Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/102755333506425685360/NovemberAndWeWereUnderWayAgain?authuser=0&feat=directlink -CLICK ABOVE for November photos
We finally are under way again!!
November 16 we left Secret Harbour and motored around to St George.
We had spent the time since returning from San Diego in Secret Harbour
getting a few up grades done to the boat and awaiting an order from 
the US. The upgrades were: a side rail welded to the starboard side of the arch. This was for a solar panel to be attached. A new larger solar panel was put on top of the arch, this brought our solar energy bank up to: 21 amps along with the wind 
generator we are now very energy rich. John did all the fitting and wiring while we had Nautical Marine do the welding, -they were very good. We also had purchased some mast steps at a boat/jumble sale held at Secret Harbour; these John started to attach to the mast. I spent many hours updating our site with more info and doing the sorting and organizing
on board to ready our journey north. We both enjoyed more walks, several around the Secret Harbour area and feel we know Grenada quite well.
We will miss Grenada; it really became a second home to us. The people are wonderful, the country beautiful and the anchorages safe.
Our first stop was Carricou
where we anchored in Tyrell Bay after a 6 &1/2 hour sail in light winds
from St George. We caught a tuna along the way, which made John very happy. In Tyrell Bay we got what we needed and relaxed. The next day after we checked out we moved around the corner to
Sandy Island
where we spent the night ready to leave easily for the north. We set sail
for Bequia, it was a 38 odd mile journey, which went well as it was smooth enough to read and do puzzles. In 
Bequia we didn’t check in but yellow flagged it, but were real cheeky as we went ashore for dinner and to get wifi. The next morning we set off for St Lucia at 6:15 and were not surprised to see 9 other boats heading in the same direction.
We headed to Vieux Fort, the southern most port in St Lucia, but about 
half way we were able to tell that it would be a struggle to make that anchorage. The wind was blowing from the east between 15 – 20 knots with seas between 3-5 feet, but there was a steady current pushing us off course. We arrived in Soufriere at 3:10 and got a mooring buoy off of
Malgretout Bay below Petit Piton
an absolutely beautiful anchorage. It was a 56.3 mile journey which we 
sailed in 9 hours 55 minutes at an average speed of 6.2knots.
The town is Soufriere and there are boat boys galore. We had Sylvester that helped us tie up to a mooring; he also wanted to take us on tours. Then Shawn visited us from Humming Bird restaurant wanting us to go in for dinner, use his water taxi service and anything else he could offer. 
We were just about ready to go for a swim when another Rasta swam 
out from the shore with a few tangerines, half a coconut with meat, a coconut for water and a squashed sour sap. So John “buys” everything except the sour sap and the guy swims back ashore. Then it was the turn of the park ranger collecting mooring fees. Everyone is perfectly nice but all want, want, and want EC.
Soufriere
is a World Heritage site, famous for its beauty and the water is a protected marine reserve. The
visitors are not even allowed to scuba dive with out a local accompanying them. However there were fishermen diving for fish to spear and others netting for bait fish. To me that means it is not really a marine reserve, just an excuse to enforce compulsory use of moorings and charge for their use.
The next day we went ashore to check in and low and behold at the dingy dock, which was the only place to leave the dingy, we were 
confronted with boat boys wanting to “watch” the dingy for us for ECs. 
This is despite the sign that says “No Soliciting” and the fact that we lock the dingy. Oh well so we have to pay to keep everyone happy!! So we agreed with boat boy/man Eddie that he could “watch” our dingy.
Checking in was the usual detailed 4 page long document that you have to press hard, as the carbon copy paper needs to copy all the info onto all 4 pages. 
Yep they still use carbon copy paper. We then visited the Tourist office and went back to the dock. At the dock we paid Eddie 5EC for his dingy watching duty. After visiting the boat to drop off our papers we headed
ashore to explore. Sure enough Eddie the dingy watcher was eagerly awaiting our arrival or the arrival of any other dingys to “watch”, we agreed to let him “watch” our dingy while we were again away.
Our destination was the Botanical Gardens and Diamond waterfalls.
It was a short walk out of the town of Soufriere, which is the capitol of the south, was the 1st town in St Lucia established by the French in 1746. Much of the old architecture still stands, for example the old town square where the slaves used to be sold and executed is still to be found.
The Botanical Gardens
were lovely. There was a group ahead of us 
having a guided tour so we tagged along for the fist part of the talk about the plants. The pathway winds through the gardens amid a wonderful oasis of flowers, fruit trees and foliage. At the end we found the mineral baths, which King Louis XV1 originally funded. Neither of us was inclined to try them but were told about the 
many medicinal benefits of these baths. Following the path again we came to the
Diamond Falls.
Again they were very beautiful, set in the peaceful surroundings of the gardens it was a relaxing place to stop for a while. On our way back we purchased a local ice cream, which was just divine. As we sat eating it a little bird landed and begged to 
share with us. Yes, he enjoyed a bit of ice cream even eating off my finger at one stage. The gardens are that peaceful that even the birds 
land next to you.
