We are sitting off St. Louis, Marie Galante, waiting to run in to a nice French lunch with the crew of Charlotte D and their company, at a restaurant called Chez Henri. We hope to use their wifi to share our adventures.
A view from the top of Les Saintes
Another spectacular sunset. This time from Marie Galante looking toward Les Saintes!
Nope...not going to try getting in here! Breakers were constant and huge!
54 inch Mahi Mahi!! The ONE to catch!
A sweet little flower along our hike. Dawn believes it to be in the orchid family.
We attended the Sunday night barbecue with the PAYS crowd, and sat with new friends from the Victoria Falls expedition and a rental boat named "Life of Riley" we had originally met them in a Martinique restaurant. It was the usual fun, followed by the usual recovery day. We shopped primarily for the great Demerera rum on Tuesday, then had a wild but fun sail to Les Saintes on Wednesday. With south winds forecasted for Friday, we stayed only long enough to clear customs, do a hike and have a poulet colombo pizza, then left for Marie Galante on those favourable winds.
We have had one nice lunch, albeit with 4 euro beer, and a "Bokit" sandwich with 2.5 euro beer. Sadly, the Bokits were like gristle sandwiches - so terrible in comparison to the similar lunch in Martinique.
We went on a hike, just the two of us, called the "sentier de Vieux Forte". Easy paths through low trees and along country roads, with a little mutt dog that insisted on accompanying us. Upon our return, we added up the journey and realized we had traveled 19 kilometres.
After a day of rest, and with a forecast of settled weather, we took a chance on a 16 km sail to a little place called Petite-Terre, to the northeast. Doyle's Guide suggests that great snorkelling and a beautiful anchorage awaits IF! there are no breakers running across the entrance. Sadly, the breakers were there; and it took only one to pick up my stern even before the water went truly shallow, and interfere with our ability to steer to make us turn around and head back to open water. The sail back was nice, but uncomfortable with our tails between our legs (writers should avoid cliches like the plague 😜).
We were half way back when we got the idea to put a fishing line out. Within a half hour, the wild zing of the reel being emptied of line brought us to attention. We put the boat into the wind until we were on a stable but slow tack, and I fought a monster for about a half hour. We do not know how we got to keep both our fishing equipment and the mahi mahi! It was a big 54" bull, and as it became stressed, it changed colour from iridescent blue to iridescent green. We realized it was being followed closely by its mate, that stayed blue. We had so many mixed feelings while fighting the fish and landing him, but to get him off, we could only gaff him and get him aboard on the dangerous swells.
I filleted him while we were traveling in the calm lee of Marie Galante, then cleaned up the fillets after reanchoring. We have approximately 34 servings! The boat looked like a crime scene, and it was another hour before our anchor beer.
Yesterday, we took it easy, then had the four people aboard Charlotte D for supper, dealing with much of the fish that could not fit in the freezer. A large portion is awaiting Bill and Lynn coming to visit at the end of the month!
We plan to stay here until next Tuesday at least, and indeed have reserved a car for Monday.
