Rodney Bay

Rain over St. Lucia

I fear we are catching up with the BCYC’s Simon Field on Swanhilda. We loved the work he’d done on her at last year’s Panerai British Classics Regatta and hoped he’d join us for the Panerai Transat. Instead, he set off on his own just after the ARC. He emailed to say what dire weather he’d experienced, going the whole way with strong winds and in oilskins, and threatened to change the boat’s name to Stormhilda. He was bound for Rodney Bay in St. Lucia, and as we arrived here to anchor overnight before the crossing to Martinique, we have caught his weather. We arrived in rain, it has rained all night and it is still raining. Only the lure of French coffee, real pastries, fine wines and European cheeses can lure us out for a five hour sail today. I wonder if Martinique will have pasteurised milk instead of UHT?

Gigantic sailing ships in Rodney Bay

Croix des Gardes continues to attract attention. Another pleasant American took enough interest in us in Rodney Bay to motor over in his dinghy to visit after talking to us ashore. Everyone seems almost apologetic for being aboard a mere “plastic” boat after hearing about our timber dame. Personally, I am amazed that anyone even notices us here, with our tatty varnish and plump hull. We have been in some pretty spectacular company – in Jalousie and in the Grenadines classic superyacht schooner Athos whose lines and size rival a J-class, at Rodney Bay five-masted 145m long tallship Royal Clipper, in Tobago Cays the three masted immaculate and immense schooner Shenadoah, in Bequia Admiralty Bay 52ft Spirit yacht Spirited Lady, brigantine Pelican and many other beautiful wooden vessels, as well as the Panerai Transat fleet. James has also commented how the size of the typical cruising boat has gone up – it is unusual to spot yachts under 40ft.

Shore of Pigeon Island

We went ashore to visit Pigeon Island before our sail. This was a British naval base in the Napoleonic era as one can keep an eye on the French naval base on Martinique from here. The island is now run by the St. Lucia National Trust and visitors are allowed to explore the ruins freely. Matthew pretended to be red-coat whilst Elizabeth preferred to swing on the vines dangling from the overhead branches. There were, indeed, plenty of pigeons, or rather zenaida doves. It was also the first morning we’ve heard European-style bird song thanks to large numbers of grassquits and other passerines here.

How to deal with errant children - on Pigeon Island fort

Back aboard, we sailed off directly for the 17nm passage to our most easterly port of call, Marin in Martinique. This should be our last into wind leg for a while, and we sailed close hauled the entire way across and laid the Martinique entrance nicely. The children decided to while away the time in the darkness of the quarter berth, playing with their Nintendos.

Martinique - and civilisation!

Marin is a major Caribbean yachting centre. On the charts, it looks like a pleasant and secluded natural inlet with many little creeks to explore. In reality, it is heaving with yachts. There must be over 1000 crammed in here. However, it also has the lure of sophisticated wine bars, real restaurants and, more importantly, several French supermarkets. We arrived too late to clear in so James will be dispatched at first light to grapple with French bureaucracy as we attempt to re-enter Europe. Fresh supplies aboard have dwindled to near nothing. I have never looked forward to visiting a supermarket with more anticipation in my life and suspect I shall dream about Italian pasta sauces, French patisserie, fine wines and ripe cheeses.