40 November 2017Provisioning
Get a bus or cab from the Fort de
France anchorage to the out-of-town
hypermarkets in Martinique. Jolly
Harbour, Antigua, also has easy access
to the best supermarket on the island.Repairs/maintenance
St Maarten had everything we needed
for repairs or maintenance but Grenada
is also a good option if you’re further
south in the Windward Islands.The hurricane season
Traditional options are to join the
liveaboard fun in Grenada, head north to
South Carolina, or haul out in Antigua.
Jolly Harbour was one of the few
boatyards in the entire hurricane zone
approved by our insurance provider
Pantaenius, says Terysa Vanderloo. For
more on the hurricane belt, see page 44.Cultural immersion
Dominica, although the tours are
expensive. Consider hiring a car and
exploring yourself.Treating yourself
Pick up a mooring ball in the picturesque
Marigot Bay, St Lucia. They belong to
the resort and access to their luxurious
infinity pool and lounges are included in
the price.Fishing
Fishing by trolling, or hand lining in
an anchorage (unless a marine park)
is generally accepted and tolerated
by the local authorities as long as it is
on a small scale and you don’t have a
sports fishing boat, for which you need
a licence. Trolling is an excellent way to
fish and with a bit of luck, the dollars you
spend in the local fishing-tackle store
will, in economic terms, balance the fish
you take out of the sea.
Remember spearfishing is illegal
and unacceptable in most islands. If a
spear misses a fish and hits coral, it can
start an infection that could eventually
destroy a large area.the beach where we were anchored. Swimming in the sea
with them, chatting about their lives and watching the
kids take turns leaping from the pier, a background of
golden-tinted jungle rising behind them, was an
experience that will stay with me for a long time. It’s these
low key, everyday experiences that make this cruising life
so special.
We continued north to the Leeward Islands, stopping at
Les Saintes, a small archipelago of the French Antilles,
north of Dominica. It has a strong resemblance to the
Atlantic coast of Brittany, not least due to its architecture
and excellent restaurants. From Les Saintes we made our
way to Guadeloupe and Deshaies, where it rained and the
wind howled for days on end. We were going stir-crazy
being stuck on board and eventually made a break for
Antigua. Our punishment was enduring eight hours of
being tossed around and feeling seasick before gratefully
arriving in Falmouth Harbour.
Here we found many bars and restaurants of unusually
high quality (the standard of food in restaurants in the
Caribbean is generally not nearly as good as we’re used to
in Europe, even on the French islands). We stuck around
for the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, determined to get
our hands on the famous ‘red hats’, given out only at the
closing event. Tickets for the fi nal event were a challenge
to get hold of, but we dutifully spent several evenings
bar-hopping and
ingesting large quantities
of rum in order to secure
our entry to the party.
After bypassing Nevis
and St Kitts due to a
rapidly-closing weather
window, we spent several
very rolly nights in St
Barth’s notoriously
uncomfortable Gustavia
anchorage. I don’t
normally ‘do’ rolly
anchorages, but for St
Barth I was willing to put
up with a lot. The town
was extremely
picturesque, and as
quintessentially French as it’s possible to fi nd in the
Caribbean. We had fresh baguettes, cheap wine and fois
gras daily, and enjoyed looking in all the upmarket shops.
St Maarten was a necessary stop for us as we had
decided to upgrade our tender and do some other boat
maintenance. We had planned on a week there, but ended
up staying for three; something we were warned about
the very fi rst morning on the daily radio net. “This place
has a way of sucking you in!” Mike, the net controller,
cheerfully informed us.
St Maarten was hard hit by Irma, although St Maarten
Heineken Regatta organisers have already pledged that
next year’s event will take place as the sailing community
looks to rebuild. Race director Paul Miller reported that St
Maarten’s sail loft, riggers and marine suppliers such as
Budget Marine were all reopening rapidly. “The message is
very much: come! Come and see the real Caribbean
community. Things will start to recover very quickly,
and by the middle of November, for a boat owner
BEST PLACES FOR...
Diving and snorkelling
Snorkel in almost any Caribbean
anchorage, and you will see something
interesting. You are free to do this
anywhere in the eastern Caribbean,
except in Statia, where snorkelling
without a guide is banned in the marine
park, and Buccoo Reef in Tobago,
where you may not approach the reef
by boat. Exceptional sites include
Anse du Colombier in St Barth where
you can swim with the turtles; the
Cousteau Marine Park in Pigeon Island,
Guadeloupe; and Soufriere Marine Park
(SMMA), St. Lucia. Perhaps the very
best of all is the Tobago Cays, while St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, also has
superb diving. Grenada’s best dive sites
are around the Sisters Rocks off Isle
de Ronde.In the loop
The radio net is an organised
broadcast amongst cruisers
in an area. Often scheduled
for each morning and always
run by a ‘net controller’, radio
nets share information, allow
cruisers to connect with each
other, and find out about
what’s happening in the local
area. It includes segments
such as weather, local events,
local services, buy/sell/swap,
and safety and security.CARIBBEAN SEASON
›