say, I am excited to go see this boat and hopeful that is as nice in person as it appears in the photos I have been sent.

After I got all my computer work done I made some canned pasta for dinner since the french restaurant next door had already closed their kitchen (at 7pm wtf). Then I watched some sailing videos on youtube before going to bed. Definitely not a terribly exciting day but a good one.

Boat Shopping and Happy Hour, Day 19

Today was an interesting day, I went and looked at a boat and went to a couple of my happy hour spots. I started the day off by going to the bakery across the bridge in "Sandy Ground" and getting some delicious pastries. Then after eating I spent some time dealing with a couple emails and poking around on the computer. Then I caught the bus to Cole Bay and grabbed another bus to get to Simpson Bay. I needed to go the bank and one of the few branches I can use without fee in in Simpson bay. I got my banking done then I went over to Snoopy's to get some chow and wait for the broker who was taking me to look at a boat to call. I am glad I didn't order any food because by the time I was done with my beer the broker called and said he would be there in 15-min. I had another beer and went out to the dock to wait for him. He picked me up in his run about and then we had to run across the bay to get the boat keys from his truck at a local yard. They had quite the pile of empty beer bottle at the yard which underscores how cheap beer is here. There was also a boat with some cool bow art and a bunch of derelicts of course. 

After picking up the keys we went to go look at the boat, a CSY44, which was moored out in the lagoon. The boat was pretty nice but it needed a bunch of work that would have easily double the price. I decided against this one as it was not the model I really like plus god only knows what other problems would have been found. The broker was very kind and agreed to drop me back off at a bar on the strip by the causeway. 

I wandered down to "Snoopy's" for a beer and to hang out in the nice cool shade. After a couple beers I decided to migrate to the "Yacht Club" and see who was there. I hung out with some friend for a while and we talked about the boat I had looked at and they agreed that it was not optimal. After a while it was time to go home. I started walking and I bought some to go food to bring home with me. I saw a friend from "Snoopy's" and he was kind enough to give me a ride to the bus stop in Cole Bay. I caught a bus back to Marigot and then walked back to Shrimpy's. When I got back I went to talk to Mike and Sally about the boat and to see how their day went. Mike suggested that we get pizza for supper and I thought it sounded good. I gave him some money to pay for my half and went to put my food in the fridge for the next day. While Mike ran across the way to grab the pizza and hung out with Sally and we chatted about various things. When Mike got back with the pizza all 3-dogs gave us their undivided attention, of course. Floppy the dog was very persistent and tried his best to guilt me into giving him my pizza crust. I eventually gave in and gave each of the pups an equal share of my crust. After supper was done we watched some tv and then it was decided to call it a night. A great end to a good day, pizza and tv with friends.  

Floppy dog eyeing me up as I eat my pizza.

Back to St. Martin, Day 18

Today is the day I head back to St. Martin. I got up early and finished my packing. Then I went back to "The Straw Hat" for breakfast and had some delicious French toast and bacon.

Then I went back to the airbnb and loaded up my bags in the car to head to the port and return my car. After making a pit stop at one of the 3 gas stations on the island i parked my car where I was told to and headed into the terminal to get my ferry ticket and pay the exit tax ($23). I got a bit lucky on the schedule and only had to wait for about 15-minutes. The ride back over to Marigot was not to bad and only took about 25-min or so. Upon arrival I went through customs then walked past all the taxi drivers offering over-priced rides and started my walk to Shrimpy's. The walk only take about 20-min and is all on flat ground so its not too bad, unless there is no breeze. When I got to Shrimpy's I was covered in sweat and grateful for the fan and the slight breeze blowing on the porch.

I had been planning on heading to look at a CSY 44 mid afternoon but the broker cancelled on me at the last minute and rescheduled for the next afternoon. I ended up just hanging around Shrimpy's and relaxing. I spent some time looking at boats online and doing some reading about various boats. While it was not the most productive afternoon I enjoyed it. I ended the day with a tub of chicken flavored ramen and some youtube videos.

Snorkeling and The Dune , Day 17

Today I decided I wanted to go snorkeling since I am in a place with beautiful beaches and reefs that are close to shore. I decided to go have breakfast a a place called "The Straw Hat." I had a seafood frittata which was absolutely delicious. The thing was loaded with lobster, grouper and shrimp plus cheese.

