Welcome to the sailing adventures of the Martin family aboard Ohana Kai.

Old trips and new travels. This is the place for stories and photos of our adventures. We will attempt to update the blocks of photos when we are ashore and have access to internet cafes.

The Caribbean ~ 2009

24 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean. We made landfall just in time to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year. Happy to reach warmer waters we dove right in to exploring the Caribbean Islands. We quickly worked our way south through the Windward Islands, the Islands of Venezuela, and two of the three ABC's. Lots of room to explore the sands and fly our kites in the lovely trade winds.

February 2009	Bonaire & Curacao
	Quick stops in the Netherlands Antilles brought crystal clear waters and colorfully painted buildings. A fantastic mix of flavors between the Dutch, the Spanish and the Carib, we were able to catch a few carnival parades before we headed on our way. The energy and colors of carnival were alive. Though we didn't last long enough for any after hour parties, we certainly enjoyed the vibe. View the ISLANDS slide show here... View the CARNIVAL slide show here...

February 2009	the Islands of Venezuela
	Cheap fuel at 33 cents a gallon was the only motivation for a stop over in Isla Margarita. The true goal was a blissful couple of WINDY weeks on the white sands and clear blue waters of Los Roques and Los Aves. Lots of sand castles, lots of kite boarding and plenty of swimming. Our only companions were the resident hermit crabs, lizards and nesting brown boobie birds. View the Venezuela Slide Show Here...

January 2009	Grenada
	In St. George, Grenada we were anxious for the arrival of our new head sail. Not to be disappointed, it arrived on time and in style. We hoisted it immediately and happy with our purchase we could relax to enjoy the friendly atmosphere. The plentiful and fragrant open air markets of the spice island were a delight to the senses, nutmeg & mace, turmeric and ginger. We even had the opportunity to view President Obama's inauguration with the rest of the world. View the Grenada Slide Show Here...

January 2009	St. Vincent & the Grenadines
	Due to some recent reports of violence and thefts in St. Vincent's we chose not to stop in there but opted for two of the Grenadine islands. Admiralty Bay on Bequia has a vast maritime history, you can still view boats being built on the beach with hand tools. We also couldn't pass up a visit to the Old Hegg turtle sanctuary. Next we anchored on the southern end of Union Islands in the lee of Frigate Island for a few great days of play in the wind kite surfing. View the SVG Slide Show Here...

January 2009	St. Lucia
	We made two stops on St Lucia, the largest of the English speaking Windward Islands. Rodney Bay was a wide open place and easy to see why the ARC makes it's landfall there. Marigot on the other hand is narrow with high cliff sides and lush green fringe. Here we met some fun characters who introduced us to the Rasta ways and provided us with nice carved stone turtles and woven baskets. The highlight though had to be viewing the Maltese Falcon with the backdrop of the Piton mountains in Soufriere. View the St. Lucia Slide Show Here...

December 2008 - January 2009	Martinique
	We had a mixed bag of winds and weather helped us to glide along and cross the Atlantic Ocean. The usual projects kept us on our toes, some expected, some surprises. Our head sail flew her last days but that didn't dampen our excitement for Christmas in the Caribbean. They don't speak much english here and we speak less French. So, we fueled up in Martinique, completed some projects and were off the explore the Windward Islands. View the Martinique Slide Show Here...