The day has finally arrived. We’re leaving tomorrow morning heading for Oswego New York. We hope to get there in 3 or 4 days. Getting cold at the marina in Morrisburg in the morning and evening. Time to go…
Sorry for taking so long in posting this blog….been procrastinating a little. Heading North We had a perfect window to start our journey north the day after New Year’s. Winds 15 knots south-east , seas 2 to 4 feet high….wine and cheese sailing as some would say. Left Bequia at noon for an overnight sail. We usually try to avoid them but having debated different routes, we felt it would be better to do an 18 to 22 hour passage instead of stopping in St Vincent where the anchorage is not the best or St Lucia that has a bad reputation for being boarded by robbers/pirates. We had a great sail from Bequia to St Vincent, doing 6 knots or more, then got in the lee of the big island. Winds died down, sails fluttering all over…time to motor sail. As we reached the bottom of St Lucia island, night had fallen, pitch black, couldn’t see anything so we didn’t see the big squall on the horizon. We only had the mainsail on and we were just about to put on the Genoa when the squall hit us....
The last few islands It’s always nice to see new things, experience different vibes that are particular to each island, new culinary delights and new discoveries but it is also great to return to old favorites. We had enjoyed Puerto Rico 2 years go and it was nice to return. It is a US territory and with its Spanish culture, it’s lovely. Returning to known areas also gives us a small break. We know where the trash bins are, ATM machines, where we can replenish our water supply, groceries, laundry and restaurants. It might seem mundane to most but looking for these places at every anchorage can become tedious sometimes. Puerto Rico was also great because our friend Anita was able to join Kurt and us for the last leg of the journey, but it was also nerve racking because we had to cross the Mona passage AGAIN. Mike watched the weather like a hawk, check the wind speed and its direction, the height of the seas and the swells for days. Read all the navigation books about when to...
As we head north We’ve finally said goodbye to the last of the French islands. We will miss the baguettes, Brie and of course the cheap red wines. We did stock up heavily on the last item so it should last us for a few more islands 😆 A great surprise was getting a text from my cousin who lives in Trois Rivières to say that she was in Guadeloupe for a short vacation. As it so happened, we had just arrived the day before to the island. We got to spend just an hour or so together short but nice visit. It’s not easy to plan to have family and friends to join us somewhere. Often we have to wait for weather windows that can take a day or 2 weeks. So it makes it not impossible but difficult if they are on a planned vacation to meet in a specific area. We’ve been revisiting some of the islands that we had seen on our way down. When we were here during the Covid many places were closed, so now we can appreciate the hustle and bustle of these islands. On the last bl...
It was great meeting you both. Wishing you safe travels, fair winds and following seas but most importantly I hope you have fun ! Cheers, Lucie
ReplyDeletethanks Lucie Cheers
DeleteGood luck to you both, have a great and safe journey across the seas.
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