Nevis to Guadeloupe.
     
     Subject: Log Feb. 21st, 2000
     Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 11:16:07 -0500
     
     From: W2LSI@cho.win-net.org
     To: rudys03@ibm.net
     
     Once again the forecast was for East to Northeast winds moving to East Southeast.
     With Montserrat active volcano in between, it was about a 70 mile passage. Sasse
     Too was going to make the passage with us. We left the anchorage at 6:00 AM. We
     each put up one sail for balance as we left. When we got out of the lee of Nevis,
     Sasse Too put up their second sail and headed more South. We continued motor
     sailing with just the jib and were heading more East. I was going to go East of
     Montserrat and run down to Guadeloupe and they were trying to beat all the way
     to Guadeloupe going West of Montserrat....downwind. If there was any kind of
     activity with the volcano they were going to have a problem. The ash is not nice to
     any moving parts.
     
     My logic was excellent but absolutely wrong. They beat us to the anchorage by at
     least an hour AND they sailed most of the way! Montserrat was quiet and they only
     had a little ash fall onto their boat. They anchored in daylight. They did have to
     beat most of the way!
     
     When we finally rounded Montserrat and turned South. We were really flying. We
     were doing over 9 knots some of the time. The seas were even comfortable. We
     were catching up and if our progress continued we would beat them to Guadeloupe.
     Unfortunately a squall line came through just after we cleared Montserrat. The
     squall wasn't bad, but the winds on the other side were from the Southeast. We no
     longer had a reach, but wind on our nose for the direct course to the anchorage. On
     went the engine, we hauled in the sails and our speed was again down to 5-6 knots.
     That is how we were beaten to Guadeloupe.
     
     When we passed East of Montserrat we could see where the island has grown as
     a result of the most recent lava flows. They look like large sloping plains that start
     near mid mountain and travel all the way to the sea. There are islands of green in
     the middle of the flows and even some buildings. But I am sure that they are all
     abandoned today. The mountain is very active some days and quiet others.
     Everybody near by hopes that the worst is over and the mountain will gradually fall
     into many  years of dormancy once again. I would like to stop there on our way
     North if the risk factor decreases some.