S/V Koinonia Weekly Sailing Log - Ben’s Parents Visit St Martin (Wed Jan 24th - Tue Jan 30th, 2024)

Highlights this week: a very windy and rainy few days; installing our new VHF; bottom paint removal on Koinonia is finally complete; Ben’s parents arrive in St Martin;  water troubles at the Airbnb; exploring the island with Ben’s parents.

Wed Jan 24 - insanely windy and rainy all day. No school and no trades today. Amber and the kids left early to go to have their teeth cleaned on the Dutch side of the lagoon, a rather wet and wild ride (see video).  Ben spent the bulk of the morning and early afternoon installing a new hardwired VHF remote in the cockpit and integrating the GPS/ AIS/ DSC functions with our chartplotter. The contractors finished removing all the old antifouling from the bottom of the boat today, which is a big milestone.  The kids watched, “Superman: Man of Steel.”

Thu Jan 25 - regular school and trading day; a break even day on the market.  Ben’s parents are flying in tomorrow, so we made out a list of possible activities while they are here.  In the afternoon the kids met at the track and field; they played baseball.  The adult men had a good but spirited discussion about history and politics in the US. It was a refreshing discussion because while there were strong differences of opinion, everyone listened and remained respectful.  Amber made a breakfast casserole for dinner.  The kids watched “Batman vs Superman.”

Fri Jan 26 - regular school and trading day.  Packed our bags to get off the boat for a few days. Ben helped our boat neighbors on SV Curtiseas flat mount their Gen2 Starlink dish. Rental car was delivered, which was a really nice diesel minivan.  Loaded up and went to the airport to pick up Ben’s parents, then drove to their apartment at Flamboyant Le Village.  Dropped all of our bags and then drove to Buccaneers to meet with friends and have dinner. Traffic getting there was horrible and something we’re definitely not used to when going places via dinghy.  Picked up some distilled water for G and PopPop’s CPAP machines.  Everyone got long hot showers, watched a movie, and went to bed.

Sat Jan 27 - Mom and Dad slept in a bit after getting only a few hours of sleep the last two days. Once everyone was ready, we went to Chez Fernand for a late breakfast. Drove to the parking lot at Ft St Louis and then climb the stairway to the summit. Beautiful views and got pictures of the whole crew.  Went to Super U grocery store to provision for a few days. Went back to the apartment and put all the food away then watched a movie. Ben made homemade chorizo tacos with all the fixings, including homemade guacamole.

Sun Jan 28 - began the day with breakfast followed by worship time. Ben made pasta for lunch. Went to Kim Sha Beach at 2pm to meet friends and relax on the beach. Picked up Chinese for dinner.  Watched “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.”

Mon Jan 29 - kids did school. Ben worked on closing paperwork for his latest boat sale.  The water at the Airbnb we rented suddenly turned off today. The owners say it happens on the island sometimes. Went to check on the boat at the yard and grab a few items off the boat. Had leftovers for lunch then went to the pool at the apartment complex.

Tue Jan 30 - still no water at the apartment!  Contacted the owners again because everyone else seems to have water. Went to grab coffee and breakfast, then went on a short hike to explore David’s Hole: a rock formation carved out by the surf. The water and the rocks were really beautiful.  Went by the boat to grab a few things and check on progress. Bottom fairing and prep with 80# are nearly complete. Went back to the apartment and still no water. Ben found the water mains feeding each apartment and discovered the water valve to our room was turned off…Eureka!  Went to the movies at Caribbean Cinema and saw “Migration.”

God Bless,

S/V Koinonia