Onward

Next up?  St. Lucia.  We tho’t Martinique was pimped-out for tourists?  Rodney Bay may be moreso.  But more than Martinique, i can see inequity at work here.  We anchor and are almost immediately approached by vendors in beat up little boats selling fruit.  They deck their craft out with palm frond bimini for shade and flags from the boats they’ve served.  Very colorful and hard-working.  At our next stop in Marigot Bay, the crew was still picking up a mooring buoy forward when the vendor (with crutches aboard) was aft trying to sell me stuff…and barring that, asked if i had a beer for him.  Soon after another vendor showed up in another dinghy to offer tour services…  Sure, we’ve seen the like before but these boatmen feel more desperate.  Maybe a preview of what we’ll find in St. Vincent?  Still they deserve respect too.  I haven’t “walked in their shoes” (or in this case, “paddled in their boat”). 

Marigot Bay was described as a “must see” by a charter skipper…the Moorings has several boats based from there and it’s encircled by high rent property.  The various tour boats that come in and out point out to the tourists the homes of celebrities.  But we noticed that each tour guide named different celebrities for the same homes?  And we disagree about it being a “must see.”  The must see for us was our next mooring at “The Pitons.”  Two big distinct peaks.  Property ashore is private, but the scene is beautiful.   

The crew caught a panga into Soufriere too.

We thank Akimbo’s previous crews for taking a “beating” for us.  When i listen to the Carib weather man, it appears that the weather we don’t want is in our wake.  Our area (14N & 61W) seems to have the best of the forecasts.  And…we have slowed our pace, which we can afford thanks again to the hard sailing of previous crews.  I am still adjusting to pokin’ along.  Late morning weighing anchor, 10 to 25 miles to make…or simply go for a hike and stay a day. 

Barry sleeps in the cockpit still…even tho Jessica left an open berth below.  Given that he snores, that may be a good thing.  But he even sleeps thru light rains?  Wow. 

Chaos is still winning the combat over the dinghy floor.  It still leaks and i’m still workin’ on it.  And this morning i got more entertainment than i wanted…with the waffle iron.  I’m lucky that i am getting to pick and choose more important victories.  But tryin’ to be lazy and unroll the genoa alone for the next ten miles, a squall came as if on cue.  As we went to roll up most of the genoa, its sheet snapped and broke the starboard dodger window.  Damn!  Clear tape is patching it for now. 

How are clouds like sailboats?  They sail across oceans…until they run aground on islands.  The islands do indeed gather them.  To climb over the islands, the clouds lighten their load by dumping their rain.  And then on they sail.  Suckin’ up wind, blowin’ it back out and raining as they go. 

We found a nice anchorage at the south end of St. Lucia, near Vieux de Fort.  It stages us well for the 41+nm crossing to the south end of St. Vincent.  I’ve planned to go around the windward side of the island for a change.  This should keep us in open water and clear winds and make for a fast day…and the final turn to our anchorage downwind instead of up.  Crew change tomorrow:  welcome aboard Patrick and Julie and thank you Sandra (she departs the following morning).  Again, a little overlap between crews is…a party, oh boy!  People sharing their stories and excitement, encouraging each other, and the departing crew helping me out by showing the newbies some details.  Thank you all. 

From St. Vincent – squalls came and went, so…so did the wind.  One area had surprising white caps.  I’ve seen a much smaller version of it in Puget Sound when opposing currents meet.  And there IS a lot of current around here, so that’s my best guess.  From here to Grenada…about 70nm for which we have 11 days.  Oh boy!