It’s Friday in Sint Maarten and I’ve got grand plans for the day. I’ve gotten off to an early start so that I can finish office work early and do my provisioning. I’ll also have to buy items at the chandlery in preparation for departing to ports where things are either not available at all or are very expensive.
Morning
I’m keeping a sharp lookout at the bridge openings in case I need to move out of the way. The winds have shifted a bit and moved Zanshin more into what might be construed as the channel.
At 10:20 I did have to motor forward about a boat length to give the superyacht Pisces room to get by.
I’m now using the Marinetraffic site to see if there are any big yachts waiting outside for a bridge opening. Of those big boys, only a very few will come my way. But if there’s nothing big out there, I can stop worrying about being in the way. It is closing in on the 11:30 inbound bridge opening. Nothing big in sight, so I will head ashore for my first round of tasks.
Noon
I’ve just returned from trip #1. The garbage has been disposed of. The laundry has been dropped off (it won’t be finished until Sunday). I’ve gotten another 40l of diesel at Island Waterworld. I wanted to get some advice about bottom paint, but Rene wasn’t there. I’ll return when he is to get some professional advice, and perhaps stock up on paint. The work can be done while I’m on the hardstand in St. Lucia this hurricane season.
I just remembered that Mark and Marjorie will be coming by later to help me put up the genoa sail. I’ve got to clean up a little belowdecks since I’m sure that Marjorie will be interested in looking at the boat. And I should prepare the genoa sail to make the job of lifting it up and furling it go quicker.
I did prepare the genoa, attaching the head and the sheets and preparing everything ahead of time. The two came over at 14:00, as promised, and despite the winds having picked up, we got the sail up and furled in just a few minutes with no problems at all. They departed immediately, as they had things to do and places to go.
Evening
I went ashore shortly before sunset and chatted with fellow sailors at the Soggy before going to the Tap & Still. The Squall Band was playing again, and I didn’t want to miss them.