A few days lazing in Bas du Port with nice resturants but bad showers. Rowed over to get fuel and did the laundary at 06.00 as great competition for the machines (marina life!). Checked out on 25 February only to be told that the marina was closing in 10 minutes for the day because of harbour repairs. So I left in a panic without breakfast or provisions although I had fuelled and watered the day before. No sign of any works but a tough beat out of the harbour in 18 knots. Five hours later I came into the lovely St Louis anachorage in Marie-Galante, named after one of Columbus’ boats as he had run out of saints! A flat (and therefore old) island, part of Guadeloupe, with wonderful beaches. Clear, clear water so swam and snorkled and washed the weed and some barnacles of the hull. Departed downwind the next day for the run to Basse Terre in south west Guadeloupe. two nights in the Marina Rivere de Sens watching the pelicans diving to catch fish. Quite a shock when it happens right by your boat. Great patisserie and black sandy beach for late afternoon swim and sundowner. Up along the coast to Jacques Cousteau’s nature reserve off yet another Pigeon Island then on to Deshaies (Daisy). Got the last buoy and easy dingy ride to town. Touristy but sweet and good food. Departed after 2 nights at dawn as a long sail up to Antigua on a beat. Good tiime though and arrived to anchor off St Anne’s point and Pigeon Beach in Falmouth harbour next to Alex and Anna on their lovely Rustler 42, Pantamaiion II. I walked over to English Harbour the next day with Alex for the formalities, and to ogle the superyachts. Then out for a rather good supper at the Trapas Bar (if a bit raucous) that evening. Good swim on the beach and off around the coast to Jolly Harbour where I had prebooked a berth. Arrived 4 March and passed Eupraxia on a mooring, so another dinner, this time italian in the upmarket Al Porto on the dockside. Saturday saw me unwind, pick up my shoes from Eupraxia, have a sundowner and caught the green flash at Castaways on the beach. Llive music in the Crow’s Nest till late just behind my berth (Luca Samuels band). So here for a few more days......
Highlights:
Loick Peyron won the Route de Rhum from St Malo to Guadeloupe in 7 days, 15 hours, 8 minutes and 32 seconds. I watched the start in November 2014.
Land crabs, tthey are all over the place. You can tell how big they are by the size of the hole in the ground!
Bas du Port marina
Slave museum in Pointe a Pitre
Basse Terre
Marina Riviere de Sens
The other half anchored off the black beach
The Black beach
Papaya and pelicans for breakfast
Pigeon Island anchorage looking towards Jacques Cousteau’s nature reserve. Great snorkling.
Deshaies (Daisy)
Botanical Gardens (up a very steep hill).
Schooner on way to Falmouth Harbour, Antigua
Nelson,s Dockyard in English Harbour, Antigua
Jolly Harbour
Castaways nd trying for the green flash.
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