15-52.010N
061-35.216W

Anchored
Bourg de Saintes
Iles de Saintes

February 26

Chichi saw The Green Flash!

The Green Flash is an atmospheric phenomenon during the last second before sun set, when the top of the disk disappears under the horizon.  Chichi had heard about this event, but did not believe it.  She thought it was a sailors' myth.  While walking the beach at Saint Louis (Marie Galante), she saw it, and will never forget. Some believe that a view of The Green Flash becomes the preliminary to a positive change in life.  We shall see.  In the meantime, she is thrilled.  (John has not seen The Green Flash.  Few sailors do.  The circumstances must be perfect.)

We sailed to Marie Galante on Sunday, an uneventful crossing, but windy, leaving our newly washed deck covered with salt.  We visited Saint Louis and Grand Bourg on Monday and Tuesday, finding little to excite, and therefore prompting our trip today to The Saints.  More to come about this island, which is only five miles south of Guadeloupe.

16-13.499N
061-32.090W

Docked
Port de Plaisance
Marina Bas-du-Fort
Guadeloupe

February 21

A SPECIAL ENCOUNTER

11 a.m., Chichi  studying aerobics, John typing emails.

A loud, marina-wide announcement, in French.  We did not understand.  Ten minutes later, boat horns, more announcements, people looking curious, running to the dinghy dock.  We still did not understand.

John goes out, looks around. Arriving at the dingy dock is a red and blue cigar like boat, about 25 feet, with a cockpit in the center, enclosed areas at either end, and a fish drawn on both sides of the hull.  What was this?

Anne Quemere

She rowed the Atlantic.  Starting on December 26, she left The Canaries, and rowed every mile to Guadeloupe, arriving 56 days and some 12 hours later,

A NEW WORLD RECORD

The officialdom of Guadeloupe received her with flowers and champagne, with some 100 of us looking on in awe.  She looked no more tired and worn than a bicyclist who has just completed five miles, except that her legs were a  bit wobbly.  She was friendly, animated, delightful.  This was a special encounter for us.

February 19

I don't have the energy to describe this island.  Too much work to do it right.  Please accept these names as great places, wonderful to visit, hard to describe, worth the time, if you are here:

Chutes de Carbet (waterfall)
Various distilleries of Ruhm
The National Park of Guadeloupe
Zoological Park--A Walk In The Trees

And good people everywhere

Since the last report, February 9, below, we also have:

Removed the television antenna from the mast, pending a new one.
Tightened bolts around a shaft fitting to prevent the shaft from moving harshly forward into the transmission
Touched up areas of the companionway with lacquer and mineral spirits
Met new friends at The Marina, where we docked about a week ago to accommodate repair of the drive shaft

John worked on investment accounts, and Chichi studied courses to complete her continuing education requirement as a water aerobics instructor.

Now, our minds turn toward departure, and the next destination, either Marie Galante or Iles de Saintes.  The choice?  Depends on the wind.

16-13.499N
061-32.090W

Anchored
Port de Plaisance
Marina Bas du Fort
Guadeloupe

February 9

Seven a.m.
                We get into the dinghy, trying to stay clean, in clothes suitable for church
                                   We dock, the Yacht Club Pointe A' Pitre, no one around, The Cathedral bells calling us to worship, we hasten
                                                      Just off the dock, people gathered, we look up, the words "Notre Dame," and our plans change

A French family says, "Yes, this is a Catholic Chapel, the next service at 9, we just came out of the 7.  
                                   We talk to the family.  Big smiles.  The priest stops by.  We learn that we should not go to The Cathedral.
                                                     "It is modern," we are told.  "This is traditional.  This is in Latin."

Another surprising day, starting slowly, with no plan or expectation, we wind up at our first mass in Latin in over 30 years.  With the priest facing the altar, not us, we hear the old Latin chants, in a room about the size of a classroom, about 30 people in attendance, with incense, holy water, three altar boys, and one assistant, with a small all-female choir, and a keyboard.  Chichi loved it; John appreciated it.  

Then, to coffee, and a friendly man tries to say hello to us, in French.  He tells us that  he teaches Spanish to secondary students.  We say, "we speak Spanish," and off we go, promptly learning that he has been to Bolivia, remembers all the important places, loves Cervantes and Isabel Allendi, not to mention Mario Vargas Lliosa, who, we hear, is quite ill.  His name is Eduardo.  We soon will invite him to the boat.

Outside, a group of young men march, playing perfect percussion's, some cross dressed, having fun, and asking for a euro or two.  

That was our Sunday.

Last week, we anchored at the mouth of The Grande Riviere A Goyaves, in The Grand Cul De Sac Marin, and we spent half the day exploring the river.  About 2 p.m., we left for the Riviere Sallee that divides the two halfs of Guadeloupe.  Two bridges open only after 4:30 a.m.  We anchored north of one, and relaxed. Then, up at 3:30 a.m., to make the first bridge, and to make the intimidating passage to the next bridge, in the dark, with another boat behind us.  After passing the second bridge, we had enough, and anchored until the sun again said hello, and made our lives easier.

