We mentioned that we will return south to Grenada for the hurricane season which, for insurance purposes, runs from 1 June to 30 November.  We intend to island hop via St Martin, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Les Saintes, Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent, Bequia, Mayreau, perhaps the Tobago Cays, Carriacou and finally Grenada.  The direct route to Grenada is about 380 nautical miles but it will be about 450 via these islands as they lie in a curve like a banana. 

 

Our insurers don’t require us to be quite as far south as Grenada by then but do want us to be south of 12 deg 40’ North by 6 June, around Mayreau, which is only about 50 nm short of Grenada.  From Anguilla to Martinique the islands lie just east of south so wind directions from the north of east are the best with those from the east workable.  Winds coming from the south east are not helpful as we cannot sail directly into the wind (well we can, but because we can only sail at 45 degrees to the wind and have to tack the distance increases by about 60% and the seas will be lumpier - so most of us avoid winds ‘on the nose’).

 

 

We spent a few more lazy days in Road Bay in Anguilla and then on Monday the wind direction looked good to return south to St Martin.  Then the winds will be south easterly again and rather strong so we will have some waiting to do.

 

 

The sail along the north of Anguilla was gentle and we passed many of the resorts:-

 

 

 

 

and another:-

 

 

 

 

and the Frangipani where we had lunch and used their sun beds:-

 

 

 

 

As we reached the west end of Anguilla we turned around the tip towards the south east and had a good blast towards Marigot Bay.  The anchorage was still busy and many of the same boats we saw a week ago were still in the bay waiting to go south.