Martinique
Penguin
Mon 16 Jan 2006 13:05
 Penguin in the Boatyard, Martinique
Travelled over from St Lucia to Martinique on Boxing Day
and spent a few days in small bays in the south of the island. Visited
Fort de France and did the touristy bit with all the passengers of Queen Mary
2. Windsurfing was practised, a little more successful but lucky we
have the dinghy to recover us as we all ended up down wind towards St
Lucia.
Went over the water to Anse Mitan for New Years
eve, met the crew of Harvey for dinner and the celebrations, some fireworks
around but not riotous. Rob ferried the drunken crews back to the boats and the
evening was finished off afloat.
While in Anse Mitan Rob was up the
mast to change a halyard and spotted some cracking in the paint on the
mast just above the top spreaders.
By the time we sailed to Marin we checked the mast again
and the cracks had grown. So it was to the Riggers we went. Up shot
is we were hauled out and mast down on Thursday Jan 5 and lived in the
boatyard.for a week. The mast was welded and sprayed. We have
done the antifouling and polished the top sides. Penguin is gleaming
again. We went back in the water on Friday, can now confirm the stick
is up and we are off again, quite a pit stop.
Sunday night was the town celebration with carnival, music
and dancing in the evening, all very colourful especially the Creole
ballet.
Jackie flies home on Tuesday (17th) and we wish her well,
and hope to see her back on board in the Pacific in a few months
time.
Penguin will start the sail south from the 18th picking up
Niamh in Rodney Bay, St Lucia.
Sorry about the delay in posting a
web diary updates but I dropped the Satellite phone and had to send it for
repair, working now, so we're back up and running.
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