- Overview
- Sweden, Denmark to Holland
- Holland to Spain
- Spain & Portugal
- Portugal to Canaries
- Atlantic Crossing
- Antigua to St Maarten
- St Maarten to Puerto Rico
- St Barth to Montserrat
- Guadeloupe to St Lucia
- Grenadines and Grenada
- Tobago
- Trinidad
- Venezuela
- Bonaire to Grand Cayman
- Cuba
- Key West back to Bonaire
- Curacao to Guadeloupe
- Guadeloupe back to Curacao
- Panama & San Blas
- Cartagena to Ft Lauderdale
- Sweden, Denmark to Holland
- Holland to Spain
- Spain & Portugal
- Portugal to Canaries
- Atlantic Crossing
- Antigua to St Maarten
- St Maarten to Puerto Rico
- St Barth to Montserrat
- Guadeloupe to St Lucia
- Grenadines and Grenada
- Tobago
- Trinidad
- Venezuela
- Bonaire to Grand Cayman
- Cuba
- Key West back to Bonaire
- Curacao to Guadeloupe
- Guadeloupe back to Curacao
- Panama & San Blas
- Cartagena to Ft Lauderdale
7 April – 1 May St. Maarten to Montserrat
In
St.
Maarten
we
completed
the
installation
of
our
new
wind
generator.
This
was
a
bit
of
a
disappointment.
For
those
sailors
amongst
you,
we
installed
the
Air-X,
the
latest
model
from
Air
Marine,
which
replaced
their
previous
model,
the
Air-403.
The
403
is
the
most
popular
wind
generator
on
the
market,
but
also
has
a
reputation
for
being
very
noisy.
For
this
reason
we
never
wanted
one
on
our
boat.
The
Air-X
claimed
to
be
80%
less
noisy.
Well…
it
wasn’t.
It
was
so
noisy,
we
had
difficulty
hearing
the
jumbo
jets
that
took
off
from
Juliana
airport
and
passed
over
our
heads
barely
missing
our
mast
(OK,
I
am
exaggerating
a
little
bit).
I
still
have
one
or
two
ideas
about
how
I
could
reduce
the
noise
that
is
transmitted
down
to
the
aft
cabin
where
we
sleep.
However,
this
would
be
another
project,
and
Tania
made
it
quite
clear
that
it
was
time
to
do
some
more
sight
seeing,
rather
than
fiddle with the boat. And I agree. In the meantime, we switch off the wind generator during the night.
St. Barth
So
we
set
sail
to
St.
Barth,
a
brisk
three-hour
sail
to
windward.
St.
Barth
is
a
French
island,
and
has
a
reputation
for
being
an
island
for
the
rich
and
famous.
Well,
us
simple
folks
enjoyed
it
very
much.
One
of
the
main
attractions
in
St.
Barth
are
the
excellent
restaurants.
And
if
you
check
out
the
menus
beforehand,
you
can
have
a
very
pleasant
meal
for
a
reasonable
price.
Needless
to
say
we
went
out
for
dinner
quite
a
few
times.
We
also
rented
a
car
and
toured
the
island.
The
island
is
small,
and
in
one
day
you
can
just
about
cover
every
road
on
the
island.
There
are
interesting
cliff
side
roads
with
beautiful
views
around
each
bend.
Some
of
the
roads
are
also
very
steep
and
narrow,
and
on
one
occasion
I
needed
four-wheel
drive
to
back
out
of
a
difficult
spot,
even
though
the
road
was
surfaced.
It
is
exciting
to
see
the
airplanes
land
at
the
St.
Barth
airport.
Only
small
twin-engine
propeller
planes
can
land
here.
I
would
estimate
about
15
seats.
Most
of
them
come
from
St.
Maarten.
They
come
in
between
two
hills,
and
then have to descend very steeply to the runway below. At the end of the runway is a beach and then the sea.
From
St.
Barth
we
returned
to
St.
