It’s hard to say what the best part of being in the French Islands this winter.  It might be the fabulous cuisine, or perhaps the wonderful assortment of fine foods in the markets.  Gone are the rows and rows of junk food that you find in American markets.  Who needs hundreds of yards of chips, soda and sugary cereals.  Here are rows of fine chocolates, cheeses and pates. And, don’t forget about all the great wines and rums to choose from, all at prices that are unimaginable in the US.

Perhaps it’s the simplicity of clearing in and out of the French islands.  Yesterday when we went ashore to clear into customs in St Pierre, we were greeted warmly by the customs officer.  We filled out entry forms on a freshly sanitized computer.  After a few minutes, I printed out my papers and had them stamped.  When I asked what I owed, the official pointed casually to a donation cup, seeming to say  “pay what you want”.   In Deshaies, Guadeloupe the fee was 3 Euros.  I’ll pay that.

I guess the French just want us to spend money on wine, cheese and pastry.  I’m all for that.

Are the sunsets that greet us each evening while we are enjoying a “sundowner” what makes this so special?  Sure, they are great but in the interest of fairness,  sunsets are fabulous at every island.  Perhaps it’s the magnificent scenery of the tall cloud shrouded mountains looming over the quaint villages that make visiting here so special.  We won’t think about the more than 30,000 that died in 1902 when Pele, this peak and still active volcano, blew it’s top and wiped out St Pierre in few scalding moments.   Is it the near hourly rainbows that we see in the mornings and late afternoons as the showers in the nearby rainforests pass through the anchorage?Those short lived showers are a great way to keep Pandora salt free after a sporty run between islands.  We buddy boated with our friends on Highlander to get here a few days ago from Les Saintes.Everyone wants a photo of their boat under sail and I got a few great ones of Highlander.  What’s not to love about a view from Pandora of St Pierre in the late afternoon light?
Or, perhaps the passing of a classic Cornish Crabber as she sailed into the harbor in Les Saintes.Or, the view of the harbor from Fort Napoleon. Ok, perhaps it’s the turquois waters of the nearby reefs that makes these islands so special. Or a visit to a nearby beach.   Ok, the view to the left was sandy but not quite a dramatic.  Complete with swaying palms.  Admittedly, it was, as Brenda woud say, “blowing a gale”. If you like spying local color, look up and see a hefty iguana, feeling pretty proud of himself seeming to say “hey, what you looking at buddy?  You can leave now!”But, the best part of all, and what makes visiting most any island, is time with fellow cruisers, fellow Salty Dawgs, that hang out much of the season together.  “everybody into the pool!”
Whatever it is that makes cruising in the Caribbean great, it’s surely better in the French islands.  Ok, it’s at least as good as most any place other than enduring the cold up north, here in the French Islands.

And, al0ng with great food, wine and terrific scenery, is the rum.  Today, off to nearby Depaz distillery for a tour, tasting and a great lunch.  Yup, cruising with al the basic food groups with the Dawgs.

So, that’s my report and I’ll wrap this up so I can head to the market to buy some fresh tuna for dinner tonight.  Perhaps a baguette too.

It’s all this and more that’s “best” about being in the French islands this season.

 

When we first visited Les Saintes a number of years ago, Brenda’s reaction, when she saw the brightly painted homes with red roofs, was “this is the prettiest place I have ever seen”.   And, like the other French islands we have visited, the food is great too.  Beautiful scenery and great food.  That was on our first year cruising the Caribbean and we still feel that way, years later.

We are on a mooring very close to an active ferry dock.  Hundreds of tourists, mostly from France, arrive daily from the big island of Guadeloupe, overnight bags in tow.   It makes for a rolly harbor during the day.  Not great, I’ll admit.  Off to the north is the big island of Guadeloupe and the view is pretty spectacular in the late afternoon.  This morning I was greeted by a partial rainbow.  It was very windy overnight with a series of strong squalls moving over the island. The first thing that comes to mind when I arrive here is that it looks like a seaside village in the Mediterranean, well at least what I imagine that would look like, as I have limited experience with such places.  Having said that, it feels quite French.  Last night Brenda and I went out to a favorite restaurant.  She had duck breast and I had octopus.  They were both quite good followed by crème brulee.  Yum. This archipelago of islands is only about 20 miles from Pointe de Pietre and yet has a very different feel.  As lush as Guadeloupe is, this island is very arid, more so than most of the others in the area.  The islands are just not tall enough to wring out much rain from the trades.

I am struck by the color of the water.  We’ve been here for a few days already and aren’t sure if we will leave soon for Martinique, about 70 miles from here, or wait until the next weather window, perhaps by next weekend.

