17:38.256N 063:15.492W
Whisper
Noel Dilly
Wed 3 Apr 2013 00:16
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"30th March -
Ladder Bay, Saba"
We set off for Saba after an early breakfast. The skies grey and a force 4 blowing from the SE. We made our way past five tankers, some laden, some empty, a gas tanker, three barges and three tugs. Fortunately, as it was early there was no activity amongst these giants to worry about, it was quite a spectacle to see so many anchored ships close by. With the wind on our beam and under mainsail alone Whisper was cruising along at 5 - 7 knots. The large swell kept threatening to soak us and eventually as I handed over the helm to Noel, having already had my back soaked 2 minutes earlier, a wave caught me full in the face! Saba is only 17 miles from Statia, it is only 5 square miles in size and is steep too all around with vertical pink, grey and brown cliffs. It has only been inhabited since the early 1940 as it was quite inaccessible. The first landing point was on the leeward shore, which as we have found out gives little shelter from the ocean swells. 800 steps were cut into the rock to gain access to the island and everything had to be transported this way, including a piano and a bishop! These early settlers were easily able to prevent invasions by keeping piles of boulders stacked behind wooden supports. These supports we're knocked out when the invaders were part way up the steps. The 1500 inhabitants are hardy descendants from Holland, Scotland, England and a few Africans who originally came as slaves. These people have worked hard together, when they were told that it was impossible to build a road by some Dutch engineers, one of the inhabitants took a correspondence course in road building and the people hand built the road between the two main villages, Bottom and Windwardside. Similarly when the islanders consulted engineers about building an airport, they were told it was not possible. A pilot from close by, St Barts was called in, he checked out the one flat topped rock and thought that landing might be possible. The Sabans then set too, flattening the rock by hand and filling in the holes. The pilot then made his landing and an airport was built, evidently it is like landing on an aircraft carrier! We are drawn to this island by their sheer can do attitude. We had hoped to land but Saba is notorious for being frustrating to cruisers and today is most definitely, one of those days. We decided not to pick up one of the buoys at Fort Bay where we need to check in as the swell on the south coast was just too much. We came around to Ladder Bay on the west coast, where the wind was now whistling down from the north. I have picked up many moorings in my relatively short sailing experience, but this was something different. Never have I felt that I WANTED to wear a life jacket and HAD to be clipped on to catch a mooring buoy. Today was very different, I carefully made my way to the foredeck, taking a mooring line with me and collecting the boat hook whilst still holding on, Whisper's bow heaving and digging into the oncoming swell. We knew that there are supposed to be eleven mooring buoys along this coast and we could see two yachts hanging off buoys, but where the others were was impossible to see. Eventually a yellow buoy appeared only to disappear again, but at least we had an area to aim at. Sure enough it appeared again out of the swell, we were getting close, the book hook was exceptionally wet and slippery, the deck heaving up and down, another of those 'why am I here thoughts' crept into the back of my mind. Lined up nicely, we headed for our mark, but as we slowed down the wind caught the bow and pushed Whisper away from the buoy and out of reach. We circled and approached again, this time the line was caught but I could not pull the weight in on the end of the slippery pole. Noel came to the rescue and we were soon secure and made fast. Back in the safety of the cockpit we watched the other two yachts disappearing beneath the swell as it rolled past us, whilst the beautiful steep rugged cliffs towered above us. The 800 steps of Ladder Bay were clearly visible - and this is where those settlers brought their belongings and supplies and landed! We had lunch, transferred water from our forward tanks to the main tank, had a snooze and prepared dinner. As I write this, the wind and the swell is dying down so hopefully tonight on a mooring, will not be too much of a worry, but whether or not we will be able to land tomorrow remains to be seen. We may well head off to St Barts and perhaps catch a ferry here for a visit? Photograph "Calm in Ladder Bay, Saba" |
