Morning
Getting going without my morning coffee wasn’t easy, but I had no choice. I did some early work on the computer, transferring files and data from the boat system to the internet and to my notebook. Today is my travel day from St. Lucia to Norfolk Virginia.
I got the Starlink removed and stowed and cleaned out the fridge (there was still some ice in the insulated portion of the back) and dried it out. The bilge got cleaned and drained, with a bit of Pine Sol for good effect.
At 07:00 I went to the café for a latte drink to get my systems going, then finally packed my suitcase and opted to shower aboard Zanshin rather than ashore.
By 09:30 I’d stowed the power cable and turned off all systems except for the bilge pumps. My backpack and suitcase were on the dock and I put out the garbage. One last check through the boat uncovered nothing I’d forgotten so I closed her up and walked the 500m to the ferry on “I” dock.
Ferry Trip
The After You power cat was comfortable but didn’t have air conditioning and I regretted having chosen to wear jeans rather than my shorts. I resisted temptation for a bit, but then succumbed and ordered a Piton beer while we were underway. The drinks are included in the fare, but I didn’t want to overdo it with the long flights ahead of me.
The ferry is a much better alternative to the cab ride. It is more reliable than trusting to traffic through Castries and over the main hills – I tend to always get stuck behind an overfilled truck that can barely make it up in 2nd gear.
The view of Marigot, the Pitons, and other shoreside attractions sure beats sitting in a car.
Airport
I arrived at the airport 2 hours before the flight. Going through the pre-checkin security was fast and security took a while but was still acceptably fast. It is now 13:40 and boarding will start in 20 minutes – unless the flight gets delayed.
Newark (EWR)
We arrived just a bit early, but then there was a long line for me at immigration. Once I got to the front it only took a minute to clear and soon, I’d picked up my suitcase and re-checked it to Norfolk. We’d arrived in a different terminal, “B”, and although there was a train to “A”, it doesn’t go all the way and it is still 10-15 minutes of walking. But I had time to spare and quickly cleared security and am no sitting in the terminal with another 30 minutes to go before boarding my flight to Norfolk.
Home Stretch
Once again, as happened last year, in Norfolk my flight arrived on time, but getting the luggage from the clutches of the airport personnel was another matter. The last time the ground crew hadn’t gone outside, because there was lightning within 5 miles of the airport. This time there was no such excuse, but ostensibly the midnight shift hadn’t been prepared for an aircraft to arrive (odd, since this was a scheduled flight). But my bag came out and a short taxi ride later I was in my hotel!
Thus ended the long travel day from St. Lucia to Norfolk Virginia.