March 21-April 6, 2008 Colorado Visit, Bucket Race and Marigot

March 21 to April 6, 2008

 

I have become such a “Caribbean Girl”.  Although the temperatures in Denver were perfect for the season, 60-degrees seemed just a bit on the cool side.  Nevertheless, the time was extraordinarily wonderful, participating in “All Things Wedding”.   Just as Katie and I dreamed when she was a little girl, we found THE DRESS together, just the two of us.  We also found the perfect bridesmaid’s dress, made soy votives for the table, researched hotels for out of town guests, explored transportation rentals to shuttle guests to and from the wedding venue, as well as hired a Master Gardner to design the living centerpieces, which Katie will put together on her own.  Heck, I even learned how to make sushi J

 

Steve, home on the boat, had a number of plans sidelined due to the ever-present wind and large seas – no scuba diving…no trip to Saba.  Fortunately, good friends Paul, Maggie, Ginette and Paul, kept him well fed and entertained.  Dinners together, the occasional game of Mexican Train Dominoes, assisting friends with boat projects, completing boat projects of his own, even a round of golf, gave him some comfort, though he still hated being on he boat alone.

 

Even with the challenging weather, Steve single-handed a trip to St. Barts for the Bucket Race.  He wanted to see the multi-million dollar mega-yachts under sail, in competition.  The boats lived up to the hype, huge and hugely expensive.  He watched the daily boat parade as the yachts left the harbor or anchorage for the start of each race.  Saw them return in the evening, however, without deck hands aboard, could not motor among them, and resigned only to take pictures from afar.   And, not knowing crew or owners, as all casual observers he was excluded for the festivities, looking in from the outside.  (I liken it to Tiny Tim staring through the butcher’s window at the unobtainable Christmas Turkey.)  Just the same, he had the best seat in the house for the final impressive event…an extraordinary fireworks display just off the bow of SEAMAN’S ELIXIR.

 

April 7-9

We had the opportunity to reconnect with Kenney and Kathy Walker, fellow PDQ owners of MER SOLEIL over dinner, with lunch and a tour of Marigot the next day.  It has been eight months since they visited us in Grenada to see first-hand what living aboard in the Caribbean offers.  K & K, who successfully completed the “Thorny Path”, now begin their first year sailing the Eastern Caribbean.  Our first year passed quickly into this, our second, and we look forward to sharing some of their adventures as we both head to Trinidad for Hurricane Season.