28 - 30 March 2012
Final departure from old friend Rodders Bay early am on 28th March. MB with lump in throat at leaving familiar territory and friends. Heading North and motorsailing into a NE’ly chop. 1030 and 2 humpbacks are sighted rolling and cavorting off to starboard just off the tip of St Lucia. My first real big cetacian sighting.
We zigzag our way northwards to Martinique in a blur of MB’s indecision. This way or that? Nothing new there. Anyway we finally bear off for a run down the white water tide rip between the coast and (HMS) Diamond Rock, the stone frigate that so annoyed the French back in Georgian times.
Me make for the tiny bays on the lee (Caribbean side) of the island, and drop our hook in 6 metres off the beach at Grande Anse D’Arlet, a pretty spot if ever I saw one, although rather prone to katabatic williwaws from the hills.
Ashore by dinghy for Moules a la creme avec frites. Lovely little typical carib beach setup. Nice sunset, turtles in the bay, and all that sort of thing.
We stay at anchor all Thurs 29th for a spot of bottom scrubbing and stuff like that. The sort of thing that old blokes get up to when left alone. Les went down on my bottom with a long handled scrubbing brush and a scourer and removed quite a lot of nasty cling-ons. Couldn’t have done it myself. Later I dressed in rubber and lead weights and aided by a giant blow up buouy thingy (which Les had to do a blow job on) and a long tube and mouthpiece I too got to work on my bottom, but more particularly my shaft which had barnacles stuck on it.
Great walk pm to the next bay and some beers with some passing french persons. Buy and install new gaz bottle and eat last of the delicious st lucia steaks. Bed with irish whiskEy.
No comments:
Post a Comment