Although it took a long time to leave, today saw my departure from Deshaies. I was going to sail along with Katzenellenbogen and they had some issues that required them to stay on the internet so we didn’t leave until after lunchtime and they left before me. When I started lifting up my anchor I encountered issues, a French ketch (the one in silhouette from the previous day’s pictures) had anchored quite close to the line of my anchor chain and as I was raising anchor an English ketch came in and anchored over my anchor. I called to the French boat and asked if he could motor forward a bit to let me raise my chain; as I couldn’t use the steering position remote because the panel read “Sensor Error” and when lifting forward the wind, which was gusting to 24 knots at the time, would swing my bow precariously close to the French boat. He declined – at first saying that he had a very short scope and then saying something I couldn’t catch. The British skipper was even more barefaced liar, when I asked him to motor forward so that he wouldn’t be over my anchor he stated that ≴I don’t have an engine” although he’d just motored in against the wind with just his mizzen sail up… I got the anchor windlass reset and managed to raise the chain and use forward gear and the bow thruster to ensure that I didn’t hit either ship to left or right and was rather dismayed at the lack of assistance both boats gave!
I put two reefs in the main and genoa, taking the 25 knots into consideration, but outside of Deshaies the winds slowed down and became fickle, I sailed much of the stretch to Île Pigeon back winded and tack a couple of times without changing the boat heading. The last mile was done under engine because of the changing and weak winds and I anchored in the outside of the field, wishing I had less draft and could go in as close as Katzenellenbogen, which was on the inside. I radioed with them and they came by with the remaining dive gear and we motored across to Pigeon Island to take a yellow mooring ball, which they’d read up in the guides were for private boats. We proceeded to put our dive gear together and as I was getting ready to enter the water a police boat came up and they politely informed me that the size limit for the mooring balls was 12 meters (Zanshin is over 17m, so not even close) and requested that I leave – but very politely; I think that they were happy that I admitted to speaking and understanding French. We left the dinghy with Tayne and Michaela and motored back to the anchorage, finding a slot in the corner of the field.
I think it is going to be a rolly night, the boat is already rocking and rolling occasionally and when the wind dies during the night the boat is going to be side-on to the waves and I’ll have to practice my starfish sleeping position again. After Michaela and Tayne returned from their dive, expounding that it was indeed a dive worthy of Cousteau’s recommendations (there’s an underwater statue of him there!) we agreed that we would dinghy across in the morning to get a dive in before the hordes of divers from the shoreside schools arrive.
After the 4 De Pinnas left I finished defrosting the fridge and also did a quick defrost of the freezer (using hot water from the sink to flush away the layers of ice) before tasting a sundowner drink shortly after sundown. Dinner is going to be the last 2 Merguez sausages with a baked potato prepared on the barbie.
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