Heading South

Eowyn
Mon 30 Apr 2007 00:15
 
 
This update is sent from Isles de Saintes in position 15:52.06N 61:35.18W.
Steel Band at Shirley Heights
After our great evening at Shirley Heights, we sailed to Green Island and spent 2 nights there swimming, snorkelling and relaxing. Harmony Hall has a very expensive restaurant but the view from the sugar mill is an excellent place to enjoy a Pina Colada. Nonsuch Bay has long been an unspoilt refuge from busy English Harbour but it is being despoiled by the construction of 2 vast Condo developments. Ho hum.
 
Chris, Graham & Chris at the Harmony Hall Sugar Mill
 
Back at Falmouth Harbour, Mike and I spent several hours mending broken bilge pumps. On Thursday however, we received shocking news from Seagull Inflatables who were servicing our liferaft. Apparently, the valves of the upper chamber were split and this would not have inflated in an emergency. BFA had recalled a batch for this problem, but hours was not one of them!! For 9,000 miles, our liferaft had been as useful as a chocolate teapot.
 
An early departure on Friday sent us southwards to Guadeloupe at an average of 7.5 knots, but we were very disappointed to arrive at Marina Riviere de Sens to find it in a dilapidated state and without sufficient water for Éowyn to float. A rapid decision was made to head back to the Saintes and after a battle against a 5 knot tide south of Guadeloupe, we arrived in time for a fish supper at Le Genois. The next day we were joined by Susan and Gordon from "Suhaila", also heading south to Grenada and we spent a great Saturday exploring Bourg de Saintes. Tomorrow we return to Point a Pitre to drop off Joy and Mike and to try to buy some bilge pump parts.