Maarten
once
more,
hoping
that
we
could
exchange
the
wind
generator
for
a
different
brand.
Unfortunately,
the
other
brand
was
out
of
stock
and
besides,
we
spoke
to
a
cruiser
who
owned
one,
and
he
did
not
sleep
in
the
aft
cabin
either
because
of
the
noise.
So
we
decided
to
stick
with
what
we
have
got.
I
will
try
to
reduce
the
noise
problem
at
some later date.
Saba
The
next
destination
was
Saba.
Saba
is
a
Dutch
island.
It
is
the
smallest
island
in
the
kingdom,
but
also
has
the
highest
mountain.
Saba
is
rarely
visited
by
cruisers,
because
it
can
be
difficult
to
go
ashore,
and
the
anchorage
can
be
very
rolly.
Well,
as
we
found
out,
the
island
is
well
worth
a
visit.
The
trip
from
St.
Maarten
was
a
beam
reach
in
15-20
knots
of
wind.
We
averaged
almost
8
knots.
We
arrived
well
before
closing
time
of
the
customs
office,
but
nobody
was
there.
Later
we
found
out
that
this
wasn’t
exceptional.
During
our
stay
we
went
to
the
customs
office
four
times
without
finding
the
officer.
So
we
proceeded
to the anchorage without checking in.
The
next
morning
we
woke
up
to
find
our
rubber
dinghy
floating
upside
down
with
the
outboard
engine
still
on
it.
I
suspect
that
due
to
the
fluky
winds
in
the
anchorage
the
dinghy
got
caught
underneath
the
stern
of
the
boat
as
she
was
pitching
up
and
down,
and
so
Alegria
flipped
it
over.
I
had
promised
Tania
that
any
further
"projects"
would
have
to
wait
until
Grenada.
Unfortunately,
this
one
had
to
take
priority.
According
to
a
DIY
book
I
have
on
board,
you
have
to
get
the
outboard
running
within
hours
rather
than
days,
otherwise
it
would
probably
never
run
again
due
to
the
corrosion.
Fortunately,
after
flushing
the
cylinders
with
fresh
water,
draining
the
carburettor,
cleaning
the
electrical
contacts
and
what
more,
I
got
it
going
again.
By
this
time
however,
it
was
too late to go ashore.
The
next
day
we
took
the
dinghy
to
a
tiny
beach
at
Ladder
Bay
that
was
covered
in
big
pebbles.
This
is
a
difficult
landing,
and
is
only
feasible
when
the
sea
is
calm.
At
a
corner
of
the
beach,
a
steep
stairway
cut
out
in
the
rocks
led
via
very
picturesque
vegetation
to
"the
Bottom",
the
administrative
centre
of
Saba.
The
story
goes
that
at
one
time
a
piano
was
brought
ashore
here
and
carried
up
the
steps.
In
"the
Bottom"
everything
looked
very
well
cared
for.
The
houses
are
white
and
green
with
red
roofs.
The
streets
are
clean.
The
tranquillity
was
overwhelming.
Hitchhiking
on
Saba
is
easy,
and
we
took
a
ride
to
the
other
main
village
on
the
island,
"Windwardside".
The
last
few
weeks
we
had
had
a
lot
of
uncharacteristic
weather
for
the
Caribbean,
with
low
clouds
and
occasional
showers.
At
this
altitude
we
were
in
fog.
This,
and
the
green
hilly
terrain
made
the
place
feel
like
Scotland.
We
wandered
around
the
village,
and
visited
Jobean,
an
artist
from
the
USA
who
makes
glass
jewellery.
Saba
attracts
a
lot
of
artists.
Strangely,
there
is
also
an
international
medical
school.
In
addition
to
the
1200
permanent
residents
there
are
some
300
medical
students
on
the
island.
Saba
is
a
hikers
paradise,
as
well
as
a
divers
paradise.
