06 May 2007

Today is Sunday 6 May 2007, we have completed all we need to out of Marigot Bay and we set sail for Rodney Bay. We took a couple of photos on the way which will be posted in the album. The Oriana was in at Castries as we passed, this place can have up to three to four passenger liners in at any one time. The day before we were talking to a couple that had just arrived on the QE2. They only stay for a day or just a few hours, people get off and go on tours get back on and go to the next island.

(Sailing to Rodney Bay)

(Home on the hill)

(Oriana with Castries in background)

When we got to Rodney Bay we went inside to the marina but anchored off in the lagoon, anchoring is free, so we are not going alongside until we need to. I hope to organise some safety gear to be fitted such as the HF Radio, life raft, new flare kit and may look at some solar panels at the moment we have to run the engines daily to maintain our 12 volt supply.

(Entering Rodney Bay St Lucia)

The other item I hope I can get settled is our Australian registration, Peter from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in Canberra has been very good with us and has helped us considerably.

So after we anchored we went and checked out the local scene and what is available to us, then we went for a quiet drink at Scuttlebucks, the first local we met wanted to give us a quote to completely clean and polish the boat but that was the only one that came to us. At Marigot Bay you have the boat boys, they try to sell you anything from fruit to trinkets, and they even have one fellow that will collect your garbage. Every time you move the boat out to sea and come back in you are swamped with them. I suppose they need to make a living.

(I thought this bloke sold flags he sell vegetables)

(This lady sells courtesy flags for all different islands through the Caribbean and Pacific)

(Want your laundry done call Sparkle on Ch 16)

We will call back in to Marigot Bay on the way out to say farewell to the friends that we made there, meet for the usual sundowners and take off early the next morning. We will clear customs and emigration from there also.

Wednesday 9 May 2007

Still island time everything works quite slowly. I have had to organise the correct markings on the boat for Australian Registration, fortunately a young lady from a design company “Scribbles” that had been mentioned in one of our pilot guides helped organise it for us through a company in Castries. After the boat was marked I had to sign the declaration to confirm it was marked to the standard and FEDEX the paperwork to Australia and now I have to wait for the Australian registration to be sent back before we can Leave St Lucia. I am hoping that it arrives faster than what they say or we will have to extend our visa. We also have the hurricane season breathing down our necks so as soon as we have everything we are on the move.

(Nancy by the new markings of Alana Rose)

The plan will be to leave Rodney Bay return to Marigot Bay for one night and clear customs there, then leave early next morning for Grenada; this will take about 18 to 24 hours depending on the winds. This will also be our first through night voyage which in the near future will become the norm for some months with breaks in between as we stop over at the different islands.

Yesterday we had Lewis and Magdalene cleaning the boat from bilges to decks, they are coming back today to clean the outside of the hull, we are also having the main halyard replaced today, the old one may be alright but we have decided to have it replaced. Philip another worker around the marina is going up the mast to do that.

(Maggie and Lewis and their friend)

I have not been able to get the HF radio as yet; there is one in Grenada so we may be able to get that one on the way through failing that we will definitely pick one up in the Panama. We are trying to get some solar panels fitted to give us a better sea power supply so we do not have to run the engines so often.

( I think I have shares in this place with the amount of money I have spent)

Whilst here at Rodney Bay it has been party time with the weekend being the Jazz festival, boats are coming in from other islands mostly Martinique, very colourful and pretty sights.

(Alana Rose at night)

(It started to rain and boats were coming in for the festival, a catamaran tried to squeeze in by an American boat, I ran to fend it off before it hit, there was quite a few words flying)

(Boats came from everywhere and tried to find a space on the docks)

(Pretty ladies everywhere)

(All types of boats)

(This is the Caribbean)

(What more can I say)

We also met a couple of Aussies one couple was getting ready to sail and the other, Leigh on Mi Querida a ketch that he took 12 years to build himself and has been sailing the world for the past 9 years, he anchored outside the harbor. We also made other friends one nice Canadian couple that was very helpful, talking to them about not being able to get the HF radio and a few other things my mindset was it would be cheaper to buy in the Panama. They informed me it is better to buy one where I can Panama does not have everything.

Whilst here we also stored the boat ready to leave St Lucia and enjoyed the festivities.

(We went out to a local restaurant and had a quiet night)

Finally we have our boat Australian registration and have all safety gear on board including a new life raft and BBQ so we will head to Marigot Bay to say our goodbyes and clear out.

23 May 2007

We are back at Marigot Bay to say our goodbyes and have our final sundowners with the friends that we have met here. It is hard to say goodbye to these people they have become family since we have been here. Doreen the owner of the Bar and Restaurant “Chateau Mygo” took us on a tour around the island and had us in her home for dinner and she has helped us in many ways. So it was time to say farewell then go to the officials to clear out and sail at first light in the morning.