13/14 April – Still in St Martin. We are trying to sort out the main sail which was ripped the other day. It was my fault Its needs sorting so we decided to stay here until its repaired. We hope to collect it tomorrow morning and head of the the British Virgin Islands Monday evening, its just that too far for a comfortable day sail so we’ll sail there overnight to arrive in Virgin Gorda Tuesday morning 16 April.

 

In the meantime we are relaxing, doing a few jobs on RT and looking around St Martins. The French bit where we are is ‘French’ but more ‘English’ than in Martinique or Guadeloupe. In contrast the Dutch half is brash and full of big hotels, casinos, duty free shops. One thing that is evident is the amount of traffic, lots of it, in both halves.

 

All the time we have been in Caribbean we have felt like the poor relations. Our tender is powered by oars, so we haven’t had the luxury of anchoring miles from the shore line. Everywhere the other tenders are whooshing around here and there. I guess we have the ‘GREEN’ high ground but that’s about it.  Also RT is just over 12 m long. In the UK this seems quite large, not out here. Its pretty average, but its beam and freeboard where we are knocked for six. The catamarans are the biggest, you could play football on some of them , they are monstrous.

 

RT is long keel which makes going astern a lottery, steer to the right and it goes left and vice versa. I enjoy the challenge but the other day in Basseterre Marina, St Kitts when asked to do the impossible I said no and went out into the bay and anchored. The staff at the marina eventually saw reason and let me moor alongside after another boat had left, nice and easy.

 

The Bay, Marigot, RT is there somewhere

 

Marigot

 

The other Costa Lines Ship, docked in Philipsburg, Dutch main town

 

Philipsburgh Beach