Journey Dispatch #4

Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇰🇳 to the British Virgin Islands 🇻🇬

Okay, dear readers, it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for: after spending nearly four months at sea, the end of our maritime adventures is finally in sight!

We’ve enjoyed every step of the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Caribbean, but if I’m being honest with you, we’re pretty excited to return to our status as landlubbers and rejoin the American continent. Less than 1,000 nautical miles remain separating us and Miami, and if all goes according to plan, we’ll make it to Florida right in time for our commitments, and then begin traveling through Central America at the end of March. 

Here’s how we did it: after an enjoyable 10 days with Marc and Annie aboard S.Y. Anushka, we once again used the power of Facebook (seriously: a sail-hitchhiker’s best friend, don’t bother paying for any premium websites) to get in touch with Captain Mark, a semi-retired Berkeley alum sailing from Grenada to Tampa, Florida. After an introductory phone call, he agreed not ONLY to take us aboard as he sailed back to the States, but ALSO to pick us up directly in our anchorage in Saint-Martin.

Arriving in Saint-Martin with Marc, Benoit, Megan and Polo. Everything is better with friends, new and old <3

But there’s even more good news. Benoit, our friend and fellow crew from the last ten days, is also aboard! We’re grateful to have him with us — it’s fun to have another adventure-seeking sail-hitchhiker to share in the work and play.

It’s a good example of 1 + 1 = 3; instead of competing for spots to Florida (and yes, the sail-hitchhiking world can be cutthroat) we joined forces to create an even better setup for everyone. 

Once aboard S.Y. Marine Kai, we made a straight overnight sail to the British Virgin Islands. Even after several weeks in the Caribbean, the approach into Virgin Gorda took my breath away. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical about whether we’d like the islands or not — I was worried we’d find them to be over-developed exploited, as filled as they are with motorboats and charter boats. But it only took one secluded snorkel spot to remind me to check my privilege and change my mind. 

A magical spot near our near-empty mooring ball in Little Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

As our time in the Caribbean comes to an end, there are big questions about climate justice and resilience to be worked through in the context of the region’s historic exploitation and current vulnerability. I feel as if we’ve had a foot between worlds here. On the one hand, we’ve been living and volunteering aboard sailboats, experiencing the islands through Western / Tourist eyes. On the other hand, our interviews, site visits, and onshore adventures have focused on and put us in contact with people at the frontlines of climate change. 

One example: in an interview this week, the subject and I talked about climate finance in the context of the Global South / North divide. She put it like this:

Imagine this: your upstream neighbor has a dam on his property that holds in a big river. If this river is set free, unchecked, it will flood your home. You live in fear that he does this, you ask him not to do it, and one day he does. Your home, the only place you have ever lived, is gone. So you go to ask him, what can he offer you to help, now that he has destroyed the place you live. And he offers to lend you money to pay for the repairs at 15, 20% interest. And your salary is five times less than his is. What can you do? You’re trapped in a crisis of someone else’s doing.

There are stories to be told about the BVIs and the climate fight that we’ll be pondering for our remaining time here — check a preview below in our Solution of the Week. 

Until next time! 

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💡🌳 Solution of the Week: Let’s raise the tourist tax

The first thing we had to do when arriving in the ? Pay an $10 ‘Environmental and Tourism Levy’ to the immigration officer. This tax, in place since 2017, is set up for tourists entering the BVIs to make a contribution to the protection of national park areas and help build island-wide resiliency to climate change. Sounds great, right?

Well, there are some problems with the tourist tax. #1 — as we discovered, $10 is also  price of a single tube of Crest CavityProtection - CleanMint toothpaste in the BVIs. We also did a little more investigation and found that cruise ship passengers are exempt from paying the tax. That seems pretty egregious, given the carbon footprint of the industry. 

We rate this climate solution: a good start, but not sufficient. If someone can afford to travel to the BVIs, where the average trip costs thousands and thousands of dollars — they can probably afford a higher tourist tax — and would be happy to pay it, to preserve both the nature and infrastructure they’ve come to enjoy.

📣💚 Shoutout to: Marc and Annie

We cannot BEGIN to express how wonderful it was to sail with Marc and Annie. Every moment with them, from the peaceful sails to the 6. a.m. wake-up to the sounds of the entire kitchen crashing to the floor — storms will do that, even in anchor — was a dream. We learned so much from them — how to play bridge, words of wisdom about running a business, how to go sailing to a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic, and about 200 French words to be used while at sea. They also both emerged as fashion icons, navigating in pink pajamas and swimsuits for most of the time.

Merci Beaucoup, Marc and Annie!

Posing with the crew! And of course, Polo’s crepes for breakfast.

❌ 🎒Travel fail: Ni baguettes, ni beurre

We were so excited to board Marnie Kai and begin the final leg to Florida that we totally forgot to do a final grocery store run. This is grave because we’ve finally reached the end of the French Caribbean, where we can stock up on all our favorites from Polo’s homeland.

No baguettes, no croissants, no salted butter. For potentially years. IYKYK.

📸 Photo of the week: Sunset anchorage

Are you sick of Caribbean drone photos yet? Polo certainly isn’t! With each week that passes, he’s getting better and better at landing his drone on sailboats of all shapes and sizes.

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