Coastal Breeze News

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] he incessant wind had not let up and the anchorage at Iles de Saints was a bit uncomfortable so we decided that we had to move on to Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica. Wow! We just left the very French, sophisticated, upscale island to make a landfall at Portsmouth, Dominica, which is one of the poorest and least developed islands in the Caribbean. Much of this volcanic rainforest is a national park, which looks very much like a primeval forest with its 365 rivers and magnificent waterfalls. Although the scenery is nothing short of breathtaking, we left ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] We loved Antigua for its history, living museums, friendly people, snug anchorage, facilities and so much more. However, after an 11 day stay, we reluctantly had to move on. Our next port of call was Deshaies on the French island of Guadeloupe. Deshaies pronounced “Day Hay” is on the northwest corner of Guadeloupe. From the anchorage, Deshaies looks very much like a village on the French coast with its colorful shops and brightly painted fishing skiffs bobbing on their moorings. The harbor is opened to the West as all of the Leeward Island anchorages are. Seldom ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] Whew! We finally made it safely to Antigua after our last visit from “HELL,” Montserrat. I’m sure that nowadays life is very different from when we were there. However, the wind still blows and the seas still rise. That is just a small part of life on the sea. You do have choices to make during your sailing life. Sometimes, situations occur that you cannot predict or control. Therefore you should prepare yourself, your boat and your crew for any and all possibilities. This should apply to all trips you make on your boat, especially if ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] We stayed one day too long on Nevis. The Trade winds began to build up and we would have to plow to windward to go on to the next island which was Montserrat. We decided to stay one more and moved GRENDEL to Pinney Beach anchorage. This too was a roadstead, but at least there was a beach lined with coconut palms at the water’s edge and a huge volcanic peak soaring skyward in the center of it all. We thought we could beach the dingy and walk ashore. No! We couldn’t do that either as ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] Along with St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis, Redonda, and Montserrat are known as the “Islands that Brush the Clouds.” Nevis and St. Kitts are one country. We checked into customs at Charlestown. That was how it was when we were there. Charlestown then was the only town of entry in Nevis. Nevis is a rather unusually shaped island. It is rounded in shape and has been likened to a sombrero with a peak in the center which rises 3,000 feet skyward toward the clouds. Hence the descriptive name of this island group. Nevis was named ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] After leaving St Barts, we sailed to St. Eustatius, Netherland Antilles, better known as Statia. It was a “Chamber of Commerce” day. The sun was brilliant, puffy pure white clouds touched the bright blue sky which came down to a blue green sea. We just glided along on a beam reach with an east wind of 8 -15 knots and a gentle sea of three feet. Painted on the horizon were two of “the islands that brush the sky,” Saba and St. Eustatius. We were almost sorry that our 31nm sail was over. However, we were ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] Reluctantly, we had to say “au revoir” to St. Martin and sailed a short distance about 15 nm to Anguilla, British West Indies, (BVI). This is a jewel of an island with magnificent white sand beaches. The warm, friendly, gentle people made us feel as though we were guests in their homes. The sign on the customs office spoke for the whole island. It quietly said, “All Persons Must Be Tidy in Appearance.” That gentle reminder typifies the people of the whole island: quiet, friendly, reserved, and warm folks. The entire island was pristine and the ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] The French West Indies refers to specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region. The term refers to: Martinique, Saint Martin, Saint Barts, Guadeloupe, Saint Lucia, French Guiana, Dominica, and Haiti. This area is also known as the French Caribbean because of the mix of French and Caribbean culture in their architecture, cuisine, and languages. The term “creole” refers to this French and Spanish combination. As you may recall from my last article, we sailed all night from the Virgin Islands to Saint Martin, French West Indies into Margot Bay. Before dawn, we could see the ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] We’re on the move again. After spending two months in the beautiful Virgin Islands, we finally sailed over to Marigot Bay, St. Martin, French West Indies. The Christmas winds were blowing for two whole weeks now and the sea state was rather rough. This next passage was a serious open ocean passage from Anagada Passage, aka, “Oh, MY GOTTA PASSAGE.” This is an overnight sail which is only 80 some miles, but it can take anywhere from 13 hours to 24 hours. There are eddies, ocean swells, wind and sea state to deal with all along ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] The British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands collectively make up the whole of the Virgin Islands. They have separate governments. The US Virgins is a US territory while the British belong to England. The BVI’s, aka British Virgin Islands, are made up of about sixty separate islands. The four main islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke. Cooper Island, Beef Island, Necker Island (owned by Sir Richard Branson,) Norman Island, Peter Island are just a few of the better known islands. There are many more. You could spend weeks just “liming” ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] After spending at least two months traveling throughout the British and US Virgin Islands, we reluctantly had to prepare to sail on down the island chain. Thinking back to all the islands we sailed to in the Caribbean, from Dominican Republic to the north coast of Venezuela, each island had its own special charm. The US Virgin Islands consist of the major islands of St Thomas, St John, and St Croix. The British Virgin Islands are made up of the major islands of Jots Van Dyke, Tortola, Norman Island, Peter Island, Virgin Gorda, and Anegada. There ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] My husband and I never sailed or ever thought about this subject until one day out of the blue he said, “I want to learn how to sail”. “Okay” I said. “Why?”? We didn’t live on the water at that time. We weren’t associated with other sailors or owned a boat. I was perplexed. We were young and eager to start a family together that would last a lifetime. He, more than I, started to read more and more about sailboats, and cruising, as well as where to go and what to do. We started visiting ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] Before I continue taking you south through the Caribbean Island chain to the North Coast of South America, I would like to discuss some of the requirements I consider necessary to prepare yourself and your boat for such a long trip aboard. First and foremost, from my perspective and experience, is to prepare yourself and your crew. In our case, my husband was the skipper and I was the crew. We took all of the classes necessary for long term offshore sailing; Advanced Piloting, Navigation and Weather from the United States Power Squadron. We had taken ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] After writing several pleasant articles about our life at sea, I began to miss some of the things that made life both more pleasant and more frustrating at the same time. I know that this statement is a contradiction within itself. When we all write letters or tell stories about our family adventures or accomplishments, we tend to forget or diminish some of the unpleasant circumstances that we experienced. Indeed, we could not have lived aboard a forty foot boat for more than four years and in the past, sailed three different boats over a span ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE  Frances Diebler [email protected] Rather than continuing writing on our journey from Connecticut to South America, I think it is time to address your need for planning, i.e. what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Each cruiser has many of the same responsibilities and many have very different issues. One essential task is to plan an itinerary. You need to consider the length of time required to accomplish your trip, from its start to your final travel destination and return home. Just where do you start? First of all you need to plan your ... Read More »

