Tuesday – 4 December 2007
So
the last couple of days probably sounded a bit depressing, probably because it
was. This morning I was to find
that I had anchored between two mooring buoys, with pot markers in front and
behind. Next to me on the anchorage
was Alhambra.
I
took the rudder off the hydrovane, it was really only worth putting on for long
trips, but is no good with no wind and is not advantageous for motoring,
especially at high speeds - how wrong can you get, but I had to try. DG had lost a beta clip when I had to
get him out of the water in the dark; which is not a big deal, but it is
annoying.
I
heard Eric, with the weather on the SSB at 0630. Tom on Jean Marie checked in, they were
11 miles south of Grenada. It was
going to get windy later in the week, so it would not be a good time to go to
Montserrat as the only remaining anchorage is not that
sheltered.
I
hailed Alhambra on the radio and they are planning to go up the river that goes
through the middle of Guadeloupe.
This was what I wanted to do last time, but had to abandon; now I could
have another go. I now have a chart
of the river and the mudflats on the other side; not quite the Orinoco, but it
is something.
We
sailed over to Les Saintes, which are the islands off the bottom of Guadeloupe
mainland. It was only 20 miles and
I hoped to sail, but after an hour and a half of full sails I had to turn the
motor on and motor sail the rest of the way. As the motor was on anyway, I took the
sails down and motored through the Passe des Dames, which was a mixture of
shallows, rocks and lobster pot markers.
We anchored in the main bay and went to check in at the Police office in
the Town Hall. You fill in the form
and then have to wait while they fax it to Customs, who fax it back
approved. You have to do the same
thing in Pointe a Pitre, this is a French island, very easy and relaxed to deal
with the authorities.
Dave
and Michelle went ashore in the evening, but I stayed in and read a book. They were back in an hour and in the
morning I found out the reason - the town was closed. If you cannot get to the Caribbean this
early in the season, try going to
the Isle of Wight on 1 October, that is the same
effect.