GUADELOUPE . ( Carib name Karukera meaning " The Island of Pretty Waters " ).

Once again we had a great sail across the open stretch of water between Iles de Saintes and Guadeloupe . Once clear of all the other yachts in the anchorage off Le Bourg we rounded up , hoisted sail and set off on a broad reach for the southwestern tip of Guadeloupe . The one thing that l have become used to in the Caribbean are the strong winds that you encounter at both the north and south ends of each island , some stronger than others .

Guadeloupe didn't disappoint and while rounding the bottom corner to head up the West Coast of the island we had gusting 30kn winds off our starboard quarter.

But we were prepared with two reefs in the mainsail so Windward took it in her stride . With the wind hooking around the southern tip we had a great run up the coast with the regular katabatic blasts sweeping down the mountains , all in a days work for our boat .

The one issue about the leeward coasts of the Caribbean islands is the dodging of fish traps . The fisherman use transparent cool drink and water bottles as floats attached to the lines secured to the traps . They are difficult to spot until you get close and at night it is impossible to see them . We have done our fair share of dodging these obstacles and so far so good in that we haven't fouled one yet .

Our destination was Deshaies , a picturesque little fishing village near the northern end of Guadeloupe's west coast . The anchorage is set in a deep , well protected bay surrounded by steep hills . Looking up at those hills l knew that one feature this anchorage would suffer from would be strong katabatic winds screaming down through the anchorage , so while power setting the anchor l gave our trusty Spade an extra 300rpm just to bury it a little deeper . It didn't budge and even though the wind pipes up through the night we sleep soundly .

We were fortunate one afternoon to spot a small group of dolphins nosing around the stern of our neighbour's yacht and while we watched them they appeared real close to our stern before disappearing out of sight .

Getting back to Guadeloupe and Deshaies in particular , the island is very french but now after having spent time in Martinique and Les Saintes our french has improved to the point where we can order meals , ask questions while exploring the town and the locals understand us. Except my little wife throws the odd bit of Portuguese in just to confuse the people . Two years of cruising Brazil is hard to shake off .

Deshaies ( Haye meaning harbour ) has had a turbulent past mainly due to the fact that it has a well protected deep bay which was appreciated by sailors for centuries . Christopher Columbus sailed in here in 1493 to replenish his water stocks . According to the history books because the town was so isolated it became a haven for pirates or as the book l read states “ ships with aggressive intentions “. Invasions by the British and frequent attacks by pirates and groups of slaves who had managed to escape from their masters became a huge problem for the local inhabitants and after a massive looting of their town there was a mass exodus leaving the area with less than 500 people who continued to suffer with various epidemics including malaria .

Deshaies's big attraction is the magnificent Jardin Botanical Gardens situated high up on a hill above the town . At 16 euros a ticket it had to be good and the bonus was that they sent a vehicle into town to pick the two of us up free of charge .

The gardens are spectacular and we spent the day wandering around the paved walkways admiring some of this planet's most beautiful plants . My mate Billy would have given his eye teeth for some of the stunning orchids growing off the mature trees .

Guadeloupe itself is in fact two islands , Basse Terre and Grande Terre with the narrow Salee River separating them down the middle . My original plan was to motor up the river from the south through to the north but for some unexplained reason the powers that be decided to stop operating the opening mechanisms on the two bridges that cross the river , thereby making it impossible for yachts to pass through . Often referred to as the Butterfly Island because the two islands combined resemble the shape of a butterfly , both islands are quite different .

Grand Terre meaning large land is in fact smaller , flatter and drier than Basse Terre meaning low land which is mountainous resulting in more rainfall making it the wetter of the two . Whoever named these islands had a weird sense of humour .

No visit to Guadeloupe would be complete without a trip to Pointe-a-Pitre . Having hired a car in Martinique which for me as the driver limits the amount of time that you can check out the surrounding views we decided to catch the bus and let the driver miss out on them . It turned out to be a good decision as both trips there and back on the bus were in heavy traffic on tight island roads . Pointe-a-Pitre although not the capital is the island's largest city and over the years it has suffered severe damage from earthquakes , hurricanes and fires particularly the huge fire of 1780 that devastated this historic city . Hurricane Frederick (1979), David (1980) and Hugo (1989) unleashed their fury on the city and it's wounds are visible as you walk around the city .

