Sunrise
I woke up at 06:00 and after making my coffee I started with the preparatory work for the 08:30 departure from the lagoon. I removed the 2 big solar panels forward and then lifted up the dinghy and tied it down tight for the passage.
Then I removed the smaller panels and stowed them securely, along with the big ones, in the forward port head. Then a bunch of smaller tasks had to be done – getting the flag down, the boom loosened, the jib sheets re-attached since I’d tied the dinghy over the lines.
I made it to the anchor lifting just in time; and the anchor windlass wasn’t working very well since it is usually attached to the 24V alternator for extra power… Nonetheless I made it out of the bridge and was underway.
08:30 to 18:30
The passage wasn’t a great one. The wind from the SE didn’t allow me to make the course I wanted, and I was over 20 degrees off. In the end I motorsailed for 3 hours to make the channel between Statia and St. Kitts and once in the lee of St. Kitts the wind died down, so I kept the engine running and dropped the sails.
Then, after passing the Brimstone fortification, the winds picked up again and I sailed at 7-9 knots right for Pinney’s beach on Nevis. I arrived there in time to find a mooring ball and was surprised to get hailed by Lincoln and Esther on Cyrilla just as I was approaching a mooring. Lincoln asked if I need help and I said I’d get back to him if I missed the mooring; but the wind was light, and I made it on the first attempt! They are heading to Antigua tomorrow and I’m continuing south so we won’t meet up tonight.