I have just checked the latest updates from your Fantome website. Thank you for putting that together. It’s interesting to hear other people’s opinion’s regarding our love of Windjammer and that special sailing vessel that really is now just a ghost ship. I wonder if those people that said we seem pretentious for not showing enough concern for the thousands of lives lost inland and too much for those 31 lives on the Fantome, I wonder if they were people who had ever been on a barefoot adventure? I for one, feel terrible about everything I hear that Mitch destroyed. I bought some canned goods and turned them into my local supermarket that will then send the food to Central America. Other than that, I simply don’t know what else I can do except pray for those still living and rebuilding their lives.
In the mean time, I turn my attention to that majestic vessel in the Caribbean. We too had a run-in with a hurricane when we were about to set sail. My husband and I were on our way to meet Fantome when it was at port in Antigua. Our flight plan took us from Louisville, Kentucky, through Dallas, Texas, on to Puerto Rico and finally to Antigua. Our adventure actually began in Dallas, when we asked the airline if we could fly standby on an earlier flight to Puerto Rico. We reasoned it would be more entertaining to spend a six-hour layover roaming Puerto Rico than Dallas. No offense to Texans but Puerto Rico is a little more exotic to me having grown up in the south. So there we were, lounging at a beach front bar in San Juan relaxing after six months of hectic wedding planning. Little did we know the flight out of Dallas was the last one before air traffic in and out of San Juan was cancelled due to the on-coming threat of Hurricane Bertha. We were also luggage-less because we were able to catch that earlier flight assuming we would eventually meet up with our bags.
When we went back to the airport to check in for our puddle jumper to Antigua we discovered we would have to find a hotel in San Juan, many of which were filling up fast. We managed to find one not too far away from the airport and about a block from the beach. We checked in, called our parents to tell them not to worry, then hit a nearby drugstore to stock up on munchies, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. That was a Sunday, the next day the hurricane hit. Being a news reporter, I filed two spot news stories for National Public Radio from our hotel balcony as the wind whirled around and water from the ocean caused a nearby canal to flood the street below. A shelter was set up in the nearby convention center but we decided to stay in our hotel as rain battered the island and winds howled around us. I thought, “I hope the Fantome is alright. What do they in a Hurricane? And will we be able to go on our sailing trip, or will the rest of our honeymoon be spent here in Puerto Rico?” So we waited out the storm, and when the winds calmed down, we hit the streets again to check out the damage. Large pieces of sheet metal were torn down and scattered about the streets. Palm trees were ripped out of the ground, a few large streetlights were felled and power was out all over the city but we managed to find a pay phone to check in with our folks at home. Then our thoughts returned to the Fantome, her crew and our high sea adventure.
Early the next morning I put a call into our travel agent Kristi to ask for her help in locating our luggage (which we presumed was still in Dallas) and finding out about the rest of our trip. She said she’d make some calls and get back with us. About an hour later the phone rang, and Kristi gave us the news. Our luggage was indeed still in Dallas and would be flown over on the next flight. Great! That flight was due in around 3pm. The second bit of news….the boat would set sail later that day around 5pm once all the passengers were aboard! Even better! But our flight to Antigua left at 1pm, which left us again with no luggage. Like bandits we grabbed a cab, with less than two hours until our flight left San Juan, we left the tourist district and into the heart of the city to buy essentials for the trip like clean underwear and bathing suits. We did it! Armed with shopping bags as luggage we boarded the airplane bound for Antigua. I think they used a larger size aircraft because of all the people who missed flights. And when that large plane landed on that tiny and VERY short runway, you could feel those brakes thrust us forward harder than I have ever felt before.
We were so excited to see this boat before all this happened, you can only imagine what it felt like to see her now! When we boarded we were greeted with the news that since our vacation was cut short Windjammer would pick up the bar tab for the week and give us a voucher for a free trip! What service! And we had a blast! We set sail for St. Bart's where we met up with both the Polynesia and the Mandalay, all of which were off schedule because of the Hurricane. Since Fantome was the largest of the three ships, and no where near filled to capacity because of the fear of Hurricane Bertha, we hosted several parties including a wine and cheese tasting and a live band! It was great! We sailed, we swam, we saw sights on beautiful islands. The ship itself was always immaculate and there were always crew smiling, saying “Good morning Mon!” They were always hard at work sanding the salt water out of the woodwork and refinishing the decks or walls. And those beautiful brass rails were always polished to a glossy shine! I have heard the crew were grossly underpaid and for that I feel badly like we have taken advantage of their hospitality but they were so nice and it seemed as though they really loved their job despite long hours and very little time to see family and friends. They always went the extra mile in making us feel welcome. I remember our cabin steward always made some funny design out of our washcloths and towels.
That was in July of 1996. During that hurricane we found out the captain and crew sailed Fantome to safety to wait out the storm, then returned to Antigua to resume its sailing plan and pick us up. Unfortunately, that same sort of plan seemed to be what was tried during Hurricane Mitch. But this time the plan was unsuccessful. The year following our first windjammer adventure we cashed in our free vouchers and took another Windjammer cruise, this time aboard the Yankee Clipper, which sailed around the Grenadines. I was three months pregnant at the time but still had a blast! So those are just a few of my memories. There are some photos from the Fantome included. I hope they are of some use! We’ll look forward to reading more updates and to hear other passenger stories. In the mean time thank you again for keeping us informed about the Fantome.
Sincerely, Robin Toepp
Pictures from the Trip
Robin & Phil Toepp in ST. Barts with the Poly in background
Our cabin steward always made some funny design out of our washcloths and towels.
The Crew getting ready to sail