Unlike other areas that we visit, here we take a mooring as the area near the town is quite deep and unless you are willing to anchor far out, it’s really the only option.  They seem to be well maintained and even though the water is nearly 40′ deep, you can clearly see the bottom.

The islands, and there are a number of them, ring a large harbor or bay, that is fairly well protected from the ocean swells.    This are is controlled by France and back in the day, when they were duking it out with the English, each nearby hilltop had a fort or lookout.  Yesterday a number of cruisers hiked to the top of one of the highest peaks.  You can see the tiny fort on top of the hill in the distance.  The group hiked up a well paved road that got steeper and steeper as we gained elevation.   The view of the harbor below was amazing. If you zoom in Pandora is in the middle of the harbor. Off to the right of the harbor are many local colorful fishing boats.  The light blue along the edge is shallow water.  It’s very clear water.  On the eastern or windward side of the island, not so placid, with waves crashing on the rocky shore. Zoom in and you can see the beautiful textures in the rocks and foam of crashing waves. Our friend Mark, from Roxy, takes pictures with his iPad and I could not resist getting a photo of him concentrating on the perfect shot. While I was looking at the local color, they were busy watching me.  Goats are a scourge on most islands, eating everything in sight.  As a result, many native plants can never gain a foothold so much of the island is defoliated.  So, here we are in a charming harbor, unsure about what’s next.  But hey, what’s the rush?

Perhaps I’ll go ashore for a baguette.  Brenda had some leftover from her dinner last night so lunch will be duckbreast and cheese on a baguette.  Double yum.

As I made my way south to Antigua back in early November, I realized that I really didn’t want to make the run north this spring, only to turn around a few months later to make the return run again next fall. 

The fact is that we really don’t use the boat all that much during the summer so sailing more than 3,500 miles round trip, just to let the boat sit for months, doesn’t make much sense.  And, frankly, when I get back in the spring, I am ready for a break.   Additionally, we have big plans for the house this summer, we are having the kitchen remodeled and I’m redoing the third and final bathroom that I will have done personally since we moved there a decade ago.  That’s a big job so not having the distraction of Pandora will surely help.  We are also planning some traveling which won’t leave a lot of time for using Pandora. 

When I first became involved with Salty Dawg, the group that does the rally, I wondered of the boats that make the run, how many do it year after year and how many just opt to leave the boat in the south for the winter, avoiding thousands of miles of ocean passages every year.   For many, I have learned, it’s a one way trip until they are finished cruising the area and head home, sometimes years later.

So after asking for advice from friends and speaking with a key vendor in Trinidad, the plan is to leave it south and see how it goes.  That’s a big change for us and we will have to see how it goes.   The advantage, beyond the wear and tear on me and Pandora is that there are excellent services in Trinidad so just about anything that I need to have done can be handled there.

This year, the list is long, including painting the decks and now fixing some really nasty scratches that someone put on the boat a few days ago.  I can’t prove it but suspect it was some kids on a small catamaran from a local sailing school.  There are a lot of them sailing around the harbor and it really looks like one of them smashed into the boat, not once but three times.

I wasn’t aboard but the fact that there is a small sneaker print on the hull certainly suggests that a kid pushed off with a salty shoe as they bumped down the hull.

I spoke to the director of the school and he came out to the boat only to say that because I didn’t see it happen…  Additionally, he says that he spoke with the instructors and they did not witness anyone running into Pandora.

I guess I am on my own.  Add that to the list for Trinidad.  Good thing that the company I chose to oversee all of the work is called “Perfect Finish” as I am going to need it.  Another year, another perfect finish.   Well, at least until another small boat crashes into Pandora again.   Another season, a few more boat dollars…

Setting aside the fact that just about every season someone in a small boat bumps into and scratches Pandora,  we have been visiting some really wonderful spots over the last few weeks since leaving Antigua.

As we moved down the coast of Guadeloupe, on our way to Pointe de Pietre, where we are now, we stopped at Pigeon Island, a Jacques Cousteau marine sanctuary.  It’s quite charming and is in the lee of the tallest mountains on the island.  The mountains are topped with clouds all the time.  As a result, there is a constant parade of rain showers, carried by the easterly trade winds.   As the winds move up the eastern side of the island, the steep rise in elevation cools the air, the dewpoint drops and it rains and the showers are carried over onto the western side of the island.  The rain is very light but perfect for forming rainbows all day. As we moved down the coast, early the next morning, on our way to Pointe de Pietre, the water was glass calm in the lee of the island, with a row of clouds marching into the distance.  The moment reminded me of a little steam train chugging it’s way over the horizon. Pointe de Pietre is the largest city in Guadeloupe and while it is a popular stopping point for cruisers, the water isn’t all that clear as it is a very industrial harbor.

