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Larry's LogAngela dropped us off on campus and we went to the food stalls were the students eat. After lunch, we walked around a bit and commented that it was a pretty nice facility. As we ate, we overheard students studying together for what sounded like biochemistry. I'm glad I'm not doing that anymore!! We walked across to the supermarket but didn't see anything we needed so we took the bus back into town. We decided to see a little of the town so we walked around a bit. We stopped in a hardware store where I bought a machete, to be used to open coconuts and such (maybe security also) and found a place to check email; I had just noticed a sign that said "internet". This was just someone's house who had a laptop setup. While I checked email, Diane chatted with the woman who was an American and former Ross medical student who had married a Dominican. She said that there were problems with drugs in the town and we had seen some evidence of that. Although it was probably just paranoia, we started not feeling too safe walking around that part of town. After I finished, we went back to the Indian River. We could see Martin organizing trips with other boat boys for the cruise ship passengers who had signed up. We went over and asked if he could take us back to the boat. Although he was still busy, he said OK and drove us out to the boat so we could pick up our ship's papers. He then took us to customs to clear out and then brought us back to the boat. On the way back, we saw a trimaran anchoring and asked to go past it because Mima had told us about their friends on Second Tri, and we knew they weren't too far behind us. It was them. We called out and recommended Martin, which annoyed some of the other boat boys hanging on to their boat (they were pushing their services even before Second Tri had finished anchoring). We said we would call them on the radio after they were done. Martin then took us back to our boat and we asked him to wait. Except for the Indian River trip, he had never asked us for any money for anything he had done but of course we were going to pay him. I hadn't even launched the dinghy since Martin had brought me to customs and immigration and then ferried us to and from the boat several other times. We gave him what we hoped was fair payment and said we would absolutely recommend him to other cruisers. We shook hands and it was a good experience all around. We later called Second Tri and asked Jack and Joyce over for drinks around 5:30. We busied ourselves getting the boat ready for tomorrow's passage. Jack and Joyce came over and they told us that the reason they were there was because of us! They explained that they had heard us talking to Mima the other day about Dominica and said it sounded too good to pass up. We talked about many things and enjoyed the evening greatly. They left around 9 and we had a light dinner and went to bed to be able to get up early. 5:30 came very early and we got underway by 6:30. It was a Friday, April 20. I usually don't like to make a trip on Friday, but its just a silly superstition, right? Motoring out of Prince Rupert Bay, there were several rainsqualls and we got a bit wet. The sail down the lee side of Dominica was fine, an easterly breeze with a small chop. As we got down to Roseau, the capital and almost at the end of the island, it was a different story. The guidebook had warned that the area was known for gusts coming down the valleys with the wind changing direction greatly. We experienced very strong gusts, probably up to 35 knots and the direction varied from south to northeast. Once we got past Scott's Head (the southern tip of Dominica) we got steadier winds. Unfortunately, because the island no longer protected us, the waves increased and the wind strength only moderated slightly, but then increased again. The inter-island passage to Martinique was not comfortable. It was 26 miles from the southern point of Dominica to the northern point of Martinique. Not that far to go, but with 20 to 25 knots (gusting higher) and 6 to 8 foot (sometimes higher) seas, it was not a pleasure cruise. Diane got seasick even though she had taken the Sturgeron. I didn't think the autopilot would handle it well, so I hand steered most of the way. It calmed down once for about 30 minutes and I took a break, but then it picked up again and I was back on my feet struggling with the wheel. Even though I had reefed the main and was using the small jib, we probably had too much sail up. I thought about the second reef, but I would have to do it myself since Diane was sick and figured we could handle it for the 2 hours or so. We were between islands for about 3 hours, but had been underway for 7. Once we got to Martinique, the wind still didn't abate because of the effect of the large cape there. This forces the wind and waves to bend around and actually increase in speed for a period. Eventually, we got into the lee of Martinique, and sailed under Mt Pelee, which last erupted in 1902, destroying the town of St. Pierre where we were now going. We found the town after one false hope of a smaller town that almost fit the description, but we realized we were wrong by the lack of larger boats there and the latitude and longitude were just a bit off. We continued down the coast and saw the town of St. Pierre about 10 minutes later. We sailed in, anchored, straightened up the boat a bit and collapsed. It was 3:30 and customs would close at 4 so we couldn't clear in anyway. Oh well, my baguette would have to wait until morning. |