At Marie Galante we unloaded the empty barrels with our dinghy.

Then we visited the distillery ourselves. Now is the sugar cane cutting season, and all the area producers are arriving with large trailers. Each specimen is weighed and the sugar content is tested. Then the reed is crushed and a lot of juice is collected. The liquid is fermented with yeast and passes through the copper distillation column.
We could see the whole process.

On Tuesday our barrels were at the distillery waiting to be filled and on Wednesday they arrived at the beach full. Ready to be rolled into the water.

It was a great pleasure for the crew to follow all these steps. All hands were present and some tourists enjoyed seeing the loading in real life, as it used to work.
One of the couples took our cook Federico with them to do some shopping.

A few days at anchor are enough to spread personal belongings and snorkeling equipment on the deck and in the rigging. Yesterday we dragged the anchor about 100m, so that the deck had to be cleared for the night for a possible sailing improvisation.
Showers bring flurries and rain. Surprises that we pay close attention to. The ship gives signals that we have to move on and that what we were going to do for our greatest pleasure.
No time for shells and grass to grow on the hull.
The routine at sea certainly provides an organization that many of us appreciate. Observing and resting is rich and filling, surfing the swell is pushing, hoisting the sails is breeze, and steering is choosing. Different roles, and different missions that we try to define. The list is long, life is short. Loyal to the ship if all parts continuously do what they are supposed to do. Support and transport in “finesse en allégresse”.

Now our thoughts turn to the Dominican Republic where the Tres will receive the last cargo to completely fill the belly of the ship.
The Tradewind is restless and blows our team to the new trainees in the next port. A place where anchor keepers no longer exist...

Anne-Flore

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