Yesterday a group of us decided to rent cars and head into the mountains to visit a popular waterfall.   The roads on the island are very well maintained, generally two lane divided highways but take an exit and you are soon on narrow winding roads. As you climb higher and higher up the mountainside, the going gets a lot steeper and much of the time it’s first gear all the way.   As you get higher up, the roads are barely wide enough for one subcompact car and the switchback turns are sometimes a 45 degree pitch and the car can barely keep going, even in the lowest gear.

It’s wonderful to watch the vegetation change as you climb higher and higher, becoming more lush as the kilometers roll by.

Once you are perhaps 2,000′ above sea-level, the air is noticeably cooler and huge tree ferns are everywhere. 
The near constant rain means that there are rivers and streams flowing in every valley. This particular park has the tallest waterfall on the island, a series of three falls with a total elevation of over 1,000′.  It’s so tall you can see it from the ocean as you pass by.   This shot is from the entrance to the park, an overlook that shows the two largest cascades on the island, perhaps in the eastern Caribbean. The walk to a spot where you can view the falls closer takes about an hour as a well maintained walkway meanders through the rainforest.   There are a lot of steps, up and down both ways.   Some are wood and others carved out of the rocks.    There is water dripping everywhere and all surfaces are completely covered with plants, small and large, competing to grow.    Some are tiny mosses on wet walls. Others, tiny ferns growing from every crack and crevice. Everywhere you look, mossy green.A riot of green everywhere. There are certainly orchids in the upper story of the huge trees but most are not in bloom this time of year.   I did spy some delicate orchids, not currently flowering affixed to branches in the clearings, where sun could penetrate.  In the dense forest, there isn’t enough light near the ground for most orchids to grow properly.  There were a few orchids in bloom like this delicate bletilla. Along the way there are a number of overlooks.  Brenda and our friend Lynn were enjoying the view, while taking a rest.
This day we had rented three cars and traveled together for much of the day.  We only got lost once or twice…After our walk in the rainforest, we stopped at a lovely spot for lunch and after that, a distillery where we were treated to a number of tastings.   It’s hard to say if it was the rum or the presenter that was the most entertaining.  She was quite a character and after listening to her share thoughts about each rum in her wonderful French accent, none of us left empty handed. It was a long day, nearly 12  hours, and the driving up in the mountains, with it’s twists and turns was tiring.   However, it was a great way to spend the day and it sure beats snow.

Guess what?  Snow at home AGAIN.  Better them than me.

So, Trinidad this summer?  That’s the plan.  For now, cruising with friends, especially in the French islands, perfect!

At least that makes the newest scratches in Pandora more bearable.

When we were in Antigua we had a tough time with data on our phone as the Google fi phone, while it has pretty good data, is slow and to get a data only plan for Antigua didn’t make sense as we were not planning to stay for all that long. And, any data plan available in Antigua would not work elsewhere.

We had heard from friends that once we moved to Guadeloupe we could sign up for a plan that would follow us from island to island and even include Antigua if we head back there later in the season.

On our quest, a few days ago, Brenda and I caught a bus to a nearby city/town to track down a data plan and a new phone.  Sadly, Brenda’s iPhone got sick and has developed a nasty habit of the screen going black without warning, usually a few seconds after opening it up.  Not great and to make matters worse, she hasn’t backed up her phone in some time so we have to be careful about any resets that might compromise getting the data off of it when we get home.

Fortunately, we were able to get a decent phone for less than $150 and a data plan that was amazingly cheap at about $50 month for 70 gigabites, a huge amount of data.  And, the best part is that we can continue to use the plan for just about anyplace that we decide to go this season.    As we have become accustomed to instant data and connectivity over the years and being able to facetime of view videos on demand has become a “necessity” and no longer a luxury.

Brenda was chafing at the complexity of being in contact with family and friends so she’s a lot happier now.  That’s good.

