St. Lucia

We left Grande Anse d’Arlet, Martinique the morning of Friday June 23rd to cross the Martinique St. Lucia Channel, a distance of about 25 nautical miles. The forecast was calling for 20-25 knot winds and you can usually add 5 knots to the forecast, especially if the wind is forward of the beam; so we put a second reef in the main. Along with a reefed genny, we enjoyed a brisk but comfortable sail in 18-22 knot winds with gusts to 25. This was the first time that we could remember putting a second reef in the main. I think we may do it more often and run with a fuller genny. The main really helps steady the boat when the wind is aft of the beam. Each boat sails differently and it’s fun to experiment with different sail combinations. Rhiannon likes to sail on her feet and Miriam sure prefers a 10 degree heel over 15 degrees.

We arrived in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia shortly after lunch. It’s a great big bay bordered by a pleasant sandy beach and several resorts. You can enter a narrow channel into a protected lagoon which also houses the Rodney Bay Marina. There were a lot of boats traveling together in the same direction with similar time tables, so it made for a more active cruising community than when we were here last year. We enjoyed many Happy Hours at the Scuttlebutts Bar & Grill where it is 2 for 1 beer between 6 & 7 pm. It’s a great way to meet people. Scuttlebutts also offers free Wi-Fi so an even better reason to enjoy cheap beer and internet access.
While in Rodney Bay we enjoyed a hike up to the top of the signal station of Fort Rodney and a pleasant stroll through the ruins of the fort. You could see Martinique very clearly across the channel. We also took the bus into the main city of Castries to get our alternator fixed (it needed a new rotor) as well as have a little tour around.
From Rodney Bay we sailed south to the Pitons on Wednesday June 27th. We had stopped here overnight last year but did not get off the boat. This visit was spent snorkeling, exploring the coast by dingy, visiting the Bat Caves, and a short walk around the town of Soufriere. It was interesting snorkeling around the base of the Petit Piton as the coral was in terrible condition, it was really struggling to stay alive, but the fish were incredible. We hadn’t seen that many different varieties in a long time. Our new friends Chris & Natalie are Marine Biologists and they are searching for an area where they can do some research for their Masters Degrees. They felt the fish count was very low, especially compared to the British Virgin Islands, where they call home.
We had met Chris & Natalie in Portsmouth, Dominica and had given them an old Canadian Flag (as they couldn’t find any place to buy one) so it was fun to run into them again. One morning, they hired a guide and climbed to the top of the Petit Piton, a height of 743 meters (2460 feet) which was almost straight up. We considered joining them but thought our poor knees would not be able to make the descent. Besides we did not want to slow them down, considering they are about 25 years younger than us. After the hike they said it was more challenging than they had expected. Needless to say we were glad we made the decision not to go with them. (Although it would have been nice to say we had climbed another volcano). The Gross Piton is 777 meters tall and has a gentler trail, but apparently is too wooded to afford any nice views once you get to the top.

Petit Piton in the foreground; Gross Piton behind

12°50.0 N
62°04.0 W

It was time to move on and Friday June 29th we crossed the St. Lucia St. Vincent Channel.