We stayed in Jolly Harbour marina for just over a week after Jacqui left us as some unsettled and windy weather was forecast (and did) come blowing through. We had heard from our friends on Inga who were now mobile again with their new engine and were moving North, and we agreed to meet up in Nevis. We were expecting to arrive before them, but as we sailed over to Nevis they called us on the VHF to say they were nearly there as they had left their anchorage on Guadaloup in the middle of the night as they were constantly on anchor watch. So we both picked up buoys off Pinney Beach, Charlestown and had a social evening on Inga. We spent two days in Nevis looking around, a visit to the botanical gardens and a lunch at an old plantation being the highlights.
The weather dictated that to move north to St Barts we had to go, and we sailed up to the approaches then motored as there were several racing yachts practising going on all points of sailing. This was quite nerve racking as they made 10-15 knots and when you think they re out of your way they would turn and come at you again. At about 100 feet long they made quite a sight and we were glad to be in among he anchored boats off Gustaviaand out of their way. Still with Inga we only intended to stay overnight and we finally picked up the last two mooring buoys in Columbier bay. Gustavia anchorage was heaving and it did not look at all inviting, while Columbier was also full, maybe we will stay longer on our way back.
From St Barts we left the next morning for St.Martin, the island that is half French and half Dutch.
Inga spent three months there in 2015 having a new engine fitted so acted as our guides. We sailed along the south coast and then around to the anchorage on the French half in Marigot Bay where we anchored near Inga in 4 metres. The anchorage was very busy and we were about 500 metres from shore, and it turned out to be quite bouncy, not only from the chop but from dinghies and other craft
motoring around. We did get ashore the following day and checked in the French way, by entering your details on a computer, in a chandlery, then stocked up in the large supermarket nearby.
We left with Inga the following day at 6pm for an overnight passage to the British Virgin Islands, while Inga made for the US virgin islands. It was a bumpy passage before the winds eased and we motored the last 15 miles before picking up a buoy off Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda where I dinghied in to check in. They charge for everything here, $30 for the buoy per night, $2 to dock the dinghy, but once checked in we could relax. One of the must see sights nearby is The Baths, a formation of very large boulders by the beach. You cant take your dinghy ashore there so we wimped out and took a taxi from Spanish Town. We had bought a data card for the internet and I thought I had better take some ID, and what better than my passport. When I looked for it there was no sign of it anywhere, so my first call was back at customs where luckily they had held on to it. Good job we looked then otherwise there would have been a real panic when we came to check out , and we would have had to return to Spanish Town…...must be getting old.
The weather has intervened again in our plans, and although we will have only been here a week we shall be leaving next Tuesday(probably) as the wind is due to turn to the South or even South West and as the prevailing wind is from the East, and we have to go East, it is too good an opportunity to let pass.
So we are currently in North Sound, Virgin Gorda, off the Bitter End Yacht Club, sitting on board in torrential rain which looks likely to be with us until we leave.
Some technical notes: I have fixed the generator, by tightening up some of the contacts which led to it shutting itself down if it thought something was wrong. Brian off Inga brought me some watermaker brushes from the agent in Le Marin and now the watermaker is running OK. On the minus side the SSB radio has a problem with transmit on voice. I can receive perfectly well but our transmission is very weak , although we can send and receive emails on the radio . This suggests it may be the handset, so we will have to see if we can get it checked out, it may even mean I have to bring the handset home.