Martinique and St Lucia

ST LUCIA, MARCH 18-PRESENT

Today was another fun day. We are still docked in Marigot Bay Marina, a really lovely place. We have no complaints about being here except the mosquitoes. Also maybe the minor meddling of every passer-by walking down the marina dock. We are stern-to, wedged in between an 80 foot super yacht on one side, Diamond Girl, and a 120 foot absolutely beautiful mega yacht, Amnesia, on the other, and every person walking by knows exactly what we are eating, reading, or cleaning. I have been asked at least 10 times today how I got a boat from Edmonton, Canada to St Lucia. (You drive I-25 south to Albuquerque and turn left).

Anyway, we awoke at our usual 8 AM, slowly roused and prepped for the day, and after getting the marina repairmen going on many repair projects on the boat, took off again in our trusty Daihatsu for more fun in the sun, this time going north to Castries and Rodney Bay. The passengers seemed somewhat less apprehensive today about the driver (me) and driving on the left, though we are all getting tired of turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal. Everything except the foot pedals are mirror-image backwards on this vehicle.

So we drove through small villages, arriving in Castries in about 15 minutes. This is the nation's capitol. We drove past two large cruise ships docked there, and the international airport at Vigie, and then drove on to Rodney Bay. This place has a very interesting history. St Lucia has changed hands 14 times between the French and English in its history since discovery by the Spanish who never really had any interest in the island. Admiral Rodney defeated the French naval forces on Martinique in 1780 or so. There is an old resored British fort on Pidgeon Island in Rodney Bay, now administered by the National Park system. Pidgeon is not even an island anymore, having been connected to the mainland by a man-made causeway in 1971. Anyway, we ate in an old English style pub in the restored fort ( even had real live Brits whooping it up at the bar). Had bangers and mash, real good. Then with full stomachs we spent two hours on the beach soaking up the sunshine and watching the sights. Many boats in the harbor, jet skis, para-sails, etc. Sandals has a very large complex right next door. Then we went on a self-guided tour of the old fort, kitchen, mess, barracks, officers latrine, musket redoubt, gun batteries, etc. This site was also used by USA as signal station in WW2. USA also built a naval air station here for long range recon of approaches to Panama Canal during the war. All very cool.

Me and Kath in front of magazine on top of Fort Rodney overlooking Rodney Bay.


Peter sitting on old water cistern.


OK, I just found my new range toy.


These guys are everywhere. Sometimes quite scary. We are sitting by ourselves on the beach. He walks up talking loudly to himself, and flashing this very big knife. Obviously high (not on life). He sits down right in my shadow (close), and starts whittling and weaving a palm basket, all the while still talking very loudly in an apparent monologue. ME: "What's your name?". HIM: "Bob Marley. Call me Righteous Bob". ME: "OK, Righteous Bob, who are you talking to?" RB: "I am talking to God, talking to Bob Marley". ME: "What does God tell you, Righteous Bob?" RB: " He tells me not to drink rum". ME: "When is the last time you drank, RB?" RB: "Today, Righteous Keith. He tells me to smoke ganja". Anyway, you get the picture. How can I argue with God? You go right ahead and smoke, Righteous Bob. And while you are at it, put away your honking big knife and sell me that exquisite basket, will you RB? All this was basically a highly refined extortion act to get $5 for a personally engraved, authentic, St Lucian palm frond basket which will be brown in a few days and undoubtedly will not make it past US Customs anyway.


Looking north from Pidegon Island toward Martinique 21 miles away.

On the Beach (this story has a happy ending)

We got home last night to find that the 120 footer next to us had set up for a live band on their foredeck. Turns out it was someone's birthday party on the boat, and they hired this band ( pretty good really) to play privately to the four of them, sitting in barca-loungers on the top deck drinking champagne, the 3 chicks rocking out, and the one guy trying to look not too eager). So this is how a birthday party should really be celebrated. I have really been missing the boat, haven't I.

Friday we drove south down the island to Soufriere and Pitons. We rented a Chevy 4 seater from the Marina office, but after about 5 miles of ear-splitting grinding emanating from the right side of the car whenever I applied the brakes, and seeing the 20-30 degree pitch of the roads, we turned around back to the rental office for the old switcharoo. We got upgraded for free to a 5 seater SUV Daihatsu Terios and off we went again.

Along the way we stopped for fresh green coconut milk and discovered the guy had a boa constrictor. After avoiding the hard sell on his touristy coconut trinkets, we continued on thru some very small villages to the town of Soufriere and then up into the mountains to a hotel called Ladera, listed by Conde Naste as the #1 hotel in the world. We finaggled our way in past security and ate a late lunch at Dascheen, their wonderful restaurant. I had a local dish, banana fishcakes with creole sauce. Very good. Kath and Pete had chicken roti again. Also very tasty. This hotel sits at 1100 feet nestled right up between the Pitons, these amazing rock formations on the coast. We experienced a wonderfull sudden rain burst while there. Was really magical. They give you squirt guns at the tables in the open air restaurant to shoot the birds that try and pester you.

