Fog, clams and oysters, good
looking boats – I miss all
of these things, even whilst
surrounded by warm water,
sandy beaches, and coconuts.
Tropics Different, Not Better
“Sand Dollar” in front of
Gros Piton, St. Lucia.
I am in St. Lucia in the West Indies, lots of French catamarans here and to the stern rail at night. I also lock the
driving a Beneteau 51 (of all things) even though they offer an amazing boat every time I leave. I suppose some
for charter. I can count the active amount of space, they are ugly and folks do this in the sound (Puget Sound)
wooden boat fleet on the fingers of have a motion in a seaway that must but I never locked my boats there.
one hand and they are some sad and be experienced to be understood. I Everything here is a sloop. Even
sorry representatives of their kind. am a big fan of their twin engines and the ketches are sailed as sloops with
The most decrepit brig imaginable doubled helms – to be able to pivot the mizzen pressed into service as a
is still in service doing day trips, a in a marina is an amazing thing for a mount for the wind generator and
glassed over French sloop is rapidly man used to ancient full keel, single radar. Almost all passages are on one
becoming a rotten egg at its mooring, screw vessels. I also really like the tack and short enough that you can see
and a 19-foot local carvel boat powered davits on these things. So nice to be the next island. This breeds a very lax
by an outboard provides good service able to carry a good, small boat rather local skipper who cannot conceive of
to Jahman Marley who works in the than towing. Nobody here rows except sailing in the Sound.
tourism industry. in an emergency. Folks prefer to zip There are tides but they are tiny.
Other than those, it is a glass world around in their inflatables in a cloud of More than a foot is shocking. Currents
here. The shinier the better – with silly two-stroke smoke, kind of like taking do come into play when making
folding cleats (Oysters) and huge stern the riding mower to the grocery store. crossings, but are usually a knot or two
pulpits covered in solar panels, wind Thieves are ever present and it has at most. Anchoring still brings a smile
generators, and antennas. There are been quite a change to lock the dinghy to my face as most of the time you can
find good bottom at 15 feet and, since
the wind always comes from the east,
I don’t have to worry too much about
folks anchoring right next to me. I do
often see some tremendous things
happening on bareboat charters, but I
have yet to see these folks come to any
serious harm.
Everybody here has a Bimini top
with some zip on panels and vinyl
windows. Perhaps they just plan for
this stuff to be ripped off in a strong
A 19-foot local carvel boat powered by an outboard
wind. I miss my wheelhouse (not the
provides good service to Jahman Marley.
wood stove though, now I’m cooking
with gas!). Everything is electric:
48° No r t h , Se p t e m b e r 2009 pa g e 60
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