#catamaran trips st maarten

[journeysofpatrickandarchana]

A dream of a lifetime will now become a "Trip of a Lifetime"!

Original blog posted - 19th January 2013

It is Patrick’s dream and I have been listening about it for almost 3 and half years now….. Some dreams remain dreams but ours is about to become a reality!

Not sure when Patrick’s dream turned into our dream but similar to his little unit in a quaint suburb of Sydney that became our home and his family became mine, his dream is now my dream.

I sailed in my teens and it took a bit of a fight to get an entry into the dinghy sailing scene in Mumbai with the organisation that first introduced me to sailing. We used to sail small dinghies called Cadet Class for under 18 year old. Every Sunday became my favourite day of the week, only because I could sail. Sunday! Who doesn’t love them? But I think I had more to look forward to than most other average 14 years old.

Sunday started with a wake up at 4.45am in the suburbs of Mumbai. Rain hail shine, exams or holidays, for five years of my life I never missed the Sunday parade. Then a journey on the Mumbai local train to Churchgate Station with the fisherwomen for company in the designated ladies compartment, followed by a bus ride to Afghan Church! The parade started at 7.30 am. Sailing started at 10.30am. As the only girl in the team I felt both privileged and discriminated at the same time. One thing was sure I had fun… the elated feeling of the wind on the water racing with the fellow sailors was worth everything, including my mother’s wrath at the end of every Sunday for getting home tired and “dark”! She was certain that no one would marry her tanned, tomboy of a daughter, who went sailing on Sundays instead of staying at home like other girls and helping in the kitchen or focusing on her HSC studies. I was not interested in boys then, I just wanted to sail.

I then sailed dragons (another type of sail boat, a vessel similar to the Mumbai Seabirds) in Hong Kong, but that was exactly opposite, I sailed in the hope of meeting a nice boy. I even went on a Tall Ship’s race from Okinawa to Osaka on Ji Fung an Outward Bound Adventure and my only offshore sailing experience till date. That experience taught me a lot about myself and my reaction when pushed out of my comfort zone.

Finally I met Patrick, in Sydney not on a sailing boat but on an Internet dating website, he loved sailing, cooking and eating “what I cooked”! And he dreamt of buying his own “Cat” (catamaran) and sailing it back from the Caribbean one day. What more could I ask for!! I knew from day one he was my soul mate.

And here we are in Sydney about to fly out in a month’s time to St. Maarten to pick-up Hestia….. A Lagoon 440 by Beneteau with 4 cabins with ensuites. Our dream boat!

Ecstatic, elated and even a little bit anxious!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

[yourboatholiday]

4 Days Yacht Charter Itinerary in St Barths and St Maarten

If you are looking for a way to escape from everyday life, even for just a few days, what we propose is a short but intense itinerary to be savored moment by moment.

SEND YOUR ENQUIRY FOR YACHTING IN ST MAARTEN AND ST BARTS

The locations chosen for our trip are the wonderful Caribbean islands of Saint Barths and St Maarten. Taking advantage of the proximity between them, we have created an only 4 days itinerary, designed for those who do not have too much time available but still want to enjoy the maximum possible from their Caribbean stay.

Where are we?

If you have never heard of these islands, it is not a surprise. These are two very attractive locations in the tourism sector but which are often lost among the vast offers that this area of the Caribbean can boast.

St Barths and St Maarten are two islands located a few nautical miles from each other and east of the British and American Virgin Islands. A little further north is the island of Anguilla.

-> MY Mi Amore for Charter in St Maarten and St Barts, Caribbean

Saint Barths

Saint Barth (Saint Barthélemy is its full name) is rich in vegetation, inlets, and hills overlooking the sea.

It was Christopher Columbus who first landed on the island in 1493, baptizing it with the name of his brother, Bartolomeo. Inhabited at that time by indigenous people dedicated to fishing, over the centuries Saint-Barth has witnessed the passage of numerous peoples and dominations such as Swedes, French, and the Order of Malta, following one another over the years and leaving each clearly and still visible signs today.

Nowadays Saint Barth is a tourist island belonging to the French West Indies reserved for a few due to its considerable popularity that over the years has attracted elite tourists such as stylists, actors, and world-famous models, in turn raising the prices of luxurious villas overlooking the sea and mostly 5-star hotels.