It was time to head back to the boat for a late lunch. First we had to contend with the vendors selling their good at the exit gates. We each bought a necklace as I foolishly felt sorry for them. We stopped to buy some fruit from the vendors on the street and sure enough had people begging
for $$. In fact you really have to walk with a purpose and not look around otherwise you’d 
get hassled. At the dingy dock we met Eddie the dingy watcher who was awaiting our return. This time he wanted 5EC per hour, as we had been gone over 3 hours he expected 20EC, like a wage for his time spent. What a pain he was telling us that if he didn’t watch it we might find it upside down or filled with water next time. John was pissed, but pay him we did, as we needed to go ashore again and needed to be able to leave the dingy.
We dingied around Petit Piton
and snorkeled in the next bay that afternoon. The bay is spectacular with the 
Pitons on either side and a lush valley between. There was a strong current swooshing out of the bay so the snorkel turned out to be a bit of a workout. The coral was lovely and there were numerous small fish. Back at the boat we continued to be visited by different persons. There were a couple of little boys in a kayak begging for cookies – gave them some. There was an old Rasta called Parcal selling calabashes that he had carved – bought one from 
him. There were vegetable and fruit vendors – bought pawpaw, tangerines and bananas. There were others wanting to take 
us on tours – no thanks, as we like to do our own thing. It really got a bit tiresome.
The following day we decided to rent a car and drive to a few sites we wanted to visit. Luckily Eddie the dingy watcher was not at the dock – 8:00 am must be too early for him. So we had a water taxi guy 
called Luscious who offered to watch the dingy for the day for 20EC. Off we went, picked up a small jeep and set off.
Well the 1st problem was trying to get out of the town, after 
2 turns we were “lost”. The streets are very narrow with deep ditches on either side, people all over the place and drivers trying to wind their way down the lanes. We reversed but bumped into a wheelbarrow, which fell over costing us 5EC. We then had the help of an old man who ran ahead of us down the road showing the way out of Soufriere – paid him 5EC too.
Our first destination was the volcano –
Sulphur Springs. It is a drive through and stop site. It is the actual cauldron of the Soufriere volcano. The 1st thing 
that is noticeable is the smell of sulphur, which rises from all over the site. The volcano’s last major eruption was in the 1700s but its continual spewing of the sulphur and other minerals is still considered an eruption. We were given a tour around the site, which has been fenced off and has walkways, as the ground around the volcano itself is soft, hot and dangerous.
We drove south towards Vieux Fort,
which we decided we were pleased to have missed on our passage 
over, as it was quite plain and right next to the airport. We drove right to the very southern end of St Lucia to Ministre Point where there was a great view and the 2nd highest lighthouse in the world. It qualifies as such as it sits atop of a tall hill. Past the southern beaches we drove and on to
Latille Waterfalls.
There we met the owner’s sons who explained that they and their father own and farm the land. They are completely 
self sufficient with solar power, their own water source and growing their own food. It was a very tranquil spot; just a shame the river was muddy from the rain.
Heading back north we stopped at a restaurant along the beach in
Anse de Sables bay
for our lunch before making our way to
Tet Paul Nature Trail AKA The Gateway to Heaven. The trail is set in 6 acres of lush land in the farming community of Chateau Belair. You drive up a very steep narrow lane to the entrance where you are met by a guide. Our guide was young but very knowledgeable about the whole area as we found out. He explained that while it is within the World Heritage Site it is still working farmland where the residents rely on farming for their living. The residents whose homes are in the valley all got together and built the trail,
they maintain it and are the workers and guides. The trail starts off though lovely gardens with exotic fruit trees, medicinal plants and herbs overlooking 
the valley below. It winds its way upward, through a 
small organic farm to the 1st overlook. 2 Rasta men own the small organic farm, one of which we met, they farm using the mixed farming method using completely natural components. They use herbs like rosemary and thyme growing between the crops to ward off the bugs. All of the weeds and 
leaves are composted. 
There are no machines, no electricity and everything is the old fashioned plain hard work. However the farmer was singing his heart out, very happy and obviously healthy in his massive bare feet hoeing the rich soil.
The first lookout point was fabulous looking out across the south of the island to where we had been driving. St Vincent could be seen in the distance and then turning one could see Gros Piton too. This was then topped by an even more spectacular view which 
looked out between the Pitons. It was an amazing viewpoint, but then it was 
topped by the 3rd viewpoint at the summit. This was what is referred to as heaven, a breathtaking panoramic view that is just stunning. There is a 360 view of the entire island of St Lucia; you can also see St Vincent to the south and Martinique to the north. We spent a while enjoying this amazing view and then headed down.
Along the way back we were shown a traditional home, which until some years ago an old lady lived in and then the Cassava Hut. Here we were told about the production of cassava 
and farine using the Amerindian traditional methods. It was an excellent place to visit and I highly recommend Tet Paul Nature Trail.
We managed to return the car without getting lost and Luscious was very reasonable with the fee for 
the dingy watching.
