Happy New Year from St Lucia!
Seaduced
John & Jane Craven
Sat 1 Jan 2011 23:12
Yesterday, we were supposed to be going for a sail to test the watermaker again but the weather was absolutely horrid in the morning and it was throwing it down. The forecast was for worse to come so we had a change of plan and decided to take the dinghy over to Pigeon Island for a hike to the top.
Pigeon Island is at the north of the marina and is now attached to the mainland by an artificial causeway. Years ago it was a British Naval base as you could see, on a clear day, across the water to Martinique which is owned by the French. Admiral Rodney was the man in charge. There were several sea battles between the French and the British over ownership of the Caribbean islands. The island has now been preserved as an historical site operated by the St Lucia National Trust. As well as the fort itself, there are ruined barracks, a hospital and storerooms.
The island was named after the red-necked pigeon which is found there. There are also a huge number and variety of butterflies on the island as well. There are two small peaks, one where the fort is, which has been partially restored and another higher peak probably used as a lookout. From the top you can see where the Atlantic rollers meet the calmer Caribbean sea.