The
next
day
the
cloud
cover
lifted
a
bit,
and
we
hiked
to
the
top
of
Mount
Scenery,
the
highest
point
in
the
kingdom
of
the
Netherlands.
The
hike
is
very
steep
and
most
of
the
way
up
there
is
a
stone
staircase,
a
total
of
1064
steps.
The
views
were
simply
breathtaking,
and
Tania
just
couldn’t
stop
taking
pictures.
Unfortunately,
nearer
the
top
we
were
in
cloud again.
The
next
day
we
went
snorkelling,
and
saw
a
turtle.
The
last
day
on
Saba,
we
decided
to
do
another
hike.
The
Sandy
Cruz
trail
goes
through
beautiful
lush
tropical
rainforest.
We
saw
lots
of
(harmless)
snakes
along
the
trail,
as
well
as
lizards,
birds
and
flowers.
It
was
probably
the
most
beautiful
hike
we
have
done
so
far.
At
the
end
of
the
trail
we
stopped
at
the
home
of
Heleen
Cornet,
a
Dutch
artist
who
now
lives
on
Saba.
She
showed
us
her
home,
set
amongst
tropical
vegetation
and
overlooking
the
sea.
She
also
showed
us
her
work.
We
will
remember
Saba
as
one of the most special islands in the Caribbean.
Statia
The
next
stop
was
Statia,
another
Dutch
island.
Back
in
the
eighteen
hundreds,
Statia
used
to
be
a
free
port
and
the
main
trade
centre
of
the
Caribbean.
Amongst
the
"merchandise"
were,
unfortunately,
a
lot
of
slaves.
In
those
days,
the
island
had
about
11,000
residents.
Now
the
island
has
a
large
oil
transfer
terminal.
Super
tankers
come
here
to
load
and
unload
their
cargo.
The
landscape
is
spoiled
by
a
large
number
of
oil
tanks.
Like
Saba,
Statia
also
has
an
international
medical
school.
The
total
number
of residents is now down to about 2200.
What
made
our
visit
to
Statia
very
special,
were
the
people
we
met.
We
stayed
only
about
40
hours,
but
it
almost
felt
like
we
had
become
part
of
the
local
community
in
that
time.
Jan
and
Mia
are
a
couple
from
Belgium.
They
run
the
Old
Gin
House,
a
nice
hotel
in
a
historical
setting.
Jan
is
a
gourmet
cook,
who
received
a
Michelin
star
back
in
Belgium.
They
now
have
a
gourmet
restaurant,
and
a
beach
bar
restaurant,
as
part
of
the
hotel.
In
the
beach
bar
restaurant
we
enjoyed
delicious
food
for
a
very
reasonable
price.
Hendrik-Jan
and
Jutta
are
from
Holland.
Hendrik-Jan
is
a
medical
doctor
(general
practitioner)
who
gave
up
his
practice
in
Holland
to
run
the
small
hospital
on
Statia.
Jutta
makes
dolls,
which
look
just
like
real
babies.
Kees
and
Pauline
are
a
couple
from
Holland
who
came
to
Statia
to
enjoy
their
early
retirement.
They
built
a
beautiful
house
on
the
hill
overlooking
Oranjestad.
Sjors,
the
harbour
master,
is
a
Dutchman
who
came
to
the
island
10
years
ago,
and
never
wants
to
leave
again.
We heard the latest gossip about the governor and his expensive Mercedes.
During
our
short
stay
we
also
managed
to
go
up
and
into
the
"Quill",
the
crater
of
Statia’s
volcano.
The
volcano
has
been
inactive
for
a
very
long
time,
and
inside
the
crater
we
found
a
tropical
rainforest,
inhabited
by
many
land
crabs.
Panorama
point,
on
the
rim
of
the
crater
was another nice photo opportunity.
Montserrat
Next
we
continued
our
journey
to
Montserrat,
with
an
overnight
stop
in
the
lee
of
Nevis.
