Some ARC+ Crazy Families Reunited
From Antigua we set sail for Guadeloupe and checked into the country in Deshaies. The wind was howling down the anchorage and the spots close to the town were all taken. After clearing customs and immigration at the Police Station we weighed anchor and headed off southward to Pte Malendure/Pigeon Island.
Our Norwegian friends on Axeline 2 were already there and the following morning another ARC+ Norwegian family arrived on eMotion. It was an unexpected mini reunion ahead of the planned get together with LaDiala, which had been moved to Les Saintes on 15th February so that Marlin, Lallona, Mon Reve, Gaia and Tortola 2 could also be there. Before leaving the anchorage a French flagged, 45ft steel ketch dragged its anchor, snagged its rudder on our chain and hit us on our Starboard side. Luckily two people from a neighbouring yacht shouted 'Moana, Moana, Moana' soon enough for Jo and Freddie to get onto the deck and use the fenders to prevent any damage. With the yacht seemingly deserted and snagged on our chain I jumped on board and, with the windlass control still on, managed to drop a further 20 metres of scope. They had anchored in 15m of water with only 25 metres of chain! We were about to try to free the rudder when a man popped his head up from below. Old and bemused he wandered about aimlessly while the boat started to free itself. I jumped back on Moana and watched him drift away and finally come to a halt 50 metres away once the anchor had caught. The two younger people who owned the boat arrived back from their snorkelling trip, realised what had happened and promptly upped anchor and left without a word. Say no more....
We arrived at the Pain a Sucre in Les Saintes at around 1pm on 15th February and most of the other boats were already settled in on mooring buoys, or anchored. It was great to see everybody and we had two days of catching up over long gallic lunches and sundowners. The kids were straight back in the groove together with a couple of new faces, Alistair and Aiden from the Swiss boat Gaia.
We stayed an extra day and went for an extended 90nm passage, past Dominica, to St Pierre. The next day we crossed the Martinique Channel to Marigot Bay, St Lucia to meet up with Rob and Fiona.