The day started with my neighbor, another Jeanneau, coming over to ask if I had jumper cables as his starter battery was dead. I loaned him the cables but he later returned them without success as they were too short. He did have a service deal for the boat in St. Martin and they had a local technician in St. Barths so he'd called them to come by and sort out the electrics. After making some coffee for breakfast I got the boat ready and departed for Île Fourchue under sail in very light winds. After taking a mooring ball there I got the dive gear ready and departed for one of my favorite dive sites just off the anchorage on the north side despite the cumulostratus clouds that were dropping a bit of rain but making for a lot less ambient light than if the sun were shining brightly. But I had the new wide-angle fish eye lens with a good aperture of 3.5 so off I went and under I went. The site was beautiful and saw a lot of life - an eagle ray and turtle which were both too far away for a photo, several barracuda, some new fish types that I hadn't seen before, my first real-life swimming shark, a lobster, moray eels and all sorts of reef growths. I did miss the flash, though and will have to see if I can repair it.
I returned to Zanshin and found that what few waves made it into the anchorage were making the boat rock so I set sail for St. Martin. The winds were below 10 knots and occasionally I was doing only 3 knots but I had plenty of time to make it to Grand Case before dark and was in no hurry. It is a welcome change to have such light conditions in the Caribbean and I was milking it for every mile.
I arrived in Grand Case with plenty of daylight to spare and with a sunburn on my back - my first sunburn of the whole trip! I showered and shaved and cleaned up in order to go ashore, then decided to stay aboard after all and go out the following night instead.
Red Hind (2015-05-19 12:23:58 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/30s] ISO 100)Red Hind
Great Barracuda eyeing me (2015-05-19 12:19:20 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/80s] ISO 100)Great Barracuda eyeing me
Schooling fish over the sand (2015-05-19 12:18:43 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/80s] ISO 100)Schooling fish over the sand
Fauna at Ile Fourchue (2015-05-19 12:17:25 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/80s] ISO 100)Fauna at Ile Fourchue
Coral growing on the rocks (2015-05-19 12:10:06 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/100s] ISO 100)Coral growing on the rocks
My first shark sighting while diving (the sleeping nurse sharks don't count). (2015-05-19 12:07:36 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/40s] ISO 100)Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Shy Porcupinefish (2015-05-19 12:06:57 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/25s] ISO 100)Shy Porcupinefish
Sheepshead Porgy (2015-05-19 12:05:51 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/40s] ISO 100)Sheepshead Porgy
Closeup of a Sponge growing (2015-05-19 12:04:57 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/40s] ISO 100)Closeup of a Sponge growing
Queen Angelfish (2015-05-19 12:00:37 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/25s] ISO 100)Queen Angelfish
Rock Hind (2015-05-19 11:57:01 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/50s] ISO 100)Rock Hind
As I approached them, they slowly retreated into their holes and refused to come out to be photographed. (2015-05-19 11:55:29 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/80s] ISO 100)Shy garden Eels
Great Barracuda along the cliffside (2015-05-19 11:54:03 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/80s] ISO 100)Great Barracuda along the cliffside
Growths and coral at Ile Fourchue (2015-05-19 11:52:36 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/40s] ISO 100)Growths and coral at Ile Fourchue
Sharpnose Puffer about to flee (2015-05-19 11:51:37 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/80s] ISO 100)Sharpnose Puffer about to flee
The water was quite clear today. (2015-05-19 11:48:21 NIKON D7000 with a "10.5 mm f/2.8" lens. [f/5.6, 1/200s] ISO 100)Me at 40 feet below the dinghy
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