Hi All

We are absolutely having the best time ever. Currently in Nassau, Bahamas, and I am sitting here looking at an aqua blue sea, white sand beaches, laptop on knee, while Phil replaces the extractor fan in the motor (shhh – but he has gotten quite handy at fixing things). Phone and email which are spasmodic at best in the southern Caribbean, took a decided hike for the worst as we headed into the Bahamas, so we haven't had decent communications for the last two or three weeks. (Despite Telstra & Vodafone mobiles & global roaming internet dongles). No Oz phone here, but good internet connection.

When arriving back in Martinique, surprisingly all the repair work to the rig & engine was finished when we arrived. Quick turn around out of Le Marin, and northwards we headed. One night we anchored on Martinique, in Saint Pierre. Drank delightful french champagne ($10 Euro bottle) and eat local fresh seafood. So hard to enjoy!! It was a major holiday in Martinique, 106 years since the volcano erupted and ?? years since the slaves were freed, so major jump-up (big party caribbean style) everywhere. Music on the beach was surprisingly good, french singer doing Piaf & Perroe was fabulous!

We then headed up to Dominica and a very pleasant rendezvous' with Andrea & Ian on Cape Finisterre in Prince Alfred Bay, as they were heading south to Grenada, and we north to Fort Lauderdale. Had a very enjoyable night and dinner on board the Treleaven's boat celebrating Andrea's birthday. Phil made great G&T's and Ian's supply of excellent French wine seemed endless.

We then headed onto Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, (a tiny island republic on its own) and then said goodbye to the Windward Islands.

On Montserrat there is a huge active volcano still on the southern end. The smell was something noxious as we sailed past, and the place looked like a moonscape. It only erupted a few years ago. All the settlements are now north of the island where the mountains block the smell and send it westward. Had to wipe ash off the deck as we left anchorage the next morning.

(This is becoming a bit of an epic peoples – apologies – I'll move us through the trip to New Providence quicker with less specific detail and more general information or I'll be here all day and you'll give up reading forever.and bored as!). **** Postnote, didn't seem to succeed in shortening the tale ***

The Leeward & Windward Islands are very similar; people come out with local produce to the boats, greet you when you come into anchorage, are constantly paddling, rowing or zipping past in dinghies trying to sell you seafood, fresh fish, banana bread, tomatoes, bananas, plantain, or whatever else they can. The economies are much better than subsistence, but not wealthy. The people are friendly, helpful, happy and cheerful & seem content with their lot. We have come across absolutely no aggression, dishonesty, or in any way felt threatened or in any danger. The country is lush and densely propagated, the islands are mountainous, with little bays and jungle down to the beaches or waters edge. The waters are deep and a deep midnight atlantics blue, with odd pockets of reef & bright blue fringes.

We then arrived at the British Virgin Islands. Ah the Virgin Islands. Paradise on earth. It is truly geographically spectacular!! More developed and more tourists, charter boats, dive shops, tshirts etc etc. From a true experience think we prefer the southern Caribbean islands, but this is a sight for the eyes of true beauty. The topography started to change here with the mountains becoming hills, the waters shallower and the beaches more frequent, white sand & aqua seas. If ever you want the perfect sailing charter holiday, this is the place to go. No anchorage is more than 4 hours sail away from the other, the waters are all very well protected, every anchorage has restaurants on the beach, & cocktails at every tropical thatched shack, and a happy go lucky people & atmosphere. There also are quite a lot of marinas with resort facilities available. We had several great nights eating fish & lobster, listening to great music, and then headed on further north west. My feeling is that the Virgins are not representative of the true Caribbean (like Nassau also) as they cater 100% to a tourist $, so the atmosphere is slightly artificial and consequently less earthy and natural. We didn't go to any of the big islands like St Kitts, St Christopher or the US Virgins, as wanted to keep to the smaller more "off the beaten track" places. We did however have more than a few wonderful Pina Colada's at Jost Van Dyke Islands.

We then headed on quickly through the Spanish Virgin Islands and held up in Porto Rico for a few days as a northerly system was coming through. What to say about that. San Juan, what a city, Old San Juan's 'Spanish Town, what a place. It is truly eclectic and electric. Drove the island and visited the rain forest & then did a torturous mountain crossing to get back to San Juan. I then put us on the freeway heading back the wrong way, which caused a slight domestic as we were hungry thirsty & fractious, but we survived ok. We then got back to the marina, tired & it was late, and after much fuss & help from some locals, managed to order a pizza for dinner to be delivered to boat. Phil was very hungry so thought we should get two, rather than 1/2 1/2. So along came a special, and a caramelised vegetable & chicken. Well each pizza was at least 75 cm wide, and weighed a tonne. (ah the land of American meals)

Met a fabulous couple Jim & Marty on the boat next to us in the Marina, who have sailed this area for 20 years. We received invaluable information & tips on where to go, and the enormity of picking our way through the shallow Bahamas in a boat with nearly 9 foot draft became reality for us. The navigation has been tricky, and we have had to bypass many of the more popular anchorages, once again putting us in out of the way fabulous places. Phil has spent hours combing every square inch of the electronic & paper charts.

From the Virgin Islands other yachts have been scant, no more than 1 in any other anchorage apart from Rum Cay where we holed up for 3 days as another northerly came through. We are told they all move out mid to end April.

