“I need some water . . .”
| Itinerary Saturday: Oyster Pond, St. Martin to Orient Bay Sunday: Orient Bay to Columbier, St. Barts Monday: Lay Day in Columbier Tuesday: Columbier to Road Harbor, Anguilla Wednesday: Lay Day in Road Harbor (visit Sandy Island) Thursday: Road Harbor to Crocus Bay Friday: Lay Day, Crocus Bay Saturday: Crocus Bay to Oyster Pond |
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Stories of drunken debauchery were not typical of St. Barts Sailing trips, but the 1993 trip included a notable spree. Sandy Island off of Road Harbor, Anguilla is little more than a sandbar populated by a few palm trees, a few seagulls, and a bar (today, after several hurricanes, it’s less than that). Mid-way through our trip we scheduled a lay day and hired the locals to run us out in their powerboats. We brought snorkels and sunscreen, hammocks, and books, and settled in for a day at the beach.
But the bar, with its array of mysterious drinks and enormous charcoal grill, was too attractive for some. Grilled lobster was the highlight of the menu, but a few people stuck to liquid lunches. By the end of the afternoon, a couple overindulgers had to be supported home. One unhappy fellow collapsed on the deck of his boat for the rest of the day, occasionally requesting water in a pathetic little voice.
All of which might explain our leisurely pace on this trip, alternating sailing days with rest days, hanging out in the interesting anchorages, and paying the extra fees to Anguilla to cruise just a little longer in their waters.
We fell in love with the snorkeling in Crocus bay, so much so that two of the three boats stayed there an extra day, then made an early morning mad dash around the eastern tip of the island to get back to Oyster Pond on St. Martin by noon (and made it by 10:30).
The variety of these three islands, from St. Martin’s dichotomy of culture, to St. Bart’s chi-chi French-ness, to Anguilla’s rustic English/creole mix made this a destination we were bound to revisit.
Mia's Mar Vista News 