Friday, 30 January, 2009
We (those of us up and about) have begun listening to Chris Parker at 8:30 am instead of 7:00. This morning we have heavy overcast and rain, another tropical wave. This caps a week of strong winds; Chris says it will moderate by tomorrow, and next week will be fairly mild.
We are in Anse Mitan, just inside Pointe du Bout, across the bay from Fort de France, Martinique's biggish city, by caribbean standards. This small town is described in one of our many guides as a place where wealthy French tourists with too much money to spend hang out. We came in hopes of lots of free internet extending out into the harbour. Not the case. The shore is lined with ratty looking bars and small hotels. We haven't been ashore, and will probably move over to Fort de France this morning. There is a very good anchorage right in by the old town.
Yesterday was beautiful and quite windy for our sail here from Ste. Anne. Almost dead down wind for the first ten miles, we sailed under main alone at a comfortable 5-6 knots. As we rounded Pte. du Diamont, taking the passage inside Diamond Rock, the wind became unstable and variable, sometimes fairly light astern and othertimes hard on the beam at 25 knots, williwaws banging in from the nearby hills. We sailed on up past Les Anse Arlets, a lovely looking little town, and Grand Anse, where the customs people have recently set up a new "clearances" station for yachts. Turning the corner at Cap Salomon, we faced the full brunt of the wind steady and hard on the nose for five miles into Pte. du Bout. Alicia spent most of the trip painting the remains of her previous day's breakfast. It is a before and after series. She surfaced as we approached Diamond Rock, jutting high into the azure sky, and was shocked by its might and beauty. She took a photo or ten. I enjoyed the sail, exciting and needful of full attention. The final push upwind under power gave us a good test for the starboard engine cooling system. It seems to be ok.
We (those of us up and about) have begun listening to Chris Parker at 8:30 am instead of 7:00. This morning we have heavy overcast and rain, another tropical wave. This caps a week of strong winds; Chris says it will moderate by tomorrow, and next week will be fairly mild.
We are in Anse Mitan, just inside Pointe du Bout, across the bay from Fort de France, Martinique's biggish city, by caribbean standards. This small town is described in one of our many guides as a place where wealthy French tourists with too much money to spend hang out. We came in hopes of lots of free internet extending out into the harbour. Not the case. The shore is lined with ratty looking bars and small hotels. We haven't been ashore, and will probably move over to Fort de France this morning. There is a very good anchorage right in by the old town.
Yesterday was beautiful and quite windy for our sail here from Ste. Anne. Almost dead down wind for the first ten miles, we sailed under main alone at a comfortable 5-6 knots. As we rounded Pte. du Diamont, taking the passage inside Diamond Rock, the wind became unstable and variable, sometimes fairly light astern and othertimes hard on the beam at 25 knots, williwaws banging in from the nearby hills. We sailed on up past Les Anse Arlets, a lovely looking little town, and Grand Anse, where the customs people have recently set up a new "clearances" station for yachts. Turning the corner at Cap Salomon, we faced the full brunt of the wind steady and hard on the nose for five miles into Pte. du Bout. Alicia spent most of the trip painting the remains of her previous day's breakfast. It is a before and after series. She surfaced as we approached Diamond Rock, jutting high into the azure sky, and was shocked by its might and beauty. She took a photo or ten. I enjoyed the sail, exciting and needful of full attention. The final push upwind under power gave us a good test for the starboard engine cooling system. It seems to be ok.
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