The Windward Islands
Prologue - The Journey
Arrival at Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport. It's raining lightly and the humid, muggy air is almost overwhelming. The last bus to the city of Fort-de-France, where I will spend my first night, has already left. Looking for a taxi and, above all, other passengers to share the horrendous fare, I meet a nice family from Franconia. As luck would have it, they are staying at the same hotel.
I take a look around the city to acclimatize and soak up the Caribbean vibe. Then I make my way through public transport to get to Marina Le Marin. To avoid just sitting on the bus, I first choose to take the ferry. The whole thing is a bit confusing. I end up on a boat that is headed for a destination to the north. But I want to go south! I am reassured that all boats go to Les Trois Islets first. Nevertheless, I remain tense, wondering if everything will really work out. I have plenty of time, so I decide to relax a little.
We actually end up near the place I wanted to go. Now I have a long walk ahead of me to the bus stop. And after an unnecessary change in Rivière-Salée, I finally reach my destination. Since Martinique is a French department, the currency is the euro. I stocked up on coins, which is now paying off. The bus network in Martinique is excellent, and the buses are extremely punctual. After another short, sweaty walk to the marina, I can begin taking over the Lagoon 42. This is done by the friendly staff at VPM-Bestsail and goes smoothly.
Once the crew has gradually arrived, the shopping has been done, and we've had a good dinner, we're ready to set off the next morning. A few more tips from the amiable skipper couple on the Bugaboo, clearing customs at the Customs Officer's office (I have documented the process, which will keep us busy over the next few days, here).
Cast off in Le Marin. The knot tying our bow to the buoy is difficult to untie. The jetty is full of helpful people, and after a while we manage to free ourselves and set off on the long passage. This gives us the opportunity to get used to the different buoys and other small peculiarities. When the water depth allows us to set sail, we're off. The east wind pushes us into the St. Lucia Channel after passing Martinique. The water depth quickly drops to over 1,000 meters, and we get a taste of the Atlantic waves. Nevertheless, the sea is kind to us.
St. Lucia is already in sight when a small sperm whale crosses our path in front of the bow. It glides past almost majestically, accompanied by frequent blows. A first highlight of our trip.
After almost seven hours, we drop anchor in Rodney Bay. It is too late to clear customs, so we raise the yellow flag and enjoy our first dinner on board.
The next morning, we take the dinghy to clear customs. We quickly find the jetty, glad that the stuttering outboard motor didn't let us down. But then the ordeal begins. Thinking I was well prepared after filling out the Sailclear website, we were able to proceed to immigration after a reasonable amount of time. There we were informed that we also had to fill out an online form, including uploading photos of our passports. Typing in the passport details took an agonizingly long time, but after hours of work, we finally had our stamps in our passports. The best way to prepare for this procedure is described in detail (german) under Download Clearance Document.
In the early afternoon, it's finally time to set off for Marigot Bay, which we are really looking forward to. The entrance is magical. A small headland lined with palm trees, Dr. Dolittle's building on the left (I've never seen the movie), and then the small bay with buoys to moor the yacht. As in Rodney Bay, we encounter helpful boat boys who are only too happy to offer their services for a small fee. However, we have already registered with Mandy Louis (+1 758 7289948, Marina Supervisor) at the harbor and receive official assistance.
Martinique. Le Marin - St. Lucia, Rodney Bay / Marigot Bay
Surrounded by boat boys, we are persuaded to take a trip ashore. St. Lucia is too beautiful to just sail past.
The next morning, we are picked up on time and climb into a small wooden boat. It doesn't look very trustworthy, barely rising above the water when fully loaded, but we arrive on the other side of the bay. There, our driver is waiting for us, who will guide us around the islands for the next few hours.
We start at an unspectacular rum factory and are shown a few production facilities and storage rooms. The small adjacent cane sugar plantation is more of a decorative accessory; most of the raw material comes from Panama.
However, things become more impressive during the rum tasting that follows. All products are available for tasting, and we hurry to get as broad an impression as possible. We realise more and more that no one is in a hurry here. And so we leave the building in high spirits to make our way over poor roads, some of which are unpaved, and high hills to the mud bath.
Excursion St. Lucia
Jahleel
Phone: +1 (758) 726-0904
Jahleel Guided Tours and Yacht Service organises tours on St. Lucia and is available to offer you advice and assistance. He has outlined what there is to see on the tours in this flyer.
Recommended contact
After an eventful day, we return to our yacht Utopia before having dinner.