The old city in its day must have been beautiful with its French colonial architecture , but unfortunately today it has a distinct run-down feel to it . The heart of the old city is Place de la Victoire , the oldest square in the city built in 1764 . The square is surrounded by wooden buildings with balconies and shutters and sidewalk cafes . During the French Revolution it was here where 300 royalists met their bloody deaths , publicly executed by guillotine .

There is a bustling market place selling herbs and herbal remedies , spices and all sorts of fruit and vegetables .

It is a great pity that money is not being pumped into this historic city to restore it to it's former glory . After a day of exploring the city it was time to catch our bus back to Deshaies and our beloved boat .

A day later with Montserrat off our port bow we motored out with our watermaker filling our tanks and headed for Antigua . We had a lot to look forward to with the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta and the Antigua Sailing Week all happening while we are there . Another couple of large ticks about to be marked off my “ Bucket List “, isn't that nice .

GUADELOUPE . THE BUTTERFLY ISLAND .

IF WE CONSIDER THE ANCHORAGE TO BE " CRIME FREE " THEN THE DINGHY SLEEPS IN THE WATER AT NIGHT ATTACHED TO THE MOTHERSHIP .

GREAT SAILING .
BROAD REACHING WITH 20KN OF WIND ON THE STARBOARD QUARTER .

SAILING INTO THE ANCHORAGE AT DESHAIES .

SUNDOWNERS ON THE STOEP .

IF THE ANCHORAGE IS KNOWN TO HAVE CRIME ISSUES , THE DINGHY IS HOISTED HIGH UP OFF THE WATER ON THE BOW WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE FOREPEAK .
 SO FAR WE HAVE HAD NO THEFT IN FOUR YEARS .

THIS PIC IS FOR A SPECIAL MATE WHO LOVES HIS ORCHIDS .
CHEERS BILLY .

WE SPENT THE DAY WANDERING AROUND THE JARDIN BOTANICAL GARDENS IN DESHAIES .

HOW ARE THE COLOURS ON THIS GUY ?

TWO MAGNIFICENT TRAVELLERS PALMS .

THE ROOTS ON THIS TREE ARE RIDICULOUS .

A BEAUTIFUL SETTING WITH THE BOTANICAL GARDEN'S RESTAURANT ABOVE THE FALLS .

LOOK CAREFULLY , THIS HUGE FLOWER HAS APPEARED OUT OF THIS SKINNY STEM .

THROUGHOUT THE GARDENS THERE ARE NUMEROUS NOOKS AND CRANNIES .

THE FIRST MATE GIVING SCALE TO THIS MAGNIFICENT FAN PALM .

PEYNIER STREET .
ONE OF THE OLDEST STREETS IN THE CITY WHERE THE WEALTHY USED TO LIVE .
UNFORTUNATELY TODAY IT IS RUN DOWN AND NEEDING A GOOD LICK OF PAINT .

THE MARKET WHERE YOU CAN BUY HERBS , HERBAL REMEDIES , FRUIT AND VEGETABLES .
BUILT IN 1780 AFTER A MAJOR FIRE WHICH CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CITY .

THE STATUE OF VELO .
VELO WAS THE NICKNAME OF MACEL LOLIA A FAMOUS DRUMMER OF " GWO KA ".

POINTE A PITRE'S COLONIAL PAST IS EVIDENT THROUGHOUT THE OLD CITY .

SAINT-JOHN PERSE MUSEUM .
THIS WAS ONCE A PRIVATE HOME OWNED BY A SUGAR BARON .

HOUSE OF FORIER .
THIS HOUSE HAS A WOODEN FRAME AND IS A TYPICAL TRADITIONAL CREOLE DESIGN .

I AM NOT A BIG FAN OF GRAFFITI BUT THESE ARTISTS ARE GOOD .
COMPARE THE SIZE OF THE CAR TO THE ARTWORK .

