Fort Louis, overlooking Marigot Bay
I’m so happy, and relieved, to be back to St. Martin. I hadn’t
really been looking forward to the crossing; the Anegada Passage has a very bad
reputation, and last time I did it I had a nightmare. I left at dawn, and for
the first two hours struggled to get past Richard Branson’s island with some
very strong current, lumpy seas and wind from the southeast. I sailed through
the day and night, tacked twice, dodged two very big squalls but then went right
through one about eighteen miles from Marigot Bay. I finally arrived very
battered and bruised; it had taken me thirty hours. I cleared in, had a pizza
and a beer and went to sleep aching all over.
Sonic Boom anchored in Marigot Bay
I have lots of boat part shopping and repairs to do. Here is
the cheapest and easiest place to get things done, so the next day I dinghed
into the lagoon and hit the chandleries. I got my mainsheet truck fixed at FKG,
got my winch repaired, bought a new wind vane, new halyard and loads of other
bits and pieces.
After I dinghed back over to Marigot Bay and went for a swim.
I noticed lots of half sunk yachts in the lagoon. Hurricane Gonzalo, I think a couple of years ago. NOAA have
released their hurricane season forecast – it’s going to be an above average
year for hurricanes, 5 to 9 is their prediction.
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