St Lucia

St Lucia

A dodgy place. Don't go there. A yachtie was killed there last February. It's not safe.         

That about sums up our preconceived ideas of St Lucia, formed on the other side of the pond,  although John has a cousin who is married to a St Lucian lady and he loves the place.

Once we arrived in the Caribbean and started talking to people who had actually been there a different picture emerged. So, in the company of three other boats, including Jack and Fizzy who had been there earlier this year and loved it, we decided to give it a whirl. And it is delightful. 

Arrived at Rodney Bay on the north west coast after a lively crossing from Martinique last Friday. We were the first to arrive in the marina and negotiated the narrow entrance and then the channel with a strong cross wind with great care. 

Chart of Rodney Bay Marina showing the way to the anchorage. It is as tight as it looks!

Picked up a mooring buoy with the smallest eye to pass the rope through we have come across on the fourth attempt just as Island Swift arrived, followed closely by Carpe Diem. Rob and Carla were already anchored out in the bay.

Check in was manic. Not for us a quiet lingerie shop, or an impersonal Internet cafe. A full on four official packed check in. Health first. Any illegal stowaways? Er.. No! Then customs and a foolscap form in triplicate complete with carbon paper to fill in. Then immigration with yet another form. Finally payment. 30 EC $. That's £8 ish. In 30 degree heat. A beer and an icecream  needed as a reward. After a quick shop with Carla in the local supermarket it was an early night for all of us. Windless flat calm in the anchorage. No rolling for the first time since Lanzarote. Bliss.

On Saturday the local ladies held a market in the marina and Fizzy and I went along to restock with fruit and veges which we had been unable to find in Southern Martinique. Great. Fresh organic (so they said) fruits, salad stuff and some veges.

Fizzy shopping in the local market

Jojo, Carla and I then had a glorious hour of wandering round the local shopping mall just being normal women, not boaties, enjoying the smells, sights and experiences I used to take for granted. Then in the evening all ten of us went out for a pizza in the marina.

Off by 9am on Sunday after a night of loud gospel music with an increasingly strident preacher ranting on until 6am! Sailed down the coast to Marigot Bay where we are now moored. It's great. Rafted up on a mooring ball with Carpe Diem is like being in a semi detached house. John and Jack stand on their respective sides of the boat guard rails discussing anchors and teak decks in the same way that they would talk about grass cutting and DIY over the garden fence if they were in the UK.

Petronella and Carpe Diem rafted up together in the centre of the photo. Hotel pool is in the background.

We can use the hotel facilities so every afternoon we repair to the pool to use the  internet, and the lovely staff keep bringing us drinks and amuse bouches. Today we've had bottled water in an ice bucket, sushi, a coconut drink, fudge and just now a rum punch. All free. All delicious. How good is that. And there are HOT SHOWERS. The first since November. Ahhhh bliss.

The pool at the luxury resort. The one for residents is much bigger!

Jack John and Fizzy chilling out on the Turkish beds. It's a hard life!

Our numbers are slowly dwindling. After a group walk up a steep slope name the Stairway to Heaven on Monday Carla and Rob left the next day for Bequia. JoJo and family sailed off this morning and we plan to leave on Friday. In the meantime we intend to make the very most of this unexpected luxury. John has a mast to climb,I have painting to do but we are enjoying being in St Lucia.

The Stairway to Heaven