St.Barthelemy - the Easter witch at a pirate island

Regina
Espen Aalstad
Wed 26 Mar 2008 02:06
17:55.5N 62:52.8W
 
Leaving St. Kitts we were too optimistic heading for Saba where the swell was still too strong on this round, steeep island. Too bad as the teenagers had long planned to dive here in the underwater rocks.
 
So like the old pirates, we made the deviation East to St. Barths, though not for spending money or digging treasures like the old pirates and smugglers.
A long afternoon at sea as the swell and waves were now in all directions for our 40 nm leg. Fortunately we had full moon coming into Gustavia on the West coast, where lot's of boats  were 'hiding' here from the swell at anchor - many without anchor lights! No problem for our calm skipper and we soon where at rest  under Fort Carl and Fort Oscar. 
The Swedes once ruled here having traded it from the French for their free access to Gothenburg. Swedish flags still fly. in places...and there is no tax!
Today St. Barths is an island for the rich and famous with designer stores and mega yachts. We have not seen as huge yachts in one place.
 
The large swell had actually closed the inner harbour and hence all the boats outside for anchor. We also met others who had been asked to leave the close by St. Martin's bays. 
We seem to have made a smart choice heading for St. Kitts.
 
We skipped the cafes and boutiques and found a nice little bay a few miles further north: Anse Colombier. Everybody was delighted to finally spend some hours at a nice beach again. Studying the mega yacht's passengers beach life close up was great entertainment. It gives us no desire to change lifestyle with some of them: multiple dinghies back and forth to the beach, chairs and sun shades up and down, coolers and fresh towels back and forth - all in an hour. Poor crew.
Our soggy towels and body surfing was a sharp contrast....
 
Expectations have been building on board for Easter eggs...from visitors bringing Easter goodies and the boy's wanting 'just like home'. We have seen little here to remind us of Easter around. Great relief when the Easter witch from Bloksberg found Regina, even the egg looked like at home! 
Our provisioning has been more difficult in St. Kitts, so we have had to do without a nice Easter Sunday dinner. Nobody seemed to notice...
 
We now head north for Anguilla maybe stopping off on St. Martin's East coast if the swell allow.