We’re up pretty early, dinghy into the marina where I go to customs while Christy gets us coffee around 8:30 am. In and out of C&I pretty quickly and driving away from Rodney Bay by about 9:30 am.
The wind is a bit weird around Pigeon Island but soon enough we have a lovely close reach with about 13 kts of wind towards Martinique. We average about 5 kts and a very pleasant sail all the way to Ste. Anne, arrive at our anchorage and set down by about 3:30 am.
Our neighbour dinghys over to see us, he recognized the boat. A bit of confusion before we all realize we know each other from Mt. Hartman Bay. He is Andre, who gave us Manny’s name in Carriacou. Very nice to chat with him, he gives us some ideas about Free Mobile which is what they use for Internet. (Free Mobile is a French company – they have a great Caribbean package for the French Islands but not the greatest for elsewhere. Still, if we can recharge our 35GB for 16 euros every other week or so we’ll be way better off.)
Off we go into Ste. Annes to check into the country. Our French is rusty but we manage to get through the convoluted process that is run out of the back of the local ice cream shop. Done, we’re in the country.
Do a little shopping in Ste. Annes, Christy buys some groceries.
Back on board Milu, I tackle a long-delayed job which is to try and fix the anchor light. If it’s a deck-level wiring problem then I don’t have to go up to the top of the mast. Fingers crossed. I mangle into the tangle of wires and am able to trace the power wires for the nav, the deck light and voila! the anchor light. The same wire harness covers the connections for the deck and anchor lights but the anchor light doesn’t work. Just for giggles, I put 12V to the output side of the anchor light and behold! she works. Something wrong with the connector, though it works for the deck light no problem. This is the way with saltwater sailboats.
Pretty happy about that, not only did I fix something, but I don’t have to go all the way up to the top of the mast. I still may have to in order to disconnect some old cables and wires, but for now things are good.
As we are getting ready for bed, however, the water pump is running endlessly. Why? Drives me crazy. Check out our water levels and once again, the tanks are giving me crazy numbers. 100% full earlier, they are 50% now which for the forward tank means probably empty.
Sigh. One step forward … which is why this meme Scott Doyle sent me is so true.