On the other hand, a trip to these parts is worth all the money spent. In fact, Saint Barth combines a wild soul with extraordinary views and nightlife made up of beach parties, lightheartedness, and lots and lots of fun.

Saint Maarten

There are those who call it Saint Martin and others Saint Maarten, and those who are confused, believing they are two different islands. In reality, it is the smallest inhabited area in the world to be divided between two different states: the southern area, Saint Maarten, is Dutch, while the northern part, Saint Martin, belongs to the French overseas countries.

The border between the two areas is really just a formality. In fact, there are some signs along the streets but no one actually asks for an identity document.

The French side is larger and has Marigot as its main city. it is famous for its beaches frequented by naturists, for shopping, including the colorful open-air markets, and for its rich French and Creole cuisine.

The Dutch side, on the other hand, is famous for its very special feature. Princess Juliana International Airport is one of the main attractions of the island and is considered the most dangerous stop on the planet for landings as the runway is located close to a very popular beach, SXM Maho Bay, where the planes almost touch the beach crowded with bathers just before touching the ground.

The most important city is Philipsburg, known for its nightlife, beaches, casinos, duty-free shops, and exotic rum-based cocktails.

Despite the two different nationalities, English is spoken fluently on both sides.

Related: Lisas of the Seas Catamaran in St Maarten

Finally, here is our 4-day itinerary in St Barths and St Maarten, short but very intense:

Day 1

Circumnavigating Saint Barths

Our tour starts early in the morning from Gustavia, the capital of Saint Barts. We spend the first day of navigation circumnavigating this small island. In fact, your main concern will be which of the numerous white-sand beaches to visit.

Among the many, we point out the beaches of Saint-Jean, Gouverneur, and the Saline, truly wonderful for colors and surrounding nature.

In the evening we seek shelter in the magnificent Anse a Colombier, ready to set sail early in the morning.

Day 2

Route to Grand Case

We cross the Saint Barthélemy Channel heading to the French part of Saint Maarten and precisely to Grand Case. It is a long and wide seafront bay lined with numerous bars and restaurants. A perfect location to indulge in the local atmosphere by shopping in small boutiques or simply spending the day at the beach.

We head to Philipsburg for the night. It will be our starting point for tomorrow’s destinations.

Recommended: SY Alegria 67 for Charter in St Martin

-> Lady Leila Yacht for Charter in the Caribbean

Day 3

Saint Maarten, the Dutch

We head to the Dutch part of the island for a day dedicated to extravagance and history.

A visit to the famous SXM Maho Bay is a must, where you can wait for the arrival of a plane while landing.

Also not to be missed is the view from Fort Amsterdam, an ancient fortress from the 1600s overlooking the sea, with several cannons and breathtaking views of the surrounding bays and beaches.

Day 4

An unforgettable last day on the Island of Fourche 

Before returning to Gustavia’s marina for final farewells, we still have one day left to take full advantage of. For this reason, after heading for Saint Barths, we reach the island of Fourche. 

Located off the north-eastern coasts, it is a real Eden, a destination for numerous excursions and where it is possible to relax on an enchanting beach of light sand, bathed by turquoise and transparent sea, with sloping bottoms ideal for swimming and practice snorkeling.

Contact  now YBH Charter Brokers:

You can contact us by sending an email at ask@yourboatholiday.com or by phone, calling +39 33436 00997, available also on WhatsApp for both calls and texting.

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[thepropertylovers]

Our First Cruise Together

We recently got back from our first ever trip out of the country together and wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. That’s pretty much all we can say about it. Wait, no, that’s not right. We have a lot to say about it! Those are just the first words that come to mind. There’s more, though!

We went on a Caribbean cruise with our good friends Beau & Matt from ProbablyThis and had a blast. Celebrity Cruises was kind enough to host us on board the Equinox for a seven day cruise (be sure to check out the hashtags #sweetheartsatsea for some fun photos!) where we visited San Juan, St. Maarten, and St. Kitts – three of the most beautiful old cities and beaches we’ve ever been to. The old cobblestone streets of San Juan had us feeling nostalgic for a time and place we’d never been to before. The beaches of St. Maarten and St. Kitts were breathtakingly gorgeous. Why did we wait so long to go to the Caribbean?

First, the ship itself is so cool. It’s ginormous and has everything you can think of on board and more. It has a movie theater, a casino, a library, multiple bars and restaurants, a café, a cafeteria, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a gym and spa, and even a grass lawn on the top of the ship. The cafeteria is open until midnight, so you know we were snacking all day. One night, at 11:45p, we went up there and ate pizza and dessert just because we could. And it was glorious.

It took us a full 3 days to visit almost every part of the ship, as we discovered new floors and areas almost every day. One of our favorite areas to chill by far was The Lawn Club on the 15th deck on the stern of the ship. Oh, that’s another thing. You’ll have to get familiar with the words used to describe ship directions (stern, bow, starboard, etc). We heard them a ton on this trip and had no idea what they meant at first, but did our best to learn them by the end of it. But back to The Lawn Club! It was this huge yard, basically, of beautiful Bermuda grass where you could lay out and relax and work on your tan. There was a bar serving you ice cold drinks and blue skies/ocean views everywhere you looked. Is this what heaven will look like?

Other than the food and various fun parts of the ship, we had so much fun on the port excursions. The first day we stopped at San Juan, Puerto Rico and went on a food & walking tour of the old city. We drank Puerto Rican coffee, enjoyed some local dishes (and got to make our own mojitos!), and ate some flan, which we haven’t had in forever. The old buildings and charming cobblestone streets of San Juan stole our hearts. It was hot and humid, but the tour guide told us it was their winter. It was 80 or so degrees! As you know, Puerto Rico was hit so badly by the hurricane and it devastated much of the island. Tourism is a billion dollar industry there and helps their economy immensely, so they want everyone to know they are back in business and gladly welcoming tourists to the island. It’s a beautiful place and we plan on going back as soon as we can.

The next port day was in St. Maarten, which is the Dutch side of the island, not to be confused with St. Martin, the French side. This island was also hit badly by Hurricane Irma and we saw a lot of destruction that it caused. It was heartbreaking to see, but also inspiring to learn how the locals are coming together to rebuild and grow again. We went to Kim Sha Beach where the water was a beautiful turquoise and the sand was snow white. We luckily had gorgeous weather most of the time, though there were a few scattered showers here and there. St. Maarten marked the first time Thomas officially stepped off of U.S. soil and into a foreign country! For lunch we had shrimp tempura on a French baguette and it easily became one of our favorite meals on the trip. After we walked around a bit, we all loaded back onto the ship and headed towards the next port.

Our last port day was spent in St. Kitts, another beautiful island in the Caribbean. This was probably our favorite excursion we experienced because we had to travel by a catamaran to get there! Neither of us had ever been on one before so it was such a treat to sail the 45 mins from St. Kitts to a little cove with clear blue waters and lots of fish. We snorkeled with the guys and drank a locally made soda called Ting, a grapefruit drink. Snorkeling is no joke. Have you ever been? It actually takes a lot of lung capacity and we found ourselves short of breath a lot, but it was still a blast. We were wiped out by the end of it, so we hopped back on the catamaran and sailed back to the island. On the way back, we met some folks from Columbus, Ohio that were So. Much. Fun. They told us how they’ve been going on cruises together for more than 10 years (there were about 14 in their group, all friends since high school). They told us about all the places they’ve visited like Europe and Punta Cana, about their kids, and best of all, how they will be at the home & garden show this month (!!) which is where we will be speaking at! Once we were back on the ship, we started settling in the make the 2 and a half-day journey back home, starting with an invitation to watch the sail off on the helipad. How cool is that?!

The next two days were filled with lots of food, sun, shows in the theater, massages (thank you Nikky and Risper!!!!), more food, pool parties, trips to Café el Bacio (our favorite spot for coffees and cappuccinos) and walks around the ship at night.

Every night we went to a new restaurant and experienced different cuisine that was equally as good as the previous one. The first night we went to Tuscan Grille, an Italian restaurant with low lighting, candles, and such a sweet staff. We got the lobster alfredo and lasagna and man was it delicious. The next night we went to Silk Harvest, which served Asian cuisine, and they had the best shrimp tempura we’ve ever tasted. We also visited Murano, a French restaurant and also got the lobster there. They grilled it right in front of you and the whole place smelled like garlic and butter. Does it get any better than that? We decided to try out Sushi on 5, their newest restaurant on deck 5 and it was amazing. It was so amazing, in fact, that we went back 2 more times after that haha. Also worth noting is that we went back to Tuscan Grille again for dinner because it was that good. For lunch and breakfast, we mostly stuck to the OceanView Café, a huge cafeteria with every type of food you can imagine. Have we mentioned how we ate too much on this trip?

It’s crazy how a cruise ship operates. It’s like a little city, with SO many people operating it and working together to make it function. We got to know the staff and looked forward to seeing their familiar faces every day. Rex, the man who always made sure to turn down our room each night before we got in. Alexander, the executive head chef who was kind enough to give us a private tour of the kitchen during peak dinner action. Madalina, the sommelier who knew exactly what kind of wine we should drink with dinner each night. Miguel, one of the ship executives who kindly escorted us onto the ship and shook our hand every time we would pass him onboard. And even our favorite singer on the ship, a girl & guy duo called Devico, who had the most beautiful voice we’ve ever heard. It makes you feel like you’re not in the middle of the ocean, miles and miles away from civilization, when you have such amazing people to look forward to seeing every day.

So all together, this cruise was amazing. Just the idea of visiting different countries, meeting so many different people from all over the world, sharing the sea with strangers (at first) who become friends in 7 days, and being that far out in the ocean with nothing but blue waves all around you, it’s kind of mind boggling. It’s also wonderful when you can go with great friends. This is the third time in 6 months we’ve had the chance to hang out with Beau & Matt and we always have a blast each time we do. They’re absolutely hilarious and so smart when it comes to business. We’re lucky to know them.

If you have never been on a cruise before, we highly recommend it after traveling with Celebrity Cruises. They're actually offering a special offer with their Sail Beyond Event, where you can save up to $300 on select packages plus unlimited WiFi. Click here to find out more about it! We want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Beau & Matt from ProbablyThis, Elizabeth from Celebrity Cruises, and all of the staff and people behind the scenes who made this trip possible. We wont soon forget it and will cherish these memories forever.

Love, PJ & Thomas 

[thingstodoinsandiego-blog]

San Diego & Sailing Charters What You Need to Know

We wanted to compile a list of some of the most popular and highly rated Sailing Destinations from all over the world; from Millionaire Yachting, to Learning how to sail, we hope our list we compiled with give you some useful information regarding some amazing destinations from all over the world!  Including our hometown here in San Diego.

FAMOUS AMERICA'S CUP YACHTS

Where to Find them?

1851 schooner America’s sad demise

In 1851, the schooner America, sailing for the New York Yacht Club, beat the Royal Yacht Squadron and laid claim to its 100 Guinea Cup. Thus the America’s Cup was born – what is now the oldest trophy in international sport – earning its name from that first winning yacht rather than the country, though the US did go on to hold the trophy for 100 years. Where is America's Cup yacht America now? Click here to find out

1930 Shamrock V is still sailing

J Class yachts are synonymous with the America’s Cup as these slim, graceful beauties once represented the fleet racing for the Cup. The 36.42 metre Shamrock V, commissioned by Sir Thomas Lipton for his fifth and final bid, she was the first J Class yacht to compete for the Cup. The fact that she is the only J Class yacht to be built in wood makes it all the more remarkable that Shamrock V is still floating today. Where is America's Cup yacht Shamrock V now?  Click here to find out

1987 movie star Stars & Stripes - still racing

While the film Wind, one of the best boat movies, was inspired by Dennis Conner’s experience competing for the America’s Cup in 1983 on board Liberty, the yacht that was actually used in filming was the 12 Metre type sailing yacht Stars & Stripes 87. She was called Geronimo in the film, but Stars & Stripes 87 was more than a screen legend. When Conner launched his own campaign, he wanted a culmination of all the Stars & Stripes yachts that came before her, and she was designed to be fast in heavy air. Stars & Stripes 87 wound up being the final 12 metre yacht to win the America’s Cup. Where is the America's Cup yacht Stars & Stripes 87 now? Stars & Stripes 87 can be found in the Caribbean now, able to be sailed with the St Maarten 12 Metre Challenge, giving you a chance to take the helm (if you're lucky) of a real Cup winner.

1988 Stars & Stripes multihulls

Paving the way for the high-performance multihull America's Cup yachts that are redefining the competition is Stars & Stripes – the catamaran. The first America's Cup multihull yacht, the US team's Stars & Stripes came to be by a cunning interpretation of the Deed of Gift, which only stipulated the challenging yachts be single masted and no more than 90 feet LWL. The result was anything but a true match race, with the much faster, wing-masted multihull Stars & Stripes winning the Cup in 1988. *Where are the America's Cup multihull yachts Stars & Stripes now?  Answer and Source

1994 Stars & Stripes once used as a training yacht by Oracle Team USA

America’s Cup yacht Stars & Stripes (sail number 34) is probably most famous for not winning a Cup. It wasn’t because she didn’t perform under pressure, but because she never got the chance. While the 24 metre yacht, designed by David Peddic and built in 1994 by Goetz Boat Works, won the right to defend the Cup, Dennis Conner chose Young America(US 36) over Stars & Stripes. The new choice was no match for Team New Zealand’s Black Magic, which beat out Team Dennis Conner four times in a row. Where is America's Cup yachts Stars & Stripes (US 34) now? Famed America’s Cup Stars & Stripes (US 34) is earning a chance to prove herself on the racecourse yet again. She sails out of Chicago, racing against Abracadabra (US 54). After failing to win the Cup in 2000, this iteration of Abracadabra was bought by Larry Ellison, who used her as a training boat for his Oracle Team USA.

2003 USA 76 still sailing in San Francisco Bay

Sailed by the US challenging team in preparations for the 2003 America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, USA 76 never made it to the Cup, but she came quite close. Making it to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup final, USA 76 faced the Swiss Team Alinghi but didn’t come out on top. So the US team arranged for a “rematch” against Alinghi, with two races set in San Francisco Bay. While it didn’t change the results of the Cup, this time USA 76 bested the Swiss competitors twice over. Where is America’s Cup yacht USA 76 now? Source for article and trivia "We found this amazing article on boat international's websites and for all you America's Cup Sailing fans - we hope you like the content provided by https://www.boatinternational.com/. Pirate Ship Charters https://millionairesconcierge.com/service-category/pirate-ship-florida/ San Diego Excursions https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/shore-excursions/port/103/ WorldWide Best Yacht Charters https://marinalife.com/magazine-article/2018-best-yacht-charters/ https://www.cruisingworld.com/destinations/best-charter-destinations#page-11 America's Cup Sailing Charter Destinations http://www.americascupcharters.com/ https://www.sandiego.org/members/boating/americas-cup-sailing-san-diego.aspx https://12metercharters.com/sailing-options/group-charters https://bucketlistjourney.net/racing-americas-cup-sailing-boat-caribbean/ https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/americas-cup/idiots-guide-to-americas-cup--28195 San Diego's Prime Rated Crusing Excursions & Crusing Charters aboard well-known Stars & Stripes America's Cup Sailboat. Crew Constructing & Company Occasions Welcome. Take the helm, grind the winches, or just hang on as this amazing high performance racer zips around San Diego Bay at twice the speed of the average sailboat. Our Trip Advisor Reviews: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio Our Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/sailusa11 Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY27 Our Local Business Page: http://sailstarsstripesusa11.business Contact Info: Stars & Stripes – USA 11 Office and Boat Location: Kona Kai Resort and Marina 1551 Shelter Island Drive San Diego, CA 92106 Tel. (619)255-4705

Related Links and Articles

https://sailusa11.com/faq/ https://g.page/sailsandiegousa11/review https://sailusa11.com/private-sailing-charters-about/ https://sailusa11.com/sailing-tour-rates/ https://sailusa11.com/san-diego-sailing-reviews/ https://www.sandiego.org/members/boating/americas-cup-sailing-san-diego.aspx https://sailusa11.com/view-availability/ https://sailusa11.com/picking-the-best-sailing-charter-in-san-diego-ca/ https://sailusa11.com/san-diego-sailing-charters-what-you-need-to-know/ https://sailusa11.com/san-diego-ca-things-to-do-in-2019/ https://www.maitaicharters.com/pro-racing https://sailusa11.com/team-building-san-diego-must-do/ https://lajollamom.com/san-diego-bay-tours/ Read the full article

[inspireanimage]

CHEERS!!! 10:30 am on my birthday, what better to do than drink beer on a catamaran and snorkelling trip in the Caribbean?!?! Cheers 😁🍻☀️ Ps: thanks for all the birthday messages everyone!!! #offtothecaribbean #livingthedream #togsontour #beer #cerveza #corona #happybirthdayme #getonthebeersson (at St. Maarten)

[sailthephoenix123]

https://www.scribd.com/document/678902919/PRIVATE-Private-Catarmaran-ST-MAARTEN-for-a-romantic-getaway

[journeysofpatrickandarchana]

The First Month - by Patrick Dwyer

Original Blog posted: Saturday, 11 May 2013

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." Isak Dinesen

Well as most of you know Archana & I bought a catamaran in the Caribbean and left Sydney on the 18th February 2013 to sail it back to Sydney.

We arrived in St Maarten on the 19th Feb after a 53 hour experience from Sydney. We were picked up at the airport by our engineer who was to check the boat out and fit all the extras. He took us to Anse Marcel a quaint little port on the NW side of the French side of the island that you could be forgiven for missing even from 100 metres from the sea entrance. We spent 5 days there living on 54 foot & 40.7 foot Beneteau Oceanis yachts before concluding the handover of our catamaran with the seller. One final thing had to be done by them to fulfil their part of the contract and that was to check the engine leg sail drive seals as water was noticed in the oil on the second survey. Therefore the yacht was taken by one of the staff of the company I was buying the yacht off with me to Polypat boat yard (an hour’s motor away) to be hauled out for a visual inspection. In trying to get the seal off the vendors engineer took a lathe to it and ruined the major part the seal was affixed to and which prevented the yacht being put back into the water. Having ruined the part we were stuck on the hard stand for 3 weeks whilst another part was shipped out from Belgium. So as the 5 crew (an Australian, Englishman, Frenchman & a couple from Zurich) began turning up for this experience of a life time they had to endure walking up a rickety ladder onto the boat for up to 3 weeks before the new part was fitted and then we got into the water with all our new toys fitted to the yacht i.e. 1500 litre per day water maker, AIS, new plotter, battery monitor, SSB/HF radio, BBQ, microwave, a freezer to add to the 3 fridges already on the boat and oven & 3 burners. The galley has 3 sinks with a 4th outside where fish are slaughtered before being devoured sashimi style or cooked. (Archana is in heaven and queen of the galley). We met some nice people there and invited them onto our yacht for dinner a few times over a Presente or Carab the 2 favourite beers over here.

Here at the boat yard we couldn’t use our water as it would create a flood in the yard so we had to have our shower in one open to the world to see at a cost of 1 Euro (in a pay machine) for a 5 minute cold shower that you had to keep pressing the button during those 5 minutes to keep the water flow coming. I am thinking of putting the same system in at home to get Archana to cut her 45 minute showers down. Here we could both have our showers within the 5 minute time limit which was an all time first. The secret is to now to get her from using 100 litres of water to clean her teeth on the yacht where the two biggest daily issues are power & water usage. The toilet also was an experience in Polypat.

Whilst we were in the ship yard at Polypat we hired a car for 3 weeks that allowed us to see the island, buy things for the yacht including a mountain of food (thousands of dollars worth including 150 litres of long life milk). The crew on our boat must be the most well fed around with Archana’s quality food the crew have also had sorbet, ice cream and several days of smoked salmon for lunch, pancakes, homemade yogurt & pressure cooker made bread. All really yummy. It doesn’t look as though the diet I thought I would be on during this trip will eventuate.

On other purchases two of the crew bought kayaks each so they can have a paddle around in some of the bucket list of places we are visiting. They have had a few places to test them out and others have had a play with them as well.

With the French capital of Margiot only a few minutes walk away we had the opportunity to visit the famous markets there with Archana once again being in her element bargaining with the fish sellers as well as the spice merchants where we made a big spend for the trip. One of the crew doesn’t like spicy food so Archana has been making bland offering to him which he seems happy with. How boring!!!!.

So finally we were off and my first mission was to navigate our new acquisition through the Polypat bridge with wind and current hindering me and being forced to go through the narrow opening at 5 knots to keep my course knowing I only had 2 foot either side. This task was made even more difficult with everyone taking movies and photos and asking me to smile at the worst possible moment. I got through with no mishap which was a blessing as it would have spoiled my year if I had ended up like a Catana 47 catamaran that the owner bailed out at the last minute and did $100,000+of damage to the yacht. This yacht was being repaired 2 boats along from us when we were on the Polypat hard stand and only 150 metres from the bridge. In the time we were in the boat yard we had a bird’s eye view to the many near misses of catamarans going through when the bridge opened 3 times a day.

