The Grib file that we had downloaded last night showed steady winds all the way to Statia, a not particularly remarkable wind but WIND!  Every other Grib that we have ever downloaded has always said 18 knots 1.5 metre waves and the wind in the usual place but these were different.  Perhaps they might actually bear some resemblance to reality!  With the words “third day lucky!” we set off and indeed it was a miracle.  There was a wind gently puffing a nice  breezy 12 knots.  Hooray! We put up the sails and off we set smoothly, the wind behind us so we made a slight deviation to optimise our speed.  We had a lovely cheerful breakfast, sitting back enjoying the ride with no engine interrupting natures natural rhythms, scanning the sea with “this is more like it” nods to each other.  Sadly all good things must come to an end it seems and the wind slowed, and slowed, and slowed waiting hopefully for it to get going again.  It didn’t and we had to resort to the motor again.  Harrumph.  We swung the boom out right to the end of the main sheet to feebly grasp at straws but it needed the gybe preventer to keep it there.  And so we motored on with flacid sails lolloping along.  To pass the time we looked up restaurants in Saint Eustatia and after a good half hour playing that well known game, work out the right dialling sequence, we managed to contact The Gin House (most appropriate I thought) and have booked for tomorrow (they are closed tonight).

We arrived at St Eustatia, known to its friends as Statia and Bob hooked  a mooring ball without losing the boathook or any tempers, reminiscing about the only other time that we had moored here when we destroyed one ball and were resoundedly told off for parking on a private one.  Windy has since bobbled up and down like one of those simulators that, under the guise of flying you through somewhere, bump around and just make you feel sick. 

We had a quick lunch and this time had just the one beer (rather than our ill conceived arrival beer plus lunchtime beer of yesterday)  before setting off, somewhat intrepidly, across the looming waves to the relative sanctuary of the dinghy dock behind the breakwater.  It was a refreshing journey but fortunately in this heat we dry off very quickly.  First stop was Customs and Immigration for checking in, but unfortunately not out because I goofed and said we were staying for more than 24 hours.  We were then ushered to a Port Office where we paid our dues.  We then went to the Marine Park office to pay further dues to help towards conservation projects.  It seems to also act as a Tourist Information Office and as Bob paid up the nice woman behind the counter reminded us to go and get any shopping that we needed now because tomorrow is a bank holiday and nothing would be open.  “Nothing?” we echoed “Not even the fort and the museum and everything?”  “No”.  So what to do?  It transpired that we could get into the Botanical Gardens, there would be no one there but they were very happy for visitors to guide themselves around as long as they carefully shut the gates on the way in and out to keep out the cows and the goats that were a nuisance and ate all the plants.  “But how do we get to the Botanical Gardens, is it too far to walk?” Nice woman tried for a taxi but no chance, it was a public holiday.  Should we stay or should we cut our losses and go? Not to be thwarted, last chance to see Statia and all that, we inspirationally opted for a hire car.  Nice woman duly rang around for what seemed ages and eventually bingo!  We just had to wait and our chariot would arrive.  Hooray!  The lovely lady was accorded a sainthood there and then for saving the day.  While we waited we chatted to another girl who came in who was born and bred in Cricklade, not many miles away from Devizes.  Small world!  The car arrived and with a flick of a pen and the exchange of a fistful of cash, we were in business.  With our new found freedom we headed into town to raid the supermarket ( we could, we had a car and wouldn’t have to carry it for miles) a mean feat as the streets are narrow and the one way system more complicated than the Longleat maze.  After a most satisfactory outing, checking out which restaurants were open or indeed still in business, we found our way back to the dock where we reversed the roller coaster ride back to Windy.  Getting on board was a nightmare with the dinghy bouncing up as Windy bounced down and vice versa.  It should be interesting going ashore after a gin and tonic.

PS Those stowaways are still about.  They were up early annoying us and hanging around while I prepared breakfast.  We are just hoping that they are not a breeding pair.