Thursday 14 June –
Monday 9 July
Anchored once again in
Rodney Bay we talk to friends Linda & John on Kool Kat who
tell us they are going in for HH and to watch the J 24 races and ask
if we want to meet them to get caught up on our travels since we last
saw them in Bequia in January. We have a fun time watching the 24'
racing sailboats AKA J 24's maneuver in the tight quarters of the
inner harbor, and enjoy catching up on travels with Linda & John
whom we had met here almost exactly a year ago. Friday is a rainy
day so we hang out on the boat. Saturday Kool Kat
heads south as we go into the marina, time to equalize the batteries.
We enjoy Saturday & Sunday in the marina with A/C, cable TV and
easy access to shore side restaurants. Steve gets the oil changed
Monday morning before going back out to the anchorage. The week goes
by fast as we hang out, swim, do errands, and revisit familiar places
in the Rodney Bay area. Saturday we catch the bus into Castries to
go to the “Saturday Market” unlike many other Saturday markets
that start very early and end by 1, this one goes on until 4-5 in the
afternoon. We get a few things at the market then wander up &
down the surrounding streets as all the shops are open and many
vendors set up along the streets. So much to look at but I'm with
Steve who hates shopping and just looking so I don't get to shop
much. We enjoy the atmosphere and the town sites before catching a
bus back to Rodney Bay. Sunday as we are looking around the
anchorage we notice a boat that looks familiar, using the binoculars
we think the boat is Promise.
Still not sure, but a little while later see activity on deck as
they launch their dinghy, and it is old friends Colleen and Dave,
whom we were here with a year ago traveling down to Grenada and who
we have not seen since November. Dave stops by on his way back from
checking in at customs to invite us to dinner on their boat to get
caught up on the last 7 months. Hard to believe it has been that
long since we saw them, no trouble picking up like old friends and
have a great evening talking about both our travels. Tuesday Steve &
I wanted to go over to the northeast side of the island to Cas En Bas
to check on some hiking trails and the kite surfing, for when Sean
comes to visit. Dave & Coleen go over with us and we fall in
love with the place. Unlike the built up area of Rodney Bay this
area is almost empty, just one condo / villa with a restaurant and 2
beach bars on a beautiful bay that on this day we have almost to
ourselves. The kite surfing place is not open but we get her phone #
to call later, then take a nice walk up into the surrounding hills
ending with a great lunch at Marjorie's before calling for the taxi
ride back to Rodney Bay. Thursday we watch the J 24 races again,
this time with Colleen & Dave and Catherine & Bruce from
Latitude Thinking. Steve
had helped Bruce with his single side band radio and then they had us
all over to their boat in the marina for dinner. They have just
recently purchased their boat and are new to the area so wanted to
talk to people with a little more info on the windward islands as
they plan to head to Grenada also. Friday we go to the stores to
provision and get the boat ready for Sean's visit. We had arranged
for a taxi to pick up Sean and since he was based out of Rodney bay
he said we could ride down to the airport with him to meet Sean when
he got off the plane. It also gave us a chance to see some country
side we have not seen since the airport is on the very opposite side
of the island. Sean's flight arrives after a short delay, during a
short down pour but it clears as we head back to Rodney Bay giving
Sean some great views of the island along the way. That night
Colleen & Dave join us for dinner on Ocean Star to help welcome
Sean to St Lucia. Sunday Steve & Sean hike up Pigeon Island
touring the old fort grounds while I wait on the beach. When they
get back we go snorkeling along the headland. Later that night we
meet Colleen & Dave over at Jambe de Bois to listen to a great
jazz trio playing there. Monday afternoon we rented a dune buggy
type car that we thought was going to be an off road adventure over
on the trails we saw on our visit to Cas en Bas. We did go over that
way but did more on road driving then we did off road. It was a fun
day BUT NOT something I would recommend, for the price we could have
rented a car for 2 days and driven all over the island. But we did
meet another kite surfer on the beach so Sean was able to set up a
time for the following day to come back and try his hand at kite
surfing again. Monday night we have HH with friends Lilly &
Thomas on Blue Heron. They
had originally planed to leave their boat in Guadeloupe, where we met
them, so we were surprised to see them here in Rodney Bay. Their
plans had changed and were now getting ready to leave the boat there
in St Lucia. Tuesday we spend the afternoon watching Sean kite surf,
the winds had shifted a little to the north so conditions were not
the best, he had a busy afternoon getting reacquainted with the
skills of kite surfing. That night we go to one of our favorite
restaurants in the Caribbean, Spice of India,
and have another wonderful meal. Wednesday Sean is ready to move on
to another anchorage to see more of St Lucia from the water. We go
into the fuel dock to top off on fuel and are underway by 1 sailing
down the coast with just the genoa out in nice calm seas. By 4:30 we
pick up a mooring in Anse Cochon, the guide book says private yachts
are supposed to use the moorings on the south side leaving the ones
on the north for the charter boats. It is a little confusing since
all we see are the orange dive buoys and what at first looks like a
fish trap buoy. But there is a guy out there on a kayak waving us
over and says that it is for big boats to use. The lines look good
and Steve & Sean go in to double check to make sure it will hold.
