2013: Bourg de Saintes, Terre de Haut, Îles-Les-Saintes

Day 64, 10 March

Bourg de Saintes, Terre de Haut, Îles-Les-Saintes

Nice grouping of eight islands off Guadeloupe's Basse-Terre and Grand-Terre islands, this is our target for the day, or at least for the morning. We anchored a good ways out in the passage and awaited the usual French approach to clearing the ship. (Or is it the French/island way?) This is a Sunday so there is no telling what we will find to do on the island. I am certain the locals and the visiting yachties will look with scorn upon our invasion. Se la vie! By 0905, 1 hour past intended time, the ship was cleared for shore and so off we went.

Sea Cloud

After a 20 minute tender ride to shore we disembarked to find the little business district ready for our onslaught' most shops were open and the restaurants were setting tables and cooling beer. The narrow main street was lined with clothing and jewelry shops selling island/resort wear and restaurants touting cool beer and hot fish lunch. French is the language of the island though most merchants spoke English and/or Spanish. The merchants we spoke to were pleasant and welcoming and the locals were not casting dark looks at us.

The bay was well stocked with sailboats, tour, taxi and fishing boats. But the most magnetic sight of all upon the bay was the magnificent 316' sailing ship Sea Cloud, built in 1931 for EF Hutton and was for awhile the largest yacht in the world. (See also www.seacloud.com ) A little later a 3 masted French charter boat came in and anchored.

Having wandered about for a couple of hours we returned to the ship. Reports from other passengers indicate most had a fine time with their excursions, being at or in the sea or viewing the island from a mini van or taxi. Our “all aboard” time was extended by an hour to make up for lost time this morning so we will burn more fuel tonight to speed up our transit to the next island. After leaving the islands we passed the Sea Cloud returning from an afternoon sail and in the distance crossing our bow was the Windspirit under sail. Quite a sight, 2 large sailing vessels at once.