Location: St. Barths
Our day started out with breakfast onboard. We ate with a view of St. Barths and a plan to go surfing. Captain Kris went to rent us a car and some surfboards, and then we loaded up and headed to the beach. After stopping at a store to stock up on French bread for lunch, we got to the beach and evaluated the waves. The beach was beautiful–a steep cliff marked the far end, and palm trees created a shady habitat for us and numerous large green lizards. The waves were quite small.
Nonetheless, Bret did his how-to on surfing, briefing us on the ropes, and we took the boards out into the surf to try our luck. Only a few of us had any luck. Will exceeded everyone’s expectations and caught many waves, while most only caught a few. Between surfing and lunch and taking naps on the beach, we had a full day of sun and were ready for showers. We got back with a very short window for showering time and took the shortcut (dinghies across the harbor rather than walking around) and made it on time. Walking back to the boat for Squeeze, we passed all the bars and restaurants along the edge of the harbor, knowing that we would be returning because we had a night out. We walked back to town again after Squeeze. We were treated to dinner at Le Select, a relaxed outdoor scene with a bar and grill (allegedly home to the original “Cheeseburger in Paradise”), then slowly dispersed. A few of the highlights of the night included a rendezvous at Shell Beach, sushi, and a few successful entries into the Yacht Club made primarily by girls (not so much by the boys wearing shorts). Overall, we had a great time; Saint Barths emptied our wallets and enriched our knowledge of French culture.