3rd April - Anse de Colombier St Barts 17:55.520N 062:52.168W
Whisper
Noel Dilly
Sun 7 Apr 2013 14:55
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"Anse de
Colombier, St Barts - 3rd April"
After another roly night, we popped ashore to get some fresh bread and one or two other bits which we could not get yesterday after the Bank Holiday. We had an early lunch and set off to Anse de Colombier, a beautiful sheltered bay at the base of a steep craggy hill with a series of steps leading down to the beach. It is unreachable by car, so visitors either come by boat or walk the mile long track to reach it. The bay is part of the Marine Park, so buoys have been laid to reduce the amount of anchoring. We are looking forward to some good snorkelling tomorrow. When we arrived there were penty of available moorings, but gradually they were all taken. As we sat enjoying our "sundowners" we became enthralled by a scene that played before us. A solitary buoy became available as a day visitor left the bay. We then saw a small inflatable tying onto it as simultaneously a yacht was fast approaching it boat hook at the ready. The skipper obviously felt that he had a right to it as he was a yacht of considerable length and this small tender did not require a 25ton mooring. Gesticulations and harsh words drifted over the waves as a third player entered the stage. The man in the dinghy had obviously commandeered the buoy to assist his chum in the second yacht which could now be seen approaching from the other side of the bay, also boat hook at ready! Both yachts were now facing each other, with the small dinghy holding on to the buoy, he was not about to give way, not even when the first yacht stopped over the mooring line, the dinghy one side of the yacht and the buoy on the other side. More words were exchanged, the second boat backed off and presumably told his chum in the dinghy to forget it. Luckily all parties were in boats, otherwise I think it might have resorted to fisticuffs! The helm of the first yacht was by now obviously so wound up that it took several attempts before he was able to pick up the mooring line. A little later another buoy became free and the second yacht helmed by a single hander, which explains the man in the dinghy trying to help, came back and skillfully picked up the mooring line on his own. The sun set and peace and tranquillity once more settled over the bay. Photographs: "Starfish"
"Turtle"
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