3.00 pm Tuesday 5th March. Well, here we are in
Guadaloupe - to be specific, in Port Plaisance Marina
Bas du Fort, next to the capital, Point a Pitre. Yes,
a marina - tied up (stern on for my matelots amies) on
a pontoon, so free to come and go individually again,
enjoy the showers, internet, phone, laundry and loads
of bars and restaurants.
The weather is mixed - there is a low pressure system
south west of us and a high north east, so we have
quick downpours then sun then wind etc. and a sea of
12 feet or more. But who cares?
We arrived after lunch yesterday - for the first time
we were out of ice on board so Dave and I were like
rats up a drain pipe when we arrived for a very quick
slurp of Stella Artois in the nearest bar.
Since leaving Dominca we stopped over (for two nights)
on the Iles des Saintes (part of Guadeloupe), anchored
off their capital, Bourg de Saintes - a delightful two
days. We wined and dined, went hiking up hills, swam
on dangerous beaches (unknowingly) - another real
chill-out time (a strange statement in this
temperature).
In between we have had some hairy sailing, against the
wind, sometimes with two reefs in the main (i.e a lot
less than maximum sail area): yesterday was seven
hours to reach here, with a major tack included - as
the crow flies it was 19 miles but we had to travel
31.
Our plans over the next few days are: leave the marina
tomworrow afternoon, anchor after motoring for an hour
for the evening amongst the mangroves at Point de la
Gabarre, so that the next morning (Thursday) we can at
5.00 am when the road bridge is lifted, enter the
River Salee which bisects the island of Guadeloupe
(it's a very narrow river and only seven feet deep -
should be yet another new experience); emerge from
there on the north of Guadeloupe and set off for
Antigua.
But now a major Newsletter announcement: I shall soon
be handing over this publication to the deputy editor,
Dave, as I am only a week or so away from leaving the
Mollymawk. Boo hoo. I've already had a little chat to
my lovely Peggy and she says she needs me home just a
bit - but only to do some gardening by the sounds of
it. Still, that comes into the category of being
wanted I suppose.
God knows what Dave will do to the quality of this
publication. He can't even spell - there'll be favors
instead of favours, labors not labours, and so on. And
I don't suppose for a minute that he'll maintain the
editorial integrity which has become a hallmark of
these newsletters under my gaurdianship.
So now my personal thoughts turn to home. My first
cuddle with Peg. My first warm pint of Pedigree (these
two major pleasures will occur in either order - it
depends if the pub is open when I arrive in the
village), prepared with loving care by Jason, in the
Fox and Hounds, Shenstone. Served with a quip by our
Australian barlady (there's that oxymoron again). And
a little chat with swimming and slimming Doreen and a
sharp bit of Black Country banter from Ken. And then
of course there'll be the homecoming party organised
by Stan - but who'll be paying? Will he put his hand
in his pocket reluctantly once more?
And Geoff will be
there to discuss the intricacies of my new sailing
experiences (especially the ones involving anchoring),
with la grande bouche on hand to lovingly give me
earache once again (be gentle with me Rose, I'll need
a period of re-entry before I can once more cope). And
the lunchtime chats with Joan and Bill. And the smells
and education from David. And John's dog eating his
biscuits, with John's 'phone ringing as usual, and
Mike and Sue adding quality to the whole ambience. And
catching up with the village gossip from the Kingies.
(Do you know, Kingy, I've smoked more than 200 packets
of duty free Hamlet since I set out - and I haven't
even been there to buy my daily Telegraph from you. In
fact, I haven't read a paper since I left England.)
Come to think of it, with all that to look forward to,
I must be mad to return so soon. The skipper is
naturally desperate for me to stay - he and Dave will
be on board through till mid April when they return
the boat to Trinidad, and everyone who knows me will
appreciate their desire for me to do that with them.
Enough of that. I have one personal pleasure to look
forward to in Antigua. I have been there twice before,
and there is a bar at Nelson's dockyard manned by Jim.
We have had two great evenings (Nov 2000 and Feb 2001)
so far and I plan the third this time. It will be one
of life's pleasures if once more after this time 12
months as I approach the bar he says "hello Dave".
The deputy editor will let you know.
It only remains for me to say a very big thank you to
the skipper and Dave for their forebearance and for
their company. This trip has been yet another total
enjoyment for me like the previous voyages I have had
the good fortune to make, all with those who were
previously complete strangers. I look forward to more
of the same.
Coxy.
