We’ve got the lowdown on how a customer got on when they spent 10 days sailing the coast of Saint Lucia and Martinique with their family…
We spent the first day dealing with the handover of the Catana 47 we had booked, a magnificent catamaran, as well as the provisioning and administrative procedures. The yacht was amazingly spacious with a refrigerator and a freezer, which allowed us to store meat for ten days, and there was even a handy microwave to warm baby food.
Spacious and well equipped
The yacht had two diesel tanks (about 800L in total), a double fresh water circuit (producing around 100 litres of fresh water per hour), one engine per hull and air conditioning which we didn’t use unless to help the baby sleep.
A large battened sail was stored by itself in its lazy bag with an electric winch to hoist it, a furling genoa and gennaker. With 15 knots of wind, the boat sails at more than 10 knots, which considerably shortens distances.
There was plenty of storage which prevented repeat stocking, except for fruit and veg. Curtains gave us a little shade in the cockpit, as the sun rose early and it heats up quickly, and the trampoline allowed us to admire the water flowing between the hulls and the dolphins.
The magic of Bequia in the Grenadines
Day one: We headed towards Saint Lucia and the bay of La Raye, covering 35 nautical miles in four hours. We bathed from the boat and moved to spend the night in Marigot Bay.
Day two: It was an early start to leave for Bequia, around 65 nautical miles away. We made a stop before the Grenadines for administrative procedures so we shopped locally buying souvenirs and fruit. Our rental host had recommended a restaurant so we dined there and they returned the next day to give us fresh bread.
Day three: We sailed on 25 nautical miles to Mayreau and arrived in the afternoon in Salt Whistle Bay, to the north of the island. We took advantage of a well protected bay with a white sandy beach and much welcome shade in the palm trees. We reserved our place for the next night too.
Turtle and iguana spotting with the children
Day four: We left for Petit Bateau using the motor and anchored at Tobago Cays and we understood why some compare the place to Polynesia. On the beach the children admired turtles underwater and had fun spotting iguanas in the grass. It was total paradise! We used the dinghy to dive on the barrier reef, which attracted so many fish it was a real aquarium. We got back on board and sailed back to Mayreau to enjoy lobsters cooked in a wood fire.
Day five: We departed Salt Whistle Bay to sail to Saline Bay, where the wooden pontoon gave plenty of opportunities for stunning photos. We visited the small church of Father Divonne, located on the highest point of the island, where we had a magnificent view of the Tobago Cays. We sailed further to Morpion, which seems to be the smallest island in the world and we managed to set our own circuit record of 18 seconds! After this racing fun, we sailed to our anchorage of the night, in front of Petit Saint Vincent. The Patuelli Guide advised us to go down to the beach to have a drink at the bar of the hotel that occupies the whole island but we were tired and the sunset was breathtaking so we stayed on board. At night a storm passed over but the children slept through.
Day six: Despite the large capacity of diesel fuel tanks, we filled up as we were half full. The diesel pump is on the island of Petite Martinique, the southerly point of our cruise. Once the tank was filled, we headed north again. Given the speed of the boat, we arrived earlier than expected at Bequia, so we were able to stop in front of Petit Nevis. This tiny beach is covered with shells and it was hard to explain to the children that we were not allowed to take them away! We spent the night in the bay of Port Elizabeth in Bequia.
Day seven: We left super early for Saint Lucia which gave us plenty of sail time before the children woke. We loved looking at the Two Pitons, two rocky points some 700m high. A welcome committee with a colorful boat, came to meet us and we negotiated to go ashore, use the bus, empty bins and secure overnight anchorage in front of the hotel (http://www.Jalousieplantation.com). We explored the island and the children drank from straws stuck in coconuts. We visited the botanical garden and learned a lot about the local flora and enjoyed an impressive waterfall. After lunch in a small local restaurant, we visited the volcano crater and the smell of sulphur was strong. It was an unmissable stop.
Day eight: Early in the morning, we snorkeled in front of Petit Piton where we spotted trumpetfish and parrotfish in clean waters. After marvelling at the sheer numbers of fish we headed to Martinique. We watched the dolphins from the trampoline and the children declared this the best day of their lives! The weather was mild and we headed to Cul-de-sac Marin, a hidden bay which gave us the the seclusion we wanted to bathe as a family alone.
Day nine: We headed back to our destination port and refuelled.
We certainly experienced some thunderstorms, but they only lasted five minutes and the boat dried immediately in the hot sun. At night the temperature dropped a little but it was always tshirt weather. It was a magnificent holiday which we will remember for a very long time and we’ll be back to experience all the destinations we didn’t have time for on this trip!
If you want to experience the majesty of Saint Lucia, call the LateSail team on 01227 479 900
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