It is a beautiful little bay and the snorkeling right next to the
boat is good. A dive shop runs out of the resort Ti Kaye located
right in the bay. We don't get in touch with them until the
following morning so we have 30 minutes to get our gear ready, they
pick us up and take us to the dock to load the hotel guests on and we
are underway by 9:30 to go do 2 dives down by the Pitons. There is
actually only one other diver, the 6 other people are being dropped
off in Soufriere to do some land tours. We do 2 dives one along the
north wall of Gros Piton the other along the south side of Petit
Piton. Both are great dives with good visibility and lots of corals
and fish life. Sean & I both have a little trouble equalizing
but plenty to see as we follow along a little higher up. We both
finally get equalized and join Steve and the others down at 60 feet.
I was very glad and surprised that I had no trouble equalizing on the
2nd
dive and was able to go straight down, something I can rarely do.
Back to the dock to pay for the dives and rinse our equipment off
then get dropped off at our boat, ready for lunch. As we are making
lunch one of the day charter boats comes up and needs the mooring we
are on, they have priority so we have to move. We have since seen a
couple of moorings to the south that are probably the ones we should
have picked up in the first place but at first looked like they were
maybe in a different bay. No one is using the dive buoy out in the
middle, since we just need it for about 30 minutes to finish lunch we
pick it up. Finish up lunch and head back to the Pitons with our
boat this time, picking up another mooring by 5. Thursday we relax,
swim, snorkel and enjoying the beautiful water and view of the
Pitons. Friday Steve & Sean go to hike Gros Piton!! Not
stopping at the resort to call for a cab, they get a work out just
walking up to the road. Once in the cab it is a long ride over to
the little village where the hike starts. A cute 20-something girl
meets them and says she'll be their guide. Sean is happy because
first she's cute, and second he thinks the hike is going to be easy
if she can do it. Once ½ way up Steve & Sean are feeling the
effects of this strenuous hike and have to slow down. The young lady
that is their guide and does this several times a week is not even
breathing hard, she is actually talking on her phone as she climbs.
They make it to the top, Sean does an extra side trip over to the
north side of the mountain that overlooks Petit Piton while Steve
rests up for the trip down. They get a taxi ride back to the resort,
being dropped off right in front so they just have to make it to the
beach and dock so I can pick them up. One very tired father and a
fairly tired son, dinner out at the resort latter that night after
cool off swims and a little rest. Saturday we sail down to the
anchorage by Vieux Fort, the guide book shows 2 areas to anchor in
but the electronic charts show it all to be a no anchor zone as it is
close to the commercial port. We do see one unoccupied boat
anchored to the south, but we decide to check out the anchorage in
front of the fishing pier, figuring if they don't want us to anchor
here someone will come tell us. No one does and it gets a little
rolly during the night so we are glad to go ashore the following
morning. Martinez greets us at the dock and tells us where to leave
the dinghy amongst the fishing boats. He also tells us the town of
Vieux Fort is having their own little carnival celebration that
afternoon. We take the short walk through town and over to Anse de
Sable beach also known for kite surfing. It is a FABLOUS beach, one
of the prettiest we have seen and almost no one else there. We walk
down to the Reef a bar
& restaurant & kite & wind surfing shop but unfortunately
the winds are too mild for kite surfing. Sean is disappointed that
he will not get a chance to kite surf in this beautiful bay, but we
all enjoy the beach and water and have a great lunch at the Reef.
Tearing ourselves away from the beach we head back to town in time
for the start of their carnival parade. Very small town = very small
carnival festival but it is a lot of fun to watch. They are doing
their own little one since many of them will be going to St Vincent
the following Monday & Tuesday for a much bigger carnival and St
Lucia in Castries does another carnival the week after. It was a
nice surprise to run into and give Sean another island experience.
Back through town stopping by a few street vendors for some food &
drink. Move the boat over to the south side anchorage since Martinez
said it would not be rolly there and it's not so we have a nice calm
night even if it was on a lee shore. Monday Sean has to catch a 3:30
flight so we get a cab and stop by the Reef
for another great lunch with a beautiful view, sadly the winds are a
little better today and there is a guy out kite surfing, so Sean is a
bit envious. We see Sean off at the airport and look forward to his
next visit. Steve tries to see customs at the airport but a flight
just came in so they are too busy to see boaters, one last stop to
customs at the commercial pier then to fishing pier to go back to the
boat. Tuesday we sail to Bequia in the Grenadines.
