SV PRISM (2025)

08/03/2025

With our time in Antigua nearly wrapped up, we had to sail back to Guadeloupe to fly Corah home so she could finish her PhD. Our sail back was epic, and we arrived in Deshaies with plenty of light. Deshaies is a beautiful place, but its beauty comes from its remoteness on the island. In order to get Corah to the airport, I needed to rent a car. We opted to rent one for a few days, allowing us to explore the island before she flew out, then take her to the airport and also pick up my next crew.

I had hiked parts of La Grande Soufrière National Park earlier with another cruiser, seeing epic waterfalls and incredible vistas. Our weather was looking dry, which is a big deal since this park is a rainforest. We decided to go back because I wanted to share what I had seen with Corah and possibly explore more of the peaks with the better weather.

What started as a more scenic hike over the saddle turned into an impromptu trek to the actual peak of Soufrière. We were just trying to get to the waterfall, but with our limited French, we kept following signs that led us higher. We summited in great time—despite not intending to, and in sandals no less.

Corah didn’t get to see the waterfall, but we ended up doing something neither of us would have purposely attempted. It was a good reminder to always enjoy the moment and make the most of it.

01/03/2025

For the remainder of our short stay in Antigua, Corah and I went snorkeling, took Penta for a day sail, actually sailed to the dinghy dock successfully, and just enjoyed the natural beauty of this island and appreciated its more arid landscape and climate vs. the more tropical Guadeloupe. Both of us really wanted to do a hike, and apps like AllTrails have really opened up a new avenue of exploration by sharing trails that might not have been well known or even have signage at all. One such trail emanates from the Nelson Dockyard and has you follow the spine of the hill that separates English Harbor from Falmouth. This is a spectacular hike filled with endless vistas and tons of goats of all ages. With our hike complete and the new year approaching, our time in Antigua has come to an end.

28/02/2025

After getting situated in Falmouth, Corah and I went ashore for Christmas Eve. We had read and been told that the Champagne Christmas Party was world-renowned, and we also wanted to check out Nelson’s Dockyard due to its historical significance. Personally, I had wanted to come here since arriving in the eastern Caribbean, and let me say—it did not disappoint.

The Christmas party, on the other hand, was a bit of a letdown. But as I have begun to realize, parties that revolve around drinking are less fun when you’re sober. The good news was that the Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra was bringing the entertainment, playing Christmas and classic songs alike. Corah and I found a place in the shade and watched for over an hour while the band did their thing—it was clear they were having a great time.

Nelson’s Dockyard isn’t just a living historic site; it’s still a functional marina with some very yachty businesses still alive and well, most notably a full-scale sail loft. After the steel drums stopped and the local DJ took over, we decided it was time to head back to Prism, finish the night with friends, and enjoy the lovely, historic anchorage.

07/02/2025

Leaving Pigeon Island, we sailed to the more protected anchorage of Deshaies for a quick stop before our crossing to Antigua. We grabbed our last croissants and a fresh baguette, then set off early to show Corah how Prism really sails. Once clear of Guadeloupe’s wind shadow, Prism took off on a thrilling broad reach in 13-18 knots, holding steady at 6-7 knots for the entire 50-mile passage.

We checked into Jolly Harbor, then made our way toward Falmouth. With just two miles left, the engine sputtered and died. Looking over the stern, we saw a rope stretched taut from our prop—completely wrapped. I jumped in but quickly realized it wouldn’t be a simple cut-and-go. We hove-to for stability, and my small knife was useless against the tangled mess. I yelled for Corah to grab the bread knife we’d been using for our baguettes.

With the 12-inch blade, I hacked through most of it, but some had melted against the stern tube, shifting the cutlass bearing. Carefully picking and pulling, I freed the last of it. Crisis averted, we pressed on. A simple two-hour motor turned into a three-hour battle—just proof that any day at sea can change in an instant.

01/02/2025

After a wonderful stay in Les Saintes, we set sail for Pigeon Island, home to the Jacques Cousteau Marine Park. There, Corah had arranged a multi-day dive course to earn her Open Water PADI certification—something she had always wanted. The marine park is renowned for some of the best diving in the eastern Caribbean, and we were both excited to spend time underwater.

