Finally moving, tips, and a detailed summary

At this time last year, Rebecca and I were en route from Gatun Lake, in the middle of the Panama Canal, heading towards the Pacific Ocean. It was definitely a highlight of 2016. Today, I expect, will be much less eventful. Our plans are to make a quick run into town (Le Marin) to stock up on cooking gas*, and to clear out of Martinique. Yes, after 2 months of remaining stationary, our intention is to make a brief trip south to St. Lucia, departing early tomorrow morning. We’ll likely only remain there for a day or two, long enough to do some shopping, and to hopefully share a drink or two with some friends. After that, we’ll be back to Martinique.

*Non-European boats that use propane for cooking are often surprised to find that they can not purchase the gas that they need on the French islands. If you use propane in North American style tanks, be sure to stock up before you come here.

One downside to remaining stationary for so long is that the anchor chain can develop a significant amount of growth on it. Not the entire chain, mind you, but rather just the portion that hangs down from the surface of the water towards the sea floor. The chain that lies horizontally along the bottom seldom develops growth because the constant motion of it scraping against the sand keeps it clean.

A tip to deal with this problem, if you know that you’re going to be departing, is to let out enough additional chain for the fouled part to reach the bottom. The theory is that, if you do this a couple of days before you plan to leave, it will allow the fouled portion of the chain to scrape on the bottom, hopefully removing some of the plant life. As we let out that extra chain yesterday, we’ll see how well it works when we bring up our anchor tomorrow, assuming that we can dislodge our massive Mantus from the sand.

You can see the marks in the sand where the chain has been rubbing.

A January 2017 summary of posts:

More to satisfy my own curiosity than anything else, I decided to post a summary of what we put online last month. The following is a list of titles, along with links to the posts, followed by a brief description of how I would categorize them:

• Jan 01 – Never stop playing – image/quote, motivation
• Jan 02 – Get rid of those filters – goal setting, motivation
• Jan 03 – Why we don’t want to sail around the world – travel, opinion piece
• Jan 04 – We’re having a baby – cocktail recipe
• Jan 05 – If I’m sure of anything, it’s that I’m not sure – puzzle, logic, judgement
• Jan 06 – Generator: Early morning or late in the day? – power management on a boat
• Jan 07 – Brewing coffee, the nectar of the gods – galley talk
• Jan 08 – It’s the journey, not the destination – travel, motivation
• Jan 09 – Leave no trace – Take your trash with you – rant, waste
• Jan 10 – No post
• Jan 11 – Red Marks: Even numbered except in Martinique? – observations, navigation
• Jan 12 – What’s your story, the most frequently asked question – our history, background
• Jan 13 – No Post
• Jan 14 – Goodbye DeLorme, hello Garmin InReach Explorer – technology, communication
• Jan 15 – Looking for the land that knows nothing of the sea – sailing lore
• Jan 16 – Dragging drama, too close for comfort – drama, current events
• Jan 17 – When boats are dragging towards you, you’ve gotta have balls – safety tip
• Jan 18 – Fitness Buffs: Not 1 new post but 71 – website update, new fitness content
• Jan 19 – No post
• Jan 20 – A beginner’s guide to building a website – Part one – blogging, technology, how to
• Jan 21 – Holyfield workout: Gym and beach, past and present – fitness video by Rebecca
• Jan 22 – Rescue: Vessel still missing but family is safe – drama, current events
• Jan 23 – If you’re going to try, go all the way – video/poem, motivation
• Jan 24 – Making a case for the Yellowbrick – technology, communication
• Jan 25 – How to never run out of gasoline again – tips, how to
• Jan 26 – Few words but important lessons – video, motivation
• Jan 27 – Are you in the stander camp, or the sitter camp? – observations, cruising, safety
• Jan 27 – Why I don’t teach fitness classes while cruising in the Caribbean – post by Rebecca, money
• Jan 28 – A plea to all the lurkers: please come out of the closet – blogging
• Jan 29 – A beginner’s guide to building a website – Part two – blogging, technology, how to
• Jan 30 – JABS (Just Another Beautiful Sunset) – image, motivation
• Jan 31 – Do you ever feel like you just want to scream? – current events