27 March Statia. Done.

It's Monday morning and we are checking out from Sint Eustatius bound southerly for Nevis and then Guadeloupe. Since Saturday a southerly swell has begun to creep into the anchorage and we're now rolling nicely. It''s time to beat feet and continue our journey...except we have a small issue. After the dinghy outboard failed to start on Saturday and we had to have a tow back to Jackster David worked hard to repair it. He changed the spark plugs and cleaned the carburretor. This morning we put it in the water and it started OK. David switched it off while we got our papers ready to go in to do clearance and now it refuses to start. So frustrating! Our options are to row more than half a mile both ways, go in in the kayak (possible) or accept a ride from our other neighbours on TL Sea who by happy chance are also going to clear out. We owe Troy and Leanne big time. In the cruiser way you 'pay it forward' and we have helped others when they needed it. I go with them while David stays to lift and store the dinghy ready for travel. We're hoping to see them again in Port Louis. Grenada this summer.

As soon as the anchor is lifted we turn the bow south, catch the wind and have a lively, fast sail past St Kitts to anchor overnight on the south west corner of Nevis. There is a field of a dozen mooring balls which are all taken. We are happier to anchor – we know our chain and anchor are good, we don't know the state of the moorings. In May 2009 there were at least 50 moorings and only three boats, We met and had sunset drinks with the other two, Jackie and Gary on Inspiration Lady and Jack on Anthem. 

This is an extract from my blog dated 24 May 2009

On the last night in the anchorage we met Jackie and Gary from Canada on their self built Inspiration Lady. A beautiful boat that took 23 years to build. She's a labour of love, dedication and patience. Jackie and Gary are travelling with Jack, a retired airline pilot on his classic boat, Anthem.

 An enduring friendship began that evening; we went through the Panama Canal with IL, sailed across the Pacific together, met IL again in the the Indian Ocean, sailed from Madagascar to SAF together and last saw them in Brazil. So many good memories like Jack Anthem throwing the skin of a tuna fish off his boat in Nevis in the dark and it landing on our dinghy tied alongside. That fish skin was so darned sticky the mark was still there when the inflatable became a deflatable and we bought a new one in NZ.