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Amazing Grace: Windjammer Barefoot Cruises'' passenger-freighter offers a unique caribbean cruise.

Article Excerpt
A soft, mechanical rumble penetrated the mild, tropical air. Leaning against the ship's rail, my husband Dean and I watched the crane's mighty arm rotate, sending a suspended load of foodstuffs swinging to and fro.

Crew-members in bright hard-hats--blue, red, yellow--reached high, stretching to grab the cargo straps. Cautiously they eased the suspended cases of beer across a narrow stretch of water that divided the two ships.

A deckhand's voice rang out, carrying the soft patois of the islands, "Careful, mon, this here's the brew!"

With 50 passengers onboard for this sailing, the Amazing Grace, the supply freighter of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, was plying the waters of the Caribbean from Freeport, Grand Bahama, on the north to Trinidad on the south. Her primary mission, the captain informed us, was to resupply the company's five sailing vessels: Flying Cloud, Polynesia, Mandalay, Legacy, and Yankee Clipper. Without frequent visits by the Amazing Grace, these smaller ships lack sufficient storage space to carry their food, fuel, and spare parts.

From our viewpoint as passengers, an equally important goal was the sampling of every highlight along a captivating string of islands. And the Amazing Grace's 13-day itinerary promised plenty of time for this.

Dean and I had embarked at Freeport on a Saturday evening and checked into our spacious, richly paneled cabin. Dean's concern at finding bunk beds diminished when I agreed to take the upper, and our shared concern about "bath down...