ZOOM IN ON THE MESSAGE WRITTEN ON THIS CHARACTER'S HEAD .

DESHAIES'S WATERFRONT LINED WITH RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS .

THE TOWN HAS TWO STREETS THAT RUN PARALLEL , ONE HEADING NORTH AND THE OTHER HEADING SOUTH .

THE RIVER LEADS INTO THIS CANAL WHICH THEN ENTERS THE BAY .
THE DAY WE ARRIVED THE POLICE WERE OFF-LOADING SOME POOR SOUL WHO HAD DROWNED .

THE TOWN MARINA .
 SUITABLE FOR THE LOCAL FISHING FLEET , TOO TIGHT FOR YACHTS .

THE ANCHORAGE OFF DESHAIES .
KNOWN FOR IT'S STRONG KATABATIC WINDS THAT FUNNEL DOWN THROUGH THE BAY .

ILES DE SAINTES .

The further north we sail the better our wind angle gets and as the season progresses there is more south in the trade winds and with both these factors it all adds up to excellent sailing . To explain in more detail , if you look at how the Caribbean island chain from St Lucia starts bending to the northwest in an arc and the second factor being that as the sailing season heads towards summer the trade winds tend to veer more to the south , these two factors bring the wind either on the beam or aft of the beam and our boat loves beam-reaching and performs really well with these particular wind angles .

Our passage from Dominica to The Saintes was fast and comfortable and having spent four hours cleaning Windward's bottom in Prince Rupert Bay before we sailed she was super slippery through the water . The one feature of this passage that really intrigues me is that one of the greatest naval battles ever fought took place on this same stretch of water between the French and the British with the British defeating the French .

We visited Fort Napoleon high up on the hill on Terre-de-Haute which is where the story of exactly how this battle panned out is told in graphic detail with displays showing how the two fleets engaged each other and how the British out outmaneuvered the French . Each display depicts the positions of both fleets at hourly intervals during the battle and how the English split the French fleet . Beautifully built models of the flagships stand in glass cases and paintings of the battle being fought hang on the walls .

Getting back to the islands of Les Saintes , what a contrast after spending time in the tropical jungle of Dominica . There are eight of them in total with only two being inhabited namely Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas . We anchored off Le Bourg the main town on Terre-de-Haut , the most developed of the islands with a population of around 1500 people . Having tied off to one of the town's solid mooring buoys the view from the anchorage was of red roofs on just about every building we could reminding us of our hometown of Port Owen in South Africa . There are virtually no cars at all on the island , only 50cc scooters and electric buggys being the most sensible means of transport as the island is small . We were going to hire a scooter until we realized that it would take about an hour to walk to the far ends of the island , so “ walk & see more “ was our choice of transport . Our morning routine became a walk to one of the beautiful beaches , a swim in 30 degrees of water temp and then a stroll back through the town sight-seeing and carrying out our daily missions before heading back to the boat late in the afternoon to either complete boat projects or just to chill . I can highly recommend the lifestyle .

The town of Le Bourg is very quaint and everyone is very French . Traditional Creole houses built out of wood and painted in bright colours are part of the island's heritage . Most are beautifully maintained and give Terre de Haut a certain character . Talking about character , one unique structure shaped like the forward section of a ship was built in 1942 by Adolphe Catan , a famous Guadeloupean photographer . Because it resembled a ship it received the naval salute from many navy vessels when they entered the bay . The waterfront has some really cosy restaurants and cafe's overlooking the bay and a neat town square with a memorial dedicated to fisherman lost at sea . The only downside for us is that each day from around 10.00 to 1700 the place is invaded by tourists who arrive on a fleet of ferries from nearby Guadeloupe . They are day-trippers so before and after those times the island is relatively quiet with the locals carrying on with their daily lives . I have no doubt that these tourists are the life blood of the island's economy so who are we to complain .

