Antilles Treasures

No, not as the Beetles sang about rather as a passenger aboard a 40’ catamaran in the waters around ST Martin that was christened with the name ”Celine”.  She was custom built by her Captain Neil Roebert in his home country of South Africa and then sailed to St Maarten and now resides daily in the Simpson bay Lagoon.  The Celine’s current home is docked at Skip Jack’s restaurant and all sailing adventures depart from there.

We had an early morning call with a quick briefing about the days activities followed by a light breakfast found a place to sit on the decking next to the mast and soon were underway.  I was able to anchor my camera equipment bag to the main so it wouldn’t head overboard while I was shooting.

We were prepared for a great adventure as neither of us had been on much more than a ferry ride to Anguilla or ST Barts.  We motored thru the lagoon and waited for the drawbridge to raise  and let us pass.  Neil had cast off early enough that we were first in line and soon were headed out into the channel between French St Martin and Anguilla. We passed the French capital of Marigot (photo), Friar’s Bay, Happy Bay, Grand Case and finally Anse Marcel then about 30 minutes of open ocean sailing before we tied off to a buoy at a little out island just north east of St Martin named Tintamarre.

Once on the buoy we were given the option to swim ashore or ride the dingy in. The daintier of the two of us had a broken toe so she was escorted in via the dinghy.  I chose the formality of stepping to the front of the boat and performing a “classic” swan dive to the water’s surface below…oops I misjudged how far down it was and the impact was a pretty solid thud!  Thank goodness no one was watching, as surely the judges wouldn’t have given very high marks.  I shook it off, made sure the trunks were still in place and took aim at my lovely wife who was already on the beach and started swimming her way.

We had a couple of hours to explore the island so after walking the beach that was available to us we decided to cut across the island and see the view of St Barts from the far side.  We also learned from Neil that the island was used as an R&R base for German U boats in WWII.  There was at one time a small village on island with a runway.  All  since overgrown and indistinguishable.  The island was very quiet that day with only another cat that didn’t stay long, a sailboat for two and one other but again no one stayed as long as we did.

Lunch was prepared on board the Celine by the Captain and quite well I must add, so we headed back to the boat to enjoy the banquet that Neil had prepared for us.  We ate like a bunch of starving sailors just back from a long trip.  There was little left but the decorative lettuce, so that was fed to the fish that were schooling behind the boat.  Think they have ever done this before?

We were visited by a couple of turtles while we feasted .  This is where the one and only occurrence happened.  I snapped the lens cap off my camera to shoot pix of the turtles and sat it next to me just as the boat rocked…off and into the deep the cap went.  No worries, lens caps are much easier to replace than lenses or cameras but with that said, Captain Neil appeared with fins and a mask.  Asked me to point out where the cap had drifted off to and went over the side.  Shortly after Aquaman surfaced with a big smile and my lens cap in hand.    We were soon headed back to ST Martin so across the channel we headed once more.  .

First stop was Creole rock which is located at the edge of Grand Case harbor. There was snorkeling to be done by those who wished to do so.  We chose to chat with Neil as Patrick was busy watching the snorkelers.  We then cruised around the point to Happy Bay for a refreshing swim.  This beach is beautiful and we were to return a couple of times during the remainder of our trip.  Upon leaving Happy Bay we were served a wonderful fruit plate and then headed back to Marigot to once again await the draw bridge.  While waiting we were blessed with viewing an incredible sunset  then Patrick presented us all with some Baileys Banana Coladas so we toasted the setting sun with them.

We arrived back at Skip Jack’s restaurant and said our good byes then headed back to our room.

Our opinion of the our first exposure to day sailing;  Fantastic! I can not say enough positive about it.  The boat was wonderful, Captain and crew were top notch and the food as tasty as we had eaten all week.  Worth every penny of the fare Neil charges for the day and we will make a day with the Celine and crew a part of our routine!

In short if you get the opportunity to do something like this..jump at it as it was a lot of fun.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words…these can speak for themselves.

Antilles Treausres has  proudly put together a series of photos by AxARob that is some of our favorite shots of ST Maarten/ST Martin and Anguilla. These beautifully colored prints are perfect for framing and hanging in a professional space or in a place that you want to remind you of time spent in the Caribbean. Each print has a white border and lists the name of the photo and where it was captured. These can be enjoyed individually or as a set.  All works are printed on 11″x17″ and printed on Kodak photo paper.  The price is $12.50 each and will be delivered to you in a cardboard tube.

	The Sandstone cliffs add a breathtaking effect to the beauty of this beach.  The beach it’s self comes and goes with the weather, one day a beach full of sand and the next is all rock.  The view from here is exquisite as you can see the island Saba in the distance on a clear day and you will be privy to the coming and goings of boats from nearby Simpson Bay as well as all flights jammed with new arrivals coming to the island each afternoon.
	The Overlook from above the world famous Orient Beach presents you with an artist’s palate full of colorful rooftops below.  This is one of our favorite views on the island as the vista of multicolored rooftops make a natural transition to the azure waters and bright blue skies, entice us to enjoy the charms of the beach below.
	Standing in the hillside FT ST Louis, the 18th century protector of Marigot Harbor, you are able to look out and see not only the French capital below but the entire western end of the island of ST Martin/ST Maarten.   Directly below is the ferry service that can take you to Anguilla, ST Barths and even Saba.  Just inland from the ferry building there is a daily open air market that is filled with bright colors and fresh smells. It is a great place to spend a day and visit the French culture.
	Solitude aptly describes the beautiful scene of this large piece of drift wood resting on Upper Shoal Bay in Anguilla.  The sand is a talcum powder white and the water is travel poster blue.  The drift wood lying on the beach is a large part of an old tree trunk that to us looks like a wheel from a covered wagon that delivered someone to their dream escape.  This beach is frequently rated as one of the top 10 beaches in the Caribbean and world.
	Day’s End was shot on the western facing beach at Pelican Key on Simpson Bay, ST Maarten.  We spend most evenings of our visits to this island within a couple of hundred meters of this very spot.  The vista is incredible and the painting of the sunset done by the setting sun is breathtaking.  This spot draws crowds of people wanting to toast the setting sun as a salute of gratitude for a day spent lounging on island.
	Beached, Yes you have seen this photo before.  It is one of our favorites and was last week’s feature as a stand alone work.  Shot on the beach at Island Harbour, Anguilla which is a quaint fishing village on the northeastern shore of the island.  The beach is filled with multicolored fishing boats that glisten in the mid day sun.  It felt that morning that if you listened closely you could here Harry Belafonte’s call to work with the Banana boat song from the movie Island in the Sun.

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