The Roys have arrived

Because of the huge number of boats in and around St. Lucia these days because of the strike in Guadeloupe and Martinique, we decided to have Ron and Judy meet us in Soufriere. A week ago with Jeanne and Doug, we had managed to snag on of the best mooring balls in the area for snorkeling and we just didn't want to give it up. Ron and Judy were to arrive after dark around 7:30 pm, so we arranged to pick them up at the Hummingbird Bar and Restaurant. Soufriere is NOT the kind of place you want
to hang around in after dark, but we decided to do what we had to do to make it work. We arrived at the dinghy dock in the pitch dark. Not a light around to see our way and if we hadn't done a trial run the day before, we wouldn't have known that half the boards were missing on the dock! A local named "Chili" came running to us telling us that he would keep our dinghy safe, which for once, we agreed needed attending! We sat in the bar for several hours and finally at around 11:00 without Ron
and Judy and with the bar and restaurant closing, we told the personnel there that we would be leaving and asked them to keep a lookout for our friends if they happened to arrive late. We paid Chili for helping us with our dinghy and made our way back to the boat. Our plan with Ron and Judy was that if they had any complications we would check our email. Of course, I had taken my laptop into the Hummingbird, but their wifi wasn't working, so the first thing I did after returning to the boat was
to hook up all the connections to check my email through Ham. Night time propagation isn't ever good for emailing, but I set up anyway. Just as I tried to get through, we heard Ron's voice on the VHF radio as clear as could be...meaning only one thing -- they were in the area!! They had arrived at the Hummingbird minutes after we left. After some complication with the security man who had only minutes left on his shift and stated they didn't have a VHF radio, they managed to get his replacement
security man to let them in to use the radio. Laurie quickly lowered the dinghy from its davits and made his way back in to pick them up. By the time we went to bed, it was an unusual 1:30 am, a far cry from the usual 9:00 bed time we're used to!

Minutes ago, Judy and Ron were picked up by Shane who will deliver them to the shore where they will take a tour of the Botanical Gardens, the Diamond Falls and the drive-in volcano. We'll see them at some point this afternoon and do a little more snorkeling before we head to the next bay (between the Pitons) tomorrow morning.

I'm hoping that Jeanne and Doug made it home safely and I'll probably find out when I send this email this morning. They will be amused to know that after they left, it rained solid for 2 days and cleared just in time for Ron and Judy's visit!

Chores and Clean-up

Laurie and I had a wonderful dinner on Sunday evening, provided by Jeanne and Doug. The Harmony restaurant offers a very neat package. Benny Junior comes with the menu in the afternoon, you pick from chicken OR fish and then he runs back to let them know. Later on in the evening, he comes back to pick you up and drops off an employee to keep your boat safe while you're gone. We locked the boat up tight and left him chips and pop in the cockpit, much like you would a babysitter and told him not
to talk on the phone all night (joke)! After dinner, Benny Junior helps you back into his 35 foot pirogue and travels at lightning speed back to your boat. Cruisers get used to these southern islands and the security issues, and usually eat a meal at noon and don't get off their boats after dark. After we ate, Benny Senior took me into his home so I could post the blog that you might have read on Sunday night or Monday. His wireless wasn't working, so I made myself at home in his living room
and was able to get the job done. Thanks Jeanne and Doug for the memorable dinner and evening!

On Monday morning, Shane, our boat boy dropped by to ask Jeanne and Doug if they'd be needing his services. They hired him to transport them in between the Pitons to take a look at the view. We are tied to one of seven mooring balls at a prime snorkeling location and didn't want to untie and lose our place. Jeanne and Doug then had Shane take them to shore to meet up with Dixon, their new found friend and taxi driver.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow will be taken up with chores and cleanup. We are catching up on some maintenance that we have been avoiding, engine checks, laundry, grocery run, and dusting out the spare bunk for our new guests, Ron and Judy, who arrive on Thursday. We're paid up on the mooring until Saturday morning. A week is just 80 EC (30.00 US), a far cry from the $25-30 US a day, that people want in the US, BVI, and Bermuda.

I'm sending this blog through the Ham Radio, because these last moorings are in a secluded spot where wifi is sparse, so if we don't blog every day, consider it a day off of the Ham radio aggravation for us!

Last post from Jeanne from St. Lucia

This is the last night of our vacation and Doug is taking advantage of every last minute. He just came in from snorkeling right off the back of the boat. We are anchored off the picturesque town of Soufriere in a prime snorkeling location adjacent to the famous bat cave. Earlier I was sunning myself in the trampoline at the front of the boat and could look straight down through the netting and watch the friendly sergeant major fish playing below in the crystal clear aqua water.