While anchored off Le Bourg we had many visitors including the French Gendarmes. We had noticed their police launch cruising around the anchorage with five officers onboard . They decided that out of the multitude of yachts in the anchorage we were the ones that looked like drug smugglers . They motored up to us and notified me that they were coming aboard . They asked for our Ship's Papers and said they wanted to conduct a search of our vessel . Knowing that our paperwork is spot on and our boat is squeaky clean we welcomed them aboard and suggested that they should conduct a full search of our waterhome . Apart from one guy ( Chuck Norris ) who thought he was on some sort of special mission the rest were very pleasant and friendly and after completing tons of paperwork they duly left . According to them they claim the drug trade out of St Vincent and Dominica is huge , but why they felt we might be part of it still puzzles me . It must be my mis-spent youth again .

But the other group of visitors we received were really nice people , all members of the OCC . The Ocean Cruising Club is made up of sailors who have completed a passage in excess of a 1000nm port to port as the skipper . As members ourselves we fly the OCC burgee and it is surprising how many fellow members have spotted us and popped in for a visit . Always great to swop stories and share information .

After eight days of practicing our french , eating french food and generally enjoying the french vibe we set sail for Deshaies in Guadeloupe .

What we are fascinated with is how each island is totally different from the other particularly the French islands .        

LES SAINTES .

LA MAISON BATEAU .
THIS UNIQUE BUILDING IN THE SHAPE OF THE FORWARD SECTION OF A SHIP .

THE ANCHORAGE OFF LE BOURG .

FORT NAPOLEON .
MAGNIFICENT VIEWS FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL OF THE ILES DE SAINTES .

STARBOARD AFT CABIN BEING USED AS A BANANA RIPENING SHED .

THIS BOAT SERVES AS A PELICAN ROOST .

THE VIEW OF THE ANCHORAGE FROM THE FORT .

INSIDE THE WALLS OF FORT NAPOLEON .

THE MEMORIAL TO HONOUR FISHERMAN LOST AT SEA .

QUAINT CHURCH IN LE BOURG .

LOCAL FISHING BOATS .

THE TOWN DINGHY DOCK .

BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC SAILING YACHT .
NOT A BAD SUNSET EITHER .

DITTO .

SUSSING OUT POMPIERRE BEACH .

 

AFTER FOUR HOURS OF SCRAPING , WINDWARD'S BOTTOM IS SPOTLESS . 

WHEN I MENTIONED BRIGHTLY PAINTED HOUSES I WASN'T JOKING .

MARIGOT BAY ANCHORAGE .

DOMINICA . THE CARIBBEAN'S GARDEN OF EDEN .

After being treated to a rare glimpse of Mont Pelee's peak as we motored out of the St Pierre anchorage in Martinique we set sail for Dominica . Our weatherman Chris Parker had forecasted a wind angle of 110 degrees blowing 14-16kns , gusting 20 and he was bang-on for most of the passage . With our course laid for Prince Rupert Bay up on the northern end of Dominica this would mean a 55nm broad reach and hopefully the wind would carry all the way up the west coast to our destination off Portsmouth .

With a full main and gennie we had a great sail , picking up surfs of 9kns in the odd rain squall but 10nm short of Portsmouth the wind died and then did a 180 on us forcing us to motor the last bit with 10kns of wind on the nose .

We radioed in to PAYS ( Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services ) a group of young guys who provide moorings and a range of services to yachties for a mooring ball . We were duly met on arrival and shown a buoy which we tied up to with the help of a PAYS member .

The next morning we had a lucky escape with this particular mooring . We were just about to leave on our dinghy when we noticed an elderly lady preparing her beautiful classic yacht to sail . She was a pro and has obviously sailed for many years so we decided to park off in the dinghy still attached to Windward and watch her go about her routine and set sail . By chance l looked around and noticed that the mooring buoy that we were tied off to was now about twenty feet away and we were adrift . I leapt onboard and started the engine with the first mate still sitting in the dinghy with it's engine still idling . We were drifting towards the beach with a light onshore blowing but fortunately a large cat was leaving so we motored over and picked up their buoy . Had it not been for the old lady we would have been long gone ashore and would probably have returned to find our precious boat on the beach . Worse still , had it happened at night while we were asleep it could have been worse .

