Arrival at St Lucia - By Bob & Elaine

Pipistrelle - where are we now?
Bob and Elaine Hazell
Sun 13 Dec 2009 12:36
14:04.49N 60:57:00W
 

Arrival at St Lucia

 

As most of you will know by now, we arrived safely at St Lucia at 12.53 local time on Thursday 10th December after sailing just over 3000nm.

 

The winds on Wednesday had been difficult.  At one point we were down to 5 knots, and it looked as though we might even arrive a day later (and in the dark!).  Apart from using the engine, there was nothing we could do about it!  However, late in the afternoon the winds picked up and we were soon running at 7-8 knots again, continuing through the night.

 

By the morning we were SE of Martinique, and we gybed to make the final approach to St Lucia.   The wind increased as we approached, and having gone round the north of the island, it was a beat into Rodney Bay and the finish line, with a photographer in a rib recording the occasion.

 

At the marina we were warmly welcomed by World Cruising Club staff who we knew, and a Caribbean welcome of steel drums, rum punch and a basket of fruit.  Crew from Nightsong, a yacht we were moored next to in Las Palmas were even there to take our lines!  So too was Phil Cook, an Australian friend of friends in the UK who lives here with his wife, Di and who we had not met before.   There were congratulations all round and needless to say, we were very touched, if not overcome by the occasion.  We wasted no time in proceeding ashore to have lunch (level surface, knife and fork.....) get our landlegs and deal with formalities.  Surprisingly, after so much time at sea, we were able to walk and fortunately none of us suffered from the strange swaying sensation sometimes experienced the first time on land after a long passage.

 

Pipistrelle is now back into cruising mode, as opposed to passage layout, and we will today be sailing south to La Soufriere where the twin Pitons are located, and which has excellent diving facilities Paul and Nick are planning to undertake a PADI diving course and then flying home.  Alan will stay on with us to sail to Martinique to collect a new genoa furling drum, and then return to Rodney Bay for the ARC prizegiving on 19th December.

 

Last night (Saturday) we hosted a drinks party for the many friends who we have made, and our crew got Pipistrelle spruced up, tapas and Pimms ready.  So about 25 people crowded onto the decks and took refuge below a couple of times when the heavens opened!   It was an excellent evening, enjoyed by hosts and guests alike.   We Pipistrellians rounded the day off by having the best meal ashore since being here at Buzz, a restaurant to the west of the marina.

 

As to the weather, at 07.35 this morning it is 28C.  We have sunshine with intermittent showers falling during the night, some of them heavy. 

 

All is well here in the Caribbean and we'll continue to post regular updates to let you know how we are faring.

 

Bob, Elaine, Nick, Paul and Alan