Les Saintes - part1
RAVEN - Atlantic Circuit 2021-22
Richard Foulkes
Sun 13 Feb 2022 10:00
15:51.99N 61:35.418W
We left the marina late morning on Friday and duly hoisted sails to reef 2. As we approached Pointe De Vieux Fort, the south western corner of Guadeloupe and were able to feel the wind and see the white horses in the channel, it was apparent that a third reef could be a seamanlike precaution! Possibly this was because we had been talking to a local, the OCC Port Officer, the previous evening and he said the channel south of Guadeloupe was the roughest in the Caribbean.
Suitably reefed, the crossing was fine with wind gusts to high 20s . There were no spare moorings when we arrived at Terre de Haut, so we anchored by Tete Rouge at 3pm for a late lunch, with excellent salad by Chris, and went ashore to clear customs and have a stroll .
The anchorage was not hugely comfortable overnight so we moved to a mooring when one became available on Saturday morning, halving the dinghy distance and getting some slightly calmer water. The day was spent ashore hiking up to the museum at Fort Napoleon (which had a commendably good section on the Battle of Les Saintes, which the French lost !)and then Le Chameau, the highest point with some swims and lunch in between so a good exploring day, all followed by a fine supper ashore.
