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Date: 15 Mar 2012 14:59:26
Title: Gustavia, St Barts
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17:53.98N 62:51.45W

Wednesday 14th March

When we got up there were already four new cruise ships in place and three more queuing up to squeeze onto the dock.   The beach had been re-covered with brollies and loungers, and the ferrying launches, the trip catamarans and the 12 metre yachts were all ready and waiting.   I forgot to mention that there are three ex-America’s Cup yachts, including Dennis Connor’s Stars & Stripes yacht from the 1987 challenge, doing sailing trips around the bay.   The yachts still look sleek and stylish, but perhaps not so well maintained – and considering that they seem to sail around the clock in daylight hours with passengers being ferried out to them for a fast changeover, it’s no surprise they look a little tired.   As we left the bay, we felt a bit sorry for their crews as we fear the worst for some of their clients’ constitutions – there was quite a swell running and it looks like there is nowhere to hide as their paying public is well packed in for each trip.

We set off to St Barts directly up wind but were almost able to lay it in one tack.   As we pounded our way into the seas we were closely accompanied by a very rolly motor yacht of about 55’ who was unable to go any faster than us in the big seas.

We have been having a few problems with toilet tanks that aren’t ‘dropping’ very efficiently and sink drains that are smelling none too nice, so before we entered Gustavia we tried to rectify these problems with copious buckets of seawater down various pipes eventually resorting to bicarbonate of soda and vinegar – and life seems a bit more fragrant at the moment.

We had then expected to go into the anchorage just west of the town and have a look round to pick a spot but just as we neared the area a huge yacht left and we hurried straight into its spot.   At this point the motor boat we had been sailing with chose to zoom backwards around the far side of a yacht on our port side, slicing straight across our bows requiring me to go full astern and then, very un-gentlemanly, dropped his anchor bellowing at us to get out of his way.   Yes I am still livid.   Then a charter yacht whizzed up behind us and anchored as I was trying to get us out of our predicament;  it just wasn’t my day.

St Barts is known throughout the Caribbean for an amazing race week at the end of March and fantastic fireworks on New Year’s Eve, during which events the whole area is packed out.   The anchorage is fairly busy at the moment but the moorings (à la Med, moored stern to the quay with a bow anchor out and even more Med-like it has very poor holding and a cross surge) in town are almost completely empty.   And nowhere in the anchorage is exactly comfortable with a good southerly roll and no place to hide.

We went into the Port Office to clear in and then had a wander round.   The shops are unbelievably swish, dozens and dozens of them, with the sort of merchandise that makes you think at least twice before entering in your shabby sailing shorts!   And, of course, without the massive yachts in town, they too are empty.   We wondered how they can eke out a living on such uneven patronage.   There had been a cruise ship anchored in the bay, ferrying in its passengers (and begging via the radio, every passing boat of any size to slow down due to the precarious nature of transferring their passengers from ship into bouncing orange lifeboat) into town but they really didn’t look like the clients the shops might be hoping for.  It’s really quite interesting how one island can gain such a positive reputation while having very little to offer.   Originally this island made its living from being a refuge for pirate ships and later as a trading centre for the American rebels in their war of independence.   It has been fought over by the British, French and Spanish, with Maltese and Irish ownership;  it was then given to the Swedes in 1784 by the French in exchange for free port rights to Gothenburg, who then sold it back to France in 1878.   Its duty free status has been the basis for its economic prosperity – only 30 years ago, small sailing boats were still smuggling alcohol and cigarettes to other islands if they could evade the customs men on St Kitts and Nevis, nearby islands.

Tomorrow we will go back into town, take advantage of the free showers (yippee) and Rob will try and get more information out of the Port officers regarding their free wifi which supposedly covers the whole bay.   He was seriously unimpressed that is didn’t spring into life when we got back to Serafina.   And now that we can make water again, as we were a little nervous of doing so in the lagoon, I shall get down to a mountain of washing, oh joy.   We also hope to fit our new canvas additions and glue in new window seals and add the Treadmaster non slip covering to the dinghy and passerelle (plank).

We got some great news yesterday,  that our son, Ewan, has secured a new job in London which he has been desperate to move to, as all his friends are presently working there.   So many congratulations to him and let’s hope it is everything he hopes for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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