St Martin to Bermuda

In St Martin, I had my first swim for 2 weeks – didn’t fancy swimming in the lagoon! It was lovely, and then out to fab dinner in town with free aperos followed by scallops, sea bass, carpaccio and crème brulee. Yum! Raised several glasses to Hannah, Happy Birthday!

Then to Anquilla. The weather a little overcast but still so hot. The new bimini (that’s a sun shade, Lynne!) keeps us cool tho. We did see a whale close up but I didn’t get to the camera in time.

     

Local race day and very loud music at Road bay where we met Kevin on Amanda who, very kindly, said we could use his mooring on Tortola when we got there.

Mike had us underway by 5 and we had a cracking sail to Virgin Gorda. We had 2 bites on the fishing line but reeled nothing in – the second bite was so big he took our lucky green lure with him so we’ve deployed green lure2!

Went to clear in to BVIs. Some of these Customs officials are arseholes! Don’t they know it’s my birthday and we’re British! $17 to clear in and 20 cents for the forms!!

Picked up ecards from Pat and Len, Hannah Will and Henry, Tanya and Morts. Presie on board from Fan and Pete that she forethought about when they came to Tenerife last November! Well done Sis!

Fab! Then short sail to Cooper Island that has 1 restaurant on it that we thought might be exclusive. Never mind, at least they knocked the price of my steak off the bill when we had a chat with the manager!  Mobile shop called Deliverance came buy to sell us ice cream and bread on the boat. Turtles popping up their heads but never long enough to photo.

Managed to fall in the water getting back into the dinghy so phone b******d again!!

Been to the spa for a massage – presie from Mike and haircut – presie from H, W and H. feel fab! Moved in to Kevin’s mooring – Bless him – it was very rolly in the anchorage outside!

I’d spotted a place called Yacht Shots when we were at Bitter End and booked them to come and take shots of RT as we left The Northern Sound this morning. Bloke turns up as we left, sounding slightly pissed but what the hell! Buzzes round the boat while Mike hoists every combination of sails we have and I stand looking as tho I’m always on the helm, we smile broadly and wave a lot! Hope they are good! – They weren’t! Very gentle sail to Marina Cay, the wind has dropped away considerably and, although this place is really close to Tortola airport, looks idyllic. Went ashore for an overpriced meal and Happy Arrrr with live (!) entertainment – bloke dressed up as pirate stamping his foot a lot and singing we’re not sure what! Got a free pud tho cos the chicken part of my grill was tough!

We were going to stay at Soper’s Hole but we are too mean to pay for an overnight buoy and there doesn’t seem to be any room to anchor so moved on to St John’s but the anchorage was untenable so upped sticks again to come on to St Thomas.

Went to check in at humourless office where I had to do all my fingerprints and Mike only had to do 4. Apparently, women’s hands are “moister”- and it’s not so easy to get a match!

Tried to do scanning at “Beans, bytes and Websites” but, of course, the machines broken, doesn’t recognise my stick and the bloke who knows how to work it doesn’t come in till Monday!

Re-anchored on Water Island, Honeymoon Bay and ashore for “happy” hour. Hmm! According to the pilot book there’s a gourmet restaurant here – there isn’t – that does it, the bloody thing’s going overboard!

Went ashore in the evening and watched “Wedding Crashers” on a screen hung between to palm trees, with a “concession” selling beer and popcorn and chairs laid out in row and some people at the back who arrived by golf cart and watched the movie without having to get out of their carts! The ultimate “drive in” and all for free! I enjoyed the movie – not sure about Grumpy Grampy!

Woke next morning to rain and high humidity, the rain cleared but its still very humid.

Got a bus and ferry to St Johns for a bit of shopping and save us sailing RT back there! While waiting for a ferry in a bar, drunk bloke says “Hope you don’t mind me mentioning this, but your bloke looks a lot like that new James Blond bloke!” Sweet little town and good seafood lunch. Still waiting for the right weather to leave by.

Forecast suggests we leave tomorrow, so final storing of food and we’re ready for Bermuda! Did the washing, got it back to the boat and practically dry before it poured! Keith turned up for a departure beer or two and we wished him goodbye, hoping to catch up next year.

Checked out and back on the boat before it tipped down! Left at 11am, in a gap in the rain.

Poured down in the afternoon, but its still very warm. Mike did most of the nightshift but I’m not enjoying it cos I cant sleep!

Mike spotted a pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins– first dolphins we’ve seen for ages.

For some fortuitous reason, we decided to have our main meal at lunchtime because, just as the sun set, the clouds gathered, thunder and lightening followed and we had to turn tail and run away from the storms which seemed to be all around us. Mike’s told me there are loads of reasons to worry about sailing in thunderstorms (he’s read the book!) but I’ve told him I don’t want to know the scary details till I have my feet on Bermuda! So supper was a very late cheese toastie! I wouldn’t have been up to cooking after that! Then the wind disappeared and we motored for about 3 hours till the wind came back in the small hours.

This morning, the sun’s trying to shine and we are gradually drying out! This afternoon and evening it pissed down and everything is soaked again. Foul winds and current against us means not much progress!

Head wind this morning is heading us off 40 degrees in the wrong direction. We’re doing 6 knots, however, most of it in the wrong direction!

Today started really well, although I confess I’m sick to death of bashing to windward! However, when I got up this morning my shoes were lying in a puddle. Called Mike down to investigate and the lockers under the floor are full of salt water! I go to man the sails while Mike starts bailing, assuming that we got some water down the hatch in the night. However, after 2 hours and still no sign of it abating, we swap jobs so he can look at other options for water ingress. I just keep on bailing, thankful we’re only 50 miles odd from Bermuda and planning what I want to take with me to the life raft! (Only partly joking there!)

Mike quickly finds the problem, which he thinks he can fix. (When installing a new bigger gas bottle in Martinique, he took out a couple of screws for brackets he didn’t need. This being our first sail on port tack since then, we have found that the screw holes are under the water line, hence the water!)

He bungs the drain hole to the locker temporarily (now hoping we don’t get a gas leak or the boat will explode) till we get to Bermuda when the sealant comes out!

The water has mostly now been mopped out and we are speeding towards Bermuda at 7knots, hopefully there in time for sundowners! Mike is going to empty what remains of the whiskey as he took a fall when emptying out a bucket of water and has bruised his bum!

After 3 hours of bailing from 7-10am, and finally drying out, with stuff from the lockers everywhere, I look around and say “What a palaver!” Mike says “There aren’t any, you ate the last this morning”. (If you haven’t already worked it out – “Want a banana!”). So, being knackered and soaked and bruised we descended into giggles!

Mike goes back up to check our progress and gets caught by a massive wave – soaked from top to tail. A split pin has come out of the kicker so he’s fixed that as well, the kiddie netting has come untied from the port side and is flapping about. Will be glad when we just get to Bermuda and take stock!

Apparently, the cruise ships squeeze in through this narrow gap too!

Finally, we check in at St George, Bermuda at 5pm and a very good nights sleep in our own bed!

Whole journey 861.66Nm. Time taken 6 days and 5 hours. Av Speed 5.78kts – not bad!