Splash Down!

No longer in the dirt and back at Sea! OK, this calls for a big WOO HOO! We are back in the water. What a good feeling, can you see us smiling from there…sure you can!

Travel lift coming to take Moon away!

Leaving the spot that we sat out hurricane season.

Moon going to the loading bay just ahead.

Bye, Bye boatyard!

The big ‘ole travel lift came for us, lifted us from the dusty ground and put us in the pretty blue water. So happy to be wet again!

Finally at sea!

Pretty colorful houses dot the shore as we sail by.

Sailing past the town of Basseterre, St. Kitts.

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, a university in Dominica has turned to an unconventional facility to house its storm-ravaged Caribbean medical school campus: a cruise ship. This is a “uniquely fitted cruise liner” docked off the coast of St. Kitts, where about 1,050 students from the Dominican-based Ross University School of Medicine will temporarily live and take classes.

This is where Moon belongs and we are once again on our way to new adventures. First things first was to make sure that everything was OK after splashdown before we set off to the deep blue sea. We decided our first stop after leaving the boatyard would be one of our favorite (and calm) anchorages in St. Kitts, White House Bay. It was a chance for us to get used to being back on the boat and a good place for Brian to give her a once over for any unexpected surprises.

Moon approaching White House Bay. This is a popular spot to anchor because it is a nice calm bay. We were amazed that we were the only boat here, this was a first and we have been here several times.

Salt Plague Restaurant White House Bay. Right in front of where we anchored.

Pretty rock cliffs that line one side of White House Bay.

Moon, the only boat in White House Bay!

Well…Surprise! (and not the good variety)

As Brian was looking through the amas (that’s the two hulls that are on the outside of the boat) he discovered in the starboard hull where the travel lift had placed its straps to lift us that it had caused two small cracks and we were taking on water. Nothing major but not a great find either. So job number one was to repair the cracks. Brian has been glassing both inside and out to make repairs so that we will be watertight. Not a fun place to spend your days in the cramped, windless, baking hot, small ama with itchy fiberglass. Thankfully Brian can fix the leaks and we have all of the supplies on board for the job.

Have I ever told you that Brian is my hero 🙂

Watching the beach around sunset from the boat we see monkeys every night!

I’ve just been getting things organized and back to making the boat feel like a home. I know, it doesn’t seem fair. But Brian is the brains behind the operation and my job is to make sure that he is successful at his. I do have an important job though…making sure that he has cold beer waiting for him when he is done.

Our first snorkel of the year, a shipwreck that lies just off of the beach at White House Bay.

We did take some time to have some fun too when we were in White House Bay once we knew that we were not going to sink. We enjoyed some snorkeling on an old shipwreck not too far from where we anchored and took some time out to enjoy a favorite watering hole.

Approaching one of our favorite “dives” as in “restaurant/dive bar” called Shipwreck.

Shipwreck Restaurant. Moon is anchored way off in the distance by the mountains.

Once we are sure that the ama repairs are good to go we plan on sailing to Antigua. Antigua has better marine stores and access to other materials that we might need and is a fun place to visit too. We have been throwing around some ideas where we will sail to after that but will let you know when we do. Dominica is off of the list but we’re hoping that they might be safer to visit when we sail back north. But we will see.

Our first sunset. Look to the left, high in the clouds and I see a heart!

We are tentatively planning to sail from Nevis where we are currently anchored to Antigua on Wed/Thur depending on weather. As always we will take lots of pic along the way. Hope that you are all doing good we sure miss you all!!

Jennifer and Brian SV/Moon