This morning, as the “dead pig” floats past Escape Velocity, we find the Escapees aboard EV sadly wishing beautiful St Martin adieu. Ultimately it is the people you meet and the friendships that are forged that shape the experience, not how many palm trees or how fine the sand is on the beaches, and we’ve made a few.
Our anchor begrudgingly came up at an honest 8am with a clay and shell mixture that looked like a large ball on the end of a thick steel shaft. I had little time to deal with the mud ball because we were due at the fuel dock and the bascule bridge opens promptly at 9am and waits for no one.
The causeway bridge mysteriously closed last night which might have kept Macushla from getting out of the French side of the lagoon this morning but as we rounded Isle de Sol with a full fuel tank, they were there waiting.
We decided to anchor on the south side of Simpson Bay anchorage, opposite from where we ended up on the way into St Martin. Just as rolly but with Marce not feeling well we might just as well have stayed inside the lagoon if it weren’t for the fact that our water tank was reading zero. We heard that strep was found in the lagoon water so we didn’t want to chance making water but I wouldn’t expect the little buggers to get through the RO membrane anyway.
Guadeloupe is next up with a buzz by Montserrat on the way. Marce never met a volcano she didn’t like. This destination features very little Easting so with fingers crossed and touching wood we should have a nice sail for a change.
On the repair side of the ledger:
*Autopilot repaired again…maybe for good. Call me a cockeyed optimist but I feel good about this repair.
*Dinghy lock cable replaced.
*Camber spar fitting in hand.
*Watermaker is running well.
*Marce has sent and received email and received grib files via SSB. This is not in any way to say that the beast is fixed, but it’s something positive for a change.
*Old jib sail repair is moot since the sea claimed it off the foredeck on our way here
*fuel cutoff valves and fittings are in hand, though not yet installed
*1/3 of the rain catchment system is finished and working
*mainsheet has been replaced.
*new teak mounting block for manual bilge pump.
Stay tuned.
Bon Voyage