After breakfast I got in my rental car and got the nav app on my phone set up to take me to a place called "Little Bay" which is up near the East end of the island. Upon arriving at what I though was the spot I noticed that there was only a small little trail leading to what I thought was the beach. I found that the trail led to the top of a bluff which was right above the beach. There was a piece of rope tied to a big boulder that led over the edge. There was a trail down the face but I determined after an attempt that I did not feel safe trying to go down it with my fins and other gear on my back.

I got back into my car and went to a place a little bit down the road where I had seen a dock out in the water from the top of the hill. I found out that this was actually the spot that I had read about the day before. I got my car parked and walked down the beach for a cold beer since it was a rather hot day. Then I went back to the car and grabbed my gear. I went into the beautiful Caribbean water and snorkeled around for over an hour. I made a couple of free-dives down to check under ledges for lobster but there were none to be found. I did see a couple of Lion fish that I wish I could have removed but I did not have the gear for that. After I got done I got my stiff dried as best I could and headed back to the airbnb to rinse my gear and take a shower.

After a nice hot shower I got ready to head over to "The Dune" to watch Frank play some music. The venue is pretty cool, it's just a collection of structures that work well together and make a sweet little bar and stage area. I hung out and listened to Frank and a couple others play and then it was time to go when the sun went down. I ended up going to "Elvis's" in "Sandy Ground" to get some food. I had a good fish taco with some rice and beans on the side. After an enjoyable dinner and a boupoe beers I decided to call it a night and went back to my airbnb.

Rain, Ribs, Regge and Fun, Day 16

Today I got up and it was rather cloudy, I didn't think too much of it since there are almost always a couple fluffy clouds in the sky down here it seems. I did some stuff on my computer and looked at some boat listings. Then I heard wheat I thought was just some strong wind. I was wrong, it was a squall coming through, the rain came down pretty hard for a while then it would let up and then pick up again. This continued until around 11 or so.

My very kind airbnb host sent me a message with some good tips on places to go after the rain let up, one of them was a BBQ place called "Ken's" which is on an are called "The Valley" (which is an actual valley in the middle of the island). I was already craving ribs from the failed hunt the day before so this immediately peaked my interest. When I got there it smelled amazing, they had several grills going loaded down with chicken ribs and fish too. I found the line and ordered a combo platter (ribs and chicken), garlic bread and a water for only $10 which is an amazing bargain on Anguilla. The food was absolutely delicious, the ribs were a bit dry but their sauce more than made up for it.

After filling up on ribs and chicken I got a message from Janet saying that her and Frank were heading to a place called "Madeariman" over in "East Shoal Bay," as it so happened I was about to head there myself (my airbnb host had mentioned it earlier). I replied to let her know I'd be there and then I headed out after buying a fresh cut Coconut from a guy on the corner by "Ken's."

When I got to "East Shoal Bay" I parked and paid my $5 to the man who runs the lot. Then I went to the bar and got a beer. They had a local Regge band playing and they were quite good. Frank and Janet arrived not long after I did and we all hung out for a while and enjoyed the music. They even sang their own rendition of Happy Birthday for Janet. After the band was done it was time to head out.

I went back to my airbnb and got cleaned up and spent some time reading up on a boat I was interested in looking at when I got back to St. Martin. Then I went and then went to "Picante," the Mexican restaurant close by my airbnb, for dinner before I went to "Sharpy's Shake Shack" to meet up with Frank and Janet for karaoke. I had fun at karaoke  even though I didn’t sing, I enjoyed meeting Frank and Janet's friends from Anguilla. I also enjoyed being able to experience the local scene on Anguilla instead of the more touristy areas. After an enjoyable night of watching karaoke and meeting new people I headed home to get some much needed rest.

Anguilla Ho! , Day 15

Today is the day I head via ferry to Anguilla for the weekend. I got up early to do a last check of my airbnb and make sure I have everything packed up. Then I put on my pack and headed down to "Topper's" for a delicious breakfast of Snapper and eggs.

After breakfast I made a pit stop at the bank for same cash and headed for the nearest bus stop. I caught a bus towards Maho and they dropped me off at the ferry terminal. I got there 45-min early because the woman I spoke to the day before told me that customs could take quite a while. I am glad I got there early but being it was just me and one other person customs was not big deal. After we boarded the ferry and got under way the mates gave us a couple complementary beers during the trip. The trip was nice and smooth with a bit of sea swell but the period was pretty long so it wasn't a big deal.

