Cassini's blog - Cassini blog# 97 Anegada and St Martin

Cassini blog# 97 Anegada and St Martin

Cassini's blog

Simon and Sally, Nigel and Catherine

Mon 19 Feb 2024 18:02

Anegada and St Martin
Anagada was a great visit. The meal at Sids on the beachfront was excellent, very efficient friendly service and delicious meals. We returned Wednesday, lunchtime and ordered a takeaway selection of their tacos - lobster, chicken and fish to eat on the boat.

As Sally alluded to in the last blog, landing the dinghy on the beach is challenging! The first time when Sally, Simon and Nigel went ashore, no problem. The second when we went over for dinner, not quite so easy. All was going well until an unexpected wave appeared, lurched us all forward causing Nigel to stub his toe badly and we all got a little damp. Sally and I were prepared with a change of clothes, Simon and Nigel had quick dry shorts which in the Caribbean evening did just that. For the last few days Nigel has had his big toe padded and taped as protection and it looks like he will lose the nail - yuk.

The stay in Anagada was one of those holiday brochure stays - so peaceful; clear blue sea and sky, views of miles of golden sandy beach with palm trees, and only a handful of boats in our bay, Pomato Point. Most of the yachts moor in Setting Point so we chose well with our anchorage.

After a very enjoyable, relaxing couple of days, we left Anagada on Thursday afternoon for the overnight passage to St Martin. Sally and I stood at the bow looking down into the clear blue sea, spotting star fish, jelly fish, coral, a wonderful sight.

An uneventful passage under engine to St Martin, as yes, you guessed it, no wind, flat calm. We arrived at about 07.00 and anchored in Marigot bay on the French side. After the usual post passage tidy up, breakfast, Simon ashore to check us in at Customs, Sally and I walked to the laundry. Washing is such a simple everyday task at home with lots of water and an automatic machine but here, it's a significant event and cheers us up to have freshly washed sheets, towels, clothes. There is only so much we can do in a bucket with limited water supplies.

Our friends on The Adventurer are here so we arranged to meet them at a beach bar for early evening drinks. Another interesting dinghy ride, at the dinghy dock, the first part of which is floating, like a wobbly wobbly walk and attached to the fixed dock with a just few short lengths of rope. The sea was quite choppy so as the waves came in, the floating and fixed docks crashed together; a hasty exit from the dinghy was required with precision timing to avoid being jolted forward in a face-plant or backward on our bottoms!

Saturday we went ashore for walks, Nigel and I walked around the coastal path and had a wander around the market (not as large as the Weds Market on our last visit); Sally and Simon climbed up the hill to see the Fort. We met up late morning for iced coffees and delicious pastries in the patisserie - a bonus of this are being French. For dinner, we went over to Adventurer and had a great evening with Jean-Marc and Vanessa, a delicious meal, fun and interesting conversation. Thank you.

Yesterday, the island generally was quiet, with most shops and several bars & restaurants closed. The boys topped up fuel, girls to the supermarket. A tasty French lunch on board of pate, cheeses, "donkey" sausage - not really, but any salami, chorizo meat is always called "donkey" by us - something that started many years ago on our big family holidays in France. A quiet afternoon reading - I finished my 900+ page Shantaran epic; cross that I didn't note when I started it. Sally started her knitting.

We had planned to leave here today but ……. again the weather is not right for our journey, so watch this space for the next update. We have various options for the next few days before we arrive in Antigua so Navs Nigel is checking the forecast and will decide on departure day and destination.

Catherine