It was clearly time to move on: the boat had begun to develop the signs of one of our Mad Max Live aboard vessels:  festooned with drying laundry, deck cluttered with stuff not put away, swimming cossies drying on the rail, tools and crockery left on work surfaces…..2 hours’ worth of tidying up to make her ready for sailing!

A Memorable “Mad Max” Trimaran – Owned by “The Pirate” who really stripped wrecks….

In order to avoid becoming one of these shambolic floating hovels, we picked up our anchor and moved northwards today. Since it was a bit late to head directly for Barbuda, we concluded that we would overnight off Long Island (not that one!) which would also give us a bit of east before we headed North West to Barbuda, and hopefully get a decent sail.

It Always Pays to Have a Clean Bottom!

We have been delighted at just how much extra boat speed we now have, with a clean hull, and polished propeller. At least a knot and a half makes a huge difference on passage, and she feels so much crisper on the helm. We are kicking ourselves for not lifting her out at Rodney Bay over Christmas, which is where much of the damage was done in their warm and soupy marina basin…..lessons learned.

It is also clear that out European anti-fouling is not up to the job out here, and there is a recommended brand – Seahawk 44 – that is supposed to work better. Interestingly, it is marked in bold letters – NOT LICENCED FOR USE IN THE USA – so it must have something really nasty in it! The other disturbing thing is that the stuff we usually use (International Micron Extra) costs an absolute fortune in the chandleries here – c £250 for a one and a half litre tin (4 times the UK price), and we use about 7 litres for a double hull coating, before taking the boot top into account.

Having scrubbed the hull, we have found another unexpected benefit in that out fridge and our freezer are both working much more effectively. They both have underwater cooling, and the crustaceans had covered them completely with shells and weed. Freed of this blanket, we have had to turn the setting down to stop the milk and beer freezing!

Feathered Friends

We have spoken before about the Pelicans and Frigate Birds that swoop and glide majestically around the bays. We have also begun to see quite a few Terns, and to hear them with their high-pitched squeaks (too early in the morning!).  The Parrots and Humming Bird have also had a mention or two, but we have not touched on some other interesting land birds yet.

Restaurants and cafés usually have a covered terrace or deck to allow you to sit out in the shade, and also to confuse the smokers – is it allowed under cover or not?(the French always think so). The smart birds have identified these areas (and sometimes the inside spaces as well) as a prime source of food, and a few varieties are really forward. They are as persistent as the seagulls outside the fish and chip shop in Conway, but rather more becoming!

Ignoring the sparrows, there are two species worth mentioning here: the Sucrier and the Red Gorge. The former is an habitué of the cane fields and loves sugar and sweet things (no surprise there, then), and the Red Gorge is like a black Robin with a crimson chest, and equally brave. They are bold as brass when they think that they can steal or beg something juicy. This can be a bit disconcerting when you are about to dig into your lunch and something lands on your table!

Leaning out the car window at Mont Pele on Martinique, a Red Gorge alighted on my hand as a perch, presumably used to being fed by those leaving the cafe – I fear he was taken aback at my reaction! We have become so used to the antics of these birds, we have stopped taking pictures of them, but the one below tickled us when lunching on Guadeloupe, fortunately it was not our ice cream….

Watergaw