Montserrat’s
volcano,
Soufriere,
in
the
southern
half
of
the
island
started
to
become
active
1995.
A
major
eruption
occurred
in
1997.
The
capital,
Plymouth
was
completely
covered
in
volcanic
ashes.
Most
residents
were
evacuated
in
time.
Sadly,
19
people
were
killed
in
this
eruption.
Today,
the
volcano
is
still
active.
Some
5,000
residents
(out
of
11,000
before
the
eruption)
have
returned
to
the
northern
half
of
the
island.
A
small
bay
in
the
north
(Little
Bay)
is
now
the
official
port
of
entry.
We
checked
in
in
the
morning.
It
seemed
to
me
that
a
large
percentage
of
the
5,000
residents
were
employed
by
Customs
and
Immigration.
I
had
to
go
to
Customs,
then
the
Port
Authority,
then
Immigration,
then
a
person
whose
function
was
unclear
to
me,
then
back
to
Customs.
They
were
all
very
friendly.
At
the
end
of
this
journey
I
had
filled
in
the
same
information
on
about
seven
different
forms,
but
was
in
the
proud
possession of a clearance form for the next port.
Next
we
made
a
deal
with
George,
a
taxi
driver
for
a
tour
of
the
island.
He
took
us
to
the
exclusion
zone,
which
can
be
visited
only
during
the
day,
and
only
when
the
activity
of
the
volcano
is
low.
It
was
sad
to
see
the
devastation.
The
whole
town
of
Plymouth
was
covered
under
a
layer
of
volcanic
ash,
some
3-4
meters
thick
in
places.
We
saw
fancy
houses
with
swimming
pools
that
must
have
been
beautiful
before
the
eruption.
George
told
us
how
people
are
still
paying
off
mortgage
on
some of these houses. It was very impressive to see the power of nature.
The
government
offices,
post
office
etc.
are
now
situated
in
the
north
part
of
the
island,
in
a
number
of
porta-cabins.
These
were
built
with
subsidy
from
the
UK.
Montserrat
is
still
an
English
crown
colony.
The
north
part
of
the
island
has
lush
tropical
vegetation
and
beautiful
mountainous
terrain.
Tourism
was
the
main
source
of
income
for
the
island
before
the
eruption.
Cruise
ships
used
to
visit
the
island
regularly,
and
there
were
some
very
fancy
hotels.
Now,
cruisers
like
us
and
occasional
tourists
from
Antigua
who
make
a
one
day
side
trip
to
see
the
volcano
are
just
about the only tourists.
7 April – 1 May St. Maarten to Montserrat
In
St.
Maarten
we
completed
the
installation
of
our
new
wind
generator.
This
was
a
bit
of
a
disappointment.
For
those
sailors
amongst
you,
we
installed
the
Air-X,
the
latest
model
from
Air
Marine,
which
replaced
their
previous
model,
the
Air-403.
The
403
is
the
most
popular
wind
generator
on
the
market,
but
also
has
a
reputation
for
being
very
noisy.
For
this
reason
we
never
wanted
one
on
our
boat.
The
Air-X
claimed
to
be
80%
less
noisy.
Well…
it
wasn’t.
It
was
so
noisy,
we
had
difficulty
hearing
the
jumbo
jets
that
took
off
from
Juliana
airport
and
passed
over
our
heads
barely
missing
our
mast
(OK,
I
am
exaggerating
a
little
bit).
I
still
have
one
or
two
ideas
about
how
I
could
reduce
the
noise
that
is
transmitted
down
to
the
aft
cabin
where
we
sleep.
However,
this
would
be
another
project,
and
Tania
made
it
quite
clear
that
it
was
time
to
do
some
more
sight
seeing,
rather
than
fiddle
with
the
boat.
And
I
agree.
In
the
meantime,
we
switch
off
the wind generator during the night.
St. Barth
So
we
set
sail
to
St.
Barth,
a
brisk
three-hour
sail
to
windward.
