The wet and windy Virgins
Oriole
Sun 29 Jan 2006 19:01
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It took 9 days for the wind to get back to
something like normality and during that time it has been blowing 40 knots in
the Lagoon in St Maarten and the seas outside have been evil. Even
Mirabella V delayed her departure from Antigua to come up to St Maarten.
Finally we could see a weather window emerging for us to slip up to Anguilla
again and then do the 90 mile hop across the Anegada Passage to the US Virgin
Islands. As we were sailing acoss to Anguilla we could see the giant
Mirabella V getting underway from Marigot Bay on the French side of St Maarten
but although we willed her to come our way she shot off to St Bart's for the
guests to explore the chique shops. On Wednesday night inspite of the
promise of a lovely 15 knot breeze we seldom had more than 6 and we motored all
the way overnight arriving early on Thursday morning. Halfway across we
met at least 25 yachts using the window to come east and it was very
interesting to see that not one was using the correct lights for a yacht
underway. Most of them looked like fishing boats or pilot boats using
their masthead and deck level lights simultaneously which is quite contrary to
the Collision Regulations. One fast motor yacht appeared suddenly wearing
the lights for a yacht under sail and came horribly close to us and remained
totally invisible on the radar. Yachtsmen have remained almost free to do
their own thing by most governments but the situation is hardly likely to
continue if they ignore the rules and make up their own as they go
along. Now that's off our chests! We cleared into US territory
using our laboriously obtained US visas without which yachtsmen are not allowed
to enter. Why air travellers are so much more desirable is a mystery to
us.
 Our weekend retreat before it started
blowing.
As we sailed the last few miles to Cruz Bay to
clear customs the weathermen were once again predicting deteriorating conditions
with strong winds and rain and severe northerly swells for the next few
days. This is not what the brochures advertise. So we are tucked up
in a lovely remote and sheltered anchorage waiting for it to blow itself out
again. Our mobile phones do not work here, but we have the HF radio
to talk to our friends in other anchorages and islands and John has been sending
weather reports each morning to the Ham Weather Guru in Trinidad making use of
his newly acquired Amateur Radio Licence. As you may have gathered the
Eastern Caribbean does not normally get weather in the winter, but there are
exceptions to every rule. Yesterday was totally overcast and we awoke to
grey skies this morning which have now cleared, but it is still blowing old
boots. However the anchorage is in the super or even
mega bracket so we are not complaining, the water is a lovely temperature
for swimming and we are just waiting for the weather to go away so we can
explore in a little more comfort.
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