St.  Barthelemy
     
     Subject: Log  Feb.14, 2000
     Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 19:16:04 -0500
     
     From: W2LSI@cho.win-net.org
     To  : rudys03@ibm.net
     
     
     Rudy and I have been to St.Barth's and are still in St. Martin.  We are still traveling
     with Shawn and Jon from Sasse Too.  We are now in St. Martin and have visited
     a couple of beaches, a fort, shops and restaurants.  St. Martin is a lot bigger place,
     but it is more crowded with more stores and is very touristy!!! Some of the beaches
     are
     beautiful and so are the hotels. The island does not seem as prosperous and it is not
     as well maintained as St. Barth's. The roads do seem a little wider though.
     
     The island is very interesting and more developed than the BVI. The hurricanes did
     significant damage with 120 boats sunk or put ashore during Lenny. The marine
     yards here are filled with all kinds of repair work going on. In many cases the
     owners are still living on their boats while doing the work themselves...on shore!
     The Cat owners have their shops right under the big space between the hulls. It also
     gives them a great place to hide from the rain. You occasionally see a sunken boat
     or one that has been abandoned on shore. Many buildings still show the effects of
     the hurricanes, but the damage has been cleaned up extremely well.
     
     We are catching up on our work and cleaning and getting ready for another push
     South. Saba will be our next stop if we can find good weather. Saba isn't much of
     an anchorage...not well protected.... but it is worth seeing if we get good weather.
     We are told that it is one of the best snorkeling places in the Caribbean and one of
     the most beautiful.
     
     Love to all... Faith and Rudy