Choosing to stay put
With the very rough passage between mainland Guadeloupe and Les Saintes still all too fresh in our minds (imagine BIG waves and wind gusts up to 36 knots), we reluctantly decided to stay put today and not follow alongside our friends as they make their way to Pointe-a-Pitre. Yes, as far as weather windows go, this is not a good one. The wind speed (high), its direction (from the NE) and the forecasted sea state (big) are all conspiring against a smooth passage. Add to that the fact that it’s raining this morning making the visibility pretty poor. Not cool!
In spite of the above, it was a tough decision to stay here in Les Saintes. In addition to the fact that we enjoy cruising with George and Kelly on Earthling, we are not super stoked about the anchorages here. We spent our first night on a mooring at Goat Island (Ilet a Cabrit) for which we paid 9.00 Euros. Not wanting to fork over that kind of money for every night that we’re here, we went looking for alternatives, of which there are few. We ultimately dropped the hook by Anse à Cointe and although we didn’t have to pay for the privilege of staying there, we, along with all of the other boats here, had a rocky night.
Now that it doesn’t look like our heading back to mainland Guadeloupe is going to happen, we think our next destination might be Marie-Galante, an island about 20 miles east of here. Unfortunately I don’t think we’re going to have a decent weather window to travel there for several days yet. So, I guess we’ll just have to suck it up and hang out here. Perhaps with some more time we’ll come to figure out why the French have such a bread fetish? Seriously, every where we look we see people running around with baguettes in their hands. I’ll admit that we too like good bread once in a while but it seems as if the news that white bread isn’t all that good for you has never made it to the French islands. Or perhaps they just don’t care. 🙂
The following pics are from our walk around Goat Island, which includes the ruins of Fort Joséphine. There was a paved path on the island that leads to the fort that no doubt most people walk on. There was also a gravel trail that branched off the paved path that we assume some others follow too. As usual, we chose to branch off and make our own trail.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.*”
*Quote from the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.
We’d rather be at anchor wishing we were at sea than at sea wishing we were at anchor…
Enjoy!
Well put!
quote of the day.
Sounds like y’all made the right decision to stay put. Why choose to sail in uncomfortable or potentially dangerous conditions if you don’t have to? You’re there to enjoy it!
I love the photo of the harbor view through the window in the stone wall. Living vicariously!
We talked to our friends on the radio. We DEFINITELY made the right decision!
great post! great photos!
Thanks, Anne.
I would rather be in the boat with a drink on the rocks than in the drink with a boat on the rocks..
Another good saying!
Love this!
I hate to make it seem like I read your awesome post as a cruising fashion article, but I have to ask: Is the print on Rebecca’s tank top line with the occasional heart tied into it? Yeah, yeah, silly observation to make, right?
Seriously awesome photos today, guys.
🙂
The print is of rope which is sometimes tied in knots and at other times forming hearts.
Yeah, that top is pretty much awesome. Thanks for answering my silly question!
Nice barbell. Did you get more reps than Rebecca???
Never. 😉
The name of the anchorage, “Anse sous le Vent” might be relevant to the rolly conditions there. Evidently it is well known for the wind.
Mike
Apparently.
Was that a grave you were peering into?
hehe… no. It was a cistern on some old ruins.