On Sunday we had lunch out with our friends Lynn and Mark of Roxy.  We chose a lovely French restaurant.  It was very nice. The view of the harbor here in Deshaies Guadeloupe was wonderful.With the large cliff on one side of the harbor and the mountains out in the distance, the wind can funnel through the harbor and can get a bit iffy when the trade winds are up.   The view of town is especially nice in the afternoon when the sun is setting to the west. The other night we had cocktails, or “sundowners” as they are called in the cruising community on board Kalunamoo.  Amazingly we all saw a “green flash”.  This is when the sun dips below the horizon and shows a last moment burst of green, a sort of spark.  It’s impressive and not very common.  Sadly, I didn’t have my camera so no photo…

This shot is of Kalunamoo the other night as the sun set.  Alas, no green flash that night but pretty nice, never the less. This afternoon I decided to take a short walk up to a swimming hole on a stream that leads into the harbor.  Much of the walk was on cement path.  It was very peaceful.Along the way, as I followed the stream, I passed some very nice palms.
There were also some really big trees.  The vegetation here is much more lush than in Antigua as the island gets a lot more rain.  After a very short walk off of the trail, and a scramble over the creek, I was rewarded by a lovely little pool.  I stopped to cool off and put my feet into the water for a time while I enjoyed the sounds of the water running over the rocks and into the pool.  I could see quite a few fish swimming around below.I’d have liked to head back there with my bathing suit but am not sure if I would  have the nerve to dip into water that is quite that cold for my tropical accustomed body these days.

Yesterday we rented a car with our friends Bill and Maureen from Kalunamoo, but that’s a story for another day.

Today, off to Pigeon Island, about half way down the island.  After that, moving onto Les Saintes, one of our favorite places.  More to tell about all that.

However, the big story is that Brenda, sans iPhone, at least has a data plan.

Mission accomplished.

So, all for now.  Anchor up…

Well, it took three weeks but we finally left Antigua and headed to Guadeloupe,  arriving yesterday afternoon in lovely Deshaies.

It indeed felt like old times as I headed ashore and cleared in at the T shirt shop.  Nobody asked about vaccination or for the results of a test.  It is always remarkable how much more laid back things are in the French islands verses Antigua.  To clear in for 3 Euros is so different than in Antigua, where you go from window two to window three and back to two and finally window one and all that is after filling out the paperwork on a desktop computer.

I can’t recall the exact amount that it cost to get into Antigua back in November but it was something like $85 US and when I cleared out on Friday the cost, taking into account the time we had left the boat in English Harbor, on a mooring, the cost was nearly $250 US, a bit different than our experience in Guadeloupe.

When we pulled in yesterday, after a boisterous 45 mile passage at an average speed just shy of 9kts, the anchorage was pretty full.  As a result, we had to anchor in 45′ of water and on the side of the harbor that is more exposed to wrap-around swell, not Brenda’s first choice.

This morning we moved to the other side of the harbor and ended up re-anchoring a number of times as other boats left so we were able to get a more sheltered spot.  It’s quite calm now with the protection of a huge cliff off to starboard.  It’s a spectacular view from the cockpit. Last night we had a terrific rainstorm that mercifully washed off all of the salt that had accumulated on deck as we slogged our way here.  With waves washing over the bow for the entire run and cascading down the decks, things were pretty salty.

For some reason, just off of the point this morning, probably from the moisture rolling off of the mountain, was a piece of a rainbow that hung around for nearly two hours.  It was a beautiful sight against the mountain and white clouds in the morning light. As the sun came up, I could see the mist rising up as the sun dried the dense vegetation onshore.   This island has very high mountains, often shrouded in clouds, so there is abundant rain and many steams and rivers.  Nearby, accessible by dink, is a lovely fresh water swimming hole.  Brenda and I hope to visit it in the next few days.

The town of Deshaies is very French, quaint and has a distinct Mediterranean vibe.   The first thing I did after clearing in yesterday was to head to my favorite wine and cheese store.  We have not been here since 2019, just before the pandemic struck.   The proprietor immediately recognized my shirt “Pandora”.  Brenda and I had a lovely rose, two choices of cheese and a baguette for dinner.

Today we head ashore for lunch with some friends.    Perlez vous Francais?  Non…

The view of town from our bow is just so French.  Oddly, nobody ashore seems to speak English all that well.  Why is that?  At home nearly everyone speaks English.Tomorrow we will be heading to a nearby town to get a data sim card and a new phone as Brenda’s iPhone died.   Very inconvenient as we both just have to have our own phone and NEED MORE DATA.   I am told that the connection with a data-only card is strong enough to watch Netflix.  We, especially Brenda, are starving for more video time with family.

Ok, one more photo of Deshaies.  What a lovely spot. So, I guess that we will stay here for about a week and pay a visit to the nearby botanical garden, swim in the amazingly clear water.  Even anchored in 45 feet last night we were able to see the bottom.

Well, after what seems like years since we have been to the French Islands it’s good to be back.

All I can say is Viva la France!  And, of course…  That will be two croissants and a baguette please.