Upon arrival and after customs (which was no big deal) I found the people from "Junie’s  Car Rental" and got my rental car. The car was a little Toyota Vitz, it looks similar to a Honda Fit and was right-hand drive. I loaded my stuff up and then studied the map on my phone to locate the airbnb where I would be staying. Luckily for me it was right off the main road that goes just about end to end of the island and next to a restaurant. After about a 15-min drive I found the airbnb and got settled in. The owner was there and we chatted for a couple minutes and I met her two dogs (Foxy and Godiva) who are both island rescues. Foxy is very friendly and just wants attention and Godiva was very skittish and apprehensive of new people. My Host had also kindly prepared a folder with some info on cool local spots to go. After studying this for a minute and locating some of places on my map I set out in the car for a bit of exploring.

 I went up to a place called "East Shoal Bay" to "Uncle Eddy's" to get some ribs because on their website they had the best prices. I should have known this was too good to be true. When I got there the prices on the current menu were about double what was listed online and they didn't even have ribs that day. I settled for a basket of fires and a couple beers, which were reasonably priced.               

After my beers I decided to go to "Elvis's" bar in "Sandy Ground" and check it out since I had been told it was a great place by some folks on St. Martin. When I got to the bar there was a table of people from a boat and another person at the bar. I sat down at the bar and got a beer. The other person at the bar was named Frank and we chatted for a good while. He told me that a place called "Roy's" down the beach had a $15 dinner special which sounded just great to me. I finished my beers and walked down the beach to "Roy's" where I ended up finding Frank and his wife Janet. They invited me to join them at their table. I ended up getting the "Beef and Ale Pie" special. I thought it was going to be a pot-pie kind of thing, as it turned out to be all the ingredients for a pot-pie on a plate with a small side of fries. I found it to be very good and dam near wiped the plate clean with the fries by the end. After dinner we ended up going by Frank and Janet's and had a couple more beers and chatted for a while. We went back over to "Elvis's" for another beer to finish the night out and then called it a night. I headed back to my airbnb and fell fast asleep.

A Snorkel and a beer, Day 14

Today wasn’t  all that exciting. I got up did some writing then after making a couple phone calls I went down the hill into Simpson Bay. I was on the hunt for a snorkel. The one I thought I had wasn't to be found before I left Charleston so I decided to just buy one here. I went to the dive shop down by "The Soggy Dollar" and asked them about a travel snorkel like the one I had and so liked. The lady there knew of the one I was talking about but they didn't have one. She did point me towards a Scubapro one that is made for free-diving (apnea) and the price was right , $20, and it came in blue. After buying my new snorkel I decided to wander down the road and get a fresh baguette from the Chinese shop and then go back to the airbnb for lunch.

I heated up my lunch and then after eating I did some packing in preparation for my trip to Anguilla. Once I was done packing I decided to go to happy hour for a little bit. After some happy hour fun I headed back to the airbnb to make dinner and head to bed. Definitely not the most exciting day but a good one.

Back to the Beach, Day 13

Today I had a fun day, I had to run an errand at the ferry terminal and then I went to Maho Beach again. I started the day off with some writing and boat hunting online. Then I had some leftover pizza and garlic sauce for lunch. Luckily I was able to get a ride with one of the hosts from my airbnb to the ferry terminal. I needed to go there so I could verify my reservation for my trip to Anguilla on Friday morning. I also needed to find out how far ahead of time I needed to be there and make sure I had the correct ferry terminal for my ticket. I was able to get answers to my questions and I also found out that I can book my return ticket when I get to Anguilla. The main reason for waiting to book my return is that I want to go to the Marigot ferry terminal when I get back so that I don't have to take the bus with all my stuff.

My little pal "Boogey" hanging out this morning. 

Once I was done at the ferry terminal I started heading towards Maho beach to go relax for a bit. I quickly realized that I wasn't going to be able to walk down the road that is next to the airport. I went to the bus stop and was waiting for a bus to arrive when a gentleman picking up his friend from the airport offered me a ride to Maho. I happily accepted and he dropped me off right by the grocery store. The free ride save me a bus fare which happens to be about the same as what a cold beer costs at the store so I went in and got one. I walked down to the beach and I remembered that there was a cruise ship in. There were easily 6-times as many people on the beach vs. the last time I was there. I wandered down the beach to the "Sunset Bar" to get a beer and enjoy the view for a bit. I forgot that Sunset is an incredibly touristy bar and the prices reflect that to a huge degree. I had been accustomed to paying $2 for a beer at most places on the island and usually less than that at happy hour. I got my beer and then went to the beach side of the deck to do some people and plane watching. There were a couple big waves that came in and caught folks off guard and some arriving planes that make for a heck of a show to be sure.

