Gotta Smile!: St Barthelemy

February 10, 2015

9 - Dominica, 10 - Iles des Saintes, 11- Guadeloupe, 12 - Antigua, 13 - Barbuda
14 - St Barthelemy

A - Gustavia

St Barthelemy

St Barts is the Riviera of the Caribbean. The picturesque port is charming and draws many of the rich and famous to it’s beaches, shops and restaurants.

You are going to have to take my word for it -- that's
a whale. The only one we have seen on our voyage.
He breeched five or six times for us as he swam next
to our boat and then he was gone.

Located in the middle of the Lesser Antilles it’s history includes ownership by the British, French, Spanish and Swedes. In the 1600’s it prospered as a pirate base. Captain Montbars became known as Montbars the Exterminator as he spread terror throughout the region. The French gave St Barts to the Swedes in 1784. It was made a free port at that time and remains so today. In 1878 the French made it a commune of France.

Gustavia from the fort. It must be a covenant in the
city that all buildings have red roofs and white
exteriors.

Our first night at anchor in St Barts was horrible. The swells got larger as the night went on and everything in the boat seemed to be in continuous motion sliding and clanking. We got off early the next morning and had a great day walking Gustavia, the main city. As we headed back to the boat we realized that the swells were much closer together and larger than they had been earlier in the day. By the time we got to the boat, we all knew we were facing a very dangerous situation. The swim platform (where we needed to enter the boat) would drop three to four feet like a guillotine heading for our dingy. Each surge would draw the dingy toward that

The turbulent coastline

raised platform wanting to pull it under. We had to fight to get close enough to step off the dingy without letting the platform slam down on us. Jon, the most agile, was the first to jump. While Brian maneuvered the dingy with the motor, Jon held it’s lines to help control it. We all put on our life jackets. Bonnie and I watched the wave cycle and called out when the rhythm gave us the best opportunity to make the jump. One by one we made it to the safety of the boat and celebrated with a group hug and a prayer of thanks. There was no way we were going to spend a second night in that bubbling cauldron.

Time to relax and enjoy a beverage.

We left St Barts like thieves in the night. Even though we wouldn't arrive in St Martin until well after dark. We were in full agreement. This is not where we wanted to spend another night.