Day 164, Year 6 From The Saintes to NW Guadeloupe
Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Then Afternoon Heavy Rain; Winds E 20
Latitude: 16 18.429 N
Longitude: 061 47.866 W
Miles Traveled: 32.25
Location: Deshaies, Basse Terre, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe proper is an island that looks like a huge butterfly with the west wings being Basse Terre and the east wings being Grande Terre. Today we sailed from the islands known as The Saintes just south of Guadeloupe proper up the northwest coast of the west wing-Basse Terre, Guadeloupe. We are anchored off the delightful little fishing village of Deshaies. It is not a fancy village which makes it all the more charming. We took the dinghy into the small boat basin and then walked down the main street along the waterfront and then back down a street just one block inland. We arrived just after noon, and everything in town was closed. In the French islands it seems most everything is closed from noon until 3:30 pm. We wanted to buy a few groceries and buy new line for the fishing rod, so we took a walk up the little road that follows the river inland. It was a great little walk. But when we returned to town, it was still only 2:30. We walked past the shop that is supposed to sell fishing gear and they were definitely not open, so we found an open restaurant and had a couple of beers while waiting. We were right on the water and we watched a local boat put out a huge net and bring in a catch of small fish. And just about the time we were ready to leave and head to the grocery store, the rains came down, and down, and down. We tried to wait for slack periods to get from the restaurant to the grocery store, but by the time we got there we were absolutely drenched. We bought a few essentials plus some ice and tonic water so Steve could have a gin and tonic and then we headed to the fishing tackle store. We were so bummed to find it still closed, so we will have to move on with the short fishing line we have. But by now, the rain was really pounding. We stayed dry under the eve of a church, but it became evident that the rain was not going to stop, so we continued on to the dinghy in the small boat harbor. When we got back to Windbird we were absolutely soaked. All of our clothes are now hanging out on the lifeline, but it is still raining at 8 pm and we might have to move on to Antigua with wet clothes tomorrow morning. When we got back to Windbird, I decided to use the rain the wash all of the cockpit cushions. I had hoped the rain would stop so they would be dry when we head on in the morning, but that is not looking promising. Hopefully somewhere between here and Antigua, the rain will stop and we can get dried out.
When we arrive here today the anchorage was fairly empty, but by the end of the day we found ourselves jammed in amongst other boats that came in later in the afternoon. There is a boat from Germany that came in late in the day and anchored right in front of us. Mark and Steve went over to let them know that we would be leaving at 6 am and might need them to move as they are probably right over our anchor. The young people aboard were most amiable and said it would be no problem to move at that early hour in the morning. They are here for the Antigua Race Week at the end of the month and the boat is beautiful. Mark and Steve understood that the boat is Sparkman and Stephens design from the 1930’s. It has been kept in pristine condition-a labor of love. We are looking forward to seeing more of these beauties in Antigua.
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| 110406 Day 164 Guadeloupe–Deshaies, Terre Basse |