Before her first dive, Corah was filled with nervous anticipation, but I stayed close by, taking Penta out to the dive site and snorkeling above while watching her practice skills with the instructor. After a few dives, I joined her in the Japanese Garden and was amazed at how quickly she adapted to scuba diving.

We spent about a week in the area, enjoying every moment—despite an unexpected bump from a trimaran. With Cora completing her PADI test and an uncomfortable swell rolling into the bay, we knew it was time to move on.

12/01/2025

After a relaxing week of decompressing and getting a few boat jobs done, I prepped the boat for my next guest. Our plan was to provision the boat and head out to the Saints island group just south of Guadeloupe. I had it on good authority that the hiking and snorkeling are great there, and it's really one of the gems of the Caribbean. After a walk to the airport and a taxi back, Corah was safely aboard after a long trip from Ventura. She was going to spend three weeks aboard Prism, and we had quite the schedule planned out.

The next morning, we pulled anchor and decided to top off the water tanks and fuel, as it was on the way out and I had yet to fire up the watermaker. On our way in, I asked if Corah wanted to bring Prism alongside the dock. To my surprise, she said yes. Ambitious! Giving no notes, she aced the landing after having only driven Prism for about 10 minutes. I was impressed. This was to be a precursor to the entire visit—I didn't steer once while she was aboard.

The Saints are known for their beauty and laid-back, very French style. While it was a motor out to them, we still enjoyed the 12-mile passage. We anchored off the small town of Terre-de-Haut, where Prism definitely looked at home nestled in the picturesque landscape. While we were here, we explored town as well as Fort Napoléon.

We then moved around the corner to a bay we saw while overlooking from the fort called Marigot Bay, where we met some other cruisers and even got Jouls from to show us a new board game one night. We then did the spectacular hike that overlooked the east side of the island before deciding to begin our journey up the west side of Guadeloupe.

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas from the Caribbean! Prism is keeping it classy and festive with her tanbark sails. We had an incredible sail from Guadeloupe to Antigua to join in the celebrations here. This post is slightly out of order, but I'll catch up soon with the regular updates. For now, I wanted to share this still from our thrilling sail the other day. Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas filled with cheer!

24/12/2024

After dropping the hook and my crew off at Pointe-à-Pitre, I had about a week to work on the boat, reorganize, provision, and get a little exploring in at the same time. The town itself is deceptively large, as from my vantage in the anchorage, it doesn't look all that big. But once two blocks in, I was assaulted with double-digit-level buildings and, I kid you not, thousands of people on the street. Most of these people were shopping, mostly locals but also the occasional tourist from one of the cruise ships. The street art is indeed that—art—and you could spend a day just taking that in.

My boat neighbor, Rob, came by and asked if I wanted to go for a hike, as he still had a rental car, and I was game. The hike was stunning and turned more into a climb/scramble as we opted to take the most difficult way up. That ended up meaning climbing about 1,000 vertical feet up a drainage, with some places being nearly vertical, and the only things you had to hold onto were eroded roots and branches of trees. Exhilarating as we popped out the top, and we were in the clouds.

This week actually blew by as I stayed very busy all the way until my next guest arrived.

18/12/2024

The decision to sail to Guadalupe at night vs. day took a bit of convincing for my crew. I understand, night sails can be a bit scary for the novice, but when you have a favorable wind direction and nearly 100 miles to cover, leaving just as the sun is setting can set you up for a perfect arrival.

We slipped the anchor at 1730 and set course directly to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadalupe, with the course having us tuck right up behind Dominica. We had a perfect beam reach all the way to the lee of Dominica, where we had to kick on the engine, and I took my off watch. As soon as I began to feel the swell under Prism again, I got back on deck. Minutes later, the wind picked back up, and we were back sailing.

As we approached Guadalupe, the wind continued to clock aft our beam until Prism was on a broad reach, making an easy 6.5-7 knots. I was able to sail just into the main channel, only about 10 minutes from where we could drop the hook. Picking a place close to Le Yacht Club, which has an easy dinghy dock, we got a good set. I got my crew to shore as she had booked an Airbnb to get well, as she still was running a fever, and it didn't seem like she was getting any better aboard.

We had made it to Guadalupe about a week early before my next guest arrived, just like I like it. Prism averaged 5.8knots over 92.8NM with a max speed of 7.7knots which took us 16hrs almost exactly from anchor up to anchor down.

