We spend 19 days on Barbados and wonder every day why there aren’t many more Atlantic crossers calling at the island. The number of ships clearing in at Port St. Charles in the northwest of the island is quite small. At the other anchorages along the coast as far south as Oistins, we are the only cruisers for miles around, except for a friend’s boat. It is a very quiet and relaxed start into the Caribbean waters and grounds.

First steps & Caribbean weather
The sailing scene also helps with a great start across the atlantic. We meet some familiar boats and faces at the anchorage in Port St. Charles/ Speightstown. All the boats from the Mindelo to Barbados WhatsApp group are also arriving one by one. The first shaky steps ashore are taken and lead us directly to a small shed where the fish cutters are available; exclusively fish cutters and unsurpassably delicious. A rum punch, some music, a cool breeze and a great atmosphere. Oh, Barbados!

The weather is friendly, warm and sunny, but quickly teaches you to be on your guard. The rain showers on Barbados are short and heavy. If you don’t always close the boat hatches despite the heat, you’ll soon have a soaking wet mattress.

Even in paradise there are working days
After the arrival high, everyday life quickly catches up with us. Nikola wants to be checked for damage after 2000 nautical miles. This time we find a hole in the sail above the batten in the main caused by chafing on the shroud and a gennaker halyard to which we attach the Code D that is almost worn through. All in all, the damage was manageable.

Laundry is also on the to-do list, as is shopping. The supermarkets are unfamiliar, but they have everything you need. There is a noticeable American touch to the product range. Nevertheless, there are many exciting local products - from spicy sauces to different types of flour, such as cassava / manioc, which is great for making banana bread. Street stalls on almost every corner sell fresh fruit and all sorts of vegetables, which we are still learning how to use. However, the tourist prices turn these errands into luxury shopping.

Excursions on water and on land
We spend a lot of our free time swimming and diving in the clear, splash pool-like water. Next to our anchorage in Port St Charles/ Speightstown there is a wreck in a nice seven metre depth and in a nature park, where we later anchor, there are some reefs. The fish are abundant, although the corals appear rather lifeless.

With no high volcanic mountains, Barbados has a very open and wide landscape. The sugar cane plantations that once dominated the island, and the suffering that came with the colonialists, come instantly to mind as you travel around the island by bus. And the buses themselves are an experience: minibuses with sometimes deafening music and fearless drivers who are flying across the roads. We are not the only ones who wedge between the seats and the more than numerous co-passengers.

The west coast near Bathsheba is, as expected, rougher. Waves pile up, palm trees sway in the wind and the grass grows lush green right up to the beach. On the way there, we walk through Welchman Hall Gully. We learn: the grapefruit has its origins in Barbados; the names of plants that we know from our pots at home; the appearance of nutmeg trees and nuts.

On the east coast there are a large number of spacious properties and chic hotels. Nevertheless, the entire beach is open to the public and anchoring is permitted. Nikola anchors right between a luxury hotel, where we enjoy a sundowner in the evening, and an estate called Heron Bay. It must be one of the most heavenly estates. At least that’s the impression given by the buildings and the eden-like garden. The children play in the shade next to the property’s beach access and we admire over the edge of the laptop how a crew member lovingly pushes a dog on a bodyboard through the water and passes on the animal’s drink requests to other people. Heaven for man and beast alike.

Celebrations far away from home
On the programme in Barbados: Christmas, New Year’s Eve and a birthday. We spend Christmas in the capital Bridgetown. The climatic conditions prove to be a static challenge for our homemade gingerbread house, so we are glad that 24 December has finally arrived. After a quiet Christmas Eve on board, we mingle with the praying and celebrating people the next morning. The Christmas mass consists of a lot of singing and an emotional sermon. In the park next door, people have been singing since six in the morning, as the Royal Barbados Police Band, one of the oldest police bands in the world, plays until midday when the sun gets too hot. Despite our best efforts to dress festively, we can’t even begin to keep up with the elegant audience in front of the stage.

Every day, three cruise ships arrive in Bridgetown and waves of people flow through the small town. In the evening, the ships light up as they depart, looking like giant floating Christmas trees.

After the holidays, we move further east to Oistins. A boat friend tells us that the swell is fine. We arrive just in time for the fish fry on Friday evening and eat Mahi Mahi not from our pan, but professionally grilled and seasoned. Oistins is also great in other respects and offers a postcard idyll. New Year’s Eve is the perfect reason to enjoy the last good bottle of champagne from Nikola’s home country. We sit on deck with our glasses in hand and watch the fireworks of the hotel facilities.

For the last event, the children’s birthday party, a group of people with children of the same age come together to celebrate on the boat and on the beach. We are happy that we were able to organise a cheerful celebration with a reasonable number of guests, even here, far away. It was great fun. And what winter child can actually invite to a beach party?

It is hard to say goodbye to Barbados, even though what lies ahead is certainly no less attractive and we are looking forward to a few more sheltered and less rocky bays. The next stop is Martinique, about 100 nautical miles away.