Alone Again

We have had the best couple months sailing,exploring,hiking,eating and drinking with my sister Dawn and her husband Laurie on Cat Tales. We have been together since mid Nov and this past Tues we parted company as they headed north and we south. We will reconnect in Feb in Dominica. But for now we are anchored in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, you know when you have spent too long here when you walk through the marina grounds and you know so many people. The boat maintenance guy Vision calls out Welcome Back to St Lucia. It always feels like coming home. We have many friends who arrive after Christmas and we will catch up with them here too. We need to get the boat surveyed for insurance this spring .... Amazing it's our fifth season. 

To back track we spent a month in Martinique the land of great food and cheap wine. Thank goodness we had many taxing hikes to compensate. We spent a great Christmas Day with a group of 30 or so and then some time on the beach. 

This is our salon Christmas morning. 

On a hike around to Point Saline it looks desert like not at all tropical. 

Just a  walk trough the water to continue. It's weird because the water is so clear its hard to tell how deep it is until you're in it. 

 

This is Petite Anse

We had a couple nights in Anse Chaudiere where the water is crystal clear and some excellent snorkelling from the back of the boat. After so many rainy windy days it was a joy to have calm waters. For the first time we saw dolphins frolicking and jumping along side the boat. I have a video but it is to large to post. I'll try to figure how to take a short clip from it. It was very exciting for us. 

After a hike to Petie Anse we took the bus back to the anchorage and the hairpin turns were crazy. This car had to back up to let the bus make the turn. It was a brand new large bus.... too big for the road. Apparently what they get in France all the dependents get too. Never mind the roads were built for mini cars. This one was like our highway busses, brand new (no graffiti or stains on the upholstery and the A/C worked too!).

Dawn and I waiting for Laurie to return from scoping out the next segment of the hike.....for another day. 

Why can't we grow them like this in Canada along the roadside here. 

The World Arc 2017/18 left Rodney Bay at noon today. About 20 boats heading out for 15 months and 26,000 nautical miles. 

We seem to be in Big Boat Bay....haven't seen so many Mega Yatchs in one place for a long time. At night they are lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. Quite lovely to see.