16:10.546N 061:06.676W

Monday, 19 March 1010 LT

 

Sunday, 18 March.  Early start again and off to Marie Gallante under motor.  Three hours later we’ve arrived and drop anchor in 2 metres off the beach/jetty.  A few houses ashore make up the town of St. Louis.  This town has only one horse, but also a butcher, boulangerie, and even an ATM that works.  We check it all out in about 30 mins, including 15 mins spent having a coffee and delicious biscuit made of caramel and coconut.  After that excitement, we return to LS and move a mile up the coast to Anse Canot where there is a hotel hidden behind the palms, people on the beach, some boats anchored nearby (we now have about 1 metre under our bottom).  Later the boats depart and we are left, very quiet.

 

Monday, 19 March.  Another early start and motor to Petites Terre which are two very small islands/islets with a narrow channel between them, protected by a reef on the east.  Looking forward to this.  But first, “Tuna, tuna!”.  Hooked in classic style using the yellow/green lure plus added ballyhoo (“All fish love ballyhoo”) in deep water close to the drop off.  15 lbs and enough meat to feed us and others for days.  It’s a whopper!

 

 

If this wasn’t enough excitement, we then have to pilot our way into the anchorage.  Fortunately the conditions are good.  Skip is reading and re-reading the pilot instructions, plus putting waypoints into the GPS every few metres to guide us over the bar while avoiding the reefs.  It’s a bit scary as the depth gauge keeps dropping and dropping, but then we breath again as it rises once more.  Thank goodness there are laid moorings.  We head for the closest, moor up and relax.  Now this is what I call a beautiful anchorage.  I know there are a few tripper boats, but once they have gone home, we are left with palms, white sand, crystal water, fish, turtles, rays, tarpon,baby shark, terns, plover and IGUANAS!  It’s another whopper!  Obviously we have to stay here another day, and we do, eating tuna for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Enough! We give lots away to neighbouring yachties but still we have too much.