15:52.05N  61:35.10W

 

Monday 19 to Thursday 22 May 2014

 

Distance Run 35 nm

 

Departure was delayed on Monday morning as the heavens opened and we set off around 9am.  There was no wind in the lee of Guadeloupe so the engine came into play for the 17 miles down to the south of the island when the wind filled in again.

 

At this point we needed to head south east – directly into the wind which had been forecast to blow from the east.  The wind strength increased to 25 – 28 knots on the nose and we continued under engine to the French Iles des Saintes and picked up a mooring buoy in the bay by around 2 pm.  We could hear the wind howling and beyond the bay the sea was rough.  We were glad to be in a sheltered bay.

 

I went ashore in the afternoon to clear in and pick up a weather forecast on the internet.  The wind will be OK tomorrow but will strengthen for a few days thereafter.  We felt we would rather be ‘stuck’ here than in Dominica for our 21st wedding anniversary in a couple of days time so we decided to stay where we are until things blow through.

 

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent pottering around ashore and on board. 

 

 

The view from one of the beachside bars where we used the internet and had lunch:-

 

 

 

 

The admiral returning to the dinghy dock:-

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday I left Lin on the internet ostensibly to take a stroll around the town but really to try to find an anniversary card for tomorrow.  I managed in the shop to convey what I wanted in French and came away triumphant when I found something suitable.  This was a relief since Lin was bound to have found a card on one of her shopping forays.

 

I hid the card under my shirt and returned to the cafe trying to look nonchalant.  Lin immediately frisked me asking whether I had found what I was looking for!  Lin then confessed she hadn’t been able to find anything and immediately dashed off in the direction I had come from and located the same card shop.  The lady in the shop was in fits of laughter as Lin made her choice after confirming, in French, that it was not the same card her husband had bought a few minutes ago.

 

We hired an electric car on our anniversary on Thursday and toured the very small island.  This was the same price as hiring two mopeds but we had some shelter from the sun.  Plus, we don’t know what we are doing on mopeds!

 

 

Our chariot for the day:-

 

 

 

 

What style:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fort high above the town:-

 

 

 

 

View across to the south side of Guadeloupe:-

 

 

 

 

 

From the fort down to the town and boats on mooring buoys:-

 

 

 

 

 

View to other islands in the group.  The light coloured bit of sea to the bottom right of the picture is a barely submerged reef in the middle of the bay:-

 

 

 

 

 

A bay on the rugged east coast:-

 

 

 

 

Our lunch stop, looking out on to an impressive Flamboyant Tree:-

 

 

 

 

 

An emergency stop from about 12 mph was needed to avoid running over this impressive iguana:-

 

 

 

 

We had a lovely day out and the day was finished off with a nice meal at La Fingale restaurant in the evening.