Arrived in the Caribbean! Saare 38

Slowly, we are conquering our dream destination.

First, we had to get used to the heat, along with relatively high humidity. The paradise is also quite crowded, and nature is no longer untouched.

However, St. Lucia and Martinique surprised us with fantastic snorkeling and diving spots. When we reached Bequia, we finally felt like we had arrived in the “real” Caribbean. Taking the dinghy ashore, we were surrounded by a typical sweet scent, and the people were completely relaxed. Then on to Mustique, the island of the rich—Caribbean straight out of a picture book, very beautiful, but not quite authentic. The Tobago Cays had been highly recommended to us as the ultimate Caribbean experience. That may have been true 20 years ago; today it’s still a beautiful landscape, but far too crowded. Small boats (like ours), large ones, catamarans, small cruise ships, and large luxury motor yachts with their own helicopters all gather here.

We also met Tuulikki, a Saare 41—we had sailed together in a flotilla to Estonia back in 2022. We completely baffled a German catamaran skipper who, as a child, had sailed Saare boats with his parents and was a big fan—he couldn’t believe seeing two of them here. Well, great boats, great places. We spent a very pleasant afternoon on board and later enjoyed the legendary beach barbecue in the evening.

Then there are the “boat boys,” some of whom have probably been doing this for 50 years. They come speeding over, show you an anchorage or a buoy, take your trash—everything for a small fee, of course. In principle, it’s nice, especially as a newcomer. But some go too far, even to the point of fraud.

But we can feel ourselves truly arriving. We’re becoming more relaxed, more experienced, and we’re finding genuinely dreamlike spots—just like in the picture books, but real.

Havanna is a wonderful home for us. We appreciate the safety even in rougher conditions, because between the islands the constant trade winds often blow at force 5–6, and waves of 2.5 meters are not uncommon, including spray over the deck and superstructure. Just as reliably, however, our automatic “boat desalination system” comes into play several times a day in the form of squalls and short but heavy tropical downpours. In the heat, we also really value the dorade vents and all the opening windows. Below deck, it’s not damp or clammy—unless we forget to properly close a deck hatch during a passage.

By now, we’ve sailed from Grenada to Antigua—our dream has come true. Incredible colors, beautiful bays, and lush vegetation—we can’t get enough of it. Anchoring in 9 meters of water and seeing the chain crystal-clear on the seabed.

Swimming, snorkeling, diving without end—and we won’t hide the occasional rum punch, sometimes a Painkiller or a Piña Colada, in that order. But everything is topped by the wonderful sailing trips on our fantastic Havanna!

Antigua, March 21, 2026

Bärbel Oelert and Ralf Conrad

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