Friends and Journeys...

Christmas Eve we were invited along with Mark - Sealife,
to "Free Spirit" - Belinda and Jeans for drinks, dinner and pressies - what a great night...

Christmas Day begun on Our Rose with Champagne and Strawberries and more pressies...

For the first time, we sent out a Christmas Newsletter in Email form 

- very new to us techno dinosaurs, who have always sent post...

When Lynnette and Dean in NZ received our email, 

they sent us a message saying "wish we were there".  

We obviously said "you are so welcome, why don't you come"...

They booked!

We met them at Sint Maarten Airport on 28th December.

We were so excited - our first guests from New Zealand...

We got back to Our Rose just on midnight and toasted their arrival...

The next morning we went to Customs to add them to our "Crew List" and to clear out...

Before leaving we took them to watch the boats come through the bridge.

It just happend to be the boat owned by the "Victorias Secret" Owner...

We up-anchored and sailed to Saint Barthelemy (St Barths) for New Years.

What a spectacle of super yachts and people!

We begun New Years Eve in the style...

We so loved having everyone with us...

Belinda - our Aussie Friend from Free Spirit performed the Haka for us - AWESOME!!!

We ended up on the foredeck watching the fireworks...

New Years Day, we headed to an Island close to St Barths, ready to get up at 0100 to sail to the BVI's.

It was also another time for "goodbye" - we would not see Mark - Sealife until...

It was a overnight sail - a new experience for Lynnete and Dean...

As the time was going on, they were starting to relax

As we were nearing the BVI's the guys were enjoying "sea" talk...

As soon as we were nearing the anchorage, over the radio came...

"Our Rose, Our Rose, this is Seismic Wave"

Yayyyyy, Teresa and Brett 

As soon as we anchored, Brett came and took Richard to deal with the formalities

(shame they were closed), anyway, what else to do, but a rum or two

and homemade burgers...

so lovely to see Teresa and Brett...

We visited lots of anchorages with Lynnete and Dean, including

Bubbly Pools - Sea comes in to create the bubbles, then calmness follows...

Foxys Bar, purported to have the biggest beach party in the world at New Years and Trellis Bay, whose full-moon parties are well known...

I loved this...

Our Rose, in company... 

second photo is with "Free Spirit", who is bigger than us - a perception thing with photography

It was so special having Lynnete and Dean join us on Our Rose...

And another goodbye...

Really, it is only, "until we see you again"

We were sooooo lucky that Lynnete and Dean brought us requested items:

eg:  a hand-drill - cannot be found here

"pink pegs", the best!

Wrapmaster - the best gladwrap invention in the world,

Pineapple lumps - ohhhhhh home

A beautiful book on NZ (HOME)

Sint Maarten/St Martin

We had a lovely broad reach sail to Sint Maarten.

The small island is cut into two nations.  The story goes that some time ago a Frenchman and a Dutchman set off around the island heading in opposite direction.  The Frenchman with wine and Dutchman with a bottle of Gin.  When they met again, a line was drawn across the island, and this is how the border between French and Dutch Sint Maarten/Saint Martin was set.

This is a Superyacht haven, where they have a lot of work done on their boats.  The facilities are fantastic, as are the chandleries and contractors.

These next photos are a small sample of the boats here.  To get into the lagoon they close the road and open the bridge...

On arriving, we caught up again with Mark from Sealife.  Also we met Belinda and Jean on Free Spirit.

Mark organised for us to go on a hike.  It was "extreme hiking", however the views were well worth it.

It started pretty gently, with Jean and I "frolicking" in the long grass...

 It then became steeper and steeper...

For Christmas Day I glazed a Ham and Roasted Chickens.

I also made this "Christmas Gingerbread House", 

all was taken to a "pot-luck" lunch where we had a huge feast, lots of food wine and fun...

Very Merry Christmas Everyone...