There were rain showers on and off overnight into the morning and for much of the day. In Anse Magique, there is a hike to the top of a hill which is supposed to have beautiful views. We didn’t do it yesterday because we thought we’d rather go in the morning when it was a little cooler, so we planned it that way. Unfortunately the weather did’t cooperate. It was overcast and, although visibility was good, the view would have been compromised by the clouds. Additionally the overnight showers would make the trek pretty muddy. Apparently the red dirt that we see everywhere stains and red mud is probably worse.
We relaxed until about 8:30 when we saw Jim leaving. He said he was going to Ile Casy in the middle of Prony Bay. Sounded like a good idea so we decided to follow him. We packed up (put the dinghy on deck and folded up the swim platform) and headed out. We motored and sailed on the jib. We arrived at Ile Casy which only had six mooring balls, all of which were taken. We went around the corner to another anchorage where Jim was moored and found it completely exposed to the prevailing east wind, so we headed on. Stephan, the base manager, had recommended another anchorage in Prony Bay, Baie de Carenage, so we headed up there. It was like going up a river and when we got there Rick didn’t feel comfortable with the anchorage so we turned around and headed back to Anse Magique.
We had trouble catching the mooring ball but a nice gentleman came out in his dinghy to help us. He helped us get the first line on the ball. Best practice is to have two lines from the ball to the boat, one for either side to avoid overstraining the line and avoid chafing. Also, if one gave way, the other line should hold the boat on the ball in a pinch. We lowered the dinghy and I took the other line to the ball. While all this was going on another boat came into the bay and picked up the ball on the first try. I would have loved to learn their methodology. (Rick thinks strength is an important factor.)
After our boat was secure we had a lunch of leftovers from the previous evening. It was still overcast so we decided to wait until tomorrow morning for the hike.
We relaxed in the afternoon, had cold cuts for dinner and it was another early night. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of our journey in Prony Bay.
One thing I haven’t written is all the harbors we have been to so far have NOTHING ashore. Specifically, no restaurants. We knew this when provisioning so we’re well stocked with food.