St. Barthelemy

Who knew that for a certain period in the past, St. Barth or St. Barts has been a Swedish Colony. The Capital, Gustavia, is named after of the Kings. Street signs in St. Barts are still posted in Swedish along with their French name. The yellow and blue flag is seen more frequently and the French are proud to keep some of the influence here. It feels great to be in the Caribbean and experience the Swedish spirit. As a Swedish Citizen, I feel honored to be exposed to this Island. 

Since we arrived, the inboard has been out of order. It took a few days in the engine room, trouble shooting, reading, and talking to Alf Andersson at 2SWEDES boat yard to get the engine running properly. I finally got it started!! Now, I’m definitely more knowledgeable when it comes to engines. As a boat operator you have to keep your fuel clean, change filters regularly and once every year or so, flush the tank. I found one of the hoses that comes out from the tank totally clogged. Currently, she has been running for a few hours and sounds excellent.

St. Barts is such a clean and safe island. The locals are more civilized than many other places. The dogs are unleashed and behave like humans. The only dogs on leashes are the visitors’. The cats act as if they are queens and don’t even react when you pass or call on them, and they are everywhere. People leave their keys on their motor bikes and cars are left open. The crime is low and you don’t have to worry about locking down your dinghy or boat. Just like the way it should be in an enlightened world. The beaches are beautiful and you see many wealthy people and celebrities walking around. I’m not big on fame and don’t know many names, however, Kelly pointed out Simon Cowell from American Idol yesterday. Locals greet each other when you make eye contact and we’ve learned to say "Bonjour" or “Bonsoir”. It’s assumed that we speak French. Over and over we kindly smile as though we understand the language. Tourists usually think that we are locals and ask us for directions. Most of the people visiting on these big yachts got here very easily, although for us, it has been an extreme adventure with a lot of effort to get here. Therefore, I feel more appreciative and happy! 

Love from Gustavia