The failure of the buoy turned out to be the rope being badly chafed .

Dominica wasn't part of our original plan but we had heard good reports from fellow cruisers about how wild and natural the island is and as our cruising guide claims , if Christopher Columbus were to return to the Caribbean today , Dominica would be the only island he would recognize as it is relatively unspoilt compared with the rest of the Caribbean . Most islands are well known for their beautiful coastlines but Dominica's interior is spectacular . At the cruisers braai l was told that there are 365 rivers on the island with numerous waterfalls of which we managed to see a few .

The Morne Trois Pitons National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where magnificent mountains with lush forested valleys and gorges , countless waterfalls and pools combined with it's birdlife , butterflies and brightly coloured tropical flowers make it a nature lover's paradise . It is definitely the island suited more for the adventurous hiker as there are numerous trails all part of the Waitukubuli National Trail which traverses the island and is broken up into14 segments . The trail is 200km long running from the south of the island at Cachacrou up to the northwest at the Cabrits National Park . If large hotels and beach resorts are your scene then Dominica is not for you. This island was right up our street and after our visit to modern Martinique the contrast was perfect .

Today was a magical day but before l ramble on about the finer details , we had a chance meeting with a really nice couple who own a small restaurant called the Iguana Cafe on the waters edge on the far side of town in Portsmouth . After a long walk on a hot humid day we were thirsty so we wandered into this little shack and asked this nice lady if we could get something cold to drink . She suggested we try the local beer Kubuli so we sat down and started chatting . It turns out Jennifer and her husband of 27 years Cartouche are madly passionate about Dominica's flora and fauna and Cartouche in particular is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to everything to do with nature that his island is blessed with .

When he realized that we love the bush as well , his excitement at getting an opportunity to show us the rainforests convinced us that he was our man for a real in-depth look at the best of Dominica's wild-side . Jennifer decided for once that she would close the restaurant for the day and join us .

The following morning we rocked up at their restaurant and the four of us set off to hike an 11km section of the Waitukubuli Trail through the mountains and rainforest along the coast.

What followed was a truly wonderful experience where Cartouche gave us a history lesson of the origins of Dominica and at the same time taught us all about the island's wild fruits and how to eat them . The entire time while walking along the trail we were sampling different edibles while sipping on coconut water . At 50 years of age he would zip up a tree to fetch some exotic fruit for us to taste . We were shown rare birds and had four snake sightings all the while getting a David Attenborough type explanation about each species . Cartouche was raised in the same region that we hiked and on route he showed us where as a child they fished , swam and played . His Mom was a resident in the old lost village which is an unbelievable story on it's own .

The world's oldest human at 128 years of age turns out to be a relative of Jennifer's with a number of her relatives being centurions .

The day spent in the rainforest was one that we won't forget in a lifetime but the most amazing thing of all was that my little wife walked the entire length of this arduous route in her favourite pink Haviana slops . I noticed Cartouche's look of horror when Urs stepped out in her “ pinks “ but relaxed when l told him that we had proper shoes for her in the bag . Never the less , the loose stones and mud did not phase her at all and her favourite Haviana's have another tough hike to their credit .

The one place we had to visit was the Indian River which was once a Carib Indian settlement . My man Cartouche who knows the river and swamp like the back of his hand rowed us in a local boat while telling us all about the uniqueness of this special place where Terra Carpus Offi-cinalis trees line the river banks with their buttress roots spreading over 20 feet wide . Scenes from The Pirates of the Caribbean were shot here with Calypso's house being one of the features .

Cartouche was itching to take us on a full day island tour which we did visiting beautiful waterfalls and driving through the most lush tropical rainforest we have ever seen .

We even got to visit the Carib Indian Territory where the Kalinago more popularly known as the Caribs were granted a portion of land around 3700 acres on which to establish a reservation with their own chief . As the first settlers on these islands it was appropriate to name the Caribbean after them and as craftsman they still retain the same knowledge of basket weaving , wood carving and canoe building which has been passed down from one generation to the next .

