Saint Lucia

We stayed in Saint Lucia for almost two weeks, firstly in the marina at Rodney Bay, and afterwards at anchor in the bay itself. Being in the marina enabled us to fully charge our batteries, catch up on washing, supermarket shopping and everything needed to keep the boat running. We even bought a new dinghy to replace our old one, which kept deflating and was condemned (as old PVC and beyond economic repair) by the dinghy repair shop.

Saint Lucia is a definitely a damp island. There was lots of rain due to its mountainous terrain, and each day brought a mixture of sudden downpours and strong sunshine. We were on the alert to close all hatches and take in the washing at the start of each downpour, only to open the hatches and start again when it was over.

On the drier days we went out exploring, and had a fun hike up Mount Pimard to the south of Rodney Bay. This involved an element of climbing using ropes, which the girls predictably loved.

Another day took us on a hike to Pigeon Point, where along with our friends from Epiphany we climbed up to Fort Rodney for a spectacular view back over the bay and up towards Martinique.

One day we went on a tour of the island, taking in a clearer view of the Pitons, and a mud bath followed by a dip in the hot thermal pools to wash it off with. Sophie found the water far too hot and much preferred the cool waterfall we visited afterwards.

Being in the marina also allowed us to meet up with our ARC+ and ARC friends more easily. With Epiphany moored beside us and Rum Cat on the next pontoon, the girls were never short of company at the marina swimming pool. The kids had a movie night on Valent, complete with popcorn, and we also caught up with our friends on ARC boat Easter Snow, who we had first met in Gibraltar. All in all, Saint Lucia was a very sociable place to spend time.