Anguilla, April 17-20, 2006

Sailboat | Voyages | Log

Our last adventure before Karen returns home Road Bay, our anchorage for the first night It is always comforting to return to a familiar place The body of water on the right is a salt pond Dolphin from a marine park It was much more exciting to see Dolphins swim beside us as we sailed Little Bay, a favorite spot Discovered with Peter and Diane The second best snorkeling of our trip The best was Ilet a Cabrit in The Saints Our last sunset at anchor together We had a special toast to each other And to our friends Mark and Carolyn, Who agreed to toast that same night Anguilla, is rated by Conde Nast Traveler, USA Today, and Fodor’s to have the best beaches in the world. We can’t attest to the world, but we can attest to the Caribbean, and they are indeed spectacular. However, when compared to Cocoa Beach in Barbuda, they are a cheap imitation. The difference is that Anguilla is ringed with resorts, spas, and hotels, while the beaches of Barbuda are nearly totally inaccessible, making them intriguing to sailors, who can go where tourists can’t. Anguilla is our last stop before returning to St. Martin so Karen can catch her plane and fly back to reality. Me, I will be launching a new adventure to return Full Circle to her home in Annapolis. We have been to Anguilla a couple of times before but have never seen the interior of the island so this time we decided to rent a car for a day. As is usually the case, except for the French islands, the islands are more satisfying when visited by boat rather than by car. Our most enjoyable encounter while exploring the island was a small marine park dedicated to dolphins. They are such amazing animals, especially the way they can be trained to interact with humans. When we visited Anguilla in February with Peter and Diane, we discovered a splendid little beach called Little Bay. We liked it so much that we returned to enjoy its privacy and excellent snorkeling. It is interesting to note that our two favorite snorkeling spots were discovered with guests, and in both cases, Karen and I returned to them after our guests left. We discovered Little Bay with Peter and Diane and Ilet a Carbrit with Steve and Linda. The highlight of Ilet a Cabrit were the Flying Gurnards. The highlight of Little Bay was swimming amongst large schools of fish and seeing the shape of the school metamorphose into an infinite variety of shapes, like a flag blowing in a gentle breeze. With the sun is high, the fish radiate all colors of the rainbow in stunning brilliance. The blue tangs sparkle like giant blue gem stones. We did see a lone Flying Gurnard, with its wings spread like a proud peacock. The weather was perfect for our last day of swimming an snorkeling. The sun was bright, the clouds faded away, and wind was calm. We even found time to nap. We celebrated our last sunset in Crocus Bay, around the corner from Little Bay. The light wind allowed us to anchor out in the open, alone on the ocean for the last time. Our three months of fantasy living are coming to an end. Tomorrow we sail for St. Martin and a marina. Today is Thursday, Karen flies home on Sunday. My new crew mate arrives on Saturday. Previous | Next