So we were off and the 1st night we spent 200 metres off the beach at Anse Marcel in a bit of déjà vu considering the dramas that emanated there. The following morning we were off to St Barts, Colin one of the crew caught his first fish, we saw dolphins, turtles and a nude French man who passed us in his catamaran, had a nice lunch, swim and afternoon at a lovely little island near St Barts before entering the main harbour there with multimillion dollar yacht all around. My favourite was a 3 mast mono hull. Each mast was the same height and it had 18 hydraulically controlled sails that covered any space above deck on the whole of this 55-60 metre yacht. We visited the township and completed our formalities before returning to our yacht by tender and had a swim before dinner and the mandatory drinks (for in port use only).

Over the next few days we visited St Kitts, Portsmouth in Dominica (a great yachties place where we visited Indian River where Pirates of the Caribbean was shot, walks through rainforest, bought a hand of bananas with over 120 bananas on it for less than $5 but now we have the mission to eat them all considering they are all expected to ripen at the same time etc) then onto Tobago Cays which was what I expected all of the Caribbean to be about with the marine iguanas, so many turtles, sting rays and lots of other fish in this tranquil setting that Archana said she could spend a week there. They even had the boat boys come around with fresh baguettes and lobsters for sale to cruisers. We then left there for Grenada (the isle of spice) where you see so many waterfalls over the island and every town seems to have at least 10 spice stalls by the side of the road. We were sorry we went on the tour of the island on Good Friday as the rum distillery was closed. They must have known we were coming!!!!

On the way to Dominica we saw a few dolphins and a humpback whale looking over her calf doing 100 or so tail slaps to the delight of Archana & I and the other 5 crew. During the trip thus far I have had a number of new foods not experienced before i.e. Jamaican apple, fresh tamarind and chickoo (sapodillos).

Now I am writing this on the way to Bonaire some 400 nm from Granada. The wind has been right behind us all the way so have been doing it easily with just the headsail out but still averaging over 6 knots but peaking at 12.7 knots with 2 reefs in the headsail and no main sail. Colin caught his 3rd fish yesterday morning, a 90cm barracuda that we had for lunch an hour later. I was amazed how good eating it was as it is something I have never eaten before as you never see it at the fish shops. Yesterday we went within 1 metre of running over a huge turtle at 6 knots. He, fortunately for both of us, turned at just the right moment giving us a fright and also an experience. I saw my 1st Portuguese Man-War today. A huge marine stinger (about the size of a large coke bottle) with colourful sail. So many flying fish that are buzzing our boat constantly along with the birds dive bombing them with occasional success. On the Grenada to Bonaire leg we experienced our first gale as the wind hit 35 knots and 3 metre seas. On most of the other passages we were sailing close hauled with the wind so variable especially when coming out from the leeward side of the islands and into the open passages between the islands.

On the less than 3 day passage to Bonaire we had two days of up to 36 knot winds so it was nice to finally see land and moor up 50 metres off the main road in the capital in 5m of water on top of a coral reef where I have already had a few dives. One thing I am still getting used to is the heat. Unrelenting 30+ degrees every day. On one day I actually got burnt before 9am. Colin caught his 4th and 5th fish another barracuda & a tuna.

So the plan from now is to leave for Panama on Friday night (5th April) 5 days to do the 740nm passage, 4 days to wait to get through Panama, 5 days to get to Galapagos, 8 days there then say 21 days to get to the Marquesas. This is the best estimate I can give at this stage as so many variables to deal with.

Thank you to those of you wishing us your best via Archana’s regular blog and to others send emails etc.

Until the next update from me. Archana will still be keeping you enthralled with her perspective on the big trip on her regular updates on her blog. Only 8285nm (nautical miles i.e. almost double for kilometres) till we are home

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

Husband charged with murder in high seas honeymoon disappearance

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Husband charged with murder in high seas honeymoon disappearance

A British man was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the disappearance of his newlywed wife last May, who he claimed fell from their catamaran during a belated honeymoon sailing trip to the Caribbean, authorities said today.

Lewis Bennett, 41, was arrested on Feb. 16 after an FBI investigation found evidence discrediting his story that his wife, Isabella Hellman, the mother of his 9-month-old daughter, vanished from their 40-foot vessel when it hit something in open international waters while he was asleep in the cabin below deck, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News.

Broward Sheriff

Lewis Bennett is pictured in an undated booking photo released by the Broward Sheriff’s office in Florida.