Doug and I ventured into the village today on our own. Being a Sunday the biggest game in town were the "cattlemarans" (huge catamarans loaded down with twenty or so tourists at a time)coming into the wharf. As these party barges approached you could hear their music a mile away which prompted throngs of young local boys to run from the neighboring streets to offer assistance, beg or dive for coins. From where we were watching I don't think I would be too pleased arriving to that welcoming committee. It also made me wonder where all the girls were. Older boys and men lounged nearby to offer tours in their van or guided trips.

The big draw of this area are the majestic pitons, one of which we can see clearly from the boat, and just a portion of the other. Yesterday Doug and I went on a tour in one of the vans arranged by "Shane" and one of the local guides "Titus" said he specialized in taking tourists on guided hikes up the pitons, which he does barefooted. Doug was tempted to hire him and do that today but decided against it. Shane and Titus happen to both be nephews of Benny, the owner of the restaurant where we will be eating tonight. (Saturday).

On our tour yesterday we went to the Diamond Falls and hot springs. Local lore is that bathing in the hot springs will make you look ten years younger. We stayed and soaked as long as we could. The big surprise for us was the Botanical Garden. Once inside it was so beautiful we couldn't stop taking photographs. Doug usually gets impatient with me for taking flower photos, but this time he was the worst offender. Elephant ear vines completely covering the trunks of towering palm trees, fluorescent midnight blue hummingbirds hovering around brilliant red "lobser claw" plants (heliconia) and an unexpected Japanese garden, perhaps because Japan has invested so heavily in the area. Many towns have new fish processing centers and we were told they were built compliments of the "Japons".

The wind here has been crazy whistling down over the hills but should pass soon, just in time for Ron and Judy's visit. They should have a wonderful time! It's been a great vacation despite the shinanigans in Martinique and Guadeloupe. Maybe some other time for those two spots. Speaking of which, today February 22nd is Independence Day in St. Lucia.

St. Lucia

Dawn here:

It's been quite windy here for the last couple of days, but we sailed the three hours yesterday from Rodney Bay down to Canaries, and another hour this morning to Soufrierre. This area has rules against anchoring and instead has mooring balls to tie to which you have to pay for through the Souffriere Marine Management Association. They are organized to provide areas of no fishing - where cruisers can snorkel, and areas of fishing - where fishermen can work without cruisers. The result is a series
of areas where fish can grow and attract the pelagic fish the fishermen wish to catch.

You can pay for a mooring for 1 or 2 days, or get a discounted rate for a week which allows you to move from one mooring ball to another in different areas. With respect to Canaries, we had enjoyed a few nights in the little bay with Lorna and Brian and found the snorkeling to be quite nice. Instead of 2 or 3 balls, we only saw one, but it was unoccupied, so in we headed. A boat boy in a boat called "Bump" came up to us and told us to take the ball because it was owned by the town and he would
be collecting for it later. From our past experience, we knew that it was not owned by his town, instead was part of the Marine Park moorings. At first we said okay and left, however, once we checked our guide for more details, we decided that we would go there anyway. Once again, the boat boy came up to us in his high powered boat and had a conversation with us. Laurie informed us that because it was a white ball with a dark blue stripe we would be talking to Norvell from the Marine Park and
if we found that we'd be owing his money, we'd be coming back his way and would gladly pay.

This morning, we left the Canaries for the Pitons at Soufrierre. Again, a boat boy came roaring up to us wanting to help us take a mooring ball. All the balls were taken in our favourite snorkeling spot, so he guided us to another for a nice little "teep" (tip). We asked him to find Shane, our boat helper from the past, and he called him on his cell phone. Shane came right away, accepting an invitation on board and a beer (at 9:00 am). Because we knew Shane had a son of about 5 years of age,
we blew up a couple of our Moosehead Light balls we collected last summer. He was impressed that we'd think of his child and remember his age. Shane then organized a tour for Jeanne and Doug to see the botanical gardens, the drive in volcano and the waterfalls. Laurie and I are left alone on board emailing and catching up on chores.

We plan to have dinner at Benny's "Harmony" restaurant tomorrow night, where Benny will send someone over to pick you up, and another guy to baby sit your locked up boat (for a fee) so you and your company can enjoy an evening out. You have to realize that it's difficult to leave your boat after dark and get safely to a dock for security reasons, so Benny has it all worked out and we LOVE that!

