Well I'll get the story of the foot out of the way first. The doctor was extremely loath to take out the stitches. Luck would have it that the knife hit exactly on the line between the tough hard skin of the heel and the thin and delicate skin below the ankle bone. And these two different types of skin did not want to join together. So she sent me away to eat more protein? Was I eating red meat? Um not at all as we eat fish for protein here. The body needs extra protein to heal wounds evidently. Never had a better excuse to have a burger. So after several attempts and more protein she agreed to take the stitches out yesterday. So at half seven in the morning we dutifully turned up to find that the practice was closed until Monday due to some unforeseen emergency. So we went to the chemist and bought a small pair of very sharp scissors and Colin took them out. I sterilised everything first and made him wash his hands. He did a very good job of it and I am now without stitches. Thank goodness as I have eaten so many eggs that I might start clucking. I was fine after but Colin was so traumatised he had to have a rum. Well that was his excuse.

So stitches out we upped anchor and headed down the estuary at Le Marin with the intention of spending a few nights at a lovely open anchorage at Sainte Anne. The channel at Le Marin is very complicated with many turns and a lot of very shallow water on either side. It is this that makes it such a good hurricane hole as the wind doesn't get the opportunity to build up huge waves over a large stretch of open water. It is well buoyed so not a problem but it is an engine job and the sails don't go up until in open water. So about half way along the channel the engine stopped. Well first of all it made a slightly funny noise and there was some black smoke. I called the chief engineer who said that some black smoke was normal when it hadn't been used much for a while. I was not convinced in which conviction I was unfortunately proved correct. So I upped a foresail and had to sail up the windy windy channel and into the anchorage. This was quite challenging as Colin was down below doing emergency things to the engine. None of these emergency things have as yet worked and at the moment we don't have an engine. However Sainte Anne is a lovely village. There is a bar that does the best Planters Punch on the island in my opinion, a supermarket, the fishermen sell fresh fish on the quay in the evenings and there is a golden sand beach. So there are worse places to be stranded for a little while.

This morning I made a sweet potato and chicken curry with coconut and sultanas to which I am much looking forward. I just started it off in the hob and then it will spend the sunny day simmering gently in the solar oven. We bought the solar oven from Spain a few years ago and it is a brilliant asset to the boat. We have an oven down below but who wants to heat up a boat in a hot climate. As both the boat and the sun are continuously moving and not necessarily in the same direction it does require some attention but I tell myself that all that upping and downing is good for me. I often use it just to bake potatoes and sweet potatoes for which I would never dream of putting on the gas oven. And the sun is free and gas over here is rather expensive. I have even made bread in it which was verging on edible and much improved by toasting.

It has been quite exciting on the anchorage today as there has been an around the island international catamaran race which has had Sainte Anne as its stage finishing point. A couple came quite close to where we were anchored and I have attempted a picture. Said picture also shows the nice open view from our temporary home. I used to race a similar size of catamaran when I was a young girl so it brought back a few memories. The field has been very well spread so we are having plenty of entertainment. It is lovely to see them soaring along with a hull high out of the water.

Well that brings this blog post to a close. Once the engine is mended we will move on but until then there is no alternative but to sit back and enjoy Sainte Anne.