14:26.13N 60:53.12W

After lolling around at anchor in Rodney Bay, St Lucia for a few days we are now lolling around at anchor in St Anne, Martinique.  The lure of chandlers with oil filters and anodes in stock was too much for us so Martinique it had to be.  We spent a day in St Lucia (two if you count the first trip to the shop to find it was closed) searching for an oil filter without success.  Nothing to do with French wine and cheese and a Carrefour.

 The sail here was fantastic.  7.5 knots for most of the way.  We were racing a catamaran that was just behind us, not sure if they knew it was a race but yachties will know that doesn’t matter.  We were slowly pulling away from them but were neck and neck when I saw a squall heading our way.  We reefed our sails and the Cat overtook, but not for long, hee hee hee.  When the squall hit we shot away ahead of them as they were struggling to get their reefs in in the lashing rain and wind.  Tee hee hee.  A boat with 6 male crew overtaken by a blonde in a bikini

The weather is predictably hot and windy, with squally showers.  Lovely.  The temperature dropped to 24 degrees a couple of days ago.  At home, this would mean the good folk of the county would strip down to underpants, flash tattoos and stroll around town buying barbecues.  Here it means getting your anorak out and a wearing a woolly hat. It’s carnival time too, and an excuse for dressing up in bizarre outfits and dancing in the street.  That’s only me though.

.