Within minutes of arriving in any bay in St Lucia (except
Rodney Bay that is), you are approached by Boat One. Boat One may be one or two boats, but this boat is the one
that wants to help you pick up a mooring, or tell you where and how to anchor
your boat. We don’t need help
picking up a mooring, the charts show where there is depth to anchor and I’m
sure we know a bunch more than these youths about anchoring our particular
boat! They aren’t just being
friendly or helpful. They want you
to allow them to help you and then force you to pay an exhorbatant “fee” for
the privilege. And they don’t
necessarily know anything about boats or anchoring. The guidebook talks of numerous occasions when such “guides”
assist the boat aground on a reef.
So now you are anchored. Boat Two approaches.
This boat wants to sell you fruit.
Again, this boat is more like four boats, all banging against your boat
causing scratches and gouges. They
will come not once, but five times to your boat in a two day stop over,
including at 8pm at night. They
will use a range of tactics, the best being humour, the worst threatening, but
mostly just insistence. The
Insistence boats will hang by your boat for between 10 minutes and ½ an hour,
either hanging onto the railing or waiting just off, hoping you will change
your mind.
Boat Three waits until you have stopped being pestered by
the other boats. Boat Three is the
best equipped of all the boats with a brand new 20hp outboard. This boat is trying to sell you Ganja
(or marujuana for you non-Caribbean speakers). Although after Boats One and Two, you might need some
help relaxing, we chose not to take up the offer. This boat is the least invasive, asks pleasantly and is on
their way quickly when you say no.
From our discussions with the boat guys, all have been out
of prison for between 1 and 3 months.
So you want to go ashore? If it is a Soufriere, you will have the choice of tying your
dinghy up at the gated dock, complete with razor wire, or the dock with a
number of youths by it that will insist you pay them to look after your
dinghy. If your journey by foot is
just to the customs office, 10 strides from the gated dock, you will be
approached by at least three people.
All will ask if you would like a tour (none of them are official tour
guides), two will attempt to force a shell necklace on you for twice it’s
worth, and one will try to sell you a basket. If you decide to take a walk in town after checking in or
out, how many people approach you will be a calculation of how many strides you
take. We walked two streets (maybe
50 strides) and were approached by 15 people, all offering tours, and their
other wares varying as much as their level of threatening behaviour.
The cruising guide book recommends if you want to leave your
boat at night to go for dinner, you call one of the yacht service people to
come guard your yacht.
While this all sounds pretty bad, most places we have stayed
in St Lucia we have felt pretty safe.
Rodney Bay we felt very safe and Marigot Bay mostly safe but hassled.
We have also met some really lovely people. We had dinner at Benny’s Horizon
Restaurant right at the foot of the Pitons. Benny’s wife Marcelene does a home cooked dinner for you
that is absolutely delicious, with so many sides you will burst your
pants. Action Adventure Divers
will pick you up from your boat and take you for an amazing dive. Chester was really friendly and
promised, without prompting, to get Gary home safe in just over an hour.
The coastline of St Lucia is breathtaking. Particularly the
Pitons, a world heritage site.
 |
| Marigot Bay |
 |
| The oil silos off Castries |
 |
| The Pitons |
 |
| Piton. Horizon Restaurant at the base. |
We are off to Bequia tomorrow, missing out the island of St Vincent completely - too dangerous we are told. Bequia promises beauty and safety. I’m looking forward to not having to
lock ourselves in at night.
Katie you're blond again!!
ReplyDeleteAm super jealous of your trip (but what else is new?) and very much looking forward to reading about your next adventures :)