30th May Fort Pierce USA

Having found St Maarten rather uninspiring, other than for repairs, and needing to keep moving North, I cleared out on Thursday 17^th to leave the next morning when the bridge opened at 9am, our plan was to aim for the Turk islands and then work up the Bahamas on to the Florida.

The bridge opened slightly late so we had to do a couple of circles since there was a little wind, having left we had to get well offshore before being able to turn into the easterly wind and raise the main as the entrance was shallow, the wind backed into the South where it remained moving between SE and S.

We left the Caribbean in the morning of Saturday 19^th re-entering the Atlantic having passed the Virgin Islands. After reading my passage and cruising guides, I found that May is the month for tropical storms in the Bahamas, so changed my plans and made a course around the North of the Bahamas to Fort Pierce Florida

Passing the Bahamas I was asked by two cruise liners if I was ok as I appeared to be drifting at 3-4 knots! We were doing the best that we could in the conditions!

Sunset after the storm

Its raining again

Water spouts off Bahamas

 We encountering the edge of tropical storm Beryl, with some really scary lightening, which sent me checking the liferaft was easily accessible and my grab bags were to hand; after the storm passed the wind died and went all the way round the compass, so had to start the engine and motor sail for the last four days with patches of between 2 and 20hrs when we could sail without the engine, finally anchoring in Fort Pierce at 1.30pm,

entrance to Fort Pierce

 after phoning Customs (I radioed the coast guard to find out how to clear-in eventually a fellow cruiser came on the radio and gave me the phone numbers) and being given 24hrs to check-in in person and an incredibly long reference number (which has to be obtained before appearing in person at customs), I radioed a marina to check for space and draft, and went to raise the anchor, almost clear and the winch jammed and when I looked up after trying to clear it we were drifting fast, before I could get headway we were aground, being blown on by a stiff breeze, luckily a passing small fishing boat asked if I was ok? Replying NO he offered to give me a tow and managed at the second attempt to get us clear and then dropped the bowline in the water, not quite complete panic as I got it aboard before it could catch the prop and not run into any of the other anchored boats, then head for the clearway to the marina, phew! Clearing customs involved a trip to the airport fill in two forms and wait and wait; now I can relax a bit and figure out my next step.

16th May Simpson bay lagoon St Maarten

I had a leisurely stay in Charlestown Nevis getting ashore for a couple of walk arounds, the last was to the Nelson Museum (his wife was from Nevis and they were married here), it was fun to find as there are no signs, I guess most people go by taxi tour.

Main street Charlestown

Fishing off Charlestown

  I cleared out on Sunday 13^th in the morning and left the mooring about 3.30pm, with a forecast of f2-3 winds. Having got underway the wind rose to f4-6 and when it did not reduce after clearing the channel at the north end of St Kitts I put a double reef in the main and furled the jib, so as not to arrive in St Maarten in the dark. The sea was somewhat confused with swells from the east and south, but lunch stayed where it was. The wind finally started to ease at 7am so I shook out the reefs in the main but left the jib furled as we were making good time,

St Maarten

  arriving at Simpson Bay at 9am as the bridge was opening into the lagoon, so we joined the queue and nipped straight in; having spotted a likely spot to anchor I got the anchor ready and went to check on the depth to find it reading 1.5m we draw 2m so full reverse thrust was engaged and another place found in just over 2m. Then off ashore to find customs and immigration, who are in the police station by the bridge (no signs of course until you find the right door) they are fairly quick and efficient with only two forms to fill in. This place is very similar to Chagaramas Trinidad in that there a number of marinas and chandleries and plenty of other services and it is ‘tax free’. Shoreside is very commercialised with lots to spend money on.

Simpson Bay lagoon

Main street

9th May Charlestown Nevis

We left St Pierre at sunrise (6am) after a quick breakfast on the 2^nd May, and got the sails up without too much fuss and having shut down the engine did not start it again until we were approaching Basse-Terre Guadeloupe; the wind was light at first but built up to a healthy force 4 by 8am, we were anchored south of the marina by 2.15pm, the only worrying moment was looking for a place to anchor through binoculars and seeing a whole load of masts all along the bay, which turned out to be street lights (unlit) on the coast road!

I went ashore and found the marina looking very rough and most buildings shut or boarded-up so when I was back aboard we sailed 2 ½ hours up to Anse a la Barque, a small sheltered bay although there was a air swell coming in and our anchor did move but not too dramatically.

Basse Terre

Anse a la Barque

Snorkelling

Snorkelling

 I lifted our anchor on the 6^th after a leisurely breakfast (8.30am) and hauled up the sails and motorsailed in little wind and drizzle, which was the story of the voyage; we passed Montserrat at sundown

Montserrat

 and anchored off the beach at Charlestown Nevis at 8am on 7^th May. Having secured the boat, and allowed another shower to pass, I went ashore to clear-in, in customs the single form entry was duly filled in on computer (it was the girls first time so it took a while) only to find it would not complete, so the form was dug out, and had to be filled in by hand, then off to the police station for immigration which only took about ½ hour, and finally to the port office (since I had been told that anchoring was not allowed and I should pickup one of the many buoys in the bay) however the port captain had to deal with a passenger ferry first. So having been well fleeced I returned to Snow White at 1pm raised anchor and picked up a buoy, by coming alongside the buoy, jumping into the dinghy (tied alongside) and securing a line, easy!? Then it started raining again.

Approaching Nevis

Nevis at sunset from buoy

1st May Portsmouth, Dominica

St Pierre I found a very pleasant stop, although our anchor did move in the strong gusts coming down the valley, it was well buried in the sand at about 20 meters.

The Green Flash

We left St Pierre after lunch at 1.30pm on the 28^th April getting the sails up fairly quickly with one reef in the main, giving us between 3-7 knots until we hit the lee of the mountain at the southern end of the island, where the wind died completely for a short time.

The channel between the islands was giving us between 15-27 knots of wind and an east to N.East swell of 1-2m, the wind was stronger on the North side of the channel, so I put another reef in the main and three in the jib, as I wanted to arrive in daylight and doing 5-6 knots meant arriving at about 2am!. Once we were in the lee of Dominica the wind became very variable, even at 2-4 miles off, so I was playing with the jib to try to maintain 3knots, however the wind died at around midnight, so we motor sailed the remainder of the voyage, entering Prince Edward Bay as the sky was lightening, into rain showers, settling down at anchor in about 10m water at 6.45am

Rain coming, Portsmouth from Anchorage

 Yesterday (30^th April) the wind was blowing through the anchorage at force 4-7, with some heavy rain showers, so I stayed on board. This morning I went ashore and did the ‘Indian river boat trip’ into the swamp area, quite interesting but expensive for one, as they charge for the boat!

Main street portsmouth

Anchorage from town

Interesting house?

Indian River