Well we got stuck in Bequia for a couple of weeks.... the christmas winds that sometimes blow here  (25 – 30 knots) keeping all but the big yachts in the anchorage...I say stuck ...its like augustus gloop being stuck in cadburys.....we had to while away the hours in bars... snorkelling and fixing bits on the boat ...... not exactly a hard day at the office.

 

Kirsty’s birthday I treated her to a night in  the Vipers Nest a nice apartment above the Devils Table restaurant where we ate the best meal we had for months. The place was all decked out pirate style. The bed was a full memory foam mattress and we just lay there for hours the next day till we were thrown out!! Most of all we bought wine.... we’d forgotten how good wine tasted ... its horribbly expensive out here but good for a treat.

 

We left Bequia with Chrissie and Graham some friends we met and headed north past St Vincent to St Lucia. The North end of St Vincent as we passed the volcano  lived well up to its reputation it was nasteeee *tons of wind on the nose sharp seas and strong currents but once we cleared it we saw the Pitons rising up out of the south end of St Lucia. And what a sight!!! These two volcanic plugs dominate the landscape and even when deceptively far away. We sailed hard to get to them but once there what a place...anchored in crystal clear water below the volcanic landscape.....you could see 30m below the boat. We went into town  on a skiff handled by Shane .... a local Rasta who had a sticker on his boat ..”Jah is my coplilot”.. so we knew he was ok !!! We haggled with the locals for food, got checked in to customs and headed back to Jon Jon for snorkelling. Vendors would come up to us on skiffs (or piroques as they are known here) with anything from fruit, to live lobsters to wooden carvings that look like a 6 year old made them. Lost count of the amount of times I said no!!

 

 

That evening  a French charter boat from martinique, anchored really close to us. There are 3 rules to consider here...1) this was virgin coral anchoring was not allowed 2) if you anchor you need to give enough swinging room to the other boats already there 3) after laying your anchor you should take transits to check your position so you know that you are not dragging ........................anyway as  we watched them drifting off out to sea in the dark, oblivious to their plight, Kirsty reminded me of Al Murrays famous words..... "and where would we be without rules.....France!"

After an hour of this one of the park rangers came past and I, obviously concerned for their welfare, pointed out to him that they had anchored and were drifting out to sea. He shot off straight away...I dont know if it was to help or to collect the 6000 US dollar fine for anchoring!!!

 

After 2 days of pure heaven we headed up to Rodney Bay Marina for civilised fun.... good food cocktails and met up with Don again who has now been joined by his wife Linda ...both lovely and their friends Sandy and Rick...a couple of Jimmy Buffet fans. Don persuaded us to go for the Rainforest tour and zipwire experience...it was a bit pricey but the most fun ever.. Basically you have 90 minutes on a gondalor ride built into the canopy of the rainforest followed by 90 minutes of zip wiring though said rainforest..... great fun.

 

We decided as the marina was pricey and the cocktails blowing our daily budget we would head for Martinique. We had a cracking sail and as we had Don and  Linda on their boat we finally got some great shots of Jon Jon sailing in the Caribbean.  Don and Linda are really lovely people and we will see them again soon for sure.

 

Martinique is a fab place with cheap wine!!!! yippeeee very french. We are currently anchored off a stunning beach fully loaded for a few days no need to go ashore shopping and its free!!! So hopefully make up for our big spends in St Lucia.

Braving the Caribbean Swell

 

Almost there!! Martinique

 

Arrival

 

Ill leave you with the words of the sailing guide for Martinque as they ring so true ...”Martinique is a civilised place,  there is no need to worry about speaking French many of the locals now speak English......” !!!!!!!!

 

Au Revoir

Lee