The following day after we visited the market to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, we decided to move to the other side
of the Soufriere anchorage, next to Bat Cave. When tying up to the mooring buoy we were quite concerned as the mooring buoy and lines were covered in oil. However the boat boys who “helped” us assured us that the oil problem had passed. We 
had decided to spend the afternoon snorkeling the recommended snorkeling area in the marine reserve.
Once in the water we discovered that the buoy that we had tied the dingy to was in fact a line for a fish pot/trap – in a marine reserve. We snorkeled with the dingy attached to my wrist instead. The marine 
reserve was a joke; there were fish pots/traps, debris and a lack of fish. There was some nice coral but nothing special and 
then I noticed something wrong with my hair. It felt like sticky, gooey, stiff and positively gross. I next looked at the dingy I was towing and sure enough its underneath was covered in oil!!! I yelled to John who was just a ways off; he confirmed that I had oil on my forehead and cheek, so it was definitely in my hair too. I was not impressed!!
Back at the boat I discovered it was like tar, did not just wipe off. We wracked out brains 
thinking how 
to remove the mess from my hair. I did not want to use fuel or thinners or such. Finally decided to use baby oil. After much wiping, massaging and smoothing I removed it from my face, hair and neck area. The Park ranger came around later and I complained to him. He said it was from a factory ashore dumping into the river, what ever, this should not be happening in a World Heritage site and Marine reserve.
The next morning, early it was goodbye to Soufriere.
We set off for Rodney Bay in the north of St Lucia.
In Rodney Bay we anchored off of Reduit beach at the northern end. The anchorage is massive, quite an amazing area as you have the poor local village bordering the extremely wealthy marina area and resorts. The bay is enormous, beach lined, with 
resorts, sailboats everywhere, jet skis zooming, parasail boats, ski boats just busy all the time. To get into the marina area you go through a channel that has the local fishing
port on one side and the resort area on the other.
Inside the marina area
is everything you would want from a marina. It is a great set up. There is also access to the shopping malls and grocery store via another dingy dock off of the lagoon. The shopping malls are very plush compared to what we have seen down island. Plus there is a great array of restaurants offering all types of foods. We were excited to see Indian restaurants.
We spent our day in Rodney Bay exploring and stocking up at the excellent 
grocery stores. One of the days we visited
Pigeon Island National park.
It was once an island but once the swampland for the marina was dredged they created a causeway to the mainland. Pigeon Island used to be a military out post. There are the ruins of
Fort Rodney on top of one hill and then there is Signal Hill, which was used 
until WW2. These days it is just a beautiful area to walk; the views from atop Fort Rodney and Signal Hill are spectacular. We spent a full morning exploring the park.
Another morning we set off for what we thought would be an hour’s walk to the
Atlantic shoreline.
Nearly 4 hours later we finally returned from an exhausting but wonderful walk. We had followed a small road towards the other shore; it then turned into a deeply rutted track. After several steep hills we followed another muddy track to the beach of 
Epouge Bay.
There we discovered a lovely bay where there were locals giving horse rides to
tourists, a beach bar and a very fancy resort, The Cotton Club. Walking along the beach we headed into parkland that stretched out to a distant headland. Curiosity drove us to follow the pathway then seeing the distant point we decide to go and 
have a look. After two more steep, killer hills we looked out over a marvelous beach and headland. Down the trail to the beach,
Donkey Bay we went, to see what we could find. While looking out across the
neighboring headland from the beach we could see a large herd of horses grazing on the distant hillside. Then suddenly one of the horses started to trot around seemingly signaling the others as 
before long he was off galloping along the ridgeline with the herd following. It was a beautiful site, horses of all colours galloping along a ridgeline and the up the hillside opposite us from where we stood. As we thought the show was over two stragglers appeared, followed nearly the same path and they 
too vanished over the distant hill.
It was quite a trial getting back, we hadn’t brought adequate water, John felt dizzy and wanted sweets, I felt way over heated as by then we were in the full 
midday sun, the hills felt like mountains. Back at the boat we had a late lunch and relaxed, John even 
napped which he never usually does.
While in St Lucia we bumped into some old acquaintances. 1st we met our Spanish friends Margarita and George svVoyage, in the mall using the free wifi. We had fist met them in Luperon DR and last seen them in Ponce, Puerto Rico. They had 
spent the summer in Venezuela and were now going to spend a year in St Lucia so that their son Boris could go to English school. Then we bumped into George svWild Cat, who 
we sailed down the windward side of Martinique with about 8 months previously. We had last seen him on a hash in Grenada. Then on the Saturday Dirk appeared at a café where we were using free wifi. I had met him on a hash when we were slogging up a hill together and we had last seen him in Miami Airport where we had sushi together. He was in St Lucia taking part in the Mango Regatta onboard the Grenadian entry. He had just returned from the Salty Dwag Rally that he helped crew on a boat to USVI. He is soon to be crewing on a boat delivery to Australia. It was excellent to touch base with these folks again. We left on December 1st with Martinique as our destination.
You’re worried about how you’re going to feel at the end of your life? What about right now? Live! Right this minute! That’s where the joy is at. Abigail Thomas
We’re the creators of our own experience – remembering this, and living our lives from this perspective, empowers us. Mike Robbins
