We needed to travel 50 miles to get around from Deshiase to Pointe a piete where the airport is. My crew has an early flight out of here on Monday morning. We decide this is too far and decide to saill to Bass Terre, the capital of Guadeloupe. Surely there will be easy connections to the airport from the capitol city.
With only 20 miles to go we take our time getting moving in the morning. Once we pull the anchor and leave there is very little wind. This was a good decision to only go 20 miles since we are experiencing some current and the engine will only push along at 4 knots.
The wind pick ups as we reach the marina near Base terre.
I have been calling on the radio for the past hour but I am getting no answer. We pull into the marina and there is no personal there to help us. No one at the fuel dock, no one on the docks at all except for a few other livaboards. Our best laid plans are not coming to fruition.
We set the anchor outside the Marina and feel very satisfied that it will hold after two tries. Off we go into the dingy. Margo is counting the times she has to get in and out of the dingy. After falling out once it has become her nemesis, but she has been a trooper to say the least. We go into the marina and everything is closed. The shops, the bars, the restaurants, everything. It is Sunday Feb 14th and everyone is on holiday. For Valentines day? I thought this was a hallmark holiday to help them sell more cards and to watch couples make a fool of themselves. The guys in particular.
How are we going to get a taxi or find transportation to the airport? We walk around and finally find a bartender at a very small family beach bar that speaks English. He is our savior and he arranges a taxi to pick Margo up at 5:15AM so she can make her early morning flight.
Back to the boat we go.
"Oh No" I cry. "The swells are coming in, the boat is rocking, the wind is gusting. Tonight's attempt at sleeping are going to suck."
I may have used some more expletives as my drink flew off the table but I was anticipating this so I caught it in mid air.
"Nice Catch" She said.
"We will only be filling glasses 1/4 full tonight" I replied.
We are up at 4:30 after very little sleep and head to the dock for one last dingy ride for my crew. She can't wait to be done with the dingy. Our prayers are answered as the taxi arrives at 5:20. Only 5 minutes later than our requested time. Just enough time to make us nervous.
We say our good byes and I am off back to Mile High Dream.
Weather is predicting a little higher winds today. I pull the anchor and head out. I have 30 miles to go today after my sleepless night. I get out of the sheltered bay and the wind is raging. I have to get some kind of sail up because my motor is not powerful enough to handle this kind of wind.
My attempt to raise my sail only 1/2 the way up, or a double reef is not working. My mainsail is flapping like laundry on the line just before the tornado hits. It won't go up and now it won't come down.
"This is going to be a long day" I yell at the top of my lungs to no one. You can yell and scream and do all kinds of things when you are sailing by yourself.
I see some boats anchored near shore and I head towards them. "It has got to be calmer in there if they are anchored" I say.
Yes it was and I was able to get the sail down, the lines untangled and then back up part way which is what I wanted. Back out into the wavy seas I did go. I must be nuts or at least a little crazy to be doing this but tomorrow is not suppose to be any better. I had put on my safety harness/life vest along with attaching my safety line to the boat so I was least safe inside the cockpit.
Three hours I battled this trying to make headway around the island and get to the other side. Once I got to the other side the wind was in my favor. I raised the main sail a little more to 1 reef and put 1/2 of the head sail out. I turned off the motor and away I went. 6 knots, 7 knots, 7.5, 7.9, 8, 8.4, wholly smoke I was sailing, sailing fast. I kept this up for the last two hours and reached the safety of the marina around 3:00.
I got tied up and it was so calm. I was exhausted and fell asleep by 8:00.