Rally Round Guadeloupe

The Motley Crew stayed on anchor in Pointe-à-Pitre, using the time and internet availability to catch up on admin and complete yet more boat chores.  With the large Marina Bas-du-Fort close by, we were able to refill fridges, re-fuel, re-water, surf the net, pay bills and fix more broken boat bits.  No-one escapes from chores, no matter how exotic the location…

Reporting the Shipping News from our anchorage

As luck would have it, we also welcomed aboard our next visitor, Mr Lozza, who eventually made his Caribbean destination after flights that could have otherwise had him circumnavigating the world by air.  He needed rest and time to recoup after leaving sub-zero temperatures for those 30+.  So, we quickly filled him in on the shipping news (the comings and goings of the largest Port in the Eastern Caribbean) and then threw him in a car for a few days tour round Guadeloupe. (A whirlwind rally... no pity spared!)

Are they working? Or comparing fashionable shorts....

Guadeloupe is made up of two islands joined at the hip by the Rivière Salée, (salty river), a navigable mangrove creek that we thought might be fun to sail through until we discovered that the two bridges crossing it open once daily, and only at about 4 in the morning for an hour (maybe).  Hence the decision to hire a car.  We had planned on covering the windward island, Grande-Terre, first. 

However, with no Google maps (no phone) and only rough diagrams in French to guide us, we missed the turn and instead ended up scaling the mountainous and cloud attracting heights of Basse-Terre, the leeward island.  First stop through a large National Park was at the delightful Cascade aux Ecrevisses, were we sat in the car out of the drizzle and ate our picnic lunch (asparagus quiches and pain au chocolat no less!).  Then it was time to brave a short walk out to the picturesque falls before retreating to the car to continue our drive north to the town of Deshaies. (Death in Paradise Fans take note!  The French do not know anything about this very popular British series.)  Next stop was Sainte-Rose to visit a very interesting Rhum Museum and working sugar cane farm.  Aside from an historical overview of the sugar cane industry (and a rum tasting), the museum also dedicated rooms to collections of model sailing ships, Creole culture, and an impressive butterfly (and insect) display.  There was enough time for us to make a dash for the south of Basse-Terre, although the damp weather and thought of trekking on foot up the heights of La Grande Soufrière, an active volcano, did not enthuse us.  The drive along the eastern seaboard along a well-used roadway, saw us reach the now sadly neglected Mémorial Christophe Colomb at Capesterre-Belle-Eau, erected in 1916 to commemorate his landing at this site on 4^th November 1493.  We did not stop but took the opportunity then to turn back for Pointe-à-Pitre. 

We're obviously over-dressed for the occasion, Mr Lozza!

One for the DIP fans

And then we had to stop for a few refreshments...

The next day saw us heading out, in the pouring rain, for the flatter lands of Grande-Terre with its windswept coastal lookouts, long beaches and sugarcane fields dotted with windmill relics.  Somehow, we missed the turn-off yet again, crossed the Rivière Salée and looped round the airport to join the morning’s commuters heading for Les Abymes.  A little judicious off-roading and some flooded roads did not deter us from our quest - there were more quiches and pain au chocolat to devour.  (Oh my, just how do those French girls stay so skinny?)  Despite being overcast, we wanted a nice beach to sit on for our picnic and found a popular Plage du Souffleur near Port Louis.  Along with some rather too friendly no-see-ums.  

View over the Atlantic from Hell's Gate.
And another day not to be out on the water.

Continuing our clockwise route, we managed to get lost down narrow country roads, but found a well setup stables (for racing horses) near the village of Saint Jacques, before finally reaching the coast at the aptly named Porte d’Enfer (Hell’s Gate).  With violent currents and strong winds, the protected bathing area had become clogged with sargasso weed and was reeking.  No swimming today either, then!  Heading south through well-tended cane fields and small, tidy villages, GS was afforded a brief stop to take some scenic photos (the sun was finally out!); then onward through attractive coastal towns and resorts dotted along the south coast to circle back to Marina Bas-du-Fort.  The boys washed and cleaned the car while GS shopped for provisions.  As luck would have it, we had a great weather window the following day to make a break for Iles des Saints.

