March 1 2015. Charlestown, Nevis. 17.03.16N 62.35.60W

Alcedo
David Batten
Sun 8 Mar 2015 21:21
The blog is way behind thanks to the missing iPad charger and our packed schedule. Even in lovely Dominica, we are busy doing the commissioning jobs we did not have time for in Trinidad. Jane was busy packing and getting ready for a lengthy journey to Buenos Aires via St Marteen and Miami, while the skipper and wife started on the tidying up and listing the "to dos". After an excellent fresh fish supper in the Blue Bay, it was an early start the next day for Jane to get to the airport, while the Skipper started on the guest loo and the wife on the washing. Rain soon stopped play with the latter, but the loo pump was successfully replaced, the bilges thoroughly cleaned and, eureka, the heads even smelt better than they have done since the pump was last replaced. Another triumph was commissioning of the fresh water filter, it really works, thank you Angus for your advice on the matter.

Friday was very windy, white horses in the harbour, unsuitable for washing or swimming, but good for visiting the supermarket out of town by bus, always fun and an excellent walk in the afternoon.

Saturday we set sail with a brief stop in Guadeloupe for a quick snorkel in the bay off Pigeon Island, spotting 2 turtles and a small shark, very satisfying, followed by excellent shop in the Carrefour. The French do have great supermarkets! Then we are off to pastures new, setting sail for the 74 miles to Nevis in variable winds of 15 to 37 knots, mainly from the east, so Alcedo sails fast and free once the wind fills in and we have some cracking conditions for a while. Not so good, when we arrive in gusting 30 knots, the port engine alarm sounds and we have to pick up a buoy off Charlestown beach without it, as it is overheating. It takes 3 attempts before the Skipper and wife are on net enough, with the wind drowning out all communication, to achieve it, whereupon the wind dies to a reasonable level and normal communications are resumed. "Is lt August yet?"

Alcedo

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