Florida to Trinidad Aboard a Sailboat
Cruising from Florida to Trinidad
Follow Nalani on a two year voyage from Florida to Trinidad, off the coast of South America. We explore the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Cuelbra, the Caribbean Leeward and Windward Islands, Grenada, and Trinidad.
This is a story of islands and people, and the challenges and thrills of cruising and living aboard a small sailboat. Sail along and enjoy the adventure, including being chased by a hurricane and almost running down a whale. You will enjoy this book whether or not you ever stepped aboard a boat.
See more details and Table of Contents below. Click through to Amazon.Com to see inside the book.
Available in print and electronic Kindle formats.
Squalls and Rainbows at Amazon.com
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BOOK REVIEW BY SALLY ERDLE
Editor, Caribbean Compass Magazine
Squalls and Rainbows: Sailing Through the Caribbean Islands to Trinidad,
by James K. Richardson. ©2011. Paperback, 215 pages, ISBN 978-0-9837181-0-9.
Squalls and Rainbows is a cut above the usual cruiser’s “we went here and then we went there” account of a voyage. (Full disclosure: Two of the chapters, Road of Smiles and Mayora, first appeared as articles in Caribbean Compass.)
The author has a good eye for detail and an ear for dialogue that spices the narrative. On a taxi tour of St. Lucia, Richardson asks the driver:
“Why are there so many shoe stores in Castries?”
“They’s a lot of feets in St. Lucia,” he observed, flatly.
Jim and Karin enjoy sailing, exploring ashore, people and food. And Jim obviously enjoys sharing their experiences. Any cruiser will recognize the occasional surly Customs official and the friendly vendor, the crashing swell and the calm harbor, the too-predictable tourist attraction and the spine-tingling surprise discovery, the stomach butterflies when leaving on a challenging passage and the feeling of being a seasoned sailor when you arrive — worn out, sore and proud.
Although able to describe the tension of running from a hurricane, the tedium of engine maintenance, and the discomfort of being stuck in a rolly anchorage while waiting for a root canal, Richardson can also capture those sublime non-events that somehow define cruising:
This was perhaps our loveliest ocean sail ever. The water was purple, the sky blue, and the seas easy. We spotted a pod of whales, blowing and rolling on the surface, and then diving out of sight, tails to the sky. The magnificence of nature was awe-inspiring. Near Devil’s Point, Mayaguana, a fat, roasted sun dipped into the sea. We sat atop the cabin, wine glasses in hand, to witness the huge sphere dissolve into a pool of yellow-orange reflections across the horizon. When the sun succumbed to the sea, a green glow rose in its place, as if marking the spot. We had witnessed the green flash for the first time.
Cruising contains both squalls and rainbows; it might be said that one accents the other. Richardson shows you both.
Sally Erdle, Editor, Caribbean Compass Magazine
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"What an interesting and compelling read"
"It has clear prose, wonderful descriptions. Since I travelled much of the same route as you did I found the story very believable with many insights and historical facts and that made it very interesting for me. Your description of squalls, bad weather, beautiful weather, and natural scenery, not to mention the sketches people you met along the way, all add to this sensitive and colorful picture
"Your descriptions of life on the small islands was never insulting or condescending as some writers tend to do, if inadvertently. You were a sailor and a tourist and both parts of your life were a positive experience which you are sharing with your readers.
"The description of technical and navigation problems and challenges and, how you overcame these, are all very interesting but not overwhelming to the general reader and add to a realistic view of your adventure.
"Your narrative would make a foodie salivate! Very often you describe your many meals in the most affectionate terms, and it makes the reader look forward to more.
"Overall, I like your style very much. "
Emil Baran, Canadian diplomat and Fellow Cruiser
Emil has over 40 years of international diplomatic experience, including the Eastern Caribbean
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"My husband and I are reading little by little together when we sit outside"
"Your book is like dessert for us after a long day and we can close our eyes and imagine being somewhere much more exciting. We don't ever plan to sail as you have, but we are living vicariously through your adventures.
" The writing is excellent. Your book could also be a useful tool for someone who is actually planning to sail. We have some friends who dabble in Caribbean sailing and have recommended they read Squalls and Rainbows.
Kymn Harrison, MA, Licensed Psychological Associate
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SQUALLS AND RAINBOWS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
Part One Opera and Glow Worms
Luperon 8
Friends 15
Luperon Harbor 20
Puerto Plata 24
Waterfall Swimming 26
Road of Smiles 29
Carnival 35
Glowing Goodbye 37
Part Two Dancing with Hurricanes
Bradenton 43
Marathon 46
Chubb Cay 49
Georgetown 52
Georgetown to the Turks and Caicos 57
Cockburn Harbor 59
South Caicos to the Dominican Republic 61
Part Three Whales and Pitons
Boquerón 66
Southern coast of Puerto Rico 70
Bahia Icacos 73
Charlotte Amalie 77
The Virgin and Leeward Islands 79
Prince Rupert Bay 86
Le Marin 92
Rodney Bay 95
Part Four Steel Music and Shark Bake
Running from Emily 104
Chaguaramas 107
The Entrepreneur 111
The Mechanic 113
Turtle Babies 115
Musical Food 118
Mayora 122
Port of Spain 126
Central Market 128
The Pottery Factory and Temples 131
Pitch Lake 134
Returning North 136
Part Five Nutmeg Breeze
Prickley Bay 142
Revolution, Chocolate, and Rum 145
A Girl and a Boy 149
Cruise Interrupted 151
Working Boat Races 155
Tyrell Bay 157
The Grenadines 160
Rodney Bay 165
St. Lucia to Sint Maarten 167
Simpson Bay Lagoon 171
Part Six Squalls and Rainbows
Ensenada Honda 180
Culebra to South Caicos 186
Cockburn Harbor 190
Abrahams Bay 194
Fisherman’s Bay 198
Clarence Town 205
Conception Island 210
The Run Home 212
Epilogue 215