Dock sailing in Rodney Bay Marina

March 2^nd. A few circumstances “not controlled by our voluntary” had us stocked on D-8 slip, at Rodney Bay. I'll expose them:

1- get the laundry done

2- fix the toilets

3- fix the salt water pump

4- and the gimble lock on the stove

5- go to the market in Castries and buy fruits and veggies “twice” 

6- paint the cracks on the wood rails of Salty Shores

7- wait for our friend Archie, who is jointing us to sail to Grenada

8- and a weather window, because it has been really windy and stormy the last 3 days.

Today, we got up at six. After clearing out and paying the bill twice, because for days we kept saying: “we are going to go today!” And went to the office close the bills and then Jim calls a few minutes later to ask if there was any problem if we stay one more day; the marina nice officers just answered: “Salty Shores, you can stay all the time you want.” Of course...

But today, we were tired of dock sailing and with Archie here we felt more that committed to do something. Yesterday, when we came back from our second adventure in Castries with the provision (soursops, plantains, pepper, local chives, celery, grape fruits, coconut water, tomatoes and cooked lamb); we checked the passage weather, the winds were calming down, it was still raining, but the voice was out: “we are going to the Pitons”.

So here we are, 10 miles of 15 to the most scenic place in the Caribbean, where the two sleeping volcanoes, one on each end of the bay, almost touch the sky. So emblematic of St. Lucia that it is name to their national beer, very good, by the way.

AnechyNotes

40 nautical miles south

St. Lucia overview

February 22^nd. Salty Shores was ready to sail to St. Lucia, so we started our way at 6:30 in the morning. It was blowing 16-17 knots Northeast and the beautiful main sail and the genoa were showing off between flying fishes and birds.

This passage is known to be very rough right between Martinique and St. Lucia. A few days earlier I was telling our friend Louie from Newport, NC, that I couldn't wait to see him turn yellow and green when he comes to sail with us, maybe not very nice of me. But in fact I'm the one who travels outside down all the time; and the seasickness medicine makes me sleepy, so when I'm not puking, I'm immerse in my dizzy land.

We were expecting a nice Mahi-mahi, but not even a hint of good luck with that this time.

We got to St. Lucia at 11:00 am, actually we did a very good time. Jim called Rodney Bay Marina on the VHF to make a reservation and went straight ahead to the fuel dock to fill up the tank, making sure that it was filtered before. I guess the dirty fuel we had before had him a little traumatized. The fuel boy gave Jim a look of disapproving, until he told him our episode changing filters a few days ago and gave him a tip to keep him happy. “It's not that I got that diesel here, It's that I am a little paranoid about it”. He finally said.

A few minutes later we were docked in a very nice marina, with unlimited water, nice hot showers, good restaurants, free internet... Yey! Good to power up and continue the trip.

After we checked in the marina and customs and immigration, we had lunch at an Italian caffé called Elena's. They have a good pizza chef, with a stone oven and a great repertory of Italian songs that he sings while he is making the dough. He doesn't speak any English, but his pizzas are too good to be truth. That was plenty of stimulation to get brushes, rags and hoses and clean nicely our sailing home.

AnechyNotes