16/12/2024

The next leg of the journey was to get to Saint Pierre on Martinique. This is usually a fairly straightforward sail, as Saint Pierre is slightly west of north from a rhumb line from St. Lucia, and with a southeasterly forecasted, we had every right to assume a great sail. Luckily for us, the forecast held, and we were given a perfect beam reach across the channel. Not only that, but because of the southerly component, the wind continued to wrap around Martinique, allowing us to sail within a mile of our anchorage. Not only did we get to sail the entire thing, but our average was excellent at over 6 knots for the entire sail.

Once settled, we spent the next few days exploring Saint Pierre, as we arrived on Saturday. Sunday everything is closed, and I really wanted to snag the French Digicel SIM here so I could have comms onboard for the crew and me. This plan worked out great; Monday morning, we got the SIM and then left later that day for the overnight sail to Guadeloupe. Saint Pierre continues to be one of my favorite anchorages, not sure why but I love the vibe, the people and the history.

12/12/2024

After a few hours of rest, I woke up and started pulling up our chain. Anchor was up and track started by 0530. The plan was to hug the north shore of Trinidad until the eastern trades made us break off, allowing us to gain as much easting as possible. The eastern trades, current, and swell can make easting once offshore punishing.

As the wind and swell filled in, we continued to motorsail until being close-hauled with a breeze that matched our rhumbline. With the autopilot set and all three sails trimmed, we settled in for the 200-mile sail to Martinique. Sailing on the windward side of the islands allows you to hold on to unobstructed wind but at the cost of enduring unobstructed swell.

With 6–9 ft swell on the beam and only about 12 knots of wind to hold our easting, we had to motorsail the entire way. Leaving Trinidad in the morning instead of the previous evening meant our timing wouldn’t work out to reach Martinique with the sun up. With the crew still feeling ill from her sickness, the relentless swell, and me being exhausted after only a few hours of rest, we decided to pull into Rodney Bay in St. Lucia for the night to recuperate, continuing at first light the next day.

As we approached the south end of St. Lucia, we were greeted by the colossal peaks of the Grand Pitons in all their glory. It was a clear day, and as we sailed past them, we finally got a reprieve from the swell that had been tossing us around for the last 24 hours. With the anchor set, we made a nice dinner and settled in for the night.

09/12/2024

Launch day was ambitious from the start. Entirely self-imposed, I moved our launch day up by two full days. Also, looking at the weather, I wanted to catch a light southeasterly with little thunderstorm activity. With this in mind, I needed to check out of the country, launch the boat, and leave the country—all in one day. A little crazy, but despite what everyone told me, I believed I could do this.
Now that I’m calling all the shots, I can make ambitious goals like this, and it’s on me to succeed—no one else. I had gotten a crew member who flew in a day prior, but she came sick, and her condition was only getting worse. Not ideal for her or me, but I didn’t want to miss the weather window.
We were both at immigration by 8 a.m., and thank goodness we got there when we did because it took a full two hours to check out. Our launch was scheduled at 10:30, so I ran back to the boat to be there for it. It was another scorcher of a day, and I’m lucky I didn’t get heatstroke sprinting the two miles back to the yard. Luckily, my crew—who was not interested in running—found a ride at immigration and picked me up about halfway back.
I sent the crew to get as much street food as the remainder of my TT cash allowed, hopefully enough to get us through today and the following day. Soon, Prism was in the hauling ways and splashed. Still in the slings, I got aboard and fired up the engine.
The Beta has historically fired almost immediately, but after a year of sitting and with a slightly low starter battery, it didn’t come to life after cranking for about 20 seconds. I quickly combined the lithium bank with the starter and tried again. Five seconds into cranking, I got a sputter, then a lot of smoke. The red devil roared back to life after a long slumber. Pulling the throttle down to a smooth idle, I told the yard guys we were good. They slipped the straps, and we were on our way.
Before leaving, I retuned the rig, set up the mainsail, and packed the boat, only to discover the primary winches were frozen and needed a full service. As the sun set, I decided to rest and finalize preparations until midnight, ensuring we were ready to depart at first light.

SV PRISM

08/03/2025

01/03/2025

28/02/2025

07/02/2025

01/02/2025

12/01/2025

25/12/2024

24/12/2024

18/12/2024

16/12/2024

12/12/2024

09/12/2024

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