St.
Barth
is
a
French
island,
and
has
a
reputation
for
being
an
island
for
the
rich
and
famous.
Well,
us
simple
folks
enjoyed
it
very
much.
One
of
the
main
attractions
in
St.
Barth
are
the
excellent
restaurants.
And
if
you
check
out
the
menus
beforehand,
you
can
have
a
very
pleasant
meal
for
a
reasonable
price.
Needless
to
say
we
went
out
for
dinner
quite
a
few
times.
We
also
rented
a
car
and
toured
the
island.
The
island
is
small,
and
in
one
day
you
can
just
about
cover
every
road
on
the
island.
There
are
interesting
cliff
side
roads
with
beautiful
views
around
each
bend.
Some
of
the
roads
are
also
very
steep
and
narrow,
and
on
one
occasion
I
needed
four-wheel
drive
to
back
out
of
a
difficult
spot,
even
though
the
road
was
surfaced.
It
is
exciting
to
see
the
airplanes
land
at
the
St.
Barth
airport.
Only
small
twin-engine
propeller
planes
can
land
here.
I
would
estimate
about
15
seats.
Most
of
them
come
from
St.
Maarten.
They
come
in
between
two
hills,
and
then
have
to
descend
very
steeply
to
the
runway
below.
At
the
end
of
the
runway is a beach and then the sea.
From
St.
Barth
we
returned
to
St.
Maarten
once
more,
hoping
that
we
could
exchange
the
wind
generator
for
a
different
brand.
Unfortunately,
the
other
brand
was
out
of
stock
and
besides,
we
spoke
to
a
cruiser
who
owned
one,
and
he
did
not
sleep
in
the
aft
cabin
either
because
of
the
noise.
So
we
decided
to
stick
with
what
we
have
got.
I
will
try
to
reduce
the
noise
problem
at
some
later date.
Saba
The
next
destination
was
Saba.
Saba
is
a
Dutch
island.
It
is
the
smallest
island
in
the
kingdom,
but
also
has
the
highest
mountain.
Saba
is
rarely
visited
by
cruisers,
because
it
can
be
difficult
to
go
ashore,
and
the
anchorage
can
be
very
rolly.
Well,
as
we
found
out,
the
island
is
well
worth
a
visit.
The
trip
from
St.
Maarten
was
a
beam
reach
in
15-20
knots
of
wind.
We
averaged
almost
8
knots.
We
arrived
well
before
closing
time
of
the
customs
office,
but
nobody
was
there.
Later
we
found
out
that
this
wasn’t
exceptional.
During
our
stay
we
went
to
the
customs
office
four
times
without
finding
the
officer.
So
we
proceeded
to
the anchorage without checking in.
The
next
morning
we
woke
up
to
find
our
rubber
dinghy
floating
upside
down
with
the
outboard
engine
still
on
it.
I
suspect
that
due
to
the
fluky
winds
in
the
anchorage
the
dinghy
got
caught
underneath
the
stern
of
the
boat
as
she
was
pitching
up
and
down,
and
so
Alegria
flipped
it
over.
I
had
promised
Tania
that
any
further
"projects"
would
have
to
wait
until
Grenada.
Unfortunately,
this
one
had
to
take
priority.
According
to
a
DIY
book
I
have
on
board,
you
have
to
get
the
outboard
running
within
hours
rather
than
days,
otherwise
it
would
probably
never
run
again
due
to
the
corrosion.
Fortunately,
after
flushing
the
cylinders
with
fresh
water,
draining
the
carburettor,
cleaning
the
electrical
contacts
and
what
more,
I
got
it
going
again.
By
this
time however, it was too late to go ashore.
The
next
day
we
took
the
dinghy
to
a
tiny
beach
at
Ladder
Bay
that
was
covered
in
big
pebbles.
This
is
a
difficult
landing,
and
is
only
feasible
when
the
sea
is
calm.