I heard on the morning Ham Radio weather net that there is snow forecasted for NY up through Toronto on Sunday and or Monday, so Jeanne and Doug have that on their minds today with their return trip to SJ through Toronto scheduled for Monday at 4:00 pm.

Hopefully, Jeanne will provide a weblog to describe her time ashore, and the local snorkeling.

Cat Tales in St. Lucia

We have made it to St. Lucia, as of noon, today. We anchored last night in Grand Anse D'Arlet, Martinique; under Q flag (did not clear in or out). The people of Martinique are on strike now, just like in Guadeloupe, so without money and money machines, there was no point in visiting. Maybe next time!

The two days of sailing were a "breeze", with the exception of some splashes to make it interesting.

The overnight (2 nights ago) in Roseau, Dominica, was the only bloggable issue. We had Roseau in our sights, when we saw two high-speed boats with boat boys heading for us. The one who arrived first had turned around to talk to us and was alongside, when the second one went by at about 40 knots, within inches of his boat. The splash got us all, and the first boat was violently flung against Cat Tales. The first boater dropped back, and reached into the bottom of his boat. He came up with a tennis
ball sized rock, and flung it at the other driver, giving him a glancing blow to his back. The two boats then roared around each other in circles, yelling and screaming. The first driver had more perfect projectiles and a few bottles, and let them fly without any direct hits. Both drivers dared to continue to offer services, while we told them to clear out. They both screamed to shore in opposite directions.

The first driver came back after a bit, and convinced us of his innocence in the affair, and also convinced us of the need of a mooring, as Roseau has only deep water. We took the mooring. After tying up, the driver, Brian, also convinced Laurie to go with him to the Coast Guard station to lay a complaint. The man who met us at the dock said the other driver had already registered a complaint, and thanked us for coming in to tell his/our side.

The complaint process was hilarious. The official was scratching stuff down on scrap paper, and quickly boiled it down with a "he said, she said" attitude. No affadavits, no signatures, no official stuff; even though Brian continuously made threats of violence against the other boater. Both the official and me took the primary job to be the calming down of Brian. Brian, a wild-looking 70-percent-naked rasta, kept yelling that he "brought the white man" in with him to prove his case. Laurie,
besides telling him to stop making violent threats in front of an official, suggested to him that he could simply call him Laurie instead of the "white man".

Anyway, we're here enjoying an anchor beer, and will slowly pick up to go in to clear. A shore lunch may be in order along with a domino game tonight.

Movie of the Jeffrey visit in St. Martin (a review!)

Hopefully you've all read our blog about our excursions in Dominica we put up yesterday.

Today, I'd like to reflect a bit and have you watch a movie that Lorna and Brian and I put together while up in St. Martin. Click here to see!

Dominica

Jeanne here;
It's a beautiful Sunday morning in Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica. The seaside portion of the town of Portsmouth is a thin strip of land lined with shacks made of anything available and the occasional nicer home made of concrete. Framing the shore is a backdrop of lush mountains, the source of the thriving eco-tourism sector. Near us is Big Papa's Restaurant and a couple of other restaurants and bars. The only other notable structures are the numerous boat wrecks dotting the shore and left where they
landed, from the hurricanes that have passed through.

Our tour guide Andrew told us the worst was hurricane David in 1979. He said it came over the hills and from the water and stripped every coconut, banana and leaf off every tree over which it passed. Andrew is a "card carrying" tour guide and is our chosen guy so all the other boat guys stay away. Shortly after arriving Andrew took Doug and I on a tour of the Indian River. The entrance of the river had been blocked by a wrecked tanker which was pulled aside far enough so the river could still be
navigated, but barely. The tour guides are forbidden to use their outboards and must row. It makes for a very serene ride, except for the musical tone of Andrew's cell phone going off all the time.

Once past the eye sore of the tanker we were rewarded with a glimpse of a true rain forest. Huge banyan trees, mangroves and strange gnarled root formations lined the banks and hanging tarzan ropes just as I would have imagined. We stopped in the middle of the forest at a grass hut bar where kind of scary looking local farmer wanted to show us his sugarcane field and gave us a sample to chew on.

