24 MAY 2007, RODENEY BAY, STE-LUCIA
Marielle a pris l’avion a St-Barth pour retourner a Halifax et s’occuper de notre maison et autres problems car nous avons perdu nos locataires.
(Marielle took the plane for Montreal and Halifax in St-Barth to take care of our house and and other problems we are having there.)
J’ai donc du poursuivre ma route seul. J’ai quitte St-Barth a 9 :00 du soir Lundi le 14 Mai avec l’intention de me rendre a Dominica mais les vents devenant trop forts je me suis arrete a Basse-terre en Guadeloupe le lendemain soir a minuit. Comme il fesait trop noir pour entrer dans la marina ou approcher le rivage pour me mettre a l’ancre, j’ai du tourner en rond jusqu'à 7:00 du matin. La nuit a ete longue…
(Therefore I now have to sail alone. I left St-Barth on Monday the 14th a 9:00 at night with the intention to sail all the way to Dominica but the winds were too strongs and I had to stop at Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, at midnight on the following day. It was too dark to enter the marina or approach the shore to anchor so I had to make circles until 7:00 in the morning. It was a long night… )
Je suis demeure a Basse-Terre 3 jours car les vents etaient trop forts pour naviguer puis je suis traverse aux Saintes (10 mi) pour me positionner pour traverser a Dominica. Arrive a Dominica le Samedi on m’avise que je ne pourrai proceder aux douanes et immigration avant le Lundi. Je suis impatient et aimerait partir tout de suite le lendemain. Je decouvre le Dimanche qu’il y a un bureau de douane ouvert au port commercial et je m’y rend en taxi. Il n’y avait personne d’autre et la procedure a ete tres rapide. On apprend…
(I remained grounded in Basse-Terre for 3 days because of the strong winds and then I sailed to Les Saintes (10 mi) to position myself for the crossing to Dominica. I arrived in Dominica Saturday afternoon and was informed that customs and immigration were closed for the weekend. I was impatient and wanted to leave immediately on Sunday.
Then, on Sunday, I learn that I could clear customs at the commercial warf. I hired a taxi and there was no one else when I got there so the procedures were very quick. I am learning…)
J’ai donc pu quitter Dominica a 4:00 hrs Lundi matin et je suis arrive a Fort-De-France en Martinique au debut de l’apres-midi. Une autre chasse a la douane puis retour au bateau pour souper. J’ai decide de prendre la journee de conge le lendemain afin de relaxer un peu. Nous visiterons la Martinique et Dominica l’hiver prochain.
(Therefore, I was able to leave Dominica at 4 :00 am on Monday morning and arrived at Fort-De-France, Martinique, right after lunch. After another successful custom’s chase I was back to the boat in time for super. I then decided to stay put and relax on the following day. We will visit Martinique and Dominica next year.)
J’ai quitte la Martinique hier matin a 5:00 hrs et je suis entre a la marina de Rodney Bay a Ste-Lucia au debut de l’apres-midi. Comme le bureau de douane est a la marina, la chasse n’a pas ete longue et j’ai pu relaxer le reste de l’apres-midi. C’est une belle marina ici qui me coute seulement $16US par jour. J’ai donc decide de rester 2 jours.
(I left martinique at 5 :00 am, yesterday morning and docked in Rodney Bay marina, Ste-Lucia, again in early afternoon. This time, it was a short custom chase since their office is right here at the marina and I was able to rest and relax for the rest of the afternoon. This is a nice marina that cost only $16US per day so I decided to stay for 2 days.)
Demain j’ai un court trajet de 18 mi a faire afin d’aller me positionner a l’extremitee de l’ile pour traverser a St-Vincent.
(Tomorrow, I will sail a short leg of just 18 mi to reach the west end of the island and position myself for the crossing to St-Vincent.)
Je devrais arriver a Grenade la semaine prochaine apres un autre arret, cette fois-ci a Carriacou.
(There will be another stop in Carriacou and I should arrive in Grenada sometime next week.)
