Layne Bay Blog

West Indies ‘08:People –

Our last evening was spent moored in a beautiful village called Marigot north of Soufries in St. Lucia.

The seas were as rough as we had experienced the entire trip to get there. As we crossed the large channel between St. Vincent and St. Lucia. For three of the four hours of sailing, we were in a rain storm with waves to match. No soul ventured out to the deck on this particular day to face the wind and waves. The crew (Thierry and Yannick) donned full bright yellow rain gear as the crawled across the boat with great ease. Sails eventually came down , which I suppose is best to minimize the boats response to the weather.

Once along the southwest coast of St. Lucia, protected by the close moutains, we had a sunless entry to Marigot. It was none the less beautiful. Steep cliffs covered in a lush, deep green rose on either side of the bay. Most peaks were topped with homes sure to have spectacular views every day of the year.

Some of us stole one last swim before showering off the back of the boat and we all headed to shore for a great dinner with the crew. They were our guests, and we honored them for not only their excellent service and care, but for their friendship for the last seven days.

We learned that we had been their first American group of passengers… ever. All three expressed their fondness for the group, and I, for one, will take them at their word. It was also the last trip for Yannick, who will become the chief technician for the charter company and stay closer to Martinique and his wife of one year.

The next morning was our last breakfast on board. As every morning, toasted French bread, butter, an assortment of familiar and exotic jams, yogurt, cereal, and of course, eggs to order “a la Delphine”.

We all stood in line to bid our wonderful crew farewell; some hugs, some kisses, and many hearty handshakes with sincere thanks for the safe and adventurous journey.

We were collected by David and Bobby once again, for the long drive back to Vieux Fort and the airport. There was little conversation as we wound up and down the steep roads. We stopped occasionally for photos, but no one accepted the friendly invitation form David to step out of the van and let a 5 foot boa wrap itself around their neck. Apparently, this is something quite often seen on these roads on this part of the island.

We stopped at a resort called Ladera nestled smartly between Petite Piton and Grand Piton with spectacular views. We rested, dozed, and waited for lunch to be served. We had our last meal together in a tropical beauty that we all hope to return to some day.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Categories: Travel //

Tags: sailing