For the first time, it seems we are twirling around on our anchor chain waiting on the “weather window” to make our next passage, to Guadeloupe. It’s about 75 miles to Guadeloupe. With at least 12 hours of sailing, that means we’d have to be sailing overnight to arrive before dark.
To quote our weather guy, “During the next 24 hours, the old TROF N of E Caribbean dissipates, and allows N parts of E Caribbean to fully participate in the extremely rough conditions. Martinique-Guadeloupe: 070@22g28/7′ thru most of Sat3, 25g34k/8-9′ Sat3 night-Sun4 morning; 070-080@23g30/8′ Sun4-Tue6 morning; 070@21g27/7′ Tue6 afternoon-Wed7 morning, 18g23k/6′ Wed7 afternoon.
That’s code for 30+ knots gusting to 35+. Otherwise know as “facking windy”.
Just to keep it fun, the swell is: “6′<8’/8 secENE-ESE today, 8′<9′ ENE-E tonight-Sat3, 10′ Sun4, 9′<8′ Mon5-Wed7 morning, 7′ later Wed7. VIs-PR: 1′ less.”
So, 35+ knots and 10′ waves. Not a good combo. Spinnaker?
So, for now we are hanging out in Basseterre, St Kitts, with a lot of anchor rode out hoping the rope doesn’t snap. Even in this protected harbor it’s gusting to 25 right now.
Oh, and if you need propane in St Kitts, a) it’s called cooking gas, and b) no-one has any. We think we have managed to track down the one place on the whole island, C and C Trading, that can fill bottles. With nothing better to do, we will schlep the bottles there to re-fill.
