Other Log Entries
Map of Baggywrinkle's
Current Location
July 26th 2002
Back In The Bay


June 20th
2002
Grand Bahama Drama


June 10th
2002
A Different Passage


May 20th 2002
Climbing Saba Rock


May 18th
2002
Incident At Piney Beach

May 15th 2002
A Wreck In Antigua


May 11th
2002
Bicycle Origami


May 2nd 2002
A Taste Of Dominica


April 27th 2002
Living In Les Saintes


March 15th 2002
...Living Under A Volcano

March 5th 2002
A Change of Direction


February 28th 2002
Toucan Tango


February 25st 2002

A Leper Never Changes


February 21st 2002
Carnival is Bacchanal


February 4th 2002
Rescue At Sea


January 15th 2002
With Les, It's More


January 4th 2002

Settling Into Paradise


December 20th 2001
The Final Push


December 12th 2001

Even at Sea


December 6th 2001

Underway


November 30th 2001
Waterway Journey


November 23rd 2001
Always A few More...


November 11th 2001

On Air

October 14th 2001
The List Grows..

Sep. 2001
Short History of Ben & Baggy

May to July 2000
From Mobile to DC

Back In The Bay

July 26th,

Yesterday Miranda and I motored up the Coan River past a red day marker crowned by a large nest of sticks. An Osprey and her chicks welcomed us home with a squawk. As the sun set we docked in a narrow, wooded creek. We looked at each other and marveled that our trip had come to an end. In this tranquil setting we gave each other a hug and congratulated ourselves on an adventuresome and enjoyable voyage, successfully completed.

Nine months earlier, as we headed south from these waters, we had given little thought to our return. We looked south to blue water and white sand, palm trees and steel drums. An ocean passage later those dreamy images became reality. Our travels were full of beautiful places and interesting people. Of course, we encountered our fair share or storms, arguments and dehydration, but the sun always came out shining in the end (except in the Bahamas where it rained the whole time).

Baggywrinkle treated us well and is to be commended for her excellent effort. She was an ideal boat for this trip, carrying us safely and comfortably over many miles of ocean. I find it amazing how much of the Caribbean we were able to see, and in such a short time. I estimate that we visited at least 90% of the Eastern Caribbean Islands!

The sadness of finishing the voyage is tempered by a sense of accomplishment. Before we left, an extremely experienced sailor in Beaufort, NC warned us that the run from the east coast of the States to the Virgin Islands is one of the most difficult and uncomfortable crossings. "Once you've done that passage," he told us, "you can handle any passage in the world." It's nice to think so.

But, for the moment we're not thinking about the next passage, but getting used to life ashore. It is time to settle back into the land locked routine of work and cars, of socks and shoes. For a while at least...