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GETTING READY
FOR THE CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE
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Saturday, November 4th, 2000
Bienvenue en Martinique, I read as I step off the plane. A short time
later, I am past customs and happy that no problems arose because
of the gear I travelled with (my board bag weighed 85 kilos!). At
last, the Caribbean Adventure is really
beginning! Before we hit the seas however, we need to spend some time
refitting the Zipolite that has not seen much activity in the last
2 years. |
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On the left: Zipolite [coming from the name of a beach
on the Pacific side of Mexico]. The sailboat will be our vehicle
and shelter for the next nine months.
Monday evening
The boat is hauled out of the water for some repairs before the
big adventure. The fiberglass bottom requires sanding and painting.
In addition to the hull, a lot of work has to be done inside, to
make the vessel as comfortable as possible.
During this time, we stay at Jérôme's parents place
in Macabou on the southeastern side of Martinique until the sailboat
is repaired. The house is located at a short drive from the Vauclin
beach, a great kitesurfing and windsurfing site.
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| ZIPOLITE TEST RUN |
 On
Sunday, Zipolite goes out for a test run, and is docked right
it in front of Club Med. Everything works to perfection, and
we have a glimpse of the amazing times ahead of us. Below is
an aerial photograph of Zipolite. In calm weather, we climb
on the mast to admire the surroundings. 
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| Enough fun now. It's time to get to work. The boat
is lifted out of the water and brought into the shipyard to
be sanded and repainted. 7 days later, the boat looks
like brand new. Click on the image to enlarge. |
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| Once the work on the boat is completed, we will set sail towards
the south. Our first destination will be the island of St.Lucia with
its famous pitons. This will only be a pit stop towards the
Grenadines, one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. |
See you in the Grenadines
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