Change of plans today! I’ve always used quiet time at work between Christmas and New Year to tidy up my computer and e-mails and try to complete tasks that have been lying around and sulking for weeks or months. That way I can start afresh in the New Year. This time around I’ve got so many open threads and tasks that it won’t be possible. But at least I can do triage on my mailbox and clean up there.
Sunrise
I arose before the sunset and started work with coffee in hand. My supplies are starting to run low, so that will need to go onto my shopping list ASAP.
Morning
Home-office work filled my morning hours and I was on a roll with testing new functionality until noon.
Lunch
I took a break and zipped across the Bay between showers to get some groceries at Rodney Bay. Suitably provision with coffee, bread and some Heineken I returned to the boat. While sipping some water I made my plans and got out my boat paperwork in preparation for clearing out after the New Year. Out of curiosity I flipped through my passport to the St. Lucia entry stamp and was shocked to read “42 Days” for my stay rather than the 2 months I’d requested upon arrival. I’d even told the immigration about spending New Year’s eve here. Nonetheless, she didn’t give me the 2 months but just those 42 days. Doing some quick math thanks to Google I found out that I’d have to clear out of St. Lucia today in order to remain legal! I quickly shaved to make myself presentable, put on a collared polo shirt and zipped to immigration ashore.
They confirmed that I’d either need to clear out today or request an extension. I’d done that once before and the process involved travelling into Castries and submitting photos and paperwork and giving them my passport for a week. I don’t want to do that, so I cleared out and need to depart St. Lucia tomorrow morning at the latest.
Afternoon
After customs & immigration I returned to the boat, but haven’t done as much preparation work as I wanted because of both lethargy and the constant showers passing overhead.
The boat is pretty much ready to go. The prop and rudder and keel growth is going to cost me a couple of knots of speed, but it is only about 50Km to my destination in Martinique. I’ve got a burger thawing for dinner and have sufficient Heineken strategic reserves for tonight. And the backup plan for alcohol is single-malt from Islay so I’m covered!
Dinner
I thawed out one more frozen hamburger patty and this time I had the foresight to purchase buns, but my last tomato is long gone and the onion I pulled out of the depths of the fridge looked like it might have some strange fungus growing on it. Consequently, it went swimming and I had a simple but tasty BBQ burger.