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| Schooner to port |
We picked up guests in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. Paul is someone we sailed with in beer can races on the S.F. Bay but Steven was new to sailing. We planned to take it easy on the newbie but our current motto, "one adventure a day is all we ask", remains appropriate for Queen Emma and crew.
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| Barque to starboard |
They enjoyed Rodney Bay: swam, admired the neighboring boats, helped us do some grocery shopping, got necklasses and a heavy dose of Rasta philosophy from Malikai and enjoyed the sunsets and the stars. Despite the delights of Rodney Bay, we were ready to leave and show Steven and Paul the joie de vivre in the French islands. We've done the crossing between St. Lucia and Martinique dozens of times and never found it anything less than a delight. Hard on the wind going north but aside from some lumps and bumps leaving the northern end of St. Lucia, usually smooth sailing.
We left in light winds, some clouds for shade and deep blue seas for contemplation. All our sails were out for maximum draw and tightly sheeted in to lay the anchorage we wanted at the southern tip of Martinique. Chamber of Commerce day sailing in the Eastern Caribbean. About an hour out of Rodney Bay, we noticed a little squally cloud on the horizon. No dark curtain of rain hanging down but clearly able to produce some rain. We put the side curtain up on the windward side to stay dry and pressed on figuring we would probably beat the rain as we skated on to Martinique. Suddenly the wind piped up from 15Kts to 30. We are suddenly on our left ear with water sluicing along the side decks. No rain, just strong, gusty and twisty winds. I struggle to get us pointed into the wind to ease our angle and the winds flip over to the other side of the sail and press it into the spreaders.
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| Sail tatters wrapped on the forestay |
Wild chaos follows for less than five minutes. The foresail splits from luff to leach and we can't get it in with the furling line. Susie runs forward to the bow to turn the furler by hand just as the boat starts wildly plunging in the sudden seas and Susie gets soaked. We no sooner get her back in the cockpit when the winds fall to less than 10Kts. For the rest of the voyage we motor in light winds and seas.
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| Lance up: first try |
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| Lance up: second try |
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| Getting the genoa down |
We did our best to tie the pieces of the sail on the forestay and went to bed. In the morning our best efforts to bring the sail down failed as the leech line was all twisted around the flaps of sail which were further encumbered by a spider web of shredded sail threads. Two trips up the mast with knife and scissors got the sail safely down on deck. We had waited for the winds to go light in the early morning and so there was plenty of time to take the lovely walk to Saline beach as a reward for a mission well accomplished. By the time Monday rolled around, we were able get the sail in the dinghy and off to the sail maker for repairs.
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| Deploying the staysail |
Fortunately, Queen Emma came with a hank-on stay sail and we were able to get a little sailing in. The smaller sail tacks well, points well and provides plenty of power. It has the added benefit that you can actually see where you are going. We put Steven on duty watching for fish traps and took a pleasant jaunt up to Petite Anse d'Arlet where we enjoyed snorkeling and kayaking.
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| Steven and Paul Kayaking |
We hope that a nice trip will avoid putting Steven off sailing for ever. However, during the beat back to Le Marin to pick up the repaired sail (8 tacks by the team of Susie and Paul), I decided I wanted a smaller foresail for my birthday but one that didn't require Paul to hoist it and bring it down. We have just finished getting measured for a smaller, high-cut jib to put on the furler and will carry on with the hank on stay sail until the winds come down or the new sail arrives.
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| Flying the staysail |
We will travel north until we reach Antigua or the end of February and then return to St. Lucia to pick up the sail where we are out of the reach of French tax collectors. We've had a lovely time here in Ste. Anne doing minor repairs and relaxing but it is time to move on before we get fat on Accras and Pain Raisin.
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| Voilerie du Marin |
PS. What about the other days' adventures? Snubbers snapping, catamarans dragging, dinghies gone astray and here is a picture of Susie repairing the rain catcher which beat itself to death on the solar panels. One a day is all we ask...
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| Susie repairs the rain catcher |
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