The next day, we clear customs and stock up on water. Due to the lack of water pressure, this is a time-consuming task. But then we set off for our next stop. The landmarks of St. Lucia, the two Pitons. These are two ancient volcanic cones over 700 metres high. Once there, we are greeted as usual by boat boys, to whom we hand over the usual 20 XCDs (East Caribbean dollars, pronounced ‘easy’). Emmer was the name of the lad who guided us to a buoy reserved by the park rangers. I wasn't sure if every buoy had a reserved sign on it, but of course we were later driven away when a large motorboat wanted to moor there. We were directed to a buoy relatively far north, but with a view of Sugar Beach. However, this is not recommended. The current there is so strong that our catamaran couldn't decide whether to follow the wind or the water. The result was the boat spinning around in a way I had never experienced before. It is probably better to moor at a white buoy further south. All the buoys there are subject to a fee, and the park rangers come by in the evening to collect the money. Despite all the difficulties, it is an impressive place!
St. Lucia, Marigot Bay - St. Lucia, Pitons
A lovely place to linger, albeit very noisy.
It's time to leave St. Lucia and set course for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We had already cleared customs, even though it meant another restless night between the Pitons. We should have left the country already.
We motor off, the wind is too calm to set sail, and we see strange movements in the water ahead of us. It's as if there's a whirlpool there. You don't feel it when you sail over it, but I saw on the plotter chart that there can be unpleasant currents here. I don't really want to have to sail through this in heavy weather. Once we are clear of land, we can set sail and make good progress. With wind speeds below 10 knots, a GPS speed of almost 7 knots indicates that the water movements are favourable for us. It won't be long before we reach St. Vincent. The recently erupted La Soufrière volcano (April 2021) has left its mark. In some places, you can see where the lava flows have reached the sea. Accordingly, the northern coast is not suitable for dropping anchor.
For this reason, our next destination is Keartons Bay, which is right next to Wallilabou Bay, famous from Pirates of the Caribbean. We contacted Zico in advance, who has set up a small business there selling mooring buoys. I reach him by phone and he agrees to help us with his rowing boat. Anyone who has ever transported a mooring line with a small boat knows how exhausting it can be. The line goes into the water, becomes heavier and heavier, and you really have to paddle hard.
St. Lucia, Pitons - St. Vincent, Keartons Bay
Zico
Phone: +1 (784) 491-9608
Zico helps you find a safe berth, offers you a fantastic authentic Caribbean dinner at his mother's house for a small price and takes care of everything you need. He even arranges an appointment for customs clearance in Wallilaboy Bay.
Sensational!
Recommended contact
Before our agreed dinner at Zico's, he arranged for me to clear customs at Wallilabou Bay. I set off on foot and marvel at the film location. The official part, however, is sobering. The official (I can't tell whether he's customs or border control) informs me that his computer isn't working and he can't help me. I am told to clear customs at another location.
Having been dismissed, I take a look at the bay. I hear that nothing has been done here since filming ended on the old set and everything is falling into disrepair. That may be true, but it still has its charm. For my part, I at least find a few photo opportunities. The fact that there are no boats anchored in the bay is a sign that this spot is no longer quite as popular as it once was.
We take a look around the place Zico is showing us and have lunch with a great view over the bay. A rum tasting is also a must. The whole thing is very informal, but that's why we're travelling.
We give Zico a shopping list and he does his best to get all the items we want. We are thrilled that he is able to get us some items to replenish our on-board supplies. By midday, everything is on board and we are ready to set sail.
We haven't cleared customs yet. We decide against the recommendation to head for the Blue Lagoon, as our destination lies further south. The island of Bequia, with its town of Port Elizabeth, has an immigration office. The passports are stamped and the other papers issued much more easily than in St. Lucia. Now we can take a break from these administrative tasks for the time being.
Port Elizabeth is a beautiful little town, which we explore bit by bit, and we also replenish our supplies. This won't be possible further along the route. We have a welcome drink at the Fig Tree bar, but have to wait a very long time for it. We cook on board.
The next day, we organise some water. We report in on VHF channel 69 and receive confirmation that the mobile supply ship is on its way. It is important to be able to explain where you are in the large bay. Half an hour later, a ship with water tanks and a compressor moors alongside our catamaran. We could even have refuelled, but we have enough diesel. After all, we want to travel by sail. In the morning, we go for another swim, then head for the Tobago Cays.
St. Vincent, Keartons Bay - St. Vincent, Grenadines
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