CAPTAIN'S LOG

29 May 2022: Cruising the French Countryside

DATE

29 May 2022

Departure point

Deshaies, Guadeloupe

arrival point

Pidgeon Cove, Guadeloupe

distance (NM)

10 NM

Cumulative Mileage (NM)

3,279 NM

Crew on Board

CALLY

Skipper, first mate, chef, entertainment and more; I guess that is solo sailing for you!

GENERAL WEATHER OBSERVATIONS

WIND

17 knots gusting to 22 knots.  Kind of squally all around!

CLOUD COVER

Grey and rainy!

TEMPERATURE

Humid but cool, if that is possible.

PRECIPITATION

Scattered showers and squalls.

Log

A short hop down the coast kept me motivated to continue moving.  It was so tempting to stay in that cute little French bay forever.  It was so calm, I had a free mooring and I was finally starting to feel a bit less antsy about moving south.  A feeling that had been eating away at me literally since I bought the boat back in October 2021.

(Though the feeling did return as the Pacific has it’s first named hurricane of the season!)

Friends Vicki, Steve and kids on SV Passat II were ahead of me and reported the conditions as well as made sure to message me about the anchorage on arrival.   I should always send a scout in front of me!  So much more relaxing than figuring it all out yourself.

I loved traipsing down the French countryside with squally, grey rain clouds a beautiful contrast to the lush green hills.   The smattering of tiny houses only made it more quaint looking. 

There were a lot of fish pots to look out for (so glad I did not arrive in the dark on my last sail) but otherwise it was a pretty leisurely sail.   I had a corner of the jib out for about half the time but the wind kept gusting and changing directions so I finally gave up and furled it away and carried on with just the motor and only 5 nautical miles to go.  

It took me two attempts to drop the anchor.  There are a lot of mooring balls in the bay and boats on mooring balls swing differently to boats on anchor so it is tricky to anchor near them.   But I was pleased to be in a reasonably shallow depth of 15ft and found my spot eventually.   Now I was settled in my plan was to run into the Carrefour grocery store and get myself some treats for dinner.  

The area was known for its hot springs and snorkeling so definitely some exploring to be done! 

“The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.”

 – Albert Einstein

One Response

  1. Sometimes, places and situations can be “Sticky “, the truck is to resist and keep moving. 😊
    Glad you had a nice rest, you earned it!

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