Sugar Mill ruins dot the cane farm landscape

Caribbean Two-Step

Simpson Bay Lagoon Bridge (an escape hatch)

On a very quiet Sunday morning in Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, and with a ready source of wi-fi, it seems an appropriate time to write up our trip from St Martin.  Although we had great plans, this crazy summer weather put paid to all that.  Will those trades (winds) ever ease?  After our release from Simpson Bay Lagoon, first stop was back to Marigot Bay (French side) offering better protection to (hopefully) raise the main sail, bagged since Turks Caicos, back into its rightful position.

The following morning, an early rise gave us sufficiently settled conditions to achieve our task.  And was it so good to have that powerful main back in use!  (Lack of it, we realised, explained our feeble crossing effort from Turks Caicos! )  Hey ho!  And round the north side of St Martin we go – something we’ve not done before.  The north side is much drier and home to many beautiful sandy beaches and a jumble of seaside resorts.  The little island of Tintamarie looked like a parking lot.  It was Sunday after all and locals were certainly out & about in their boats.

Ile Fourchu ahead, Cap'n

Rounding St Martin to the north gave us a good heading on our planned stop at Ile Fourchue, a tiny private island and wildlife reserve with moorings.  The Cap’n had plans to snorkel over reefs and brush up his fish-speak.  It was not to be.  The bay was filled to the brim with vast catamarans.  Is it compulsory for all catamarans to be over 50 feet these days?  Miffed, we moved on to St Barts and settled in at the very protected but equally busy Anse de Colombier.  Here, the beach is clothing optional, so you’ll be pleased to know, that bino’s in hand, the Cap’n viewed and discussed the architecture of avant-garde cliff top dwellings with GS.  (Oh, sure!!)

Oh look, Mike Nelson's found St Barts!

We left with the birds early next morning for the longer trip to Nevis, where we’d planned to stay for a couple of days.  From St Barts we had a good run down but couldn’t maintain our course for the north side of St Kitts, so floated into the passage between St Kitts and Statia, marvelling at the green and pleasant fields surrounding the high peak of Mt Liamiuga, wearing as it regularly does, a quaint cloud cap with obvious Caribbean panache.  

Near St Kitt’s southern salt ponds, we made a brief stop at White House Bay, to check the weather.  We were expecting a nasty front with high winds, forecast for about Thursday-ish, and wanted to check on the system’s position in relation to our own.  A decision was quickly reached to skip Nevis and make for much better protection offered in Deshaies, Guadeloupe.   

Looking back at St Kitts

Accompanied by a family of Brown Noddy’s and pods of dolphins, sliding behind the islands wasn’t too much of a challenge, however by now, the seas were well up and rolling through the passages between them.  We were also obliged to stay clear of Montserrat as its volcanic state imposes an exclusion zone extending on land and off shore. This pushed us out into some mean seas.  Deshaies then “welcomed” us with a rather nasty front, offering squalls over 30kts.  After settling onto a mooring in the harbour and calming down with a shot of something sustaining, we both agreed that the conditions between Montserrat and Guadeloupe were very similar to the gale we experienced mid-Atlantic on the way to the Azores in 2011. 

Windjammer then remained on her mooring, strengthened with additional lines, to ride out this coming system.  Katabatic winds regularly rolled down the steep hills surrounding our little harbour hide-away, so if it wasn’t for the rolling swell, we would hardly have noticed any increased wind state when it did eventually strike.  Deshaies township itself was in “off season” mode so finding anything other than a rather nice pâtisserie open and rationed internet, we cut short our stay. Besides, we had no working knowledge of the French language and no euros.  (It should be noted here that the Marina manager and the Customs/Immigration official were both exceptionally friendly and very helpful.)

Deshaies under rain & cloud cover

On a bright sunny morning we slipped our (€25 a night - eek!) mooring and headed for Pointe-à-Pitre.  The seas were calm and turtles came out to play as we chugged our way south.  The island appeared green and very lush, plenty of cultivated farms sat amidst rugged peaks – all a picture, oh so tropical!  Carefully, we picked our way into the main harbour; a busy shipping port indeed and it seemed like half the cruising community were in town and on anchor.  The old mooring field has been moved and expanded, however the Cap’n considered it too exposed, so we snuggled in with “the regulars” in a spot just off the rather flash new Museum.  Now we really could talk architecture. 

Still, it was good to be safe and sound and much further south, as the end of June loomed closer and hurricane season swings in.  The old rhyme goes: June too soon, July stand by.  So, now we are seriously keeping out a weather eye. 

Modern Museum in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe