Grenada is situated in the Windward Island chain and encompasses the southernmost islands of the “Grenadines.” The stunning islands offer protected anchorages, high-quality marinas and boatyards, a wide range of yachting and marine service facilities, and international air connections.
We’ve all heard that old saying. You know the one—be careful what you wish for. When the years press on the once extraordinary can quickly become watered down by mundane repetition. When this phenomenon sets upon us, it is easy to get lost. We set goals and climb hard on the wind towards the finish line with no relent and when the spray settles and the beating subsides we are left only with silence.
When I first started sailing, more years ago than I care to remember, it didn’t take more than a couple of restless nights for me to realize that it was a lot better to anchor securely the first time rather than staggering on deck at 3am on a blustery, rainy, pitch-black night, trying to haul in then re-set a heavy anchor and chain.
My first foray into the big waters beyond the international border of Maine and Canada was 35 years ago. Since then, during a dozen trips into the Bay of Fundy environs, I have explored a number of harbors, coves and tickles along the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia coast.
Boats are like potato chips, it’s hard to have just one. My husband Jim and I have lived aboard boats for decades and at one point we owned three boats of 40-feet or greater (yes, we have the boating bug badly!) However, in the last few years we whittled our “fleet” down to just one 40-footer, a Willard trawler.
Admittedly, I wasn’t thrilled on arrival. We sailed into the large anchorage just west of Big Majors Cay across from Pig Beach, and there were a ton of boats. I emphasize a ton. Preferring the more secluded anchorages, I begin to worry we have plopped ourselves in the center of a tourist trap.
There are songs about sailing, but not about golf. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Beach Boys, Lyle Lovett, Jimmy Buffet, Phish, and Christopher Cross are amongst those whose song lyrics have imparted important life guidance delivered through sailing (or boating) metaphors. Sailing and golf can each be described as sports, hobbies, or passions and they are, similarly, both significantly impacted by the weather.
As Christian’s sailing story led to the beginning of mine, I have written about him over the years. And, here we are again, perhaps writing a final chapter, which will hopefully lead to a new beginning.
Quick recap. Christian and my father immigrated to the US in 1966, several months before I was born. My father was Swiss, Christian was what was called Yugoslavian in those days.
The Excess 13 is a cruising catamaran, a true sailboat capable of ocean passage-making. The boat’s potential is felt as soon as you leave harbor, giving you a dizzying sense of freedom.
The very direct helm allows you to feel the connection with the sea and fine-tune everything. Sensations are increased exponentially. The forward-facing chart table keeps you in touch with the elements and allows you to navigate with pinpoint accuracy.
We spent the better part of a year designing and planning a “Sea-bbatical”, which for us, was the odd combination of one month sailing the islands of Guadeloupe in The Lesser Antilles, followed up by flying to the other side of the earth for six weeks of exploring Thailand by all modes of transit, including sailing. We have been fortunate enough to sail the Caribbean waters several times, so the piece-de-resistance of this adventure was to be spending the last few weeks sailing the Andaman Sea of Thailand.