By examining photos and video the U.S. Coast Guard took of the catamaran before it sank, an expert hired by the FBI to help in the high-seas mystery determined Bennett’s story couldn’t be true.

“Based on the analysis it does not appear the vessel sinking was caused by accidental damage. Rather, it appears the vessel was intentionally scuttled,” an associate professor of nautical architecture and ocean engineering at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy stated in court records.

Bennett was arrested when he appeared in a Florida court on unrelated charges of transporting $5,000 of gold and silver coins, which he pleaded guilty to in November, according to the complaint.

Find Isabella/Facebook

Isabella Hellman is pictured in an undated photo posted to the Find Isabella Facebook page on June 1, 2017.

“I respectfully submit that there is probable cause to believe that Lewis Richard Bennett knowingly and unlawfully killed Isabella Hellman with malice aforethought within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,” FBI Special Agent James Kelley wrote in the criminal complaint.

Investigators suspect Bennett killed his 41-year-old wife in order to collect on an insurance policy and take sole possession of their marital assets, including bank accounts and a home she owned in Delray Beach, Florida, according to court documents. He also raised suspicions when he asked the Coast Guard for a “letter of presumed death” on the day they called off the search for his wife, four days after she disappeared, according to the complaint.

Isabella Hellman’s body was never found despite a 4,900-square-mile search for her conducted by the Coast Guard.

Bennett, who had been a realtor in South Florida, and Hellman were married in February 2017 and set out on a belated honeymoon in May, according to the court papers.

Bennett told investigators that he and his wife began their sailing trip from the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, journeyed to Puerto Rico and arrived in Cuba. They spent a day in Varadero, Cuba, before charting a course back to Florida on the evening of May 17, 2017, the complaint said. He claimed they had planned to either sail to Key West or Fort Lauderdale and around 8 p.m. he set the “auto pilot” on the vessel, told his wife to take watch on deck and headed below to sleep, according to the documents.

U.S. Coast Guard District 7, FILE

The 37-foot catamaran, Surf into Summer, is pictured while partially sunk, May 15, 2017 in the Florida Straits 30 miles west of Cay Sal, Bahamas.

“Bennett claimed that he was next awakened by a ‘crashing underneath’ a few hours later,” Kelley wrote in the court papers. “Bennett said he went to the upper deck and Hellman was not there.”

Bennett told investigators he noticed the vessel was taking on water, so he gathered his personal belongings — including unexpended parachute flares, water, a tea set, and nine plastic tubes containing silver coins — and abandoned ship, jumping into a life raft and cutting himself adrift from the sinking catamaran, the court documents state.

When asked during a May 23 interview with investigators what efforts he took to locate his wife in the water, “Bennett said that he did not do anything,” the complaint said.

Instead, he used a satellite phone to call one of wife’s sisters, leaving her a voicemail informing her of Hellman’s disappearance, the complaint said. He then contacted a friend in Australia and asked that they contact the U.S. Coast Guard on his behalf, the complaint said.

“Bennett then made telephonic contact with USCG while awaiting his rescue,” Kelley noted in the complaint.

Within days of arriving back in South Florida, Bennett purchased airline tickets for him and his young daughter and took her to the United Kingdom on May 28.

He was arrested in the stolen coin case in August 2017, when he returned to South Florida for an interview on his insurance claim, the complaint said.

Bennett was arrested for his wife’s murder on the same day Hellman’s parents and sisters sent a letter to federal Judge James Lawrence King complaining that Bennett has kept them away from his daughter, Emilia.

“We do not want to say anything bad about Lewis, but we would like him to know how much it hurts us not to be able to see and spend time with our granddaughter and niece, Emilia, since he took her out of the country,” the family wrote in the letter obtained by ABC News. “Lewis knows that Isabella’s mother was very much involved in caring for Emilia from the time of her birth here in Florida until she was lost at sea.”

U.S. Coast Guard

Members of the Coast Guard search for Isabella Hellman west of Cay Sal, Bahamas, May 17, 2017.

In his statement, Kelley indicated that Bennett’s story of his catamaran crashing into something in open waters raised suspicions. He said, according to the complaint, that the catamaran’s two escape hatch portholes were inexplicably opened and that holes seen in both hulls were almost identical, according to the complaint.

“I cannot think of any item that would accidentally cause similar holes in both hulls at roughly the same time,” the FBI’s nautical architecture and ocean engineering expert noted in the complaint.