At
a
corner
of
the
beach,
a
steep
stairway
cut
out
in
the
rocks
led
via
very
picturesque
vegetation
to
"the
Bottom",
the
administrative
centre
of
Saba.
The
story
goes
that
at
one
time
a
piano
was
brought
ashore
here
and
carried
up
the
steps.
In
"the
Bottom"
everything
looked
very
well
cared
for.
The
houses
are
white
and
green
with
red
roofs.
The
streets
are
clean.
The
tranquillity
was
overwhelming.
Hitchhiking
on
Saba
is
easy,
and
we
took
a
ride
to
the
other
main
village
on
the
island,
"Windwardside".
The
last
few
weeks
we
had
had
a
lot
of
uncharacteristic
weather
for
the
Caribbean,
with
low
clouds
and
occasional
showers.
At
this
altitude
we
were
in
fog.
This,
and
the
green
hilly
terrain
made
the
place
feel
like
Scotland.
We
wandered
around
the
village,
and
visited
Jobean,
an
artist
from
the
USA
who
makes
glass
jewellery.
Saba
attracts
a
lot
of
artists.
Strangely,
there
is
also
an
international
medical
school.
In
addition
to
the
1200
permanent
residents
there
are
some
300
medical students on the island.
Saba
is
a
hikers
paradise,
as
well
as
a
divers
paradise.
The
next
day
the
cloud
cover
lifted
a
bit,
and
we
hiked
to
the
top
of
Mount
Scenery,
the
highest
point
in
the
kingdom
of
the
Netherlands.
The
hike
is
very
steep
and
most
of
the
way
up
there
is
a
stone
staircase,
a
total
of
1064
steps.
The
views
were
simply
breathtaking,
and
Tania
just
couldn’t
stop
taking
pictures.
Unfortunately,
nearer
the
top
we
were in cloud again.
The
next
day
we
went
snorkelling,
and
saw
a
turtle.
The
last
day
on
Saba,
we
decided
to
do
another
hike.
The
Sandy
Cruz
trail
goes
through
beautiful
lush
tropical
rainforest.
We
saw
lots
of
(harmless)
snakes
along
the
trail,
as
well
as
lizards,
birds
and
flowers.
It
was
probably
the
most
beautiful
hike
we
have
done
so
far.
At
the
end
of
the
trail
we
stopped
at
the
home
of
Heleen
Cornet,
a
Dutch
artist
who
now
lives
on
Saba.
She
showed
us
her
home,
set
amongst
tropical
vegetation
and
overlooking
the
sea.
She
also
showed
us
her
work.
We
will
remember
Saba
as
one of the most special islands in the Caribbean.
Statia
The
next
stop
was
Statia,
another
Dutch
island.
Back
in
the
eighteen
hundreds,
Statia
used
to
be
a
free
port
and
the
main
trade
centre
of
the
Caribbean.
Amongst
the
"merchandise"
were,
unfortunately,
a
lot
of
slaves.
In
those
days,
the
island
had
about
11,000
residents.
Now
the
island
has
a
large
oil
transfer
terminal.
Super
tankers
come
here
to
load
and
unload
their
cargo.
The
landscape
is
spoiled
by
a
large
number
of
oil
tanks.
Like
Saba,
Statia
also
has
an
international
medical
school.
The
total
number
of residents is now down to about 2200.
What
made
our
visit
to
Statia
very
special,
were
the
people
we
met.
We
stayed
only
about
40
hours,
but
it
almost
felt
like
we
had
become
part
of
the
local
community
in
that
time.
Jan
and
Mia
are
a
couple
from
Belgium.
They
run
the
Old
Gin
House,
a
nice
hotel
in
a
historical
setting.
Jan
is
a
gourmet
cook,
who
received
a
Michelin
star
back
in
Belgium.
They
now
have
a
gourmet
restaurant,
and
a
beach
bar
restaurant,
as
part
of
the
hotel.
