Martinique – St Lucia
Solo Day 4 and a quiet night on Dominica. Longer sail today and weather suggest stiffening winds for the hop to Martinique, the largest island in this journey south. The plan for this passage gives two days before arriving at dock on St Lucia and affords an opportunity to see some of this long sandy coastline and a couple of good anchorages. Anchor up at 6am with a long Dominica coast to traverse before catching the trades south. As Untethered clears the tip of the island and sails come out the wind has shifted south and builds to 20+knts, a closer hauled sail than I had hoped for the day. We are heavily heeled in this breeze with accompanying 8 to 10 foot swells. Wind and wave are making for an active day of sailing.
The goal is landfall and an Anchorage on the southwest coast of Martinique, and with the southern shift in winds we steer slightly west to pull the wind back towards the beam and ensure a solid breeze all the way south. Martinique is a lower profile island than the large volcanic Islands in this passage, and this means the winds pass more easily over the island, but there is still a wind shadow on the leeward (west) side of the island so a course more than 6 miles offshore to the west is needed to ensure consistent winds.
As Dominica fades off the stern, the low profile of Martinique rises from the swell off the Port Bow, winds have built now and while Untethered is moving swiftly, we have two much wind on this heading, and potentially too much sail area out, and suddenly a large tear begins to develop in the top 3rd of the Genoa. Despite quickly furling the sail, the damage has been done and the fun is gone from todays sail. The smaller storm jib (staysail) is deployed to drive the boat for the remainder of the day as the reduced sail area slows the hull towards landfall on Martinique. Three more hours to the southern end of the island provides plenty of reflection time on the damage done and reasons for the failure of the Genoa. The Genoa is the main driving force for the boat when sailing with winds on the beam, or more close hauled towards the bow, and the loss of this sail changes materially the sailing and pace of Untethered for the days ahead. Reflection on the damage only brings more questions than answer; too much sail out today?, too much sail out in the winds days ago or on the passage down from the US mainland, or just a defect/weakness in the sail?
It feels now like we are limping into Martinique as the sun is rapidly setting to the west. She comes to anchor at 8pm and finally some peace on the boat and thoughts of the days ahead and options for dropping and repairing this sail. As we have another night on Martinique the morning is spent looking for the most protected anchorage for the day so the sail can be dropped to the deck to fully assess the damage. Some hours then on the phone and email looking for a Sail Loft on St Lucia where a more formal and complete repair can be accomplished. As the 1st full day on Martinique ends I sit on the bow with sail tape, needle and tread in hand making the best temporary repairs possible while getting a full assessment of the sail, damage and required repair once we arrive on St Lucia.
Fortunately, the last hop of this Solo adventure is the shortest with only 27 miles from where Untethered sits at anchor on Martinique to the Marina where we will land on St Lucia. The intent was a short stay on St Lucia before travel further south to St Vincent and the Grenadines, these plans have now changed, and the Rodney Bay Marina confirms an extended stay at dock while the sail is dropped, and repairs completed. Winds don’t favor Untethered as the last solo day begins and we motor sail the last three hours of the journey into Rodney Bay. Sail repair is not top of mind now though, as we land all 60’ of Untethered solo in what is a SW 18knt breeze in the Bay. Fenders deployed and two Marina hands on the dock to catch lines as we become tethered again.