Ep 168 This is the Cruising Life | Passage to SXM Dutch Sint Maarten
This is the Cruising Life!
In Episode 168, We finally get prepared enough to begin our cruising season. The shakedown portion was a simple motor-sail from Jolly Harbour to Falmouth harbour, both in Antigua, followed by a couple of weeks at anchor and quick stop at the Catamaran Marina (also in Falmouth). Such was not ideal, as it’s a full 98 nautical miles from Antigua to Sint Maarten, and boats have gone missing never to be seen again on this passage. Yes, there are other islands nearby, namely Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Barts, and Saba, but it’s amazing how far off they really are if you get in trouble. And as for sailing at night with no moon, you’d better have working, modern radar or you’ll never see squalls forming until it's too late.
Luckily, we had no drama, and even less footage of the actual passage, which is typical for night crossings, since the cameras don’t work so well. But it does carry the advantage of arriving during the day when we can get a bridge opening into the lagoon and don’t have to navigate near land in the dark.
We also do a boat tour, now that Talisman is somewhat presentable. There’s probably a decent amount of interest here for future cruisers looking to find out what makes a great cruising boat.
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Replacing generator exhaust gas separator
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Sailing Talisman
RYA Yachtmasters Kevin and Wendy Kelley have transitioned from their Oyster 485 to a new Nordic 40, 'Lulu'. Explore their 2026 vessel transition and technical journey.
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