Position           44:35.37N 067:31.19W

Date                1800 – Friday 8 July 2011 (UTC -4)

I realise that the position given for 6 July was a degree of longitude out – I will correct this when we have a WiFi internet connection; currently it is email only by satellite

We spent two warm sunny days in Roque Island Harbor.  Visibility improved giving great views over the surrounding islands.

Thursday was a day of rest finished off with another 4 mile walk along the beach.  During the day a couple of group of people with young children appeared on the beach, we presume summer visitors staying on the island; it seemed quite an intrusion on our space.  Dinner was roast chicken with Mate-made cranberry stuffing, a suitably lavish dinner at the end of a great day.

Friday was a different matter.  The boat has had a great deal of yellow staining on the bows from the salt water and this extended the whole length of the waterline as a thick scummy band.  Most of this appeared when we were in the Chesapeake and it has not improved since.  We bought some Oxalic Acid powder in Gibraltar having been recommended it as the ideal cleaner so now was the time to experiment.  If someone knows the correct dilution please let me know.  Trial and error produced something that removed the yellow marks and only part of my sun tan.  We now have a clean hull awaiting polishing and a slightly piebald Skipper awaiting some more sunshine.

During the day we had a visit from a “whaler” from the local Outward Bound School.  The Pilot Book warns that they may be encountered.  They appeared to be having a jolly time and after a time running up and down the beach made their way onwards with a combination of rowing and sailing, setting two large sails on wishbone booms.

In the late afternoon we moved anchorage to Shorey Cove.  If you look at the chart in the last entry you will see that Roque Island is an H shape.  We went all of 1nm as the crow flies, 5nm by water, from the south east side of the cross bar to the North West side and anchored off some granite bluffs by way of a change.

Our evening walk was through the forest over the H crossbar to the beach, from where we had just come, and back.

Along the edge of the beach there are clumps of wild iris which make a vivid splash of colour amongst the green.

Across the bay, about 1nm away, we can see the houses of the permanent residents and summer population of the island, privately owned by the Gardener and Monk families descendents of Joseph Peabody who acquired the island in 1806.  In the foreground is the jetty and workshops of this largely self sufficient community.

Dinner, for those foodies out there, was sweet corn followed by pork chops from Boston and merguez sausage from St Martin, all from the BBQ with no cremation, and a mate’s Waldorf salad.