The Caribbean highway

By FrenchMonkey -
It seems that all we have done this season is sail up and down the entire Caribbean arc, more precisely between St Martin - the best island to get work done on the boat, and the one that keeps the French part of the chef happy - and Grenada, where we drop off our guests at the end of our Grenadines charters.

Each trip down from St Martin to St Lucia is about 36 hours, and each trip back up from Grenada closer to 48 hours, since we often have to sail upwind. By now we are so familiar with these passages that they have become a mere formality - yet we never forget to be grateful for Tilly Mint being so incredibly easy to sail double-handed, and for the ease with which she cruises at 10 knots for hours at a time. The most exciting parts of the trip are generally departures and arrivals. Everything in between feels like being on the highway - watching the succession of islands as we sail past them, waiting to take the right exit.

In between our last two passages, we had a beautiful week in the Grenadines with great guests on board. Here are some pictures of the trip.

Fishing boat in Mustique
Woodwork at Basil's Bar
Our guests are ready to take on the reef!
That's the spirit...
Happy guests and happy captain - Unhappy yellowfin tuna
Kneeboarding session at sunset in Petit St Vincent
At the dock in Grenada

After all this traveling, Tilly Mint is currently at the dock in Falmouth Harbour Marina in Antigua, surrounded by some of the most beautiful sailing yachts there are in the Caribbean. The marina was fairly empty when we arrived, but one by one they started pulling in, coming home after the St Barts Buckets. We feel very small in the middle of all the huge masts, but it is wonderful to see all these yachts together - and don't worry Tilly Mint, we love you anyway!

Among others, the masts of Ranger, Hanuman and Endeavour
The J boat Hanuman
Classic motoryacht Talitha and modern classic Rebecca

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