Yesterday after the friends came on board there was lots of talking until late.

This morning’s breakfasts was neither the earliest nor the fastest.

After shopping for food we left Crown Bay marina at around noon. Two bays we wanted to look at. We decided to go into the second because it there was only one boat in and we could drop the hook just behind the other boats. This gave us privacy.

It was a relaxed day l with a new bread creation. A “pepper baguette”.

Tomorrow we will sail upwind to St John. How many tacks will we need?

When I was in front of the Crown Bay marina, ready to go in, they told me that I first need make inbound clearance and especially need to get COVID-19 clearance. I thought I can first dock in the marina and then make inbound clearance. But… OK.

I asked marina staff for the location of the customs building and got a highly precise answer. “At the ferry boat terminal” . But where in these 2 huge bays is the ferry boat terminal? I asked for coordinates. No answer anymore. Fortunately a friendly guy listend to the conversation on VHF channel 11 and told me that it is in the easterly bay and told me I can easily pass over in the other bay using the small channel at the northern end of both bays. Carefully I approached the channel which looked too shallow. However, it was in the middle around 5 m deep. Sufficient. I went through it and was in the right bay; still I could not identify customs building. A call on channel 16 brought me the information where the building is, that I have to anchor, and dinghi in to the customs building.

As there is a huge anchoring area it was easy to drop the hook. Riding the tender was a bit bumpy because of the pretty choppy water in the bay.

With my B1/B2 visa inbound clearance with our own boat was pretty easy. One form to be filled in. Surprisingly no copies of boat papers and insurance, but full finger printing. I really wish that all US citizens who want to enter Europe need to do the same. I always feel like a criminal when they do finger printing at an US immigration counter.

COVID-19 clearance was kind of funny. I was asked to show the national guard guy outside the entrance of the Authority Building the green code which I received by email. I gently disturbed the soldier in his mobile phone chat and he had a quick look at the green code on my mobile phone and all was ok. It could have been the green code of a monkey.

Fortunately I have my satellite email and could get the green code via this connection. Otherwise it would not have been possible. If one doesn’t have a running email, one can’t enter the USVI or even the USA. The downside of internet.

Back to the marina where I finally could dock and my friends where waiting already.

After 2 nights in the Privateer Bay, Norman Island, BVI, I crossed already the close by border and sail in USVI waters.

Temperature is very pleasant, with AWS of 15 – almost 20 kn, I’m sailing a broad reach course in a swell of 1 – 1.5 m. Extremely comfortable.

In 2017 I needed a visa to go to Hawaii and got a B1/B2 visa for 10 years. It is this visa which allows me 5 years later to sail our boat into US waters.

What else do I want?

OBM!

As outbound clearance is not possible in Jost van Dijk on Saturdays & Sundays, I made it yesterday. 24 h later I have to leave the BVI. This morning, I got my second antigen test in less than a week. Negative. What else can it be when I am wearing my mask when going into a supermarket etc.

The COVID 19 regulations make traveling quite cumbersome these days. First one needs to find out what are the regulations of the next country, then a test center in the current country needs to be searched and an appointment to be made. An appointment in Jost van Dijk, a very small settlement on the island with the same name, needs to be made via internet and one has to have an email for the results. As I have no internet these days, due to a problem somewhere in the system of Digicel, I was simply lucky. When I looked for the JVD Health Center, a lady sitting in front of the building told me that I can use the WLAN of the Health Center. I was relieved. Additionally she told me I can send my documents to the USVI using their WLAN.

This morning’s appointment was for 0730. Just when I wanted to board the tender, a “nice” squall open it’s gates and wanted to pour heavy rain on me. As squalls are short I took into account to be 15 min late. When I arrived at the health center, a couple was waiting in front and from the first floor the doctor informed us that she will soon come down. This all was and is very relaxed on this Caribbean island, named after a Dutch pirate.

After giving me the password for the WLAN, I tried to make my application with my mobile phone, what is supposed to be the normal way. However, it did not work because the scrolling function for country, city, etc did not function properly. Somehow I got the idea to see if I can get the scrolling running when I use my PC. It worked; my application was done.

A swap in nose, a mixture dropped into the test element, and 20 min later I got my results by email. Negative, as expected.

Back to MaRe, I prepared her for departure.

Today wind direction and my course were not friends. I had the wind until the last legs always fully on the nose. With the short distances and the narrow stretch of water I had between the island and the USVI borderline, I used the engines. For the last legs, mostly southerly course, I used the genoa and got a nice additional speed. A fellow sailor advised me not to make a shortcut and sail through USVI’s waters.

The “The Bight” bay in which I planned to anchor was occupied. Dropping the hook behind the boats at buoys, would have meant to drop it at 20+ m depth. With my 100 m of chain, it would have been possible, but I decided to go into the”Privateer Bay”, just around the corner called “Treasure Point” a shallow area with rocks. There I found a good place at 15 m depth; sandy ground. Anchor holds!

I started my other activities on board among them baking bread.

Jumping back in time, yesterday the final leg to Road Town was very short and I started it rather late because I enjoyed the morning hours in the bay.

In the afternoon hours I made inbound clearance. An effort, which involved 4 people. However, it means also 4 people have a job. After a bit more than an hour all was done; I was cleared in.

Walking along the street I saw all kinds of business for tourist. Do they travel by sailboat like me or in tourist freighters doesn’t matter. Tourists most often buy junk made mostly somewheres else.

Last night I was thinking where I could go today. A PCR test is needed to enter the USVI is needed plus outbound clearance. Thus, I decided to go today to Jost van Dijk Island. Outbound clearance is possible and I hope PCR as well.

