Saint-Martin

19.4 -

Siirrymme koneella ja purjeella 24 mailin matkan St. Bartsilta Saint-Martiniin. Ankkuroimme Marigot Baylle kymmenien muiden veneiden joukkoon matalaan veteen. Parin päivän kuluttua siirrymme ankkurista Fort Louisin marinaan. Marinassa on helpompi tehdä kaikki valmistelut Azoreille suuntautuvaa purjehdusta varten. Pian edessämme on 3-4 viikon pituinen purjehdus ja askareita riittää.

Täällä saamme neulottua genoan (Hanna), korjattua vessan ja hellan (Veka) sekä tehtyä lukuisan määrän muita töitä. Hellan varaosat saapuivat onneksi ajoissa Englannista ja nyt Simpson-Lawrence toimii kuin uusi.

Hankimme veneeseen taas paljon elintarvikkeita ja vettä. Polttoainetankki täytetään piripintaan.

Ainakin ensimmäisten vuorokausien osalta on odotettavissa hidastakin matkantekoa tuulen ollessa todennäköisesti vastaista. Pohjoisemmilla leveysasteilla toivomme saavamme lisää vauhtia ja paremman kurssin Azoreihin nähden. Sää tosin muuttuu jatkuvasti.

Seuraammakin säätä päivittäin SSB:n välityksellä.

Saint-Martinilla tapaamme monia Eurooppaan palaavia purjehtijoita, uusina tuttavuuksina mm. tanskalaisen S/Y Pintonin Drothe ja Jesper.

Päivittäin marinasta lähtee aina yksi tai useampi vene Atlantille.

Lähtöä odotellessa olemme tutustuneet lähialueisiin. Viimeiset hiekkarannatkin on katsastettu.

Vapunaattoa otamme vastaan saaren hollantilaisen puolen Philipsburgissa. Siellä on ihan oikeat karnevaalit!

Ilmassa on odotuksen tuntua. Köydet irtoavat lähipäivinä.

We motorsail in light winds 24 miles from St-Barts to Saint-Martin and drop the anchor in Marigot Bay. There are tens of sailing boats in Marigot Bay and many of them are one day during this spring heading to Europe. After some days in anchor we take a birth in Marina Fort Louis to be better able to do our preparations concerning next leg to the Azores. We are to sail some 3-4 weeks and that is why it is important to stay time enough in marina. We have also some extra work to do. Hanna mends the genoa, Veikko repairs Simpson Lawrence toilet ( after having received spare parts from England ) and cooker and many other smaller jobs have been done. Provisioning is one big thing to do but we have experience and this is also a nice job to do. We need a lot of water and fuel and fill the tanks. It is possible that we stay in calm on our way to the Azores and in that case we start the engine pretty soon so as to be able to make some progress anyway. We are in a corner where from it is not very easy to get good start. High pressures give often wind from wrong direction ( NE ) also from better direction ( E ) but the high pressure also might give very light winds or no wind at all. Reaching the higher latitudes to some extent is often necessary to be able to pick up the affect of low pressures crossing the Atlantic Ocean. This is what we aim to do and that would give us stronger winds and from better direction. Following the weather forecasts daily is essential.

In Saint Martin we meet sailors from many countries and there is good feeling among sailors as usual. It is worth mentioning our new danish friends Drothe and Jesper from S/Y Pinton who have the same sailing plan with us. Meanwhile waiting for departure we have also been tourists and have been walking around the corners near by. On the last day of April we took a bus to Philipsburg which town is on the dutch side of Saint-Martin. There we were looking and participating a real Carnival.

We are ready to sail again but we are still waiting a better weather window. Within the next few days we hope to loose the ropes and head to Azores.