Saturday's round the island tour, however, was the highlight of our trip so far. Andrew picked us up early at the boat and delivered us to a waiting tour bus driver, Winston. Two Swedish couples that Andrew had found, helped fill up the bus and keep the price down (30 US per person). Together we had a wonderful day traveling across the Northern end of the island on impossibly winding roads. We frequently piled out of the bus to take in scenic views such as black sand beaches. We passed many incomplete
construction projects. The Hotel Dominique, Winston told us, was started by two Canadians but the main financier died, and so did the project. It looked like a magnificent hotel, very near completion, but built on the side of a cliff in a remote area. Another abandoned hotel construction site, Winston said, folded when millions of dollars from Dominica were mysteriously stolen. So there are some problems there.

At one point Winston said we had to get out and walk because there was road construction. We had no idea where we were going. We trudged down this narrow path and Winston suddenly says "pick a leaf, any leaf". We obediently comply after he insists a few more times. "now break the leaf and smell it". We do, and some of us smell nothing and some have a very fragrant leaf. Those turned out to be bay leaves. We continue down the path which is narrow and overhung with foliage. The footing is slippery
with wet leaves. We can hear waves crashing nearby.
Suddenly we break out of the dark onto an incredible scene. It is a red delta of solid packed mud with deep crevices about fifty feet deep. There was a path going down into one of the crevices and what appeared to be a door carved into the crevice through which you could walk through and come out in another spot. Some of the braver ones went down and walked through.

As a group we stopped for lunch and got to know each other a little better.

We stopped at a National Park and hiked into the Emerald Lake and waterfall. Again this was an incredible lush rain forest forming a canopy over the pool at the foot of the falls. As we returned to Portsmouth we passed by the Scott Medical School which Winston said has over 1,000 students from all over. We saw an abundance of residences built for the students and many stores and restaurants such as the Hong Kong restaurant,
and even a KFC to serve their needs. I would love to come back here again in a few years and see how the more positive developments here pan out.

Tonight, we're off to a beach BBQ which raises money for the Boat Boys to help with security for us in the bays. The cost is 50 EC per person approximately 20 dollars US. It includes food as well as unlimited rum punch...not a wise move on their part with a boat of Canadians about to visit!

Doug here: Hi to my daughters back in New Brunswick, caring for our cats and looking after business in the cold!

The Saints

Jeanne here:

We are at anchor off the picturesque town Bourg de Saints which was a three hour sail in 20 - 25 knot winds yesterday from Guadeloupe. This red-roofed community is the main centre in this cluster of islands called "The Saints". We have been doing quite a bit of hiking yesterday and today seeing many beautiful and well as strange sites.

One destination was the Napoleonic Fort complete with a moat around it, although we didn't bother paying to get in. The hike through the village and seeing it was enough. Cash is a bit of a problem around here and most places are not taking visa. Due to the strike in Guadeloupe (and the Saints is part of Guadeloupe) ATM machines have not been stocked with cash and the grocery store shelves have the look of your corner grocery store right before it goes out of business. Because of this, we've had
to put into priority what we spend our money on. We prefer to buy a refreshment at a beach bar while people watching, rather than get into a fort!

Another destination was a beautiful beach on the other side of the island. A tour boat had come in to the main town which meant small bus loads of tourists and an abundance of motor scooters were sharing the narrow road with us. Last night we chose a pizza place for supper which turned out to be a hub of activity. Perhaps due to language differences we didn't realize we were getting 12" pizzas each but it came in handy today at the beach. We enjoyed the leftover pizza again for lunch, and will again
tonight. Last night also, Dawn and I had a lovely time enjoying a ti-punch at a little waterside restaurant Bar La Crique while the guys took what few provisions we could find, to the boat. I was thrilled when the waiter said "oh you speak French" instead of the confused look I usually receive when I ask a question in French. My French teacher would be happy to know this!

Before coming to the town yesterday we did stop for some snorkeling which turned out to be surprisingly good. We saw a sea cucumber which I probably wouldn't have recognized if we hadn't seen it at the Aquarium in Guadeloupe. But that's a whole other story. We had originally meant to leave Guadeloupe immediately upon arrival because of the strike and go to The Saints where it was not supposed to be as bad. However, Laurie broke his tooth on some nuts so we had to stay until Monday so he could see
the dentist. The aquarium was only a 15 minute walk from the marina for me and Doug. We found it was open for business and we got to see a little bit of the town. Dawn drove Laurie in the dinghy to Pointe A Pitre to see the dentist and dropped him off. He got the work done and it was surprisingly only 37 Euros! He told us later that he saw a demonstration in the street with over a thousand people. Although there have been no demonstrations here in The Saints, we certainly feel the connection to
the strike here with lack of food and currency.