Returning to the car, we drove a few more miles south and ended up quite off the beaten path on the coast below Gros Piton. While meandering we raced some local school boys on their way home from school, and came across a local man, Nicholas Ishmael, who asked for a ride. We had a very difficult time understanding him due to language barrier (I think he just spoke Creole). Along the way he showed us the local cocoa plantation. Brought some cocoa pods into the car for us. How alien! This bright yellow leathery pods, fairly soft shells, which when broken open reveal these slimy, sweet white seed pods. They are sweet but a bit astringent, covering a somewhat bitter seed, which if chewed, and then spit out, produces a very bright purple pulp...apparently chocolate, though did not taste like any Hersheys I have ever had. We saw and smelled them roasting these pods, and they smelled really yeasty, organic, almost like roasted barley.

Nicholas then took us to a friend's house, where we got some wonderful pictures of Piton Bay. We met the woman owner of the house with 4 of her 5 children, youngest 19. Saw more fighting cocks being raised, a turtle, suckling piglets, etc. Then drove down the steepest concrete road I have ever experienced, steep concrete gutters both sides to Jalousie Beach. We will moor here in a few days. I can't wait. This place is seriously stunningly beautiful.

On the drive back we turned off for a swimming detour to Anse Chastenet above Soufriere. No fishing of any kind allowed here, and the single best reef I have seen during the entire 2 month sail. Many fish, big and small, large beautiful coral formations, sea fans, and sea caves. It was just sunset and we were the only ones there. Really enchanting.

Anse Chastenet

Rainbow over Soufriere

Nicholas Ishmael, our trusty hitchhiker friend and guide

Eat it, I dare you

Photo of Piton Bay looking north toward Petit Piton. I had never heard of the Pitons before coming to St Lucia, I am embarrassed to say. But it is truly one of the most spectacular locations I have ever been. We will moor here in very deep water in a few days. Maybe scuba a wall or two here.

The restaurant at Ladera. This poor picture does not do it justice.

On Thursday Pete and I took the dinghy (finally got a dinghy anchor) out to the mouth of Marigot Bay to some fine rock and coral formations for an hour. Not many fish, but found a sea cave and had fun with the camera. Pete likes free diving. I am a traditional guy...give me snorkel mask anyday.

We had a very calm and leisurely sail south from Fort de France on Wednesday. Awoke early at 6 AM, wayed anchor, and off we went. Everyone else went back to bed, and I sailed the 26 miles to Marigot Bay. Saw Pidgeon Island in the north of Rodney Bay, passed some large cruise ships in Castries Harbor, and sailed past the very big Hess oil depot in Baie Cul de Sac. The entry to Marigot Bay is almost hidden from view unless you know it is there or are hugging the coast. It is a hurricane hole, safe for vessels in a major storm. But it is a truly beautiful, small bay, steep-to sides and shoals in places, the inner harbor lined entirely by beautiful mangroves, a small beach, some older and some newer up-scale hotel developments, and a fine new Marina. The new hotel is called Discovery. Kathy and I walked thru it. Would be a great destination hotel for a week on St Lucia. The other place I would consider staying on a return trip here would be Ladera or Jalousie Resorts down south. Maybe a mix of 2 spots. Anyway this is a lovely spot. We are also mollified that they have a Moorings base here with many qualified and conscientious workers and techs to fix all of the inumerable flaws and breaks in the boat systems. Already they have completely flushed, cleaned, replaced the head gaskets, disharge lines, holding tanks, and all the head smells are gone, and we do not need to discharge directly into the harbor thru the overflow lines. They are also working on repairing/replacing many windows, repairing the jib sail, sorting out the inverter issues, fixing the starboard bilge pump (it was getting no power), deep cleaning the fiberglass, getting anchor rode ( it only had 150 feet of chain), replacing many absent/ fractured hinge pins, repairing faulty masthead fly wind indicator and anchor light, etc.

MARTINIQUE, MARCH 14-17, 2009

We ended up staying 2 nights anchored in the lee of the sea wall of Fort St Louis in Fort de France. It was a pleasant anchorage, sheltered but close to town with a wonderful dinghy dock. We actually wayed anchor the second day and motored across the bay to Anse Mitan, but the dock and fuel dock were destroyed and the anchorage full, and the town not very inviting-looking, so we turned around and went back. On the way we stopped for fuel on the north side and Pete did a spectacular job of backing us onto the pontoon fuel dock. After filling up with diesel and water we returned back to our original anchor site. Kathy and I spent the afternoon exploring the town. Pete wanted to stay on the boat and swam to shore for some exercise. We just walked thru the town, explored, and took pictures, and did a little more provisioning. After returning to the boat and after dinner, Kathy spent a few hours under the deck light hand-stitching about 7 feet of loose jib sail seam. She did a very nice job, and we tested her workmanship the very next day on our sail down to St Lucia. This job was especially hard on her already arthritic fingers.

It appears that the local school kids take some of their school P.E. training at the beach...go figure, an island kid having to learn how to swim. They are all in PFD's and an instructor is close by in a power skiff.

Peter tying up at the dinghy dock in Fort de France.

The interior of this fantastic library in the city. Looks like something out of a library from a 100+ years ago, which it is. I did not expect to find a library of this stature in a tropical place like this. Just many walls of old and some newer books, classics and paperbacks. Rousseau next to Steven King. All in French. Beautiful tiled floors. In some disrepair, broken windows. Hate to see it not maintained fully.

The Schoelcher Library in Fort de France. Byzantine style decor. Completely out of context in this place but beautiful and surprising.

Some street scenes follow.

Carnival remnants on the street lights.

The Betsy Ross of Jibs. Oh, and another stunning sunset.