After Porto Rico we moved onto the Dominican Republic and stayed in Porto Plato. This is what I have always imagined Cuba to be like, a Spanish town, wooden houses along the waterfront, shanty colourful shacks, beautiful beach & slap bang in the middle of it a multi million dollar marina and a casino. Marina is fantastic, a gated community about 15 minutes from the town, holiday apartments, 5 star hotel (almost no guests), building going on everywhere with huge mansions both finished and under construction. One has to wonder where the money comes from (?? am I naive or sceptical) in what is essentially still a rural society. High electronic security and a casino, every perceivable facility and maybe 14 power boats & 4 yachts. Real estate is cheap, we met a Canadian couple who sailed in last year, purchased a condo on the beach for less than $300,000 and have moved themselves down to DR. It is I think my favourite place and I could easily see myself learning Spanish (albeit not very well) and spending half my time in this paradise. But then every place I just left is my favourite, so ………

There was even a tits & bum show in the casino, which we went along to & Phil enjoyed immensely!!!

We then moved into the Bahamas, which are geographically so vastly different from anywhere else. All coral atolls & cays (pronounced Keys) strongly Americanised, and a united country, not small individual countries which the southern Caribbean is. We holed up in Rum Cay for weather, where we saw our greatest number of boats since leaving the Virgins, 4 on anchor, then onto Long Island, the Exuma Sounds, Great Exuma, Little Exuma, Big the Little Farmers Cay, Normans Cay & Highborne Cay, then into New Providence and Nassau. Spent some time in Georgetown which is a bit of a dump, but anchored off an island which was fabulous with the mandatory bar on the beach. Met up again with a boat we had been on Rum Cay with, which was enjoyable.

The depth in the Cays is shallow, and we have gotten used to sailing in waters of 5 to 15 metres, and picking our way through reefs and rocks into tiny little anchorages inside the coral. The sea colour, diving and reefs are spectacular, and no island is higher than 10 or 16 feet above sea level. We have met some amazing characters. In particular in Little Farmers Cay, we had a night at Ocean Shacks – we were allowed to pick up the Harbour Masters mooring – met a fishing boat from South Carolina. The lobsters were the best ever, the guy who runs the place Terry with his wife had a PHD from somewhere or other, was Bahemian and bohemian (which the computer made a person from Bahamas all on its own) eccentric & a total philosopher. We had a raging political and philosophical debate, then ended up singing karaoke and of course drinking the inevitable rum punches & pina coladas.

Then onto Nassau, where we had to cross the Bahamas Bank which ranges in depth from ½ metre to 6 metres, for 100 miles or so. Was no wind that day, so motored through with our heart in our mouths most of the time. Took a slightly deviate & torturous route to stay in the deeper water, then it went from 5 metres, to off the depth sounder in 5 seconds flat when we hit the other side.

Because of our depth, we can only fit into the Marina at Atlantis Casino & Resort in Nassau. Here is the little Anteater Blues the smallest boat, the only yacht, next to the luxury of luxury power boats with the professional crews, and boats polished to a Mr Sheen shine. The power boaties we have met on the islands have been friendly, open & sharing people, but then the biggest power boat we've interacted with was probably 55 foot up to this stage, not the size of the small ocean liners here. Haven't met any of the rich & powerful (our boats not big enough at 47 feet) although the crews do slink up for a quick chat all the time to get away from the hours of endless polishing and cleaning they have to do each day to earn their supper.

Here at Atlantis, what an experience. How to describe it? The complex has about 6 hotel towers, 2200 rooms, 7 swimming pools and everything that corresponds and blends. I have managed to keep Phil away from the tits and bum show here, but he does tell me there is still another night! Whatever someone thought a Caribbean adventure would be like, it is here created in a very sterile, amusing and amazing way. There is a recreated archaeological dig of supposedly Atlantis, based on Crete or Santorini, and a complete marine park. If I wasn't here I don't think I would believe it!!

The next part of our adventure is tomorrow when we head off for the US coast. Weather is building up in the Gulf (they have already had one storm Arthur – when we held up in Rum Cay) again, and it is predicted to come in strong on Sunday/Monday, so off we go to sea and the good old US of A tomorrow.

Have spent a few nights at sea, probably 5 or 6 in total, avoided marinas wherever possible, staying in them only in Martinique, Virgin Gorda, Porta Rico, Dominican Republic & here.

Phil has become quite the fixer (when there is no other choice) having had to replace the fan belt on the engine, the impellor in the generator (OK I hear you querying – he found someone to do that in Puerto Rico), and now the extractor fan. Plus the shower pumps have had to be rewound??? to get them going, (one working one not, so forward shower until we find someone to fix is the go). the generator had a hiccup (I think that was the impellor) and the watermaker had a hissy fit for awhile, and the anchor winch did some strange thing at one stage & he got it fixed.

The weather has been fabulous (although with the storms coming in is getting more humid & hotter) and the breezes fairly consistent at between 10 – 27 knots from behind or the beam. Have had some fabulous sails doing consistent 10's + for hours on end, and have motored for a few hours when we have had to. I think 1 night, a day trip, & a morning. Have probably only reefed ½ dozen times, and avoided being rained on apart from the very light & odd shower occasionally.

Yeee Gods, I've written a book. Sorry. Phil must have become very waylaid or very lost going over the Nassau Bridge to get this new fan. Hope I haven't bored you all silly.

Lots of Love

Robbie (and of course Phil, were he here but he's missing in action searching for a fan - Or more likely held up in the Sailors bar while I have had a banana so far for breakfast)

*Robyn Hayes*