We are about to check the weather and will determine whether to stay here another day or head off south to Dominica.

Dental work

On Saturday evening shortly after Doug and Jeanne's arrival, we were in the cockpit enjoying sundowners and munching on some tasty sugar coated nuts that our company brought with them. I heard a nice little snap and saw Laurie spitting a mouth full over the side. Apparently a piece of his tooth was in the mix! He did some investigating and found that there was a dentist nearby, however, he had to wait until Monday to go find him and figure out whether the dentist can take him in. Doug and Jeanne
have set off on foot to find the Aquarium and I am left alone on the boat to email and update the blog. (NO Internet hotspot here, just the old fashioned Ham Radio!)

If Laurie has good news about the tooth, we'll head for The Saints later today. If not...well, we'll probably have to stay in this stinky harbour where you can't swim! Yuck! Cross your fingers!

Dawn

The Chown's have arrived!

Jeanne and Doug arrived safely this afternoon without incident! Yeah!!

Will be in touch soon!

Pointe a Pitre

We arrived in Pointe a Pitre about an hour ago after another wild sail through tough winds and squalls! But we're here and will head into the marina to clear into customs and immigration.

We just heard from a boat anchored next to us that the strike isn't over here and that it may be interesting getting Jeanne and Doug from the airport to the marina. Never a dull moment!

Will be in touch. Hopefully there won't be much of a story involved! Happy Friday everyone...it is Friday, isn't it?? :)

Dawn
PS Not impressed by the wifi around the French islands...they sure know how to lock them all up!! Have to use the Ham radio to get these past few messages out!

The Saints

We woke up at 6:00 this morning and were underway by 6:20, sipping coffee along the sheltered coast of Guadeloupe. It was so calm that we motor sailed most of the way, all the time cleaning the boat and doing a bit of laundry. It would seem that any white t-shirt that Laurie owns either has coffee or red wine on it, so it was a clorox kind of day!

As we putted along, we heard two boats talk to each other, one of which was telling the other that the wind was absolutely wild beyond Guadeloupe. We took heed and tucked things away and strung laundry inside while we approached the end of the island. Good thing we took heed, within an hour, we were crashing into giant waves which delivered its share of salt water. Our goal is to get to Point a Pitre, and if you take a look at the map of Guadeloupe, you'll see that it is a butterfly shaped island,
and one of the largest in the windward and leeward islands in the Caribbean chain. We had approached the island from the north and have sailed the length of the island to get to a small group of islands called "The Saints", which are a part of Guadeloupe. Tomorrow, we will sail upwind all day, northward in a northeast wind, to get up to the butterfly's crotch to the capital city. On Saturday, Doug and Jeanne Chown from home will be arriving and we have arranged to meet them at the marina in Point
a Pitre. A couple of weeks ago, we were alerted that Guadeloupe was on strike, which included food, gas, taxis, and almost everything other than essential services. Because the airport is approximately 5 miles from the marina, we have been a little tense about how to pick up our guests. Carrying luggage for 5 miles through areas with political tension seemed the only answer until we heard only 2 days ago that the strike is now over!! Yeah!! So, you can see we're back on track and should be where
we're supposed to be by Saturday and a taxi should help Jeanne and Doug get from the airport to us. They will be flying out of St. Lucia on February 23rd, so we'll have a nice trip down the islands, visiting along the way.

Guadeloupe

We had a wild sail here today from Montserrat! I pretty much went to my bunk while Laurie stayed outside and got blasted by the cascading water that was being pitched all over the boat!

We had an interesting last night with Walter from "Madness". After a nice tour around the island of Montserrat, Walter came over for a haircut, a quick comparison of weather findings and a BBC documentary we promised to share. After arriving, he decided he had forgotten a few things so he dashed off to his boat. Off he went in his dinghy and was back in a flash. As he tried to step off his dinghy onto our platform, he miscalculated with the huge surge rolling under us and took a header into the
water. On his way to the soft water, he hit his ribs on the hard step of the boat leaving him unable to swim or get aboard. Laurie helped him up and rinsed him off after surrendering his wet clothes. He stayed for the evening but it was obvious he was in some pain. This morning, after Laurie checked on him, we had to say our goodbyes. He is heading north to Antigua and we had to head south to Guadeloupe. The sad and scary part of all of this is that his company is gone and he is single handing.
It's a good lesson to all of us about staying careful ALL the time since we have to depend on ourselves to get around on our boats! We checked with Walter often throughout the day on the ham radio and he reported that he was able to get someone from a barge to come help him get the anchor up (he doesn't have a electric windlass like us) and the last time we spoke he was only 2 hours from Angtigua and doing well. Dropping the anchor isn't nearly as difficult as getting it up!! We'll talk to him
again this evening to check on him once more.

