Busy Busy

We've packed a lot of activity into a couple of days. 

Had dinner with Jen and family on Monday night and then she drove us to the airport. Red-eye to Toronto and then a short wait for our flight down to Antigua. All uneventful. 

Pam checking my life insurance policy - just checking.

Arrived at the boat and carted our junk up the ladder to Blue Pearl. Met with Jay (mechanic and all-round great guy) who was still in the middle of a fuel line job. Also met with Ode to confirm that we were launching in the morning. Checked that Leon was done with a minor fiberglass job.

Said our goodbyes to all the great people at North Sound. Raquel, Leon, Ode, Jay, Johann, Jawson, Pele and the rest of the crew that make NS a special place. Good memories of good people who took good care of us for the last 8 seasons.

Launched from North Sound - Great place!

We spent a blissful night on the boat on the hard with the no-see-ums and mosquitos and in the morning the launching guys arrived to splash us. Jay wasn't finished so we launched without our main engine and sat in the well until he finished up the job. 

Went around to Jolly Harbour, arriving just after noon, in time to get into the Epicurean and load up groceries (mostly rum) for an extended cruise north. 

Met with the Immigration Authority to clear out, filled up with fuel and more groceries. Spent the mid-morning repairing our navigation lights so people can see us in the night and avoid crashing into us. A good thing to avoid.

And at 4PM we didn't have anything else pressing on our "to-do" list so we left.

Heading out

Please don't go!

We reefed the main and let out full jib. Winds were light... until dusk. And then it was a sleigh ride. Ninety two nautical miles from Jolly Harbour, Antigua to Grand Casse, Saint Martin. Arrived before 6AM and dawdled until light to find our anchorage. Ninety minute shifts worked out quite well. Not too long sitting at the helm and enough time to have disturbing dreams about falling - as the boat lurched through the swells.

Bye bye Jolly

We've napped all morning and puttered into the afternoon. Time now to enjoy something française.

7 euro each but now we've got wifi

Sleigh Ride - 7 nm average

Off to Virgin Islands soon.

Cheers, 

Blue Pearl