In
the
beach
bar
restaurant
we
enjoyed
delicious
food
for
a
very
reasonable
price.
Hendrik-Jan
and
Jutta
are
from
Holland.
Hendrik-Jan
is
a
medical
doctor
(general
practitioner)
who
gave
up
his
practice
in
Holland
to
run
the
small
hospital
on
Statia.
Jutta
makes
dolls,
which
look
just
like
real
babies.
Kees
and
Pauline
are
a
couple
from
Holland
who
came
to
Statia
to
enjoy
their
early
retirement.
They
built
a
beautiful
house
on
the
hill
overlooking
Oranjestad.
Sjors,
the
harbour
master,
is
a
Dutchman
who
came
to
the
island
10
years
ago,
and
never
wants
to
leave
again.
We
heard
the
latest
gossip
about the governor and his expensive Mercedes.
During
our
short
stay
we
also
managed
to
go
up
and
into
the
"Quill",
the
crater
of
Statia’s
volcano.
The
volcano
has
been
inactive
for
a
very
long
time,
and
inside
the
crater
we
found
a
tropical
rainforest,
inhabited
by
many
land
crabs.
Panorama
point, on the rim of the crater was another nice photo opportunity.
Montserrat
Next
we
continued
our
journey
to
Montserrat,
with
an
overnight
stop
in
the
lee
of
Nevis.
Montserrat’s
volcano,
Soufriere,
in
the
southern
half
of
the
island
started
to
become
active
1995.
A
major
eruption
occurred
in
1997.
The
capital,
Plymouth
was
completely
covered
in
volcanic
ashes.
Most
residents
were
evacuated
in
time.
Sadly,
19
people
were
killed
in
this
eruption.
Today,
the
volcano
is
still
active.
Some
5,000
residents
(out
of
11,000
before
the
eruption)
have
returned
to
the
northern
half
of
the
island.
A
small
bay
in
the
north
(Little
Bay)
is
now
the
official
port
of
entry.
We
checked
in
in
the
morning.
It
seemed
to
me
that
a
large
percentage
of
the
5,000
residents
were
employed
by
Customs
and
Immigration.
I
had
to
go
to
Customs,
then
the
Port
Authority,
then
Immigration,
then
a
person
whose
function
was
unclear
to
me,
then
back
to
Customs.
They
were
all
very
friendly.
At
the
end
of
this
journey
I
had
filled
in
the
same
information
on
about
seven
different
forms,
but
was
in
the
proud
possession
of
a
clearance
form for the next port.
Next
we
made
a
deal
with
George,
a
taxi
driver
for
a
tour
of
the
island.
He
took
us
to
the
exclusion
zone,
which
can
be
visited
only
during
the
day,
and
only
when
the
activity
of
the
volcano
is
low.
It
was
sad
to
see
the
devastation.
The
whole
town
of
Plymouth
was
covered
under
a
layer
of
volcanic
ash,
some
3-4
meters
thick
in
places.
We
saw
fancy
houses
with
swimming
pools
that
must
have
been
beautiful
before
the
eruption.
George
told
us
how
people
are
still
paying
off
mortgage
on
some
of
these
houses.
It
was
very
impressive
to
see the power of nature.
The
government
offices,
post
office
etc.
are
now
situated
in
the
north
part
of
the
island,
in
a
number
of
porta-cabins.
These
were
built
with
subsidy
from
the
UK.
Montserrat
is
still
an
English
crown
colony.
The
north
part
of
the
island
has
lush
tropical
vegetation
and
beautiful
mountainous
terrain.
Tourism
was
the
main
source
of
income
for
the
island
before
the
eruption.
Cruise
ships
used
to
visit
the
island
regularly,
and
there
were
some
very
fancy
hotels.
Now,
cruisers
like
us
and
occasional
tourists
from
Antigua
who
make
a
one
day
side
trip
to
see
the
volcano
are
just
about the only tourists.
