Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe to Le Saintes, ( 30.3 nm)

Bootlegger of Mann
Frank Newton
Tue 16 Feb 2010 14:30

 

 

Bootlegger of Mann Log

 

Tuesday 16 February  2010  

 

15:52.23N 61:35.10W

 

Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe to Le Saintes, ( 30.3 nm)

 

Caribbean skies and no significant Weather: Fine, cloud/sun. Wind: SSE Est.18 - 22kts

 

Crew: FN / KB / MH

 

16:13.30N 61:31.77W  Port De Plaisance Marina, Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe, FWI

 

A.M. :

 

Went to Capitainerie to Clear In and do marina berth paperwork.

 

08:45 Went to Amel’s office where I found Caroline at her desk.  I  advised her of the

various spares I needed starting with the bow thruster spare prop requirement. In the event

she was able to supply me with two. Other additional spares I obtained included brushes for

the main sail’s furling and outhaul motors, fresh water pump kit, bilge pump kit, sacrificial

anodes, ballooner hooker,  hatch handle, drinking water filters, seals for bow thrusters, and a deck

light lamp. Cost? €1,565 !

 

I was very lucky to achieve the above as it transpired it is a national holiday here today and

tomorrow, Wednesday, for Guadeloupe’s carnival celebrations. Caroline was only in until noon! Had I

not come when I did we’d have had to wait here until Thursday!

 

Given I now had what we needed I went back to the Capitainerie to Clear Out. Door locked ,

probably until Thursday? Again I was lucky. They were just leaving, saw me at the door and opened

up, agreeing to clear me out and settle up for the berth.

 

13:00 Found the boys in ‘Pirates. They had been doing a spot of shopping. Now nothing to stop us

getting away having obtained the spares. Plan now is to leave here by 14:30 in order to reach the

Saintes a distance of some 30nm by sunset.

 

14:45 Departed our berth after waiting for the requested assistance of the marinero to release the

bow line for over twenty minutes.

 

Out in the channel we found a strong southerly wind ( estimate 22kts ) on the nose severely

restricting our progress to at one point just 2.6kts over the ground.

 

Once clear of the buoyed channel was able to set a course of 207 degrees for the Saintes.

Now motor sailing on a close reach with all sail out we were soon achieving a S.O.G. of  7.5kts .

 

We  arrived at the entrance into the Saintes at 18:30 hrs – as planned. We still had sufficient light to

pick up a suitable anchorage without difficulty.

 

19:00 15:52.23N 61:35.10W  FEW. On anchor. FN did dinner of corn beef hash which

we washed down with a red Bordeau before hitting the sack.

 

Engine hours: 4.5 Generator hours: None  Battery: 24.6 V at 22.30 hrs