Ilet Pigeon & Deshaies
After nearly a week in Les Saintes, it was time to move on. This meant sailing north west to Guadeloupe its. There are few significant towns with harbours on this coast, the upside being smaller coves/bays. We dropped the hook in Anse de la Barque for a night, and then moved 5 nm further up the coast to Pointe Malendre. This is a small bay between the delightfully named villages of Vieux Habitantes (Old People) and Bouillante (Boiling), the latter for its fumarole.
But the real treasure is just outside the bay. Ilet Pigeon may only be a couple of large rocks, but it centres a marine reserve. Below the surrounding waters, it is like a botanical garden with a huge variety of corals and fish. Out came the dive gear and under we went. In truth, this was our first real dive for many years, so it was good to re-acclimatise ourselves gently and in sheltered conditions. There was also some brilliant snorkelling at the edge of the bay. Lots of lion fish, a kaleidoscopic octopus, and a snake fish amongst so many other species.
As one has to ‘clear’ in and out of each jurisdiction, a visit to Deshaies on the north west tip of the island was necessary to complete formalities. The French Islands have electronic clearance, which involves locating the office for the port, often the marina or a local trader, sitting at a PC and then getting the printout stamped. It is simple and free from the vagaries of some of the other islands. This time it was hidden in amongst the T-shirts in a boutique!
The a rapid search for wifi, found in a small bar at the other end of the street, top up with French groceries, and an early night in readiness for the sail to Antigua. All being well, we hope to get in to port late afternoon. The bad news is that I have a growing list of bits and pieces on the boat demanding attention. Such is the life of cruising folk, but the good news is that we have friends to meet up with there 🙂
Freebooter 