Luxury in Marigot
Oriole
Sun 6 Mar 2016 15:36
Marigot Bay, St
Lucia
Sunday 6th March
2016
13:57.5N 61:14.3W
We waited for the best wind day by delaying our
departure from Bequia for 24 hours and had really benign conditions and at times
could have done with a bit more wind. The north end of St Vincent is a
notorious wind accelleration zone where an occasional yacht is dismasted, but it
was extremely quiescent and the normal big seas we have experienced there did
not materialise - piece of cake! As we approached St Lucia the wind veered
and we were able to bear away onto a close reach and were clocking 8 knots in a
calm sea.
We were heading for Marigot Bay about half way up
the west coast of St Lucia for our rendez-vous with the friends who
had been of such enormous help when Oriole was trashed.
We headed for the lagoon behind the palm fringed
spit behind which Admiral Hood disguised the British Fleet with palm
fronds at the mastheads when chased and outnumbered by the French.
Marigot has changed from the natural
mangrove lagoon we saw in 1971, but the spit remains the same.
There is now a luxurious hotel and small marina
complex here which is available to those who take moorings in the Bay. So
we have been lounging by the pool, eating and drinkling too much in a choice of
several good bars and restaurants. Other friends have appeared and 7
of us sat down for dinner on Thursday evening.
Now the mangroves have been replaced
by the fleshpots..........
We are now alone amidst the occasionally
frenetic activity here. Topaz, the 140ft new J Class yacht just
arrived from Holland was followed an
enormous French square rigger which came uncomfortably close to Oriole as they
manoeuvred round the bow of Topaz.
.......... and superyachts.
All under control but one does worry about the
Gallic shrug attitude, afterall we are quite small and insignificant!
There are now 8 Js afloat and Topaz is probably going to be the fastest.
Shamrock, Endeavour and Velsheda were resurrected from their wartime mudberths
on the Hamble River which we saw there as students while dinghy sailing, never
suspecting anyone would ever have the money and energy to refloat, let alone
build new ones.