Pain aux Sucre, Iles des Saintes

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Wed 1 Jan 2014 15:41

15:51.7N 61:36.0W

 

Mon 30th Dec

 

We were up at dawn and soon heading out of Prince Rupert Bay under the now regular torrential downpour and grey skies of the early mornings in Dominica.

 

A brisk east north east breeze that picked up to 25 knots gusting to 30 drove us on our way and with the main well reefed and the staysail also partially reefed, we stormed across the 20 mile gap between Dominica and the Iles des Saintes at a steady 7 to 8 knots all the way.

 

We made our way into the small anchorage at Pain aux Sucre (Sugerloaf) and dropped the anchor in a convenient space.  We were joined there shortly afterwards by Ruffian who had managed a lightning crossing as well and they found a nice spot nearer to the head of the bay which looked pretty free from the slight swell running.

 

We managed a few tasks on board and then in the evening we had Ruffian over for drinks, dinner and the near obligatory game of Mexican Train.

 

They only catch here was that the wind was still howling all evening and in addition there was a growing and quite unpleasant surge and swell which had almost all of the boat rolling and pitching.