S/Y Babette Sails to the Caribbean

S/Y Babette sails to the Caribbean, carefully avoiding the Pirates, and then sails back again to Norway.

The crewmembers: Shannon
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Thursday, March 30, 2006

Steep vulcanic cones: Dominica ahead!


By 6:15am "Babette" and "Fatuhiva" are motor-sailing away from Martinique. But by 9am, in the Martinique channel we get a good downwind sail. With one reef we coast along doing six knots.
Dominica's high volcanic cones form out of the haze ahead, growing blue, then green. Eventually they put us in a windshadow, with occaional gusts down valleys. So motor on motor off.
By 4pm we're anchored in Prince Rupert Bay; "Fatuhiva" is right beside us. Bjarne is snorkling down to the anchors, but he's up in "Babette" with an itchy back: jelly fish! Of an irritating type: they're invisible. the sneaky microscopic thingies are just like their pals the "no see 'ems" (mosquitos). No avoiding them because you can't see them.
Dominica has another feature, the "welcoming committee". "Hi,my name is Whatever; Welcome to Paradise". They sell fruit, bread, tours in the rainforest, or up the Indian River by rowboat. And they do a watertaxi service. Handy services for sailboats, though it can be somewhat overwhelming at times. And the prices are often outrageously expensive. Advice: agree upon a price before you request a service!

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