My dear friends!
We are closing in to the big crossing! We have been loading the boat with water, food, süssigkeiten, and alot of diesel. The boat is now so cramped with stuff that you bareley can see the water line any more.
There are still some more small things to fix, but then we are ready to leave. When you read this we have left Saint Martin, heading northeast in quite poor easterly winds. According to the forecast we can expect 15 knots easterly winds. That is at least 5 knots to little. But, who knows? It is a very rough forecast, it's not made for this particuar area, but a much, much bigger area than this. We are prepared for local variations that can be very different.
The time here have passed really fast. Up til now we have visited something like nine (9) countries! Not bad when you consider that we only been cruising for some three, four weeks. Ahh, nice you say? Yes, absolutely, but consider the fact that there is some extra work for the Captain. For every country we visit we have to clear in and clear out with the custom, immigration and port autorityies. For our little yacht it's not that bad, we were at most four people onboard.
When you first arrive to a new harbour you have to come in with a yellow flag and the courtesy flag under starboard "what-ever-that-thing-is-called-in-english" (spreader? probably not). The yellow flag (Q) mean "My ship is clean from diseases and we wish to visit the customs". Then the Captain, a.k.a. poor me, a.k.a. Urban, have to find the customs office. Fill in the necessary papers with the same questions everytime. The want to know EVERYTHING about the boat. Lenght, width, draft, how many engines, masts, bottles of wine, dingys, colour, material, you name it. Then they want to know EVERYTHING about the captain and his crew. So if I ever after this trip forget my friends' birthday after been filling out the crew list form two times every time I've cleared in, AND cleared out in nine different countries - then please help me.
Very well, I haven't actually made it to the customs in all countries. - Relax, my friends, there is a reason, and if you ask me, a good one. We came to Guadeloupe a sunny, but very windy day in Mars. We had left Dominica at midnight. The night had been calm, but when the morning came, and were motoring on the leeside, the west side, of the island we were hit by this lovely fenomena we call, litterarily translated, "fall(ing) winds". They are coming from nowere. Or, yes, of course, the come from the steep hill side, but I mean unexpected. The come thundering towards you with very high speed. The can easily come to you with speeds like 30+ knots. And they always come hiting you straight on the nose.
Anyway. There we were. These wind were calling on my attention, so the little sleep I had hoped for was gone with - yes, you were right on it there! - the wind. We anchor in this beutiful bay by Pigeon Island at the west coast of Guadeloupe. This is a marin park that has got its name after the famous founder Jacques Cousteau. This is supposed to be the best diving you can find in the Caribbean (they say the same about Saba, but anyway, more about Saba later).
When we left Dominica we learnt from a dutch couple we meet over a sundowner, that the Port of Call we were aiming at were closed. The coustoms office were hard to find and never open so we should instead go directly to Deshaies. Since Deshaies is north of Pigdeon Island my plan was to take the bus to Deshaies from Pidgeon Island and fulfill my duty.
We struggle to get our dingy in the water and head for the beach. Will there be a bus stop? - O yes! There was! France might be a civilised country after all! (Sorry, Fabrice, no offence). Now my plan was to steal myself half a day of rest and some good diving by saying that due to our late arrival we couldn't make it to the coustom office within the buisness hours.
And good diving it was. It was actually the best diving I ever experienced. I will tell you more soon. I went up early the next day, packed all the necessary papers, passports together with some water, and went over to the bus stop. The road were only going in two directions so how hard could it be to calculate the right direction and step on the bus?
In the tourist information, were they of course not spoke english, I mangaged to find a time table for the bus. I went two times every hour! Wow! This was going to be easy! It wouldn't matter if i just missed one buss, it's not more than 45 min to next one. So I placed myself by the bus stop sign and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
There were other people there too, waiting. But since the bus didn't come, the got picked up by friendly car drivers instead. Since I didn't find out how the managed to be picked up (no car botherd to stop for me, white tourist that don't speak French) I was left there standing.
I went back to the Tourist information to make absolutely clear for myself when the next bus was due. A, only 25 min! That is almost nothing. It can't be no more than 35 degrees in the shadow. Easy. After 45 min there actually came a bus! Hoorrraaayy!? Yippea!?
I went on the bus and tried to pay. I said: 'Deshaies" in every possible way. My pronounciation couldn't have been to bad, but still, I didn't seem to impress the busdriver. He just waved angrilly towards the OTHER bus stop. According to him, I was on the wrong bus, and who would have the strenght to starting argueing with him in my situation?