About a quarter to ten, I started with the preparations. While pulled up my anchor, I saw a strong squall coming into the bay. As my anchor was already up, and behind me were breakwater stones, I decided I will go out. Rain was very dense, visibility about 100 m, but soon or was to be seen that the squall will be a short one.

Soon after I was out of the bay. I pulled out the genoa, open it up using a barber hauler, stopped the engines, and sailed between 6 and 7. The sound of wind, sails, and waves I always enjoy. Like during the transatlantic crossing. As the wind came from about 170 deg, I decided to set a butterfly with the storm jib, I almost always keep attached. These 8 m2 gave me a knot of additional speed. The wind direction was so stable that I even didn’t need to use wind vane mode; just could stay in track mode.

However between the BVI and the USVI I needed to change course and the butterfly collapsed. I gybed both sails to PRT side and headed to Jost van Dijk.

The large anchor area is occupied with buoys. I learned that you have to make a reservation until 0700 in the morning. So I looked and found a spot were i could drop the hook. With sufficient chain out, I pulled back with my typical 1200 – 1500 RPM. The anchor holds.

Yesterday, with the very last light quants I made it to Hallovers Bay, Copper Island. In a very last moment I changed my plan to go to Ginger Island because I suddenly got the feeling that the bay there has only rocks as sea bottom. Arrival at the BVI is done.

Dropped the hook, at about 12 m and let 65 m of chain out because the wind was pretty strong. In peaks 7 Bft. However, no swell thus the night was very quite.

Around noon I will continue to Road Town for inbound clearance. I’m curious how the British will handle it.

Lifted the anchor at 0635, just at sunrise. During dawn I prepared the boat.

Sint Maarten’s hills are already appear only in various shades of grey. Anguilla, a bit closer, appears still with a bit of color but will soon become grey.

With the a swell from about 120 deg STB MaRe sways gently in the swell of about 50 m and a height of around 1 1/2 m. Just now a wave hit the STB stern from the side and a bit of spray reached me at the helm station.

AWS with around 16 – 18 comes in at an AWA of 130 – 140 deg.

The STB sea looks grey; it’s against the sun. On PRT it’s a nice dark blue. White horses decorate the waves.

Temperature is with 24 degC pleasant although the wind makes it feeling a bit cool.

With cautious feelings and always on alert I’m now on my longest single hand sail ever.

Let’s see what I write in the evening.,.

But now I will have breakfast!

The 2 important repairs are almost done.

The Tohatsu outboard motor runs again! It was a tricky repair and I was lucky that the technician of BUDGET MARINE is a very experienced. It was not only the carburetor, which needed to be replaced but also the piston rings. When the piston rings were replaced he found that the oil was very sticky. The last service, less than 10 running hours ago, filled in a wind oil.

The ONAN genset, out for repair at ELECTEC, is already built in and today, the electrical cabling will be done. First test run was perfect. Tomorrow covers will be put back on again and more system tests well follow. The finally one is making water for 1 – 2 h; this gives the maximal electrical load. This test will fill up the water tank because the water maker creates almost 180 l freshwater per hour.

Other things are almost done.

Provisioning this afternoon or tomorrow. And I need to bake some bread.

Thus, I expect to cast the lines off in 2 – 3 days because of a COVID-19 test I need just before departure.

PredictWind could fix the problem and I can update you again here.

I will continue adding the date (yymmdd) in front of the title to give time information.

I’m still in Sint Maarten, for the repair of the generator and outboard motor. This should be done in the next days. Then I have to stay a bit more for a to get my signature under a document confirmed by the honorary consul in St. Kitts.

Thereafter I cast off lines again heading towards The British Virgin Islands (BVI).

Until I cast off lines, I can be reached but normal emails. Pictures can be seen in my anonymous Instagram account p435_mare.

A bit chronological.

At 1430 on 24. Jan 2022 we dropped the anchor in Simpson Bay, just outside the of Simpson Bay Lagoon.

An unbelievable moment for the entire crew because with the dropped anchor the trans Atlantic crossing was at it’s end. There was just pure joy on the boat. We sailed 3020 NM in 27 days. Sailed with strong winds, weak winds and used engines when they was no wind.

We called, as prepared already in Las Palmas, Shore Support to make the inbound clearance. It worked well. A young man came by boat picked upb our documents and next morning we got the clearance document.

Next we needed a marina. So we went through the bridge which just opened a bit 20 m later and went into Simpson Bay Lagoon. Instead of using the anchor we tied MaRe at a buoy which was just free. Then called a marina on VHF and got a berth.

So we went into the marina. We were by far the smallest boat in the marina. The next smaller boat I estimate to 10 MiO EUR… The atmosphere in the marina was stiff. No contact to fellow sailors. The owners, if they were on board stayed inside their fully air-conditioned floating mansions.

However enabled us the get the most important things done.

N left ASAP to go by ferry boat to the neighbor island to finally meet C. I’m sure they enjoy traveling together in the Caribbean and Central America.

We others took in the evening a long walk to Sint Maarten downtown. Using the word “downtown”, I’m not really sure if this term can be used. I was surprised about what I saw. Except a handful of written Dutch words, there was nothing Dutch to be seen. All is fully US style. English is the only language to be heard. The US Dollar the second currency beside the Antillean Guilder or Florin (fls).

Today, we finally could move to another marina with normal size boats and the atmosphere is much better. We quickly had contact with other sailors. Neighbors helped with docking. We also met a couple sailing also a Privilege 435 catamaran. Lots of talks and exchange of information, a beer on board of MaRe, an offer to go together to Maribor on the French side of the island to buy SIM cards cheap and working on all Caribbean islands, and last but not least a dinner invitation. Sailors among sailors.