16-18.334N
061-36.130W

Anchored
Mouth of The Grande Riviere  A Goyaves

February 4

We just anchored at the mouth of "the longest navigable river" in the leewards, a charming spot on the north coast of Guadeloupe. Our trip from Deshaises was routine until we had to weave our way through shallows by sticking close to a few markers.  The big news is that we caught two fish off the stern using artificial bait. Chichi is/was ecstatic, and is planning a first class fish dinner tonight.  We had heard it could be done.  It can be done.

Deshaises charmed our socks off.  Turning into the harbor was like Christmas, you know, the time you went to a Christmas party, opened the door, and found the entire home, or a good portion thereof, decorated with small make believe homes, trees, street lights, flowers, maybe even an electric train running somewhere.
That's Deshaises.  It is built smack on the beach, with the bell tower of a Catholic Church overseeing the town.  The church still uses bells to call people to worship. We heard the bells starting at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, and Chichi moved promptly to join the 8 a.m. mass.  John went back to the boat, spruced up, headed for the fishing dock, stepped over the front of the dinghy onto a floating dock that stopped floating, throwing him and his pride into the water.  Back to the boat.  Iodine, bandages, then to the much sturdier town dock. The local people leaving church were friendly, elegant, respectful and kindly. The French maintain the outward symbols of respect, such as Sunday clothing, that have been given up in many lands.  Refreshing.

We then were lazy the rest of Sunday, and we headed into clear customs first thing Monday.  While sipping coffee and eating croissants at Almadin, an American couple passed by to say hello.  They were Doug and Linda Garde, aboard Ariel.  Moments before, they had said good bye to good friends who had sailed with them for ten days.  Doug recommended that we visit the Botanical Garden, and, most important, he told us how to hear National Public Radio.  "All Things Considered" again is part of our lives.

The Botanical Garden is the best we ever have seen.  The best.

Doug and Linda joined us for wine. We then tanked, and left this morning.

By the way, The French speak only French.  No English anywhere, not like an American museum where you can pick up a walkman tape in any language. Guadeloupe is part of France, as Hawaii is part of the United States, except that Guadeloupe is more French than Hawaii is American.

16-18.369N
061-47.851W

Anchored
Deshaises, Island of Guadeloupe

February 2

Yalena Edwards (see January) and her son Adam came aboard Thursday night to show us how to prepare Fongi and Fish.  Yalena is a massage therapist and active tourism promoter who has a hundred good ideas for bringing people to Antigua. We enjoyed their company. Unfortunately, Adam, age 10, believes only two persons played James Bond:  Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.  We attempted to remedy this fault in his education, but he still has trouble believing that Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore were involved.

The previous night, Chris Doyle and his friend Paul came aboard for wine and laughs.  Chris is author of "The Cruising Guide to The Leeward Islands," the definitive reference for every sailor we have met.  His work is superb, especially the detailed harbor sketch charts.  The charts are so well done that we suspect he spent days on each.  He also publishes guides to The Windwards, and to Trinidad and Tobago.  We bet there are more than a hundred charts in these books, some indispensable for safety and convenience.  Thank you Chris.  Chris and Paul met each other more than a score of years ago.  Our memory is that they met during a diving course.  Paul is a physicist, former shrimp boat captain in northern Brazil, former sailing instructor, and computer consultant.  He lives with is wife, a professor of British English, who teaches at Dartmouth in Vermont.  Paul's wife gave him a month off while she grades papers. Chris sails 6 months, usually single handed, then lives in New Hampshire the other six, undoubtedly assembling updates that result from his six months in the islands.  They are fun people.

Chichi picked up a bit of gastritis before we left Antigua.  We let it go at first, but then decided to see a doctor. Nick Fuller is his name.  He not only is an excellent physician.  He operates a salvage business.  If we understood correctly, he keeps a radio on, and responds quickly whenever he hears a  boat in distress, usually at night.  In some cases, he is entitled to compensation for salvage, depending on the value and insurance settlement.  So, here is man who  both saves and salvages.

The trip from English Harbor to Deshaises was not good.  We were not competent sailors.  We did not properly handle temporary high winds caused by brief squalls.  We were jinxed in the first few minutes after leaving, when the main sail did not want to go up easily, and simultaneously, for reasons still not understood, our propane gas warning system started to beep.  When we got settled, with three sails deployed, heading south, all was well.  All was beautiful, sailing at 198 degrees with 15-18 knots on the port beam (a beam reach, port tack).  During the first squall, we became anxious, because we had too much sail.  We could not keep the 198 degree course.  As the second squall approached, we decided to take in about a third of the genoa and maybe 10 % of the main.  As we came into the wind to lower the main, the head sails back winded, forcing us to tack, and to head back to Antigua.  After we came about, heading to Guadeloupe, our nerves were on edge.  To satisfy the nerves, we brought in the genoa.  Of course, the winds immediately both eased off and moved south, and we slowed to 3 knots or less.  At this point, the only way to make Deshaises before dark was to turn on the iron genny (motor), and make time.  Even this was not without incident.  When the prop was turning at more than 2500 RPMs, we heard an awful grinding noise.  We had heard it briefly before, but could not isolate its source.  We were able to isolate the source on this trip.  It appears to emanate from in front of the engine, probably the transmission.  Figuring this out will cost us a few extra days in Guadeloupe, and a few extra dollars.