The Carib's long elegant canoes are carved out of a single Gommier tree trunk .

At this point in our 2017 cruising season we have seen many beautiful places but definitely Dominica is our favourite island so far . The wild natural beauty is unmatched anywhere else in the Caribbean and if you ever get the opportunity to visit this magic place , pop into the Iguana Restaurant , get Jennifer to prepare you an amazing seafood platter and over a cold Kubuli chat to the rasta man Cartouche about a nature experience second to none and see the untouched Caribbean island of Dominica as it was centuries ago .

DOMINICA . THE NATURE ISLAND .

BROAD REACHING UP DOMINICA'S WEST COAST .

AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE WERE PICKING UP SURFS OF 9kns .
THIS FERRY CAME FLYING PAST US LIKE WE WERE STANDING STILL .

DOMINICA'S DRAMATIC SOUTH COAST .
MOUNTAINS RISING UP OUT OF THE SEA .

MADIBA CAFE .
THE FIRST LITTLE BUILDING OPPOSITE OUR MOORING . THE LADY OWNER IS A BIG NELSON MANDELA FAN .

THE INDIAN RIVER MOUTH .
HEADING UP RIVER BY BOAT IS LIKE BEING IN JURASSIC PARK .

JENNIFER , THE OWNER OF THE IGUANA RESTAURANT POSING AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE .

MY GORGEOUS PARTNER IN CRIME SIPPING ON A ICE COLD KUBULI AT THE IGUANA .
SEE IF YOU CAN RECOGNIZE THOSE FACES ON THE WALL .

DOWNTOWN PORTSMOUTH .

DITTO .

HOW CLOSE CAN YOU GET TO THE WATER .
ALL THIS GUY DOES IS TIP HIS BOAT IN AND HEAD OUT TO SEA .

UNDER THAT CLOUD LIES GUADELOUPE .

MY MAN CARTOUCHE PREPARING A QUICK COCONUT SNACK .
HE CAN PEEL A MANGO WITH HIS MACHETE .

IN MY ELEMENT .
WE HIKED THROUGH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RAINFOREST I HAVE EVER SEEN .

THE FIRST MATE HAVING AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ABOUT AFRICA WITH CARTOUCHE AND HIS LADY .

THE FIRST MATE ADMIRING THE BEAUTIFUL FOREST FLOWERS .

CARTOUCHE COLLECTING WILD FRUITS FOR LUNCH .

SPOT THE SNAKE .
THIS FELLA STARTED HUFFING & PUFFING AND APPARENTLY HE IS AGGRESSIVE AND IF HE GETS HIS FANGS INTO YOU , IT IS NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE .

URS AND HER FAMOUS PINK HIKING HAVIANAS .

CARTOUCHE GIVING JENNIFER A LESSON ON HOW TO HANDLE A SNAKE .
HE ONCE HAD A TUSSLE WITH A 4m BOA CONSTRICTOR .

THE MAGNIFICENT HIKING TRAIL THAT TRAVERSES THE ISLAND .
WE HIKED SECTION 13 & 14 .

OUR FAVOURITE CARIBBEAN ISLAND SO FAR .

ANCIENT TERRA CARPUS OFF-CIALIS TREES LINE THE INDIAN RIVER BANKS .

THEIR BUTTRESS ROOTS SPREAD OVER THEMSELVES AND PROTECT THE MANGROVES FROM EROSION .

THIS PIC IS FOR MY GRANDSON .
CALYPSO'S HOUSE IN PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN .

THE RASTA MAN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO HANDLE LARGE CRABS WITH LARGE PINCERS .

SIPPING ON GINGER DRINKS IN THE JUNGLE BAR .

A GREAT EGRET .
BIRDS IN ABUNDANCE .

CHAUDIERE POOL .
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH IN THE PIC BUT I JUMPED OFF THE TOP ROCK AND IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET WET .

DOMINICA'S PICTURESQUE WINDWARD COAST .

EMERALD POOL .
LOCAL LEGEND HAS IT THAT AFTER COOLING OFF IN THIS WATER YOU WILL GET YOUNGER .