Additions about the crossing and St Lucia

During the crossing the blog was just updated with short notes which were done via the sat phone. Our friend John had talked us into hard wiring the phone and installing a fixed antenna so the previous attempts of me standing on the stairs with the phone attached to the pc and holding on at the same time while trying to obtain a signal were a much better way of sending notes to the blog were easier. The weather grib files were sent for the same way too but still sitting at the desk trying to type and still holing on tight was a challenge at times.

Ok the crossing, we ate well normally something which I had cooked previously then frozen  and vacuum packed or meals when I could stop things from flying across the cabin, either the food which could be very messy at times or the bowls which we used, flat plates don't work too well either. Oh I do wish I had bought those big dog bowls I spoke about before but couldn't find.

Anyway I did use the pressure cooked and cooked a ham hock one day and it was a short time after throwing away the bone we were joined by the Orca whales and babies, it was a little unnerving having such huge beasts so close to the boat, we weren't sure just how many there were and it wasn't until they rolled on the side and we saw the white underbelly while they studied us that we recognised what they were. I was so glad none of us were hanging our legs over the side or else the whales may have had a much larger snack. Karen did see a few minutes later a shark and we do hope the whales and babies were way out of reach then. Sorry no pics way too much excitement to go for the camera.

Not so much for dinner but it was nice

Ern fighting with one of the fish, not that they caught many

Just 2 pairs out of 4 sailing boots, they do take up a lot of room

Don with an instruction book! I will keep this forever , men don't read instruction books do they girls?

See our nets with veggies and oranges for Don, I thought we may have made the net into a hammock but thought better of it afterwards

Don having a much needed shave, that was as close as he was allowed to come until the bristles went 

I could have scrubbed the decks with his beard

Vera our vane taking care of the self steering, she was only thrown off twice when she was hit with big waves, she saves us using the electronic autopilot which uses a lot of power

As you know many yachts are crossing the Atlantic as its suposed to be the best time to cross and you expect to come in contact or even see other boats, well one night Don did see another yacht behind us and only because what he thought was a star which seemed so be moving or getting closer did he re check the radar. The radar showed nothing but I looked at with Don at the yacht with sails flapping not too far behind us, it was showing the anchor light which is not normal at all. We called on the radio and were answered after a while by some poor guy who said that the navigation lights had failed 2 days out and the anchor light was his only option. He added that he had just had 3 days of 50 knot winds which must have been nasty, he turned soon after the chat he was bound for Barbados.

I did mention sleeping on the position updates, how Don managed on our bed I will never understand but remember he was in the navy and when Dons head hits the pillow he's out like a light. Karen also managed to sleep on the bed in the forward cabin which is very noisy and bouncy or in the cockpit normally strapped on with a strap around something. Ern well all over the place and me, either the floor in between the engine and nav station which was fine until Don came on watch which meant him either stepping on me or the cushions I was wedged in with. The other disturbance of the hourly check on the plotter and radar together with the time difference plays havoc with your body clock so thats the reason its now 03:47 local and I'm now writing this blog.

Since being here there are a few folks on boats we know that we met in Cartagena or met along the way, when you chat to most they seem to know others we know too its a lovely friendly community. We are still doing some maintenance on the boat and trying to organise the chores like the washing and do intend to look around the island soon after all thats why we came here.

I bought a sim card which we have a reasonably priced plan to call europe land lines however it doesn't work for all the islands here. Rodney bay marina has free internet so I have managed to use skype a couple of times pretty good.

Since we have been here we have eaten out and had some pretty good meals not to mention the rum cocktails and found the happy hour which in one bar lasts for 2 hours can be pretty good. I'm sure the fruit juice in those didn't agree with me or it may have been something else that made me miss the step and put me on my backside in fits of giggles. Don had a few problems that night too but I wont go any further, he says he was just over tired and didn't seem to remember much the following day.

Ok its now Thursday 7th and Ern and Karen departed for a hotel then onto Trinidad on Monday so they should see the carnival which was in our plan but maybe next year now.

My treat the other day, there is a day spa so I had a lovely facial, massage and a pedicure, wonderful! so if you come to Rodney bay the place is run by Tracy an English lady who trains local people here to a very high standard.

Yesterday Don took the dinghy out of the bag and its now inflated ready to use to go to the local shopping mall, we need to replace the kettle which decided to leak during the crossing and buy some fresh goodies, I do hope the eggs will manage the trip back ok.

Plans next, well still bits to be fit and have the hull polished, check out more here,  maybe go to anchor and swim. The original plan was to go south to Bequia but after talking to others and hearing about security we have been put off, in future we will probably be at anchor and be using the dinghy to go ashore. Then onwards to Martinique which isn't too far away, as we don't speak any French we have no idea how we will cope, we hear its very nice.

Thanks for all the congratulation e-mails.
Next time more news from St Lucia

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