I stepped out. Disappointed. Confused. Went over to the tourist information again. Found a map. Pointed on Deshaies. Said - again using all my knowledge in language (and I do have a master degree in language) - while pointing at myself: "Deshaies". Then pointing towards north. And they answered: Yes, yes. I had definately been on the right bus.
Luckily, the helpful assistant had seen me being thrown out of the bus. She managed to explain to the other person there, and I felt like I was making progress with my communication, that I just got kicked out of the bus of some reason. She too, now looked very confused.
I had a problem. The coustom office were soon to close. I had to go there. There had been one minibus letting people of, not at the bus stop, but at least in the vincinity. Maybe I had confused the concept of Guadeloupean busses? Maybe not every bus was big, white, noicy and had the text "Deshaies" on them? Since the minibus drove away before I had a chance to run there, I never found out.
Now I was starting to give up. Saying to myself: who cares? This is stil France. It's Europe. I have the right to be here. I went back to the beach and sat down waiting for Robert to come ashore and start his dive tour.
Then I see it! There it is! The bus! Yes. There was a white bus, definately heading north, rambling down the narrow, dangerous road towards me! It has the word "Deshaies" written on it! I picked up my bag and started to run. And I ran. Yes, you should have seen me. I must have looked like a moose crossing a Swedish highway.
Luckily there were passengers leaving the bus, making it hold so I managed to reach the bus just in time. This time I didn't say anything - wise from my last lesson. I sat down and relaxed and enjoyed the stream of air that came rushing trough the open door and the open windows. I enjoyed the beutiful view from the hill we were climbing. It was easy to enjoy since there were no safety barriers to block the view. The reaggea music on the radio was competing with the screaming engine to be heard the most. It was a nice bus ride. I thought for myself that: If i survive this I promise to be greatful for every new day I live. Never take anything for granted.
After a while we reached the last town before Deshaies. The bus driver takes a turn up to the town center. That is very normal. At least in Sweden, were most bus stations are located fairly central. What swedish bus drivers normally don't do is leave the bus with the engine running, with a bunch of passengers wating, both outside the bus as well as inside, and then go buying himself a newspaper. If the swedish bus driver would do that, he or she wouldn't at least sit down at a cafe and begin to read!
Luckily French newspapers are really thin, so after a while he returned to his bus with the running engine and waiting passengers. Ahhh, now we continue our trip. Finally. I might just be in time for coustoms office hours!
Then the bus driver drives down back to main road and turn south again! He just skip the last destination and starts going back! Maybe he was after schedule now, since he just had to read his newspaper, what do I know?
There I was. On my way back. I had been so close. Very well. I reached my starting point at a time when coustoms definately have closed. Couldn't do more than laugh, so I did. So. There you are. I didn't fulfill my dutys on Guadelope. The problem that comes with that is that you have to make up a story with the coustoms on the next island. The will see that you have left Dominica one day and are reaching Antigua three days later. You have to come up with a good explaination.
Bugger, Antigua have a rumor that they are extremely interessed in details and you have to have you papers exactly right. But we were lucky. In the great and fantastic country of Dominica you clear in and out at the same time, and they give you a week, no matter what. So our departure time wasn't on paper! - Ohh, if I had know this a day earlier... Therefore we could just say that we came directly from Dominica and we didn't have any problem.
Said and done. The morning after we were at Antigua and we didn't have any kind of problem.
The marine park at Guadeloupe treated me with the best diving I have experienced! It was absolutely fantastic. I was only free diving, but that was enough. Most of the interesting things to see are not very deep anyway. In the park, at twelve meters, on a spot of white coral sand, stands a statue of Jacques Cousteau himself. If you dive down and give him the OK-sign or pat him on the head you will have good luck in diving the rest of your life. Better do that!
So I swam down and gave Jacques the sign, gave him a pat on the head. He gave me the O.K sign back. I'm happy! I will have good luck in diving forever! To be sure that Sporttaucher Berlin will have good luck in all their diving and UW-rugby games I gave Jacques greeting from the team to. So now, let's see if it works!
This was a long story. Let's call it a day now and I will come back to you soon again. If everything goes well we are back online in about 20 days. The we have hopefully arrived at Horta, Faial, The Azores. It's supposed to be really beutiful there. I am looking forward to it very much. I am looking forward to visiting the famous Peters sportbar were you have to go after arriving with sailboat. Maybe we do like every long distance sail yachts and paint our logo on the pier. Google Horta and the Azores, maybe ad the word sailing or yacht, you see what I mean.
I do miss you all, dear friends, no matter how beutiful the dive sites and beaches over here are. See you on the other side!
Auf wiederhören! Tchüss!
Urban
