We left Bonaire on January 3, 2026, for our longest passage yet, sailing 560 NM to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Who knew that this would be the same day the United States decided to launch a military strike in Venezuela? We had done our homework, filing a float plan with the American authorities, and plotting a course to stay as far as possible away from the maritime boundaries of Venezuela, which only lies 50 NM off our starting point in Kralendijk.
On day two, we encountered a squadron of the U.S. Navy fleet, asking us to stay out of their way. The rest of the journey was uneventful, nothing but endless horizons and skies in full sparkle mode. This was more fun than I thought it would be.
After six nights and five days of incredible sailing, we arrived at our destination with salty skins and the urgent desire for a long shower.
Night watch
Historical Building, Charlotte Amelie
Drinks At Blackbeard’s With Cruising Friends
Sunset, Charlotte Amalie
Charlotte Amalie is a colourful Caribbean Harbor with a unique European charm thanks to its Danish colonial history. Blackbeard‘s Castle and Fort Christian remind visitors of its pirate-era and trading-port past. We met some fellow cruisers, hung out at Blackbeard‘s (best view and cheapest beer), re-provisioned and continued our travels to St. Croix, the largest of the USVI‘s, where we rented a car and visited the easternmost point (by travel, not longitude) of the United States, Point Udall, fed non-alcoholic beer cans to humongous pigs, stopped at the disappointing Captain Morgan Rum Distellery, and – my personal highlight – enjoyed some smoothed aged rums at the island‘s most famous and authentic rum producer, Cruzan Rum Distillery.
Point Uddal, St. Croix
Who Doesn’t Like Beer?
After three more days in St. John’s, the most serene and unspoiled of the USVI‘s, we sailed from the Virgin Islands to the Virgin Islands (BVI‘s) – changing flags, but keeping the same tropical waters. We dropped anchor at Jost Van Dyke, where the pace is slow, the smiles are big, and the legendary Bushwacker at Foxy‘s Bar flows constantly. Next stop: White Beach with its famous Painkiller at the Soggy Dollar, followed by Virgin Gorda and Bitter End with Saba Rock Bar and their brilliant rum punches; at this point, I‘d say the trend is clear: we are navigating the BVI‘s by Happy Hour.
Soggy Dollar, BVI
Bushwacker
Virgin Gorda, BVI
Two days and nights later, we made landfall in Guadeloupe and dropped anchor in the sheltered bay of Deshaies. Three rolly nights were enough, and we continued to cruise to Terre-de-Haut, Les Saintes Islands. I had never heard of this little jewel, known for its postcard-perfect Harbour, colourful houses, and laid-back French-Caribbean Charme – and yes, it came with fresh croissants and baguettes – bonus. The few days here felt like a vacation from our vacation, and we were finally destined to make our way to Pointe-a-Pitre, where we welcomed our friend Kerstin on board Fortituded X for the next week. Sharing our sailboat with a friend may mean a little less space and a few more compromises, but the laughter, stories, and memories we enjoyed together made it all worth it. Our week of exploring and sailing went by too fast, and after we bid our farewells, we were off to the next „country“:
Domenica – here we come!
Malendure, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe Parrot
Morne-A-l’Eau Cemetery
Kerstin At The Helm
Approaching Dominica was memorable; steep green mountains, wrapped in mist; eerie, rugged, less polished, almost like entering a lost tropical world. No doubt why they call it „The Nature Island“, waterfalls, rivers, rainforest, black-sand beaches, no glamorous marinas, beach bars, or fancy resorts – the perfect backdrop for an adventure movie – understandable that parts of „Pirates of the Caribbean“ had been filmed here.
We explored lots of ground during our nine days on this very authentic–feeling island with strong Creole traditions, and it was now time for Martinique, the „Island of Flowers“.
Mangrove Swamps, Domenica
Cocoa Beans
Coastline
Soufriere
Titou Gorge
Waterfall Hike
Evening View From Cockpit
We checked in in Saint-Pierre, widely described as the „Paris of the Caribbean“ in the 19th century until it was completely destroyed in 1902, when the nearby volcano Mount Pelee erupted, killing almost 30,000 people.
Martinique feels widely tropical and effortlessly refined at the same time; maybe this has something to do with the sumptuous display of French/Caribbean food and wines, or perhaps with the number of serious local rum distilleries, each of them set in stunning locations.
We were lucky enough to spend some time with Christel and Domi, long–time friends from our skydive years back in Germany. Let‘s just say a few of the freshly purchased bottles of rum had a very short shelf life and never made it past the cockpit.
Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Saint-Pierre
Anse Cafard Slave Memorial
Schoelcher Library, Fort-de-France
Balata Gardens
Distillerie Habitat Clement
We have come this far …and we are not stopping here. More islands, more friends, more stories, more moments ahead … in the next travel journal.
