While I was in the mangroves, I changed engine oil and filter. Raycor filter too. I also recalibrated my main depth sounder. I have two. The new one that's part of my chart plotter and an older one that was aboard when I bought the boat. The new one is so easy to do but the older one? I'll find a more intelligent being around and ask for help. There are loads of them.
Why I checked the calibration was that a couple of trips back, into the mangroves, I touched bottom on the bend trying to get down into the lower lake areas. On the way out yesterday, I saw that I had a foot, or 30cm under my keel. Plenty water.
I waited a day or two for the westerlies to pass over. Being south of these hurricanes, we get westerly winds as they pass and boy do they churn the west facing bays up?
Things got back to normal after I came out into the bay. Gathering the occasional lobster, Lambi etc. all good fun. Before I knew it, the hurricane season was over and time to head back north. In the company of Liv and Magnus on Nanny, from Sweden, I cleared out of Carriacou and anchored for the night at Sandy Island, of Hillsborough. Great snorkeling there. The following day we sailed up to Chatham Bay, on Union Island. We sailed using only the Genoa and it was great. Again, very good snorkeling. Loads of lobsters. Sadly I broke my lobster hook there and I had no spare. That evening I made 3 new ones!
From there it was up to Bequia and we anchored off Jacks Bar, Princess Margret beach. We caught up with a lot of boats we know and had many good BBQs and parties on the beach.
Nanny sailed straight up to Martinique on Monday 27 November. I was going to leave later in the week but after looking at the weather for the following week, I, in the company of Out of Africa and Endorfin 2, left at midday on Wednesday 29. November for Cumberland Bay, SVG. We tied up stern to, to the palm trees and spent the evening there. Very pretty bay. The following morning we motor sailed up the lee of SVG, then sailed across the channel to St. Lucia. When we arrived at the southern end of the island, the rain pelted down, with no wind and zero viz. very wet and cold. This stayed with us all the way up to Rodney Bay, where we dropped anchor, just on dark.
We went ashore as I needed to fill propane tanks. None in the French islands. They use butane.
Saturday morning I was up at 6 and sailed at 7. Had a great sail across to Le Marin, Martinique. Dolphins followed me too! Sunday I took it easy and now, Monday, I'll head ashore in my dinghy check in and start with a little shopping. I also have to replace my anchor chain and stove. So time to get the bargaining skills on!