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Hi all. At the moment we are on Double Helix with the wind howling past us at about 25 knots. It has been raining on and off for about a week and we are anchored in a harbour with tons of other boats. It doesn't sound idyllic does it? Well it is! The harbour is surrounded by mangroves, and is full of other liveaboard boats, many with children. Ellen and Anna are playing with Ingebork (if that is how you spell her name), a Norwegian girl who we met briefly in Spain the fist time. Her dad dropped her off here this morning with a request that 'she comes to play on the catamaran'. The frequent but very short lived rain bursts ensure that we have plenty of water for washing (clothes, us, boat and dishes) and the wind is keeping the temperature down to 'ok to wear a few clothes'.
We are in Martinique, in Le Marin harbour which is the home of all ubercool French sailor types. We came here straight from Barbados with our latest boat problem, to get it fixed. Our new last year diesel tanks appear to have suffered some 'atlantic chaffing' and needed some attention and we were recommended to come here for all things boaty.
Barbados was a great place to make landfall after the crossing and we enjoyed our time there. We did a tour of the island together with Seawalk and Seraphim (the Dutch and English boats with kids on board) and were minibused to see some particularly impressive caves, and to a wildlife sanctuary, as well as the scenic surfers paradise which is the Atlantic coast. The beaches were superb and the snorkelling was fantastic. As well as diving with the turtles there were some wrecks in the bay which have turned into little coral reefs. The people in Barbados were generally very friendly, very chatty and open, and cope well with the sporadic flooding of tourists from the cruise ships. Sea Walk, and Seraphim, have become our latest cruising buddies, and are now in Le Marin as well, and once all boat problems are 'solutioned' we will be heading to more secluded anchorages together on our way north.
Here in Martinique we have been on a dingy 'safari' with two other dingys to see the mangroves swamps - spotting lots of crabs but no snakes - which was great fun. We have also seen a regatta of traditional local sailing boats which are really impressive (see photo) and was accompanied by food drink music and dancing on the beach. We enthusiastically tucked into fish, rice and peas, and watched some great dancing - Anna was fascinated and stood behind the dancer trying to copy her for a long time.
Ellen and Anna are lapping up the time with other kids, and Ellen is doing well with her school at the moment - or I am getting better at insisting - one of the two! Anna is doing lots of practise at colouring in neatly and we are getting though lots of paper! The trampolines as being well used both by Ellen and Anna and by visiting kids, most of whom have catamaran envy. Ellen and Anna are both getting good at using the VHF and remind us when we forget to say 'over' or 'Double Helix standing by on 72 and 16', although Ellen usually finishes her conversations with 'Double Helix out, lots of love.'
John and I have settled into days of warmth and company remarkably well - and are looking forward to seeing some more of the carribean.
Thank you again for all your emails and messages, they are much appreciated.
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