SAINTS and DOWN TO DOMINICA

The sunset was spectacular and the big pink thundercloud sitting to the Southeast had some serious sparkies going to add interest to the proceedings.



It is Saturday night in my favourite anchorage off Isla de Cabrit and the locals are out to PARTY HEARTY. But unlike Antigua where the amps did not get turned off till 3 or 4 am here the sound systems had the plugs pulled before midnight. So it was with a little moan of contentment I settled into my pillow in anticipation of a good nights sleep. However it was not to be as a bloody stinkpot MOBO had his generator going all night and every so often I got a big waft of diesel fumes as well as the continuous gurgle from the exhaust.

Where is your friendly neighborhood arms dealer when you need a Rocket Propelled Grenade or a Stinger missile.

Still I had a good day on the bottom cleaning front and have worked out a way of getting down to the bottom of the keel without too much exertion. So I should have a fairly clean bottom for my next leg South to Dominica. There is lots being said about global warming and coral die off but if the growth on the bottom of Elephants Child is anything to go by the problem is grossly overstated. Just paint where ever you want coral to grow with the stuff the chandlers laughingly call 'antifouling' and wait a month or two.






I also had time for a snorkel amongst some big shoals of fish and some coral growth just around the point. There is a no fishing and no anchoring zone in place there and I guess that is why the fish life is so abundant.










I have a couple of seams that need to be redone and Phil the Sail seems to be the man here in the Saints so the Mack sail cover is coming off tonight and that plus the back section of the bimini will be handed over to him tomorrow.

OK I am impressed with Phil a Voile, he was on time picked the stuff up and bought it back and did a good job for a very reasonable price.

Saints to Dominica

The promised wind switch to the east did not materialize so it looked like I would be beating into a big sea and probably would not be able to lay the course. I poked my nose out through the channel out of the Saints promising myself if it looked uncomfortable I would just turn around and go back to exploring the Saints for a few more days.

However I could almost lay the course and we were making 5 to 6 knots so I decided to carry on thinking once in the lee of Dominica it would be an easy tack back. In the end I managed to fiddle with sail sets and got to the point where we were within a degree or two of the required so made it in one tack but had to motor sail in the last mile or so as the wind died near Dominica.

It was good to get the anchor down and have lunch.