Thursday, Dec 6th, 2012

We wake to rain, and sneak regretfully, out of Marigot Bay between showers. The conditions are a little bouncier today, and the winds in the cut getting higher. We were followed by seabirds nearly the whole way across and they made a feast on the various fish we stirred up while passing. We made a deal with them…they could eat everything they could catch, so long as they did not poop on our boat….everyone agreed and it was a lovely day.

After dodging multiple floats on our way into Grand Anse D’arlet, Martinique we arrived into a HUGE bay liberally spotted with brand new mooring bouys, which are free to use. Of course, there is a catch….you have to manage to pick one up by yourself. This is a French Island, and prosperous, so no boat boy industry. And did I mention, there is no Mooring pennant, so you are trying to catch a ring at the top of a bouncing, moving ball, and of course the winds are gusting to 27knts. Ah, Ha….but we are from Chicago…where Monroe Harbor is the ideal training ground for this exact situation. I grab the Grab.N.Go hook and line, fit it to the boat hook and after one quick pass where we rolled a little too far over the ball, was able to snag it on the second try, then with my left hand holding the line attached to the ball steady (yeah – right!) I hang my entire torso over the forward crossbeam and with my right hand try to feed the two mooring lines (which I forgot I was laying on!) thru the ring and back up to the deck, where I then shimmy back and tie them off. All this while Jim is holding the boat completely steady (Thrusters at station-keeping Captain!), into 27 Knots, oh, and he can neither see what I am doing, nor hear me since I am basically UNDER the boat! When we talk about teamwork…this is what we mean.

We shared the anchorage with a 5 masted Star Clipper tonight, which is especially lovely with all the masts and spars lit with white lights after dark. Also, we were able to see our first sunset into the sea for the season, a lovely sight.