We sailed from Saint Vincent to Saint Lucia arriving at Laborie Bay, an unspoilt fishing village on the south coast where Clarissa had her first go at paddle boarding, with some success!

The following morning Nick went to check-in at Vieux-Fort some miles distant taking one of the local buses. This one was air-conditioned and surprisingly there was no music playing.

We should apparently not have gone to Laborie Bay because it is not a ”port of entry” so once again Nick was reprimanded by  customers/immigration officials for not following the correct procedures. The simple solution though was to amend the paperwork to show that we had arrived at Vieux-Fort  and not Laborie Bay - phew, no sanctions!

Meanwhile Amanda and Clarissa strolled Laborie village and beach, took a dip, saw the morning catch being sorted and chatted with the locals. 

We then had a short sail up to Sugar Bay between the Pitons -the iconic pointy hills of Saint Lucia – and picked up a mooring buoy .

We had lunch on board with a glass of champagne to kick-off Lissa’s birthday celebrations and then went ashore in the tender with snorkelling gear and party frocks. 

After an afternoon of swimming and sun-bathing we got dressed up at the Sugar Bay Hotel and had sun-set cocktails and dinner. 

We found a local guide, Gaston, to lead us on a forest walk up Tête Paul, a hill between the Pitons. It was very steep in places and included some challenging jungle sections but the views from the top were spectacular and absolutely worth the effort. Gaston proved to be a remarkable forager and we returned with coconut, grapefruit, mandarins (known as little monkeys) lime, sugar cane, soursop, nutmeg and cinnamon leaves all growing wild in the bush.  The return leg took us through a beautifully kept estate and cocao plantation which was in complete contrast to the unkempt jungle all around it. 

On Wednesday we took a very short trip up the coast to Soufriere just the other side of Gross Piton.  This busy town is a mix of bars and restaurants, but with a good deal of rundown backstreets. The town is however a significant tourist centre because it provides access to a number of attractions including Diamond Gardens, with waterfalls and hot baths fed by volcanic streams. We visited the beautiful gardens and bathed in the hot water which was surprisingly invigorating.   

We then had a short but very nice sail north to Marigot Bay and picked up a mooring buoy just off the Marigot Beach Hotel. Ashore Nick had a haircut at the “barber on the beach“ and we walked up the hill for a great view of the bay and dinner at a local restaurant called Julieta’s. 

In the morning we tendered across to the fairly tired looking Marigot Beach Hotel which is the starting point for another bush-walk that Amanda had found. We met the owners, an English couple who were looking to retire and sell the hotel. They promised to send Clarissa the details! We did the walk - steep but with great views from the top - and returned to Ernestina. A passing fisherman was offering his morning’s catch and we bought a lovely looking fish which provided a delicious dinner later that evening.  

We checked out of Saint Lucia at Marigot Bay with 24 hours grace and sailed up to Rodney Bay at the northern end of the island where we tied up in the large marina there. Nick helped an American couple in the berth behind us to move their anchors. Turns out they recently retired, have sold up and are now wanderers of the sea. We were invited across to their Amel 54 for a nose around and drinks. 

We left Saint Lucia and headed north to Martinique in the hope of fresh milk, smelly cheese and crusty bread! 

Here is a link to pictures from St. Lucia.......

Nick Clayton

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