Les Saintes
Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Sun 20 Feb 2011 16:31
15:52.258N
61:35.113W
Sunday 20th February
2011
Distance run: 24
nautical miles
Although it was only
a short distance to Les Saintes, we were on our way soon after 0800. We
had the best conditions we have had since arriving in the Caribbean - kind
seas, wind of 10-15 knots on the beam - and we had a fantastic sail all
the way to this little group of islands just a few miles south of
Guadeloupe. We were sailing so well that we decided not to change course
to go through the usual South West passage into the islands but to come through
a much narrower and shallower gap which was dead ahead. It was no trouble
at all picking out the rocks and the breaking water over the shoals, but what we
hadn't thought about was the fishing marks which often accompany shallower
water. So we ended up doing a slalom course through this narrow gap to
avoid them, which certainly kept us on our toes, but in the benign conditions
gave us no problems or worries. (For our non-sailing friends, the fishing
marks are usually empty Coke bottles which float on the surface and are tied to
a rope that is tied at the other end to a lobster pot on the sea floor or a
fishing net which is drawn between two (and often more) of these
marks. They pose a problem because if you go over them they wind
themselves around the boat's propellor and stop it from turning! The only
way to get them off is to dive down with a knife and cut them
off.)
By midday we were
anchored in a pretty little anchorage in Bourg des Saintes, a little town on
Terre d'en Haut, one of the bigger islands of the group. From the boat we
can see several of the other islands as well as Guadeloupe just a few miles
off.
We spotted Nimue
immediately we entered the anchorage - the Contest shape is easy for us to
pick out now, and it was good to meet up with Anne & Michael and catch up on
their news. We last saw them in Lanzarote. They kindly ran us ashore
to check in, and whilst doing so bumped into some other friends, so arrangements
were made to meet up for drinks that evening. A very enjoyable evening
ensued during which we met Jonas and Heather from Sea Otter and Rick
and Lucy from Flying Cloud.
Yesterday we were up
at 0645 to move out of the way of another boat which was leaving but whose
anchor chain was underneath us, but it was generally a lazy day when we went
ashore to have a wander around the little town which has a laid back holiday
village type feel to it and is full of scooters which seem to be the preferred
mode of transport here. Several ferries a day arrive from Guadeloupe and
disgorge their passengers for a few hours wandering through the streets and
browsing in the souvenir shops before tooting their horns to call them back
onboard and take them back from whence they came.
In the evening we
were invited onboard Sea Otter for a barbecue, together with Anne &
Michael from Nimue and it was the first time I have seen a dog dressed
in pyjamas! Heather and Jonas have a hairless dog called Stormy, and
because she is hairless she gets cold much as we do if we are naked. So in
the evening when it gets cooler, she wears her pyjamas to keep warm. I
wish I'd had my camera with me!
The weather has
continued to be very calm with light airs and it has been a treat to be able to
put up the boom tent to keep the sun off. Long may it
last...