I have to admit we did not abide by our 12 hour departure limit from Virgin Gorda. The weather wasn't cooperating for a passage back to St Martin so we moved up into the reefs of Eustatia Sound, a stunning spot, and waited a couple of days. We were joined again by Argo Navis and had a fond farewell dinner together before we head off in opposite directions.
On Thursday we set out for St Martin with trepidation, knowing we would be fighting our way against the prevailing winds. In the end our passage was far better than expected, we covered 130 miles instead of the direct 70 and it took almost 24 hours but the weather was good and Irony performed incredibly well with the barber hauler that Nic rigged. She seemed happiest to steer herself at around 40/45 degrees to the wind without the intervention of the autopilot and without any input from us on the helm!
We are now in St Martin to pick up some parts we have ordered and to collect Nic's birthday cards and presents sent here for the 1st May. They hadn't arrived in time due to the appallingly unreliable postal service and the added problem of the Icelandic volcano interfering with flights in April. Although not the prettiest Caribbean island, St Martin is a good stop for provisioning and services and a great place to meet other yachties. The trick is not to get stuck here, as we did last year, we know too many people pulling in here for a week and not leaving for months!
No comments:
Post a Comment