Arriving in Antigua

Arrived in Jolly Harbour, Antigua from Deshaies, Guadeloupe after a 6 1/2 hour trip of 48 nautical miles. We noticed that the waters around Antigua were shallower than those around the islands to the south. Nice to be able to see the bottom so easily.


Click on any picture to see a larger version.




Shortly before we arrived, Antigua hosted its well attended race week. Many classic sailing yachts stay until after this event before they return to the Mediterranean for the summer. This Dutch boat was one of the last of the mega sailboats to leave.











The Pillars of Hercules mark the entrance into English Harbour, the major reprovisioning and repair port in the Caribbean for the English Navy. Because of its importance to the English, Antigua was never occupied by another European power.













Nelson' boatyard contained all the shops needed to recondition British naval vessels of the time. Here we see the columns that supported the sail loft.












Shirley Heights overlooking both English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour (in the background) was a key lookout as well as military settlement. You can see both the inner and outer anchorages at English Harbour. Wildcat is in the inner harbour.












The climb to Shirley Heights is strenuous but you are rewarded with not only spectacular views, but also interesting flora like this cactus in bloom.






















A hummingbird feeds on the blossoms of the century plant.






















Fort Barrington is an English fort at the southern end of the entrance to St. John's Harbour (as seen from Deep Bay).




















Looking down from Fort Barrington at Wildcat and the beach at Deep Bay

Guadeloupe

On the tenth of May we left St. Pierre, Martinique at 0400 and sailed past Dominica to Iles Des Saintes, Guadeloupe arriving around 1500 (3PM) after a trip of 75 nautical miles.

You can click on any picture to get a larger version.

We first anchored off the town Bourg Des Saintes before moving over to an anchorage near the Pain A Sucre (Sugar Loaf) mini piton.











Nearby is Le Chameau Lookout Tower (1036 feet). Iles Des Saintes has many fortifications set up by the French. The naval battle off The Saintes in 1782 established England's supremacy of the seas. More than 6000 men perished and the French fleet was decimated. We decided we needed to climb to Le Chameau for our own lookout.

Nearing the top we had a wonderful view of Bourge Des Saintes.













Le Chameau lookout tower had impressive views south to Dominica and north the main island of Guadeloupe.

We met more goats than people on the trail.























Unlike many other islands we visited, the goats on Terre D'en Haut were unconcerned about our presence.













Our next trip took us to the large and mountainous island of Basse Terre.







We stopped at Pigeon Island home of the Cousteau Underwater Park which some claim is one of the 10 best diving areas in the world. We saw fish there we had no seen elsewhere in the Caribbean and the colors of the fish and coral seemed somehow brighter.

We picked up a dive mooring uncomfortably close to the rocky shore but decided to stay overnight nonetheless.









Our last port of call in Guadeloupe was Deshaies, a small fishing port on the Northwest coast of Basse Terre.

October 2008 Hurricane Omar, a late season storm spawned in the Caribbean and headed East causing extensive damage to many exposed anchorages on the west side of the islands. We believe the damaged boat in this picture was a victim as well as the small dock that used to be immediately to the left.

Martinique

Martinique is only a short 26 mile sail from St. Lucia which we made on the 3rd of May. Although the island is French, the English in St. Lucia kept a watch over the movements of the French fleet.





During the Napoleonic Wars, Admiral Samuel Hood landed British sailors on Diamond Rock. It was registered as the British naval vessel HMS Diamond Rock and was able to enforce a blockade of Martinique on the south side of the island. Frustrated by its inability to capture the rock, the French floated barrels of rum on the tide to the rock and were able to capture it after the English sailors partook of this unexpected bounty.









We came upon this bull grazing in a traffic circle on our walk to Anse D'Arlet. It is common to see goats grazing along the side of the road but but we had not seen cows and bulls grazing by the roads since the Dominican Republic.











Trois Ilets a quiet town across from Fort-de-France was once the home of Empress Josephine who was born nearby. It gets its name from three islands that provide some protection from the winds and seas.








Fort-de-France one of the larger cities in the Eastern Caribbean Islands. Many fine restaurants can be found here.















The public library building is a metal building manufactured in France and shipped to Martinque.


















The interior of the library.






















Leaving Fort-de-France for Anse Mitan.


















Anchored off the beach in Saint Pierre.

















Overlooking the harbor at St. Pierre, Mount Pelee in the background. Its eruption in 1902 killed almost 30,000 residents with only one or two survivors. Up to that point, St. Pierre was the capital of Martinique. The town has been rebuilt. Luckily these volcanoes only erupt every 100 years or so. Nervous?

















Portable Marimbas on display on the butterfly farm. But alas the butterflys have flown and art and music have taken their place.

Union Island to St. Lucia

We arrived in Grenada from Florida in late March to prepare Wildcat for relaunching. We left Grenada on the 6th of April to head north to meet friends in St. Lucia. This is view of Clifton Harbour on Union Island looking over the protesting reef.
(NOTE: click on any picture for a larger version)


From Union Island we went to Bequia, also part of the Grenadines. While we were there, the Bequians were celebrating Easter with boat races and music and food. Here is a local sloop racing among the moored cruising fleet.


After five days in Bequia, we left for St. Lucia around 2:30 AM for the 62 mile trip arriving around 1PM in Marigot Bay.


St. Lucia is a mountainous islands with a sulfur spring and two imposing pitons that plunge into the water at the south end of the island providing a spectacular anchorage.









Wildcat moored off the Petit Piton (2460 feet high) with water depths in th hundreds of feet less than a quarter of a mile offshore.



















Gros Piton (2619 feet) in the early morning.











Nearby is the National Botanical Garden.

Rainbow Falls stained with the minerals bubbling out of Sulfur Springs.
























Steam venting at Sulfur Springs.















Bat Caves (vertical slits in cliff face) near Soufriere.


















Petit Piton from Dasheen's



















Looking north over the town of Soufriere, the Pitons and Sulfur Springs (steam venting on the left side of the photo). The presence of many French names is a legacy of the multiple occupations of St. Lucia which changed hands 14 times over a period of 150 years.