So many people!

Beware of jet blast and taxis

Nice spot for a beer.

There's all that stuff I ordered on amazon!...just kidding

After hanging out on the deck for a bit I decided to head back to Simpson Bay and hit up "The Soggy Dollar" for some happy hour fun. Then I decided to go by "Topper's" and get some take away ribs for dinner. The I hiked up the hill to the airbnb and enjoyed my ribs with a nice view to close out the night.

Room for Rent, Day 12

Today was an interesting and somewhat exciting day. Last night I had been chatting with a fellow during happy hour. He mentioned that he had a room in the villa he rents that he wanted to rent out. This peaked my interest since he said he was only wanting $750/ month which is very inexpensive for St. Maarten. I shot him a text mid morning to ask if I could come check out the room and of course the house. Around 1pm he gave me a call and asked if I could come tour the house earlier in the afternoon to which I said yes. He was nice enough to come pick me up near my airbnb since the house is on the other side of the lagoon and the address is not so easily found on maps. When we got to the place it looked pretty nice but the hill going up to the house was so steep it was not easily walkable. Then when I saw the view I was awestruck, the house overlooks the entire lagoon. The room that is available turns out to be the master suite which also has a spectacular view. However, it is currently unfurnished. I was told that the landlord would take care of finding a bed and other basic furnishings. This I found to be ok, I did wonder if that meant a mattress on the floor and a coffee table or a proper bed and a nightstand or two. After to tour I told him I'd let him know my decision by the next morning at the latest. Then he gave me a lift down to "Lagoonies" bistro where I had a couple cold beers and mulled over my options. I pretty quickly came to the conclusion that even though it was a nice place it just wasn't a good fit for me. The location left a lot to be desired since I would need to buy a vehicle because the area is not "walkable" especially after dark. Also I was somewhat concerned about the furniture situation in the room I would be in. After reaching my conclusion I sent a message and let him know it just wasn't the place for me.

The View of Simpson Bay Lagoon from the room. 

The Room

Then I walked around the lagoon towards the Yacht Club, I made a stop at Snoopy's on the way. I enjoyed some happy hour beverages at both places then it was time for dinner. I had been thinking of pizza for a couple days now since a couple friends had suggested a place called "Pizza & Co." so I walked down there to find it closed. I still wanted pizza so I decided to make the long walk to Domino's. When I got there I ordered my pizza and they told me it would be about 30 min or so which wasn't too surprising. I will say that this was by far the busiest Domino's restaurant I have seen. I got my pizza and started the walk back up to my airbnb. When I got to the bottom of the big hill I decided to try hitching a ride up the hill. A nice gentleman in a new SUV stopped and gave me a ride. He dropped me off a couple blocks from the airbnb and I walked the rest of the way back. The pizza was good, probably the best I've had from Domino's.  After eating and enjoying the view from my room it was time for bed.

A few Green Iguanas I saw on my walk around the lagoon.

Some more victims of Irma. 

These railings are at a new coffee shop in Simpson Bay.

A classic truck to be sure. 

St. Maarten Day , Day 11

Today is St. Maarten Day, on the island it's celebrated as the day Columbus landed on the island which is how it got its name. Both the French and the Dutch sides celebrate it as a public holiday. I did indeed do some celebrating in the evening. I spent some time at my airbnb on the computer in the morning looking at boats and checking for crew postings. Then I went down into Simpson Bay to get some lunch. I ended up going back to Toppers after checking out a couple other places and discovering that Toppers was the best bang for the buck. The Chinese place down the street sounded good until I checked the menu and discovered that they wanted $14 for sesame chicken. I know that I am on an island but that is just crazy money for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I got bbq chicken at Toppers with two sides for $12 which in my view is a good deal, you get a quarter chicken.

mmm...Chicken and home-made Onion Rings

After lunch I waled back up the my airbnb and hung out. I had a swim in the pool and did laundry for the first time since being here, you can only air out shirts and board shorts so many times. Then decided to go out for happy hour at the Yacht Club and hung out with friends for a bit. Then I went by Captains Rib Shack for some more of their good and inexpensive ribs for supper. Overall it was not the most exciting day in the world but it was a good one.

I took this in the morning, I think it does well to show just how big the cruise ships have gotten.

I think this is a convention center. I found it to be a cool looking building.