Finally!  The Caribbean!  After 27 exhaustive days at sea and an arrival at 3 a.m. local time - it was time to celebrate, relax and get caught up on sleep!

( Unfortunately the anchorage in Carlisle Bay, one of the very few possible anchorages in the island - no real marinas - was VERY rolly and as a result a good rest was hard to find.)

Barbados (a very "British" island) stands alone almost 100 miles east of the Caribbean.  It would normally make a great landfall for arriving yachts crossing the Atlantic.  However, there are really no facilities for smaller yachts and as such most bypass on to St. Lucia, Grenada, or Antigua.  This is unfortunate as the "Bajans" (what the local populace call themselves) are very well educated, bright, caring people and we enjoyed their genuine attempts to make visitors most welcome on their island.

•   After clearing customs in Bridgetown Harbor (Very stressful for ALL of us) as this was a harbor designed for large cruise ships and containerships.  Because of the swell and lack of proper tie-offs for smaller ladies, I sustained some damage to my cap rails.  Tania tried for what seemed like forever to physically hold me off with fenders (and assistance from a harbor worker-George).  But to no avail as it took Bob over an hour to check in properly with all parties and I was at the mercy of the swell and bashing against the huge cruise ship dock fenders.  After that fun Bob and Tania sailed me up to Port St. Charles in hope of finding a marina slot for me in order to clean me up.  No such luck as there really was only room for a handful of mega yachts.  Once again I was bashing against a dock in the awful swell (NOT a good day!).  We sailed back to Carlisle Bay and stayed there for a few days of rock and roll swells.  Enough!  Bob is tying off my dingy at the dock in downtown Bridgetown. 

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•    Chamberlin Bridge in downtown Barbados.  The Barbadian National Anthem on the bridge.  Looking down the careenage (which takes its name from the process of careening where sailors and fishermen would pull their boats into this area, tie a weight to the ship's mast to upturn the hull and wait for the tide to go out so they could clean the bottoms of their boats.  Of course it is dredged now and full of sport fishing boats ready for tourists.

• Bob and Tania were amazed to find "Bigga" and "Wata" products in the supermarkets as they were familiar with this brand made in Jamaica by friends of theirs ( the Canfield's).

• Other friends had visited Barbados before and went scuba diving.  Their last names were Rogers ("close").  Here I am at anchor in Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown, Barbados.  After this picture was taken Bob and Tania had a slight "mishap" with the dingy - while trying to launch from the beach there - fortunately Tania had wrapped the camera up in clear-wrap and was able to later take this picture of everything else that got wet.

• The sunsets were spectacular from Carlisle Bay - but unfortunately no "green flash" to Bob's chagrin.   Lord Nelson (erected in 1813 following his death at Trafalgar) watches over downtown Bridgetown.  Tradition dictated that he faced any threats or danger to Barbados and at that time he faced the sea.  Somehow he was turned over the years to now face (according to the Bajans) the twin dangers of Parliament and the Central Bank.

• Barbados is one of the more populous islands in the Caribbean.  However the majority of the population live on the protected western side of the island.  The eastern coast facing the Atlantic is more ruggedly beautiful.  Bob and Tania joined Marie and Greg from "Second Sally" to tour around the island by bus one day.  A fun day!

• The anchorage at Carlisle Bay.  Bathsheba's favorite "Mushroom" rock.  It seems like it fireworks are always going to be in Bob and Tania's lives (this was at 10:15 one night for no apparent reason at all...unless someone was married on the beach...)