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A scintillating display of world class seamanship, speed, and man's/woman's insatiable appetite for competition, Antigua Sailing Week presents about as thrilling an experience as I've ever enjoyed at sea.

Sea conditions offshore Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos are generally as calm as they come in the islands, yielding nice, long sessions of ultra-smooth sailing.

Phenomenal sunsets play out daily across the Caribbean, though I can hardly imagine any more spectacular than this one at Salt Whistle Bay in Mayreau, the smallest of the inhabited islands of The Grenadines.

Government shutdowns, DACA, North Korean nukes, #metoo, the Russia Investigation... Current TV news headlines make an escape to the Caribbean more essential than ever these days. For me, if said escape takes me to Martinique, all the better.

The endless rewards of sailing around Martinique have long centered on the 48 satellite islets that can mostly be found along Martinique's east coast. You certainly shouldn't sleep on the charms that line her western shores, though...

As one of the only charter companies offering fully non-motorized excursions to Buck Island, Teroro II & Dragonfly Buck Island Charters delivers a singularly special experience that's a must for us each and every time we find ourselves back home.

Inside the Middle Caicos Co-op you'll find all manner of hand-crafted goods – hats, baskets, paintings, bracelets, placemats; all of it celebrating the cultural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It's all great, but the thing that most caught my attention were the model sailboats.

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, I'm happy to report that Turtle Beach and Buck Island St Croix remain just as awesome as ever.

All things being equal, I'd rather find myself in the surrounds pictured above... Buck Island... St. Croix... U.S. Virgin Islands... Home.