Saturday 21 to Tuesday 24 June 2014

 

Saturday was spent doing some more ‘chores’ whilst we had marina facilities and the following day we motored just 3 miles along the coast to the anchorage by Isle du Gosier.  The island sits a short distance from ‘mainland’ Guadeloupe and provides shelter on what would otherwise be an exposed coast.

 

To the left and right of the island you can see waves breaking over the shallow reefs.  The anchorage remains windy but the reefs provide protection from the waves and swell:-

 

 

 

 

The anchorage had been quite busy with ‘weekenders’ when we arrived and the only place available to us, with enough depth, was about equidistant between Guadeloupe and Isle du Gosier:-

 

 

 

 

Sunday night turned out to be a little rolly so on Monday, many boats having left, we moved closer to Isle du Gosier.  What a dramatic difference that made!  We only moved about 150 metres but it was so much more peaceful.

 

Our boat, in the centre of the picture, close to Isle du Gosier.  We had initially been about 60 meters directly behind the catamaran so not all that far away:-

 

 

 

 

After repositioning we went off to the island by dinghy.  We took our snorkelling gear but the water was disturbed and murky so there was not much to see.  There is a small cafe on the island which was closed and there are picnic tables under the trees.  The picnic tables explained all the small boats we had seen ferrying people to and from the island throughout the day:-

 

 

 

 

Looking across the short distance to Guadeloupe, our small dinghy tied to the concrete quay:-

 

 

 

 

 

Someone had tried to get a bit arty with this wrecked hull on the beach:-

 

 

 

We were surprised to see people swimming throughout the day across to the island.  No mean undertaking given the strong current running through the passage.  A very pleasant anchoring spot.

 

On Tuesday we went to the mainland shore in search of internet (for weather) and a supermarket.  There was a boucherie which was closed, a boulangerie and a small epicerie with no meat.  A cafe on the beach had internet but it wasn’t working, so all in all not a successful visit.  It looks like we will have to return to Pointe a Pitre to provision.

 

As we walked back to the dinghy we saw these creatures on the lawn.  One had been hiding in the shade of a lamp post:-

 

 

 

 

Aren’t I pretty? :-