If anyone is interested in flying south to sail with Walter over the next few weeks, let us know and we'll pass along any offers that come.

We'll be leaving here in the morning for the southern part of Guadeloupe and will decide about going the entire route to Pointe a Pitre later on in the day.

Until then, stay warm everyone!

Dawn

Montserrat Tour

We had some fun yesterday and today, here in Montserrat. We started the day nice and slow, enjoying the flat calm water, and went in only at 9:00 or so to clear in and walk the area around Little Bay. While we were getting to shore, a tugboat came in within 100’ of Cat Tales with a giant barge and attached it to the dock. Immediately, an excavator rolled onto it, followed by truck after truck loaded with black volcanic sand.

Ashore, we found people friendly, but Little Bay is starkly dirty and just a giant construction site. We found that Montserrat, with the help of CIDA, Britain, and other development agencies, is rebuilding all of Little Bay to be its main port and entryway now that Plymouth is buried in lava, rocks, and ash. We stopped at a dive shop/bar to talk to an expat American and get some insight into the place. While enjoying the beer we had purchased from him, we noticed that a swell had arrived in the Bay. By the time we got back into our dinghy, the trucks were having a hard time getting on and off the giant barge, as the ramp went up, down, left, right. From our boat, we watched the swell grow even larger.

We called the tug and asked if we were in danger. As he and his tug got slammed by the barge, he said we were safe but he was in danger. Minutes later, two of the many giant hawsers that were holding the barge in place broke. The excavator ran down the ramp and bounced onto the dock as the tug struggled to hold the barge and ramp in place. Amid yelling and screaming, the workmen struggled to undo the remaining giant ropes, and the tug and crew attempted to leave the dock. Dawn and I quickly hauled up our anchor and moved out of the way as the barge swung in the swells and its big ramp flew by where Cat Tales had been a moment before. Right now, the tug is further out waiting for a calm day to complete the last ¼ loading. Another tug and barge appeared today, and both sit and watch the swells pound the beach. Interestingly, there is a giant, long mound of ripped and busted metal in the corner of the bay that was also a barge. We’re told it busted loose during northerly swells in 2004, and gives a reminder of what could happen here.

Today, we partnered with Walter of Madness, and hired a 4x4 tour van and driver for a 4 hour tour of the island. Although we saw bits of rainforest and got reacquainted with many trees and plants with the guide’s help, and although we got a great overview as to how this island is coping and coming to grips with its situation, the two most important stops were a volcano observatory in the central hills and another hilltop viewing point that looked over the destroyed city of Plymouth. The volcano and its devastation are awesome to look at. The still-smoking volcano continues to drop bits of fine-grained ash onto Plymouth and the surrounding area.

Every year or so since the major eruptions in 1995 and1997, the dome of the volcano builds up and then collapses; creating another pyroclastic flow down the various valleys. On even more regular intervals, the dome spits up hot ash and rocks, that can be seen at night from sea and from some other vantage points, glowing as they roll down the hill. The tour was pretty cool.

Tomorrow, at first light, we continue to Guadeloupe.

Montserrat

We left Nevis this morning at 6:15, and arrived in Montserrat at 2:30. Compared to our Friday attempt, this was much better, although we still had some south in the wind that kept us below the rhumb line - and necessitating some tacking - and the wind was often over 20 knots - necessitating some reefing and getting salty on the foredeck. Oh well, we're here and happy; and most of the sailing was fun. The island is so steep, and so green, at least in the north. The even taller south peak was visible
during our approach, and it is grey with ash, and we could see significant volcano smoke adding to the clouds.

We're not intending to go to shore today, staying under the Q flag until there are working Customs agents tomorrow. As it is, we had some anchor tackle work to fix, as well as some other things to take care of after anchoring. One, cleaning out the cooler after catching and filleting a 20" yellowtail snapper, was no problem. We think we got enough for 4 servings.

Tomorrow, Walter of Madness will single-hand from Nevis after saying goodbye to Leeanne and Ken. We'll spend the evening with him, and hopefully hire a taxi-guide to see the island the next day. Sneaking up on a volcano sounds like fun. After that, we will be rushing to get to Guadeloupe.

Cheers for now; time for our "Anchor Beer".