Doldrums

Also called ITCZ (inter-tropical convergence zone). We though we were
going to get away with it and not have to go through.
It started yesterday around 1:00 p.m. It looked like a lot of very heavy
thunderstorms. But once we got inside them, there was no wind, just
heavy rain and a little bit of air pulling the boat into all kinds of
directions. We had the gennaker up and I did not see the need to take it
down as the wind never went up more than 13 knots.
It seemed that it would never stop, and it did not. The rain stayed with
us until 9:00 this morning. After that, the wind became a little more
stable but still very weak. less than 10 knots. Just as well ! After
that run at more than 200 miles a day, there was a chance that we would
arrive, as usual, on Sunday morning at 2:00 a.m. in a moonless night.
Even now, if we were doing just 5 knots, we would get to the entrance of
the channel at 3:00 a.m.
I do not like to enter restricted areas at night when it is the first
time I get there. One can never trust the GPS, as I have seen this
voyage in Tonga, Rodrigues and Cabedelo where while we stayed in the
middle of the channel, the GPS would have run us aground. The radar
works well, but it is not always easy to distinguish a channel marker
from other objects. And there will be no moon to help. So, I might just
stay adrift outside and wait for daylight.

My upcoming itinerary, which was very much dependent on availability of
boat yard to haul out and marinas to stay, during the holidays season. I
now have a boat yard confirmed in Fort de France, Martinique where I
will haul out and do the bottom paint on December 14 to 16. Then I will
move to Point a Pitre, Guadeloupe and take a berth at the Marina de Bas
du Fort where I have found a space available. In Pointe a Pitre, I
should be able to work on the rigging (roller furler, goose neck for the
boom and the rigid boom vang, lines to replace, etc...) I will be in
Pointe a Pitre from December 18 to 28. Then, we will sail back to Fort
de France to pick up daughter and grand daughter. I still have to find
a place either at the Marina de Pointe du Bout, or in the village of "Le
Marin".
Will follow a great 12 days cruise with daughter and grand daughter.

A friend to meet in Guadeloupe, my older brother arriving in Les
Saintes, and then we will start sailing back to Grand Lucaya where Papy
Jovial will stay for a few days to lick her wounds and clean up.

And then, Papy Jovial and myself still have to sail back to Norfolk, but
I intend to creep up and stop wherever I have friends to greet.