Frances Diebler Before we visit the many more islands of the Caribbean, I would like to introduce you to the many exciting and unusual foods and recipes that are popular and different from island to island. Many kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and fish are common to each island. The differences are in how each country combines and uses these raw and natural resources. Even with a similar culture and many of the same foods, each region prepares them differently. I personally found this aspect of the cultures most fascinating. For example, Spanish speaking people in Venezuela cook differently ... Read More »

By Frances Diebler In my previous article I alluded to Warderick Wells, which is a land and sea park in the Bahamas and, for me, one of the most pristine waters with wild life species many people have never seen before challenging what we have seen in the Caribbean or South America. Most yachtsmen, who travel the “Thornless Path” as Bruce Van Sant calls it, and have sailed to and visited Warderick Wells, know about the pristine preserve throughout the Exuma chain. We have had the privilege of sailing this Land and Sea Park several time over the years and ... Read More »

By Frances Diebler Captiva Island and Sanibel Island are often referred to in the same phrase as if they are sister islands. There are similarities between the two islands and therefore it is hard to separate them. Sanibel is the first island that you reach coming from Marco Island to Pine Island Sound. Many local boaters take their boats for a day sail of shelling on their glorious beaches. If you are interested in staying on the island, contact a rental agency on that island. For those who come by their own boat, note that Sanibel is very shallow and ... Read More »

By Frances Diebler After reading about Sanibel Island, Captiva Island and Gasparilla Island, there is one more island in that vicinity that must be mentioned: Cayo Costa State Park. It is located west of North Fort Myers near Boca Grande Pass and Gasparilla Island in Pine Island Sound It is accessible only by private boat or passenger ferry. What makes Cayo Costa different from the other islands is that it is a state park. There are nine miles of beautiful, sandy beaches adorned with a variety of sea shells. There are acres of pine forests, palms, and mangrove swamps with ... Read More »

By Frances Diebler We all know the cliché “when in Rome do as the Romans do”. The same may be said for any port you happen to visit by boat. Once you leave the United States and sail into other island nations you are no longer in America and therefore your utmost sensitivity and acceptance of other cultures is the rule. First and foremost I must say that if you sailed to another island country or continent, you are in their country and their customs, foods, and social issues must prevail. Yes, I know that sometimes we feel “superior” to ... Read More »