Fantasy islands

Last week I was sitting in a hot tub on the aft deck of a 120 passenger motor sailor anchored 200yds off a sandy beach of Bora Bora sipping some kind of rum concoction (or maybe 3). I know some of you would rather have a root canal than take a cruise ship, but my MS350 was not going to get here on her on bottom. I started to think what it would be like to have my MS350 anchored in this lagoon and cruise the area for a month or two. Thus started the Fantasy. If I could take my coastal cruiser and "plop" it down at any Island(s) Paradise, where would I go, and why? I started to think of some of the possible islands, starting in Europe we have Greek Islands, Azores, then Falklands, all of the Carribean, moving to Pacific, the PNW, Baja islands of the Sea of Cortez, Hawaii, further south Galapagos, Easter, Marqueseas, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Cooks, Micronesia, Palau, Philippines, Viet Nam, Tialand, Indonesia and thousand more. Well, I had to come up with criteria for my Island Paradise, your criteria will probably be different, but mine starts off with Weather, a tropical clime, lots of Clear, warm water to anchor and cruise. It would have lush Green Island(s), off the beaten path with excellent Scuba locations. It would be in a geopolitically stable area (I'm too old to spend a year or two as a hostage or wake up at 2am being bordered by pirates). Only 1000s of Islands fit my criteria, easy to choose, right? So I put the question to the first mate. Without hesitation she picked the Islands of Palau, funny that was my first choice also. So that is my Fantasy Island group I would drop my MS350 for a month (or two, I am greedy) to cruise and enjoy, a place that otherwise, for a variety of reasons, my trawler would never see on her own bottom. So, what is your "Fantasy Island" and why would you pick it? With 1000s of islands out there, there should be some interesting choices. Obviously, you don't need to have a Mainship to play. You long rangers can play but let's not turn this into a discussion on how small a trawler can be to get there on its own bottom. As I said, for a variety of reasons, this will never happen for most TF members. Let's hear your favorite "Fantasy Islands".

No specific island but just cruising Greek Isles and Mediterranean would tick a lot of boxes for me.

I'd probably pick the islands of the Sea of Cortez! Wait, never mind, we're already there! Next would be Bahamas, but we'll be there in about a year of things go as planned . . . .

Corsica would be certainly in the top ten, like would be Martinique or Bonaire. Ultimately it could be Colonel By island on the Great Rideau Lake or anywhere in Nova Scotia. Weather matters but the feeling matters more, so a place where I could be enjoying life with my beloved wife, having a good glass of wine, cooking a good diner without anybody bothering me about futile things. Good place, good wine, good food, good friends, as simple as it can be.

L

Wow, that sounds like an incredible fantasy! Anchoring down on any of those islands for a couple of months sounds like the ultimate escape. I can totally relate to your criteria—warm water, tropical climate, and off-the-beaten-path sounds perfect. The Islands of Palau are a fantastic choice, especially if you're into scuba diving.

If I had to choose my "Fantasy Island" for a long stay, I’d probably go for the Azores. Beautiful landscapes, not too crowded, and the perfect mix of adventure and tranquility. Plus, I've been dreaming of setting up a little outdoor oasis with a Bain Nordique Bois hot tub, which would be ideal for relaxing after a day of exploring or diving.

What made you lean toward Palau? I'd love to hear more about your experiences there if you’ve visited!