Day 7: Naked Snorkelers, Baby Squid, And How To Sail A Sailboat (Step By Step!): Exploring Sugarloaf, Iles Des Saintes And Sailing To Pigeon Harbor, Guadeloupe!
Day 7: Naked Snorkelers, Russian Accents, And Baby Squid: Snorkeling Pan de Sucre (Sugarloaf), Iles Des Saintes And Sailing To Pigeon Harbor, Guadeloupe
Snorkeling Sugar Loaf island wouldn’t be complete without pink lip zinc and a terrible Russian accent.
I was the captain today! We started the day off getting ready to snorkel Pan de Sucre (translated: Sugarloaf), this strange rock that looks exactly like a sugar loaf. But before we could do that we needed to act like complete idiots, me switching between a French accent and a terrible Russian accent giving Snorkel mask tips.
Sugar Loaf Island: Aptly named. This beautiful spot off the Saints in the French Caribbean is an awesome snorkel stop!
Danny did a little diddy with his sexy sunbrella, and the three of us busting out into rap songs on our journey across the harbor to Sugar Loaf. This is a perfect picture of the dynamic of our friendship together. Acting like idiots, humiliating ourselves, and having the time of our lives in the process.
Snorkeling Pan de Sucre (Sugar Loaf), Off Terre de Haut
After some failed underwater acrobatics with Laura, we stumbled upon a marvelous school of young squid. They gathered under our boat and near the mooring ball, I was able to capture some national geographic bucket-list status footage of these wondrous little creatures changing colors, moving, transforming. I want to be a baby squid when I grow up.
Meanwhile, Danny hung out on the dinghy with a Sunbrella, and saw a nude snorkeler. We popped out a bottle of Rose as we did a drive-by of the beautiful hotel bois Jolie.
We couldn’t get enough of Iles des Saintes. Terre de Haut you stole our hearts!
I’m the Captain Now! 12 Steps To Sail A Boat
Upon returning to the boat after snorkeling with squid, Danny walked me through my Captain’s duties for the day before for sailing. Allow me to share them with you.
When you trust your best friend to put sunscreen on your back and she does a slack @$$ job. #handprinttan #itsathing #everybodysdoingit #especiallyifyoureonaboatwithlaura
Step one: secure items and stowaway questionable items like a glass
Step two: put the swim ladder up
Step three: Unzip sail bag and make sure the front of the sail bag is unobstructed
Step Four: Turn engines on, on standby
Step Five: main halyard on winch, prep the lines, also prep the Jib sheet – Roller Furler on the other winch on standby. Open cam after secured on the winch. Note: if on a mooring ball, sails will automatically point into the wind with the mainsail. Make sure the wind is moderate but not insane.
Step Six: Open stopper knots on port and starboard jib sheets – in case of emergency
Step Seven: Raise main halyard and open reef line cams, careful of cars, about 70% up let out main sheet – this is what keeps tension on the boom when the sail raises, so you let out some slack, so the tension is manageable.
Step Eight: Close the main halyard cam, take halyard line off the winch, tidy line – clean up the deck, and lock
Step Nine: Release off mooring or anchor, if crowded or questionable motor off mooring for control, ideally you can sail off.
Step Ten: Turn perpendicular to the wind like prepping for jive (turning downwind), want to create “belly” for Jib sheet to fill out easily, then set autopilot, lock it in, then crank in leeward jib sheet (opposite side from where wind is coming from), think: belly, while simultaneously easing roller Furler out...Depending on wind speed partial or full.
Step Eleven: Check Tell Tales: Angle or trim to wear lower a telltale are both flowing horizontal, ideally matching one another. This shows you how the air particles are splitting, you want to both to match to maximize creating high-pressure within the inner part of the Jib, think of the “belly” and low pressure on loft (outer side of sail), thus creating a vacuum which is actually sucking the sale and Boat forward...Creating Lift!
Step Twelve: Clean up the deck. Tidy up lines...you’re sailing!
My forever first mate right there — Laurford Elizabeth the Third. On our way to Guadeloupe!
Other Fun Sailing Facts:
Halyard originated from the term “Haul to the yard” – that is, the line that brings stuff up to the yardarms, the square-rigged it ships arms were referred to as yards.
Catamarans don’t like to be within 50° of straight into the wind.
Rule of thumb quote: Waves with the starts of Whitecaps means it’s blowing approximately 10 to 12 knots
Mainsail – powers the back of the boat, Jib is crucial because it gives much better handling and control of the nose of the boat.
Sunset at Pigeon Harbor, Guadeloupe!